Food, glorious food!

October 5, 2008 at 2:02 pm (Cooking Classes) (, , , , , , , , , )

With the eateries in the city turning on the heat with special Navratra menus, it is a nine-day binging bonanza for the people.
The mantra today is ‘Consumer is king’. What they want, they get. And if in Navratras, they want to go out to treat their taste buds, no problem. The hotels and restaurants are at their service.  With the eating out culture topping the charts of the existing fads, the hotels and restaurants have to think on their feet to maintain the interest of the customer. They have special menus for every occasion these days, even for Navratras, where pious vegetarian food is in much demand. 
The menu undergoes a sea change during Navratras. Since, many people observe a fast, and others forego onions and garlic in their food, one would think it a tad difficult for the hotels to design a menu. But no siree. The eating out joints these days are experts in dishing out all the food the customer desires. Thus, this Navratras the Delhiites can look forward to special treats.
Special Thalis, vegetarian food with special salt, special Navrata rice, are just some of the things, which the restaurants in the city are offering. Only a few years ago, one could hardly think of going out to eat in a hotel during this holy nine-day fest. The food was only cooked in the house and the restaurants, with their onion and garlic rich food, were a strict no-no during this time of the year. But the times are a changing and so is the culture. Today, no one wants to sit at home and going out for a bite is a norm. Opines Manisha Sharma, who works in an MNC, “I always keep a fast during Navratras and therefore never went out to eat. But with the hotels redesigning their menu, it is fun to go out and sample the goodies. Some of these restaurants really have amazing food, even better than what we eat at home.”
Some of the special thalis have become so popular that many people have started keeping a fast just to partake the food. “I just love those thalis with sabudana papad, aloo chaat and pooris made of kuttu flour,” says Sunil Singh with delight, “One wouldn’t believe this but I have started looking forward to this period just for the innovative food, these eating joints offer.”
You can take your fill from various extensive Navratra Thalis. Many include paneer sabzi, zeera aloo served along with two pooris and accompanied by salad and papad. For dessert there is sabudana kheer. Try out special Sativik Thalis which will have a different menu for all nine days. On offer are samak ke chawal (special Navratra rice), dahi aloo, paneer makhana, phool makhana kheer and much more. Then there are also special vegetarian menu, which would entice even the die-hard non-vegetarians. Many supplement non-veg with soya chunks and granules. So, for all those you out there who love their food, it is a nine-day binging bonanza time, Navratra style. Bon appetite!

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Basic mince

October 4, 2008 at 8:23 am (Italian Recipes) (, , , , , , , )

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 stick celery, finely chopped
  • 1 red capsicum, deseeded, finely diced
  • 1 green capsicum, deseeded, finely diced
  • 1kg lean beef mince
  • 400g can chopped Italian tomatoes

Method

  1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and red and green capsicum. Cook for 3 minutes or until soft.
  2. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned. Add tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until thick.
  3. Use immediately or allow to cool completely then freeze for up to 3 months in a container just large enough to hold mince.

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Tuscan burgers

October 4, 2008 at 8:18 am (Italian Recipes) (, , , , , , , , )

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 600g beef mince
  • 100g pancetta, rind removed, chopped
  • 1/3 cup (90g) basil pesto
  • 2 small red onions, thickly sliced
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 2 small vine-ripened tomatoes, thickly sliced
  • 1/2 cup (150g) whole-egg mayonnaise
  • 3-4 bocconcini, sliced
  • 4 Italian bread rolls, split
  • 50g baby rocket leaves

Method

  1. Place beef, pancetta and 2 tablespoons pesto in a processor. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse until just combined (do not overprocess). Form mixture into 4 patties and chill while you cook the vegetables.
  2. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
  3. Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue over medium heat. Toss onion in a little oil and grill for 1 minute each side or until just cooked. Place in the oven to keep warm.
  4. Brush tomatoes with a little oil and season, then grill for 1 minute each side. Place in the oven to keep warm.
  5. Brush both sides of patties with oil. Cook on chargrill for 2-3 minutes each side until cooked through.
  6. Mix remaining pesto with mayonnaise.
  7. Top patties with cheese and place in oven for 1 minute or until cheese melts.
  8. Spread bread-roll bases with some of the mayonnaise mixture. Top with rocket, patties, onion and tomato. Drizzle with remaining mayonnaise mixture and top with remaining bread-roll halves

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Chilli beef hotpot

October 4, 2008 at 8:18 am (Italian Recipes) (, , , , , , , , , )

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 800g beef chuck steak, cut into 3cm cubes
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (see note)
  • 35g packet Mexican chilli seasoning mix
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 700g bottle Italian tomato passata sauce
  • 400g can red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
  • steamed rice and coriander sprigs, to serve

Method

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook steak, in batches, for 4 minutes or until browned, adding more oil to pan if necessary. Remove beef to a bowl.
  2. Add paprika and seasoning mix to pan. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Return beef and any juices to pan. Stir in wine. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until wine is reduced by half.
  3. Add passata sauce and 1 1/2 cups cold water. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 2 hours or until meat is tender.
  4. Stir in beans. Cook, uncovered, for a further 5 minutes or until beans are heated through. Spoon hotpot over steamed rice. Top with coriander. Serve.

Notes & tips

  • Smoked paprika comes from mild peppers which are wood-smoked before grinding, giving them a full-bodied aroma and taste. Use it to add a robust flavour to stews, casseroles, pasta dishes and pizzas

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