Author: Shailaja Nair

Ada, health meets taste

Ada, health meets taste

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

This is comfort food, especially in winter. The aroma of the pancake cooking on a hot griddle will set your taste buds working overtime. This is a healthy option for breakfast, packed with proteins from all the variety of lentils that go into the batter.

Comfort food

Ingredients

(Serves 6 persons)

Idli rice 1/4 cup
Urad dal 1/4 cup
Moong dal 1/4 cup
Arhar dal 1/4 cup
Chana dal 1/4 cup
Masoor dal 1/4 cup
Whole red chillies 4
Til oil
Onions 2 medium, sliced
Green chillies 2
Ginger 1” piece
Curry leaves 4 sprigs
Asafoetida powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method

Mix the first seven ingredients in a bowl, add water and soak overnight.

In the morning, drain and wash the the soaked rice and lentils.

Grind it along with the onions, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves.

Add the asafoetida and salt and mix well.

Heat a griddle and apply oil. Pour a ladleful of batter and spread it like a pancake. Flip it over after 30 seconds.

Use all the batter to make similar pancakes.

Serve with idli chutney powder, onion chutney or pickle.

Whole wheat cake (atta cake)

Whole wheat cake (atta cake)

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

I always use all-purpose flour for my cakes. Today, I experimented with whole wheat flour. In fact, I decided to go for the healthy version without eggs or butter. I used light vegetable oil and plain yoghurt instead. It turned out really delicious with a nice, chewy texture.

Healthy option

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour (atta) 2 cups
Sugar 3/4 cup
Sundrop vegetable oil 1/2 cup
Yoghurt 1 cup
Baking powder 1 tbsp
Baking soda 1 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder 2 tbsps
Vanilla essence 1 tsp
Water as needed
Milk 3 tbsps
Walnuts, roughly chopped 1/2 cup
Raisins 1/2 cup

For the syrup:
Cadbury’s Bournvita 2 tbsps dissolved in 1/4 cup water
Cadbury’s cocoa 1 tbsp

Icing sugar 1 tbsp

Method

Mix the wheat flour, sugar, cinnamon powder, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl

Using a stand mixer, add the oil and yogurt to the pan and mix at Speed 1. Add the flour mix, a little at a time. Add water as needed to maintain the consistency of the batter.

Add the milk and vanilla essence. Add the walnuts and raisins.

Use a stand mixer at Speed 1

Grease a 9”x6” rectangular cake dish and pour in the batter.

Bake in a 170 degree C oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Test after 50 minutes and when the skewer comes out clean, take the cake out of the oven. Let it cool.

Heat the Bournvita syrup in a nonstick pan and when it boils, add the cocoa. Heat on a low flame for 20 minutes, stirring continuously. Take it off the heat and let it cool.

Before serving, pour the syrup over the cake. Sprinkle icing sugar over the top.

Cut it into 12 slices.

Book Review: Pasta & Risotto

Book Review: Pasta & Risotto

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hugh Redman; Hamlyn, London; 2004 edition

A volume I go back to frequently

This book is like a trusted friend to me. I love the range of dishes it offers — from salads to rice dishes to pasta dishes, cannelloni and lasagne. The recipes are incredibly easy to follow and ingredients are simple and available easily.

The introduction is extremely useful as it offers tips on how to choose the right pasta or kind of rice for each dish, how to cook them and even how to gauge how much is needed according to the number of people at the table. It also has recipes for the basic sauces including pesto and how to make fresh pasta. This book took out all my fear of making fresh pasta and inspired me to make my own ravioli and gnocchi.

Some of my favourite recipes from this book are Coronation Prawn and Pasta Salad, the Insalata Mista made with fresh market produce and a light oil and vinegar dressing, Tomato and Mushroom Risotto, Stuffed Rice Croquettes made using leftover meat gravy, Pasta alla Marinara with Ginger with a lovely rich seafood flavour, and Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pancakes. If you are new to gourmet Italian cooking, start with the Potato Gnocchi. It is easy but delicious.

Singapore Fling

Singapore Fling

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

I created this fruit punch when my son was about 10. He was complaining that at our dinner parties in Singapore, adults had a plethora of alcoholic drinks to choose from, but children had to make do with just Coke or fruit juice. I made this for our next dinner party for the kids, but adults enjoyed it even more. A friend’s daughter came up with the name Singapore Fling because I literally fling the ingredients together to create this delicious thirst quencher.

Goes well with movie night

Ingredients

Tropicana Orange Juice 2 litres
Lemon cordial 1/2 litre
Tropicana Pineapple Delight Juice 2 litres
Real Fruit Power mixed fruit juice 1 litre
Jimmy’s Cocktails Mango Chilli Mojito 1/2 litre
Tropicana Mango Delight Juice 1 litre
Roohafza or mixed fruit syrup 1 cup
Sprite 750 ml
Sparkling water 1 litre
Ice cubes
Mint leaves

Method

Mix all the ingredients in a punch bowl. Serve in cups with a sprig of mint each.

Bournvita fudge cake

Bournvita fudge cake

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

Bournvita rock — this is something that happens to me quite often. I love drinking a cup of hot Bournvita in winter. In summer, however, I prefer cold milk with Nesquik. By the time winter rolls around again, the Bournvita is a lump of hard brown rock.

Usually, I throw it away. This year, I decided to try and use it.

I poured boiling water over the lump and left it to soften. A couple of days later, it had melted into a thick syrupy liquid. I used it to make fudge cake.

Fudgy and delicious

Ingredients

(Serves 5 persons)

All-purpose flour 1 cup
Butter 180 g
Eggs 2
Baking powder 2 tsps
Bournvita syrup 1 1/2 cups

Method

Using a stand mixer, cream the butter. I used Amul salted butter, so there is no need to add salt. Add the eggs one by one. Sift the flour and baking powder and add a spoonful at a time. Add the Bournvita syrup.

Grease a 9” round baking dish and pour in the batter. Bake in a 160 degree C preheated oven for 60 minutes.

Cool and slice into squares. Makes 13 pieces.

Cheese bread

Cheese bread

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

This bread is easy to make. I make this in the bread maker, which means it is super easy. I usually put in everything after breakfast, wait for the proving to be over, add the cheese topping, and the bread is ready for lunch.

Full of cheesy flavour

Ingredients

(Serves 4 persons)

Milk 1 1/8 cups
Bread flour 3 cups
Butter, salted 4 tbsps
Mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup, grated
Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup grated
Brown sugar 1 tbsp
Oregano, dried 2 tbsps
Salt 1 tsp
Yeast 2 tbsps
Cheddar cheese for topping 1/4 cup

Method

Heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. It should be lukewarm.

Pour it into the bread-maker pan and add everything else in the order given above, except for the cheese for the topping.

After the final kneading cycle and before the baking starts, add the cheese topping.

Let the bread cool before slicing it. Enjoy with clotted cream mixed with dill and bacon bits.

Amla Murabba (Preserved gooseberries)

Amla Murabba (Preserved gooseberries)

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

I remember my mom preserving amla or Indian gooseberry after her first class at the local canning centre. I was only a little girl of about six, but the taste of my mom’s preserved gooseberries is still a beautiful and fresh memory. Making this myself brought my mom very close to me.

Happiness in a bottle: Preserved Indian gooseberry

Ingredients

(Serves family and friends)

Indian gooseberries 20
Sugar 2 cups plus 2 1/2 cups
Water
Saffron few strands

Method

Wash the gooseberries and boil in plain water for 10 minutes. Drain.

Dissolve 2 cups of sugar in 3 cups of water. Add the boiled gooseberries and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes. Switch off the heat and leave the pan untouched for two days. Drain.

Use the sugar syrup to make candy or something else. It has a slightly sour taste that works well in candy.

Dissolve 2 1/2 cups of sugar in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, add the strands of saffron and add the drained gooseberries. Boil for 20 minutes. Cool and put into sterilised bottles.

These preserved gooseberries can be kept for a year.

Pepper coriander mutton curry

Pepper coriander mutton curry

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 3 Comments

My mother used to make a one-pot mutton curry that was a staple of our Sunday lunch. I have tweaked it a bit to add the flavours of coriander (I have a surfeit of coriander leaves from the garden) and pepper.

Ingredients

(Serves 4 persons)

Mutton 500 g
Pepper corns 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves 1 cup
Ginger 1″ piece
Garlic 4 cloves
Onion 2, sliced
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Coriander powder 2 tbsps
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes 1 sliced
Water as needed
Salt to taste
Coconut oil 1 tbsp

Method

Grind the pepper corns, coriander, ginger and garlic together and add salt. Marinate The mutton and keep it for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

Heat the coconut oil in a pressure cooker and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds stop sputtering, add the onions and curry leaves. Fry till the onions become translucent.

Reduce the flame and add the coriander powder and red chilli powder. Saute for a few seconds. Add the marinated mutton and turmeric powder. Fry for two minutes. Add the tomatoes. Add the garam masala powder. Sprinkle the fennel seeds and add enough water to cook the mutton, about a cup. Put the lid on and and cook on high for three whistles. Reduce the heat and cook for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure cooker cool down. Once the pressure is released, heat the curry till the gravy is thick enough.

Serve hot with rice, roti or any other bread.

Vanilla chocolate swirl cake

Vanilla chocolate swirl cake

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 1 Comment

This is an adaptation of my mom’s cake recipe that has served me well all these years. I made this for a friend’s 80th birthday. I used Cadbury’s Drinking Chocolate and reduced the amount of sugar used so that it becomes less rich and is suitable for any age group.

Ingredients

(Serves 5 persons)

All-purpose flour 1 cup
Drinking chocolate 2 tbsps
Eggs 3
Butter 180 g
Sugar 3/4 cup
Baking powder 1 tsp
Vanilla essence 1 tsp
Milk 1 tbsp

Method

Preheat the oven at 350 degree F or 180 degree C.

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the sifted flour, a little at a time. Add the vanilla essence and milk.

Take a little of the batter into a bowl and add the drinking chocolate. Pour the rest of the batter into a greased cake tin. Add the chocolate batter in little blobs and run a toothpick through in swirls.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160 degree C and bake the cake for 40 minutes. Test with a toothpick after 35 minutes. When the toothpick comes out clean, take the cake out of the oven and let it cool.

Banana, zucchini, walnut bread

Banana, zucchini, walnut bread

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 2 Comments

I had asked my vegetable vendor to bring me zucchini, but by the time he brought it, I forgot what I had wanted to make in the first place. I had some overripe bananas, so I decided to try adding zucchini to my usual banana bread. It turned out delicious.

A healthy breakfast option

Ingredients

(Serves 4-5 persons)

All purpose flour 1 1/2 cups
Bananas 2, mashed
Zucchini 1 cup, grated
Sugar 3/4 cup
Baking powder 1 tsp
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Eggs 2, beaten
Walnuts 1/2 cup, roughly crushed
Vegetable oil 1/2 cup

Method

Preheat the oven at 350 degree F or 180 degree C.

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar. In another bowl mix well the eggs, bananas and oil. Add to the dry ingredients and add the zucchini too. Mix using a folding motion. Do not over-mix. Add the walnuts.

Grease a loaf pan and pour in the batter. Tap it on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake for 60 minutes. Check after 50 minutes using a toothpick in the centre of the loaf. If the toothpick comes out clean, take out the pan. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then let it cool on a rack. Slice it only after it is completely cool.

Gooey and moist inside, crisp outside
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