Italian Sausages

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lbs sausages –or 20 nos chicken hotdogs - sliced
• 1-2 red bell peppers, sliced.
• 1 green bell peppers, sliced
• 2 large red onions, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1  can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoons oregano
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce Add additional 1 tbs for extra heat .
• 1 ½ cup water – chicken broth  for adventurous cooks substitute Beer for broth.
•  salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Cook sausage until browned on all sides. Remove sausage from pan, and set aside.

Add the red peppers, green peppers, onions and garlic in the pan. Add 1 ½ cup beer or  chicken broth and the tomato paste. Season with oregano, cilantro, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer until onions and peppers are tender. Slice the sausages into bite size pieces, and add to the peppers. Cover, and simmer until sausage is cooked through. for about 4-6 minutes till the liquid is absorbed.  

Greek Watermelon Salad

I first tasted this salad at Greek Restaurant, and I loved its contrasting flavors - tangy and creamy.
The next time I brought watermelon, I decided to make this salad I also added mint because it is also a summer herb and adds a refreshing cooling flavor during  warm summers.
This can be served as an appetizer or as a salad.   

Ingredients  

1  bowl  cubed watermelon ( approximately ½ of a small water melon  or ¼ big one )

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 

  3 /4 cup  thinly sliced red onions

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese  

  1/2 cup pitted black olive halves 

 1 cup chopped fresh mint

             2 tablespoons olive oil
      1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
             
       1 teaspoon- black rock salt- sprinkle this just before serving.  

Method

1. Soak onion slices in a small bowl with the lime juice. The acid of the lime will mellow the flavor of the raw onion. Let stand for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the watermelon cubes, feta cheese, black olives, and onions with the lime juice,b balsamic vinegar  and mint. Drizzle olive oil over it all, and toss to blend. Garnish with mint leaves. Refrigerate and serve. 

 

Reshmi kebabs

Reshmi kebabs - as the name suggests are smooth as silk - melt in the mouth kebabs- they are grilled  and retain their white color , do not  brown and the meat is very soft.  I prefer to marinate them overnight. 

Ingredients

• 16  almonds
• 2- 3 chiili, seeded and chopped
• 6-8 cloves garlic
• 1 ½  inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled
• 2-3 tbs  cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon  green cardamom powder
• salt to taste
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ½ cup  heavy cream. 
•  3 tbs  yogurt
• 3-4 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
•  butter for basting

Method 

Method

• Soak  almonds in  water. Allow to soak for 15 to 20 minutes; drain.
• Grind almonds, peppers, garlic, ginger, and cilantro into the bowl of a food processor; blend until smooth. Season with salt, and blend in lemon juice. Blend in cream or yogurt and olive oil.
• Transfer mixture to a large, non metallic bowl. Add chicken  & paste in bowl, and mix well. Cover, and marinate in refrigerator for 2 - 4 hours or even overnight.
• Preheat grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate. Remove meat from marinade, and thread onto skewers.
• Brush meat with butter, and arrange skewers on hot grate. Slowly cook the chicken until cooked through and the meat tender-  Serve with sliced Onions, Lemon and Coriander. 
• Note - Donot brown these kebabs they are best when tender and soft.

 

Ritu's Kitchen: Yogurt Mayo Dip

Ritu's Kitchen: Yogurt Mayo Dip

Yogurt Mayo Dip

Yogurt mayo dip

2 tablespoons Mayonnaise

6 tablespoons yogurt- Fat free

½ teaspoon mustard

3-4 olives sliced

1 teaspoon cilantro or mint leaves chopped

¼ teaspoon chili sauce

Mix all the ingredients for a cool summer dip refrigerate and serve with  sliced peppers- cucumbers- carrot and celery.

Gol Gappas

 Prepartion time: 1 hr
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients 
1 cup  Flour
1 cup wheat Flour  and
1 cup fine Semolina-
1/2  teaspoon salt -
Oil to fry

Method
Combine all the dry ingredients
Knead the flour  like "Poori Ka Atta" 
Once you have kneaded the flour, keep breaking it stick it together like you with played with play-dough growing up - about for 5-7 minutes.
Keep the kneaded flour covered with a damp cloth for 10- 15 minutes .
Heat  enough oil for deep frying in a heavy bottom frying pan. I prefer this to a wok ( Kadai) as the frying area in more. The oil temperature should be on medium high (the oil should NOT be piping hot)
While the oil is heating ,take a medium sized ball from the dough on the rolling board and roll out the dough thinly into a large circle
With a  biscuit cutter or small bowl, cut out the round discs from the rolled dough
You can make a few of the poori's ahead of time.
Once the oil is hot, slide few pooris /round discs  into the hot oil and using the back of the ladle, press in the center and along the edges and you will find it will puff. Flip over and fry the other side till light golden brown. Don’t fry too much as it will turns too dark. Remove on to absorbent paper.

Important tip   Ensure that all the Pooris / Discs are covered with a damp cloth. If the poori's become dry, then the Golgappa will not puff up.

Keema Pav - Indian version of Sloppy Joe

I am back to writing my blog again and hopefully this time there wont be years of gap. Yesterday my school friend asked me to send her the famous recipe from mumbai - Keema Pav - which is indian version of Sloppy joe. It can also be enjoyed with the indian bread- aka roti- fresh or frozen - also tastes great with the malay roti prata. My neighbor enjoys is with rice.

Keema Pav- Indian version of Sloppy Joe

Ingredients

500 gms -Chicken / Lamb Mince.

Onion 1 cup diced

Garlic 2 tablespoons chopped fine / paste

Ginger 2 tablespoons grated / paste

Green Chilli- 2 nos - whole and slit

Tomato- ½ cup chopped

Green peas- ½ cup

Garam Masala -1 teaspoon

Green cardamom – 3-4 nos

Cloves 3-4 nos

Cumin- 1 teaspoon

Bay leaves -1 nos

Plain yogurt / curd / sour cream– 2 tablespoons mixed with ½ teaspoon red chili powder

Salt according to taste.

Oil

Garnish with Green Cilantro/ coriander leaves. Lemon wedges and Red Onion Rings – and Burger buns.

Method

Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan – on high gas

Add bay leaf, cumin, cloves, cardamom and fry for 30 sec till you can hear the cumin splatter.

Add onion and lower the flame to medium and fry till they turn medium brown, about 10 -12 minutes, add ginger & garlic and green chilli fry for 5 minutes.

Add tomato and salt and fry on low medium for 5 minutes and add yogurt/ curd/ sour cream, fry for another 5 minutes.

Add the mince and add ½ cup of water and peas cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and cook on high heat stirring to prevent burning till the meat is dry.

Spinkle garam masala & garnish with chopped coriander/ cilantro leaves & lime juice according to taste.

Enjoy it with the Pav/ Hot dog bun by the side or stuffed like Hot dogs, with red onion rings.

Notes- You can add more green chili or red chili powder if you prefer the keema to be hot- spicy .

I like to add cashew nuts when I make this for guests and add the cashew along with the bay leaf .

Dinner@ Shiraz@ Clark Quay, Singapore.

Hi,
Finally, I am starting out to write my own blog after being told for umpteenth time by my dear hubby of 18yrs.. I am just lazy i guess.. to write.. well here it goes.

I know may people dedicate the bogs, books , I don't always read the dedications , but I have to no.. let me put it this way.. I want to dedicate this for Anil.

Last night we we dined@ Shiraz , serving Persian food. I had heard good things about the restaurants from our friends, and could not wait to try out the food. It was a pleasant evening- not humid & muggy, so we decided to sit out.

My husband asked for the Wine Menu. The wine Menu to my surprise had 2 white sheets stuck with a new wine list for the first 2 pages, which made it look very shabby, I would have expected the management to reprint the menu, considering the restaurant is located @ Clark Quay.

The waiter arrived to take the order- and he took the order- mentally, my husband thought this to be a bit strange and asked him to write it down,as he did not think he would remember the order for 7 people.

We ordered hummus and an eggplant starter. They both arrived with a 2 complimentary serving of bread, and goat cheese cubes and olives. The goat cheese was Fresh, The hummus was very bland, We have had better hummus, the Eggplant looked yummy- but did not have any flavor except that of the eggplant. The bread was dry and cold and chewy. rather disappointing. We also ordered 2 white wines- they were $12 and 14 each, but the quantity was less than 1/2 a wine glass that too a small wine glass.

We finished the starters and by this time the Belly dancing had started and the place had started to fill up. we waited for the waiter to come and take our order, bu no body looked free, they were attending to the new guests, We finally asked the Maitre to take our order , he immediately took our order. We ordered 1 Sheesh kebab, and 3 Jujeh kebabs, 1 Okra Stew and 1veggie kebab and a serving of rice.

When our food arrived, we realised that there was a mistake with our order- we had ordered a rice dish - side order, and they got us a kebab- beef , when we told them about teh mistake, they took the dish away with out any fuss. So much so for not writing down the order.

The Vegetarian kebab, had no taste, no spice it consisted of 2 potatoes, tomato and celery, with rice and very hard slab of cheese -grilled. the same can be said for the Jujeh kebab, it was grilled to perfection but there was sign of any saffron, or lime , it was just grilled chicken. the rice was very dry, the grilled tomatoes -which were in every dish were either done well or just not done at all. The portions were huge, but with no taste. The sheesh kebeb were the best - tender it had a bit of flavour and the only dish worth a mention. the only good thing about Shiraz is the size of the portions. but the dishes were all bland.
we also tried the sheesha- mint flavour which was the highlight of the evening - for the birthday girl, we were also given a complimentary desert- which came to our table after 3 reminders and we were almost ready to leave. It consisted of Tiramisu which was Pretty good- big serving.

Sadly to say we will definitely will not be coming back to Shiraz.