[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by bblost

Pasta with Green Sauce. ...

My daughter had made something similar, but with Basil Pesto.

The Basil Pesto is a very simple concoction: blitz the fresh basil leaves with some pine nuts and grated Parmesan. Dribble in olive oil while grinding. Add a touch of salt (Parmesan is usually quite salty). Just add this to the boiled Gnocchi and grate some more Parmesan on top.

One can substitute basil with Spinach - just blanch (dip in boiling water for a short while) the spinach to take away the raw metallic taste. Add other greens (blanched) and herbs to build layers of flavor.


I wish I had taken a better pic.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

My daughter had made something similar, but with Basil Pesto.

I cook for my daughter. She liked her Green Pasta and even had it for breakfast today.

One can substitute basil with Spinach - just blanch (dip in boiling water for a short while) the spinach to take away the raw metallic taste. Add other greens (blanched) and herbs to build layers of flavor.

I like that metallic taste. So I don't blanch my greens.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by bblost

... She liked her Green Pasta ...

Oh she would! Your recipe sounds delicious.

Originally Posted by bblost

... So I don't blanch my greens.

You don't need to - since you are gently cooking it anyhow (last step). With pesto, you might need to - try.

PS: Pesto stays for quite some time in the fridge, without losing fresh flavor. No preservatives either. I use it as spread on my bread.

[bblost]

Turnips.

A very interesting thing about Turnips is their nutritional value.
Its negligible!

Extremely low on the calorie count and also very poor in vitamins and minerals.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/29...ooked-turnips/

They are also very low in carbs.
Makes them an excellent choice to be included in diet.


Cut them into small, 1 cm squares.
Cut some carrots into small 1 cm squares.

Cook an onion in oil till it turns translucent.
Add some zeera and rai.

Once they are ready, add in some turmeric.
Mix well.
Add the carrots and turnips.
Mix it well. Add some water.
Cover and cook on medium heat.
They may take upto 20-30 mins to cook.
Every 5 mins or so check the water level.
The second time you add water add the salt.

Serve hot.

You can cook them in a pressure cooker, but that would easily render them too soft. I like my vegetables with a little crunch in them.

[rohanjf]

After Subway advertised its egg and mayo sub, I thought I'd try it at home.
I hardboiled a few eggs, then put them in a bowl and chopped them with a table spoon (for irregular shapes).
Then I added eggless garlic mayonnaise, crushed pepper and little salt.
Excellent combination with brown bread. Have I violated any copyright? ;-)

Devilled eggs also follow a similar principle. Hard boil the eggs. Cut them in halves. Take the yolk in a bowl and mash it. Add mustard paste, mayonnaise, finely chopped onion, finely chopped herbs (either parsley or coriander), lemon juice, pepper and salt. Put this mix in every half egg and serve.

Originally Posted by bblost

Turnips.
...

Are you referring to the turnips (which I have not seen in any village market or supermarket in Bangalore), or German turnips (Kohlrabi)?

I eat Kohlrabi raw or use them in sambar. They cook quickly.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

Are you referring to the turnips (which I have not seen in any village market or supermarket in Bangalore), or German turnips (Kohlrabi)?

I eat Kohlrabi raw or use them in sambar. They cook quickly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnip

I used the roots. Did not find the greens.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

... Are you referring to the turnips (which I have not seen in any village market or supermarket in Bangalore), or German turnips (Kohlrabi)?

I eat Kohlrabi raw or use them in sambar. They cook quickly.

Kohlrabi (a cabbage cultivar; that is why the name starts with Kohl in German) is Ganth Gobhi / Navil Kosu / Nool Kol. What @bblost is referring to is called Shalgam in Hindi, which AFAIK is *rarely* available in Bangalore (I sometimes found it in Namdharis or Spar / Auchan). Tinda and turnips are only recently seen in Bangalore.

Funnily Navil Kosu is wrongly called Turnip in Karnataka, which proves that the real Turnip is not known locally. I don't think you will relish the real Turnips in Sambhar - it has a sickly sweet flavor quite unlike radish (turnips resemble some varieties of radish).

I *love* turnips, especially pickled with cauliflower and carrots. This mixed sweet & sour pickle is a North Indian winter specialty. Have exhausted the last batch I had made - must hunt for turnips again.

Originally Posted by bblost

... I used the roots. Did not find the greens.

You will have to be in North India to get the greens. Turnips are grown mostly in Punjab, Haryana, J&K and HP.

A common winter sight in North India, especially Delhi, is people eating the greens off of turnips, radish, carrots etc. on the way home from market. Without salt or any dressing, just the leaves. By the time they reach home, just the roots are left!

[NMS]

Would like to share the preparation of a quick fix snack/meal. I thought I knew a bit about cooking, but looking at this thread I guess there is still quite a distance to cover !!

Take 2-3 Eggs.
Beat them till you see a some froth. Normally the same duration that you would beat for an omelet.

I normally keep fried/boiled chicken or sausages at home.

Mix the egg beat and the chicken in a microwaveable container. Add Salt to taste, you can add some salad dressings/sauces etc.

Once done, cook in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. If after 2-3 minutes of cooking you still see some raw egg, you can heat it for some more time. Basically the time depends on the amount of Eggs being used.

I don't know what to call it Just works for me as a quick meal/breakfast/snack. It is Zero Oil. And is quite healthy.

You can have it with Bread, I prefer it without any breads.

My office colleagues seem to have liked it quite a bit as well.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by NMS

Mix the egg beat and the chicken in a microwaveable container. Add Salt to taste, you can add some salad dressings/sauces etc.

Once done, cook in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. If after 2-3 minutes of cooking you still see some raw egg, you can heat it for some more time. Basically the time depends on the amount of Eggs being used.

Try this variation.

Cut the chicken into small pieces. Like 1/2 cm squares.
Cook the eggs for a minute.
Then add the chicken to it.

This way the chicken pieces.

Cook till the eggs are done.

This way the chicken will be in the middle of the egg rather than sink to the bottom.

You can add flavor by sprinkling some oregano etc.
Or easy way out is to use those extra packets they with give with pizza's from pizza hut, dominoes etc.

[NMS]

Originally Posted by bblost

Try this variation.

Cut the chicken into small pieces. Like 1/2 cm squares.
Cook the eggs for a minute....
................This way the chicken will be in the middle of the egg rather than sink to the bottom.

You can add flavor by sprinkling some oregano etc.
Or easy way out is to use those extra packets they with give with pizza's from pizza hut, dominoes etc.

Thanks !! Damn, I had been thinking about how to get the chicken pieces in the middle ... Will try it out the next time I make this.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

After @mobike008 and @bblost put the fitoor in my dimaag in the Hyderabadi foodies thread, I just had to do it. Got 1Kg of mince from Metro and went about preparing Shami Kabab.

Here's the link where I posted my recipe and process of making Shami Kababs, some variation to the process and some +- in ingredients as well.

http://www.bcmtouring.com/forum/reci...-timer-t51713/

The ones I prepared would melt in the mouth, so one might want to grind them in a mixer for getting that smooth paste.

BTW I broke one of the blades of the mixer while making them again about 2 days back . That was probably the seventh or eighth time I prepared it within the last 2-3 weeks.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by fine69

BTW I broke one of the blades of the mixer while making them again about 2 days back . That was probably the seventh or eighth time I prepared it within the last 2-3 weeks.

Exactly what process caused the mixie blades to break?

Was it mincing the chicken or while blending them all.

If its during mincing the chicken, then buy minced chicken.
Or cut the chicken into small pieces using a knife before running it in the mixie.

If it broke while blending, you might be using the wrong container and/or have less moisture.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by fine69

Here's the link where I posted my recipe and process of making Shami Kababs, some variation to the process and some +- in ingredients as well. ...

BTW I broke one of the blades of the mixer while making them...

Originally Posted by bblost

Exactly what process caused the mixie blades to break?...

The blade must have been on it's last legs before it broke!

One really doesn't need to grind the chicken in mixie - it will be too pasty to start with (and then need more binder to retain shape), and it will lose moisture faster when frying.

See if you can get readymade chicken mince, and add a wee bit of a commercial tenderizer (usually packaged as Meat Tenderizer; it is papain - refined extract of green papayas) while marinating. With this you will not need to blitz the chicken in the mixie.

Green Papaya - grated finely or paste - is used in Galawati / Gilawati Kabab (Galawat / Gilawat = softness / moistness = tender melt-in-the-mouth) so that the meat cooks faster on the tawa when frying.

[mobike008]

Isn't Gilawati Kebab made from Mutton? Why is chicken being used for those kebabs?

I didnt know you use Papaya for Gilawati Kebabs, I thought it predominently used in Tunde Kebabs

Btw, Marriot in Hyderabad is hosting an Awadhi Food Festival from today until May 7th with all these delicacies as part of this menu. Iam so tempted

[fine69]

Originally Posted by bblost

Exactly what process caused the mixie blades to break?

It was during blending and because of lack of moisture. The mixture this time was very hard because I'd put in very little water when pressure cooking the chicken and it had stuck to the bottom of the pressure cooker as well.

Originally Posted by DerAlte

The blade must have been on it's last legs before it broke!

One really doesn't need to grind the chicken in mixie - it will be too pasty to start with (and then need more binder to retain shape), and it will lose moisture faster when frying.

I liked the paste, also because the very first time I cooked it, I didn't blend it for too long which meant ginger/garlic pieces in the patties and I don't like the direct taste of ginger/garlic.

Will try the Gilawati kababs next, had no idea that it contained green papayas