Checkered Cravings

I woke up early one morning to find the house unleashed with a flurry of activities. A quirky buzz with a thwack kept resounding over my head which I realized was my 2 year old niece whacking a pillow which was dangerously close to my head with the mosquito buzzer. I was inches away from being mildly electrocuted when I managed to snatch the buzzer away from her and being wide awake, it dawned on me – it was D-Day. It was my sibling’s engagement day and the house was full of my family & extended family, cheerily going about how one should on an occasion-day. The room was of course a mess with me having more cousin sisters than brothers so it was a lot more clothes (pink everywhere), make-up, towels and hair dryers contrary to cigars, empty liquor glasses and bottles and hooka apparatus in case I had more male family members than female.

I managed to wade my way through the sea of pinks to find more pinks in the living room. Pink wrapping paper, pink boxes, pink ribbons and a reel of pink cloth which I later realized was for stringing along a canopy like structure in the lawn where the decorations and activities were full throttle. I managed to swipe someone’s coffee which was being brought out from the kitchen as I knew I would certainly not get any lest I went and made it myself as my house help was running around in a crazed frenzy as though the king was arriving. My dad taunted me with a “late aren’t we?” snide remark and insisted I get dressed and accompany him for a small errand.

Well I had not taken a four day off from work to laze around. So off I went to find that the errand was to check on some decoration supplies and buy a sari for the maid. Now, seriously! This was getting a bit ridiculous; apparently my Mother had forgotten to bring new clothes for the maid who had been sulking since morning as the male house-help had new trimmings on them. She had conveniently badgered dad into visiting a nearby market to pick up a Sari (Not Green, as that’s what I am wearing, she warned) and dad, having not an inkling of sari shopping conveniently roped me into this for moral support. Another house-help accompanied us and we three set off with the agenda being one sari for the maid. It was indeed a sight to have captured with two men (I refused to get down) alighting from a car outside a non-descript sari store to go pick a random sari. Things went a bit too far when both being undecided on which to pick came up to the car armed with six different designs with a look of utter confusion clouding their faces. I was on the verge of losing it, when thought better of it and pointed to the nearest non-green looking one and we were off.

The day itself went by in a whiz, the sibling was a bit undeterred by the fact that he should be relaxing, aiming at looking good and leaving the arrangements to the rest of the family, instead he was on a trip of his own minding the flower guy, trailing a reel of pink cloth and pointedly expressing his disappointment at the decorators that “it was not the way he expected it”. We were hours away from the occasion and welcoming the fiancé side for the first time into our home, so it was but necessary that arrangements should be top notch. The lights were installed, the bouquets and garlands came in, the caterers were shoved to one side and things were unendingly carrying on. I settled down with the caterer a little before I went back up to get fresh, and he happily thrust a piping hot filter coffee glass into my hands. Muthuswamy our trusted caterer since years never failed to fill us up with his excellent cooking. His manager went on to offer me a plate of fresh idlis and a chaat saying “Saar, you will not be able to enjoy my food later on, you will be too busy attending to your guests and will be tired to even eat later on”. His statement was true to the core and I was surprised that he had adjudged me so well. It was a surprise when he said that he knew me since I was a “baccha” and he was the one who used to come to our house every time they catered, going back to 20 years in time.

I crave for Muthuswamy dishes and somehow am never able to enjoy them when hosting. This gesture Coming from him is what true catering is all about, he knew my weakness for his food and he had ensured that I had my fill a little before the party had actually started.

Speaking about cravings, my extended family was in no mood to excuse me for not cooking up some special dishes for them. They all had insisted that one meal would have to be laid out by me and I had ensured that I would. I dubiously got my way around by selecting breakfast as the meal I would cook and got to making fresh batches of waffles and served them with the freshest fruit amongst home made scones, butter and preserves. Well, no one’s complaining as they all left feeling heartily satisfied.

These waffles are easy to make up last minute and a perfect breakfast dish. You will need to invest in a waffle maker, not a very easy task for me as I had been looking for one all these years and was on the verge of importing it when one fine evening my friend and partner-in-photography eyed one at a local electronic store and picked it up without thinking twice, ensuring that I got the best gift of my life.

Ingredients:

For Waffle Batter

2 Large Eggs (Separated)

3/4 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Melted Butter

3/4 cup White Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

3 tablsp Powdered Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with milk and butter and keep aside. Ideally chill this mixture.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in another bowl and stir well. Add the egg yolk-milk mixture and stir evenly to get a thick batter.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until well blended but not foamy, fold into the batter till you get a slightly runny batter.

Pour the batter in the waffle iron till it covers the grid area. I like it checkered so I do not fill it all the way till the top, this way I get crispier waffles with checkered holes in them. Close the iron and bake till they are evenly browned while constantly checking the bottom part as that tends to get cooked faster.

Sprinkle over with cinnamon sugar (a little cinnamon powder mixed with superfine sugar), maple syrup or honey and fresh fruits, serve hot. 

You can even add orange zest to the batter to get a zesty kick, or chocolate powder for chocolate waffles (a couple of spoons of cocoa should do the trick). You can even top with with nutella, chocolate sauce or whipped cream with bananas as a quick dessert. 

The engagement went on to be a hit (how could it not) and it is the beginning of a new chapter in my sibling’s and our lives.

A Cheery End to the Year

"What's the big deal?", I asked my agitated brother when he excitedly informed about his trip to "Goa" and checking himself into the craziest, wackiest, party of the year, with pure music indulgence called "Sunburn" -that too for the umpteenth time. He was lost behind his trance-tinted glasses, so he chose not to answer my dowdy sounding question. 

I clearly recollect my December visits to Goa, they used to be enjoyable enough with family and friends depending on who was available, especially during the Christmas week and ending it all with a New Year's showdown - typical Goan style. My Mother a half-goan, technically speaking, as being born and brought up there,she still prides in calling herself a full out Goan, dont blame her though, the tag itself is relaxing enough. It used to be a delight to spend the holidays in Goa. Christmas Eve would all be about dressing up after dinner and being ferried across the river to the city to attend Missa de Galo and then partying into the wee hours with practically the whole city spilling out on the streets. Driving off to the Miramar beach (with a bottle of rum to keep warm) when the only thing with us at 4 a.m. would be the the sea and the sand. Christmas day would be all about meeting our Catholic friends and visiting their homes which were done up tastefully to compliment the season. Wine, Food and Cheer was the agenda and Goa has never seen better days than what I have seen through my eyes. 

I do agree, it's still maintained much of its charm, but people who visit there nowadays have not an inkling of what they are actually missing. This charm is still hazily in focus with stories told to us of what Goa was before liberation and the memories still hold intact of what Goa once used to be. 

As the season recommends, I do love to indulge in cooking up some Christmas delicacies. Sweets are usually the call of the season and every year I try and make something new to bring in the celebrations. Indulgence in the form of Christmas Cakes and Marzipans are fun, I love making the quintessential eggnog too. This year, in fact, I was quite bored of the quintessential stuff as had been loaded delicacies from around the world by house guests, but I still wanted something sweet to whip up and bring on the cheery mood. So thought to myself why not "Churros"?. I came across this dish in a French Food Magazine, A famous Spanish dish which is typically deep fried dough, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with loads of sugar and drizzled with honey or my favourite - dipped in Chocolate. With the sound of it, I could not get closer to being any more Christmas-y than this? 

Even though this is not traditionally a Christmas dish, It still was a hit amongst many the visitors on Christmas day, all the more - now I have something new to dish out the next time I am in Goa. 

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour (Maida)

1/2 cup White Butter

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

2 tablsp Brown Sugar (Granulated)

4 large eggs (whisked lightly)

2 cups water 

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract / essence

Several Tablsp of white granulated sugar to sprinkle 

Bowl of Nutella (Optional)

Heat a 2 inch tall pan with enough oil till its 3/4th up the edges of the pan. 

In a deep dish sieve the flour with baking powder and keep aside.

In a saucepan, mix the water, butter, brown sugar and salt, place on high heat and give it a good boil. Pour the boiling water-butter mix slowly onto the flour and with a wooden spatula mix well. The flour will immediately absorb the water and turn into a heavy lump. 

Whisk the eggs with the vanilla and then add to the flour mixture. Mix well till well incorporated and till the mixture resembles a thick paste. 

Test the oil heat by dropping a small drop of this mixture, it should rise straight up like a tiny bubble. 

Ideally, I use the thickest mould of the cake icing decorator / piping bag / injection to get the perfect Churro shape with the ridges and all, but if you dont have easy access to one, simply fold a large handkerchief into a square fold and cut tip to get a large hole in the middle of the handkerchief, pour some mixture into the handkerchief and gather the edges to form a bag. Squeeze the dough gently into oil in parallel lines about 5 inches long and deep fry for about 4 minutes or till they are golden brown. 

Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel release all the excess oil. 

To serve, spread on a large serving platter, pour some powdered sugar into a tiny tea sieve and sprinkle over the Churros. You may also serve it drizzled with honey or better still with a bowl full of Nutella to dip and go. 

Crème de la crème

As I made my way around the perfectly kept home with my Riedel flute sparkling with chilled champagne, the flowers selected to match the walls in each room, the baccarat crystal glistening in the ambient lights in each corner, the hors d'oeuvres magically materialising on platters carried by white gloved hands and the host graciously welcoming the invitees, I heard a sudden loud boisterous noise from the main entrance of the home and a loudly clad couple made its equally loud entrance into the home. For a split second I could virtually taste the tension in the air as the host, bewildered as can be, went up to greet the couple. I stood there quietly observing the scene unfolding before me as I had a feeling there was some sort of un-welcomed invasion taking place here and things were probably going to heat up and turn ugly.

On the contrary, the loud couple got louder as they walked in and the host with his wife welcomed them in with open arms and not a flicker of annoyance showing on their faces. I caught a few words, crass as they sounded - "Ah, so we heard about today's dinner, and thought we'd swing by as we were on our way to another party, thought why not drop in and say hello" - "Sawant, bring us two glasses, dont just stand there" (In the local dialect) - addressing the aged house-help, who was shuffling about at the kitchen entrance while the nattily dressed waiters made a more pronounced appearance. I was curious by now to know who these people were, and I edged my way towards the centre where they were pretty much - the centre of attention. The host realised things were a bit uncomfortable around the room with this inconvenience, and fortunately or unfortunately caught the first person to introduce - "Me".

"This is my sister and her husband" - I greeted them with a polite nod, and before I knew it the lady had already grasped my hand in delight, scrawny fingers glittering with chunky emeralds and uncut diamonds, practically spitting in my face, with a "what are you drinking" - Dachu (addressing her husband), I am feeling like a bubbly now, can we get that, throw your whiskey away, we have same bottle at home" 


This "Dachu" started speaking to me, with the usual conversation starter: "what do you do?" and before I could finish my answer he was on a train ride tirade of his "business" and his "achievements" with a "Oh, Yes and a Oh, No" and a nasty poke from his wife now and again. I was quite bored five minutes into this so called one-sided conversation and the other guests had dispersed into the odd corners of the room, looking quite like a replacement to those baccarat crystals; when the host, sensing my discomfort, swooped in with a couple of other family members, who looked very unlikely to be the ones partaking as my replacements. The night carried on with the only voices in the room - of the new entries.

I was back to my mingling and a couple of champagnes down, when I saw the "louds" still hanging about, making a good deal of noise, still louder as they too were a couple of "bubblies" down. I got myself thinking,what happened to that so called "Party" they were on their way too? class apart, they were nothing short of bumbling, new-moneyed fools who were trying to make their mark amongst the well heeled, cashing in on the brothers life and probably screwing it up with their presence. A sense of pity arose towards the host and the hostess - who were trying their level best to maintain a dignified silence while the unwanted drove all the attention.

We all have the "louds" somewhere, sometimes in our lives. It takes a lot to maintain a dignified style of living, a personality and the total outlook of your life. The people we choose to remain is not imbibed in us but an acquired trait. Of course, upbringing is a key ingredient in being grounded however high you may have flown, but the class trait is a very rare acquisition and this is what sets you apart from the others, or should I say - makes you the Crème de la crème?   

I think I have got a bit carried away here with my post and am duly coming back to food. The crème de la crème of the night was the Crème brûlée at the dessert counter. A divine creation (God bless the French! though the origin of this rich dessert still remains a mystery) which incorporates the best part of cooking I like - Burning. As the name suggests Crème brûlée means burnt cream. This is not some recipe gone wrong but a fantastic dessert having a delicious custard base and the caramelized topping which is a coup de grâce in the good sense, because the combination of soft, mellow and slightly sweet custard with the hard hitting bitter-sweet taste of caramelized sugar is sure to blow your mind away.

You can try this simple version at home, but be sure to indulge in some ramekins before proceeding.

Ingredients:
200ml Heavy Cream
2 Egg Yolks
1/3 cup Milk
3 tablsp Sugar (Granulated)
A drop of Vanilla Essence (optional)

Carmelization:
Powdered Brown Sugar
Butane Torch (Optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 240C with the low rack inside, if baking immediately (read recipe for optional step).

In a non-stick pan, pour the cream and keep on a low flame to simmer, stirring continuously till steaming, but not boiling.

In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar (and vanilla if used) till well incorporated and a runny paste. While still whisking start pouring in the cream with a thin stream. Go on whisking lightly till all the cream is all poured and you have a thick pasty but consistent liquid.

Prepare the ramekins (the one I have used here is the perfect size for the recipe given) by pouring in the cream and egg mix. Cool and cover with a foil and place in the refrigerator overnight. This is an optional step as this gets you best results, but I have tried baking it immediately and it works just fine, except the overnight one turns out to be well set.

Prepare the water basin, by placing the cream filled ramekin in a aluminium pan with tall edges. Pour warm water slowly in the pan till it reaches half way up to the ramekin. Place the pan in the pre heated oven and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Check for done-ness by simply wobbling the pan lightly, the top of the crème brûlée should be like sponge and the middle should wobble slightly.    

Take out from the oven, remove from water basin and place the ramekin on a rack to cool. Chill for a few hours before the final prep.

For the grande finale:

Sprinkle some fine ground brown sugar like a thin film on the top of the baked crème brûlée and torch with a butane chef's torch till the sugar starts caramelizing. You should have a nice thin and crunchy layer of sugar over the soft custard base. Enjoy it as is.

Alternately, you can spread the sugar and pop under your oven grill (top rack) or your broiler to get the same effect. I have, of course, used a butane chef's torch (which I sneakily use for various other quick fix's) to caramelize the sugar but the caramel in oven turns out as good.

The Fruits of our Labour

I always wonder how time just goes flashing by and you don't realise it and its quite the contrary when you want it to go whizzing past you, and it doesn't. The whole of last week was quite a task. A test of my patience, a test of anger management and a test of all things bottled up. But all in all, the only thing which kept me going was the belief that 'time' would sort everything out. The unrelenting passion with which we go about our daily work is always to achieve something. You will invariably have certain moments in your routine when you cease to think why you do what you do, and just go ahead with the same fervour which you would if you had a goal. This is what I call pure 'life'. 

In life, one thing's for sure, whatever you do, it should be with full fervour and passion. The quantum of work you put in to hold things together is directly weighted to the fruits you will achieve later on. It should be so great initially that when the time comes it should be able to hold every iota of value to you - mentally, physically and emotionally.

Even though my week was rough and physically sleep deprived, the silver lining was the invite for the 2nd Bloggers meet of Mumbai. Invited by Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal of A Perfect Bite and hosted at a newbie restaurant called "Indian Harvest" run by a charming couple Meher & Satyen, it was worth every ounce of tiredness achieved during the entire week. This resturant is at an unthinkable location: Chembur, but once you find your way through the extreme eastern suburbs (thank God for GPS) and into the calm Acre Club area, it shed's all your inhibitions about the north-eastern zone of Mumbai and definitely drags you out of the whole "where are you off to today?" - Oh Bandra !" situation.

As I took my place amongst the usual suspects (Shanky, Life on Simmer & Jyotika), a couple of usual's we missed and a couple of new ones (Sassy Fork & Fond of Food), on a low seating area of the restaurant specially laid out for us, the first surprise was the personalized menu's laid out on each table. With this and even before meeting the host's in question, I knew the amount of love and endurance they must have put in to start off this place. Simple gestures capture the whole picture panoramic-ally , and these are rare qualities.

The food as described by the host, is Indian Contemporary, if you are looking at hardcore typical Indian cuisine such as the like's of a Copper Chimney of a Jewel of India, this is definitely not the place. But, it redefines the idea of Indian food and could be probably one of the few firsts to have introduced fine Indian Cuisine - Contemporary style.

I usually, would have waited to whip something up from the extensive menu they laid out for us before talking about the experience. But, that would probably have to wait for a special occasion and most importantly a proper time and not 3am. Every dish was a surprise element. Since visual stimulation works better than boring words, I'll reiterate the experience visually:

The Entrée: A crackling combination of butter chakli topped with fluffy hummus and garnish. 

The Purple Wire: A mocktail blend of Slushy Blackberry and a hint of chaat. This is best if really slushy and well blended. 

I surreptitiously shifted over to wine as could not handle the tangy fruit and ice mix over an upcoming sore throat. Plus the ice wasn't helping - to hell with driving under the influence of alcohol (in my defence it was all, but one glass) 

The Platter: A delicious medley of knikknacks to go with the drinks. 

Murg aur Makkai Gujiana: A blend of chicken, corn and cheese coated with spiky vermicelli, golden fried. 

Komdi Patra - A sensous twist to the regular patra with chicken and their signature green chutney

Rajasthani Methi Churan Bhindi - the name says it all, crispy and crackling. 

 

The soups were served innovatively in shot glasses and true to its name: Palak Feni Shorba had a hint of their 'house' coconut liquor and the Chicken paired with Coconut and hint of coriander, overwhelmed my taste buds. The had a third flavor a tomato shorba which came with two tiny wadi's at the bottom of the glass. 

The Parda Murg - An exciting looking dum cooked chicken dish ensconced in an edible "parda" which served as a fun combination of chicken and roti.

The dig worthy and softest Paneer in a silky saffron sauce, dont miss the pineapple!

This was the actual main course in my definition - A signature creation of Meher, who recreated the quintessential Biryani - home style - but out worldly delicious. Light, fragrant, not overwhelmingly spiced and just right. Yakhni & Bhakhalli Biryani. Two very distinct personalities under one name.    

 The special dessert especially made for our group, comprised of a sinful combination of Motichoor Ladoos, A nutmeg infused Kheer (Thick to perfection) and Orange Flavored fried crisps. A combination which tantalizes your taste buds till they are confused but positively alive with taste. 

A special frozen bonbon Goblet which had our chocolate fix satiated at the end of the meal. 

Meher & Satyen's Fruits of Labour are definitely showing through their restaurant and hope it's everlasting.   

A Plum Role

An observation worth pondering over if identified correctly. We, in the course of our life, will come upon many others who, somehow, stay or leave. A transition which lays its own course and leaves a trail which you follow, be astride or leave aside. There are many who have come and gone since the time I have been in this world and looking back they have involuntarily laid down a lesson or presence which was either absorbed or ejected. These acquaintances, friends, family, lovers, colleagues, all in all, play a plum role in our life.

We choose who we want in our life and who we don’t; sometimes it’s the other way round when you may want to be a part in ones life and it doesn’t work out. But in all this, there is one thing worth grasping – no matter what, there is a definite positive spin in the presence of the other for however brief or lengthy period it has been.

I, for one, have learnt that no matter what the ultimate layers reveal for the current people in my life, somehow they are all there for a reason and its all for my good.

I recently started creating recipes professionally for the camera. In the sense, my photographer, a person who shares my passion for food and who inadvertently kicked me around to complete my book (at-least the photography part) and has encouraged me to create and conquer the art of cooking through the camera lens. After a grueling course of advanced photography in Paris, she decided to come back gung-ho with a fresh perspective on what she’d like to shoot. Of course, being subjected to weekly food shoots before the course, and Paris being no newbie to food and all things connected, she had found her forte in shooting food professionally.

A mutual motivational factor got us working weekends and creating masterpieces for the camera. I love her work and it’s turned out to be more of a mutual admiration society especially when two minds run in the same direction. A certain dish I created out of pure love for the color purple and the camera, dished out for you here complete with the recipe and a visual treat of the finale.

   


4-5 Large Damask Plums (The Californian variety available in stores nowadays)
1 tsp Demerara Sugar
1 tsp White Butter
1½ cup Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon)
5 tsp Sugar
1 Star Anise
2-3 Cloves
1” Stick Cinnamon
Pistachios – Peeled and Dry Roasted till fragrant

Wash the plums and slit a cross on the top with a sharp knife, deep enough or till it touches the stone (seed) of the plum. Soak in the wine for about half an hour.

Once soaked well enough remove from wine and place on a tin baking sheet and smear a little butter atop each plum. Sprinkle Demerara sugar on each of the plums and place in the top shelf / rack of the oven. Turn on the grill and grill the plums till the skin withers and the sugar melts and amalgamates with the butter, this should take about 9 minutes.

In a saucepan, pour the wine (in which the plums were soaked) and add the sugar, keep on a low flame to simmer. Add the spices and simmer till the sugar melts. Strain and keep aside. 

To serve, place a plum in a plate or saucer and add a few spoons of the red wine sauce over the slits till the sauce oozes from the sides, sprinkle with toasted pistachios and serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice-cream or crème fraiche.

Just like this dish, make sure the people who are currently in “your” life, appreciated for their plum role. 

Tryst With a Sizzle

I was at a Mumbai Food Bloggers meet last week (first of a kind for me) and an interesting one at that. I have not got around to writing a post of my own for it considering I have been busy reading the other blogs being posted practically everyday by the 15 odd fantastic Bloggers I met at the do. But it wont be long before my readers get a glimpse of what I experienced that night! till next time...

Meanwhile, a lazy Sunday afternoon, woke up late, bored to make lunch - so I get down to rummaging my refrigerator for something to nibble. Considered a TV meal? Popcorn was the only thing available. Considered salad? the iceberg had frozen over in the vegetable compartment (check, to call the Samsung tech assist tomorrow). Even considered stepping out for a fun brunch? but too lazy. Well the only thing which caught my eye was a leftover piece of Brownie from last night's post party takeaway. I had decided - it was going to be a dessert lunch.Why not indulge and skip lunch altogether, a tryst with sizzling brownie was exactly what the doctor had ordered.

I usually am not too fond of Ice-creams, Gelatos to an extent are good but only if made well. But my favourite combination has always been warmed or heated brownie or any baked base, topped with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice-cream and doused with home-made chocolate sauce. Simple, Sinful, Decadent and Sizzling.

Of course, I wont bore you with a whole baking session of making this dessert from scratch this time, but you could skip over to your phone to order in a brownie(s) and whip this delightful indulgence to enlighten your weekend.

Ingredients:
1 Brownie
1/4 cup Chocolate Sauce
1 scoop Vanilla Ice-Cream
Roasted Nuts (Optional)
Sizzler Plate

For the Chocolate Sauce:
1/4 cup Drinking Chocolate
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1/4 Bar Dark Cooking Chocolate (broken into little pieces)
3 tablsp Sugar
1/4 cup Milk
1 tsp Cornflour (mixed with 2 tsp of water)
Chilled Water
A drop of Vanilla Essence
1 tsp Butter

In a large bowl, mix the powders and sugar together. Slowly add the milk and mix well to ensure all the lumps are removed. Add the chocolate bits and about one fourth cup of chilled water and mix well till you get a thin consistency. Do not worry about the chocolate bits they will melt in the next step.

On a low flame, heat the chocolate mix and gently stir till it is simmering and the chocolate bits have melted. After about a minute, it will start to bubble, immediately add the cornflour-water mix and turn off the heat. Stir well till thickened, add the vanilla and butter. Stir again and leave to cool.

Note: You can avoid the cooking chocolate, it just adds a bitter-sweet taste to the sauce, but turns out perfectly good without it as well.

To Proceed:

Heat a sizzler plate (or in case you don't have access to one, use an edged dosa tawa). Remove from the heat and place the brownie on it, top with a scoop of ice-cream, nuts and drizzle the prepared chocolate sauce allowing some of it to fall on the sizzler plate/tawa. Enjoy hot but be careful of the brownie - these thing's get quite hot.