Ranjini Rao's Blog, page 13

The Particular Sweetness Of Shortbread

When the spirits are sagging from an overworked week and the rain is falling in thick sheets outside, summoning the baker’s will isn’t half as easy as it may seem, even with the dreamy swirls of butter and sugar that call out to one in dulcet notes. Still, if whisking or kneading is what it takes to free the mind of some of the stress caused by, well, stirring and sauteing, as it were, one can’t be too finicky about seasons and reasons to turn up the oven. Ringing in festive cheer any time of the year can be a snap when one has colorful ideas and ingredients within an arm’s reach. Our chewy, cherry-laden Pistachio Shortbread is the proof and the pudding, so to speak. Every gloom has its spell, as we like to say, and it usually lasts not a moment longer than the ding of the oven timer.

Pistachio-Cherry Shortbread Wedges with Cardamom

(Makes 12 wedges)

½ Cup sugar
½ Teaspoon ground cardamom
½ Cup butter, at room temperature
½ Cup shelled pistachios, outer skins removed and chopped
½ Cup dried cherries, minced
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Teaspoon coarse sugar or ¼ cup chopped pistachios for topping, optional


Line a 8″ or 9″ round cake pan with parchment.
Place the sugar and cardamom in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. Toss in the butter and run the processor for about 2 minutes. Add the pistachios and pulse a few times to break them down. Then tip in the cherries and flour. Pulse very briefly until the dough becomes crumbly and just starts to come together.
Tip the dough into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to press the dough down. Use a sharp knife to cut the shortbread into 12 wedges. Sprinkle the coarse sugar crystals or chopped pistachios, if using. Refrigerate the pan for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 325°F  / 160°C.
Bake the shortbread for about 35 minutes or until just starting to darken at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then turn it out carefully onto a board. Cut the shortbread along the indentations made earlier while it is still warm. Cool completely before eating.

Cool off with Saucy Sesame Noodles

Come summer and its the perfect time to eat right – fresh, light, healthy, raw and cool. The freezers get loaded-up with Watermelon Clone-sicles,  icy grapes and frosty fruit granita for our riotous little vacationers to cool off with. Rose sherbets, citrusy sweet tea and tart lemonade disappear like life-savers down our parched throats. Cold salads and slaws are easy staples for quick lunches and we toss in every colour of the rainbow into our bowls and onto our forks.

On days when we’re craving our favourite Asian flavours without a fuss, we put together a big container of these cold Sesame-Peanut Noodles and stash it in the cooler. They are popular at picnics and potlucks, and good just to have on hand when we get back from yet another round of running around town. Spicy and tangy, saucy and crunchy, filling but not heavy, this is our kind of summer salad.

Sesame-peanut Noodles

(Serves 2-3)

1 Package noodles, 150gms
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Cucumber seeded and cut in thin strips
2 Small carrots, julienned and microwaved for about a minute to soften
½ of a Red bell pepper or capsicum, julienned
6 spring onions, green part only
2 Tablespoons roasted peanuts
1 Teaspoon sesame seeds


For the sauce -

1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Teaspoon ginger, grated or minced
1 Teaspoon garlic, grated or minced
2 Tablespoons peanut butter, microwaved for about 10 seconds
2 Teaspoons soy sauce
2 Teaspoons vinegar
2 Tablespoons chilli-garlic sauce, or to taste
1/3 cup vegetable stock 




To make the sauce, heat the sesame oil in a small saucepan or tadka pan. Add the ginger and garlic and take the pan off the heat. Whisk in all the remaining ingredients for the sauce and set this aside.
Cook the noodles as per the package directions and drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon sesame oil and then transfer them to a large salad or mixing bowl.
Stir half the sauce into the hot noodles. Now toss in all the veggies except the cucumbers. Allow the noodles to cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate. Also refrigerate the cucumbers and leftover sauce.
Just before serving, toss the salad with the remaining sauce and the sliced cucumbers. Garnish with the roasted peanuts and sesame seeds and serve cold.

Note: You can also toss in other vegetables of your choice like steamed broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, baby corn, snap peas.. And if you’d like to make a meal of it, add some sliced hard boiled eggs or strips of grilled tofu.

Soft ‘n Sweet, Light As Air..Hokkaido Milk Bread

This month’s assignment from the bread baking divas over at We Knead To Bake was a loaf that came with several tall promises. It would be pure white, pillowy soft, sweet and very tasty. Several bakers described it as the softest bread they’ve ever baked! The Hokkaido Milk bread with origins in Japan uses an intriguing flour-water-milk roux called Tangzhong  instead of the usual starters, poolish or sponges. And it is a pretty versatile recipe..one can use the same dough to make pav or muffin rolls or even shape it like little turtles, hedgehogs, snails or crocodiles! We made our bread in one regular pan but divided the dough into three pieces, so that it can be sliced up as a whole loaf or even pulled apart to share with a friendly neighbor. And yes, it was the softest bread we’ve ever baked too

For a very detailed recipe and fool-proof instructions, and to check out all the different versions of this fantastic bread that the group has baked, head on over to My Diverse Kitchen.

Original Recipe from 65 Degrees Tangzhong “65C Bread Doctor” by Yvonne Chen, and adapted from Kirbie’s Cravings)                           

Comfort in a bowl – Chickpea Flour Stew with Vegetables

Never is the average Indian square meal so immaculate than as evidenced in the multifarious side dishes that lend themselves to the little mounds of fluffy, hot, white rice in the center of the plate. There are vegetables braised, boiled,  sautéed, fried, roasted, and eventually dunked in the ubiquitous onion-tomato gravy, or a textured, sweetish coconutty paste, or even a yogurty base. And then there are meats, rubbed with choice spices and cooked in pungent ginger-garlic laced broths. There are coastal curries, city specialties and rustic recipes..and above all else, tastes that are often dictated by states and cultures. Here’s one such dish that is exclusive to Sindhis, and relished by many. With a lovely, nutty flavor from chickpea flour in the background, this vegetable medley comes alive with the zing of tamarind and the sweetness of jaggery. Best served hot with rice.

Sindhi Kadhi - Chickpea Flour Stew with Vegetables

(Serves 4)

3 Tablespoons oil
½ Teaspoon fenugreek/methi seeds
1 Teaspoon cumin seeds
½ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder/cayenne
¼ Teaspoon turmeric
½ Cup chickpea flour/besan
5 cups of water
Salt to taste
2-4 Fresh green chillies, to taste
Vegetables - 


1 Medium potato
1 Large carrot
1 Radish
10-12 Okra/ladyfingers/bhindi
2 Baby eggplant/brinjal
4-6 French/green beans
1 Drumstick/Moringa
6-8 Florets cauliflower
2 Tomatoes



2 Sprigs curry leaves, optional
1 Teaspoon tamarind extract or to taste
1 Tablespoon powdered jaggery/brown sugar or to taste


Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottomed dutch oven or pot. Add the fenugreek and cumin seeds and sizzle them for a few seconds. Stir in the chilli powder and turmeric and then tip in the chickpea flour. Toast the flour in the oil on low heat, stirring continuously, until it turns golden and fragrant. It is important to toast the flour completely since this is what will give a well-rounded taste to the kadhi.
Add the green chillies and salt to the pot. Now slowly whisk in the water, a little at a time, so as to avoid lumps. Once all the water has been incorporated, bring the pot to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare the vegetables. Peel the potato, carrot and radish and cut into thick strips, like French fries. Trim the heads and tails of the okra. Cut the baby eggplant into  quarters or 6 wedges each. Trim and cut the beans and drumsticks into 2″ pieces. Chop the tomatoes.
This step is optional and we skip this if we are in a hurry – In a small saucepan, heat a teaspoon of oil and toss the okra and eggplant on high heat for a couple of minutes.
Add the vegetables to the pot in order of the time they would take to cook. We like to add the carrots, radish, beans and cauliflower first and the drumsticks, okra, eggplant and potatoes after a few minutes.
Once the vegetables are tender, add the tomatoes and curry leaves. Cook until the tomatoes start to break down. Stir in the tamarind extract and jaggery and simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste the kadhi. There should be a nice balance of salt, spice, sweet and sour. Adjust the seasonings if needed and then take the pot off the heat.
Let the kadhi rest for an hour or so if possible, to allow the flavours to blend. Serve over steamed white rice in shallow cereal bowls with a side-salad and papads.

If you like, top the kadhi with a Tadka comprising hot ghee, a pinch of red chilli powder and perhaps a few curry leaves.

 

Citrusy Take On Coffee Cake!

When life gives you oranges, bake a coffee cake! Brimming with flecks of orange rind, the sheer tingle of freshly squeezed orange juice, crunchy walnuts, and the silk of chocolate syrup cutting rivers through the plush insides, this coffee cake is finished off with a glimmering, grainy-textured topping comprised of wheat germ, butter, sugar, and more walnuts.

Perfect companion to coffee, come sleet or shine.

Orange, Walnut & Chocolate Coffee Cake

1.5 Cup flour
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
1 Cup sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Stick (1/4 Cup) butter – softened
1 Egg – beaten
3/4 Cup fresh orange juice
About 1 tablespoon orange rind pieces/ zest
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 Cup walnut bits

Heat oven to 350 F/ 180 C. Prepare a 9×5 loaf pan by greasing with butter and a dusting of flour, set aside. Mix dry ingredients, work in butter with hands. In a medium bowl, whisk egg, orange juice, orange zest/ rind pieces and the vanilla. Pour in the wet ingredients into the dry ones, mix gently, pour into prepared pan, pour some chocolate syrup (we used directly out of a Hershey’s can) use a knife to slide it in waves, and then put the topping (see below) and bake for 45 minutes.

For the topping - 

2 Tablespoon butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 Cup wheat germ (you can substitute with crushed oats too)
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 Cup walnut pieces

Mix all of the above together just until you get a coarse, crumbly mixture.

An Eggscellent Breakfast!

It’s hard to go wrong with eggs and toasts for breakfast, especially when Old Man Winter’s here to stay a while. Perhaps crunchy, gilded-faced toasts slathered with oodles of butter and topped with eggs done sunny side up could be counted as cheery; and fluffy omelets with dry toasts would measure up as hopeful. But these hearty, healthy and flavorful Scrambled Egg-wiches can rather effortlessly iron out those winter blues and excite the school-goers to eat well, do well and stay well. With the familiar tastes of everyday spices, further fortified by vegetables, cheese and nibbles of walnuts, they’re perfect to serve as snacks, fillers, lunch, or even a late evening fix.

Scrambled Eggs-and-cheese-wiches

(Makes 8)

11/2 Tablespoons light olive oil
1/4 Teaspoon whole cumin (optional)
A dash of turmeric
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Green chilli, minced (optional)
1/2 Bell pepper (any color – we used orange), chopped
2 Cloves of garlic, grated
1/2 Tablespoon grated ginger
1/4 Teaspoon each red chilli powder and coriander powder
1 Tablespoon coarsely powdered walnuts
1 Tomato, chopped
4 Eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
Salt to taste
2 Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro for garnishing
1/2 Cup grated Cheddar or Moneterey Jack cheese (to be mixed in after the eggs cool down)

In a skillet, warm the oil and add the cumin, turmeric, then the onion, chilli, bell pepper, garlic, ginger and fry on low heat until the whole mass turns a light brown. Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder and powdered walnuts, stir well, and then toss well with the tomato. Allow the tomato to cook down, then add the beaten eggs, salt, and scramble well..fry until the eggs are done. Mix the cilantro into the egg mixture and set aside, allowing it to cool. Add the cheese and mix well.

For the Sandwiches

16 Slices of whole wheat bread, sides trimmed
Butter or oil to smear on top

Arrange 4 slices of bread on a cutting board or plate, fill 2 with the egg mixture, cover each with the other 2 slices, spread some softened butter or smear oil on top of each filled stack and slide into your toaster oven, cook until sizzling brown, or heed your toaster settings accordingly. Cut into triangles and serve hot with ketchup. In our homes, these egg-wiches are typically washed down with tall glasses of mango or orange juice.

Mushy Over Mousse

Some things in life are far more endearing when done the old-school way. Like these expressions of love: a hand-written note, a bunch of flowers picked from the garden, a home-cooked meal. And in that same vein, our delightful, time-tested dessert can be made with yogurt, primarily, and just a handful of other ingredients. It calls for no fancy kitchen gadgets and can be made in many different ways too, to suit your taste, or your sweetheart’s, this Valentine’s.

A cloud of soft, fluffy chocolatey, caramely yogurt mousse..luscious in every bite and perfect to serve topped with fruits, nuts, or even toffee, granola, or dry fruit bits. It can be put together in minutes, and you can leave it in the refrigerator to set while you hum a retro love song and whip up a simple, fresh meal for your loved one/s. Because a sweet treat, like love, is best when it’s simple and old-fashioned..

Chocolate-caramel Yogurt Mousse

(Serves 4-6)

3.5 Cups Organic yogurt, hung in a cheesecloth overnight
1/2 Cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 Cup chocolate syrup
2 Tablespoons sugar (or according to taste)
1 Packet of unflavored gelatin
3 Tablespoons cold water
Water in a saucepan to immerse the gelatin bowl
1/4 Cup caramel flavored whipped cream
Mixed berry jelly to cover the bottom of the serving bowls
Fresh raspberries to top the dessert

Cream the thick, hung yogurt, condensed milk, chocolate syrup and sugar in a bowl using a whisk or fork in measured, medium-speed strokes until everything comes together airily. Put the gelatin in the cold water, stir, and place in the hot water bath of the saucepan until it dissolves completely. Mix in with the yogurty fluff, fold in the whipped cream gently, and put in serving bowls with berry jelly on the bottom. Refrigerate for about 2-2 1/2 hours until set, serve topped with raspberries or any fruit of your choice.

Notes:

You can top this dessert with crunchy bits of walnuts, almonds, or even pecans.
Also, you can use plain whipped cream in place of the caramel flavored one, or add a fruity flavor to the yogurt by using mango or strawberry puree.

Chile-kissed Cheese-filled Pull-apart Loaf

As part of the “We Knead to Bake” project, the brainchild of Aparna who runs My Diverse Kitchen, the food and photography blog from the beautiful Indian state of Goa, here’s a Mexican-themed pull-apart loaf from the Tadka kitchens.

Aparna has planned 12 different breads for a bevy of bloggers who’ve signed on, one for each month of the year, and we will bake these sometime during the month and post them on our blogs on the 24th of each month. This month’s assignment was a savory pull-apart bread, with the filling and flavouring left to the imagination of the bakers.

Brightened up with a dollop of tomato paste, and layered with mild, deep-red Ancho chile powder, lush green cilantro and sharp, salty shreds of grated cheese, our lavish loaf was decked up with a few pickled Jalapenos on top for extra zing..and was pulled apart and demolished with glee at the dinner table.

Ancho-chile Pull-apart Bread with Cheese and Jalapenos

For the Dough: 

½ Cup warm milk
1 Teaspoon sugar
2 Teaspoon active dry yeast
1 Cup whole wheat flour
1¾ to 2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter, soft at room temperature
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
¾ cup milk (+ a tablespoon to brush over the bread)

For the Filling:

3 Tablespoons very soft butter
2 Teaspoons Ancho Chile powder
1 cup grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
2 Tablespoons coriander/cilantro leaves
6-8 Pickled Jalapenos for topping

Method:

To make the dough - In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and the yeast in the ½ cup of warm milk. Keep aside for about 5 minutes till the yeast mixture bubbles up. Put the whole wheat flour, 1¾ cup of all-purpose flour, salt, softened butter, and tomato paste in a food processor bowl and pulse a couple of times to mix. Then add the yeast mixture and the ¾ cup of milk and knead till you have a soft, smooth and elastic/ pliable dough which is not sticky. Add a little extra flour if your dough is sticking,but only just as much as is necessary. Or, you could mix and knead the bread by hand.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it completely with oil. Cover and let it rise for about 1 to 1½ hours or until almost double in volume.

For the loaf - Dust your work surface lightly with flour. Deflate the dough, shape it into a square and roll the dough out into a larger square that is about 12″ by 12”. Brush the surface of the square with the melted butter.

Evenly sprinkle the Ancho-chile powder, the grated cheese and the coriander/cilantro leaves. Use a rolling pin to very lightly press the topping into the dough to ensure that it doesn’t fall off when you are stacking the strips.

Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough from top to bottom into 6 long and even strips – they do not have to be perfect. Lay each strip on top of the next, with the topping facing upwards, until you have a stack of the strips. You can put the 2 strips cut from the sides in the middle of the stack so it looks neater.

Using a pastry scraper or a sharp knife, cut the long stack, dividing it into 6 equal pieces (6 square stacks).

Butter and lightly flour a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. Layer the square stacks vertically, cut sides down, into the loaf tin, nestling them in as you like, to fit the pan.

Cover the dough with greased plastic wrap and allow the loaf to rise for an hour. Lightly brush some milk over the top of the loaf and scatter the jalapenos.

Bake the loaf at 180C (350F) for about 35 to 40 minutes. Run a knife along the sides and then turn it out onto a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool slightly before pulling it apart.

For more Pull-apart loaves, check out -

Triple The Onions! Swirly Leek Noodles

Even if the feet have tired from revisiting the local Chinese hotspot for those toothsome take-outs, and the tongue is weary from an overdose of brown, drippy sauce that coats anything and everything, a Chinese cuisine lover is bound for life by the sheer diversity of tastes it embodies. There’s salty, there’s sweet, spicy, hot, sour..all rolled into one in a simple dish like, say, noodles. But sometimes, it doesn’t have to be as complex as it sounds.

Even Chinese-style noodles can be strung together perfectly well right in your own kitchen with just a touch of vinegar, for instance, by amping up the ginger-garlic flavors and mixing in a trace of peppery essence. The flavors needn’t, like they do in the familiar take-out box, run deep. They just need to have their presence subtly felt, or perhaps complemented, in this case, by a bolder side dish that makes no apologies or excuses for being ostentatious.

With leeks, spring onions and shallots, these Chinese-style noodles, topped with dainty curls of omelette, are a feast for the eyes as much, if not thrice as much, as they are to the tastebuds. With mild flavors shimmying down through the tender, swirly ribbons, this one pot meal pairs very well with a fresh, fruity Riesling, or if you’re in the mood for some tea, a citrusy, herb-tinged brew would be just right.

Swirly Leek Noodles

(Serves 2)

150 gms Chow Mein Noodles 
5 Leeks
4 Spring Onions
1 Onion or 6 shallots
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oil, divided
1 Teaspoon minced garlic
1 Teaspoon minced ginger
1 Thai or Indian green chilli, de-seeded and minced
½ Teaspoon white pepper
2 Teaspoons chilli vinegar
2 Eggs


Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles as per the package directions. Drain well, toss with a teaspoon of oil and set aside.
Cut and discard the fibrous green part of the leeks and trim away the beards. Cut the leeks into 2, length-wise. Now slice them into thin half-moons. Put the sliced leeks into a bowl of water and swirl them around to release any sand. Set aside for a couple of minutes to allow any dirt to sink to the bottom. Then remove the leeks gently into a colander and rinse. Set aside to drain.
Chop the spring onion whites and greens separately. Thinly slice the onion.
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large wok. Add the ginger and garlic and toss. Now add the leeks and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes and then add a generous sprinkle of salt. Cover and cook the leeks for about 5-6 minutes or until tender.
Now increase the heat and add the sliced onions, spring onion whites and green chillies. Stir for a minute and then add the drained noodles. Continue to toss on high heat to sear the noodles. Add the white pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar and spring onion greens.
To make the omelette swirls, beat the eggs in a small bowl along with a tablespoon of water. Heat the remaining oil in a small non-stick saucepan. Pour in the eggs and cook, gently lifting the sides to let the uncooked liquid flow down. Flip once and remove onto a cutting board. Roll the omelette tightly and then cut into thin slices.
Garnish the noodles with the omelette swirls.

These noodles go perfectly with our vibrant Chili Garlic Veggie Medley..

And for more simple Indian-inspired recipes using regular supermarket ingredients, check out our new eBook: MANGO MASALA: 60 Indian Recipes From Your Local Supermarket..now available on Amazon.com.

Mad About Chinese Medley

Indian-style Chinese cuisine has come a long way since Eau Chew opened its doors to Kolkatans about 87 years ago, and our mixed-vegetable stir-fry is suggestive of just that. A conflagrant and chromatic combo of broccoli, carrots, red peppers and zucchini tossed in a predominantly garlicky, mildly gingery, sweet-sour sauce to go with our Triple the Onions! Swirly Leek Noodles, up next on Tadka Pasta..

Chili Garlic Veggie Medley

(Serves 2-3)

1 Small head broccoli, cut into small florets (We used the leaves and stem also)
1 Large carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 Tablespoon oil
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Teaspoon minced ginger
2 Spring onions, white part only, minced
½ Teaspoon red chilli flakes
1 Red Bell Pepper/capsicum cut into large chunks
1 Medium zucchini sliced into half-moons
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce - 

1 Tablespoon tomato-chilli ketchup (or use ketchup mixed with Sriracha)
1 Teaspoon soy sauce
2 Teaspoons rice vinegar
1 Teaspoon brown sugar
2 Teaspoons cornflour mixed into a slurry with half a cup of water


Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
Bring water to boil in a pot and separately blanch the carrots and broccoli just for a minute or until slightly softened but still crunchy. Drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large wok and add the ginger, garlic and onions. Stir for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Add the red chilli flakes and then the red bell pepper/capsicum and the zucchini. Toss well on high heat and then tip in the blanched carrots and broccoli. Once the vegetables get slightly caramelized, pour in the sauce. Add the salt and pepper. Simmer for a minute and then take off the heat.

Serve the Medley with our Triple the Onions! Swirly Leek Noodles, recipe coming up soon..

And for more simple Indian-inspired recipes using supermarket ingredients, check out our new eBook: MANGO MASALA: 60 Indian Recipes From Your Local Supermarket..now available on Amazon.com.