All Posts, Basics of Cooking, Desserts

The Best Sponge Cake

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The perfect sponge cake
The perfect sponge cake

It is so interesting how the basics can be so hard to get right some times. I always tell people that dessert is my specialty. Almost every potluck, that is what I make and people are usually drooling. And yet, I’ve always had trouble with getting one simple thing right – the sponge cake. Somehow, something goes wrong.

Not that I need to make sponge cakes too often anyway, since I tend to make cakes more than pastries. Still, some dishes just cannot do away with this basic item.

It pays to have friends who cook. When a friend told me she had made a sponge cake as soft as the ones you get in bakeries, I was itching to know what she googled for. Where did she find a recipe so unique? ‘I searched for best sponge cake’, she said. Ah. Now why did I never think of that?

Preparation time : 20 min Baking time : 35 – 40 min
Makes one 9 inch sponge cake

Ingredients:

1 cup refined flour
1 cup cornflour
1½ cups sunflower oil
4 eggs
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda bicarbonate
½ tsp vanilla essence

Method:

Grease a 9″ diameter baking tin and dust it with flour. Pre heat the oven to 180°C.

Sieve together flour, cornflour, baking powder and soda bicarbonate.

Mix oil and sugar, and beat in the eggs. Add the vanilla essence.

Add the flour to the batter till all the maida a little at a time, mixing in well so that no lumps form.

Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven, cool for a while. Loosen sides of cake, using a knife if necessary. Turnout over a wire rack/plate

This cake can be used in several ways, and makes a great base for gateaux or trifle puddings. Or, just serve it with some custard and fruits!

All Posts, Breakfast

Idly

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The perfect South Indian breakfast: Idly Wada
The perfect South Indian breakfast: Idly Wada

Almost every time I am at a darshini, this is what I order. I really think I can eat idly everyday and still love it. Hold on, I do eat idly nearly everyday and still love it!

It was hard initially for me to get the idly batter to rise, so I’d simply stick to the store-bought batter. Not a satisfying thing for someone like me. Then I found it, just through trial and error.

One thing I do very differently is that I use a lot more dal than other people. Why not, I wonder, because that makes the idly infinitely healthier and doesn’t seem to affect the texture any. I make a LOT of variations of idly, this is just the basic recipe.

Before I begin, I must also mention to the uninitiated, that the same, normal white idly is made in a variety of ways. Kerala idly is waayyyy different from Karnataka idly. This is the idly Kerala style, also similar to what you would find in Saravana Bhavan.

Ingredients:

1 cup parboiled rice
1 cup black gram/ urad dal (traditionally, this would be ½ cup)
¼ cup beaten rice/ poha or cooked rice (optional)
¼ tsp fenugreek/ methi seeds
water, oil, salt as needed

Equipment:

Food processor/ wet grinder/ Mixer
Idly moulds
Steamer

Recipe:

Soak the rice and poha together, in sufficient water.

Soak the dal along with methi seeds.

Let these soak for atleast 4 hours. I’ve let them sit for up to 15 hours and it seems to do just fine. About 8 hours of soaking is ideal.

Drain the rice, as well as the dal. Reserve the water. Grind both of them separately, using the reserved water to bring it to a smooth, thick batter consistency.

Mix both the batters together. Place this batter in a vessel that can hold twice the amount, because it will rise.

Cover with a cloth or a lid and let it ferment for about 8-10 hours.
This process works great in summers, but if the room temperature is under 25°C, the results can be a bit disappointing. To counter this, you could place the vessel with the batter inside a casserole, warmed up pressure cooker or pre-heated (40°C) oven.

Mix the batter, add salt.

Prepare the steamer. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to remove the vent, pour about an inch of water inside, and bring to a boil.

Oil the idly moulds, pour the batter into them and steam for 10 min. For best results, let the idlies rest for another 5 minutes before you take them out of the moulds.

Serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Makes 12-14 idlies.

Note: The batter can be refrigerated upto 3 days.

Tips: I know we all love to wash the rice and dal to remove any chemical residues, but this also washes off the precious bacteria that help in the rising process. I’ve seen better results when I don’t wash the rice and dal. Use organic ingredients to skimp on the chemicals.

All Posts, Breakfast

White Coconut Chutney

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white coconut chutney

The white coconut chutney is most popularly served in restaurants, alongside idlies and dosas. The addition of garlic is tricky, and you have to be careful not to overdose, as this is raw garlic and people are often sensitive to it.

It was in a small ashram that I had this chutney with a crunchy tempering – with the fenugreek seeds and urad dal. It gives the chutney a lovely crunch. Skip these two items if you like it soft.

Time taken: 10 min
Serves 2

Ingredients

½ coconut, grated
1 green chili
½ tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp dhuli urad or split black gram dal
¼ tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp coconut oil
Salt to taste

Method

Grind the coconut, chili, garlic and salt together. Add water bit by bit to help with the grinding, until it reaches the consistency you desire.

Heat oil, add the mustard and fenugreek seeds, urad dal, coriander and curry leaves. Pour this on top of the chutney. Serve.

Goes well with idli, rava idli, akki roti, neer dosa, and many more!

All Posts, Breakfast

Dal Idly

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Dal idlies came about in my kitchen as a variation of Nuchchina unde. I found the traditional recipe of nuchchina unde too dry, so I set about experimenting, trying to make a softer version. One day, I added too much water by mistake. Not able to think of any other option, I simply poured the batter into idly molds and steamed them, thinking, oh, how different could they be?

It is somewhat hard to understand how just a little extra water can change the taste so much. But it does. And so, I proudly present, the dal idly.

Ingredients:

1  cup toor dal
½  cup bengal gram/ chana dal
¼  cup black gram/ urad dal, split, without skin
¼  cup mung dal
3-4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2-3 tbsp chopped dill leaves (optional)
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chopped green chili
½ cup chopped onion (optional: This is usually skipped during festivals)
A pinch of asafetida
Salt

Equipment:

Food processor/ Wet grinder/ Mixer
Idly molds
Steamer

Recipe:

Soak the dals together for 2-3 hours.

Grind into a fairly thick batter consistency.

(As with nuchchina unde, if I want to make this immediately, I grind the dals into a powder first, and then soak in just enough warm water for about half an hour. )

While you could proceed to the next step immediately with a slightly drier result, you could let it sit for some time to increase the softness. Overnight is the best, if you can afford the time.

Mix in the leaves, asafetida, onion, grated ginger, chilies and salt.

Pour into idly molds and steam for 10 minutes.

Let it sit for about 5 minutes before removing from the molds. Serve with chutney or ghee.

All Posts, Breakfast

Green Coconut Chutney

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green coconut chutney

This chutney is probably the most healthy of all coconut chutney options. A generous helping of the greens in the morning will help to flush the kidney and liver, thereby detoxifying your system.

In restaurants, they often add roasted chana dal/ gram dal, as this increases the life of the chutney. It changes the taste quite a bit, and is optional – add it if you like the taste.

Time taken: 10 min
Serves 2

Ingredients

½ coconut, grated
1 cup mint or coriander leaves, or both
½ cup roasted chana dal or gram dal (optional)
1 green chili
1 dried red chili, broken
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp coconut oil
Salt to taste

Method

Grind the coconut, dal, leaves, chili and salt together. Add water bit by bit, to help with the grinding, until it reaches the consistency you desire.

Heat oil, add the mustard seeds, red chili and curry leaves. Pour this on top of the chutney. Serve.

Goes well with idli, rava idli, akki roti, neer dosa, and many more!

All Posts, Basics of Cooking

How to Pick Vegetables

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Picking Fresh Vegetables is an art in itself

My grandfather was very, VERY particular about picking vegetables. As a result all his children, including my dad, received very strict training. And my mother made sure that dad passed on as much knowledge as he could, to us.

Learning to pick fresh veggies is the first thing you’ll need to learn if you are starting to cook, because without fresh ingredients that are thriving, vibrating with life, your food is going to be pretty lifeless. The easiest way to learn is to touch, gently press and smell as many of them as you can while you pick. With just a little practice, you’ll know with a glance which ones are good.

Tomatoes, squash, eggplants, cucumber, bell peppers, etc.
These can be picked easily – check for three things – color/ evenness, firmness and smell.

Check their colour to make sure they are ripe (the colour should be bright and deep), and inspect the surface to see that they have no cuts, holes or bruises.

Press them a little and see if they are firm. Many vegetables today are picked raw and transported, and often sprayed with chemicals to ripen them prematurely. If this is the case, the color will be bright, but the vegetable will be hard. There should be a little give under pressure.  The over-ripe ones are soft.

Lastly, smell them near the stem. Fresh vegetables smell wonderful!

Avocados
The first two rules about even surface and hardness apply to avocados as well.

Another thing you can do, is remove the stem and check the surface underneath. It should be a nice green color. Black indicates an over ripe avocado.

Cauliflowers, broccoli, cabbage
Look around it to check if you see any holes anywhere – that indicates it has worms, so you better avoid it. If they are firm to touch, they are fresh. Old ones will be soft. In case of cauliflower and broccoli, the florets should be of even color and not brown.

Potatoes, onions, carrots or other root vegetables
Check to see that they don’t have holes either.

Tubers will be firm under pressure if they are fresh. Old ones get soft. Fresh carrots are usually bright in colour, and older ones start looking dry and pale.

For onions, see that the entire onion is pretty much the same colour. Old onions start drying up from bottom up, so the larger the dry area, the older your onion is – and the less edible.

Beans, Okra (ladies finger), etc.
Vegetables like beans and okra are crisp when they are fresh, and break easily. To check for freshness, just bend the tip, and if it breaks, then it is fresh. With age, the beans or okra become fiberous and bend with pressure, becoming hard to break.

Leafy Vegetables
Check the bunch to ensure there are no rotting or dry leaves. When you touch the leaves, they should be firm and crisp. Soft and tender leaves indicate that the bunch is old.

Peas
With peas, much of the previous knowledge doesn’t apply. If you pick the brightest pods, you will end up with baby peas – a lot of work and very little to cook with! One has to be a little careful here, because pea pods are prone to having worms. So make sure there are no holes in the pods, and pick the dry looking ones that seem filled up and are firm to touch.

All Posts, Breakfast, Easy Recipes

Red Coconut Chutney

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red coconut chutney

This chutney is most popular in Kerala homes. They make it quite diluted, and it is usually served warm alongside idlies or dosas. I prefer using Byadige or Kashmiri chilies as they impart a lovely flavor, without making the chutney spicy. If you prefer the burning sensation that chilies bring, Guntur chilies would be your choice.

Time taken: 10 min
Serves 2

Ingredients

½ coconut, grated
3 dried red chilies, broken
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp coconut oil
Salt to taste

Method

Grind the coconut, 2 red chilies and salt together. Add water bit by bit to help with the grinding, until it reaches the consistency you desire.

Heat oil, add the mustard, chili and curry leaves. Pour this on top of the chutney. Serve.
OR
To make it Kerala style, heat oil in a vessel large enough to hold the chutney, and add mustard seeds, chili and curry leaves. Now pour the chutney into this vessel and warm the chutney. Do not boil. Serve warm.

Goes well with idli, rava idli, akki roti, neer dosa, and many more!

All Posts, Breakfast

Karnataka Idly

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Having grown up eating the Kerala style idly, I was always intrigued by the grainy texture of the idlies we ate in various parts of Karnataka. And after moving to Bangalore, I fell head over heels in love with them – Bangalore darshnis are absolutely the best place to try idly in my experience. My personal favourite joint is SLV at Ragi gudda.

So if you are in love with Bangalore idlies like I am, this recipe is dedicated to you.

Ingredients:

1 cup idly rava (this is not the usual rava. Idly rava is made by grinding parboiled rice)
1 cup black gram/ urad dal (traditionally, this would be ½ cup)
¼ cup beaten rice/ poha or cooked rice (optional)
¼ tsp fenugreek/ methi seeds
water, oil, salt as needed

Equipment:

Food processor/ wet grinder/ Mixie
Idly moulds
Steamer

Recipe:

Soak the idly rava in sufficient water. Separately, soak the dal along with methi seeds.

Let these soak for 4-8 hours.

Soak poha for 20 min in just enough water to cover it.

Drain the dal and reserve the water. Grind it along with the poha/ cooked rice, using the reserved water to bring it to a smooth, thick batter consistency.

Mix the batters with the idly rava. Place this batter in a large vessel as it will rise.

Cover with a cloth or a lid and let it ferment for about 8-10 hours.
This process works great in summers, but if the room temperature is under 25°C, the results can be a bit disappointing. To counter this, you could place the vessel with the batter inside a casserole, warmed up pressure cooker or pre-heated (40°C) oven.

Mix the batter, add salt.

Prepare the steamer. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to remove the vent, pour about an inch of water inside, and bring to a boil.

Smear oil on the idly moulds to prevent sticking. Pour the batter into them and steam for 10 min. For best results, let the idlies rest for another 5 minutes before you take them out of the moulds.

Serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Note: The batter can be refrigerated upto 3 days.

Tips: I know we all love to wash the rice and dal to remove any chemical residues, but this also washes off the precious bacteria that help in the rising process. I’ve seen better results when I don’t wash the rice and dal. Use organic ingredients to skimp on the chemicals.

All Posts, Salads

Couscous salad

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couscous salad

I first ate this salad as a 14 year old in France, as I watched the sun streaming in through the windows, the smell of freshly baked baguettes floating in on a beautiful Sunday morning. It was also the first time I ate salad for breakfast. And it was love at first bite.

Couscous is often confused with broken wheat. They are not the same. Couscous is really a pasta that looks like a grain, and is made from semolina. It is much faster to cook when compared to broken wheat. If you don’t have couscous, you could probably substitute it with cooked broken wheat.

The most special ingredient in this dish is the parsley. It adds a wonderful freshness.

Time taken: 10 min
Serves 3-4
Measuring cup used: 200 ml

Ingredients

1 cup couscous
1 cup chopped Greek cucumber
1 cup chopped tomatoes
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cook the couscous as per instructions. Usually this involves soaking it in an equal amount of boiling water and letting it sit covered for 10 min.

Make the dressing by mixing the lemon juice and the olive oil and adding salt and pepper.

Mix the couscous with the chopped cucumber, tomatoes and parsley. Refrigerate for at least half an hour.

Serve cold, topped with pumpkin seeds if you like the crunch.

All Posts, Basics of Cooking

Understanding Rice

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Rice is staple food in many countries. And for good reason! Rice is very nutritious – when eaten in the right form. It is such a pity that the beauty of food took precedence over it’s nutritive value, and today brown rice is consumed only by the health conscious.

Unpolished Red Matta Rice

There are many, many varieties of rice.

Unpolished, red matta rice is the raw version of the parboiled rice that is commonly consumed in Kerala and Tamil nadu.

Brown Rice
Brown Rice

Most other varieties of rice, when unpolished, are usually a lighter brown and are commonly called Brown rice.

Unpolished rice retains the most nutritive content of the grain. Rice is very nutritious. It has selenium, manganese, naturally occurring oils, antioxidants and is also rich in fiber. Click here to read about the benefits of eating brown rice. Those who initially experiment with brown rice find the texture unappealing, but with a little practice it is possible to cook it so it is soft.

Parboiled 'Red' Matta rice
Parboiled ‘Red’ Matta rice

‘Red rice’ as it is commonly called, is parboiled rice. This is red rice which is boiled with it’s husk on, before being polished. Because of the boiling, the rice absorbs the nutrition from the husk. So, while this rice is definitely more nutritious than white rice, it contains less fibre than unpolished rice. Some Brahmin communities in India do not eat twice cooked foods, and this rice is avoided by them as it has been boiled once already.

Polished Sona Masoori rice
Polished Sona Masoori rice

There are really many, many varieties of rice in the world. Believe it or not, 90,000 types of rice are known of, out of which 40,000 types are cultivated in the world. Here are a few varieties that we commonly use.

Sona masuri rice is the most popular variety in Karnataka. It is typical to find 4-5 grades of this rice. It’s grain is fairly short and it has a soft texture if cooked right.

 

Polished Basmati rice
Polished Basmati rice

Basmati rice is used very commonly in North India. Good quality Basmati rice has very, very long grain, almost an inch long. Basmati rice has a wonderful aroma and is usually soaked for half an hour before cooking so that each grain is separate when it is cooked by boiling. If you are making pulao/ pilaf or biryani, this is the best rice to use.

 

Polished Jasmine rice
Polished Jasmine rice

Jasmine rice comes from Thailand and has a delicate, floral aroma. It is usually cooked by steaming or by absorption method. The texture of cooked Jasmine rice is usually soft and slightly sticky. This is the rice you should use if you are making a South East Asian dish.

 

Polished Risotto rice
Polished Risotto rice

Risotto rice (Arborio) is from Italy and is used in making risottos. This rice is usually cooked very slowly, adding boiling water or stock ladle by ladle. The result is a very creamy rice texture.