Fusili Aglio e Olio with Spinach and Eggs

Made it for the third time last night, and HAVE to record it here - its SO simple and good!

INGREDIENTS

Dried Pasta (any long shape- I prefer fusili)- 250 gms.
Fresh Spinach - 200-250 gms., cleaned and washed
Garlic - 3 large cloves, minced finely
Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp. or to taste
Cheese (preferably Parmesan) - 150 gms. grated + more to garnish
Half a lemon
Eggs - 2, hard boiled
Olive oil - 2 tbsp.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 tbsp. (optional)
Dash of oregano/parsley/basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste

METHOD

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 3/4 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp oil and the pasta and cook until al dente (9 mins for the brand I use).
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. oil in a large skillet/wok and saute the garlic and pepper flakes over medium-low heat until golden and fragrant.
3. Shake off any water clinging to the spinach leaves, break them into bits by hand and add them to the skillet.
4. Increase the heat to high and saute the leaves until just wilted. Add in the herbs, salt and the cheese and mix.
5. Lower the heat and add the drained pasta. Toss well to combine. If it seems too dry then add a bit of the pasta-cooking water, though I've found that the water released from the spinach is quite enough.
6. Turn off the heat and let cool a bit. Squeeze the lemon juice in, add in the extra-virgin olive and toss again to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
7. Ladle into plates and top with a chopped egg over each plate, some parmesan shavings and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Serve and enjoy! I've found it tastes best at room temperature, rather than hot.

Serves 2.

Simple Butter Cake

INGREDIENTS

Refined flour(maida/APF)- 2 cups
Sugar- 1-1/2 cups
Milk- 1 cup
Amul butter- 125 gms.
Baking powder- 2 level tsp.
Eggs- 2
Vanilla essence- 1 tsp.
Raisins- 1/2 cup (optional)

METHOD

1. Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
2. Sift/mix the flour and baking powder together. Add in the raisins.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer.
4. Break the eggs in a clean dry bowl and whip with a fork till frothy (about 5mins.)
5. Add the eggs into the mixer with the sugar-butter mixture. Add in the vanilla and whip at medium speed till smooth and well-blended.
6.Transfer to a large bowl and mix in the flour, alternating with the milk, in 3 additions. Take care to move the mixing spoon/spatula in a single direction to incorporate air properly. No need to beat too vigorously. Just mix till everything is smoothly combined.
7. Pour into a greased cake pan and bake for 25 mins. in an oven pre-heated to 375 degrees.
8. Cool and serve as desired, with or without icing, or topped with ice-cream and fresh fruit.

Mushroom Masala

I made this today and really liked it. Quickly jotting down the recipe here lest I forget it as I'm wont to do, more often than not.

INGREDIENTS

Button mushrooms - 150 gms.
Tomatoes - 2 large thickly sliced.
Capsicum - 1 medium sliced into strips.
Onion - 1 large thickly sliced.
Garlic - 2 large cloves finely chopped.
Green chillies - 3 finely chopped.
Ground coriander - 1 tbsp.
Ground cumin - 1 tbsp.
Curry powder/chicken curry powder - 1 tsp.
Sugar - 1/8 tsp.
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp.
Turmeric - 1/8 tsp.
Oregano seasoning - 1/4 tsp.
Olive oil - 1-1/2 tbsp.
Fresh lemon juice - 2 tsp.
Salt to taste.

METHOD

Heat the oil go a skillet/wok and fry the onions in it. When they start getting brown add the garlic and fry till fragrant. Next add the tomatoes, chillies and all the dry spices except the oregano and fry over medium heat till the tomatoes are mushy and the oil separates. Add in the mushrooms and Capsicum and stir to combine. Turn the heat to its lowest and cover and cook for 15 mins. Uncover and cook on medium high heat till all the water evaporates and the oil separates. Mix in oregano and turn off the heat. To finish add the lemon juice and mix well. Top with chopped coriander and serve.

Quick-n-Easy Chicken

I made this last night in a hurry with some leftover frozen chicken as a surprise treat for Sunny. As I don’t eat chicken I have no way of saying how it tasted, but the aroma was good and Sunny was spotted licking his fingers. So there!

Directions

1. Slice thinly 1 small shallot and finely chop 5 medium garlic cloves.
2. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a wok/skillet.
3. Add 1 split green chilli and the sliced shallot and stir fry till the shallot turns golden.
4. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant – about a minute or so.
5. Add 1/8th teaspoon red chilli powder and fry for a minute.
6. Add 200 gms. Chicken pieces and stir fry on high for 5 mins.
7. Add salt to taste, mix, cover and simmer on low till the chicken is cooked through – about 20 mins.
8. Add 1 teaspoon tomato ketchup, 1 teaspoon chilli sauce and 1 tablespoon soy sauce and mix thoroughly.
9. Increase the heat to medium high, and cover and simmer the chicken for another 5 mins.
10. Remove from heat and serve hot with roti, rice or noodles.
(You can add water and simmer and reduce the gravy to the desired consistency).

Serves 1.

Tomato Chutney (Sweet)

I never cease to be amazed at the way eating traditions differ so widely among ethnic groups subsisting on the same culinary practices. For example, most non-bengalis like to have their meal with the accompaniment of Achaar (pickles) and Chutney (relish), while Bongs like to have chutney at the end of the meal with Papad (poppadoms) followed by sweets. In fact, when we used to live in Central Kolkata during my childhood we had very few Bengali aquaintances and when once in the bluest of the blue moons we had occassion to visit a Bengali friend of Papa's or my aunts' or attended a wedding, we used to be highly confused with the practice of serving the chutney at the end, where we didn't know what to do with it - our usual practice being to mix it with rice or dip the puris/kachoris in it. Our bengali hosts in turn would be not just a little puzzled at our (to them) unusual request of asking for the chutney in the middle of the meal. When we shifted to South Kolkata the cirlcle of our Bengali friends grew and gradually our tastebuds were also bongified, so much so that now I and my Mom are suckers for bangali ranna - Chaatni being our especial favourite.

This is Sunny's favourite chutney, that I learned to make from his shejo mashi and have been making with great success for the past couple of weeks. For those who like to end their meal on a sweet note, yet would be happy to do without the cloying sweetness of the usual desserts, its the perfect denouement to any meal - with the perfect tang of tomatoes coupled with the savoury depth of ginger and the sweet-sourness of raisins. I'm told its good for the digestion too, though I'm yet to do my research on that. The best thing is that it can be made in bulk and stored upto a week in the fridge. Next time I'm considering adding a teaspoon or a half of chaat-masala to give it that slight chatpata edginess of pickles. Mmmmmmm..... drool!

Ingredients

Tomatoes (Plum/Roma) - 1-1/2 kgs.
Fresh Ginger - 1" piece, grated
Green chillies - 5 sliced finely
Sugar/Jaggery - 500 gms. + more to taste
Raisins - 3/4th cup, soaked
Amaavat/Aamshotto (Preserved Mango Relish) - 1 stick / 1 heaped tablespoon
Salt - scant 1/4th tsp.
Mustard seeds - scant 1 tsp.
Vegetable oil - 1/2 tablespoon.

Directions

1. Wash and chop the tomatoes into medium dices.
2. Dice the amaavat into 1/2" squares.
3. Heat oil in a wok/heavy bottomed pan.
4. Once smoking hot, add the mustard seeds and once they stop spluttering add the tomatoes.
5. Stir thouroughly and add the salt
6. Mix to combine, lower the flame, cover and simmer for 7-8 minutes.
7. Remove cover, add the raisins, ginger, chillies and sugar/jaggery and mix thoroughly.
8. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook stirring frequently (to prevent the mix from sticking to the bottom of the pan) till it reaches a very thick viscous consistency.
9. Check for sweetness, add more sugar/jaggery if desired and cook further till dissolved properly.
10. Remove from flame, immediately add in the amaavat and mix to combine.
11. Let cool, and then ideally chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours. - best chilled overnight for the flavours to meld.
12. Serve as accompaniment or on its own as a dessert to a traditional Indian meal.

Slurp! Drool! Lick! :D