Cream of 3 Mushroom Soup

The title is misleading - there is no cream, only low-fat milk. Since the roast pumpkin soup was so good, went back to Emeril Lagasse for more inspiration. This recipe is his as well (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/cream-of-wild-mushroom-soup-with-cheesy-garlic-croutons-recipe/index.html). I pretty much followed the same recipe, making some substitutions/ modifications based on availability and need.

Ingredients
2 medium onions, finely diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 tsp chill powder
6-8 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
300 gms button mushrooms, washed, stalks removed, and sliced
1/2 cup dry oyster mushrooms (I get these at Dorabjee's in Pune)
1/2 cup sliced, dry shitake mushrooms
3 tbsp scotch
3 cups chicken stock (I just made it with a maggi stock cube)
1.2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Salt to taste
1 cup low-fat milk
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil

Method
In a deep pot, heat the butter. Add the onions, celery and chilli powder. Saute on medium-high for 3-4 minutes. Next add the garlic. A minute later, add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, thyme and saute for 10 minutes or so. Though the shitake and oyster mushrooms are dry, they soften up and will cook through later when you add the liquid. Next, add the scotch and continue sauteing. The liquid will dry up in about 2 minutes. Now add the stock, and let the mushrooms simmer, uncovered, until cooked - about 12 minutes. Take off heat and allow to cool. I use a blender to puree so it is important that the liquid be cool. I hurried once and put in the soup while still warm - of course, the blender exploded and I had nasty burns on my face, neck and arms for a while. So really, let the liquid cool and puree in batches - never fill more than halfway.

Return the puree to the pot, add the milk, mix and reheat slowly. Check and adjust seasoning. To serve, you could add a dollop of fresh cream or yoghurt. Even a sprinkling of parmesan. Serve with any crusty bread - I used toasted garlic bread.

Roast Pumpkin Soup

This is not an original recipe. I followed an Emeril Lagasse recipe with a couple of modifications - I used an allspice substitute and low-fat milk instead of cream. It really does taste spectacular and so here is the recipe for the greater good of humankind ;)

Ingredients
1 medium sized yellow pumpkin
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 large onion, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery, leaves removed and chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1" piece ginger, minced
3/4" cinnamon stick powdered
1 1/2 cup stock, chicken or veg
1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 tsp dry sage
1/2 tsp butter

All Spice Substitute
3 cloves
1/4 tsp whole black pepper
1/2" cinnamon stick
1/4 nutmeg
Powder all 4 ingredients finely and keep aside.

Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Sprinkle half the salt and pepper on the inside. Drizzle 1 tbsp of the olive oil on the outside, rubbing a little on the inside as well. Place cut side down in a baking tray that has been lined with foil. Roast for 50-60 minutes. Remove and let cool. Scoop put the pumpkin flesh into a bowl, discarding the skin.

While the pumpkin is roasting, chop the vegetables and prepare the spice blend. To make the soup, heat remaining olive oil in deep pot. When oil is hot, first add the cinnamon powder and spice blend and saute on medium-high heat. A minute later, add the onions, ginger, garlic, carrots and celery. Saute for about 4 minutes or until you can see color on the onions. Add the stock and pumpkin flesh. When the liquid boils, lower heat and allow the vegetables to simmer until cooked - about 15 minutes. You can put the lid on during this process. When done, take of heat and allow to cool.

In a blender, puree the soup a little at a time, adding some milk as you go. I usually do this in several batches because the mixie tends to explode if it is filled more than the halfway mark. If you are using a food processor, good for you!

Return the pureed soup the the pot and reheat gently. If the soup is too thick, add some more milk. In a small pan, heat the butter and fry the dried sage for about 30 seconds. Add this to the soup as garnish. You can also use chopped parsley or coriander leaves.

Slow-cooked Mutton with Fennel, Wine and Spices

This is how this began. Out grocery shopping last week, we spied a fresh fennel. Very nicely sitting in organic packing. Buy we did, and then spent the next few days scouring around for interesting fennel recipes. I finally found what looked like a very interesting roasted fish with fennel recipe. Fish was sold out at the store so we got fresh mutton instead. We were looking for lamb but that is tough to find in Pune. This recipe is inspired by one I read on the internet with a lot of tweaking to suit our palette. The result was absolutely fantastic - extremely moist, tender mutton in a very flavorful gravy. And the aroma that wafts through your kitchen through the baking time! Though time-consuming to make, the time you spend is not - oven time is high. The results are so worth trying this at least once!

Serves 2
Ingredients
Spice Blend
1 tsp coriander seeds (dhania)
1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
3/4 tsp black pepper (kali mirch)

300 gms boneless mutton
8 garlic cloves, crushed (bigger than the blink-an-you-miss variety you usually get, smaller than the gigantic ones you see on TV)
1 1/2 medium onions, finely diced
2 carrots, diagonally cut into thick slices about 1 1/2 inches
3 celery, sliced (Don't use the leaves of Indian celery - these are quite bitter)
1 fennel bulb, discard stalks, cut vertically into 4 wedges
1 cup red wine (I usually use Madera which is economically priced and good for cooking)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or 1 stock cube dissolved in water)
3 cloves
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
1/2 - 1 tsp chilli powder, depending on the amount of bite you want.
Salt to taste
3 tbsp olive oil
To garnish, reserved leaves from fennel bulb and chopped parsley

Method
Dice the mutton into 2" cubes. In a zip lock bag or container, add 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp of the spice blend and mutton. Mix and rub well so the mutton is well-coated. If needed, add a dash more of the spice blend. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a large, deep pot, heat half the oil on medium-high heat. Add the lamb, browning on all sides - about 4 to 5 minutes. I did this in 2 batches so the lamb did not get crowded and sweat in the pot. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pot, followed by the onions. Saute for 2 minutes and then add the garlic, carrots and celery. I crush some of the garlic and leave some whole. Saute for about 4 minutes or until the onions soften and turn opaque and lightish brown. Add the remaining spice blend and saute for a minute. Add the wine and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half - about 6 minutes. Now add the stock and simmer until you about a cup and a little extra of liquid - about 15 minutes.

While the stock is simmering, pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees C. In another smaller frying pan, heat 1/2 tsp of olive oil. When hot, place fennel wedges cut side down and sear on medium-high for a minute. Turn over and sear top as well - the wedges should be slightly charred. Keep aside.

When the liquid in the pot has reduced, add the cloves, bay leaf, star anise and chilli powder or chill flakes. Since I don't have a roasting pan, I transferred the mutton-veg-stock mix to a borosil glass baking dish. Otherwise, if you are using oven-proof cookware, skip the transfer step. Arrange the veggies at the bottom and pile the mutton on top - this is an important step to ensure the mutton is braised and not stewed. Place the seared fennel wedges in 4 corners of the baking dish. Check and adjust seasoning. Cover tightly with foil - I used 2 layers since my dish does not have a lid. Cook in the oven until lamb is tender, about 140 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure the liquid has not dried out - just add a little stock if it has.

Ladle into 2 bowls/soup plates. Garnish with the chopped fennel leaves and parsley. Serve plain or with crusty bread.

Chicken Stew with Chickpeas and a Moroccan Flavor

You already know we are big fans of stews. This one is a wonderful, delicious blend of flavors with definite Moroccan overtones. I have used chicken - you can also lamb or, if vegetarian, drop the meats and substitute with potatoes. Don't be daunted by the long ingredients list - once you have this on the bubble, the aroma that fills your kitchen is simply heaven!

Serves 2
Ingredients
To Marinate
1 1/2 chicken breasts or 350 gms boneless chicken
1/2" ginger, crushed/grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp orange marmalade (substitute with orange juice and some brown sugar or any fresh fruit conserve)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
Juice of half a lime
Salt to taste

For the Stew
1/2 cup chickpeas (kabuli channa)
1/2 cup any dried bean (kidney beans - rajma, white beans, etc.)
2 medium-sized onions, finely diced
1" piece ginger, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 small carrots, peeled and thickly sliced or cubed
1/2 zucchini (substitute with pumpkin or bottle gourd), thickly sliced
2 tomatoes, roughly diced
1/4 cup dried apricots (substitute with figs or raisins)
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 cup stock, chicken or veg (fresh or dissolve 1 stock cube - I use Maggi - in 1 cup hot water)
1/2 cup wine (I use red)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (organic vinegars such as cane or palm vinegar offer much better flavor than synthetic vinegars)
1/2 - 1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp olive oil

Spice Powder Mix
1" piece cinnamon
2 cloves
1/2 tsp aniseed/ fennel seeds (saunf)
1/2 tsp dried pomegranate seeds (anardana)


Garnishing
2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped (about 10 stalks)
1 tsp pine nuts
1 tsp almonds
1 tsp pistachio

Method
Soak the chickpeas and dried beans overnight in separate containers in 1 cup water each. If you are short of time, use boiling water and soak for 4 hours. Pressure cook (3 whistles or 20 minutes on low heat after full reaching full pressure) and keep aside.

Dice the chicken into 2" cubes. In a ziplock bag or other container, combine all ingredients for marinade. Add chicken, rub well to coat and leave to marinate in fridge for at least an hour.

Powder the ingredients for the spice mix - mortar and pestle will do.

In a stewing pot, heat the oil. Add the chicken and sear on high heat until brown on all sides - for about 4 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and keep aside. Reduce heat to medium and add onions to the same oil. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the carrots, ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Next, add the cumin, coriander, chilli powders, stir, and then add the spice mix. Add the tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes. Add the chicken, stock, and tomato puree. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Now add the cooked chickpeas and beans and wine. Add vinegar and seasoning. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Check for taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Meanwhile, chop nuts into slivers. In a shallow pan, dry roast until brown and fragrant.

To serve, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and roasted nuts. We eat this as is but you could also serve this with couscous, or with a crusty hard bread.

Note: For a variation, you could use a fennel bulb. Add after sauteing onions.

Gazpacho Soup

It is summer and at the end of an unbelievably hot day, the idea of a cold, chilled soup is so inviting. This one is simple to make and what really makes the dish are generous toppings of the garnishes before serving.

Serves 2
Ingredients
6 big, ripe tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 capsicum (green bell pepper)
1/3 cup tomato juice
1 tbsp vinegar (I use organic palm vinegar which tends to be quite potent, so I put just a dash)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 slices day-old bread
salt and pepper to season
1 -2 cups ice cold water

For the Garnishes
2 slices day-old bread
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 capsicum
1/2 or 1 cucumber
2 eggs

Method
Wash the tomatoes. In a deep pan, heat some water - when boiling, throw in tomatoes. In 2 mts or so, the skins should start splitting. Turn off heat and immediately remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon. When cool, peel skins off. Cut tomatoes in half, and scoop out pulp and seeds with a spoon. I usually place a seive over a bowl and put the discarded seeds and pulp in it. This way, any juices get strained and collect in the bowl underneath. Finely dice tomatoes and keep aside. Discard seeds and membrane from capsicum and dice finely. Dice garlic. Roughly chop bread.

In a mixie/blender, first put in capsicum and any juice collected in the bowl. Blend until semi-smooth. Add garlic, vinegar, olive oil, bread and tomatoes and blend until smooth. Add tomato juice, salt, pepper and blend to mix. Pour into a container and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours until chilled.

Before serving, prepare the garnishes. De-seed the capsicum, remove membrane and dice very fine. Hard boil the eggs, shell and dice fine. Peel cucumber and dice fine. Dice bread into crouton size cubes. Heat pan, add olive oil, then the bread and fry until brown and crisp.

To serve, mix the chilled water into the soup. Ladle into 2 serving bowls. Garnish with cucumber, capsicum, eggs and bread. Absolutely wonderful!

Pan-fried Crispy Chicken with Mustard Sauce

The great thing about this recipe is that it actually doesn't take too long to make - if you marinate your chicken ahead, actual cooking time is about 20 minutes. And though the recipe says crispy chicken, the oil used is very little. I also make the sauce without cream, substituting stock and thickening with a little flour. The result is quite delicious and so free of guilt!

Serves 2
Ingredients
To Marinate
2 boneless chicken breasts
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp any pungent sauce (I use African Mama's Peri-Peri Sauce but you can use any brand and type. If you want to skip the pungent all together, just use any other flavorful sauce such as plum, hoisin, etc.)
1/2 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp brown sugar (if you are using a sweet sauce above, skip the sugar. Add a dash of chilli powder instead)
1/2 tsp olive oil (use extra virgin oil for more flavor)
You may need to add some salt - sometimes the flavoring sauce doesn't have enough

For the Fried Chicken
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp dried or fresh herbs
1/2 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
2 tsp olive oil

For the Mustard Sauce
2 tsp whole grain mustard (I use the one by Karen Anand. Substitute with 2 tsp powdered mustard)
1/2 tsp orange-ginger marmalade (if using plain orange marmalade, add 1/2 tsp crushed ginger)
1/2 cup stock, chicken or veg
1 1/2 tsp plain flour (maida)
1 tsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
Dash of wine (optional)

Method
Wash the chicken and pat dry. In a zip lock bag or suitable container, place the chicken and all the ingredients for the marinade. Mix well and leave in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

To make the sauce, heat butter in a deep-bottomed pan. When melted, add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon. You need to let the butter-flour mixture turn a pale brown on low heat - about 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and gradually add the stock a spoonful at a time, all the while mixing it in to the butter-flour mixture. I use a whisk to take care of unwanted lumps. When all the stock has been used up, return the pan to low heat. Add the mustard and marmalade. Check for seasoning. If needed, add a little more mustard until you get the pungency you want. If using wine, add this as well. Simmer until the sauce thickens, stirring all the time. When the sauce reaches pouring consistency, take off heat and keep aside.

To make the chicken, cut into strips lengthwise, about 1" in width. Beat egg. Mix the bread crumbs, herbs and seasoning. I usually spread the crumbs out in a flat plate so I can coat the chicken pieces easily. Dip each chicken strip in the egg and then roll in the bread crumbs so the piece is well-coated. In a shallow pan, heat oil and place breaded chicken strips one side down. Cook on low heat for 4 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side. You want the chicken cooked through and the outer surface a nice golden brown and crunchy.

To serve, plate the chicken and drizzle mustard sauce over the top. I usually serve steamed vegetables (carrots, beans, peas) on the side. Mashed potatoes would also be great.

Note: I usually cook the strips from 1 chicken breast at a time, using 1 tsp oil for each batch.

Chicken, Vegetable, Barley Stew

I love meals in a pot - it's like one-stop shopping. Healthy, tasty eating with minimal effort!

Serves 3
Ingredients
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 boneless chicken breasts (I prefer boneless but you could chicken with bones too)
1 onion
2 carrots
3 celery stalks
12 green beans
1/2 zucchini
1/2 cup chopped pumpkin
1" piece ginger
2 garlic cloves
1" piece cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 3/4 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp tomato puree or 2 chopped tomatoes
2 cups stock - chicken or vegetable (I just use 1 cube of maggi chicken stock)
1/2 cup wine (optional)
Some chopped parsley to garnish
Salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Method
Soak the pearl barley in a cup of water for at least 4 hours.
Finely dice onions and garlic. Grate or crush ginger. Peel carrots and cut into thick slices. Discard the leaves of the celery and chop up the stalks. String beans and cut into inch size pieces. Roughly dice zucchini. Dice chicken into 2" cubes.

In a deep bottomed pot, pour olive oil and add onions. Saute until transparent and then add ginger, cinnamon sticks and garlic. Next, add all the vegetables and chicken and saute on high for 2-3 minutes. Add the turmeric, coriander and cumin powders, followed by the chilli powder. Add the stock, thyme, tomato puree, salt, and wine. You could also add ground black pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Rinse the barley and add to the soup. Mix, cover and cook for another 20 minutes or until the barley is done. To serve, garnish with chopped parsley and serve with any bread - I like a hard crust, multi-grain bread.

Note: This recipe is very adaptable and a great way to use up smaller quantities of vegetables and/or meat that are languishing in the fridge. For variations, use lamb instead of chicken. You can also replace pearl barley with pre-soaked kidney beans (rajma) or chickpeas (kabuli channa) or any lentils.

Raw Mango Summer Drink - Aam Panna

Summer is well and truly upon us - it's a blazing 38 degrees already! And mom is here. Which is great because it means all the old, time-tested, and well-loved recipes get dusted and re made. Mom and son-in-law trudged off to the market the other day, picking up some delicious raw mangoes. One got made into a spicy Andhra-style chutney (recipe to come soon). The other two got made into this wonderful summer drink.

Makes 10-12 glasses of juice
Ingredients
2 raw mangoes
200 gms or 1 cup sugar (you will need to adjust this according to the tanginess of the mangoes)
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp powdered cardamom (elaichi)
A few strands of saffron (optional)

Method
Place mangoes (with skin) in a vessel (that can fit in your pressure cooker) with a little water. Pressure cook for 3 whistles (or after first whistle, reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes). Turn off heat and wait until pressure releases. If you don't have a pressure cooker, place mangoes in a pan with enough water to cover the mangoes. Once water boils, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes with lid on.

Once the mangoes have cooled, peel them. Save the cooking water for later. In a deep vessel or container, squeeze all the pulp from the mangoes. Mash with fingers so you get a smooth pulp. Add the sugar, the cardamom powder, saffron, cooking water and extra plain water (about 6 glasses approximately). Keep tasting to get composition right - it should be a balance of tangy and sweet - add more water if needed. Serve chilled with plenty of ice.

Note: The mango pulp can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. To serve, mix a tbsp of pulp per glass of juice with sugar and cardamom powder. Top up with water and serve chilled.