Spicy Garlic Chutney (Teekha Lahsun Chutney)

Necessity is the mother of invention. And if not invention then atleast the attempt to rediscover. All these years of living in Maharashtra and Gujarat got me really hooked to Vada Pav. And coming back to Delhi, if it was one thing that I missed it was the simple vada tucked away in a bun which had been smothered with a dry garlic based chutney. The only place that came close to satisfying this urge to have vada pav was the food stall in Dilli Haat and at what expense. You spent hours dodging the Delhi traffic and then fighting your way to get a decent parking, since Dilli Haat happens to be in a crowded place. Once you had parked your car, you stood in a queue to buy your ticket and if your luck was really rotten the queue would end up snaking right till the edge of the road and you will have to wait a good 20 odd minutes to buy your ticket. Once you bought the tickets, you would go through security, and then through swarms of people and handicraft shops to the Mumbai food stall. There you would get your taste of Mumbai street heaven for 70 rupees only. There was a time, I just hopped across the street in Mumbai to buy my vada pav for 5 rupees  If I was in an indulgent mood, I would also throw in a cutting chai from the tea vendor next to the vada pav wala. But then good times don't last, memories however, do.

I digress. Coming back to the point of Vada Pav, it was the dry garlic chutney that lifted this simple fritter in a bun to greatness. And all these years this dry chutney which had been readily available in supermarkets kept my craving at bay. Not recently though. We decided to make some vada pav at home. Making the vadas was a piece of cake and pavs these days are available across the country thanks to the national liking for Pav Bhaji. Still one bite and something was found missing, and as al of us in the family looked at each other with the "Mazaa nahin aaya" look (didn't get the excitement), the eureka moment hit us. It had been the chutney all along. The simple spicy garlic chutney which stared at us innocently from the supermarket aisles with a 'take me home' look. A sudden dash to the all the supermarkets nearby only yielded disappointment. No one stocked it up here and I was in no mood to scout the entire Delhi and Gurgaon market space for it. So, made a few frantic calls to my Gujju and Maharashtrian friends and made it on my own.

It was easy to make that I made a few jars. Later that evening at a party, this simple chutney stood out amongst all the dishes prepared and the requests literally poured in to supply them with a few jars if not the recipe. Well, here is the recipe, try it out and give me shout as to how it went. All I can tell you is, that I think I will be making this every few days since my better half seems to be having this with everything. Thankfully, I can now firmly think that it has displaced the gunpowder, which found its way on her plate with every meal. Not that I have anything against the gunpowder..I just like this one better.

And as for the Vada Pav, the recipe for the bondas (the vadas dear) will follow in the next post. Till then prepare this chutney and save it up for the vada pavs.

Spicy Garlic Chutney

Ingredients:
Garlic, peeled and minced finely - 60 gm
Green Chilies, minced finely - 20 gm
Dessicated Coconut - 30 gm
Peanuts - 20 gms
Sesame seeds - 20 gms
Hing (Asafoetida) - A pinch
Red Chili Powder - 10 gms
Cumin Powder - 5 gms.
Salt to taste
Oil - 5 ml.

Method:
1. Roast the peanuts and sesame seeds slightly till the raw smell goes. Do not burn them. Wait till they are cool, then make a dry powder of them in the processor.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add in the hing and as it crackles, add in the minced green chilies. Cook for 30 seconds.

3. Add in the minced garlic and cook for a minute.

4. Add in the dessicated coconut. Cook for a couple of minutes till it changes color. Do not let it brown.

5. Switch of the flame and add in the cumin powder, red chili powder and salt. Mix well. You will notice that the entire mixture now looks totally red.

6. Add in the powdered peanuts and sesame seeds. Mix well.

7. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Note - The quantities given can be adjusted by you based on your preferences and tolerance to spices, esp. red chili powder.

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Pesto Genovese

Its been a very long time since I posted on this blog and finally today I found the time to do so. I can tell you for one thing that it wasn't laziness and gastronomically speaking the time gone by has been my most active period when it comes to food and beverages. Even apart from food & beverages this has to be the most active time, period. After 16 long years in the corporate rat race, I decided to take a break and follow my dreams, mind you dreams, not just one dream and even though I thought I will take a nice month off and then get into the grind, it was not to be. Since then I have been working on various projects, two of which are starting a concept restaurant and consulting on a adventure resort for a close friend. There were several meetings with people, both for business and pleasure, and many meals in restaurants.

Infact it was on one such meeting at a friends residence that he showed me the basil that had grown on his farm and how he intended to make Pesto that day. Post making some pesto with him, I carried a pack of Basil leaves home with me to make some of my own. My better half loves Pesto and since she is extremely busy with her business, this being the peak season, this would have been a nice surprise. Though, various versions of Pesto exist, some that involve walnuts, sun dried tomatoes and believe me eggplants, the classic basil pesto has always had a special place in my heart (and stomach). A short detour to the grocery store fr some ingredients, and I was all set to make my own Pesto. 

Now there are few things that I always follow while making Pesto, and that because I'm a purist and like to do things the hard way. Believe me the result shows in the taste. For starters, I always blanch the basil leaves. Blanching the basil leaves gives the pesto a nice bright color and not too forget it reduces the natural bitterness that basil imparts to the pesto (And this is because I do not find young small basil leaves in India).Secondly, everyone that I have seen uses the food processor these days. I prefer using the good old mortar and pestle. It takes long that way, but somehow I love the pesto more. If you want more information on Pesto, its origins and variations wikipedia has a nice post on it.

Pesto Genovese

Ingredients:

Basil leaves, blanched in boiling water for 20 seconds and shocked in ice cold water - 3 Cups

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1/2 Cup

Parmesan, finely grated - 1/3 Cup

Pecorino, finely grated - 2 Tblsp

Pine Nuts - 1/4 Cup

Garlic, finely chopped - 2 Cloves

Sea Salt - To Taste

Method:

1. Add all the ingredients, except the seal salt and half the olive oil in the mortar and pound them to a smooth paste. Continue adding the olive oil during the pounding.

2. Season with sea salt. 

Serving suggestions - You can add it to Pasta, Minestrone, and potatoes while cooking. I love taking a nicely toasted bread slice and spreading pesto on it and adding some shredded chicken or assorted vegetables. 

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Curried Garlic Custard

There's nothing to beat the arrival of rains after some intense heat. It only becomes better if you don't need to go to office or run any errands. A nice lunch (not too elaborate) and a good glass of wine is all you need and you can enjoy the rain from the cozy confines by the windows. I just did that sometime back and loved the feeling. We had juicy pork chops, with mashed potatoes and garlic custard on the side.
Though I have tried it before, this time I tried to get a little adventurous by adding some curry powder. The result was excellent. The creaminess only interrupted by a hint of spice playing on your tongue. It is also very easy to make and believe me you need to seriously work hard to get this one wrong.

Curried Garlic Custard
Ingredients
Garlic, peeled - 12 cloves
Milk - 300 ml.
Bay Leaf - 1
Salt - 1 Tsp.
Thyme - 1 Sprig
Eggs, whisked - 4
Cream - 250 ml.
Ground Black Pepper - 1 Tsp
Chilli Flakes - 1 Tsp
Curry Powder - 1 Tsp

Method:
1. Roughly chop the garlic cloves.
2. Take milk in a saucepan. Add in the chopped garlic, bay leaf and sprig of thyme. Put the saucepan on the flame and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Take off flame and cool.
3. Take out the thyme sprig and bay leaf.
4. Puree the garlic with some milk. Push the mixture through the sieve.
5. Add in the whisked eggs and cream. Mix gently.
6. Add in the black pepper and chili flakes. Mix gently.
7. Divide the mixture into 6 ramekin or custard cups.
8. Sprinkle the curry powder on top of all ramekins.
9. Cover the ramekins with aluminum foil. Place the ramekins in a baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish so that it comes to halfway of the ramekins.
10. Bake at 160ºC for 35-40 minutes or till custard is set ( Will be a little wobbly).
11. Remove from baking dish and discard the foil. Serve warm.

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