[Aroy]

To the chicken stock add a few pieces of sliced mushrooms. If you eat pork a few rashers of bacon will transform plain soup to a gourmet dish.

Other ingredient that I use (either separately or together) are
- Sweet corn
- Coriander leaves
- Ginger
- Cabbage leaves

[bblost]

*Very sorry about my bad sentence confusing the bones blending part. No bones in the soup.


I tried a very simple prawn dish today.
Very finely chopped garlic.
Heated about 4 tbsp of oil, as it got hot, added some finely chopped fennel leaves.
Then poured that hot oil over the garlic and let it cool down.

Liberally coated this on a couple of prawns. Placed the prawns inside my bamboo steamer. I used some butter paper so as to make clean up easier.

Got water to boil. Placed steamer on it for 5 minutes.

Absolutely loved this.
Exactly 4 ingredients. Total time to prepare is less than 10 mins.

[rohanjf]

Can you guys suggest some cheeses that need no refrigeration, or those which can remain without refrigeration for 3-4 days?

I am in UK now, and I want to get such cheeses to India which are either expensive in India, or are not available.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

....
I am in UK now, and I want to get such cheeses to India which are either expensive in India, or are not available.

All cheeses are very expensive in India, except our 'processed' Amul and/or Britannia cheese!

Buy all the cheeses you like and refrigerate them till you start your journey. None will spoil even if you keep them in checked baggage, even over long journeys like 24 or 36 hours. Only soft or cream cheeses might spoil, though unlikely

I'd recommend you pick up Parmigiano Reggiano (or the less expensive Grana Padano), Emmental, Dutch Edam, Swiss and of course the classic mature English Cheddar.

[Aroy]

You can also add Dutch Gouda to the list. For your reference the rates for imported cheese in Delhi are approximately

Gouda Plain - Rs.1,800/
Ementel - Rs.2,000/
Parmesan - Rs. 3,000/ - 4,000/

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

Can you guys suggest some cheeses that need no refrigeration, or those which can remain without refrigeration for 3-4 days? ...

Originally Posted by anupmathur

... Parmigiano Reggiano (or the less expensive Grana Padano), Emmental, Dutch Edam, Swiss and of course the classic mature English Cheddar. ...

Originally Posted by Aroy

You can also add Dutch Gouda to the list. ...

See if you can get Wensleydale dessert cheeses (cranberry, black currant or cherry in the cheese). You can never get them in India (unless Tesco decides to import it some day; they are likely to open shortly). You should be able to get it in any large supermarket like Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's ... or even Co-op and Lidl.

Though expensive, a large variety of cheeses are available in Bangalore supermarkets like Auchan and Food Hall, and wholesalers like Metro C&C and Carrefour.

BTW, pretty decent Indian cheeses (not Amul, Britannia etc.) - hard, semi-hard and soft - are available online with yzury.com (they are Bangalore based). They source it from a cheese maker in Auroville / Pondicheri. Pretty decent cheeses.

[drk_411]

Originally Posted by bblost

A very simple recipe I learnt from my mom.

Take a couple of pieces of chicken. Add a couple of pods of garlic and pepper. Some salt to taste.

Add any herbs you want. Love a good dash of coriander.

Pressure cook with a good amount of water in it.

Once done, remove chicken.
Drink that water like a clear soup.

Remove the bones from the chicken and blend it in a mixie along with the garlic, pepper etc.

They make very tasty sandwich fillings.
Or you can pan toast this paste like a soft kofta.

Once you remove the bones pull out small chunks of chicken muscle; break them to small size if need be [ it can be called pulled chicken ], this boiled soft chicken tissue can be used to make

1. Chicken Jalfrezi : Saute chopped ginger, garlic, onion slices along with chopped capsicum add tomato puree and add the pulled chicken. Can be made to have some tomato based thick gravy.

2. Chicken Manchurian : the improvised indo-chinese way without making meatballs. If you stir too much, the chicken muscle fibers tend to loosen up and the pulled chicken breaks up ; all the nice for tiny tots.

3. Add this pulled chicken to rice along with some vegetables to make a Pulao. What we usually do is pull the chicken and put it in a pot along with the stock and little fat that came out along the stock, add chopped veggies and rice and cook rice to pulao. Very easy and delicious.

4. Or make some filling for sandwitches or Meatballs as suggested

The choices are really endless.

[rohanjf]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

I'd recommend you pick up Parmigiano Reggiano (or the less expensive Grana Padano), Emmental, Dutch Edam, Swiss and of course the classic mature English Cheddar.

Originally Posted by Aroy

You can also add Dutch Gouda to the list.

Originally Posted by DerAlte

See if you can get Wensleydale dessert cheeses (cranberry, black currant or cherry in the cheese). You can never get them in India (unless Tesco decides to import it some day; they are likely to open shortly). You should be able to get it in any large supermarket like Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's ... or even Co-op and Lidl.

Due to last minute hurry (and typical English weather), I could manage to visit only a Co-operative store. I bought Emmentel, English Gouda, two types of Cheddar, Parmesan and Gloucestershire.

I remember chef Jamie Oliver not discarding the rind of Gouda, but blending it with some other things and making a sauce. I just can't remember how he used the rind. Any pointers? I don't wanna throw away any eatable stuff

[alpha1]

Any idea where I can get the "liquid smoke" in India?
I find the charcoal glowing red ember pour ghee clamp the vessel routine quite a task everytime ...

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

....
I remember chef Jamie Oliver not discarding the rind of Gouda, but blending it with some other things and making a sauce. ....

The rind under the red wax is edible, not necessarily delicious. Best used in soups or stews or cut up into tiny pieces in salads.
With cheeses, anything man-made in the packaging is not edible, anything 'natural' is.

Originally Posted by alpha1

Any idea where I can get the "liquid smoke" in India? ...

Hmm, in Delhi it is available at a shop at the INA market. Colgin brand and about three flavours at least from - Mesquite, Hickory, Apple and Pecan.

[rohanjf]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

With cheeses, anything man-made in the packaging is not edible, anything 'natural' is.

Now I have to think. Because the instruction on the package says, discard rind.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

...Because the instruction on the package says, discard rind.

That could be due to the fact that the rind is not tasty to eat.
Edible is one thing; tasty is quite another!
However, Gouda never really has a significant rind; it's Parmigiano Reggiano that you have to worry about. Fat rind, not directly edible, but it lends amazing flavour to stews!

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

... I remember chef Jamie Oliver not discarding the rind of Gouda, but blending it with some other things and making a sauce. ...

Must have been some other cheese, not Gouda. Not sure about 'English' Gouda (there is an 'Indian' Gouda too), but the original Dutch Gouda is covered in wax - which is neither palatable / edible (it will pass right through your system if you manage to eat it), nor easy to remove completely even with scraping. The rind is easy to remove though - lift up one corner with a knife and pull it back slowly and smoothly.

Guru @anupmathur-ji is right about Parmiggiano Reggiano rind, though one tends to grate that along with the cheese. With all cheeses that are rubbed with salt during maturation, the rind is usually saltier.

Originally Posted by alpha1

... "liquid smoke" in India?
I find the charcoal glowing red ember pour ghee clamp the vessel routine quite a task everytime ...

Originally Posted by anupmathur

... available at a shop at the INA market. Colgin brand and about three flavours at least from - Mesquite, Hickory, Apple and Pecan.

Never liked the wood flavors in meat, primarily because we are used to charcoal grilled meat which imparts only burnt fat flavor / aroma to kababs. Ghee smoke somehow triggers some primordial salivatory response, especially in arhar dal.

[DerAlte]

Does anyone here bake bread (loaf, not roti )made of whole wheat flour (atta) regularly? What proportions and process do you use?

I have tried a few times over the last 10 days, but the stuff refuses to come out as a soft springy loaf - preferring to resemble a brick steadfastly!!! Well, the outside is hard, but the inside is not that bad - it is soft, but quite dense as compared to the ones available commercially.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Does anyone here bake bread (loaf, not roti )made of whole wheat flour (atta) regularly? What proportions and process do you use?

I have tried a few times over the last 10 days, but the stuff refuses to come out as a soft springy loaf - preferring to resemble a brick steadfastly!!! Well, the outside is hard, but the inside is not that bad - it is soft, but quite dense as compared to the ones available commercially.

I do it regularly. Here are the proportions
1. Maida : 9 cups = 2 x 0.5kg
2. Atta : 2 cups
3. Bajra/Ragi (Optional) : 1 cup
4. Sugar : 1/3 cup
5. Salt : 1/2 TBS
6. Yeast : 1.5 TBS
7. Milk : 1 cup
8. Water : about 600ml (this is variable as there is milk also)

Method
1. In warm water (about 100-200ml) mix yeast and 1/2 sugar. Let the yeast ferment for about 15 min
2. Dry mix all the flour so that they are evenly distributed, add sugar and salt at this stage
3. Mix in the yeast
4. Add milk
5. Knead -
- Initially for 10-15 minutes till the mixture is tight and surface smooth, add water as required
- Rest it in covered pot, till it doubles, around 30 to 60 minutes depending on the quality of yeast and the room temperature
- Knead the dough again
- Rest it in covered pot, till it doubles
- Knead it the third time
6. Now put it in the bread mould, or if you have none on a baking tray. I coat the tray with oil as I found that using dry flour (as suggested every where) makes the bread stick
7. If you use the moulds then the dough should be as tall as the mould and narrow on the broad side (half as wide as the mould) and just half inch short on the long side. The above quantities fill 3 1/2 of my moulds
8. Let the dough rise till it touches the sides and starts over flowing from the top
9. If you have a gas oven then put the moulds in the oven and light it up. Keep it at highest setting. For electric ovens preheat the oven to 260-300 degrees and then put the moulds.
10. After 40 min check every 5 min if the crust is brown and golden. The bread is done when the crust is to your liking.

NOTES

. The time taken depends on the oven. In our gas oven, which is 25 years old and on its last legs it takes 1 hour minimum and 10 minutes more if you want it browned.
. Remember the faster the bread cooks (the hotter the oven) the softer the inside and better the crust. If cooked at a relatively low temperature you will get a bread that is more of a biscuit (hard inside) than a bread.
. If you want to make bread regularly, then get a 1/2kg to 1kg pack of yeast. It is around Rs300/kg, where as the small packets cost around Rs20 or more for 20 grams.
. In gas oven as the temperature rises slowly, the bread will also rise at least 1 inch. To ensure that the oven does not cool down every time I take a look I have a 12" x 18" x 3/4" piece of stone acting as a thermal regulator.
. I find that the dough will spread all over and collapse it too soft. I you are like me who can never judge the correct amount of water, the best method is to knead it a bit soft and then keep adding flour and kneading till it is firm.

As I take pictures every time (around 3 times a month) I will put them here if you are interested, as there are around 15-20 pictures taken of all steps every time.