This recipe unlike the Kashmiri Dum Aloo is made without onions and garlic and is suitable for a festive or religious occasion such as Diwali. The potatoes are covered and cooked on ‘dum’ or on a slow flame until they are melt in your mouth soft.
1 kg baby potatoes washed, steamed and peeled
2 cups fresh yogurt full fat
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon kasuri methi
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 large dried bay leaf
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 black cardamom
2 teaspoons ghee or vegetable oil
salt and sugar to taste
vegetable Oil for frying
Whisk yogurt all the dried spices and salt until smooth and reserve. Heat one inch of oil in a wide saucepan and fry the potatoes until evenly golden brown. Drain and reserve. Remove oil from the pan and add ghee. When ghee is hot add cardamom and bay leaf and cook till it sizzles. Switch off the flame and add the yogurt whisking immediately to prevent yogurt from splitting. Keep stirring until yogurt is smooth and comes together. Restart the flame at medium. Add the tomato puree and ginger and keep stirring the yogurt until oil leaves the sides about 3-4 minutes. Add the drained potatoes and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook on a low flame for 10-12 minutes until the gravy is thick and potatoes are very tender. Add salt and sugar to taste. Garnish with fresh coriander and mint sprigs and serve hot with laccha parathas or plain rotis.
Use an Italian rice such as Arborio, Padano, Martelli, Carnaroli to prepare this dish. Stir constantly and add liquids slowly to get the right creamy consistency. Do not wash the rice to retain the starch and use a wooden cooking spoon. Serves 3
1.5 liters of vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup of Vialone Nano/Arborio/Padano/Roma rice (unwashed)
2 tbsp truffle oil (optional)
1 shallot or small white onion peeled and diced
1 cup cleaned finely diced oyster mushrooms
1 cup cleaned finely diced white mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon crushed fresh thyme (optional)
1 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp unsalted Butter
Grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
finely chopped parsley to garnish
METHOD
Soak porcini mushrooms in two cups of hot water. after 20 minutes strain and reserve liquid. Squeeze the mushrooms dry of all liquid. If mushrooms appear chewy discard them otherwise chop finely and saute with remaining mushrooms any excess oil or liquids.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat, saute the sliced shallot in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until just soft then 2-3 minutes later add the rice and saute it 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of white wine, stir well. When it evaporates, add 1/4 cup chicken broth stirring constantly. When this evaporates add 1/4 cup porcini liquid and keep stirring. Keep repeating with 1/4 of liquids, stirring constantly until rice is cooked but firm and creamy. This could take 30-35 minutes. When rice is the correct consistency add the sautéed mushrooms along with butter, herbs and 2 tablespoons of grated cheese. Turn off heat after 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with remaining truffle oil. Serve immediately on large dinner plates with a spoon. For the how to cook Mushroom risotto video visit instagram @deshpandetara
There was a time when we didn’t get cream cheese in India.
This didn’t stop us from making cheesecake. My mom bought the freshest paneer and made a delicious refrigerated cheesecake without eggs or gelatin. Depending on the season it was topped with fresh strawberries or mango even peaches. I tweaked the recipe a bit by freezing the cheesecake for a few hours. It gives you a wonderful texture and is a delight to eat in a hot Mumbai summer. Today we have dozens of brands both local and imported and so many cheesecakes- New York, Basque, Japanese and more but the simplicity of this one makes it timeless. If you don’t have mango jam add an extra tablespoon of icing sugar and a drop of mango food colour.
INGREDIENTS
8 inch cheesecake springform pan 2.5-3 inches deep lined with parchment paper
450 gram fresh paneer
5 tablespoons icing or confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream mixed with a tablespoon of thick mango jam
3 tablespoons of fresh mango puree and more to serve if desired
100 ml thick heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 package of digestive biscuits powdered
1 stick or 113 grams of melted butter
TO GARNISH
100 ml cream whipped to stiff peaks
4 ripe but firm Alphonso mangoes diced or fresh strawberry compote
METHOD
Mix the powdered digestives and butter today until well incorporated. Scatter the mixture into the parchment lined springform pan and press the crumbs down to form a smooth and even base.
You may bake this if you choose for 12 minutes at 350F or just refrigerate it so it sets.
In a food processor blitz the paneer, mango puree, whipping cream, mango jam and 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar several times until you have a thick and completely smooth puree.
Using a stand or hand mixer whip the cream to stiff peaks with the remaining confectioners sugar.
Whisk into the paneer mixture gently so as not to deflate the cream but make sure to incorporate it evenly.
Pour this mixture over the crumbs base and smoothen the top. Smack the pan gently on the counter so the batter settles evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours then freeze for 4 hours.
Using a thin blade loosen the sides of the cheesecake from the pan very carefully. Unmold onto a serving tray or cake plate. Top with mango pieces, puree and more whipped cream.
Serve with mango puree on the side if you prefer. For the making of video visit my reels on instagram @deshpandetara
1 cup long grained rice such as Basmati or Jasmine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Goan Chorizo sausage crumbled
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1 capsicum or green bell pepper, diced
1 celery rib plus leaves, finely diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2-2 teaspoons powdered Cajun spice mix
200 grams red kidney beans- Rajma or Kashmiri Rajma, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 bay leaf
3 black peppercorn
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves crushed or use half the dried quantity
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves crushed or use 1/2 the dried quantity
100 grams small to medium prawns full cleaned
250 grams chicken thighs finely sliced
Salt and sugar as required
METHOD
Soak the kidney beans overnight. Cook kidney beans until cook tender and almost mushy in excess water. Drain and reserve. Heat the chicken and 6 cups of water with the bay leaf and black peppercorns in a medium saucepan on a low flame until chicken is tender or you have about 4 cups of water left. Drain the liquid from the chicken. Add the rice to the chicken stock and cook on medium heat until rice is fluffy and edible. Add excess liquid with 2 extra cups of water left in the rice to the kidney beans and cook kidney beans till tender and mushy. Sautethe shrimp in a wide skillet in a teaspoon of oil until just tender.
Heat oil in a large skillet and add sausage and onions and sweat 1-2 minutes. Add green red and yellow bell peppers. Saute 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and stir 1-2 minutes. Add the herbs, beans and their water, cajun spice, cooked chicken, hot sauce and cook until sauce thickens. Stir in shrimp and any liquid in the skillet. Season for salt and add sugar if necessary to balance flavours. Serve hot with fluffy long grained rice.
SABUT KALA MASUR OR WHOLE BLACK LENTIL WITH CHORIZO AND WINTER GREENS SOUP
This nourishing soup can be made using a variety of winter greens- batwa, sarson, spinach, collard greens, kale or Swiss chard. You can use regular chorizo, kielbasa even a smoked chicken sausage instead of the spicy Goan chorizo. To make it vegetarian replace the sausage links with the bottoms of white mushrooms and add a teaspoon of porcini powder to the lentils. While the feta or parmesan is a nice finishing touch parsley and lemon on its own is perfectly good too incase you want to skip the dairy.
Ingredients for 4
1/2 cup whole black masur or black lentils washed and drained
1 bay leaf dried
2 tbspn extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup finely sliced leeks or green onions
1 Goa chorizo sausage – about 2.5 tablespoons of crumbled sausage once the casing is discarded or 1/2 tsp porcini mushroom powder
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped tomato
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 cup of winter greens of your choice, washed and chopped
1 cup carrots sliced and halved
1 tsp fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried flakes
1 tsp black pepper ground
6 cocktail chicken sausages chopped into 2-3 pieces or use the stalks of white mushrooms (pan fry them lightly)
salt, sugar, hot sauce or paprika or cayenne pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley, crumbled feta or parmesan and wedges of lemon as desired
METHOD
A HOT AND NOURISHING SOUP PACKED WITH PROTEIN, GREENS AND FLAVOUR.
Heat olive oil in a large deep saucepan and saute onions, bay leaf and chorizo about 1-2 minutes. Add tomato and tomato puree and cook till soft. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. add washed lentils 4 cups of water, black pepper, oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar or honey, 1 tsp hot sauce or cayenne pepper, carrots, and cook till lentils are tender but hold their shape. Add more water and cook again if you do not have the desired consistency.
Add the panfried sausages or mushroom stalks and chopped greens of your choice and cook 1-2 more minutes on medium heat. Spoon into bowls.
Garnish each bowl with chopped parsley and feta or parmesan and a wedge or lemon if desired.
150g frozen butter, grated and then refrigerated 3 inches fresh ginger peeled finely grated and the juice squeezed from it
2 large eggs whisked
215g treacle or unsulfured dark molasses
115ml plain whole milk
Butter a 1.2-1.5-litre pudding basin or steam safe bowl. Reserve.
Combine the dried spices, brown sugar, baking powder, breadcrumbs and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the grated butter and using a hand whisk or stand mixer beat until well combined. Add beaten eggs, lime or lemon zest, ginger juice, molasses and milk.
Combine lime or lemon juice with baking soda. When it bubbles stir immediately and beat into the batter. IN 2-3 batches whisk in the flour until just combined.
Spoon into the pudding basin, leaving an inch or so from the rim to allow the pudding to expand. Wrap the pudding basin tightly with a aluminium foil. Fill water in a pressure cooker about 3-4 inches (you may need to replenish this if it runs out) Steam 45 minutes on a low flame in a pressure cooker without a whistle. If a toothpick or cake tester come out clean the pudding is cooked.
Once cooked, gently unmold the sponge pudding out of its basin and onto a serving plate.Serve hot with custard, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Use a good quality marmalade for this that you like eating; could be bitter or tawny fine cut or coarse cut. If its coarse cut chop it into smaller pieces before adding it to the cake.
Ingredients
200 g unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
175 g granulated or castor sugar
7 tablespoons thick cut marmalade finely chopped
4 large cage free organic eggs lightly beaten
200 g maida or all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
25 g white or black poppy seeds also called khus khus
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder (or allspice or cloves)
1/2 tsp powdered nutmeg or cardamom
3/4 cup flaked almonds
For the glaze cook until thick and syrupy(optional)
1 cup water
1 cup fine or bitter coarse cut marmalade
1/2 cup orange juice
juice of one lemon
zest of one lemon
Method
Preheat oven to 350F and prepare lowest rung. Place another baking tray right at the top. This will prevent the almonds in the cake browning too quickly.
Sift flour and baking powder together. Grease a 9 inch cake pan with a little butter. Then line the bottom with parchment.
Cream butter and both sugars until soft and fluffy with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer on medium speed. Add beaten eggs a little at a time and beat again. Add poppy seeds and marmalade and beat to incorporate. Add flour and baking powder in 3 batches and beat on a lower speed until just incorporated. Do not over beat.
Pour into cake pan and smoothen the top. Scatter almonds all over the top of the cake. Press the almonds down gently into the batter so they settle evenly. Bake 35 minutes. Remove top tray and bake another 5-10 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake come out clean. Let cake cool 20 minutes then unmold on to a serving tray. While it is still warm pour the warm glaze over it. Serve with tea or coffee.
Shrimp Mozambique is a dish of Portuguese and African origin made with Peri Peri chilli, a variety of bird chilli. A spicy, tangy, buttery sauce and juicy shrimp, it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. I serve it with white rice as a main course and sometimes throw in green peas into the rice so the meal has vegetables in it. As an appetiser you can serve it with a variety of dipping breads.
Choose your peri peri, also spelt piri piri sauce carefully. Taste it for salt, sugar and spiciness before you prepare the dish. this way you can adjust seasonings. I use a mild one because you can build up the spiciness to your taste by adding cayenne pepper or a fresh bird chilli into the sauce. You need red chilli powder to enhance the colour of the sauce as most Peri Peri sauces have a pinkish colour. Use a thick sauce with body not a thin liquid one. To create a quick shrimp stock use the leftover heads from your shrimp you can boil them with some smashed garlic cloves in a pot of water.
Cream is not traditional in a shrimp Mozambique but it helps alleviate the spiciness for some and brings a silken richness to the sauce.
Spicy Shrimp MozambiqueShrimp MozambiqueShrimp Mozambique. Serve it with sliced baguette, sourdough, ladi pao or white rice
Ingredients serves 4-5
For the Sauce
1 cup mild, thick Peri Peri Sauce (Nando’s, Habanero, Veeba, Sprig)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup shrimp stock plus 1-1.25 cups for the shrimp
1 cup soft, fresh crumbs of white sandwich bread, blitzed in a food processor
3 garlic cloves peeled
1 teaspoon fresh powdered black pepper
For the prawns/shrimp
500 grams extra-large shrimp (40-50 per kg weight is 500 grams after cleaning ), peeled, deveined, and tails on
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely sliced onion
6 garlic cloves, sliced wafer thin
1 cup dry white wine or blonde beer (lager)
2-3 teaspoons paprika or Bedgi or Mathania chilli powder
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3-4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon sugar or to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 cup thick cream (optional)
METHOD
For the sauce: Blitz all ingredients in a mixer until smooth. Reserve.
For the prawns or shrimp: Heat oil in a wide approximately 12-inch round or 10 inch oval saucepan or skillet on a medium flame. When oil is warm add onion and lower flame. Stir and cook until soft and opaque, do not brown onions. Add the sliced garlic and one teaspoon salt and cook until garlic is soft and aromatic, stirring constantly to prevent browning. Add 3/4 cup stock and wine or beer and boil on high heat until volume has reduced to half.
Reduce flame to low and add the blitzed peri peri sauce mix. Stir well and continue to cook until thickened about 2 minutes. Stir in sugar. Add more stock and a little wine or beer if the sauce thickens too much.
Add shrimp. Lay them down flat one next to the other so they all cook evenly. Turn them over as they cook if required. When shrimp are just done stir in butter into the sauce and incorporate evenly into the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with plain white rice, sliced baguette, French bread, Kadak pao, sourdough or ladi pao.
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