Daily Archives: February 13, 2015

Ennai kovakkai/ tindora/ ivy guard

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 30-40 minutes

Serving : 5-6 members

Description

Any interesting recipe to idea I get to know or come across , my mind automatically goes towards a non – vegetarian protein version to give my twist to it and experiment. So for a change wanted to think out of the box yearning for a lighter alternative and went ahead with these ivy guards that I usually make a simple sautéed side dish with . Not wanting to spend much time in the kitchen as well , settled with a regular recipe of ennai katharikai ( brinjal ) which is an integral part of a ravuthar Muslim wedding , reception or any gathering served as a side for biriyani . Here I have substituted brinjals with ivy guards as the twist . The look made me instantly averse to its colour ,refusing to eat it . But when heated my nose decided otherwise . The marriage of hot ,tangy and sweetness sure did tickle my taste buds . Simplicity is key for this dish with old school rustic style of slow cooking . Chances of sampling this dish outside a ravuthar home or wedding are rare . So gear up to celebrate this rare ravuthar dish at your home kitchen that doesn’t take much skill or any special equipment to pull off .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Kovakkai / tindora/ ivy guard	1/2 kg , ( cut the into four with the other end intact ),
Small onions whole	1 1/2 hand full
Garlic flakes	one hand full
Gingely oil	1 cup ,
Mustard seeds	2 teaspoon
Curry leaves	few
Sambhar powder	3 tablespoons full
Asafoetida	1/4 teaspoon
Tomato	chopped
Tamarind pulp	1/2 cup
Salt	to taste
White Sesame seeds	1 teaspoon
Roasted peanuts	1 teaspoon crushed
Jaggery	2 teaspoons

Method

Heat oil in a non stick kadai , add mustard seeds and curry leaves . Once they crackle , top with asafoetida ,
whole onions and garlic . Sauté for a 2 minutes . Add the kovakkai / tindora/ ivy guards and sauté in medium heat for 15 minutes till the colour of the ivy guards change and looses its stiffness .
Add tomato , salt and sambhar powder . Sauté till the tomatoes lets out its juices . Add 2 cups of water and bring to boil . When the ivy guards are 3/4 cooked , add the tamarind pulp .
Toss well and cook until ivy guards are cooked through and gets to a thick gravy coated with the ivy guards . Add jaggery , sesame seeds and crushed peanuts . Toss well . Simmer till oil separates .
Taste and adjust seasoning . Should taste tangy with the sweetness coming through . Serve hot .

Notes

I have used torn dry red chillies here while tempering . It’s optional .

Deconstructed trifle pudding

Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 -12 minutes + setting time in the refrigerator.

Serving : 8-10 members

Description

At times when you get to see jaw dropping good images of food in magazines and go head over heels thinking about the taste to the recipe or how was this put up together . I hope you all can relate to what I am meaning to say , yeah like wise … This was one such dessert that I could not take my eyes away from BBC GOOD FOOD INDIA magazine on its front cover . Immediately went strait to the recipe in the magazine and it seemed to be so very simple but assembled in a genius innovative way that will make you a star chef even if it’s your first try . Made this dessert tweaking it a bit to my comfort level and available ingredients at home for a feast gathering where this was the finale dessert . Every one was awe struck with the first look of this dessert as i was . The first spoon in their mouth full and I knew by reading all their faces that their taste buds are being pampered generously . My first mouth full and it hit me with nostalgic taste of my moms trifle pudding that reminds me of my lazy summer vacations and days filled with delicious food . This is just a posh version of the mighty usual trifle pudding that we have all been having for ages . Make your own twist to the recipe and fill your hearts with your own stories to feel the sense and comfort of sharing with family and friends creating memories that will come back to you every time you cook , see or eat it .

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Strawberry jelly	270 grams
Strawberries	400 grams , halved and hulled
Milk	200 ml for custard
Ready made Swiss rolls	180 grams sliced to one inch thick pieces ( any flavour , I used vanilla )
White chocolate	100 grams chopped
Double cream	200 ml for custard
Vanilla flavoured custard powder	1/4 cup
Vanilla essence	1 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon for whipped cream
Icing sugar	6 tablespoons or to taste for whipped cream
Sugar	100 grams for custard
Whipped cream	90 ml

Method

Make the jelly following the packet instructions . Leave until the liquid starts to thicken .
Place half the strawberries in the bottom of a wide , shallow pudding dish . Pour the jelly over and refrigerate to set according to packet instructions.
Heat 200 ml of milk and 200 ml double cream in a heavy bottomed pan . Mix custard powder with little water and dilute it with no lumps . Bring the milk and cream to boil , simmer the flame and add the diluted custard powder mixture . Keep stirring to get a thick gooey mass of custard that coats the back of a wooden spoon .
Add vanilla essence and sugar . mix well . Remove from heat and add the chopped white chocolate . Mix well and cool .
Take the set jelly out of the refrigerator. Line the out side of the pudding dish with Swiss roll slices , making sure the slices are all facing the same way so it looks neat . Place a layer of Swiss roll on top of the set jelly . Pour the cooled custard into the middle and chill for another one hour or more to set .
Gently whip the whipped cream to stiff adding icing sugar and vanilla essence . Spoon the whipped cream over the set custard and decorate with the remaining strawberries .
serve chilled .

Notes

Can use any fruit of the season instead of strawberries or mixed fruits will also do .
Can use any flavoured jelly . Get experimental using four different coloured and flavoured jelly to set to thin layers in the bottom for a rainbow trifle effect .

Tropical glass noodles salad

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : nil

Serving : 3-4 members

Description

salads by itself is a real difficult task for me to pull of and to add to this challenge having to come up with a salad that’s apt for a Chinese meal with Asian flavours was like welcoming me to a new adventure . First had to come up with ingredients from my pantry that can be used for the salad . Found a packet of glass noodles and made up my mind to run my imagination of flavours and play around it . Well Chinese food usually has a very dominating strong factor of sweet , hot , spicy and sourness to it . So had to keep in mind about all these when deciding for the salad dressing . Came up with a unique dressing and tossed the salad . Tasted and there were two elements missing , sourness and a crunch . So added raw mango for the sourness and walnuts ( wanted to use peanuts but as I was out of stock had to settle with walnuts ) for crunch . Mixed and tasted and worked well. This was not an obvious marriage of ingredients but one that’s simple and exceptionally good . I loved the challenge of bringing together familiar every day ingredients in an unfamiliar yet incredible way where every one at home unanimously agreed for this one time .

Ingredients

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Ingredients Dressing

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Method

Mix the yellow , red and green bell pepper strips with grated raw mango , walnuts crushed , basil and glass noodles . Toss well .
Mix all the ingredients together for the dressing and whisk well until Palm sugar dissolves and gets to a pale brown colour .
Taste and adjust seasoning .
Toss the mixed salad ingredients with the dressing and chill in the fridge for 20- 30 minutes allowing the flavours to infuse well .
Serve cold as it is .

Notes

This salad must be made just before 40 minutes to one hours time before serving as the coconut water in the dressing gets stale if kept out for a long time .
Make sure to finish off the salad on the table with no left overs as it can not be saved for later as well .