Tag: cooking

Mango Chutney

Mango Chutney

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

One of my favourites is the Gujarati mango chutney called chunda. Its delicious mix of sweet and spicy flavours makes it a great accompaniment with bread, paranthas and puris. This recipe is an adaptation I developed to make using the local Kerala mangoes. These mangoes are from my cousin’s garden and have a lovely tangy flavour. This chutney can be made from any variety of mangoes and unlike the traditional chunda, they don’t all have to be completely raw. I used mangoes that had started to turn yellow and the chutney still came out perfect.

Ingredients

Raw mangoes — 4-5

Turmeric — 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder — 1 tsp

Cumin powder — 1/2 tsp

Salt — 1 tsp or according to your taste

Sugar — 1 1/2 cups

Method

Wash and dry the mangoes. Peel and grate them.

Add the turmeric, chilli powder, cumin powder and salt.

Mix well.

Add the sugar and mix well. Transfer the contents to a wok and place it on the heat. Cook through, stirring all the while.

Cook for about 10-15 minutes till the sugar is of string consistency. Keep the heat high so that the mango has a crunch.

Cool and transfer to clean glass bottles. Store in the refrigerator.

TV Dinner: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

TV Dinner: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Samin Nosrat, Netflix 🥄🥄🥄🥄🥄

From this week, I will be reviewing a food show that I watch as I eat dinner off a tray. I am starting with the show Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat showing over Netflix.

Based on chef Samin Nosrat’s bestseller Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking, the four-episode show is infotainment at its best. Nosrat takes us through Italy (fat), Japan (salt), Yucatan (acid) and California (heat), inspiring us to throw dieting out the window and eat sensibly to enjoy the richness of taste and flavour of food.

Each episode shows the joy of cooking as we are taken to the source of excellent ingredients and traditional ways of making condiments including soy sauce and honey.

By the end of the series, I felt a sense of satisfaction usually experienced when you return home after travelling the world. The satisfaction also comes from seeing how good food is cooked, retaining all the flavour and essential wholesomeness of vegetables and meats.

This is a series I would recommend without reservations. Go ahead and enjoy your TV dinner with Nosrat. I give it five stars — or five spoons.

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.