Lentils, Pumpkin & Sweet Potato stew : One pot dinner

I cannot be a self respecting food blogger and not post a pumpkin recipe for that time of the year when pumpkins are omnipresent on the internet. Actually, I didn't even realise this when I made this stew for dinner. Indians don't need a time of the year to use pumpkin. It is cooked round the year in several dishes - curries, sambars, a kootu with dals and lots more. In fact, pumpkin is such an everyday thing, that most Indian families love to hate it (familiarity breeds contempt and so on) and cannot understand what the hype & hoopla over pumpkin is all about, during this time of the year in other countries. Using pumpkin in desserts like cakes, cookies, muffins, pies etc. is not a very Indian thing, because none of the above dishes are primarily of Indian origin. There is of course a delicious Pumpkin Halwa (fudge) served in wedding feasts and other such auspicious occasions.

This stew is a healthy way to eat pumpkin and a perfect one pot dish for a chilly evening. Very little chopping and the fact that it simmers itself into a dish without much of supervision, makes it an easy post-work dinner too. This recipe serves two but you could easily double the quantities for a larger families. It's not something I'd call a glamourous dish, but something that's surely hearty, comforting and super healthy.

Lentils, Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Stew
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/3rd cup dry whole masoor dal, soaked in warm water for 2 hours
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup diced yellow pumpkin ~200 grams
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced, 1 cm thick slices
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp tomato paste* or 3 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp ground cumin or ground fennel
1 tsp of ground black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp of hungarian paprika or 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder

Directions
In a medium sized saucepan, heat the olive oil. 
Add the garlic and saute for few seconds (do not brown), add the diced pumpkin and sweet potato slices. Saute on high flame for 30 seconds. 
Reduce the flame. Drain the soaked (rehydrated) whole masoor and add to the pan. Stir for a minute or so. 
Add all the spices & herbs, stir well for few seconds, add 3 cups of boiling water to this and bring to a simmer. 
Cover and let this simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft but holding their shape. Towards the end, add the tomato paste dissolved in 2 tbsp of hot water, to the stew, bring to a simmer and then remove into a bowl to serve.
Serve hot with a slice of crusty bread or crackers or as it is. 

Read More...

Apple Pie Pancakes: Kid in the kitchen

Bear with me. More kiddie recipes coming your way. It's holiday time and I'm trying to combine my love for cooking, my son's gourmet palate and his endless two week long vacation to do something productive. I keep buying a kilo of apples each time, with intentions of making an apple pie. As the days progress, with my decreasing pie-making resolve, the apples start going into salads, with peanut butter for my snack or just hang around in the fruit basket until they die a slow death. 

Today, son and me, came up with this idea. So what if we don't make pie, we can make pie like pancakes. And that's how this came about. He helped chop the apples, measure out the ingredients and we made these together to the endless patter of "mummy, I will FLIP the pancakes. I love flipping."

It was so delicious and we nearly had a fork fight towards the end for the last bit. This makes a perfect holiday breakfast or an after school snack. Just keep the apples prepped and the batter prepared before they're back from school and two minutes is all it takes. I've made this a tad healthier by replacing part of the refined flour by whole wheat flour. Orange zest is entirely optional, but I believe it adds a lot of flavour to the mix. Use a fine grater to grate the skin of the orange, but not until you reach the white bitter part.

Apple Pie Pancakes
Makes 4 6" pancakes

Ingredients
1/2 cup refined flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 pinch salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp white vinegar
2 large apples
1 tsp butter + some more to cook pancakes
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp orange zest (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Directions
In a bowl, mix the flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon powder with a whisk. Make a well, add the milk and vinegar. Gently mix together with a fork. Let this batter rest for 10 minutes.
Scrub the apples under running water. Core the apples and dice them into small pieces with skin. Heat 1 tsp butter in non stick pan. Add the diced apples, sugar, cinnamon powder, orange zest and toss them under low flame for 5 minutes or so, until apples are slightly soft and nicely golden.
Wipe the non stick skillet dry and place on medium heat, grease with some butter and pour a ladle full of batter. Don't spread it thin. Dot some butter around the pancake. When you see bubbles around the edges, it is time to flip over. Each side takes around 2 mins to cook and get golden, this depends on the thickness of your pancakes though.
Once done, remove on a plate and top with a layer of prepared apples. Fold over or serve as it is. Best eaten hot.

Read More...

Lemon Blueberry Muffins - with the kid in the kitchen

Saffron Trail Kitchen Update

The Zesty Salads class of 5th October was much fun (pictures). The registrations for the class of 19th October are closed now. There's a weekday class on 23rd October morning with a few seats open. Please follow the Saffron Trail Facebook page for all updates on upcoming classes and share this with your friends in Whitefield & rest of Bangalore who may be interested.

The two week holidays are back and it's that time of the year when I struggle to find ways to interest my pre-schooler boy outside of the iPad or DVDs. Last afternoon, it was baking time. I pulled out the Muffins Bible from the bookshelf, read out the recipe for Blueberry muffins to the son, made him wear his spiderman apron, spread newspapers on the kitchen table and we were all set to bake together. He promptly recruited my househelp as the sous chef's sous chef, i mean, his sous chef. We measured out the dry ingredients, and the boy threatened to stir it with so much enthusiasm that I thought there would be more flour outside the bowl than inside it. When it was time to crack the eggs, he wanted to do it all by himself, breaking each of them like coconuts on the tines of the fork. My househelp's heart was in her mouth, in the fear that how much clean up we'd have to do if he broke the eggs on the floor. Thankfully, it wasn't that much of a disaster. We managed to fill up the muffin cups and when I turned around to put it in the preheated oven, guess what I see? When my attention had turned elsewhere for a nanosecond, he had cranked up oven temperature to 250C, changed the oven setting to 'grill' - one crazy sous chef indeed. After some rectifications, the muffin tin finally went inside and then he sat almost burning his nose by touching it to the oven glass, to wait for them to be ready.



Finally when it was out, he didn't mind his tongue getting burnt but he had to taste them immediately. This morning, I asked him if he could recall how we made the muffins, this is what he drew. This made me a happy mom :)

Lemon & Blueberry Muffins
Makes 15 medium sized muffins

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil or 1/2 cup oil + 1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup milk (at room temperature)
Zest of two lemons
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup blueberries* (frozen or fresh)

Directions
Preheat the oven at 190°C.
In a large bowl, mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and mix well with a fork or a whisk.
Whisk the oil / butter, vanilla extract, eggs and milk in another bowl. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice, give it a quick whisk and add this to the big bowl of dry ingredients.
Gently fold in the blueberries.
Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper liners or grease them well with butter.
Divide the batter between the 12 muffin holes. If there's any extra, make in the next batch, or bake a baby cake with left over batter.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Shopping Guide
I used frozen blueberries that goes by the brand Delishh, found in the freezer section of Auchan Supermarket (Gopalan Mall), KR Puram. Rs.215 for 200 grams, they were of reasonably good size and freshness. This freeezer section also stocked frozen raspberries and blackberries. 


My Doodle recipe is a part of Easy Doodle Recipe contest at BlogAdda.com in association with TastyKhana.com

Read More...

Introducing Saffron Trail Kitchen - Baking & Healthy Cooking Classes in Bangalore

There's news to share with you. Because here's where it all started. Over 7 years ago. Cooking, writing about it, sharing recipes and the love for food. Teaching how to cook would seem like a natural progression after soaking myself in cooking and baking for over a decade and yet somehow it's taken me this long to finally take the plunge into this joyous role of being a food teacher. I started with a few sessions for the women and kids in my residence complex and driven by their encouragement and suggestions, I've finally started Saffron Trail Kitchen. 

Last month, we had a most fulfilling session on Baking Basics with a crowd of most enthusiastic and fun girls. The baked goodies were tasted over cups of tea and coffee. And my first batch of students have been bombarding me with pics of their baked stuff on Whatsapp, that they've tried at home and it brings me so much joy.

The next class I've scheduled is on Salads. My friend, Nandini says, this class is right up my alley and I can't help but grin. Moving to Bangalore, growing some little herbs and greens on my terrace garden has been the inspiration for many a salad. Friends who've tasted my salads (pardon me if this sounds like gloating) have always had a good word to say about them. It's all about the combination of fresh ingredients, paired with dressings and some glamourous components and you have a wow-inducing salad. 

My salad class, called 'Zesty Salads' makes its debut this Saturday. I want to show you that salads are anything but boring, can make a whole meal and can be put together using absolutely any ingredients you have on hand. My recipe notes are typed out, ingredients' shopping list written down and orders placed. The rocket and the different kinds of lettuce are waiting to be plucked on the morning of the class, so that they are at their freshest best. 

This is a beautiful and exciting world I'm stepping into, where I can share my love for cooking, my knowledge of food and nutrition with those who share my passion. This blog which started off as a personal food diary slowly reached out to a food loving audience, over the years garnered a large readership, finally in its 8th year of existence, connects directly with the people who love to cook, face to face.

I'm planning to do repeat sessions of the salads class, because of the demand and it's sort of the need of the hour, to eat healthy, eat fresh and keep it exciting. The classes will be held at Whitefield, Bangalore. If you are interested in learning to make the most amazing salads, do mail me at saffrontrail AT gmail DOT com - so I can schedule the further classes. I do have a few other classes in mind, but so unlike me to let all the cats out of the bag at once, right?

Also mail me with your suggestions on what you'd like to learn from me, given that you know my style of cooking & baking, I'd be thrilled to hear from you.

Read More...

The new dimsum place in Bangalore - Yauatcha

Until recently, I'd always thought the word dim sum stands for a particular dish in Cantonese cuisine. And then I learnt that it is a term for a set of bite sized dishes that were historically served along with tea tasting (yum cha). Tea houses along the much travelled roads would be frequented by hungry travelers / farmers to relax with tea and small plates of dim sum. 

According to the wikipedia stub on dim sum:

The unique culinary art of dim sum originated with the Cantonese in southern China, who over the centuries transformed yum cha from a relaxing respite to a loud and happy dining experience. In Hong Kong, and in most cities and towns in Guangdong province, many restaurants start serving dim sum as early as five in the morning. It is a tradition for the elderly to gather to eat dim sum after morning exercises.

So what exactly constitutes dim sum? There's a range of food, from steamed (eg. char siu bao - steamed buns with pork) to pan fried (turnip cakes) to deep fried (duck rolls, mini spring rolls etc.). Most of the food is served in steamer baskets to keep them warm. Typically, dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed green veggies, roasted meats, congee and other soups on the aside. Custard tarts are especially popular as a dessert.

Some of the key things about dim sum-
Small serving sizes 3-4 pieces / dish, one can order multiple dishes and share with the whole family. 
It is usually a loud and noisy dining experience, hardly suited for a romantic dinner. The open kitchens, loud wok noises and big groups of people eating together are hallmarks of a dim sum house. That's what Yauatcha aims to provide - a loud and happy dining experience. 

Yauatcha is a contemporary Dim Sum tea house which opened in London in 2004, receiving a Michelin star within one year of its opening. The restaurant is a modern interpretation of the traditional Chinese teahouse. After its launch in India in December 2011 in Mumbai, the restaurant has opened in Bangalore this month. 

We were invited for a preview lunch at the newly opened Bangalore Yauatcha and the first thing that struck me is once you enter the restaurant, you forget you are in a mall. I guess the noise distracts and then the food takes you in its fold. The ambience comprises of simple decor with clean lines and fresh colours. There's bar seating as well, where guests can order anything from the food menu as well. Given that we were invited as a preview guests, I am hoping the service remains as courteous and as attentive to the many guests who come in as the restaurant gains popularity over the coming weeks.

 My lunch partner tried some of the specialties of the house and he has noted his experience here. What I loved about this place is an exclusive vegetarian menu, which was specially designed keeping in mind India's vegetarian population- so we have enough options to choose from instead of having to choose the only available veg stuff. 

My meal started with some Truffle Edamame Dumplings. The highlight of my Yauatcha experience were the fried turnip cakes. A foodblogger friend from Bombay had high praise for this dish when they had opened in Bombay and I was told that this tastes nothing like turnip (which is one of the very few vegetables that I don't care for at all). I have a simple policy when it comes to eating fried food. It has to taste SO good that the calories are worth it, and these cakes truly fit the bill. Topped with crunchy bits of fried garlic and shiitake mushroom (lots of this), I was truly in food heaven. 

The dipping sauces added the extra wow factor to this dish. 

For the mains, I had the Stir fried Udon noodles in Black pepper sauce - loved the texture of the thick udon noodles and the fresh bean sprouts that were a part of this dish. 

The stir fried green beans with shiitake mushrooms was one of the best green beans dishes I have eaten in a long time. Whole beans, blanched and stir fried in the wok with finely chopped shiitake mushrooms was a delight in terms of texture and flavour. I could have eaten the whole bowl by myself had it not been on the saltier side, given that the noodles were also a tad over salted. I'm aware that Cantonese food is known for its high sodium content, but since I consume less salt on a daily basis, my taste buds are highly sensitive to salt. 

The dessert was left it to our host manager to recommend and his recco was the Raspberry Delice. It was a stunning dessert, as you can tell from the picture, and one of my friends tells me that it's Yauatcha's most Instagrammed dish. Raspberry - chocolate is a heavenly combination and this dessert did full justice to that. I'm told while this is their most popular dessert, the other desserts are superb too, which I intend to try out when I'm there next time. 

To summarise, we loved all the dishes we tried, just that it's not for a quiet dining or for having a conversation or a business meeting. It's family style sharing and eating, and loud conversations over good food. I do wish they pull back on the salt a notch, since anyway as Indians we consume way too much salt and a lot of health conscious people are trying to cut down on the salt intake. Having said that, I shall peg Yauatcha as one of the must try new restaurants in Bangalore for its new concept and unique dishes.


DETAILS
Yauatcha 
Level 5, 1 MG Road Mall, MG Road
Opp Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore 560 008
For reservations call: 1800 266 1000
Or email: reservation.bengaluru@yauatchaindia.com

Parking - Mall parking
Credit cards accepted
Child friendly? - a little too noisy to manage noise sensitive kids, but the good part is no one will hear your kid talk loudly or cry.
Meal for two (without alcohol) ~INR 2000

Read More...

A memorable Restaurant Week India preview at Like That Only

Restaurant Week India (RWI) is on from 23rd September to 2nd October, 2013

Website: www.restaurantweekindia.com

Twitter: @restweekindia

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RestaurantWeekIndia 

Are you one of those Bangaloreans who forever crib about how far Whitefield is from the rest of civilization? Well, I have one reason for you to stop cribbing and make that trip already! Like That Only and their amazing RWI menu -you get to experience the quirky yet warm ambience, the genius of Chef Manu Chandra at RWI prices - you can't miss this!

The RWI Menu

Our meal started with some minced vegetable dimsums with accompanying sauces. I loved the fact that the filling was full of flavour and the dimsum cover light and translucent, and just enough to hold the filling together instead of a big doughy mouthful that masks the flavour of any filling. From the 'Appetizers' I'd highly recommend the Tempura Brie with pickled grapes, orange, almonds and plum sauce. It is a unique dish where a chunk of Brie cheese is lightly coated and fried making a crisp outside and a melting inside - I loved the play of textures and delicate flavours here. The husband had the Chilli, soy and grape glazed Pork Ribs with raw papaya salad. You'll find his comments on the meal here.

The chef also sent across some vegetarian sushi- asparagus tempura and cream cheese stuffed rolls, the crispy bite of the asparagus and the slight tartness from the cream cheese made the rolls a treat- topped with pickled ginger and dipped in the sauce, these were an absolute treat.

From the main course, if you are a vegetarian, I'd totally recommend the pan seared tofu with black bean sauce and rice cake. The portions of tofu steaks are quite generous and the tofu was silky soft and well flavoured with the black bean sauce. I didn't care for the rice cake too much though, but just the two pieces of tofu and the sautéed vegetables made it a satisfying main course. 

We got a tasting portion of the Murtabak with seasonal vegetables, curry sauce and pickles, but compared to the Asian stuff on the menu, I found this a little heavy, oily and low on flavour, which is why for vegetarians, the pan seared tofu is a better choice. The fish loving partner had the Pan seared sea bass with seasonal vegetables, mashed potato and a lemongrass broth and he was in foodie-heaven with the perfectly cooked fish and the intense flavours of the broth.

From the three desserts on the RWI menu, we tried two. The Kaffir Lime Creme brûlée with cinnamon crumble and lime gel made me tick all the boxes - creativity, flavours, texture and lightness - highly recommended. 

The other dessert was the Apple Streusel Cheesecake tart with Creme Anglaise - the name itself suggests that it is a richer dessert, regular flavours and heavier. It was decadent alright, but I loved the creme brûlée much more.

If you live in and around Whitefield, do not miss this beautiful culinary experience. If you live elsewhere in Bangalore, this is your best excuse to drive down to Whitefield. 

Citibank Restaurant Week India is amongst the most popular pan-India culinary events and gives discerning food enthusiasts the opportunity to dine at some of India’s finest restaurants at a fraction of a la carte rates. Citibank  cardholders  will  have  the  exclusive  privilege  of  making  reservations  starting  September  16, 2013,  through  the Restaurant Week India website  (www.restaurantweekindia.com),  while  general reservations will  commence  online  from  September  18,  2013.  At  participating  restaurants, customers will be offered a three-course prix fixe menu (with an option of vegetarian or non-vegetarian) in Mumbai and  Delhi  at  INR  1,000  for  lunch  and  INR  1,200  for  dinner,  and  in  Bangalore  at  INR  750  for  lunch  or dinner. The price, per individual, is exclusive of state and central taxes, service charges as well as dishes ordered outside of the special Citibank Restaurant Week menu.

List of restaurants in Bangalore participating in the RWI - Sep 2013 

Read More...

Quick Bite : Indian Bruschetta

I baked this partly whole wheat bread with flaxseeds this week. The only problem with baking your own bread is you can't stop eating it. The possible upside is that you can slice your bread as thin as you want to :) I can almost see all those of you who bake your own bread nod your heads solemnly. I usually try and avoid starting my day with bread, but when it's homemade, you are looking for every possible excuse. So this is what I had for breakfast today - thinly sliced bread, toasted on a low heat on the tava, rubbed with a clove of garlic and topped with a simple paneer mixture. This breakfast ticks all the boxes - good carbs, protein, veggies, fibre. Yay!

I've announced my first class on Baking Basics for 21st September. Do check the details on my Facebook page and do write in with your suggestions and queries.

Bruschetta - Indian style

Bruschetta - Indian Style
Serves 1
Time taken - 15 minutes

Ingredients
2 slices of wholegrain bread 
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped onions
1 small tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1/4 cup paneer, cut into small cubes
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of red chilli powder

Directions
On a skillet or in the toaster, toast the bread till golden and crisp.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small wok and saute the onions till translucent (~2 mins). Add the tomatoes, coriander and saute for another minute. Don't fry the tomatoes to a mush. Add the paneer, salt, red chilli powder and stir gently till seasoned through. Remove from heat and keep aside.
Rub the clove of garlic all over the toasted slices of bread(one side).
Divide the paneer mixture equally between the two (or three, depending on size of bread) slices.
Eat immediately.

This makes for a wholesome breakfast or good for lunch too, when paired with a soup.

Read More...