dinner with Sundaram family 9th april 2010

After many moons, we were really looking forward to home cooked south Indian food at the Sundaram residence. But the previous evening I gathered that the electric stone grinder that was normally used for grinding the rice and the daal for dosas had breathed its last and did not respond to any form of resuscitation. Disaster! But the sturdy Indian designed blender did a splendid job and we were not disappointed.

I am now allowed to make the mini dosas on the electric pancake maker. Yep, my skills in making dosas has progressed considerably - to be entrusted by a South Indian lady, Yippeee ! - one culinary mountain that I have climbed. And as the official dosa maker I got to eat them hot off the griddle. Yum yum.

Dinner that evening was :

vegetable samosas from Anand's in Leeds - real samosas made with traditional pastry

chicken kebabs

mini dosas

idlis

prawn curry

lamb curry

sambhar

coconut chutney

tomato chutney

spinach raita

followed by

Gajjar halwa (carrot halwa)

Strawberry almond roulade

Scandinavian / Swedish rosettes

Busy cooking the dosas to be eaten warm, so I missed out on taking photographs of the actual food cooked by Revathy.

That day, daughter and husband tried to get me raspberries but the shelves were devoid of raspberries!! Strawberries were all they could muster. And another disaster - two roulades were being cooked together in the oven. One was left a tad bit longer to cook as it was on a slightly lower shelf. OOOPS! a slightly overdone roulade which ended up being made into a tiered dessert instead. But as everybody ate it and clamoured for more, I guess it was not such a catastrophe after all.

Recipe for strawberry and almond roulade

Ingredients

6 large egg whites

300 grams sugar

2 tsp cornflour

1 tsp white wine vinegar

handful of flaked almonds - about 50 grams

Two trays (approx 40 cm X 30 cm X 2 cm) lined with baking parchment with an overhang

Method

• Heat the oven to 170 degrees C.

• Whisk the egg whites until the peaks are no longer soft and floppy. I use a geriatric Kenwood food mixer but a hand held whisk will probably do the job too. Add the sugar gradually whisking well between each addition until the mixture is stiff and glossy.

• Fold in the vanilla, cornflour and vinegar and mix for a few seconds.

• Spread the meringue mix on the trays and smooth out with a palette knife. Sprinkle with almonds and press some of the almonds down on to the meringue - gently. Otherwise they fall off!

• Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Do not let the almonds get too brown or toasted. The roulade should be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

• Take out the trays and let the meringue cool.

• Cut out two sheets of baking parchment just a few cm bigger than the size of the trays. Invert the meringue onto these sheets, peel off the backing baking parchment slowly.

• While the meringues are baking, chop up the strawberries. If using raspberries, just wash them.

• Whip the cream until soft peaks form - if the peaks are too hard the cream has been whipped too long and it will be difficult to spread the cream onto the meringue.

• Spread the meringue with the cream first and then scatter the strawberries or the raspberries over it. Roll up the meringue into a long sausage shape and press it down gently so that it will not unravel. Trim the sides if you really have to. Chill until ready to serve. I cut mine into two pieces diagonally as the serving dishes are normally never long enough to fit the dessert.

• Serve with a strawberry or raspberry coulis - just puree about 500 grams of the fruit, sieve to get rid of pips, add some icing sugar to taste and voila! Pure heaven. Do not be tempted to add any water or to warm up the puree - it will taste disgusting.

The disaster meringue - the almonds were beautifully toasted. Broke the meringue into three pieces and layered it with strawberries and cream. Definitely crunchy and chewy. Even the serving plate got licked clean - by the girls!!!!

Surrounded by several families in Shillong from all over India, we were exposed to the cuisine from different parts of the country. Mother had a rosette mould and rosettes featured regularly as snacks for after school while we were children in Shillong. I guess mother learnt to make this from our South Indian neighbour. I remember a version that used to be made with rice flour and without eggs as well but have not been brave enough to try it out. Mother got me the moulds I have a few years ago from a trip to India but it had been lying in a corner of a cupboard - more due to lack of time and fear of failure than anything else. Decided to evoke childhood memories and out came the mould. The South Indian version of Swedish / Scandinavian rosettes is known as Achappam and is made with rice flour and coconut milk. Next time I will try it that way - if I have a spare couple of hours and nothing else to do.

Scandinavian / Swedish rosettes

Ingredients :

1 cup plain flour

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon

oil for deep frying

icing sugar - about 4 tablespoons

Makes about fifty - will depend on size of mould and takes time to fry if you have the patience!

Method :

• Mix the eggs and milk together with the salt and sugar until well combined.

• Sift the ground cinnamon and the flour together in a deep bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the milk and egg mixture and use a hand held blender to mix everything thoroughly until it is smooth and no lumps remain. Refrigerate if you must.

• Meanwhile, heat some oil in a pan for deep frying - at least 3 cm deep oil. Do not let the oil get too hot - the cookies will just be burnt and the taste will be awful.

• Heat the rosette iron in the oil for a few minutes. The iron really has to be hot - otherwise, disaster will ensue.

• Dip the rosette iron into the batter without letting the top of the mould get covered by the batter. Then dip into the hot oil immediately and fry until golden. You may need to push the rosette out with a fork. Turn over and fry until both sides are golden brown - but not burnt. Drain on paper kitchen towels.

• Reheat mould and repeat the process stirring the batter every time. Life is easier if there are two moulds so that while one is being fried, one mould gets heated - not easy to manouevre though!

• Once all the rosettes are fried, sieve icing sugar over them and serve.

Husband decided that it was taking me too long to sieve the sugar on top - he simply grabbed hold of a handful of sugar and flung it over the rosettes and of course all over the worktop too. Yikes!!!

The Scandinavian / Swedish rosettes were incredibly delicate - broke into pieces even as one picked it up to take a bite. But they were all devoured - every single crumb.

mid July 2009 to end July 2009

In a French converted barn in a little village not far from Saumur for two weeks of the summer holidays together with Brother Number 1 and his family. Reminded us of our grandparents home in the village of Namti in Sibsagarh, Assam, India. Chickens, ducks and rabbits in the backyard and a wonderful vegetable patch tended to by Monsieur Gaillemard just like my grandfather used to - the rice fields were looked after by seasonal workers. Courgettes, peppers, tomatoes (six different varieties), French beans, haricot beans, pumpkins, parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic, onions - a veritable treasure trove which Monsieur Gaillemard shared with us. The taste of the sun-ripened tomatoes was remarkable. And the home made wine knocked out the tasters of more than a glass. The eggs came from Monsieur Gaillemard's eighty year old mother's farm as did the opal looking plums. Madame Gaillemard's quince jam and redcurrant jams were fabulous spread on brioche slices, sometimes toasted, for breakfast.

tomatoes in the vegetable garden

monsieur gaillemard's vegetable garden

When Brother Number 1 was living in Toulouse, France, we used to visit him several times a year. Regular feature for nearly twelve years. Really miss that part of France. The 'fritons' - duck skin - fried to a crisp with some salt, the fougasse with fritons - a flat bread with bits of friton, duck rillette, courgette flowers from the market to be turned into yummy 'tempura' - ahhh! just some of the culinary delicacies that we delighted in.

The Poitou-Charente region was lacking in all the above mentioned delicacies except the rillette. But the wine trails and chateaux around the area was an experience. Husband and brother do not really enjoy white wine, but they loved the Saumur Champigny. All enjoyed the trips to the caves near Saumur and as we drove around the region, the smell of charentais melons was everywhere. This region of France, south of Saumur, is supposed to grow most of the charentais melons.

saumur chateau

loading wine cases in the car after a trip to Ackerman cave

Markets all over France are exceptional even in small towns. Loved the scene of the gentleman selling goose eggs for 1 euro each in a corner of Thouars market on a Friday. the pottery stall was a feast of colours and the variety of garlic and shallots was incredible - smoked garlic too.

goose egg seller in Thouars market

bargaining in the pottery stall in Thouars market

garlic and shallots stall in Thouars market

went to Les Rosiers sur Loire - a very small town on the north bank of the Loire, on a market day. Bought a fabulous goats cheese log covered in ashes. The market here had very few stalls. Bought some rather deformed but very tasty tomatoes and french beans from a farmer.

vegetable business in Les Rosiers sur Loire

Introduced Indian food to Monsieur and Madame Gaillemard and to Emile and his wife Elaine. This was their first ever taste of spicy / Indian food. Our spice 'chest ' travels with us wherever we go.

Menu for the evening :

starter of grilled goats cheese drizzled with honey on toasted french bread slices

cumin flavoured pulao rice

moghlai chicken with dried apricots and almonds (no raisins as we were nearing the end of our holiday)

potatoes in a gingery garlicky tomato sauce (adraki aloo),

green beans with garlic and chilli flakes,

tomato and feta salad,

mackerel steaks with onions and tomatoes

followed by

baked figs with honey and almonds served with creme fraiche cooked by daughters and niece,

mango mousse (bit difficult to make without double cream, used creme fraiche instead)

strawberry charlotte with raspberry coulis made by Elaine, and

blackberry crumble made by Anne Marie with blackberries picked in the nearby forest

the home grown strawberries that Elaine had brought along to decorate ended up being decoration for the figs!!! OOPS! sorry Elaine. Conversation conducted entirely in French with several bottles of wine, including home made aperitif brewed by Monsieur Guillemard, downed by the men. Tried to explain to the French guests why husband had decided to serve mackerel - only knew word for bone of meat -os. Husband tries not to serve fish with bones in case fish bones get stuck in throats of guests. My translated version was hilarious to say the least. Elaine loved the potatoes and Monsieur Guillemard remarked that the food may not have been French but that I understood Indian food the way a french person understands french food. and so here's the recipe included in this write-up. I have promised to send her the recipe in French when I get around to translating with my limited and ungrammatical french.

Pulao rice with green beans and adraki aloo

Elaine turning out her strawberry charlotte

Anne Marie's blackberry crumble

Dessert time !

Recipe for gingery garlicky potatoes in tomato sauce - adraki aloo

the chilli heat can be added to taste. If you are addicted to chillies, then add more. Omit the chillies if chilli heat is not required. But chillies can be addictive and once you get hooked on it, you will end wanting more! a slightly bigger or smaller onion than that stated does not matter.

Three years ago, when my cousin, Fiona, organised a hog roast party, I cooked this potato dish with nearly ten kilos of potatoes only for the immediate family members - gathering of over a hundred guests with the hog roast the main centre of attraction. Did not expect the English guests to eat the spicy foods - this dish and a chilli apple chutney - but these two dishes 'sold' out. Tickled the taste buds of people unfamiliar with spiced food and even the French have been won over!

ingredients

1 kg of potatoes, preferably new potatoes or charlotte or pink fir, chopped into 3 cm pieces

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp oil (corn, sunflower or olive oil)

5 cm piece of fresh ginger, grated

6 cloves of garlic, grated

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

1 fresh green chilli chopped finely or 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 kg fresh tomatoes, chopped or 450 g tinned chopped tomatoes

1 tsp garam masala

handful of chopped coriander leaves or chopped chives- optional

method

• heat the oil in a saute pan and fry the chopped onions in it till golden brown and beginning to caramelize. Do not fry over a high heat - medium is best.
• add the grated ginger and garlic and fry together for a minute.
• add the cumin seeds, bay leaf and the green chilli or red chilli flakes and fry for another minute.
• add the turmeric and then the potatoes. stir the potatoes around till they are coated in the spice mixture.
• add the chopped tomatoes, stir and cook together for about five minutes on medium heat.
• add salt to taste. Cover the pan and cook until the potatoes are done and the tomatoes have turned to a pulp. Stir every few minutes to ensure that the tomatoes do not get stuck. This can take about twenty minutes. There should not be too much sauce and this should be thick enough to coat the potatoes. if there is not enough liquid from the tomatoes, add half a cup of water so that the potatoes have enough moisture to get cooked in. The oil will also rise and sizzle around the pan when the dish is cooked to perfection.
• sprinkle with garam masala and serve garnished with coriander leaves or chopped chives.

I have cooked this dish without onions and garlic too - most Jains avoid these two 'vegetables'. 1/2 tsp of powdered asafoetida (hing) replaces the onion and garlic. As there are no onions to fry, the dish can be made much quicker saving about fifteen minutes. Once the oil is heated, drop in the hing and cumin seeds followed by the bay leaf. Then after a few seconds add the ginger and chillies and fry for a minute or two. Continue from step 5.

The dish can be made with only a tablespoon of oil, but this makes frying the onions a bit nightmarish. Should you opt for the version without garlic or onions, then 1 tsp of oil is all you need to get the flavour out of the cumin seeds.

On return to England, food in hamper consisted of duck rillettes, air dried sausages, mountain ham, cheeses and tomatoes which were all served with French bread from Waitrose for lunch on Nephew Number 3's birthday. Brother Number 1 refused to eat French fare. He settled for a Turkish sheesh kebab from the take-away in Longfield instead. Still hanker for the kebabs from Virsaki in Palmers Green, North London. But that's another story.