Sweet Corn Chicken Soup (Indian Style)

Sweet Corn Chicken Soup (Indian style)

Indian-Chinese recipes are very different from the authentic Chinese food, which sometimes can be bland. With a little help of a Indian touch a simple recipe can be transformed to actually be more flavorful. This is my dads favorite soup and he hates Chinese food! Can you believe it? Someone hates Chinese food! He says Chinese food always smells(Read the Vinegar in the food). But anyhow this lucky soup passed the bar and is the only thing he has when we got out to a Chinese restaurant for a family dinner. So this ones for you papa! I finally mastered how to make your favorite soup! :)

Ingredients:

1 tin sweet corn-cream style

4 cups chicken stock

2 tbsp corn flour
1tsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt to taste
1 Maggi chicken cube
1 tsp sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 cup boiled shredded chicken

Garnishes:

Soy sauce
Chilli- Vinegar mixture (green chillies finely sliced soaked in vinegar)

Method:

1. To make chicken stock: Boil the chicken in 5 cups of water, ginger garlic paste, bay leaf, green chillies, maggi cube and little salt. Boil for 10-15 minutes on medium flame or till the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and then strain the stock for impurities to get a clear stock.


2. Bring the stock to a boil, add the chicken cube. Blend into the stock.
   
3. Once the Maggi cube has totally dissolved, empty the cream style corn can, and bring to a boil again.


4. Dissolve the corn flour in 1/2 cup hot water and mix into the soup. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes.Add the salt and the shredded chicken.


5. Increase the flame to medium and pour the egg in a thin stream using a strainer or frying karcha to get thin strands of egg, stirring gently all the time.

To serve, add the chilli –vinegar and soy sauces as per individual taste, mix in and serve hot.

Ghosht ni Tarkaari (Simple Mutton curry)

This is a simple easy to prepare, no-fuss goat curry, known as Ghosht ni tarkaari in the Bohra community. As a child and even today it is prepared at least once a week in my maternal home. My mom used to prepare this dish as default when she was short on time and could not think of anything else to cook. In spite of it simplicity in flavors this dish is satisfying and always brings back happy memories.

Ghosht ni Tarkaari

Ingredients:
1 Lbs fresh goat chopped into pieces
2 chopped onions (medium size)
2 chopped tomato (medium size)
2 potatoes (medium size) chopped in 1 inch cubes

1 tsp whole jeera
2 tsp kasuri methi
1 tsp curry powder (optional)
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp red chillie powder
1-1/2 tsp garlic ginger paste
1 tsp dhania jeera powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
¼ tsp turmeric
Chopped coriander

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker(or regular pan) heat oil, once the oil is heated add the cumin seeds, fresh garlic, green chillies followed by the onions and fry until they are translucent/light brown. You can also add whole garam masala(lavang, whole peppercorns,cinnamon) at this stage.)


2. Then add the garlic ginger paste fry half min


3. Now add all the dry masalas and salt. Mix well and then add the tomatoes and fry until well mixed and oil separates.


4. Now add the ghosht(goat) and fry for a couple of mins. Add 1cup HOT water(cold water would bring down the temp of the entire mixture which would take the curry longer to cook and sometimes toughen the meat)


5. Bring the curry to a boil, pressure cook curry for 2 whistles and then add the potatoes and cook for 10 mins on a slow flame or till the potato has cooked through.


6. Now add the kasuri methi and blend into the curry.


7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve the tarkaari over hot basmati rice and with a side of pickle! Enjoy!

Ragda Patties

Living here in the states the things I miss the most are the chaats and the road side foods abundantly found at the end of most streets in Mumbai..In the area where I grew up we had a guy who made Pav bhaji(with the longest line), second was the Dosa wala, who created the made to order dosas, a sandwich wala and then finally our Chaat wala bhaiya who had the jhatpat stuff which disappeared in seconds. :) Pani puri, sev puris, bhels, Dahi wadas and Ragda Patties)
I keep trying out the pani puri and sev puris everytime I see it in a new chaat house here hoping that one day I will find one that will make me miss the one in Mumbai less...no luck yet. :( not even one has come close...

Any ways to cut my story short...the hubby recently all of a sudden remebered how much he loves Ragda patties, so I finally took the plunge and tried it and it turned out great! So here am I posting its recipe for all my fellow chaat lovers!

Ragda Patties

Prep time: 1hour, cooking time 25 minutes ;Serves 2-3

For Ragda
1.5 cups white peas(aka Vatana)
1-2 green chillies
2 tsp whole cumin seeds(jeera)
1-2 tsp dhana jeera powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp haldi powder
½ tsp chole Masala powder(optional)
1 small onion, finely chopped
salt to taste

For the Potato Patties
3 Russet boiled potatoes, peeled and mashed
1 tsp whole jeera
1 tsp haldi
2 tsp dhana jeeru powder
1 tsp garam Masala
2 green chillies finely chopped
1 tsp chaat Masala
4-5 Curry leaves—rougly chopped as small as possible(Trust me these extra additions give the bland patties sooo much flavour!)
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
finely chopped coriander leaves(Kotmir)
2 tsp amchur powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil to make smooth patties

For Garnishing:
Green chutney (Recipe coming soon)
Date-Tamarind chutney(Khajur amli) (Recipe coming soon)
1 small onion finely chopped
Finely chopped kotmir

Method:
To make Ragda:

1. Soak the dried peas overnight with enough water, as they will expand double their original size after re-hydrating overnight.
   
2. The next morning drain excess water if any and wash them 2-3 times to remove any unwanted particles.


3. Then pressure cook with 1-2 cups water (or you can also cook on stove top.) Cook for 1-2 whistles and let it stand till cool. This step will allow the peas to cook in the heat trapped in the cooker till they will be perfectly done. The peas should be tender but not mushy. Drain and retain the boiled chana water.


4. To make Ragda gravy:Heat oil in a pot and when heated add the jeera seeds till they sizzle. Then add the ginger garlic paste and finely chopped green chillies and onions and fry for a few minutes. Then add all the Masalas (turmeric, chilli powder, dhana-jeeru powder, garam Masala, chole Masala) and saute for a minute till well blended.


5. Then add the cooked drained peas, 2 cups of boiled peas water and bring to a boil. (Mash some of the peas to make the curry thicker if needed.). Continue to simmer the Ragda for 10 minutes or till of desired consistency

To make patties:

1. Take the mashed boiled potatoes and all the other ingredients for the patties, season with all the Masala and salt, and then knead everything together to mix well. Knead lightly.
   Then with the help of greased hands form round flat patties, making sure they are evenly flattened to get even browning.
   
2. Roast 3-4 at a time on a greased flat pan for shallow frying. Add about 1 tbsp oil and shallow fry the patties on a medium flame. Baste with oil to give them a nicely brown color. Then carefully turn them over with a flat spoon or they will break. Transfer to a serving plate.
   
   To plate the entire Ragda patties together:
   In individual serving plates add the patties 2-3, then add a generous ladleful of Ragda till the patties are covered. Then add a generous pinch of chaat Masala evenly followed by the green and khajur amli chutneys and then finally top with chopped onions and coriander leaves.
   (You can also add the sev like the Bhaiyas on the road do or even a few spoons of yogurt.)

Surti Undhiyu

This is my all time favorite Gujarati dish! Every winter when it was in season my dad used to bring it home fro lunch almost every Sunday from a place in Kalbadevi (Mumbai) called 'Kashiram Bhajiyawala' . There used to be a line literally a mile long from 10 am in the morning for this speciality available especially since it is made only in winter due to the availability of some of the ingredients that go into its preparation. Since we bought from Kashiram so often the owner who was always present became friends with my dad and still is today.
I got my passion for Gujarati food from my dad who is bigg gujju food buff himself..I cherished the times we went out for a Gujarati thali or brought a tiffin home. My brothers on the other hand still dread those days! :)

Ever since I moved to the US I have been craving Undhiyu more and more and when I spotted the frozen undhiyu vege mix in the Indian store I knew that my life would be changed forever! I asked several gujju friends to send me the recipe and after tweeking it n combining theri recipes, I finally learnt how to create this special dish!
I made the day my husband's Gujrati friend was visiting coz I knew if someone could validate the authenticity of my Undhiyu it would be her. And her response was "OMG! This is just like my moms!". That was all I needed to hear! She told me her mom took hours making it and that She was shocked that I had actually attempted to try and make Undhiyu here in the US. Totally made my day and was worth all the effort that went into its preparation! :)


Surti Undhiyu

Prep Time : 20 mins; Cooking Time : 40 mins Serves: 5-6 servings

Ingredients
1 packet frozen Undhiyu mix(available at most Indian stores in season) or
½ cup surti papdi/Valor
1/4 cup Papadi na dana
½ cup raw banana unpeeled and sliced into thick circles
½ cup Yam chunks
1 cup small brinjals slit or regular brinjal cut into medium sized cubes.
3-4 medium sized russet potatoes cut into medium sized cubes(same size as all the veges)

For the Masala Paste:
½ cup coriander leaves
¼ cup fudina(mint) leaves
3-4 green chillies
1 small pieces of ginger
5-6 cloves of garlic
Salt to taste (carefully)
1-2 tbsp. sugar (as per taste)
2-3 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp lemon
3-4 tsp undhiyu Masala from everest(available at Indian stores)

For methi ghatta:
1 cup methi leaves fresh/frozen (if not available use dried kasuri methi which works as a good substitute)
1 cup besan
1tsp dhana(coriander pwd)
2 tsp jeera pwd
1 tsp haldi pwd
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp grama masala pwd
1 tsp whole jeera
1 tbsp kasuri methi
1 green chilli finely chopped
1 tbsp coconut (optional)
Salt to taste

Method
For Methi muthias:
Mix all the above ingredients and make slightly stiff dough. Use oil to get smooth dough. Make small oval ball and deep fry the muthias till cooked thru and nicely brown. Strain and keep aside.

For Undhiyu gravy:
In a blender make a paste of the coconut, kotmir, fudina, green chillies, ginger, garlic and lemon juice and the Undhiyu Masala
Take oil in a non stick pot and fry the above paste till oil separates. Add the yogurt and sugar and blend it into the Masala. Then add the potatoes and cook then in this mixture till almost done. This step infuses the potatoes with the Undhiyu flavor which otherwise would taste bland inside.
Then slowly add all the vegetable and mix gently till well coated with the Masala. Cook for 20 min-30 mins on slow flame till Undhiyu aroma fills the air. Add water as needed if gravy is too thick. Finally add the muthias and mix again. And heat for 5-7 Min's till heated thru and serve garnished with coriander or thin sev/coconut.
Serve with hot puris or rotis.

Cheers to Gujrati food!

Chocolate Mousse

This is my favorite childhood dessert, My mami used to make this on special occasions and till date I cherish the memories I have of the decadent chocolate mousse that she makes. She haven't shared her secret recipe with me yet but love and persistence made me experiment and after trying and testing, I have finally mastered the recipe! Hurrah!

So here goes the recipe for all those fellow Chocolate Mousse Lovers!!!! Enjoy!

Almost all recipes I reviewed called for bittersweet chocolate. Trader Joe's has some Belgian bittersweet Ghirardelli 70% cocoa bricks which work perfectly. Chocolate mousse is a little bit tricky. If you incorporate the egg yolks when the chocolate is too warm, it will cook, if too cold, it will seize up when the other ingredients are added. If you stir and not fold the egg whites and whipped cream in, your mousse will not be fluffy, but dense.

Serves 8-12, depending on the size of the servings.

Ingredients:
4-5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons espresso (optional)
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoon sugar (Optional)
Raspberries and extra whipped cream

Procedure:
1. Whip the heavy cream with sugar to soft peaks, then refrigerate. Sugar can be put in either in the egg whites or the cream.
2. Then separate the eggs, and Whip the egg whites separately till stiff/firm.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.Double Boiler Steps:
a. Fill bottom of double boiler with about 1 inch of water and place on low heat/simmer.Set the bowl over it, but it should not touch the water.
b. Place chocolate chips or coarsely chopped/shredded chocolate in the top of double boiler over hot (not boiling) water and allow it to melt stirring frequently until smooth and shiny.
c. To help you melt without it seizing, use a bit of extra whipping cream.About 2tbsp or so...or maybe a little butter stirring constantly with spatula and whisk. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.
4. Once the melted chocolate has cooled a bit, stir in the yolks. Stir gently till well blended. This has to be done before the chocolate cools down completely.
5. Then gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in gently with a spatula.Follow it by folding in half the egg whites, then fold in cream and followed by the other half of the egg whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.It is very important that you alternate, and be really gentle all along that process.
6. Spoon or pipe the mousse into a serving bowl or individual dishes. If you wish, layer in fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Let stand in the fridge for at least 1 hour or longer till nicely set. That's it! (The mousse can be refrigerated for up to a day.)

Tips & Warnings: Chocolate has a very low melting point. It must not be subjected to excessive heat. Always melt over very low heat - do not boil the water. Moisture can cause the chocolate mixture to stiffen. Don't let any water get into the chocolate (that's why you shouldn't cover the double boiler; condensation will drip in).

I would love to hear back when you try the recipe! Cheers!

Dedicated to all Indian food bloggers...My First Post.

Hello Everyone!

After months and months of thinking about setting up a food blog..Ive finally created one today! Yayyyyy for baby steps :D
Neways first of all I would like to thank all the great indian food bloggers out there! You guys rock! Endless recipes tried and tested from your respective blogs have only made you all my Food gurus! I am hooked to reading all your food blogs and trying out all your great recipes!

So now that I have finally created a blog, I would like to share some of my recipes wid you all too...

Cheers to you all!