Storm In My Kitchen

  Candied Orange Slices 2 large oranges cut into thin slices.  2 cups water 2 cups sugar.  Wash the oranges well and slice thinly.  Take a large vessel, fill with water and bring to a boil. To this add the orange slices and bring to a boil. Boil for a minute. Immediately remove the slices to the ice bath.  Prepare an ice bath while the water is boiling. (Ice cubes and water in a large vessel) Now take a wide saucepan and add the sugar along with two cups water. When the sugar has melted, drain the orange slices and add to the sugar syrup. Boil on low heat until the orange slices turn translucent. (About an hour) Remove from the sugar syrup and dry the slices on a greased wire rack or baking paper.  Any extra sugar syrup can be used to flavor your tea or coffee.

  Green Tomato Curry For 6 medium size green tomatoes cut in eighths.  In a tablespoon of hot oil add ¾ tsp panch phoran or plain mustard. When it sputters add a stalk of curry leaves, 1 leveled teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and fry a bit. Then add ¼ tsp turmeric and 2 tsp red chilly powder, stir and add green tomato and salt. When tomatoes are half cooked, add coarsely ground peanuts. Let steam for a few minutes and serve with hot chapatis.  If the tomatoes aren't tangy add a bit of tamarind paste to the curry. Alternatively you can also add a bit of jaggery if you want a sweet, spicy and tangy flavor. Panch phoran is equal quantities of mustard, cumin, fennel, fenugreek and nigella seed mixed together.

Prawn Pepper Curry and Lauki Bhaji.  For the Prawn Pepper Curry Grind to a paste an onion, few green chillies (depends how spicy you like it) ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, 3-4 pods of garlic, 1 inch piece of ginger, ½ tsp cumin with little water.  In a pan heat 2-3 tablespoon oil. Add few pepper corns and 3-4 stalks curry leaves. Add the ground paste and fry a bit. Add a ¾ cup of water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat until the oil comes up.  Now add the prawns, half tsp crushed pepper and a quarter cup thick coconut milk.  Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat. When the prawns are cooked add a few coriander leaves and half teaspoon more crushed pepper. Lauki(bottle gourd) Bhaji Chop the lauki into cubes (1½ cup), chop garlic (about 3 tablespoon) a few green chillies and small tomato, Heat a tablespoon of oil (I used mustard oil).  Add half tsp panch phoran (I also added some sesame seeds). Add the garlic and the chillies. Fry a bit add the turmeric, lauki and

  Butter Chaklis These are yummy, flakey, crunchy.....melt in your mouth bites of deliciousness 1 cup rice flour 1/2 cup besan flour 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 3 tablespoons butter A big generous pinch of asafoetida Water to bind the dough Oil to deep fry Mix the dry ingredients nicely. Add butter and mix the dough to a breadcrumb texture. Add water a tablespoon at a time and make a soft but non sticky dough....keep wetting your fingers and knead the dough for 5 minutes Heat oil in a deep kadai on a high flame. Then grease your Chakli mould and put the dough in. When the oil is hot, reduce the flame to low and squeeze the chaklis directly into the hot oil....fry on medium low flame till the chaklis are a light brown colour. Remove from the oil and put in a strainer to remove excess oil and then move to paper towels for all excess oil to be absorbed. Enjoy with tea, beer, whiskey or just on its own....the possibilities are endless You can change the flavour by adding cracked pepper, chi

  Bottlegourd and kasuri methi curry . A simple quick curry. Fresh methi leaves can also be used. Leave out the water if you want a thick curry to be had with roti or paratha. In a pan heat two tablespoon mustard oil. Let it smoke. Then switch off the stove and cool it. Now heat the oil again and add a bay leaf. Add a finely chopped onion and a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste. Saute till the onion is transparent. Add half teaspoon each of turmeric, chilli, cumin, coriander powder and a quarter teaspoon of garam masala. Fry this masala for two minutes, adding a bit of water. Add about 250 gm bottle gourd pieces. Now add half cup coconut milk, a handful of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) one sliced tomato, a few slit green chillies and salt to taste. Add half a cup of water. Cover and cook until the bottle gourd is done.

  Sweet mango pickle/cutney Slice 5 raw mangoes.  Add equal quantity of grated jaggery to the mangoes. Make slits and add 6 whole red chillies(more can be added depending on how spicy you want the pickle to be) Leave overnight. The jaggery will melt by morning. Keep this jaggery-chilli-mango mixture on a low flame.  Dry roast half tsp each of methi, jeera and a few cloves and pepper. Roast 3 tsp of saunf. Crush all these in a motar pestle. Doesn't have to be a powder. Add to the mango mixture along with salt to taste. When the jaggery starts to thicken, take off the heat. Bottle when cool.

  Shahi Kheema   Heat 3 tablespoon oil. Add whole spices - 2 bay leaves, 1 inch piece cinnamon stick, three each of cardamom and clove, 1 star anise, a few pepper corns and 6-8 small garlic cloves. Fry until the garlic gets light brown. Add a large finely chopped onion and a heaped teaspoon of ginger garlic paste. Fry till the mixture starts turning golden. Add a quarter teaspoon turmeric powder, one heaped teaspoon red chilli powder, a tablespoon of cumin-coriander mixed powder. A heaped teaspoon of shahi biryani powder (I have used Everest brand). Mix nicely. Add a little water and fry the masala until the oil comes up. Now add half kg minced meat. Fry a minute on high heat. Now add the puree of two tomatoes, half cup of fresh cream, a cup of methi leaves (optional) and a tablespoon of vinegar. Cook for 7-10 minutes on low heat. Now add a few fresh sliced green/red chillies. Cook another 2 minutes.  Served with toasted pav smeared with butter and syrka pyaz. For the syrka pyaz, slice

Orange cake ¾ cup sugar  Peel of an orange  ¼ cup butter 2 eggs 1 cup orange juice 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp baking soda Pinch of salt Reserve 2 tablespoon of the orange juice and mix with two tablespoon of icing sugar. Preheat the oven to 180°C Grease your baking dish In the jar of the mixer, add the sugar and orange peel. Powder it. Add the butter, eggs and orange juice. Blend. Then add the baking powder, baking soda and 1 cup of flour.  Blend again nicely. Scrape the sides add the second cup of flour and salt. Blend again scraping the sides in-between. Pour into the baking dish, three fourths full.  Bake for about 40 minutes or untill done. Demould the cake when warm and spoon over the reserved orange juice.

  InjiPuli (Ginger-Tamarind Chutney) Chop ½ cup ginger and 4-5 green chilli into tiny pieces, heat 3 tablespoon coconut oil and fry the ginger and chilli pieces, when it starts to get brown, add ½ haldi powder, 2-3 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp methi powder(or crushed methi dana) and ½ tsp asafoetida, mix well and fry half a minute, then add 2-3 tablespoon tamarind paste or extract. Add few tablespoon water to make a very thick paste then add 5-6 tablespoon jaggery....cook till it becomes thick, add salt. Give this a tempering of mustard seed, curry leaves and  dry red chillies. Check for seasoning, sweet and spice and adjust accordingly.

  Stuffed veggies in a tomato soup base For the stuffed veggies Small bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, brinjal, zucchini, snake gourd, brinjal etc (can use any combination of veggies. You will need about 8-10 pieces for 500 gms mince 500 gm mince (chicken/mutton or beef) 1 tsp dried mint leaves (or half cup finely chopped fresh leaves) ½ tsp oregano 1 tsp za'atar 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste 1 large finely chopped onion 1 tablespoon red chilli powder or chilli flakes Salt to taste Scoop out the inside of the vegetables gently keeping a little lid.  Mix the rest of the ingredients nicely. And stuff the veggies. For the tomato soup Two large tomatoes ground to a puree. Half tsp each not oregano, rosemary and tarragon 1 litre chicken stock or 1 Maggie stock cube with a little of water.  1 tsp chilli paste 1 tsp ginger garlic paste Salt to taste.  Boil all the ingredients until the raw smell is gone.  Reduce to a simmer and add the stuffed veggies.

  Mix vegetable stirfry I used 1 cup of a pack of frozen vegetables (it was a mix of zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, beans, red and yellow bell peppers) Heat a tablespoon of oil, add quarter tsp of mustard seeds. When seeds sputter,. Add half a pod of crushed garlic and 2-3 sliced green chillies. When the garlic starts browning add a sliced onion and the mixed veggies. Add salt and turmeric powder. Cover and cook about 5 minutes on low heat. Sprinkle two tablespoon of freshly grated coconut and dry up the liquid if any.

  Crab Curry Wash and clean the crabs. I've used 6 small crabs. Dry roast ¼ cup fresh coconut, 3 dry red chillies, 6-8 garlic cloves, 1 inch piece of ginger, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ½ tsp pepper, 2 clove, 1 cardamom and 1 small piece of cinnamon. Grind to a paste with 2 tablespoon tamarind extract.  Heat 3 tablespoon oil add a few stalks of curry leaves. Add a large finely chopped onion. Fry until the onion starts turning brown. Add the crab pieces and ½ tsp turmeric powder and 1½ heaped teaspoon of chilli powder. Toss and add salt to taste. Add the ground paste and a cup of water and bring to a boil. Add a few slit green chillies (optional, but really worth it) cover and reduce heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes.  Serve with rice and a lot of patience.

  Za'atar-Sesame Bread 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 tablespoon sugar ½ cup warm water Proof for 5 minutes until bubbly 2⅓ cup flour (300 gms) 1 teaspoon salt  2 tablespoon olive oil  ⅓ cup milk Add the milk and olive oil to the yeast mixture. Then add in two cups of the flour along with the salt to form a smooth soft dough. Add more flour as needed if it's too sticky. Knead for about 7 minutes. Then rub a bit of olive oil on your palms and form the dough into a ball. Put the dough into a bowl and cover and keep to rise in a warm place, until doubled. Takes about an hour and half.  Then punch back the dough, knead for about a minute more. Shape as desired and brush with olive oil. Keep to proof another 30-35 minutes until doubled. Heat oven to 220 degrees and place a shallow bowl of water at the bottom of the oven.  Brush the dough once again gently with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with za'atar and sesame seeds. Score if desired and bake for about 25-30 minutes.

Onasadya   1. Poovan pazham (small banana) 2. Ethaka Upperi (banana chips) 3. Chakka Varuthathu (jackfruit chips) 4. Naranga aachar (lime pickle) 5. InjiPuli (Ginger – tamarind relish) (Chop ½ cup ginger and 4-5 green chilli into tiny pieces, heat 3 tablespoon coconut oil and fry the ginger and chilli pieces, when it starts to get brown, add ½ haldi powder, 2-3 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp methi powder(or crushed methi dana) and ½ tsp asafoetida, mix well and fry half a minute, then add 2-3 tablespoon tamarind paste or extract. Add few tablespoon water to make a very thick paste then add 5-6 tablespoon jaggery....cook till it becomes thick, add salt. Give this a tempering of mustard seed, curry leaves and  dry red chillies.) 6. Carrot salad 7. Padavalanga - kadala parippu thoran (snake gourd-chana dal stirfry) (heat oil add tempering of mustard seeds, garlic, green chillies and turmeric. Add soaked channa dal with couple tablespoon of water and cook covered for 5 minutes. Add salt the

  Sesame Bread Buns ¾ cup warm water 2 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoon active dry yeast Mix all together and wait 5-7 minutes for the yeast to get frothy. To the above, add 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon milk powder/2 tablespoon evaporated milk (or substitute the warm water for milk) ¾ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon oil. Knead to a soft dough. Proof for an hour and half in a warm place.  When more than double in size, punch back and shape into buns. Apply a thin layer of oil and proof another 30 minutes.  Heat the oven at 220 degree adding a shallow bowl of water at the bottom. Brush the dough gently with milk, sprinkle sesame seeds and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Brush with melted butter when hot out of the oven. 

  Rosemary Focaccia   Recipe link : https://thestayathomechef.com/homemade-focaccia/#jump-to-recipe

Cranberry-Orange Ice-cream 3 tablespoon dried cranberries 2 tablespoon orange peel + 1tablespoon sugar 1 small tetrapak amul fresh cream 3 tablespoon icing sugar Chop finely the peel of an orange and mix with sugar and keep for a day(or use 2 tablespoon candied orange peel) Drain the water from the cream by hanging in a muslin cloth under a container in the fridge overnight. Remove the cream to a bowl. Add three tablespoon of icing sugar, the candied orange and 3 tablespoon cranberry and beat until smooth and creamy. Pour into smaller bowls and garnish with more cranberries and freeze for atleast 3 hours.

Vada Pav For the vadas. Boil potatoes. Mash and add salt. Heat oil, add mustard when it sputters add finely chopped green chillies, garlic, curry leaves, turmeric and onion. Fry a bit. Add the mashed potato. Make small cutlet shapes and keep. Make a thick batter with besan, turmeric, salt, baking soda and water. Heat oil in a deep pan on a medium flame. When the oil is hot dip the potato cutlets into the batter and deep fry. For the green chutney. Grind one cup coriander leaves with one and half pod garlic, 6-8 green chillies and salt to a fine paste with a little water. Remove to a bowl and add a tablespoon of line juice. For the red chutney. Dry roast equal quantity of kashmiri red chilli, peanuts, coconut, garlic and a heaped tablespoon of sesame seeds. Grind coarsely with salt. Fried green chillies. Add dry fresh green chillies to the hot oil and fry a bit until the skin begins to blister. Remove and sprinkle salt. Assemble the vada pav by smearing a teaspoo

Egg Mas ala Boil 6 eggs. Shell and make slits. Finely chop two onions and two tomatoes. Heat two tablespoon of oil. Add curry leave and a tablespoon of crushed garlic. Add the finely chopped onions and a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste. Fry until onions are browned. Add half tsp turmeric powder, a tablespoon chilli powder, half teaspoon each of coriander cumin powder and a tsp of Everest kitchen king masala (or half tsp of garam masala). Add a couple tablespoon of water and fry the masala for a minute. Add finely chopped tomatoes, salt a tablespoon of vinegar and cover and cook till the tomatoes are mashed. Now add chopped onion greens and coriander leaves. Add the eggs and 3-4 slit green chillies. Cover and cook another 5 minutes on low flame.

Raw Banana Kofta Curry with Buttermilk Naan Kofta curry For the kofta. Boil two raw bananas and one potato. When cool, peel and mash, add one tsp of chilli, aamchur and jeera powder, ½ tsp of haldi and garam masala. Salt to taste. Add a tablespoon of besan. Shape into koftas of of any shape and shallow fry. For the gravy. Heat two tablespoon oil add jeera and curry leaves. Then add 2 ground onions and a heaped teaspoon of ginger garlic paste. Fry until the raw smell goes. Add one teaspoon each of coriander and chilli powder and half tsp of turmeric and garam masala powder. Fry for a minute, add puree of two tomatoes and salt.  Cover and cook the gravy until oil comes up and tomatoes are mashed. Add half cup thick coconut milk and a bit of water to make a thick gravy. When this starts bubbling add the koftas, a few slit green chillies. Cover, reduce flame and simmer for 5 minutes. For the buttermilk naan. 700 gm flour 2 packets of amul masti buttermilk or make butter

Prawn, methi and potato curry Clean and devein 500 gms prawns.  Potatoes - 2 cut in 4 pieces and soak in water. Grind to a fine paste 2 onions,  a 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick, 3-4 pieces each of cardamom, clove and pepper. A teaspoon of coriander seeds, cumin seeds and ½ tsp fennel seeds, a tsp of red chilli powder and ¼ tsp of turmeric powder.  Heat two tablespoon of oil and add the ground paste and a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste. Fry the paste a bit and when the raw smell goes, add the potatoes and salt. Add half a glass of water, cover and cook till the potatoes are ¾ done. Now add the puree of two medium sized tomatoes and a tablespoon of vinegar. Add the prawns and two handfuls of kasuri methi(or a bunch of fresh methi leaves). Add water to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Stir nicely. Cover and cook for 7 minutes. Serve with rice or parathas.

Choco-Vanilla Cake (crouching tiger, hidden zebra cake) 4 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 cup oil 1 cup milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 4 tablespoon cocoa powder Preheat oven at 175 C or 350 F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper on the base and butter and flour the sides. Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Sift the cocoa powder and keep in a big bowl. Using a hand blender or a whisk beat the eggs and sugar till nice and frothy. Add the milk, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk again till all the liquids are incorporated and you see a lot of bubbles. About 5 minutes. Add the flour in batches and gently mix. Now add half the batter to the bowl with the cocoa powder. Take your baking dish and pour a thin layer of the white batter in the center. Now take the chocolate batter and pour about a ladleful. Alternate the batters each time pouring a ladleful only in the center. Do not shake the baking dish, do not bang it to release the bubbles.

Orange Cranberry Cake Flour 1½ cup Oil ⅓ cup Fresh Orange juice. ¾ cup. Sugar - ¾ cup Egg 1 large Baking powder 1 teaspoon Baking soda ¼ teaspoon Pinch of salt. Cranberries ¼ cup Candied orange peel ¼ cup Heat the orange juice and dissolve the sugar in it. Finely chop the cranberries and the orange peel or use a chopper or just pulse it in the mixer Once the orange juice is cool, brush a cake pan with oil and preheat the oven to 180° Beat together the oil and egg. Add in the orange juice. Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add a couple of spoons at a time to the liquid ingredients. And mix well. Reserve a heaped tablespoon of the cranberries and orange peel and add in the rest to the cake batter, mix nicely and pour into the cake pan. Sprinkle the reserved cranberries and orange peel on top of the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in comes out clean.

Masala Chicken Half kg chicken, cut in pieces 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste 1 tablespoon vinegar ½ tsp haldi 1 tsp chilli powder (adjust to your taste) ¾ tsp jeera powder ½ tsp garam masala 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Salt to taste Marinate chicken for atleast an hour with above ingredients Heat oil add badisaunf(fennel) and tej patta. Add the marinated chicken pieces and fry on high heat for a minute. Reduce heat, cover and let cook. While chicken is cooking, slice two medium size onions and 2 tomatoes slit a few green chillies. Now add the above to the chicken. Cover and let the chicken cook until done and any liquid that is in the pan dries up.

Cake in a pan (not a pancake) Oats-Banana-Walnut Cake 3 overripe bananas 4 teaspoon ghee ¼ cup fine sugar (or grind to a powder) 1 cup oats ground to a powder ½ cup milk 2 eggs ¼ tsp baking soda Mash bananas add in ghee and sugar mix. Add eggs one at a time and mix. Add the milk and mix. Stir the baking soda into the oat flour and add in and mix thoroughly. Put the batter into a greased nonstick pan. Place the pan on a chapati tawa(flat pan) on a low flame. Sprinkle a handful or two of crushed walnuts on top. Cover the pan and let it cook on the lowest flame for about 30-35 minutes. Then using a big flat spoon, flip the cake . Cover and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Serve warm with ice-cream if you wish....but it also tastes rather delish on its own.

Chicken Kheema (in tomato mint gravy) 250 gms chick breast minced 1 large onion chopped finely 1 heaped teaspoon ginger garlic paste 2 tomatoes and two hands full mint leaves ground together 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon kanda lasun masala ( if you don't have this add red chilli powder and a teaspoon of cumin-coriander powder) Salt to taste. 2-3 pieces each of whole clove, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, pepper, bay leaves. Heat 2 tablespoon oil, add the whole spices followed by the ginger garlic paste and onions. Saute till the onions wilt and change colour. Add the kanda lasun masala, salt and the mince. Saute on high heat stirring and breaking up any big lumps of mince, until the mince starts changing colour. Reduce the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce and the tomato mint paste. Cover and let cook until the mince is done and oil comes up. Serve hot with parathas or fried rice or just plain rice.

Rum Fruit Cake   400 gms butter 400 gms dark brown sugar 400 gms eggs (6 large or 8 small) 550 gms flour 400 gms soaked fruit (dried apricots, raisins, dried figs, cranberries soaked in rum for atleast 2 days or more) Juice and grated peel of a large orange (or 3 tablespoon of marmalade) 1 heaped tablespoon of allspice powder or mix of equal quantity  cinnamon nutmeg and clove powder 15 gms baking powder 2 tablespoon of golden syrup 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence Heat the oven to 150 degree celecius, line your baking dish with butter paper and keep aside Sift the flour, baking powder, the spice powder and keep aside Cream the butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time. Add the essence and the golden syrup and the orange juice/marmalade. Mix nicely. Now add the flour bit by bit and when all the flour is incorporated, add the soaked fruits and orange peel. Pour into the baking dish and bake for atleast two hours depending on the size of the baking dish I make th