The Recipe Room

Naan bread is a delicious flat bread that is very popular in many Indian restaurants. It is similar to pita bread, which is another tasty flat bread. However, just because naan is flat does not mean it is unleavened. In fact, this naan recipe calls for yeast, which will make your bread puff up. You can then just gently pat it down with a spatula to flatten it before serving.

Traditionally, naan bread is baked in a clay oven. Let me tell you, nothing compares to that authentic flavour of naan from a clay oven! But, since we of course don’t have clay ovens in our houses, here’s a simple way to try Naan at home on your stovetop. Use a non-stick pan so you do not have to put any oil on the pan at all. Cooking it without oil will make the taste as close to oven-baked naan bread as possible.

When you are kneading the bread, make sure the water you add is lukewarm. When you go to divide the bread into balls and roll it, first moisten your hands with a little cooking oil. This will make it easier to work with.

Many people, myself included, like to spread a bit of ghee butter or Moroccan hummus on their naan bread. You can also serve it alongside all types of curries or Indian dishes with sauces like this malai kofta.

It is no secret around my house that I have a sweet tooth. I just love a sugary treat—for breakfast, for an afternoon snack, or for a mid-morning pick-me-up. To me, coconut is absolutely one of the tastiest ingredients in any dessert. (Try it in Grandma’s chocolate tiffin.)

I think I inherited this love of sweet coconut desserts from my mother. In fact, this is one of her favourites to prepare. For this recipe you can use fresh coconut, but it is sometimes hard to grate. I find that buying the coconut already grated from the market is much easier.

Sweet, flavourful and chewy, coconut burfi is one of my favourite sweets. The recipe is simple, the method is very easy, and the taste is absolutely heavenly. Can you tell I love it?

Burfi has a shelf life of about 10-15 days, so you can make it in advance and keep it ready to serve when needed. During the hot summer, you should probably only keep it for about a week because the heat will make it go bad sooner.

 

Gulab Jamoon is a delicious Indian dessert. It consists of deep fried balls of dough, called jamoons, in a sugary syrup. Gulab Jamoon was served at all my cousins’ weddings. In fact, it is one of the most typical desserts served at traditional Indian weddings, and one of my very favourites of all sweets.

These days, gulab jamoon powder is internationally available, so it’s not difficult to find and pepare; however,  it takes a little more time compared to other desserts as it sometimes requires being dipped in sugar syrup for whole night. The texture resembles the liqueur syrup-saturated French cake Baba au Rhum.

They also remind me a bit of doughnuts. Speaking of, did you know that May 12th through May 19th is national doughnut week? Maybe you should try this recipe to celebrate!

The term gulab jamoon comes from Persia, and it means “rose water”, referring to its rosewater-scented syrup. This very tasty dessert is often eaten at important celebrations, like weddings, but also commonly enjoyed at Diwali (the Indian festival of light) and the Muslim celebrations of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

There are lots of varieties when it comes to gulab jamoon, and each one has its one appearance and special taste. You can eat them cold, but our favourite way to enjoy gulab jamoon is to warm them a bit before serving. It adds another dimension to the dish;  it’s perfect for special occasions when you want something more exotic than cake.

I got this recipe from my aunt, who really knows how to make tasty sweets.

Malai Kofta is a traditional dish and is the vegetarian alternative to meatballs. It is most often eaten on special occassions. The koftas are little fried potato dumplings in a rich, heavy gravy. (Sort of like my aloo bonda snacks, except those don’t have the delicious gravy.) Needless to say this is not a low-fat recipe!

An essential ingredient for Mailai Kofta is paneer, a fresh Indian cheese. It tastes a bit like cottage cheese, so you can substitute cottage cheese if you are not able to find paneer in your local Indian grocery store. But if you can find it, I strongly suggest you buy it. It is quite delicious and will give this recipe a more authentic taste.

Malai kofta is a delicious savoury dish of Moghlai origin; it is a north Indian speciality, and they go very well served with tasty Naan bread and/or basmati rice. There are lots of varieties; in fact, in Pakistan and Iran, koftas are usually made of beef and chicken, and in Bengal, a region of eastern India, koftas are made with prawns, fish, green bananas, cabbage, as well as minced goat meat.

Honestly, it’s not a short or easy recipe, but it’s all worth it in the end – trust me.

 

Pumpkins are great winter food. Healthy, meaty and cheap, they are very versatile and can be boiled, baked, steamed, or roasted when ripe. They also make fantastic desserts such as pumpkin tea bread.

In the U.S.A., they are big fans of pumpkin. In addition to Thanksgiving and Halloween, several pumpkin festivals are held with competitions for the heaviest pumpkin. Did you know that they can also be used to flavour both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks?

During the Winter season, pumpkins are perfect for soups and stews on cold nights. Here is a pumpkin recipe with an Indian twist: pumpkin soup with curry and Garam Masala. This dish will keep you warm, as Garam masala means literally “hot blend.” It certainly is hot as it uses a blend of ground spices common in North Indian cuisine. It contains many micronutrients such as calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc. With these ingredients, you will make yourself a healthy, cheap and above all, tasty soup! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
• 1.5kg pumpkin, around 800g of pumpkin meat
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 garlic
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 pinch of white pepper
• 1 teaspoon of curry powder
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala
• 5dl of water
• 1dl of crème fraîche

Preparation method:
1. Cut the pumpkin into slices and cut away the peel and pips.
2. Chop it into small chunks.
3. Peel and chop the garlic and onion into pieces.
4. Fry the onion in the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, salt, curry, garam masala, white pepper and pumpkin.
5. Let it all fry together for a few minutes.
6. Add the water and let it all boil for around 40 minutes. The pumpkin should be soft and easy to mash when ready.
7. Mix the soup with a blender or by hand with a whisk.
8. Add the crème fraîche.
9. Reheat and add the white pepper and salt to taste.
10. Serve with some coriander on top and with some nice bread.

Takes: 60 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Level: Easy