Fresh Strawberry Jam- No artificial preservatives

I fell in love with homemade jams on one of my trips to the hills. We were staying at a homestay in Tirthan valley(Raju Bharti's homestay,VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). It was a gorgeous afternoon and I was hungry after a long walk along the river. I expressed my desire to snack to lady of the house and within minutes her son came with a tray full of goodies.

There was some piping hot tea, cookies, toast, butter and jam. It was the best jam I ever had so I went and asked her where they bought it from. That's when she shared her secret with me. She had made it and when asked for the recipe she gave me some brilliant tips along with the recipe.

Tip 1- The taste of your jam would depend on the freshness and taste of your fruit. The best fruit makes the most delicious jam.

Tip 2- In order to get those brilliant colors that the original fruit holds, cook your jam on a high flame and add a few drops of lemon juice as soon as you put the fruit on heat.

What you need for the jam is:

Strawberries- 1 kg
Sugar- 1/2 the quantity of strawberries
Lemon juice- 1 and half table spoon


Process-

Wash and chop the strawberries roughly, removing the leafs.

Place them in a heavy bottomed pan over heat and add the lemon juice.

Now add the sugar and let it cook, stirring occasionally.

Soon you will notice that the strawberries will start leaving water.

Keep cooking till all the water evaporates. Frequent stirring is important. You can also use this as an opportunity to breakdown the soft strawberry pieces with your spatula.
Alternatively, you can use an electric blender to blend the jam. I skip this step since I like chunks of fruit in my jam.

Tip 3- The test of jam if it is ready is, if you place a dollop on a plate and tilt the plate then the jam should not run.

 Your jam is ready.

Tip 4- Since the jam has no preservatives, it is best if you store it in sterilized glass containers and keep it in the fridge.

Dry coconut chutney

This one is for keeps. It is extremely simple to make and has an extraordinary taste. Don't presume that its simplicity means a lack of depth in flavours. This one is a total surprise package. Served to me by Thrisha, a dear Mangalorean friend on several occasions with Neer dosa. I have currently no clue how to make those so I serve them with idlis,masala idlis and regular dosas. It is a convenient chutney to carry while travelling as it is dry so no chances of leaking.


Ingredients:
Fresh coconut-1
Whole dried red chillies- 2-3 according to taste
Garlic pods- 2 if you use the big chinese garlics and 4-5 if you use the smaller ones
Tamarind- 1 one inch by one inch piece
Jaggery/Gur/Molasses-  same as the tamarind.
Salt- according to taste

Process-
Just churn all of it together in a mixie.
Yes, that is it. :)

Baked chicken drumsticks

A friend of ours dishes these amazing beauties. Surya Vanapalli, you rock. Tried his recipe and the result was lip smacking.

All you need is:
- Chicken legs with skin (You could use without the skin too)
-Salt
-Red chilly powder
-A few drops of oil.

Procedure:

I poked these legs with a fork. Applied the salt and chilly powder. Kept it aside for half an hour and then very slightly brushed them with oil. Popped them into a pre-heated oven at 220 degrees for 20 minutes and then at 160 degrees for 25 more minutes.

You can serve them with lemon juice sprinkled on them or just as they are. They are delicious all the way.

Baked Vegetables and lettuce salad

When taste and health are married, they give birth to awesomeness.

If you are a salad lover, you have to try this one. The sweetness and warmth of baked vegetables combined with the crunch of lettuce creates magic in your mouth. Yet, this salad is simple to make. Here's how:

Ingredients:

Iceberg lettuce- washed, dried and hand torn- 1 large bowl

Eggplant/brinjal- sliced- as much as you like

Zucchini- sliced- again, as much as you like

Peppers of your choice- Sliced- as much as you like

Bread/ croutons 

Salt

Oregano

Walnut or Olive oil

For the dressing:

Walnut or Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Garlic flavoured or plain salt 

Process:

In an oven-safe dish place all the sliced vegetable, splash oil, salt and oregano. Toss and put to bake at 220 degree C for about 30 mins.  

Stir the vegetables after every 10 mins. 

For the croutons, I usually just put in a slice of whole wheat bread during the last 4 minutes in the same dish.

Once done, cut the re-baked bread into cubes of your desired size.

(If you have readymade croutons then skip this step.)

Now place the lettuce in the serving bowl and dress with balsamic vinegar, walnut or olive oil and salt (I prefer garlic-salt here). Toss well. Add the baked vegetables and croutons and serve immediately.

Extra tips:- 

Once the lettuce is placed in the serving bowl, keep it in the fridge for a few minutes for that cool crunch.

You can also add shredded grilled chicken or boiled eggs to the salad for the proteins.

Sandesh

Some things are simply delicious or simple and delicious. This is one such Indian sweet. Requires very few ingredients and turns out delicious. Here's how you can make them. Thanks Parnika for sharing your recipe.

Ingredients:

Full cream milk- 1 Litre
Lemon juice- a few drops
Rose water- to taste
Boora (thick powdered sugar) or Tagar in English- to taste
Cardamom powder- to taste
Rose petals to decorate


Process:

Boil milk in a heavy bottomed container. When it comes to a boil add the lemon juice to it so that the milk curdles. Take off the flame as soon as the milk has curdled. This is important to make sure your sandesh is soft. Sieve the water and take what is left (Cottage cheese/Chaina/Paneer) and hang it in a muslin cloth for at least an hour or two so that the remaining water flows out.

Now take a flat bottomed pan/paraat and put the paneer in it and start to mash it with your palms. Continue to mash till the time you have a smooth creamy texture and no granules can be seen. This is the only step where a little bit of hard work is required so please don't shy away from it. Once you have the creamy texture add in the boora/sugar, cardamom powder and rose water.

Mix well, taste and adjust the ingredients if needed. Make balls out of this mixture and keep on a greased plate, decorate with rose petals and keep in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

Palak-Paneer bhurji (Spinach with cottage cheese)

I love palak-paneer a lot but I always had issues with how we always over-cook the spinach and make most of the nutrition go away. That's the reason I tried this version. I loved the result, you try it and tell me what you feel about it.

Ingredients:

Fresh spinach- washed and chopped (I used 300 grams)
Onion- chopped
Tomatoes- chopped
Ginger- about 1/2 an inch piece
Garlic- 4-5 big pods
Cumin seeds- 2-3 pinches
Cottage cheese/Paneer- the amount you want to use, mashed or minced
Salt
Chilly powder
Coriander powder
Red chilly powder
Garam masalaOil for cooking

Method:

In a kadhai, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Once they turn brown, add the chopped onions and fry till they are almost golden. Add the ginger and garlic, followed by the chopped tomatoes. Cook this mixture well till it leaves oil. Now add the salt, red chilly powder, coriander and cumin powder. Add the chopped spinach to this and toss for a minute or two at max. Add the paneer and mix well. Cook for another minute or two for the paneer to absorb all the flavours. Add the garam masala in the end and serve.

* I usually let any dish stay for at least 20 minutes before serving. I feel it somehow helps in all the flavours blending together.

Ginger nut pudding

I was introduced to this easy-peasy recipe by my friend Manisha at a dinner party where she had made this pudding and got along. One bite into the pudding and I presumed it had a complicated recipe. But when I actually got to know how it is made, I could not believe myself. I had to try it as soon as possible to make sure it was the exact recipe.


Here is all that you need-

Yes, that's right !!! All you need is:

Ginger Nut cookies (I like McVitie's but you could choose any)
Cream (Dairy or soya cream)
Cold milk
Powdered white sugar (optional)


Method:

Beat the cream till it is thicker making sure that it doesn't turn into butter. Add the sugar powder if you like (please make sure you don't add too much, a tablespoon or half should be more than enough)

Now take a dish. On your working table arrange the open cookies pack, next to it place a small bowl with cold milk and keep your whipped cream next to it. This sequence will help in not missing any step and saving time.

Take a cookie, dip it into cold milk for just a second or two, then dip it into the cream and arrange in your dish.

When the dish is full, add the left over milk and cream and cover the cookies.

Cover the dish and keep it in the fridge overnight or 8 hours.

Decorate with chocolate, nuts or whatever catches your fancy and surprise yourself and your guests

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