Quiche

The days have been extremely sleepy and lazy as I have been lying around at home for the past three days and flipping channels on the TV. It's also the reason why I am posting suddenly with a renewed vigor that was absent for sometime now.
To let you all in on some happenings here...I have just managed to take another decision to finally call it quits here and move on to Delhi. Not that I don't like the city, but just like home is where the heart is, the reverse is also true. I think the time has come to move back to one's roots and get back to parents. Funnily, when we are young we try our level best to get as far away from them as we can, and then after some time, you do everything to do the opposite and get as closer to them as possible. Moreover, the opportunity out there is more exciting than the present one and what's life without challenges.
Krithika, I already told you the news yesterday so you cannot call and say you read it here first.
Getting back to the topic of this post, Quiche's a baked dish, which consists of a egg and milk mixture in a pastry crust and some other ingredients like ham, mushrooms, celery other vegetables added in. Both me and my better half are big fans of the Quiche that you get in the Maurya Sheraton Hotel's Mithai Shop....it's amazing. Since we were missing that lovely quiche so much I decided to try it out at home. What came out wasn't as fab, but yes! it did subside that craving for sometime.

Mushroom, Shallot & Cheese Quiche

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
Refined Flour - 1.5 Cup
Butter, cut into cubes (.5 ') - 1/2 Cup
Egg - 1
Salt - 1 Tsp
Water - A Few Drops

For the Filling:
Butter - 2 Tblsp
Mushrooms, quartered & sliced - 1 Cup
Shallots, finely chopped - 1/2 Cup
Gruyere Cheese, grated - 1.5 Cup
Milk - 1/2 Cup
Cream - 1/2 Cup
Thyme, crushed - 3 Tblsp
Eggs - 2
Scallions, sliced - 1/2 Cup
Red bell pepper, Finely Chopped - 1/2
Black Pepper - 2 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste

Method:
For Crust :
1. Sift the flour and the salt together. Add butter and mix with soft hands by rubbing your fingers in the mixture till a coarse meal forms.
2. Add a whisked egg and 1 tsp Cold water to this coarse meal. Knead gently to form a dough.
3. Wrap in plastic and chill for an hour.
4. Take dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface in a round shape.
5. Take a buttered pan with a removable bottom. Transfer rolled out dough to the pan.
6. Press on the bottom and the sides of the pan. Trim out excess dough.
7. Pre-heat oven to 400 °F. Fill pan with dried beans and bake for 20 mins or until crust is golden.
8. Cool.
For Filling:
1. Melt butter in a skillet. Add in the shallots. Saute till they turn translucent. Will take about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add in the scallions and Red Bell Pepper. Saute for another minute.
3. Add in the mushrooms. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Saute till mushrooms are tender. Will take about 10 minutes.
4. Sprinkle thyme and cook for another minute.
5. Take out on a plate and cool this mixture.
6. Sprinkle some thyme on the crust followed by some grated cheese.
7. Add in the mushroom mixture.
8. Whisk cream, eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl.
9. Pour this mixture over the mushrooms.
10. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese on top.
11. Bake the quiche for 20 minutes at 350 °F or till custard is set.
12. Serve at room temperature.

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Grilled Masala Aloo Wedges

Entertaining guests at your place can be quite tricky, especially if its the same old regular crowd coming in too often. You cannot repeat your snacks and make it a regular affair wherein all your friends are gonna be laying bets if Seekh Kababs will be featuring on the snacks menu again that evening. You also cannot prepare something so exotic that'll kill you throughout the day in the kitchen or keep you in the kitchen for most of the evening when the party is going on.
The easiest option is too choose a new restaurant each time and order some takeaways or home delivery. Else, you can keep your mind open and have ideas for new dishes flowing in.
My better half loves potatoes. Being a veggie she doesn't have too many options I guess, that too, coupled with the fact that she hates Paneer and Mushrooms. So I need to keep thinking on my toes for new potato dishes as starters. This recipe is one such concoction.

Grilled Masala Wedges

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 5
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 Tblsp
Gramflour - 50 gm
Cornflour -15 gm
Onion paste - 2 Tblsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 Tblsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tblsp
Kasoori Methi - 1 Tsp
Yogurt - 1 Cup
Egg - 1 No.
Lemon Juice - 1 Tblsp
Oil - 3 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste

Method:
1. Parboil the potatoes, peel them and cut them into wedges. Keep in salted water.
2. Prepare marinade by mixing all remaining ingredients except oil. (Ensure no lumps are there)
3. Drain potatoes and mix them with the marinade. Keep for 30 mins.
4. Oil a grilling rack and arrange the marinated potatoes on it.
5. Baste with oil and grill till done.
6. Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve with mint chutney.

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Shorshe Eel - Flavors of Bengal

The other day at our local cash & carry mall, I came across some freshly dressed eel. To be honest I had never tried out eel ever before and was really itching to take it home and prepare it. The real problem started once it got home. I really did not know what to prepare and then it struck me to prepare it the Bengali way. I have always loved the way Bengalis prepare their seafood. So uncomplicated yet so tasty. Since I dig mustard and have a bottle of Kasundi always at hand, I decided to make the Shorshe Maachh only that this time the maachh was the eel. Shorshe is the bengali word for Mustard or Rai.
I made it a little more thicker than usual and boy! It flew off the plate literally. I got a Kg of fish and it did not make it past dinner time. I took it to office in the evening and Smitha our HR partner in crime literally cleaned the bowl dry. I did not disclose it to her at the beginning that it was eel, and when I told her after she had finished, she didn't seem to mind much.

Shorshe Eel

Ingredients:
Eel - 1 Kg
Kasundi (Bengali Mustard Sauce) - 12 Tblsp
Yogurt - 12 Tblsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 5 Tblsp
Tomato, cut into 4 pieces - 2
Green Chillies, slit - 3
Kalonji (Onion Seeds) - 1 Tblsp
Black Pepper - 2 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Lemon Juice - 8 Tblsp
Mustard Oil - 8 Tblsp

Method:
1. Wash and keep the eel aside. Rub it with salt and pepper and soak in lemon juice.
2. Make a smooth paste of Kasundi, yogurt and ginger-garlic paste by whisking in a bowl.
3. Heat oil in a wok. Add in the kalonji.
4. As the kalonji crackles, add the yogurt-mustard mixture and stir to mix. Bring it to a boil.
5. Add in salt, tomato pieces and green chillies.
6. Add the eel to the gravy and cook till the eel is soft. (10-15 minutes)

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Modaks - The food of the Lord

I have been out of action for the past 2 weeks with no posts and no must see 5 recipes for the week. A lot has been going on personally in these few days which for reasons known to me cannot be communicated right now. The festive season has started and will continue till the years end. This time will be a delight for all gastronomes. Hyderabad is at its vibrant best and you can find huge idols of Lord Ganesha at most places. The lord visited our abode too and was with us for the past 7 days. Its a ritual every year now and it feels good to connect with your spiritual self every once in a while.
My better half makes these yummy steamed modaks that are relished by everyone. This year we went a step further and tried the non-steamed ones with Khoya. The result was not as visually perfect but they were a treat to have.

Steamed Modaks

Ingredients:
Rice Flour - 300 gm
Jaggery (Shakkar) - 200 gm
Cardamom Powder (Elaichi Powder) - 1 Tsp
Coconut, grated - 1
Oil - A Few Drops

Method:
For the Filling:
1. Heat a wok and add in the coconut and jaggery. Cook till jaggery melts.
2. Add in the cardamom powder.
3. Mix well and keep aside.

For the Modaks:
1. Boil a glass of water.
2. Add in the rice flour and mix well.
3. Cover vessel and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Take it off the flame and add in a little oil. While it is still hot knead to form a dough.
5. Make small equal sized balls.
6. Take a ball at a time and flatten it.
7. Add in a spoonful of the coconut and jaggery mixture.
8. Dip thumb and index finger in oil and make 6 small pinches side by side on the outer edges of the cup
9. Fold them together on the top and Join to form a peak. It should look like a gralic pod.
10. Steam the modaks for 15-20 minutes.
11. Serve.

Chocolate Modak:

Ingredients:
Khoya - 1 Kg
Sugar - 300 gm
Cocoa Powder - 100 gm
Method:
1. Heat Khoya in a wok till all moisture evaporates.
2. Add in sugar.
3. Add in Cocoa Powder.
4. Heat on medium flame till the mixture boils.
5. Reduce Flame and keep stirring the mixture till it starts hardening slightly.
6. Cook till mouldable.
7. Mould into Modak Shapes (Should look like a garlic pod).

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