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Recipe: Easy As “AB… Z” – Simple Zucchini Soup

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The first time that I tasted this sublime soup was when I was visiting a dear friend who was unwell at home. Valli Subbiah is an amazing person with an exceptional gift with kids, and even though she was feeling poorly, her hospitality was as gracious as ever. She offered us this simple, flavourful zucchini soup in mugs. At her place, what was served was more of a hot beverage than a soup, but I made it in a thicker consistency when I tried replicating it at home. Valli was sweet enough to share the recipe with me, and we are both happy to share it with you today.

I’m not a great fan of zucchini, so the fact that this dish captured my heart says a lot about how tasty it is. Since having this soup, I’ve been reading up about the vegetable (well, technically it’s a fruit – did you know?) and am delighted to have found a way to consume something that’s so good for us. It is excellent in supporting or easing menopause and post-menopausal health concerns, and is rich in fibre, folate, Vitamin C and a host of other nutrients.

Zucchini is native to South America, which naturally meant that European colonials began to export and cultivate it too. It’s a late addition to Indian markets, but it’s well-suited to our climes and has a fast growing period, which has made it become popular on our menus over the last decade. I certainly never had it while growing up, and am glad it’s so easily available now. Its novelty to us is revealed in the fact that we don’t have names for it in our own languages. If we are non-English speakers, we just call it “jukini” or “jugni”, in our Indian accents!

Despite the main ingredient being of foreign origin, the most interesting part of this recipe is the distinctly South Indian twist. I love the kick that curry masala gives this soup. It seasons the dish without overpowering the taste of the zucchini. I like dishes which can be subtly enhanced in this way, while retaining the basic flavours of ingredients. If you’re a fan of fusion cuisine, some of my other recipes in this category are here.

There are a few types of zucchinis available in Indian markets, and certainly even more abroad. I used the green one and decided to leave the skin on as it was very thin, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that it’s also good for you. The bitterness of vegetable skins is why people usually discard them, but it’s often the case that nutrients may be packed within. Besides which, leaving the skin on meant that the colour of my soup really popped. You know how I always say that food must please the eye first, which is why attractive plating is so important when you serve a meal.

The aesthetics are also important to me as a photographer. Most of you know that the dark and moody tones of the Dutch masters are my inspiration, and I try to replicate the visual effect of their paintings through my own Indian still life and culinary images. However, while doing the photoshoots for this recipe (yup, I did a few – I have fun playing with different looks and pursuing the perfect one), I decided to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself by making white the key note. I was aiming to capture summer’s brightness in these images, and I enjoyed the result, even though deep, sombre tones will always be my big love. I’m curious to know what you think of this style. I’m always excited about new discoveries both in the kitchen at re:store and behind the camera at Nandi Shah Photography.

It’s birthday month right now at our household, with both my husband and I being June-born. But I’m off sugar for three weeks, and after the cake binge we had on this blog (therefore, at home as well!) recently, I wanted to think up something fun but healthy to share to celebrate. I’d never have imagined that zucchinis would be a part of it, but here we are. This surprisingly simply and surprisingly mood-uplifting zucchini soup really does make me feel like raising a mug or a bowl in a toast!

 

 

Zucchini Soup

(Yield: 2 servings)

 

200 grams chopped zucchini

30 grams shallots

2 – 3 cups hot water

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon curry masala

 

Sauté the shallots in olive oil. Then, add the chopped zucchini and stir for a bit.

Next, add two cups of hot water and cover the pan with a lid. If you want the soup to be a little thin, or want to serve it as a beverage, use the third cup of water as well. As you can see from the photos, I personally prefer it thicker. Allow the vegetables to cook until they are tender.

Finally, add the curry masala and turn off the flame. Allow to cool just a little and blend. Serve the soup while it’s still warm.

Now that I’ve been swayed by the charms of the zucchini, I’m curious about other ways in which I might enjoy preparing it. I’ve heard that zucchini flower fritters are a fun snack, and that the flowers themselves are quite pretty, with yellow petals that brighten the plate. I haven’t seen them outside of photographs, but I’m certainly intrigued about getting my hands on some – both for the taste, and for the look! Another simple way to use the vegetable/fruit is to slice it up, roast it with a drizzle of olive oil, and serve it with a dip. A slightly more adventurous idea, but which is actually quite easy in preparation, would be zoodles. Made with a spiraliser and eaten either raw or cooked, zoodles are an ideal alternative to pasta for those who are on gluten-free diets. Do you have more ways to incorporate zucchini into your meals? Let’s chat in the comments.

I hope you’ll enjoy this simple and wonderfully spiced zucchini soup, and that it will taste just as extraordinary to you as it did to me the first time I had it at my friend Valli’s house. That day, as we sat around exchanging stories and sipping at this deliciousness, we all felt a little better about everything. Some food items and some friends just have that effect, don’t they? I know how important it is to bring comforting things into our lives at this time, and I hope that this recipe will be one of them. May good health return to us all on the planet, and with it, may we cherish our diversity and honour our oneness.

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Recipe: Making The Most Of Mangoes 3 – Mango Osaman

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Osaman is a kind of thin broth made in Gujarati kitchens. It’s rather similar to rasam, although certain ingredients like tamarind are eliminated whereas other ingredients like jaggery are used. As I’ve said numerous times in other posts, every community and region in India will have its own variations on certain staples: rices, curries, dals and so on. With it being mango season here – in the country as well as on this blog! – this ripe mango rasam I shared a couple of years back was on my mind. That was when an idea struck: why not make the traditional osaman I had grown up with, but with a luscious, fruity twist?

Osaman is essentially made using the water that dal is boiled in, and served alongside the same dal in a meal. Inspired partly by mango rasam and partly by the Gujarati curry known as fajeto (which is similar to Tamil cuisine’s morkuzhambu), I blended some ripe mango into an osaman as a culinary experiment. The result was something delightful, and I’m excited to share it with you today. This mango osaman is my own recipe, bringing together various comforting influences into a single dish.

Despite being popular in Gujarati homes in the summer, the yoghurt-based fajeto is a heavier dish, and is not among my family’s favourites. They’ve been getting their dairy intake from this lovely lassi anyway, so this osaman was the perfect substitute, allowing me to bring mangoes into our lunch preparations in a new way as well. It’s been much appreciated, and I’m sure it will become a part of our regular meals over many mango seasons to come.

Ripe Mango Osaman

(Yield: Approximately 5 cups)

 

3½ cups water

1 cup ripe mango pulp

½ cup boiled toor dal

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

2 teaspoons jaggery

2 teaspoons ghee

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon grated ginger

2 dry red chilies

A handful of finely cut coriander leaves

In a pot, add the dal, mango pulp and water. Mix well, using a hand blender.

Add the salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, jaggery, turmeric powder and grated ginger to the pot. Allow to boil for about five minutes so that the flavours come together nicely.

In a small pot, prepare the tadka (seasoning). Add ghee. Once it’s hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chillies. As soon as they begin spluttering, add the red chilli powder and immediately pour it over the hot osaman.

Squeeze some lemon juice over it, and garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Just like rasam, this ripe mango osaman works beautifully both as a warm beverage and as an accompaniment to rice. I hope you’ll enjoy this Gujarati-Tamil fusion dish of mine. I’m simply thrilled to have one more recipe to make the most of my mango madness with!

 

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Recipe: Making The Most Of Mangoes 2 – Mango Lassi

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Lassi is an extremely popular and very effective Indian beverage, a coolant that’s popular in the summer months. Being yoghurt-based, it not only reduces the heat in the body but is also rich in probiotics. Naturally, the classic mango lassi had to find a place in my ongoing mango series here on the blog!

This wonderful, lip-smackingly good mango lassi doubles as a dessert. The natural sweetness of the fruit is enhanced by the use of honey (or a sweetener of your choice). I like a flavourful lassi, so a little cardamom and a sliver of ginger go into mine as well.

Some wonder whether mangoes, which are known to be a “heaty” fruit, can really be eaten so much during the summer, despite this being the season when they are most delicious. I’d like to share a very interesting Ayurvedic technique that I came across. It seems that by simply soaking the fruit in water for at least half an hour before consumption, the heat is depleted from it. Mixing it with yoghurt as one does with this lassi also neutralises the heat.

Yoghurt in India is usually homemade, and dairy is consumed regularly. Chaas, also known as buttermilk, was a daily drink for us when we were growing up, as our mother insisted that we always had it after lunch. Lassi is a more indulgent dairy drink that has the same beneficial effects. It can be had salty or sweet, and flavoured in many ways. As a child, I enjoyed a watery lassi best. An excellent savoury variant uses ginger, green chilli, mint, coriander and salt. As for the best sweet variant, well, the recipe is below!

 

Mango Lassi

(Yield: 2 servings)

½ cup peeled & cut Alphonso mango

½ cup plain yoghurt

¼ cup plain milk

1 cup water

A pinch of salt

1 heaped teaspoon sugar or honey

¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

½ teaspoon grated ginger

A few mint leaves

Blend all the ingredients together, except the mint leaves. Adjust the water quantity based on your requirement. If you prefer a thick lassi, use less. Or use more to thin it according to your preference.

Top with ice and serve with the mint leaves as a garnish. Sliced nuts or saffron also work well as garnishing options.

Mango season will continue on this blog, and hopefully in the world too, and I have a variety of innovative dishes I’m excited about sharing with you soon. So do stay tuned for more fruity deliciousness to come!

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Recipe: Making The Most Of Mangoes (Part 1) – Mango Salad

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I was very fortunate to receive a batch of delicious Alphonso mangoes from Nashik, procured by a friend. Nashik is most famous for this variant, one of hundreds grown throughout the country, as it enjoys the ideal clime for its cultivation. I believe they are also grown in Andhra Pradesh and other places, but the Maharashtra Alphonso is the one with the beautiful orange flesh. The colour caught my eye as I cut the fruit open, and inspired me to do a mango series here. To kick things off, here is this filling and vibrant mango salad. This lovely dish is a way to bring a bright spark of healthiness into your diet, without compromising even the slightest bit on taste and flavour.

You may be wondering why I’m talking about good health again after posting three decadent cake recipes back to back. This is why: I believe we are at a point during this COVID-19 crisis when we are ready to empower ourselves to return to normalcy. There was a time and a place for mood-uplifting solutions, but now is the moment when we must accept that the pandemic is here to stay for a while. This means that we need to be more responsible in all aspects of life, pay closer attention to our health, and bring our diets back into balance as well.

The cake recipes were expressions of joy at a time when we all felt confused, terrified and hopeless, and this mango series retains the delectability factor but with a more nutritious angle. I’ve always been very health-conscious, as long time readers will most likely know. I’m not getting any younger, and cutting down on carbs, increasing protein intake and prioritising general well-being and mindful caution are important to me. Honestly, I feel excited about this. I believe we will be able to rise to this challenge. I think this is probably the reason why the human race is at the top of the pyramid of Earth’s many species. No matter what happens, we slowly achieve a sense of normalcy and practicality. We believe in and foster hope.

Of course, it being mango season makes this turn towards pragmatism all the sweeter. Mangoes are lower in calories relative to other fruits, and are a source of Vitamins A and C and beautifying beta-carotene (which is good for the skin). They’re so tasty that it’s hard to believe they could be beneficial, but like all fruits, they are.

This mango salad that I’ve been making lately is such a super hit at home that my family has begun asking for it daily. Considering that the season is limited, usually lasting till the end of June but subject to climactic changes, I’m happy to indulge everyone.

This is a recipe that I came up with, and it layers the sweet fruit with some Asian flavours, courtesy of soy sauce, lemongrass and a sprinkling of peanuts. I add mung bean sprouts for protein, and you may also wish to sauté long strips of tofu or chicken and mix them in if you prefer. Both work well with the Asian flavours, and boost the protein quotient. I sometimes add a grain like quinoa or wild rice to make it an even more textured and filling meal. Other vegetables I’ve used also add a nice crunch, contrasting the soft fleshiness of the mangoes.

It looks and tastes absolutely fantastic – I enjoyed this whole bowl for lunch right after my photoshoot!

I’ve been loving thinking up different ways to make mangoes an ingredient in different dishes, some of which you’ll see on this blog soon. I’ve also been trying to make mango pickle with raw mangoes, growing on one of my trees at home. Gujarati pickles need to be sun-dried in the initial stages, so I am making the most of this hot weather. You could say I’ve been making the most of mangoes, as well as making the most of the summer sun.

 

 

Mango Salad

(Yield: 1 bowl)

1 cup freshly cut ripe, firm mango

½ cup bell peppers

½ cup sliced onions

½ cup sprouted mung beans

1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

½ teaspoon finely cut lemongrass

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon finely cut jalapeños

½ chopped red chilli

2 tablespoons roasted peanuts

 

Dressing:

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon soy sauce

A drizzle of honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 pinch pepper

Mix the salad ingredients together. It’s always best if they’ve been chilled.

Stir the dressing ingredients together well, separately.

Now, pour the mixed dressing over the salad ingredients. Stir gently to assemble the dish, making sure that the dressing coats all of the salad. Voila! The simplicity of preparing this dish is an extra plus in these sweltering months, cutting down on your time in the kitchen.

Refrigerate for a short while, so that you’ll get a fresh and chilled salad at serving time.

Then, all that’s left to do is to enjoy it! You’ll find that the sweetness of the soft ripe mangoes is enhanced by the tanginess of the dressing, and marvellously contrasted by the crunchiness of the nuts and vegetables. What you have is an interestingly textured, and exceedingly tasty salad that can be a starter, a full meal, or a snack – depending entirely on your mood.

I’m in the mood for mangoes any day of this season – are you? Let me take this opportunity to wish all who are celebrating the occasion a very happy Eid. I’d love to hear if my mango salad becomes a part of your celebrations!

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Recipe: Choosing Sunshine – Citrus Bundt Cake

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I usually brainstorm my forthcoming posts ahead of time, thinking about everything from which ingredient will be in season to when I might be able to set up my photoshoots to upcoming special occasions, and much more. I had been keeping this refreshing citrus bundt cake in mind for later on, but the number of calls and personal messages I received after the last few cake posts have inspired me to bring it out ahead of schedule. Nothing puts a smile on people’s faces like a cake, and perhaps it’s no surprise that it seems like everyone is on a baking spree right now. This delicious cake will add to your repertoire beautifully.

You may remember my lemon poppy cake with Meyer lemons from a few years ago. This citrus bundt cake has similar flavours and uses the same pan shape too. The pans I use have been collected either from my travels, or because my friends always know that the best gifts for me are functional and beautiful objects that I can use in my kitchen.

In this recipe, I used Indian limes, locally sourced of course, and you may wish to use oranges or lemons instead. You can play around with the citrus note based on what you have available in your pantry. I always have an eye on the health quotient of ingredients, and the boost of vitamin C, which replenishes the immune system, is most welcome at this time. Citrus fruits also have a way of livening up any meal because of their vibrant colours (using them in this recipe will not give you the same vivid hues, but the taste will amply make up for it), and it was a pleasure to shoot this cake – and just as much of a pleasure to bite into a slice. The attractiveness of the bundt shape, the delicious flavour and the nutritional value came together to represent hope and positivity to me, and I believe you’ll experience the same uplifting spirit when you take it out of the oven.

This period is giving so many of us an opportunity to do some of the things we always dreamt of pursuing but never really had the time to. We are exploring new possibilities. Most of us are discovering that we are actually very good at whatever we’ve been trying our hand at, because it comes from a place of passion, and is motivated by the desire to do something different that changes life for the better.

As we grow as people, learning new skills and exploring new talents, I feel that many of us are also realising just how much we have abused and polluted our planet. I’ve had so many conversations recently about exactly this, and I have faith that we will come together to make a kinder world. We’re learning the hard way, but understanding so much more now collectively that it will surely yield a brighter future.

Speaking of brightness, that’s exactly what a good bundt cake brings to the table. When my family and I, who are enjoying lockdown together, gather at 5 o’clock each evening for a chat and some tea, this lovely cake is the perfect response to our peckishness. By the way, speaking of the new experiments people are trying out reminds me – it’s my husband who’s frequently been making the tea these days!

When I took this warm cake out of the oven the other day, the whole house had the lovely fragrance of lime lingering everywhere. While the cake cooled, every member of my family chipped in to help in some way. My husband put a pot of tea on the stove, my daughter modelled and posed for my photoshoot, and my son started the cleaning up. My dog Max, of course, was all over the place as usual, eager for cuddles (and a bite of cake, if we weren’t careful!). The beautiful, vibrant laburnum flowers – locally known as konrai – I was lucky to find to style my photos with also brightened the mood.

Like every meal we’ve eaten together in these weeks, this beautiful citrus bundt cake also brought us together. This very moist, very tender cake was a ray of sunshine, and affirmed the choice I’ve been making every day to make the very best of this time.

Citrus Bundt Cake

(Serves 5)

Ingredients:

2¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cornflour

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

½ cup whole milk

¼ cup thick non-sour yoghurt

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

4 eggs

2 tablespoons lime zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Frosting:

1 cup icing sugar

1 teaspoon lime zest

3 teaspoons lime juice

Before I begin sharing the method for making this cake, I thought I would share a few tips. I know that many of you have taken to baking for the first time, and certain things that experienced bakers take for granted haven’t yet become forces of habit for you. So here are some simple guidelines that will go a long way towards making sure that your kitchen experiments and studies turn out much more satisfyingly.

Firstly – always make sure that the baking powder and all other ingredients are fresh and have not crossed the expiry date. It’s best to use all ingredients at room temperature, unless otherwise specified.

Now, about the role of sifting when preparing the flour. Always sift all the dry ingredients together, unless otherwise specified. This will incorporate some air into the flour and gives you a second chance to remove unwanted ingredients. Sifting adds volume to your cake and makes it light and airy.

Creaming the butter and the sugar together has the same effect, incorporating air into the mixture so that you have a nice, fluffy cake. If done right, creaming will change the colour to an almost ivory shade.

Once wet ingredients are added, be careful to not over-mix. Doing so will increase gluten formation, which is not good for the cake.

Always measure quantities by adding the ingredients into a measuring cup. As a hygiene measure, do not dip the cup into the ingredient jar.

Preheating the oven before baking is important. If this step is skipped, the cake may not rise and may sink in the centre.

Always grease the baking tin and line it with parchment paper, as this helps to easily remove the cake when it’s done.

Always place the tin on the middle rack of the oven. This will ensure that heat is evenly distributed over both the top and the bottom of the cake.

To ensure that your cake is baked to perfection, there’s a simple test that all bakers use. Insert a skewer and pull it out. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If it comes out with clumps, it needs to bake for longer. Another sign of a cake being finished is that you may notice it receding from the sides of the tin. Finally, when you press the top of the cake gently, it should spring back.

It’s best to leave a cake in its tin to cool once out of the oven. This will take about 15 minutes. Then, turn it onto a cooling rack.

Now that these basic-but-brilliant tips have been shared with you, I must stress once again (as I did here, in this recipe for classic chocolate cake) that baking is a science. Follow the method to a T and you won’t fail. Remember to have fun!

Shall we move on to the recipe for this citrus bundt cake?

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Grease a bundt pan generously with butter and dust with flour. Refrigerate for about ½ hour. If you prefer using a regular cake tin, then use a 9” tin. Grease and line with parchment paper. You do not need to refrigerate this.

In a bowl, sift all the dry ingredients (except the sugar) together.

Put the butter in a bowl and cream it. To this, add the lemon zest and the sugar. Continue creaming the mixture. One at a time, add the eggs, making sure to incorporate each one well before adding the next.

In another bowl, add the lime juice and vanilla extract to the milk. Mix.

Now, slowly add the dry flour and the wet milk mixture into the creamed butter mixture, alternating each. Mix gently as you add. Once all the flour and the milk mixture have been included, add the thick non-sour yoghurt. Fold gently.

Pour this batter into the greased cake tin and bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Oven temperatures vary, so at 35 minutes, insert a skewer and do the test described earlier. As a rule of thumb, if the cake looks like it will jiggle if you move it, it needs more time.

Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and cool for 15 minutes. Then, turn the cake onto a wire rack.

Once the cake has completely cooled, mix the frosting ingredients together well. Pour this over the cake immediately.

Like all re:store cakes, this too is only very lightly sweet. The tanginess of the limes enlivens the tastebuds, and brings a boost of good energy your way. It can last a few days when stored in a refrigerator, and retains its moistness as well. Remember that you may use any citrus fruit that you please, and don’t let not having a bundt pan stop you from using a regular one. I’ve relied on my trusty local limes, which are used extensively in Indian cuisine. If you’re a fan of this zesty acidic fruit, you may also enjoy this rejuvenating drink that’s just perfect for the summer. Don’t forget to also check out this bounty of cake recipes I’ve shared on this blog, from this eggless whole-wheat saffron and cardamom cake to this exquisite vegan lavender cake and more!

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Recipe: “The Best Chocolate Cake In 27 Years!” – Classic Chocolate Cake

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With my kids being at home with me during the lockdown, I’ve found myself baking even more than usual – which is saying a lot! I’ve been enjoying this process, and as always I can’t help but reach out for my camera to challenge myself and indulge my creative side. With every new image of a cake that I post on Instagram, a flood of messages comes in, mostly from people asking for recipes. I’m so thankful to each and every one of you who enjoys my posts and I’m thrilled to share this recipe with you today.

The joke in the house is that I won’t share my cake recipes with my kids unless they bake along with me, which they rarely do. I’ve decided to make an exception as April happened to be my son’s birthday month, and I want to spread some happiness during what is a challenging time for all of us. This classic-style chocolate cake recipe is my gift to my son, to make use of when he returns to his city eventually, so he can remember all the bonding moments we shared together in these last few months. I am just as delighted to share it with you. As someone who took her first step into the world of entrepreneurship through the world of baking, I know just how much pleasure and empowerment and sheer comfort the process can bring. I hope you experience that delight today.

This chocolate cake is a repeat order in my house, so to speak, because it is my son’s favourite. Every single time I bake it, he relishes a generous slice and says, “Mom, today’s cake is the best one I’ve had in 27 years!” Every single time! Such appreciation truly makes my day. I’ve also noticed how there’s just something about cakes in particular that have such an uplifting effect. Perhaps that really is why they’re such a vital element of celebrations.

What I am sharing today is a no-fail or foolproof recipe. What’s lovely about it is that it is not very heavy, being oil-based. This also makes it very moist. It has a lovely, deep and rich colour which comes courtesy of the coffee powder used. The coffee powder enhances the cocoa flavour, and doesn’t impart even a whiff of its own flavour into the cake. Don’t be perturbed by it. This will not turn out to be a coffee cake. Follow the simple recipe step by step, and you’ll achieve a chocolate cake that is not cloyingly sweet, tastes absolutely delicious, and that you’ll no doubt bake over and over.

 

I hope that all of you baking for the first time because of the resultant free time due to the lockdown will also find the same comfort and satisfaction in it that I do. There are two things I’d like to share with beginner bakers. Firstly, I get a lot of questions about ingredient substitutes and shortcuts that go something like: “I don’t have baking powder; can I still bake a cake? How about without an oven?” My answer to them all is straightforward: baking is a science. It’s all about formulas and proportions. Once you’ve understood that, you can tweak ingredients, explore different flours and powders, and experiment. Until then, don’t start off on the wrong footing. Baking isn’t like cooking. It isn’t like replacing chilli powder with another spice. Every part of the process and every ingredient involved has a role to play when it comes to the final product of a cake.

Which brings me to the second major tip I have for beginner bakers: patience is key. If you’re in a hurry to see the end of the cake, it won’t happen! Enjoy the process.

I know that more people are binging on sweet treats now more than ever, so I’ll let you in on one more secret from the re:store kitchen. The key to moderation is not making less, it’s sharing more! A neighbour once asked my son, “Your mother bakes every day; how come you’re all so trim?” That’s because everything I put into the oven is split into many portions. For instance, whenever I bake this chocolate cake, everyone from family members to our household staff to our neighbours gets a slice. There’s a different quality of delight that comes when everyone partakes. Rest assured, there are never leftovers. It’s wonderful to bring that bit of sweetness into everyone’s day.

To my son: I hope this recipe travels with you through your life. Spending your birthday with the family, despite lockdown, was a beautiful occasion for us. Dressing up, dining together, cutting a cake, and bonding – we have been creating memories to cherish. I initially thought that we’d get on each others’ nerves, but I’m glad to be experiencing the opposite. We’re learning so much from each other about sharing and caring. Up until now, everyone was living in their own cities and doing their own thing, and sometimes I felt scared that I would be alone when I most needed it. Instead, the joy we’ve experienced in this time through being together reassures me of all the love that I have in my life.

 

Classic Chocolate Cake

(Serves 5)

Ingredients:

250 grams all purpose flour

85 grams unsweetened cocoa powder

400 grams powdered sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coffee powder

120 ml oil

240 ml milk

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

240 ml hot water

 

Butter icing:

150 grams unsalted butter at room temperature

400 grams icing sugar

¾ cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

A few drops of milk, if needed

 

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Prepare two 8’ cake tins by greasing the tins and dusting them with flour. Line the bases with parchment paper. The parchment paper helps release the cakes easily from the tins, after baking. Two tins are used as this allows you to put a layer of chocolate icing between them.

In a bowl, add the milk (at room temperature) and the vinegar. This is called buttermilk. Set aside.

Sift the dry ingredients together: flour, cocoa powder, salt, sugar, baking soda and baking powder.

In another bowl, add the eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla essence and mix them together.  If you’d like to, you can use orange or mint essence instead of the vanilla to give the cake a different flavour.

Now, add this wet mixture to the dry mixture and fold well, making sure there are no lumps. Do not over-beat. Next, add the coffee powder to the hot water to create a slightly thin liquid. Add this to the cake mixture too.

Now, pour the batter evenly into the prepared tins and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when you insert it.

Remove the tins from the oven and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes. When cooled, flip the cake tins, remove the parchment paper and cool the cakes on a rack. Then, flip them back again (top side up).

While the cakes are cooling, prepare the icing. Stir the butter and dry ingredients with a spoon first, otherwise you’ll have the cocoa powder and sugar flying out of the bowl. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla essence, and slowly add the icing sugar until the mixture reaches a spreadable texture. Only once the mixture has been partially incorporated should you use a handheld blender. Beat until creamy. If required, add milk to achieve the consistency you desire. Store in the refrigerator.

Once the cakes have cooled to room temperature, you can frost and layer them to form a single cake. Here’s a video of the frosting – tempting, isn’t it?

Level the tops of both cakes with a sharp knife, until they are flat and even. Place one layer on a cake stand. Frost the top, and then gently place the second layer over it. Now, frost the top of this as well. If you have any kind of toppings on hand that you’d like to use, such as confectionery or fruit, go ahead and decorate the cake as you wish.

The trick to making clean slices lies in a half hour of refrigeration after frosting, so don’t skip this step before you serve it.

At a time like this, I believe that sharing something uplifting and refreshing is the need of the hour, and I could think of no better recipe that would do that than this beautiful chocolate cake. We should all remain in positive spirits, hoping and praying for the best and resisting feeling pulled down. I want you to feel good when a notification about a new post from me arrives. So I want you to tell me: what are some recipes you’d like to see on the blog in future? Looking forward to hearing your wishes in the comments!

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Recipe: The Rustic Loaf –Eggless- Whole-Wheat Saffron & Cardamom Cake

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For as long as I’ve been cooking, I have woken up every morning wondering what new dish I might try in my kitchen. This hasn’t changed at all during this lockdown. I’m still starting each day by planning what I can prepare. Of course, as all of you are no doubt experiencing too, there’s an extra step of having to be especially creative so as to maximise available ingredients since grocery shopping is more infrequent now. Still, I believe that we must always eat well, as much as we can. Desserts are still on my mind – sometimes the thought I start my day with is: a sourdough-based dish, or a cake? The other day, I picked baking a cake – a whole-wheat saffron and cardamom cake to be precise – and I’m glad to share the recipe with you today.

Teatimes at home now have a whole new vibe. I usually have my tea alone, but with everyone at home all day at the moment, they have become a special bonding experience. This is why a cake made all the more sense to me, as an accompaniment to our cuppas and conversations. With the re:store kitchen on hiatus along with so many other food and beverage enterprises in the city, I also missed baking on a daily basis. Going through my blog, I realised that in these three and a half years, I have shared no more than four cake recipes with you. Given that they are my signature product, I felt that there’s no time like the present to give you another one.

Like most of re:store’s baked goods, this whole-wheat cake is mildly sweet, with no icing. The cardamom and saffron add a faint but wonderful whiff of Indian-ness to it. An added benefit is that it’s eggless – perfect for vegetarians, and in case you’re running out of eggs at the moment. It’s a very easy cake to prepare, as well. Baking cakes always involves a simple formula, as I reminded my niece when she attempted one of the recipes I shared earlier. If you follow the basic principles carefully, they reliably turn out perfect. This one, I can assure you, is not only easy to make but also very tasty.

Earlier, I enjoyed making this cake using mini loaf tins. For a change, this time I baked the cake in a regular-sized loaf tin, selecting it from the pans which I have collected over time. This tin shape makes the cake especially cute, and it comes out in the perfect size to slice up. The portions are ideal for a family of five at teatime. Ours is 5+1 at the moment, including my dog Max – who always reminds us that we better eat up our share quickly, before he gobbles it up!

If cardamom and saffron aren’t available in your kitchen right now, this recipe will work equally well with lavender or even some mild lemon zest. The choice is yours. Feel free to experiment with flavours (and be sure to let me know in the comments later what you decided to do). Happy baking!

Whole-Wheat Saffron/Cardamom Cake

(Serves 5)

180 grams whole-wheat flour

185 grams white powdered sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon cardamom powder

5-10 strands saffron

65 grams soft butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

240ml whole milk

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Prepare a loaf tin by greasing the tin and lining it with parchment paper.

Remove a ¼  cup of milk from the 240ml, keeping the rest aside. Soak the saffron strands in this for half an hour or until colour rises.

In another bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix them together well. Then, add the wet ingredients one by one and mix again.

Pour the batter into the loaf tin and place it in the oven. Allow to bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Toward the end of the baking process, you may notice that the cake acquires a darker colour on top. This is due to the brown sugar. If you prefer, you may cover the cake loosely with parchment paper while it bakes, to avoid excess browning.

Let it cool slightly, then remove the still-warm loaf and slice it up for serving. The lovely thing about this cake is that it needs no icing or any kind of topping, and responds well to a variety of flavourings. It has a nice rustic look, and tastes perfectly moist and delicious all on its own. The perfect accompaniment is a cup of tea – along with a pleasant conversation…

I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe, and that it adds a hint of sweetness and sparkle to this challenging time!

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Recipe: Surprisingly Simple – Vegetable Biryani

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My children are at home through this lockdown, and I’ve been striving to make their favourite dishes for them while being mindful about how to make every ingredient go the extra mile. As we’ve discussed many times before on this blog, Indians have a knack for being resourceful in the kitchen, whether that’s through reusing leftovers creatively or coming up with innovative ways to cook with less. I believe that we should not neglect our nutrition or our taste buds, even now, and I’ve been thinking of how to share recipes with you that can be made with what you already have on hand in the fridge, but which don’t compromise on deliciousness. This vegetable biryani is a perfect example – flavourful, comforting, and made from just the staples.

The great part about this dish is that you can throw in any vegetable you like, which is especially useful at a time like this. It’s a very easy recipe for young adults who are just stepping out and learning to cook on their own, as well as for beginners in the kitchen. If you have a pressure cooker and follow the recipe to a T, you’ll soon be able to enjoy homemade biryanis on the regular.

Biryani is a savoury rice dish from the Mughal empire of India, and variations are made throughout the country. It is often prepared with long-grained basmati rice. In South India, we tend not to grow this variant, so different locations are famous for using their own rice types and methods. Popular regional biryanis include Dindigul, Hyderabad, Ambur and more. Meat is a common ingredient, but I’ll share a vegetarian recipe for the benefit of a wider number of readers.

That said, even the vegetables in this recipe are optional, although of course I don’t recommend that you leave them out for nutrition’s sake. But if you are short of groceries right now, be assured that the rice will be just as flavourful even without them. The subtle tastes and fragrances of the many spices used amply make up for them.

When my children were still little, and like many children disliked eating vegetables, they were absolutely delighted by a discovery made on a holiday. My brother had taken us to Dubai, to a restaurant that made a wonderful selection of biryanis. My kids were kicked to see that the restaurant offered a vegetarian version with no vegetables! I guess you could call it the kids’ option. That’s where they got the idea of having this flavourful rice with no vegetables at all, and got me to start making it for them that way too.

Like many of you, if not all of you, there have been some disruptions for us due to the current situation. We had been renovating our house, and had temporarily shifted to a smaller flat, where we now find ourselves until this crisis passes. Living in apartments, you can get the smells of cooking from different homes wafting into yours. This piques my curiosity delightfully. Sometimes I wonder: I think she’s making biryani, and that smells like this masala or that spice; perhaps I can incorporate it next time… Biryanis vary not just regionally, but also  between communities, and from family to family. No one can really replicate another’s, yet they are all fragrant – and tasty! I am certain yours will be too.

I have many other memories of biryani as a dish that encouraged bonding, and these go back to my childhood. At the time, the beach was the only place of outing for us in Chennai. We went there whether it was for a special occasion, like Sharad Purnima, or just as a treat. Most of us have lovely recollections of time spent there. On summer evenings, my extended family would head there with a big pot of biryani. We’d enjoy dinner on the beach along with the light, cooling sea breeze. People would also bring accompaniments, including a sweet, raita, drinks, crispies like appalams and so on, so it became a potluck. We would tuck into a feast as we enjoyed one another’s company as well as the beauty of nature. I so look forward to doing that again one day, when it becomes possible to. A simple picnic with loved ones, in the beautiful outdoors, with a basket or two of delicious food…

 

Vegetable Biryani

(Yield: Serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons ghee

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon saunf

2 bay leaves

1 long cinnamon stick

2-3 cloves

2 cardamom pods

1 star anise

200 grams rice (approximately 1¼ cups)

200 grams cut vegetables (beans, carrots, small potatoes, peas)

100 grams finely cut onions

1 tablespoon tomato purée

1 green chilli

A few mint leaves

1 tablespoon finely cut coriander leaves

1 tablespoon yoghurt

2 cups water

 

Masala:

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon cumin powder

 

Raita:

1½ cups yoghurt

½ cup onions

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

First, prepare the raita, so it’s ready when you serve the biryani. Add the yoghurt in a bowl, then add the salt and the cumin powder. Mix well. Now, add the onions and stir. Store in the refrigerator.

Pick, rinse and soak the rice in water for about ½ an hour. I have used rice from our farm as we prefer that at home. However, if you prefer basmati, then use that by all means. It’s possible that the water content may change, so adjust accordingly.

In a pressure cooker, add the ghee. Once it becomes hot, add the cumin seeds and saunf, followed quickly by the spices (cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves, star anise). You can substitute the ghee for oil, especially if you are vegan.

Sauté for less than a minute or until the flavours come together in the ghee.

Next, add the finely cut onions and sauté until transparent. Once it turns golden, add the tomatoes and the green chilli. I have used a homemade tomato purée, the recipe for which was shared recently. But feel free to use fresh tomatoes, diced.

Now, add the masala and stir well. Once that is mixed thoroughly, add all the vegetables along with the mint and coriander leaves. You may use any vegetables that are available to you. Fortunately, my usual method for this biryani requires simple ones that I still have on hand easily – beans, carrots, small potatoes and peas.

Next, add the yoghurt. Blend everything well. Discard the soaking water and add the rice.

Now, add 2 more cups of water to the rice mixture. Cover the pressure pan and allow 1 whistle. Then, lower the flame and allow to cook for another 5 minutes.

Turn off the flame and allow to cool in the cooker until it is ready to open.

Once open, mix gently and serve with the onion raita. I garnish the biryani with a sprinkling of golden burnt onion slices.

And there you have it – a recipe from the royal kitchens, adapted for our lives today. I hope this simple vegetable biryani will bring you some joy in this surreal time. I’ll keep sharing more recipes in the next few weeks which I hope will also do the same.

If “biryani” has been considered a fancy dish in your mind till date, I encourage you to drop the notion. Let’s return once more to the fact that there are numerous kinds of biryanis – with meat, without meat, with vegetables, without vegetables, with some kinds of rice or with some other kinds of spices. This is why I want to say with confidence – give it a try! I am sure it will be great, and I would love to hear about your own variant in the comments.

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Recipe: Mum’s Memories – Gujarati Potato & Brinjal Curry

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Here in lockdown mode, due to the global pandemic, I feel now more than ever that memories, bonding, love and food are what keep us going and make it possible to manage this difficult time. I sincerely hope that you and your families are keeping well, and that my recipes will offer you some comfort.

Ever since I can remember, this traditional stuffed vegetable dish has been a part of my life. It’s typically Gujarati, in the sense that every Gujarati household makes it. Some use onions and garlic, while for others these ingredients are not permitted religiously. Some use peanuts to add more texture. This dish is true to its region, so the taste and style you experience will also vary depending on where in the state the family originated from. No matter the variant, the base recipe for this Gujarati Potato & Brinjal Curry, which can be made either as a gravy or dry, is the same.

Needless to say, it’s a favourite and frequent dish in my home today, just as it was when I was growing up. It was a trademark preparation of my mother’s. When I first got married, she would speak to me often on the phone and if she sensed that I was feeling down, she would always say, “Come home for a meal. I made your favourite vegetable dish today.” Till she was 84 years old, she cooked this sabzi regularly for me. In that last year when she was unwell, it became my turn to. I would cook it and send it to her, made with all the love I have for her and the memories she had given me, and she would enjoy it just as much as I did.

And how many memories I have of this dish! Memories of eating it at home as a child, memories of making it for my own family once my kids were born, memories of visiting Gujarati relatives and friends for a meal and almost invariably being offered their own personal rendition of it. Perhaps there was something extra special about it to me always, and maybe this was the reason why my mother recognised that it was my favourite. That was because it was always served during our Sunday lunches when we were growing up. We would all be glad for the weekend, enjoying our leisure, and this delicious concoction of potato and stuffed brinjal would fill our tummies and become associated with the joy of a day of rest itself. Funnily, for such a quintessential and ubiquitious dish, Gujaratis don’t have a special name for it. We just call it “potato-brinjal curry” in our language too!

There are certain dishes which, even if one usually dislikes the main ingredient, the magic of the preparation always sways the eater to relish it. I’ve heard quite often that people who don’t enjoy eggplant in other ways do so when they have a bite of this. (People not liking potatoes is much rarer, of course!). Whether you call it brinjal, baingan, aubergine or eggplant, it’s a vegetable that has a host of benefits, and which can be made in delicious ways so that your family receives these. This Gujarati curry, for which I will provide both the gravy and the dry options in the method below, is the perfect way to bring the antioxidant-rich, fibre-rich, nutrient-rich vegetable into your regular diet.

Gujarati Potato & Brinjal Curry (Gravy/Dry)

(Yield: 1 bowl)

½ cup grated coconut

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoons cumin/dhania (coriander) powder

1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder)

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoons jaggery

1 teaspoon chilli powder

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon grated ginger/green chili

½ cup finely chopped coriander leaves

2 tablespoons oil

6 baby eggplants

3 large potatoes

3-4 cups water

First, let me share the gravy version of this dish. The dry version is provided further below.

Wash the baby eggplants. Slit them lengthwise (so that they can be stuffed; be careful not to cut completely) and keep the slices in water.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into big pieces. Set aside.

In a plate, prepare the stuffing by adding together the coconut, salt, spices, coriander leaves, ginger chili paste, and jaggery. Mix it well with your fingertips and set aside. Now, take each eggplant and stuff it with this prepared masala. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and gently add potatoes, making sure the oil doesn’t splutter. Next, gently add the stuffed eggplants over the potatoes. You will find that there is a lot of masala left over. Sprinkle this over the vegetables, leaving just a little on the plate for later. Again, gentleness is key so that the stuffed eggplants don’t break.

Now, add the water and mix the concoction – again, gently! Cover the cooker and wait for three whistles. Allow to cool, then open the lid and add the remaining masala. Stir once again. Your gravy Gujarati Potato-Brinjal Curry is ready to serve.

If you prefer a dry version of the same, follow the first three steps as above: cleaning and preparing the eggplants for stuffing, cutting the potatoes, and preparing the masala.

Then, add the oil in a kadai. Once it has heated, add the potatoes. Stir them, then cover with a lid on a slow flame. Stir occasionally, making sure they do not stick to the bottom. Once the potatoes are slightly tender to the touch and not overcooked, open the lid and add the stuffed eggplants. Remember that potatoes take longer to cook than eggplants so gauge the time well.  Cover again.

If required, especially if the vegetables are sticking to the bottom of the pan, sprinkle some water and cover. Continue to allow the dish to cook until all the vegetables are well-done. Finally, add the masala and stir gently. Cover again and allow it to sit. The dry version of this dish is now ready to serve.

As you prepare the dish, adjust the spices as per your preference. If you don’t like the standard Gujarati-style touch of sweetness, don’t include jaggery. If you want to spice it up while maintaining colour, chopped green chillies will do the trick. Don’t forget the versions mentioned at the beginning, which incorporate peanuts, garlic or onions.

No matter which way you choose to make it, I hope this Gujarati Potato-Brinjal Curry brings as much comfort and deliciousness to your home as it does to mine. As with all Indian curries, it’s perfect with rice and a range of breads. It’s got the spiciness of our masala, is tummy-filling thanks to the potatoes, and just has such a feel-good effect on the heart. Trust me: generations of Gujaratis have been turning to this dish as nutritious comfort food!

 

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Recipe: The Perfect Mix – All-Purpose Tomato Purée

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Being resourceful in the kitchen comes naturally to many of us, and I’m someone who has long included homemade flours and powders and organic produce as parts of my everyday cooking. To me, preparing big batches of dishes that keep well and can be reheated is just the smart thing to do. I’ve noticed that canning is a culinary and DIY trend that has really been catching on on social media. I admire the trend as it takes a lot of hard work, and requires being inventive and patient. I think it’s similar in some ways to the Indian art of pickling. I don’t seem to have the talent for canning, but I do the next best thing and make a delicious tomato purée that can be kept for several days, and used in several ways. The wonderful part of it is that it’s a very versatile item. This all-purpose tomato purée works in myriad cuisines effortlessly.

It suits kids’ cravings, adults’ larger appetites, and everything from Continental meals for those with a wide palate and traditional Indian dishes for those seeking comfort food. That it can be stored for a while is a big plus. My daughter who lives in Mumbai insists that I bring her a batch whenever I visit her, or packs a big jar into her luggage each time she returns there from home, and uses it for over the course of a whole week.

When I’m in a hurry for a curry, I just take the jar or pot out of the fridge and have a readymade base on which to build the dish. The same goes for when there’s a request for a homemade pizza, or more likely a pasta – my son is notorious for changing his mind, and my menu, last minute! So it’s great that I have something that works both ways.  Sometimes, I’ll scoop a dollop of this tomato purée into minestrone soup as well (the recipe for it will follow sometime soon).

That’s why having an all-purpose key product helps me so much. It cuts down on the prep time regardless of what I’m making that day. My tomato purée imitates the famous pasta sauce called ragú, except it is vegetarian whereas the traditional Italian recipe is meat-heavy.

What makes this tomato purée extra special is that we’ve been growing the tomatoes ourselves on our terrace. I often talk about our farm and the varieties of produce and plants we grow there, and it’s really special to me that I get to bring some of that spirit back home too. Once you get a knack for gardening, you realise just how easy is it to cultivate some of the staples we reach for in our kitchens often. Many people I know grow herbs, vegetables and even fruit trees, which go directly into their diets. We are currently enjoying an abundant harvest of tomatoes, and are putting these lovely vegetables (or more accurately, fruits) to good use in a wide variety of dishes.

I guess you could say that while I haven’t yet found the talent for canning the way the Instagrammers do it, I’ve definitely had the patience to develop other culinary skills. Tending to homegrown produce is one, and making sourdough is another. Those of you who have followed my own IG stories for a while now would have noticed my eventual success in making that complicated bread! Whenever it’s pasta night at home, I put some into the oven and bake it an hour before dinnertime. A fresh, warm loaf accompanied by this tomato purée as a dip is served alongside delicious plates of pasta, which themselves are rich with this purée in the sauce. Now, I have my sights on mastering a sourdough base for pizza. My homemade pizza has been a hit in my household ever since my kids were little, and my daughter would often take some to school (to promptly exchange for spinach rice!). Her friends still ask me for some when they all visit together, and I’d love to surprise them with a sourdough twist to their childhood favourite soon. Made, of course, with this all-purpose tomato purée as a pizza sauce. Wish me luck, and be sure to follow my journey of trials, errors and triumphs on social media!

 

All-Purpose Tomato Purée

(Yield: 1 jar)

½ kilogram tomatoes

150 grams onions

4-5 garlic cloves

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

¼ teaspoon basil powder

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon paprika

Roast the tomatoes over a flame until the skin is charred. Discard the skin and purée the tomatoes in a blender. Set aside.

Purée the onion in a blender along with the garlic cloves.

Heat a pan and add the olive oil. Then, add the puréed onion mixture and sauté till it turns golden. Next, add the tomato purée and mix well. Keep the flame to a medium heat and stir occasionally, making sure that the mixture does not stick to the bottom and sides. Be careful as the purée will soon start to bubble. Reduce the flame intermittently. When the purée begins to reduce, add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Some notes on adjusting the ingredients to suit your taste: change the proportion of onions or garlic depending on how you like them, substitute chili powder for paprika if that’s your preference, and adding a sprinkling of fresh basil towards the end of the reduction adds a nice flavour, if you have that ingredient on hand.

Reduce the purée until it is thick and spreadable, or to the consistency you desire.

Allow to cool and store in a glass jar in the fridge. This all-purpose tomato purée lasts for approximately a week, and up to ten days with good storage. As it keeps well, you can also adjust all the proportions to make a batch in a size that’s ideal for all the ways you may use it over the course of a week.

Whether it’s a pasta, a pizza, a sandwich, or even an Indian curry with a hint of Mediterranean flavours, this all-purpose tomato purée just adds so much convenience to my regular cooking. I’d love to know if you try it out, and I’d especially love to hear about the creative ways in which you add it to your own menu!

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