Indian Spices Straight from plantation

Last few months have been really busy and i couldn't try something new, however I took a trip to Kerela (God's own country) and had an opportunity to visit a spice plantation. 

Truly to its word Kerela must be God's permanent address. the places we saw had a rustic charm to it with different landscapes from mountain to beach all within the same state. 

When i was going through the pics I found some from Spice plantation and I think its a must write, I was amazed to see some of the spices being grown in the plantation which we use often in day to day cooking in their dried form 

1. Cardamom

Starting with one of the most common spice Cardamom (elaichi), in Indian cuisine cardamom is used both in savory and desserts. Its often used in drinks as well, most commonly in tea and flavored milk. 

Cardamom is third most expensive spice only after saffron and vanilla. what we generally get is the dried form of cardamom. in the fresh form it is 80% water and dissolves in mouth and very light on palette. 

Cardamom doesn't just provide amazing fragrance but adds a different flavor to anything you add it in. It gives subtle aroma to the food.

2. Nutmeg & Mace

Nutmeg and Mace come out of the same fruit, stone is nutmeg and the skin attached to the stone is mace. 

The fruit is left in sun to dry and when it shrivels the pulp and skin is peeled off. the stone is separated and further dried and there is another skin on the stone which after drying forms frill or curtain cover over the stone. 

Even when both these come from the same fruit they have distinctive flavor. while nutmeg gives sweeter flavour to the food, mace is very delicate and primarily used for its smell and bright color. 

I use nutmeg generally towards the end of cooking process and the easiest way is to grate it over the dish while it is still on heat. Mace is generally used as a whole spice in the initial stages of cooking. 

3. Bay leaf

Bay leaf is an aromatic spice which is generally used dry form in Indian cuisine in savory dishes. Bay leaf is one of the key ingredients of the Garam Masala.  The reference of  bay leaf is also there in ancient Greek recipes.

The fresh leaves though safe for consumption aren't used in cooking as they don't have any flavor. the flavor enhances only after drying them for several days.

A lot of people believe this leaf to be similar to oregano and thyme herbs in the flavor.

4. Pepper Corns

Any talk about Indian spices can never be completed without having a mention of pepper corns. 

This is the spice which attracted the Portuguese and English alike to India in early days and one of the most traded commodity apart from the silk. 

Pepper corns come in 3 different colors Black, Green and white. the basic pepper is the same and different colors come from different ways of processing. 

Black Pepper - Cooked and Dried unripe fruit

Green Pepper - Dried unripe

White Pepper - Ripe fruit

Each type has different flavor and used in different type of food. Peppers are also used as table spice to sprinkle and provide quick heat and flavor to food. 

What i could click is the green form which are still on the plant and even these have a flavor of heat in them and can be used to give mild flavor to food.

5. Devils chilly

This green chilly is generally not bigger than an inch, but can make anyone sweat due to the heat. For people who are not used to it this chilly is best served pickled or in brine. which keeps the flavor intact however kills some heat which makes it consumable for people like me. This chilly is almost 8-10 times hotter than jalapeno and is used to get heat to food.

 

Cashew

The next one is not a spice but i should still share it as this has also become integral part of Indian cuisine, for its versatile use. Cashews it is. 

Cashews are used in various shape and form in Indian cuisine, as dry fruit for instant energy, thinly sliced used as garnish over sweets or desserts. and churned into a paste to form a thickening agent for Indian curries

Even the fruit which is actually inedible by itself is processed to make country liquor out of it. Popular by the name of fenny in Goa. So while the fruit makes liquor, the spiced cashews make very good snack with this liquor. (chakhna as commonly known in Indian slang) 

I will do my best to not take such long breaks from cooking and blogging. I already have next recipe in mind. its a comfort food with meat balls, noodles and soup in the same bowl. One of my favorite food. And I almost had it every second day during my visit to China some years back. 

This is one of the foods apart from hot pot that i miss the most.

Bengali style Prawns curry - Mustard and coconut milk

Work has been taking me to Kolkata often and every time I visit the culturally rich city of India, courtesy my friends I have always been treated to amazing food.

The food in Kolkata is influenced over centuries by Chinese, English, Armenian migrants, who have added to the richness of food. I doubt that any other city in the country can boast of this huge a variety.
Post one of the visits I was talking to Prachi about this prawns malai curry i had in kolkata and she made the same at home and it was amazingly same in the taste, and getting inspired from her I had to try this recipe myself.
I was amazed with the flavors and how close I could get to the Bengali food, this recipe is not exactly like malai curry but with a little variation hence not calling this by the name to not hurt anyone's sentiments :)

The curry is so light on palette that you can get distinct taste of mustard and coconut milk and all this without overpowering the heart of the dish" Prawns".

Feel free to try this recipe with any other fish as well and you can enjoy different tastes, this curry actually compliments the fish/prawns and helps getting the flavors out.


Ingredients

1.  Prawns   - 300 gms
2. Garlic - 8 cloves
3. Ginger - 1 inch
4. Onion - 2 Large
5. Tomato - 2 medium
6. Bayleaf - 2 small leaves
7. Cloves - 3 No
8. Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
9. Nutmeg - 2 pinch
10. Green chilies - 4 No
11. Coconut milk - 300 ml
12. Mustard oil - 5 Tbsp
13. Turmeric powder - 2/3rd  tsp
14. Salt- to taste
15. Sugar - 1 tsp


Pre Prep : 

1. Shell and De-vein the prawns  and marinade in salt and turmeric for 30 mins
2. Make a paste of onion, ginger and garlic
3. Slit green chilies
4. If you are using coconut milk powder. add water and make milk as per instruction on the pack

Cooking :

1. Heat the mustard oil in deep pan, and add in the whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf ), saute for 30 seconds on medium flame
2.Add onion, ginger& garlic paste and saute till light brown
3. Add chopped tomato ( or pureed )and cook for 5 minutes or till oil separates
4. Add slit green chilies and sugar
5. Add prawns and cook till they curl and turn a little pink in color
6. Add coconut milk and cook for 10 minutes till the curry is smooth and slightly thick
7. Add grated Nutmeg just before turning the flame off  to get nice aroma

The curry is best enjoyed with rice.
If replacing with fish  the cooking time will be slightly more depending on the thickness of the fish chunks.

Chicken Wings in Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce

Chicken wings in lemon butter garlic sauce. 6 Steps recipe is quick to cook and great to taste.  Generally when you say a recipe is easy unhealthy fried food comes to everyone’s mind first. However this one is very healthy uses minimalistic oil and cooks in its own juices and steam.

This one is especially dedicated to a very close friend who these days is living alone and doesn’t really enjoy cooking. I am sure he can cook this one and knowing his taste he would love this as well. This is a tried and tested recipe and I have indeed shared this with a few friends earlier as well and have got amazing feedback.

This recipe again like Lamb Yakni, comes from my father in law’s kitchen and this is my favorite food whenever I do my occasional diet food spree.

Ingredients

      1. Chicken Wings -10 pcs

      2.  Lemon - 2   pcs

      3. Butter – 1 dollop (or olive oil when you are thinking about diet)

      4.  Coriander – few sprigs

      5. Garlic – 10 cloves

      6. Salt

      7. Pepper

Pre Prep

1. Finely chop coriander and garlic

2. Clean and wash chicken wings

3.  Squeeze the lemon juice

Cooking

     1. In Pressure cooker heat butter/olive oil

     2.  Add garlic and brown it for couple of minutes

     3. Add Chicken Wings and coat them with butter across

     4. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves half lemon juice  

     5. Add Salt and pepper

     6. Pressure Cook it for approx. 10 minutes and you are done

You can also use chicken breast as well in place of chicken wings just cut them into thin strips. You can eat them as snacks/ main course. 

Black Pomfret en Papillote (Fish in paper envelope)

Went to a restaurant with some friends a couple of days back and he ordered Fish en papillote and the first comment when he got the plate was "I wish i could make something like this at home".

To break the myth that "en papillote" commonly known as "in envelope" is very difficult to make and you will have to only go to a good restaurant to eat this. Today i will share the basic quick to cook and good to taste recipe. 

En` Papillote is cooking style which started in Italy and was adapted in different cuisenes very well, 

This is a technique where the meat literally cooks in its own juices and absorbs some flavor of the outer shell. This is very healthy way of cooking where the accompaniments are cooked with the meat itself and has base flavor of the meat, which harmonizes the overall dish. 

Its an overwhelming felling when you open/ tear the envelope and get all the aroma and juices out. And all your guests can appreciate the true flavor and blast of the taste with every bite.

Now lets go to the recipe and see how simple it is to cook.

Ingredients

1. Fish - 700 gms   

2. Onion - 2 Large 

3. Potato - 2 Large

4. Carrots - 1 Large

5. Beans - 8-10 

6. Rosemary - 4 Sprigs/ 2 TBsp if dried

7. Garlic - 10-12 cloves

8. Olives - 8-10 

9. Lemon - 2 Large

10. Parchment Paper - 4 sheet (size o fold the fish)  

11. Butter - 1tsp (just to brsuh Parchment paper)

12, Salt 

13, Pepper

Pre- Prep

1. Wash and cut the fish in Fillet 4 Pcs

2. Thinly slice Onions, carrots 

3. Boil the potatoes till half cooked and slice in same thickness as onions and carrots

4. String the beans and cut into 1 inch pc

5. Clean the garlic and slice 

6. Slice the olives 

7. Squeeze the lemon 

8. Marinade the fish with Salt, pepper & lemon juice

Cooking

We will cook four (4) separate portions/ packets so please repeat the same 4 times

1. Pre-Heat the Oven on 200 degree C for 10 mins.

2. Brush the Parchment paper with Butter in the center 

3. Place 1/4th Onions, Potato  and carrot slices and sprinkle salt

4. Place 1 Fillet of fish on top 

5. Put 1/4th Garlic and Olive slices on top

6. Sprinkle Rosemary on top of fish

7. Place beans around the fish

8. Wrap the parchment paper in a way to ensure the steam doesn't stays intact 

(We can wrap in a traditional style, heart shaped cutout and pinching the parchment paper or simply folding all side from outside to inside and enclosing with a toothpick)

9. Place the envelopes in a baking tray and cook for approx 20 mins in the preheated oven 

10. Open/ tear the envelope on the table itself  Serve it with a wedge of lime.

>>> Even better let your guest tear their own envelope

LAMB YAKHNI - A delicate Kashmiri yogurt based preparation with influence from Mughals and British

LAMB YAKHNI

The Preparation I am sharing today is Lamb Yakhni.

Yakhni is a yogurt based lamb dish from Kashmir, which originated in Persia and brought to India during Akbar rule in late 1500. The earliest documentation of Yakhni is found in Ain-I-Akbar. And sometime during the British Raj  Yakhni was modified for vegetarians as well.

And using this I give you option of cooking this dish with Lamb/ Chicken or Potatoes.

Yakhni is a perfect example where 7 very simple ingredients can give you a very complex dish which has layers of flavor. This is one of very few Indian recipes which don’t have onions& tomatoes in the gravy.

Lets move to the recipe

Recipe

Ingredients:

1. Mustard oil  6 Tbsp

2 Asafetida (Heeng ) – 1/2 tsp

3.Aniseed (Saunf ) – 4 Tbsp ground to a powder

4.Cinnamon (Dalchini) – 1/2 stick

5. Yogurt – 1 Kg (Preferably home made or unsweetened curd)

6. Lamb – 1 Kg (preferable cut of meat- Neck Chest – Soft cuts )(Replace it with chicken/ potatoes if you want)

7. Red chilli powder – 2 tsp  (Deghi mirch for a better color)

Preparation:

1.  Powder the Aniseed

2.  Clean and wash the lamb

3.  Whisk the curd to ensure that there are no lumps and, it’s all smooth

Cooking:

1.       Put the lamb to cook in a pressure cooker for approx. 25 minutes sprinkle 1tsp aniseed powder for additional flavor

2.       Turn on the heat and take a wide pan with a heavy bottom (Like a kadai/dekchi)

3.       Put mustard oil and let it burn and loose the strong mustard flavor

4.       Once the oil starts smoking turn the heat off and let it cool for couple of minutes

5.       Turn the heat on , add asafetida and cinnamon and stir it for a minute

6.       Mix aniseed powder with half cup water and add to the cooking mixture

7.       Keep stirring all through the while ensuring it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan

8.       Cook till the mixture turns reddish in color  

9.       Turn the gas low

10.   Add yogurt and keep stirring all the time till the time. Ensure that yogurt is simmering and doesn't boil

11.   Add Chilli powder and keep simmering it should not take more than 25-30 minutes

12.   Keep cooking till the fat from yogurt comes on top and the gravy turns reddish in color, add salt and more chilli powder as per your taste

13.   Take the cooked lamb and strain the liquid add it to the top

** don’t throw the liquid it could be used to thin the gravy if you require, you can use it as a base of soup or to cook rice. It has a lot of flavor I love to add some spice in the broth and turn into a soup (but let’s keep that recipe for some other time)

14.   Bring the pot to boil and  cook for 5 more minutes

15.   Serve it with long grain rice and enjoy Kashmiri cuisine right at your home

Naga Pork curry with Bamboo shoots

The First preparation I would like to share is Naga meat curry flavored with Bamboo shoot and raja mircha.
When it comes to north eastern part of the country we only talk about Momo's and Thupka, on exploring i realized the cuisine has loads of flavor, taste and textures. The dish we are talking about is healthy, tasty and very easy to make.
You can get a distinctive taste of all the ingredients and enjoy the depth of the dish with every bite you take. it goes best with plain steamed/boiled rice.
I have added my touch to the recipe by adding some greens which makes it even healthier than what it is.

Recipe
Ingredients

Meat – 1 Kg (Chicken/Lamb/ Pork)

Bamboo Shoots – 50 grams

Raja Mircha (Paprika easily available option )  - 3 Chilies / 2 Tsp

Tomato – 2 no

Ginger – 3 Inches

Garlic – 10 Pods

Spring Onions -   ½ Bunch

Spinach – ¼ Bunch

Vegetable Oil – 1 Tbsp

Salt     - As per taste 

Preparation  :

1    1.   Wash and Clean Meat

      2.   Peal and wash Ginger and Garlic and crush it in a pestle and mortar 

      3.   Make incisions in Tomato on top to make it look like a cross

      4.   Clean and Wash Spring onions and Spinach

  

     Cooking   :

      1.  Take the pressure cooker and heat oil 

      2.  Saute Meat till its sealed and brown (Chicken - 8-10 minutes ; Lamb - 25 minutes ; Pork 45 minutes) 

      3.  Add Water and bring it to boil (water only to cover the meat and 1 inch higher the meat). 

      4.  Add Bamboo shoots, crushed Raja mircha (Paprika) and tomatoes and Salt. 

      5.  Put the lid and let it cook.

      4.  Cook till meat is done (Chicken - 10 minutes ; Lamb - 20 minutes ; Pork 40 minutes)

      5.  Let the steam get off Open the lid and add crushed ginger garlic

      6.  Let it cook for 5 minutes and add spring onions and spinach

      7.  Taste for Salt and heat from the chilies

        Naga curry is ready to eat 

I I want to dedicate this recipe to the friends who made it for me few months back and got me hooked to bamboo shoots from then on. 

  And this should help all to explore some more flavors of north east. 

   Look out for the next recipe from my favorite part of the country GOA. One of the authentic Portuguese recipe which takes us to sweet, sour and spicy taste.     

Introduction

I am Navneet , food is my passion only next to my family. There is no better way to express myself than food.
I generally say food is my religion and food is divine to me.
In this blog we will talk about food, try some authentic recipes which we dont get in resturants and cook books often, but passed on through Grand mums, mums and friends, and give them my own twist. Make them easy to cook.

In our busy lives we are moving away from our roots, and turning towards fast food and packed food. In this blog we shall cook and share some easy, fast yummy recipes and make it time friendly.
We shall also try some different cuisines and make them our own, adapt them to local ingredients and taste to make is easy to cook.

We will also talk about some restaurants and food experience around Pune/ India and across the globes. This should help us decide where to go and what to eat.

I hope you will enjoy reading the experience, try some recipes and share your feedback.