Nagercoil Plum Cake

  Nagercoil Plum Cake. The reason I named this recipe Nagercoil plum cake or more accurately, Greatest Bakery Plum cake is because I had this in my place since my childhood and haven't had such a luscious tasting cake anywhere else. And I bet you won't find this anywhere else in the world. It brings a lot of sweet memories and nostalgia about so many recipes and flavors of my home town. To prove it wrong you should first taste this cake from my place. Do try out this recipe, but my native cake is much more rich and sophisticated than my recipe. I tried to find out the ingredients needed for this cake and read about this recipe from another blogger. I made changes and finally ended up here.

INGREDIENTS :

All Purpose Flour - 2 1/2 cups
Sugar             - 2 1/2 cups
Large Eggs        - 2
Butter            - 3/4 cup   
Baking Powder     - 2 Tsp
Cloves            - 10nos(slightly pounded)
Nutmeg Powder     - 1/4 Tsp
Shahjeera         - 1 Tsp (coarse powder)
Salt              -1/4 Tsp 
Orange Zest       -1/2 Tsp
Orange Juice Fresh - 1/2 Cup
Apple Cider        - 1/2 Cup  
Prunes or dried Plums -3 Cups

Black  Raisins     - 2 Cups
Cashew Nut Chopped  - 1 Cup

 

METHOD : 
  
The method needs some make ahead steps. You can even do them a week ahead and refrigerate.
The first step is soaking the dry fruits. Soak the raisins in half cup orange juice and half cup water along with a quarter cup apple cider. You can leave them overnight at room temperature or until ready to use, in the refrigerator. Drain excess liquid when adding to the cake batter.
    Next make the caramel syrup. In a pan over medium heat mix 1/2 cup sugar with 2 tablespoon water and mix until sugar dissolves. Give it a gentle stir and let it caramelize to a deep golden color. When completely caramelized, add half more cup of water and make a brown syrup out of this mixture.      
    The last make ahead thing is the plum puree. Chop 2 cups of prunes and mix with 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup apple cider and cook on medium flame until the prunes are soft. Cool down the mixture and puree them. To this add the other cup of finely chopped prunes and keep aside.
    Pre-heat oven to 325 F. Use a 2lb bread loaf pan or a bundt pan. These pans help the heat to get through well because the batter is kind of thick. Grease and dust the pan and keep aside.

    In a mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, salt, the pounded cloves and shahjeera and mix them well.
    Cream the remaining 2 cups of sugar and butter. It's always better to have room temperature butter and eggs. To the sugar-butter mix, add the eggs, one at a time and the orange zest and continue creaming while still adding the caramel syrup. To this start adding the flour and the raisin puree alternately. When done, fold in the soaked raisins and the chopped cashew nuts with a spatula. 
     Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about an hour and 15 minutes. Test by poking a toothpick into the cake. It should come out clean. If not, bake for another ten to fifteen minutes. The outside can be dark and that is perfectly fine. Remove from oven and let it cool down completely. The longer it sits in the pantry, the more heavenly it tastes. If you love baking and cakes, this recipe is a must-try.

  

Puli Inji

  Puli Inji. I came to know about this from a friend who always talks about having this with Biryani at another friend's place whenever I serve Biryani. Finally we got a chance to taste her Puli Inji and my fellas fell in love with the taste, a perfect blend of sweet and sour with a hint of heat. So this recipe is a courtesy from my dear friend Sameera. She served with her awesome Malabari Biryani, the rich, flavorful dish with very few ingredients. Haven't gotten it right yet, In shaa Allah will post it someday.

INGREDIENTS :

Ginger    - 1/2 Cup (finely chopped)
Green Chilly - 2 (finely chopped)
Tamarind Paste - 1 Tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Jaggery - 2 Tblsp
Flour - 1 Tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 2 Tblsp

Garnish :
Oil - 1 Tsp
Mustard - 1/4 Tsp
Curry Leaves - few
Dried Red Chilly - 1

METHOD :

   Finely chop ginger and green chillies. Heat a pan along with oil over medium flame and fry the chopped ginger and green chillies until the raw smell is gone. Move to a plate lined with paper towel and drain the extra oil. Then cook this ginger and green chillies in a little water along with red chilly powder and salt. Once it becomes soft, add the tamarind paste and jaggery, bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the flour in little water, add to this simmering mix and let it thicken.
 Finally heat oil in another pan, season with the ingredients under garnish and add to this. This step is optional.
 Puli Inji is served as part of Sadhya, the Onam meal and has many variations too. I'll post the recipe for another variety of Puli Inji that is common in my household, soon.
 It makes a fantastic side dish for fish biryani.

Basil Tomato Quiche

      Quiche is a simple yet rich egg dish baked over a puff pastry or pie pastry. If you are making it for breakfast, its preferred to make with puff pastry and if you are making it for brunch, go for pie pastry because the pastry itself is pretty filling. The filling can be anything you would like to have with eggs. The more vegetables you add, the healthier it is. Today, I preferred to make it with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella to bring in those Italian flavors. Try it out, its pretty easy and simple even for beginner cooks. My family enjoys this a lot and hope yours would do too.

INGREDIENTS :

Puff Pastry Sheet - 1
Eggs                     - 6
Heavy Cream       - 2 tblsp
Mozzarella Cheese - 1/4 cup (grated)
Parmesan Cheese    - 1/4 cup (grated)
Plum Tomatoes       - 1 cup (halved)
Basil Leaves           - 10 (chiffonade)
Pepper Powder       - 1/2 tsp
Salt                         - 1/4 tsp 

METHOD :
Thaw the puff pastry sheet. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9" pie dish.
In a bowl break the eggs and whisk them well along with the heavy cream, salt and pepper. Check for salt and add more if needed.
Layer the pastry sheet in the pie dish. Arranged the halved plum tomatoes as a layer above the pastry.Then above that sprinkle the basil leaves. On top of that, add both the cheeses. Above this add the whisked egg mixture.
Bake in the oven for about 35 to 45 mins. The time varies with the oven. So you might want to set the timer for 35mins at first, check and set more time if needed. The egg should settle well and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. If you like firmer eggs, then let it bake for few more minutes.

Tomato Jam

Tomato jam is one of the important side dish served along with biryani in weddings at our place. Though as an effect of modernization, the recipe has changed a lot with added fruits and nuts. This classic recipe is always a hit. Like tomato jam we have few more must haves with the meal, like boiled eggs, fried appalam and onion raita. Its very simple but tastes soo yumm.

INGREDIENTS :

Tomatoes   - 4 big ones
Sugar         - 1/4 cup
Ghee          - 3 + 1 Tblsp
Cashews     - 1 Tblsp
Raisins        - 1 Tblsp
Lemon Juice - 1 Tblsp
Salt              - A Pinch

METHOD :

    Blanch the tomatoes and remove the skin. Cool them a bit and in a food processor just mash them well. Don't puree them because the texture adds a nice texture to the jam.
   Heat a pan and add a tablespoon of ghee and roast the cashews and raisins and keep aside. In the same pan bring the pureed tomatoes cook under medium flame. Add the sugar with a pinch of salt. Let the sugar dissolve completely. At this point you can check the sweetness and add more sugar if you like, because if the fruits are not that sweet you might need more sugar. Then add the lemon juice. Reduce flame and let the mix evaporate, add the ghee now and let it thicken a bit.
   When it starts to leave the sides add the roasted cashews and raisins and remove from fire and cool down.
  This has a shelf life of a week and can be refrigerated for a month or frozen for about 3 months.

Nawabi Biryani

       This Nawabi biryani is a rich flavorful dish. I have tried this dish long back during my early days of cooking when one of my Hyderabadi friends gave me the recipe. But maybe because I haven't learned certain techniques or didn't know to differentiate flavors like something between jeera and shahi jeera, I missed the real flavor of this dish even though it came out really good. But again the meat didn't get that soft, fall-apart texture from the dum cooking. So I always had the fear of ending up with hard meat and never tried this recipe again. But later, I found out it needed this secret ingredient which is the meat tenderizer or the more natural papaya paste. And one more thing I missed was Shahi Jeera, which gave the biryani a unique flavor. So recently when I happened to watch a show by Chef Venkatesh Bhatt, I finally reinvented my recipe and as a result, got this flavor rich biryani. Don't get put off by the number of steps. This is mess free cooking! Such a grand dish with easy cleaning. Do try and your comments are greatly appreciated.

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati Rice         - 1lb
Coriander Leaves  - 1/4 cup chopped
Mint Leaves          - 1/4 cup chopped
Green Chilly         - 1 split
Shahi Jeera           - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom           - 4 nos
Cinnamon            - 3 inch piece
Cloves                 - 4 Nos
Water                  - As needed

Mutton           - 2 lbs
Onion             - 3 big
Papaya Paste  -2 tsp
Yogurt            - 1 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tblsp
Turmeric Powder    - 1tsp
Chilly Powder         - 2 tsp
Shahi Jeera              - 2 tsp
Coriander Leaves    - 1/4 cup
Mint Leaves            - 1/4 cup
Salt

METHOD :

            First, thinly slice the onions and deep fry them in oil until golden brown. The onions should not be burned or the whole dish will get a bitter taste. After slicing the onions give them a squeeze to make sure the strips are well seperated. The onion should be added in medium high oil at first. Once they turn translucent, reduce the flame and keep stirring often to ensure all the onion strips are cooked and let it brown. Once it turns color remove them from oil into paper towel lined plates and let them turn crispy.
              Clean the mutton and  marinate it in papaya paste for about 15 mins. After 15 mins, add 3/4th of the golden fried onions, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilly powder, shahi jeera, coriander leaves, mint leaves and salt and mix them well. Marinate this mutton for at least 45mins. You can even marinate overnite if you plan to make ahead, but make sure to bring it to room temperature at least 30 mins before making the biryani.
        Now make the rice. Clean and soak the rice in room temperature water for 30 mins. In another big pot bring water to a brisk boil. When the water is boiling, add the soaked and drained rice along with the whole spices and green chilly, coriander leaves and mint leaves and add enough salt along with two tsp ghee. Bring this to a boil and set the timer for just 7 mins. When its time drain the water. Make sure all the spices and leaves stay with rice.
       Meanwhile, get the tava ready for the dum process. On medium high flame heat a big tava. In a heavy bottomed pan or deep pot brush little ghee and add the marinated mutton(Its not cooked) to the pot and spread it out. Above this spread the half cooked rice and over the top dot with ghee and sprinkle enough salt and saffron strands. Cover tightly and leave it on medium flame for about 25mins and then simmer for about 10 mins.
      Switch off the stove and leave it for 15 mins. Transfer the biryani to a serving tray and garnish with the reserved 1/4 part of golden fried onions and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with tomato jam.

Gulab Jamun

 My childhood favorite Gulab Jamuns. Whenever we got a chance to go to a restaurant, I always go for this dessert. That may be because it was not easily available elsewhere in my place. But that craving has become a "long time ago" story.

 After I started cooking, I tried making this just to learn the technique. Then my girl had a love towards this dessert. So made them a few times.When she didn't like them anymore, I forgot all about them.

After a long time, we had to make a dessert for a party at home.  Zei then promised to take care of dessert  and made around 100 Jamuns. Wow! isn't it?

This list would help you make around 15 balls, depending on the size you choose. Ok just go ahead and make and just stay back and relax. Sometimes its ok to just make it for yourself too.

And one more thing, don't just make them on a day when you serve heavy lunch, make it along with a light lunch so you can eat as many as you want guilt free.

INGREDIENTS:

For Jamuns :
  Milk Powder      – 1/2 cup
  Flour                  – 2 tblsp
  Yogurt                – 2 tblsp
  Ghee                  – 1 tblsp (Clarified Butter)
  Baking Soda      – 1/4 tsp
  Oil – for deep frying

For Syrup:
  Water                – 2 cups
  Sugar                – 2 cups
  Rose Essence   – few drops
  Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp
  Saffron            – few strands

METHOD:
   The first step is to make the syrup. Use a not so deep, but wide pan, so the balls can float evenly absorbing as much syrup and turn out to be even in size. Over medium flame, place the pan with sugar and water and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer. Add the cardamom to this.
   In a mixing bowl, add in all dry ingredients from the For Jamun list. Mix well and add the ghee. Give it a nice stir and start mixing in the yogurt to make into a dough. Allow to stand for 5 mins.
   Meanwhile, heat up the oil on low-to-medium heat in a frying pan.
  After 5 mins take the dough and make small balls, about 2cm in diameter. It's perfectly ok for the balls to be tiny at this point. They become much larger in size after frying and soaking in sugar syrup.
  The oil should be in right temperature to get the right texture. Check if the oil is ready by dropping a small ball first, it should sit at the bottom of the pan for sometime before rising to the surface.
   Once the oil is ready, drop as many balls as you could depending on the pan size and amount of oil you use. It could be atleast 4 to 5 at a time. Keep stirring the balls to get even color on all sides.Once the balls turn to a dark brown color, remove them to a plate lined with paper towel.
 Once all the balls are fried, bring the syrup to a quick boil and add all the fried balls. Give a stir and add the rose water and saffron.
Let the balls/jamuns soak for about atleast 30 mins.
Serve them hot or cold.They pair well when served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, yummm....

Chicken Malai Karahi

Chicken malai  karahi , very recently came across this dish.Very rich and flavorful. After tasting this dish I wanted to try it at home. Though I could guess a few ingredients, wasn't really sure how it would turn out. So searched the web and found two recipes. But in some way both the recipes sounded as if they won't taste as good as the one we enjoyed. So I tried to combine both the recipes came up with this one which was so close in taste. It's really simple and easy to make  with very few ingredients. I would make a healthy version by substituting low fat sour cream and milk instead of yogurt and heavy cream. Hope you would enjoy chicken malai karahi as much as we did. 

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken  : 1 lb
Yogurt    : 1/2 cup
Coriander Powder : 2 tsp
White Pepper Powder : 2tsp
Jeera Powder  : 1tsp
Garam Masala :  1/2 tsp
Heavy Cream : 1/4 cup
Fresh Coriander Leaves : 1/2 cup
Canola oil : 1/4 cup 

Method :

  Clean and cut chicken in to small pieces. Heat a sauce pan over medium heat. Add oil to the pan and when almost hot add the chicken pieces and cook the chicken pieces , remove and keep aside.
Discard the liquid  in  the pan and add  a tablespoon of oil in the pan and add the cooked chicken pieces along with the spice powders and fry them well.
  Now add the yogurt along with salt, give it a stir close the lid over medium low fire and allow the chicken to blend with the yogurt and the spices.Cook until  the raw smell goes away for about 5 to 7 minutes. Open the lid, check for salt and add the cream. Give it a stir and cook until the cream gets heated through. Finally add the chopped coriander leaves and transfer to a serving dish.
 The fresh smell and taste of the herb adds the real flavor to the curry,that the fresh coriander leaves are a must for this recipe.

Chilli Idli

 Idli, though a comfort food to many is not a welcoming one for others. So when it comes to feeding kids, often we have to try out different ways to brighten up the plate. This dish is quite simple and easy way to include veggies in to your little one's healthy diet. Its an instant hit at my house, hopefully might turn out to be the same at yours too.

INGREDIENTS :

Idli      : 10 Nos
Onion  : 1 Big
Green Bell Pepper      : 1 Small
Yellow Bell Pepper     : 1 Small
Spring Onion               : 2 Nos
Chopped Coriander     : 2  Tblsp
Soy Sauce                    : 3 Tblsp
Tomato Ketchup          : 3 Tblsp
Hot Sauce/Chilly Sauce : 2 Tsp
Chilly Powder              : 1 Tsp
Garam Masala              :1/2 Tsp
Salt     
Oil         

METHOD :

    Cut the idlis, onion and bell peppers into small cubes and finely chop the spring onion. In a deep fry pan add about 3 tablespoon oil and fry the idli pieces, remove from oil and keep aside. To the same pan add the chopped onion. Sometimes the idli might absorb all the oil so you might want to add a tablespoon of oil to cook the veggies. Half way through, add the bell peppers and fry them for about 5 mins and then add the white part of the spring onion. Reserve the green part for garnish.

When the veggies are cooked, add the chilly powder, garam masala, soy sauce, hot sauce and ketchup to the vegetables and fry them for about 2 mins. Now add the fried idli to this and mix them well. Adjust salt and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and the green onion and cover and simmer for 3 mins.

    This can be served with raita on the side or as such for breakfast or dinner. Kids would really love the color.

Kadaai Mutton/Kadhai Gosht

Kadhai Gosht is a popular Indian/Pakistani dish. This is mostly prepared with lamb in a large wok (a kadhai/karahi) and hence the name. I first tried this at a kabob place and always wanted to try it at home. Have been looking for the recipe and finally got it from a Pakistani blog. That recipe suggested frying the meat in ghee and didn't call for the final step of frying the meat with the veggies. But the Kadhai Gosht I tried in the restaurant was made with chunks of meat, onion and bell pepper and we loved the flavor. So, I came up with this idea and made this recipe. If you really don't like the flavor of bell peppers, feel free to leave it out but I still recommend the final sauteing with onion and ginger.
 Again we are not big fans of lamb and always love the taste and flavor of goat. So I made my own version with goat and so the name Kadaai Mutton.

INGREDIENTS :

Mutton : 2 lbs

To Marinate:
Onion - 1 big
Fenugreek Leaves - 1 tblsp
Yogurt - 3 tblsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tblsp
Salt

For Curry:
Oil - 3 tblsp
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 2inch piece
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies - 2
Tomato - 1 Large

To Fry :
Onion - 1 big
Bell Pepper - 1
Tomato - 1 big
Ginger Julienne - 1 tblsp

METHOD:

Clean and cut mutton into medium size pieces. Chop the onion given under "to marinate" into fine pieces and mix with other marinating ingredients along with meat and keep aside for atleast 40 mins. You can always marinate this for almost 4 hrs to overnite. But atleast 40 mins in case you decided at the last minute to go for this recipe.
In a pressure pan, heat one tablespoon oil. Add the whole spices and fry until the aroma comes out. Add in the marinated meat and fry well for 3 to 5 mins. Then add the spice powders along with salt and fry for a min. Then add the chopped tomato and split chillies. Its better to remove the skin and seeds from the tomatoes. Check and add more salt if needed. Add 1/4 cup water and cook the meat until almost cooked but still firm. I do it for 2 whistles in medium high and then for 10 mins on medium low flame. Depending on the freshness of the meat, this might vary.
Once the meat is cooked remove the pieces and let the gravy thicken in an open pan at high flame.
When the meat is cooking, chop the ingredients under to fry into cubes. In another pan, add a tablespoon of oil and fry the ginger. Then add the onion, bell pepper and then tomato. To this add the cooked mutton pieces and give a nice stir to get a coat of the oil.Then add the thickened gravy and fry well. Close the pan and simmer for 5 mins.
This is such a flavorful recipe and meat lovers would fall for it. It goes really well with ghee rice/ veggy pulao or chappathi/naan.

Chicken Dahi Roast

A simple and easy chicken recipe, I would say. It's versatile too as it can be had with rotis or with rice. It can be made quickly if boneless pieces are available.

INGREDIENTS :
Boneless Chicken Cubes - 1lb
Yogurt                              - 2 cups
Cumin Powder                 - 1tsp
Ginger and Garlic             - 2tsp
Red Chilly Powder           - 1tsp
Turmeric Powder              - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala                   - 1/4tsp
Onion                                - 2  Nos
Tomato                              -1 No
Green Chilly                     - 3 Nos
Coriander Leaves              -2 Tblsp
Oil                                     -3 Tsp
Salt                                    -To Taste


METHOD:
                
 Clean and cut chicken into pieces of desired size. To this, add the yogurt, split green chillies and all the spice powders along with a little salt and marinate for 30 mins.
 In the meantime, heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and cook the onions until slightly brown. Add the tomatoes and fry for 2mins.
 Now add the marinated chicken pieces. Close with a lid and cook the chicken on medium low flame for 10 mins. Remove lid and add salt. If you are serving with rice, you might want to remove the curry from the stove when it reaches a gravy consistency.
 If you like it to be a dry fry, add the remaining oil and fry until dry. Finally garnish with the coriander leaves.

Moong Dal Fried Chicken

       I got this recipe from my sister a long time ago and used to make it as often as I could when the recipe was still new. It has been quite sometime since I last made it and I'd almost forgotten the recipe. But today when the kids asked about this "long time no see" green fried chicken to their aunt who has visited them, she made this for them. It sure will be loved by kids and adults who love fried chicken.
Kudos to whoever thought of this recipe, as green gram is an unconventional choice for a crispy exterior in chicken fry. It's real simple and easy and can be made with few ingredients. Do make sure to adjust the salt and heat according to your taste buds.    
      

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken Medium Pieces : 1 lb

To Marinate :

Coriander Leaves            : 1 Cup
Green Chillies                 : 3 Nos
Ginger Garlic Paste         : 2 Tsp
Lemon Juice                    : 1 Tbsp
Pepper Powder                : 1 Tsp
Garam Masala                 : 1/2 Tsp
Salt                                  : To Taste

To Coat  :

Green Gram                     : 11/2 Cups
Kosher Salt                      : A Pinch

To Fry :

Oil                                    : 1 Cup

METHOD :

               Cut the chicken into medium sized pieces and clean them in water and pat dry. Chicken can be either bone in or bone less according to your liking. Make a paste of all the ingredients given under "to marinate" and rub well over the chicken pieces. Cover and let them rest for about 20 to 30mins.

             In the meantime grind the green gram to a coarse powder in a coffee grinder. Make sure it doesn't turn out to be too powdery or has bigger grains. Something similar to the size of couscous would be perfect. Mix salt to this and keep aside.

  When ready to fry, heat oil in a deep pan. Take the marinated chicken pieces coat them well in this gram mix and deep fry until brown turning sides twice or thrice. Make sure its evenly browned on all sides but take care not to over fry them because then it would turn hard to bite.

 Serve as a starter or a snack if you are a chicken lover or with roti and yogurt sauce as a meal.

            
              

Liver Varattal (Dry Roast)

Its been a while that any recipe has been posted. So, I'm going for a quick and easy recipe. Though liver is not a very welcoming dish among all of us at home, I do cook it once in a while. This recipe is simple with few ingredients but tastes super good.

INGREDIENTS:

Goat Liver       : 1 lb
Ginger Paste    : 1 Tsp
Garlic Paste     : 1 Tsp
Pepper Powder: 1 Tblsp
Jeera Powder   : 1 Tsp
Salt                  : To taste

To Season :
Mustard              : 1 Tsp
Grated Coconut  :1 Tblsp
Curry Leaves      : Few
Oil                       : 1 Tblsp
Dried Red Chilli : 2

METHOD:

    Clean and cut the liver into small pieces. Mix along with all other ingredients except for those under seasoning. Cook for just two whistles in a pressure cooker with one tablespoon water.
   Remove the lid once the pressure subsides. In a fry pan, heat the oil and splutter mustard, curry leaves and coconut and fry for a few seconds. Add the cooked liver to this. Adjust salt and fry until the water evaporates, all the ingredients come together and it begins to look dry.
   This can be served as a side with bread or rice.  

Easy Hummus

 This is a real easy recipe of hummus and you can whip up real fast if the ingredients are available. Hummus goes well with pita or naan and is a good accompaniment for falafel. Easy spread for most rolls. A few pieces of chicken tikka, some lettuce with hummus can be wrapped in any bread for a quick lunch.

INGREDIENTS:

Chickpeas      : 1 can (15 ounce)
Tahini             : 2 tblsp
Garlic             : 1/2 clove garlic
Olive Oil        : 2 tblsp
Salt                 : 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper  : 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice   : from 1 big lemon
Paprika            : A pinch for seasoning

METHOD:

 In a blender in the food processor, blend together tahini and lemon juice until creamy. Then add the chopped garlic, salt, pepper and blend again until the garlic gets well blended and smooth.
 Finally add to blender, the chickpeas from the can drained and cleaned in running water. While grinding the chickpeas, add the olive oil little by little to get a smooth creamy paste. Scrape the sides of the blender to get an equally smooth mixture.
 Check the seasoning and adjust before giving a final whip.
 Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl. Give a swirl on the top with a spoon and garnish with olive oil and sprinkle paprika on top.

P.S : You don't always have to carry tahini sauce in your pantry for this. Instead you can just dry roast 2 tablespoons of white sesame seeds and grind them with a garlic pod and olive oil to make a good tahini at home.
 

Rose Popsicles

Rose is favorite in any form be it flower, color or flavor. And in my opinion, the smell of rose in any dish makes it so royal. The rose flavor is so intense by itself that you won't need anything else to enhance the  dish.
 As spring has spread its warmth around, I thought of making these rose popsicles to kick start all summer coolers. Is this worth a try? No, its double or triple worth the try and you will be happy that you didn't miss making it!

INGREDIENTS :

Milk - 2 cups
Heavy Cream - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 4 tblsp
Rose Water - 2 tblsp
Rose Color - few drops

METHOD :

      Bring the milk to a boil and add the sugar. Reduce the heat and let the sugar dissolve. Now add the cream and give a stir and wait until small air bubbles start appearing on the sides of the pan. Put off the fire and remove the pan aside and let it cool for sometime. When the milk is warm enough to touch add the rose water and rose color and mix thoroughly. Transfer to Popsicle moulds and freeze them overnight or until set.

P.S :
       You can use the rose essence we get in indian grocers or the rose drink powder in middle eastern grocers instead of rose water and the color.
        Make sure this is bit on the sweeter side because otherwise the popsicles might not be as sweet as you want them when frozen.
         If you don't prefer cream then make these using just 2 cups of half and half.

Mutton Bhuna Gosht

We don't really find too many recipes in mutton. Unlike chicken, which has great versatility in taking over flavors mutton always has a strong flavor and taste to itself that its almost difficult to bring a difference in mutton recipes.Though kids are not a big fan of mutton, I cook them once in a while to feed our nostalgia because back in our country we always get fresh cuts and certain dishes taste really good when accompanied by this fiber rich meat.
Today being Sunday, I decided to make mutton for lunch and wanted to make something which won't resemble our usual curries or roasts or kabobs and ended up trying this Mughal dish. Its very well worth the try.

INGREDIENTS:

Mutton - 2 lbs (Boneless Preferred)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1+2 tblsp
Vinegar - 2 tblsp
Onions - 1 Medium
Tomatoes - 5 Nos
Turmeric Powder - 2tsp
Nutmeg Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tblsp
Bay Leaves - 1 big
Cinnamon - 2inch stick
Black Cardamom - 2 Nos
 Cloves - 4 Nos
Cumin Seeds - 2tsp
Green Chilies - 2 Nos
Thick Yogurt - 2 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Oil - 1/4 cup
Salt - To taste

METHOD:

  Clean the mutton and cut them into small cubes.To this add the vinegar,1 tblsp ginger garlic paste and salt  and mix well and let it marinate.
   In the meantime in a pan or pressure cooker add half of the oil and fry the sliced onions until golden brown. Remove the onions and discard the oil. Again bring back the pan to the stove and add a table spoon of fresh oil and fry the remaining ginger garlic paste. To this add  the fried onions and saute for a min. Then add the chopped tomatoes and all the spice powders, nutmeg, turmeric and chilly powder along with a little bit of salt and cook them until the tomatoes get wilted. Then add the mutton which is marinated and cook until the gravy thickens a bit.
   At this stage add the bay leaves, black cardamoms, cloves, cumin seeds and green chillies and the yogurt. Give them a nice stir to combine everything, add more salt close the lid and let it cook until the mutton gets well cooked but still intact, like a 3/4 ish cooked. To get to this stage you will have to lower the flame and cook for about 30 mins if its in a normal pan or about 10 mins in a pressure pan/cooker. Once done open the lid and add the milk, give them a nice stir and check for salt. Then  pour a teaspoon or two of oil and fry them until the meat is well done and the gravy is barely dry. Bhuna gosht can be served with Naan, Parotta or Jeera rice.

P.S : Both bone in or boneless meat can be used.The whole process can be made using ghee. You can use fried onions available in stores. And while adding milk, you can reduce its amount and add a tablespoon or two whole cream. Its recommended to use black cardamom and the nutmeg which are the flavor boosters.

Jeera Rice

Jeera rice is a quick alternative to any flavored rice because its easy and quick to make and you can always make it out of ingredients readily available from your pantry. It really pairs well with most side dishes either vegetarian or non vegetarian.

INGREDIENTS :

Basmati rice - 2 cups
Jeera Seeds - 2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tblsp
Bay Leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

Cloves - 4
Water - 31/2 cups
Salt - To Taste

METHOD:
Wash and soak the basmati rice in water  for about 20 mins. Later drain the water and leave the rice in a colander to dry of  the excess water.
Place a pan (to cook the rice) in the stove over medium heat and add the ghee. Once its hot enough add the cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves and fry them until the aroma comes out. Then add the jeera seeds, fry a bit and add the rice. Fry the rice for about 3 mins until it starts to give out the aroma.Now add the water along with enough salt and bring it to a boil. Once a brisk boil occurs, reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook with a couple of stirs in between for about 8 mins or until the rice is cooked. Remove from fire and leave it aside for 10 mins, then fluff with a fork.
P.S : You can cook the rice in oil too.If you use oil feel free to add a teaspoon of ghee while the rice is cooking so you  get that nice  aroma and also the rice won't dry out. If you are really in a hurry you can skip the soaking part, as I have done a couple of times. The flavor and the texture always depends on the basmati brand too.
 

Fried Mini Idlis

Mini idlis are fun food for kids (I believe so or atleast I like to think so). Its really hard to make kids eat vegetarian food when you are from a non vegetarian family. Idli is comfort food for most of us but you should have a magical wand to make your kids eat this. I was surfing to find an appealing idli podi recipe and came across this recipe.So tried and really turned out good.

INGREDIENTS :
Makes 2 Servings                                                              

Mini Idlis - 40 Nos
Mustard   - 1Tsp
Urad Dal - 1 Tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
Peanuts - 1 Tbsp (Roasted)
Small Carrot - 1 (Grated)
Coriander Leaves -2Tbsp (chopped)
Peanut Podi - 2 Tbsp (click on the link to view the recipe)

METHOD:

Heat a pan over medium heat. Add  oil and add the mustard seeds allow it to splutter. Add urad dal, roasted peanuts and curry leaves and give it a stir.  Add the idlis to this oil and stir them well. Now add the peanut idli podi to the hot idlis and toss well . Finally add the grated carrot and chopped coriander leaves. Give a quick stir close the pan with a lid and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes. Check for salt. You might not need extra salt because the peanut podi already has the salt in it.

PS: Adding lemon juice is optional. Instead you can finally add a teaspoon of ghee which really enhances the flavor.
Feel free to add any available idli podi. I liked this version of idli podi in these idlis.
If you don't have the mini idli pan,you can always make regular idlis and cut them into pieces.
Inspired by Jayashri's Kitchen blog.

Idli (Peanut)Podi

We are a huge fan of nuts and peanut is always a favorite. I once made this podi for idli when I ran out of my stock of idli podi that my mom makes. After a long break, I thought of making this podi when my girl made a request and also to have a variety because Idli podi is always in need here. This is really flavorful and goes well with idli or dosa and even used to season the fried idlis.

INGREDIENTS:
Makes 3 cups.

Channa Dal - 1 cup
Urad Dal - 1/2 cup
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Sesame Seeds - 2 tblsp
Dried Red Chilly - 6
Pepper Corn - 1 tblsp
Asafoetida - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil for roasting

METHOD:

  Heat a pan and add few drops of oil. Add the channa dal and roast until golden brown. Likely roast the urad dal, sesame seeds and peanuts separately.Then in the same pan roast the dried chillies, pepper corn, jeera and asafoetida. Grind them into a coarse powder. Cool it completely and store in an airtight container.

PS: You can also roast 2 tblsp grated coconut and grind with this. Also add 2 pods garlic if you like the flavor. If your dried chilly is not that hot you can add more into your recipe. Also substitute channa dal with toor dal which is really fine. Inspired by Sailusfood blog.

Asian Pepper Chicken

In one of our trips to Chennai we had a similar dish made with shrimps. After months I remembered this and thought of recreating the recipe with chicken. It turned out good but I still thought something was missing. After a try or two, I came up with this recipe. With very few and simple ingredients, it is easy to make but is still rich in taste . It can be a side dish for any meal and as a dry dish it serves well as a starter. It sure is a crowd-pleaser. When thought of blogging this dish, my girls chose the name Asian Pepper Chicken.

INGREDIENTS :

  Chicken Breasts -3
  Chicken Bouillon - 1 cube
  Ginger  -2" piece
  Garlic  - 6pods
  Spring Onion  - 3 nos
  Green Chilly   - 2 nos
  Coriander Leaves - 7 sprigs
  Corn Flour - 1 tsp
  Soy Sauce - 3 tblsp
  Crushed Black Pepper - 2 tblsp
  Salt - to taste
  Olive Oil - 2 tblsp

METHOD:
Clean and cut the chicken breasts into small cubes (I usually cut them into thin strips which I prefer). Chop the ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves and the spring onions and keep aside.
In a sauce pan over medium heat add one tablespoon oil and add the chicken cubes. Give it a stir and cover with the lid and let it cook.You don't have to add water because the chicken gets cooked from the heat from the oil and the liquid oozing from the meat. Cook until the meat is no longer pink in the center, giving them a stir or two in between. Remove the chicken pieces and discard any liquid in the pan.
In the same pan add the remaining oil and fry (give a quick stir, you don't have to actually cook them)  the chopped veggies adding them in the order as ginger, garlic, green chilly and spring onion (save some of  the green spring onion for garnishing). Add the chicken stock cube and let it get mixed. Now add the soy sauce and fry for a minute, then add the cooked chicken pieces and fry them well to get coated with the sauce.
Season with freshly crushed black pepper and check for salt. Now mix the corn flour in a tablespoon of water and add to this and give it a good stir and finally add the chopped coriander leaves. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved spring onion.
  

Fish Red Curry

Cooking fish is always a challenge. Coming from a coastal region, fish is a staple for us. Can never imagine lunch without fish. But after moving here it used to be really hard without fish.  After trying the usual recipes, I wanted to try something different. I once ate this fish curry with tilapia in a restaurant once. It was so close to a curry my mom makes but something tasted different. Tried to figure out the recipe but came out with this instead after few trials and error. I'd say that this is one of the best recipes, and it has been nicknamed "The Red Curry" by my kids. It goes really well with Coconut Cream Rice, Kilangu (kappa/tapioca), or Dosa. Dosa with fish curry is one of the comfort foods for us.

INGREDIENTS:

  King Fish Steaks - 2
        Clean and cut the fish into desirable pieces.You can remove the skin if you prefer. Keep aside.

 Make Paste: 
  Pearl Onion - 6 nos.
  Ginger - 1"
  Garlic - 4 pods
  Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
  Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
  Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp
  Fennel Powder - 1 tsp
  Pepper Powder - 1 tsp

  Tamarind Water - 1/4 cup
  Salt - To taste

To Season: 
  Pearl Onion - 2 nos.
  Tomato - 1 small
  Tomato Paste  - 2 tbsp
  Curry Leaves  - 2 sprigs
  Oil for seasoning (preferably coconut oil)

METHOD:

    Clean the fish removing the skin and cut them into desired pieces. You can even even remove the center bone. Make a paste of all the ingredients under the make paste items and mix with the tamarind juice and salt.
 
     In a thick bottomed pan, add two tablespoons of oil in medium flame. Chop the extra two pearl onions and add them to the oil. Chop the tomato and add to the oil too. Fry until the onion becomes translucent. Now add the tomato paste with a pinch of salt and let it cook until oil separates. Add the curry leaves at this stage. Give it a stir and add the prepared spice mixture. Then let it heat through and add the fish pieces. Bring it to a boil, check for the salt, reduce flame to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until the gravy thickens.
 
     The color is so appealing and so is the taste. Do give it a try and if you like fish, you will love this curry and it is especially a really classic combination with coconut cream rice. Hope you enjoy!

Tangy Chicken Tikka

 Made this tikka for lunch.Ray says it really turned out "awesome" and the best  tikka "ever"( for that matter she sure has a "tangy" tooth). The tikka was so soft and flavorful and perfectly seasoned. You can make it either bone-in or boneless. If you prefer bone-in buy a whole chicken and cut them into 12 or 16 pieces. Please never buy legs and thighs because that would totally spoil the taste. This chicken can be marinated over night.If you choose to do so, its ok to avoid vinegar in the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken Breasts : 2
Lemon Juice  : 2 tblsp
Lemon rind : 1tsp
Vinegar : 1tblsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Chilly Powder : 2tsp
Pepper Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Fennel Powder : 2tsp
Olive Oil : 2 tblsp
Dried Parsley : 1 tblsp
Salt : to taste

METHOD:

Pre- heat oven to 425 degrees. The hotter the oven the perfect texture would be your tikka, so don't worry about the high heat. Clean and cube the chicken breasts. Mix all the other ingredients to make a paste. Rub the spice paste well over the chicken cubes. If you use bone-in chicken make sure the spice mix gets well coated all over the chicken pieces.
Prepare a cookie sheet by lining with aluminum foil and brush with olive oil or non stick spray. Spread the chicken pieces on the sheet evenly spaced. Bake in the pre-heated oven for ten mins. In between check the  chicken tray and pour out any water collected in the tray. After ten mins flip it over and sprinkle olive oil over the chicken pieces and bake for another 10 mins.
Remove from oven and serve immediately. You can prepare the tray ahead and leave it in the fridge overnight (not more than 8 hrs., if in the fridge but can be left longer in the freezer) and bake before serving.

Pasta and Chicken Meatballs

Think of comfort food and pasta comes to your mind. Its versatility to convert any recipe in to a yumm... dish always comes in handy. On these cold days, a bowl of pasta for dinner is always welcome. This luscious recipe is delicious and colorful and easy to make. I have been planning to make this dish for quite sometime and this time it came as a surprise from the girls. Its so easy to make that their first try itself was a success. Do give it a try and you will be really happy you did.

INGREDIENTS:

For the meatballs:

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons corn flour
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 tablespoon ketchup
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground chicken

For the pasta:

1 pound Penne pasta
3 cups Marinara sauce (This can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Click on the link for the recipe)
2 tablespoons chicken broth
3 tablespoons dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste


METHOD:

 Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs, make little balls and shallow fry in olive oil until golden brown.Keep aside. Cook pasta separately in boiling water as per the instructions on the pack. Simultaneously in a large pan, add the marinara sauce and the chicken broth and bring it to a boil and simmer for about 10mins. Now its time to add salt and pepper and even cayenne if you would like it to be a bit hot. Give it a stir and add the dried parsley leaves (you can substitute with chopped fresh parsley too). Now add the meatballs to the sauce and let them cook in the sauce for a couple of minutes. Then add the pasta and mix thoroughly. Transfer the contents to the serving bowl. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

PS : Feel free to make it out of any kind of pasta you like and even spaghetti.
       Also you can use store bought sauce of your choice to make it quick and easy.

Marinara Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

METHOD:
In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate is always a welcome in my place either it be milk or dark. And its one of the best thing that  gives the divine taste with an elegant look to any dessert. Mousse is always that "out of the world" dessert. I have a bunch of chocolate lovers with me so trying anything out of chocolate is always a pleasure.The first time I tried mousse it turned out to be perfect, that airy, light and decadent.Its an easy make ahead dessert which became an anytime dessert at home.

This time the girls tried their luck making it and Viola! they got it too. When they were doing this happy dance I said ,"Shhh..it's ok girls, you got them in your genes"(I mean the cooking).

So its a pleasure to share the recipe.

No of Servings : 6

INGREDIENTS:

   Milk Chocolate Chips   - 10 ounce ( 8 ounce is a cup)
   Warm water                   - 1/4 cup
   Heavy Cream                -3/4 cup
   Egg Whites                  - 3 (At room temperature)
   Salt                               - A Pinch
   Chocolate Bar               - 1(Can be dark or white for garnishing)
   Whipped Cream           - For garnishing (optional)

METHOD:

  Combine the chocolate and water in a double boiler.(Or you can still use a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water). Let the chocolate  melt completely with occasional stirring.Once the chocolate is completely melted remove from heat and keep aside.
  Using an electric beater beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
   Separate the egg whites and yolks.In a clean dry bowl combine the eggs whites and salt and beat them  on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.(Use either a hand mixer or the stand mixer with whisk attachment). Using a metal spoon fold the egg whites into the cream.
      Now fold half the cream mixture into the melted chocolate until combined.Then fold in the remaining egg whites gently with a spatula just until no visible streaks are left.Spoon them into 6 individual dessert cups cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 6 hours.
 Top the mousse with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.


PS: Because we use raw eggs its always advisable to buy the pasturised eggs to avoid any allergies and always make it out of fresh eggs.
     

Dates Candy

DATES CANDY? May be we can call it a bar. Yup DATES BAR sounds better.
 Had this at a friend's place. He had this at his office when someone brought this during a festive season. I didn't really like it because I'm not a big fan of dates but my folks loved it because of the surprising element which popped in your mouth with every bite. So got the recipe from our friend who gave me approximate measurements and it took a few trials to reach perfection and the perfectionist is "Zei". Its pretty easy to make and stores well for about a month but refrigerated after a week, just in case and warm it up whenever you feel like having it. And the recipe credit goes to our friend, Brother Ismail.

INGREDIENTS:

Dates             - 1 cup (Chopped)
Almonds        - 1/2 cup (Chopped)
Edible Gum   - 1/4 cup
Poppy Seeds - 2 Tblsp
Ghee             - 4 Tblsp

METHOD:

            In a pan, roast the chopped dates in 2 tablespoon ghee, remove from the stove and keep them aside. Again add a tablespoon of ghee in the pan and roast the almond pieces. I usually prefer toasted almonds over raw because it gives that extra crunch. Remove and keep aside. Lower the flame and add another tablespoon or two of ghee in the pan and roast the edible gum. The edible gum, usually a thick yellowish brown stone like thing which eventually changes to pale color and bulges in size. At this stage remove from fire and break into pieces in a processor or a mortar and pestle . Now mix the roasted dates, almonds and the gum together and roll into the shape of a log. In a separate plate take the poppy seeds and roll the log over to cover and coat completely in poppy seeds. Cover with a wax paper and refrigerate for about an hour or two. Later slice them and serve.

Curry Leaves Chicken

Usually I look around for recipes but this one was a contribution from my Brother In Law who suggested this recipe from a TV Show? Or took the recipe from some Facebook page (If you imagine of him to be an excellent cook after trying this recipe, I’m sorry its not my fault and to add he is not a big fan of chicken too). So one Sunday morning when I got this recipe shared on my Facebook timeline, I thought of giving it a try immediately because it helped me save my Sun”day” by not brainstorming for a lunch idea.
 
   I have never tried or thought or heard about this recipe before and as always configured it to our taste. Give it a try and if you are a big fan of chicken, you are going to love it!

INGREDIENTS :

  Chicken – 1 lb (Bone in or Boneless
  Onion      - 1 big
 Tomato   - 1 big
 Green Chilies – 4 nos
 Sliced Garlic   - 1 tblsp
 Ginger Paste – 1 tsp
 Garlic Paste   - 1 tsp
 Coriander Leaves – ¼ cup (chopped)
 Dried Curry Leaves -1 cup
 Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
 Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
 Chilly Powder   -1 tsp
 Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
 Salt                    - To taste
 Coconut Oil         -4 tblsp

METHOD :

 Heat 3  tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat and add the sliced garlic and green chillies fry a bit and add chopped onions and fry until translucent. Add the ginger and garlic paste , fry until the raw smell goes off. Add the  tomatoes with a pinch of salt. Fry until the juices ooze out and add the dry masala powders one by one. Now add the chicken pieces (I don’t have to mention that the chicken have to be cut into desired pieces and cleaned and pat dry) along with salt.Fry for two to three minutes and then add the coriander leaves give them a stir. Cover and cook under medium heat for about 10 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. When almost done check for the seasonings and adjust to your taste. Remove the lid and let any water to evaporate and let the gravy thicken. Now crush the dried curry leaves and add along with the remaining oil and fry until dry.

 Serve as a side for rice or for any kind of bread or if you have so many chicken lovers at home as mine (lol!) serve as an evening snack along tea with masala tea.

Notes: If there is no dried curry leaves handy, just dry roast them in a pan and use.

Broccoli-Cheese Soup

My little one wanted me to make " Butterfly Cup Cakes" for her Birthday to take to her preschool. This time I promised that I would make it for her and started my search through all these websites and that's when I stumped into Bakerella. The interesting part is not the website itself but another blogger the website introduced me to.  I later learned that she even hosts shows in Food Network. I'm happy I came to know about this blogger "Pioneer Woman" and started loving her shows. She is so vibrant and her cooking looks so simple and clutter free that one would love to try out her recipes.

   I have tried a number of her recipes but either I forgot to take pictures or they didn't turn out good (I mean the pictures). Thinking of a single pot wholesome food for lunch or an early supper on these cold days, I tried one of her soups "Broccoli-Cheese Soup" which was really yummy and hearty. It turned out to be perfect for the season and not to mention that everyone fell in love with it.
This might sound little heavy but we can always watch our calories pairing with skim or fat free versions, it's totally upon us. I'm saying this because I would like to share this post for all my "calorie - conscious" friends too.

 INGREDIENTS : 

  Onion  – 1
  Butter  – 1/4 Cup
  Flour  – 1/3 Cup
  Whole Milk - 4 Cups
  Half and Half – 2 Cups
  Broccoli Florets – 6 Cups
  Nutmeg  – 1 Pinch
  Cheese  – 2 Cups (white cheddar)
  Salt     – A pinch
  Black Pepper – 2 tsp
  Chicken Broth – 1 Cup

METHOD:    

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and add the onions and cook them for few minutes. Then add broccoli fry a bit and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour and let it coat well and fry until the raw smell goes off. Pour milk and combine well and add half and half. Add the onions. Season with nutmeg.  

Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once the Broccoli is cooked let it cool down a bit (If you like challenges go for it when it is still hot ☺) and using a food processor blend everything together to a smooth or coarse soup.

Bring back to the stove and let it heat up, adjust the consistency with the chicken stock and check for the seasonings. Add the cheese and let it melt down completely. Serve hot in a bread bowl or soup bowl and sprinkle extra cheese on top.

 Notes: For a lower calorie version, substitute butter with EVVO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), reduced fat milk and low or partly skimmed cheese. You could also skip half and half. I used white cheddar to keep the color but you can use yellow cheddar, monterey jack or even the four cheese blend. The original recipe called for 3 cups cheese but I used 1 1/2 Cups instead.