Kadaifi Dolmasi - Turkish Nut Stuffed Vermicelli Balls

Kadaifi Dolmasi - Turkish Nut Stuffed Vermicelli Balls

This Kadaifi or Nut Stuffed Vermicelli Balls are next hot favourite sweets after Baklava. This recipe might seem bit tough to prepare, but once you get used to making the balls you would enjoy the taste of this wonderful sweet and surprise your family and friends. I first tasted this sweet at a Turkish sweet shop in New York and then, back in India went to a Turkish Chef for one of the well known star hotel to learn this wonderful sweet. Believe me, it is worth the effort. So go ahead and prepare it for your family.

Preparation Time :  30 minutes
Baking Time         :  15 - 20 minutes
Standing Time     :   3 - 5 hours
Difficulty              :   Medium
Serves                  :   6 - 8

Ingredients :

• 450 grams Kadaifi (or fine Vermicelli Noodles) 
• 150 grams Butter
• 1 cup Walnuts/Pecans, in chunks

 
For the Syrup:

• 2 1/2 - 3 cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
• 3 cups Water

Method :

  1) Heat a pot over medium high flame and mix sugar and water in a pot.

  2) Bring it to boil and keep the syrup boiling for about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and let it cool.

  3) Melt butter and drizzle all over the Kadaifi or Vermicelli Noodles. Using your hands,try to mix the butter with kadaifi evenly. If the kadaifi pieces are too long, break them into smaller pieces with your hands.

  4) After tossing the Kadaifi or Vermicelli Noodles, take a small coffee cup and fill half of it with kadaifi and make a hole in the middle.

  5) Place about 1 teaspoon walnuts/pecans inside and fill the rest of the cup with more kadaifi.

  6) Gently press on top of the cup.

  7) Grease an oven tray and flip the cup upside down on the tray. Make sure to press on top of the kadaifi before flipping, otherwise the shape will not come out well. Use the same procedure for all the kadaifi left.

Note :  You can also shape them in Cylinders, as I have done, But they need a little practise. So I suggest using cup for shaping Kadaifi. Later you can shape them as you want.

  8) Pre heat oven to 350 degree F (180 degree C).

  9) Bake it at 350 degree F (180 degree C) oven until they get light brown.

 10) Take it out of the oven and immediately pour the cold syrup over the hot stuffed kadaifi.

 11) Let it absorb the syrup for at least 3-5 hours.

  12) serve warm or at room temperature.

Hawaiian Corn Chowder

Hawaiian Corn Chowder

 

This Corn Chowder is very modern, if you consider the history of Hawaiian Cuisine. This dish shows an absolute influence of Mainland United States more than the traditional Hawaiian style of cooking. But just because of that fact we could not ignore this fantastic chowder. The flavour of freshly hulled Sweet corn and hearty Chicken broth, gives it a taste, compared to none other. This Chowder accompanied with some Garlic Bread can become a complete dinner on the nights when you are too tired to cook an elaborate meal.

 

Preparation Time :  5 minutes

Cooking Time      : 20 minutes

Difficulty              : Very Easy

Serves                  :  4

 

Ingredients :

250 mils Chicken Stock (better if you can make fresh, or use stock cubes) 

4 Potatoes, peeled and diced

2 Onions, diced

1 cup diced Celery

1-1/2 cups Light Cream

Salt to taste 

Pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped Parsley or use 2 tablespoon of dried Parsley

1 tablespoon fresh Dill (or 1/2 tablespoon dried dill weed)

2 cups chopped Portuguese Sausage (or any spicy sausage if not available)

2 cans Creamed Corn or Freshly hulled American Sweet Corn, par boiled

 

Method :

 1) Heat a large stock pot over medium high flame.

 

 2) Combine chicken stock, potatoes, onion and celery. Add to the pot and bring to boil.

  3) Add the herbs, sausages, corn, salt and pepper.

 

  4) Cover the pot and simmer until potatoes are just tender.

  5) Take the pot off the heat and slowly add the cream and mix well.

 

  6) Put the pan back on simmering heat and cook until heated through.

 

  7) Check the seasonings and adjust if required.

 

  8) Serve the Chowder hot in individual bowls with slices of Garlic bread. You can also add chopped fresh Parsley on the top just before serving.

Tibetan Lentil Soup

Tibetan Lentil Soup

I had this wonderfully refreshing and hearty soup for the first time I visited His Holiness Dalai Lama's abode in Dharamshala, India. This soup, as I learnt from the local Tibetans, is one of their staple diet. This warm soup has a wonderful warming effect on the cold winter months. I love this soup because it is easy to make and gives a satisfaction unknown. You can try it out any time and enjoy it with the family. This is also an absolute healthy option for growing children.

Preparation Time :  20 minutes (Boiling the lentils)
Cooking Time      :  20 minutes
Difficulty              :  Very Easy
Serves                  :  6

Ingredients :

1 1/2 cups dried Lentils, rinsed

6 cups Water

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1 1/2 cups Onions, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 fresh Chili Pepper

1 Carrot, peeled and diced

1 Potato, diced

2 teaspoons Ground Coriander

3 cups un-drained canned Tomatoes or 500 grams of Tomatoes, blanched, chopped, with the seeds and pulp. 

1 tablespoon fresh Cilantro/Coriander leaves, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

2 teaspoons Cumin

 

Method :

  1) Wash and Drain the lentils well.

 

  2) In a big soup pot bring the lentils and water to a boil, then reduce the hear, cover and simmer until tender- about 20 minutes.

 

  3) Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium high heat and add oil.

 

  4) Add and saute the onions, garlic and chili for 5 minutes. Till the onions get lightly browned.

 

  5) Add the carrots, potatoes, coriander and cumin and saute for another minute, stirring to prevent sticking.

 

  6) Remove from the heat and set aside.

 

  7) When lentils are tender, coarsely chop the tomatoes right in the can(or in case of blanched tomatoes, chop and add them) and stir them into the soup pot.

 

  8) Add the chopped cilantro, salt, and sauteed vegetables.

 

  9) Cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender.

 

10) Check the seasonings and adjust if required.

 

11) Serve the hot soup in individual bowls with a dollop of Butter or with a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro/coriander leaves.

 

Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma

Just one more day and then Bakri Eid will be celebrated all over the World. I take this opportunity to wish my friends Eid Mubarak. Well, what is a celebration without something sweet and what is Eid without Sheer Khurma. This is a dish cooked in every house in Pakistan, Bangladesh and also in Muslim households of India. I have an affinity for this sweet, it is rich but not too much, moreover it is easy to make and barely takes time to prepare. So let's celebrate Eid with Sheer Khurma and pray for Peace worldwide.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time      :  45 minutes
Difficulty              :  Very Easy
Serves                  :  4 - 6

Ingredients : 

1 litre Pure Milk

1 cup or as per taste Sugar

250 grams Vermicelli/Semiyan/Sevaiyyan

250 grams Pure Ghee/Clarified Butter (or just enough for frying the vermicelli into light golden brown)

3 pods Cardamom (green)

Dry Fruits such as Almonds (badam), Cashew nuts (kaju), Raisins (kish mish), Watermelon Seeds (tarbooz ke beenj), Musk Melon Seeds (kharbuze ke beenj), Charoli (chironji), Pistachios (pista), etc. Use what you like and as much as you want to for the final dressing.

Dates, Dry or Raw, for dressing.

 

Method :

 1) Break the vermicelli/semiya into manageable size.

 2) Fry this vermicelli or semiya in a thick bottomed dish in ghee on medium-low flame. The colour of the vermicelli should be light golden brown and even. Keep it aside.

 3) Bring milk to boil and stir continuously to reduce the quantity. This will take about 30 minutes.

 4) Add sugar, powdered cardamom and stir.

 5) Add the vermicelli/semiya to the milk and stir for few minutes till it is soft and cooked. Do not overcook. This will take 6-8 minutes

 6) Before serving, top it with the nuts, raisins, dates and maybe a speck of ghee

 7) Serve this as you like – hot, warm, room temp or chilled. Since it has ghee, it is better to avoid the colder version.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Halloween is here... Our famous Durga Puja is just finished. It's time for something sweet. Pumpkin is the vegetable/fruit of the season, full of anti-oxidants, and sweet... But it is difficult to feed the small ones all the veggies and fruits. So here is one good option, make something sweet and when it comes to cheesecake, I see no difference how my sons and their father behaves. So go ahead bake some pumpkin cheesecake for the guests as well and surprise them.

Preparation Time  : 30 minutes
Baking Time          : 55 minutes
Cooling Time        :  at least 4 hours
Difficulty               :  Easy
Serves                   :  6 - 8

Ingredients :

1 1/2 cups crushed Gingersnap Cookies

1/2 cup finely chopped Pecans

1/3 cup Butter, melted

2 packages Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup White Sugar, divided

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

3 Eggs

1 cup Canned Pumpkin

3/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

 

Method :

  1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

 

  2) In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter.

 

  3) Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan.

 

  4) Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.

 

  5) In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth.

 

  6) Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each.

 

  7) Set aside 1 cup of the mixture.

 

  8) Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.

 

  9) Spread the pumpkin flavoured batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

 

 10) Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set.

 

 11) Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool before removing pan rim.

 

 12) Chill for at least 4 hours before serving. You can serve as it is or with a dollop of cream on the top, or even sprinkle some chopped nuts.

 

 

Salade Niçoise

Salade Niçoise

Light, refreshing and famous the world over, Salade Niçoise (nee-SWAHZ) , from the city of Nice in southern France, puts fresh garden produce and fine Mediterranean ingredients to excellent use. You can even turn a Salade Niçoise into a portable meal, using it as a filling for a sandwich called Pan Bagnat. As any citizen of Nice will tell you, classic salade Niçoise does not contain cooked vegetables. However, versions served outside of France very often contain cooked green beans and boiled potatoes. I followed the actual recipe, You can omit anchovies if you don't like it or add boiled beans and potatoes instead. It tastes wonderful either way.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Mixing Time         : 10 minutes
Difficulty              :  Very Easy
Serves                  :   4

Ingredients :

Vinaigrette :

3 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 Scallions/ Green Onions, minced

1/2 cup Olive oil

Salt to season

Pepper to taste 

Salad :

• 4 Tomatoes, cut into wedges, seeds removed
• 1 Green or Red Pepper, seeds removed, cut into strips
• 2 big handfuls Salad greens (use as per your choice)
• 12 Basil leaves
• 2 cans Tuna, drained
• 3 Eggs, hard-cooked, peeled, cut into quarters 
• 1/2 cup Black Olives, pitted
• 12 Anchovy fillets, rinsed

Salade Niçoise

Method :

  1 ) In a large bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, mustard and minced scallion.

 

  2)  Still whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to form an emulsion. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

  3) Add the tomatoes, sliced pepper, salad greens and basil leaves to the bowl with the vinaigrette and toss well.

 

  4) Portion the greens out onto individual plates and garnish each portion neatly with some of the tuna, eggs, olives and anchovy fillets.

 
Salade Niçoise Variations :
   
 Additions : Chopped artichoke hearts, peeled fava beans, chopped celery hearts and peeled, seeded and sliced cucumber are common additions to salade Niçoise. Though not traditional, boiled, peeled potatoes and cooked green beans are very co
common in Salade Niçoise made outside of southern France. 
 

Egyptian Fried Cauliflowers - Dukkah

Egyptian Fried Cauliflowers - Dukkah

Every time I encounter a dish which is so similar in favour and cooking style to a dish from another distant land, I remember my Grandmother's saying "All human race is one at heart and it's only language and politics that separate us by putting up boundaries". She was so true. The Egyptian Fried Cauliflower is so similar to the Indian cuisine that I almost felt I was at home, enjoying my mom's cooking. This dish is every quick and easy to prepare and equally tasty. You can serve this as a starter or even as a side dish for any main course.

Preparation Time  : 10 minutes
Cooking Time       :  20 minutes
Difficulty               :  Very Easy
Serves                   :   4 - 6

Ingredients :

2 teaspoons ground Cumin (for boiling)

1 head Cauliflower, cut into florets

1 cup all-purpose Flour

1 Egg

2 cloves Garlic

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

1 tablespoon Tomato Paste

Salt to taste

1/4 cup Milk, or as needed

2 cups Vegetable Oil for frying, or as needed

 

Method :

  1) Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil, add 2 teaspoons cumin to boiling water.

 

  2) Cook cauliflower florets, working in batches, in the boiling water until cooked but still crisp, 1 to 2 minutes.

 

  3) Remove with a slotted spoon and cool on a plate.

 

  4) Blend flour, egg, garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, tomato paste, and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth, thin with milk as needed.

 

  5) Heat oil in a deep skillet to about 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

 

 
6) Dip cauliflower florets in the batter, and then fry battered cauliflower in the hot oil, working in batches, until cauliflower is golden and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes.

 

  7) Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

 

  8) Serve Hot with sprinkled