Stories Of Seasonings And Simmerings

Fried Rice (Plain And Simple!)

2010-12-16T22:17:00.000-08:00

I've always been a fan of plain, simple, no-fuss cooking. And why not? There's much to be said for dishes that you can rustle up at ten minutes' notice, dishes that don't require much chopping of ingredients and stirring of gravy. So when I found myself home-alone the other day, wondering what to cook for lunch, I decided on Fried Rice - no frills, no fuss, easy as 1-2-3!

What You Need:

Good long-grained rice (preferably Dehradun variety) - 1 measure (for 1 person)

Chopped red and yellow bell peppers - according to rice measure

Sliced button mushrooms - 4

Sweet corn - 1/2 cup

Chopped onion - 1

Garlic paste or garlic flakes - 1 teaspoon

Thai Sweet Sauce - or just about any kind of sauce will do!

Butter - 3 tablespoons

Here's How You Make It!:

Make the rice the normal way, be careful not to overcook it. Drain it of water and set aside.

Add some butter in a saucepan, when it melts and starts sizzling, add the onions, and fry.

Add chopped peppers and mushrooms, as well as the sweet corn.

Let the vegetables cook on their own, then add the rice, the sauce, some salt and pepper, and stir continuously, till it's all mixed up.

You'll know the Fried Rice is done when the rice and the vegetables have come together well, make sure it doesn't become sticky.

Serve with salad and a little bit of fresh coriander. Yum!

Special thanks to Shreya Sarkar for photo-editing.

Coastal Pomfret Curry.

2010-08-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

It's so much fun being a Bengali. Apart from the brilliant Rabindra Sangeet that we listen to and the amazing five days of Durga Puja that we enjoy, we can boast of possibly one of the most diverse cuisines in India. Right from bhaja moonger dal to murighonto, from ilish maacher paturi to potol posto, we have it all - sweet, sour, spicy - all cooked different ways to suit a variety of palates.

Today I made pomfret maach, but not with the usual tomato-based gravy that we are used to. I cooked it with a slight coastal flavour. Here's how.

Ingredients:

Pomfret fish - 2 whole medium pieces

Coconut milk - 5 tablespoons

Red chilli - 2 pieces

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - shredded

Onion and garlic paste

Salt, turmeric, maida, red chilli powder - to taste

Oil

And here's how you make it!

Lightly coat the pomfret with maida, salt, turmeric and red chilli powder, then fry slightly so that the fish is crisp but not overcooked. Set aside.

Heat oil, fry onion and garlic paste. Throw in just a few mustard seeds, add some salt and the red chillis - keep cooking. Next, add the coconut milk, and add a little water, along with the curry leaves. Add the pomfret to this. Let it cook till the gravy thickens.

Serve hot.

The coconut milk and the curry leaves add a wonderful coastal flavour, while the mustard seeds and the red chilli leave a delightfully spicy feeling in your mouth. A must-try, and so ridiculously easy to make.

Photo editing courtesy: Shreya Sarkar.

Chicken Pulao.

2010-02-28T00:19:00.001-08:00

Chicken Pulao. Steaming hot.
A treat for the senses on nights that surround you with a vague sense of something's-not-quite-right. Chicken Pulao, with its smell of ghee, flavouring of cinnamon and clove, its chunky bits of chicken, potato and tender rice... Chicken Pulao makes it all better.
I cooked this with chicken that had been marinated in tok doi and dhonepata chutney. Add a bit of gondholebu to the Pulao when it's done, and it's simply delicious. Team it with raita or even salad, for a meal that stays with you.
Aah, heavenly.

Chowmein - The Healthy Way!

2010-01-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

Most of the time, the Chowmein you eat outside is oily, perhaps even a little smelly, and especially if it's Gravy Chowmein - the gravy tends to leave a rather sour after-taste. (Of course, this depends on the restaurant and the situation.)
Home-made Chowmein, in my opinion, is the nicest. I like it the way Ma makes it, because there's practically no oil, the vegetables are just the ones I like (mushrooms and baby corn, yes please!) and well, it's basically this healthy, wholesome meal that has none of the greasiness of oil, yet much of the tinge of Ma'r haater ranna which works magic on any dish!
Here, the chowmein has been boiled separately, the vegetables tossed and sauteed, then added to a stock-based gravy, which was poured over the dish. Simply delectable!

The Sausage.

2010-01-13T06:44:00.000-08:00

Sausages. Spicy or bland. Sliced or whole. With accompaniment or without. They're almost like a warm hug on cold winter nights.
I whipped up this snack, partly because I was hungry and partly because one can always be in the mood for sausages.
Flavoured with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, chilli flakes, fried garlic, and oregano.
A sublime delight.
Because sausages, someday, will rule the world.

Cheese Mushroom-Tomato Toast, Flavoured With Crushed Fried Garlic

2009-11-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

I think the title pretty much says it all, but if you want details - spread a slice of bread with Cheese Spread, cut lightly boiled mushrooms length-wise (thinly), ditto for tomatoes - add on top of the bread. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Spencers' crushed fried garlic. Repeat for however many slices you'd like. Grill till goldenish-brown and crisp.
Perfect snack for a chilly autumn evening. Goes down rather well with hot and sweet lemon tea.

The Fabulous Cheese Omelette.

2009-07-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Sohini says she likes her cheese omelettes with big chunks of melted cheese oozing out of it, not the wimpy omelettes with a little grated cheese that smell of the flavour but don't taste of it. So this post is for her- the Fabulous Cheese Omelette, unashamedly revelling in its quantity of the filling!

The perfect breakfast for those who like it slightly rich and heavy. Though you could have it at any time of day. That's the wonder of an omelette.

*photo courtesy: Sohini*

P.S. - I didn't make this omelette. I'm guessing Sohini did. But woohoo for cheese - it can always save the day.

Pasta With Capsicum And Mushroom, Served With Chicken In A Tomato-Almond Paste.

2009-07-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

There is something oddly comforting about pasta - maybe it's the fact that it's so ridiculously easy to cook, maybe it's the fact that it's so versatile, or maybe it's just the fact that it's so darned tasty. Whatever the case may be - pasta is something I cook every once in a while, and tonight, I decided to experiment a bit.

Here's my recipe for Pasta with Capsicum, Baby Corn and Mushroom, served with Chicken in a Tomato-Almond paste.

Ingredients:

For the paste:

2 tomatoes, 1/2 bowl almonds (soaked in warm water for 1 hour), 2 tspn. fennel seeds (mouri).

For the chicken:

1 tspn ginger-garlic paste, 1 finely chopped onion, 500 gms. chicken, 2 tbspn. red wine, salt and pepper to taste.

For the pasta:

1 capsicum, 200 gms. mushrooms, baby corn (sliced down the middle and cut diagonally), a bit of red chilli powder, required quantity of fusilli pasta, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cheese spread (or grated cheese).

How To Make It:

1. Cut tomatoes into quarters, saute with a little butter. Add fennel seeds, cook till tomatoes become mushy. Grind the tomato-fennel seed mush with the softened almonds, till you get a thick paste.

2. Set the pasta on boil with a little salt.

3. Fry onion and ginger-garlic paste, add salt, pepper, and the tomato-almond paste, then stir. Add chicken and 2 teaspoons of red wine, and let it simmer on low flame.

4. Saute the mushrooms, baby corn, and capsicum with a pinch of salt.

5. Once the pasta's boiled, drain it, and add to the vegetables. Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and a little red chilli powder. Stir well.

6. When the pasta's cooked, put it into a flat serving bowl, drizzle some cheese spread (or add the grated cheese) on it, and bake at 120 degrees for 20 minutes, till the cheese is golden-brown and sizzling. Serve with chicken, and bread-rolls, if you'd like them.