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...

  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,...

  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 syr...