Shrimp Mozambique

Shrimp Mozambique

This dish is from Mozambique and is eaten as both snacks and main course. If you are serving this dish as a snack just remember to serve some wonderful crusty bread along with it to mop the juice. I also serve this as a main course during lunch or dinner, in that case I just serve it with a bowl of white rice. Gumbo Mozambique, the most common name for this dish is a favourite dish in African countries as well as West Indian Islands. I happened to learn it from a West Indian friend of mine. I can only assure you that you and your guests will forget the napkins lying next to you and end up licking your fingers.

Preparation time :  15 minutes
Cooking Time     :  20 - 25 minutes
Difficulty             :  Easy
Serves                 :  4

Ingredients :

• 4 tablespoons of Butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Onion
• 8 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped Cilantro/Coriander leaves or flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 packet Saffron seasoning powder (you can use few strands of saffron soaked in 2 tablespoons of water as this seasoning powder is not common in India)
• 1/2 cup Light White or Red wine or 1 can Light beer (I prefer to use red wine)
• 1 tablespoon fresh Lemon juice
• Salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground White Pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely Chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons hot Chili sauce or generous pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
• 500 grams of medium Shrimp (26-30 count) peeled and deveined

 

Method :

1) Place a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add butter and lower the heat to melt it. Just be careful not to burn your butter, it will spoil the whole dish.

 

2) Toss in the onion and fry it just until it starts to take on a light golden colour. This will take around 3 minutes.

 

3) Pour in the water. Toss in the garlic, cilantro, water and Goya powder/Soaked saffron. Cover and simmer the ingredients for 3 to 4 minutes to allow the flavor to mingle.

 

4) Pour in the wine or beer, and the lemon juice then stir.

 

5) Cover and raise the heat to medium-high to bring the ingredients to a boil.

 

6) When the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes.

 

7) Add the shrimps and hot peppers/chili sauce (if using) and mix them well with the sauce.

 

8)  Cook for 3 minutes over medium-low heat until the shrimp is just curled tender and turned pink.

 

9) Check the seasoning and adjust if required. Now add the chopped Coriander leaves and give it a final stir.

 

10) Spoon the shrimp into bowls and serve with plenty of crusty bread to dip in the flavorful broth.

Tabouli or Taboulleh

Tabouli - The Middle Eastern Salad

A long time back my grandma told me, " people might be now separated by languages, countries and religion, but somewhere they are always same, you'll find similar food habits in people who are not connected by boundaries". How correct she was. This salad is one of the most popular dish in almost all Middle Eastern Countries, be it Africa, Europe or Asia and surprisingly the same salad is very popular in Brazil, where it is known as Tipili.

Preparation time : 40 - 50 minutes
Difficulty             : Very Easy
Serves                 :  2 - 4

Ingredients :

• 3/4 cup Bulgar/ Broken Wheat/ Dalia
• 3 cups Water
• 2 bunches Flat-leafed parsley, chopped finely
• 2 Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 4 to 6 Scallions/ small Onions/Green Onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Olive oil 

 

Method :

1) Place the Bulgar in a large bowl and add the water. Set aside to soak for 20 to 30 minutes, then drain.

 

2) Place the soaked Bulgar in a clean rag and squeeze out any excess moisture. Return the Bulgar to the bowl.

 

3) Add the parsley, tomatoes, scallions, lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir together. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes to allow flavors to mingle.

 

4) Adjust seasoning and stir in the olive oil. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

 

Tabouli Variations:

 

• In the Middle East, tabouli is often served with whole Romaine lettuce leaves. A bit of the tabouli is spooned into a leave and then popped into the diner's mouth.
 
• Substitute 1 bunch of finely chopped mint for one of the bunches of parsley.
 
• One half of a regular onion, minced, can be substituted for the scallions.
 
• Other possible additions: chopped dill, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice.

 

Mongolian BBQ Style Tofu Stir-fry

 Mongolian BBQ Style Tofu Stir-fry

 

I picked up this dish from my ex-colleague who was once posted in Mongolia for a while. I loved the easy cooking style and the wonderful taste of this dish which can be served as a salad, a side dish or even be served as a main course along with some salad. It can be a wonderful filling breakfast dish too, specially when you have along day ahead.

 

Preparation time : 15 minutes

Cooking time      : 25 minutes

Difficulty             : Very Easy

Serves                 : 4

 

Ingredients :

• 2 cups Brown rice (cooked) U can also use any normal rice.
• 3 - 4 tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup chopped baby Carrots
• 1 Green Pepper/ Capsicum  (sliced)
• 3 slices Onion
• 5-6 Button Mushrooms
• 1/4 cup crushed Pineapple (You can also use grated pineapple, or apple)
• 1/2 cup cubed (small) firm/extra Tofu ( in case you don't find Tofu, use Paneer)
• 2 tablespoon Sugar
• 4 Tablespoons of Multipurpose marinade (see the recipe below)
• 4 tablespoons of  Teriyaki sauce (you'll find bottled in super markets)
• 2 tablespoons Sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Rosemary (optional)
• 2 teaspoons Curry powder (use any packaged version)
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper or Red Chili Powder
• Salt to Taste

 

 

Method :

1) Heat a wok, or other big Teflon pan, so the stir-fry won't stick, over medium flame.

2) Place 3-4 tablespoons of Vegetable oil in the pan and heat.

3) Place cubed Tofu in oil and cook on high until Tofu is browned on all sides this will take approx. 10 mins.
4) While the Tofu is cooking (or do this before), chop all of the vegetables to your liking. wash and drain them properly.

5) Place all the vegetables in a bowl. Pour the marinade, teriyaki sauce, and all of the spices and suagr on top of vegetables. Mix well and set aside for 5 - 10 minutes.

6) Once Tofu is browned, remove them on oil absorbent paper and set aside.

7) In the same pan add a little more ol, if required and add everything that's in the bowl in the pan.

8) Cook on high until sauces soak in and vegetables are cooked down a little. You still want them to have a little of their crispiness. The vegetables should have a crunch, wilted veggies don't feel nice.

9) When they are done to your liking, turn off burner and mix them  well with browned tofu and serve on cooked Brown rice.  
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maori Fish Steaks

Maori Fish Steaks

This Fish steak is a popular dish in New Zealand. This steak was previously been cooked on open fire, now you can also use a regular oven to grill it, but only thing you loose in this process is the lovely smokey flavour. The fish generally used in Maori cooking is Snapper or Hapuka. This is not very common in India, so you can use a Telapia, a beautiful firm flesh fish with very little bones. You can also make steaks from King fish or other sea fishes, all will taste equally good.

Preparation time  : 10 minutes
Marination Time   : 1 hour
Grilling time          : 30 minutes
Difficulty               : Very Easy
Serves                   : 4 - 6

Ingredients :

6 Fish steaks, Snapper or Hapuka

Milk to Cover Fish

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Dried breadcrumbs

6 tablespoons Butter

Watercress or parsley, finely chopped

Sliced lemon to serve

Method :

1) Wash and clean the fish properly. If it's a whole fish clean the gills and fins and remove scales before washing. Drain properly.

 

2) Lay the fish in a shallow dish. Pour the milk over the steaks and add salt and pepper. Leave to soak one hour.

 

3) Drain the milk away and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

 

4) meanwhile pre heat the oven at 200 degrees. Lay the steaks in a buttered baking dish. Use about 2 table spoons of butter to lay the steaks. 

 

5) Melt the rest of the butter and pour over the fish.

 

6) Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 200c degrees. Once the fish is done. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

 

7) Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. 

8) Serve garnished with sliced lemon and sprinkled with watercress or chopped parsley. Or decorate as per your wish.

 

 

Locro - Potato and Cheese Soup

Locro - Potato and Cheese Soup

This healthy and tasty soup originates in Peru. The fresh cheese and home grown potatoes are used to prepare this soup. It is an ideal dish to welcome the guests or even a nice way to start a family dinner. Surprisingly in Argentina there is a soup with the same name, Locro, but that is cooked with meat and vegetables and tastes entirely different.

 Preparation time  :  10 minutes
 Cooking time        :  50 minutes - 1 hour
 Difficulty               : Easy
 Serves                   :  4 - 6

Ingredients :

1/4 cup Oil or butter 

1/2 Onion, minced

3 to 4 cloves Garlic, minced  

1 Kilo Potatoes, peeled and diced

4 cups Water or stock (you can even use vegetable stock cubes in water)

1 cup Milk  

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

 

Method :

1) Heat the oil or butter over medium flame in a large pot.

2) Add the onion and garlic and simmer until the onion is translucent.

3) Stir in the potatoes, water or stock, milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

4) Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are falling apart, this will take about 30-45 minutes.

5) Mash the potatoes up a bit with the back of a spoon to thicken the soup, leaving it a little chunky.

6) Remove the soup from heat and stir in the cheese. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Variations :

Sauté 1 to 2 chopped yellow chili peppers with the onion and garlic for a spicier soup with an authentic Andean flavor. The peppers also add a beautiful yellow hue to the soup. Yellow Chili can be found canned or frozen in many Latin markets.  Sometimes a handful of corn kernels is often added to this soup. Use about 1 cup and add after the soup has simmered for about 20-30 minutes.

 

Frittata

Frittata

The Italian Frittata is almost like an open faced omelet. I make a Frittata, when I need to clear my fridge. Though the traditional Frittata is made out of Potato, onions, eggs and peppers, I use leftover hams, thinly sliced spiced sausages, mushrooms, bell peppers, parsley and whatever I can lay my hands on. They are an ideal snack on a rainy afternoon, an ideal branch on a lazy Sunday, even equally good for dinner, accompanied with a bowl of crunchy salad.

Ingredients :

• 6 to 8 Eggs
• 3 or 4 tablespoons of Milk
• 1 to 2 cups Optional ingredients (see variations)
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 2 or 3 tablespoons of Olive oil

Method :
1) Beat the eggs and milk together in a large bowl until smooth.

2) Heat a Skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil. Add slices of ham, bacon or sausages, fry till done. Set aside.

3) In the same pan add the veggies (sliced roundels of potato, onions, thickly sliced bell peppers, mushrooms) sprinkle some salt. This will help the veggies to cook faster by drawing out the water.

4) Simmer and cook till the veggies are well done. But still Al Dante. Remove them on a separate plate, set aside.

5) Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-low flame.

6) Add veggies and other additives to the egg mixture. Give the egg mixture a big stir and pour into the skillet and cook over low heat.

7) Cook until the frittata is well set but still runny on the top, this will take about 6 to 8 minutes.
8) Meanwhile preheat oven at 180 degrees.

9) Set the frittata in the oven until the eggs are cooked through and lightly browned, this will take about 1 to 2 minutes.

10) Let the frittata rest for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Note : You can serve it with salsa, crispy salad, crusty bread, bowl of soup as per your wish.
            You can even add finely chopped spinach, parsley, coriander, to your frittata or top it with shredded cheese.

Hawaiian Crab Spread

Hawaiian Crab Spread

This Hawaiian dish is easy to prepare and can become the star attraction of any party. It is an ideal finger food, Just serve it with whole lot of crackers or Nachos and watch them disappear.

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time      :  2 - 3 minutes in microwave

                            : 15 minutes in an Oven

Difficulty             : Very easy

Serves                 : 2 - 4

Ingredients :

• 1 pkg (250 grams) Cream cheese or use any Cheese Spread
• 1 tablespoon Milk
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 250 grams of Imitation crab, flaked (these are available in freezer section of Super markets. Even better if you get fresh crabs, boil them and then use the meat)
• 2 tablespoons chopped Green Onion
• 2 tablespoons toasted Slivered Almonds

Method :

1) Grease an 8-inch pie plate or baking dish.

2) Beat cream cheese with milk and Worcestershire sauce until cheese is fluffy.

3) Stir in crab and onion. Spread in prepared plate.

4) Sprinkle with nuts.

5) Microwave at high power for 2-3 minutes or until hot though out and edges have firmed slightly, or bake in electric oven at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes.

6) Serve warm with crackers. Makes 2 cups.