Zhanzhanit Thencha Potatoes for Maharashtra Day !

 

 

“Zhanzhanit”- means electrifyingly spicy in Marathi, its an exclusive word used for chilli preparations, mostly the ones that are so hot that it makes one cry while eating. Marathi is the regional language of my home state of Maharashtra and the Maharashtrian communities that live here. This is the state in which Mumbai, the city where I was born, is located and I like to think there is a lot of Maharashtrian in me :) I have also grown up eating Maharashtrian food.  

Chillies which are intrinsic for adding heat to Indian food, only came to us in India in the 17th century with the advent of the Portugese. But for an ingredient that entered our cuisine so late, they managed to make themselves irreplaceable very quickly. Today they are extensively used and every region in India grows a different variety of chillies. Green chillies are used in daily cooking as part of the tempering, to spice up chutneys and salads but usually for their heat alone. 

The Maharashtrian Mirchi Thencha is one of the few Chilli recipes that roasts chillies to make a rustic condiment named after the method of preparation it calls for (Thencha means pounded). The smoky flavour from the roasting adds to the heat of the chillies and the aroma of the garlic. 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes; Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For Thencha
1/2 c hot spicy Green chillies
1 c Garlic, peeled
Salt to taste
Peanuts, toasted and crushed (optional)
Oil

For Thencha Potatoes
250g Baby potatoes par-boiled in salted water with jackets on
1 cup stock
2 tbsp of the Thencha
Salt to taste (if required

Method:
For Thencha : Roast chillies and garlic on a hot pan till slightly blackened. 

Place  in a mortar and pestle or blender and process to a coarse paste with salt and peanuts (if using). 

When done transfer to a jar. Thecha can be stored for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

To make Thencha Potatoes : Mix Thencha with stock and add the potatoes. Toss well until coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if required. Cook till potato jackets are crisp (add 2 tsp of oil towards the end if you like).

A brunch of mutual inspiration!

 

Its been a while since I have had a weekend like this to slow down, cook and be at home so I was looking forward to this weekend. I had planned to cook dinner for a few friends - a slow cooked lamb in my home made Vincotto, with one of Shekhar's breads and Tiramisu for dessert. But that did not work out. (Harry Potter was more appealing to that friend!) But then brunch worked out with some dear friends we'd been wanting to get together with for a while now. 

So instead of my usual Sunday activity of catching up with favourite TV programs, or a new book, (I like to  do my entertaining on Fridays and Saturdays, and just chill on Sundays)  I decided to cook up a storm!  And soon I was wondering why I had never done brunches before. They are so very convinient to do and offer so much opportunity for creativity. With the lines between breakfast and lunch getting blurred, I could serve eggs and potatoes, but also heavier stuff that would be inappropriate at breakfast. I  also wanted to stick to using things I had at home because I have been collecting a LOT of stuff off late to cook at a later day and it has been piling up!  Eggs were definitely on the menu and at first I thought of doing eggs to order with herbs or a layered Omlette casserole, but I did not have fresh herbs and other stuff I needed. So I homed in on  sn egg dish that was a cross between planned a menu keeping in mind what I already had lyiing around, which is why there is a colorful mix of kafir lime stuffed fish, Mexican Houvos Ransheros, German sausages, etc. Shekhar has been doing some fab breads and I finally got him his yeast as well so he went all out with baking two fabluous breads. It was a lovely morning and when we were done, and things had been cleared away he very neatly tied it up with one of his rare poetic lines, "if I was poetic I would say i hope we continue to inspire one another" Still have a goofy smile on my face!

While we were cooking Aman was setting up a game outside - His version of Age of Empires! (Bilkul baap pe gaya hai!)

Shekhar starts making bread with the dough he started last night.

The cheese is ready.

On it goes!

The Pepper

The Oregano

Then it gets all rolled up!

And sealed at the ends!

And dusted and left to rest!

The Chorizo Cheese Twist

And the Chorizo muscles its way out!

Oiled and glistening and ready to be baked!

The loaf cracks, the chorizo pops out and the oozy cheese follows!

Sliced up and beautiful!

up close and personal!

A thing of beauty should be appreciated from all sides!

Both the breads together!

My Hoevos Rancheros ready to go in the oven! A chunky oregano scented base of zuchini, onion and tomato went first in which I made little wells into which I cracked eggs, A little salt and pepper on sprinkled onto eggs. I then scattersd on cheese and baked the whole thing under foil till the eggs were set. Then I opened it to brown cheese.

Baked Hoevos Rancheros

Easy enough for weeknights and festive enough for weekend specials, make these in indivisual bowls for oomph.

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp chilli flakes

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

6 sprigs fresh Oregano or 1 tbsp dry

5 onions finely chopped

1 Zuchini finely chopped

5 tomatoes finely chopped

1/3 c tomatoe puree

1/3 c cheese, grated (preferably parmiggiano reggiano)

5-6 eggs

2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped

Method

Heat oil in a pan on a low flame and add the garlic, chilli flakes and oregano. Stir to distribute flavours into oil. Add onions and stir to coat. Add zucchini and and sweat (not fry, just gently sweat). When soft Add tomatoes and allow to cook till any water has dried out and everything is tender, add salt and mix well, Check salt and adjust seasoning.  Once it is bubbling again add meat balls. Add cheese, lower flame and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. When done the sauce should be a beautiful red flecked with green because of the Zucchini and have thickened to a luscious consistency. Transfer to a baking dish and spread out evenly into a thick layer. Using a spoon, gently make 6 wells in the base. Crack 1 egg into each well. Sprinkle a little salt onto each egg, followed by pepper and sprinkle over with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes untill eggs are set. Uncover and return to oven for another 5-7 minutes to melt and brown cheese. Serve hot with crusty bread.

The Kafir lime fish ready to be cooked. This is Halwa fish, stuffed with a mix of coriander, dill, kafir lime leaf and garlic. I microwaved it for a bit and then finished it in the pan.

Herb-stuffed Fish
Ingredients
1/3 c EVOO or lemon infused EVOO
2 whole fish slit through the middle for stuffing. (I used Halwa, but Surmai (Kingfish) of Pomfret would also be great)
2 cups fresh herbs of your choice (I used dill and corriander in equal measures, 4 sprigs of kafir leaves)
2 green chillies
1/3 cup garlic
Juice of 1 Lemon
Sea salt
Lemon wedges to serve


Rinse the fish well and remove innards & scale if necessary. Pat dry with paper towels and rub the interior with sea salt and lime juice. Pound or blend herbs with chillies and garlic to make an aromatic paste. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and half the lemon juice to the herb paste and mix well. Stuff the body cavity of each fish with half the paste. Brush both sides of each fish with a generous amount of the EVOO and set aside. After 10 mins place in a glass dish, cover and cook in the microwave on high for 8-10 mins. Remove and finish on the frying pan so you have a nice crisp skin. Serve topped with a little fresh corriancer and lemon wedges.

The fish after cooking, served with a drizzle of EVOO, sea salt and wedges of lime. Was a total hit!

The eggs cooked!

Bread sliced up!

Yoghurt and sesame gratinated Potatoes (Time taken: 30 mins. Serves: 1)

2 pkts baby potatoes, washed and boiled with salt and very little water
1 c Tahina sauce OR 2/3 c yoghurt +1/3 c toasted sesame paste

1-2 green chillies, minced
3-4 cloves garlic

1 tsp oil
Salt 

Combine tahina OR yoghurt and toasted sesame paste, garlic and green chilies in a bowl and mix well until incorporated. (You should end up with a batter the consistency of dosa batter so add a little milk if it is too thick). Set aside. Place a non stick frying pan on a medium flame and brush with oil. Slice the boiled baby potatoes into halves arrange in a single layer in the frying pan as you slice. Spoon the Tahini mix over the potatoes so everything is evenly covered. Raise flame to high and allow cook until the moisture has completely evaporated (about 10 minutes. Alternatively bake it in the oven till the moisture has dried out and potatoes are golden and crusty.  Serve with toothpicks. 

Chicken sausages for the kids!

Though they preferred the Wrustel! (Aaj kal ke bachche!)

Curry leaf Masala, Potato Wedges and Chicken

All the spices for Rushinas Anna Rascalla Masala toasted and ready to be ground!

I am fascinated by spice blends. Every cuisine I have ever cooked has an all-important signature spice blend. Often these blends can even define the character of a cuisine (think Panch Phoron, Bottle Masala, Malvani Masalla, Chinese five spice). Living the Mumbai life as I do, juggling many roles, Spice blends bring convenient variety to my kitchen. A small amount added at the right moment can contribute characteristic flavor to the dish! In fact, often, just adding a different spice blend to a regular dish can result in new flavours. India being home to spices is a powerhouse of spice blends of course. But traditional blends notwithstanding I have been exploring my own combinations for a while now, here is one of my favoirtites for bringing South Indian flavours to the plate.

This Anna Rascalla Masala was inspired by the ingredients that are traditionally used to temper a South Indian Sambhar; the curry leaves being predominant of course but also the Fenugreek seeds. You can choose the texture you want. I like to grind it fine for curries, gravies dressings and soups but leave it coarse for things like wedges and meat rubs. You can store the coarsely ground version in a Pepper mill as well. Of course doing a Rajnikant sunglasses thing is mandatory!! Enjoy!

For Rushina’s signature "Anna Rascala" Masala (Makes about ½ a cup)

Ingredients
1 cup curry leaves, washed and air dried
1 tbsp Fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seed
5-6 chillies
½ c toasted sesame seeds
Toast Curry leaves on a dry pan till the curl up, turn olive green and become brittle and aromatic. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Now toast each of the spices; fenugreek, coriander, cumin and chillies individually until each of them darkens in color slightly and releases their aroma. In a Mortar and pestle or blender place fenugreek seeds and grind, then add cumin, coriander and chillies and grind or pound to a coarse powder. Lastly add chillies and curry leaves and pound. Stir in sesame seeds and transfer to an airtight container. Use as required.

Toasting the curry leavez, I love how they curl up!

then the Fenugreek...

the Cumin

and the coriander seeds

All set!

Start with the Fenugreek...

Add the Coriander and chillies.

Add rest of the spices, the chillies and some of the curry leaves.

Leave a little of the whole spices in when you crush the curry leaves for traction.

And Viola the Anna Rascalla Masala ia all ready!

Stir in toasted sesame !

Crush the garlic and add to masala mix, Yes I LOVE MY NEW MORTAR AND PESTLE!

Anna Rascalla Potato wedges (Serves 4-6; Time 40 mins to 1 hour)
I was planning on experimenting with potato wedges for a while but when I tasted some rather dismal so called South Indian Wedges at Beangaru recently, I just had to make these because it is just shameful to go wrong with so simple a dish. These make the ultimate easy spicy side dish with anything, great with pooris or parathas and dahi or Rassam rice, Sambhar rice, Sindhi Kadhi rice or just by themselves for rainy days and Sundays as a snack too. I kept the Anna rascalla masala I mixed up very coarse as I wanted the rustic mouthfeel and texture of larger bits of spice. They are fancy enough to serve as a starter for a party too. Just stick them in the oven and forget about them until hunger strikes. Being baked means they are fairly healthy and the toasted sesame add oodles of healthy crunch to the recipe.

Ingredients
1kg potatoes, cooked in salted water and cooled
3 tbsp sesame oil (Gingelly is fine but Toasted Sesame adds flavour and aroma)
3 tbsp Anna Rascalla Masala
6-8 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp Amchur
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Cut your cooked potatoes into large wedges and place in a large mixing bowl. Reserve. In a smaller bowl combine the Anna rascalla Masala and Amchur. In a small pan heat the sesame oil and pour over the masalla mixture. Pour the resulting paste over the potato wedges and toss well. Tip the potatoes onto a baking tray. Place in the oven and bake until reddish golden-brown and crisp on the outside and cooked all the way through on the inside (about 30 minutes). Serve hot from the oven.

Add the amchur!

Add hot oil to the masala sesme mix ..

Pour spice sesame oil paste over prepped wedges and toss well.

Potato wedges all rady to go in the oven!

HOT AND SPIZY Anna Rascalla Potato Wedges! SIMBLY DELICIOUS I ZAY!

Another angle in case you STILL need motivation to make these!

Anna Rascalla Chicken

Anna Rascalla Chicken (Serves 4-6, Time taken 45 mins)
This is one of my own signature recipes, that also offers a healthy option to assuage our usual monsoon craving for Pakoras. Serve it dry with chai or drinks or lightly saucy for a hot spicy meal with butter dosa.

Ingredients
250g boneless chicken, diced small

2tbsp Anna Rascalla Masala

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
1 c shallots (sambar onions) or 3-4 small onions, quartered
1 c baby potatoes or whole potatoes diced, cooked

1 c Bhavnagari chillies or Capsicum cut in chunks
1/2 tsp salt or to taste

To make it saucy
1 c prepared chicken stock
2 tbsp coconut cream

Method:

Combine chicken, half the masala, ginger garlic paste, lime juice and salt to taste. Leave to marinate for ½ hour. Heat oil in a large pan or heavy pot add the rest of the masala and sauté for 20 seconds, add chicken pieces and stirfry till golden. Ensuring it does not burn. When chicken is close to being done (cut a piece in half if it is slightly pink and transluscent in the middle it is close to being done and if it white right through it is done.) Add all the vegetables, check and adjust salt stirfry until vegetables at tender but crunchy. To make dish saucy add stock and simmer till slightly reduced and then stir in coconut cream.