Sheer Khurma

 

 

A rich sweet dish which is mostly made during Eid and savoured with family and friends. Every bite of this dessert has a burst of flavours coming from plump dates and a mixture of roasted nuts.

 

 

Serves: 3-4 persons.

 

Ingredients:

 

Fresh milk (whole and full fat)                1 litre

Roasted vermicilli (seviyyan)                  1/2 packet

Sugar                                                        1/2 cup

Ghee                                                         2 tbsps

Dry dates (seeds removed)                       1/2 cup

Roasted almonds and pistachios              as required

Cardamom powder                                   1/2 tsp

Saffron threads (optional)                        1-2 for garnish

 

 

Method:

• In a deep bottomed, non-stick degchi, heat the ghee, break up the vermicilli and slightly roast this roasted vermicilli just for about 10 secs. Though the vermicilli is already roasted, roasting it further with the ghee enhances the flavour of the vermicilli and the whole dish.

• Turn off the heat and take out the vermicilli and keep aside. Allow the degchi to cool for 2 mins and pour the milk into it. Turn the heat on.

• Bring the milk to a boil, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.

• While the milk is boiling, take a pan and dry roast a handful of peeled and chopped almonds and pistachios. Keep aside.

• Chop the dates and keep aside.

• Once the milk comes to a boil, add the sugar and stir till dissolved.

• Turn the heat to simmer, add the roasted vermicilli and stir well.

• Add the cardamom powder. Stir well.

• Now, turn the heat off and add in the chopped dates and mixed nuts.

• Allow to cool and dish it out in a beautiful serving dish.

• Garnish with 1-2 strands of saffron threads.

• Serve warm or cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Cookin' & Keep it stylish!!

Bhuna Ghosh

 

 

A spicy, meaty, dry dish of mutton served with hot parathas/rotis and a fresh onion and cucumber salad.

 

This is a slow-cooked mutton dish and as much as you are tempted to use a pressure cooker to cook the mutton, kindly do not!

 

 

Serves: 2-3 persons.

 

Ingredients:

 

Mutton pieces                             500 gms

Mutton mince                             500 gms

Sliced onions                              2-3 nos.

Minced ginger                            1 tbsp

Minced garlic                             1/2 tbsp

Yoghurt                                      1 cup

Red chilli powder                       2 tsps

Coriander powder                      1 tsp

Crushed black pepper                1/2 tsp

Chopped pudina (mint)             2-3 leaves 

Salt                                             to taste

Oil                                             as required

Sugar                                         a pinch

Chopped green chilli                1 nos.

Boiling water                            2 cups

Garam masala powder             1/2 tsp

 

 

Method:

• Wash the mutton and mutton mince well.

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and caramelise the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and sugar. The onions should be dark brown. Keep aside.

• Marinate the mutton pieces with 1/2 cup yoghurt, 1/2 tbsp minced ginger, 1/2 tbsp minced garlic, half of the fried onions, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and a tsp of oil. Allow to marinate for atleast half an hour.

 

 

• Next, in a degchi, combine the mutton mince, remaining minced ginger, yoghurt, red chilli powder and coriander powder without any oil. Bhuno the mutton mince with the spices in its own juices and allow the moisture to dry up.

• Now, add 2-3 tbsps of oil to this along with the marinated mutton and mix well. Seal the flavours and allow the yoghurt to release its water.

• Add 2 cups of boiling water to the mutton (always use hot water to cook mutton because it gives the dish a beautiful color and also cooks the mutton perfectly).

• Cover the degchi and cook the mutton on simmer.

• While the mutton is cooking, add salt to taste and check the seasoning.

• Once the mutton is cooked. Turn the flame to high and dry out any remaining juices.

• Add a pinch of suga, the remaining fried onions, crushed black pepper and chopped green chilli.

• Cover the degchi, turn the flame to low and just allow the flavours to amalgamate on the low heat for 5 mins.

• Finish the dish with a sprinkling of pudina and garam masala powder on top.

• Make a kachumbar salad or just slice up some onions and cucumber, toss it with some salt and lime juice.

• Make the rotis by kneading a dough with wheat flour and water, like we do for phulkas. Roll out and keep it thicker than phulkas. Fry this on a tava on both sides with few drops of ghee/oil.

• Serve the bhuna ghosh along with hot parathas/rotis and the salad.

 

 

 

 

Happy Cookin' & Keep it stylish!!

Brunch!

There are times when we wake up from bed and realise its past breakfast time and the clock is ticking fast enough to hit lunchtime. Neither can we have breakfast, nor are we in the mood to slog out and prepare lunch; and this is exactly how, why and when I came up with this brunch platter.

 

My brunch platter is wholesome and comes with a feel-good factor to it. Brunch fit for the King on a lazy day!

 

Comprises of: Fluffy scrambled eggs on a bed of sauteed asparagus served along with roasted cherry tomatoes, sauteed whole mushrooms, roasted sausages, crusty bread and a chilled glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to wash it all down.

This recipe is dedicated to the person who introduced me to the concept of brunches and continental style food, a father-figure to me - Poo Mama a.k.a Narendra Bhandary :)

 

 

 

 

Serves: Per person serving.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Whole eggs                                                                      2 nos.

Asparagus                                                                    4-5 stalks

Fresh button mushrooms (stalks removed)                     2-3

Cherry tomatoes                                                         as required.

Chicken sausages/Bacon rashes                                     1 nos.

Sliced baguette (or any other hard, crusty bread)        1-2 slices

Butter/Margarine                                                        as required.

Olive oil                                                                      as required.

Salt                                                                                 to taste

Crushed black pepper                                                    to taste

 

 

Method:

• Prepare the fresh fruit juice of your choice and keep it in the fridge to chill. In this case, I have used fresh orange juice.

• Boil the chicken sausages and keep aside. If you are using bacon, omit this step of boiling and just saute the strips of bacon in a pan until crisp. Yum Oh!

• Bring a pot of water to boil, add some salt to it and drop in the asparagus. Boil it only for 2-3 minutes. Take it out from the boiling water and immerse it in ice cold water to retain the color and texture. This technique is called "blanching".

• Next, take a pan and saute the asparagus with a drop of olive oil. Take out and keep aside. In the same, hot pan, sprinkle some salt and quickly roast the cherry tomatoes. This should take just few seconds. Be sure not to keep the tomatoes in the hot pan for more than few seconds as these tomatoes are very tender and they may turn to mush and lose their shape. You only want the skin to get roasted. Keep aside.

• In the same pan, saute the whole button mushrooms until they become crisp on both sides. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and crushed black pepper on it and keep aside.

• Next, roast the chicken sausage in a pan or prick it with a fork and hold it on top of the gas flame. This will blister its skin and give it a bbq effect (this is how I did it).

• Toast the bread slices and apply some butter/margarine on it.

• Now, assemble these components on a plate as per your wish. Make sure that the asparagus is arranged in between like a bed for the scrambled eggs. Once the platter is ready, its time for the eggs.

• To make the fluffy scrambled eggs- beat the eggs well, incorporating some air into it. In a pan, drop some butter/margarine and keep it on low flame. The pan should not get heated up or be very hot because the eggs should cook slowly.

• Pour in the eggs and stir it around gently with a wooden spatula. We do not want the eggs to turn grainy and want it to be chunky and soft.

• Gently stir around and break up the eggs. While they are still wet, take it out over the asparagus bed. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top.

• Serve with chilled fruit juice and enjoy this brunch in your garden!

 

 

Happy Cookin' & Keep it stylish!!