Shahi Paneer from Jayati's kitchen

The other day one of my friends from school called me and yelled into the phone "How come there is nothing with paneer, on your blog?" I had only taken the first sip of my morning cuppa, my eyes were still heavy with sleep and my voice groggy. "Ummmm...there isn't," I mumbled. "No, nothing. What am I going to do now?" "I didn't realise..." I said, feeling guilty, though I was not sure how my culinary crime (I had begun to feel that my blog wasn't any good without paneer) had put my friend in a sticky spot. "My in-laws are dropping in, I had planned to smply open your blog and cook up a storm, the MIL loves paneer and there is no paneer. Now what?" By now my senses were wide awake. "Don;t worry, just get a pad and a pencil." I quickly gave her a quick paneer recipe, something I often cook at home. She was happy, I was relieved. But I couldn;t stop thinking about my blunder. 

So, this week when I had to cook something from my fellow blogger Jayati Saha's blog Jayati's Food Journey for the second week of Kolkata Food Bloggers event Know Your Blogger , I decided to try out one of her paneer dishes. Unlike my blog, Jayati's has an impressive assortment of Paneer Specials. Initially I was eyes Jayati's Dum Paneer Kali Mirch but finally settled for her Shahi Paneer, paneer cubes simmered in this creamy saffron infused, cashew nut-enriched curry sauce!

Jayati is the ideal modern Indian woman, effortlessly managing a thousand things - a mother, a professional 

Hey blog is the go-to destination if you are looking for traditional Bengali food. But that's not it, she effortlessly doles out delicacies from across the country, including rarer treats like Masor Tenga, an Assamese fish preparation to die for. In fact, if you love fish you have all the more a reason to check out Jayati's Food Journey for its rich repertoire of fishy delights (punned ya!) 

I followed Jayati's recipe mostly, adding a few personal touches here and there and it turned out great! Here's how I did it

 Ingredients

Paneer (cut in cubes) - 500 g
Onion - 1 large
Minced garlic - 1 tbsp
Minced ginger - 1 tsp
Cashew nuts - 50 g
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp (my addition)
Tomato puree - 4 tbsp
Yoghurt - 100 g
Fresh cream- 4 tbsp
Bay leaves - 2
Cardamom - 2-3
Cinnamon stick - 1 (2 inch)
Cloves - 2
Whole dry red chilies - 4
Salt and sugar to taste
A large pinch of saffron threads
Ghee - 4-5 tbsp
White oil

Method

Make a fine paste with the cashew nuts and sesame seeds and keep aside.

Boil the onion in water and grind into a smooth paste.

Deep fry the paneer cubes until a perfect golden. In a bowl of warm water add a couple of teaspoons of salt and toss in the fried paneer cubes.

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and dry red chilies. Once the spices release their aroma, add the boiled onion paste, followed by the garlic and ginger paste. Fry until oil separates.

Add the tomato puree and fry for another couple of minutes. Next add the cashew-sesame paste and the yoghurt which you must whip into a creamy texture. Add salt and sugar to taste.

Fry the masala until oil separates. Now stir in 2 cups warm water, scraping off the bits stuck to the pan. Bring to boil and a few minutes later add the paneer cubes. Reduce heat and let all simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Add the saffron strands and cream. Stir and mix. Remove from heat and serve hot with rotis or paranthas.

Find original Recipe here. 

Chili Honey Fish Bites

 I have been sitting at my computer for an hour now wondering what I could share with you today - but words seem to be evading  me. May be because my brain is little too tired. I have been swamped with writing projects this past week and I feel exhausted. So today I'll get straight to the point and let the pictures speak! So here's presenting Chili Honey Fish Bites - Bekti fillet cubed laced in a sticky hot and sweet sauce. 

This dish, also the version with chicken instead of fish, is one of my favourites. I love the coquetry between honey and chili. I love it as a starter and even as main course with fried or steamed rice. 

By the way, this time next week I will be in Pune, Maharashtra raring to set off on a Konkan trail with my dear friend Angona. Just the thought of all the Malvani food I am going t wolf down is making me slobber. And I promise to bring back loads of food stories and a few smashing recipes! 

Ingredients 

Bekti fillet cut in cubes - 700 g 

Juice of two limes 

Dry whole red chilies - 10

Finely chopped garlic - 1 tbsp 

Grated ginger - 1 tsp 

Chopped spring onions - 3 tbsp 

Soy sauce - 1 tbsp 

Honey - 100 ml 

Salt to taste 

Fresh cracked pepper to taste 

Sesame seeds to sprinkle as garnish

Vegetable Oil 

Method 

Marinate the fish with salt, lime juice and fresh cracked pepper for an hour.

De-seed 8 of the 10 dry whole red chilies. Simply cut one end and shake the seeds out. Then let all the chilies soak in warm water for half an hour. Grind it into a fine paste. Reserve.

Dredge the marinated fish cubes in flour and fry them to a crisp gold.

Work fast with the sauce.  Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add chopped garlic, grated ginger and chopped spring onion. Fry until the garlic is golden.

Add the red chili paste and fry for another minute or two. Add the soy sauce and give it all a good swirl and stir. Deglaze the pan with the honey.

Now add the fish and give the wok a good toss to coat the fish in the sauce. Adjust seasoning. Once the honey begins to caramelize, add a large pinch or two of coarsely cracked pepper. Take it off heat

Sprinkle sesame seeds and some chopped spring onion leaves and serve hot, either as a starter or aromatic steamed rice.

Fusilli with Walnut Cilantro Pesto

     

A friend of the family brought back a big bag of chopped walnuts from his travels. The moment I saw those walnuts, I had made a list of gorgeous dishes I could make with them. I have been craving walnut brownies for a while and my brother's girl friend has been requesting some brownies for long. So I would start with the brownies I had decided. Besides, for months I have been planning to make a typical Swiss walnut pie, Engadiner Nusstorte.

       The bag of walnut arrived on Sunday. I was a little occupied on Monday and Tuesday what with a friend's wedding to attend. However, this morning when I set out to make my walnut brownies, all that was left in the jar that the walnuts had been transferred were a couple of measly tablespoon of walnut crumbs, Of course, I didn't wonder where it went because I knew exactly where it could go. It couldn't be a coincident that my father kept on repeating the health benefits of walnuts, first in the evening over tea and then at the dinner table the last couple of nights. "The ones Saheb has brought are particularly good," he said. We nodded, continues eating our food and talked about other things. 

      Little did we know that none of us save Dad would be able to benefit from the virtues of the superlative walnuts our friend had brought. I heard later, last evening, a couple of his buddies had dropped in,  the walnuts replaced the customary salted cashew nuts to go with the single malt. Blah. I was infuriated to say the least. My walnut brownies, no way! However, I had to cook something or my mood would go for a toss. Once I was done with my tirade I decided upon what to make. And those walnut crumbs would go into it. If my father thought in a fit of fury I would leave them alone he was wrong. So I decided to make Pasta with a Walnut Cilantro Pesto. One because my brother and I love it. Two because my father does not. Three, because there was some fresh cilantro lying on the kitchen counter. Buhahaaha

Now pesto sauce is traditionally made with basil, garlic and olive oil with some pine nuts thrown in. And of course there is Parmesan. Different regions of Italy have their own variations of pesto. And there is the pesto russo (red), I particularly like, which has sun dried tomatoes as a base instead of basil. But the term pesto is general means anything that is prepared by pounding. Modern gastronomy has used this linguistic freedom to innovate with the pesto and how. So now everything from mint and cilantro to rosemary and thyme goes into pesto. And not just pine nuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnut, pistachio and like in this recipe walnuts too are used to make innovative pesto. 

Here's how I made my pasta today.

Ingredients 

Fusilli (or any pasta you prefer) - 250 g 

Garlic cloves - 3-4 large 

Chopped walnuts - 2 tbsp 

Chopped cilantro/coriander leaves - 1 cup packed 

Lime juice - 1 tbsp 

Salt and coarsely cracked black pepper to taste

Extra Virgin Olive oil 

Parmesan (grated)- 1/4 cup 

Method 

In a processor grind the cilantro, garlic, walnuts together. Stream in a little olive oil and give another whiz. 

Add salt, pepper and lime juice, mix well and keep aside. 

Boil water in a pan. Add a couple of table spoons of olive oil and some salt. Add the pasta and cook till al dente. Drain the pasta, reserve a few table spoons of the water you cooked the pasta in. 

Add the water to you pesto and mix well. Add it to the pasta, still hot and give it a good toss. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss well. Serve hot.

My Qurik: I squeezed a little more lime, Desi style, on the pasta while eating it.

Gobi Manchurian from Sarani's Kitchen

Last week has been nothing short of enervating and I had to stay away from the kitchen. Finally, I have returned to the kitchen, and boy am I cooking up a storm in there! My 'come back' post is a special one though. So, Kolkata Food Bloggers  is hosting a rather cool event here! Know Your Blogger. So every week, one blogger member of the KFB is nominated as the Star of the week, an the remaining members cook one dish from the weekly star's blog and of course blog about it. And this week, the star of the week is Sarani Tarafdar of Back to Basics @ cocoawind.blogspot.in

Sarani's blog to me is like that snug corner in your house with that comfy sofa where you like to settle down with your favourite novel and a mug of piping hot chocolate. Yes, it is warm and comforting. Visiting her blog is like entering a home redolent with the divine aroma of fresh baked cookies.Literally. The blog has an impressive assortment of baked goodies I often drool over with a generous smattering of other delicacies, Indian and International.

Sarani lives in Mason, Ohio with her husband and five year old son, a very cute boy with a lovely smile. No wonder her blog has a number of recipes kids would love. Take for instance her One Minute Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Mug or the Easy Peasy Cake Balls. For her son's Monster Inc/Monster University themed birthday party a couple of months ago Sarani whipped up a delightful 'Surprise 5 Inside' cake. Sarani's little one definitely keeps mamma on her toes and in the kitchen.

I am not much of a baker. I lack the patience and perseverance necessary to bake on a regular basis. So, though I drooled over and craved Sarani baked sweet goodies, when it came to recreating her recipe chose a savoury dish. Choosing wasn't easy either because the options are many. Besides, it so happened twice that that someone else beat me to the dish I chose to make to celebrate Sarani's blog. Finally I decided upon her rather appetising Gobi Manchurian, quicky informed the other members of the KFB and sealed the deal.

 Gobi or Cauliflower Manchurian - Batter-fried cauliflower florets tossed with onions. garlic, cilantro leaves and a few sauces -  is the archetypal Indo-Chinese dish. I have always wanted to make it at home but never got around. Now that cauliflower is in season, and because my folks love the vegetable, I thought it would be a great dish to make and Sarani's recipe sounded promising. It was also a welcome break from the usual varieties of cauliflower curries and stir fries we make at home. Also many of my friends complain that my blog has very few vegetarian dishes. So here goes, staying off the meats and fish for ones. The best part -this dish is not only easy but hardly takes time to make if you have prepped in advance.

I have stuck to Sarani's recipe for the Gobi Manchurian with only a few minor changes here and there depending of personal preferences.. I added my touch only with these thin rice flour pancakes I served the spicy sauce laced batter fried cauliflower florets in. You can make a wrap out of it and chomp it down if you like.

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Ingredients 

Caulifower - 1 small
Finely chopped onions - 1 large
Finely chopped garlic - 1 tbsp
Grated ginger - 1.5 tsp
Finely chopped green chilies - 1 tbsp
Finely chopped cilantro leaves - 1/2 cup (and a little extra for garnish)
Soy sauce - 3 tbsp
Hot and Sweet tomato sauce   - 1.5 tbsp
A pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
Cornflour/starch - 1 tsp
Oil
Water - a couple of tablespoons

For the batter
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Cornflour/starch - 1/4 cup
Coarsely ground black pepper - 3/4 tsp
Salt
Water enough to make a thick batter

For the pancakes (makes 3-4)
Egg - 1
Milk - 1/4 cup
Rice flour - 3 tbsp
Corn flour - 1 tsp
Soy sauce - 1/2 tsp
Salt, fresh cracked pepper and sugar to taste
Finely chopped cilantro leaves - 1 tsp
Oil to fry

Method 

Cut the cauliflower into medium sized florets. Make sure you clean them well. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and keep aside.

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients for the batter. Slowly whisk in water to make a lump free thick batter.

Heat oil in a pan. Dip the cauliflower florets in the batter, one by one, and deep fry.

Once done, reserve the batter fried cauliflower, while you make the sauce.

In another pan heat a couple of tablespoons of oil.

Add the onion, garlic, ginger and green chilies. Saute for a few minutes on high heat.

Add the soy sauce,a large pinch of sugar and the tomato sauce and give a good toss. Once it begins to caramelize, add the corn flour dissolved in a few table spoons of water.

It's take only minutes to reduce, toss in the cilantro leaves and the batter frried cauliflowers. Toss it on high heat for a while. Add the cracked pepper, adjust seasoning (be careful here, the sauces usually make for almost enough salt) and remove from heat.

For the pancakes. 

Mix all ingredients, except oil, together to make a lump free batter.

Heat a frying pan greased well with oil, add a ladle of battle and twirl the pan to spread it out into a thin disc. Wait for a minute or so that one side gets done. Slowly release the sides with the ends of your spatula before flipping it over. Cook on the other side for no more than 30 seconds.

Serve the Gobi Manchurian on a thin pancake or rolled into one.

And here's wishing Sarani and her blog all the best and many more delicious years ahead.

A meal at The Square Novotel Kolkata

I had been stuck at the same traffic signal for over 10 minutes now. The traffic had been moving very slowly and the lights had turned green and back to red before I could drive through. Behind me a few cars were honking relentlessly. A throng of people and a few cows were crossing the road, the people seemed to be in great hurry, the cows were more relaxed.  The bus on my left billowed out a black cloud of toxic smoke. I rolled up my window glass. It was quieter inside the car. The parking lot of the mall on my right was full. On a weekday afternoon? 

I thought of a November afternoon 8 years ago. I had taken a drive on these Rajarhat roads to get a feel of the place for my first journalistic assignment, I was still in college then, and returned to write about the vast stretches of green, the marshes and the trees swaying in the breeze, extolling its bucolic beauty and reveling in the fact that the place did not betray its proximity to the city, it seemed far, far away from the madding crowd! 

In these eight years Rajarhat has changed beyond recognition - malls and multiplexes, posh housing projects, modern offices and Five Star hotels stud the landscape. And Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences, is one of the newest addition to the Rajarhat landscape and the city's luxury hotel brigade. That's where I was headed. The hotel's marketing and communications manager Aparna Banerjee Paul had invited me over to join her for lunch at the hotels signature all day dinning destination The Square, which came with the promise of food out of the box. 

I walked into The Square to bump into members of the Atletico de Kolkata squad, I had seen their bus parked outside. I do not follow football but I could always go back and make my brother, quite the football fanatic, feel a little jealous I thought. The Square, sprawling and bright, with its posh, contemporary interiors, the huge glass walls through which the autumn sunshine came pouring in, a mammoth mural of innumerable tiny butterflies, red and black and the live kitchen counter on the other end, made for an inviting setting for a lazy lunch.

The menu at The Square is an assortment of European and Asian favourites. A few French numbers on the menu had caught my fancy. I had been musing over the Coq au Vin when the first course arrived, and it was French! Salad Nicòise. A medley of soft colours and contrasting textures the salad turnout to be more than the eye candy it definitely was. Crunchy iceberg lettuce and fresh French beans, tangy bursts of pickled pearl onions, perfectly boiled baby potatoes, the juicy black olives, delicate quail eggs and generous amount of tuna chunks tossed together in a light, lemony vinigarette - the salad was a great way to start a meal I had begun to look forward to.

Next up was yet another French Classic - The French Onion soup. My fondest memory of the French Onion soup goes back to a freezing evening in England when my dear friend Lorna, a Britisher brought up in France, had made a huge bowl of it. The two of us had lapped up the entire bowl while we talked about our lives, so different from each others. There was something about the warm bowl of homemade soup the thought of which still makes me want it. Anyway, this time the soup came in a pretty red chausseur bowl with tiny handles ad a lid.A chunk of bread laced in melting Gruyere and topped with caramelised onions floated in the thick, brown, soup. The soup turned out to be flavourful, aromatic and comforting but not much of a surprise. But I would definitely settle for it on a cold winter evening. 

The soup was followed by a Spinach Mushroom Risotto. I am a big fan of a risotto done well and done right, so I was looking forward to this one. Porcini, parmesan and spinach seemed to me like a good combination. And the promised drizzle of balsamic vinegar should be interesting I thought. But when the risotto arrived I was a little disappointed. To me it appeared over-cooked. I could be wrong, may be I was being too finicky. I scooped up a spoonful and holding on to hope and put it in my mouth. And I was not happy.

It is difficult to forgive a risotto that is gluey or mushy, no matter how flavourful. Yes it should be moist and creamy, but never gluey. Each grain of rice should be able to act as a carrier of the flavours, mushy rice however dissipates the flavour, as was the case with this one. Yes  it was crammed with porcini and button mushrooms, yes the spinach lent a distinct earthy flavour, and the Parmesan shavings on top generously sprinkled, but the risotto was far from al dente. Naturally the flavours were muddled too.

 I thought it was necessary to bring this to the chef's notice. However, according to him, cooking the arborio beyond the al dente stage was hardly an accident. He said it was a conscious decision since most guests want it that way. Well, it is true that most Indians do not subscribe to the al dente club, and I do understand the chef's predicament, I have had guests at home complain my pasta was not properly cooked when I had served them my perfect Spaghetti Bolognese. However, I think it is time to educate the public by introducing them to the nuances of a particular cuisine. They can't continue to have ketchup with their pizza and ask for mushy risotto and pasta forever. It breaks my heart.

Moving on, the next dish on the day's menu was the pave of Salmon with skin. Fresh fish, crunchy vegetables and creamy mashed potatoes - no trimming or complex play of flavours, with each ingredient talking for itself. . Not much could go wrong with this one. I would have liked the fish to more flaky, but that's being a little too fastidious. This one was a hearty dish, simple and fresh.

But the one dish I was looking forward to all afternoon, disappointed me the most - Grilled Buffalo Tenderloins. When the generous chunk of meat accompanied by a medley of veggies and topped with a thyme utter enriched jus, arrived at our table, I was super happy. I couldn't wait to slice into the meat, see the juices ooze out and yes the lovely bright pink centre. But alas there was no pink, only a dreary brown, It was a well done steak.  I had wondered why I had not been asked how I would like my steak. I had assumed it would be the universal medium rare. What I was not expecting was a dry and stiff chunk of meat. The steak was a big let down! The jus was delicious though, and the vegetable nice and crunchy, if that's any consolation! 

The dessert platter inspired mixed feelings! I loved the pistachio flavoured macaron that came with the restaurant's signature Pista Dacquiose with Mango Raspberry Delight, which in turn left me confused.I liked the pista dacquiose. the mango mousse and the raspberry mousse as seperate elements but I didn't care much for the combination. It was unreasonably ambitious and failed to hit the mark 

Overall, the meal had a few highs, but there are things that need to be taken care of and as soon as possible.