An Dessert Sushi: A Healthy Eat

So I tried to make an Indian "healthy" version of a sushi.

To start with here is what I used:

1. Instead of seaweed, I used Betel Nut Leaf (wiki link). This leaf, I boiled, and then cooled. After which it looks like this:

2. Then instead of steamed rice, I used millets (wiki link) cooked in milk. For this I used millet and milk in the ratio of 1:2. To cook it, heat milk and bring it to a boil, wash and add the millet ( I used the Foxtail variant) to the hot milk. Simmer and let it slow cook. You should have your cooked millet in 15 minutes.

3. Instead of fish, I used freshly cut fruits and dates. I used bananas, papaya, and kiwi. It looked somewhat like this:

4. For the sauce, I used strawberries, that I blended.

To roll the sushi, spread out the betel leaf and spread the millet as shown:

And the finished product looks like this:

This is a healthy, sugar free dessert. When I say sugar free, I mean without artificial sugar. Only what's there in the fruit is what should satisfy that sweet tooth of yours.

*I invented this recipe, and hope that you copy it but, while giving me due credit!

A Simple Chicken Curry

Here is how you make tasty, healthy and simple chicken curry at home with simple ingredients.

To start, here are the ingredients:

• Cloves 2
• Bay Leaves 1
• Cardamom 2
• Cinnamon 1 medium stick
• Oil 3 tbsp (preferably extra virgin olive oil)
• Curd (thick yogurt/ cream/ cashew paste would also do) 2 tbsp
• Turmeric 1 tsp
• Coriander powder 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Chicken 750gms
• Ginger Garlic paste 2 tsp
• Onions 3 finely chopped
• Tomato 3-4 blended
• Coriander leaves (for seasoning)
• Ghee (for seasoning)
• Green chili 1
• Dry red chili 1
• Water about 300 ml

The Procedure:

• Take oil in a pan and let it heat. Make sure there is no water in the pan.
• Toss in cloves, bay leaves, cardamom, dry red chili
• One these things have fried a little (you’ll be able to tell when the dry red chili starts to lose a bit of its color), toss in the onions and green chili.
• Let the thing cook till the onions are golden brown in color
• Once this is done, you toss in the ginger garlic paste, and cook the mix till the smell of garlic is completely gone.
• After this stage, add the tomato puree (that you blended), your coriander powder, turmeric, salt to taste, and curd.
• Once this is cooked, and you’ll be able to tell its cooked, when the mixture starts to release oil, drop in the washed pieces of chicken, and stir to cover the chicken pieces with the mixture.
• Let this thing cook for about 20 minutes, and you’ll be able to tell this when the chicken starts to become brown on the outside.
• Add about 300 ml of warm water to the mix, and cover with a lid and let it cook. You can add some coriander and ghee to this if you want to. Wait for another 20 minutes till the chicken is completely cooked. You’ll be able to tell if the chicken is cooked or not, by poking the chicken pieces and seeing how easy it is to pierce it.
• Let it cool to a temperature that is fit for consumption

Bon a petit!

Cauliflower potato dry (Aaloo Gobi Dry)

This is a kickass dish, and very simple to cook.

Here is how.

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower 1
2. Onions 2 medium sized ones
3. Tomatoes 2
4. Potatoes

Spices:
1. Cumin seeds
2. Hing 
3. Garam Masala
4. Haldi
5. Chilli Powder
6. Aamchur or Tamarind
7. Salt to taste


Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes


Procedure:

Part 1: The Cauliflower.

The cauliflower is an ecosystem in itself. It has worms, bits and pieces of different vegetation growing on it. So it becomes imperative to clean it thoroughly.

Cut out the florets from the cauliflower.

Boil water in a pan, with salt. Toss in the florets into them, and make sure it stays there for at least 10 minutes. Once done, take out the water, rinse florets thoroughly and cut out any back/ green parts on the floret. After this, give it another thorough rinse.


Part 2: The rest of the curry

1. Heat oil in a pan with oil and cumin seeds and hing.
2. Once the cumin seeds begin to cackle add the finely chopped onions and fry till translucent.
3. Put the finely chopped tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes and cauliflower florets. Add some water and let it cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add Haldi (turmeric), Chilly powder, Aamchur or Tamarind water, salt and garam masala with enough water to cover the vegetables.
6. Cook in low flame till all the water evaporates.
7. To garnish you can sprinkle some finely chopped coriander.

Serve with fulkas, parathas, or naan!

Enjoy your meal!

Chinese food cravings

Every once in a while I crave for chinese food.
This is the list of things I feel like having
1. Chicken steamed momos
2. Chicken sweet corn soup
3. Pepper chicken dry
4. Triple Schezwan chicken rice
5. Crispy spicy grilled chicken

And maybe a little bit of american chopsuey.

Well... I would not mind a little bit of shredded lamb with seasame seeds.

I love pork meat as well, but I do not trust an indian chinese outlet to have quality pork so I stay away from pork.

Now that I think of Chinese food, I also feel like having some really good prawns, and maybe a chicken spring roll.

A prawn fried rice with some garlic chicken would totally make my day.

I guess i'll have to wait a while before I can eat all that.

Dinner is going to be some chinese guys... Or so it would seem.

I wonder if gluttony is a sin... I guess in that case I am going to hell. I love food. And I dream about food.

A good Chocolate Sundae

What makes a good chocolate Sundae?

Here is what I found.

1. Freshly made hot chocolate brownies,
2. Three scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream
3. A generous helping of hot bitter chocolate sauce.
4. Nuts.
5. A little less than generous helping of fresh sour cream.

Result.

DEATH by Chocolate.

This is something you will find in any shop by an ice cream chain called Corner House operating out of Bangalore and Mysore.

What or how do you feel when you eat this?

Bliss.

First you taste the hot fresh chocolate brownies. Followed by a cool vanilla ice cream which soothes those sweet spots on your tongue. Then cometh the sour cream which sends a tangy jitter down the sides of your tongue.

And finally the bitter chocolate sauce conquers the middle section of your tongue, and ultimately your mouth.

By the time you open your eyes, all thats there in your mouth are a few pieces of nuts which you will be enjoying along with the bitter sweet aftertaste of chocolate.

* I should really get some ice cream right now*

If you are in Bangalore or Mysore, please do make it a point to visit a Corner House and ask for a DBC with fresh brownies. They do add those cherries, but you can opt not to add it. I do not not like them particularly, but hey, no one is stopping you!

Chainese Item: Chilli Potato

A quick snack the Chilli Potato:

You need:
1. Potatoes
2. Ginger
3. Garlic
4. Onions
5. Tomatoes
6. Green Chilli
7. Red Chilli Powder
8. Soya Sauce
9. Tomato Ketchup
10. Salt
11. Oil
12. Capsicum and/or Spring Onion

Utensils you need:

1. Pressure Cooker
2. Pan
3. Spatula
4. Knife
5. Chopping Board

How to go about it if you are cooking for two people.

1. The Potato (2-3 medium to large sized ones)

• Now take them potatoes, place them inside a pressure cooker. Pour water on them till they are 7/8ths immersed in water.
• Place the whistle on the cooker and leave it on the gas oven till you hear 3 whistles.
• Once you hear the whistle. Take the cooker off, wait for the steam to escape.
• Open the cooker. Take the semi-boiled/ potato peel the skin off of it, cut them in whatever shape takes your fancy.

• Now heat oil in the pan.
• Fry the potatoes till a light shade of brown.

2. The Mix

• In the pan, drain off some of the oil. Because obviously you do not need so much of oil for cooking the mix.
• Add finely chopped onions and fry till golden brown. (you'll need 2 medium sized onions)
• Add the finely chopped ginger and garlic to this and stir for sometime. (3-4 pieces of garlic and ginger about the size of a penny)
• Once done, add the finely chopped tomato. (Half a medium sized tomato)
• Add salt chilli powder and cook till you see the oil float above the tomatoes. (salt as per taste, chilli powder about a heaped teaspoon)
• Add the Soya Sauce (About a teaspoon)
• And tomato ketchup (About 4-5 tablespoons)
• 
  
• Mix everything thoroughly.

3. The finale.

• Add the capsicum. spring onion and fried potatoes.
• Mix everything and stir fry the whole thing for 4-5 minutes.

And voila, you are good to go.

Secret Food Destinations

Kebabs, those delightfully tasty oven cooked pieces of meat which makes any spicy meat lover from the Indian Subcontinent salivate, are some of the most abused and ill made dishes across different geographies.

In my travels around India, I was able to find only a handful of places which serve kebabs as we ought to have them.

Now let me clarify, that I haven't really been to many parts of India, just the metropolitan cities, but here are a few places where you might find something that you like.

The first place I'd like to talk about is Galinas, a small, nondescript shop on Gole Market near Karol Bagh, a place which a haven for all kebab fans. This place is at least about 50 years old. Has been making kebabs having the same taste for all this while. A must have delicacy here is the mutton seekh rolls. Covered in rumali rotis, served with a delicious mint chutney with onions and their special salt, these are kebab rolls to die for. All this at very affordable rates.

The secret to good kebabs I guess is the minced meat that goes into making the kebab, and the marinate which gives it their delicious taste.

When you bite into this kebab, the first thing that hits you is the neutral taste of the maida rumali roti, followed by the awesome taste of the garlic laced kebab, delicately cooked in a tandoor. Mixed with the mint sauce and onions with the unique seasoning salt makes it an experience of a lifetime.