20120727 Olivier Salad

I am not sure if this is the "real" Olivier Salad (if there is one) as I didn't look up any recipes. I had Olivier Salad before, so I just threw in whatever ingredients I could remember. It's not bad for this hot and stuffy Friday! But something seems to be missing. Now thinking about it, I think there may be apples and eggs in the salad too. I can't believe I always put off making this salad because the potatoes always break/mush after cooking - even when I got the waxy ones. So today I steamed the potatoes instead of cooking them in boiling water. And it works! I bet this may be a well known trick that I was not aware of, but am still very proud of myself for figuring this out.

INGREDIENTS
1 X 400g can mixed peas/carrots/corns
500g potatoes, steamed and finely diced
100g ham, cut into little cubes
12 small pickles, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
4 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp full cream
freshly grounded black pepper

METHOD
1. Throw everything into a big salad bowl and mix well. Season with black pepper, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

20110418 Tamatar Chaaman (Paneer in Thick Tomato Sauce)

(SOURCE: Indian Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant - Tamatar Chaaman)

This dish is from Jammu and Kashmir. Last time when I fried the paneer for my palak paneer dish, it was quite a disaster as the paneer cubes were broken and they stuck a bit to the pan. So this time I used more oil and waited till the oil was piping hot before putting the paneer in. The paneer fried beautifully, but I think I fried them too long as they were a little too hard. Next time will be better!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegetable oil
250g paneer, cut into small cubes
2 cloves
1 tsp cardamom
1 cinnamon sticks
350g pureed tomatoes
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
salt
some coriander leaves,  for garnish

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the paneer and fry golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Add the whole spices to the pan and stir fry for about 1 minute.
2. Add the pureed tomatoes to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated. Pour in 1/2 cup hot water togehter with all the ground spices, except the garam masala, and season with salt. Bring to the boil and add the paneer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle over the garam masala and stir gently, then simmer for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

20110402 Aloo ke Gutake (Potatoes Tempered with Cumin)

(SOURCE: Indian Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant - Aloo kee Gutake)

This is from Uttarakhand, the Land of Gods. This dish didn't really taste very Indian to me because of the mild flavor. But it is very easy to make and is a perfect side dish for a pork chop or stuffed chicken.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of ground turmeric
500g potato wedges
salt

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a pan over high heat, then reduce the heat. Add the cumin seeds and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the turmeric and immediately afterwards the potato wedges. Stir well and sprinkle over a very little amount of water just to make them damp.
2. Season with salt, then reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Garnish with chopped coriander.

20110225 Khumb Shabnam (Mushrooms in Yoghurt Sauce)

(SOURCE: Indian: Cookbook - Khumb Shabnam)

This is originated in Awadh. Kebabs are famous is Awadhi cuisine, because meat is tenderized with raw papaya paste and is ground many times. But this is a simply vegetable dish that takes less than 15 minutes to make. I didn't really like it because of the strong cumin smell, but my husband seemed to like it.

INGREDIENTS
200ml natural yoghurt
1 tsp red chilli powder
1tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Garam Masala
pinch of ground turmeric
1 tbsp vegetable oil
250g white button mushrooms, sliced
salt


METHOD
1. In a bowl, mix the yoghurt with the ground spices and season with salt. Whisk well to combine.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat, add the mushrooms and stir fry until there is a small amount of moisture left - but do not let them dry up. Remove from the heat, and allow the mushrooms to cool.
3. Then pour in the spiced yoghurt and mix. Return to the heat and simmer for a few minutes until hot.

20110224 Phool Gobi (Cauliflower Masala)

(SOURCE: Indian: The Cookbook by Pushpesh Pant - Phool Gobi)

This dish is originated in Punjab. I skipped the asafoetida (adding an onion-like smell after heating) and fenugreek seeds (a bittersweet spice) as I couldn't find them. I couldn't find Garam Masala either, so simply made my own using the recipe provided in the cookbook - but of course, I didn't have everything the recipe lists, so I modified the recipe a little with the limited ingredients I have. We like our cauliflower less crunchy, so I doubled the cooking time as suggested. A little improvisation was needed when cooking this dish, but it tasted pretty good.

I made four Indian dishes last night so we only had to heat them up after work today and tomorrow, and my husband could have some leftover for lunch. Our house is now smelling like curry - actually even my handbag smells like curry because I left it next to the kitchen counter, man! Now I just have to find a way to rid the smell. Any ideas?

INGREDIENTS
125ml vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and crushed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 large cauliflower, cut into 5cm florets
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp Garam Masala *
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground tumeric
bunch of coriander leaves, chopped
salt

*Garam Masala can be made by simply grinding the below ingredients.
2 cups cumin seeds
1/2 cup ground coriander
3/4 cup cardamom pods
1/3 cup black peppercorns
40g ground ginger

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, and fry the cumin seeds and ginger for a few seconds. Add the cauliflower. Season with salt, chilli powder, garam masala, sugar, and tumeric. Stir and mix everything well. Add a splash of water, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Add coriander, toss well, and serve.

20101024 Mashed Potato Stuffed Bell Pepper

(SOURCE: Kook ook Vegetarisch)

I took out the olives from the recipe as my husband doesn't like them. A dash of tobasco sauce is recommended if you like it hot!

INGREDIENTS
200g starchy potatoes, chopped in small cubes
salt and pepper
1 red bell pepper, halved and deseeded
30ml creme fraiche
2 dried tomatoes in oil, cut into small pieces
1 green onion, rings
40g grated cheese

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 200 degree C. Cook the potatoes in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain and mash into a puree. Stir in creme fraiche, dried tomatoes, green onions, and half the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Stuff the peppers with the mashed potato, and put them in a greased baking dish. Scatter the cheese all over the stuffed peppers, and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown.

20101008 Little Baked Rosemary Potatoes

I always serve a juicy ribeye with these little baked potatoes. Simple but heavenly!

INGREDIENTS
400g small new potatoes, halved
olive oil
dried rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 200 degree C. Put the potatoes in a baking dish. Scatter the oil, rosemary, salt and pepper all over. Mix well. Cook in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

20100809 Basil and Garlic Ciabatta

(SOURCE: BBC Easy Cook Magazine)

If you are adventurous, you may want to add some grated parmesan on the bread before putting them under the grill.

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp (25g) soft butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch of basil, chopped
1 small ciabatta, sliced lengthways

METHOD
1. Heat the grill to high. Beat the mayonnaise, softened butter and garlic until smooth. Stir through the basil and season with salt and pepper. Put the halves of the ciabatta on a baking tray and spread with the butter. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes.