Soups/Appetizers « Rasgulla – Traditional Bengali Sweet

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Restaurant-Style Tomato Soup

Friday, September 14th, 2007

If you open a menu in a restaurant and look under Soups and Appetizers, 9 times out of 10 you are bound to find an entry for Creamy Tomato Soup. This soup has by-far always outweighed its competitors, and though there are many new flavours of soup being offered, Tomato Soup continues to be a favourite! I’m sure everyone must have tried making this at home, but for those of you who crave to create a restaurant-style version, here’s a Tomato Soup recipe that is bound to hit the nail! It has been tried, tested and adored in our family for quite some time now.

Ingredients
8-10 large fresh plump tomatoes – chopped in chunks
1/2 cup onions – chopped
5-6 garlic cloves – cut into pieces
2 bay leaves
5-6 cloves (lavang)
1 tsp black pepper powder
salt – to taste
2 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp whipping cream (or fresh cream)
2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp butter
6-8 cups of water (according to your desired consistency)
mint or coriander leaves – for garnish
cream or shredded cheese – for garnish
croutons (for garnish)

Method
Take a huge crock-pot and add the butter to it. When it melts, add the chopped onions and garlic, alongwith the bay leaves, red chilli powder and cloves. Saute for about 1-2 mins. Then add the tomatoes and fill with water so that water just barely covers the mixture. Partially cover the pot and let the mixture boil till all the tomatoes are well-cooked and almost-mashed.

Now take the pot off the stove and allow to cool to room temperature. Add the mixture to a blender (do it in 2 parts if necessary, do not overload the blender) and puree it to form a thick and smooth paste. Now take the pot and a colander (a sieve with a little bigger pores) and pass the blended mixture through the colander and into the crockpot. Gently rub your fingers through the sieve so that only the thick juice is collected in the pot and the residue stays behind in th colander.

Now put the pot on low flame again, add the salt, black pepper powder and slowly add the cream, a little at a time. Keep stirring to prevent the mixture to stick to the bottom. Add water as necessary to attain desired consistency. Do not make it too liquid. The cream gives you the beautiful orangish-reddish color you see in the picture, so do not think of omitting this! Let it cook for another 8-10 mins so that the cream blends well with the tomatoes and you can smell the aroma of the spices.

Once done, serve in soup bowls. garnish with cheese or cream and chopped coriander or mint leaves. This restaurant-style Tomato Soup goes best with breadsticks or Grilled Cheese Toast!

Posted in Soups/Appetizers, Tomato | 11 Comments »

Vegetable Timbales (Tri-color Vegetable Cupcakes)

Thursday, September 13th, 2007

Timbales are actually shallow single-headed drums, much smaller than the regular drums, and resembling inverted cups. Yes, they are musical instruments, and if you are wondering why I am rambling about music on a food blog, it is because the recipe that I share with you today is “Vegetable Timbales” or “Tri-color Inverted Vegetable Cupcakes“, as I like to call them. They are so named because of their distinct resemblance in shape to the Timbales instrument. In fact, it is an excellent Appetizer with a Soup, or goes perfectly well as a side dish too! This recipe is an inspiration from a similar one I saw on one of the Food Network shows. It is basically a boiled or baked dish, cooked with layered vegetables, and the colors and flavors found in this dish make it a worthy addition to your party platters!

The focus of this dish is more to its color and presentation, so choose colored vegetables to form the layers. The egg-yolks and cream give it a nice texture, firm yet soft and pliable. It can be steamed or baked, but I prefer the previous method as it’s more close to the original recipe and also makes the timbales more fluffy.
Ingredients
1 cup carrots- shredded
1 cup peas – boiled and mashed
1 cup red capsicum – chopped finely
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 egg yolks
pinch of nutmeg
salt and black pepper – to taste

Method
Steam the carrots or boil them so they are fully cooked. Wash and boil the peas too and mash them. Chop the capsicums and keep aside. Now take a sauce pan and put 1 tsp olive oil and saute all the 3 vegetables separately. Saute them one after the other until fully cooked and stop when they start giving out a grilled-like aroma.

Now Puree each vegetable separately in a blender. For carrots, add 1/3 of the cream to make a smooth paste. Divide the remaining cream into 2 parts and add each portion to the capsicums and peas separately while blending.
Keep in 3 separate bowls.

Beat the egg yolks and add individually to each paste. Season each batch with salt, pepper and nutmeg powder.

Grease 2 muffin moulds; layer each mould with the 3 purees starting with the carrot, then peas and finally capsicum at the top. Cook these moulds in a double boiler with water coming half way up the sides of the moulds. Cook for a little more than an hour. You can also use a steam coooker without the whistle, but be careful not to overcook the timbales.

To serve, put a plate over each mould; turn it upside down and gently tap the mould to release the timbales. This works as a great appetizer for your parties or you could even Serve it with a salad or Tomato Soup !

Tip: I’ve used only 3 veggies here,but you can pick as many and whatever vegetables as you like to create more layers. Some suggestions would be spinach, watercress, potatoes and even cheese! You can even combine Cooked Rice as one of the layers!

Posted in Soups/Appetizers, Spinach | 16 Comments »

Hot and Spicy Samosas – Heralding the first raindrops !!

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

What I love about cooking is that there is so much variety and experimentation to do, that you never get tired, and there’s always a challenge to look forward to. Though I usually shy away from fried foods, there is one time when I absolutely feel eating something fried is justified! Yes, I’m talking about Rain!!(any Indian would know how we flocked over samosas and vada paavs or moms got busy making bhajiyas as soon as the first rain sets in!!) The two most well-received rain-time snacks are Bhajiyas and Samosas. Here is my recipe for some hot and spicy Vegetable Samosas, a sure hit ampng adults and kids. And they taste so good, you don’t really need to wait for rain to enjoy them!!

Ingredients
For the Filling
4-5 large potatoes – boiled and mashed
1 cup peas – boiled
1/2 cup onions – chopped finely
3-4 tbsp coriander – chopped finely
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2-3 tsp each of turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala
3 tsp salt
2-3 green chillies – chopped
1 tbsp garlic paste

For the Shell
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
2 tsp salt
3-4 tbsp oil
warm water for kneading the dough
Oil for frying

Method
For the filling, set a pan on medium heat and add the cumin seeds and grren chillies. Next add the garlic paste and onions and saute for a minute. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Keep aside.

For the shell, mix the salt and flour together and add the oil to it. Mix well so that the entire flour is oiled and forms crumbles. Now knead the dough (not too thin or soft, just pliable enough) using warm water. This helps make the crust more crispier. Use very little water at a time so that you do not make the dough to watery.Cover with a wet cloth and leave aside for 10-15 mins.

Now take a small portion of dough, roll into a ball and use a rolling pin and some extra flour to form a large 5″x5″ circular shaped puri. Cut into 2 semi-spheres using a knife. Fill 2 tbsp of the filling in the center of one portion, then roll the 2 sides/edges over the filling to form a triangle. use light oil and water mixture on the edges to seal them properly on all 3 sides and form a samosa. Make all the samosas in this way and refrigerate for 5 mins. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan. Drop 2 samosas in the frying pan at a time and fry on both sides at low-to-medium flame till they turn into a light golden color (about 2-3 mins). Do not over-fry. Remove and drain them on a tissue paper. You can reheat them in the microwave or oven if you want to savour them later.

Serve hot with Green Chutney or my classic Date-Tamarind-Raisin Chutney or even fresh Salsa!!

Tip: Fry your samosas over even medium heat and always re-heat them (fry again) before serving. This makes them extra-crispy! And of course, kneading the dough with warm water is also necessary to add crispiness.

Posted in Potatoes, Recipes-Entrees/Snacks, Soups/Appetizers | 16 Comments »

Fruit and Cheese Appetizer Skewers

Saturday, September 8th, 2007

When you want a lavish party with appetizers, main course and desserts, yet you want to keep it as simple as possible, fruits and cheese are the best combinations for an appetizer. My husband made these for me once, and since then these simple Fruit and Cheese Sticks have become my favourites! With all the goodness of fruits, lots of anti-oxidants, vitamins, fiber and water content, as well as the proteins coming from the cheese , they are a perfect snack anytime of the day. Believe me, these tiny delights are so good you wouldn’t be able to stop at one:)

Ingredients
1 pkt Monterey-Jack Cheese-cut into small cubes (you can choose any other cheese too)
seedless red/green grapes
small strawberries – cut into halves
kiwis (optional) – cut into small pieces
fresh pineapples – cut into cubes the size of the cheese cubes
Toothpicks or small wooden skewers

For Dipping Sauce
1 small pkt of JELL-O Vanilla Pudding
1 pkt flavored low-fat yogurt (strawberry or peach)

Method
Arrange 2 pieces of cheese cubes, grapes and strawberries on each toothpick.
Make the jello pudding as directed on the packet. Serve these beautiful and tasty fruit and cheese kababs with the flavored yoghurt and pudding as dipping sauces. This makes a great appetizer or a side dish with salads.

Tip: If you are not keen on the sweet dipping sauces, you can combine lemon juice, sugar, and some chaat masala and drizzle it on the fruits only (not cheese) before arranging the sticks and serve it as a sweet and sour treat!

Posted in Cheese, Fruits, Healthy Food Recipes, Kids, Recipes - Desserts, Soups/Appetizers, Yogurt | 9 Comments »

Spicy Chilli Paneer

Friday, August 31st, 2007

“Variety is the spice of life”- this shows how important spice is in anyone’s life, so today we salute the ingredient which brings spice into our lives, literally. “Chillies” are available in various forms, shapes, sizes and colours, but the end result is always the same, something tasty and spicy. Today I share with you my recipe of Chilli Paneer. Its a favourite amongst elders and youngsters alike. With the succulent paneer (cottage cheese) coated and flavoured in soy sauce and green chillies, this dish is perfect to enjoy with rice or bread/parathas. And simple to cook, it takes not more than 15-20 mins!

Ingredients
1/2 slab of paneer – cut in small rectangular cubes
7-8 green chillies – slit half cross-sectional and cut in length
1/2 onion – diced into long thin strips
1/2 capsicum (bell peppers)- diced into thing strips
4-5 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp ginger – shredded
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp sugar
salt/black pepper – to taste
1 tsp ajinomoto (optional)

Method
Take a pan and heat the oil in it. Add the green chillies, and onions. Saute till they become golden brown.Then add the ginger, garlic paste, and capsicum and cook till all veggies are tender. Add soy sauce, salt, pepper and ajinomoto. Finally mix in the paneer cubes and cook everything together on medium flame for 8-10 mins. Do not add water!!

Remove from flame, garnish with more slit green chillies and chopped green onion leaves. Serve your Spicy and Tasty Chilli Paneer piping hot with plain or fried rice!!

Posted in Chinese, Paneer, Recipes-Entrees/Snacks, Soups/Appetizers | 13 Comments »

Spicy Rice Bhajiyas (Fritters)

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007

Rice is a very staple diet for people in any region, be it Asia, USA or Europe. The beauty of these grains is that they can be cooked and savoured in various forms. Eat it alone, or combine with other ingredients to make a delicious meal! Easy to cook, easy to eat, and equally easy to use the leftover rice to make something unique the next day! I wonder what we’d ever do if it were not for RICE!! Its the perfect saviour when you are in a hurry and need to cook something really fast. And that’s exactly what motivated me to try this dish that I describe below: “Bhaat na Bhajiya” (local dialect) or Rice Fritters; tasty, simple and very filling. My husband and in-laws love this so much, they often ask me to make more rice during the day so that the leftover rice can be used to make these in the evening!!:)

Ingredients
2 cups Cooked rice
1/2 onion
1/2 capsicum
1/2 potato
1/2 cup Spinach or Methi (fenugreek) leaves
1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1 1/4 cup yoghurt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chilly powder or 2-3 serrano chillies for more spice
Oil for frying

Method
Mix the cooked rice and the yoghurt and keep aside.

Now chop all the veggies and spinach or methi leaves into small pieces. Add these, the spices and the baking soda to the rice mixture and mix well. Slowly add the besan, 2 tsps at a time and mix to break the lumps and form a nice thick blend that can be held between your fingers without any of it dripping below. It should not drip, yet it should not be hard enough to be rolled into balls.

Now heat the oil in a wok. Drop a small amount of the mix into the oil. If it comes up instantaneously, your oil has reached the perfect required temperature.

Lower the flame a bit and gently drop small balls of the rice mixture into the wok with your hand. Be careful as to not lower your hands very close to the oil. The oil might splutter a little, so stay far from the stove. Now let these fritters be cooked till they are golden brown on all sides. Turn them over using a long-handled ladle.

Remove from oil and place on a tissue paper to soak excess oil. There, your delicious fritters are ready!! They can be excellent appetizers for your party. Serve them with the Green Cilantro Chutney, ketchup or any of your favourite dipping sauce!! It tastes great with Queso too, by the way:)

We just love these spicy and tasty bhajiyas, and hope you enjoy them too!

Posted in Recipes-Entrees/Snacks, Soups/Appetizers | 13 Comments »

Grilled Veg Cheese Toast

Tuesday, August 7th, 2007

I was really tired yesterday, and couldn’t think of anything to cook. But I didn’t even have enough energy to go out and eat. So here’s what we had for dinner. Yes, Bread again, but colourful and tasty, and so very healthy!

Ingredients:

Bread slices, shredded carrots, shredded lettuce or cabbage, chopped spring onions, 2 green chillies finely chopped, tomato ketchup, shredded white and yellow cheese, butter, green chutney(optional), salt and black pepper to taste, 1 small tsp garlic paste (optional)

Method:
Add the garlic paste to the tomato ketchup. Arrange the bread slices on a baking dish (pizza dish for oven) and apply butter and a layer of green chutney and/or tomato ketchup on them. Then sprinkle all shredded veggies onto it, garnish with spring onions , green chillies and shredded cheese. Top it all with salt and black pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 10 mins. Now place the baking tray inside the oven and bake for 20 mins or until the cheese melts evenly. At this point, turn on the Broil setting on the oven and let the cheese turn golden brown.

Appealing to your eyes and taste buds, the veg grilled cheese toast is healthy and simple. Use a pizza cutter to cut the toast into 2 triangles. Arrange on a white plate which brings out all the vibrant colours and serve hot!!

Posted in Cheese, Healthy Food Recipes, Recipes-Entrees/Snacks, Soups/Appetizers | 10 Comments »

Rasgulla – Traditional Bengali Sweet – Fun and Foo