All about Food

An wholesome hearty soup originated in Italy made out of Vegetables*, beans and pasta. Traditionally, it was prepared using leftovers, but itsnt a must to follow as exactly. Therefore let’s get on to making yummy minestrone soup step by step. 
Ingredients required are :
• Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) 1 cup washed & soaked• Macaroni 1 cup cooked• Chopped garlic 1 tbsp• Onion 1 medium size diced• Carrot 1 medium size cut in cubes• Potato 1 medium size cut in cubes• Celery stalk 2 nos diced• French beans(green beans) 1/2 cup cut in 3/4″ length• White onion 1 large size diced• Fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped• Tomato 5 nos medium size, blanched, peeled and mashed• Bay leaf 2 nos• Fresh thyme or Oregano 2 sprigs• Freshly crushed black pepper 1 tsp•  Baby spinach/kale chopped 2 cups• Olive oil 3 tbsp• Kosher salt as required
* You may use zucchini, Yellow squash or Chayote or any seasonal vegetables. 
In a pressure pan, boil soaked kidney beans along with bay leaves and little salt. Cook for about 4 whistle duration or as desired based on number of hours it was soaked in water. 
Alongside, in a pan boil water and once it’s about to boil, add macaroni, add a pinch of salt and mix well. Cook for about 9 minutes. Drain water and leave it aside. 
While the beans getting cooked, heat a medium sized stock pot over medium flame. Pour olive oil and while it’s hot, add in chopped garlic along with onion and saute for about 2 minutes till onion and garlic turn soft and light golden. Add celery, carrot, and saute for about 3 minutes until it’s slight softened. Add now required salt, parsley, thyme and black pepper and potatoes, French beans and stir well and saute for another 3 minutes. Add in tomato peeled along with 2 cups of water, cover the pot and allow to simmer. Add washed and drained baby spinach or substitute and stir. Add cooked beans. Remove the bay leaves from it and discard. Add macaroni and mix well. Add water if required. You may use the left over stock from the kidney beans. Check for salt. 
Serve hot with grated parmesan cheese on top. 
Happy Cooking! 

Betel leaves Rasam (Vettila Rasam) 

Betel leaf is commonly known as “Paan’ in India and its used to worship Gods as well as for all other religious ceremonies including wedding. Majorly across India it’s used in making “Paan’ a chewing stimulant comprising betel leaves, areca nut, tobaco and other flavors and spices. 
Betel leaves health benefits are many. Mainly it promoted metabolism, it’s very useful for chest & lung congestions. 
Now let’s prepare a tangy, spicy aromatic rasam where betel leaves play a major role. 
Ingredients required:
• Betel leaves 3 to 5 nos(medium size) • Cumin seeds 1 tsp• Fennel seeds 1/2 tsp• Black peppercorn 1/2 tsp• Green chillies 2 most• Garlic 5 cloves• Coriander leaves 3 sprigs• Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp• Tomato 2 medium size cut in qts• Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp• Fried red chilli 2 nos cut in halves• Curry leaves 1 sprig• Cooking oil 1tbsp• Asafoetida 1/3 tsp• Rock salt to taste
In a blender jar, grind all above ingredients except mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and red chilli to a coarse consistency. Heat a stock pot over medium flameAdd the grounded paste in to it and pour 4 cups of water and stir wellAdd required salt, asafoetida and mix well and allow to simmer. 
Now it’s time for tempering. Heat a pan, pour in in the oil and once oil is hot, add mustard seeds, red chilli and curry leaves. Once mustard starts sputtering, pour the tempering to rasam and mix wellEnsure rasam is not over boiled. Once it starts bubbling, put of the flame. Cover the pot and leave it to infuse all aroma and flavors in to rasam. Serve rasam hot, garnish it with a betel leaf.
Happy Cooking! 

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A French classic, but simple recipe made from basic inexpensive ingredients available at home. Consomme julienne is rich, elegant and delicious.
Ingredients required:
• Chicken carcass 1 kilograms• Carrot 1 medium size chopped• Turnip 1 small size chopped• Celery stalk 1 medium size• Leek 1 nos• Crushed garlic 5 cloves• Cabbage 2 leaves shredded• French beans 3 nos cut in pieces• Onion 1 medium size  sliced• Butter 1 tbsp• Kosher salt as per taste• Crushed black pepper 1tsp• Fresh parsley 3 sprigs• Star Anise 2 nos• Bay leaf 1 nos• Eggs 2 nos (only egg white required) 
In a large stockpot, put the chicken bones and skin from the carcass. Add carrot, turnip celery, leek, parsley, cabbage, French beans, onion bay leaf, star anise crushed pepper. Pour required quantity of water to cover the ingredients in stock pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce the flame and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Discard the bones ,vegetables and other items from the stock. Return the stock pot on flame. Add required salt and allow to simmer under reduced flame. To clarifying the stock, pour in the egg white (do not whisk) all through the surface of stock. Cover the stock pot and let it be on flame for another 5 minutes. Switch of the flame and let it rest for a while. Strain it by using a muslin cloth. Suggest to repeat the process once again with a fresh muslin to get refined clarity. 
Heat a sauce pan over low flame. Add butter. Once the butter is melted, add juliennes of – carrot, celery, leek, potato and turnip saute till the vegetables are soft. Switch off the flame. 
Add these vegetable juliennes in consomme. If required, you may add seasonings or any herbs. 
Happy Cooking! 

An ideal option to use up your old ripened kimchi. Inorder to give it more flavor and texture,meat or vegetables could be added along. However adding bacon would be an excellent choice. Here, I would be using just Chicken instead. 
Ingredients required:
• Kimchi 11/2 cup• Steamed rice* 3 cups• Boneless chicken 1 cup. Cut in to thumbnail size• Eggs** 3 nos• Garlic chopped 1tsp• Onion 1 medium size diced• Spring onion (Scallions) 2 stalks cut in to an inch length long• Sesame oil 1 tbsp• Cooking oil 1 tbsp• Roasted Sesame seeds 1 tsp• Salt to taste
* For best result, using refrigerated leftover rice would be apt, instead of freshly cooked rice. If you wanted to use fresh rice, spread the rice on a platter and allow to cool at room temperature. 
** Fried eggs, preferably a sunnyside up would be an excellent option. However, it’s purely personal preference. 

Preheat a wok on medium flame. Once it’s hot, pour in the oil and spread across the wok. Add chopped garlic and the onion and saute for about 2 minutes or till the aroma of garlic is dissipated and onion turns translucent. It’s time to add your preferred meat and saute for about 5 minutes or half cooked. 
Add now the kimchi and stir well. Should you require little water, you may drain 1/4 cup of kimchi juice from your kimchi pot and add in to chicken. Add the rice and mix thoroughly. Bring down the flame to low and check for salt.Add now the sesame oil and the green onion. Once again mix well and put off the flameWhile serving, place the cooked egg on top of rice, sprinkle few roasted sesame seeds. 
Happy Cooking! 

• Zucchini 2 medium sized. • A P Flour 3/4 cup• Egg 1 nos• White pepper powder 1/2 tsp• Kosher salt as required• Ice Cold water as required• Oil for frying
Step 1Wash and drain water from zucchini. If required, pat dry using a kitchen towel. Cut zucchini according to desired size and cuts. Use a tourne knife (peeling knife or called as shaping knife) to create different shapes. In a baking tray, take little A P Flour, add seasonings (salt & pepper powder) mix it well and rub on to cut zucchini pieces. 
Step 2In a bowl, break an egg and whisk only to get yolk & white to get slightly incorporated. Sift AP Flour and keep it aside. In a bowl, take few ice cubes and pour chilled water to it. Let the water turns absolutely chilled. Remove the ice cubes any from the water. Now add the water to egg. Add the flour to egg and water mixture and combine all together, but don’t over do so that there can be tiny lumps. 
Heat oil in a pan over medium flame. Dip the zucchini pieces in batter and fry it. Do not over crowd the pan. Get zucchini fried batch by batch turning both sides till you get golden yellow color. Serve it hot along with any dip. I’m my opinion, Nugge sauce (Moringa sauce) is ideal. 
Happy cooking! 

George Bernard Shaw said ” There is no love sincerer than the love of food’ and I strictly follow this principle. 
So it’s time to create a special chicken steak. 

Ingredients:
• Chicken breast 2 nos• Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp• Dijon mustard paste/powder 1/2  tsp• Freshly crushed black pepper 1tsp• Finely chopped garlic 1tsp• Olive oil 1 tbsp• Butter 1 tbsp• kosher salt as required• Finely chopped Celery stalk 2 tbsp• Sage 2 sprigs
Prepare a marinade by mixing Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, chopped garlic, mustard paste, sage, salt, oil and rub it over the chicken* thoroughly and let’s marinate it for a minimum one hour. 
* Make few gashes over the chicken breast for a perfect marination.Absolutely no usage of Steak hammer, but to have a juicy, fluffy steak, just make few gashes on it would do. 
Heat a pan on high flame. Add the butter and once it start melting slide in the chicken and sear it for 2 minutes on each side. Add in the sauce /oil left over from marination bowl to steak and cook each side for about 6 minutes and flip other side on a low – medium flame. 
Serve boiled potatoes, French fries as accompaniments. 

Happy Cooking! 

An wholesome soup made out of black eyed peas and flavoured with herbs. 
Ingredients required:
• Black eyed beans 1cup• Butter 2 oz• A P Flour 2 tbsp• Milk 1 cup• Finely chopped garlic 1 tsp• Freshly crushed black pepper 1 tsp• Kosher salt as required• Chicken stock* 3 cups • Few sprigs of parsley – around 5 to 6finely chopped.
Wash and cook black eyed beans in a pressure cooker. 
Take a pan, heat over medium flame. Once the pan is hot, add in the butter and when it’s melted, add flour and saute till it emits aroma and turns light golden brown. Add chopped garlic and saute for a minute and add milk to it and whisk it thorough. Add in the chicken stock, pepper powder, salt and chopped parsley and allow to boil. It’s time to add the cooked black eyed beans. Before adding the beans to stock, using a potato masher or a hand blender just mash the beans little to get an extra thickness for the soup. Let the soup summer for another 5 minutes. Check for salt. 
Garnish with parsley. 
* You may use Chicken bouillon as substitute. 
Happy cooking! 

Ingredients:
• Eggs 6 nos• Miso paste 1 tbsp• Butter 2 oz• Olive oil 2 tsp• Salt as required• Freshly crushed black pepper 1/2 tsp
Break eggs in to a mixing bowl. Whisk it vigorously. Do not add salt at this moment as miso will have extra salt.  
Soften the butter at room temperature. Add miso to it and mix well to form paste. Refrigerate the paste for about 15 minutes. 
Heat a pan over slow flame. Make sure the pan is not too hot. Drizzle oil in to pan. Pour whisked eggs in to pan. Keep stirring through sides and folding from one end to the other. Once the egg start getting scramble, add the miso butter and keep folding the egg and mixing it together from sides. Do not increase the flame. In case if you feel there is lump formation, take off the pan from flame and keep stirring gently. Cook the egg till dropping consistency. Check for salt. Sprinkle crushed pepper. 
Happy Cooking! 

An excellent Cruciferous vegetable which is known for its health benefits. Bok Choy lowers Heart related disease, it has antioxidant indole-3 carbinole, folate, potassium, Vitamin C’, vitamin B6′ and many more. 
Ingredients required:

• Baby Bok choy 2 nos.• Garlic finely chopped 1tbsp• Olive oil 2 tbsp• Freshly crushed black pepper 1 tsp• Kosher salt as required• Galangal – 4 to 5 slices • Dark soy sauce• Sugar 1/2 tsp• Rice wine* 30 ml

Soak it in Vinegar & Salt solution for a minimum period of an hour. This will kill pathogens present between the leaves or any pesticides residual. 
Slice bok choy in half length through the stalk and then cut in quarters or as per requirement. 
Heat a pan on medium flame. Pour oil and once it’s hot, arrange bok choy slices neatly touching the bottom of pan. Remember, bok choy has lots of water content and this ensure the stalk to get cooked evenly. Cook for about 3 minutes and flip other side to get roasted. Now add chopped garlic, galangal, soy sauce, pepper powder, sugar,salt and stir through sides or toss it well. Increase the flame to high and cook for another 5 minutes intermittently tossing the pan. Now pour wine over bok choy and switch off the flame. 
* You may substitute with red wine if rice wine is not available. Also adding wine is optional and absolute personal choice. 

Happy cooking! 

Ingredients:
• Basale (Malabar Spinach) leaves  2 bunch.Cleaned, washed and completely water drained. If you come across with tender shoots, you may use them along with leaves by chopping them tiny pieces. • Horse gram (kulthi /Kollu/Mudira) 1 cup. Cleaned, (check for any stones or twigs) washed and soaked for about an hour. • Dried red chilli 10 nos. • Mustard seeds 1 tbsp• Coriander seeds 2 tbsp• Coconut oil 1 tbsp• Ghee (clarified butter) 1 tbsp• Onion 1 medium size finely chopped• Grated coconut 1/2 cup• Curry leaves 2 sprigs• Tamarind paste 1 tsp• Jaggery 1″ piece• Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp• Salt to taste
Step 1Pressure cook Horse gram with required water, salt and a teaspoon of coconut oil. Cook for about 8 minutes or up to 4 whistle in medium flame. 
Step 2Heat a wok on medium flame. Pour coconut oil and roast dry chilles first. (Remember to reserve 2 chillies for later usage.) Now add coriander seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Grind above along with grated coconut and horse gram to a smooth paste. You may use little water from the cooked dal for grinding. 
Step 3Boil a cup of water along with jaggery, tamarind paste, turmeric powder and required salt. Once the water is nicely boiled, add in malabar spinach. Adding Malabar spinach leaves in to boiling water will avoid slime from it. Cook spinach until it’s completely wilted, turned soft and cooked. Now add the grounded masala to spinach and mix well. Check for salt and required consistency. Should you need water, you may use any leftover water from the dal. 
Step 4It’s time for giving a good tempering, heat a pan over medium flame. Pour ghee. Add mustard seed and two red chillies cut in to pieces. Once mustard starts sputtering, add curry leaves. Pour the tampering to cooked spinach. Garnish with coriander leaves. Ideal to have with plain rice or chapati. 
Happy Cooking!