tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85188835274648002832024-02-20T11:37:06.971-08:00The Heirloom EssenceTheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-33560062788976930282016-06-26T11:23:00.001-07:002016-06-26T11:23:22.875-07:00Banana Cake TatinWhen life gives you too many ripe bananas, you don't just make a banana bread! Instead you make this one.Layers of salted caramel, perfectly ripe bananas and cake batter baked together to get one delicious bite. I have to admit, I am not a huge banana lover. But this is turning me towards buying bananas more often!<br />
I absolutely love Ina Garten when it comes to baking. This one is no exception. This is an inspiration from her <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/apple-cake-tatin-recipe.html">Apple Cake Tatin</a>.<br />
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Ingredients: makes 1 8" round cake<br />
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2 ripe bananas<br />
1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour<br />
1/2 tea spoon baking soda<br />
3/4 tea spoon baking powder<br />
1/2 tea spoon salt<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">1/4 cup</span> butter<br />
3 tablespoons sugar (more if you want really sweet cake)<br />
1 tea spoon vanilla extract<br />
1/4 cup mashed banana (1 large banana)<br />
1/2 cup water + 2 tablespoons if required<br />
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice<br />
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For caramel-<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
2 tablespoons water<br />
3/4 teaspoon salt<br />
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Recipe:<br />
Cut bananas about 1/ 4 inch thick diagonally. Arrange in a well greased round cake pan and set aside.<br />
To make Caramel, add sugar and water in a shallow pan and put it on a medium heat. Cook until the mixture turns amber color. Swirl pan in between to dissolve sugar. Once caramel becomes dark amber color, pour the caramel onto the arranged bananas and set aside.<br />
To make cake, mix together, butter and sugar until smooth. Add mashed banana and vanilla extract and mix again. In a separate bowl, mix all purpose flour,baking soda,baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients in 1/3 rds and water in 1/2 intervals alternate, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Add lemon juice at the end and mix well. The acidity from lemon juice reacts to baking soda and gives the cake nice height when baked.<br />
Bake in 350F oven for 30-35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Once baked, remove from oven and let it cool in the pan itself for 15 minutes. Then, loosen around the cake and invert onto the serving plate. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!<br />
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TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-5266189002259570572015-07-10T21:09:00.002-07:002015-07-10T21:09:28.537-07:00Stromboli Stromboli has become one of my go to meals when it comes to entertaining. It is traditionally made with Italian bread dough. However, making it with pizza dough works just fine.Stromboli is stuffed with various meats/cheeses or almost anything else, rolled and baked. Make a big batch of pizza dough and this will become your favorite too.<br />
I am sharing the recipe for stuffing of Paneer tikka masala. Some of my other favorites for stuffing are tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese or mutter paneer or even pear and blue cheese. Stuff these with whatever you like and you will have a sure hit!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right- Mutter paneer stuffing, baked stromboli ready to serve, tomato basil mozarella stuffed stromboli, paneer tikka masala stuffed stromboli</td></tr>
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Ingredients:<br />
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Pizza dough (refer <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/white-pizzas-with-arugula-recipe2.html">here</a> for dough recipe)<br />
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For Paneer tikka masala<br />
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Paneer 1 cup, cubed<br />
onion 1/3 cup, cubed<br />
green bell pepper 1/3 cup, cubed<br />
chaat masala 2 tea spoon<br />
garam masala 1 tea spoon<br />
kashmiri mirch 2 tea spoon<br />
kasoori methi 1 tea spoon<br />
thick yogurt 1 and 1/2 cups<br />
besan (gram flour) 1/4 cups<br />
ginger garlic paste 2 tea spoon<br />
salt to taste<br />
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Method:<br />
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Make pizza dough per instructions and keep aside.<br />
To make paneer tikka masala, start with marinade. To make marinade, mix together yogurt, gram flour,spices, ginger garlic paste and salt. Add cubed paneer , bell pepper and onion and mix well. Set aside for half an hour.Heat oil in a pan. Add marinated paneer mixture along with the marinade and fry for couple minutes on medium heat. Season with salt and keep aside to cool completely.<br />
To make Stromboli, roll pizza dough 1/4 inch thick. Spread cooled paneer mixture onto the dough and roll the dough tightly to make a log. Make incisions on the log to help the steam escape.Bake in 375 F oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cut and serve warm.<br />
For this particular Stromboli , serve with mint chutney or tamarind chutney.<br />
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<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-78783501381079938632015-03-15T14:40:00.001-07:002015-03-15T14:40:13.141-07:00Pooran poli my way Pooran poli is a traditional marathi sweet poli or roti made from chana daal stuffing. Making these polis is quite time consuming. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love the hot rotis served with ghee and warm milk. But if you have another way of getting the same taste without all the work, why not do that!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional pooran poli.</td></tr>
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Making a pie out of pooran was an impromptu idea that paid off completely. Cardamom and nutmeg scented pie crust is filled with soft pooran and topped with ghee just before serving. Serve it warm or cold, both are equally delicious. The best part is pie crust can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you are ready to bake it and/or fill it .<br />
The ingredients makes 1 8" pie.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pooran Pie!<br />
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For pie crust-<br />
1 cup wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup all purpose flour<br />
2 tb spoon sugar<br />
3/4 tea sp baking powder<br />
1/2 tea sp cardamom powder<br />
1/4 tea sp freshly ground nutmeg<br />
4 tb spoon cold butter, diced into pieces<br />
3-4 tb spoon cold water<br />
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For pooran filling-<br />
1 and 1/4 cups chana daal<br />
2 and half cups of water<br />
1 and 1/4 cups grated jaggery<br />
1 tea spoon cardamom powder<br />
1/2 tea spoon freshly ground nutmeg<br />
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Recipe-<br />
Start by making the Pooran. Pressure cook chana daal with water until soft (4-5 whistles). Once cooked , remove from pressure cooker and keep aside to cool.Once cooled, transfer cooked daal to food processor and pulse a few times just to make it smoother. Don't puree it, you still want some texture. Transfer the smooth daal into a medium size heavy bottom pan. Add jaggery and cook on medium heat until the jaggery is melted and mixture starts to move with the spoon. Add cardamom and -nutmeg powders and mix well. Set aside to cool. Test the done-ness of the pooran by taking a spoonful of pooran between your palms and roll it to make a soft ball. If it becomes a ball, its done. If too dry or crumbly add couple of tablespoons of milk and mix well.<br />
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To make pie crust, mix together whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder,cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Add diced butter and mix the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers to make crumble like consistency. Add little cold water at a time until you have a dough ball. Transfer the ball into a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.<br />
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To make the pie, grease the pie plate with butter. Roll the crust about 1/2 inch thick to a circle little larger than the pie plate.Transfer carefully onto the pie plate and gently press into the form on the pan. Trim excess dough with knife . Poke holes at the bottom of the pie (this ensures that pie crust does not rise) and bake in 350 F oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pie crust is golden brown.Cool the crust completely and fill with pooran and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Cut into pieces and serve.<br />
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PS- Ignore the flowers on top of the pie. They are made out of the excess pie crust dough.<br />
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TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-89931165505545653522014-02-26T20:42:00.001-08:002014-02-26T20:42:43.726-08:00One caramel - many brittlesBrittle is a hard candy made out of caramel and nuts/dried fruits. As you would have guessed by now, it needs only 3 ingredients- sugar,water and nuts. Making caramel is tricky and temperamental, especially for beginners. After burning my sugar couple of times and making horribly crystallized caramel, I have finally nailed making caramel every single time. I do not have a kitchen thermometer. I use bowl filled with cold water, drop little caramel into it and if it forms a hard ball, caramel is ready; if not,give it couple more minutes.<br />
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Once you nail the difficult part - i.e making caramel, making brittle is fairly simple. Few key points to remember-<br />
1) Prepare chopped nuts, any flavorings that you want to add in advance and have it ready for the brittle. Caramelized sugar never waits for anyone.<br />
2) If you take long time to mix the flavorings and nuts with caramel (after you remove pan from heat), chances are that you will end up having burnt brittle.<br />
3) Grease the baking tray / pan in which you want to set your brittle in advance.<br />
4) Do not move far away from the stove while the sugar is caramelizing. Your going away from that pan might just turn your beautiful golden caramel into a burnt mess.<br />
5) Remove caramel from the heat as soon as it starts to change color. Sugar will keep cooking even after removing from heat. Once you get to the color that you are looking for, add everything and stir vigorously just until everything is well mixed. Pour the hot mixture immediately onto a greased plate/tray and let it cool completely before you break it into pieces.<br />
6) Last and most important, when starting to make caramel, stir just until the sugar is dissolved. Avoid stirring after that (stirring can cause crystallization). You can swirl the pan , but never stir until you want to mix the nuts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden caramel ready for mixing of nuts to make brittle.<br />
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<b>Caramel-</b><br />
1 and 1/2 cups sugar<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
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<b>Method</b><br />
Combine water and sugar into a heavy bottomed pan. Bring it to boil on medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Swirl the pan until sugar starts to change the color. Remove from heat once you see brownish color to the mixture. Sugar will keep cooking and reach the beautiful color in the picture. Caramel is done.<br />
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Now onto brittle. Proportions are given for the caramel of 1 and 1/2 cup sugar. General guideline is to take 1 to 1 and 1/4 cup of nuts / dried fruit for 1 and 1/2 cup sugar. Don't go overboard with the nuts , that makes it difficult to coat everything with the caramel.<br />
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<b>1) Orange-Cranberry-Almond brittle</b><br />
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Substitute water with freshly squeezed orange juice to make caramel. Once the color is achieved, remove from heat and add 2 tb spoon orange zest, 1/2 cup chopped roasted unsalted almonds, 1/2 cup chopped cranberries, 1 tb spoon butter and 1/2 tea sp baking soda. Baking soda helps to make a "brittle" brittle. Stir everything to combine and pour immediately onto a greased plate/pan. Sprinkle 1/2 tea sp. coarse sea salt and cool to set. Break into pieces and enjoy!<br />
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<b>2) Sesame seeds</b><br />
Caramel made out of 1 and 1/2 cups sugar<br />
1 cup sesame seeds<br />
1 tb spoon butter<br />
1/2 tea sp baking soda<br />
1 tea spoon ground ginger + 1/2 tea spoon cinnamon (optional)<br />
1/2 tea spoon salt<br />
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Possibilities are endless when it comes to brittle. I am listing few of my favorites apart from the above.<br />
1.Peanuts with cardamom powder<br />
2.pecan with vanilla extract<br />
3. Pistachios and cashews<br />
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It takes anywhere form 1-2 hours for brittle to set. Or if you are impatient like me, put brittle pan into the refrigerator and it will set quickly (in 20 minutes).<br />
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<b><br /></b>TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-75845528200409369082014-02-23T21:05:00.000-08:002014-02-23T21:05:01.691-08:00Cranberry rollsDuring Thanksgiving I had bought a bag of fresh cranberries to make jam. After the early loot of eating the jam every morning, the leftover in the bottom of the bottle was neglected for some time and one fine 'clean your fridge' day, I discovered the bottle! Now making rolls out of a leftover jam might sound like an overkill, but wow they taste good.<br />
The idea of this roll primarily came from the classic cinnamon roll. Instead of brown sugar cinnamon mixture, I used the leftover jam. Cranberries, orange and almonds go very well together so the usual bread dough became orange scented bread dough and sprinkling of candied almonds added the crunch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Follow top to bottom and left to right</td></tr>
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Ingredients:<br />
2 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 and 1/4 tb spoon yeast<br />
3/4 cup warm milk<br />
2 tb sugar<br />
1 and 1/2 tb spoon orange zest<br />
1/4 cup orange juice<br />
2 tb spoon butter, melted<br />
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1 and 1/2 cups cranberry jam<br />
1/2 cup, chopped candied almonds<br />
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Mixture of 1 tb spoon sugar with 1 tea spoon cinnamon to sprinkle on top (optional)<br />
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Method:<br />
<b>Jam</b><br />
Making cranberry jam is very simple and fairly quick. Mix together 3 cups cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, zest and a juice of 1 large orange. Heat the mixture on a low heat for about 35 minutes or until the mixture gets a consistency of a loose jam. Making jam at least a day in advance helps it to thicken.<br />
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<b>Rolls</b><br />
In a small saucepan, warm 3/4 cup milk. Remove from heat and add 2 tb spoon sugar and let it melt. Sprinkle 1 and 1/4 tea sp yeast on the milk and let it dissolve. Keep aside for 15 minutes or until the yeast starts foaming up.<br />
In a large mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, melted butter and orange zest and mix everything together. Add the foamy mixture of milk and yeast, along with 1/4 cup orange juice and mix until the dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 7-8 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth. Place in well greased bowl and make sure to coat the dough as well. Cover and keep aside in a warm place to rest until the dough doubles in size, for about 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours.<br />
When doubled, punch down the dough and divide it in 2 equal size balls. Roll 1 ball into a rectangle. Spread half of cranberry jam into a thin layer. Sprinkle chopped candied almonds on the jam. Start rolling the dough from the longer side of the rectangle near to you. Keep rolling and tuck the ends securely so that the filling won't come out. Cut into 2 inch slices and arrange into a baking dish so that the jam is visible (cut side down). Place slices close together in the buttered baking dish and let it rest until it doubles in size (about 30 minutes). Repeat the process for 2nd dough ball.<br />
Preheat oven on 350 F. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the risen rolls just before putting in oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. Serve warm.<br />
Store in air tight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Warm it up in microwave before eating.<br />
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<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-42584775571839964342013-11-30T13:40:00.002-08:002013-12-11T16:34:00.461-08:00Adraki lasooni methiMethi (fenugreek leaves) is in abundance now that the winter is here. Adraki lasooni methi (ginger garlic flavored methi) is at the very top of my list while preparing methi. I ate it for the first time couple of years ago (when my mother in law made it) and I fell in love with the taste.<br />
Although, it is called adraki lasooni methi, the use of onions along with adrak (ginger) and lasoon (garlic) is just perfect.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 big bunch methi leaves, separated from stems and chopped<br />
1 large onion, julienne sliced<br />
1 tb spoon, chopped ginger<br />
5-6 big cloves garlic, chopped<br />
2 tea sp oil<br />
1 tea sp mustard seeds<br />
1/2 tea sp each asafoetida,turmeric and red chili powder<br />
salt to taste<br />
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Method:<br />
Heat pan on medium high heat. Add 1 tea spoon oil,sliced onions, chopped ginger and garlic. Saute until onions turn brown, for about 8 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally to prevent the onions from burning. Set aside to cool down. Once it cools, grind the mixture to turn into the rough paste.<br />
In the same pan, 1 tea spoon oil. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Then, add asafoetida,turmeric and red chili powder and fry until fragrant (just for 30 seconds). Add onions,ginge and garlic paste. Add chopped methi leaves and mix everything together. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes on low heat, or until methi is cooked through. Add salt to taste and mix well. Remove from heat. Enjoy with roti/rice/naan even Bhakri!<br />
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<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-63625299852477102712013-10-22T15:44:00.003-07:002013-10-22T15:44:58.644-07:00Aluchi Wadi/PatraAlu chi wadi or Patra is made from colocasia leaves. Beautifully shaped leaves resemble 'an elephant ear', a common name for colocasia leaves. Alu wadis can be steamed and stored in advance and fried as needed.A great side dish or in my case just a snack!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Follow from left to right.</td></tr>
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Ingredients:<br />
6-8 alu chi pane (colocasia leaves)<br />
1 cup gram flour<br />
1 tea sp cayenne pepper<br />
2-3 tb spoon grated jaggery<br />
1/4-1/3 cup tamarind pulp (<b>required</b> to remove raphides, a throat irritant)<br />
salt to taste<br />
2-3 tb. spoon water<br />
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Method:</div>
<div>
Wash the leaves and pat dry. Colocasia leaves have lot of stems running throughout the leaf and so it is hard to roll them. To make it easier later to roll, take a rolling pin and gently roll each leaf to flatten any big stems. Make sure not to tear the leaf.</div>
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In a mixing bowl mix together gram flour, salt,cayenne pepper,jaggery and tamarind pulp. Add water little by little to make a thin paste. Paste shouldn't be runny but should wet enough to apply a thin layering on the leaf. The above given ingredients make 2 rolls (3-4 leaves each.) </div>
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Take the biggest leaf and lay it flat on the surface (preferably covered with plastic foil for an easy clean up later). Bright green side of the leaf should always be facing down. Apply thin layer of the gram flour mixture on the leaf. Take the second biggest leaf and keep it on top of the first leaf (now with the layer of the paste), again making sure bright green side is facing down. Apply another layer of the paste and repeat the process for 3-4 leaves in total. Its time to roll now. Follow the collage above for procedure of rolling. Each fold gets a coating of the gram flour mixture. Roll tightly to ensure it doesn't disintegrate later. Repeat this process to make another roll with 4 remaining leaves. I never take more than 4 leaves to make these as it gets harder to roll with more leaves. You may tie the roll with kitchen twine to make sure it doesn't fall apart while steaming.</div>
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Steam for 10 minutes and remove from the heat. Let the rolls cool completely before cutting into pieces. Once cooled, cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces and deep fry. Serve immediately as the wadis have tendency to get soggy if kept for a longer time after frying.</div>
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<i>If you don't want to deep fry - heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet on medium high heat. Add mustered seeds and let them crackle. Add cut pieces and shallow fry. Optional garnish - 2 tb spoons each chopped cilantro and shredded coconut</i></div>
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Note:</div>
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Colocasia leaves are known to cause an allergic reaction to the throat. Its more like an irritation. And so to cure that, you must have tamarind pulp in the recipe. I have an idea about the leaves that I grow, and so the quantity of tamarind mentioned in the recipe is suitable to me. If making this for the first time, add little more pulp just to be extra careful and adjust jaggery according to your taste.Even after this,if you have irritated throat, eat couple of tablespoon yogurt and the irritation will go away!</div>
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TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-89620445470390675912013-10-10T15:55:00.001-07:002013-10-10T15:55:13.976-07:00Dadpe PoheDadpe pohe is classic Maharashtiran dish. It is my go to meal/snack of all times. Very quick to make and does not require any fancy ingredients.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 and half cups patal pohe<br />
1 medium tomato , chopped<br />
1/3 medium onion, chopped<br />
2-3 tablespoons freshly grated coconut<br />
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro<br />
1 tea spoon sugar<br />
salt to taste<br />
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For tempering:<br />
1 tablespoon oil<br />
1/4 tea spoon mustered seeds<br />
pinch of asafoetida<br />
1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder<br />
1 chilli, diced into pieces<br />
2 tablespoons peanuts<br />
<br />
Method:<br />
In a mixing bowl, mix together tomato,onion and salt and keep aside for 10 minutes. Salt helps to release the moisture from onions and tomatoes. Add pohe,grated coconut,sugar and cilantro and mix everything well. The idea is to soak pohe in the moisture from tomatoes and onions. Traditionally , coconut water was used to moisten pohe. If you don't have it, the moisture from tomatoes and onions is enough. Add 2-3 tablespoons water if needed. Keep aside for 15 minutes.<br />
To prepare the tempering, heat oil onto medium heat. Add mustered seeds and let them crackle. Add asafoetida,turmeric powder and chilies. Add peanuts and fry for couple of minutes. Add tempering to the pohe and mix well. Serve immediately with sprinkled sev on top. If you don't have sev, roasted plain urad papad crumbled into small pieces will do the trick!<br />
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<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-10314780471472915742013-09-20T10:23:00.002-07:002013-09-20T10:23:14.578-07:00Nut BrittleMaking brittle sounds daunting but it is just a matter of practice. Brittle is nothing more than 'chikki' that we find back home. Growing up ,I loved 'danyachi chikki'(peanut brittle). You can make brittle with any nuts, almonds and cashews are now my favorites.<br />
Once I got comfortable making a caramel, I have started making brittle more and more. It makes a great edible gift, also makes a fabulous ice cream topping!<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
2 tb spoon water<br />
pinch of salt (optional)<br />
1/2 cup chopped nuts<br />
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Method:<br />
First and foremost, make brittle when you have time to stand near the stove. You don't want to leave the caramel on the stove and do other things. It can go from beautiful golden color to charcoal in no time <strike>(been there done that)</strike>.<br />
To start the caramel, take a non reactive (preferably stainless steel) pan. Heat the pan to medium-medium high heat. Add sugar and water. Stir to combine. You can stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Don't stir the sugar water mixture once it starts to boil. You can swirl the pan.<br />
Boil the mixture until it gets golden brown. Remove the pan from heat slightly before the desired color. Sugar will keep cooking and reach the desired color. At this point, add pinch of coarse sea salt,vanilla or any other flavoring, Stir to combine, add nuts and stir again. After this, you have to work quickly. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Spread as evenly as you can using a spatula. Cool completely until the caramel hardens and sets. If you are impatient like I am, stick the baking tray in freezer for 5-7 minutes or until caramel is hardened and the brittle will be ready. Peel the brittle carefully from the parchment paper. If it is set correctly, it will come off easily. Break into pieces and store in an air tight container.<br />
To make an ice cream topping, grind the pieces of brittle until coarse!<br />
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Note- This makes a hard brittle. If you want to make soft brittle, once the caramel is done, add 1 tb spoon butter and mix well. Then flavorings and nuts and follow the process.<br />
TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-87780174690217938412013-08-21T22:33:00.002-07:002013-08-21T22:33:19.408-07:00Chile Relleno<div style="text-align: left;">
Chile Relleno is a mexican specialty. Poblano peppers are usually used to make this. They are milder in taste and make a tasty cover for almost any stuffing. Stuff these with rice,beans,meat,cheese or even polenta. They taste equally delicious.</div>
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There are a few steps to the recipe like roasting,stuffing and broiling (usually deep-frying). This is a lighter version of the original Chile Relleno.</div>
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Ingredients:<br />
<br />
4 medium size poblano peppers charred until just soft (not mushy) ,peeled<br />
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For Stuffing-<br />
1/3 cup Polenta (cornmeal)<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
1/4 cup chopped peppers<br />
1/2 onion chopped<br />
1 tea sp chopped garlic<br />
1/4 cup grated Monterey jack cheese (substitute queso fresco -delicious!)<br />
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For coating the peppers-<br />
1/4 cup all purpose flour mixed with 2 tb spoon water (wet batter)<br />
1/2 cup breadcrumbs,1 tb spoon parsley,salt and pepper (dry coating)<br />
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for tomato sauce-<br />
1 and 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes<br />
1 clove of garlic chopped<br />
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped<br />
half onion chopped<br />
1 tb spoon oregano<br />
1 tea spoon parsley<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Method:<br />
Start with charring the peppers. Use the oven broiler or direct heat (if you have a gas burner). To broil, pre-heat the oven on 400 F and char the peppers for 2-3 minutes on each side.Once charred from all sides, transfer them in a plastic bag and let them cool. Peel off and discard charred skin.Slit peppers in the middle lengthwise (make sure not to cut all the way through). Remove and discard seeds.<br />
For the stuffing, heat oil in a pan and add chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant Add chopped onion, peppers and let them soften. Add polenta, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add boiling water to the mixture slowly, stirring continuously to get rid of any lumps. Once the polenta starts to thicken, stir occasionally. Once cooked, remove from heat and let it cool down a bit.<br />
To make the tomato sauce, heat oil in pan. Add garlic,jalapeno pepper and saute until fragrant. Add chopped tomatoes,oregano and parsley. Add water and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture come to boil, reduce heat to medium and keep cooking it for another 10-12 minutes.Remove from heat and set aside.<br />
Once the stuffing is slightly cooled, stuff the charred peppers and seal the peppers with toothpick to ensure that the stuffing doesn't come out. Dip the stuffed peppers into the wet batter and dip the coated peppers into the mixture of breadcrumbs and parsley. Transfer the coated peppers onto a baking sheet. Drizzle peppers with little oil and <i>bake</i> it for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown at 400 F. Remove toothpicks before serving.<br />
Warm the tomato sauce and serve baked peppers,hot out of the oven.TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-48495713580382260002013-08-06T17:55:00.000-07:002013-08-06T17:55:40.295-07:00Green Tomato ChutneyAs the summer is progressing, the tomato plants in my yard are getting bigger and fuller. I have so many tomatoes, I have to use them whichever way I can. This tomato chutney is at top of the list.<br />
Use the 'recipe' as merely a guideline. This is how my mom makes it and so do I. Adjust chilies and jaggery suitable to your taste.<br />
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Ingredients-<br />
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2-3 green tomatoes<br />
2 green chilies,cut in pieces<br />
1/8 cup sesame seeds<br />
handful of cilantro<br />
salt to taste<br />
jaggery 1 tb spoon<br />
1 tb spoon oil<br />
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Method-<br />
Wash tomatoes and quarter them. In a pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add quartered tomatoes and chopped chilies. Fry until tomato skin is slightly blistered (just couple of minutes). Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.<br />
To make chutney, mix cooled tomato and chilies, cilantro,sesame seeds,salt and jaggery in blender. Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve with parathas/ rotis/ even a slice of bread.<br />
You can use cilantro stems for this chutney as well. The stems have stronger flavor and goes very well with the green tomatoes.TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-77936191636657389882013-06-28T18:44:00.000-07:002013-06-28T18:44:06.603-07:00Crème caramelSo simple yet so elegant. Crème caramel is a classic dessert made with caramel and custard. Making custard without eggs seems almost impossible however it is very much achievable. After lot of trials, here is <i>the one</i>.<br />
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Ingredients:</div>
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For Caramel-</div>
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1/4 cup sugar</div>
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1 tb spoon water</div>
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For 'custard'</div>
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1 cup whole milk</div>
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2 tb spoon corn starch mixed with 2 tb sp water</div>
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1 tb spoon milk powder</div>
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1 tb spoon sugar</div>
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1/2 tea spoon vanilla extract</div>
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Method:</div>
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Start with caramel. To make caramel, put sugar and water in a pan and bring mixture to boil. Swirl the pan to avoid burning. Do not stir the caramel, else it will crystallize.Once the caramel starts changing color (golden brown), switch off the heat and remove the pan. Sugar keeps cooking and it will eventually be a dark brown in color. If you keep cooking caramel on the heat until it reaches the beautiful golden color, you will burn it! Pour the caramel into 2 greased ramekins and set aside to cool.</div>
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To make custard, heat the milk just until it reaches below the boiling point. Add corn starch paste, milk powder,sugar and vanilla extract. Stir everything together to mix. Cool slightly. Strain the 'custard' to ensure its smoothness. Pour slightly cooled custard onto set caramels.</div>
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Transfer the ramekins into a deep baking dish. Pour hot tap water until the water reaches half the height of the ramekins. Bake in pre-heated 350 F oven for about 40-50 minutes or just until the custard is set. </div>
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Refrigerate set custard for at least 4 hours, overnight is even better. To remove custard from the ramekin, run a knife around the edges of ramekin and turn ramekin upside down on the plate. When the custard is on the plate, the caramel at the bottom will pour over the custard making a puddle of caramel into a plate! </div>
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<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-1650485628044290302013-06-10T20:07:00.001-07:002013-06-10T20:10:14.262-07:00Beancurd in disguiseBean-curd/tofu is a staple in my home. I eat it almost everyday. A very versatile ingredient, so much can be done with it like roasting,pan frying,grilling,baking. But every once in a while, I try to do something different and this is how it turned out!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u5wrRJBAaxs/UOukwK6pvCI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/-E8D6AiAzpY/s1600/IMG_20130107_121444+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u5wrRJBAaxs/UOukwK6pvCI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/-E8D6AiAzpY/s400/IMG_20130107_121444+(1).jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:<br />
grated extra firm tofu 1 and half cups<br />
1 tb spoon minced chillies<br />
1/2 tb spoon each minced ginger and garlic<br />
salt to taste<br />
1 -2 tb spoon chopped cilantro<br />
2 tb spoon semolina flour (use breadcrumbs if available)<br />
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Method:<br />
Mix together all the ingredients. Divide the mix in 4 equal balls. Shape each ball into a flat disk (a patty). Shallow fry in a skillet. Serve with coconut chutney.<br />
Adjust the spice level according to taste.TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-90625648199352285902013-06-02T18:03:00.002-07:002013-06-02T18:03:22.510-07:00Salad for dessert -Pear and blue cheese!You read it right. Although it may sound weird, it won't disappoint you. When the recipe comes from Ina Garten, there is hardly anything that you don't want to try! This time, I am writing about roasted pear with blue cheese salad. The <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-pears-with-blue-cheese-recipe/index.html">original recipe</a> calls for arugula, however don't add it and you have a wonderful dessert. Take this from the one who is not a fan of blue cheese!<br />
I used bosc pears instead of anjou pears, omitted port and adjusted the amount of sugar. I prefer not to peel the pears, you can if you like.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
3-4 medium size bosc pears<br />
3 tb spoons Lemon juice<br />
3 oz blue cheese, crumbled<br />
1/3 cup dried cranberries<br />
1/3 cup walnuts, roasted and chopped<br />
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar<br />
1/8 cup light brown sugar (adjust according to taste)<br />
salt to taste<br />
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Method:<br />
Thoroughly wash and slice the pears into quarters.Remove the core and the seeds. Chop each quarter into bite size pieces.Toss pears in lemon juice and arrange them in a single layer in baking dish. In a mixing bowl, mix together blue cheese,cranberries,walnuts. Distribute this mixture over the chopped pears equally. Mix together, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture on and around pears and bake in 375 F oven for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool until warm.<br />
Sprinkle salt just before serving. Serve warm!<br />
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Note: There will be basting liquid left in the baking dish after baking the pears. Serve the basting liquid with the salad!<br />
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<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-28068034176925459152013-05-23T17:29:00.003-07:002013-05-23T17:29:50.829-07:00Instant mixed vegetable 'pickle'The only reason I call it a pickle is because, I use ready made pickle spice for this. You can call it relish/chutney or whatever.<br />
Growing up my mom always made it and I can not remember why I don't make it that often. It is very easy to make and there is not really a recipe. This is a rough guideline.All vegetables are raw and marinated in lemon juice! How bad can it be?!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AyXjeHFtbjo/UZ5TJfBaSvI/AAAAAAAAATo/lr8ykZvpwA0/s1600/IMG_20130512_193508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AyXjeHFtbjo/UZ5TJfBaSvI/AAAAAAAAATo/lr8ykZvpwA0/s320/IMG_20130512_193508.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:<br />
1/4 cup cauliflower, raw and cubed (about 1/4 inch piece)<br />
1/4 cup chopped green beans<br />
1/4 cup chopped carrots<br />
1/4 cup green peas<br />
1/8 cup chopped ginger (optional)<br />
1/8 cup fresh turmeric root (optional)<br />
2-3 green chillies, slit length-wise. (make sure not to cut through)<br />
1/3 cup lemon juice<br />
1 tb spoon lemon pickle spice (adjust according to taste)<br />
salt to taste<br />
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For tampering:<br />
1 tb spoon oil<br />
1 tea spoon mustered seeds<br />
1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder<br />
1/2 tea spoon asafoetida<br />
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Method:<br />
Mix together all chopped vegetables,ginger,turmeric root,lemon juice, chillies,salt and pickling spice and set aside for at least 8 hours. To make the tempering, heat oil, add mustered seeds,asafoetida and turmeric powder and let this cool completely. Add <i>cooled</i> tempering to pickle and mix everything well. Transfer pickle in a glass jar with air-tight lid. It lasts for about a week in refrigerator.<br />
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Note:<br />
If you don't have lemon pickle spice (lonache masala), use mixture of 1 tea spoon fenugreek seed powder,1 tea spoon cayenne pepper powder and 1 tea spoon mustered seeds powder. To make fenugreek powder, sauté 1 tea spoon fenugreek seeds in 1/2 tea spoon oil until they turn brown.Cool to room temperature and grind it with mustered seeds to get fine powder.TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-59068636283285828602013-05-12T20:56:00.001-07:002013-05-12T20:56:23.653-07:00Orange marmaladeIn all the varieties that are available in jam/jelly/preserves, orange marmalade is 'the one' for me! I don't have any favourites when it comes to store bought one, so making it myself is the only way. It is rather simple to make. Oranges have ton of pectin in them, so no need to buy any.<br />
There are many varieties of oranges available in farmers market. Navels being most common of them. Cara-Cara oranges are my favourite. They are sweeter than usual oranges and don't have thick pith. A perfect choice for marmalade.However, if you don't get Cara Cara oranges, make it with regular ones, just adjust the amount of sugar!<br />
The marmalade is a bread spread. You won't have a thick jam like consistency when done.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3CWjIXWPEH8/USw8q6QwpDI/AAAAAAAAASE/ew-6o1PFcD8/s1600/IMG_20130206_103516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3CWjIXWPEH8/USw8q6QwpDI/AAAAAAAAASE/ew-6o1PFcD8/s320/IMG_20130206_103516.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">2 lbs oranges (5 cups when </span><span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">sliced)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"> </span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">
1/2 cup orange zest (use zest of all the oranges)<br />
<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">3 cups water</span></div>
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1/4 cup lemon juice<br />
1 tb spoon lemon zest</div>
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2 cups sugar (adjust to taste)<br />
small piece of cheesecloth<br />
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Method:<br />
Wash the oranges thoroughly. Zest all the oranges. Remove both ends with thick pith (do not throw it away).Remove any pith/skin left on oranges after zesting and slice oranges into about 1/4 inch thick slices, removing seeds as you go. Stack the slices and cut into the quarters. Transfer quartered orange slices,lemon zest and orange zest, lemon juice and water into a heavy bottom stainless steel pan. In a cheesecloth, take half of end parts with thick pith and make a pouch. Throw this in the mixture along with everything else. Bring the mixture to boil and let it boil for 7-8 minutes stirring in between. Lower the heat to medium, add sugar and keep cooking until the mixture starts to thicken . It will take about 30-35 minutes. Stir every now and then to prevent burning.<br />
Meanwhile, place couple of spoons in the freezer to taste if the marmalade is ready. Dip 1 cold spoon in to the hot mixture, remove from mixture and let cool for half a minute. Draw a line with your finger on the spoon. If the mixture sets up in 2 parts and you can see the line clearly, it is ready. If not keep cooking for few more minutes.<br />
Remove cheesecloth pouch and throw it away.Cool the marmalade down to room temperature. Pour marmalade into clean jars and seal with the lids. It will last for about a month in the refrigerator.<br />
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<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-80533194488374906782013-03-20T15:41:00.001-07:002013-03-28T09:31:36.226-07:00AppeMouth watering south Indian delicacy is my favourite. Original recipe is made with just rice and urad dal. However, this recipe came from my mom and contains chana dal too. Addition of spices is totally optional and up to you..<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oa1wdfgfozY/UUaNDnxlnYI/AAAAAAAAASc/jHQE1PtuE_U/s1600/IMG_20130314_185345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oa1wdfgfozY/UUaNDnxlnYI/AAAAAAAAASc/jHQE1PtuE_U/s320/IMG_20130314_185345.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ingredients:<br />
1/2 cup urad dal<br />
1/2 cup chana dal<br />
1 cup rice<br />
1/2 tea spoon fenugreek seeds<br />
salt to taste<br />
1 green chili, finely chopped<br />
1 tb spoon minced ginger<br />
2 tb spoons chopped cilantro<br />
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Method:<br />
Soak together both the dals, rice and fenugreek seeds overnight or at least for 8 hours in 4 cups water. After 8 hours, remove excess water and grind everything in batches to get pourable batter. Keep the batter in a warm place to ferment for another 8 hours. Batter will be double in size.<br />
Just before making appe, add chili,ginger,cilantro and season with salt. Stir to combine well. You will need 'appe patra' to make these. Heat appe patra with a drop of oil in each hole. Add fermented batter until it reaches half of the sides of the hole. Cover and cook on medium heat. Once cooked, flip appe to get an even golden brown color on both sides.<br />
Serve with chutney and sambar!<br />
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Add chopped onion in batter just before making appe to make it even more tasty!<br />
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<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-41195552552447082722013-02-06T10:46:00.000-08:002013-02-08T19:04:15.778-08:00Vegetable pot pieVegetable pot pie is so easy to make and it can be made any day of the week! Choose the vegetables in season and you can make numerous variations of the basic recipe. I love to make a pot pie especially on the days when there are no sufficient vegetables available for the meal. Mix them all and you have a nice hot pot pie!<br />
It really is simple to put together. You can make a crust in advance and freeze it for up to about a week. So don't scramble everything at once, just make a vegetable filling,put it in individual pot,cover with pastry and bake for about 25-30 minutes and you are done. A nice green salad on the side is definitely a plus.<br />
If you don't have time to make individual pots, make one big pot or even a galette (just a fancy term for a free form pie). A galette , is a dessert usually made with fruit filling but works just fine with this filling as well!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q87k5xTBoP4/URHd2mRtuPI/AAAAAAAAARk/ZqewcQwHY6w/s1600/IMG_20121102_203043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q87k5xTBoP4/URHd2mRtuPI/AAAAAAAAARk/ZqewcQwHY6w/s320/IMG_20121102_203043.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galette!</td></tr>
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Ingredients:<br />
1 and half cups whole wheat flour<br />
4 tb spoon butter cold,diced into cubes<br />
2 tb thick yoghurt<br />
1 tea spoon baking powder<br />
1/4 tea spoon baking soda<br />
pinch of salt<br />
pepper to taste (optional)<br />
1/4 cup cold water<br />
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filling-<br />
1 medium size green bell pepper cut into cubes<br />
2 medium size potatoes cut into cubes<br />
1 onion chopped<br />
1 tb spoon garlic chopped<br />
1/2 medium size carrot cubed<br />
1 small broccoli chopped (roughly the same size as other veggies)<br />
2 tb spoon olive oil<br />
2 tb spoon all purpose flour<br />
3/4 cup milk (whole)<br />
1-2 tb spoon parmigiano reggiano<br />
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Method:<br />
To make pastry, add flour,salt,pepper,baking powder,baking soda into food processor and pulse a few times. Add cold butter and pulse until you get crumbly consistency. Add yoghurt and pulse again. Add cold water (1 table spoon at a time) to form a dough. Transfer the dough onto a plate and knead a few times until it comes together. Wrap it in plastic wrap and keep aside.<br />
For the filling, heat olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and onion and sauté until fragrant. Add carrots,bell pepper,broccoli and potato and cook everything for 3-4 minutes or just until everything starts to soften. Sprinkle all purpose flour on vegetables, stir to coat and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add milk slowly and whisk everything with a whisk until slightly thickened (don't go too far with the thickening else you will end up with paste). Remove from heat ,add parmigiano reggiano cheese and stir to combine. Cool slightly before starting to build pot pie.<br />
To build a pot pie, put about 1/4 of a vegetable mixture into a small casserole. Divide the pastry in 4 equal size balls. Roll each ball to fit the baking pot,prick it with a fork. Place dough over filling and tuck into the edges of pot. Slit a small hole in the middle of the pot pie to allow steam to escape. Brush the dough with a mixture of 1 tb spoon oil and 1 tb spoon milk to give pie a golden brown colour. Bake in 350 F pre-heated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.<br />
To make a galette, divide pastry in 2 equal size balls. Roll each ball to form a circle of about 1/8 inch thickness and prick it with a fork. Place half of the filling in the middle of rolled pastry and fold remaining pastry over filling (as shown in the picture). Do not cover the entire filling with pastry, keep an opening to allow steam to escape. Place galette on a baking tray, brush with oil+milk mixture and bake in 350 F oven for 25-30 minutes.<br />
<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-85436733106080007102013-01-12T21:22:00.000-08:002013-01-13T09:59:56.419-08:00BiscottiHoliday season brings out the 'baker' in me. A big reason for that is with so many people visiting, I can bake in big batches and don't have to worry about 1/4 cup and tablespoons measurements (which I normally use when baking for 2).<br />
Biscotti is unique in the sense that it is a twice baked cookie. An added advantage is that it is vegan! Once I found <a href="http://www.egglesscooking.com/2008/08/19/eggless-almond-biscottis/"><b>this recipe</b></a>, I just had to try it and am glad that I did.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_gdIJL7slRk/UPB2_dCx66I/AAAAAAAAARM/gI-Sii7lBSM/s1600/IMG_0940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_gdIJL7slRk/UPB2_dCx66I/AAAAAAAAARM/gI-Sii7lBSM/s400/IMG_0940.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you for photo Evolving Tastes!</td></tr>
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Ingredients:</div>
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1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour</div>
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1 tea spoon baking powder</div>
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1/2 cup sugar</div>
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1/4 tea spoon salt</div>
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1 tea spoon vanilla extract</div>
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1 tea spoon ground cinnamon</div>
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1/2 tea spoon ground cloves</div>
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2 tb spoon oil</div>
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1/4 cup apple sauce</div>
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1 cup chopped dried fruits and nuts ( cranberry, crystallized ginger,apricots,pecans and walnuts soaked in 1/3 cup orange juice,pinch of salt and 1 tb spoon sugar for at-least 48 hours)</div>
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1 tb spoon each orange and lemon zest (optional but tastes so good!)</div>
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Method:</div>
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Sieve together flour,baking powder,salt,ground cinnamon,ground cloves and set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix oil and sugar and stir well until combined. Add apple sauce,orange and lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix well. Add dry mixture and knead lightly until a loose dough comes together. Add fruit and nut mixture along with the juice and knead lightly again to thoroughly combine and form a loose dough. (Do not over-work the dough). Rest the dough for 15 minutes. Pre-heat oven on 350F. Divide dough in 2 equal size balls and form a log of about 1 inch thickness (flour your hands before doing this) out of each ball. Place the logs on oiled baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm to touch.Oven timings may vary from oven to oven ,so keep an eye while the logs bake. Once they feel firm, remove from oven and let them cool for 10 minutes. Turn the oven temperature to 300F. Cut each log diagonally into 1/2 inch thick pieces using serrated knife. Arrange these pieces in a single layer (cut side down) and bake for 5-6 minutes. Again remove from oven, flip the pieces and bake again for another 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to cooling rack and cool to room temperature. This will give a crunchy biscotti , if you want an extra crunch, bake for another 2-3 minutes on each side.</div>
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Store in an air tight container at room temperature. They will last for about a week.</div>
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Note: If after adding the fruit and nut mixture along with orange juice dough is dry, add more apple sauce 1 table spoon at a time. In any case, you will not need more than 1/4 cup extra apple sauce.</div>
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<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-79373423097052213062013-01-05T14:31:00.001-08:002013-01-05T14:31:40.565-08:00Chocolate fudge cakeChocolate is my weak point. I am a huge fan of dark chocolate and especially dark chocolate cake! This delivers on promise. I am not a fan of icing on cake , however this 'fudge' like icing is silky,smooth and not buttery but chocolaty! Perfect for any occasion!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xtg91N2YNe4/UNe2t-189OI/AAAAAAAAAQM/XNsGqRq-rj4/s1600/IMG_20121015_103526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xtg91N2YNe4/UNe2t-189OI/AAAAAAAAAQM/XNsGqRq-rj4/s320/IMG_20121015_103526.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span id="goog_1745771785"></span><span id="goog_1745771786"></span>Ingredients:<br />
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For cake<br />
1 cup all purpose flour<br />
1 tea sp baking powder<br />
1/2 tea sp baking soda<br />
1/4 tea sp salt<br />
2 oz unsweetened chocolate melted with 1 tb sp butter and 1 tb sp water<br />
1 tea sp instant coffee powder diluted in 1/4 cup hot water<br />
1/4 cup yogurt<br />
1/2 tea sp vanilla<br />
1 tb oil<br />
1/4 cup brown sugar<br />
1/8 cup granulated sugar<br />
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For icing<br />
1 oz chocolate (unsweetened)<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
1/4 cup milk powder<br />
1/4 tea sp vanilla extract<br />
2 tb spoons sugar<br />
1 tb spoon honey<br />
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Method:<br />
Sieve together all purpose flour,baking powder,baking soda and salt and keep aside. Whisk together oil,sugar,brown sugar,yogurt and vanilla extract. Add diluted coffee and cooled melted chocolate mixture and whisk everything together. Add half of dry flour mixture and gently fold it in with a spatula. Add remaining mixture and fold again until the flour is just combined. Do not over-mix the batter, else you will end up with a tough cake. Transfer batter into a 6 inch round buttered and floured pan and bake on 350 F for 25-30 minutes. Every oven is different, so you may want to check the cake after 20-22 minutes. Once baked, cool completely before frosting.<br />
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To make frosting, mix together chocolate,milk, and vanilla extract,sugar and melt everything together on a low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and add milk powder. Whisk everything together. Add honey at the end ; it ensures that the frosting will glisten! Cool to room temperature. Coat the entire cake with fudge frosting using knife or spatula. Cut and serve at room temperature.</div>
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<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-41577490486225468342012-12-17T21:37:00.000-08:002012-12-17T21:37:42.991-08:00ChiliIts getting colder and so my appetite for soup/stews has begun to increase. Chili fits the equation perfectly. It usually is non-vegetarian; however can easily be 'veganised'. <br />
Chili is basically a mixture of vegetables,beans, meats and spices stewed together for a long time. Longer you simmer chili, better it tastes! I would hardly call this as a recipe as this changes from person to person. Feel free to adjust according to your taste with veggies and beans of your choice!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sqqluv5AcbU/UM4PqROnd2I/AAAAAAAAAPw/WYiEn3rxNjs/s1600/IMG_20121111_185205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sqqluv5AcbU/UM4PqROnd2I/AAAAAAAAAPw/WYiEn3rxNjs/s320/IMG_20121111_185205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:<br />
2 cups kidney beans (soaked overnight in plenty of water)<br />
1 onion, coarsely chopped<br />
1 jalapeno pepper,seeded and minced<br />
1/2 carrot, cubed into bite size pieces<br />
1 cup diced bell peppers (use different colours if available, go with green if using only 1 colour )<br />
1 tb spoon canola oil<br />
1 tb spoon chopped garlic<br />
1 cup chopped tomatoes (or use 1 14.5 oz can of no salt added diced tomatoes)<br />
2 cups vegetable stock/water<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
2 tb spoon chili powder ( I use McCormick, different brands taste different so use according to taste)<br />
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Method:<br />
Cook kidney beans in pressure cooker with plenty of water with just 1 whistle (the rest of the cooking will be completed while its simmering with spices and veggies). Heat a pot on medium high heat and add oil. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent.Add carrots,season with salt,pepper and 1 tb spoon chili powder. Add 1/2 cup stock/water and let the mixture come to boil.Add chopped tomatoes,beans (with their cooking liquid) and remaining 1 and 1/2 cups stock/water and again bring mixture to boil. Switch heat to medium, add remaining 1 tb spoon chili powder (add more or less according to taste) ,cover pot with lid and let it simmer for at-least 20 minutes stirring in between.<br />
Serve with your choice of topping. Some options would be sour cream,cheddar cheese,chopped avocado,chopped cilantro or guacamole! Serve and eat hot.<br />
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Note: To cook beans, I usually take 2:1 ratio for water to beans. Basically beans should be completely covered in water to cook!TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-2700955569286469752012-12-07T20:33:00.003-08:002012-12-07T20:33:59.025-08:00Rotolo Jamie Oliver does it again! If you have some spare time on hand and are ready for an experiment, here is the one! This is a must try. It does require little more time to make it but it looks stunning and tastes amazing.<br />
In his book 'Jamie's Italy', he has given rotolo recipe for butter-nut squash and spinach. However, I read the book in summer when farmers markets were overflowing with tomatoes and basil. So here is the summer version of rotolo adopted from Jamie's Italy.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-12vQwdwG_GM/UMAg6zomYmI/AAAAAAAAALU/gjO_igQmp4g/s1600/IMG_20121007_164822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-12vQwdwG_GM/UMAg6zomYmI/AAAAAAAAALU/gjO_igQmp4g/s1600/IMG_20121007_164822.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3YLEFO1iBHY/UMAg9FY7BMI/AAAAAAAAALk/1V58KhLVYRA/s1600/IMG_20121007_193236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3YLEFO1iBHY/UMAg9FY7BMI/AAAAAAAAALk/1V58KhLVYRA/s1600/IMG_20121007_193236.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Ingredients:</div>
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For Pasta dough</div>
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1/2 cup all purpose flour</div>
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1/2 cup semolina flour</div>
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1/4 tea spoon salt</div>
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2 tb spoon extra virgin olive oil</div>
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1/3 cup lukewarm water</div>
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For Filling</div>
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2 cups cherry tomatoes,halved (marinated in 1tb spoon balsamic vinegar,salt and 1 tea spoon sugar for at least 1 hour)</div>
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1 cup pesto (has to be thick)</div>
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1/2 cup asiago cheese , cubed into bite size pieces</div>
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1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese</div>
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Method:</div>
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Start with pasta dough because it needs time to rest. To make the dough, mix together all ingredients except for water and mix well. Add little water at a time to make a stiff dough. You may have to adjust the amount of water required. Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes,wrap in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for half an hour. Divide pasta dough in 2 balls. Roll out each ball (using rolling pin) as thin as possible in a rectangular shape.</div>
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Before building rotolo, make sure you have a clean dish towel and kitchen twine ready.Carefully transfer one of the pasta sheets on a clean dish towel.<i> Make sure to take a bigger dish towel than the pasta sheet.</i> Arrange 2 rows of cherry tomatoes on the long side of pasta sheet closest to you. arrange pieces of asiago cheese next and spread half pesto and sprinkle half of parmigiano-reggiano cheese on pesto,leaving 1 inch margin on all 4 sides (as shown in photo). Brush the sides of pasta sheets with water and start rolling pasta sheet from nearest side to you. Roll the sheet up and away from you. Wrap the pasta sheet log in kitchen towel and seal both ends of the kitchen towel with kitchen twine. You can secure it more by tying twine around the middle of the roll.<i>Make sure to seal it properly otherwise, you will have a big mess in boiling water!</i></div>
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To cook rotolo, fill a big pot with water coming up-to half of the height of the pot. Bring this to boil, season generously with salt and 1 tb spoon oil.Gently transfer rotolo (wrapped in kitchen towel) into the boiling water and make sure to keep it submerged in water while it is cooking.Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Check if pasta is cooked by squeezing rotolo between your fingers,if it feels like a marshmallow it is done! If not, continue cooking. Once cooked, remove from water and cut all the strings and roll it out of the kitchen towel. Cut in 1/2 inch thick pieces with a serrated knife. Serve hot with the mixture of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar!</div>
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TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-91833979994473479802012-11-26T20:23:00.000-08:002012-12-05T20:56:08.383-08:00Daal Dhokli Daal - dhokli or chakolya is probably the most comforting food ever. I am not saying that this is '<i><b>the</b></i>' way to make it but this is how I like to make it! Proportion of spices is merely a guideline. Adjust the daal suitable to your taste.The term dhokli refers to strips made form a spicy kanik/atta, almost comparable to fresh pasta. It is 'dhoklis' cooked in daal!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_71aKQyXgqg/UMAlX8AJAxI/AAAAAAAAAL4/-H3HvZfadNI/s1600/IMG_20121012_192935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_71aKQyXgqg/UMAlX8AJAxI/AAAAAAAAAL4/-H3HvZfadNI/s1600/IMG_20121012_192935.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ingredients<br />
<b><i>For daal</i></b>:<br />
1/2 cup toor daal cooked in 1 cup water<br />
1 tb spoon oil/ghee<br />
1/2 tea spoon cumin seeds<br />
1/2 tea spoon mustard seeds<br />
1/2 tea spoon asafoetida<br />
1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder<br />
1/2 tea spoon cayenne pepper<br />
1 tb spoon tamarind paste mixed in 1 tb spoon water<br />
1/2 tb spoon grated jaggery<br />
1 cup water<br />
1-2 tb spoon chopped cilantro<br />
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<b><i>For Dhokli</i></b><br />
1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1 tea spoon carom seeds (ajwain)<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1/2 tea spoon each turmeric powder and cayenne pepper<br />
1 tb spoon oil<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
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Method:<br />
Make dhokli dough by mixing together all the ingredients. Add little water at a time to make a soft dough. Knead until soft (but not sticky) and set aside.You may require little less or more water.<br />
Cook daal in a pressure cooker with a standard 4 whistle rule. Heat oil/ghee in a deep pan and add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Once they pop, add asafoetida, turmeric powder and cayenne pepper and let that fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant Add cooked daal,water, tamarind, jaggery and salt and let the daal boil on a medium heat. In the meantime, (to make dhoklis) divide the dhokli dough in 2 balls. Roll out each ball into a circle as thin as possible, divide the circle into 2 and cut into stripes of 1/2 inch width. Add dhoklis into daal and boil everything together for 3-4 minutes or until the dhoklis are cooked.Add chopped cilantro at the end. Serve hot with desi ghee.<br />
<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-33442933165312350492012-11-03T22:04:00.001-07:002012-12-05T20:57:58.923-08:00Tomatoes overload !It is almost end of summer here but farmers markets are still buzzing with beautiful coloured tomatoes and basil. I am using these 2 things in as many ways as possible! Usual preparations being caprese salad and pasta. Summer version of Jamie Oliver's Rotolo is my addition this summer (more on that coming up soon) and so is this pizza. Although, making pizza was an impulsive decision but a really tasty one.<br />
Addition of lemon and basil flavoured ricotta cheese acts almost like 'pizza sauce' with goat's cheese on top. A new combination but now my favourite!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W0hTdubkmDg/UMAl0GTERdI/AAAAAAAAAMA/O9LU256pbhE/s1600/IMG_20121103_200825_1+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W0hTdubkmDg/UMAl0GTERdI/AAAAAAAAAMA/O9LU256pbhE/s320/IMG_20121103_200825_1+(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:<br />
1 8" pizza base ( refer <a href="http://theheirloomessence.blogspot.com/2012/10/pizza.html">here</a>)<br />
1 tb balsamic vinegar mixed with 1 tb spoon extra virgin olive oil<br />
1/4 cup ricotta cheese<br />
1 tb spoon lemon juice<br />
1/2 tea spoon lemon zest<br />
1 tb spoon finely chopped basil<br />
1 cup baby heirloom tomatoes of different colours,halved<br />
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
1 tb spoon pine nuts (optional)<br />
1 tb chopped basil to sprinkle on top of pizza<br />
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Method:<br />
Make the pizza base first (refer <a href="http://theheirloomessence.blogspot.com/2012/10/pizza.html">here.</a>). Once you have a rolled pizza dough, transfer dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush the top of pizza base with the mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Bake the base in a 450 F pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes. The base should almost be cooked at this point.<br />
To make the 'sauce', mix ricotta cheese with lemon juice,lemon zest,chopped basil and season with salt and pepper and set aside. Remove the base from the oven and spread the ricotta mixture on a hot, almost baked dough. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer and top it up with crumbled goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper again and put tray back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped basil and pine nuts on top. Serve immediately.<br />
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Note- Add 1/2 tea spoon chilli flakes on tomatoes if like!TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518883527464800283.post-26384541491636323822012-10-30T12:48:00.000-07:002012-10-30T12:48:02.801-07:00chhole with naanChhole, chickpeas or garbanzo beans are a part of legume family. I usually cook other legumes like matki,moong,black eyed peas. This one comes every once in a while. I make poli/roti with it but this time an opened packet of yeast was on the counter so instead I gave a shot at making naans! Result was very soft and tasty! I am never going back to store bought naans.<br />
Making chhole couldn't be simpler . Ask <a href="http://evolvingtastes.blogspot.com/2011/08/easiest-chhole-ever.html">her.</a> So simple and yet so tasty. I am noting down recipe here with my additions/alterations.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LmTLIAWWYfU/UItg-IAfrvI/AAAAAAAAAJo/l6O2WX30T98/s1600/IMG_20121005_194223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LmTLIAWWYfU/UItg-IAfrvI/AAAAAAAAAJo/l6O2WX30T98/s400/IMG_20121005_194223.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<u>For naan</u><br />
1 cup all purpose flour/maida<br />
1/2 tea spoon dry yeast<br />
1 tb oil<br />
1 tea spoon sugar<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1 tea spoon minced garlic<br />
1 tea spoon minced chillies<br />
1/4 cup lukewarm water<br />
1 tb yoghurt<br />
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For Chhole<br />
1 cup dried garbanzo beans<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
1 tea spoon red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)<br />
1 tea spoon amchoor powder (dry mango)<br />
1/2 tea spoon cumin powder<br />
1/2 tea spoon coriander powder<br />
1 tea spoon chana masala<br />
1/4 tea spoon garam masala<br />
1 medium size onion grated (optional)<br />
1 medium size tomato (grated or use 1/2 tb spoon tomato paste - optional)<br />
salt to taste<br />
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Method:<br />
To make naans, mix together 1/4 cup warm water,yeast and sugar and set aside for 10 minutes. The mixture should bubble up in 10 minutes. If not, the yeast is not active. Discard the mixture and start again. In the meantime, mix together flour,minced chillies and mined garlic and blend everything together.Add yoghurt and yeast mixture and pulse again. Add oil and salt and pulse again until the ball is formed. (You may have to add 1-2 table spoons extra water to make dough.)Transfer the dough onto a plate and knead for 4-5 minutes. Coat the dough with oil and transfer into a well oiled bowl and keep the bowl in a warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, dough will double in size.Punch down the dough and divide it in 4 equal balls. At this time, you can make the naans immediately or refrigerate the dough for using later. Roll each ball into 1/4 inch thick oval shape. Transfer rolled dough/naan onto a greased baking tray and <b><i>broil</i></b> in 400 F oven for 5-7 minutes or until naans are golden brown. Remove from oven, spread 'ghee'/butter on hot naans and serve immediately.<br />
To make chhole, start with soaking garbanzo beans in water for at-least 8 hours. Rinse and cook them in enough water to cover the beans and a bay leaf in pressure cooker with 2-3 whistles. Drain the beans in colander and transfer warm beans into a mixing bowl after discarding bay leaf. Add all the spices and toss everything together. Heat oil in large pot, add cumin seeds and mustered seeds. When they start to pop or sizzle, add the 'spiced' beans and stir. Add little water at a time to make the gravy. Adjust salt to taste. Serve hot!<br />
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<br />TheHeirloomEssencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01078481986007897936noreply@blogger.com2