Tilachi Chutney (White Sesame Seed Chutney) Recipe

If you've read my Storypick article , you'll remember that I strongly believe that nobody does condiments like we Indians do. I just checked my pantry yesterday and saw 3 types of spicy pickles, 2 types of sweet pickles and 2 types of dry chutneys. I still felt like making this chutney because it's my husband's favourite (and you can never have too many chutneys!). No wonder, we've ended up adding the word 'chutney' to the English language!

Tilachi Chutney (White Sesame Seed Chutney) Recipe

Tilachi chutney is a quick fix for your spice cravings. It takes exactly 15 minutes to make and has beautiful combination of nutty, pungent and salty flavours. You can eat it like you'd eat pickles. It makes for a great accompaniment to your everyday roti, sabzi and dal chawal. I particularly like to add zing to my varan-bhaath (steamed rice with steamed toor dal) with it.

Tilachi Chutney (White Sesame Seed Chutney) Recipe

Let's not forget that white sesame seeds also have many health benefits.They have oleic acid that helps lower the LDL (bad cholesterol). They're also a rich source of anti-oxidants, growth proteins and Vitamin B. This chutney takes very little cooking, therefore preserving these nutrients. So, eating this chutney makes for a great way to get all these micro-nutrients.

Tilachi Chutney (White Sesame Seed Chutney) Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Making Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

50gms white sesame seeds
2 tsps Kashmiri red chilly powder
1 dried kokum
Salt to taste

Method:

Dry roast the sesame seeds on a low flame. They're done when they just start to pop out of the pan (about 4-5 minutes). 

Let them cool for about 2 minutes.

In a mixer grind together the roasted sesame seeds, the dried kokum, the red chilly powder and the salt. Grind for about 2 minutes till it forms a smooth powder. Don't grind too much or the sesame seeds will start releasing oil.

Serve as an accompaniment to virtually anything!

Spiced Vietnamese Coffee Shots Recipe

A few months back I'd read somewhere that Vietnamese coffee is made using sweetened condensed milk instead of milk. Since then the idea has stuck in my head because I simply love condensed milk. And that is ironical because I don't like milk much.

Spiced Vietnamese Coffee Shots Recipe

Making Vietnamese coffee has been in my head for some time now. But I've never had a chance to get a tin of condensed milk in a while. It has a lot of condensed milk in it and it gets pretty difficult to finish it all at one go. So when aaji (my grandmother-in-law) made kheer last week, we got a can of condensed milk. And I had enough left over to try out making Vietnamese coffee. 

I first tried the regular version of Vietnamese coffee with plain coffee and condensed milk to come to a basic Vietnamese coffee recipe. Then, being me, I thought of ways to make it interesting, because there's no fun in doing a traditional recipe that you can easily find on the internet. And with that push, I came up with this twist to the traditional Vietnamese coffee recipe: Spiced Vietnamese Coffee Shots Recipe

Spiced Vietnamese Coffee Shots Recipe

 These Spiced Vietnamese Coffee shots combine the full-bodied taste of coffee with hints of aromas from spices and the buttery sweetness (don't tell me you've never noticed this!) of condensed milk. It can be served as a substitute for your afternoon coffee or as a coffee course after a dinner party. Of course, you can have it like Vietnamese people have it: any time of the day... morning, noon and night!

Spiced Vietnamese Coffee Shots Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 3

Ingredients: 

1 cup water
1 star anise
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tbsps coffee powder (preferably Vietnamese coffee powder)
1 1/2 tbsps sweetened condensed milk

Method

Combine the water with the star anise and cinnamon powder. Bring to a boil. Simmer on a low flame for 2 minutes.

In the meanwhile pour 1/2 tbsp of sweetened condensed milk in each shot glass.

To make the coffee decoction use a coffee filter if you have one. If not, you can use my method as described here. If you're using instant coffee, just add it into the water itself.

Pour this coffee slowly in a thin trickle over the condensed milk in the glasses. It will form two layers.

Serve hot with a stirrer.

Gobhi Masala Recipe

The humble cauliflower is an eternal favourite of my husband. Or rather, because it is one of the five vegetables he actually eats, it's our favourite to keep making. It's one of those few ways to help him eat some veggies.But cauliflower! Once or twice in a week! I need new recipes. And I have been scouting for them for long!

Gobhi Masala Recipe

This gobhi masala recipe comes from my sister-in-law's cook in Singapore. She's a Punjabi lady with a large heart and lively banter. I met her last year when my hubby (then fiance) and I had travelled to Singapore and stayed at my sister-in-law's place. She made this gobhi masala one day and though it was to be stocked for later, we had quite a bit of it while "tasting " it!

Gobhi Masala Recipe

The simplicity of this recipe comes from the less number of spices used. This dish is made only with corriander powder (dhaniya powder), red chilly powder and turmeric for flavour. In this dish, the corriander powder stands out as a soothing, earthy flavour, making this dish a delight for the taste buds.

Gobhi Masala Recipe

Gobhi Masala Recipe

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 tbsps vegetable oil (peanut/ sunflower/ canola/ olive)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
300 gms cauliflower separated into florets
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsps red chilly powder
3 tsps corriander powder (dhaniya powder)
Salt to taste

Few sprigs of fresh corriander leaves to garnish  

Method

Heat oil in a deep pan (kadhai).

Temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida powder.

Add in the ginger-garlic paste and fry for about 30 seconds till it starts to lose its raw smell.

Now add in the onion and fry till it becomes translucent.

Add in the cauliflower florets, turmeric, red chilly powder and corriander powder and the salt. Mix well till the spices coat the florets evenly.

Lower the flame, cover with a plate and pour some water on the plate to cook the cauliflower.

Keep stirring and checking every 2-3 mins. The florets should cut through easily with the stirring spatula when done.

Garnish with the fresh corriander and serve with your favourite rotis or parathas. 

Pan- Fried Garlic Rosemary Chicken Recipe

Baba (my father-in-law) loves food. There's no two ways about it. You can see his passion in how enthusiastically he talks of food, eats it with gusto and is involved in planning menus as much as possible. The ball doesn't just stop there. He always is up for trying new dishes in the kitchen- from new recipes to just simple addition of different herbs and spices to our regular dishes. When I try something new, he will be right there in the kitchen asking me how I am making it or with suggestions about what else I could try with it. That makes for great company in the kitchen!

Pan-Fried Garlic Rosemary Chicken Recipe

This dish has come from a simple request he came to me with. He has got a bottle of dried rosemary from Singapore when he was at my sister-in-law's (yes he shops for new food stuff too!) which he uses for anything and everything. He loves it's flavour so much! He asked me if I can find fresh rosemary somewhere in Mumbai since he'd had it in Singapore and really liked it. And I laughed and said that it has become available at the supermarket in the mall near our house. On our next shopping trip we got some fresh rosemary leaves. 

Pan-Fried Garlic Rosemary Chicken Recipe

In this dish, I have tried to highlight the  anise-seed-y pungent flavour of rosemary by keeping it simple and pairing it only with the complementary taste of garlic. This dish takes exactly 10 minutes to make. While it is great to have just like that as a starter, I am thinking of using it the next time in a salad with iceberg lettuce and a dash of mayo or in a chapati roll with some mayo again. 

Pan- Fried Garlic Rosemary Chicken Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time:  10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

200 grams chicken breasts

2 tbsps olive oil

8-10 cloves of garlic finely chopped

2 stalks of fresh rosemary, leaves separated

1 tsp pepper

Salt to taste

Method

Clean the chicken breasts and dice them into 1 inch cubes.

In a pan heat the olive oil.

Lower the flame and fry the garlic in it slowly till it starts turning brown (about 1-2 minutes).

Add in the chicken, the rosemary leaves and salt and pepper. Cook for about 3-4 minutes till the chicken is done. 

Serve fresh. 

You can add a dash of lime juice to the chicken if you wish. 

Lemongrass-Gula Melaka Refresher Recipe

More alchemy happened in the kitchen yesterday. I was wondering what to do next with the gula melaka syrup (recipe here) lying around (yes, it's still good to use!) when I remembered that there is some lemongrass left at home too.

I thought since both are South East Asian ingredients, they should pretty much go together. We also have the omnipresent summer. So I made a light and refreshing drink of these two.  Presenting a new beverage straight from my kitchen: Lemongrass Gula Melaka Refresher!

Lemongrass-Gula Melaka Refresher Recipe

This drink is very light in it's flavours. Lemongrass gives it a subtle and fresh lemony fragrance without the sourness. Gula melaka adds a lovely maltiness to the drink. These flavours compliment each other beautifully.

Lemongrass-Gula Melaka Refresher Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Making Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 cup water
2 cups cold water
6 leaves of lemongrass (gavati chaha)
2 tbsps gula melaka syrup
3 cups cold water
5-6 ice cubes

Method:

Cut the lemongrass leaves into small pieces.

Put them in the water and bring to a boil. After it comes to a boil, let it simmer on low gas for about 3 minutes.

Add in the cold water to the lemongrass water.

Take ice cubes in a glass. Pour the gula melaka syrup into it.

Gula Melaka Syrup on Ice

Then pour the lemongrass mixture on top in a thin trickle along the side of a spoon. You'll get two lovely layers.

Serve with a stirrer.

Enjoy! 

Tip: You can always substitute the gula melaka syrup with sugar syrup. Lemongrass goes just as well with both.