The Chocolate and Pomegranate Tart!

Let us end the year on a sweet note. Introducing another of my mom's many classic recipes. Who would think that pomegranates taste so wonderful with chocolate? The grainy tartness from the pomegranate seeds against the silky smooth texture of bittersweet chocolate ends up a divine combination.  

Ingredients 

For the Tart base 

1) 1 cup Flour
2) 1/2 cup cold Butter
3) 3 tbsp cocoa powder
4) 1 egg

For the Tart filling

1) 150 gm chocolate (100 milk+50 dark)
2) 150 gm fresh cream
3) 150 gm butter
4) 1 Pomegranate

Recipe
1)  Sift the Flour and cocoa powder together. Incorporate cold butter and combine together with both hands until the texture resembles biscuit crumbs.
2) Add the egg and knead the dough. Refrigerate for half an hour in a clingfilm. Take it out and lay it in a tart tin. Blind bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven(180 C).
3) Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add the cream and butter to the chocolate in order to make the filling. Add pomegranate seeds to the ganache. Pour into the baked chocolate tart base. Add a few more pomegranate seeds on top. Refrigerate for 2 or more hours and let the filling set. Serve!

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Pasta with Baked Mushroom, Parsley and Parmesan.

At a professor's house for brunch, a few weekends ago, I had tried out some fantastic dry pasta with baked Shiitake mushrooms. I have been itching to cook something remotely similar, over the holidays. The woody flavor from the baked mushroom and the fresh parsley makes this a killer winter dish. 

Ingredients 

1) 300 gm Pasta
2) Parsley finely chopped
3) Parmesan

For the Dressing 

1) 1 tbsp Olive oil
2) 1 tbsp Butter
3) 2-4 cloves of garlic
4) Finely chopped Parsley stems

For the Baked Mushroom 

1) 200 gm Mushroom
2) 1 tbsp Olive oil
3) Zest from 1 lemon
4) 1 tbsp lemon juice
5) 1 tsp black pepper
6) 3 cloves of bruised garlic
7) Salt

Recipe 

1) Cook the pasta al dente.
2) For the dressing, heat the olive oil, butter, garlic and parsley stem for a minute. Keep aside.
3) Meanwhile, coat the mushroom in olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic. Bake in a preheated oven (180 C) for 15-20 minutes or until the mushroom browns.
4) Add the dressing to the pasta and serve with baked mushroom, finely chopped parsley leaves and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan.

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Pork Stew in Red Wine and Pepper Sauce.

I am back with some oishii bites. This time I will try out some simple holiday recipes that go perfectly well with the winter chill. And nothing beats hot pork in a spicy red wine sauce. The overwhelming heat from peppercorns and the zing from your favorite choice of red, makes this an all time easy-breezy-go-to-recipe! Serve with hot mulled wine. 

Ingredients 

1) 400 gram Pork meat
2) 1 onion diced
3) 5 cloves of garlic chopped
4) 5 blanched tomatoes
5) 1 cup red wine
6) 2 tsp oregano
7) 1 tsp nutmeg powder
8) 1 tsp crushed black pepper corns
9) 2 bay leaves

Recipe

1) Coat the pork in salt, pepper and a little bit of turmeric powder. Fry on medium heat. Keep fried pork aside.
2) Saute diced onion and garlic in the pork grease until the onion is translucent.
3) Add the red wine and bring it to a boil. Simmer for about 1 minute.
4) Blitz the tomatoes in a mixer grinder and add the paste to the pan, along with the oregano, nutmeg, pepper corns and bay leaves.
5) Add the friend pork and stir to combine. Put the lid back on the pan and bring the mixture to a boil again. Cook for a few more minutes. Serve with rice and a glass of good red/rose mulled wine.

Leave a comment @Oishiibites
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Mocha Cupcakes.

Let your favorite flavors of coffee and chocolate seep into one delicious mess. These Mocha cupcakes make for the perfect after hours indulgence. With every perfectly baked batch of goodness, the refrigerate finds itself raided at all ungodly hours. :D 

Ingredients(12 cupcakes)

For the cupcake

1) 1 1/2 cup flour
2) 1 cup castor sugar
3) 1 tsp baking soda
4) 1/2 cup cocoa powder
5) 1 cup milk
6) 1 egg
7) 1/4 cup vegetable oil
8) 1/4 cup butter
9) 1 tsp vinegar
10) 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For the frosting 

1) 4 tbsp instant coffee powder
2) 1 cup water
3) 1/2 cup condensed milk
4) 1/4 cup cream
5) 4 tbsp butter
6) 1 tsp cocoa powder
7) 1 tsp corn flour
8) 2 tbsp milk

Recipe

1) Mix all the ingredients of the cupcake, together. Bake for 15-17 minutes(Preheated to 180 C).
2) Roast the instant coffee powder in a pan, over low flame. This only takes 30 secs. Introduce the rest of the ingredients(except the milk and cornflour) to the pan, immediately. Mix well by whisking continuously. The frosting can burn if you stop whisking. Let the mixture boil.
3) Mix the milk and cornflour together and add to the mixture, in the pan. Remove from heat when the mixture thickens. Bring to room temperature and refrigerate. One can use the frosting in 2-3 hours. Serve the cupcakes with chocolate shavings.

Leave a comment @Oishiibites
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Chicken Satay

Lets make some skewered meat on rainy days, shall we? And read some poetry on the veranda with a steaming cuppa. The sky rumbles, meanwhile. 

Ingredients

1) 1 chicken breast piece
2) 1 medium sized onion
3) 4 cloves of garlic
4) 1/2 an inch of ginger
5) 1/2 tsp turmeric
6) 1 tsp lemon rind
7) 2 dried chilies
8) 2 red/green chilies
9) 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
10) 1/2 tsp salt
11) 1 tsp oil

Recipe 

1) Slice the chicken breast into 1/2 cm thick strips.
2) Blend the rest of the ingredients into a paste. Slather the chicken strips with the paste and marinade for half an hour.
3) String the strips onto wooden sticks(in the pic) and fry in a frying pan for a few minutes. Serve hot with a sprinkle of lemon juice.

Leave a comment @Oishiibites
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Mango ginger Kulfi.

Oh, what fun to be back home in the summers! Mom will read out to me from a nice book of poetry she has recently come across and we will be gorging on home made Mango kulfis. This one is a mom's classic! 

Ingredients 

1) 1/2 liter milk
2) 1/4 cup cream
3) 1 cup mango pulp
4) 1/2 cup condensed milk
5) 1/2 inch ginger chopped
6) 4 tbsp mango conserve/aam satta/aam papad pulp (optional)

Recipe 

1) Reduce the milk to half its quantity, over heat. Stir continuously while the reduction is taking place. Bring down to room temperature.
2) Boil the ginger and squeeze out the juice to reduce its heat intensity. Add the extracted ginger juice along with the rest of the ingredients to the milk and pour the liquid into moulds. Refrigerate over night and serve cold!

Leave a comment @Oishiibites
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Baked eggs and Toast.

We hardly find time between waking up and getting out of the house, for work. Baked eggs are nutritious and super quick to make. This breakfast option is full on protein which makes it a good post workout meal. 

Ingredients 

1) 2 eggs
2) 3 tomatoes
3) 2 cloves of garlic
4) 2 tbsp milk
5) 1 tbsp cheese shavings. (Cheddar and Parmesan was used in this recipe)

Recipe

1) Blitz the tomatoes and garlic in a blender on medium speed. Empty this into a hot pan and cook for 5 minutes. Divide this among two ramekins, equally. You can also use marinara sauce as the base.
2) Crack open the eggs over the tomato sauce. One egg goes into one ramekin, obviously! Simply pour 1 tbsp milk on top, followed by cheese, salt and pepper. Do not mix!
3) Bake in a preheated oven(220 C) for 10 minutes or until the egg white is evenly cooked. Serve hot with slightly browned toasts.

Leave a comment @Oishiibites
Use #oishiibites in the picture caption if you decide to try the recipe out and upload photographs. Enjoy!