birthday dessert ideas: Cooking

Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts

Cooking with the Tadka Girls- Pasta in lemon pepper sauce!

Few weeks or maybe a month ago, I read a blog post by a friend in which she had mentioned this book "Around The World With The Tadka Girls [Ruchira Ramanujam, Ranjini Rao]".We spoke about the book to a point where she mentioned it was a good book to have, not only were the recipes good, they were easy to make and the ingredients were all simple ones [most of which we would have around the kitchen]

Two weeks ago,I was at a bookstore, when I called this friend asking about the title of the book. Another friend who was with me exclaimed on seeing the book in my hand. We decided to buy a copy and share the book!

Day before, when I was wondering what to make for dinner, I decided to refer the book. Spotted a Fettucine and prawns recipe, read through it and went ahead to tweak the recipe a bit [since am a vegetarian, i chose to replace prawns with vegetables].. It turned out beautiful, took less than 15mins to cook and I loved the tangy peppery flavours.

The Recipe!

Ingredients-

Farfalle pasta- 1 cup

Onion- 1

Garlic- 3 pods

Thyme/mixed herbs- 1 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Black pepper- 2 tsp

Oil- as much as required

Butter- 1 small cube

Water- enough to boil the pasta in

Vegetables- mushroom, baby corn, carrots and capsicum [green, yellow & red]

Lemon/lime juice- 1.5 tsp

Lemon/lime rind/peel- 1 tsp

Method:

In a pot, add water, salt and oil- add the pasta and allow it to cook. I added the baby corn to this as it takes a while to cook.Strain and keep aside. Dont throw away all the water, keep 1/2 cup aside.

In another pan, add the butter and oil, saute the garlic and onion for a few minutes.

Add the chopped vegetables and saute till they cook

Now, add the salt, black pepper and herbs

Once the vegetables are well done, toss in the cooked pasta and mix well.

Squeeze in the lime juice and add the lime ride/peel[either grate it or chip finely]

Add 2 tbsp of pasta boiled water and turn off heat when all come together.

Serve hot!

The Biryani & Haleem Workshop is back... 8th December!!

When you bring two ladies who are passionate about food, and love to experiment you are in for a treat, actually a feast!

Maaria of Adoniya launched a series of Cupcake workshops and now she has gone further extending a warm welcome to Tasneem Ayub [Aunty] for the Biryani & Haleem workshop. Nope, this is not the first one, there was one 2weeks ago which saw 21 people learn how to make the most amazing Biryani and Haleem, straight from Aunty.. Experiments in the kitchen with recipes from cookbooks or the internet is fun, but when you get to learn from someone like Aunty you are bound to go home with a precise recipe and a foolproof method as well. What is more, you will have a blast learning the dishes~ !!

What can i say about aunty.. She is amazing, and food is all about caring and sharing and giving to her!! She has hosted dinner parties, brought over food, sent across food, and shared recipes freely numerous times. We love her food- zafrani badaam, bread halwa, veg biryani, tomato thokku, walnut chutney, Qubani ka meetha and so much more....She is such a sweetheart that if she has a group of veggie and non veggies coming over, she pays so much attention to make sure both groups have enough options... :-)

Have I attended the workshop? Sigh, you had to ask dint you.. Nope. Not because I don't like Biryani but only because I am a vegetarian :-)

Now stop reading and go grab your seat for the upcoming workshop already... Last few seats remain for the biryani and haleem workshop this Sunday at Adoniya Academy!

For more details and online registration visit www.eventjini.com/biryaniworkshopdec

Contact:-
Maaria - 9840285950
Tasneem Aunty - 9884078631

Have a great experience and do tell us about it..

[Recipe] Tomato garlic chutney

Damn, it was nearly 7.40pm and I hadnt cooked dinner yet.. Did a mental run through of all that I had and after a short debate I knew what I was going to make for dinner. I had decided to make Pongal for dinner. Wanted to make it with Saamai but noticed there were bugs in the unopened sealed packet [had bought two packets a few weeks ago, was done with one and now this second one was goner], dumped it and went with rice option.

Phew, the main was decided, but what about the side? This is when I walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge and stood staring at it as if an idea was going to spring at me. Kaboom.Well, it kinda actually did.

Here is what I made,

Spicy Tomato Chutney:--

Tomato 2 roughly chopped
Dry Red Chillies 3
Garlic 4 cloves
Tamarind a tiny piece
Salt to taste
Water- 1 tsp just to get the blender going

For tempering:
Oil 1
tbsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Hing a pinch

In the blender, add all the ingredients and make into a thick puree. If needed, add the water.
In another pan, add the oil and do the tempering
Now add the puree to the tempering and allow it to cook well for a good 5-8mins till oil starts coming out on all sides.
It is now ready to be devoured..

Perfect for any plain rice, dosa, and was good with pongal as well.. Spicy and tangy, with strong garlic flavour..

[Recipe] Dal Tadka

I was getting back home after my evening walk and suddenly I thought of Dal Tadka and the past hour I spent looking at recipes on the net to see how easy/complicated it was.. And now I think I found the ultimate recipe.. I found it on this blog. It sounded easy and interesting so off I went to the kitchen to give it a shot.

I tweaked the recipe a bit, and here is how I made it

Cooking time: 35mins
Prep time: 10mins
Serves- 2

The Daal
2 tbsp tuvar dal
1 tbsp moong dal
1 small onion chopped roughly
1 green chilli
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 cups water

Salt to taste

For the tempering

1/2 tsp Ghee
1 tsp cumin
2 red chilies

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 small tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger- garlic paste

1 tsp garam masala powder

a pinch of asafoetida/hing
1 tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
salt as required

Method

1. In a pressure cooker, add the washed dals with a pinch of salt, onions, 2 cups of water and allow it to cook [5-6 whistles] . Once done, remove and mash the dal well.
2. In another smaller pan, add some ghee, and all the ingredients listed under "tempering" and let it saute for a few minutes.
3. Add the cooked dal to the tempering and let it come to a boil.
3. If you feel daal is too thick, add water depending on your preference

Serve hot with plain rice. I also had some pickle and it was heaven!! :-))

{recipe} Clear vegetable soup

I like my soup to be chunky, dont like it completely smooth. And one soup I love is the clear vegetable soup. I remember having a version of this in Cascade years ago. Last month one day I stood staring into the veg tray for a few minutes, shut the fridge and repeated the same once again. I gave up! I had 2 carrots, a small piece of cabbage, 1 onion, 1 potato, handful of fresh peas, 1 tiny bit of zucchini, 1 tomato and a small piece of tofu. I broke my head for a while and finally a lightbulb moment happened. I decided to make the soup for dinner and have it with 2 slices of multi grain bread.

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup cabbage
1 onion
2 carrots
1 potato
1/4 cup peas
1 tomato
1/4 zucchini
50-60 grams tofu
1 liter water
Salt
Black pepper
2 cloves of Garlic
1 tsp vinegar

Method

1. Chop all the veggies into cubes and set aside.
2. In a pan, add oil, saute the onions, garlic for a few minutes and then add the rest of the chopped veggies and saute them for 3-4 mins
3. Add water and allow it to come to a boil, cooking the veggies [if you want you can pre-cook the potato and peas]
4. Once the vegetables are all cooked, take a tbsp of the same and puree.
5. Add puree back to the boiling vegetables in water and let it simmer
6. Add salt and black pepper along with vinegar [this gives it a nice kick] and finally add the tofu. Let it boil for a minute and turn off stove

Your soup is now ready to be served!!

Options:
You can add any vegetable you can get your hands on- cauliflower, broccoli, beans, zucchini, mushrooms,pumpkin, squash, boiled chickpeas etc etc
You can also add an egg at the end- crack open the egg and drizzle from a height, and stir- this becomes an egg drop soup :D
You can infact add a few spinach leaves if you have them [ quite like the change in colour]
You can make the same with meat as well
If you like it spicy and with heat, add few chopped red chillies
To make it a better meal, you can toss in some boiled noodles/pasta/macarooni
Similarly, a bay leaf will boost the soup's flavour

As you can see, sky is the limit when it comes to soups!!

{Recipe} Broccoli Soup

I could hear granpa yelling from the dining room, he had sat down near the fridge to sort through the stuff gramma and mom had bought. All I heard was "there is so much broccoli and you have bought some more... what are you going to do, they will all die and go to waste".. Gramma replied "No, dont worry, we will make something, I shall send some to mala[my mom]"... He mumbled some more and gave up! Then he came over to my room and repeated it all.. I went up to gramma and told her "Let us make broccoli soup today evening, what say?" and she agreed..

And this happened about 6 months ago... subsequent which granpa fell ill and now he cant eat most of the "green" veggies.. :/

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

salt and blackpepper [coarsely ground]
Cream, to use when serving
Walnuts or almonds- sliced/chopped up

The process:
1. In a pan, add some water and put the broccoli florets to cook. Dont let them get mushy, take them off before that stage. Maybe 10mins
2. In a pan add the oil, and saute the garlic wee bit [burnt garlic also tastes yumm in this soup], at this stage also add the nuts and let them roast for a few seconds
3. Puree the broccoli, I like to keep aside a few small pieces to add at the end.
4. Pour the puree into the pan and bring to boil
5. Add salt and pepper and drizzle some cream on top as you serve.

Option:
You can sprinkle some Italian herbs when you serve the soup
You can also add a few pieces of fried bread[croutons]
The same recipe works for cauliflower as well, but again watch the veggie and don't let it cook all the way through
You can add potatoes, carrots, or any other veggie to add volume.
Add water if you like the soup to be light

{Recipe} Pumpkin Soup

A soup I fell in love with from the very 1st spoonful I took in Eden was the Pumpkin Soup... And I have made this over and over, and love it every single time...

Here is how I make it..

The ingredients:
2 cups pumpkin [yellow pumpkin]
1 Carrot [chop roughly and cook through]
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
Salt and pepper to season
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp roasted grounded peanuts [ I dont grind them fine]

The Process:

1. Once the pumpkin and carrots are cooked, puree them in a blender
2. In a pan add the oil/butter, pour in the puree, allow to come to boil, add milk and the seasoning.
Finally as you serve, sprinkle the peanuts and serve!

{recipe} Spinach Soup

It was one of those days when I had been sneezing all day, and there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. I got home, tired and cranky and all I wanted was a bowl of hot soup. Rummaged through the fridge and came out victorious. I had spotted a few interesting ingredients. This is what I whipped up..

Ingredients

2 Cups chopped spinach leaves
1 Onion chopped
2 cloves of Garlic [finely chopped]
2 Cups water [enough to boil spinach and dilute the soup]

1 tbsp milk

1 tbsp Butter/olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

The Process:

1. In a pan, boil the spinach and take it off the heat once cooked.
2. In another pan, add some oil/butter and saute the onion and garlic for a few seconds.
3. Puree the boiled spinach with the onion & garlic
4. Add salt, pepper and milk when bringing it to a boil

Serve hot. You can add a few bits of roasted pounded almonds or peanuts

Bon Appetit!!

[Recipe] Celebrating International Chocolate Day - Chocolate Pancakes

To be honest, am not a big chocolate fan. Am not the kind who will rush to grab that last piece of chocolate or attack the bar once someone hands it over. I don't opt for chocolate ice cream or chocolate cake, i always reach out for the apple pie or anything with berry in it. But then, one morning I walked into my kitchen, pulled out pretty much all that sat in one particular shelf in my fridge and discovered there was a bag of chocolate chips.. That was probably a sign from above asking me to make something with chocolate! Who am I to disagree..

I ended up making Chocolate Pancakes for breakfast and they were yummy..

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tbsp Milk
1 egg
2 tsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla essence
Handful of chocolate chips[Ghirardelli]

Process:

1. Combine all the dry ingredients
2. Now add the wet ingredients and whisk well
3. Take a pan, add some oil/ butter and add dollops of the batter in small circles. Allow them to cook for 2mins on each side and voila, fluffly soft delicious pancakes are ready..

You can pretty much add anything you like to the pancakes. I have made using fruits, once with cheese and jalapeno as well.

I had these with honey!!

And guess what, today is International Chocolate Day! Who would have thought :-))

Preparation time: 5mins
Cookigg time: 5mins

Bread upma with a difference

Ever since I moved to a place of my own, it has been fun in all ways. I enjoy cooking for Me. I have the freedom to make anything I feel like. There are days when I eat cornflakes with fruits, and other days I make roti with a veggie side, or like today I make Bread upma and just add anything my eyes fall on. Here is what I made today,

Ingredients:
7 grain Bread [multi grain]- 3 slices Onion- 1 Tomato- 2 Ginger garlic paste- 1tsp Mustard seeds- 1/4tsp Oil - 1tsp Egg-1 Salt- to taste Garam Masala powder- 1/2 tsp

Process:
In a pan, add oil, onions, ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute and then add tomatoes once the onions go golden,. Now add salt and garam masala powder and saute well. In a flat pan, toast the bread slices without any oil/ghee and once they are done, cut them up into small pieces and keep them aside Add the bread pieces to the masala and toss well. Break an egg and add to the mixture and scramble the same within the mix.

Serve HOT!!

[Recipe] Quick Fix Pasta

I had been busy cleaning up the house, and other chores that it completely slipped my mind that I had to cook lunch. Only when I was talking to a friend who mentioned she was just winding up lunch did it hit me. Walked into the kitchen knowing I had only a few items there..

An idea formed in my head and within 25 mins Lunch was ready. What did I make? A Quick fix pasta with the ingredients in my cupboards.

Ingredients:
Pasta - penne- 1 cup
Garlic- 1 pod crushed
Cabbage- few leaves finely chopped
Beans- cut lengthwise [1 inch long pieces]
Capsicum- 1/4- finely chopped
Baby corn- 3- finely chopped
Almonds or walnuts- 4 to 5 chopped up
Pesto sauce- 1 tsp
Sundried tomatoes- 1
Olive oil- 2tsp
Cheese- 1 small piece
Salt- to taste

The process:
In a pan, add enough water, a pinch of salt, a tsp of oil and allow pasta to cook [al dente]. I went ahead and added the baby corn to this water to allow it to cook well [you can cook it separately]. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it out , saving 1 tbsp of the water.

In another pan I added 1 tsp of olive oil, the garlic and other vegetables, allowing them to saute for a few minutes. To this I added the pesto sauce, almonds, sun dried tomato and salt. Add the water [in which you boiled the pasta] and finally sprinkle the grated cheese and serve hot..

It tasted good, even if I do say so myself...

Serving portion - 1
Cooking time- 20mins
Prepping time- 10mins

Sunday Lunch- Noodles, Schezuan style

I stood there in the kitchen wondering what to make for lunch when the doorbell rang. Glad to get away from the fridge and stove, I answered the door to find a courier. It was a set of Knorr sauce mixes. Nice. Just the inspiration I needed to make something new. It was going to be a one pot dish. What did I make?

Noodles, Schezuan style. How? Read on to know how...

Ingredients:
1/2 onion [ thinly chopped]
2 cloves garlic [ finely diced]
6-7 button mushrooms [cut into small pieces]
6-7 beans [cut into 1inch pieces]
1 egg
1 tsp Olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 packet Haka Noodles

2 cups Water
2 tsp Knorr-Chinese-Schezuan mix

The process:

1) In a pot, add 1 to 1.1/2 cups of water and cook the noodles. I added the egg to the same water and let it cook for about 10mins and removed the same.

2) In another pan- add the oil, saute the garlic and onions, before adding the remaining vegetables [you can add any vegetables to this dish], add some salt and pepper.

3) Remove the veggies once cooked and in that same pan-- mix about 2 tsp of Knorr-Chinese-Schezuan mix to 1/2 cup of water and allow it to come to a simmer. Add the cooked vegetables to the sauce and check for seasoning. I also added the noodles and finally the egg to complete my lunch.

How easy is that? I am now itching to try the others from Knorr range!!

Cooking time: 25mins
Prepping time: 15mins
This portion I cooked serves - 1

A cookout with a difference at Dario's

I for one began cooking, or atleast entering the kitchen quite early. Mom & Gramma used to say - at the age of 3 I was making dosas and thus began my love for cooking. I began full fledged cooking in 10th or 11th Std, mainly making my own lunch and weekends/holidays would experiment. But then today, when I see kids all around me, they not only know how to cook [a few select dishes] but are quite proficient in rattling out the most complicated names of dishes. Blame it on TV? No blame, it is a good thing~!

After watching Masterchef Australia Juniors edition, I was all set to be blown away by kids from Chennai. And they indeed did just that. I was amazed at the amount of exposure and knowledge these kids had, especially since most of them were between 8-12yrs of age.

The Kids cookout is a summer workshop from Dario's restaurant, spanning across 5 days. Parents had the option of signing their kids for the entire course, or pick a session and sign them in just for that. In all there were about 12-15kids in the session I attended on Monday. It was all about Desserts. The Dario's Chef and Anusha were holding fort and making sure the kids got some learning out of the sessions. There were a few, tiny ones that were lost in their own world, and while it was cute to watch, they did manage to distract the others... Kids will be kids, right?!

I have been seeing, eating Tiramisu and Pannacotta maybe over the past 2years, prior to which I had no clues what they were, leave alone how they were made. So, watching the chef whip up the 2 desserts while the kids worked parallely was quite a sight.

Anyways, the 1st dessert that Chef was prepping for was Panna cotta- with each step explained in detail, the kids then got a chance to pour the hot milky liquid into the little moulds they had before it was whisked away to be chilled. Not giving them time to break out into a frenzy, the Chef moved on to the next one. Aptly called "pick me up" Tiramisu is quite a delicious dessert. But unlike in other restaurants, Dario's being completely vegetarian, the Chef was teaching the eggless version.

While Anusha got the kids all excited in guessing what went into Fresh Cream, we were dazzled by the kids when one commented "we can make mascarpone cheese at home, right?" and another asked "where is it available in Chennai?" and one more said "I am going to make this at home one day". Kids do know a lot. It was quite insightful listening to the various explanations of the ingredients, being shown the product, the whisking of the cream to a stiff peak and following the entire process. I was amazed at how engrossed the kids were, they sat patiently waiting their turn, no screaming, no throwing tantrums. And once completed, some stylishly pulled out an iPhone 5 or the Samsung Galaxy note and clicked a picture of their creation~!

As we made our way down the stairs and headed out of the restaurant, I wondered what was in store the remaining 3 days. There was also a small twinge of jealousy , I wished I had been born in this day and age when there were so many opportunities and exciting activities.

So, if you are interested, 2 more days remain. Sign up now and let your kid come home with some interesting recipes or inputs on dishes that you have loved.

For the workshop:

Please call 044-49193333 | Ms. Anusha - 9841615232

URL for further details: Kids cookout at Dario's

Dario's is a Pure vegetarian restaurant, you can read my view of the place here

Address:

No. 11, Kasturi Rangan Road,

[Take the 1st right on the road and it is the building right next to Aswene Hospital]

2nd Street, Teynampet,

Chennai-600018

Ph- 044-49193333

Colorful Salad

So I was in one of those weird moods today, and that is all I needed to whip up this salad. I opened the fridge, stood in front of it, till it started beeping. Pulled out a few items and off I went to the kitchen [yes, at grandparents house, the fridge is not in the kitchen] This is what I whipped up..

What I found-

Purple cabbage- 1 small

Lettuce- few leaves

Walnuts- a handful

Paneer - dunno when it had been bought but looked pretty beat

Herbs- a bottle of mixed herbs

Olives- green pitted olives

Pesto- plain pesto sauce

Honey- 1 tbsp

Olive oil- 1 tsp

Salt & Black pepper- a pinch

Optional

Other vegetables [par boiled beans esp]

Crushed garlic

Onions

Boiled pasta

What did I do?

Take a large bowl - add oil, walnuts, salt, black pepper, honey, pesto sauce and mix them well

Now, to this add the chopped up purple cabbage, ripped up lettuce leaves, crumbled paneer pieces, olives and toss

Sprinkle the herbs and toss

Taste and add seasoning/spice depending on your preference.

It was absolutely yummy. So fresh, crunchy and delightful.

Health facts :

Purple cabbage, more commonly known as red cabbage, is a colorful variety from the brassica family. Purple cabbage has a relatively high ratio of nutrients and vitamins to calories and fat, which makes it an ideal choice for dieters. It is common in salads, coleslaw, braised dishes and pickled treats.

The vitamin and mineral content of raw purple cabbage is the most significant reason to consume this vegetable. A single serving of raw purple cabbage contains about 20 percent of your DRI for vitamin A, at 993 international units. It also contains around 80 percent of your DRI for vitamin C at 50.7 IU per 1-cup serving. Other vitamins and minerals in a 1-cup serving include notable levels of folate and vitamin K; 40 milligrams of calcium; 14 milligrams of magnesium; and 216 milligrams of potassium.

[Source: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrients-purple-cabbage-1160.html]

Cabbage is a great store of vitamin C and vitamin K. The rich deep colour of this vegetable is due to a high concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols (strong dietary antioxidants, possessing anti-inflammatory properties), making it have even more phytonutrients than a green cabbage. A few studies also show that anthocyanins may help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. It is rich in anti-oxidants which makes skin supple and clear.

[Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-27/diet/31046849_1_purple-cabbage-green-cabbage-sweet-and-sour-cabbage]

Cook & Dine, Rhapsody, Chennai- II

There I was, back in Rhapsody, after nearly 8-9 months. And I was here to attend the Cook & Dine event at Rhapsody, Courtyard by Marriott. It is a cool concept, people who are interested in cooking come over, be a part of the event, and get to not only sample dishes made by the Chef but also a lavish buffet lunch at Paprika, the coffee shop.

I noticed it was all women, and many of them have been regulars, infact 2ladies told me they have not missed a single session. They actually said there was another friend who joined them but she was currently travelling. Another lady I met is an Expat [like most of them who were there for the session] said "I enjoy the food here and so to learn how the Chef makes some of the dishes is fun, apart from this I also get to meet so many other interesting women. There is a contest held during the event, and we partner with whoever is willing, so language, nationality, nothing matters. It is fun". There were 3 women who had brought their kids, one was a baby in the stroller, while other 2 were probably around 1.5 to 2 yrs of age. The kids were running around, but were quiet, oh and did I mention they were adorable!?

So, what did Chef Paul stir up during the session?? Lo behold, it was all Salads and one dessert. What a treat it was.

Caesar Salad came first. With Romaine lettuce being the star of the salad with a dressing made with egg yolk, anchovies, parmesan cheese, worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic and garlic croutons sprinkled on top for a bit of crunch.. A nice creamy/cheesy salad. For vegetarians, just make mayo minus egg and anchovies or buy them off the shelf. :)

Next up was Tuna Nicoise. Pan seared Tuna that had been gently coated with salt and pepper served on a bed of fresh crunchy salad made of green beans, potatoes, olives, cherry tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, lemon juice, aragula [rocket leaves], capers, olive oil, salt & pepper and one boiled egg. I tried the salad minus the tuna and it was good, light and filled with flavour. The chef used boiled baby potatoes, a nice touch [I havent used potatoes in salad, should try]

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The 3rd salad was Grilled chicken salad with honey mustard dressing. The salad had Asparagus, cherry tomato, spring onion, mixed lettuce, thyme, honey, boneless chicken breast, olive il, mustard sauce, lemon juice, salt & pepper. The ladies in the row ahead of me exclaimed this was their favorite [after the tasting]. The Chef did add a bit of blue cheese which he said was optional.

Then came the Italian Rustic salad with Balsamic. This was my favorite salad of the day- it had grilled bell peppers, garlic confit, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms, mixed lettuce, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard sauce, salt & pepper. It was so yummy, I loved it. You can do away with garlic if you dont like the taste/dont eat.

Now, onto the healthiest salad of the day- Healthy mixed sprout salad - as the name states, it was a salad that had a mix of bean sprouts, green peas sprouts, black chick peas, white chick peas, onions, tomatoes, mixed lettuce. The dressing was Yoghurt based- yoghurt with roasted garlic, thyme, lemon, olive oil, salat & pepper. I make something like this at home, but I prefer the chick peas boiled, not raw.

And then came the last of the salads- Cobb salad, made the traditional way. Hard boiled eggs, bacon/turkey, cos lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese, mustard sauce, red wine vinegar, worcestershire sauce, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper. The salad was bright and a feast for the eyes.

When I went around speaking to some of the ladies, I came to know there were different Chefs who handled this event, and some better than the other. They all said they enjoyed the contest as it gave them a chance to experiment, test their cooking skills and take home some goodies.. :D

Oops, wait, the event is not over. There was the dessert yet to be made.. It was Oats & Honey Granola pie, quite an easy dessert. All you need to do is make the tart, fill it with either oats granola bars, or add oats, raisins, dry fruits, walnuts mixed up and bake in oven for about 25- 30 mins. It was heavenly, loved it.

Phew, finally, all were glad to get off their seats and walk around. Earlier, in the other section of the restaurant, I noticed a table with various ingredients and wondered the purpose behind it. And the answer was revealed when the Chef announced it was time for the contest, today's theme was "make a salad of your choice, not necessarily what you had seen during the demo". There were 5 teams, all had about 5 to 6 members except for one that had just 2 women. Each one churned up an interesting salad, some used all ingredients, while others used minimal. Infact,the team that had used minimum ingredients but packed a punch was the one that WON!

Add caption

And that is when the curtains came down on yet another session of Cook & dine! toodle doo till next time!

If you wish to attend one of these, all you need to do is register with Rhapsody, Courtyard Marriott, pay Rs800 and you get to spend 3-4 hours learning. This event is held 3rd Friday every month.

Contact: 044 66764000 to know more..

[Recipe] Semiya Dosai

Dinner was Idli... And I will eat Idli only if it is the last thing available on earth, that is when the plants, bugs, and everything else has perished and I was left with nothing but an Idli. So, that evening my mind was buzzing - wondering what to cook for myself. We were watching TV, and suddenly on came Vineet Bhatia, in the Twist of taste show, and where was he? He was in Madurai. :-) I sat up straight and glued in, waiting to see the places they featured and if I knew any of them. [background story- we lived in Madurai and that is when I began school].

Vineet walked around Meenakshi amman temple, tried his hand at Bun parota [that looked like a fluffly version of the parota], sampled some dosa and nonveg side dishes at Konar hotel. The show then moved to the studio where he announced he was making an interesting version of the dosa[with masala] and chutney. I noted it all down in my head and quietly snuck away to prep for the Dosa [decided to try the masala and chutney another day]

Semiya Dosai

Ingredients

Roasted vermicelli- 1 cup

Rice Flour- 2tbsp

Beaten yoghurt- 1.5cups

Water- if required to dilute the yoghurt

Salt- a pinch

red chilli powder- a pinch

green chillies- 2

coriander- a bunch[optional]

Oil- as required

Roasted Vermicelli/semiya

Dosai that I had with a side made with leftover karamani and a nombu adai

Method:

In a pan, roast the vermicelli with a tbsp of oil if not pre-roasted. Take it off the heat. In a bowl, pour the yoghurt, and add all the ingredients, finally adding the vermicelli and mixing it well. Set this aside to soak for about 5-10mins. [this is so that the vermicelli will become nice and soft]

Take a dosa making pan, add some oil, pour out a ladle of the batter and allow it to cook on both sides. [Each side will take about 2mins to cook]

Variation:

Add grated carrots, sliced onions, more coriander, dosa milagai podi to the dosa and make it like an oothappam.

Bon appetit!

[Recipe] Spinach Daal

What you need:

Spinach: 2 cups

Onion: 2

Green chillies: 2

Cooked green gram dal/moong dal: 1/2 cup

Tamarind: 1 small sized ball

Tomato: 2

Urad dal: 1/2 tsp(for tempering)

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp(for tempering)

Oil - as much as you need

Salt- to taste

Curry leaves - 4-6

Taken on mobile- BB

Method-

In a pan, heat oil and add mustard, urad dal and curry leaves. to this, add the chopped onions and green chillies. When they turn to a golden brown, add the chopped spinach and fry well for a couple of mins.

Put a pan and the green dal to cook in it, once that is done, add to the fried spinach and onion along with the tamarind(that has been soaked in water n strained), chopped tomato and salt. Boil for about five minutes..

If you want, you can grind the spinach.. but i like spinach as it is.. and it sure tastes yummy with Roti and Steamed rice.. enjoy~~~

Make me a Master Cook with Shazia Khan

Friday night around 8pm, or was it 9pm? I forgot. All I remember was getting a message from Manju Madhu saying "Congratulations, you have won.. want to take up Masterchef workshop". I did ask her my other prize options, but then decided to take this workshop ticket up, esp since my gal pals were going to be there! I knew of this event for weeks, or maybe a month earlier cos a dear friend Tasneem Akbari of Konceptz Galore was part of the duo that had conceptualised and brought the show to town. Who was the other? Maaria Kulsum of Adoniya fame!!

Honestly, even though I do enjoy cooking, a workshop wasn't really my thing. I get bored, distracted or tune out and start cracking up [which I anyways do]. And since I was unsure of my plans, I dint pick up a ticket. When a Facebook contest was on, I participated and who would have thought, I won a ticket to the workshop!!

Cottage Cheese-semolina cake with grilled pimento topping

Bocconcini Cheese [ buffalo Mozerella]

Grilled Zucchini cups

Burmese Veg khow suey

There was one more dish, cant find the picture though- Red bean bites with methi cream sauce & spicy pineapple salsa...

The beautiful light fixture I could not resist clicking

Shahi tukda with caramel sauce and fresh figs

Half a day spent in the company of good friends

Watching a Master Chef Runner up cook

A video cameraman who refused to oblige

and

Hunger pangs building up with every minute...

I sat there, watching, nodding, wondering

Clicking, observing and drooling

did i mention wondering?

yes, when lunch would be served

Saturday morning with friends

and the evening i knew

was gonna be fun

for it was going to be in the company of more friends...

Kudos to the team for a gala event... Next time, just give me a ping if there is a contest going on

Am itching to win some more!! ;o)