How about some rolls?

Kolkata is a city famous for its street food ……

The ROLL is one of the most favoured street snacks as it is the perfect food for people on the go.

You get them in all sorts of combinations – egg chicken, egg mutton, egg veg, egg, veg etc.

Most often you may be required to queue up for your bite.

You also get a free lesson in Roll making as you watch yours being made.

If you have not tried it till now then you must, on your next visit to the city.

This is my adaptation of the popular dish which has existed in the family since my childhood. You may extend it by adding your choice of filling or serve it just like that.

KOLKATA EGG ROLL                                             Makes 4

Ingredients

Eggs – 4

Onion shredded – 1 large

Lemon cut into wedges – 1

Green coriander - chopped

Green chilli chopped finely – as per taste

Black salt – to taste

Black pepper pdr – to taste

Vegetable oil – for frying the rolls

Tissue napkin – for rolling

For the dough

Refined flour – 1 ½  cup

Vegetable oil – 2 tblsp

Salt – a pinch

Water – to knead the dough

Method

1. Add salt to the flour and mix well.
2. Pour in the vegetable oil and rub it in with your finger tips.
3. Add water little by little as you go on forming the dough. The dough should be soft.
4. Knead the dough well for about 3 mins. Let it rest covered with a damp cloth for 15 mins.
5. Make four balls out of the dough. The size should be about that of a golf ball.
6. Flatten the balls and roll out into circles (with a dusting of flour) of about 7” diameter.
7. Cook the circles on a hot griddle on both sides for a min each. Remove and keep aside.
8. Beat an egg till light and fluffy. Heat some oil in a pan and add the beaten egg to it.
9. When the egg is slightly cooked but still runny on top, place a circle on the runny side.
10. Flip over and cook till the egg sets and the flour circle is cooked.
11. Remove on a working surface, place a generous amount of onion slices along a diameter. Sprinkle with black salt, black pepper, green chilli, chopped coriander and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
12. Roll into a cylinder and secure with a paper napkin only after rolling.
13. Repeat with the other eggs.
14. Serve hot with a sauce of your choice.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012

South Indian Snack Platter.......

The sense of sight plays a vital role in developing the taste of food. A simple dish may be given a makeover to look really appealing!

This time it is not a full recipe I am sharing but, an idea of presenting a platter of South Indian snack which will be loved by all especially kids.

You can find a variety of recipes for dosa, idli and utthappam on the net... I will give you my peanut chutney recipe to go with it.

Go ahead and surprise everyone......





South Indian Platter


PEANUT CHUTNEY                                   Makes 2 cups

Roasted and skinned peanuts - 1 cup heaped
Roasted and skinned Bengal gram - 1/2 cup
Ginger - 1/2 " chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves
Green chilli - 2
Salt to taste
For tempering
Oil - 1 tblsp
Black gram (skinned and split)- 3/4 tsp
Mustard seed - 3/4 tsp
Dry red chilli - 2 pc
Curry leaves - 10

Method
1. In a blender, add the peanuts, gram, ginger, garlic, green chilli and salt. Grind to a thick paste adding a little water.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the black gram, when it is lightly coloured, add the mustard seed.
3. Add the red chilli and curry leaves when the spluttering stops.
4. Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well.
5. Serve with the platter.


For the platter
1. Prepare the idlis and cut into some fancy shape.
2. Prepare mini utthappams.
3. Place the dosa on the griddle and cut a radius with a knife. Remove the dosa and roll it to form a cone.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012

Tomato Brinjal Rice With Sweet Kadhi.....

Wising you all a Very Happy Festive season!

Having been away from the blog for a week makes me feel guilty.

To make up for this, I am sharing a complete meal menu today.

One is inspired by a traditional dish from south India and the other a dish from Gujarat.

I love to try out various combinations with food. This one is quite interesting.

Hope that you will like it too.

TOMATO BRINJAL RICE WITH SWEET KADHI             Serves 2

Ingredients

Cooked long grain rice – 2 cups

Brinjal/Eggplant cut into small cubes and fried – ½ cup

Cherry tomato – 8

Onion sliced – 1 medium

Grated ginger – 1 tsp

Chopped green chilli – to taste

Chopped green coriander – a small bunch

Curry leaves – 8 to 10

Lemon juice – 1 tblsp

Urad dal/ Skinned black gram – ¾ tsp

Cumin seed – ½ tsp

Mustard seed – ½ tsp

Hing/Asafetida pdr – ½ tsp

Garam masala pdr – ¼ tsp

Turmeric pdr – ¼ tsp

Cumin pdr – ¼ tsp

Coriander pdr – ½ tsp

Dry red chilli – 2

Ghee/Clarified butter – 2 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Method

1. Heat ghee in a deep pan. Add the dal and fry lightly.  Add the cumin and mustard seed followed by the red chilli. Break the chilli before adding.
2. When the spluttering stops, put in the curry leaves and the sliced onion.
3. Fry till the onion is lightly coloured.
4. Add the green chilli, ginger, hing, turmeric, cumin, coriander pdr along with a 1tblsp water.
5. Fry the masala till you see oil on the sides.
6. Add in the brinjal and cherry tomato and mix well.
7. Put in the rice, season with salt, sprinkle with garam masala and mix lightly.
8. Cover and keep it on a low flame for a minute.
9. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle the chopped coriander.
10. Serve hot with poppadam, pickle and sweet kadhi.

SWEET KADHI  

                                                              Serves 2

Ingredients

Curd – ¾ cup

Water – ½ cup

Maida/Refined flour – ¾ tblsp

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Dry red chilli – 1

Curry leaves – 4

Oil – 1tblsp

Sugar – to taste

Salt - to taste

Method

1. Mix the curd, water and maida thoroughly. There should be no lumps.
2. Heat the oil and add the mustard seed and red chilli.
3. Add the curry leaves and wait for the aroma to release.
4. Lower the heat and pour in the curd mix. Simmer and cook on low heat till the sauce thickens slightly.
5. Season with salt and sugar according to taste. It should be slightly sweet.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

* If you wish to cut out the ghee, use any veg cooking oil.

* The cherry tomato may be replaced by a regular diced tomato.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012

Lip Smacking Crispy Chilli Potatoes.......

Potatoes and kids really go well together.

This recipe is one of my son’s favourite snacks and I completely dedicate it to him.

It has the necessary ingredients for the right appeal. Moreover, the crunch and the punch make it a great munch.

OK let me admit that I like it too J!

CRISPY CHILLI POTATO                                Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients

Potato (cut into fries) – 2 large

Onion green (chopped finely) – 1 tblsp

Garlic (chopped finely) – 5 cloves

Corn flour – 4 tblsp

Soya sauce – 3 tsp

Red chilli sauce – 2 tsp

Tomato sauce – 2 tblsp
Honey - 1tblsp

Vinegar - 1tsp

Black Pepper (crushed) – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 1 tblsp and for deep frying

Ajinomoto – 1 tsp (optional)

Method

1. Cut the potato into fries and wash thoroughly.
2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and 2 to 3 tblsp corn flour. Toss to mix well – the potato should be coated with the flour.
3. Heat oil in a pan to deep fry the potato. Fry till done and crispy on the outside.
4. Heat 1 tblsp oil in another pan and add in the garlic. Stir briefly and add a little water followed by the soya sauce, chilli sauce, tomato sauce and vinegar.
5. Mix 1 tblsp  cornflour in some water. Add a little of this cornstarch to the sauce.
6. Let is thicken slightly. Add the honey and turn off the heat.
7. Add the fried potato to the sauce and sprinkle some black pepper and onion greens. Add the Ajinomoto if using it. Toss to coat the fries with the sauce.
8. Serve immediately.

Have a nice weekend.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012

I'm making a Yogurt Fruit Cocktail....

This recipe was actually “developed” quite by mistake some 12 yrs ago.

While preparing Fruit Cream Cocktail for a dinner party at home, to my horror I realized that instead of cream I had mistakenly used beaten yogurt!

There was no time for me to go out shopping again. So, after racking my brains I decided to get adventurous and present the dessert anyway.

That day I learnt two things (a) a new dessert and (b) never to keep cream and curd in identical bowls!

Of course, the recipe was well appreciated.

YOGURT FRUIT COCKTAIL                       Serves 4

Ingredients

Yogurt/Curd – 1 ½ cup (Use fresh curd)

Cream – 2 tblsp

Fruits (apple, chikoo/sapota/sapodilla, dates, grapes – cut into bits) – 2 cups

Icing Sugar – to taste

Vanilla essence – a few drops

Method

1. Hang the curd in a muslin cloth for 15 mins.
2. Sweeten it mildly with icing sugar. Add the essence and cream. Using a whisk beat it till smooth and well combined.
3. Cut the fruit and add half of the bits to the yogurt mix. Keep aside the rest for arrangement.
4. Take a fancy glass and arrange a layer of one type of fruit bits at the base.
5. Cover this layer with some fruit yogurt mix.
6. Arrange a different layer of fruit bit over this. Cover with yogurt mix.
7. Repeat till you reach the top.
8. The top layer should be the yogurt layer.
9. Arrange some fruits on top and decorate with chocolate sauce or a fruit crush.
10. Keep in the fridge and serve chilled.

• You can use any fruit that is available to you fresh, canned or dried.

• Combining some nuts into this cocktail is a good idea too. Make sure not to use too much of it though. 

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012

A Spring Salad with Pasta.....

The Spring Salad recipe can be a real 'family time' recipe.

Since it does not require much cooking – you could involve everyone.

While you take on the cooking of pasta and chopping, the kids can prepare the salad dressing.

They will also enjoy the final mixing….

In no time you will have a ‘beautiful’ meal ready!

SPRING SALAD WITH PASTA                        Serves 2

Ingredients

Cooked Pasta (Macaroni, Fusilli, Penne) – ½ cup

Cucumber, Carrot, Onion (sliced thickly) – ¼ cup each

Bell peppers (cut into squares) – ¼ cup (red, yellow, green)

Cabbage (cut into squares) – ¼ cup

Lettuce (any variety) – a handful (torn)

Sausages (sliced) – ¼ cup

Olive (sliced) – 1 tblsp

Prune (sliced) – 1 tblsp

Cherry tomato – 8 pcs

For the dressing

Pomegranate juice – 4 tblsp

Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tblsp

Garlic (finely chopped) – 1 clove

Mustard – ½ tsp

Black pepper (crushed) – ¼ tsp

Salt – to taste

Onion greens (finely chopped) – ½ tsp

Method

1. Keep the chopped vegetables dipped in ice cold water.
2. Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and whisk it well. Let it stand for 15 mins.
3. In another bowl, add the pasta, cucumber, carrot, bell peppers, cabbage, red onion, lettuce, sausage, olive, prune and cherry tomato.
4. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and pasta. Mix lightly to coat all the pieces.
5. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.

*You can strech this to 3 or 4 persons if serving as an accompaniment. The recipe here is portion for a meal.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012

A Bengali Recipe ....

Dhokar Dalna is a Bengali vegetarian delicacy.

My grandmother used to make the tastiest of Dhokas (lentil cakes).

The lentil would be ground using a stone mortar and pestle and it would be a really lengthy and time consuming affair.

I would be quite apprehensive about cooking this dish myself....... as a beginner.

But now, I have simplified the recipe by trial and cook it often for a family meal or a formal party.

It has won many followers and I even get a request to cook it.

Bengal Gram Cakes Curry                     Makes about 18 to 20 pieces
 (Dhokar Dalna)    

Ingredients

Bengal gram (chana dal) – 1 cup

Asafetida (hing) – 1¼   tsp

Ginger paste – 1 ½ tsp

Green chilli – 2 to 3

Turmeric pdr – 1 tsp

Cumin pdr – 1 tsp

Coriander pdr – 1 ½ tsp

Red chilli pdr – ½ tsp

Tomato paste – 3 tblsp

Cumin seeds (jeera) – ½ tsp
Bay leaves / Tej patta - 2
Garam Masala pdr - ½ tsp

Vegetable/ Mustard oil – 3 tblsp + for deep frying

Sugar – 1 ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Method

1. Soak the Bengal gram in water for 2 – 3 hrs. Grind to a fine paste along with ½  tsp of ginger paste, one chili, ¼  tsp of hing/ asafoetida, ¼  tsp of turmeric pdr, ½  tsp of sugar and salt to taste.
2. Lightly heat 1tblsp oil in a thick bottomed open pan. Pour in the paste and cook over very low heat stirring constantly till the paste becomes very thick.
3. Transfer the paste to a tray or a plate and spread while hot. The thickness should be about an inch. You may consider greasing the tray beforehand.
4. Let this set for about 30 mins. Cut into diamonds or squares and deep fry the cakes in hot oil till light brown in colour.
5. Make a mix of the tomato paste, turmeric pdr, cumin pdr, coriander pdr, red chilli pdr, asafoetida pdr and ginger paste. Add a little water if needed to form a thick paste.
6. Heat about 2 tblsp oil in another pan. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaves. Fry till they release their aroma.
7. Add the spice paste to the oil and cook over low heat till the oil separates.
8. Pour in about 2 – 3 cups of water, season with salt and sugar bring it to a boil. Add in slit green chillies as per your taste. Add the lentil cakes. 
9. Cook for 3 to 5 mins on low heat. 
10. Let it sit for about 30 mins so that the cakes absorb some of the curry. Sprinkle with garam masala pdr.
11. Serve with hot steamed rice.

  

Cooking the paste and Setting it in a tray

Soaking and Ground to a paste

*The Mustard oil may be substituted with any Vegetable oil.

*The lentil cakes may be cut into bite sized pieces, fried and served with green chutney or ketchup as a snack.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2012