Friday, September 20, 2013

Yogurt and Heat - dont you worry !

Many a times,  going through recipes that uses yogurt in cooking, I have always wondered..."but, does not it curdle ? Can yogurt be used in dishes while cooking on high heat ?...many doubts in these lines lingered, until I happened to read about it.

Just sharing few points that I came across, which eventually, did clarify my doubts in this regard.



* How to prevent yogurt from curdling when making curries?
 
Yogurt is a major ingredient in making Indian Curries. The cow-milk yogurt will separate when heated beyond a given point, unless it is stabilized.
 
In the olden days, yogurt for cooking was made from freshly drawn buffalo whole-milk. It did not curdle with heat. Technically, foods high in proteins and acids (yogurt has lactic acid), become unstable with high heat. Higher the butter fat, proportionately lower is the amount of protein, that is the case with buffalo-milk yogurt.
 
You may choose to add Cow-milk yogurt at the end of cooking to minimize effects of high heat. The only problem is that spice flavors will not fully permeate the yogurt.

* Steps to prevent yogurt from curdling during cooking

Following steps will prevent yogurt from curdling
 
1. Use whole-milk (high fat) yogurt.
 
2. Stabilize yogurt by whisking-in starch before cooking. Add one teaspoon of cornstarch, or 1½ teaspoon of other flours (Atta, Maida, or Besan) to one cup of yogurt.
 
3. Minimize thermal shock to yogurt when adding to curry being cooked. First shut off the heat. Start with yogurt at room temperature and not directly from the refrigerator. At this point, you may add starch to stabilize yogurt. Temper yogurt just like eggs are tempered in making custard. Raise yogurt temperature gradually by mixing hot curry sauce little bit at a time to the yogurt. After the yogurt temperature has risen sufficiently, add it to the curry. Turn on heat to finish making curry.
 
4. When the yogurt is made, it is not stirred during incubation, so the structure of yogurt is set in a matrix. After adding yogurt for cooking, stirring vigorously will break down the matrix and cause separation. Gently fold-in yogurt by stirring in one direction (either clockwise or anticlockwise), till the yogurt is well blended.
 
5. Sometimes, it is possible to fix the yogurt after it has separated. Shut-off heat. Make a paste by mixing one teaspoon of cornstarch (or two teaspoons of all-purpose flour) with ½ Tablespoon of cold water. Stir paste into the separated mixture. Gently heat curry to let it thicken and recombine the yogurt. Repeat if necessary.

 
 lol  :P

* Recipe for Stabilized Yogurt

Cow’s milk yogurt will separate when heated beyond a certain point.
 
Use of stabilized yogurt will minimize separation.
 
1. Whole-milk plain yogurt: 1 Quart
2. Large egg white, lightly beaten: 1
3. Cornstarch: 1 Tablespoon
4. Salt: 1 teaspoon
 
Mix all ingredients together in a heavy saucepan. Whisk. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, in one direction until mixture starts to bubble and comes to a boil (approximately 8 minutes). Reduce heat to moderately low, and simmer until thickened, it will take approximately additional 4 minutes.
 
Stabilized yogurt can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks
 
...or.....
 
You can also stabilize cow-milk yogurt by stirring-in a starch to the yogurt before cooking. For starch, you can use any flour: Besan (Chickpea flour), Atta (whole-grain wheat flour), Maida (All-purpose flour) or Cornstarch. Cornstarch is flavor neutral.
 
"now...this, was the kinda tip that I was always on the look out for !!!".
 
 
.......will be right back, with a yogurt sauce based recipe..now..that I no longer need to worry about yogurt getting curled due to heat.
 
Until then..keep smiling...have a great day ahead !!!

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Italian, gets an Indian makeover...Spagetti Puliyodarai

Thairu saadham, Pulisaadham, lemon saadham..all goes with rice...so, on some wild instinct, thought, why not try the same with something else other than rice.

And by this wild instinct..i mean, the kind of "out -of-the box" thoughts that you end up with... especially, on a Friday... a weekend..and when there is nothing much to be done. An idle mind is a devil's workshop..and You are not supposed to be doing things the way it is done normally...

again..i repeat...coz, its weekend !
                                                                                  
 
So, that was it for the day - Spagetti, blended with the indian sweet-tangy tamarind-jaggery combo.
 
 
You see that ? Even Aunty Acid luks cool in Sari..so, why not Spagetti in Indian attire ???
 
Basically, the procedure is the same. Make the "pulikaachal" (the tamarind-jaggery paste) and mix it with the pasta instead of the rice. (But before going into the mains, please note that this is not the exact way  in terms of ingredient list,  the standard "puliyodharai" is made. I just made something similar in taste, with what was avaialble at home then. )
 
You need
Cooking oil - 4 spoons
Mustard seeds - 1 /2 tsp
Urad dal / Black gram - 1 tsp
Jeera / cumin - 1/2 tsp
Onion - chopped small - 1
Tamarind paste - (used the store brought one)
Jaggery (grated) - 2 spoons
Cashewnutes  - A handful
Curry leaves - Few
Fenugreek seeds - 3/4 spoon
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 spoon
Kashmiri chillie powder - 1 tsp
Salt - As per taste

How to

 
                                                                                                                                                   


In to a wok, add the oil.
Splutter the mustard, fenugreek and urad dal.

 
Add the curry leaves, chooped onions and the cashewnuts. 
 

Meanwhile, while the onions are getting sauted..cook and drain the spagetti .

 
Welll..not like this...!
 (a borrowed image from googley)
 


..and..definitely..not like this either !!!
 
For those who have not watched this eposide of Mr. Bean cooking spagetti in the bathtub with a row of tea candles lit below !! lol...i love this funny soul !



Once onions are sauted, add in the Asafoetida, Turmeric, Kashmiri chillie powder, tamarind paste, jaggery and salt to taste.
 
Once the raw smell of the malasa goes, add in few spoonfulls of water, bring to boil to form a thick paste.
 
Can adjust the amount of jaggery, tamarind at this stage,if you want more of it.
 
  
 
Add the cooked spagetti to the wok and mix well.
 
 

Lunch is served !!!



 
Well...not just italian pasta..not just Aunty Acid...even SHE...luks HOT in Indian wear !
 
Until next....tada !..keep smiling...and have a great day !

 
 
 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Super quick Apple Subji (flexi-flavour)

Apple subji -  very quick side dish ready in just a couple of minutes.
 

You need :
1. Onion - 2 medium sized.
2. Garlic - 2 cloves
3. Tomato - 1 small (but optional)
4. Masala - well....that.... i will keep it flexible. (to be selected on the type of flavouring that you would like to have).

want to have sambar flavoured sabji, go for sambar masala ...
want to have it in rasam flavour...fine, use rasam powder...
want some more hotness...try with any pickle masala.

See..I am so flexible ;) :P

4. Apples - 3 medium sized.  Granny Smith / cooking / green / dark red / light red...... . absolutely no specs, as long as they are apples. Colour, creed, nationality just dont matter.

Flexiblity...reloaded !!!





Aahh...that' soo sweet of you...as you say, Ma'am !!!

5.The rest of the ingredients - mustard seeds, dry red chillie flakes, salt to taste.

How to :
Into a wok, add in few tbsp's oil, splutter some mustard seeds.

 
Throw in the onions, garlic and when almost tender, add in the tomato
(again, thats optional..)
 
ooh..aah..ouch !!!

Remove the skin and cut the apple into chunks.




Once the onions are cooked, add in the masala , the cut apples and a few tbsp's of water.
Salt to taste.
Keep covered , just for 2-3 minutes for the apple to cook.
Sprinkle some dry chillie flakes , mix well and switch off the stove.

 
 
Best when served hot with plain rice.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Yogurt and Heat - dont you worry !

Many a times,  going through recipes that uses yogurt in cooking, I have always wondered..."but, does not it curdle ? Can yogurt be used in dishes while cooking on high heat ?...many doubts in these lines lingered, until I happened to read about it.

Just sharing few points that I came across, which eventually, did clarify my doubts in this regard.



* How to prevent yogurt from curdling when making curries?
 
Yogurt is a major ingredient in making Indian Curries. The cow-milk yogurt will separate when heated beyond a given point, unless it is stabilized.
 
In the olden days, yogurt for cooking was made from freshly drawn buffalo whole-milk. It did not curdle with heat. Technically, foods high in proteins and acids (yogurt has lactic acid), become unstable with high heat. Higher the butter fat, proportionately lower is the amount of protein, that is the case with buffalo-milk yogurt.
 
You may choose to add Cow-milk yogurt at the end of cooking to minimize effects of high heat. The only problem is that spice flavors will not fully permeate the yogurt.

* Steps to prevent yogurt from curdling during cooking

Following steps will prevent yogurt from curdling
 
1. Use whole-milk (high fat) yogurt.
 
2. Stabilize yogurt by whisking-in starch before cooking. Add one teaspoon of cornstarch, or 1½ teaspoon of other flours (Atta, Maida, or Besan) to one cup of yogurt.
 
3. Minimize thermal shock to yogurt when adding to curry being cooked. First shut off the heat. Start with yogurt at room temperature and not directly from the refrigerator. At this point, you may add starch to stabilize yogurt. Temper yogurt just like eggs are tempered in making custard. Raise yogurt temperature gradually by mixing hot curry sauce little bit at a time to the yogurt. After the yogurt temperature has risen sufficiently, add it to the curry. Turn on heat to finish making curry.
 
4. When the yogurt is made, it is not stirred during incubation, so the structure of yogurt is set in a matrix. After adding yogurt for cooking, stirring vigorously will break down the matrix and cause separation. Gently fold-in yogurt by stirring in one direction (either clockwise or anticlockwise), till the yogurt is well blended.
 
5. Sometimes, it is possible to fix the yogurt after it has separated. Shut-off heat. Make a paste by mixing one teaspoon of cornstarch (or two teaspoons of all-purpose flour) with ½ Tablespoon of cold water. Stir paste into the separated mixture. Gently heat curry to let it thicken and recombine the yogurt. Repeat if necessary.

 
 lol  :P

* Recipe for Stabilized Yogurt

Cow’s milk yogurt will separate when heated beyond a certain point.
 
Use of stabilized yogurt will minimize separation.
 
1. Whole-milk plain yogurt: 1 Quart
2. Large egg white, lightly beaten: 1
3. Cornstarch: 1 Tablespoon
4. Salt: 1 teaspoon
 
Mix all ingredients together in a heavy saucepan. Whisk. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, in one direction until mixture starts to bubble and comes to a boil (approximately 8 minutes). Reduce heat to moderately low, and simmer until thickened, it will take approximately additional 4 minutes.
 
Stabilized yogurt can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks
 
...or.....
 
You can also stabilize cow-milk yogurt by stirring-in a starch to the yogurt before cooking. For starch, you can use any flour: Besan (Chickpea flour), Atta (whole-grain wheat flour), Maida (All-purpose flour) or Cornstarch. Cornstarch is flavor neutral.
 
"now...this, was the kinda tip that I was always on the look out for !!!".
 
 
.......will be right back, with a yogurt sauce based recipe..now..that I no longer need to worry about yogurt getting curled due to heat.
 
Until then..keep smiling...have a great day ahead !!!

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Italian, gets an Indian makeover...Spagetti Puliyodarai

Thairu saadham, Pulisaadham, lemon saadham..all goes with rice...so, on some wild instinct, thought, why not try the same with something else other than rice.

And by this wild instinct..i mean, the kind of "out -of-the box" thoughts that you end up with... especially, on a Friday... a weekend..and when there is nothing much to be done. An idle mind is a devil's workshop..and You are not supposed to be doing things the way it is done normally...

again..i repeat...coz, its weekend !
                                                                                  
 
So, that was it for the day - Spagetti, blended with the indian sweet-tangy tamarind-jaggery combo.
 
 
You see that ? Even Aunty Acid luks cool in Sari..so, why not Spagetti in Indian attire ???
 
Basically, the procedure is the same. Make the "pulikaachal" (the tamarind-jaggery paste) and mix it with the pasta instead of the rice. (But before going into the mains, please note that this is not the exact way  in terms of ingredient list,  the standard "puliyodharai" is made. I just made something similar in taste, with what was avaialble at home then. )
 
You need
Cooking oil - 4 spoons
Mustard seeds - 1 /2 tsp
Urad dal / Black gram - 1 tsp
Jeera / cumin - 1/2 tsp
Onion - chopped small - 1
Tamarind paste - (used the store brought one)
Jaggery (grated) - 2 spoons
Cashewnutes  - A handful
Curry leaves - Few
Fenugreek seeds - 3/4 spoon
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 spoon
Kashmiri chillie powder - 1 tsp
Salt - As per taste

How to

 
                                                                                                                                                   


In to a wok, add the oil.
Splutter the mustard, fenugreek and urad dal.

 
Add the curry leaves, chooped onions and the cashewnuts. 
 

Meanwhile, while the onions are getting sauted..cook and drain the spagetti .

 
Welll..not like this...!
 (a borrowed image from googley)
 


..and..definitely..not like this either !!!
 
For those who have not watched this eposide of Mr. Bean cooking spagetti in the bathtub with a row of tea candles lit below !! lol...i love this funny soul !



Once onions are sauted, add in the Asafoetida, Turmeric, Kashmiri chillie powder, tamarind paste, jaggery and salt to taste.
 
Once the raw smell of the malasa goes, add in few spoonfulls of water, bring to boil to form a thick paste.
 
Can adjust the amount of jaggery, tamarind at this stage,if you want more of it.
 
  
 
Add the cooked spagetti to the wok and mix well.
 
 

Lunch is served !!!



 
Well...not just italian pasta..not just Aunty Acid...even SHE...luks HOT in Indian wear !
 
Until next....tada !..keep smiling...and have a great day !

 
 
 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Super quick Apple Subji (flexi-flavour)

Apple subji -  very quick side dish ready in just a couple of minutes.
 

You need :
1. Onion - 2 medium sized.
2. Garlic - 2 cloves
3. Tomato - 1 small (but optional)
4. Masala - well....that.... i will keep it flexible. (to be selected on the type of flavouring that you would like to have).

want to have sambar flavoured sabji, go for sambar masala ...
want to have it in rasam flavour...fine, use rasam powder...
want some more hotness...try with any pickle masala.

See..I am so flexible ;) :P

4. Apples - 3 medium sized.  Granny Smith / cooking / green / dark red / light red...... . absolutely no specs, as long as they are apples. Colour, creed, nationality just dont matter.

Flexiblity...reloaded !!!





Aahh...that' soo sweet of you...as you say, Ma'am !!!

5.The rest of the ingredients - mustard seeds, dry red chillie flakes, salt to taste.

How to :
Into a wok, add in few tbsp's oil, splutter some mustard seeds.

 
Throw in the onions, garlic and when almost tender, add in the tomato
(again, thats optional..)
 
ooh..aah..ouch !!!

Remove the skin and cut the apple into chunks.




Once the onions are cooked, add in the masala , the cut apples and a few tbsp's of water.
Salt to taste.
Keep covered , just for 2-3 minutes for the apple to cook.
Sprinkle some dry chillie flakes , mix well and switch off the stove.

 
 
Best when served hot with plain rice.