Tag: dates

Meal for Meal-makers- Recipes to Relish !

Holidays are over and we have entered a new calender year. Lets keep the spirits high even after the party is over and keep learning and preparing good recipes just to sink in the feeling that though holidays are over good times are not over yet . I always love the month of January as we always make new year resolution and are charged up to fulfill the long lost targets that we set cautiously but do not meet the deadlines. We have loads of festivals, weddings , birthday parties to attend and we love the food and foggy weather. Not only that, we plan holidays with family generally during that time or may be its a time off from work to simply relax and have awesome home cooked food.We often put up our orders to Mums , wives, or the cook but why don’t we change the format a little a cook for those who always spare their time in kitchen busy to feed monsters like us and still not complaining.This article is dedicated to those few people who cook for us and feed us 365 days . We often neglect their space, their holidays and even their Sundays keeping ourselves too comfortable to come out of that comfort zone. Its totally not fair and we must show a little gesture by cooking for them and making them smile. So are you ready to be a good Samaritan ??? If yes, then note down the heavenly recipes and bring in a smile to someone’s face.

Orange Chicken with Steamed Rice !!!

Ingredients : 500 g boneless chicken cut into small pieces, 2 tablespoon corn starch , 2 eggs beaten well, 1 cup refined flour seasoned with black pepper , salt , red chilly powder, and garlic powder, 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped, 1/2 tablespoon ginger chopped, 1 cup diced bell peppers, 1 teaspoon chilly flakes, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 cup orange juice,1 tablespoon orange zest,1 teaspoon olive oil, salt to taste, Vegetable oil for shallow frying chicken pieces. 200 g soaked rice for steaming.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly we need to season the chicken and coat it well . For that Take a large zip lock bag and add 1 tablespoon corn starch in it. Dry the chicken pieces by dabbing it against a cloth and put it in the zip lock bag. Shake it well it the chicken pieces get evenly coated with corn starch. Now dip each piece in beaten egg and again coat it well with refined flour seasoned mixture . Keep the chicken separately for 10- minutes and then shallow fry in a pan . Now heat a pan and add orange juice with a cup of water. Then add salt , brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, olive oil, dark soy sauce ,chilly flakes and orange zest. Bring to a boil and then add chicken pieces to it and cook for 5 more minutes. Make a solution of corn starch and pour it over the chicken gravy and stir it for another 2 minutes. Steam cook the rice and serve it with hot orange chicken . You will be a good Samaritan for the one you are cooking for.

Bean and pasta in red sauce :

Ingredients : 1 1/2 cups of uncooked macaroni, 1 can baked beans, 1/2 cup fresh corns or frozen sweet corn kernels, 1/2 large red bell pepper sliced, 1/2 large capsicum sliced, 1/2 yellow bell pepper sliced, 3 large tomatoes, 1 large onion sliced, 1 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder, 2 cubes of processed cheese grated, 1/2 cup tomato ketchup, few garlic cloves finely chopped, 2 table spoon mixed dry herbs, salt to taste, 3 tablespoon olive oil for cooking.

Servings : 4

Method : Heat one teaspoon oil in a pan and sauté the onions and bell peppers for 2 to 3 minutes. Divide this mix into 2 equal portions and keep it aside. Just boil the corn kernels for 4 to 5 minutes and set aside. Boil the pasta and tomatoes together in a separate pot and after few minutes just remove the tomatoes and cool it for sometime (its called blanching) . Let the macaroni cook . Once done drain the pasta add few drops of oil and set aside. Once the tomatoes are cool enough peel of the skin from the tomatoes and finely chop it for the pasta preparation. Preheat the oven at 180 degree centigrade for 8 to 10 minutes. Now heat 2 teaspoon of oil and sauté garlic for 1 minute and add one portion of onion and bell pepper mixture. Stir in red chilly powder and sauté for few seconds only. Add blanched and chopped tomatoes , salt to taste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the boiled corn and baked beans , cook for one minute .Mix the pasta , tomatoes and grated cheese, simmer it for couple of minutes. To get desired consistency add little bit of water and adjust the salt amount for perfect taste. Now place this cooked dish on a greased baking dish sprinkle remaining sautéed onion and bell pepper mixture and a bit of grated cheese bake it for 10 minutes till golden brown and serve it hot. A perfect winter recipe is ready .

Date Fudge :

A healthy and yet tasty dessert . It takes little time to prepare this dish but the innovation will win hearts as perfect meals do not complete without perfect desserts.

Ingredients : 100 g of dates de-seeded and sliced in long strips, 6 Marie biscuits crushed very finely with hands only, 3 tablespoon of dry coconut powder, 1 tablespoon butter.

Servings : 5 (serving size being 2)

Method : Heat the butter in a pan . Add the sliced dates into the pan and sauté it for 3 to 4 minutes in slow flame. Stir in 1 tablespoon coconut powder in it and sauté for another 10 to 12 seconds. Divide the mixture in 10 equal parts after mixing it with crushed Marie biscuits while its still hot.shape each part into a ball and then slightly press it to flatten it. Roll each piece on remaining coconut powder separately and refrigerate it for few minutes. Serve it on a bowl .

January 8, 2015
10 Pointers to keep in Mind for a First Date

We were all born into the Pop culture and we love it, don’t we? By definition, it means all the ideas, images and attitudes that were considered mainstream in the culture of the 20th and the early 21st century! ‘Pop’ actually is an abbreviated form of the word ‘popular’ and it was mainly used to refer to the genre of music called pop music from the late nineteen fifties. Well, it modernized the whole world, sweeping and dusting all the old traditions giving it a new, sparkling sheen.

Remember the pretty ladies in the beautiful gowns and men in high breeches waltzing their way into daylight in the movie Pride and Prejudice? Even better is drool-worthy Mr. Darcy with his alluring aristocratic courtship rituals. He is every girl’s dream guy – decent, gentlemanly, polished, respectful and what not! Times have changed and guys like that are, well, not so common to find nowadays. But hey, dating has never been more transparent and courtship is quite a different play now. The new pop culture has changed all the rules of the dating game which makes it very difficult for either of the sex to have a clear shot.

So, let’s look at some of the basic rules to have a decent, fun and impressive first date.

1. Pick up – It is important that you pick up your date and no, it doesn’t matter if you own a car or not. Picking her up on a bicycle would be more romantic even though some of the females may not feels so. The point is you need to show that you bothered to pick her up and even more important is that you be punctual.

Knocking at her door with an apology for being late on the very first date doesn’t paint a very good picture.

2. Clothing – First impressions are the best impressions. Clothes are what make a man, and a women too. Dressing speaks volumes about who you are. Apart from indicating your personality, it also shows that you cared enough to dress well for the date and that’s pretty good. Imagine someone who doesn’t bother to even dress well on the first date. Meh.

3. Language – A person’s class and standards are reflected in the kind of language he uses. We use the formal language with no traces of emotions for office use and in other formal occasions. Similarly, we need to use the right language on a date. You don’t want to sound all ‘hello madam, how do you do?’, do you?

Your language should be classy but not too formal and absolutely no swearing. Even if the date is OK with swearing, it is not much appreciated right on the first date.

4. Attitude – No matter how much a girl rants about feminism or male chauvinism, she will definitely not take offense if you pull out the chair for her or open the car door for her. It just shows that you are a gentleman. But don’t repeat it on every date with the same woman because it’s only a matter of time before the feminist in them kicks in!

Also a confident man is a win-win and arrogance, even a streak of it is a big no-no. Everybody hates an arrogant prick. Remember to never be bossy, pushy or domineering which means you don’t decide what she eats at say, a dinner date. That will have the lady running in no time.

5. Listen more, talk less – Girls dig guys who talk with eyes than mouth. You should remember to listen closely to everything she says and much later, ask her something regarding any specific thing that she had mentioned in the passing. She will be highly impressed that you had listened to everything, remembered it and bothered to ask about it!

And look into her eyes and most importantly, never check out a passing girl. You can save that for later.

6. Compliments – The fairer sex loves to hear compliments. In fact, all of us love being complimented! At the beginning, compliment her on her beautiful dress or her hair-do because girls spend a lot and I mean a LOT of time picking out the right dress. Not to mention the number of hours with the curlers and mascaras.

And later on, in the awkward pauses, compliment her on her beautiful smile or eyes. They make the best fillers. Just remember to sound genuine which you can get right by maintaining proper eye contact.

7. Cell phone off – Who would like to go on a date with the damn phone ringing or beeping away every 10 minutes! That is definitely off-limits.

So make sure to keep it on silent mode and answer only if it is really important. If there are less disturbances, then it would go smoothly.

8. Never argue – You might bump into a lot of girls who can get quite bossy. They may tend to take a different opinion on whatever you might say but don’t let it get to you. Don’t ever argue with her especially on sensitive issues because things can get quite nasty.

Even if she herself argues a lot, she won’t like it if you start doing the same!

9. A small token – No lady will say no to a pretty rose or an orchid corsage. That is a very sweet gesture and it will earn you the extra brownie points!

10. Pay – It is more like an expected thing that guys pay. The ladies may not mind splitting it but refuse the offer pleasantly. Take her to a small, cute bistro or cafe, that way you don’t have to cough up too many pennies.

Besides these points, if you want to make the date memorable, take her to a fair or something similar because giant wheels and other such rides will have her clutching onto your hand for dear life. And that’s romantic. Buy her popcorn or whatever she likes, romp around and finally maybe a little frolicking in the fountain or sprinklers. And most importantly, don’t forget to smile (genuinely) because a smile can be a real life saver. It will smooth out any creases or glitches along the way.

Important bonus tip : Make her laugh and keep it real.

You are ready, boys. Go and sweep them off their feet!

January 8, 2015
Go Nuts about Nuts! (Part 1)

With high nutritive value and a deliciously sweet taste, dried fruit is fruit from which the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Nuts are edible fruits as well, anatomically different from the rest because of their soft internal kernels enclosed within a hard shell. Both dried fruits and nuts possess high shelf life, and have been in use throughout centuries in every part of the world. Today, they form an integral part of our culture and cuisine, and have an irreplaceable importance in our daily lives.

1. Khajoor

Khajoor, or the rather generic term, dates are the fruits of palm trees. Named Phoenix dactylifera in the binomial classification system of living organisms, both these names are derived from the Greek word for “finger”, dáktulos, because of the fruit’s elongated shape. What is interesting about the date palm, which produces this particular fruit, is that the male and female plants are separate and independent of each other, and only the female is capable of bearing fruit. The male plants only produce pollen, which is vital for the fertilization of the female and the subsequent production of dates. In most cities in India, dried dates are available easily at every fruit seller’s and vendor’s, and you can find those yellowish, deep red fruits packaged in small cylindrical plastic casings. Dates are extremely high in their carbohydrate content, and a hundred grams of dates will provide you with over three hundred calories. Dates contain minimal protein content, and an abundance of simple sugars which get easily absorbed in the bloodstream, and hence should be mostly avoided by obese and overweight people.

2. Dried figs

Figs (Ficus carica) are native to the countries of the Middle East and western Asia, and have been used for both ornamental and consumption purposes over the course of many centuries. One of the first edible plants cultivated by humankind, figs are mentioned in many historical accounts and incidents, one of the most famous being the suicide of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, who apparently got herself bit to death by an asp smuggled in a basket of figs instead of surrendering to the erstwhile Roman Empire. The small, green-skinned fruit contains many smaller drupelets, or one-seeded fleshy fruit components, and can be eaten fresh, after drying, and in numerous other preparations ranging from jam to ice cream. Known by the vernacular term anjeer in most of the Indian subcontinent, figs are extremely high in their carbohydrate content as well. Dried figs contain rich amounts of sugar, and hence have high calorific content, making it an unhealthy dietary component for obese, overweight people with cardiac risks.

3. Almonds

Almonds, popularly known by their Hindi name badam in the northern states of India, are the seeds of a tree (Prunus dulcis) originally found in the Middle East and South Asia. Closely related to the peach family, the almond fruit also look rather like small green peaches, and are available in both sweet and bitter varieties. Etymologically speaking, the word is derived from countless variations and modifications of the Latin amandula, the Greek word amygdala, and the Old French almande or allemande over the ages. Apart from being eaten in its raw, roasted, and blanched forms, almonds are also used in your daily breakfast muesli as well as while making many delicacies such as cakes, nougat, marzipan, and macaroons in Europe and America, and badam halwa, barfi, biscuits, and flavoured milk in India. Extremely nourishing in nature, almonds are valued as a good muscle and body building substance, in addition to boosting the brain’s grey matter. Used for making oil, almonds also have high calorific value, with every hundred grams of almonds giving over six hundred and fifty calories, and sixty grams of almond fat giving nearly twelve teaspoons of oil.

4. Peanuts

Peanuts, or groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea) as they are mostly called in India, belong to the leguminous beans family, and was first cultivated in the red soils of Paraguay. The species name as according to taxonomist Carl Linnaeus hypogaea has Latin roots and literally means “under the earth”. Apart from being eaten in their raw, salted, roasted, and even boiled forms, peanuts are used to make countless basic cooking ingredients such as flour and oil, as well as many complex delicacies. They also have many applications outside the realm of the kitchen, such as their usage in the manufacture of solvents, industrial non-edible oil, textile materials, and both allopathic as well as herbal medicines. American botanist George Washington Carver is credited with hundreds of peanut recipes and related products, peanut butter being one of his most famous patents of all time. In India, groundnuts alone make a wonderful evening snack in winters, and you can find them being sold at very cheap prices at any roadside vendor. Groundnut oil is very healthy and is used in many households as a cooking medium. They are also a major component of chikki, a popular north Indian snack made by boiling and solidifying jaggery, sugar, peanuts, and til (sesame seeds) in long sheets. Though groundnut resembles other pulses in general nutritive value, they are very rich in fat, with a hundred grams of groundnut will yield almost forty grams of oil worth more than five hundred calories.

5. Cashews

Cashewnuts are derived from the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) which also bears the cashew apple. White, sweet, kidney-shaped, and extremely versatile as far as their culinary uses are concerned, cashews can be salted, roasted, creamed into gravies, made into liquor and oil, and are also used in the preparation of many sweet dishes. The word cashew has been derived from the Portuguese word caju which has been in turn derived from acajú of the indigenous Tupi language, and literally translates to the “nut that produces itself”. Cashews are used for making many Indian curries, such as korma and shahi dishes, and sweetmeats such as kaju katli. Because of their high starch content, cashews serve as good emulsifying agents and are used for thickening soups, syrups, curries, and the works. Boiling them in oil or salting them makes them harder to digest so they are best eaten in their natural, raw state. They go best with acidic fruit and non-starchy vegetables rather than sweet fruit and heavy starch. They are good body builders and easily digested when raw, and hence, help in cases of emaciation and in building good teeth. Like all nuts, cashews contain a great deal of unsaturated fatty acids, mostly in the form of oleic acid. On consuming a hundred grams of cashew nuts, you gain nearly fifty grams of fat, and a hundred grams of cashew oil, which amounts to around ten teaspoons, yields 600 calories.

January 1, 2015
Go Nuts about Nuts! (Part 2)

With high nutritive value and a deliciously sweet taste, dried fruit is fruit from which the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Nuts are edible fruits as well, anatomically different from the rest because of their soft internal kernels enclosed within a hard shell. Both dried fruits and nuts possess high shelf life, and have been in use throughout centuries in every part of the world. Today, they form an integral part of our culture and cuisine, and have an irreplaceable importance in our daily lives. In the second segment of this listicle, there is more to learn about our favourite ones.

6. Walnuts

Walnuts are derived from the Persian and English walnut trees (Juglans regia) and its soft edible kernel resembles the human brain. In etymological terms, the word is derived from the Germanic wal and the Old English wealhhnutu, meaning “foreign nut”. The shells are thin with a faint sheen and crack neatly into half, revealing the twisted, curly shaped nut. Versatile in the kitchen, walnuts can be candied and pickled in addition to being eaten raw or in their roasted form. Walnuts also form an integral part of many dishes, particularly desserts like chocolate brownies and even breakfast mueslis. You can also find them in many a salad, as their slightly bitter taste balances out the overall sweetness of the rest of the dish. Walnuts are very rich in protein and also contain a small amount of Vitamin B. They are rich in antioxidants and are curative for many minor diseases such as eczema. In fact, the oil obtained from the kernel has been found of great help in skin diseases. The green unripe walnut is useful for expelling worms from the stomach. They are also good for treating constipation because of their proven laxative qualities. Walnuts also possess many other non-culinary qualities, some of them being in the areas of cleaning agents, inks and dyes, and even anti-cancer drugs. Although walnuts are highly rich in protein and are very good for the brain, they yield nearly seven hundred calories and seventy grams of fat in just a hundred grams.

7. Pistachios

Pistachios belong to the cashew family and are obtained from small pistachio trees (Pistacia vera) which originated from the countries of Central Asia and the eastern part of the Mediterranean coast. The word pistachio comes from the medieval Italian pistacchio, which has been derived from the classical Latin pistacium, which in turn has its origin in the ancient Greek pistákion and the Persian pistákē. The kernel of the pistachio nut is consumed, and the non-edible beige coloured shells also find many uses in non-culinary areas, such as fuel and composting purposes. Pistachios formed a common part of the diet of ancient human civilizations, with notable mentions in ancient texts dating back to centuries before the advent of the Christ. Slightly sweet in taste, pistachios are eaten raw, roasted, salted, and also as a part of desserts such as the Indian kulfi, cold salads, Italian biscottis, Turkish delights, and ice cream. Pistas, as they are commonly called in India, are very high in calories and thus should be avoided by obese and overweight people with diligence. According to dietary charts, a hundred grams of pistas yield more than six hundred calories.

8. Fenugreek

Fenugreek seeds are obtained from the small herbaceous fenugreek plant (Trigonella foenum-graecum), and are usually called methi by most people in the Indian subcontinent. Originating from Egypt and other countries of Western Asia, fenugreek and its various parts are used as herbs, spices, and vegetables. The word has its origins in the Latin faenugraecum, literally meaning “Greek hay” and dates back to the ancient Roman era where the dried fenugreek plant was used as fodder. Hard lentils by biological classification, fenugreek seeds are a dark fawn in colour and possess an astringent aroma. Containing around five percent of bitter fixed oil, the seeds are usually broken to down to obtain the same. The oil is bitter in taste, smells like celery, and is used in small quantities in seasoning Indian dishes like sambhar and kadhi. Rajasthani people even make curry out of fenugreek. Fenugreek oil greatly improves the flavour and quality of pickles, and is mostly used in cooking with sour substances so as to balance out the taste. It is particularly beneficial to non-insulin dependent diabetics as it helps them to regulate their blood glucose levels by their significant hypoglycaemia-inducing properties. It is also used in buttermilk to treat dysentery.

9. Mustard

Mustard seeds are derived from the mustard plant (Brassica juncea) and are generally advised to be consumed in moderate amounts. They are small in size, stretching no more than two millimetres in diameter, and are usually reddish-black in colour. Mentioned in many ancient religious texts, mustard holds an important historicity in Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Buddhism. Generally called by their Urdu term sarson in most parts of northern India, mustard has its etymological origins in the Old French mostarde and the Latin mustum which means “new wine”. The leaves are consumed as vegetable, the skinned seeds are used for making pickles, and its oil is used as a cooking medium. The pungent taste and tear-producing properties of mustard seeds are due to nitrogen and sulphur containing compounds called isothiocyanates. Mustard seeds are used in treating rheumatism, arthritis, acidity, kidney and bladder ailments, bronchial inflammation, and are also recommended particularly for pregnant women. Nursing mothers are advised to take mustards due to its detoxifying properties. Mustard greens are rich in Vitamins A, B, and C, and contain fibre in bulk, which produces a mildly laxative effect.

10. Coconut

Dried coconut is obtained from the coconut palm tree (Cocos nucifera) and is ideally found in coastal and tropical areas where the hot temperature and slightly arid soil contribute to its growth. The coconut has even been mentioned in old fiction, such as in “The One Thousand and One Nights” story by Sindbad the Sailor. Derived from the Spanish word coco which literally means “grinning face” and refers to the three-holed humanoid appearance of the fruit, coconuts have important uses all over the world. Primarily used in the southern states of India for its oil, coconut is a vital part of the local cuisine, and an inseparable ingredient of many delicacies. It is also used in the north as a part of many sweetmeats, with coconut milk a favourite summer beverage throughout the country, and fermented coconut being used to make toddy, an alcoholic beverage native to South Asia. Rich in Vitamins A, B, and C, this tropical wonder food is also a rich source of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and sulphur. While the carbohydrate and protein content is moderate, the fat content is quite high, with a hundred grams of oil yielding nearly seven hundred calories.

December 30, 2014