barbecue evening with ranji, anna, pori and miku

Hot spring day. Rather impromptu barbecue get-together of Gogoi's in England when Anna rang at lunch time to confirm that she would visit us in the evening - Anna and Ranji (sister and brother) originally from Coventry, and Miku and Pori (husband and wife of just over a year) from Leeds. Pori is a grand-daughter of one my father-in-law's younger sisters (Pehi). Yep - relationships in Assam remain firm through generations. And Pori happens to be the name of Anna's mother too!

A real explosion of flavours from different corners of the world. Meats were marinated only after Anna rang - but they still got about four hours wallowing unashamedly with fresh chopped herbs and freshly ground spices. A coal barbecue adds that definitive summer touch but an electric or gas grill will do the job perfectly. And if some smoke flavouring is available for the kitchen alternative, pour it on. Found 'smoke' flavour in a bottle on a trip to New York but have not come across it in English or French supermarkets as yet.

Unfortunately, this was the only picture that was taken that evening. Somehow, ended up relaxing too much to even remember to take pictures.

menu

chicken in a lemon and olive oil marinade

lamb kebabs in a spicy yoghurt marinade

pork ribs in a soy sauce and ginger marinade with a secret ingredient

sea bass with spices (recipe another time!!) - picture missing as we started to eat while the fish was being barbecued

grilled aubergine slices brushed with olive oil and garlic, in a pomegranate molasses dressing

green leaves salad drizzled with olive oil and raspberry vinegar

fennel and apple straws in mayonnaise

steamed couscous with barberries

thai fragrant rice with coconut milk

tomato 'tok' - tomato relish with raisins

Jersey royal new potatoes with olive oil and sea salt

and to satisfy the sweet toothed

mango mousse

zarda - sweet rice with nuts and raisins

Recipe for Chicken in a lemon and olive oil marinade

Family find chicken breasts too dry. So drumsticks and thighs are perfect for us. Size of lemons vary - so if the lemons are small, use two.

8 chicken thighs (or legs), boned

grated zest of one lemon

juice of one lemon

3 tbsp olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

Marinate the chicken with the other ingredients and barbecue for about fifteen minutes - cooks quicker since the bones have been removed.

Recipe for lamb kebabs in a spicy yoghurt marinade

I like shoulder of lamb for kebabs that need to be barbecued. It does not get dry as the marbling of fat keeps it moist and tender. Be careful not to overcook them either. You do not want to be chewing on a piece of overcooked meat.

Ingredients :

1 large shoulder of lamb, bone removed and cubed into 5 cm pieces

1 tbsp freshly ground cumin

1 tbsp freshly ground coriander

1 tbsp garam masala

Greek yoghurt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp red chilli powder

Method

Mix the spices and the yoghurt together. Marinate the meat in this mixture. Once the fire in the barbecue is ready, thread the meat onto skewers interspersed with pieces of pepper and red onions ( I used red, yellow and green peppers). No hard and fast rules!!

Barbecue each for about ten minutes turning often - depends on heat of barbecue!!

Recipe for pork ribs in a soy sauce and ginger marinade with a secret ingredient

The secret ingredient is - tomato ketchup!!! We used Heinz. (Not endorsing any products; it's just that we have been using the same brand for years and know that it has never let us down on taste). Using kethchup means that a whole lot of other ingredients are not required. They are sticky and finger licking good.

Ingredients

1 kg meaty pork ribs

3 tbsp soy sauce

5 to 8 cm piece of fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp dried crushed red chillies

salt to taste

Method

Boil the ribs first for about ten minutes in the kitchen. Drain and dry with kitchen towels. Boiling the ribs means that the cooking time on the barbecue is reduced and ensures that the ribs will cook properly.

Mix the soy sauce with the ginger, ketchup and chillies and lather this mix all over the ribs. Use a flat dish to marinate in so that all the pieces can enjoy the 'mud bath'. Barbecue on a hot grill brushing the pieces with the left over marinade in the dish.

Recipe for grilled aubergine slices brushed with olive oil and garlic, in a pomegranate molasses dressing

Pomegranate molasses is wonderful - it is sweet and tart at the same time and has a pure rich viscosity that manages a caressing touch. We love it. We love aubergines too. And if fresh pomegranates are available, sprinkle the seeds over the aubergines. They make a fantastic combination.

Aubergines are 'greedy' when it comes to oil - be generous.

Aubergines come in different sizes - so if they are small, use two or three. Most supermarkets sell what I would term small ones, whereas the ethnic shops often sell quite large ones.

Ingredients :

1 large aubergine or two small ones, cut into 1/2 cm round slices

2 tsp pureed garlic (mash up about six fat garlic cloves with some sea salt in a mortar and pestle)

125 ml - 150 ml extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

a handful of fresh parsley, chopped finely

Method

Mix the garlic with the olive oil and salt. Brush the aubergine slices generously on both sides with this mix. Grill the slices on the barbecue turning them every few minutes until the slices are cooked. They will become creamy soft and you will notice 'holes' in the flesh. There is nothing worse than uncooked aubergines.

When the slices are cooked, transfer to a serving dish. Add the pomegranate molasses all over the slices and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Ranji is a first year Physics student. A 'doggy' bag with some of the leftovers was immensely appreciated.

isabella's first birthday - 'clan' get-together 5th June 2010

Get-together of the 'clan' to celebrate the first birthday of the youngest member - Isabella.

Long slow boring drive to Norwich through some of the flattest but now greenest landscape that is Lincolnshire. And the worst part - the asparagus bunches that were being sold in some of the roadside 'stalls' were more expensive than in local shops!! One would have thought that with little food miles for these spring vegetables, they would be a bargain. But no.

Are there any PYO (Pick your own) farms where one can go and pick vegetables on the A17 and A46? Needs investigating. Hmmm ... will definitely break a boring journey to acceptable chunks. No dearth of farm shops though along the route. Freshly picked vegetables and fruits on a warm summer's day - ahhh!!!! life is full of little pleasures that one can dream about.

The warm weather held. Children had a lovely afternoon of games and fun. Children? Ladies and girls had fun too.

jelly treasure hunt with mouth - no hands!!

hoops all around

the grown up boys - keeping pace with the girls

even more merriment for the audience!

grandfather grandson - sharing a moment in time together

I may be the youngest but .....

But even better was the food as usual. Started off on arrival with home made potato samosas and lamb samosas with mint chutney and a chilli chutney. Cousin Fiona made the samosas using a Gordon Ramsay recipe, home grown mint chutney was the creation of my uncle, Bipin Dada, and mother made the green chilli chutney. Samosa pastry was delicious - just like the ones made in India. Not the filo pastry that is used by restaurants, supermarkets and countless others. Those made with filo pastry cannot be classified as real samosas - so say the 'connoisseurs' in the family. At least the children are being 'educated' as to what can be classified as a real samosa.

Children had an early 'tea' at about six in the evening - still find difficulty with Yorkshire dialect - the word 'dinner' is used to signify the lunch time meal and 'tea' for the evening meal. Anyway, a wonderful child friendly spread that even the adults nibbled - ham sandwiches and jam sandwiches in the shapes of dinosaurs, mini sausages, hot dogs in buns with tomato ketchup, cucumber crocodile speared with cheese and pineapple cubes, heart shaped jam and white chocolate biscuits, apricot cookies, pink and white layered coconut 'ice', a range of cupcakes including egg free chocolate ones, Swedish rosette cookies, hula hoops, quavers, bacon bites, orange, strawberry and lime jelly boats in fresh orange shells and the grand finale - a beautiful castle cake with pink icing. Birthday baby too enjoyed the spread - she has eight teeth and is only a year old!!

never smile at a crocodile .....

crocodile getting ready to ......

Dinner for the adults was a grand affair. Auntie Sue and Uncle Bipin Dada cooked the Assamese meal. Here follows the menu :

Masoor daal with tomatoes and green beans

Urad daal assamese style - maati daal

Chicken with potatoes

lamb curry

potato and tinda fry

ladies fingers with dried green mango powder - bhindi with amchoor

sea bass fish curry - masor tenga with tomatoes and potatoes

tomato and red onion salsa with coriander, fresh lime juice and finely chopped fresh green chilli

after the babies were in bed!

the dessert 'trolley'

Tomato and Red onion salsa

No definite measurements - make as much as you want. As long as the ingredients are the freshest possible. Most Assamese meals are accompanied by little portions of salad or relish and some are sometimes seasoned with raw mustard oil - a rarity in this country. Feel free to use extra virgin olive oil but the salad is simply delicious even without any oil - totally healthy and fat free if one desires. The heat of fresh chillies make this salad utterly delicious and is a must. Forget the oil, remember the chillies. Can serve upwards of four people as part of an Indian meal

Ingredients

500 grams sun ripened or vine ripened tomatoes - chopped

200 grams red onions - chopped finely

1 bunch of fresh coriander - chopped finely

4 fresh red or green chillies

sea salt to taste

fresh lime juice - for this amount, at least one, more can be added to taste

1 tbsp mustard oil or 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - optional

Method

Mix all the ingredients together gently and serve as soon as possible.

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end of the weekend partying ....

Auntie Sue, as I have mentioned in previous entries, is a fantastic cook. She has mastered Assamese cooking and will make many a native Assamese woman cringe. We never fail to recall how on one of her visits to Namti, Sibsagarh in Assam, many years ago, she was lucky enough to have sampled red ant eggs (amloi tup) scrambled with duck eggs. It made her sick and then the family dogs licked up the vomit!! Yaaaarghhhhh!!

dinner sunday 16 may 2010

Lovely evening - sunshine streaming in and warming the soul. Younger daughter GG decided to make some fresh lemonade 'spritzer' style. At least good use is being made of the Alessi lemon juicer! Not sure what is so appealing about but I do deserve a culinary treat. I have a variety of lemon squeezers but somehow there is something magical about this particular one. Anyway, my ceramic squeezer is chipped, the wooden one is cracking and cannot be washed in the dishwasher, another squeezer is better for oranges and there is too much to wash up when using it. Possession justified.

Younger daughter definitely enjoyed using the squeezer. Excellent performance - every drop squeezed from the lemons - her verdict. use any lemon squeezer you like - just do not make it out of long life lemon juice. The pleasure is in making the drink from scratch on a beautiful sunny spring afternoon and sipping it as the sun fades and disappears into the horizon.

non-alcoholic lemonade 'spritzer'

equipment

lemon squeezer

mortar and pestle

zester

jug of more than 500 ml capacity

Ingredients

two large fresh lemons, washed

salt to taste

sugar to taste

500 ml sparkling mineral water, chilled

ice cubes

Method

• Grate the zest of the lemons.
• Crush two teaspoons of the sugar with the grated zest in a mortar and pestle. The oil that gets released makes this drink extra special.
• Squeeze the lemons and pour into a large jug.
• Add the crushed zest, more sugar and some salt to taste.
• Stir / mix the mixture until the salt and sugar dissolve.
• Add the water and ice cubes.
• Pour into two tall glasses, add a straw and sip away.

Delicious. I like the drink best made with Perrier. Reminds me of France ... but that's another story. I remember asking the bartender - a young man - at Rima's birthday party last month for a glass of sparkling mineral water followed by some lemon slices, salt and sugar. He had never ever seen anyone make this concoction but very soon quite a few other guests who would never have an alcoholic tipple got quite excited about this drink and he ran out of fresh lemon!

Dinner was cooked by husband. I cleared up.

Menu

prawn curry with coconut milk

bhindi (ladies fingers, okra) in a mustard gravy

masoor daal with tomatoes

rice

Today, we had run out of coconut milk in a tin. Had a sachet of coconut milk powder that needed to be reconstituted into coconut cream or coconut milk. Noticed that husband was going to cook the prawns slightly differently - prawns were cleaned, marinated with turmeric and salt and then fired before immersion in the coconut milk gravy. The younger daughter, GG, enjoyed it tremendously. Did not touch any daal.

Prawn curry with coconut milk

rather hot day today but by the time one gets home and cooks dinner, there is no time to enjoy the sunshine. :( A day of left over bits seemed to be the best idea for dinner. But husband is not one for lazing in the sunshine. So on my quick trip to the kitchen, I spied some masoor daal being soaked. Unusual! because we already had masoor daal this week. So what was cooking? A few minutes later, I heard the whirr of the food processor and about ten minutes later, the aroma of frying. Fresh masoor daal pakoras!! Best eaten hot off the pan with a little chutney. Picture was taken by younger daughter GG as she says that my food photography skills leave a lot to be desired!

Recipe for Masoor Daal pakoras - beignets - gateaux des piments

Equipment

food processor or stone grinder

deep fat fryer or wok or karhai or pan

Ingredients

1 cup masoor daal, soaked for about one hour or more and then drained

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds

1 tsp red chiili flakes or 2 green chillies, finely chopped

1 red pepper, chopped into small dice

small piece of ginger, grated

salt to taste

oil for deep frying

Method

• Grind the masoor daal in a food processor or stone grinder with a little water so that the blades / stones in the machine are able to rotate freely. The batter will be quite a sloppy mix - the mixture will not be fine like a pancake batter but more like mushy onions that are chopped up in the processor.
• Warm up the oil in a pan or wok.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the daal mix and ensure that the onions and peppers are distributed all around. The mixture will be pink at first and then a little yellow after the addition of the turmeric powder
• When the oil gets hot, lower the temperature to medium. The oil is ready when if you drop a tiny amount of the daal mixture to the hot oil, it will rise and float after a few seconds. Now add heaped teaspoons of the daal mixture to the oil. Use two spoons - one to scoop up and the other to push the mix into the oil. You can make bigger ones too but you risk the middle not cooking well enough if they are very big. Drop at least ten heaped teaspoons in to cover the surface of the oil but make sure the pan is not overcrowded for frying.
• Fry them for about five minutes turning them frequently until the beignets are looking a golden brown in colour and have crisped up. Drain on kitchen towels.
• Repeat with the rest of the batter.
• Serve hot with a chutney of choice - mint and coriander chutney make good partners.

One could add garlic or other spices to ring the changes.

Memories do get jogged by returning to food - Mauritius!!! On an early morning trip to the market in Quatre Borne, I found some stall holders with a huge 'karhai' doing a brisk trade in 'gateaux des piments' - posh word for this very humble snack. They are sold in little paper bags in tens or twenties hot off the frying pan! Yup, street food at its best.

dinner 18th May 2010

Trip to dentist and with a rather numb mouth and advice not to eat 'hot' or 'very cold' food, I could not be bothered to go shopping - so no fresh meat or fish or vegetables.

Menu du jour

Manchons de canard confits

orange and little gem lettuce salad

new season jersey royal potatoes with mayonnaise

morello cherry tart with creme fraiche

Resourceful husband - dug out a tin of confit de canard from a previous trip to France and roasted the duck legs - instructions said to braise the duck slowly in the duck fat that it was sitting in. Oh well.... Not five legs but six in the tin! so plenty for three with a skin that crisped up during roasting.

Younger daughter has been pestering me to make something with pastry - too much hard work for just the three of us I have been replying. Spied the tart yesterday in Marks and Spencer and thought it warranted a taste. So the tart had to come home.

No photographs of the main meal :( just remembered to take a picture of the tart as it was going into the oven for a slight warm up. Unusual shape - square rather than the normal round ones.

verdict : slight tartness of the creme fraiche offset the extreme sweetness of the compote layer. Pastry remained quite crisp and did not fall apart even after transfer from oven to serving plate to dish. Yumm :) go and give it a try.

dinner thursday 13th may 2010

Dinner for three

Sautéed green beans and potatoes flavoured with cumin seeds (jeera)

Masoor dal with tomatoes

fried sea bass, Assamese style

chicken cooked with yoghurt and spices

rice

mango pickle

Simple pleasures. Younger daughter, GG's favourite daal. She refuses to eat anything else when this daal is on the menu. I love green beans - Spanish / Mediterranean touch coming in with the olive oil and a garlic and chilli mix from Sardinia! Our hairdresser, Helen, has been spoiling us with a lovely garlic and red chilli flake mix with parsley and salt that she found in Sardinia a few years ago. Every time she goes to Sardinia, she brings back this fantastic mix for her family and some of her friends. My sister-in-laws are also after this mix - sorry sis-in-laws, you know you can taste this when you visit us as this mix is rarer than gold and I cannot share what little I have. Lately Helen has had some difficulty in finding stockists of this mix but she has found an alternative company - but it is not the same. Hope that she finds the old company again on her next trip in a few weeks time.

Recipe for sautéed green beans and potatoes flavoured with panch phoran

Ingredients

200 grams fresh green beans, cut into 2 cm lengths

1 potato, peeled and diced into 1 cm cubes

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 tsp garlic and red chilli flakes mix (use equal quantities of garlic flakes to chilli flakes and dried parsley)

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

2 tbsp mild olive oil

salt to taste

Method :

• In a sauté pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Stir them around for just a few seconds only so that the seeds release their aroma and flavour the oil.
• Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and fry them stirring frequently until they turn a golden colour - five to ten minutes depending on the heat.
• Add the turmeric and the garlic and chilli flakes mixture and stir it around for a few seconds only. Do not let the turmeric burn.
• Add the potatoes and stir fry it for a few minutes until they are cooked slightly and coated with the oil and spice mix - you will see that the edges of the potatoes turn slightly 'transparent'.
• Add the green beans and stir it around in the pan for a minute or two. Add salt to taste.
• Cover the pan and cook on a gentle heat until the beans and potatoes are cooked. Stir every few minutes. The green beans should have a slight 'bite' and the potatoes well done.
• Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish.

Masoor daal (red lentils) with tinned tomatoes

This lentil dish can be made with either fresh tomatoes or tinned tomatoes. In England, most of the year the tomatoes are not as flavoursome as the ones in Spanish or French markets, even the vine ripened ones. Tinned tomatoes make a pleasant change and they are always in stock at home. The spice mix, panch phoran, used in this dish is available at most Indian / Pakistani / Bangladeshi grocers and a small packet will last a while without the worry of the spices losing their flavour as the spices are whole. The spices have to be tempered in hot oil - this allows the spices to release their oils and flavour the whole dish.

Now there is a very quick way of cooking this dish - all in one go! I tend to temper the oil first and add all the other ingredients and pressure cook it. Others tend to cook the daal first and then temper it afterwards. Is there a right way? Much heated debate ensues in our house about whether the daal should be tempered before it is cooked but I find little difference in taste cooked either way. Will give both methods - my way and husband, NG's way. Ingredients remain the same. Mine first!!

Ingredients :

1 cup masoor dal, (red lentils) washed and left to dry for a few minutes in a sieve

1 tin / can (approx 400 grams) of chopped plum tomatoes (Napolina or Valfrutta)

1 tbsp sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)

1 tsp panch phoran (five spice mix)

1 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

2 - 3 cups water

handful of chopped coriander - optional

lump of butter or home made ghee - optional

Method 1 : My way !!!!

• In a pressure cooker, heat the oil till nearly smoking, remove from heat and throw in the panch phoran and let it sizzle and crackle for a few seconds. This is the secret of flavouring. The mustard seeds release their flavour in the hot oil and lose their pungency to nuttiness. The mustard seeds (the few that are there!) will jump around so beware.
• Return the pan to the heat. Add the washed daal and turmeric and stir it around for a minute or two so that the grains get coated with the oil and the turmeric.
• Add the chopped tinned tomatoes and 2 cups of water. Stir. Cover with the lid and cook under pressure for a few minutes only - difficult to give a time as different pressure cookers take different times and only you know your cooker best. We like our daal to be totally 'dissolved' so that the grains melt and are not recognisable individually. And no use of blender either. No two tier daal for us!!
• Once the pressure has been released, check the daal and the consistency. Add more water if the daal is too thick. The texture should be like that of double cream or a soup - not a broth.
• Add salt to taste, bring it the boil once more and then remove to a serving dish.
• Add coriander and / or the butter or ghee and serve.

This way, there is only one pan to wash up! Brrr perfect for winter.

Method 2 : Husband NG's way

• In a pressure cooker, add the daal, two cups of water and turmeric and cook under pressure until the daal is cooked to your liking. We like it mushy! not upstairs, downstairs daal. Let the pressure drop and remove the lid.
• In a separate pan, heat the oil till nearly smoking, remove from heat and throw in the panch phoran and let it sizzle and crackle for a few seconds. This is the secret of flavouring. The mustard seeds release their flavour in the hot oil and lose their pungency to nuttiness. The mustard seeds (the few that are there!) will jump around so beware.
• Return the pan to the heat and add the chopped tomatoes and stir it around for a few seconds.
• Add the daal from the pressure cooker and bring it to a boil. Check the texture of the daal - it should not be so thick that you can stand a spoon in it or too watery to be able to swim in.
• Add salt to taste. SImmer for a few minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Add the coriander and / or butter or ghee. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

Two pans to wash up and a lid as well!!

Variation : temper with curry patta as well.

No chillies? Nope. Children have had this dish since they were babies and I do not like this with chilli anyway. Add chillies if you must, either when tempering or when the dish is ready to be served - whole dried red chillies or chilli powder or chilli flakes or whole green chillies or chopped green chillies - whatever takes your fancy. I remember taking this dish to work and sharing the food with a few colleagues. Shafqat, a colleague from Pakistan / Uganda loved it but asked - Can I add some chillies to it? as it was not 'spicy' enough for her. Of course you can.

Just pure heaven in this daal as GG says.