Chicken Coriander Soup
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Chicken Coriander Soup
For comfort for soul and belly, this soup is the one to go to in winter. Easy on the cook too since it takes little time to make. Also, easy on the pocket with very minimal easily available ingredients.
This is for 6 bowls of soup.
In a pot take 8 bowls of water and put 500 gms of minced chicken to boil by adding about 2 teaspoons of finely chopped ginger and salt to taste. You could also use shredded chicken. But I used mined version.
Once the chicken stock is done, chicken is boiled, and the water gets reduced a little, strain the chicken and keep aside the stock.
Now in a pan, add the chicken. Turn on heat and add butter. Brown the chicken. Add a little bit of pepper. When it is done, add the stock and a medium bowl full of chopped fresh coriander leaves. Let t boil for a while. Remove from heat. Add juice from one lemon, and serve piping hot with garlic bread.
Did wonders to me since I was suffering from cold and cough. 🙂
Egg Baffat
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Egg Baffat
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Masoor Dal Khichuri
Piping hot Khichuri with its steam and smell mesmerizing the senses is a comfort food when the air gets cooler. Kolkata air has a nip and this makes a happy family meal.
– Rice 1 cup,
– Musur Dal- Red Lentils 1 cup
– medium sized potatoes- 2
– Peas-100 gms,
– tomato (big sized)- 1
– Cauliflower- small, 1
– Onions- 5 to 6
– Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon
– Red chillies, dried, 2
– Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
– Bay Leaves 2
– Sliced Green Chllies 2
– salt to taste
– Sugar 1 teaspoon
– Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
– Ghee 1 table spoon
– water as required
– Red chilly powder – 1 teaspoon
Wash and drain the rice and dal separately. Chop onions. Cut the potatoes and cauliflower into big chunks and sprinkle salt over them. Heat oil in a frying pan. When hot then fry the potatoes and cauliflower, till brown (golden). Drain on paper/tissue and keep aside. In a pan take ghee and heat it. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, and let sizzle. Add the onion and ginger paste to it along with the tomato pieces, turmeric and salt. Pour the water in a stock pot and allow it to boil. Once it starts boiling add the rice and musur/masoor dal (lentil). After a cilantro while add the fried vegetables which were kept aside followed by the peas and the onions. Stir it well. Now close the lid of the pan. Check the water while cooking. Some people love Khichuri quite runny others dont- if you want it to be runny add some more water. Add the rice and stir well. Add the dal, the rest of the spices, water and close the lid of the pan. When half done add the vegetables so that they also get boiled, but take care not to mash them. It is done when the dal (pulse) and rice are completely cooked and have a semi-solid consistency. To serve – pour 1 tsp of ghee over the top and sliced green chillies.
Basmati Rice Pudding
For a Bengali, no auspicious occasion is complete without “payesh”. From birthdays to bridal shower to baby shower, this is a must ingredient of the menu. Not necessarily of Basmati rice though. Here’s the traditional recipe with the Basmati twist.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup basmati rice
2 litres milk
4 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp ghee
2 green cardamom
raisins-to garnish
almonds-sliced, to garnish
cashew nuts-chopped to garnish
few drops rosewater
METHOD
Wash and wipe the rice and dry it on a plate and leave aside.
Heat milk in a large pan. Add green cardamom powder. Simmer till it is reduced to 3 quarters of its original volume.
Add a tbsp of ghee to the washed rice and mix it. Add the rice to the milk.
Put in the sugar when the rice is slightly tender. Continue cooking until milk is reduced to half its volume and starts thickening. The rice should be fully cooked by now.
Now add the raisins, almonds, and chopped cashew nuts.
Remove from heat and add the rosewater. This is optional. I generally leave it put since the spouse is not too fond of the odor.
Cool and serve.
Rift in Relationship, courtesy friends?
In a Utopian world, we shall all have The Perfect Relationship — juggling with skill all the challenges a relationship offers. Put that perfect scenario in a real-world condition, and the nuances start changing colours – sometimes abruptly, sometimes subtly. And although it might be a painful morsel to chew, but the truth is, at times, it’s our near ones that cause the confusion. Difficult to digest, I know. Undoubtedly you had thought that since they love you, they’d wish to see you happy! But then, you know, even this resistance arises from love – the fear of losing ‘their share of you’. To them, the evolution of a new relationship threatens the hold that they have on you, and they start resenting the relationship.
Your friends would mostly be birds of the same or at least similar feather. No wonder you share your likes, dislikes, interests et al; and in a broader perspective, you share with them your time and life. Of course you value them, their opinion. But when they overstep boundaries and strain your bonding with your significant other, it’s time for some fast disaster management action!
Here’s how you can identify the red alerts and steady yourself for an unbiased reconsideration of the situation –
(1) When a friend always disapproves of your date: Every time you date someone, no matter how perfect that person may seem to you, your friend always finds her/him not a good enough match for you.
(2) When a friend always portrays a negative you in front of your partner: A friend who always paints a negative picture of you, albeit in the form of funny anecdotes, is giving out a wrong signal to your date.
(3) When a friend shows special interest in you: If a friend has a crush on you, chances are jealousy would creep in to keep you away from a healthy relationship with someone else.
(4) When a friend leaks out your secrets: A friend may know many of your secrets, but should also know how to keep them. It is up to you to share your life with your partner when you feel ready for it.
(5) When a friend flirts with your partner: If your friend spends a lot of time with your date behind your back, or openly flirts with her/him in your presence, it is disgracing your relationship.
(6) When a friend does not show respect or courtesy to your partner: Disrespecting your partner is the last thing she/he would expect you to tolerate.
(7) When a friend wants all your free time and attention: Your friend claims every free moment you have – always clinging on to you, even barging in to your romantic date. This would irritate your partner who would naturally want to spend some quality couple-time.
(8) When a friend makes you ignore your partner: Ignoring your partner is suicidal for any relationship, more so in case of a budding relationship. If your friend always manipulates to keep you away from your partner, it might give a wrong signal to your significant other.
(9) When a friend is always picking on your partner: You obviously value opinion of your friends. So if your friend always harps on what your date does wrong, it might make a negative influence on you as well.
(10) When a friend encourages you to cheat on your partner: When your friend encourages you to date someone else simultaneously, even helps to manipulate such a situation for you, it’s a clear signal that your friend does not want your romantic involvement to strengthen into a permanent bond.
To welcome a new person in your life, you’d need to give her/him space to bloom. For that, learn to set boundaries and make sure they are adhered to. But just as your friends need to understand that you need “couple time” with your partner, your partner should also realize that you’d sometimes need “fun time” with friends where your partner may or may not be welcome. If your near ones love you, they’d respect your needs as an individual bringing you peace, harmony and happiness.
(Image: Google Search)
Wine Coolers — Wine Storage Story Part II
As soon as you look closely at the nuances of Wine storage (discussed in the previous blog http://wp.me/p2Qaol-1W ), it would be seemingly imperative that for properly taking care of your Wine collection it’s perhaps best to invest in a Wine Cooler. Storing wine is a snap as long as you remember to keep it cool, dark, still and sideways.
Now when we speak of wine cooler, it could be a less expensive small table-top one, or a glacette (simple insulated container) to chill one bottle, or a more expensive larger one that can store dozens of bottle. It depends on how much wine you plan to collect and store, and what budget you allocate for your wine storage. The more you spend, the better thematerials should be. Aluminium that will conduct cool temperatures better than plastic ones is a better choice of material. Also, a rough interior will be better for humidity than a smooth one.
Wine coolers are, at their most basic, standalone units designed to maintain a consistent temperature and humidity. A wine cooler will generally keep the temperature constant, as long as you’re not constantly fiddling with the door. More expensive units may have multiple temperature zones, which is a nice feature if you want to keep your reds at one temperature and your whites at a cooler, more ready-to-drink temperature. Humidity controls are also helpful.
Units also vary in designs. For example, your cooler may or may not come with sliding shelves. Also ponder about whether the cooler you select is designed to accommodate the different sizes and shapes of wine bottles you possess. Accessibility to your bottles should be another deciding factor. So consider both how well you’ll be able to see what’s inside, and how easy it will be for you to grab a bottle when you want one. Also a quieter unit is always a blessing.
The door itself is something to ponder. It is important for you to see the bottles as well as protect them from light. Make sure the door opens on the correct side for where you’re placing it since not every unit has reversible doors. Ponder whether you want the glassclear, tempered, tinted, double-paned or UV-resistant. The more expensive models havelocks or even alarms.
To round off, the key is to remember that your wine needs a cool snug place to sleep without being disturbed much by external factors like light, heat, movement etc. Give them a snug home, and they would fill up your senses each time you make Wine your meal companion.
[Information & Image Courtesy: Google Search]
Keep Your Wines Safe & Sound — Wine Storage Story Part I
| Storage is important. Whether it’s flip-flops you use only for those vacations by the sea, or quits & coats that only come out in the winter, you’ve always got to think of where to store them. So why not plan your wine storage efficiently too? When you buy wine that you’re not planning on drinking right away, the first thing that haunts you is what do you do with it! Well at least happens to me.
I have a wine aficionado husband who keeps picking up a bottle whenever he fancies one. And living in a metro-apartment where space is not one of the luxuries one can afford, storage has to be fun, attractive and smart. We’d discuss storage units in Part II. For now, let’s recap the basic factors we need to keep in mind about storing the divine drink. |
| Temperature:
Temperatures higher than 70° F will age a wine more quickly than is usually desirable resulting in flat aromas and flavours. The ideal temperature range is between 45° F and 65° F (and 55° F is often cited as close to perfect), though there isn’t an exact formula. Don’t fret too much if your storage runs a couple degrees warmer, as long as you’re opening the bottles within a few years from their release.
Do not store in household refrigerator long term: Keeping wines in your household refrigerator is fine for some time, but should be avoided for long-term storage. The average fridge temp falls well below 45° F to safely store perishables, and the lack of moisture could eventually dehydrate corks allowing air to seep in and damage the wine.
Never store wine where it could freeze: Storing wine somewhere it could freeze (forgotten for hours in the freezer) would damage your bottle of wine. If the liquid starts turning to ice, it could expand enough to push the cork out.
Steady Temperature: More important than worrying about achieving a perfect 55°F is avoiding temperature fluctuations. Not only it’d hamper how the wine tastes, but also the expansion and contraction of the liquid inside the bottle might push the cork out or cause seepage. Aim for consistency, but don’t get paranoid about minor temperature fluctuations.
Lights off Please: Light, especially sunlight, can pose a potential problem for long-term storage. The sun’s UV rays can degrade and prematurely age wine. Light from household bulbs probably won’t damage the wine itself, but can fade your labels in the long run. Incandescent bulbs may be a bit safer than fluorescent bulbs, which do emit very small amounts of ultraviolet light.
Controlled Humidity: Conventional wisdom says that wines should be stored at an ideal humidity level of 70 percent. However, for practical purposes, anything between 50 percent and 80 percent humidity is considered safe. For dry areas, placing a pan of water in your storage area can improve conditions. Conversely, in extremely damp conditions a dehumidifier can control mold.
Avoid Strong Smell: Remember that wine “breathes”, so don’t store it with anything that has a strong smell, as the smell will permeate through the cork and taint the wine. Good ventilation may help prevent musty odours from entering the wine.
Store Sideways: Traditionally, bottles have been stored on their sides in order to keep the liquid up against the cork, which theoretically should keep the cork from drying out. If you’re planning on drinking these bottles in the near- to mid-term, or if the bottles have alternative closures (screw caps, glass or plastic corks), this is not necessary. However, horizontal racking is a space-efficient way to store your bottles, and it definitely can’t harm your wines.
Steady Storage: Significant vibrations could possibly disturb the sediment in older wines and keep them from settling, potentially making them unpleasantly gritty. However, mild vibrations would not affect short-term storage. Unless you plan to intentionally shake the bottle, your wine is safe in normal home surroundings.
Before I round off, one suggestion — Whatever number you’re thinking of when it comes to bottle capacity, double it. Once you’ve started accumulating wines to drink later, it’s hard to stop. Finally, remember that only very few fine wines benefit from long-term aging. Most wines are best enjoyed within a few years of release. If you’re looking to buy wines to mature, you should really consider investing in professional-grade storage — a totally different ballgame. As for us, we simply can’t keep our bottles uncorked that long. What about you?
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[Image & Research Courtesy: Google Search]
Don’t Spill Tears Over Wine Spills
So you have invited guests for dinner. Opened your best bottle of wine. Brought out your special home decor stuff. Including those silk cushion covers and a nice comfy fluffy rug. And that new linen sage-green self-embossed tablecloth and napkins that you were waiting to show off. And then it happens!! Wine spills! And that too red wine! On that silver grey raw silk cushion cover. Then trickles down to the white shaggy carpet. And on a spur-of-the-moment-instant-first-response, one of your guests blots the spill with one of those new table-napkins. Now what do you do?
I know you’d like to cry out loud. But the well-bred hostess in you makes you put your guests’ feelings first and makes you keep looking calm. At least outwardly. No matter how much your heart panics, how much you have to struggle to keep the tears trickling down. Well, relax. A few tips and tricks can help to minimise the damage.
The First Response – Blot, But Don’t Rub:
Take a clean cloth and dab the spill in an effort to get the excess wine up and out of the carpet or clothing fibres. And as soon as possible. Make sure you blot the stain, don’t rub. If you rub the red wine, it will move deeper into the carpet and will be much harder to get out. Whatever you do, don’t let the spill sit for long before taking action; the longer it sits the more difficult it will be to make the stain go away.
Home Remedies:
- Salt can be poured on the spill to keep the wine from setting until you figure out which method of clean up you would like to go with. But this method has not been proven full-proof.
- Talcum powder may be used as a blotting agent to soak up wet red wine. Add as much talcum powder as you need to fully cover the stain with so that there is plenty of powder to soak up the wine.
- While the stain is wet, you may pour corn starch onto your carpet and it will soak up the wine. Again, make sure that you use enough to cover the wine spill.
- Club soda can be poured on the stain and the carbonation will help to lift the stain from the carpet fibres while the salt acts as a buffer to keep the stain from setting.
- Vinegar does a nice job of neutralizing the purple pigments and can be combined with the stain-fighting force of either soap or soda. Apply laundry soap or washing soda directly over the vinegar and give it a few minutes to soak in, then rinse and wash.
Chemical Stain Removers:
| At times, the stain might be stubborn enough to make you resort to chemicals for stain removal. In that case, bank on Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda – After blotting as much wine as you can, spray hydrogen peroxide on the stain, followed by a generous sprinkle of baking soda. Make sure that the peroxide and soda fully cover the stained area and let it sit for a few minutes. Then rinse with water and if applicable pop it in the laundry, and your trusted detergent would do the remaining job for you. For your carpet use a regular spray of carpet cleaner after the soak, and clean as you normally would carpet-clean. | |
White Wine for Red Wine Stains:
When red wine is spilled onto your carpet or clothes, white wine can help neutralize red wine by making it easier to lift the colour off of your carpet or clothing. Simply pour white wine over the stained area and very gently blot the liquid. If the stain is still visible, you can continue lifting out the pigments using the above-mentioned methods.
A wonderful evening with food, friends, conversation and wine should not come to a halt just because of a spill. With the know-how the damage control will be easy and hassle free!
(Image courtesy: Google Search)
A D-I-Y style weekend with home-made Rice Wine (psst.. & munchies too )
Among the many concepts that sprung during recession and were nurtured and nailed into the grey cells of the common man, the brown bag and D-I-Y theories have reigned supreme. And honestly speaking it gives a nice break from usual take-aways and dining-out.
I have days when I simply don’t feel like stepping out of my pajamas. So dressing up to go out for dinner seems a herculean task. But when you have a spouse whose tongue tickles for specials in the weekend, you have to come up with something.
My cooking is no more a surprise for my friends and family. So I resorted to wine-making to spice things up (not to mention the wide-eyes and grins that were sure to follow in a wine-loving family). My friend Shilpa Rao Uppoor came to my rescue with tried and tested Rice Wine Recipe from her mom’s kitchen.
1/2kg Rice
1kg Sugar
100gms Raisins / Sultanas
6 bottles Water
1tsp Yeast (mixed in 1/2 cup warm water)
Handful of Wheat
Boil water and pour over the rice in a jar. Add sugar and minced sultanas. Add wheat. When the mixed ingredients cool down, add dissolved Yeast . Store for a week. Strain on Alternate days. After 21 days, strain again and bottle..
A venture that began about three weeks ago finally became ready to set the stage today. With loads of anticipation and butterflies in my stomach, I poured out a little to set my heart-beat back to a normal pace.
The rice wine tasted a little subtle to my spice-craving palate. So I thought of making something spicy to pair with it. Home style (read Kolkata style) drums-of-heaven seemed to be a perfect low-on-labour saviour!
Clean chicken. Now marinate for two hours (or more if you have time and inclination, but in that case refridgerate) with — vinegar, pepper, garlic paste, ginger paste, soya sauce, kashmiri laal mirch (for the red colour), green chilli paste, salt (check on this since soya sauce has a lot of salt in it) beaten together in a bowl with an equal proportion of cornflour and flour (maida). You can add chopped spring onions to it also if you have them around. The batter will be semi-thick to coat the chicken nicely. Now simply heat oil in a pan. Fry these (deep fry) in medium-low heat till done.
Now it’s the time to rummage the DVD rack for a good old movie and just let the wine and the chicken create the mood for a perfect weekend!
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