All posts filed under: Appetizers & Sides

Quick Hummus for Easy Entertaining…

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Featured in Tastespotting.com on 26th Sep 12 While the quickest Hummus would be a store bought variety, it’s not essentially the tastiest. At the other end of the spectrum is the completely home made Hummus which is super yuumy but so time consuming (with the overnight soaking of the chickpea and then boiling blah blah blah), that it takes the joy out of entertaining. Ok, I’m exaggerating, but I’ve never been a fan of being a slave to the kitchen. Give me quick, easy and tasty any day! So I’ve found a happy median with this recipe. I use canned chickpea and tahini paste and blend the rest of the ingredients in! It’s super simple and tastes 100% better than the store bought one. And I also have the satisfaction that I churned it out myself. (At least MOST of it)! J Quick and Easy Hummus Prep time: 15 mins Makes: 2 cups What you need: 1 can/ 450g Chickpeas in liquid (drained weight 200g) 1/3 cup Water/ Liquid (from the can) 2 Tbsp Tahini …

Singapore Black Pepper Prawns

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Singapore’s most famous dish is undoubtedly the Chili Crab and the Black Pepper Prawns. When you walk down Clark Quay or Boat Quay you will find innumerable restaurants and street café’s serving up these super fiery dishes. The Chili crab is generally made with huge Sri Lankan crabs. If you put both your palms together, the crab will probably be larger than that! I’ve spent quite a bit of money on many many nights in Singapore digging into these critters! Another one of my favorites is the Black Pepper Prawns – buttery, peppery, hot awesomeness! They generally use Tiger Prawns for this with the tails (and sometimes the head on.) You yank the head off and start slurping down the sauce and the prawn meat, then finish by digging out whatever else in left in the tail. At the end of the night you have steam coming out of your ears and are sticking your tongue out and downing litres of beer but you can’t stop smiling, because it was so awesome! So here’s my …

Bruschetta a la Italia – Red, White and Green

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This appetizer is so packed with flavor and color and taste, that it’s always a hit at a party. It doesn’t even need any cooking! So if you want to impress with minimal effort and maximum style – this is the one for you. I call it ‘a la Italia’ because once I assembled it, I realized that it had Red, White and Green. I was giggling away to myself very bemused, that an Italian dish must encompass the colors of the Italian flag – hence the christening. Bruschetta (bru-sket-ta) is a very popular starter to an Italian meal. Though many people assume that bruschetta is bread topped with tomato and Basil and olive oil (that’s a popular topping), it is actually just roasted/ toasted bread rubbed with garlic and some olive oil. You can top this up with interesting combinations and have a fun start to a meal. I always have Pesto and Sun Dried tomatoes at home, so this combo was a no breezer for me. I also picked up some lovely bocconcini …

Grilled Chicken Souvlaki

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It’s been a Greece obsessed month. Started with Tzatziki, then to the Cucumber Cooler and now to the famous Souvlaki. Maybe it has more to do with summer and the fact that Greek cuisine is so suited for hot balmy weather. When you scrutinize their cuisine, it’s filled with light and fresh recipes packed with flavor. Lemons are abundantly used, as are olives, yoghurt, herbs and cheese. Souvlaki is actually Greek fast food – Meat on a skewer. But unlike the fast food of the west (burgers and fries), this one is a lot more healthy, wholesome and delicious! Greeks generally use pork/ lamb for souvlaki but chicken is popular as well. The grilled skewers can be eaten as a starter or combined with Pita, tzatziki, lettuce and tomatoes to make a super sandwich! The most refreshingly light and filling lunch for a hot day! Now to complete the picture ….I’m on a Greek island overlooking the aquamarine ocean and have a gorgeous Greek God for company …. Sigh! (Yes, I remember I’m married already, …

Mango and Bocconcini Skewers

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As it’s Mango season in India, I thought I’d pay homage to the king of fruits by featuring him in a simple recipe that lets his flavours shine through. Apparently the reason (which I found out only last week) the Mango is called the ‘King of Fruits’ is because kings in ancient India used to pride themselves on the possession of large mango gardens. They were also highly prized in Ayurvedic healing and cooking. They balance all the three doshas. A Mango is ready to eat when it is soft to touch and yields to gentle pressure. Green mangoes can be ripened at room temperature, however once ripe store them in the refrigerator and eat them within three days. The best use of a mango is to savour it by itself or eat it with a dollop of fresh cream. (My favourite type is Alphonso and Begampalli). If you want to take it up a notch, then read on. This appetizer recipe is of a different kind – A no-cook but full of flavor one! …

Thai Fish Cakes with Coriander, Lime Mayo

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I love fish cakes. Especially the ones made with Sear fish. Sear fish is a delicacy in South India and Sri Lanka and is generally the costliest fish in the market after Pomfret. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu it’s called “Vanjaram” and in Kerala its christened “Neimeen”. Some people also refer to them as king mackerels. I am partial to the seer, because a. it’s an ocean fish, b. it cooks beautifully in a curry or a fry, c. It’s isn’t riddled with too many bones, d. It’s so tasty! My mom-in-law makes the best fish cutlets (south Indian style with loads of masala!) and the co-resident can’t stop eating them. Since I can’t compete with the mother recipe, I din’t try to replicate it. Instead I found one that uses thai red curry paste to give a fantastic spin to the basic fishcake recipe. It’s really simple to make. You can even make the cakes in advance and refrigerate them, just pull out and fry before serving. Now isn’t that what we all …

Sun Dried Tomato Pita-Pizza

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Featured in Tastespotting.com – 19th Mar 2012 I know I have a penchant for extremely long, all-encompassing titles to the post. But trust me this one is the modified version of the original title, which was – Sun Dried Tomato Pita-Pizza with Ham, Mozzarella and Basil. When I read that, it struck me that the entire recipe was in the title itself. Wow! My job is done right? Just chuck whatever I told you onto the pita and bake it in an oven. No really, Pizza making is that simple! (If you’re not kneading the dough that is – which I am not. I don’t have the arms for it!) I also am not rich enough to invest in a Kitchen Aid, so I will be cheap and buy some readymade pizza bases and get the job done. No one has to know! I know the true blue Italians are turning in their graves, but honestly who has the time to appease everyone these days?! My motto is to ‘get the job done’. I’m pretty …

Anda Raita and the Art of Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

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Two opposites do not make a whole or so said some really intellectual dude. The reason why that strikes me when I made this was because I could never see a dish with eggs and yoghurt as the only star ingredients. (Unless… it was a face mask!) But there are always certain days in the calendar when the same old same old bore you to death and you want to try something radical  different! In my life those days are most days and I am willing to throw down the gauntlet of doubt in the face of strange culinary pursuits. (I know that’s dramatic but it’s a Sunday so allow me my self expression!) My guise was, I’ll keep the yoghurt separate and just ease one boiled egg into it to check for taste. Prototype A. If that passes quality check (i.e. my tongue) the rest of the eggs can join the party. So was the experiment successful? Let’s make that rhetorical. Would I post on the blog if the experiment was not successful? 😛 …