Chorizo Oats

Marriages might be made in heaven but some blessed pairs are made in my kitchen. Like chorizo oats. I am in love with oats and have been making a savoury oats porridge with various vegetables and spices several times a week, and I'm always looking for new inspired combinations. Adding spicy flavourful chorizo to the mix has been one of the best ideas I've had in a long, long time!

Chorizo Oats

Quaker Oats 3/4 cup
100gm chorizo, peeled from the casing and crumbled
1 small potato cubed or cut into sticks
1 small onion, thickly sliced
1 small carrot cut into discs
1 handful frozen green peas
half a green capsicum sliced into 2inch pieces or 1 bhavnagari chilli chopped
3 tbsp tomato puree or ketchup
salt
turmeric
jeera/cumin powder
dry chilli powder or paprika powder
oil

Heat a little oil in a wok or kadai and put in the carrots and potatoes. Fry on a medium flame so that they cook through. Add the chorizo and mix well breaking up the meat as you go. Cover the wok and let it cook for a few minutes. Now add the remaining vegetables, stir it all well and leave it alone for another five minutes or so. Add salt and the spices too.

Once the carrots and potatoes look nearly done sprinkle the oats on the vegetables and mix well. Let it roast a bit for a couple of minutes and then pour in enough water to cover everything under a centimetre or so of water. Stir and add the tomato puree or ketchup, whichever you are using. Let it come to a boil and then simmer till the water is absorbed and the oats are cooked through.

I reserved a few pieces of the chorizo once they were fried, to garnish the dish. The chorizo tends to disintegrate and blend into the dish so the reserved pieces are nice to bite into as you enjoy the oats.

Marathon Bloggers Project 52

Chicken Casserole with Pork Sausages

There are some days when nothing seems appealing from what's on the dinner menu and cooking seems tedious. Today was one such day that was spent largely catching up with sundry chores and dealing with a few things from the larger picture that is life. I was tired. I needed comfort. I wanted it easy for a little while. And I wanted to eat something nice. I press ganged the hubby and the mother into helping and cooked a simple casserole that was warm and comforting, just what I needed.

I had rooted through the freezer and removed the remaining fat and juicy pork sausages that a friend brought for us all the way from Bangalore. (Another friend has since brought us more, and that is waiting to be collected) These sausages are great in a stew or casserole and that's what I planned to make. However there were just 5 sausages left and on their own they wouldn't be enough. The hubby went out and bought chicken, and some lovely fresh ladi pav from the local bakery.

I also rooted around in my pantry cupboard and fished out a packet of casserole seasoning that my friend had sent from London. The hubby and the mother peeled and chopped potatoes, sliced onions, peeled garlic, and chopped celery. Once the prep was done it was super easy.

Chicken Casserole with Pork Sausages 

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
5 or 6 fat spiced pork sausages, like English breakfast sausages
2 large onions, thickly sliced
2 -3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
8-10 cloves of garlic
2 tablesoons chopped fresh celery, stem and leaves
1 sachet Colman's Season and Shake Pork Casserole spice mix
olive oil
salt

Heat a stove top casserole dish and pour in a slug of olive oil. Place the sausages and cook for a few minutes till they turn brown. Don't worry if the sausages split. Remove to a dish leaving the oil and juices in the pan. Now in the same pan put in the chicken pieces. Drop in the leg pieces and the bony bits first. Braise for a bit till the chicken starts to brown.

Add in the onions, celery and the garlic. Stir for a few minutes and then add the remaining chicken pieces (mainly the meaty breast pieces). Braise further till the chicken turns opaque. Open the seasoning sachet and sprinkle it all over the chicken and onions. Stir and mix well. Now add the potatoes and cook for a further few minutes.

Pour in enough water to cover the chicken pieces completely. Add the sausages and bring to a boil. Simmer and cook covered till the potatoes are cooked through. The spice mix will also thicken the resulting gravy. Add a little salt only if required.

The casserole is ready once the chicken and the potatoes are cooked. Serve hot with fresh bread.

If you don't have the spice sachet you can still make a very good casserole. Use a tablespoon or so of mixed dried herbs instead, along with a stock cube. Add pepper too. Thicken the gravy with some flour.

Use more veggies if you like. Root vegetables will work very well here, as will mushrooms. Make a pot full and enjoy it with fresh dinner rolls, ladi pav, or even regular sliced white bread.

We sat at the table, all three of us, and ate a family dinner - a rarity in my house! 

Ladies' Lunch at Soy Street, Vashi

A phone call is all it takes sometimes and suddenly you are on your way off to lunch with the girls! It's been a stressful few weeks and I blindly welcomed this chance to get out and spend time with my gal pals. We tend to land up at the Inorbit Mall more often than not because it has restaurants, cafes, the supermarket and the beauty salons - it's easy to spend four to five hours there and wonder where the time went.

Inorbit, Vashi, has many dining options ranging from the hugely popular Pot Pourrie on the ground floor to the equally rocking Panchavati Gaurav on the first floor. There's the usual mix of Food Court favourites on the top floor including the newly opened Kolkata icon, Flury's. Though Pot Pourrie is one of my favourite places it does tend to be noisy and crowded and isn't quite the place for a relaxed afternoon catching up with the girls.  We went to Soy Street on the first floor which is run by the same management.

Soy Street offers a variety of SE Asian cuisines - mainly Chinese and Thai along with a few other choices like a Burmese Khow Suey ( which is actually quite nice). They have a daily lunch buffet which is quite impressive in its variety, especially at less than Rs.400 per person on weekdays. I like to opt for the buffet because I don't have to think about what I want to eat. There's enough choice so I know I will definitely find enough food that suits my mood and taste.

The good thing about the food here is that the vegetarian food is as delicious as the non vegetarian fare. As much as I love my meats I do pile my plate with a lot of the veg dishes. Today we gorged on the starters, soup and salads, to a point that I was too stuffed to even look at the main course options!

The buffet usually has a veg soup, sushi, dim sum, a couple each of veg and non veg hot starters, live stir fry and salad stations, and rice, noodles, two veg and two non veg gravy based main courses, and three desserts. There's also iced tea.

I didn't take a single photograph today because I wanted to be 'off duty'. In retrospect I feel I should have taken a few at least on my phone.

We gorged on crisp cauliflower fritters, and crisp corn chilli which were better than the honey coriander chicken and the other grilled chicken starter (I don't remember the name!). There was a beautiful vegetable and noodle soup that was perfect for a nippy day like today. Soy Street makes a very tasty chicken dim sum which tastes even better paired with the amazing array of condiments and sauces that always have at hand. There's no pork or beef on the menu and buffet is usually limited to chicken and fish

The salad bar has two veg salads and two non veg salads plus a range of sauces, condiments and garnishes. Today I tucked into the grilled chicken with assorted greens and sprouts, and I also tried out the egg and lettuce salad which had slivers of herbed  omelettes tossed with fresh crisp lettuce. For me, one of the biggest attractions at Soy Street (and at Pot Pourrie) is the salad bar. The greens are crisp and the produce is fresh to a fault. I ALWAYS have a plate of salad whenever I eat at either restaurant.

The desserts are pretty standard, nothing to write home about. Since I'm diabetic I'm happy to ignore them anyway :)

Chef Raunak who manages Soy Street and Pot Pourrie happened to be there today and I shamelessly asked him for a bottle of his incredibly addictive Schezwan dipping sauce. I have come home with a half litre box of sauce!

They do have an a la carte menu too, and they also have a bar in the open air verandah section. The restaurant is bright and well lit, the staff is friendly though sometimes they can be a little clueless, and out of 10 I'd give Soy Street an easy 7. It's not a fine dine sort of place but a place where you can take your kids for a treat after school, or catch a quick lunch after your trip to the supermarket, or even chill with your friends like I did. It's also really easy on the pocket.

18 December
Marathon Bloggers

Kori Gassi - Chicken curry from Mangalore

I'm a fundamentally lazy cook. The very thought of a long laborious process to getting food on the table is enough to dissuade me from cooking the more complicated or just elaborate or time consuming sort of dishes. However, there are those rare moments when a recipe simply calls out to me and my inherent laziness evaporates and I am filled with enthusiasm and energy.

I saw this recipe for Kori Gassi on Ruchik Randhap, one of the first blogs that made me literally drool all over my keyboard - the gorgeous photos, the beautifully documented recipes and the little vignettes about Mangalore, the food, the customs, and the author herself, all had me hooked. Though I have always planned to try out a recipe from here somehow my laziness always won. However today I felt energised enough to make the effort and cook something a little more involved.

I stationed the hubby at the dining table with the laptop and the browser open to the correct page. He read out the ingredients and I put them together on a large platter as I checked to see that I had everything I would need. Luck was on my side and I had everything. Well, nearly. With a few adjustments and replacements I was on my way to making Kori Gassi as described by Shireen on her wonderful blog.

Kori Gassi 

For the masala

2 medium onions sliced
12 dried kashmiri chillies (I used only these)
2 cups grated fresh coconut
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp cumin
12-14 pepper corns
1/2 tsp fenugreek
5 -6 cloves garlic
1 tbsp coriander powder (in place of whole coriander)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp agal (in place of tamarind)
1 inch cassia bark
3-4 cloves
1 tbsp ghee

Heat the ghee in a thick kadai and fry the onions, cassia, cloves and poppy seeds. Let the onions turn a nice golden colour and throw in the grated coconut. I used a tray of grated fresh coconut that I bought from the supermarket. Roast the mixture well and once it gets nice and fragrant add the turmeric and continue to roast for another 5 to 8 minutes. The coconut needs to be nicely toasted.

Now add the remaining ingredients for the masala and let the entire mixture roast well. Keep an eye on the heat and don't let anything burn. Just stir around for a couple of minutes and then switch off. Remove to a large platter and spread it out so it cools faster.

Once cooled grind the masala to as smooth a paste as you can. Use water as required, of course.

Now that the masala is done, the rest of the procedure is fairly simple.

Cooking the Gassi

1 large onion, chopped fine
2 medium tomatoes, chopped fine
ghee
1 chicken, cut into pieces
2 cups coconut milk
salt
1 onion, sliced

Heat more ghee in a thick bottomed vessel and fry the chopped onion. Once the onion has turned golden add the tomatoes. Fry well and mash the tomatoes in. Let it cook for a few minutes till it all smells good and you see the ghee emerging again. Add the chicken pieces now. Stir well to coat and add a quarter of the masala paste too. Add salt. Stir well and cover the pan. Let the chicken cook for around 10 to 15 minutes till it's nearly done.

Now add the coconut milk and the rest of the masala paste. Mix it well and add half a cup of water too. Add more if you feel the gassi is too thick. Add salt if required. Bring it to a boil and then simmer till the chicken is cooked through.

On the side in a small pan or vessel heat a tablespoon of ghee. Fry the sliced onion till it is pale golden and then add it to the gassi. Mix it in and the gassi is ready.

I served the Kori Gassi with plain boiled rice. It was wonderful!

Brinjal Capsicum Salan - Parsi vegetarian preparation

Believe it or not, Parsis do have quite a few vegetarian dishes that are quite traditional. Recently friends of mine attended a Parsi dinner in Delhi and the vegetarian menu described to me left me quite disappointed. That's when I decided to explore the vegetarian fare that is regularly cooked in many Parsi households, quite defying the general perception that Parsis have no clue about vegetarian food.

Brinjal Capsicum salan is a lightly spiced medley of just brinjals and capsicums. This combination of vegetables quite surprised me when I first encountered it, but it actually works very well and is one of my favourite Parsi vegetarian preparations. It's easy to put together and is perfect for a light summer meal with rotis.

The simplicity makes this ideal for the hot months. There is no ginger- garlic paste and there are no whole spices either. In fact, it is a lot like the Bengali vegetarian everyday preparations where the vegetables get to do the talking without being smothered under spices and heavy flavours.

1 medium sized brinjal, cubed
2 large green capsicums, cubed
1 onion, sliced
1 medium tomato, chopped
salt
turmeric
cumin powder
coriander powder
garam masala powder
oil to cook

Heat oil in a wok or kadai and fry the brinjal pieces. When they are nearly done add the capsicums and let it fry for another 3 or 4 minutes. Don't let the capsicums get soft. Remove into a bowl or a plate.

In the same kadai heat a little more oil and fry the onions. Once they turn pink dunk in the chopped tomato. Cook this till the tomatoes and onions are completely soft.

Add the spice powders and a couple of teaspoons of water.

Traditionally spices were ground to a paste but in modern kitchens we use powdered spices. These often get burned in a hot wok so adding a bit of water saves them from burning and also helps the flavours meld. Cook covered for about 5 minutes.

Add the fried brinjal and capsicum pieces and stir the whole lot nicely. Another 2 or 3 minutes of cooking covered and you're done. Serve with hot rotis, parathas or bread. I enjoy this with rice and daal too, though traditionally it is paired with breads.

Cajun Spiced Chicken with Vegetables

Chicken is a great favourite with me because it's easy to cook and can shine on it's own without too much dressing up. I'm a great fan of the short cut and if there are products that can make life in the kitchen easier and with splendid results, I'm happy.

This Cajun spiced chicken is something I make very often. It's easy, it's delicious, and it's quite healthy too.

1 chicken
olive oil
Cajun spice powder
salt
pepper
2 large onions, sliced
chopped garlic
1 large potato, cut into large batons
2 carrots, cut into large batons


Take a large non stick pan and heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the potatoes and carrots and fry for a bit keeping the heat low. Once the edges begin to brown throw in the sliced onion and the chopped garlic. Stir nicely and cook covered for 5 minutes.

Start adding the chicken pieces. Put in the leg pieces first. Season well with the Cajun spice. Be generous! Cook covered for about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the breast pieces and mix well. Add more seasoning only if required. Let it all cook covered for another 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the flame and make sure you don't burn the onions. Stir once in a way.

Cooking the legs and breasts separately ensures that you don't end up with chewy chunks of chicken. The breast pieces cook much faster and tend to become tough and inedible. So just cook them one after the other.

The chicken will release water and help the whole thing cook so you won't need to add any water. Add just a little if you think it's required. Add salt very conservatively as most spice mixes contain salt. Add pepper to heat up things a little!

Once the chicken and the potatoes are cooked through, boost up the heat and dry off any gravy. Let the chicken brown nicely. The onions will combine with the spice powder and become wonderfully flavourful.   Serve hot with bread or simply enjoy it as it is with a crisp salad.

You can add many other vegetables to this easy dish. Green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, capsicums, zuchini, whatever works for you.

You can buy Cajun spice mix at most supermarkets these days. Hyperciti, Spar, and even Godrej Nature's Basket carries this and many other interesting spice mixes.

Try this same simple preparation with any mix. It works really well!

Black Eyed Peas - As fresh as Fergie

The hubby had gone off on another jaunt to Chandore near Mangaon (on the Mumbai - Goa route) and apart from his archaeology related work he also was on the lookout for fresh produce to pick up from the farmers that set up stalls on the highway. This time he came back with a big bag of beans. Really. What he picked up was a kilo of fresh black eyed peas in the pod.

I hadn't a clue what they were or how to cook them, having seen black eyed peas only in their usual dried form. I view most 'sabut' or 'kada dhanya' or dried beans/peas with a healthy hatred if I have to cook them. I can never get them soft, the flavours never seem to permeate into the beans themselves and so I avoid cooking them. I love the stuff, just can't seem to cook them. Confronted with the fresh variety was a like a leap into the extreme unknown for me. I didn't know these were eaten fresh. Ignorant me.

So we set out on a little adventure in the kitchen as we broadened my culinary horizons yet again and cooked the black eyed peas as fresh as Fergie from the pods. No pop was involved in the cooking of these babies apart from the mustard that couldn't be restrained.

I have a healthy fear of the unknown and this extends to cooking too. I don't take to new and unfamiliar ingredients easily and have no confidence dealing with them. Fortunately the hubby is more courageous (and patient) and he said he'd give me directions all the way. So we sat down and peeled the lot. Hubby, me and the maid. Soon we had a decent pile of pretty pale green and white 'beans'.

Then the cooking began. It's a fairly simple recipe with very few flavours. We let the black eyed peas do the talking.

Here's how -

Heat oil in a pan and throw in some mustard seeds. Once they pop and crackle add a couple of green chillies and a sprig of curry leaves. Throw in a chopped onion and sauté the lot till the onions begin to get pink. You can also add some garlic here if you like.

Now's the time to chuck in diced potatoes. I used 1 large potato. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and let the potatoes cook for a bit. Chop up one largeish tomato and add it in. Stir everyone around nicely and put in a teaspoon of dhaniya (coriander) powder and one of jeera (cumin) powder. Mix well, cook covered for another couple of minutes.

I automatically reached for the turmeric but the hubby said no. So once again, unfamiliar territory for me - I mean, how many Indian style vegetable/ vegetarian preparations are there without turmeric? Actually, don't answer that. There are probably quite a few around, it's just me who's blissfully unaware!

So, back to the black eyed peas. Once the potatoes are about nearly done add the shelled babies.

Stir and mix everything really well, add half a cup of water at the most, cover and let it cook. Leave it alone. Every time you open it to see what's going on in there you're letting all the steam escape and thereby wasting gas and time. So leave it alone and remember to turn down the flame too. After about 15 minutes you're going to be home free.

Add salt about 5 minutes before getting it off the flame. You can also sprinkle a nice bit of chopped fresh coriander at this stage. The fresh smell of coriander is such an upper! Cover again, cook for that last 5 minutes.

That's it. Beautiful fresh black eyed peas cooked to perfection. Just a few simple flavours meld together for a healthy and tasty dish that's ridiculously easy to make.