Indo Chinese Spring Roll

Spring Rolls - this dish takes me back about 3 decades ago when I had tasted it for the first time at "China Town" restaurant in Salem. Since then it was always one of my favourite starters to order whenever we went to a Chinese restaurant in India. Some of my family may still remember the short "stint" I did at the kitchens in Savera Hotel, Chennai in 1993 - right after high school. That is where I learnt how to make a spring roll which I replicated a few times in few of my relatives houses. I couldn't cook this dish at home since eggs were still not allowed in the kitchen then. Fast forward a few years I had the opportunity to try spring rolls in USA. It was never the same - it was bit more crispier, but the fillings were bland. For whatever reason I stayed away from this dish for decades - until recently it popped up in my memory urging me to try this again. I couldn't quite remember the ratios of certain ingredients and fumbled a bit initially but got it right the 2nd time around. So let's get going with this yummy appetizer / entree (depending on which side of the globe you are).

What goes in

Wrapper

1. Maida / Plain flour - 2 cups
2. Corn flour - 3 cups (note the ratio between Maida to Corn flour should be 2:3)
3. Eggs - 2
4. Baking soda - 1 tea spoon
5. Salt - 1 tea spoon
6. Water - 4-5 cups (enough to create a runny batter)

Filling

1. Carrot  - 2 or 3
2. Cabbage - 250 gms
3. Capsicum / Bell Peppers - 1 or 2
4. Red Onion - 1
5. Garlic - 3 or 4 cloves
6. Salt
7. Black Pepper powder
8. Vinegar - 1 table spoon

Feel free to add any eggs or thinly sliced chicken should you chose to add any protein to the filling.

The Method

Wrapper

1. Mix all the ingredients of the wrapper in a large bowl and create a runny batter.
2. Heat a large wok - preferably non-stick wok.
   
3. Pour about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter on to the wok and keep swirling it around until the batter creates an even thin skin around the wok.
4. In about 20 seconds you should slowly blow around the edges and the wrapper / skin should separate out of the wok. Use your fingers to slowly remove the wrapper out of the wok. You should not be using any spatula / utensil for this.
5. Store the wrappers on a plate dusting it with corn flour between the wrappers.

Filling

1. Thinly slice / shred the vegetables 
2. In the same wok heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil and saute the minced garlic with the vinegar.
3. If you are adding chicken or egg, now would be a good time to add and saute until cooked well.
4. Add the vegetables and saute for a few minutes with salt and pepper to taste.

Spring Roll

1. Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in one end of the wrapper and slowly roll it into a cylindrical roll. After 2 or 3 rolls fold the sides and roll it up so that none of the filling is exposed.
2. Use egg wash or corn flour slurry to glue the last bits of the wrapper so that it sticks to the roll firmly.
3. In a large wok fill enough vegetable oil to be able to deep fry the spring rolls.
4. Once the oil is hot enough deep fry the rolls until golden brown.
5. Chop them up diagonally or just as cylinders and serve hot with tomato or sweet chilli sauce.
6. You should have a crisp outer layer with some soft and crunchy layers of filling inside.

Happy Cooking!!

C

Sutta Kathirikaai Kootu aka Smoked Eggplant Stew

Sutta Kathirikaai Kootu which can also be called as Smoked Eggplant Stew (translating verbatim) was inspired by Chef Vijayan's Kaatu Kootu - roughly translated to rustic stew. This is apparently meant to be a minimalistic stew cooked by people working in forests. This can also be called a very close cousin to Baingan Bartha except for a few ingredients used and a slight twist to the taste compared to a traditional bartha. While it was not a huge hit with the kids (which kids like egg plants) my home minister did appreciate it. This goes well with either rice or chappati. Here it comes...

What goes in...

1. Eggplant / Brinjal the big ones - 2
2. Tomatoes - 2
3. Red onions (diced) - 1
4. Tamarind - 1 small lemon size
5. Red chillies - 4 or 5
6. Cumin seeds - 1 table spoon
7. Khus Khus (Poppy seeds) - 1 tea spoon
8. Curry leaves - 2 sticks
9. Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
10. Jaggery  (powdered) - 1 tablespoon
11. Vegetable oil

The way it's made..

1. Dry roast the dry ingredients (#5 - 7) and set it aside to cool.
2. Soak the tamarind in warm water.
3. Dab the egg plants with vegetable oil and pierce them around with a knife.
4. Smoke the egg plants one by one until the skin burns and shrinks and the flesh becomes squishy. It takes about 10 minutes for each egg plant.
5. Smoke the tomatoes until the skin burns.
6. Set aside the egg plant and tomatoes to cool for a few minutes.
7. Peel the skins of the egg plant and tomatoes and chop them up roughly.
8. Grind the dry roasted ingredients to a rough powder.
9. Take a large kadai and heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil.
10. Temper the oil with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
11. Add the diced onions and saute until they turn translucent.
12. Add the chopped up eggplants and tomato.
13. Add the dry masala with salt to taste. (Watch out for the masala since it could turn out very spicy).
14. Saute the mixture for a few minutes and add the tamarind water from the soaked tamarind.
15. Add the jaggery powder and stir well.
16. Bring the mixture to a boil with a bit of water added to desired consistency.
17. Let this stew boil for about 5 - 10 minutes and Kootu is ready.

Serve hot with steamed rice or chappati.

Enjoy Cooking !!

C

Curry Fried Rice

Curry Fried Rice - when I shared the image on FB it triggered a lot of memories from my friends in Portland (Oregon). That's exactly what food can do and will do. My first introduction to this dish was at Eagle Thai in Portland. We had this ritual of having Thai for lunch for almost every Friday that Fridays became Thaiday. This Curry Fried rice was usually part of my 2nd serving shared with a good mate Satheesh. South Indian curry flavours have definitely influenced Thai food. Now I wonder if I should call it a Thai inspired pulao or Indian inspired Thai Fried Rice. Oh well...really doesn't matter. Now this dish is a great example for best of both worlds. Over the years I've eaten this in various names and different mixers such as crab meat, pineapple etc. Go for it - create your own version. So without much further ado...

Ingredients

1. Steamed Rice - I used Basmati rice but preferably Jasmine rice - 1 cup per serving
2. Beaten Eggs - 1 per serving
3. Diced mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn) - 1/2 cup per serving
4. Minced garlic about 1 tea spoon per serving
5. Diced red onions - a handful per serving
6. Curry Powder - Now you can buy ready made curry powder like Ayam's Curry powder or you can make your own by mixing turmeric powder with garam masala (which is what I did). You can use a ratio of 1:2. Turmeric is really important to bring out the colour and the flavour.
7. Seasme oil - 1 tablespoon to season the wok
8. Soya sauce - preferably light - 1 table spoon per serving
9. Vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons per serving
10. Salt to taste
11. Chilli powder  - to taste

The Method

1. Heat a large wok until it starts smoking.
2. Pour the seasme oil and swirl around to give the wok a nice coating.
3. Pour the vegetable oil and let it heat up.
4. Pour the beaten eggs and scramble it up.
5. Add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes (if you want to add any type of meat - now would be a good time to do so and saute until cooked well)
6. Add the vegetables and the curry powder, chilli powder and salt and saute for a few minutes
7. Add the soya sauce and saute until mixed well.
8. Add the rice and sprinkle a few table spoons of water over the rice
9. Toss it up well until the rice and the veggies get mixed up well.

Serve hot with a few slices of cucumber to balance your palate. 

Happy Cooking !!

C

Paneer Makhani aka Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer Makhani or Paneer Butter Masala is one of those dishes that would feature in every Indian restaurant that serves North Indian food. A paneer masala that could usually be used to trial an Indian restaurant's food quality. It is again one of those dishes that got twisted quite drastically to suit local palates. I must warn you - this version of the recipe is definitely not the westernized version. While researching for a recipe I found so many different variations each one trying to create a subtle difference to establish their style. Here is my version which is a blend of a few of them but a simpler version to prepare.

Ingredients

Wet Masala

1. Red onions - 2 
2. Tomatoes - 2 
3. Ginger - 2 inch
4. Garlic - 6 cloves
5. Raw Cashews - 6-8
6. Green chilies - 3

Dry Masala

1. Bay leaf - 1
2. Black pepper corn - 1 tablespoon
3. Kashmiri red chillies - 5-6
4. Kalonji seeds - 1 teaspoon
5. Kasuri methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) - 1 tablespoon
6. Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
7. Cloves - 1 teaspoon
8. Cinnamon sticks - 2-3
9. Khus khus (poppy seeds) - 2 teaspoons

Other Ingredients

1. Paneer - 250 gms
2. Butter - 150 gms
3. Vegetable oil - 3-4 table spoons
4. Whole milk - half a cup
5. Honey - 2 table spoons
6. Amchur powder (dried mango powder) - 1 tea spoon
7. Cream - 2-3 table spoons (optional - I did not use it actually)

Method

1. Melt about 50 gms of butter in a wok and saute the wet masala ingredients until the onions and tomatoes become soft. Add the cashews towards the end - just about a minute or so before the tomatoes turn mushy. Set this aside and let it cool down to room temperature.
2. Dry roast all the ingredients under the dry masala (except the kasuri methi). Set it aside to cool down to room temperature.
3. Blend the ingredients of the wet masala with a few tablespoons of water to a smooth paste. 
4. Filter this paste using a metal sieve to remove any chunky pieces.
5. Blend the ingredients of the dry masala along with the kasuri methi leaves.
6. Cut the paneer into small pieces (about 1 inch cubes). This time I tried a triangular shape - thanks to Sanjeev Kapoor's idea.
7. In a large kadai (wok) heat the vegetable oil and 75 gms of butter.
8. Saute the wet masala for about 10 minutes until the oil separates.
9. Mix about 2-3 table spoons of the dry masala along with amchur powder for about 5 minutes until the masala is blended well.
10. Add salt to taste.
11. Add the milk and bring it to a boil.
12. Add about half a cup of water to this mixture and bring it to a boil.
13. Add the honey and mix it well.
14. Add the paneer pieces and cook it for about 5 minutes. (Add more water if needed if the curry is too thick).
15. Garnish with a dollop of the remaining butter and coriander leaves.
16. Serve hot with your preferred choice of bread - roti/naan/chapati.

Enjoy Cooking!!
C

Banana Nut Muffins

Muffins - they come in different flavours. I've always wondered if that was a dessert or a main course for breakfast or just a side snack for a coffee. Whatever it may be - it's just delicious to devour. I still remember the mega size muffins sold in big trays in Costco. Maybe that's a breakfast sized muffin? So here it is the first and my most favourite version - Banana Nut. It's got the flavours of banana, softness of the muffin and a nice surprise crunch from the walnut (or pecan if you chose to). So without much further ado...

Ingredients

1. Ripe Bananas - 3
2. Vegetable oil - 125 ml
3. Eggs - 2
4. Plain flour - 250 gms
5. Caster sugar - 100 gms
6. Baking Soda - ½ teaspoon
7. Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
8. Walnuts - 200 gms (you can substitute this with pecans if you like)

Baking Utensils

1. Medium sized muffin tray
2. Muffin paper cups
3. Ice cream scoop 

The above measures creates about 10 - 12 medium sized muffins.

The Method

1. Pre-heat the oven (not fan forced) to 180 deg C.
2. Mash the bananas to a nice pulp and keep it aside.
3. In a large bowl whisk the oil and eggs together until they are blended well.
4. Mix the mashed bananas and mix it well.
5. Add the dry ingredients (#4 to  #7) and mix it well to a smooth batter.
6. Add about 90% of walnuts and fold it in to the batter until they are spread evenly.
7. Line the muffin cups in the muffin tray.
8. Using an ice cream scoop and a spoon pour the batter into the muffin cups until each cup is about 2/3rds to 3/4ths full. (Note: the cups should not be filled completely as the batter raises up).
9. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top gets to a medium brownish colour. If in doubt use a toothpick to test the batter. It should come out clean when inserted.
10. Set the muffins to cool on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes.

Happy Cooking

C

Jiggly Japanese Cheese Cake

As a kid I've always loved a good sponge cake - soft and fluffy. In the recent years we've been introduced to the asian or rather Japanese version of this fluffy delight. It's a cheesecake but not quite a cheesecake as in it's western counterpart. It's always a huge favourite in our family for a snack during our visits to the mall. So here's my attempt at recreating it at home.

Ingredients

1. Whole milk - 1/3rd of a cup (or 60 gms)
2. Cream Cheese - 140 gms (at room temperature)
3. Butter - 40 gms (at room temperature)
4. Plain Flour - 50 gms
5. Corn Flour - 15 gms
6. Eggs - 5 (at room temperature)
7. Vanilla essence - 1 teaspoon
8. Castor Sugar - 100gms

Method

Note: Need to make sure the cream cheese, butter and eggs are in room temperature.

1. Preheat oven to 120 deg C (ensure it is not fan forced)
2. Separate the egg yolks and whites.
3. Melt the butter and cream cheese along with milk in a sauce pan over low heat.
4. Add the egg yolks and mix it up until well blended.
5. Add the flour and corn flour and mix it well while the mixture is still warm.
6. Add the vanilla essence and mix it well.
7. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites along with sugar (added little by little) until stiff peaks are formed.
8. Fold in the egg white whip into the batter. (Note - FOLD it in gently and not vigourously).
9. Line a 6 inch circular spring pan with baking paper in the bottom and the sides. (Note: I used a larger pan and the cake came out a bit thinner than what I was expecting).
10. Pour the batter into the pan and let it set. 
11. Tap the pan a few times to release any air bubbles.
12. Take a large deep pan that can go inside the oven (and hold the baking pan) and fill it about an inch deep of water.
13. Place the batter in the water bath and bake with 120 deg C for about 15 - 20 minutes until you see the basic structure forming but the top has turned yellowish in colour (but not brown).
14. Increase the temperature to 150 deg C and bake for another 15 minutes until you see the top surface turn dark brown.
15. Open the oven door for a minute or so to cool it down and set the temperate to 100 deg C. Bake for another 30 minutes under this temperature. Stop if you see the top surface getting darker than what you need.
16. Stop the oven and let the cake sit inside for about 10 minutes.
17. Remove the cake and place it on a cooling rack for about 10 to 15 minutes.
18. Dust it with icing sugar if you like.

Voila - Jiggly Fluffy Japanese Cheesecake is ready.

Happy Cooking!!

C

Top view

Side view

Maggi Goreng

I remember my first introduction to Maggi in the 80s in Chennai. When they introduced there were a few different flavours - Masala, Capsicum, Chicken and some whacky flavour as well which I don't remember the name. Since then it has been a part of our "diet" every now and then. Yes, it did get a bit of bad publicity every now and then but it has not deterred my loyalty and now it's caught on with my kids as well. I have prepared Maggi in many different ways - including a simple - dump contents in a bowl with water and microwave. Here's a version which has stuck on a for a few years with me after I noticed a menu item in a Malaysian restaurant and they called it Maggi Goreng. So it's essentially stir friend Maggi noodles with vegetables and egg (optional). And yes - this recipe takes a little more than 2 minutes to prepare. ;-)

Ingredients

1. Maggi Noodles (Masala flavour) (for non Indians, you should be able to get it in any Indian store). 
2. Egg
3. Mixed vegetables - I use the frozen one with carrot, peas and corn
4. Onions (thinly sliced)
5. Green chillies
6. Curry leaves
7. Turmeric powder
8. Salt
9. Vegetable oil

The Method

1. Boil the Maggi noodles (just the noodles) in a large sauce pan for about 5 minutes (sorry Maggi does not get ready in 2 minutes).
2. Rinse the cooked noodles in cold water and keep it aside.
3. In a large wok heat a few table spoons of vegetable oil.
4. Crack open the eggs - 1 per serving / person and scramble it for a minute
5. Add the chillies and onions and saute until the onions get translucent.
6. Add about 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric powder and mix it up.
7. Add the vegetables along with the curry leaves and saute for a few minutes until cooked.
8. Add half of the taste maker packets and salt (to taste) while sauteeing the vegetables.
9. Add the noodles and the remaining taste maker masala and saute until mixed well.

Yummy Maggi Goreng Ready!!

Happy Cooking!!

C