Beef 360, the Science of Steak

Both of us love a good steak and we are in the process of learning how to cook the perfect steak. So i was pretty much looking forward to the Beef 360, the science of steak event hosted by Simply Beef and Lamb, the home of Red Tractor and Quality Standard beef and lamb. On a warm day when the Tube strike was creating havoc in the city, I took off to Le Meridien in Piccadilly Circus to spend an evening learning all about beef.

The evening started off with an introduction to what makes quality beef, and how high standards are followed to ensure a good quality of meat is delivered every time, by putting it through rigorous procedures. Dr Phil Hadley, who is an expert in the field, took us through an intense session explaining what ingredients make different steaks from around the country unique- precisely- how feed, age and breed type make for quality beef.

We blind tasted a wide variety of beef- from grass fed to grain fed, ones aged for different periods of time and so much more, that at the end of it all we were in a beef coma, not one that we complained about though. We then sat down to a fabulous meal put together by the talented Denise and also got to catch up with fellow foodies. We then packed away gorgeous chunks of beef to work on back home and also got tips on how to make a perfect steak by expert Hugh Judd

I froze the beef soon after and put it to good use a couple of weeks later by making the Coronation Steak, radish and pea salad that was served on the day, and was one of my favourites. Ro cooked the steak to perfection, i think this is the first time he's got it spot on, and it tasted delicious. Medium rare, just the way we like it. The salad recipe is pretty straightforward. Cook the steak as per your preference (rare, medium, well done), cover and leave side till you get the other things going.. Toss together the rest of the salad ingredients like lettuce, radish and defrosted peas and arrange on a large plate (or a bowl). The dressing is the best bit and I'll give you the exact recipe as provided by The Meat Elite.

Coronation steak salad (dressing) adapted from Simply Beef and Lamb

Curry powder- 2 tsp

Mayonnaise- 3 tbsp

Cold water- 2 tbsp

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp

Place all these ingredients in a bowl and mix together till well combined.

Slice the steak into strips and arrange on the plate, along with any of the juices.

Spoon the delicious dressing over the beef and serve with crusty bread.

And that's exactly what we had, and also some gorgeous red wine.

There was still some leftover steak and I made a quick Philly Cheese Steak for lunch the next day. I followed this recipe to the T and its a keeper. I agree it does take a bit of time, because everything needs to be made separately. But trust me, it tasted so darn good. 

The session that evening did open my eyes to a lot of aspects and I'm now aware of the Quality Standard Mark Scheme that provides the highest level of independently-inspected quality assurance for meat in the UK. It cares for the environment, animal welfare and food safety which i believe makes a difference.

With thanks to The Meat Elite for inviting me to the event. 

Burrata and heirloom tomato salad with Filippo Berio olive oil

We have been blessed with some fabulous weather over the last few weeks and I'm so glad I don't have to drag on boots and heavy jackets any more. We have been spending weekends roaming around and catching up with friends and the blog has been consistently ignored. That doesn't mean I haven't been cooking, its just that I've gone on this crazy low-carb diet and so whip up something or the other as and when I want to eat, and salads being a star at most of our meals, I thought I should at least make an attempt to post one here.

Another reason for the salad, the gorgeous olive oil I've used in it. I was invited to an exclusive tasting event for the launch of the Filippo Berio Gran Cru range where the tasting expert talked us through the 3 exceptional regional Italian EVOO and then for a hands on cooking experience using them in regional Italian dishes. The evening started off as usual with some gorgeous wine and casual conversation and then moved on to the tasting session. After tasting the oils, we were all asked to write down the tasting notes and then compare it to the actual tasting notes, while gorging on some delicious focaccia made by the talented chefs at La Cucina Caldesi Cookery School.

(Photo courtesy: Filippo Berio)

We then moved on to the cooking session and I was in charge of frying the steak. It was an eye opener for me, as I always end up over doing my steak and here, the moment I put it on the pan, the chef would ask me to flip it and take it off. The dishes were all prepared using the 3 different Gran Cru oils- Dauna, Monti Iblei and Toscano and we were given a lot of tips on how to use these oils in cooking, baking, and as dips and dressings. After our laborious efforts, we sat down to eat what we cooked- Insalata di Arance Rosse (a blood orange salad), Steak Tagliata, and a pasta with greens and garlic croutons, which was my favourite of the 3. To finish off the evening, we all dug into some tasty biscotti and dessert wine and then headed home with a goody bag containing the Gran Cru range.

I myself just started cooking with olive oil and the event sure did help me figure out tastes, characteristics etc. It made me realise that cooking with a good brand of olive oil did make a lot of difference. I now regularly use the Gran Cru range and although they come at a hefty 9.99 quid a bottle, I think its worth it. I used the Toscano Gran Cru Extra Virgin in this recipe and it tasted fab. Ro clearly loved it as he was literally drinking the olive oil at the base of the salad bowl. There is no recipe as such. You just eye ball the quantity you want, mix it together and there, you have a fabulous summer salad. . Enjoy the sunny days ahead peeps! 

Serves 2 generously

Burrata- 200 gms

Heirloom tomatoes- 3 to 4 large, roughly chopped or sliced as rounds

Basil- a handful

Oregano- a few generous sprinkles

Pepper- to taste

Fleur de Sel- a generous sprinkle

Extra virgin olive oil- a good good glug (say around 1/4 cup)

 

Into a a salad bowl add the chopped tomatoes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the basil, oregano, pepper, salt and EVOO and pour over the chopped tomatoes.

Give it a good stir, to evenly mix the dressing, but be careful to not break the tomatoes.

Let this sit aside for about 10 minutes, just to infuse the flavours.

When ready to serve, tear the Burrata into smaller pieces and add to the salad bowl. Gently mix.

Do a taste test, sprinkle some more Fleur de Sel on top, tear a few basil leaves and add if needed.

Serve immediately.

Notes: Instead of Burrata, you can of course use Mozzarella. But once you've tasted Burrata, you'd never look back. Its basically an outer shell of mozzarella and an inner cream and butter centre. Yeah, I know!!! If only it was available in all super markets! I picked up mine from Waitrose.

Add some blood oranges and it would be even more refreshing. I couldn't get my hands on any. You can also substitute with red grapefruit if you like the tangy taste.

You can also do individual portions like i did, if you are doing it as part of a course.

With thanks to Filippo Berio for inviting me and Ro to the event and for the goody bag.

Mixed fruit salad with rose water and pistachio

Its over guys, its over. Summer is on its way out and I can already feel the slight chill in the air post 5pm. Although it was a pretty decent summer, I feel it ended too soon and I am not willing to let go as yet. I think the coming week is the last of 20C weather we'd get to enjoy. Sigh!

So on a warm-ish Saturday I made this mixed fruit salad to enjoy the best of British bounty. The strawberries were sent across by Sweet Eve Strawberries - one of the best I've actually tried. They are British born and bred and deliciously sweet and full of flavour. I am not very lucky when it comes to strawberries as the ones from the stores are never really sweet. But the Sweet Eve strawbs were a welcome change- almost all of them were really sweet and I kind of finished half of it at one go. With the rest I whipped up a nice smoothie and this summer salad which was a hit. The pistachio nuts add that extra crunch and the next time I do this, I'll try it with other fruits and a generous sprinkling of almonds or so.

Rosewater is one extract I've never really tasted or experimented with and was pleasantly surprised by the Nielsen Massey rose water which did lend a very Moroccan flavour to this salad. That said, it can be a very over powering flavour and not a favourite of many (the husband included). A very small quantity goes a long way and so watch how much you put in. I had guests over last weekend and I made some poached peaches with rose water and served it with vanilla ice cream and pistachio nuts. it was divine! 

Recipe adapted from here

Strawberries- 100 gms

Mango- 1 ripe, peeled and sliced into cubes

Peach- 1 ripe, diced

Rosewater- a splash (optional)

Caster sugar- for sprinkling

Pistachio nuts- enough to sprinkle, chopped fine

Mix together the fruits in a large bowl.

Add a splash of rosewater and toss well.

Divide the mix between two or 3 bowls

Sprinkle the caster sugar followed by pistachio nuts and serve cold.

Notes: Add any fruit of choice, except maybe bananas

If not for rosewater a splash of Marsala wine or Sherry would be good

With thanks to Sweet Eve Strawberries and Nielsen Massey for the samples.

Tomato and cucumber salad with Fleur de Sel

Its only after I starter food blogging did I come across so many different types of ingredients and methods. Fleur de Sel, meaning flower of salt, was one such ingredient that made me wonder what it tasted like. The numerous recipes that called for Fleur de Sel, like salted caramel and chocolate tarts, I had no choice but to use normal sea salt since I just couldn't get my hands on Fleur de Sel.

Eco Market is an online marketplace where you can buy natural products directly from the sellers that make them. I think its a really cool concept and so didn't think twice when they asked if I wanted to review any of their spices, herbs, and seasoning. I had spotted Fleur de Sel on the list and thats exactly what I wanted. It came as part of the French stack from Steenbergs, a set of 3 organic French culinary essentials - Fleur de Sel, Herbes de Provence and black pepper. Neatly packed in small glass containers, these would definitely make a great gift for those with a culinary side. 

It was my first time with fds and I didn't know what to expect. I opened the bottle to find really moist salt flakes, and worried if it was supposed to be otherwise, I immediately wrote to Sophie, owner of Steenbergs. This was her reply: 

'No that is exactly how it’s meant to be. The salt is sun dried in traditional salt pans in the Algarve so it always retains some moisture, as opposed to factory dried which removes it all. The salt is part of the slow movement group and has nothing added or taken away.'

She also added, 'The Fleur de sel means it is the cream of the crop, the flakier salt that goes to the top of the pan. Not for grinding.'

That was so helpful and off I went to make something with the gorgeous looking salt. It had to be a salad, simple and summery with a generous sprinkling of fds. This tomato and cucumber salad thoroughly did justice to the authentic taste of the salt with the saltiness cutting through the acidic tomatoes and cool cucumber. The pepper container hasn't been open as yet, but I did use the Herbes de Provence for my roasted potatoes and they were delish. 

If you have tasted fds, then its very difficult to actually go back to using normal sea salt. That said, they don't come cheap. Although I would like to sprinkle it on every possible salad, fruit and chocolate, the fact that it is expensive and not readily available in my local grocery store makes me stop and think twice. But hey, that's what Eco Market is for right? :)

Over to the recipe. There is no precise measurement for the salad, you kind of eye ball it and add/ reduce stuff. 

 

Mixed baby plum tomatoes- 400 gms, sliced in half

Salad cucumber- 1 large, peeled and diced (around 1 cup)

Red onion- 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Oregano- 1 tsp

Olive oil- a generous splash

Lime juice- 2 to 3 splashes

Fleur de Sel- 1/2 to 3/4th tsp (adjust as per taste)

In a salad bowl, mix together the first 6 ingredients, one after the other.

Toss them well so that the oil and lime juice and oregano gets mixed well with the vegetables.

Just before serving, sprinkle the Fleur de Sel on top of the salad and serve generous portions.

We had it with some grilled fish and garlic bread.

PS: A special thanks to Finla for the gorgeous bowl in the picture. Its been treasured :)

With thanks to Eco Market and Steenbergs for sending me the sample stack to review.

The Saucy Fish Co. review and an Avocado salad to go with it

I have for you today two items that I was never fond of. After a looong gap, I gave them one more opportunity to please me, and what do you know, seems like I quite enjoy them. Shocked at this, and pleasantly surprised at how much my tastes have changed, I am embracing this new found love for Avocado's and Salmon...yes, two completely different food genres...with all my heart.

Fish has never been my favourite, and I can very strongly say, it never will be too. But of late, I have started experimenting with it at home (much to Ro's delight) and I can proudly say I eat a few varieties of it, if made the way I like with absolutely no taste of fish coming through (much to Ro's despair). So when I was asked to review a Saucy Fish Co product, I was a bit apprehensive as to how it would be, considering that they all came with their respective sauces and I didn't need to do any jazzing up of my own.

 

I checked out their website and was amazed at the huge variety of options available- 22 to be precise, yes 22 different types of fish products ranging from fresh fish and sauce pairings to foil bake bag fish dishes to fish cakes and standalone sauces. The fish cakes looked soooo delish on their website, I had to pick it up, and so were the sauces, perfect for some home made fish pie. So off I went to the local store only to be disappointed. The shelves were empty. This happened to me twice, which obviously means there is high demand for the product in the market (or the store does a rubbish job of stocking enough of it). I somehow HAD to get my hands on it desperately, now that my patience was running.

Third time, I was lucky, but not lucky enough to get the products I wanted and so had to make do with what was available. I picked up a pack of the salmon fillet with watercress and crème fraiche dressing and the salmon fillet with a chilli, lime and ginger sauce. The salmon fillets we Ro dutifully pan fried to perfection and I must say, it truly was a sight to see the colour changing and the skin getting all crispy. Even I got excited seeing it, and Ro was literally drooling. The sauce came in small sachets and just needed to be immersed in a mug of hot water for a while and was ready to be poured on top or had on the side, whichever way you prefer.

 

Taste-wise, both of us preferred the one with the chilli, lime and ginger sauce, which we were a bit apprehensive about in the beginning, but was pleasantly surprised at how the slightly sweet-tasting sauce paired perfectly well with the salmon. The water cress and crème fraiche dressing, after we jazzed up with some salt, was pretty good, but the first one was definitely our fav. I actually had quite a bit of it, much to my Ro's surprise. I do hope I get to try some more of their products (hopefully they would do a better job with stock) and considering how easy it is to whip up a tasty meal in minutes, I would definitely consider buying Saucy products again.

The salmon and sauce makes for a full meal if you have a salad or some roast potatoes or so on the side. We had it with this simple avocado salad, which again was a true eye opener. Thanks to my sis-in-law for passing on this easy peacy recipe, we now like avocado. Even my fussy brother who hates anything green, loved this. So you have to trust me on how good it tasted. I

Avocado salad

Avocados- 2 large, flesh cooped out

Small onions- 2 to 3, finely chopped

Green chilli- 1, finely chopped

Ginger- 1/2 inch, peeled and finely chopped

Coriander leaves- 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Sugar- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp

Salt- to taste

Lime juice- a generous dash/ squeeze

Coconut oil- 1 tsp

 

Place the avocado flesh in a large bowl and break it up. Mash it with a fork, but not to mashed potato consistency. There should still be small chunks left.

Tip in the onions, chilli, ginger and coriander leaves into the bowl and mix well with the avocados.

Add the salt, sugar and lime juice and give it a toss. Do a taste check to see if its all good.

Finally, drizzle the coconut oil over the salad, give a final mix and serve with a garnish of some coriander leaves.

You can add any oil of choice, but coconut oil gives it that distinct taste. Ro said he would prefer olive oil, but I loved it this way. 

With thanks to The Saucy Fish Co. for the vouchers to pick up the product from the store.

Summer fruit salad

No time to ramble, been super busy with taking the in-laws around. By the time this post goes up, we'd be in Scotland, taking in the highlands and whiskey and all that's Scottish, well except Haggis maybe.

I made this salad on a day I felt too lazy to fix up something for lunch and since my fruit basket was crying out to me I thought I'd whip up something fruity. I thought it wouldn't fill me, but strangely it did and I think I should make it a practise. There is no recipe as such, just throw in a bunch of fruits you like, do a simple dressing and if you like, add a chilli or so for some spice. Here is another fruit salad I made a while back

Use fruits that are in season and if they are fresh, then nothing like it. But mine was about 2 to 3 days old and was almost at the wilting stage when I decided to rescue them. It tasted great nonetheless. I love fruits but I'm kinda lazy to eat fruit, especially when it involved peeling and slicing and stuff. If someone has it ready for me, then I'm more than happy to eat away :)

Mango- 1 cup, peeled and diced

Watermelon- 1 cup, deseeded and diced

Orange- 1 half, peeled and cut into rounds

Apple- 1 half, cut into rounds

Grapes- 1/4 cup (I prefer seedless)

Kiwi fruit- 1, diced

Ginger- 1 tsp, julienned (optional)

Green chilli- 1 small, roughly chopped

Caster sugar- to sprinkle (optional)

Lemon juice- 1 to 2 tsp

Coriander leaves/ mint- to garnish (optional)

 

Mix together the ginger, chilli, sugar and lemon juice. Gently squash the mix with your hands, enough to get the chilli and ginger flavours infused. Add a bit of salt if required.

Arrange the fruits in a platter (or in a bowl) and pour over the dressing.

Garnish with some mint or coriander leaves.

Gently mix before serving.

Notes: I also tried adding some pomegranate seeds once and it was great.

If the fruits are too ripe and sweet, avoid the sugar altogether.

On another note, my Grilled chicken wings- the Indian way got published in the Huffington Post Kitchen Daily. I'm pretty thrilled about this :). Check out the link

Bean and potato salad- A guest post for Shab's Cuisine

If there is one blogger I can say I have a lot in common with, that is definitely Shabeena (Shabs as we fondly call her) of Shab's Cuisine. I cant remember how or when I stumbled upon her blog, but she was the first UK blogger I started following. It is a big deal because majority of the bloggers I follow are based out of the US or India, and disscovering that Shab was from this side of the pond was indeed something worth being excited about.

She has been blogging for many years now and somewhere along the way I discovered I had a lot in common with her. Thanks to Facebook, we send each other loooong messages regarding our blogs and have the longest chat sessions, that too at 11 and 12 at night. From endless discussions about prop shopping to charity store finds to ebay auctions to photography tips and new blog discoveries, the topics are forever flowing. Sales and deals at stores are immediately passed on and we make sure we check it out and get back with our inputs without fail. It's like shopping with your girlfriends, but virtually :)

 

I recently did a birthday cake for a friend and I must say that I couldnt have done it without Shab's help. I used to keep calling her up each and every time I had a doubt about fondant, frosting etc. and she would be such a sweetheart and help me out whatsoever. It is indeed great knowing that I have a blogger friend just a phone call away to solve doubts and more importantly to sit and talk mindlessly about props and painting boards and photography, instead of forcing the husband to listen to blog issues. So I didnt think twice when Shab asked me about a guest post, because there was no way I was gonna pass. We decided on a salad and so here's an easy peacy summer recipe- a bean and potato salad, which is a favourite at ours.

We have picnics in the park during summer and deciding on what to take is always an issue especially because only some parks allow bbq's and they are almost always the ones that are far away, which makes us think twice about heading there in the first place. So food items that are super duper easy to pack and tastes good when eaten cold are given priority. Sandwiches and salads mostly win after all the discussion and this salad is my first choice always. It is so easy to put together and tastes so good, you would have to try hard to stop yourself from eating spoonfuls while preparing it. It is also a very forgiving reciipe and you can add more ingredients or adapt them to your liking without compromising on taste. It is great eaten warm or cold, so there is no issue there. When I make it at home, I usually pair it with some grilled chicken and its a perfect meal and quite filling, I must add.

 

So without further ado, do head over to Shabs's Cuisine and check out the recipe and while you are there, dont miss out on her amazing array of Malabar dishes. She is a pro at it, and I hope some day I will be able to meet her in person and taste her food. Thanks a lot for having me over Shab :)

Salsa de mango

I am no expert when it comes to selecting the perfect mango or even knowing the difference between varieties. I eat any mango I get -raw or ripe- and savour it no matter what. I know that we don't get the gorgeous Indian ones here, but it doesn't seem to bother us and since I don't particularly crave for it, anything works....

..except this one time I was at the Chinese store and they had raw mangoes which I couldn't resist. I wanted to have mango chammanthi (chutney) and rice....yummm! Came back home with one green mango and was busy googling for easy recipes. Found one and when I cut into it, it was actually not that raw....and I realized it wouldn't be nice as a chutney. So what do I do, cut it up, take some salt, start dipping and eating like one mad woman who's been mango deprived. I even called up Ro while eating to say I was sorry he couldn't devour the raw mango and salt. His exact words were...'I hope you get sick after eating all that..' I laughed it off then, but after I ate the entire mango, boy did I feel sick..drinking water didn't help and the entire evening was spent with a horrid stomach ache and blaming Ro for jinxing me :O

I thought the mango mania for this season was over after that episode, but no. A couple of days later we'd invited some friends over for brunch and I decided to try out a mango salsa recipe my cousin Miri had posted on her blog long back. It turned out extremely nice, that I had to try it out again. So I got around to making it a couple of days back and even managed a few pics. It pairs well with meat dishes, filling for tacos or even better on its own as a salad kinda thing. I have adapted her recipe more or less, with a few tweaks here and there. Enjoy!

Mango- 1 large or about 2 cups, peeled and cut into cubes

Tomato- half of one large, cut into small pieces

English shallot- 1, thinly sliced

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Celery- 1 tbsp, finely chopped (optional)

Green chilli- 1 small, finely chopped (de seeded if you cant handle the heat)

Lime juice- a few drops (I was pretty generous with this)

Salt- to taste

It cant get easier than this...mix all the ingredients together in a salad bowl. 

Add lime juice and salt as per requirement, toss again and place it in the refrigerator covered until you use it.

Toss again just before serving. 

You can choose to serve in individual glasses (if you want to go all fancy) or in the salad bowl itself.

Notes: A Thai option would be to add some fish sauce, grated ginger and basil and top with some chopped peanuts.

Sending this to Reva of Kaarasaaram who is hosting this months Healing foods: Mango event, brain child of Siri.

Anglo-Indian egg curry

First of all...Are we digging the new look yet???

I get bored real fast and since yesterday was a dull day (yes that time of the month), I sat at home and gave my blog a make over. Also to prove a point to Ro that purple is definitely a girl colour.

The weather has been absolutely amazing out here and tall glasses of iced tea and beers have started making its way through. BBQ season is just around the corner, but since we are in unpredictable England, planning for a weekend in the park with a BBQ idea in mind is still wary because most of the time we are jinxed and end up sitting at home and grilling. The bank holiday weekends are also approaching (yes we get 4 days off because the prince is getting married) and we are having our first BBQ party on the 1st of May...yes planning that ahead because, face it, Londoners are the most busiest people I have ever seen. I miss days where you can just make a few calls in the morning and meet up for lunch.

Who am I kidding, heck! it doesn't happen in my own home:

Me: Hey lets grab a couple of sandwiches and head to the park..the weather is awesome, I want to be out in the sun (also because I bought a new pair of shorts and I want to flaunt it..which I don't obviously say because Ro as it is thinks my priorities are royally screwed)

Ro: Oh, I decided to update some software on my laptop..once its over we will go..OK?

Me: OK! (but you're not touching my laptop)

5 hrs later

Ro: OK lets go

Me: Oh I decided to colour my hair...cant do it today baby. Maybe tomorrow?

Ro: Oh tomorrow I'm busy...

Me: (I don't even ask why....the moment has long passed)

So I shouldn't complain about others being tied down with this or that. In fact I have learned to respect it. That said, I am definitely looking forward to May though :)

I stumbled upon this recipe on the online version of Delicious Magazine and loved it. It was definitely different from the mallu preparation (which I still don't know to make) and the addition of celery kinda intrigued me. This recipe came into my mind when I thought of a salad idea for the BBQ and when served cold and a bit dry, it would be a great picnic snack. This time however I opted for a bit of a gravy because we were having it with chapathi for dinner.

Recipe adapted from here

Eggs- 3

Baby potatoes- 200 gms

Coriander seeds- 1 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Cardamom seeds- from 3 cardamom pods

Ginger- 1/2 tsp 

Turmeric powder- 1/4

Dried red chilli- 1 (more or less as per your heat tolerance)

Oil- 1 tbsp

Garlic- 3 cloves, roughly chopped

Onion- 1  medium, finely diced

Celery stalks- 2, finely chopped

Tomato- 1, pureed or 1 tbsp tomato paste

Double cream- 100 ml

Coriander leaves- to garnish

Boil the eggs. Drain, cool and shell. Slice into quarters and keep aside.

Similarly boil the potatoes in salt water till they are cooked, but not falling apart. Slice into four and set aside. (If using large potatoes, then you might want to slice them into smaller chunks)

Grind the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and cardamom seeds in a spice mill or using a pestle and mortar to get a fine powder.

Add the ginger, turmeric powder and dried red chillies to it and pulse once or twice.

Heat a frying pan and dry fry the ground ingredients until fragrant.

Add the oil to this mix and when it sizzles add the garlic, onion and celery. Cook till they have wilted and have turned a little brown..about 12 to 15 minutes on medium flame.

In goes the pureed tomato. Cook till you see oil resurfacing.

Reduce the heat a bit and add the potato and double cream. Season with salt and mix well making sure you don't break the potato.

Add the quartered eggs and slowly mix, making sure the gravy coats the eggs and the yolks are in tact (which rarely happens to me).

Garnish with coriander leaves just before you serve.

Alternatively, divide the curry between plates and place the quartered eggs on top, garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Notes: This curry was not spicy at all...in fact i think the next time I'll add one more red chilli.

I have changed the cooking method a wee bit where you add the tomato...the original recipe calls for passata and is to be added along with the potato and cream. I preferred to cook it a bit.
I am also wondering, instead of cream, coconut milk would be a better substitute...also very mallu

PS: Rashida sends her heartfelt thanks to all those who commented on her Pav Bhajj. She's thrilled beyond words. And all those who have jinxed me..if Rashida stops sending me stuff..i'll personally harass you guys later ;)
Have a great weekend. Muah!

Cod fish cakes with a cold potato salad

For a seafood hater, I seem to be posting quite a few seafood recipes right? I'm surprised myself..but Ro's new rule is that we should have fish atleast twice a week and me with all my nagging has cut it down to once a week. Honestly, if its masalafied and made as per my liking, I don't mind having them..which is exactly what i did with these cod steaks.

England is known for its fish and chips and when we had guests 2 weeks back, we took them to this authentic fish and chips joint called The Golden Hind. Of course there was nothing other than fish and chips and mushy peas and I decided to just have some batter fried squid rings which was an appetizer. Nope, my husband would not let me go with just that..so the other normal sounding item was cod fish cakes and so i ordered those. They were so darn fishy (if you know what i mean) that i couldn't finish it. Braved my way through one half and then traded it for Ro's Haddock which was bearable, but preferred to munch on the chips instead. So i thought I'd recreate it at home the way i like, and yes, it was bearable.

Yeah i know im a disgrace to all the mallu's out there..but hey, Ive atleast evolved to having fish once a week:)

Cod fish cakes

Boneless, skinless cod steaks- 350 gms (2 medium size fillets)

Asian shallots- 2, roughly chopped

Garlic- 2 pods, roughly chopped

Chopped parsley- a handful

Salt- to season

Pepper- to season

Olive oil- 1 tbsp

Vegetable oil- to fry

Potato- 1 medium, boiled, peeled and mashed

Egg- 1

Bread crumbs- 3 tbsp (optional)

Cut the cod steaks into bite size pieces and steam for about 5 to 6 minutes till flaky. Break it up into smaller flakes and keep aside.

In a frying pan, heat some olive oil and sauté the shallots and garlic till translucent.

Add the flaked up fish and mix well, season with salt and pepper and the parsley. Keep aside to cool.

Once cool, add the mashed potato, egg and bread crumbs and mix well with your hand till everything is combined well.

Make small patties and shallow fry in oil...about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Drain on paper towels and serve them hot with a salad.

Notes: Any white fish like haddock or cobbler can be used.

You can fill a saucepan with 1/4th water, place the cod in it, close and cook till it becomes flaky. Then drain the water and break it up into smaller pieces. I just used a steamer so it was much easier.

You can bake the patties if you prefer that...I'm not really sure how long ud need to keep them though.

I think this was so much more easier than cutlets... :)

Cold Potato Salad

Always a pleaser, this salad had made its entry quite a few times and is a life saver when I'm low on things to make :)

Baby potatoes- 5 medium, boiled and cut into cubes

Yoghurt- 2 tbsp

Garlic mayo- 1 tbsp

Chives- a handful

Orange pepper- one half, chopped into small cubes

Salt and pepper- to season

Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped chives. See I told you it was way too easy to pass:)

PS: Sorry i left this out..I would like to thank Neetz, Suja and Aipi for the wonderful awards they have showered upon me. Thanks a lot girls..its great to have such good friends in the blog world.