Tiramisu!

With a new year approaching we need to indulge in something special. And a Tiramisu never fails to tantalize our ever craving taste buds. Eat and drink and be merry. To a new year!

Ingredients 

1) 500 ml cream
2) Juice from a lemon
3) 1 cup espresso
4) 8  tbsp castor sugar
5) 3 eggs separated
6) Vanilla sponge cakes
7) 2 tsp cinnamon powder
8) 1 tsp vanilla essence
9) 1 tbsp Cocoa

Recipe

1) Heat the cream in a double boiler for 15-30 minutes, until the cream starts bubbling. Add the lemon juice and let the cream curdle. Keep stirring over simmering water for 10 minutes until the cream thickens, a little. Pack the thickened cream in a muslin cloth and let it hang over a container over night. This ensures that all the water is drained out and the cream gets a yogurt consistency. This is your substitute for Mascarpone cheese.
2) In a double boiler, whisk the eggs yolks with 5 tbsp sugar until it becomes pale and light. Whisk in the cinnamon powder, vanilla essence and 1/2 cup(and 2-3 tbsp more) of the espresso. Next, incorporate the mascarpone like cheese, you have made over night. Whisk until there are no lumps. Remove from heat and let it cool. This is your Mascarpone cream.
3) In a separate bowl, beat the eggs whites with 1 tbsp sugar until soft peaks form. Fold this into the cooled down Mascarpone cream.
4) Line a tray with the sponge cake pieces. Add the remaining sugar to the unused espresso. Pour 1/2 of this espresso over the cakes. Spoon the mascarpone cream on top of sponge cake layer. Dip the sponge cakes into the last bit of espresso. Make a third layer with them. Finish off by making a fourth layer with the mascarpone and lightly dust cocoa powder over it. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Your Tiramisu is ready!

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Mushroom Quiche!

Midnight snacking has become such an essential routine in our lives, thanks to all the dawdling on our laptops. Untimely hunger pangs are bound to happen. That is when this easy, cheesy crust less mushroom quiche recipe comes to my rescue. :) 

Ingredients 

1) 1/2 cup cream
2) 2 eggs
3) 10 tbsp milk
4) 2 tbsp cornflour
5) 1/2 tsp nutmeg
6) 1/2 tsp salt
7) 200 gm mushroom
8) 4 onions
9) 1 tbsp chopped garlic
10) 1/2 cup cheese

Recipe 

1) Sautee the chopped mushroom in 1 tbsp butter with the garlic and onions.
2) Meanwhile, whisk the cream, eggs, milk, cornflour, nutmeg and salt to form the quiche batter.
3) Line the bottom of 6 greased ramekins with a little bit of the shredded cheese. Spoon the mushroom mixture in and pour the quiche batter over it. Top it with the remaining shredded cheese and pop them into the oven.
4) Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven(220 C). Let the quiches cool down. This ensures that they come out of the ramekins, easily. Snack away!

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Peanut butter and sesame noodles!

This might be absurd but my hankering for cold noodles increase during the winter. Here is to some December food hogging with one of my favorite cold noodles. Pack it in boxes and refrigerate for those special midnight snacking needs. Crack open a beer and you are good to go!

Ingredients

1) 1 tbsp Soy sauce
2) 2 tbsp lemon juice
3) 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
4) 1 tbsp Garlic oil (Fry garlic and use the oil)
5) 1 tbsp sesame oil
6) 100 gms peanut butter
7) 3-4 packets of noodles, boiled
9) 2 green bell peppers
10) 2-3 tbsp beansprouts
11) 2-3 spring onions finely chopped
12) 2 tbsp coriander finely chopped
13) 1/4 cup shredded Iceberg lettuce
14) 1/2 cup mushrooms, sauteed in butter
15) 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Recipe

1) Make a dressing with the soy, lemon juice, sweet chili sauce, garlic oil, sesame oil and peanut butter. Whisk all of them together.
2) Assemble the noodles, bell peppers, beansprouts, spring onions, lettuce and mushrooms in a bowl.
3) Pour the dressing on top. Mix well. Add the coriander and sesame seeds. Finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.

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Chili Crab!

Last week, I was vacationing in Andaman.  Now, I am having strong and unbearable  post holiday pangs about returning to white sands and blue waters. I had an amazing plate of 'Chili Crab' on Havelock and have been meaning to cook the same. Here goes nothing!!! 

Ingredients 

1) 6 medium sized crabs
2) 6 spring onion bulbs, chopped
3) 2 tbsp chopped garlic
4) 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
5) 5-6 green and red chilies, chopped
6) 1 tsp crushed pepper corn
7) 2 tbsp vinegar
8) 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
9) 1/2 cup oil.

Recipe 

1) Heat the oil in a pan and fry the crab pieces for 5-6 minutes. Keep aside.
2) Add the garlic, ginger, spring onion bulbs, Kashiri red chili powder, red and green chili to the oil. Stir for a minute. Next, add 1/2 cup water, a pinch of salt and the crab pieces. Stir and cover with a lid. Let it cook for 5 minutes.
3) Incorporate the vinegar and peppercorn and remove from heat. Serve hot with spring onion and chilies. Squeeze fresh lime juice on top.

Leave a comment @Oishiibites

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Warm Christmas Pudding in Orange reduction and Butterscotch sauce!

I still remember my first Christmas pudding debacle. 

Read the rest here: 

http://www.antiserious.com/2014/12/25/ruined-christmas-pudding/

Years later, I indulge in some warm holiday nostalgia by making it again. 

Ingredients: (Do not be frightened by the sheer number of ingredients on the list. Most of them go in together)

For the pudding

1) 100 g flour
2) 200 g castor sugar
3) 200 g butter
4) 4 eggs
5) 2 tsp allspice
6) 3 tsp cinnamon powder
7) 1 tsp nutmeg powder
8) 2 tbsp Chopped nuts
9) 3 tbsp Chopped dates
10) 3 tbsp raisins
11) 2 tbsp chopped apples
12) 1 cup coarsely ground bread crumbs
13) 1-2 tbsp Orange zest
14) 1/2 cup Orange juice
15) 3 bay leaves
16) 50 g jaggery (Melt it)
17) 1 tbsp maple syrup/honey
18) 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

For Orange reduction

1) 1/2 cup orange juice
2) 2 cinnamon sticks

For the Butterscotch sauce 

1) 100 g butter
2) 2 tsp vanilla essence
3) 75 g sugar
4) 75 g golden syrup (you can replace this with honey/sugarcane juice)
5) 300 ml cream

Recipe:

1) To make the pudding, whisk the butter and sugar together until it is soft and light. Whisk the eggs into this mixture, one at a time. Carefully sieve and add the flour, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg powder. Whisk the liquid jaggery and orange juice into the mixture, as well!
2) Fold the apple pieces, raisins, dates, nuts and bread crumbs into the mixture with a spatula.
3) Line the bottom of a pudding basin with the orange zest and bayleaves. Drizzle maple syrup over this and spoon the pudding mixture into the basin. Carefully close the mouth of the basin with aluminum foil and strings. Place it another tumbler and fill half of it up with hot water. Cover the tumbler and steam the pudding over simmering water for 2 hours.
4) Meanwhile, reduce the orange juice with cinnamon sticks to make a spiced orange reduction (simply keep on the heat for a while and stir).
5) In a saucepan, melt the sugar and butter with the honey on low heat. Add the cream and let it bubble. Remove from heat when the sauce thickens. This is your butterscotch sauce. By now your house should smell incredible and everyone should be peeking from behind the couch.
6) Over turn the pudding onto a tray. Serve hot with the spiced orange reduction and butterscotch sauce!

Leave a comment @Oishiibites

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Orange Phirni with Walnut praline.

Oranges. Amen! There is nothing more I need to add to this blog post. Mom cooks delicious Phirni. 

Ingredients 

For the Phirni 

1) 2 cups milk
2) 2 tbsp Basmati rice
3) 1/2 cup sugar
4) 1 tsp orange rind
5) Pulp and juice from a orange

For the Walnut Praline

1) 4 tbsp sugar
2) 2 tbsp chopped walnut pieces

Recipe

1) Soak the rice for an hour. Coarsely grind it and boil the rice in the milk. Keep stirring occasionally. Once the rice is properly boiled, reduce the heat. Next, slowly add sugar while stirring constantly. Remove when the mixture thickens (needs 7-12 minutes).
2) When the mixture cools down, add the orange juice, rind and pulp. Refrigerate the Phirni!
3) In a saucepan, melt the sugar in 1 tbsp water. Keep stirring until it becomes brown.
4) Toast the walnut pieces and spread over a greased plate. Pour the caramel over the nut pieces. Tap with a spoon to see that the caramel spreads evenly. Break pieces of the praline and serve with your orange Phirni!

Leave a comment @Oishiibites 

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S'mores! :D

Camping outdoors is super fun. With the faint possibility of one such spontaneous trip in the offing, I decided to make Marshmallows. I like dunking them into my coffee or even better, place charred marshmallows between crackers (don't forget to spread some Nutella) and make delicious  S'mores. Small and simple winter indulgences makes me swoon! 

Ingredients

1) 1 1/2 cup sugar
2) 2 egg whites
3) 3 tbsp powdered gelatin
4) 1 tbsp vanilla essence
5) A pinch of salt

Recipe

1) Sprinkle the gelatin over half a cup of cold water and let it rest for fifteen minutes.
2) Heat(medium heat) another 1/2 cup water with the sugar and salt, in a saucepan. Keep stirring until everything dissolves. Increase the heat and discontinue the stirring. Remember, the sugar should not burn i.e the mixture should not turn into brown caramel. Stop the process if you see any signs of brown tinges, forming. The sugar syrup should be on the heat for 6-10 minutes. This requires practice. Otherwise, use a candy thermometer  and stop the cooking when the temp reached 240 F.
3) Slowly pour the hot syrup into the water with bloomed gelatin and whisk on low to medium speed. Keep whisking for 10-15 minutes until the mixture doubles. It should be fluffy and cool to the touch.
4) In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the vanilla essence until meringue(stiff white peaks) forms. Fold it into the sugar syrup mixture. Line a tray with icing sugar and fill it with the marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle the top with icing sugar. Refrigerate over night. Cut into squares, roll in sugar and pop em into your mouth.

Leave a comment @Oishiibites 

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A classic: Apple Pie!

Everything about baking an apple pie during winter, sounds right to me. Always evokes an image of a hot and steaming pie kept on a windowsill while the neighborhood kids stir up trouble. Hanna-Barbera's influence, you see! There is nothing more classic than the apple cinnamon tryst. Some might consider it blasphemous but I enjoy my slice with a hot cup of Americano. 

Ingredients 

For the pastry 

1) 2 cups plain flour
2) 100 gms butter
3) 1/4-1/2 cup cold water

For the filling 

1) 5 apples
2) 1/4 cup flour
3) 1/2 cup castor sugar
4) 2 tbsp lemon juice
5) 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
6) 1 tsp nutmeg powder

Recipe:

1) To make the pastry dough, add butter to the flour and mix gently using your hands. It should resemble a light yellow crumb. Add the cold water to form the dough. Wrap in a clingfilm and chill for 30 mins in the refrigerator.
2) Use 3/4th of the dough to make the base of your apple pie. Blind bake the base in a preheated oven(220 C) for 10-15 minutes.
3) Mix all the ingredients of the filling, together. Line your pie base with the filling and use the rest of the dough to make the pie top(as shown in the picture). Bake in a preheated oven(180 C) for 40-45 minutes or until the sides and the top become golden brown. Serve hot!

Leave a comment @Oishiibites 

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Liver and Onions with Mash!

Some recipes spell nostalgia for me. My earliest memory of 'Liver and onions' go back to standard fourth or fifth. There was an episode on Powerpuff Girls where Bubbles and Buttercup cook L&O for Professor Utonium as a Father's day treat. Good ol days! This here is my recipe that has gotten modified over the years. But one thing never changes i.e a generous serving of mash on the side! 

Ingredients

1) 1/2 a kg chicken liver
2) 1 cup milk
3) 1/4 cup+2 tbsp corn flour
4) 2 tbsp Ketchup
5) 4 tbsp BBQ sauce
6) 4-5 onions chopped
7) 1/2 cup boiled peas

Recipe

1) Soak the livers in the milk for an hour or more. Remove and wash properly. The milk reduces the overpowering smell of the liver.
2) Dust the livers with 1/4th cup corn flour. Heat oil and fry the liver.
3) Take 2 tbsp oil in another pan and fry the onions until translucent. Add the fried liver, peas, ketchup, BBQ sauce and the remaining cornflour(in 1/2 cup water). Remove from the pan when the gravy thickens. Add a pinch of salt and serve hot with mashed potato!

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Home made ice cream!

The simplest way to make home made ice cream is nothing but a matter of getting the ratio correct! I decided to whip up a tub of apricot ice cream for the weekend. In the picture: A generous serving of apricot ice cream over Darjeeling tea jelly. I froze green apples in the jelly for some added crunch. Yum! 

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup fresh cream( I used Amul)
2) 1/4 cup condensed milk
3) Fruits and other items for flavoring, as per taste ( I used half a can of fresh apricots). Make sure that there are not too many fruits! The mixture will become runny and difficult to freeze.

Recipe:

1) Simply whisk the cream and condensed milk together. The 4:1 cream to condensed milk ratio is important,
2) In a steel bowl keep the fruits and cover with the cream, condensed milk mixture. Store in the freezer for 5-10 hours. Let it freeze completely( Ice hard!).
3) Scrape the frozen mixture into a blender and blitz on high speed. Put it back into the freezer, again. Repeat this process a few times with an hour interval, until you have the ice creamy texture.

Consume the ice cream quickly as it starts losing its creamy texture, in a few days. I have tried interesting flavors ranging from an espresso ice cream, banana and nuts, tender coconut, apple and cinnamon, mint and choco chips(add the chips after the final blitz) etc! You can use your market bought Vanilla essence to make a wonderful vanilla ice cream. Have fun! 

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Kerala Chicken.

I have grown extremely fond of Keralite cuisine. My knowledge was limited to the Appam and Beef Stew you find here in Kolkata. Now, I have savored everything from Iddiyappam to Kappa and Kanava! Back home for the winter vacations, I decided to try out one of the most ubiquitous recipes found in a Malayali kitchen. I had my close friend Priscilla(Jolly) share her mother's recipe here. 

Ingredients:

1) 1 kg Chicken chopped into fine pieces.
2) 4-6 onions finely chopped.
3) A spice mix ( some cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, jeera and pepper corn taken together)
4) 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
6) 1 tsp turmeric powder
7) 2 tsp chili powder
8) 1/2 a coconut grated
9) 10 curry leaves

Recipe:

1) Toast the spice mix until it releases a nice fragrance. Grind the toasted mix into a fine powder. Keep aside.
2) Toast the grated coconut with the curry leaves, stirring constantly. The coconut will become dark brown in colour. Grind it into a paste and keep aside.
3) In a heavy bottom vessel, saute the onions until translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste followed by the chili and turmeric powder.
4) Now, add the toasted spice mix followed by the chicken pieces. Stir well so that the meat is properly coated with the spices. Add water and salt as per requirement. The coconut paste goes in at the very end, when the chicken is almost cooked. Sprinkle fresh grated coconut and curry leaves on top. Serve hot with rice/Appam!

Leave a comment @Oishiibites

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The 2 ingredient Nutella cake!

Its been a while since my last blog post. Back home for the holidays, I couldn't wait to start with my kitchen catastrophes. Sigh! The Nutella cake is definitely not my recipe. I am pretty sure a lot of neophyte bakers such as myself have given this a try and failed miserably (read, the egg-y(sic) smell and the sticky texture). Here is all you need to keep in mind when you make this delicious 2 ingredient cake. 

Ingredients: 

1) 3 eggs
2) 1/2 a jar of Nutella (This is half the 350 g jar)

Recipe:

1) The most essential trick is beating the eggs on high speed for 6-10 minutes. A lot of air needs to enter and the mixture should triple. If this is not done perfectly the end result might be very different. (Add the invisible third ingredient: A tsp of Vanilla essence if the smell bothers you. Sorry! :P)
2) Melt the Nutella. Fold the egg mixture into the molten Nutella, in three batches. This is a very important step which ensures that the air doesn't escape. Pour the batter into a baking tray, carefully!
3) Bake in a preheated oven(180 C) for 25 minutes. Serve hot with ice cream.

Leave a comment @Oishiibites

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