SummerFood – The Secret Ingredient

Baking

Cherry Clafoutis | French Cherry Flan

By anshu June 8, 2019

I think my obsession with red fruits and vegetables is growing with growing age. Be it red bell peppers or himalayan bay berries, strawberries or cherries. I like the way they brighten my life. Specially when I see cherries it takes me back in time. My father knew how much I love cherries and at the outset of season he would get for me cartons of cherries. That love is imprinted in my heart and I can never forget that. So whenever I see cheries I go berserk. I always find ways to make something with them. In the past I have made Cherry Focaccia Bread, Cherry & Lychee Ice Cream, Mascarpone Cherry Compote Cheesecake Glasses. And this season I knew I had to make this Cherry Clafoutis, the popular French flan.

If you have made a flan before you know it is made with a rich custard. The key ingredient in any flan is eggs. If they are fresh ,it has a direct impact on the overall quality and taste of any dish. So my first choice was to use Eggee, which are high protein, organic eggs. They are my family favourite.

And oh boy! I was right the clafoutis came out so rich and perfect. Its an easy peasy recipe and you should try it out before the cherries disappear for the season. I still have a box of cherries, if you have any interesting recipe where I can utilize cherries please share it below in the comment box.

Directions:
1. Grease a 9 inch pie tart pan or cast iron skillet or baking dish with oil or butter. And dust the surface with Confectioner’s Sugar.

2. Pit the stones out of the cherries. There is an easier way to remove stones from the cherry. Try this method. Place the pitted cherries on the pie pan and spread evenly. Set aside. Preheat your oven on 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes.

3. In a bowl whisk milk and eggs. I have used organic eggs by Eggee. I find these eggs to be most amazing in nutrition and taste. That yellow yolk is so beautiful.

4. Add Vanilla essence and mix.

5.Add sugar, salt and all purpose flour.

6. Whisk everything together and now add melted butter and whisk again.

7.Pour this custard in the pie pan over the cherries.

8.Bake it in the pre heated oven on 180 degree Celsius for 40-45 min or until the custard just sets.You can insert a knife in the centre to check if it comes out clean. Slice and serve warm or cold as you like. I like it warm and still jiggly. You can make these in ramekins also which makes individual servings, so perfect for parties.

Other recipes you can try with summer fruits are: Strawberry Walnut Babka, Italian Focaccia Bread with Strawberries, Apple Crisp, Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal with Toasted Walnuts, Eggless Black Grape Cake with Strawberry Jam Glaze, Classic No Bake Key Lime Pie, Coconut Milk Mango Pudding, Eggless Fresh Peach Cobbler.

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Appetiser

Chukandar ka Raita | Beetroot Yogurt Dip for Summers

By anshu June 24, 2017

Summer food should be vibrant, fresh and soothing. I keep trying recipes which are refreshing like salads, yogurt dips, smoothies and less spicier. I had been eyeing this beet root raita from my fellow blogger and friend Priti’s blog Indian Khana for a very long time. Last week when I had my in laws home I wanted to make something different for lunch along with mint pulav I had made for them. When I tried this Beetroot or Chukandar raita, it was a perfect blend of spices and the taste was top notch. Its an easy peasy recipe but totally a game changer. Thank you Priti for this incredible raita recipe. This is a keeper.

You can add fennel seeds also as the original recipe said but I skipped it because I am allergic to fennel seeds. I am sure it will make the taste more interesting for people who like it. Leave me a feedback if you try this amazing raita. I am head over heels over its fascinating colour. It tastes as good as it looks.

Directions:
1. Wash the beets thoroughly and peel its skin.

2. Grate them using a grater. Place the grated beets in a bowl.

3. Add Chopped coriander and and green chillies.

4. Add rock salt. Roasted Cumin Powder and salt. Let it sit for 5 minutes. The juices of beet will run out and will make it less bitter in taste.

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5. Whisk Curd or plain yogurt and mix with the beets after 5 minutes. Add a little water if you think the yogurt is way too thick,

6. Mix this yogurt with the beetroot and spices.

7. Garnish with more coriander leaves and serve with you favourite meal.

Other Raita or yogurt based dishes you can try are : Bathua ka Raita Purslane Yogurt Dip, Aloo Anaar ka Raita, Baigan ka Raita.

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Appetiser

Fresh Apricot and Coriander Chutney | Khumani aur Dhaniye Ki Chutney | Khubani Ki Chutney

By anshu June 5, 2017

A few days back I have made this delicious Apricot and Almond Cake. I had a handful Apricots left from baking. Incidentally, I was talking to my friend Kanika and she told me she just made fresh apricot chutney. I was intrigued to try it. When I saw the picture of her chutney on instagram I immediately went inside the kitchen and made this simple yet delicious chutney with freshness of coriander and sweetness of Apricots. Thankyou Kanika it was amazing!!!! This is an addition to my long list of chutneys I keep trying. They add a zest to my taste buds. Definitely this is a keeper.

If you have any such recipes of your favourite chutney, share them with me, I would love to try them and post on my blog giving due credit to you 🙂 In the meanwhile you can try these other chutney recipes from my blog : Aam Ki Launji, Kaccha Aam Aur Lehsun Chutney, Green Ber Ki Chutney, Red Chilli Sweet Chutney, Aalubukhara Chutney, Raw Mango Chutney with Mint and Coriander, Khatti Meethi Kacchey Aam Ki Chutney, Phalahari Dhaniya Chutney , Tomato Onion Garlic Chutney, Palak Dhaniya Chutney, Coconut Chutney, Pudina Chutney.

Directions:
1. Wash some fresh apricots and pat them dry. Deseed them and cut them into quarters.

2. In a chutney grinder add apricot quarters along with green chili.

3. Also add washed Coriander sprigs and red onion.

4. Add Rock Salt and Roasted Cumin powder.

5. Churn everything into a smooth paste.

6. Serve with your favorite snack like Vegetarian Raw Bananas & Potato Croquettes, Baked Broccoli Cheese Patties, Baked Paneer Corn Kababs, Sabudana Tikki, Veg Shami Kabab, Baby Corn Satay.

[whohit]ApricotCorianderChutney[/whohit]

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Dietetic Friendly

Kacchey Aam wali Dal | Green Mango cooked with Lentils

By anshu June 2, 2017

So the green mango saga continues. I had about 6-7 kgs of unripe green mangoes from my parents yard and I wanted to try out new recipes. Last week I had made Sweet and Sour Aam ki Launji which was simply phenomenal. I had asked for suggestions from my blogger friends if they could suggest a few recipes which could be made with unripe mangoes. My talented friend Rhea from the Food blog Euphorhea suggested Mango Dal which is unripe mango cooked with lentils. The idea kinda fascinated me. I tried it and the result was amazing. The dal was yummilicious with the tangy flavour of green mangoes.

I love anything which has temper of kaddi patta and mustard seeds. I don’t say it a lot but I feel I like South Indian food a lot. The tanginess of tamarind which is infused in sambhar or any dal is quite enthralling to my taste buds. And when this tanginess is absorbed by idlis or dosas …aah! the level of awesomeness achieves new heights.

I finished one bowl of dal all by myself, even before the lunch was served. Quality testing is very important (yeah right!). A small change I did to her basic recipe was that I added ginger garlic paste to the dal which I think gave a lot of texture and taste to the lentils.

If you have unripe mangoes you must give this dal a try. It will not disappoint you. And if you are looking for more unripe mango recipes you can check the links. I have listed all the possible things I have tried with green mangoes. This list is non conclusive as I am adding more things every day till the season of mangoes dies down for this year 🙂

Directions:
1. Wash and soak lentils in water for half an hour. I have used Masoor Chilka or Red Lentils without the skin. You can use any lentils which gets cooked readily.

2. In the meanwhile peel and chop some unripe green mangoes into cubes and set aside.

3. In a sauce pan add some oil and add drained lentils and saute them for at least 5 minutes.

4. Add ginger garlic paste and continue to saute with the lentils till the raw smell of garlic fades away.

5. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.

6. Add water to the lentils and bring it to a boil. Then cover with a lid and continue to simmer till the lentils have cooked. It should take from 10-15 minutes.

7. In a wok add some ghee and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them crackle.

8. Also add dried red chilli and toss it in the oil to release flavours.

9. Add mango cubes and kaddi patta and cook them in the wok till mango cubes are cooked .

10. Add the boiled lentils to the mango temper and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes on simmer. Check for salt.

11. Serve hot with chapatis or roti or parantha.

Other recipe you can try with unripe green mangoes are: Kaccha Aam Aur Lehsun Chutney, Fresh Turmeric Pickle with Green Mangoes , Raw Mango Rice, Aam Ka Panna, Raw Mango Chutney with Mint and Coriander, Khatti Meethi Kacchey Aam Ki Chutney, Instant Raw Mango Pickle South Indian Style, Aam ki Launji.

[whohit]MangoDal[/whohit]

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Easy Recipe

Summer Watermelon Feta Cheese and Olive Salad | Watermelon Goat Cheese Cucumber Salad in Balsamic Vinegar

By anshu May 20, 2017

Come summers and I become so picky about my food. The gravies and rich curries make me nervous. Thanks to the fact that I live in hills, which are pleasant even in the summers. All I want to eat all summers is salad. Therefore, I keep trying new combinations which doesn’t let me get bored. Summers also help me get rid of the winter fat I have picked up. If you are watching your weight and are looking for options I will be posting more such recipes and will also post links to the recipes I had done before.

This time I got adventurous with this Watermelon and feta salad. Not to mention I almost chopped my finger while cutting the watermelon and there was blood all over 😛 This salad uses very few ingredients but makes bomb of a salad. The sweetness of watermelon marries the sourness of feta cheese and the crunchiness of fresh cucumber contrasts well with black olives. The dressing is just minimal imparting it a subtle naughtiness! If you have been hit by summer go for this salad and be easy on yourself. Not everything about summers is bad.. remember we have watermelons to brighten up our lives 🙂

Directions:
1. Chop ripe and fresh watermelon into bite size cubes. Also chop some Tomatoes into cubes. Place them in a salad bowl.

2. Add cubes of Feta cheese and slices of black olives. Peel a fresh Cucumber and chop it into cubes. Add them to the salad bowl. Add leaves of Fresh Mint.

3. In a small bowl add olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Mix them well and pour over the salad.

4. Serve and enjoy the bounty of summer.

Other Salad recipes you can try are: Thai Green Papaya Salad Recipe, Charred Peppers Salad with Anchovy White Beans, Couscous Salad with Chickpeas in Lemon Olive Oil Vinaigrette, Fresh Mexican Black Bean & Mango Salad, Sautéed Red Bell Pepper and Olive Pasta Salad, Sundried Tomatoes Pasta Salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, Indonesian Style Patni Red Rice Salad With Boiled Eggs in Pomegranate Molasses Sauce.

[whohit]WatermelonFetaSalad[/whohit]

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American Cuisine

Classic No Bake Key Lime Pie | Eggless Key Lime Pie Recipe

By anshu February 22, 2017

Some friends from my hometown were visiting us in the hills. My parents asked them to carry a few lemons from their yard. Last time when I had the lemons in abundance I made the Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze and this time I wanted to make Laura Vitale’s Key Lime Pie. My husband was leaving for a shoot to mumbai and I had one hour in hand. I decided to make this dessert for him so that he leaves with some sweet memories. ha! I am such an adorable, dotting and caring wife 😛 (No pun intended)

So this was an easy peasy recipe and required no baking just a little chill time. The weather was already freezing so it needed half of the time to set and it was soo soo good. I loved the three layered tart, crumbly and sweet culmination. If you like lemony tart desserts you sure will be on cloud 9. Please ensure that you add ample whipping cream as suggested in the recipe. I know the lessor will have less calories but it will be quite lemony for the taste buds.

Directions:

1. Take Graham Crackers or even digestive biscuits will work great. I have used the later. Add them to a bowl and crush them to make crumble. I have used a pestle for this.

2. Add butter at room tempertaure to the crumble. Also add powdered sugar.

3. Mix everything together and dump the crumble mix on a pie pan with removable bottom. You can buy one like this on The Gourmet Shop at reasonable prices. Press the crumble into the base evenly using the force of a spatula or even a small bowl. Set the pie pan aside.

4. In another bowl add the condensed milk and add a zest of a lemon.

5. Squeeze out juice of lemons and mix that to the condensed milk and combine using a whisk.

6. Pour that condesnsed milk mixture on top of the tart pan over tha layer of biscuits. Let it sit in the refrigerator and set for a cuple of hours.

7. In the meanwhile take out thawed whipping cream from the fridge and whisk it with electric whisk till stiff peaks are formed.

8. Place a pipping nozzle of your choice in a pipping bag and fill the bag with whipped cream. Tightly close the bag and cut the tip with a pair of scissors.

9. Pipe the top of the lemony pie with whipped cream all over. You can even spreead the cream with a spatula, pipping is not mandatory. You can beautify it further by adding additional lemon zest.

10. Put it inside the fridge for whipped cream to settle. Slice and serve.

Other Pie, Tarts and Desserts you can try from our my blog are: Mango Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream, Apple Cider Spiced Doughnuts , Blueberry Bars, Eggless Orange Cake with Candied Orange Peel Filling, Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze, Sorghum and Wheat Flour Persimmon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

[whohit]KeyLimePie[/whohit]

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Beverage & Drinks

Mango Chamomile-Mint Tea Lemonade | Mango Green Tea Lemonade

By anshu July 11, 2016

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Last week was Mangolicious! First my uncle sent over a box of mangoes and we were eating them day in and day out in order to finish them before they went over ripe. We made so many mango dishes that it was insane. The Mango Saffron Phirni I had posted was result of the same insanity 😛 But this did not end here. My cousin sister visited us and guess what she got for us? Another box of mangoes!! which means another 10kgs of mango madness!!

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I decided not to give up and kept trying more Mango recipes. I came up with this Mango Chamomile-mint Tea Lemonade. It was refreshingly delicious. I still have a few kilos of Mangoes left. Lets see where would this insanity take me 😉 Expect a few more mango recipes in the times to come 😛 If you are suffering from the same mango syndrome as me then do try out these Mango recipes on my blog.

Directions:

1. In a saucepan boil some water and throw in a teabag of Chamomile-Mint. If you cant find chamomile you can use any other green tea of your choice. Let it stay in for a couple of minutes till you see the water is well infused. Add sugar. Let it cool down.

2. In a blender add mango Pulp, Lemon Juice and sugar, depending on the sweetness of mangoes. Blend well into a puree.

3. Add the Green tea to the mango Puree. Mix Well.

4. Throw in some ice and Transfer them to serving glasses. Enjoy!

Other Mango Recipes you can try are: Mango Saffron Phirni, Spiced Mango Lassi, Raw Mango Garlic Spicy Chutney, Mango Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream, Fresh Turmeric Pickle with Green Mangoes, Raw Mango Rice, Fresh Mexican Black Bean & Mango Salad, Plum Mango Punch, Aam Ka Panna, Raw Mango Chutney with Mint and Coriander, Khatti Meethi Kacchey Aam Ki Chutney, Kacchey Aam Ka Achaar, Coconut Milk Mango Pudding.

Other Refreshing Drinks you can try are: Peach Lemonade, Plum Smoothie, Aam Ka Panna, Ginger Papaya Mint Smoothie, Litchi Lemonade, Musk Melon & Cucumber Smoothie with Mint, Spiced Mango Lassi, Kafal Ka Sharbat.

MangoIcedTea_Featured2

[whohit]MangoIcedTea[/whohit]

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Chutney

Kaccha Aam Aur Lehsun Chutney | Raw Mango Garlic Spicy Chutney

By anshu April 30, 2016

MangoGarlicChutney_Featured1

My Love for Mango is growing with my age. Its not just the ripe pulpy mangoes which makes my heart skip a beat but also the green mangoes which are ideal for making pickles and chutneys. I have a lot of green mango recipes on my blog like the Instant Raw Mango Pickle, Sweet and Sour Raw Mango Chutney, Mint and Raw Mango Spicy Chutney, Raw Mango Rice and the refreshing Aam Ka Panna. Looks like I am not going to stop here I will keep adding more to this inexhaustive list. The other day I saw Bijal, my facebook friend posted a recipe of Raw Mango and Garlic Chutney and since then it was haunting me to try it down. I am happy I did it for it had the most intricate flavours. The Sweetness of Mangoes, the strong flavour of Garlic and the Hotness of Chillies. It made a beautiful melody of distinct flavours.

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Its fairly easy and takes no time to put it together. You can use it as a side dish for your everyday meal but at the same time use it as a dip for your nachos and even top it on your patties in a burger. It gives that kick and takes your dish to another level of deliciousness.

Directions:

1. Peel and chop some green raw mangoes and put them in a blender or chutney grinder. I had a little ripe mangoes, they had turned pale yellow but were still quite sour.

2. Add few cloves of peeled garlic to the grinder.

3. Throw in some salt, red chilli powder and jaggery powder to balance the acidity.

4. Blend it together into a smooth paste.

5. In a pan add some oil and when it gets hot add some cumin seeds and asafoetida.

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6. Pour the blended mango into the pan and cook for a minute or so or until the raw smell of garlic diminishes from the chutney.

7. You are ready to serve your chutney. Let it cool down and place it in a jar or bottle an refrigerate until use.

Other Chutneys you can try on The Secret Ingredient are: Spinach Coriander Salsa| Phalahari Chutney, Green Ber Ki Chutney, Coconut Chutney, Fresh Plum Spiced Chutney , Coriander Chutney without Onion Garlic

MangoGarlicChutney_Featured4 [whohit]MangoGarlicChutney[/whohit]

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Easy Recipe

Ginger Papaya Mint Smoothie | Healthy Papaya Smoothie

By anshu April 10, 2016

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And then comes that unripe and not so sweet papaya! Its a common occuring event when you dont know what to do with that Papaya. Last time I baked them into my delicious Chocolate Papaya Muffins. Despite that I gathered some calories and was feeling guilty about it. Papaya is suppose to be healthy you see!

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So this time I blitz it with yogurt and some mint and some honey and some ginger and some lime… yeah yeah!! The choice of ingredients sounds weird. It happened with me also but the result was simply refreshing and guiltfree. What more can you ask from that unappealing Papaya. It simply does serve the purpose it came into existence. Now I am sounding like a spiritual guru! duh! You make this smoothie and dont forget to tell me if you liked it.

Directions:

1. In a blender add pieces of Papaya. Yes over ripe, unripe, sweet, unsweet all will work.

2. Add pieces of Ginger.

3. Add Cubes of Ice.

4. Add plain Yogurt and honey.

5. Add some mint leaves.

6. Add juice of Lemon.

7. And just a little water to help it blend and give it a pourable consistency.

8. Simply blitz this together until smooth and creamy.Pour them in your favourite tall glasses or a s mason jar and enjoy this refreshing drink. Its ideal for the scorching summers.

Other summer drinks you can try here are: Plum Smoothie, Aam Ka Panna, Litchi Lemonade and Musk Melon & Cucumber Smoothie with Mint .

PapayaSmoothie_Featured2 [whohit]PapayaGingerSmoothie[/whohit]

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Dinner

Bharwan Touri | Stuffed Smooth Gourd | Stuffed Turai with Pyaaz

By anshu September 19, 2015

Mother is your first teacher, friend and a guide. But later in life you meet friends who make your life meaningful and you start learning new things from them. Life was kind on me and made me come across a friend on facebook in one of the Food Groups I am a member of. Sonu and me haven’t met ever but this friendship is beyond seeing each other. It is about the bond we share. This recipe of Stuffed Touri I learnt from her. It is how her mother in law likes it. Oh by the way I also learnt from her Authentic Kaddha Prasad which is already on my blog 🙂

I have always been making touri the way my mommy has taught me, with waddi as we call it in Punjabi. You must try this Touri Waddiyan recipe as well. But Sonu taught me this new version which was as delicious as the other one. This is to add to my series of Stuffed Vegetables I have on my blog. If you are keen to try them, I have Stuffed Baby Brinjals Punjabi Style, Stuffed Bittergourd or Bharwan Karela, Stuffed Apple Gourd or Bhawan Tinda listed here, will be adding more shortly.

Directions:

1. Take fresh smooth gourd, wash and peel its skin.

2. Cut it into three to four pieces.

3. Make a slit in the side but do not cut all the way. The piece should be intact. We are making a cavity for the filling.

4. For the filling. peel the onion skin and grate them using a grater.

5. Add turmeric powder to the grated onion along with salt and red chilli powder.

5. Also add Garam Masala and Chaat Masala.

6. Mix thoroughly and with the help of a spoon stuff each piece of gourd.

7. Now in a pan heat some mustard oil and let it smoke out. Put the flame on low and carefully place the stuffed gourds into it.

8. Keep changing sides and cook them uncovered till they are fully done. Avoid over cooking them. They must be soft but still be able to hold their shape.

9. Serve them hot with chapatis or naans.

Other Summer vegetable dishes you can try are: Touri Waddiyan, Bharwan Karela, Cholai ka Saag, Baingan ka Bhartha,

[whohit]StuffedTurai[/whohit]

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