BENEFITS OF GINGER

1. In case of bad throat then mixed honey in little bit of ginger juice and gradually drink it.Sore throat will be fine in few days.


2. GINGER IS VERY USEFUL IN DIARRHEA.

How to make Jeera Rice Recipe

Given below Ingredients of Jeera Rice Recipe

• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 2 tsp Jeera (cumin seeds)
• 2 tbsp Cashewnuts
• 3 Whole peppercorns
• 2 Bay leafs
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Cinnamon sticks
• 1 Onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• Salt To Taste

Given below method to make Jeera Rice Recipe

• Wash the rice and soak in water for half an hour.
• Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan, add cashewnuts. Fry until brown. Take them out and keep aside.
• Add onions , bayleafs, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds, peppercorns to the same ghee and fry for a while.
• Add the rice , salt, water and stir. Cover with a lid and simmer the flame.
• Cook until the rice is done.
• Serve jeera rice hot with any spicy curry or raita.

Given below Video of make Jeera Rice Recipe

How to make Jeera Rice Recipe

Given below Ingredients of Jeera Rice Recipe

• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 2 tsp Jeera (cumin seeds)
• 2 tbsp Cashewnuts
• 3 Whole peppercorns
• 2 Bay leafs
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Cinnamon sticks
• 1 Onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• Salt To Taste

Given below method to make Jeera Rice Recipe

• Wash the rice and soak in water for half an hour.
• Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan, add cashewnuts. Fry until brown. Take them out and keep aside.
• Add onions , bayleafs, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds, peppercorns to the same ghee and fry for a while.
• Add the rice , salt, water and stir. Cover with a lid and simmer the flame.
• Cook until the rice is done.
• Serve jeera rice hot with any spicy curry or raita.

Given below Video of make Jeera Rice Recipe

How to make Daal Bati Recipe

Given below Ingredients of Daal Bati Recipe

For daal :

• 2 cups rajma beans (soaked in water overnight with a pinch of soda bicarb)
• 3/4 cup whole black gram (urad) (soaked in water overnight with a pinch of soda bicarb)
• 3 onions, chopped finely
• 2 tomatoes, chopped finely
• 2 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 2 tbsp cream
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 1 cup coriander leaves, chopped finely
• Oil
• Salt To Taste

For Bati :

• 5 cups whole wheat flour, sieved
• 1 cup ghee, melted
• 2 tbsps curd
• Salt To Taste

Given below Method to make Daal Bati Recipe

• Pressure cook rajma and black gram till it becomes soft. Heat 4 tbsps oil. Add onions. Brown them.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes. Fry. Add all the masalas, beans and salt.Simmer till well blended. The gravy should be thick. Pour over cream and ghee. Knead a soft dough with flour, ghee, curd, salt and just enough water.
• Roll into lemon-sized balls. Cover and keep for one hour. Then roast in batches on hot coals till puffed and golden outside and spongy inside. Keep hot.
• Garnish the daal with coriander leaves and slit green chillies. Dip hot (baati) dumplings in the daal while eating.

Given below Video for make Daal Bati Recipe

How to make Daal Bati Recipe

Given below Ingredients of Daal Bati Recipe

For daal :

• 2 cups rajma beans (soaked in water overnight with a pinch of soda bicarb)
• 3/4 cup whole black gram (urad) (soaked in water overnight with a pinch of soda bicarb)
• 3 onions, chopped finely
• 2 tomatoes, chopped finely
• 2 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 2 tbsp cream
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 1 cup coriander leaves, chopped finely
• Oil
• Salt To Taste

For Bati :

• 5 cups whole wheat flour, sieved
• 1 cup ghee, melted
• 2 tbsps curd
• Salt To Taste

Given below Method to make Daal Bati Recipe

• Pressure cook rajma and black gram till it becomes soft. Heat 4 tbsps oil. Add onions. Brown them.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes. Fry. Add all the masalas, beans and salt.Simmer till well blended. The gravy should be thick. Pour over cream and ghee. Knead a soft dough with flour, ghee, curd, salt and just enough water.
• Roll into lemon-sized balls. Cover and keep for one hour. Then roast in batches on hot coals till puffed and golden outside and spongy inside. Keep hot.
• Garnish the daal with coriander leaves and slit green chillies. Dip hot (baati) dumplings in the daal while eating.

Given below Video for make Daal Bati Recipe

Make Dal Dhokali Recipe

Given below Ingredients of the Dal Dhokali Recipe

• 250 grams tuver daal,
• 200 grams wheat flour,
• 3 green chilies
• 3 tbsp green chili paste
• 50 grams groundnut
• 25 grams cashewnut,
• 1 tbsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Mustard seeds,3-4 cloves
• 2 cinnamon, 2 tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Tamarind 100 grams brown sugar,
• Salt To Taste,
• 1 tbsp Garam masala,
• 1 tsp Ajama 4-5 tbsp.Oil,
• 2 tbsp Red chili powder asafetida
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 3-4 tbsp. Ghee

Given below method to make Dal Dhokali Recipe

• Shift wheat flour. Add salt, turmeric powder, ajama, red chili powder. Mix well. Add oil and knead the flour to roti like consistency.
• Wash tuver dal and pressure cook it for three whistles.
• Cool and remove the dal. Heat oil and ghee in a pot, then put cloves and cinnamon and then add mustard leaves.
• When they crackle add curry leaves, green chilies and a pinch of asafetida. Pour tover dal.
• Mix tamarind and brown sugar water, cashew nuts, groundnut, garam masala, red chili powder and mix well.
• Add tomato pulp, turmeric powder, salt and 2 cups of water. Boil the dal. roll out big rotis and cut them into pieces and add these pieces in boiling dal.
• Boil for 10 minutes and remove. Serve the dal dhokli warm. Sprinkle cilantro leaves.

Given below Video Make Dal Dhokali Recipe

Make Dal Dhokali Recipe

Given below Ingredients of the Dal Dhokali Recipe

• 250 grams tuver daal,
• 200 grams wheat flour,
• 3 green chilies
• 3 tbsp green chili paste
• 50 grams groundnut
• 25 grams cashewnut,
• 1 tbsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Mustard seeds,3-4 cloves
• 2 cinnamon, 2 tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Tamarind 100 grams brown sugar,
• Salt To Taste,
• 1 tbsp Garam masala,
• 1 tsp Ajama 4-5 tbsp.Oil,
• 2 tbsp Red chili powder asafetida
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 3-4 tbsp. Ghee

Given below method to make Dal Dhokali Recipe

• Shift wheat flour. Add salt, turmeric powder, ajama, red chili powder. Mix well. Add oil and knead the flour to roti like consistency.
• Wash tuver dal and pressure cook it for three whistles.
• Cool and remove the dal. Heat oil and ghee in a pot, then put cloves and cinnamon and then add mustard leaves.
• When they crackle add curry leaves, green chilies and a pinch of asafetida. Pour tover dal.
• Mix tamarind and brown sugar water, cashew nuts, groundnut, garam masala, red chili powder and mix well.
• Add tomato pulp, turmeric powder, salt and 2 cups of water. Boil the dal. roll out big rotis and cut them into pieces and add these pieces in boiling dal.
• Boil for 10 minutes and remove. Serve the dal dhokli warm. Sprinkle cilantro leaves.

Given below Video Make Dal Dhokali Recipe

What I Did Last Month

Ever since I moved to Toronto, I've wanted to take a cooking class. There are so many great schools and classes available in the city it was actually kind of overwhelming trying to decide on one! Finally, in December Adam and I took an Indian cooking class at the Calphalon Culinary Centre. It was actually my birthday present from a few months ago but it took us awhile to actually get around to looking at the class options and signing up for something.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the class. This was my first cooking class ever so I really didn't know what to expect. I had read more than a few positive reviews about Calphalon and even heard some good things from friends and acquaintences, but still in the back of my mind I wondered if it might be more of a demonstration or not as hands-on as I would like. Fortunately this wasn't a problem! The classroom setup was incredibly professional and well set-up with an individual countertop and stove for each student. We did most of our own prep work though the spices were blended for us; this being an Indian class, I would have loved to learn more about the different spices used to make Garam Masala. I felt rather spoiled after experiencing all the Calphalon pots and pans in the kitchen as well as the gas-range stovetop.


Indian cuisine has always fallen into the category of "seems way too complicated to try at home" so it seemed like a good class to try in a controlled environment where all the right ingredients would be available. And the dishes were actually pretty straightforward; the key is really just having the right spices and from there it's easy going!

This Rice Pulao was my favourite recipe that we made in the class. I made it again the other night and although it was a bit difficult finding some of the spices in Sobey's (I'll be making a trip to the market this weekend where I know they have a larger assortment) it turned out pretty well. The recipe is actually pretty heavily modified as the emailed instructions didn't necessarily match the steps we followed in class. We made it in class along with some Aloo Gobi (a chickpea and potato curry dish), Chicken Tikka and homemade Naan. At home we just added some chicken (with some Tandoori paste I got in my stocking) and it made a great dinner/lunch leftovers.

Next up...going to do a class at Dish Cooking Studio. Haven't chosen one yet so please feel free to comment on any recommendations/suggestions!


Basmati Rice Pulao
Recipe adapted from Calphalon Culinary Centre - Indian Cuisine

2 cups basmati rice
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (or ground cumin which is all I could find at home)
4 tbsp chopped almonds
4 tbsp raisins
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods (or ground cardamom...the conversion suggestions out there seem to vary widely, I used about 1/2 tsp at home)
2 Indian bay leaves (I used regular bay leaves...clearly I need to make a trip to an Indian grocery store)
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. grated ginger
1 cup peas
1 tsp. saffron (optional)
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro (optional - I am on the "tastes like soap" side of the Great Cilantro Debate so I left this out both times)
4 cups chicken stock

1. Rinse rice well under cold running water. Place the rice into a bowl with 1 tsp salt and let soak. Set aside.

2. Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat with 1 tbsp of the oil. Add cumin seeds and toast if using seeds....otherwise skip this for now. Add the almonds and raisins and brown lightly. Remove from heat and keep to the side.

3. Add remaing oil and onions to the pan and cook until medium brown, about 4 minutes.

4. Add saffron, ginger, bay leaves, cardamom pods, and remaining spices (including cumin if using the ground version) to the pot and coat. Add coconut milk and stir until all ingredients are coated well.

5. Add rice to pan and stir. Add enough stock to cover the rice by about 2 inches (I realized that this is pretty arbitrary depending on what type of pot you're using...if you're unsure, add less not more and you can add more stock as the rice cooks)

6. Bring rice to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed - about 7 to 10 minutes. If you're finding that this is happening before the rice is finished cooking add some more stock or water.

7. Once the rice is cooked through, add peas, almonds and raisins. Heat through and serve.

Two-Kale Stir-fry

This is less of a recipe writeup, and more of a showcase of these two beautiful vegetables which are in season right now, but unfortunately, you don't get to see in the supermarket:

Tuscan Kale/ Dinosaur Kale/ Black Cabbage/ Cavolo Nero (posh)

Purple Curly Kale

Doesn't it sound like I plucked them from some secret mythical garden?

Two-Kale Stir-fry

serves 4 normal people or 1 veggie-lover

Ingredients

1 large bunch tuscan kale, washed and dried and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 large bunch purple curly kale, washed and dried and cut into bite-sized pieces

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil (+ 1 more tsp)

1 tsp of butter

sea salt, pepper (to taste)

pinch of nutmeg (opt)

squeeze of half a lemon (opt)

Method

1. Melt butter with the 1 tsp of evoo over medium-high heat, in a large frying pan. (else the kale will not be stir-fried properly)

2. Fry the garlic and onion till golden/translucent, not browned.

3. Add the kale, turn up the heat, then add a splash of water (which quickly turns to steam). When I have some homemade stock at hand, I use stock; it makes all the difference!

4. After the kale has wilted and all the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat, add the extra tsp of evoo, sea salt, nutmeg and lemon juice. Mix well and serve!

This is my simple no-fail method for any greens (or purples or blacks heh)-- spinach, spring greens, chard whatever! So, happy substituting, just note they have different cooking times e.g. spinach takes literally seconds to wilt, while kale's a lot tougher.

Citrus and Herb Baked Salmon Fillet with Pan Roasted Potatoes

Salmon is often referred to as the King of Fish. This name is appropriate for a variety of reasons, including its superb healthful properties. Eating salmon as part of a balanced diet is highly recommended, not least for the benefits the Omega-3 fatty acids it contains provide. The problem we can encounter with salmon, however, where it is something we perhaps try to eat every week, is that the salmon recipes we have can become boring and stale. Bearing this in mind, I came up with this recipe, which is a simple tweak of a classic salmon recipe but introduces some slightly different flavours which are less common.

Ingredients per Serving

1 piece of salmon fillet
1 large potato
6 or 7 Brussels sprouts
4 thin slices of lime
3 basil leaves
Salt and white pepper
Sunflower oil

Method

These pan roasted potatoes are prepared in a similar way to how I prepare chips/French fries but I don't bother with the refrigeration step in this instance. It is still necessary to begin preparing the potatoes, however, well in advance of anything else.

The potato should be peeled and chopped in to manageable sized pieces. The pieces should be placed in to a pot of cold water, brought to a boil and simmered for twenty minutes. They should then be carefully drained and returned to the pot with more cold water to cool.

When the potatoes are cool, they should be thoroughly drained and carefully patted dry in a clean tea towel. They should be given their first deep fry in sunflower oil for about six or seven minutes until they only just begin to colour. They should be spread on some kitchen paper and covered to cool while the remainder of the meal is started.

The salmon is going to be baked in a foil parcel. A little sunflower oil should be added to the centre of a large sheet of tinfoil in a baking tray. The salmon should be placed skin side down on the oil. The sunflower oil is simply to prevent it from sticking to the foil and spoiling presentation. Three of the slices of lime should be laid on top of the fillet, each holding a basil leaf in place as shown. Salt and white pepper should be used to lightly season. The package should be wrapped loosely but be sure it is sealed and the tray placed in to the oven - preheated to 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5 - for twelve to fifteen minutes, depending upon the thickness of the fillet.

The Brussels sprouts should be washed and any loose or damaged leaves removed and discarded. They should be added to a pot of boiling, slightly salted water and simmered for ten minutes only. When the sprouts have been on for five minutes, the potatoes should be put back in to the deep frier for a further five minutes or until golden brown.

The baking tray should be removed from the oven and the foil very carefully opened. Beware of escaping steam. The lime slices and basil leaves should be removed and discarded and the fillet transferred to the serving plate with a fish slice. The sprouts should be drained and added to the plate, while the roasted potatoes should be drained on fresh kitchen paper before being added alongside.

In the image at the top of this post, I have used the fourth lime slice to make a small twist as a final garnish. Alternatively, as below, the salmon fillet can merely be served with the lime and basil with which it cooked still in place.

You can find more of my healthy salmon recipes by clicking here.

Fainting Spells

Hi there everyone!

Today I went to a vintage and second hand market called After Tea Party, it was the first time that it was released, but it was ok, although I didn't bought anything... but I receive a gift!

(more here)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I must say that I receive two gifts today: the first one was this:

I saw my beloved Nati! She's been living for a while in Bonn (Germany) and tomorrow she's coming back there, but on March she would be here again at Barcelona.
My second gift was a present from Nati, these gorgeous red leather gloves... with a big ribbon!

 

But this wasn't the only gift I received this week... on Thursday, I went to Phenomena's session (I'll show you what's this later) and Micky bought me these pair of shoes, from H&M Divided... they're horribles and great at the smae time!

And this is how I looked today; as you can see these days I'm dressing like if I was going to a rave party... well, I don't know why!

 

 

T-shirt - Junko Mizuno for Kidsrobot.

Skirt - Ben Sherman

Tights - Offbrand

Boots - Cache Cache

Jacket - H&M

Skull Butterfly - Handmade

Was your weekend good?

Baked Purple Kale Chips

Crispy, smoky, lightly salted, with the flavour of extra virgin olive oil-- you wouldn't believe these chips are guilt-free. If you have children this is a good way to get them to swap those cancer-causing Pringles for some antioxidant-filled kale! I have purple curly kale from the farmers' market, but you can definitely just use normal kale.

Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients

1 large bunch of curly kale, stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces

generous pinch of sea salt (or to taste)

glug of extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Wash and DRY the kale pieces.

2. Toss with the sea salt, and evoo, and spread on a baking tray in an even layer (try not to overlap!)

3. Bake at 160 degrees celsius, for 10-15 min, till they become crispy, with slightly browned edges.

You can experiment with different flavours. Try throwing in a sprig of rosemary, or some ground spices. I only thought of this after baking, but decided to toss them with some toasted garlic and chilli flakes anyway.

That's it! So easy, the only difficult part is stopping yourself from finishing all the chips. Oh wait, there's no reason to stop ;)

Aubergine Caviar

Aubergine is one of my favorite vegetables. The most fascinating purple edible living creature that is way better than Grimace from the American Mickey D's! This vegetable served its useful purposes through a lot of dishes around the world that made this as one of the ingredients. From main dishes, pastas, salads, pies, I am sharing you a dip recipe that uses aubergine as the hero ingredient. I have done this concoction several times and it never fails to amaze people who tasted it. The simple preparation surprisingly creates a magnificent flavor. I sold a lot of containers of this dip when I had it in my first bazaar last 2008 and for the second time around I had it again in my bazaar Christmas of 2010. It was another sold out dish among the food I was selling.



AUBERGINE CAVIAR

Ingredients:

• Aubergines (grilled and peeled)
• Cream Cheese
• White Onions (minced)
• Plain Yoghurt
• Turmeric
• Curry Powder
• Paprika
• Ground Black Pepper
• Salt
• Virgin Olive Oil
• Butter (of course)

Procedure:

After grilling and peeling the Aubergine, place them in a huge bowl. Mash it using the potato masher and set aside. In a medium temperature, heat pan with butter then add minced onions. Saute for a few minutes then sprinkle a little amount of turmeric, curry powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Add yogurt then fold it. Allow the yoghurt to acquire the flavor of the spices and onions. Turn the temperature into a low heat then add the mashed eggplant. Add in some olive oil until it generously covers the entire mixture. Turn off the heat then add the cream cheese and mash it. Fold it all together then put it in a jar or ramekin. This dip can be served hot or cold with flat bread, ciabatta, foccacia or even baguette.

This recipe is requested by my dear friend who is all the way from Montreal, Canada. I am sharing this dish so he can try it since he cannot taste my cooking. I hope he enjoys eating this one and I hope the rest of you guys will do.

This post is dedicated to KYRKE :-)

big hug,
joanie xxx

Banana Leaf Steamed Fish (Pepes Ikan)

500g ikan kembung (horse mackerel) or ikan selar (scad)
3/4 cup thick santan (coconut milk) from 1/2 coconut
1 tbsp salt
4 tbsp oil
some banana leaves, softened
Spices, ground :
10 red chilies
10 shallots
5 pipe garlic
1 cm lengkuas (galangal)
1 cm kunyit (saffron)
10 buah keras (candlenuts)
1.5 cm cube toasted belacan (shrimp paste)
1 daun limau purut (kaffir lime leaves)

Clean and season the fish with salt and leave for about 10 minutes. Steam fish till cooked (about 10 minutes). Leave to cool before removing the bones.

Heat oil, add ground spices and saute till fragrant. Add thick coconut oil, salt to taste and bring to boil. Dish up. Mix the fish meat with spices carefully, taking care not to break up the meat too much.

Wrap with banana leaves and steam for about 15 minutes.
Serve hot or cold with rice.