I fell sick and all, but this has been a good week as far as food is concerned. We’ve had guests for 3 days in a row, and I made different stuff every evening. First it was some basic Arrabiata Pasta which the husband praised as my best ever, and the friend who was visiting was forced to say the same too ;), and then it was something based on Middle-Eastern food. I will be cooking Thai for the last set of people visiting us.
Last time I was visiting Blore, we were invited to visit N at her brand new home. Since her housewarming gift was back in Hyd, and I wanted to pick up something for her, I decided it would be a book. A cookbook. In my opinion, what better gift than a cookbook for a MasterChef! I saw this Arabian dishes book and immediately picked it up for her. And when I was flipping through the pages of this book, I realized how much I love this book, and how much I’d want a copy for myself. Sitting right there in her massive entertainment area, I booked another copy for myself on Crossword. So by the time I was back home in Hyd, I had the book waiting for me to be picked up in the Mailroom. Since then, everytime I open the book, it has been a Flavour Fest in the kitchen!
What I loved about the Middle-Eastern cooking is the interesting mix of flavours. And the usage of daily ingredients in a different way, or a different dish altogether. Like Yogurt, for example. We’d eat it, drink a diluted form of it, make Kadhi with it, or Raita to be eat with it. These are the same things that the Persians or Armenians would do too, but with a different mix of herbs/spices to this. I loved the idea of Garlic-Yogurt sauce for example, our basic Raita but with garlic in it, and with Za’atar sprinkled over it. Very interesting.
Another point that has made the Middle-Eastern cuisine a hit in the house is the fact that there are a lot of rice dishes. Being a South Indian vegetarian family, rice plays an important role in our daily khana , and there are a lot of rice dishes in the Persian/Armenian/Mediterranean cuisines. And the fact that the book itself is for vegetarian food only always gives me tonnes of options for every course, should I decide to make this for dinner.
So for this dinner I was planning, I wanted to make a simple cheese pilaf, an Iranian vegetable stew and some yummy garlic-yogurt sauce. In short, as simple as rice, stir-fry and a Raita to with it all. However, I decided to add a little twist to the first two dishes.
I decided to flavour the rice before I bake it, and make a tomato based vegetable stew. I used copious amounts of garlic since that is a house-favourite (God save you if you don’t eat garlic and have been invited to dine in our house ;)) and dried dill. Dill happens to be a very famous herb in this cuisine, and I’ve discovered its beautiful flavour and aroma only after adding it to the butter.
I only spent 45 mins in the kitchen to make all these, but the compliments I got for the food… well… I know for sure that this will be cooked over and over again , for the both of us and for the friends visiting us.
Cheese Pilaf (Serves 3 , with this as main dish)
IngredientsBasmati Rice – 1.5 Cup, washed
Garlic Cloves – 5-6 , crushed in a mortal pestle
Butter – A dollop or 1 tbsp
Dried Dill – 1 tbsp
Black Pepper – 1 tsp, crushed
Sea Salt – to taste
Boiling water – 3 Cups
Cheddar cheese slices – 4-6
Dried Dill – 1 tbsp
Black Pepper – 1 tsp, crushed
Toasted sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
Instructions
Put a thick bottomed tawa on medium heat, and add the butter to in. Once butter heats up, add the crushed garlic, dried dill and sauté them. Now add the rice to this and mix well enough so that the butter evenly coats the rice. Add the black pepper and salt to this and sauté the rice. Add boiling water and close the pan with the the lid. Cook the rice till the water evaporates, and the rice is separated and dry enough. Let this cool down.
Once the garlic rice cools down, spread half the quantity in a shallow baking dish. Spread the cheese slices on this. Sprinkle some dill and black pepper. Spread the remaining rice and the cheese slices on top of it. Sprinkle again with dill and pepper. Bake this in a pre-heated oven at 185C for 20 mins or till the cheese turns golden brown.
Remove from the oven to set, garnish with the toasted sesame seeds.
Serve hot, with the stew for accompaniment.
Last time I was visiting Blore, we were invited to visit N at her brand new home. Since her housewarming gift was back in Hyd, and I wanted to pick up something for her, I decided it would be a book. A cookbook. In my opinion, what better gift than a cookbook for a MasterChef! I saw this Arabian dishes book and immediately picked it up for her. And when I was flipping through the pages of this book, I realized how much I love this book, and how much I’d want a copy for myself. Sitting right there in her massive entertainment area, I booked another copy for myself on Crossword. So by the time I was back home in Hyd, I had the book waiting for me to be picked up in the Mailroom. Since then, everytime I open the book, it has been a Flavour Fest in the kitchen!
What I loved about the Middle-Eastern cooking is the interesting mix of flavours. And the usage of daily ingredients in a different way, or a different dish altogether. Like Yogurt, for example. We’d eat it, drink a diluted form of it, make Kadhi with it, or Raita to be eat with it. These are the same things that the Persians or Armenians would do too, but with a different mix of herbs/spices to this. I loved the idea of Garlic-Yogurt sauce for example, our basic Raita but with garlic in it, and with Za’atar sprinkled over it. Very interesting.
Another point that has made the Middle-Eastern cuisine a hit in the house is the fact that there are a lot of rice dishes. Being a South Indian vegetarian family, rice plays an important role in our daily khana , and there are a lot of rice dishes in the Persian/Armenian/Mediterranean cuisines. And the fact that the book itself is for vegetarian food only always gives me tonnes of options for every course, should I decide to make this for dinner.
So for this dinner I was planning, I wanted to make a simple cheese pilaf, an Iranian vegetable stew and some yummy garlic-yogurt sauce. In short, as simple as rice, stir-fry and a Raita to with it all. However, I decided to add a little twist to the first two dishes.
I decided to flavour the rice before I bake it, and make a tomato based vegetable stew. I used copious amounts of garlic since that is a house-favourite (God save you if you don’t eat garlic and have been invited to dine in our house ;)) and dried dill. Dill happens to be a very famous herb in this cuisine, and I’ve discovered its beautiful flavour and aroma only after adding it to the butter.
I only spent 45 mins in the kitchen to make all these, but the compliments I got for the food… well… I know for sure that this will be cooked over and over again , for the both of us and for the friends visiting us.
Cheese Pilaf (Serves 3 , with this as main dish)
IngredientsBasmati Rice – 1.5 Cup, washed
Garlic Cloves – 5-6 , crushed in a mortal pestle
Butter – A dollop or 1 tbsp
Dried Dill – 1 tbsp
Black Pepper – 1 tsp, crushed
Sea Salt – to taste
Boiling water – 3 Cups
Cheddar cheese slices – 4-6
Dried Dill – 1 tbsp
Black Pepper – 1 tsp, crushed
Toasted sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
Instructions
Put a thick bottomed tawa on medium heat, and add the butter to in. Once butter heats up, add the crushed garlic, dried dill and sauté them. Now add the rice to this and mix well enough so that the butter evenly coats the rice. Add the black pepper and salt to this and sauté the rice. Add boiling water and close the pan with the the lid. Cook the rice till the water evaporates, and the rice is separated and dry enough. Let this cool down.
Once the garlic rice cools down, spread half the quantity in a shallow baking dish. Spread the cheese slices on this. Sprinkle some dill and black pepper. Spread the remaining rice and the cheese slices on top of it. Sprinkle again with dill and pepper. Bake this in a pre-heated oven at 185C for 20 mins or till the cheese turns golden brown.
Remove from the oven to set, garnish with the toasted sesame seeds.
Serve hot, with the stew for accompaniment.
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