Left Over Wow - Layered Methi Biryani!!

A young mom’s biggest tension in life is to get rid of the huge amounts of leftover she gets left with. My child however so I wish, refuses to eat many things that are staple to his growth. But I ain’t one of those moms who is going to quietly make those left overs my own dinner. I spice and spruce it up and make it a bigger than life thing for the full family to enjoy. This post is an idea which pretty much stemmed out of this very emotion.

So I harvest these young fenugreek leaves, about which I wrote in my earlier post- 

Growing Your Greens- Fenugreek!!

My son is extremely happy to have parathas made with fenugreek the first day. The next day too he devoured these bitter microgreens with ease and I was beyond happy. So I sowed the seeds again and this time when I harvested, I decided to try a rice dish instead. I was in a mood to prepare a wow dish, but had a big bowl of left over rice in the fridge with some hard boiled eggs which was very rudely denied by my little guy the previous night. So to serve him something healthy yet fenugreek-y, I took some carrots and ripe pumpkin to make a curry where the spice used was just these fresh microgreens from my balcony. Then I transformed the curry into a layered biryani adding in some hidden flavours. If you are positively curious about the dish now, then you should definitely read on to the next page to get possibly the most amazing yet so very simple- Layered Methi and Subz Biryani. 

Ingredients for making the Fenugreek and Veggie Curry

2 medium carrots cut in ½ inch pieces

150 gms pumpkin cut in big ½ inch pieces

Harvested fenugreek microgreens. I didn’t really weigh or measure it, but it would be approximately 3 big handfuls.

2 tbsp of mustard oil      

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

1 dry red chilly

Salt to taste

A pinch of Turmeric

Sugar to taste

To be ground-

2 to 3 fat cloves of garlic

2 small onions or a big one

3 green chiliies

Handful of cilantro leaves

For layering-

Cooked Rice (stale or not, nothing for guessing what i must have used!)

A boiled egg sliced

A couple of spoonful of mango and chilly pickle with mustard oil (I used a homemade mango and chilly pickle. I had followed Alpana Habib’s method of pickling. She is a famous celebrity chef from Bangladesh, whose food is quintessentially Bengali. But for this recipe, any other hot and sour and sweet pickle would work as well. I love to use the oil mixed with juice of the pickle so it is a good idea if you are buying a pickle, buy the one which is preserved in mustard oil)

A dash of milk

Sliced onion fried- barista (optional)

Chopped cilantro

Now head on to SmartIndianWoman.in for the detailed recipe.

Cheers!!

Note-

I didn’t use fried onions because it’s extremely tedious to cut fry and drain it, just for a weekday lunch to be carried to the office. But if I was to serve it in a party, I would do these extra steps willingly.

To make it completely vegetarian, just omit the egg part and you are good to go.

Nutella Mugsy!!!

The new fad of 1 minute mug cakes has hit us since long! But I delayed this post as much as I could. It’s not really my kind of thing to make mug cake for myself and eat. It’s so highly addictive!! And there is nothing stopping you from making these if you have the required ingredients at hand. But now with Ansh, work and full time cooking, my outlook to see these amazing marvels of science changed. If someone came to meet Ansh, I know I can whip up a dessert for them to have in a minute. And the texture of this little mug delicacy was very close to a cake pudding that I absolutely love!

While making this cake, I didn’t really care so much for the amounts of the ingredients used. It’s entirely up to you! If you want it fudgy, add more nutella. If you want it cakey, add a bit of flour. If you want it pudding-y, then follow the recipe I am giving out here. I love my mug cake to be more like a pudding. The smooth texture keeps it very nice and enjoyably edible even after it cools down, unlike other microwave cakes. 

Ingredients:

3 spoonfuls of Nutella

1 spoonful milk

1 egg

A big pinch of coffee

Method:

Combine the nutella and milk in a microwavable ceramic cup, and microwave the 2 on high for 15 secs.

Once the nutella melts, whisk the milk and nutella vigorously to cool it down, while fluffing the mix up.

Then add the egg, again stir it off nicely to make a nice chocolaty mix. Add the coffee and mix well.

Now microwave on high (900 watt) for a minute and 10 seconds! The cake would rise up madly and then flop down after cooling, quite like a soufle. It will remain gooey and chocolaty inside, while the top of the cake sets well. It’s almost like a wonderful mix of molten lava cake and a brownie.

Cheers!


The same post could also be found here. 

Vanilla-Milk Jelly with Chocolat-Shaves

And finally, the day dawned when I would write about the most requested recipe till now on Zouqh... Really guys, I love hearing from you. Thanks for all the great compliments, likes and critical observation of my pictures and posts. Knowing something to improve on, really excites me and gets me to challenge myself harder...

Enough of chit-chatting already, now to the pride of my eye: the jiggly Vanilla-Milk Jelly with Chocolat-Shaves. It is a super awesome recipe and a great alternative to those calorie filled ice cream for this summer. Served cold, this amazing low-sugar recipe fills your mouth with creamy goodness that we so love about of ice-cream, but renders exactly ¼ th the total calories. I did a simple elegant vanilla flavour, but you can go on and try any other flavouring as your heart desires. I would be posting some more versions of this basic recipe during my monsoon write-ups. So keep yourself posted here for updates!!

This is last in the series of Pride of cows’ recipes (reads: i finished my two litres, and i yearn for more!!). The pure creamy texture of the milk gave a nice dimension to the recipe. For a creamier version, use half and half buffalo milk, but please don’t substitute the milk with cream. That really is not required in this one.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp powdered gelatine
• 500 ml milk
• 2 tbsp caster sugar (I know it’s less.. but believe me it works, if you want it sweeter, grate a bit extra chocolate on top.)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or to taste
• Gourmet Chocolate (Dark) from Antara Chocolates Company

Method:

In a heat proof pan, pour about 150 ml milk and sprinkle on the gelatine. Leave for 5 minutes without stirring.

Now stir in the sugar and set the pan over a low heat.

Cook gently over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar and gelatine dissolves completely.

Remove from heat and add the remaining milk, Vanilla extract, and mix well.

Though this step is optional, yet to get a nice smooth finish, strain the hot mix into a measuring jug. This will take care of any un-dissolved particles and give our jelly a smooth texture.

Pour in decorative jelly moulds or a simple ramekin, cover and chill for several hours (even overnight) or until set.

Once it’s set, carefully tip it out on a plate. Grate some of our delicious 50% to 60% dark chocolate on top and serve. The bitter sweet dark cocoa contrasts very well to our Milk Jelly. It’s a match made in heaven, which fills your mouth with contrasting, yet so delicious flavours! After all, opposites do attract!!

Cheers!!!

Savoury Custard Pie

Everyone told me, milk creates dessert... I rebelled to this thought. Obviously we know abt the famous white sauce, but I wanted something more daring. Something like, savoury Custard Pie with lots of milk and veggies, but no cheese. See, the theory behind was that putting in a large quantity of milk will provide a rich dairy taste that we all love and like; making it light and healthy, in the same time!!

Another good reason I wanted to make such a recipe was because I was bored out of my wits while looking at such milky white pictures I have been uploading for a while now. I needed colours in my life and what better colour than this pretty dish. Once out of the oven, I lightly sprinkled on some parmesan, utterly avoidable!!! I did it, for the sake of a pretty picture.

Ingredients:

Veggies: Pretty much whatever you like and your fridge has.

Meat: purely optional, but if you want you can use some cooked chicken breast or cold cuts, as your heart desires.

3-4 tbsp olive oil

Parmeggiano grated to decorate (optional)

Custard:

1 egg

1 cup plain white flour

1¼ cup milk

Salt

Black pepper

2 tsp of dried herb of your choice; I used thyme and oregano

2/3 tsp garlic paste

Method:

Preheat the oven to the hottest temperature possible. In a roasting pan, put in the olive oil and heat it through for a minute or so.

In the meanwhile prep your veggies and meat in a big dice, as shown in the pic. This way the veggies will cook maintaining their shape.

Now mix in the veggies with the hot oil and evenly spread them over the roasting pan. Bake these for 20 minutes at 220deg c.

Prepare the custard in the time it takes for the veggies to cook. In a large mixing bowl or jug, crack in the egg and pour in the milk. Lightly whisk the egg and get it incorporated in the milk. Now slowly in three additions, add the flour. Whip till you get a smooth lump free mix.

Now season it with salt and pepper as per your taste, and add the flavouring herb and garlic paste. Mix well and keep it aside till the veggies cook.

Once the veggies are cooked, season them well with salt and pepper, and pour in the prepared custard.

Return to the oven for 30 minutes, till the custard has puffed and become golden on the edges. Lower the temperature to 200 deg c and continue cooking till it’s crispy on the edges and soft and fluffy in the centre. It should take another 15 minutes or so. Garnish it with a light sprinkling of parmesan and enjoy the milky goodness of a Salty Custard Pie!!!

Tip: The rich taste of Pride of cow’s milk really didn’t let us miss cheese in this recipe. In case you are not too sure if your brand of milk will work well for this recipe, you can put in a tsp full of milk powder in that and mix well to combine. That will enhance the dairy taste, though keeping it light on calories!

Cheers!!

Coco-nutty Goodness!!!

One of my favourite ways to have milk with jaggery (Jaggered Milk, LOL!!) is as dessert. These simple coconut cakes are just wonderful and pairs very well with our flavourful milk. And as the ‘Pride of cows’ milk is creamy in nature, this is just the perfect way to enjoy the goodness and taste alike!!

The ingredients cannot get simpler than this. The only thing that you have to take care is the right proportion and proper measurements.

Ingredients:   

½ cup fresh coconut finely ground

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup semolina (roasted optional)

Method:

Very simple indeed... In a wok, take all three ingredients and with a sturdy spoon, mix them well.

Once thoroughly mixed, put it on a medium to low flame and constantly stir it, till the mix comes together as a dough and leaves the sides of the wok. This can take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes.  Make sure to constantly stir it while the heat is on, as the semolina can easily catch on the sides of the wok, and burn.

Once your dough is formed, neatly press it in an oiled plate and leave it to set, covered with aluminium foil. You can even refrigerate to cool it down faster.

Once set, cut it as big or small as u wish and serve with Jaggered Milk on the side.

Alternatively, I like to microwave these cakes in the Jaggered Milk for a minute or two on high. This way the flavours get mingled and pack in a punch better taste!! Serve it luke warm in winters and fridge cold during summer.

Cheers!!

Jaggered Milk!!

During a friendly conversation over coffee, my long lost school friend mentioned something about an expensive brand of milk she tried once. She claimed it was better than any tetra pack that we drink from everyday. For a while now, it’s been a bit of worrying snag for me that we drink milk straight out of a cardboard pack, which doesn't even stay refrigerated. I keep wondering how many temperature differences it endures and still claim to be healthy. In our textbooks, we have always read how milk, or for that matter any dairy product, is very reactive which leads to it being spoiled easily. Then how do we ignore that and yet get ourselves these cartons every day??

So with such doubts in my mind, I went forth to try this milk that she so very praised. In came the milk man with two litres of milk, packed and sealed; along with a beautiful book explaining what happens behind the farm door.

‘Pride of Cows’ the name really befits them as they really take a lot of pride in their cows. Believe it or not, cows are kept in barns with instrumental music to hear and are given a buffet to decide on what they want to eat. These cows are given the five star spa treatments while the milking process is all mechanical with no human touch involved. Ah! I read in amazement...

The cynical I, was not convinced. After all it’s the taste test that the milk had to endure. So I broke the seal and boiled the milk vigorously for 2 minutes and let it cool. The much elusive thin layer of white cream-film formed within minutes of cooling down. So far so good! The thin white layer ensured that it was 100% cow’s milk, no adulterations done by mixing in other stuff, including preservatives.

I made a simple recipe which was devoured by my very finicky hubby, within minutes of making. It’s my favourite healthy way to drink milk that requires:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dates/sugarcane jaggery

2 cups milk

Method:

You cannot get simpler than this, can you? Melt the jaggery in a microwave or on the stove, and then slowly add in the warm milk. Mix it vigorously so that no lumps remain. Serve it hot or refrigerate it for a couple of hours, to be had cold.

This is one of the healthiest, yet the tastiest way to drink milk. No added refined product like sugar takes the health quotient of this recipe to the max. Nice, odour-free milk like that of ‘Pride of cows’ is perfect for this recipe. It can be easily poured in a mug and enjoyed or made into a beautiful dessert (coming up next!!). 

Whichever way, it still remains very healthy and amazingly yummy!!

Cheers!!

Teaser: Savory Vegetable Custard

Earlier yesterday, the mailman arrived with goodies from Manchar!!

which transformed into...

A savory veggie custard!!! Stay posted, recipe coming soon!!