Sweet and sour Mango Pickle

It is just March and the mango trees are full of blossom and buzzing bees . But the mango tree in my back yard seems to be in bit of a rush and we are already having round green ones ready for harvest. What i have in the backyard are the varieties good to make pickles and they dont taste good when they ripen. So I have this family recipe - maybe i can even say heirloom recipe which is a hot and sweet one and has a very long shelf life ...

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At my grand moms all the seasonal fruits and vegetables when they are found in abundance were either pickled and bottled or sun dried and stored . They were made in such huge quantities that they would last through the year. As i write this i have the image of giant glass containers neatly covered and tied with pure white muslin cloth sitting pretty near the window sill with varieties of pickles. My favourite was juicy green gooseberries (Amla) in salty syrup. Oh my! i miss those soaked and swelled treats!. They are like murabas but saltier version . Store bought ones dont taste half good as the ones tended and made with loving hands!.

This pickle tastes great when made with 'Bilbiskin/kilimooku' variety the reason being it is not too sour and has good flavour. The mango should be half ripe and not too mushy. I did not use 'kilimooku' and i dont know what variety they are but they tasted just as good!.

Ingredients :

2 cups mango cut into small square pieces
1 cup sugar
salt to taste
chili powder 1 1/2 tsp
mustard - 2 tsp
fenugreek seeds - 1tsp

Method:
1. mix the sugar and mango pieces and keep it covered for two to three hours..
2. The sugar should have melted and mixed nicely with the juice from the mango .
3. In a wide and heavy bottomed pan put the mango with the syrup and cook on medium heat
4. The sugar will start to caramelize and will begin to coat the mango. Also it will start to bubble at this stage. It is important to get the consistency right at this point. Another test is to feel the caramel syrup in between your fingers. When it gets stringy it is time to take off the pan. Remember it should be stringy and not sticky!!.
5. Add the salt, chili powder and return to heat. Check for taste.. It should have a fine balance of Sour, salt , chili and sweet ..
6. Take off the fire and let it cool
7. Dry roast the mustard and fenugreek seeds and add it to the pickle.
8. Now it is ready for bottling.

Well it is a simple pickle that u can make with no fuss... It has incredibly long shelf life . Tastes terrific with curd rice and rotis too...

It has got a sticky chewy and carmalized texture and if u noticed there is not a drop of oil to it.

Burnt Corn Salad..

Sometimes simple ingredients is all you need to put together a delightful recipe. During one of my evening walks along the beach i was drawn to the smell of burnt corn which made me forget about everything else ..

With summer approaching beach is full of these vendors roasting fresh and milky corn which is generally rubbed with lemon juice and a nice mix of salt and chilly powder..Yum!. The smell of burnt corn was lingering in my head that i went straight to the market and bought a nice lot of corn and decided to make a salad for dinner.

Salad is definitely a very important and favourite part of my meal. I need variety and it has to be super simple that i can toss it in a jiffy...

I go by the colours of the vegetable largely and textures too. This salad was inspired by the vendors on the beach.. I wanted similar taste but with some extra crunchiness of crisp vegetables .

So I took

2 Corns

2 Tomatoes
1 red onion

1/2 or 1 small capsicum

fresh bunch of coriander - 1/2 cup

ground cumin - 1 tsp
ground coriander - 1 tsp
salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
4 - 5 drops Tabasco

1/4 tsp lime juice

1. Finely cut the red onion

2. Grill the corn on gas stove or better in a coal grill ...till it is mildly burnt .

3. Cut the tomato in half horizontally and squeeze gently to remove seeds ; chop finely

4. Remove membrane and seeds from capsicum and chop finely.

5. Place the ground coriander and cumin an a small pan, stir over medium heat for one minute to enhance fragrance and flavour; cool.

6. Add all the ingredients to the corn in a salad bowl and gently combine . Refrigerate it and serve chill . It also tastes good at room temperature.

Well it certainly has Indian taste and flavour . I would have loved to add a bit of raw mango for the sourness..but i guess i will have to wait till may for it. Still it became a substantial dinner for me last night along with a bowl of pumpkin soup.

Goodness in a bowl...

Well, frankly i am not at all a porridge person. I hate the texture , the smell and the idea of adding milk in it...
I would run miles at the sight of porridge in any buffet and often wondered its presence among croissants, jam filled donuts, buttered toast, and muffins. Absolute misfit! wont you agree!!.

So when my dear friend 's' who is helping me shed my flab suggested that i should definitely reconsider my opinion - :-((( it was hard!!.


But truly i have been so biased!. Also when i followed her recipe i realised i have not been doing it right either. I think i was over doing on the milk and the quantity of oats often ending up with a mushy mess !. Of course i agree it is individual taste. I like mine when it is not too thick and gooey. I like it when it is more on the saucy and syrupy side. But the most interesting part to the recipe was adding seeds to it!.

Now we all know the goodness of flax seeds -and sunflower seeds

-Increased energy
-Lowered blood cholesterol
-Lowered high blood pressure
-Sense of calmness under stress - that's something i can do with!!
-Cancer fighting
-Increased metabolic rate with a positive impact on weight management - that's it ! my search ends here!!!!

So now for the recipe you will need -

2 -tbsp oats
Milk as required
1/2 tsp of brown sugar / honey
2 tbsp of sunflower seeds
2 tbsp of flax seeds
2 tbsp of raisins
and a dash of cinnamon - for flavouring.

I soaked the oats in water for few mins and added milk and cooked it to for few mins till it is well cooked and added all the other ings - flax seeds, brown sugar sunflower seeds and raisins and mixed it together and enjoy!

The nutty and crunchy texture of the seeds and the mild sweetness of the raisins and the sweet smell of cinnamon - all put together certainly makes me enjoy my breakfast these days!

So here you have the bowl of goodness!

sticky lemon bars

My mother grows these amazing 'Limes ' in her farm that i cant get enough of. They are huge with dense flesh and are lusciously juicy and smells divine. Every time i get my share it becomes a big lemony feast at home. One becoz i don't get them very often, and two the batches come in plenty that i don't want to waste them.

So i have few tried and tested standard recipes like Lime Cordial, Cheesecake, Lemon Cake, Lemon pie and several other marinades. Oh how can i forget Lemon Pickle! Yes !. But this time i added something new to my list which is the 'Sticky Lemon Bars'!.
I am totally bowled over and in love with them.

It cant get simpler than his. Even a beginner can fix this without any hitch!.

It has got a soft crust base which is basically short bread , with a topping of silk smooth tangy lemon filling. mmm divine!

For the Crust
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 tbsp lemon zest

For the Topping
1 cup Sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached white flour
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, strained


Preheat oven to 180 deg. Butter the inside of a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.


To make the crust: In a medium-sized bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla, lemon Zest and salt. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Spread the dough (it will be quite liquid) evenly in the bottom of the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is evenly browned.


While the crust is baking, make the topping: Stir together sugar and flour. Whisk in the eggs. Add lemon juice and zest and stir until combined.


When the crust is baked (and still hot), pour in filling, turn oven down to 300, and bake for 20-20 minutes or until center no longer jiggles. Let cool completely in pan before slicing. Dust it with powdered sugar.



Makes great teatime snack



Verdict : My Second twin who cant take any sourness in his food finished two bars!!

Mini Pavlovas with whipped cream and strawberries

Happy New year to all of u...

There are many dishes that i fancy and admire but never dared to make it ... I would have tried it , loved it but never made it myself. Like 'Tiramisu', Eggs Benedict, Hollandise sauce, Goulash are few such things that i can remember. But there is one special dream dish that i didn't even dare to eat it ... though i have seen it all the time. One it is too beautiful to look at that i didn't feel like cracking it and crumbling it and destroying it. To me this dish continued to be something to be admired.

Recently i was helping a friend who was looking for some dessert recipes. So together we shortlisted few and finally she spelt it and said "Hey lets make 'Pavlova'. I almost said "but that is not to be eaten" ...

Eventually when i cleared my head and made it, i couldn't believe how easy it was. This certainly is an express dish. Well at least the preparation time is less than 10 mins.


Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert which is named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. It is believed to have been created to honour the dancer after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920's. The dessert is popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both countries, and is frequently served during celebratory meals.


The first Pavlova that i tasted was what i made... Yippee!.

Well the verdict is it was crispy, crumbly, chewy and light like how a pavlova should be. The downside of my Pavlova was it didn't turn out milk white like the sorts that i have seen. Nevertheless it was tasty.

The toppings are generally mixture of berries or tropical fruits steeped in alcohol. I used strawberries and opted to soak it in Pomegranate juice and sugar.

This dessert along with whipped cream and berries just melts at first and gets interestingly chewy at the end.

Another thing that i liked about this dessert is u can make the meringues and store it for up to 3 to 5 days in airtight containers. It is an ideal party dessert !

When preparing pavlova or any meringue the most important thing to remember is to have scrupulously clean utensils free of grease or any wetness. Also it is important that the eggs are at room temperature.

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup Castor sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp of corn starch
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 cup whipping cream
fresh strawberries
sugar to taste
1/2 cup pomegranate juice

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 140 deg and place the rack in middle of the oven.
2. Line a baking tray with parchment and draw a 7 inch circle and set aside.
3. In a dry and clean bowl put the egg whites and beat it with electric mixer on medium speed.Beat until the whites form soft peaks.
4. Now gently sprinkle the sugar, one tsp at a time while continuing to beat the egg. Keep going till you finish with the sugar.Your egg whites will now be glossy with stiff peaks like this...



5. Now sprinkle cornstarch, vinegar on the meringue and fold in gently. Add the vanilla and fold the mixture again with soft hands.
6. Now spread the meringues in the circle on the parchment to make the base. Gently spread and push the meringue to make the edges little higher and try to form little nests with slight well in the middle.




7. Bake the meringue at 140deg for 1/2 hr and reduce the oven to 120deg and bake on slow oven for another half hour. (Mine started turning pink too fast .. so i covered it with aluminium foil and continued to bake it for the next half hr).

8. Turn off the oven and leave the door open slightly and let the meringue cool completely.

9.Now take the meringue out of the oven and remove it gently from the parchment and place it on the plate.



Pavlovas tend to crack i understand but that is o.k... they still look beautiful



Prepare the topping:

10. Whip the cream with sugar until it forms soft peaks.

11. Cut and slice the strawberries and soak them in 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice and little sugar for one hour.


12. Spread the cream on top of the meringue and arrange the fruit on top. And enjoy!.

Delightful looking pavlovas ..

Black rice and Lychee dessert...

Okay now i am not sure how many of you are familiar with 'Black rice'. In case if you have not i thought i shall just add few information about it.


Black rice is one of several black-colored heirloom plants producing rice variants such as Indonesian Black Rice, forbidden rice, or wild rice. High in nutritional value, forbidden rice is rich in iron. Unlike other black rice from Asia, it is not glutinous or rough. This grain is high in fiber and has a deep, nutty taste. Black forbidden rice is a deep black color and turns deep purple when cooked. Its dark purple color is primarily due to its high anthocyanin content [1] [2]. It has a relatively high mineral content (including iron) and, like most rice, supplies several important amino acids. - Courtesy WiKipedia

Here it is called as 'Kavini Arisi'. Actually i don't know what it means but it is used quiet popularly in the Chettiar households of South India. It should be easily available in the Asian stores.

Some of the dishes that can be made using kavini arisi/ Black rice is Sweetened version like a pudding, or Halwa which is a fudge like dessert or Kheer which is a syrupy dessert.

What is traditionally made at home is a 'Kavini Arisi Payasam'/ Kheer. The rice is broken and ground to a paste which is again cooked and sweetened and flavoured with cardamom.


But i have an interesting recipe which is a fusion of Thai and Indian.

Basically the rice is cooked and diluted with thick coconut milk. I add Rose syrup or Rosewater and bits of Lychees to it. I simply love the nutty taste of this rice which is further enhanced with sweet smelling rose syrup and juicy lychees. It tastes divine the second day.


I urge you to give it a try because it is unusual and will surely be enjoyed.





I used

1 cup black rice
2packets coconut milk - 400ml
Rose water - 2 to 3 tbsp
1/2 cup milk
sugar to taste
Tinned Lychees

Soak the rice overnight...

Boil 3 cups of water and pressure cook the rice till it turns nice and mushy..
You can use a masher to mash it up a little bit.

Now let the rice to cool for some time.

Add sugar , boiled milk and one packet of coconut milk and rose water and leave in the refrigerator to chill. When it has chilled completely add the second packet of coconut milk and give it a stir.

Chop the lychees into bits and mix it up.

Serve chilled.

Corn and Broccoli in Bechamel sauce...

'Bake' is what this dish is very fondly called at home. Baking is not a common method of cooking especially in south Indian cuisine. I cant think of any dish which calls for baking at all. OTG was a much feared and occasionally used by which I mean 'used for occasions' sort of gadget at home. I know i sound quiet primeval.

My cakes and bakes are popular now ... but i alone know how many have gone down the drain to have finally made it to the table.

Anyway coming back to the 'Bake'... It is basically vegetables in bechamel sauce , topped with loads of cheese and baked. Normally 'cauliflower bake' is what is popular at home. But personally i like corn and spinach or corn and broccoli .

I do it very often as it is a big hit with my boys . Frankly i dont remember anybody disliking this dish . It can be made a day ahead and baked just before serving and also it sits pretty on any party table.

Some people like to flavour their bechamel sauce with garlic and bay leaves but mine is just plain milk and roux combined, and heated to get this creamy white smooth sauce. Only thing one needs to watch out for is to not let it form lumps .

This tastes best with garlic bread.




What you will need is a nice fresh head of broccoli.. and a tin of sweet corn. I used Green giant Sweet corn kernels.

Cut the broccoli into tiny florets and you can either steam them or blanch them.

Now to make the Bechamel sauce you will need :

3 heaped tbsp of butter
2 heaped tbsp of plain flour
salt to taste
500ml of milk

Heat a pan and melt the butter. Now add the plain flour and fry it till the raw smell changes and it becomes light brown.

Take the pan off the flame and keep it on a surface and add the milk (I use slightly warm milk).. while simultaneoulsy whisking it briskly . Return the pan to the flame and heat it and allow the sauce to thicken. Add salt to taste.

Now combine the corn and broccoli in the white sauce.




And pour it in an attractive oven proof dish..



Now top it with a liberal helping of cheese ... i like to use a combination of cheddar and mozzarella if i am going to serve immediately. Else i just use plain cheddar. Also dot it with tiny blobs of butter .



Now bake it in an 180 degree oven for about 20 to 25 mins till it begins to bubble and browns on top.



Garnish with tomato slices and basil . Serve with warm garlic bread.