Dhaba Style Rogan Josh

Dhaba Style Rogan Josh

If someone told me to drop everything this instant and do the one thing I love the most I would pack up my bags, top up my car and just drive. There is something about the open road that fascinates me. Family trips around the country side is our most favorite thing. There is not much to be said about Indian roads but that discomfort aside it is an amazing experience.

And of course the food!!! We have traveled in our car all over Rajasthan, Gujrat, Punjab, Meghalaya, Sikkim...we have been to Moreh, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cherrapunji on four wheels and have sampled some of the best meals available on roadside. One meal that I will always remember is in a little hamlet in Manipur. We were hungry yet wary of what kind of food might be available. There was only one run down dhaba and we had no other choice. But the food I had there was awesome and that was not just because we were so ravenous. It was simple homely grub and nothing that I could identify. There were lots of green leafy vegetables, local veggies and local rice. And I realized that it is not the ambiance that counts, not the liveried waiters, not the Michelin stars, not the food reviews...it matters when you cook from your heart!

One thing I have not yet been able to understand is why does the food in a langar taste so yum? Why are we unable to replicate the taste of dhaba food in our kitchens? Is it is the earthiness , the sweat, dust and grime, the charcoal fire, the slow cooking on a tandoor???

This is a typical rogan josh recipe, however I have cooked it in the traditional way..not on a cooker but slow simmering on a charcoal tandoor. And it has made all the difference to the taste.


Ingredients

800 gm mutton, cubed
300 ml yogurt

Whole spices
2 black cardamoms
8 green cardamoms
5 cloves
2 tsp cumin seeds
cinnamon stick
10 Kashmiri red chillies
2 bay leaves

Spice mix

1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp fennel seeds, powdered
1/2 tsp black pepper powder

2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp green chilly paste

Fire up the tandoor.

Grind the whole spices in a mortar pestle to get a rough powder.

Heat some oil and fry the mutton pieces till well browned.

Add the ginger garlic paste and the whole spice powder and fry for about 10 minutes.

Add the Spice mix and continue frying. Add salt according to taste. Add the yogurt and wait till it starts simmering.

Then cover and cook for about 40 minutes.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Molten Chocolate Cake

Mmmmmmmm!!! Its chocolate time again!! A cake that is not a cake because there is no flour in it. So what does it have?? You guessed it right...lots of chocolate. It is molten, gooey, sticky and delicious.

And for all the nay-sayers..chocolate has its own health benefits. It is full of anti oxidants, is good for the brain and heart, is high in vitamins and minerals...and to top it all a mouth full of delicious chocolate dessert and all is well with the world again.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

170 gm chocolate, chopped

3 large eggs, separated

1/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

2 tbsp granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.

You will require ramekin molds for this. Butter the ramekins and dust them with some white sugar. 

Melt the chocolate and butter and keep aside to cool. 

Beat egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar til it is thick, pale and fluffy. Add the essence.

Fold in the melted chocolate. 

Make sure that the chocolate mixture is not hot or it will curdle the egg yolks.

Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites. 

Whip the egg whites till soft peak stage.

Then add the 2 tbsp granulated sugar and beat till stiff peaks form.

 

Fold it into the chocolate mix. Put in molds and bake for 13 minutes til the edges are hard but the center is soft. 

Cherry Cupcakes

Cherry Cupcakes

I have a huge demand for chocolate at home. My son is chocolate crazy and he starts sulking when I make non-chocolate cakes. However it is fun to try out new recipes and so I decided to incur his wrath and make these cherry cupcakes. 

The recipe requires candied cherries and not fresh ones and they are easily available. Also they are not too sweet and the ground almond gives it a different flavor. The little red nuggets of cherries in the cupcake are very pleasing to the eye and the palette. Do try them out. 

Ingredients

225 gm flour

1 tsp baking powder

75 gm caster sugar

50 gm ground almonds

350 gm candied cherries, chopped

300 ml milk

3 tbsp lemon juice

50 ml butter

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 190 degree C.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the caster sugar and ground almonds. 

Add the chopped cherries. 

Whisk together milk, lemon juice, melted butter and egg.

Pour it into the flour mixture and stir well. Do not over-mix the batter.

 

Put the batter into cupcake molds and bake 20-25 minutes. 

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Dark Chocolate Mousse

I have a certain fondness for chocolate. If i am cooking with chocolate I end up eating fistfuls of them. I also lick my hands clean of all and any residual chocolate that might stick to my fingers. So when the idea of whipping up a luscious chocolate mousse was floated by my friend I jumped to it. 

Personally speaking I am not too fond of the eggless version. It seems to lack a certain texture and creaminess.

The recipe I have here today is made with raw eggs. It might sound a bit iffy to have raw eggs but let me assure you that the chocolate and coffee liqueur overpowers any smell or taste of egg that you might be trying to find. 

Ingredients

250 gm dark chocolate

125 gm butter

4 eggs

4 tbsp powdered sugar

2 tbsp coffee liqueur 

Chop the dark chocolate.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Once melted whip it vigorously with a spoon and it will turn dark and glossy. Add the butter and beat till well mixed. 

Separate the eggs. Add the egg yolks to the chocolate. Add the coffee liqueur. 

Beat the egg whites till peaks form. However too much whipping can make it dry and then it will not fold properly into the chocolate. 

Once the egg whites are stiff gently fold them into the chocolate.

Spoon into goblets and leave to chill for at least 4-6 hours.

If you are planning a party it is a good idea to make them as early as possible and serve in the evening. 

The consistency of this mousse will be a little soft. If you want it to set firmer you can whip up some cream and add to the mix before keeping it in the fridge. 

Eggless Chocolate Mousse

The eggless chocolate mousse is easy and quick to make. I have to make this most of the times as a majority of my friends are vegetarian. 

Ingredients

250 gm dark chocolate

100 gm butter

1 cup cream

1 tbsp vanilla essence

4 tbsp powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Whip it well to make it smooth and glossy. Add vanilla essence. Beat the whipping cream to form stiff peaks and then mix into the chocolate mixture. spoon into goblets and put in the fridge. 

Choco blitz

CHOCO BLITZ

Today the mixie and I are good friends. I was wondering what to do with all the chocolates that are lying around in my house. I decided to BLITZ them...with vengeance...and it was FUUN!!!

First I took all bits and pieces and pulverized them in the mixer. Then I also added some choco biscuits ....and then I started having so much fun that I ended up throwing in sundry choco bits. I felt as if I was cooking up a spell in a witch"s cauldron...eye of a newt...leg of a frog..crow's beak..cat's hair!! Only as I grabbed and blitzed I was murmuring..a stick of perk..half of a five star...few nutties...a packet of oreos...Tee! Hee! Heeee!

I threw in some walnuts for good measure

Then Blitzzzzzzzzzzzz

Now what?? Add some cold butter to bind all this together.

HMMM!! How about some good old chocolate syrup??

Now that I have run out of all things chocolaty I put the whole thing in a loose bottom pie dish.

WAIT! How about some dark chocolate? Melt about 100 gm in a double boiler..

and pour over the blitzed bits..

Now chill in the fridge. Once set it can be cut into squares. Pop them in your mouth just like that or have them with ice cream