Fish Fry (Kerala Style)

This delicious dish can be made with any fish of your choice. I use seer fish or 'surmai' as it is called in India, but any firm fleshed fish can be use. You can obviously grill instead of frying for a healthier option, but nothing beats the taste of fried fish for me.


1 whole fish cut into slices or steaks 
2 sprigs of Curry Leaves, one for masala one for the oil
2 tsp Chilli powder (I use kashmiri chilli powder)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
1/4 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 Tomato finely chopped
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
Water


Mix all ingredients (except the fish) together to form the masala or spice mix. Add a little water to from a paste. Marinate the fish generously in the masala for atleast half hour.


Heat oil in a pan and add curry leaves. Shallow fry the fish in the curry leaves infused oil. Fry the fish till cooked and crisp. Serve with some lime and onion.

Spinach, Mushroom & Cottage Cheese Quiche

A Quiche is an open-faced, savoury dish with a filling of cheese, meat and vegetables. It is often considered as the savoury equivalent  of the sweet custard tart. There are many variants of quiche which include a wide variety of ingredients. My favourite though is this vegetarian one with Spinach and Mushrooms. I usually use Feta cheese with this recipe, but today I'm going along with a cheaper alternate - Cottage cheese ( Paneer as it is known in india).  I am too lazy to make a crust and this recipe is just so fast and simple without one. But if you just cannot live without the crust, try this pie crust recipe to make the crust.

1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 big handfuls of Spinach
1 handful of roughly chopped Mushroom
1 Onion
4 Eggs
150ml Milk or 1 cup of Cream
200g Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Lightly grease a pie dish with butter or oil.

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook till translucent. Now add the mushroom and saute for about a minute. Add the spinach and cook until its soft.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk and cheese. Add some salt and pepper. Add the spinach mixture and mix well. Pour into the pie dish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until eggs have set. Cool before serving.

Tip: While this is a basic vegetarian version, experiment with different meats, cheeses and vegetables. Ingredients like bacon, ham, corn, cream cheese also work very well

Basic Pie Crust

This recipe makes one pie crust, enough for one tart. If you are making a pie with a top crust as well, double this recipe and form two discs of dough.


1 1/4 cup of all purpose flour (Maida) plus extra for rolling
1/2 teaspoon sugar (make it 1 1/2 tablespoon for a sweet pie)
8 tbsp or 1 stick of unsalted cold butter cut into cubes
3 tbsp ice water


In a bowl sift in flour, salt and sugar. Add the butter to the flour mix. Since the butter is cold, use hands to 'massage' the butter into the flour mixture. Combine till the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.


Add ice cold water (without ice!) slowly, about a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together. If you pinch some dough and it holds together, its ready, if not add a little more water and combine. Remove the mixture from the bowl and place on a clean, smooth surface.


Use your hands to press the crumbly dough together and shape into a ball. Work the dough only enough to bring it together. Over kneading the dough will make it tough. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for alteast 1 hour. Make sure the dough sits out of the refrigerator for 5 minutes atleast before rolling out.


To roll the dough, remove from refrigerator and place on a smooth, lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough as desired. For a 9-inch pie dish, roll out dough to approximately 12-inch circle to a thickness of about 1/8 of an inch.


Grease the pie dish and place the dough on the dish. Gently press down and guide the dough to take the shape of the dish. Add filling and bake according to recipe.




Tip:
The colder the butter the more flaky the crust. Hence cold is good.
Too much water will make your crust tough, hence keep the water to a minimum.
The dough can last for several months if you freeze it. Just defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.


Uses for Pie Crust:
- Fill with your favorite meats, veggies and cheese to make a quiche
- Fill with custard and fruits to make a sweet treat
- Experiment with various fillings and let your imagination run wild!

Chocolate Mousse

I am not the biggest fan of chocolate (did I hear a gasp?), but I do love mousse. Its rich, silky texture can just lift my mood any day. Today most mousse recipes call for heavy cream over and above eggs. I like my mousse the classic way (and its lesser calories than the heavy cream ones too).

200g dark chocolate, broken to pieces
3 eggs separated
50g castor sugar
50g butter

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler. Stir frequently till smooth. Remove from heat and cool until chocolate is warm. Beat egg yolks well with a fork, and slowly add them to the warm chocolate mixture. Ensure that you stir well while doing this and that the chocolate is not piping hot or it will cook the egg.

In a separate container, add the sugar and egg whites. Beat the egg whites till it forms stiff peaks. Fold your egg whites gently into the mixture. Spoon the mixture into serving dishes and refrigerate until the mousse sets (6-8hrs).

Tip: If you have trouble getting the consistency of the egg whites right, add a pinch of salt. This helps stiffen the egg whites

Innovate with your blend of mousse! Add a dash of espresso or your favorite liqueur. Experiment with white chocolate instead and serve with tart fruits like strawberries and raspberries. Add some nuts fot additional texture. The possibilities are endless!  

Tomato Soup

I love Tomato soup on a rainy day or on those cold winter days. Theres something so reassuring in a hearty bowl of tomatoey goodness. And I love the mix of flavors - sweet, sour, tangy, creamy - all in one bowl. For this recipe I have used whole tomatoes (skin, seeds et all), but if you are a picky eater, run the soup through a sieve before serving.

1kg Tomatoes
1 large Onion
4 cloves of Garlic
1 Bay Leaf
1 can diced Tomato (if you cannot find canned tomato use tomato puree)
4 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tbsp Fresh Cream and some Basil to garnish

In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add diced onion, garlic and a whole bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently until the onion is translucent. Add the fresh tomatoes and cook till tender. Now add the canned tomatoes, sugar and the broth. Cook till the mixture comes to a boil. Now reduce the heat and cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot, or use a food processor to blend. The soup should be smooth with a few tomato chunks. If you like your soup very smooth just pass it through a sieve to get rid of the chunks.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of cream and some basil. Serve with toasted crusty bread or croutons on the side.

Tip: Try roasting your tomatoes in the oven before adding them to the pot and pureeing it.

Spaghetti Carbonara

The most popular of all pasta dishes out there, a traditional Spaghetti Carbonara is very simple at the heart of it (though its not so simple when it comes to your heart and cholesterol). The classic recipe uses cream, eggs and bacon over a bed of spaghetti. But ofcourse it has evolved, and each cook has their own secret ingredient to add. Traditionally only spaghetti and bacon are used (and its a marriage made in heaven), but   obviously you can use any pasta, any meat and add some veggies to the mix.


Here's my take on the Spaghetti Carbonara


250g Spaghetti
3 rashes of Bacon
2 Egg Yolks
1/2 cup Cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp chopped Parsley or 2-3 leaves of Basil
Salt & Pepper to taste




Add water and a little salt to a big pot and bring to boil. Drop spaghetti into the pot of boiling water and cook for about 8 mins or till al dente. Drain and keep hot. While the pasta is cooking, heat a frying pan on medium heat. Add bacon and let it cook till its a little crisp and golden.


In a separate bowl combine eggs, cream and cheese and whisk to combine. Add salt and pepper according to taste. This is a basic carbonara sauce.


Add pasta to the bacon pan. Now toss the egg mixture into the hot pasta coating it well. Add parsley and serve.




Tip: While cooking the Spaghettin in the pot, add a tablespoon of oil. This will prevent the pasta from sticking to each other. Likewise also add some oil or butter after draining the pasta to prevent it from sticking and adding some additional flavour.


I love adding some spinach and mushrooms to this dish to give it a little earthy flavour.


My secret is to add a dash of nutmeg to the carbonara. It adds a beautiful flavour and aroma and really brings out the sauce.


Note: Bacon is already fatty and hence no oil is required in cooking it. Please do not add oil to crisp the bacon


It is important to keep the pasta hot after draining because the heat of the pasta actually 'cooks' the egg in the carbonara sauce and gradually thickens it. Just ensure you mix the two well.

Pancakes

This is a classic and will never go out of style. Reminds me of Saturday morning breakfast with the family. I love this dish because its so versatile. It can be sweet or savory. It can be served with literally hundreds of accompaniments. My favorite is still the classic way - a dash of butter and a whole lot of maple syrup.


1/2 cup All Purpose Flour (maida) 
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 cup milk
1 large Egg


Sugar according to taste
Pinch of Salt


In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk and egg.  Mix until smooth.


Heat a girdle or flat bottomed pan and add some butter. Using a ladle scoop the pancake batter onto the girdle (approx. 1/4 cup for each pancake). Brown both sides and serve piping hot.


Tip: Add some vanilla or cinnamon in the batter to add some extra flavour.  Traditionally pancakes are served with some butter and maple syrup.  Incase you dont find maple syrup, try honey as a substitue. You can also serve pancakes with fresh fruit or jam or some fresh cream.

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake

Lets me honest here...who doesn't love Nutella. How can you not dig in to a spoonful of this chocolatey, hazelnutty, jar of heaven? Now there are very few things that comfort me better than a spoonful of Nutella. I think the only thing that beats it is a good 'ol cheesecake. So what better way to enjoy my two favourite comfort foods than to have them together. 


I hope this recipe makes you want to curl up in a ball and snuggle with a cup full of this. Enjoy!


Base
1 pack ~200gms of Graham Crackers 
50gms of Butter


Cheesecake
400g Cream Cheese
50g Brown Sugar
100g Nutella
A handful of chocolate chips (optional)


In a food processor whiz the biscuits till crumbs form. Add the butter to bind it. Scoop spoonfuls into the base of your pots and press down. You want the crumbs lightly compressed and not as hard as a regular cheesecake


Now, whiz cream cheese (make sure its room temperature), Nutella and sugar tills smooth. Taste the mixute and add more Nutella if you like! Add chocolate chips and whiz on high for two minutes or till the chips and finely chopped.


Add the misture to the pots with the biscuit base. Refrigerate for 6 hours or until set. Remove from the fridge 20 mins before serving so that they aren't very cold and slighty gooey.




Tip: I use small glasses as pots, however using party cups for kids birthday parties is also a fun idea

The Classic Sangria

An ode to my most favourite cocktail of all time - The Sangria!! This drink is just summer in a glass. Now there are many variations out there and not all of them are for me. I've tried many a recipes and always came back to this one. I may be biased, but you'll thank me after trying out this one. 

1.5 lts good Red Wine
3/4 cup Orange Juice
1/2 cup mild White Wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 cup Brandy
1/2 cup Triple Sec
Fruits of your choice


Mix all ingredients together in a large pitcher. Chill in the refrigerator. Serve with ice


Tip: If you don't have Triple Sec you van use Limoncello. Works equally well! 
         If you like your Sangria sweeter add a dash of Sprite or 7Up

Nutella & Marshmellow French Toast

This recipe is so good, so simple and so delicious that I feel obligated to share it. Take a bow Rob. 


1 Loaf of bread
2 Eggs
100ml double cream
1 tsp of oil
A knob of butter
Nutella, Marshmellow, Cinnamon & Sugar to taste


Cut the bread into thick slices.  Spread Nutella onto the bread according to your taste. Cut marshmellows in half and add it on top of the Nutella bread. Close the sandwich with another Nutella bread slice. Cut the sandwich in half.


Crack two eggs in a bowl, pour the cream and whisk. In a frying pan, heat a knob of butter and add a teaspoon of oil to prevent the butter from burning. Dip the sandwiches in the egg and mix on both sides. Fry on both sides until golden brown or till the marshmellows are all gooey. 


Sprinkle some icing sugar and cinnamon powder on top. Enjoy!

Chocolate Truffles

There may be just five ingredients, but the possibilities are endless. Take this simple truffle recipe for example. These rich, sinful and decadent treats can satisfy the sweetest tooth without the fuss. Now thats the kind of recipe I like!  


1/3 cup cream
400g chopped white chocolate
1 knob of butter
200g chopped dark chocolate
1 1/2 cups of toasted coconut


To a heavy bottomed saucepan add heavy cream and warm it over low heat. Put the chopped white chocolate in a large bowl and pour in the hot cream. Whisk till the chocolate has melted and then add the butter. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. This is a basic ganache. Refrigerate the ganache for about 2 hours or till its just firm enough to make into balls.


Use a spoon or a small scooper and form small balls from the ganache. Line a tray with parchment paper. Let the balls sit on this tray and refrigerate for an hour or till the balls are firm.


Melt the chopped dark chocolate in a double boiler. Dip each ball of white chocolate into the melted dark chocolate. Put the toasted coconut in a bowl and toss the ganache balls in to cover them in coconut. Put them on a parchment lined tray to dry and allow the truffles to set for about ten minutes. Voila!!


Tip: Using two forks makes it easier to fish out the dipped chocolate balls