Virtual Harvest Tour and ‘Cook-Along’ with Nancy Silverton.

Pandemic has certainly changed the way we are learning things. I mean, err, I could never imagine walking through pistachio farms without actually visiting the place. Moreover, getting US visa is such a pain, specially the interview at the embassy, worse than interrogation at the police station.(if you are single, there are some silly questions asked) then travelling for more than 18 hours to reach the place, Anyways, long story short, this virtual tour seems much more adaptable.

So here I was, literally transported to Los Angeles via Zoom and sailed through 40 acres of Bledsoc farms watching the pistachio harvest, wash-dry process, packing and deliveries. The care was taken during collecting the pistachio, and those that fell in the mud were not picked up. The pistachios looked full and fresh, most of them smiled through gaps (I wonder how they taste? because many times, I get pistachios that taste awful, soft and rubbery, from having travelled for many days) 

Pistachios are packed with proteins, antioxidants and fibre. They are low in calories and good for blood sugar balance. They offer several health benefits, especially for the heart, gut and waistline. I mainly pop just few, a small mouthful, too lazy to break open the shells( specially the ones that needs a crusher). I have used pistachio in making dips, or in Indian sweets, kheer or falooda, and love that green Pista Mithai from Pune. But I have never used pistachio in cooking.

So watching Nancy Silverton cook cauliflower with pistachio paste was new concept for me. The surprising thing was that she took whole cauliflower with its stem intact in the large pot containing salty water and boiled it. The cauliflower will float, and the leaves will stick out of the water. Cooked for about 7 minutes. Using tongs, flipped the cauliflower so the leaves were submerged and cook for another 3 minutes. (In India, we never do that, we have to track down the worms hiding within florets, we would break apart the cauliflower and then set to cook) but that was not advisable in Nancy Silverton’s cooking. She said it would not taste the same.

I learnt an interesting recipe of cauliflower called Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Pistachio Crumble and Green Onion Crème Fraiche 

After boiling the cauliflower in salty water, she brought to her working table , allowed it to cool to room temperature, wiped it dry and added olive oil to every crevice of the florets and sprinkled kosher salt. 

Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 374°F (190°C). 

Pistachio Paste was prepared  

In a small sauce pot, combine 1/4cup olive oil, ¼ cup pistachios, 3 garlic clove, smashed, and lemon zest, peeled with peeler and cook over medium heat until the garlic is light golden brown, and the nuts are toasted. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. 

In a food processor, add the mixture, 2tbsp fresh oregano, 1tsp thyme and ½ tsp salt. Pulse the mixture until the lemon zest is broken down and the nuts are chopped. Mixture will be like a chunky paste. 

Green Onion Crème Fraiche: 

1⁄2 cup / 120 g crème fraiche
1⁄4 cup / 30 g scallions, minced
1⁄4 cup / 30 g shallots, minced
1 garlic, grated with Microplane® 2 tsp / 6 g kosher salt
1⁄2 lemon, juiced 

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, combine and set aside. 

Pistachio Topping preparation 

3 tbsp / 20 g extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp / 3 g flaky sea salt, such as Maldon sea salt 3 tbsp / 20 g pistachios, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp /3 g Micro Cilantro 

Assembly: 

Spread the pistachio paste evenly over the cauliflower. Place into the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and some spots have a slight char. 

Place on a plate or wooden board. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle flaky sea salt, chopped pistachios and Micro Cilantro. 

Serve with a side of the Green Onion Crème Fraiche. 

To taste, we have to make it ourselves, but I am sure it will taste awsome.

But that was not all...

There was also Pistachio Macaroon Tart 

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 347 °F (175 °C). 

In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, sugar, cornstarch, salt and pistachios. Run the processor until the pistachios are ground up. Add the butter and pulse on and off until the dough comes together. Keep it in fridge for an hour

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 13 3⁄4 inch x 4 1⁄3 inch (35 cm x 11 cm) rectangle, 1⁄4 inch (6.5 mm) thick. In a 13 3⁄4 inch x 4 1⁄3 inch (35cm x 11 cm) tart pan, place the dough and press along the edges to form the dough to the pan. 

Bake until lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool.

Pistachio Topping: 

Put ¼ cup sugar, 1tbsp honey, 1tsp orange blossom water, 15gms egg white, 1tsp vanilla, 1’4 tsp baking powder, and 1/4tsp salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula to thoroughly combine. Add ½ cup pistachios and stir to coat the nuts in the syrup. 

Macaroon Filling: 

In the bowl of a food processor, grind 100gms nuts with ½ cup sugar, until it is a fine meal consistency. Add the ½ cup flour, remaining 1cup sugar, and pulse to combine. Pour in 2 egg whites and process until it is a smooth paste. Add  1 egg whites and pulse on and off until completely combined. Transfer the nut mixture into a large bowl. 

In a small saucepan, over medium high heat, begin to melt the 128gms of unsalted butter. Using a small paring knife, split the ½ vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the back of the knife. Add the scrapped seeds and the bean to the butter. After a few minutes the butter will begin to foam and darken. Swirl the pan to promote even browning taking care it does not burn. Continue to cook about 5-7 more minutes until the bubbles subside and the liquid is dark brown with a nutty and toasty aroma. Remove the vanilla bean. 

Slowly pour the brown butter into the nut mixture, whisking continuously. 

Pour the mixture into the tart pan over the dough. Bake for 8 minutes. 

Remove the tart pan from the oven and quickly distribute the nut topping on top. Return the tart back to the oven and finish baking for about 15-20 minutes until the nut topping is golden brown, rotating the tart halfway to ensure even browning. Remove the tart form the oven and set it aside to cool to room temperature.

To serve, pour the remaining powdered sugar for dusting into a fine mesh sieve and tap the sieve over the tart to dust it lightly. Gently push the removable bottom to lift the tart out. Using a long offset spatula, gently slide the tart from the metal bottom onto a long platter or wooden board. 

The minus point of having this cook along session is that to get the real taste, we have to cook it in your own home and not sure if it will taste the same.

But chalo, we did learn something new…. If you are making, please invite me..especially..since you learnt it after reading on my blog…I will wait till then… :)

Home Chefs Of Mumbai – Part 32 – Dhani and Naina Goregoankar

Back then, on a regular normal day, home cooked food was mostly a combination of traditional assorted vegetables, dhal, salad, raita, rice, chappati, papad, pickle, sweet dish and a home-prepared drink. Non-veg would include meat/fish. It was a complete healthy meal of different flavours. Thali is what we know it as in India  

But this  full course meal is common all over the world.  A traditional multi-course dinner in Japan is called Kaiseki which is analogous to Western haute cuisine.  Combinations of cheese with variety of Olives are served as platters  

The multi course meals is all about contrast of flavours and an accumulation of different components — it includes proteins, grains, legumes, vegetables and meat  It is also all about the collection of skills and technique used in such preparation that makes it so interesting  

Sadly, the concept of thali has reduced in many homes with the inclusion of  foreign cuisine and rise of diet conscious people who just stick to no oil, no fries, no spices, no sweets. The food habits have changed to eating small meals every two hours.  Although full course meals are served on special occasions and are enjoyed by everybody, but, it all depends on elders of the family on how they can drift away the family members from easy meals that can be prepared in minutes.  

Dhani and Naina Goregaonkar serve really interesting thalis on their menu. 

Dhani Goregaonkar (of The Paisley Experience fame) has her roots in Alibaug through several generations. Her great grandfather N.K Mhatre (or Anna, as fondly addressed in anecdotes) was a pioneering individual in the poultry industry. She never had a chance to meet him, but his legacy, his evergreen reputation, has had her impressed even as a kid. When she started a business along with her Mom Naina Goregaonkar, a little part of her strive to be like him, in every step. Dhani is at present pursuing her studies at IHM, in Dadar. During this pandemic, she has been very active in cooking(along with her Mom) and delivers food across Mumbai city during week-ends. 

“My love for food, I think, is hereditary. I haven’t come across a single family member who isn’t passionate about food, be it cooking or eating. Growing up, I’d watch my Neeya (grandmom ) and even mom prepare everyday food, but it wasn’t really everyday food. When cooking for a family, as obsessed with food as ours, everyday food just doesn’t cut it. The process of cooking fascinated me. It’s like chemistry, but without the equations that I don’t understand to this day.” 

Dhani specialises in serving traditional food, native to the Pachkalshis of Mumbai and Alibaug. The SKP (Somvanshi Kshatriya Pathare), also referred to as Pachkalshis, share links of history and cuisine with the Pathare Prabhus, although there is some difference in their use of spices and cooking techniques.

“I simply cannot imagine coming to Alibaug and eating any other cuisine.   My vacations in Alibaug were made of playing out in the sun, climbing trees and eating Kalwan or fried fish prepared from the catch the Kolin brought in that day, of course with a side of rice. And this is the nostalgia and experience our menu brings to you.” She says with confidence when she talks about her traditional cooking techniques.   

Naina and Dhani Goregoankar (the mother-daughter duo) see Paisley Experience, in the future as an organisation that gives back as much as it gets from its surroundings; a larger, sustainable business that employs more locals and supports and promotes the local suppliers of Alibaug.    

They are happy to share their traditional recipe Pinapple Curry (Anansaachi Aamti)

1. Heat 2 tbsp ghee. 

2. Tamper 1tsp cumin seeds, 7/8 curry leaves and slit 4/5 green chillies. 

3. Add 2 medium chopped onions and sauté till translucent. 

4. Add fresh pineapple (chopped in triangles). 

5. Add 1 cup jaggery and half cup water. 

6. Cover it for 5 mins to tenderise the pineapple. 

7. Now grind the grated 2 tbsp coconut and 2tbsp rice flour into a fine a paste. 

8. Add ½ tsp turmeric powder, 2/3 tsp pachkalshi special masala, 1tsp coriander-cumin seeds powder and the coconut paste. 

9. Add another cup of water and stir continuously. 

10. Add 1 ½ cups coconut milk and season it with salt. 

11. Squeeze the juice of a whole lemon. 

12. Garnish it with coriander leaves. 

13. Enjoy the hot aamti with roti or rice.

Follow their Insta handle @paisleyexperience

Connect on Watsapp at 9833013015

Home Chefs Of Mumbai – Part 31 – Ritika Ahuja

The festival of lights can also be called festival of flavours. Indian food is full of flavours and it varies from region to region.

 On Diwali day, a special traditional food is cooked in every Sindhi homes. It is called Satt Bhajju, a pure combination of seven vegetables cooked in a clear stew with no spices, just salt and black pepper.

Every community have their own traditional food during Diwali festival. 

 It is a long held Bengali tradition to eat ‘Choddo Shaak’, a preparation made of 14 different leafy greens, on the day before Kali Puja or Diwali. (Diwali in Bengal coincides with Kali Puja and it is believed that a hearty meal of the fourteen greens keeps the evil spirits away.). ‘Gajerela’, a runny carrot kheer loaded with slivered almonds, is Diwali dessert pudding eaten mainly in north India. Light and fluffy, with a sour and spicy seasoning of chilli powder and dry mango powder,‘Cholafali’ is melt in the mouth traditional Gujarati snack enjoyed during Diwali.   

  ‘Poha’, or flattened rice, is the star of a traditional Diwali celebration in Goa. Locally known as ‘’Fau’, it is prepared in five different ways on Diwali — Batata Fau (with piquant potatoes), Kalayile Fau (with jaggery and spices), Doodhatlye Fau (with milk), Rosathle Fau (with cardamom-infused coconut) and a simple sweet poha prepared with curd or buttermilk. 

 There is certain kind of festivity in air that brings family and community together. All over the world, we see families of all ages participate in community functions during festivals, (but unfortunately), quite lately, it has been observed that the youngsters (in India specially) show little interest in family functions and prefer hamburgers, pizzas or Chinese cuisine instead of eating traditional food during festivals. Many of them are forced to take part in family customs and culture and to enjoy the traditional food and some of them do start appreciating it too. 

Besides traditional food there are sweets, desserts, farsan and savories specially made during the festivals.

Enjoy this Diwali with Home Chef Ritika Ahuja, She is busy making Diwali hampers of every kind.

 

Home Chef Ritika Ahuja(of foodfahionandmoremumbai fame) started with basic cakes, tea time cakes and gradually moved towards frosted and layered cakes. She attended few classes and upgraded to making chocolates too. Presently, her tea time and travel cakes like dry fruit cake, Parsi Mawa cake, Date and Walnut cake, Almond and Cherry cakes are most popular. Her Indian sweets like Besan Barfi, Sev Barfi and Kalakhand are also loved by most.  

 Ritika Ahuja was also with Authenticook for a couple of years for Sindhi Cuisine and then with TinyOwl as a Chef. She is also a fashion designer.

Her love story with food started at a very early age. She belonged to a small family where her mom used to indulge them with delicacies and great variety of evening snacks.

“In those times eating out was not so frequent but ordering in or picking up food surely was. Chinese food was very popular. I remember “Chinese Room” at Kemp’s Corner. It was our favourite eating destination. Remembering the Chilly Chicken from there still makes my mouth water. It was so good! “ She remembers fondly.

After marriage, her adventure with food continued, but now, it was she, who was preparing it. She experimented with new cuisines for her family to enjoy - Pizzas, Chinese, Butter Chicken, Biryani. Her Sindhi cuisine like Sindhi mutton and Kadi Chawal were the most loved dishes! 

 “Later, I felt the urge to try out dishes that I had heard about but never tried cooking before. Thus began my fascination with bakery and desserts.” She says

She has many good food memories to share. One that she vividly remembers is on her Jaipur trip. “During our trip to Jaipur to explore the textile market, we had an exhausting day and were looking for a decent place to have dinner. We entered this restaurant called HANDI on MI Road and ordered their specialty ‘Laal Maas’. It turned out to be absolutely delicious. It is a traditional Rajasthani mutton delicacy prepared in yoghurt, hot spices and dry red chillies. We had it with Roomali rotis. It was an unforgettable experience. In fact I really would not mind going back to Jaipur just to repeat this experience. I had loved it so much.”

She is happy to share her recipe of Crème Caramel

1. Take ¼ cup of water and ½ cup of sugar in a pan. 

2. Keep on slow heat, do not stir. 

3. Soon golden coloured caramel will be seen. 

4. Remove from heat and pour into your pudding bowl. 

5. Boil 1 lire milk in another sauce pan for half an hour. 

6. Add ½ cup sugar, boil again for another 10 minutes. 

7. Remove from heat. 

8. Let it cool to room temperature. 

9. Add 1.5tsp vanilla essence. 

10. Add  6 eggs. 

11. Beat with a whisk/rotary beater till thoroughly mixed. 

12. Pour this mix into the pudding bowl over the caramel. 

13. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

14. Steam or bake the pudding bowl in over with 2 cups of water in a tray. 

15. After 30 minutes, remove from oven and let it cool. 

16. Refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours

17. Remove to serve. 

18. For plating, you over turn the bowl to place the pudding upside down in a dish. 

19. Ready to serve. 

20. Options.Garnish with thinly sliced nuts. 

Follow her Instagram account at foodfashionandmoremumbai 

 Stay connected on her Watsapp at 98205 44070 

Ginger Fish and Sesame Rice

Fishes are not aware of Covid 19. They continue to swim freely in waters, get caught in nets and finally land on our dining table. 

But I have made fish curry so many times already. Sometimes Maharashtrian style, sometimes Goan style, sometimes Bengali and sometimes South India. There is just slight difference in taste, spicy, bland, sweet, sour.  All the recipes have Indian spices, the only difference is in proportion of the ingredients used and the moods of the chef. that of course! (Just remember  that it is always mood, that plays a major role, if you are not in good mood please don't cook and spoil somebody else's mood)

So, I went Exploring different food channels like food blogs, U– tubes,  even browsed through cook books too (most of the cookbooks in my kitchen have ornamental value, They look good, cuddled together, side by side, in my kitchen showcase behind glass panels, they are useful to start a topic of conversation when I am fumbling for words, sometimes I do read) and of course, sometimes going through those glossy pages does inspire me to cook.  

Anyways back to cooking (I get too distracted sometimes, sorry, I forget that you visit me to read my recipe, not my bak bak)  So, I decided to make fish..unsure of the recipe, totally unplanned, added whatever came to my mind.  

Very soon, it did find its own name… Ginger Fish. 

Lets go step by step

Step one

Wash fish, add salt and cornflour and keep it aside.  

Step two

Make a sauce by mixing 2 tbsp soya sauce, 2 tbsp tomato sauce, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp chili sauce, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp minced herbs, 1 tsp black sesame seeds,  1 cup water. Stir it well to dissolve sugar. Keep it aside.  

Step three

Chop 2 inches ginger into this strips, fry them in 2tbsp of oil till they are crispy and browned. Remove and keep them aside.  

Step four

In the same oil, fry fish (of step one) till it is brown in colour. Used chop sticks to turn the fish to other side. 

 

Step five

Pour the sauce (of step two) on the browned fish and wait for it to bubble.  

Step six

Add crispy ginger (from step three)  Fish is ready ..

You can have it with rice . but I wanted a flavoured rice too. So make rice in sesame seeds. 

For cooking rice 

1. In a pan, add 1tbsp of sesame seed oil 

2. Add one thinly chopped onions and one inch ginger. 

3. Add 1tsp black sesame seeds, 1 tsp mixed herbs, salt. 

4. Add rice and water and cook till ready.  

Serve it with cucumber and glass of lassi (I don't like wine or any other drink during lunch time). You can drink whatever you wish.  

Some fish is left over...but I don't like to waste...going to make fish cutlets...

You have any recipe for me???? 

ps: If you are vegetarian..you can use Paneer (cottage cheese) instead of fish. 

By the way..you can see the video clip of this recipe at 

Home Chefs Of Mumbai – Part 30 – Rachna Prasad

There are too many dieticians today who control our eating patterns

They advocate with warning instructions such as to avoid all whites that includes white sugar, white flour, white rice, white salt. Avoid fried food (that junk food, remember), Avoid red meat (too much cholesterol), Use olive oil in your cooking.(foreign concept), Do lot of exercises to burn calories,(yes, can do), Join gym to keep fit (better than to running aimlessly in the park, no?) . 

The only problem is that we don't know where to draw a line. We go too much to the extreme to follow the dieticians, causing our family members (specially moms) a lot of inconvenience. 

Mothers are expected to read every label of the food packet she buys from supermarket to check out its nutrition values, the ingredients used, the calorie content, the flavours used(artificial or natural), to check veg/non-veg (green/red dot) and whether its baked, fried or roasted. 

Too much time is spent at bread, biscuits and pasta section to hunt for brown colour ingredients..brown bread, Ragi/Millet biscuits, whole wheat pastas. Some of the brown breads are made of white flour disguised with brown colour caramel (but you may not know till u read the label) 

As a result, the life style has changed. Gourmet food is in. More people are turning Vegan, stylish trend is to eat only salads. The grandparents and parents stay at home, cooking the traditional food for themselves because the health conscious youngsters hardly eat at home. 

Home Chef Rachna Prasad, cooks such delicious meal that there is no desire eat anywhere else.

Rachna Prasad (of Ambrosia Kitchen fame) is Food Curator & Consultant, Chef, Recipe Developer, Pop-up Specialist and a founder of Ambrosia Kitchen. 

Rachna, born and raised in Patna, She has been cooking since she was 14. At that time, her mother’s cooking style influenced her a lot. Her first breakfast that she cooked for her family was a Spanish omelet with garlic bread and potato wedges. 

“Everyone loved it and that still holds a special place in my heart. Cooking, for me, is a stress buster. It inspires me and keeps me charged the whole day. It has given me an identity of my own.” She says.

Rachna specialises in Bihari and Indian cuisine. Her clients call her a ‘Biryani Queen’ and a ‘Diva’ of Indian food! One of her specialty dishes is Mutton Goli Kabab. A delightful Bihari recipe, that used to be a must at every get-together party at her grandmother’s home. The recipe was passed on to her mother after her marriage, it made her famous at her in-laws’ place. Everyone looked forward to the Meat Goli whenever there was a party at home. When Rachna got married she too made it for her in-laws and she gets requests for it all the time.

Rachna moved to Delhi later for a course in Fashion Designing from NIFT although she knew cooking was her true calling! She once spotted a newspaper ad placed by Taj Mansingh Hotel for a position in Food & Beverage. She got the job and thus began her culinary journey. 

“I learned a lot under Chef Bhatnagar at Taj Mansingh and he continues to inspire me to-date. Cooking is my first love, In my free time I like to watch food shows on Bihari cuisine or read up on various recipes, although I enjoy painting, driving, writing poems, art & craft, singing, dancing and spending lots of quality time with my two adorable kids and family.”

Rachna is happy to share her Bihari recipe - Mutton Goli Kababs

1. Pressure cook 500gms mutton mince along with 150gms Chana dal, 1 ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 inch cinnamon, 1tsp cumin, 1tsp green cardamom, 5-6 black peppercorn, ½ tsp fennel seeds and salt for 20 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. 

2. Transfer into a bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes. 

3. Grind the spiced mince into a soft paste. 

4. Do not add any water. 

5. In a large bowl, combine the meat paste with 1tbsp almond, 1tsp cashew nut, ½ tsp poppy seed paste, 12 soaked raisins, 1tsp lemon juice, chopped coriander, 2tbsp fried onion paste, 2 egg and ½ cup bread crumbs and give it a thorough mix. 

6. Heat oil on high flame in a deep frying pan. 

7. Make small, round meat balls (goli) 

8. Deep fry them until golden brown in colour. 

Serve hot with green chutney and onion rings.

Rachna Prasad was awarded Home Chef and Baker's award 2020 for the contribution to India's Home chef & Baking Industry in the category of 5-8 years

 

Follow her on her Instagram at rachnakcp

Contact her on her Watsapp at 9820968751

Email ID - ambrosiakitchen11@gmail.com

Home Chefs Of Mumbai – Part29 – Purnima Kanojia

Streetfood is the common sight everywhere in the world. 

Everybody will crinkle their nose, shrug shoulders complaining that its unhygienic and unhealthy but still, they all love it. 

Back then, the vendors used to make their rounds in narrow lanes with their Haat ghadi or a heavy basket balanced on their head and would shrill (in a musical tone) to announce their presence. People would speed walk outside their gates (bringing their own plates) and smack on the food which was mainly prepared snack (evening Chaat) that needed only garnishing like sweet and sour chutneys, some mixed masalas, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes (or curds), chillies and coriander leaves and was spicy and tasty.  They had their fixed timings and people would eagerly wait for them.  

Now you find vendors stationed at almost every street corner. They carry water in big (dirty) cans, that they use for rinsing dishes, the food is uncovered, exposed to dust and germs. Different vendor specialise in different chaat like Panipuri/Sevpuri, or Batatawadas/Samosas, or Tava fried exotic Dosas, or Chinese soups/noodles, or  fresh Sugarcane/fruit juices.  

Nevertheless, things are changing a bit (of course) and they are paying attention to hygienic issues too. Panipuri wallah have started wearing gloves, many are using paper plates, there are food courts at the mall, Dabhas at Express highways  have mushroomed everywhere for people making intercity tours and more recently we have seen food-trucks near the promenades/beaches.  

Purnima Kanojia really enjoys food, be it sitting on a car bonnet enjoying Pav Bhaji and Falooda, or travelling intercity and stopping to eat Dal Gatti with gud ka Churma at Jaipur, or Patiala glass Lassi at Punjab, or even Puttu and Kadla curry to Idiyappams in Kerela. 

Purnima Kanojia is adventurous in exploring street foods, both eating and cooking.

Purnima Kanojia (of MyFoodJourney Fame) is Pharma professional with twelve years of industry-experience; she is set all out to make a mark for herself in the culinary world too. She hopes to start a commercial kitchen soon.

Her journey with food started at seven years of age. She discovered the joy of doing a perfectly round roti on a Chulah, (back then it was by fluke). It took years of practice after that to do it perfectly. It was a kind of fun activity she did with her Bhabhi at her Nani’s house in Ghaziabad and it struck a chord.

“Food instills lot of emotion in me. Ever since I have understood the joy of cooking and feeding, its’ novelty has taken me up by surprise every single time.” She says

Purnima Kanojia specialises in Dum Biryani and Indian Cuisine. Anything and everything about food excites her including food photography. Food plating and food styling is another arena she wants to explore.

She believes that if love melts the hearts, Food is it’s glue to join them.

In the past, cooking was a need-based act for her, that included exploring randomly different cuisines. But her food passion took her to another level in October 2019 when she started her blog page _’Myfoodjourney’_, and set out on a trail to explore her talent. 

“My first experience with dishing out Lebanese cuisine was an amazing experience.. It was simply fabulous to realise how flavours and textures enhance your dish. I made Beetroot Fatey in a live, fun-filled cookery show  called ‘Kitchen ka Dangal’ of  Moms’ magic cooking. In this dish, the traditional Pita bread was replaced by Nacho chips from Cornitos. Such amalgamation of flavours, textures, colours in a dish, yet without love nothing taste better. It’s the emotion with which you cook counts and makes your dish stand apart.  I am keen to exploring the world through my taste buds, hence my tagline 'Exploring the zesty flavours of life.” Says Purnima while showing the photographs of her creation.

She is happy to share this recipe of this Lebanese dish called Beetroot Fatteh.

In a classic dish toasted pita bread is used. In this preparation you can replace with Cornitos Sweet chilli nachos. 

1. To prepare seasoned Curd – 

a. Whisk 400 gms Curd till it is creamy

b. Add coarsely ground 2- 3 pods of garlic

c. ¼ teaspoon of  Jeera powder

d. Salt  - ¼ teaspoon

e. Mix all the ingredients well 

2. To prepare seasoned chickpea –

a. Boil 250 gms chickpeas, add salt and cook till soft. 

b. Drain the water add ¼ tsp pepper, salt (a pinch) 

c. Add 1/4 tsp jeera powder 

d. Squeeze l1tsp lemon juice 

e. Mix well

3. Boil 250gms  Beetroot. 

4. Once done, peel, dice.

5. Season with salt, pepper.

6. Saute diced 3 tbsp yellow bell pepper in olive oil. Leave them crunchy

7. To prepare Tahini – 

a. Take 2 table spoon of Sesame seeds. 

b. Dry roast them till slightly brown in colour

c. In a grinding jar, add roasted Sesame seeds, a pinch of salt, and 2 teaspoon of olive oil.

d. Coarsely grind this mixture.

e. Fresh Tahini is ready

8. Now to Assemble the dish – 

a. In a bowl add nacho chips at the bottom

b. Add seasoned chickpea (of step2) 

c. Add seasoned beetroot (of step3)

d. bell pepper, (of step6)

e. 2 tbsps chopped onions

f. Add the seasoned curd mix (of step1)

g. Sprinkle a pinch of Jeera powder

9. Give a Final Nutty finish – 

a. In a small pan, add 1 table spoon of olive oil

b. Warm it, then add 5/6 slivered almonds

c. Put off the flame.

d. Add ¼ teaspoon of Kashmiri chilli powder

e. Immediately pour this over the Fetteh 

f. Drizzle Tahini  (of step7)

g. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander 

Enjoy crunchy, creamy, nutty, flavourful Beetroot fatteh.

Portion size – serves 2 people

Visit her Facebook to read her food stories at MyFoodJourney

Follow her Instahandle at  _my_foodjourney_

Order for Dum Biryani on Watsapp at  96193 13795

 

Home Chefs Of Mumbai – Part 28 – Aruna Shetty

Everybody loves to celebrate their birthday. It is a day of pampering, a day to enjoy, a day to make the person feel special. 

Back then, birthday used to be to just to distribute sweets to class mates, wear pretty clothes, go to a photo studio for a picture with family and then have a small party with close loved ones at home. Menu was Cake, Wafers and Orange juice, sometimes Vanilla ice cream too. 

Now children, very rightfully, want bragging rights for their parties. Planning starts two weeks ahead, invites to be sent, venue to be fixed, menu, guest list, and cakes. 

Research bears out that a child’s earliest memory is often food related. The preparing and sharing of food can be perceived as an act of love, providing nurture, comfort, warm feelings and stability, “a safe place” which is so important in childhood.  

It is a norm now to have theme parties, by the beach, or at the pool, or in a private club.  Every child is invited with an attendant/helper and there is separate menu for attendants too. All children are given equally expensive take-a-way gifts. It has to be a memorable event. Cake is the centre piece of attraction, with lights, action, cameras.  

Aruna Rakesh Shetty make the best theme cakes for such parties, making emotional connection with the memories that will last lifetime.  

Aruna Rakesh Shetty(of kitchenshetty fame) is wrapped in many layers, a multi talented, cooking expert, not just in baking cakes but also in regional cuisine, each layer beautiful, each one innovative, from a fashion designer, to  flight attendant up in the skies with Jet airways and Daminya airlines, then enrolled in IHM and worked for Indigo Delicatessan and then planned to open a cloud kitchen, but Covid (an uninvited guest) visited every home, and the plans got shelved for some time perhaps, and Aruna got busy with baking and cooking. 

Artistic people move on to newer territories and an interesting one.  

Aruna specialises in theme based cakes that not only tastes good but are also visually appealing and children get very thrilled when they see her creations. Imagine a cake that looks like a garden with roses, sunflowers, butterflies..or cake that looks like a newspaper page, or a cake with Disney characters. Thats the kind of cake that not just children love but even adults.  

Aruna is fond of trying local cuisine while travelling. On one of the trips with her family, they landed at Madrid, booked a Eurocar and went city hopping. 

“At Granada, I had the streetfood speciality of Spain. Churro Chocolate. These are normally eaten for breakfast dipped in champurrado(chocolate based mexican beverage), hot chocolate, dulce de leche(sweet milk) or café con leche(coffee with milk). Sugar is often sprinkled on top. I wanted to settle here forever, after I had the churros with the Chocolate dip and coffee."  She said. 

Aruna loves pumpkins, because of its health benefits like it promotes weight loss and also lowers the risk of cancer.

 "I follow my mom’s cooking in an iron wok, because it does wonders to health benefits and the taste very rustic.  Also what I strongly believe is that it is your feelings which transfers in your cooking, so just cook with loads n loads of luvvv " she smiles  

She is happy to share her recipe of Pumpkin.

1. Chop the 200gms Pumpkins after cleaning and put them in water. 

2. In a wok add 3tbsp Ghee add a pinch of asafoetida, 1/2tsp cumin seeds and 1/2tsp Mustard seeds. 

3. They will start crackling. 

4. Add 7/8 curry leaves, then add chopped pumpkin. 

5. Add 1/2tsp Turmeric powder, 1/2tsp Chilly powder and Salt. 

6. Lower the flame, it will shed lot of water. let it cook. 

7. Once the water dries up a bit, add 1tsp Jaggery 

8. Add1/4tsp Pepper powder and 1tsp freshly grated Ginger, 2 finely chopped Tomatoes and 2 Green Chilies. 

9. Stir it for about 5 to 10 minutes. 

10. Finally add 2tbsp freshly grated Coconut and 2tbsp Coriander leaves. 

11. It is ready to serve. 

You can follow her Instagram ar Kitchenshetty

Contact her on her Watsapp no 90046 78289