Daily Archives: September 17, 2014


Bee hoon

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Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

Bee hoon  but at home its known as bee goon .  bee hoon is a dish of the cultural fusion between Malay and Chinese. bee hoon sauce is a chilli-based sauce and there is a variation that is a chilli – peanut sauce  very similar to the one served with satay. The chilli / chilli peanut sauce is spread on top of rice vermicelli.Rice vermicelli are thin noodles made from rice and are a form of rice noodles.They are sometimes referred to as rice noodles or rice sticks. Some thing similar to the  rice sevai we cook with but thinner and cooks very fast . As mentioned before this dish was introduced to us by my co – sister Farzana who has a touch of Malaysia in her roots . This recipe might taste very different from the traditional bee hoon but in a good way  and apt for Packed lunches . A true treat to all your senses .  my fussy veggie gal ANISHA loves it . Every piece of chicken in anishas  plate goes straight into my carnivorous boy afzar’s plate . Who is more than happy to have meat and more meat on his plate . This is one dish as a kid when asked if you “need another helping ? ” my gal greedily would nod  yes . Her chubby face ( she was bake then ) with the hair band and those fringes of hair on her forehead … Are Still so fresh in my mind . These memories bring a board smile to me :-)) .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Rice vermicelli1 packet
Dry Red chillies 6 to 8
Tomato5
Small onion8
Boneless Chicken tiny pieces / tiny prawns1 cup
Sprouts1/4 cup
Spring onion1 chopped
Lettuce 2 leaves shredded
Potato2 huge chopped into tiny cubes
Carrots 2 big chopped into tiny cubes
Cabbage1/4 cup shredded
Chilli powder to taste
Ginger garlic paste1/4 teaspoon each
Tomato sauce3 tablespoons or more to taste
Hot and sweet sauce 1 tablespoon
Eggs 2 beaten with salt + pepper to taste
Saltto taste
Oil4 tablespoon

To prep

  1.  Soak dry red chillies in water for 1/2 an hour and grind to a paste .
  2. make a cross cut with a knife in the bottom of each tomato . Drop them into hot water ,cover for 2 minutes . Remove and peel the skins and grind to a smooth paste .
  3. Grind the small onions to a smooth paste .marinate chopped potatoes and chicken cubes / prawns with chilli powder and salt to taste separately and set aside for 15 minutes .
  4. Fry the potatoes in hot oil to crisp , drain and set aside . In the same hot oil fry the chicken pieces/ prawns to cooked and crisp .
  5. Drain and set aside . cook the rice vermicelli according to the packet instructions . Drain and set aside .
  6. Make omllets with the beaten and seasoned eggs . Cool and cut , by rolling the omelet tightly and cutting into thin threads and set aside

How to proceed

  1. Heat oil in a non – stick kadai ( the same oil used to fry the potatoes and chicken / prawns can be used .) add the onion paste and sauté to brown .
  2. Top with ginger and garlic paste and sauté to crisp and oil separates . Top with carrots , sprouts , spring onions , cabbage and lettuce .
  3. Sauté until the carrots are a bit soft . Add red chilli paste , tomato paste and sauté till raw smell vanishes and oil floats on top .
  4. Add fried potatoes , chicken / prawns , tomato sauce and hot and sweet sauce .
  5. Mix well . Taste and adjust . Add the boiled rice vermicelli and toss well in low flame making sure the sauce is evenly spread out and mixed well .
  6. Finally add the egg threads , mix well and serve hot .

 

Notes

Vegetarians can do the same by avoiding the chicken / prawns and the eggs


Potato gnocchi with mushroom herby brown butter

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Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serving : 5 members

Description

Potato gnocchi with mushroom herby burnt butter .An Italian origin dish served as an entree alternative to soup or pasta which is a sort of dumpling made with steamed potatoes , egg and flour . Served hot or warm .Common accompaniments of gnocchi include melted butter (sometimes fried butter) with sage, pesto, and various sauces. Like many Italian dishes, there is considerable variation in recipes and names across different regions of Italy . I am not sure which region this recipe is from . I did get to know about this wonder dish through the telly . From then , being wanting to give it a try . Finally one fine day started of very nervously , following the recipe that require a little effort but that makes it all the more worth while . Finished boiling the gnocchi and had to make a sauce now . I didn’t want to make the usual tomato or cheese based sauce that I make for pasta or any Italian dishes . Came across a recipe that used pumpkins and mushrooms with burnt butter and sage with gnocchi . Loved the idea and went ahead by omitting the pumpkin and substituting sage with mixed herbs . Though it looks and sounds less pretentious , works surprisingly well with all the elements coming together . I guess the butter did the magic here as every thing tastes better with a smear of melted butter . more butter used , more better in taste :-)) The gnocchi’s were soft and moist drunk with the fragrantly herby butter and stock . Every one in the table liked it except my boy , Afzar who missed his cheesy creamy sauce .

Ingredients for potato gnocchi

Ingredients
Quantity
potatoes (washed), peeled, quartered into 4800 grams
Salt & ground white pepper to taste
egg lightly whisked1
plain flour2 cups ( 300 grams )
finely grated parmesan1/4 cup ( 20 grams )
Plain flourlittle to dust

Method for potato gnocchi

  1. Add enough water to a saucepan to reach a depth of 3cm. Bring to the boil over high heat. Place potato in a metal steaming basket. Place steamer in saucepan (make sure base of steamer doesn’t touch the water).
  2. Steam, covered, for 15 minutes or until tender. (It’s best to steam rather than boil the potato. Boiling can saturate potato with water, which will increase the amount of flour required and result in a heavier gnocchi.) Transfer to a bowl and use a potato masher to mash until smooth.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.Add the egg and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add half the flour and parmesan and stir until combined.
  4. Add the remaining flour, in 2 more batches, until well combined and a firm dough forms. (If dough is too soft, add more flour.) Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
  5. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll 1 portion into a 2cm-diameter log about 30cm long.
  6. Use a lightly floured knife to cut into 2cm pieces. Repeat with remaining dough portions.
  7. Lightly flour your hands and roll each piece of dough into a ball. Use your thumb to roll each ball over a floured fork. Place on tray.
  8. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil over medium heat. Add one-quarter of gnocchi (drop onto base of pan in a single layer, but don’t overcrowd as they can stick together) and cook for 3 minutes or until they rise to the surface.
  9. Use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer to a bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with the remaining gnocchi.

Mushroom herby Brown Butter ingredients

ingredients
Quantity
butter 4 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons extra
Mixed dried herbs(basil , oregano , thyme , rose Mary , dill and sage) -2 pinches each ,
Maggi chicken stock 1 cube
olive oil 1 tablespoon
sliced mushrooms250 grams
Grated Parmesan cheesefor serving

Method for mushroom herby brown butter

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with olive oil in large skillet then add mushrooms. Sauté until tender and cooked down. Remove and set aside .
  2. Heat remaining butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until melted.
  3. Add mixed dried herbs  and continue cooking until butter turns a clear, dark amber, being careful not to burn.Add chicken stock cube to butter along with 1/4 cup warm water .
  4. Bring to boil . Add drained gnocchi to skillet with butter and stock, tossing to coat evenly.Add cooked mushroom slices, tossing to coat evenly.
  5. Season with salt ( be careful with salt as butter and the stock cube contains a lot of salt ) and pepper, and top with grated Parmesan cheese . Serve hot .

Notes

  1. These gnocchi’s stay moist and soft even the next day if kept in the fridge and heated in the microwave .
  2. The shape of my gnocchi’s are a bit different Than the regular shape as I didn’t get the original form of rolling with a fork right so just went ahead with what I felt comfortable with .
  3. Make sure not to over crowd the gnocchi’s while boiling them . Boil them in 3-4 batches .
  4. I used a little chilli flakes as well to spike up the herby butter sauce a bit . It’s optional and your choice to add or omit this ingredient

Creamy chicken pie

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Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 1 hour – 20 minutes

Serving : 8 members

Description

Hi Ma’am,I am Akhila Mohandas. I like your recipes so much, as it always uses ingredients available at home.I like the way you explain the method which motivates us to try the recipe.Had tried many of your recipes.Just want to thank you for all the recipes.Another request is to post any Pie recipe.you are doing an excellent job.Cheers!!!Thank you once again.
I have never made a pie before . So had my doubts about the dish . Went through a couple of recipes and finally stuck to the one I am posting today with a bit of ingredients added to the pastry and chicken sauce . Started to feel quite confident as the pastry was something similar to the quiche de Lorraine pastry method which I bake very often .  Finished and all ready to bake the pie . Found the pie to look so bland and ordinary .came up with an idea to use my fondant cutters to create a pattern on the top of the pie with attention to detail . My quest to use my fondant cutters was also put to use finally . The pie looked and tasted awesome . A big thumbs up from hubby dear also that brought a board smile on my face :-)) . I religiously follow the motto of  ” the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach ” .

Ingredients for the pastry

Ingredients
Quantity
chicken (boneless, cooked and diced )1/4 kg
refined flour / maida2 cups heaped
butter3/4 cup / 90 grams
vinegar1 teaspoon
cold milk 1/4 cup
salt1-4 teaspoon
baking powder1 teaspoon
slightly beaten egg white or milk to glaze the pie 1 tablespoon

Ingredients for the chicken sauce

Ingredients
Quantity
Boneless Chicken ( diced and cooked along with ginger + garlic paste1/4 kg
Ginger + garlic paste1/4 teaspoon , ( for chicken )
milk2 cups
refined flour2 tablespoons
butter 1 tablespoon
salt to taste
Chilli flakes to taste
White pepper to taste
Mixed dried herbs( oregano , thyme ,rosemary , dill , basil ) a pinch of each

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degree F / 160 degree Celsius . Mix the butter, refined flour, vinegar, cold milk , salt and baking powder and knead lightly into soft dough using little water if required and keep aside covered in the refrigerator for 20 minutes .
  2. Heat and Melt butter, add refined flour, saute a little and add the milk very gradually, stirring vigorously all the time.
  3. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes, add the salt, white pepper , chilli flakes , dried herbs and chicken. Mix well and boil till a thick gooey saucy consistency is obtained . Add a little more milk if the sauce gets too thick .
  4. Roll out a little more than half the dough about 1/4 cm (1/8″) thick and cover the base and the sides of the pie dish. Prick with a fork and fill it with the chicken white sauce mixture.
  5. Roll out the other portion of the dough, wet the edges, and cover the pie, pressing the edges together, to seal.
  6. Prick with a fork( I decorated with leaves all around and the Center with the rolled dough cut into leaf shapes with a help of a fondant cutter ) glaze the surface with the beaten egg white or milk and bake in a pre-heated oven for about 45-60 minutes or until golden.( my oven took 60 minutes ) tadaa mouth watering creamy chicken pie is ready .
  7. Cut into wedges and Serve warm as it is .vegetarians can substitute with a veggi filling .
  8. Chicken filling can be substituted with mutton , fish , or a combination of mushrooms or green peas added along with chicken .

Apple capsicum and peanut pesto salad

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Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : nil

Serving : 2-3 members

Description

Salads have become a must on the dinning table every afternoon here at home  which has left me with a fix as the salad has to be healthy and tasty . That’s where the real challenge is as how can healthy be tasty ? Any thing that tastes good is not healthy that’s what I think . So with my search for salad and salad dressing recipes came across this beautiful recipe from vicky ratnanis new cook book vicky goes veg where he has used this pesto recipe to serve along with a salad but I just loved the idea of using a fruit in a pesto so I used the pesto as a short cut cheats dressing to the salad . Vickys recipe demanded for red bell pepper to be used but as I didn’t have it in my pantry substituted with green capsicum . The results were mind blowing as it livened up the staid salad with a smattering of sweet and spicy fresh pesto . Having to feed your loved ones at home in a healthy way with taste is not an easy go job so with what ever I come up that’s healthy I make it a point to serve them in style and sooth their eyes with the healthy food first on their plate before it goes into their tummy . The same way this salad also did get it’s turn to be show cased in a contemporary classic way like in restaurants at home . That leads to not wanting to dine out and if we do with complaints pouring in  most of the time . My trick to impress my loved ones at home has served to play it’s trick on me with keeping me busy in my kitchen always .

Ingredients for pesto

Ingredients
Quantity
Green capsicum 1 seeds removed and chopped
Unsalted , skinned and roasted peanuts 3 tablespoons
Ginger1/2 teaspoon
Green chillies 2 or to taste
Olive oil 3 tablespoons
Peeled Apple1/2 chopped
Jaggery1 tablespoon
Vinegar 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves 1/3 cup chopped

Other vegetables for salad

Ingredients
Quantity
Carrot1 big cut into thin long strips
Cucumber 1 big cut into thin long strips , squeezed with both hands to remove excess water
Cabbage1/4 cup shredded
Red cabbage1/4 cup shredded
Onion1 sliced thinly
Red bell pepper ( red capsicum ) 1/2 thinly sliced ( I used green as I didn't have red bell pepper )

Method

  1.  Grind all the ingredients together until it’s smooth and a pale green colour .
  2. Taste and adjust the ground pesto . Mix with all the cut vegetables for salad . Place in the refrigerator until to be served .
  3. Serve cold with masala paped .