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  • Sweet Dosa

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    It had been several months since we made “gadiya pulla” or as my cousin Akash would call it, “sweet dosa”. It’s basically a thin and healthy wheat pancake without any raising agents like baking powder or baking soda. It’s best eaten on its own or with plain cold milk. It’s sweet like dessert and perfectly satisfying for a sweet junkie like me. When I was a child, I used to survive on these pancakes for weeks together and still not be bored of them.

    My sister detests these pancakes like no other. But daddy and I could eat uncountable numbers or probably till mummy got weary of making them. So for my sister, mummy would make the spicy version of these pancakes, which I detested.

    I woke up this morning being pensive about the sweet dosas and decided to make them for lunch. I got ready, prepared the batter, made the pancakes, poured myself a glass of milk and indulged with bliss.

    Sweet Dosa
    adapted from mummy

    1 cup – wholewheat flour
    1/2 cup – jaggery or sugar (I used jaggery)
    1 cup – water
    1 tsp – ghee or oil plus more for cooking the pancakes (I used ghee, tastes much better)
    2 tsp – fennel seeds

    1) Put everything in a blender except the fennel, and blitz till you have a smooth batter.
    2) Pour it out into a bowl and mix in the fennel seeds. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes.
    3) Heat some ghee in a frying pan and ladle the batter spreading it around evenly. Flip it over to cook on the other side.
    4) Serve hot.

  • Thai Chai Crème Brûlée

    483782_10151571255742363_625499759_nOnce again today, like any other random day, I was in a high spirit for making a dessert that I had never attempted before. While I was driving to the grocery store, my mind deliberately activated its thought process, trying to figure out what to make. I felt as if several desserts were running a marathon, hastily working towards hitting their finish point — my mind.

    As I was cruising my cart through the aisles, I unintentionally passed by the tea and coffee aisle. That suddenly reminded me of the giant jar I had in my kitchen that was filled with Thai tea leaves. I reminisced how my sister went to every Asian store that possibly existed, just in search for Thai tea leaves and came back dismally failed. Her endless Thai iced tea cravings finally got her to order a massive bag of Thai tea leaves online and hence the jar full of it.

    My sister loves crème brûlée and so do I. But the only one I’ve had in the past is a plain vanilla one with raspberries and a pistachio crème brûlée with a chocolate ganache and pistachio brittle (best ever). As much as we love crème brûlée, we also love Thai iced tea. So today, I thought of combining the two favorites resulting in a Thai Chai Crème Brûlée.

    It’s rich and creamy and has a bright orange finish, almost like that of a Halloween pumpkin!

    Pistachio Crème Brûlée at Marie Louise Bistro
    Pistachio Crème Brûlée at Marie Louise Bistro

    Thai Chai Crème Brûlée
    adapted from myself

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    Image1/2 pint – heavy whipping cream
    1/4 cup – sugar
    2 tsp – Thai tea leaves
    2 – egg yolks
    1/2 tsp – vanilla

    1) In a saucepan, heat together the cream, sugar and tea leaves. Heat the mixture until bubbles appear around the edge. Turn off the heat and strain the mixture. (I used a cheesecloth to strain  it to avoid any fine leaves.)
    2) Lightly whisk the egg yolks and vanilla. Slowly add in a couple spoons of the warm cream mixture while still whisking continuously in order to temper the eggs.
    3) Pour the tempered egg mix back into the warm cream and mix well.
    4) Ladle the custard into 4 ramekins placed in a fairly deep baking dish. Slowly and carefully pour hot water into the pan till it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
    5) Bake them in a preheated oven (350 degree F) for about 15 minutes or until the custards are just set but still wobbly in the center. Let them cool completely in the water. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
    6) Right before serving, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar evenly on the top of each custard and “brûlée” (burn the sugar) the tops using a torch to form a crispy, golden layer. If you don’t have a torch, you can heat up the top broiler in your oven to the highest temperature possible. Move the top rack in your oven up as high as it can go. Place the ramekins in the oven on the top rack, and broil for 3 – 5 minutes, rotating them frequently so that they broil evenly. Take them out when they are golden brown and bubbling. Allow the crème brûlées to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. I like them cold, so I put mine back into the refrigerator for no longer than 30 minutes, else the crunchy sugar layer will begin to soften.

  • Indian Style Bake Dish

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    It has been several months since I have made the Indian style bake dish that my Dubai cousin’s live-in cook, Gangaram used to make the best. It’s a simple combination of sweet-ish cheesy white sauce and mix veggies baked together under a lovely blanket of cheese and melting butter.

    Last night, my cousin/roommate Shaily suggested making this bake dish sometime this week for dinner. I got excited and said “why wait?! Let’s make it tomorrow!” So today evening, as soon as I came home after a nice walk, I quickly whipped up this bake dish for a warm, relaxing and fulfilling dinner.

    Indian Style Bake Dish

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    For the veggie mix:
    2 – onions, chopped and sauteed in a 2 tbsp oil
    1 cup – green peas
    3 medium – carrots, chopped
    1 cup – frozen corn kernels
    2 cups – french beans, cut into 1″ pieces

    1) Boil about 4 cups of water in a sauce pan with 1 tsp salt and add in all the vegetables except onions. Cook until they are completely tender. Drain out the water and set aside.

    For the Cheesy White Sauce:
    3 tbsp – butter or oil (I used oil)
    3 tbsp (heaped) – plain flour
    3 cups – milk
    1 small tin (113 g) – cheddar cheese, roughly cubed (use Amul cheese or Kraft blue tin cheese — I used Kraft)
    1 – green chili, finely chopped
    salt, pepper, sugar and crushed red pepper to taste

    For the Topping:
    1 small tin (113 g) – cheddar cheese, grated
    Green bell pepper and tomato slices
    2 tbsp – butter (try to use Amul butter)

    1) Heat the oil/butter in a saucepan. Add in the flour and cook until it’s lightly browned. Slowly add in the milk whisking the mixture continuously to avoid forming lumps. Let it simmer till thickened.
    2) Add in the cheese, sauteed onions, boiled veggies and green chili and stir until the cheese melts. Season with salt, pepper, sugar and crushed red pepper.
    3) Pour this mixture into a lightly greased glass baking dish. Cover the top generously with grated cheese and arrange the pepper and tomato slices decoratively. Scatter dots of butter on the top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake it in a preheated oven (400 degree F/200 degree C) for about 20 minutes until the cheese melts and the top browns slightly.
    4) Squiggle some ketchup if desired.
    5) Dig in and relish the richness of this dish.
    6) And oh, don’t forget to workout next morning! 🙂

  • Lime Basil Panna Cotta

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    I was in the mood for making a dessert on a random evening last month. But I wanted to make something I had never made before. I had a bazillion desserts running through my mind but the evening was short and I had to figure out what to make. As I sat down trying to ease up my dilemma, I suddenly recalled this Mango & Coconut Panna Cotta that I had ordered at a restaurant couple years ago. However, I acutely remember the flavors of the dessert weren’t pungent enough and I didn’t enjoy it much. Point being, I came to a conclusion of making a panna cotta, but a different flavored one. I desired something refreshing and so lime was the way to go. For a while, I had been wanting to make a lime and rosemary flavored dessert. So I thought of making a lime and rosemary panna cotta.

    As soon as I made up my mind, my sister Shivani, came frenziedly hopping into my room asking me what I was going to make. When I told her, she firmly disapproved of my idea of flavors. She suggested I make a lime and basil panna cotta instead of lime and rosemary. For once, I became partially reluctant and serenely agreed with her idea.

    Lime & Basil Panna Cotta
    adapted from my sister and myself

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    1 pint – heavy whipping cream
    1/4 cup – caster sugar
    juice and zest of 2 limes
    1 handful – fresh basil leaves, torn
    2 1/4 tsp – powdered gelatin
    2 tbsp – cold water
    Strawberry coulis to serve (recipe follows)

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    1) Place the sugar, lime juice, lime zest and torn basil leaves in a saucepan.

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    2) Rub it together using the back of a spoon so that the sugar gets infused with the lime and basil flavors.
    3) Then add in the cream and mix. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
    4) Meanwhile, soak the gelatin in the water for 10 minutes.
    5) Heat the cream mixture on medium heat until bubbles appear around the edge. Do not bring to a boil.
    6) Turn off the heat and add in the soaked gelatin. Stir until the gelatin dissolves.
    7) Strain the mixture and pour it into 4 lightly greased custard cups.
    8) Let them cool to room temperature and then set the cups in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until completely set.
    9) To serve, run a sharp knife around the edge of each panna cotta and unmould onto a serving plate. Garnish and serve.

    Strawberry Coulis
    adapted from Laura Vitale

    1 cup – frozen but thawed strawberries
    1 tbsp – sugar (more or less depending on your taste)
    1 tsp – fresh lemon juice
    1/2 tsp – cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water

    1) Place the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a blender and puree it. Strain it through a fine sieve and place the puree in a small saucepan.
    2) Bring the puree to a simmer and add the cornstarch mixture and cook stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and pour it in a small container and let it cool completely.

  • Wholewheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes

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    Dharti and I woke up on this amazing sunny Sunday morning craving pancakes while we were still in bed. Just while we were talking about making chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, my mum walked into my room asking us to make something “healthy” for breakfast. So we decided to make wholewheat pancakes as they would be a lot healthier than plain flour pancakes and ultimately make mommy happy!

    I’ve always had this general aversion towards using wholewheat flour for making baked goods or anything that’s supposed to be made light and fluffy. Due to its low gluten level, I always feel like it produces dense products. But today’s pancakes turned out unbelievably light and were so satisfying.

    Wholewheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes
    adapted from Inquiring Chef

    1 – egg
    1/8 cup packed – light brown sugar
    1/8 cup – canola oil
    1 cup – buttermilk (see note)
    1 cup – whole wheat flour
    1 tbsp – baking powder
    1/4 tsp – salt
    1/2 cup – dark chocolate chips

    1) Beat eggs and brown sugar in a mixing bowl with a wire whisk. Beat in canola oil and buttermilk until evenly combined. Add dry ingredients all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.
    2) Ladle the batter onto a hot, oiled griddle or skillet. Sprinkle some chocolate chips and cook until bubbles form on the surface. Flip to the other side and cook until both sides are golden brown. Serve immediately, with butter and maple syrup.

    Note: If you don’t have pre-made buttermilk, warm up 1 cup of milk and stir in 1 tbsp of white vinegar and let it sit for 3 minutes.

  • Roasted Eggplant Panini

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    It’s mid-March and it’s spring break time. I’ve been waiting for the weather to get warmer but wintry Baltimore can never be in favor of my cold-bearing disability. Everyone is out of town and my mother and I are spending the week alone.

    My friend Dharti came over yesterday afternoon to spend the night with us. I decided to make my all time favorite caprese panini for dinner but then I remembered Dharti’s dislike towards extra cheesy dishes. So I decided to make my masi’s roasted eggplant panini with an addition of my favorite caramelized onions and some homemade pesto.

    Just now, my mother suggested to go for a walk to the harbor. But the cold made me deny and I chose to stay warm and blog this recipe instead.

    Roasted Eggplant Panini
    adapted from masi and myself

    8 – panini bread rolls
    16 slices – buffalo mozzarella
    8 tbsp – homemade pesto

    For the Veggie Filling
    1 – eggplant
    1 – zucchini
    1 – green/red/yellow bell pepper
    1 whole bulb – garlic
    1 firm – tomato, completely deseeded
    4 tbsp – olive oil
    salt & pepper to taste

    1) Wash all the veggies and slice them thinly.
    2) Peel the garlic and leave the cloves whole.
    3) Lay everything out on greased baking sheets and drizzle some oil on them. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
    4) Bake them for 10-15 minutes in an oven preheated to 250 degree C/450 degree F.
    5) Mash up the garlic (it’ll be soft) with a fork.

    For the Caramalized Onions
    1 medium – onion, thinly sliced
    1 tsp (heaped) – sugar
    1 tsp – dried italian herbs
    1 tbsp – olive oil
    salt & pepper to taste

    1) Heat up the oil in a pan.
    2) Tip in the onions and saute them for a few minutes.
    3) Season with herbs, salt and pepper and cook till they are lightly brown and caramelized.

    To Assemble
    1) Heat up a panini grill or a sandwich press.
    2) Cut up the bread rolls in half horizontally.
    3) Spread a tablespoon of pesto on the bread. Evenly spread out the veggies and the caramelized onions. Lay out 2 slices of mozzarella and sandwich together. Press gently. Brush the tops with some olive oil and grill them until they are golden brown and crispy.

  • Chocolate Walnut Brownies

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    This year, on Valentine’s Day, my classmate Rohan made his first attempt at baking brownies from scratch. Honestly, I think I’m a decent baker but for some reason my brownies were always a failure and I eventually, secretly gave up on baking them. When I first tried Rohan’s unbelievably excellent, scrumptious brownies, I was absolutely amazed and rather challenged to steal his recipe and try baking some myself. As we were sitting in class through a boring lecture, Rohan gave me his brownie recipe along with some of his expert tips.

    This weekend was the beginning of spring break a.k.a lots and lots of baking till the end of spring break. To start off with, I decided to bake a batch of chocolate walnut brownies (although I was pretty nervous due to past failures) on Thursday evening after returning from school, and did so.

    Result — immense satisfaction 🙂

    Chocolate Walnut Brownies
    Adapted from Rohan

    1/2 cup (1 stick) – unsalted butter, melted
    3/4 cup – caster sugar
    1 tsp – vanilla extract
    2 – eggs
    2/3 cups – plain flour
    3/4 cup – drinking chocolate (Rohan used Ghirardelli, I used Nesquick, both tasted great)
    1/4 tsp – baking powder
    1/4 tsp – salt
    1/2 cup – walnuts

    1) Whisk the butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs using a wire whisk for a minute or two.
    2) Combine all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
    3) Into the dry mix, pour the liquid mixture and gently stir until well combined.
    4) Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.
    5) Pour into a generously greased 9″X 9″ baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 degree C/350 degree F. The brownies are done when the top looks slightly creased and dry and lighter in color.
    6) Although warm brownies are great, let them cool completely before cutting.