Grill the C n C!!

Successful creation of a recipe is such a high..more so when food is about the passion . I cook when i am upset, I cook when I am happy and cook just when I want good friends to relish what I create. Mind you I am also greedy and do cook to get praised and not to only get Criticized the first C in Grill the C n C!!

Recently a blogger friend of mine talked about how some people Criticize you all the time saying that you are clumsy in cooking , grooming etc. here. I guess my friend never understood that each woman who cooks everyday for the family faces criticism. Sometimes for cooking the same dish every other day..sometimes for aaj namak jyada hai..and aaj namak kam ..none of us bother to appreciate the pain person undergoes to create the food specially after a long day at office.

Point here is what about the criticism the women face each day after trying to put food on the table...yet day after day meal after meal your lunch boxes are packed, your breakfast are on the table and dinner too.
Just when you get home and think that you are tired some woman who just returned from work too.. enters kitchen wondering what to cook!! I guess if you just gave all this a thought you might be able to understand that people don't criticize because they think that's against the conventional or that you are not good in the domain they are great at...etc. They just possibly think that letting you know that namak kam hai might help you to improvise by adding salt!!

Lets just forget this C bit and let me Grill you a Chicken which is the other C in today's Blog...the real C.

For this Lovely Sumptuous recipe " Grilled Chicken"  you need the following:

Chicken - 400 gms- 500 gms uncut
Butter 10 gms for glazing while grilling.

For the Magic Potion:
Curd thick portions- 1 bowl
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri Deghi Mirch Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder- 1 tsp
Green Chilli -Ginger- Coriander leaves- Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Honey- 1tsp

For the side bites:
Baby Potatoes- 10-12
Mushrooms - 100 gms
Onions- 1 =2 medium sized
Broccoli - Few florets
Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Crushed Pepper
Chings all time stir fry sauce.

Now this lovely grill takes a lill time. So be prepared.......

1. Take the whole chicken, I preferred a small chicken because of its tenderness
2. Create slit marks on it as in my picture
3. Clean the insides, you may chop some of the insides like liver etc. and you can mix them with Magic Potion
4. Now mix all the ingredients of the Magic potion .
5. Smear the whole chicken with the potion inside and outside with hands. Try thinking of good things like the lovely family or friends whom you are going to share this meal with etc. I often notice when i think good things and cook my dish turns out amazingly well.
6. Now keep the marinated chicken in the refrigerator not the deep freeze for 7-8 hrs. It is always suggested that a marinated chicken stays overnight in the fridge day before you cook or whole day in the fridge until you cook in the evening as the case may be...
7. Now just marinate the vegetables in the ingredients i.e. all vegetables in Salt , crushed pepper a tsp of that Ching's all in one stir fry Sauce
8. Keep these vegetables aside too
9. Next day when you take it out to grill, take out the chicken and the vegetables from the fridge at least 40-45 mins prior to cooking.
10. Pre-heat your oven to 220 degree centigrade.
11. Place the chicken in the center of the oven proof dish
12. Place the vegetables on the circumference of the dish
13. Place the dish in the oven on low rack for 30-40 mins ( check settings in your Microwave for grill, depending on the size of chicken, voltage and wattage, time of cooking could vary between 45 min to an hour)
14. Once in between turn around the chicken upside down.
15. Brush a little butter in between and when almost done to give that glaze

And please don't forget the secret ingredient Loads of Love before you serve this dish..Have it with a couple of friends and you may have it as a starter or a main dish with some Peas Pulao

It's a Crime!!

I know I know........its a crime to vanish like this on a blogger's website but all thanks to the broadband network in Navi Mumbai....I had it down for 2 months and finally back with a bang.... courtesy Reliance Communications......Meanwhile some good friend complaint to me that I don't write these days. I told him the same and he mentioned that I am finding excuses of not writing.

Anyways I am back in circuit and will publish my post soon on the dish I recently roasted n grilled.....and with the festive season i am sure this one many of you will love to try...c u all tomorrow while I write the post. Keep watching this space for some wonderful stories and my recepies.

Happy Waiting!! Love All :)

Rainy Temptations!!

Indian Rains; The moment we think of Rains a lot many of our senses come alive. Why a lot of our senses? 

Rains for Indians are associated with Rain songs from Yash Chopra movies, pot holes, bumpy rides in autos, flooded train tracks, greenery and pitter – patter on the roof tops & our ACs. Not to forget is the temptation of garama-garam food that it brings along. One such temptation occurred to me on Saturday and I fell ill. Since I don’t want any of my food lovers’ association members to fall ill, I decided to bring the street food of temptation which leaves us licking fingers to my blog.

So guys, you must be thinking what is that street food that we are talking about. A delhiite thinks of gol gappas, a Mumbaikar might end up think of Vadapav with Red garlic-chilli chutney or  may be some of my southern India friends might like to dig in to Dal Vadas or Parippuvada  etc.

But I am trying to put across here is the much sought after “Pakoras”, or what others may call “Bhajiya” or “Bhajji”. These are the generally the most common things which we make at home when we think of rains. …….mmmm……….the ohh .. so piping hot Chai and Pakora combo…

Why Pakoras?? They are so commonly made in any Indian household that all of us underrate them. But trust me… many of us crave to get that perfect recipe for crispy crunchy pakoras like the famous vendor in the not so hygienic galli of our neighborhood. Ok! Now hoping that all of us are convinced that it’s all falling in place and the pakoras have already got your mouth watering, here comes the not so uncommon recipe… but with trick to make them 10 on 10.

Image Courtsey: Google Images

Collect the Ingredients:

1.       Gram Flour or Besan       4 tbsp

2.       Turmeric                              ½ tsp

3.       Coriander Powder           1 tsp

4.       Red chilly Powder            ½ tsp

5.       Salt                                         as per your taste

6.       Everest Chunky Chaat Masala (No specific brand here)                  1 tsp

7.       Assorted Vegetables: Prefer your choice here, My Choices are Onions, Potatoes, Spinach, Cauliflower, Brinjals & Mushrooms can be picked up 1 each and few florets of cauliflower & few buttons of mushrooms

8.       Few Chopped green coriander and a couple of green chilies if you like it spicy.

9.       Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

1.       Chop Onions thin length wise

2.       Chop-

·         Potatoes in to perfectly same sized roundels (keep the thickness same)

·         Spinach half bunch in to thin long julienne style.

·         Cauliflowers in to bite sized florets

·         Brinjals in to roundels again

·         Mushrooms can be cut in to half and then further half , so that makes them into quarters

Recipe:

1.       Start heating the Oil for frying in a kadhai

2.       In a bowl, Mix Gram flour, salt, coriander powder, red chilly powder, turmeric.

3.       Add water, just about enough to make a thick batter of slow dropping consistency. I am not giving measurements here since you got to feel the amount that would be just about enough to make it the way I am asking you to.

4.       Now whip the batter a little with either your hands or a flat flexible spatula.

5.       Let the batter settle, for say around 5 odd minutes

6.       After this, add some chopped coriander leaves and the green chilies.

7.       By this time your Oil must be heated enough for frying

8.       Twist: Now carefully take a few drops or say about ½ tsp of heated oil in your whipped batter bowl and whip again till the oil blends.

9.       Now start with hardest vegetable first cauliflower florets. Dip them in your batter , coating it ( not necessarily completely) , Put them in oil for frying , keeping the oil on high flame for a first few minutes  and then turning it to lower flame after the florets turn a little golden.

10.   Keep them on frying until desired golden color and crunch

11.   For Potatoes, mushrooms & Brinjals rings repeat step 9 & 10 again

12.   For Onions & spinach, one has to put them in the batter and mix together well. And then sprinkle a little bit of dry gram flour, to make the mix a little drier, this will make the
Onion / spinach pakoras crunchier.

13.   Serve them with tomato ketchup or imli chutney.

Missing Pashhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Guys you must be thinking Pashionnate with all her Passion about food fizzled out like an ice-cream over a hot Gulab Jamun.....But trust me I was ill and down with Food Poisoning all thanks to my love for food and to explore more During the Rains...(giggling now) ...hee heee....Food Poisoning is like worst thing that can happen to a foodie....But hold on guys....Tomorrow we go live with Finger licking recipe....of something which excites all of us during the rains...but a lot many of us fail to understand the trick....So hang in there....Muaaahhhh!!!!

Pink Summer

Summer : the season of Sun, Sweat, Shorts, Skirts, Caps , Hats  & Vacations….Summer for me brings along unlimited memories of early sun rises and late sunsets with even harsher summer afternoons.

But, with this comes summer vacation memories which I mostly spent at my Grandma’s, with the entire house bustling with uncles, aunts & cousins. I guess we would easily be more than 20 people around the house. With summer also came loads of play time, Right from hide and seek, sea saw, slides and many more such games.

What I also remember is just before the summer vacations were school final exams and buying Green Lime Dolly from the Kwality Walla at the school gate. We were not given money from home for such treats. I and my sister would collect 10 paisa and 25 paisa coins to buy them and that was our treat!!

 As the years passed, we could no more gather around at our Grandma’s house. All the kids grew up and gradually came the college days, where we would look forward to afternoons at college - bunking classes and then the cluck – cluck, trin- trin , of the Banta Walla……&  as all North Indians would agree with me ;Masala Banta being an all time favorite during the long Summer Months of North …

My Mocktail today derives its inspiration from all my childhood & growing up years…….

Pink Summer:

ImageSource: Self - taken by Samsung Tab ii

Ingredients of this recipe are good for Each Glass of Pink Summer:               

Ingredients:

1.       Salt to line the glass rim.

2.       Roohafza - around 1 oz (small peg measure)

3.       Lemon - 1 nos

4.       Soda - A bottle

5.       Sugar Syrup - around 1oz (only for the ones with sweet tooth )

6.       Cherry or Mint Leaves - A couple

Method:

1.       Take a tall Glass preferably a pilsner….

2.       Take around 2 tsp of Salt in a plate. Chill both the Glass & Salt.

3.       After say about 30 minutes, take out both Glass & salt Turn around the glass on the salt plate, the salt would stick on the rim of the glass. Keep the glass back in to the freezer

4.       Mix Soda with Lime Juice & Sugar syrup ( if ) preferably  in a cocktail shaker.

5.       Add 1tbsp Roohafza in it. Shake well again. This time add some crushed ice, just enough to chill it as much as you please.

6.       Now take the glass out .  Spritz some roohafza inside the glass.

7.       Pour the blend in to the glass.

8.       If you are a mint person, then you might add some chopped mint leaves while blending and top it up with 2 beautiful mint green leaves. But if you are someone just like me , dropping in a Red Succulent cherry right inside it.

Voila̒!! You can now sip in the sweet sour tangy blend to tickle your taste buds, all by yourself or with friends…..:)

                                        Source: images.­google.­com

Facts: Lime in the drink provides you with very necessary Vitamin C along with its cooling properties .

Roohafza is an all round refresher & coolant and keeps your body cool. Right amount of sugar & salt will keep your body’s salt balance intact in summer months.

Note: 1 oz = 30 ml approx.

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Of Pots & Pans

Of Pots & Pans:

My relationship with Pots & Pans started since my early childhood days. My mom would cook and I would wait patiently for the food to come to my plate. Those were I guess my first lessons in cooking. My Love with food started there, in my mom’s kitchen.

Even today I can just close my eyes and smell the lovely sumptuous food that she kept on the table right from breakfast through dinner. She taught me that you eat food first through your nose, then your eyes, then with fingers and finally through your mouth.

So food relates to all your senses. If any one of them is missing then your cooking is not from your heart.

I finally started cooking at the age of 12, when my mom underwent a surgery and she was on bed rest for 15 days. She would keep instructing me sitting right at the kitchen door in an arm chair wondering how her little daughter is going to manage the kitchen. But little did she know that I was going to fall in love with the lovely textures, colors, aromas of the spices in her kitchen.

Image Courtsey: image.google.com

Now I have my recipes; original and on my finger tips. I feel cooking is all about the balance between your senses, art and science. The fine art of creating something new and the right use of scientific reasoning with lot instincts go a long way. One cannot go wrong with food if you start using your instincts. I think my uncanny ability to feel the food and tell u the ingredients is what keeps me going for experimenting with my recipes.

Cooking is therapeutic for me. I de-stress in my kitchen. When I come back from office after a long and tiring day my kitchen is where I get a sense of achievement, as the food I create has so much to offer to my family and friends.

Through this blog I intend to spread my Love for Food & Travel to all of you out there!!