DAY 81 : LOVE ME TENDER GNOCCHI...

I sometimes want to do something..
And I keep thinking about it..
But I'm always fighting against myself or time..
But I'm the kind , that if I really want to do something ,more often than not...
I do find a way ...
Never an excuse...

And sometimes, I feel that probably I should just take a few steps back ..
And sit quietly and do some yoga, go for a run..
And just do everything, but what I want to do ...
So then I go with that, and wait for an answer from the universe..

I'm full of questions..
Always..
And like getting answers to my questions...
And if I don't get answers...
Well then.
I wait and ask a few more questions ..
Ha ha ha

And I have been in a very Italian state of mind...
And have been wanting to make Gnocchi since I learnt it at Tante Marie...
But somehow the whole process is a little long...
And so every time I think of making Gnocchi ...I actually shy away from it...

But you know, for me, when in doubt, I either eat chocolate or then cook..
So after procrastinating for really long..
 I finally made it..
Here goes..

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes - 500 gm

Eggs - 3

Flour - 340 gm

Parmesan grated - 200 gm

Bake the potatoes at 200 degrees for about 45 minutes a night before , if you want to make this for lunch the next day..

(Ritu Dalmia says that you should enclose each potato in foil and so I did that)

Leave them to cool...Do not put them in the fridge , they get soggy)

Scoop out the flesh of the cooled potatoes ...

If you do not have a vegetable mill or sieve, mash them thoroughly piece by piece with a fork...

That's what I did...

Then I mixed the eggs , flour, potato flesh and Parmesan together, till it came together like dough..

Do not over mix , or it gets all gooey...

Flour your hands well , divide into tiny portions, that is easy to use , and roll the gnocchi into a sausage..

With a floured knife, cut them into small pieces and shape on a fork..

In a pan of very well salted boiling water, drop in the raw Gnocchi, bit by bit, as soon as it rises to the surface, it is cooked take it out and immerse in chilled water, let the excess water drain, toss in some olive oil and store in the fridge on a clean tea towel...

Ingredients

Butter- 75 gm

Mushrooms - about 400 gm mixed variety

Broccoli - 150 gm

Red and Yellow pepper - 1/2 each sliced

Pepper and salt to taste

A dash of white wine

A sprinkle of Parmesan...

METHOD

First add a blob of butter in a non stick pan...add the Gnocchi, do not stir or toss , till the gnocchi gets a lovely golden brown..

Toss the Gnocchi , so that the other side also gets a bit of colour..

Then place it in a colander to drain..

Add some more butter to the pan, add the mushrooms to it..

When it is all done..

Drain the juices of the mushrooms onto the gnocchi..

To the same pan add a little butter and a dash of wine, add the red and yellow peppers and the broccoli, let it all cook "al-dente"...

Drain this into the gnocchi and the mushrooms...

Now clean the pan add a little water and bring to boil...

Then add a dash of wine and some butter, olive oil and  whisk till a thin emulsion is formed...

Add the gnocchi, mushroom , pepper and broccoli to the pan..

Mix it all together..

Season with salt and pepper and serve piping hot sprinkled with some Parmesan......

Making Gnocchi has a very meditative feeling..
So if you feel like you need to just shut the world out ..
Then make Gnocchi, because you really have to concentrate on each step along the way..
Do not make gnocchi if you are upset or angry, if you are then make bread ..

When you begin the process of making Gnocchi,  its beautiful ,kneading the potato, flour and eggs and Parmesan..
The texture is so soft and delicate...
Its not like making bread , where you have to punch the dough and knead it well..
This is more involved tender process..
Its like the Elvis song"love me tender"
If you are tough with this dough, it just spoils...it gets soggy...
It's like a girls heart, you behave in a heartless manner and you will make her cry ...
You need to be soft and patient and treat the dough with love...

When you cook your gnocchi in a pan with butter..
It looks golden and tastes really wholesome and fluffy..
I love adding wine to food..
So I added a bit of Rose..
Because the flavour is not too intense and not too acidic..
It has the right amount of sweetness and bite...

So here's presenting,"Love Me Tender Gnocchi", fresh, fluffy and very very fussy...
But laced with the most exquisite hint of butter and wine, with mushroom's and peppers 
An ideal dish for someone you really love , over a glass of red and some heartfelt conversation..
only from "Maria's Kitchen"  ...

DAY 65 - KHAO-SUEY DREAMY TRAVELS...

Khao-Suey is something I first tasted , when I first went to Mini's home...many many years ago, since then, we have eaten it, in each others homes innumerable times ,that I have lost count...
She makes amazing Indian food and well I am not very very good with Indian food...
So over the years I have collected recipes, from her and a few of my friends like Shaheen and Jaya , and have become better in time.

I remember the first time I saw Khao-Suey, I really did not know how to eat it...
But I completely fell in love with this dish, its such a friendly , welcoming, big hearted dish...
Over the years I have made it a thousand times and have always made it slightly differently each time...
It originates in Burma, now why have I landed in the Orient, no clue, but felt the need to make something from the East, there are many Indian versions to it ...

And so this is MINE...
That I learned from Mini and googled recipe's and did many little things to it...
Also because I did not write down what she said, so I had to improvise..and google..

Basically Khao-Suey is a big broth, with noodles and then a whole lot of additions and garnish...


INGREDIENTS

BROTH
Chicken bones
Vegetable oil- 1/2 cup
Onion - 2 finely sliced
Shrimp paste -1tbsp
Curry powder -2 tsp
Garlic - 2 tsp
Ginger - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes - 5 diced

Method
In a pressure cooker, heat oil , to this add the onions and let them fry till they are soft and transparent, add the shrimp paste(you can omit this if you do not like the taste), curry powder and the turmeric...let it fry well for a bit..
Add the garlic and ginger paste , stir it around well, till you aroma of the garlic wafts out...
Then add the chicken bones and the tomatoes, give it all a good stir, add salt o taste...
Add about a litre of water , close the cooker , and let it all cook for about 15-20 minutes after the cooker whistle goes off twice...
Open the cooker and let the broth boil till the water has reduced considerably..

If you are not going to cook this in a cooker then add a litre and a half of water and let it all simmer in a thick bottom pot , till you see that the broth has a lovely colour and , it is reduced..
you can adjust the water for your broth to your liking ...

Then after the broth is cooled, pass it through a sieve and squeeze out all the goodness, into a fresh clean pot..
Put the pot again over the fire and to this you can add about 1/2-1 litre of coconut milk , freshly squeezed or canned...
I prefer the coconut milk to be freshly squeezed...
Taste the broth and adjust the flavouring to your liking with some paprika powder, lime juice and salt ...
Let it boil , and if you would like to thicken it, you can a teaspoon of chickpea flour and combine it with 2 tbsp of cold water and make a paste, add this to your broth...
Always taste your food...
That's the only way , you know if its going the right way..
when you feel it has been seasoned to your liking, take it off the fire and keep it aside..
I like my broth , spicy and tangy...

ADD-ON'S
Chicken - 2 kgs, de-boned..
Dice the chicken, and fry it with a little pepper and salt ..

Lamb - 1/2 kg, cut in cubes and cooked in a pressure cooker with just a little salt, Then open the pressure cooker and completely dry it out..

Prawns - 1/2 kg, de-shelled and de-veined and very lightly fried with a pinch of chili powder and salt to taste

Eggs - 8, boiled and finely chopped..
Baby corn - 300 gm, sliced and par-boiled
Mushrooms - 300 gm, sliced and stir fried in some oil or butter
Spring onions - 300 gm..finely sliced
Red and yellow peppers - finely sliced
Carrots - Finely diced and boiled
Broccoli- 1 whole, cut into small florets and par-boiled
Peas - Sauteed in butter

Garnish
Onions - 750gm sliced and deep fried till crispy brown..
Chili powder-
Garlic - as much as you like , sliced and deep fried..
Lime- cut in wedges
Green chili- sliced very fine..
Coriander - finely chopped
Madras yogurt dried chili - deep fried
Chili flakes

Noodles should be boiled as per the instructions on the packet, I like egg noodles..
You are now good and ready..

Khao- Suey at one look, seems like a really easy dish, which it is, but sometimes, I feel its a big head-ache, because everything has to be chopped separately and cooked separately...
So when you do make it, please see that you are cooking it for people you really love, because it is a long tedious process and half way through , you do not want to be abusing the living daylights out of the innocent broccoli, or the yummy garlic, and frankly this dish really does not look like you have worked too hard when you see it all on the table at the end...

To me Khao-Suey , feels like all of us living on earth..
We all breathe the same air , but all come from different parts of the world , speak a different language, have varied beliefs and yet if we believe in basic humanity, we can get along with one another in complete harmony...

So after your broth is ready, pour it out into a nice big pot...it should be steaming hot..
And then put your add-on's and garnish in little bowls, this dish looks lovely and elaborate...

Then take your self a lovely bowl and start with serving noodles , then go through your various meats and vegetables, and finally the garnish...
I always end up with a pile in my bowl and yes I use a huge bowl , because I'm a girl with an extremely healthy appetite..
As far as the garnish goes, in my experience, the deep fried onions and garlic always gets over first...

This dish should be made to entertain, on an evening of Taboo or Trivial pursuit or Monopoly, Great music playing in the background and a couple of beers and fantastic Pinot Noir's or Merlot's or then a lovely Bubbly...

Khao-Suey tastes different , in every house hold...
But there is a lovely wholesome flavour to it and a feeling of yumminess that completely satisfies all your senses...
Its beautiful to look at...
The aroma sets your taste buds tingling..
The texture is really nice..
And the taste is unbelievably satisfying..
Even your hearing..., because in between bites, you will most definitely hear. "Hmmmm, this is sooo good"

I always feel like a beached whale after Khao-Suey, because its so light that you always tend to overeat ..

So here's presenting wholesome and really yummy "Khao-Suey" made with lots of ingredients and infused with my brand of spicy passion...
Where each bite transports you down the Irrawaddy river in little round boats with hay hats on your head...
Well now I have to stop this travelling ...
and get back to my warm bowl, of dreams only from , 'Maria's Kitchen"