Refreshing Water Chestnut Salad

Water chestnuts are my absolute favourite. After all the hard work of peeling it gets over, it's so rewarding to bite into the nut itself :)

A rich source of vitamins and minerals, the chestnuts uplift the nutrition quotient of this salad besides making it so refreshing. 

WATER CHESTNUT SALAD                                              Serves 2 - 4

Ingredients:

Water Chestnuts – 8 to 10 (cut into chunks)

Cucumber – 1 (thickly sliced)

Tomato – 1 (sliced)

Red Onion - 1 small (thinly sliced)

Cabbage or Lettuce leaves - 8

Olives – 8 to 10

Dates – 6  to 8

Soup Sticks – 4 to 5

Extra Virgin Olive oil – 3 tbsp

Garlic Pickle – 1 heaped tsp

Salt and Pepper  -  to taste

Method:

1.    Peel, chop and prepare the ingredients for the salad.

2.    Mash the garlic pickle and add a tsp to the extra virgin olive oil.

3.    Add salt and pepper followed by lemon juice (2 tbsp).

4.    Mix vigorously to form and emulsion. This is the dressing. Taste to check the seasoning.

5.    In a bowl add the sliced cucumber, tomato, water chestnuts, dates, olives, onion and shredded cabbage leaves (2 to 3).

6.    Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.

7.    Break the soup sticks into small pieces and add to the bowl. Mix again.

8.    Serve the salad on a bed of cabbage or lettuce leaves. 

How to bake a Marble Cake from scratch...

Marble Cakes look so pretty that you can never resist a slice. I love baking them too. My favourite part of the whole process is the swirling! You really have to keep guessing how they will appear when the cake is sliced.

The butter in the recipe gives it a special flavor and the milk makes it very moist. So, try this super moist marble sponge cake. You will love it :)

MARBLE CAKE

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1 ½ cup

Eggs – 2

Cocoa pdr - 1 ½  tbsp

Butter –  ½  cup

Milk – ¾ cup

Sugar (Castor or Superfine) – 1 cup

Baking pdr – ½ tbsp

Salt – a pinch

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Method:

1.    Brush an 8 inch round tin with butter or oil. Line the bottom with butter paper or parchment paper. Keep aside.

2.    Add the baking powder and salt to the flour and mix well. You may sift it a couple of times.

3.    Beat together the butter and sugar till light, pale and creamy.

4.    Add in one egg and combine with the butter and sugar mixture. Then add the second egg and combine.

5.    Now add the flour in 3 parts alternating with the milk, into the egg-sugar-butter mixture. Lightly fold in the flour and milk till just combined. Cut and fold!

6.    Once all the flour and milk has been added the batter is ready.

7.    Take out a little bit of the batter in a bowl. Add the cocoa powder to it and mix it well. Add a little milk if necessary.

8.    To assemble the cake, pour half of the vanilla batter into the tin and spread evenly.

9.   Spoon in the chocolate batter over this unevenly. Add the remaining vanilla batter and spoon some more chocolate batter over it.

10. Run a spoon, knife or toothpick through the batter in swirls.

11. Tap the tin to get rid of any air pockets in the batter.

12. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C or 350 F for 30 mins or till a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

13. Cool on a wire rack completely before demoulding. Cut into slices and serve.

­ All ingredients must be at room temperature.

­ All measurements are to be taken leveled.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2017

CRISPY FRIED POTATO SKIN

This is one of my favourite childhood snacks. We would often return home from school to a plate of this crunchy fries. It surely does bring back a lot of memories.

The trick lies in peeling the potato …. Thickly….That’s all there is to it!

You can make it in no time at all. J

CRISPY FRIED POTATO SKIN

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 4 or 5 large

Besan/Gram Flour – 3 tblsp  

Rice Flour – 2 tsp

Poppy Seeds – 1 tsp

Turmeric pdr – ¼ tsp

Chili Flakes – as per taste

Salt – to taste

Water – 3 tblsp

Vegetable Oil – for deep frying

Method:

1.    Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Thickly peel the potatoes using a knife.

2.    Keep a bowl of water ready. Put the peel into the water immediately. This will prevent it from turning black due to oxidation.

3.    After all the potatoes have been peeled. Wash the peels well for 3 to 4 times.

4.    Soak the peels in water for 30 mins.

5.    Take them out of the water and put them in a clean bowl.

6.    Add in the turmeric pdr, chili flakes, salt, gram flour/besan and rice flour. Mix well till the peels are well coated.

7.    Add about 3 tsp of water and mix lightly. Add in the poppy seeds. Mix well.

8.    If the potato peels look too dry, add in some water (2 to 3 tsp) and mix till they look moist.

9.    Heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the potato skins on medium heat till they are cooked and turn golden and crunchy.

10. Drain on absorbent paper before serving them hot.  

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2017

Cheest Toast....done 3 ways

This Cheese Toast recipe has been in the family for decades! My mother had learned it from a Polish lady way back in the late seventies. She had come to India with her husband who was working on a project. He was my father’s colleague actually.

I would make it with my mother as a little girl and still enjoy it as much as I did then.  Flavouring it differently is totally my idea.

Get ready to impress everyone with this recipe :)

Sharing the video recipe from my YouTube channel.

CHEESE TOAST …. Done 3 ways

Ingredients:
Cheese (grated) – 1 cup (processed)
Bread Slices (stale or fresh) – 6
Low fat Cream – 6 tsp
Garlic (grated or chopped finely) – 1 tsp (you may add more or less as per your taste)
Warm Milk – ¼ cup
Pepper pdr – ½ tsp
Chilli flakes – 1 tsp
Dried Mixed Herbs – 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Method:

1.    Take the grated cheese in a large bowl. Add in 3 tsp of cream, garlic and pepper.

2.    Mix well. Add in the rest of the cream and mix to a thick paste.

3.    Add in half of the milk and combine. Then add in more (a little at a time) and combine to a smooth paste. It should be easily spreadable on the bread.

4.    Divide the spread into three bowls equally.

5.    Add the chilli flakes in one, mixed herbs in the next and cumin seeds (some crushed lightly) into the third bowl. Mix well.

6.    Prepare the bread slices by cutting them in halves (for home snack) or quarters (for party snack). You may cut out rectangles, triangles or squares.

7.    Apply the spread onto the slices. Be generous.

8.    Arrange the slices onto a wire rack. Grill (in a preheated oven) for 7 to 10 min at 200°C or till the cheese takes on some colour and the bread becomes crispy.

9.    Take them out immediately. Serve hot with ketchup or chutney.

­Note that the oven temp differs from oven to oven. So, check at 5 mins.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2017

Egg Curry or Anda Curry....a recipe with several variations...

Egg curry is quite popular with my folks. So, to make it interesting and versatile, I found a perfect hack!

Using one of the many varieties of readymade curry powders and flavouring masalas available in the market (as also in the home pantry) gives a different curry each time.

So, even though it is the basic egg curry, you will surprise everyone with the taste.

Keep them guessing about what it is that you might have added … ???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40edkw4iNE0&t=8s

EGG CURRY OR ANDA CURRY                                                 Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

Boiled eggs – 6

Large potatoes - 2 (cut into large pieces)

Ginger (grated) – ½ tsp

Garlic (grated) - 1 tsp

Onions (grated) – ½ cup

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp for tempering the oil

Green Chilies – 3 or 4 (whole, slit or chopped as per your preference)

Mustard oil – 3 to 4 tblsp

Sugar – ½ tsp (optional)

Salt – to taste

Water – 2 cups

Instead of Channa Masala, you may use : Kitchen King Masla, Meat Masala, Rajma Masla or Chicken Curry Maslaa. This way you end up with a different flavoured curry each time. J

To be mixed to a paste:

Tomato paste – 1 cup

Coriander pdr – 1 ½ tsp

Cumin pdr  – ½ tsp

Turmeric pdr – 1 tsp

Red Chilli pdr  – ½ tsp

Garam Masala pdr  – ½ tsp

Channa Masala pdr – 1½ tsp (Readymade store bought)

Method:

1.    Boil and shell the eggs.

2.    Add the dry spices into the tomato paste and mix well. Keep aside.

3.    Heat oil in a wok. Once the oil starts fuming lower the flame and put in the potato pieces. Shallow fry the potatoes for 3 – 4 mins, covering them in between. Take them out when they take on a light golden colour.

4.    Now fry the boiled eggs till a light brown crust forms all over them. Keep moving the eggs while frying.

5.    Temper the same oil with the cumin seeds.

6.    Add in the grated onion after the cumin releases its aroma. Saute the onion till they turn light brown.

7.    Add the grated ginger and garlic. Saute briefly till the raw smell of garlic disappears.

8.    Add the tomato paste mixture to the wok followed by the potato pieces. Cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes stirring constantly or till the oil starts separating.

9.    Add in 1 ½ cup of water to the wok. Mix well and bring it to a boil.

10. Add the green chilli, season with salt and sugar. Cover and cook on low heat till the potatoes are done.

11. Check the gravy. You may add in ½ cup of water at this stage to get the right consistency. Bring it to a boil if you add water.

12. Add in the eggs and mix well. Let it come to a boil. Turn off the heat.

13. Serve hot with rice or a bread of your choice.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2017

Rinki's Cholar Dal

Cholar Dal is a family favourite with luchi or kachori. When my son was little he always had an issue with the fried coconut bits in the lentil. He wanted the dal to be velvety smooth.

Since the coconut is an essential flavor in this recipe, I had to come up with a way to please him and not compromise on taste.

So, coconut milk it was! That too the non fuss milk powder mixed with warm water…couldn’t have found a better cheat than this J

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbGe1TPlYcs&feature=youtu.be

RINKI’S CHOLAR DAL                                                      Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

Bengal Gram/Channa Dal/Cholar Dal - 1 cup (soaked in water for 30 mins)

Bay leaf/tej patta – 1

Cinnamon Stick - a piece

Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Raisins/Sultanas/Kishmish - 2 tblsp

Turmeric/Haldi pdr - 1/2 tsp

Cumin/Jeera pdr - 1/2 tsp

Coriander/Dhania pdr - 1 tsp

Garam Masala pdr -  1/2 tsp

Green Chillies - a few

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Coconut  milk pdr - 2tblsp (mixed with 1/4 cup warm water)

Vegetable oil - 2 tblsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

1.    Pressure cook the lentil along with the cinnamon and bay leaf.

2.    Add the turmeric pdr to the cooked dal/lentil and mix it well.

3.    Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin/jeera seeds. Fry them till the seeds release their aroma. Keep the flame at low.

4.    Add the raisins and fry them till they puff up.

5.    Add in the ginger paste and cook briefly.

6.    Now add the cumin and coriander pdr. Cook them lightly.

7.    Add in the cooked dal/lentil into the pan. Season with salt and sugar. Add the green chillis. You may slit one and add it for heat.

8.    Bring to the boil and let it simmer for 2 – 3 mins on low.

9.    Pour in the coconut milk and mix it in. Leave it to cook till it comes to the boil again. Switch off the heat.

10. Sprinkle the garam masala pdr over the dal and mix well.

11. Serve hot with Luchi(Bengali fried puffed bread) or Parantha or Kachori or Puri.

Note: This is a mildly sweet and fragrant recipe so the heat from the chilli should remain a hint.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2017

Super Easy.....CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN HASSELBACK STYLE

Looks do matter when it comes to food…so what if it is crispy fried chicken?

Make it differently and impress everyone including yourself !

Calling all chicken lovers…come try this recipe. J

CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN HASSELBACK STYLE

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts – 2

Egg - 1

All purpose flour - about 1/2 cup

Bread crumbs - as required /(a cup)

Oil - for deep frying

Salt and pepper- to taste

 

Method:

1.    Clean the chicken breast. Make cuts that are ½ cm thick,  ¾ way down into the breast piece all along the length. You may place the piece in between two chopsticks and then slice. This way you can ensure that you do not cut all the way through by mistake.

2.    Once the cuts have been made, the breast piece will look like an accordion.

3.    Season it with salt and pepper. You may use any other additional seasoning that you like.

4.    Break the egg into a large flat bowl in which the pieces of meat will fit in comfortably. Beat it and leave aside.

5.    Keep the flour in a large dish. Lift the meat and place it into the flour. Coat the chicken with the flour making sure not to miss out any of the cuts.

6.    Put it into the beaten egg. Coat well with the egg … especially the cuts.

7.    Lift the chicken and drain off the excess egg from it.

8.    Place it into the breadcrumbs and coat it well. Make sure to cover the cuts and folds. Shake off the excess crumbs.

9.    Let it rest in the fridge for 30 mins.

10. Heat oil in a wok or pan for deep frying. Fry the chicken in the medium hot oil till it is cooked. This should take 3-5 mins depending on the size of the chicken piece.

11. Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot with fries/wedges, mayonnaise and onion rings.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2017