Going Indian IV

Hello! I invite you to go Indian again, with a delicious korma, chicken korma. I must say chicken is not the best of meat but it is light and if freshly cooked, delicious. All kinds of meat are good as long as they are eaten with moderation. I found out that myself, long time ago, when exaggerating with meat, I felt so sick, I hated the sight of it for weeks. Well, when it is too much, it is too much. I don’t want to be boring or get bored, although sometimes, both happen, at the same time. It is just a passing moment. 🙂 Continue reading, please. 😉 Or not.

Before I get to the actual recipe, I would like to recommend something. I just don’t know how to introduce it. It goes well with this recipe and any Indian and Asian food: “The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights”. I started reading it and got immersed into a very different world, beautiful and unique, quite like Indian food. They both come from Asia, in the books there are several references and stories about India so, yes, it goes down well. Like a good wine, imho. I so amazed by this book that I started reading it after so many years. When I was a child I read a few stories, and now, getting some volumes of it (I don’t have them all, and what I read is really from a 1987 Romanian edition) I love it. Read it yourself and I think you would love it too.

Back to food, that is an important part of the Tales. Here it comes chicken korma, with a home made korma. I got the recipe from “Cookshelf Chicken” by Tom Bridge, looong time ago.

Chicken Korma

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients:

• 750 g (1 lb/ 10 oz) chicken meat, cut into cubes
• 300 ml (1/2 pint / 1 1/4 cups) double (heavy) cream
• 1/2 tsp garam masala

Korma Paste:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 2.5 cm (1 inch) fresh ginger root, coarsely chopped
• 50 g (1 3/4 oz / 1/3 cup) blanched almonds
• 6 tbsp chicken stock
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 4 cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp ground cumin seeds
• pinch cayenne
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• coriander, to garnish

Method:

• Place all the ingredients for the korma paste into a blender or food processor and blend together until a very smooth paste is formed.
• Place the cubes of chicken in a bowl and pour over the korma paste. Stir to coat the chicken completely with the paste. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours to allow the flavours to permeate the chicken.
• Simmer the meat in a large saucepan for 25 minutes, adding a little chicken stock if the mixture becomes too dry.
• Add the double cream and garam masala to the pan and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Allow the korma to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish the chicken korma with fresh coriander and serve with basmati rice.

Bon appetite!

 

Going Bananas

Yes, sometimes I go bananas. For different and crazy reasons. But then I would not feel I am alive. Staying alive is another reason. So I’d rather go bananas. ; )) As I have a bit of time now I remembered I haven’t written on my beautiful, lovely blog for a while. When I think that all started 3 years ago, in 2010, I always wonder how the time has passed. The time passes, how this happens depends only on us. All in all, it has been wonderful though and here I am writing again another recipe I’ve done years and years ago. As you probably have guessed (because the clue is in the title, you cheeky monkey, me cheeky monkey 😉  ) today we will eat some bananas. As I am a civilized monkey 😛  I will use the fire. Do you know how to make fire? Well, wait for the rain and lightning. There you go, you have fire now. Be careful not to set yourself on fire because then we will have a flambé human being. God forbidden! I have a weird sense of humour today, indulge me and have some fun. I keep forgetting: the recipe is from “Good Housekeeping Cookery Book”, 1985.

Flambé Bananas

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 25 g (1 oz) butter
• grated   rind and juice of 1 large orange
• 2,5 ml (1,2 level tsp) ground cinnamon
• 4 large bananas, peeled
• 50 g (2 oz) Demerara sugar (or just plain sugar if you don’t have Demerara)
• 60 ml (4 tbsp) dark rum
• orange shreds and slices, to decorate
• cream or vanilla ice cream to serve (or whipped vanilla cream)

Method:

• Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the orange rind and juice. Stir in the cinnamon, then add the bananas and cook for a few minutes, until softened.
• Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the rum, set alight and stir gently to mix.
• Decorate with orange shreds and slices and serve immediately with cream, whipped cream or ice cream.

Bon appetite!

 

Raspberry Dessert

I will be quick today. I have to go somewhere and I don’t have much time for stories. I just want to tell you that this is a very easy and quick dessert, loved by everyone and the source of it is a card named ‘Delicious Meals Made Easy’ from London, in the time when London found out that it would host the Summmer Olympic Games.

Raspberry Dessert

Preparation: 15 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 284 ml (10 fl oz) pot of double cream
• 275 g (10 oz) natural yogurt
• 450 g (1 lb) fresh raspberries (or frozen ones, defrosted, but I don’t recommend)
• 100 g (4 oz) plain chocolate mini flakes, lightly crushed
• 4 mint sprigs to decorate

Method:

• In a bowl, mix together orange juice, ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. Whip cream in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Stir in yogurt and orange juice mixture.
• Put three-quarters of the raspberries in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Using a spoon, press the purée through a fine sieve into a bowl. Discard seeds.
• Divide half the cream mixture between 4 dessert dishes. Pour half raspberry purée over the mixture in the dishes. Gently swirl through the 2 mixtures to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle over half the chocolate flakes.
• Top with the remaining cream mixture, raspberry purée and chocolate flakes. Put remaining whole raspberries on top. Decorate with mint sprigs and serve at once.

Bon appetite!

 

Hazelnut Rugelach

When I first made this recipe, I thought that it is the same as something that mom used to make at home. Well,  it is almost, but with a twist. Imho, I like this much better. It is slightly different but I do enjoy eating it more than anything. In my journey to try the international cuisine, I found this book “The Jewish Kitchen. Recipes and Stories from Around the World” by Clarissa Hyman, 2003 and this delicious recipe: Hazelnut Rugelach.  The result was mouth-melting. If you like cooking, try this at home, if you don’t, find someone who does and eat together. 😉

Hazelnut Rugelach   

Makes 32 small or 16 large

Ingredients:

• 200 g (7 oz) butter, softened
• 200 g  (7 oz) soft cream cheese (I prefer Philadelphia but may be you prefer something else)
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 250 g (9 oz) plain flour, sifted with a pinch of salt
• 100 g (3 1/2 oz) finely chopped hazelnuts (or walnuts)
• 50 g (2 oz) soft brown sugar
• 4 tbsp cocoa
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 25 g (1 oz) butter, melted
• 1 egg white beaten with a little water ( you can use a whole egg, I’m sure I wouldn’t mind)
• granulated sugar  (optional)

Method:

• Cream the butter and cheese until well blended. Stir in the caster sugar, then the flour and mix until the dough begins to hold together. Gather into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill overnight.
• Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/ 180°C, 350°F.
• Combine the nuts, brown sugar, cocoa and cinnamon and set aside.
• Cut the dough ball in half and return  one half to the fridge while you work with the other. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into a thin circle about 25 cm / 10 inches in diameter. If it is too sticky, flour the pastry too. The pastry may feel hard at first but it quickly softens. Use a cake tin or a plate to help cut out a neat circle. Cut the dough circle into a 16 or 8 equal pie-shaped wedges.
• Brush the surface pf the wedges with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with half the nut mixture. Cover with a piece of clingfilm and use a rolling-pin to press the filling lightly down into the dough. Remove the clingfilm and roll up each wedge from the outside, wide end towards the point, so you end up with mini croissants. Place on a lightly greased baking tray and brush with beaten egg white. Sprinkle with a little sugar, if wished. Repeat with the remaining dough and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.
• Leave to cool slightly the transfer to a  wire rack.

Bon appetite!

Mousaka with Gruyere Cheese

I feel so relieved! My exams are over. So is my stress. I can continue writing here, without thinking that I have an exam tomorrow or I have to learn for one. So I add today the recipe I put some weeks ago in Romanian. This is the English recipe of mousaka, the Greek type . But this one comes with a twist: it has Gruyère cheese in it. I loved it the moment I put my eyes on it, as it has cheese and aubergines, one of my favorite vegetables. Plus, it is traditional to make with aubergines, not potatoes. I have made mousaka with potatoes some years ago just to see how it tasted, but I didn’t like it. My fave is this one. If you are lucky to have this book: Josceline Dimbley “Marvellous Meals with Mince” – 1982, than you can just skip this.

What I like about this recipe is that it has exotic spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, that add a special flavour and fragrance to the dish.

Mousaka with Gruyère Cheese  

Ingredients:

• 550-675 g (1 1/4 – 1 1/2 lb) aubergines (approx. 3)
• lemon juice
• 2 onions
• 25 g (1 oz) butter (80-82 unsalted butter, if you find)
• 450 g (1 lb) lamb mince (you can add half lamb and half beef mince if you like)
• 1 tsp (5 ml spoon) ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 6 tbsp water
• a good handful of parsley, chopped
• 200 g (8 oz) Gruyère cheese, sliced thinly (the original recipe states 100 g, but my experience has shown me that it is not enough, plus I love cheese, so there is never enough for me)
• salt and pepper

For the topping:

• 50 g (2 oz) butter
• 50 g (2 oz) plain flour
• 450 ml (3/4 pint) milk
• a little grated nutmeg
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp single cream
• salt and black pepper

Method:

• Peel the aubergines, slice into 1/4 – 1/2 inch (5 mm – 1cm) rounds and immediately smear with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Then rub all over with salt and leave in a colander in the sink for half an hour, to drain away the bitter juices. I can tell you that there won’t be much or no bitter juices.
• Peel and chop the onions. To do this I have discovered in London the excellent Alligator Onion Cutter. I hate cutting onion so I have purchased one there. I saw it in Selfridge and other stores. It is worth it having one, believe me. Heat the butter in a large frying pan and cook the onion over a gentle heat until softened. Add the minced lamb and fry over a rather higher heat, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon until it is separated and sealed. Stir in the ground cinnamon and  a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Then stir in the tomato purée and water and bubble until the water is absorbed. Turn of the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
• Bring a large pan of water to the boil and empty the aubergine slices into it. Cover the pan and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.
• In a 2 1/2 – 3 pint (1,4 – 1,7 litre) ovenproof dish (a glass one shows tha layers attractively) make layers of aubergine slices, mince mixture and Gruyère cheese, starting and ending with a layer of aubergine.
• To make the topping, melt the butter in a saucepan, remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Stir in the milk, gradually at first. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time and then bubble gently, still stirring, for about 3 minutes. Season lightly with salt and black pepper add a little grated nutmeg. What a lovely flavour!Remove from the heat.
• Whisk the egg yolks with the cream and gradually add the white sauce, stirring in thoroughly. If the sauce is al all lumpy, whisk until smooth and then pour on tp of the aubergine and meat layers.
• Heat the oven to Gas Mark 4/ 180°C, 350°F and bake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes, until a rich golden brown on top.

Bon appetite!

Braised pork in orange sauce

For me, this recipe was a surprise the first time I saw it. I haven’t thought before of proper food with fruits. In my mind, fruits go with desserts, not other dishes. When I tasted this meal, I liked it. And I think you would agree if you are open to try. Plus, you can cook it ahead so if you want to eat it next day, all you have to do is to put the casserole in the preheated oven and this is it. Simple and easy. I have to say that I have found this recipe in Ann Ager’s book “Cooking in a hurry” edited in 1980 and I cooked it some years ago when I was in London. I would like to cook it again, someday. 🙂

Braised pork in orange sauce

Advanced preparation and cooking time: 45 min.

Preparation and cooking time on the day: 40 min.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 3 tbsp oil
• 500 g (1 1/4 lb) pork fillet, cubed seasoned flour
• 300 ml (1/2 pint) pure orange juice
• 150 ml (1/4 pint) chicken stock (or water if you don’t have stock)
• 225 g (8 oz) carrots, peeled and grated
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 oranges, peel and pith removed, cut into segments
• 150 ml (1/4 pint) double cream
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Method:

• Fry the chopped onion in the oil for 3 minutes over low heat. Dust the cubed pork in seasoned flour and add to the onion. Cook over moderate heat until the meat is lightly browned on all sides.
• Gradually stir in the orange juice and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and add carrot, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Stir in the orange segments, double cream and walnuts and allow to cool.
• Transfer to a casserole, cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
• On the day: cook in a covered casserole in a preheated oven at 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4,  for 40 minutes. In case you eat this immediately, skip the  “chill overnight” step. And enjoy the flavours!

Bon appetite!