Veracruz Sauce

Yes you all guessed it right.the latest fascination has been Mexican food.So for all Saynors and Senoritas reading this blog,this is the one.
I just tasted Mexican food last week and since then have been smitten.Yes you can call me smitten because inspite of the summer temperatures soaring high,nothing is stopping me from eating Mexican food.
I tried this simple sauce which is really tasty but also very spicy.It can be best used for meat and fish dishes as a sauce or as ad ip

The Veracruz Sauce is a traditional Mexican Gulf Coast sauce.Veracruz is a port situated in East Mexico and the cuisine of the state is unique


Ingredients:
Olive Oil
Garlic cloves
Tomatoes peeled and blanched
Green and Red bell peppers
Paprika dried
Capers
Green Olives
Jalapenos
Salt
Dried Thyme or Oregano

Procedure:
Heat Olive Oil in a pan. Add the garlic cloves.Let the he the aroma savour,now add tomatoes.Let it cook till tender.Add rest of the ingredients.Let it cook well.put it in a blender till smooth.

Serve with Roasted Chicken/Grilled fish or even with boiled vegetables like corn,cabbage etc.

Bon Appetit
Ash

Restaurant Recommendation -Peninsula Sion,Mumbai

I have been there before twice.But this time I found them having great international cuisinea nd had a great experience overall

I would recommend chicken dishes of any kind.The chicken was cooked extremely well.The Non veg Platter included Chicken Tikka,Chicken Reshmi,Chicken Pahari and Chicken Banjara with Mutton Seekh Kebab.Each and every item was finger licking good.We also tried the craem of Chicken soup which appealed to my Taste buds.

Dont forget to try mouth watering" Quesadillas"
It literally takes form from the word Queso meaning cheese in spanish.
A quesadilla is usually made with a corn tortilla and is filled primarily with cheese and other ingredients such as cooked meat, refried beans, and vegetablesThe filled tortilla is then toasted under a boiler or fried, usually until the cheese is melted. Once the quesadilla is cooked, it is traditionally cut into slices, or wedges.
We tried the chicken ones and it was just too good.Perhaps the best Mexican food item I had ever had.They served with 3 various mexican dips including sour cream.I unfortunately could not identify the other 2 dips..could be Guacamole and Veracruz..not very sure
The drinks Menu has both alchohol and non alchohol varieties.
In the Desserts,we tasted the Honey Noodles with Ice Cream which was good enough.They also have I ce Creams, Chocolate Mousse,Rabdi and Sizzling Brownie.

Ambience is fairly good but food overtakes all.
In short..its a must try place for all

Bon Appetit,
Ash

Prawns in Butter Garlic pepper

Ingredients: Prawns Cleaned and Deveined Garlic Paste Pepper Powder Salt Corn Flour/Maida for binding Rawa Lemon grass Sticks Mint Procedure Make a batter of Garlic paste Pepper Powder n salt. Add the Prawns and let it marinate for about 20 mins.Just before Frying apply the Cornflour/Maida and Rawa on the Marinated Prawns. In a heated frying pan add some butter.Add Mint leaves and lemon grass. Switch off the Flame and Cover the Pan for about 4-5 mins for getting the aroma. After 5 mins again switch on the flame and now place the prawns.Fry till golden. Serve on Toothpicks. Decorate with Mint leaves

Egg Bites

Make the same base you make for burji & instead of adding eggs into the onion-tomato-spices masala----
---boil eggs, cut into halves, mix the yolk into the onion-tomato-spices masala & fill the masala into the egg white.
Top each piece with coriander & Serve! Yummy Egg-bites!!!

Paneer sabji (with soup powder)

With my little one, I need to manage my dinner (when mil needs to go to the market..)while she naps, and she naps for just 30 mins.

You need:
100 gms paneer
3 small onions, 4-5 kaju pieces and some ginger - made to a paste in a mixie
Some butter
Some chopped coriander
Haldi powder - 1/4 tsp
Meat masala - 1/2 tsp
Tomato soup powder (Knorr/ Maggi or anything.. ) - 2-3 tbsp
2-3 cloves
4-5 curry leaves (roughly torn)

First, fry some paneer in butter and keep aside
Then heat some butter, add cloves and curry leaves. Then add the onion paste. When browned, add the haldi, meat masala, and tomato soup powder. Cook slightly and add water. Be careful not to get lumps cos of the soup powder. Bring to boil, and add the paneer cubes and chopped coriander leaves! Ready!

P.S: I also added a crushed cheese slice (since I didn't have cubes) which melted away and made the gravy cheesy!!

Pongal

This is one of my most favorite South Indian dish.

I always had south Indian food during my college days in Matunga, a locality in Mumbai which is full of south Indian Restaurants.

The best Pongal I had was on my trip to Tirupati and Chennai and since then was hunting for a recipe.Finally a colleague of mine from Chennai shared a recipe and I modified it a little for my taste buds. It turned out to be successful.Here is it


Ingredients
Moong Daal and Rice (Equal Quantity)
Cumin Seeds
Pepper corns
Pepper Powder
Grated Ginger
Red dried chilly
Curry Leaves
Cashewnuts,Raisins 10-12
Grated Coconut
Ghee
Milk
Salt to taste
Water


Procedure

Cook the rice and moong dal together in a separate utensil

In another pan add ghee add Cumin Seeds,Pepper corns,Pepper Powder,Grated Ginger,
Red dried chilly and Curry Leaves.Let it fry for a while add cashews and raisins.Add salt to taste and grated coconut.Now add the boiled Moong dal+Rice.
Add some milk and water.Once it becomes soft add some ghee.

Serve hot with Sambhar

Chef's Tips:
1)Never Pressure Cook the Rice Moongdal Mixture as it becomes too soft.Cook it in an open utensil.Cook it 75-80% as later when you add it to mixture it gets perfectly cooked
2)When you add cumin and pepper corns to ghee, wait for pepper corns to pop and then add rest of the ingredients
3)You can substitute red chillies with green chillies depending on your taste.I recommend red chillies as it gives a wonderful aroma.
4)You can add coconut milk instead of grated coconut
Bon Appetit
Ash

Zaalouk and Moutabel

We all are fascinated by the Middle East.Their colorful culture,the big barren desert,Oil fields,Hookas and Sheeshas,Camels,belly dances..blah blah.Very little is known about the food.So I made these lovely Middle Eastern Dishes rather Middle Eastern Dips

Naina and Monica have been preparing lovely Moutabel since months and I love it each time they make it.So today I thought trying my hands at it.I made Moutabel and it turned out to be lovely.I tried another dip called "Zaloouk" which is from Morroco and it turned out to be lovely too.Since we already have Moutabel om the blog I thought of sharing Zaalouk recipe with you all

Zaalouk

Ingredients:
Aubergine
Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Garlic
Parsley
Chilly Powder
Salt to taste


Procedure
Roast/Cook the aubergine and smash it well.Add boiled smashed tomatoes.Add a little tomato Ketchup.Add Crushed ground Garlic.Add some Red Chilly powder and Chopped Parsley.Finally add olive oil and salt per taste.Smash it in a huge vessel for about 5-10 minutes till it blends well.

Decorate with Olives and Parsley.Serve with Crusty bread

I served both Zaalouk and Moutabel with Garlic breads and they were too yummy

It was kinda great to have 2 dishes of Aubergine made on teh same day both tasting so different yet so nice

Bon Appetit
Ash