I’m at the airport, about to board my plane to India (and then I’m going to Jordan, Dubai and Israel). I wanted to quickly tell you about my coconut rice guest post over at my lovely friend Xiaolu’s blog 6bittersweets. While I was busy packing and finishing up work before I leave for my trip, I was resorting to easy, filling recipes like this one. This coconut rice is fragrant, easy to make and very flavorful.
Head over to 6bittersweets blog to read my post on this Indian coconut rice recipe !
I learned this recipe from Veena aunty, my mother’s friend in India. She is such a fantastic cook, and always so eager to teach others her recipes. I always learn new recipes from Veena aunty when I’m in India. I’ve adapted and simplified the original recipe I learned.
After you try this easy eggless chocolate pudding recipe, you won’t be buying that boxed stuff anymore! The great thing about this recipe is that you can use anything from 2% milk to whole milk. And you can vary the sugar to your liking.
Tips for a fool proof eggless chocolate pudding
- Cornstarch as well as cocoa powder will form lumps easy. To avoid this make sure the milk is at room temperature
- If there is a big temperature difference between the cornstarch mixture and whatever it is going into, it will form lumps
- Despite taking precautions, if your cornstarch mixture does form lumps, you can easily rectify it by passing the mixture through a strainer and breaking up the lumps using the back of a wooden spoon
- Make sure you use standardized tablespoon and cup measures for this recipe
- The pudding will form a thin skin as it cools in the fridge. I quite like this pudding skin. But if you don’t, cover the pudding cups with plastic wrap so that the plastic wrap is directly touching the surface of the pudding. Then refrigerate. This will prevent skin formation
- My recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa powder. If you decide to use sweetened cocoa powder, reduce the sugar in this recipe by half. When the pudding is cooked, taste it, and add more sugar according to taste.
- Cornstarch brands differ in ‘strength’. So you may get a slighter thinner or thicker pudding than mine. But it will still taste the same.
How to prevent chocolate pudding from sticking to its cup
Have you ever had a chocolate pudding and the only way to get all of it was to scrape the sides of the dish? Pudding, because of its consistency has a tendency to stick to the sides of its dish. This can make cleaning up a pain. The solution is simple. I learned this great little tip from Veena aunty, my mother’s friend.
Wet the insides of the pudding serving dish with water. Then pour in the pudding to set. The wet inside surface of the dish will keep the pudding from sticking to the dish, and cleaning it will be a breeze!
Above: see what I mean? The pudding comes away from the inside of the cup easily!
More eggless chocolate puddings..
My friend Radhika’s eggless chocolate pudding recipe on Just Home Made
Smitten Kitchen’s chocolate pudding recipe using melted chocolate
serves 2-3
Ingredients
2 ¼ cup milk at room temperature, anything from 2% to whole milk is fine
2 tablespoons cornstarch (corn flour)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, I like Ghirardelli
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Make sure the milk is at room temperature. If you are using cold milk, place it in a medium saucepan and heat on low, till it reaches room temperature. Dip your finger into the milk, it should not be too hot or too cold.
Place the corn starch and cocoa powder in a bowl. Pour approximately half the room temperature milk into the bowl. Using a fork or small whisk, whisk well till the corn starch and cocoa powder dissolve into the milk and form a slurry. Try to break up any lumps, but if some lumps are remaining, that’s ok. Set the slurry aside.
Add the sugar and vanilla extract to the other half of the milk. Cook on medium heat till the milk gets hot and steamy, but not yet boiling – about 5 minutes.
Place a strainer over the saucepan with the hot milk. Pour the cornstarch and cocoa slurry through the strainer.
Using a wooden spoon, push the cornstarch cocoa slurry through the strainer. Break up any lumps and push them through. Make sure you scrape up the underside of the strainer so that you get all the slurry.
Using a whisk, whisk the pudding so everything is well blended. Keep whisking till the pudding boils. Let it boil, while whisking, till the pudding thickens and gets glossy, about 1 minute.
Turn off heat and taste the pudding. If you would like it to be sweeter, add more sugar now, and whisk well. Remember that the hot pudding will always taste slightly sweeter than when it is cold.
If you feel the pudding is too thick, you can whisk in a little more room temperature milk at this point. Remember, the pudding will get firmer once it cools.
Take 2 individual serving cups. Fill them with water. Pour out the water. This will wet the insides of the cups and prevent the pudding from sticking to the insides, making washing up easier.
Pour the hot pudding into the 2 wet cups, dividing it equally. Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator to cool. When the pudding is completely cold (about an hour), it is ready to serve.
Top with roasted nuts, shaved chocolate, whipped cream or fresh fruit.
When I need a quick fix dessert recipe, I always resort to kesari – a semolina pudding with ghee, cashewnuts, and saffron. The ghee, nuts and saffron make this dessert exotic and special; but nobody will know you only spent 15 minutes making it!
I am delighted with this variation on regular kesari (also called sooji halwa). Pineapple juice adds a hint of fruity flavor to kesari, making it unique. Be sure you read my note on sugar** before you make this recipe.
serves about 8
Ingredients
4 cups fresh or canned pineapple juice*
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ghee
1/2 cup cashewnuts
1 cup semolina (rava or sooji)
1 cup sugar**
a pinch of saffron threads
* To make juice from fresh pineapple, blend 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple, with about 3 cups water to make a puree. Strain the juice, and measure out 4 cups.
**This will make a not-too-sweet dessert. If you want it sweeter, feel free to use more sugar, but keep in mind that how much sugar you need will vary slightly depending on how sweet your pineapple is. You may need to use less sugar if you are using canned pineapple juice.
Method
Heat a heavy bottomed wok or saucepan with 1/4 cup ghee. Add cashewnuts and fry on low heat till the nuts are golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove the the cashews from the ghee and place in a bowl.
Add semolina to the ghee. Stir on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes or till the semolina is toasted. Remove the semolina into a bowl. Wipe the pan clean.
Pour in pineapple juice and sugar. Bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, and add the toasted semolina. Cook, stirring constantly on medium heat, till the pudding thickens – about 5 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on how coarse your semolina is.
When the pudding starts to thicken, add 2 tablespoons ghee and stir. Remove from heat. Stir in fried cashew nuts.
Sprinkle saffron on top.
I dont know many other people who are as passionate about Indian cooking as Prerna is. Today, I am delighted to introduce her to you, via her guest post and this delicious recipe for dahi ke aloo (potato and yogurt soup). Her gorgeous blog, Indian Simmer is full of mouthwatering recipes and some of the best photography I’ve seen in the blogosphere. Take it away Prerna..
Like countless others I have always drooled over Sala’s flawless photography and her fabulous recipes. They always make you come back and look for some more, don’t they? So doing a guest post for her and cooking something for her readers was truly an honor. Thanks so much Sala for letting me do this!
I am here today with something very simple and as my husband says something very carby. Ok, raise your hands if you don’t like potatoes … everyone loves potatoes! At least I do, or maybe I like it a little more than I should but I don’t regret it. As a child I was the pickiest eater and potato was the only vegetable I could eat (does that count as a true vegetable?). But now that I am past that phase, potatoes still remain a favorite because you can do so much with them. Especially in Indian cooking when you can make something as royal as a Mughlai Aloo Dum or a simple stir fry, potatoes will always shine. The recipe I am sharing today is one such recipe.
Dahi is hindi for yogurt and Aloo means potatoes. When potatoes are cooked in tangy and creamy yogurt with some few simple spices they become Dahi Ke Aloo. I call it potato and yogurt soup. My mom serves it with hot and crisp fresh out of the griddle rotis, I serve them with some fresh baguettes. Whatever you call them or whichever way you serve them they still remain classic comfort food and an easy quick fix dish.
serves about 4
Ingredients
4 medium size potatoes (boiled, peeled)
2 cups yogurt (room temperature)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil (extra to drizzle on top of your soup)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (a little extra if you want to garnish)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder
Salt to taste
Method
Mash the potatoes. Thoroughly mash one and mash the others to bite size pieces. Set aside.
In a bowl whisk together yogurt and water leaving no lumps.
Heat oil in a medium size pot. Add cumin seeds. Once they start to pop, add turmeric and coriander powder. Mix the spices together and add potatoes immediately. Mix spices well with the potatoes.
Stir in the thinned yogurt. Mix it well together with the potatoes. Wait till the soup comes to a nice rolling boil and then add salt.
You can serve it hot. I like mine lukewarm with some extra virgin olive oil drizzled and some red pepper flakes sprinkled on top.
When the weather is nice, we will pack ourselves some sandwiches and lemonade and have a little picnic in our back yard. These cucumber, cream cheese, cilantro-mint chutney sandwiches are our favorite. I’ve made these for several picnics and I really dont know anyone who doesnt like them.
We used to get these sandwiches in India – white bread spread with a little butter, cilantro mint green chutney, and cucumber slices. It is India’s version of English tea sandwiches. I like to use cream cheese in this sandwich recipe; it goes great with the cucumbers and chutney.
Makes 4 whole or 8 half sandwiches
½ an English seedless cucumber (the one with the plastic wrap)
8 slices of white or soft wheat bread
8 tablespoons cream cheese at room temperature, I used the low fat kind.
½ cup cilantro mint chutney. Recipe below.
Salt
Cut the cucumber into thin rounds.
Take 2 slices of bread. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese on one slice. Spread 1 teaspoon (or more if you like) chutney over the cream cheese. Arrange 4-5 slices of cucumber on top. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt over the cucumbers.
Spread one tablespoon cream cheese and then one teaspoon cilantro mint chutney on the other slice of bread. Place this on top of the cucumbers, to make a sandwich. Repeat for all bread slices.
Spreading the cream cheese first, and then the chutney will prevent the chutney from soaking through the bread. Serve immediately.
Cilantro Mint Chutney Recipe
Makes about 1/2 cup, enough for 4-6 sandwiches
1 cup cilantro leaves, tightly packed
1/2 cup mint leaves, tightly packed
1/2 fresh green chili or Thai hot pepper, chopped*
1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt
2 tablespoons water
*This makes a spicy hot chutney. Use less chili or leave it out if you don’t want it spicy.
Place all ingredients in a food processor and process into a smooth sauce, scraping down the sides of the food processor now and then.
If you are using a blender, you may need to use a little more water. Store the chutney in an air tight container in the fridge.
My recipe for this lovely, healthy, homely methi dal comes to you in the form of a guest post on Michael Natkin’s blog, Herbivoracious. I was so honored when Micheal asked me to guest post for him! I’m a huge fan of Herbivoracious, and have been following his amazing vegetarian recipes and techniques for years. I cant wait for Michael’s first book to come out!
Head on over to Herboviracious and read my guest post, a Methi Dal (Indian Lentil Soup with Fenugreek) recipe.
A quesadilla recipe doesnt get simpler than this. Only 10 minutes and 4 ingredients, and I promise you will love this easy cheesy quesadilla!
Taleggio is a soft, Italian cows milk cheese. It has a strong fruity smell, but a wonderful mild flavor. You can substitute taleggio with fontina or brie. Since this recipe is simple, and uses very few ingredients, I like to use a “special” cheese like taleggio, where its flavor and creaminess can shine through.
I also like to use asparagus instead of spinach in this recipe. Asparagus and taleggio cheese were made for each other!
Sea salt is a beautiful thing. It has a coarser grain than table salt, and gives you a pleasant burst of saltiness. Because sea salt is more granular it is perfect for sprinkling over food, or using it in quick recipes, where it doesnt have a chance to dissolve. I used a beautiful bag of salt crystals from the Trapani Saltpans of Italy that I picked up at Eataly in New York.
makes 1 quesadilla
1 eight inch flour or wheat tortillas
1 oz taleggio cheese (substitute with fontina or brie)
1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves loosely packed
1/4 teaspoon olive oil
Sea sat
Lay out a tortilla on a work surface. Trim away the rind of the cheese, and cut into into small pieces. Put the cheese pieces all over one half of the quesadilla. Place spinach leaves on top of the cheese. Fold over the other half to form a half moon shaped quesadilla.
Heat a non stick pan on medium heat, drizzle a little oil. Place the folded quesadillas in the pan, and cook on medium heat for 1 minute or till the tortilla is light brown and cheese is just about to melt. Turn the quesadilla over and lightly brown the other side, about 45 seconds. Dont over cook the tortillas, the cheese will get oily.
Cut into wedges and sprinkle a tiny pinch of sea salt on top. Serve with a lettuce, tomato, cucumber salad and your favorite salad dressing.
If you have left over rice, you can make this Thai red curry fried rice in 10 minutes. This is a quick, easy meal and a great way to use up left over rice and vegetables. Add some scrambled tofu or a couple of scrambled eggs to add extra protein to this fried rice recipe.
Blanched asparagus, or broccoli, or frozen mixed vegetables will also work in this instead of the green beans. I just happen to think green beans taste nice with Thai red curry paste.
Day old rice is best for fried rice. Also called overnight rice, day old rice it is drier than freshly made rice, so it absorbs flavors nicely, and the rice grains stay separated. If you don’t have left over rice from the previous day, make rice like you usually would (should not be mushy), then spread it out on a plate and place it under a fan or in the fridge till it is completely cooled.
Check out Jaden’s secrets to cooking the best fried rice.
serves 4-6
3 cups cooked jasmine rice, preferably a day old (brown rice, wild rice or basmati will also work)
20 haricots verts or green beans
1 tablespoon or according to taste, thai red curry paste
2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, lightly crushed
Chopped cilantro, mint or thai basil for garnish
Trim the ends of the green beans, and cut them in half. Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Salt the water generously. Add the green beans, and boil for about a minute or till the beans tender but still a little crisp. Drain the beans. Fill the pot with cold water and enough ice cubes to make the water very cold. Dunk the beans in the ice water. This will stop the cooking process and keep the beans bright green and crisp. Drain well.
In a small bowl, whisk the red curry paste, soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons water together till they form a paste. Set aside.
Heat oil in a wok. Add onion and sauté till translucent. Then add red pepper, and sauté for about a minute. Add the drained green beans, and the whisked red curry paste. Stir on high heat for about 30 seconds.
Add cooked rice (must be cooled) to the wok. Using a wide spatula, gently and quickly stir the fried rice to incorporate everything.
Top with crushed peanuts, fried garlic slices, chopped cilantro or mint or thai basil.
Optional: add 2 scrambled eggs to the fried rice.
This fried rice tastes better the next day!
