a mixed bag of events, food, people, streetlife and travel.
Brownies and Cakes differ.
Shiny crust, less flour, more cocoa, more chocolate, dense and crunchy, fudgy…
No leaveners used in a Brownie unlike a Cake.
Whether your style of relishing is to dunk a Brownie into a glass of cold milk
or enjoying with scoop of Pure vanilla ice cream atop a piece of warm Brownie,
they are much more fun than cakes.
Some photos of the home-baked Deep Dark Chocolate Fudgy Brownies.
The texture can be quite easily more towards a cakey or a fudgy Brownie.
Mawa cupcakes are made by adding khoya to flour, eggs, butter and sugar with a pinch of ground green cardamom (there is also black cardamom but those are reserved for fish, meat and chicken dishes usually).
Not every day one ventures into making khoya. Khoya and mawa resembles cottage cheese but not quite so. Cottage cheese is made by curdling milk using lemon juice or white vinegar. Mawa is an unavoidable ingredient for Indian sweets like Gulab Jamun, Gujiya, Halwa, Kachori, Kulfi, Barfi, Malpua, Laddoo and Peda.
Milk is evaporated while stirring occasionally at first and later constantly once thickened to make mawa. Milk powder and ghee (clarified butter) can be used to make mawa but the evaporation method is the best.
The resulting solid is mawa or khoya.
Baking process is the same as any other muffins or cup cakes.
Fill the silicon or paper cup linings to 3/4th and the heat will transform them into proper cup cakes. At 180 degree Celsius in about 24 minutes, these cakes are ready. Khoya makes the cake bit dense but no one would complain given its heavenly taste.
Mawa and cardamom goes together really well and the cup cake is a nice companion to Indian Chai.
Silicon cupcake linings are convenient to use and they are washable. Many prefer the paper linings. Baking these cakes in free time proved to be a good experience. But sharing them at work was even a better experience.
A pizza is loved mostly by all.
It can be ordered through an app in your mobile phone
or
enjoyed at the nearby restaurant.
The toppings could be varied.
Combinations; limited only by one’s imagination.
Now,
ordering a pizza is one thing
and
attempting to make-a-pizza-from-scratch is entirely another.
You will come across:
All-purpose flour.
Bread flour.
Wheat flour.
Pizza flour.
Instant yeast.
Active dry yeast.
Proof.
Baker’s percentage.
Topping.
Tomato sauce.
Pizza stone.
Stone? Metal?
Pizza peel.
What’s a peel, anyway?
And, later…
the more enlightened one.
Metal or Wood peel?
Quite intimidating, to start with.
But the resolve to bake a pizza leads to a truly unique experience.
Some photographs through the process… come, join me.
Flour, salt, yeast, luke warm water.
It cannot get simpler than that.
Tomato sauce, uncooked.
Dried oregano.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Parmesan and mozzarella.
Fresh basil leaves.
Biggest challenge was to transfer the pizza from work surface to the improvised peel.
As expected, the pizza with topping adamantly clung to the improvised peel
proving its everlasting and unrelenting love for the peel,
more than expressing its reluctance to enter the oven.
Later, the dilemma was managed by using a parchment paper.
The flour yielded enough dough for a total of four medium pizzas.
Three more left to learn from.
A casual talk with a baker once,
many years ago, came to mind.
“The beauty of an Italian pizza lies in its simplicity”, says he.
Pizza without chicken? thinks me.
I could not agree then.
The realisation of the truth in the statement by that baker,
went home real deep last weekend
when it was decided to bake a pizza, from scratch.
Pizza stone was available from a local store
but could not find a Pizza peel.
(Does one need a pizza peel in first place?)
The simple pizza tasted really great.
With no meat or mushroom or vegetables or olives or artichoke or anchovies…
The dried oregano made quite a difference to the tomato paste and got applauds from the family.
The outcome was encouraging.
Below are the marks entered in the recipe book by the daughter…
For taste: 9 3/4 out of 10
For chewiness: 10/10 (she seems quite impressed with the chewy-dough)
For crispiness: 9 1/2 out of 10
Resemblance to restaurant pizza: Incomparable (wow!)
Comment: Restaurant pizzas must come a long way to be in par with home-made ones
The melted cheese may not be stringy, I concur.
The oven could be stretched to only about 440 degrees F.
But someday, the melted cheese sure would be stringy.
Someday.
On a weekend @ 19C.
Warm glow of the oven light.
Flour.
A few eggs, at room temperature.
Softened butter.
Cream cheese.
Corn starch.
Confectioner’s sugar.
Semi-sweet dark chocolate.
Pure vanilla extract.
Lemon zest.
and some baking…
Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Bourbon Biscuits.
French Madeleines.
Snowball Cookies.
In a box.
The Cookie Box.
Not long ago, may be a few months back, a recipe was found by chance that included a rather strange ingredient. This is all about that….
Black Stone Flower is one of the unusual spices in the Indian culinary repertoire. It is quite a rare dried flower and a dominant spice in Chettinad preparations.
Black Stone Flower or Dagad Phool (parmelia perlata) is a soft white, brown and black coloured lichen that gives the signature black color to various masalas like Goda Masala. Mildly leathery, it has a light musky, strong earthy aroma and a very dry, fluffy texture and feel to it. It is widely used in Chettinad cuisine and to some extent in Hyderabadi and Marathi cuisines. An edible lichen flora, which grows on trees, rocks and stones, when used in small quantities, it imparts a strong woody aroma and flavor to the preparation. For better results it must be roasted in a little oil to release its full aroma.
Ooty and Kodaikanal in the state of Tamil Nadu are places known to harbour this rare spice though no conclusions could be made on the place of domicile to this ‘spice’.
Daggad Phool (daggad = a rock or stone, phool = flower) is used in cooking traditional Chettinad food but for most, the spice is elusive and not regularly utilised. However, the blackish purple flower (lichen, to be precise) is often blended with other spices to make some indigenous masalas. In Maharashtra, it forms a part of the famous goda masala or the Andhra vaangi baath podi. It is also believed to be a part of the traditional garam masala but not many store bought ones does not include this rare find.
The resistance was not too strong on the suggestion to use this spice in our kitchen. But it was neither subtle. No one we knew ever mentioned the name “Daggad Phool” and it was unheard of back at home or the home of relatives.
Thus the experiment started.
Chicken Chettinad Curry, a dish of chicken in a spicy gravy of onion, ginger and garlic with black pepper corns and red chili powder. Plain rice or flat bread (Naan, a pita-type leavened flat bread, roti or chapati) were suggested to accompany the dish but since it was a Friday and the ‘chef’ had enough time in his hands, the choice went and stood at Vegetable Pulav. Both the dishes had daggad phool or kalpaasi as one of the ingredients.
The spice had become an instant favourite with the family when a neighbour phoned in to enquire about that “mysteriously delicious” aroma rising from our kitchen. The result of adding daggad phool to the chicken dish was beyond any expectation. Other than Chicken dishes, some Biriyanis are a good candidate for this spice. But in my opinion, when a biriyani is served with a chicken dish, either one may have the spice added. Some how this complements the combined flavour though I am not sure how this is made possible. May be more research is in the horizon.
Chicken is cut and marinated with salt, turmeric and lemon juice for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, the spices are dry roasted with no oil in the griddle over low medium flame. Each spice are roasted individually as the time required by them to reach the required level differ. Finally grated coconut is sautéed.
Tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, onions, green chili, coriander and mint leaves are chopped.
The cooking is a 3 tiered process.
The spices are made into a paste with the coconut in a blender and kept aside. Then,
One: The marinated chicken is sautéed in oil and kept aside.
Two: Chicken is cooked with onions and tomatoes in a pressure cooker for two whistles.
Three: Chicken is transferred to a Kadai and further cooked with spice-coconut paste, initially with lid closed for 10 minutes and then open, to achieve the right consistency.
Garnished with fresh coriander leaves chopped prior to serving.
Vegetable Pulav calls for soaked and drained long-grained, fragrant Basmati rice.
Onion is sautéed along with spices. Hot water is added to which the rice is cooked.
Cooking times could not be generalised as it depends on many factors not limited to the type of kadai used and the temperature of the gas stove.
Rice must be cooked like a Pasta. Just enough to make feel the bite. Fluffing the cooked rice using a fork within the pan and outside, on a tray, is important to get that single-grained texture. Key is to keep the grains separate.
A different version using Kashmiri Chili is shown below. Being creative is often harmless but adventurous.
Aroma filling the home was enough proof that the chicken and rice turned out good. But when the faces that tasted the food lit up with a delighted brightness brought in by a spontaneous smile, the ‘chef’ ceased looking further for a more convincing proof.
Vegetable Pulav
Wash 1 1/2 c basmati rice.
Soak 15 mins.
Chop 1 1/2 c vegetables (potatoes, carrots, mint, 2 green chili, french beans, cauliflower… or a combo. Peas would be good to have).
Sauté dry spices (1 bay leaf, 1 star anise, 1 strand mace, 3/4 t shahi jeera, 3-4 green cardamoms, 6 cloves, 2″ cinnamon, 1/2 nutmeg, 3 daggad phool, 1/4 t fennel seeds)
Sauté 1 med onions.
Fry 1 1/2 t ginger garlic paste.
Add vegetables and handful chopped mint.
Sauté 2-3 mins.
Add 2 1/2 c hot water. Add sea salt. Mix. Bring to rolling boil.
Add drained rice. Stir gently.
Cook in medium heat until water evaporates.
Cover with lid.
Cook again in low heat 4-5 mins.
Switch off stove.
Fluff up rice.
(Note: We are not using the colander method to cook rice here).
Spread rice in a baking tray.
Carefully fluff up the rice again.
Serve with chicken and raita.
Chettinadu Chicken
Cut, cube, pat dry chicken.
Marinate 15-20 min in sea salt, 1 t turmeric powder, 2T lemon juice.
2 t vegetable oil. Heat pan.
Sauté chicken from pink to white.
Dry roast all spices (3T coriander seeds, 4-5 dry red chili round type, 2t fennel seeds, 1t cumin seeds, 2″ cinnamon stick, 3 daggad phool, 2t whole black pepper corns, 5 green cardamom, 1 star anise, 5 cloves)
Keep aside to cool.
Dry roast 1/4 c grated coconut.
Grind spices and coconut together to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Heat 2 T oil in a pressure cooker.
Sauté 2 large thinly sliced onions.
Add a small handful of curry leaves, 2T ginger garlic paste.
Sauté 1 min.
Add chicken. Mix well.
Add 2 med tomatoes chopped. Mix well.
Cover cooker and cook for 2 whistles.
Switch heat off and let steam.
Transfer chicken from cooker to a kadai.
Add more water if required.
Add ground masala paste and mix.
Cover. Simmer 10 mins.
Add fresh coriander leaves.
Serve with vegetable pulav and raita.
Note: South Asian cuisine is mysterious and therefore quite adventurous, with plenty of opportunities to be creative. The lack of precise measurements is thought to be the reason. A perfect knowledge of the characteristics of the dynamics of various spices is a prerequisite. Consistency could be achieved over a period of time. But some oldtimers achieve that perfection without ever tasting the food they are cooking but by the highly trained olfactory perceptions alone. In the wide piquent culinary spectrum, with the humble salt and pepper seasoning at one extreme, Chettinadu Chicken may not move up towards the opposite end. But it sure comes closer. Daggad Phool would inconspicuously be absent from within that spectrum and that is where its true power lies. It could be compared to a zero in arithmetic; alone it has no value but with the right combination of spices, the synergic potency could never be undermined by any diner who is also a discerning connoisseur.
Home town.
Arabian Sea to the West and
Western Ghats on the East.
The sandy beach was about 5 miles from home
as the crow flew.
On quite summer nights,
the sea could be heard
from the front yard.
Further down south of the beach
is the port and harbour of Vizhinjam.
Activities at the harbour
with the fishing boats approaching
filled with the previous night’s catch
were documented in the photographs below.
The fishermen looked neat
in their clean lunkies and shirts.
Most of them had access to foreign goods
either through their relatives working in the Gulf
or from local ‘duty-free’ shops.
All of them were wearing footwear
and they were quite aware of the
presence of the photographer.
On the kind invitation from the folks that had just returned from the sea, a few Mackerels were handpicked from one of the boats directly. Never before were such freshness seen.
Her name, she said, was Papita.
Papita ran a small ‘shop’ in a busy sidewalk in one of the commercial centres of the city. She sold amusing amulets, hand-crafted necklaces, stone-spankled bangles and bright coloured earrings. There were other potential customers who stopped by to look at the wares on display. The price quoted was much low as against high-street shops.
I was looking at either an amulet or a bracelet as a souvenir.
That was when she pointed to the hand-made bracelets with the name of your choice.
You could also choose something like “love” or even “peace” if that was your choice.
I chose a name and asked if it would take much time and if so, I could wander around the nearby market and return.
As her reply, she offered me a kind of wood piece that would serve as a mini-bench which meant that she could finish the work while I waited.
The bracelet workshop was just next to the ‘shop’.
Papita got down to work. She had chosen the beads bearing the letters of her name and had stuck them on her work-bench. Two red heart shaped beads adorned her name.
I asked her permission to capture a few photograph of hers to which she nodded which meant “that’s fine with me”.
For a better view of the working, I settled down opposite her, sans the offered seating.
Bright couloured strings, multi-faceted cubic beads, a piece of wood, polished with constant use and a lighter.
Why the lighter, wait and watch, she said, still searching for the letter E, observing my impatience with a faintest smile. Some letters are in much demand, she said, in her own dialect. I remembered that comment from our casual game of Scrabble (Regd) back home.
Well, we are almost done, can you hold this string for me now, Yes, is this tight enough, That is fine.
She handed me the bracelet for almost a dollar, the cost agreed before start of the work.
A few drops of fresh squeezed Lemon Juice
added to the Sugar syrup
in which the ripe but firm Peach is being poached
taking a tangy sweetness
complementing the mild tart-sweet Raspberry sauce,
simmered, puréed, sieved and
drizzled over the delightfully pure Vanilla Ice Cream
adding to the overall creamy deliciousness.
Served chilled with a sprig of Mint.
Raspberry Coulis getting ready on the stove-top…
Cast iron utensils had been a part of the kitchen since several decades.
There were shinier-than-gold brass and copper vessels and light weight porcelain.
Glass was not to so common then. Lunch was often served in ‘Kopa’, a large bowl.
When Aluminium and Stainless Steel made their debut, cast iron became a cast away.
Heaviness and maintenance were pointed out as reasons.
They are still maintained and stored carefully for their emotional values.
Stove top grill pans are healthier than cast iron skillet.
Raised strips in the grill pan present the food being cooked with the grill marks.
Partially charred marks add to a kind of unique flavour to the meats and vegetables cooked in it.
Much more than the visual effect is the health. The raised strips keep the food being cooked away from the fats.
Fish monger at the supermarket enquired about the week-end project and suggested to try grilling fish. Sea Bream is fresh, he added. Yes, he was right. Bright clear white eyes with no faded colours. Skin that reflected the light as if newly polished mirror. Reddest possible gills. Firm to touch flesh. Smell of the sea… matched all the descriptions of a fresh fish. The fish looked farmed not caught from sea.
“Sea Bream for dinner”.
Not much of a reaction from the family.
Busy evoking the picture of Sea Bream on the screens.
Many handheld mobile devices lit up.
Sea Bream came on screen.
“Woooooow! Sea Bream…”
And off they went their ways.
It was decided that Sea Bream would be accompanied by steamed vegetables and sautéed mushrooms served with Kubooz. Fish shall be grilled and not fried.
Chose cumin, garam masala, red chili powder, lemon juice, parsley and yogurt combination. Fish was cleaned at the supermarket. But washed and cleaned again to make sure perfectly cleaned fish. Sharpened the 8″ Rostrfrei. (Miyabi would be the dream knife. Awaiting the day when the price drops, but it wouldn’t).
Glass bowl.
Marinade.
Fish goes in.
An hour.
Overnight is best. Always the case.
Pan took under 8 minutes to reach the desired temperature on medium high heat.
That sizzle when the fish touches the pan.
Left undisturbed for 7-8 minutes.
Thin bamboo spatula.
Now time to swap sides.
Another sizzle.
Beautiful black stripes on Sea Bream.
Fat begins to melts and makes one think if they are grilling or frying.
All the fat moves away from the food and settles below the top of the raised strips.
Mechanical timers rings. Its 8 minutes.
(No electronic devices are usually brought into the kitchen except cameras or mobiles.
The photographs seen here are captured with iPhone 7. Smoke and steam must be driven out using the powerful exhaust before attempting to bring in devices.)
Time to steam vegetables.
Zucchini. Broccoli. Sweet Potatoes.
Mushrooms are chopped and sautéed in a dash of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil with a pinch of paprika and seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Thick bottomed copper pans cost their weight in gold. Weighing a ton for its size, cast iron rules the kitchen with years of tradition.
Imagine this…
Beige buildings.
Sandy deserts.
Date Palm trees.
More Date Palms.
Cloudless skies.
Bright sun.
Forty degree C.
Wide, straight, well-marked highways.
Panameras, Range Rovers and many Land Cruisers in the city.
Wandering camels, a little further away.
Concrete and glass tall buildings.
Low-roofed, two-story houses with stone-paved alleys.
Was that smell wafting in the evening air that of a Shwarma?
Pita bread with Tandoori Chicken, Hummous with a fresh Olives and a bowl of freshly chopped Tabouleh!
We are somewhere in the Middle East.
Contrast this view with…
Green trees.
More greener trees.
Trees with dew drops dripping down.
A casual drizzle.
Fresh smell of earth.
Crying Crickets.
Colourful blooms.
Group of cyclists whizzing past.
Bright blue skies.
Floating clouds.
Twelve degree C.
Winding, narrow roads.
Wooden houses.
Fragrance of a wild flower, that seems so familiar but completely unknown.
Far away from home…
This is French countryside.
When I stopped for a short break and a bite, en route Giverny from Chartres, a Shwarma was the last thing that came to mind. There it stood. Le Vallon de Chérisy. Cherisy is a village of Eure et Loir, in a green, the quiet of the countryside Drouaise, borders of Yvelines, on the borders of the Eure Valley, 5 minutes from Dreux.
The service was quite personal and the food was good. The dessert – Rum Baba with Pineapple and Vanilla Ice Cream – was indeed a delight.
The place for the night stay was still about 30 miles away. But what is a 30 mile journey for the E350?
The drummers and dancers kept trying several times till the Director got what he was looking for… a perfect shot. Watching a photoshoot makes the time fly.
The sound of the drums seemingly got louder as the sun sank deeper…
Salmons are filled with goodness.
Granted.
But the fish is tasty indeed.
And that is why it is always a favourite at home.
Early morning drive to the fish section of the nearest hypermarket.
The Salmon is filleted and packed.
Back home, these fillets need to be checked for tiny pin bones.
Remove any found, best to use a pair of tongs.
One may also choose to use the tip of a paring knife.
Clean glass bowl.
Olive oil.
Fresh Parsley, chopped.
Dry Basil.
Lemon juice.
Salt and pepper.
Fillets are placed skinless side down on the marinade.
2 hours. Lemon juice partially cooks the fish!
Oven preheated to 150 degrees Celsius.
Baking tray with aluminium foil lining readied.
Fish goes in, skinside down.
Around 16 minutes, flaking begins.
Care must be taken not to over cook the salmon.
Chewy, it becomes as experience has taught.
Sautéd Zucchini, Mangetouts, Mushrooms and blanched Broccoli.
One can also try Asparagus shoots.
Cream of Tartar uses so much mayonnaise
usually not used much at home therefore.
Yoghurt can substitute mayonnaise.
Capers and gherkins complete the picture.
Cream of tartar was skipped
and the focus was now on potatoes.
Russet Potatoes.
3-4 times more expensive than ‘regular’ ones.
Flaky not sticky.
Gives a silky finish to the mashed potatoes.
Unsalted butter.
Milk.
Salt. White pepper.
More salt…
Later, watching the harvest moon, with the family; a cup of Rooibos tea.
Over the tea the discussion on baked or roasted happens.
Roasted, it is.
Would you disagree?
Muharraq is where one can find a place many casual cafés and restaurants that serve brunches with Kadak Tea and Turkish Coffee. Though some places are not advertised much, a wanderer-of-streets finds them anyway; either by chance or through a casual recommendation from a friend. But the one located in a narrow by-lane, that just let a car pass by, blew away most of the cafés in terms of ambience, authenticity and the traditional food served.
The place serves only traditional Bahraini breakfast which includes ful, eggs with tomato, balaleet, beans, breads and more. Fresh juice or coffee compliments the food served.
Lanes of Muharraq are also best places to hone the art of driving while they offer several photo opportunities to those interested in photography.
Rice with a heavenly fragrance of unknown spices and herbs; garnished with semi-fried onions (ah, that charred taste…), brown-roasted cashewnuts and succulent raisins. A spicy chicken-thigh, hidden inside the rice with the masala. Hard-boiled egg, partially dipped in the centre of the rice as no biriyani is complete without the egg. A deep-fried papad; a piece of fresh lemon pickle and a bowl of raita.
Masala Chai is served after the biriyani but we kids often sadly let go the offer. Not because we have lesser appreciation for the nice hot spicy tea made with cream and sugar but the heavy lunch does not allow us from imbibing the luxury drink. We never ever said no to the Gulab Jamun that followed.
Such was the dear memories of Chicken Biryanis prepared and served back home when most of the people were taller and wiser than me. Visiting relatives and a festive season were inevitably linked with the dish. Happy memories, still refusing to fade away after many years of constant petting and caring, adamantly and comfortably clings to mind just as the four-year old child awaken from the bed with much reluctance, perches on her Dad’s arms, refusing to budge.
As a kid, Biriyani was a complete mystery dish.
Why it takes so much time to prepare the Biryani with so much of cleaning and chopping?
What are the secret ingredients that went into the dish other than rice, onion and chicken?
How did they manage to get that unique aroma rising in the air filling not just the kitchen or the entire house, but the whole neighbourhood?
In spite of serving the dish with just a raita and a papad and may be a lemon pickle, how it tasted so great?
After many summers… and festive seasons.
Did some research on Biryanis in an attempt to recreate that delicious memories one more time at home. Hyderabadi Dum Chicken Biriyani [Note: Long-grained rice (usually basmati) flavored with spices such as saffron, layered with lamb, chicken, fish, or vegetables cooked in a thick gravy. The dish is then covered, its lid sealed on and cooked on a low flame.] was chosen to be the star.
Surprisingly simple to make in just three steps.
1. Cook rice.
2. Prepare chicken.
3. Garnish.
4. Assemble and serve.
Some tricky in-between operations ensure that the biriyani could come out as close as the memories of yester-years. The magical taste was all about those in-between operations.
So this is not about any dish, let alone Biryani, but about the reliving of those wonderful years amidst noisy cousins and loving, kind relatives and parents, back home. Come with me, dear readers, on that exciting journey.
Deciding the rice was the first part. Long-grained Basmati or Wayanadan Kaeema. Kaeema was chosen.
Then the cook gets up early on a Friday, sacrificing the prerogative of a get-up-as-you-like week-end day and drives to the supermarket for the freshest chicken and herbs. The summer sun is already up and the temperature is a cool 35 deg C already. Herbs are just waiting in their racks… Cilantro & Mint for the Biriyani. Parsley for baked fish and Dill for Chicken Kofta, later. Some Chives for French Omelette. Now to the meat section: thighs of Chicken, bone-in. Fresh not Frozen. The recipe called for some chopped pineapple. Cashew nuts and black raisins (kish-mish) for garnishing. Saffron for mixing with creamy milk diluted with warm to add that wonderful golden-yellow colour to some rice.
Fresh eggs. Papad, a rice flour and urad dal wafer, served deep-fried. There is lime pickle and then yogurt for raita (Cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, green chili chopped and sliced served in yogurt seasoned with salt and Sumac).
Almost all spices are available at home so did not had to purchase.
Always the responsibility of the daughter to check and ensure all items required by the recipe is available: in the shelf, cabinet or refrigerator. Hope she had done a great job.
Take a deeper breath now and rest a while. The cooked food gets some time to settle. You will be amazed at the magical flavours that had filled the kitchen as you re-enter.
Pre-heat over to about 345F. Assemble the biryani in a glass bowl.
Chicken, rice, chicken, rice, chicken, rice. Garnish with 1/4 of a pineapple chopped small, fried onions, cashew nuts, raisins and finally coriander leaves. Cover bowl with an aluminium foil and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Some lessons learned:
1. The flame needs to be adjusted often as the food is being cooked through various stages.
2. Get only the best ingredients for the dish.
3. Thighs with bone-in is most suitable for this biryani.
4. The mistake made by choosing white onions instead of red onions proved to be a near disaster.
5. Prefer small garlic compared to large, perfectly-white ones.
6. Use pineapple flavour (essence) sparingly as it could easily overpower other subtle flavours.
7. Use not more than 1/4 of a medium pineapple.
8. After all is said and done, getting the rice cooked to that perfect point seemed to be the hardest part.
Ixora was never considered by anyone a great flower. It seem to come up from nowhere and carry-on without much demand unlike other flowering plants in the garden that needs nurturing and even a bit of pampering. One of the attractions in the home garden is Ixora. Bright orange, yellow and faded red, the clusters are always there challenging the concept of seasons. Occasional visit of the gardener makes no difference to the plant. The maid waters it as she waters other plants. Kids sometime pluck its flowers and drink the nectar. They play with the garlands made by adding each single flower in tandem. A humble flower that brings so much memories of the good times of childhood. It never fails to bring a smile, every time.
Roses are red.
Fragrant, too.
Roses can touch your heart.
They convey deep feelings.
Sometimes even make you cry.
So is Harissa (həˈrēsə).
The words Harissa dances and flows in the mouth quite effortlessly.
It brings many cherished images to the mind.
But what is Harissa?
Harissa is a fiery hot condiment and seasoning from North Africa and the Middle East. It is a paste of dried red chilis, garlic, and olive oil, with other spices such as ground red pepper, caraway, cumin, caraway, coriander, fennel and mint. It is most closely associated with Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Morocco. Makes Tabasco and Sriracha take a distant second and third places when it comes to a chili sauce contest.
[Recipe for Harissa cannot be more simpler than this…
About 50gm dried red chilies
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
Salt
Olive oil
Mix all together].
But the fiery red sauce is not for the faint-hearted.
Not even for the moderately-brave.
It takes a real courageously-daring one to even attempt to even think about making Harissa paste at home.
Therefore
I decided to make the recipe at home amidst all the usual naysayers.
“Can’t be done”.
“Not for Indian cuisine”.
“You need special ingredients… secret ones… how will you find them”.
“Why bother yourself when you can just add chili powder?”.
“We got SriRacha in the fridge”.
“Since when did you started experimenting with North African cuisine”.
So on.
First things first.
How many types of chilis are there in the market?
A few.
Wrong.
Many many.
Wanted to learn all about them before deciding which one to buy.
World of chili was so exciting that the first learning was that it might take longer than a weekend to learn.
So decided to choose
a dark, long one,
a reddish-brownish medium one and
a cute, round one.
(The intended ones were Pasilla, Guajillo & Cascabel. Must learn which is which).
Also used four different types of chili powders: Cayenne, Paprika, Red chili and Kashmiri chili.
Soaking the chilis in hot water was easy.
But the deseeding and destemming part took a toll as a not-so-easy burning sensation on the face.
Food-grade gloves and medical-grade face mask were used.
Not to mention industrial-grade eye-glasses.
While the chilis were soaking, garlic was de-skinned and crushed.
Coriander, cumin, fennel, caraway seeds were ground using pestle and mortar.
The four-chili paste was prepared.
Dried mint leaves kept aside.
From now on, it must be a breeze. So I thought.
Soaked chilies, drained well, went to the food processor.
Warning: The first buzz will fill the kitchen with the volatile component of the chili oleoresin that one must expect and take precautions.
From mildly uncomfortable runny nose and eyes to uncontrollable sneezing could occur.
So please be forewarned.
(Note: Harissa preparation will make onion slicing chore feel like a seventh heaven).
Having survived that grinding to paste stage, spices and mint were added and mixed.
Some balsamic vinegar was added to the paste. Lemon juice, if you so prefer.
Finally, the food processor was run at very slow speed while a stream of Olive oil was mixed in the emulsification process. The processor was stopped once the mixture achieved the desired consistency.
Due to the watery-eyed environment, many photo opportunities were missed.
But the few that were taken can be found here.
In short, the home-made sauce was a real unforgettable experience in the kitchen.
But if you ask em if I would repeat the experience, I would not reply without a bit of hesitancy.
While the runny-nose tells me no, the beyond-the-words taste of Harissa in fish and chicken urges me “you must”.
Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomatoes or Shakshouka
Scrambled eggs in tomatoes is quite common for breakfast or dinner.
Mostly with dry chapatis or khubooz.
A recipe got from a friend recently took the dish to a completely different dimension.
A bit of ground Cumin and a few Chilies made the difference.
The recipe originally included the delightful Harissa* paste.
Since the home had a stock of Cayenne Pepper, Sweet Paprika, Red Chili and Kashmiri Chili, thought of replacing Harissa with the chili powders.
(Harissa: a hot, spicy condiment made from mixing dried chilies soaked in hot water and roasted- or sun-dried tomato paste, widely used staple in North African and Middle Eastern cooking).
Chopped onions were sautéed on medium heat with minced garlic in Olive oil.
Diced green bell pepper is added.
Once softened, all the spices were added ensuring that the raw taste is gone with frying.
Care was taken not to burn the delicate spices.
Chopped, ripe tomatoes were then added.
Season with sea-salt flakes and crushed black pepper.
Pan was covered on medium heat and cooked for 10-15 minutes.
The contents must be stirred a few times to avoid burning in spite of seeing enough water in the pan.
Small indentations (actually they are “wells”) are made as the number of eggs.
Eggs are cracked raw into these wells.
Cooking for another 10 minutes would just see the eggs settle from being runny to semi-solid.
Garnish with fresh Cilantro and the dish is ready to be enjoyed.
The next week-end project?
Shakshouka with the best-ever home-made Harissa paste.
One day, quite recently…
Me: “I am going to bake a bread”
Family: “Bake a – WHAT?”
The entire household was practically paused for well over a few minutes.
In total disbelief.
“Why bother making something you can easily get for BHD 0.100?”*
“Bread? One can NEVER bake a bread at home!”
“Baking a bread needs special equipment. Forget it!”
“Hmmmm…. you’ve found another way to waste money, time and effort…
But
The above comments could not dissuade the baker from chasing, and later achieving, his dream.
*BHD 1 = USD 2.57 appx.
Let me take you back to another day, many many years ago…
The idea of baking a bread at home was toyed since childhood.
The inspiration was the small local bakery near the place of domicile.
Around mid-afternoon, the heavenly aroma of the nearby baker baking his loaves will find its way to our home. Giving the baker a few more minutes to finish his work, a fresh loaf will be at home soon. The family gathers around, being a Sunday, marvelling the freshness and softness of the bread. Baker refuses to slice the bread as he maintains it is too early to slice a bread straight from the oven. There were many times when the bread was enjoyed without being sliced. The experience was always worthy of repeating a million times. That is when the idea of baking bread at home was born.
During those years, my Mother used to cook many dishes. Most of them could be categorised as nothing short of “complicated”. List of ingredients, the processes included in preparation and cooking, adjustment of heat by adding or removing firewood from the stove (those were pre-LPG days) were some reasons for the complexity. Delicious sweets which require hours on fire were made only during festive seasons: Easter or Christmas. Whole family chips in and the house maids also join to support but the main cook was always Mother.
Yet another day, couple of years back…
The childhood idea was put to action quite recently. May be a couple of years back when the first bread was baked in-house. Only few super markets carried bread flour. The recipe said bread flour specifically. Some of them mentioned using all-purpose flour but the fear of failure in first attempt prompted the would-be baker to travel to the edge of the world to find the perfect bread flour. He found it in a super market in the Amwaj Island.
Other ingredients were a fairly easy to come through: yeast, egg, milk, honey, salt. The 10-year old Italian-made oven with an external temperature gauge were the major components towards the first bake. Stove-top cooking was for every day but the oven was rarely used.
All the ingredients were mixed with yeast added in to the traditional well in the centre. The mixture was far from promising. Sticky, without any form or shape.
Baking a bread is all about proving. First the yeast has to prove itself. Then the dough. Then the dough in loaf-tin, again. But the real proof is in the pudding which is the proof of the baker himself. Yeast was over-energetic. It was excited to thrive in the 114 degree Fahrenheit water mixed with honey. In less than 10 minutes, the yeast-proofing was done.
Slowly, the dough began to transform itself as if by a magic spell. The mix was then kneaded by hand. Five or ten minutes, I do not remember. But the kneading stopped only when the dough felt pliable and soft. Time for the dough to prove itself. Well oiled glass bowl, the recipe did not specify which oil, was used to store the dough “for an hour or until it doubles in size in a warm, dark place”.
Slowly lifted the tea-towel that covered the dough-bowl. Could not believe own eyes. The dough had proved itself!
Followed the recipe to the t and inflated the dough after a bit of hesitation. Baker is still not confident. Is it not the first attempt to bake a bread? Pardoned.
Left the dough in a loaf tin this time in the warm dark place to prove again. The dough took the challenge well and overflew the standard bread tin thus ensuring the classic champagne-cork shape.
Meanwhile, in another part of the kitchen…
Pre-heating the oven was meticulously done. Temperature was monitored to the degree. The risen-dough went straight into the oven. Half-way into the baking process, the rich, heavenly aroma of the bread began to fill the apartment. The crust was light brown. There was no way to test the doneness of bread without opening the oven door. Door was open, crust was knocked for that reassuring hollow “thud” sound.
A home-made bread was born.
Family, who were nearby since the aroma started filling the air, now gathered around the bread.
Some suggested butter. Others jam. How about chicken curry? Plain bread taste as good, came in another revelation. Olive oil and salt. Creativity is beginning to cross boundaries now.
Five minutes later, I thanked the heavens for the family leaving the loaf tin alone.
A question came up… when are you going to bake the next bread?
Soon, the baker said, and smiled to himself.
A few weeks back, a Challah was baked.
MyRefractions 