Beef Croquettes (Cutlets)

Hey everyone!! Hope you all had a wonderful Easter and Vishu (in Kerala)! Things have been very very hectic for me back home at MN. We came back from California on Friday and have been taking care of several overdue stuff all through this week. I was busy putting together a humble Easter meal on Saturday and decided to stick to some basic dishes (mixed cuisine) including these beef croquettes/cutlets and onion salad as an appetizer, naan, fried rice, pork vindaloo, raita, pappad and pickle for the main course and caramel custard pudding to finish off the meal. I would like to share the recipe for these croquettes today!! I also have a small movie with a few of the floral pictures that I took in CA, along with a song I sung and recorded at home (WARNING : neither perfect nor professional!!). The song is from the new Malayalam movie Sagar alias Jacky. Drop me a word if you like it! ;-). More pictures of the trip will be uploaded soon on "Through the looking glass".

Croquettes are small fried food roll containing mashed potatoes and minced meat or fish as main ingredients and often encased in bread crumbs. This is one of the common appetizers made in Christian homes in Kerala, India for special occasions like Christmas and Easter, even as sides or snacks. I am sure I wouldnt be able to think of any celebration we had without sampling one version or the other of these cutlets!! We usually love the cutlets with a splash of tomato ketchup on the side when served as an appetizer or snack and is a great accompaniment to tea or coffee. It can be dressed up as a more adult-kind of snack with a side salad of onions, green chillies and vinegar rubbed together. It can also be served as a side to fried rice/pulao/plain rice. It is generally deep fried, but I usually shallow fry the cutlets in a skillet and brown them on either sides.

We really enjoyed the cutlets and I am sure you would too. Please do try out the recipe and let me know if you enjoyed it! The cutlets should be fine if made with other minced meat including chicken, pork or turkey (though I havent tried them), or can be subsituted with carrots, beetroots, mashed potatoes and peas for a vegetarian version of the croquettes. Enjoy!!

Recipe (Makes 20-30 cutlets) :

Ground beef - 3 lb chuck
Onions - 1 1/2 medium, diced small
Ginger - 1" by 1" piece, minced
Green chilly (Serrano) - 1, minced
Garlic - 2 large cloves, minced
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri Chilli powder - 3 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Golden Klondike Potatoes - 1 1/2 lb
Eggs - 3, beaten lightly
Breadcrumbs - as needed (~2 cups)

Method:

Cook the potatoes until very tender (in a pressure cooker, saucepan or microwave).

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed skillet.

Saute onions on medium hight heat for about 2 minutes.

Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies.

Saute until the onions are tender (for about 2 more minutes).

Lower the flame and toss in all the spice powders.

Allow the spice powders to cook by adding a tbsp or two of water, on low flame.

Cook the spices until oil separates.

Add the ground beef and separate into smaller chunks using a wooden spoon.

Close the skillet with a lid and cook the beef over medium flame for about 15 minutes, or until no longer pink and is cooked well.

Remove the lid and allow the beef keema to dry.

Allow the beef to brown lightly.

Switch off the flame and allow to cool.

Once cooled, mash the potatoes coarsely and mix in.

Mix the beef-potato mixture until everything comes together.

Shape into round or oval patties or cylinders.

Dip each beef patty in the egg, shake of excess.

Coat the patties well with bread crumbs, one at a time.

If the patties are very soft, set aside until easier to handle (it will harden a bit).

Fry the patties, a couple at a time, and serve hot.

Tips:

1. The cutlets can be deep or shallow fried. I usually shallow fry them with a bit of oil in a skillet. Deep frying gives a uniform brown color to the croquettes. The pictured ones were deep fried. The last picture shows cutlets which were shallow fried.
2. The cutlets can also be frozen (before frying) wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator or in the microwave and use as needed.
3. The cutlets/croquettes can be served hot as an appetizer with tomato ketchup on the side, or with a salad of onions and green chillies in vinegar.

Here's a floral treat from California with a home-recording (by JZ @ Tasty treats) as background score!!

Hope you all enjoyed the movie. Have a great day!!

Ramen Vegetable & Steak Stir-fry

I have loved noodles way back from when I can remember. Whenever we would go out to restaurants in India, my first choice always would be noodles. But I never waited around for restaurant trips to enjoy these. The Maggi noodles that we get in India was probably one of my favourite quick-fix food back home. My friends and I would come home from college, hungry, and quickly put together the delicious Masala maggi noodles and be transported to noodle heaven. Even now, they never fail to remind me that the next time I go home to India, I would have to make the noodles for our gathering, just for old times sake! ;-)

But in the US the flavors of Chinese food is markedly different from the Indo-Chinese versions that we were used to. I rarely enjoy the noodles available here (preferring fried rice more) but once in a while would long for the flavor of Indo-Chinese food. This recipe is one such making use of the very cheap Ramen Noodle Soup mix, creating a very distinct and flavorful stir-fried noodles. Those who long for the Masala flavors of Maggi would definitely love this. Make sure that you use the Oriental flavor of the ramen noodle which is what lends this dish the extraordinary flavor.

Eventhough the recipe mentions frozen veggies, I have used fresh carrots (slice thin at an angle), broccoli and white button mushrooms. Vegetarians can make the same stir-fried noodles without the steak which I guarantee would be just as good. Do try this out and let me know how it turned out!

I bought the Pillsbury Best of the Bake-Off Cookbook a few months back and have had my eyes on this particular recipe for some time. As soon as I get a chance, I would definitely try out more recipes from the book and share them with you.


Recipe (Makes 4 - 1 1/2 cup servings) :

Beef tip steaks - 1 lb, cut crosswise into 1" wide strips
Garlic cloves - 2, minced
Sesame oil or Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp
Cayenne pepper - 1/4 tsp
Oriental Ramen Noodle soup - 1 package (3oz)
Water - 2 cups
Frozen broccoli, Carrots, Waterchestnuts and Red peppers - 1 (1 lb) package
Sesame oil or Vegetable oil - 1 tsp
Whole mushrooms - 1 (4.5oz) jar, drained
Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Green onions - 4

Method:

In a medium bowl, combine beef strips, garlic, 1 tbsp sesame oil and ground red pepper.

Toss to coat and set aside.

Remove noodles from the package.

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.

Break block of noodles into 3 pieces and add to water with frozen vegetables.

Return to a boil.

Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Drain well.

Return vegetable mixture to the saucepan.

Cover and keep warm.

Rub 1 tsp sesame oil over a large skillet or wok.

Heat over medium-high heat until hot.

Add steak, cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.

Stir in vegetable mixture, mushrooms and soy sauce; heat thoroughly.

Garnish with green onions.

Source: Recipe by Linda Morten, Pillsbury Best of the Bake-off Cookbook.

Tips:

1. I used fresh vegetables like carrots, broccoli and mushrooms for the stir-fry.
2. I didnt use water chestnuts because I am not crazy about them. I would believe green peppers would work as well as the red peppers, both of which I havent used for this trial. I also havent garnished with green onions.
3. The fresh vegetables can either be cooked either by boiling or in a microwave (which I did) - except the mushrooms.
4. Experiment with additional veggies like celery, peapods, baby corn, onions and chopped cabbage.

I am sending this Ramen Noodle Stirfry to Presto Pasta Nights guest hosted by Aquadaze of Served With Love. Check out the event announcement.

Just reminding you that the deadline for Lets go nuts : Almonds being hosted right here on Tasty treats is March 31. So rush in your delicious entries with almonds to jz.tastytreats@gmail.com. Multiple entries are welcomed. I would love to feature recipes by non-bloggers too. So friends (you know who you are!!) send me your favourite recipes using almonds and a picture of the featured dish and I will include yours in the round-up as well.

Have a great day!!

Home-made Cajun Cheeseburgers

Once again I am getting the urge to get back to active blogging - to try out new recipes, to bake and cook, to plunge into the vast world world of blog events! ;-) Last night, I decided to experiment with home-made burgers, which I hoped would be simple to make but nonetheless gourmet (atleast in its looks ;-)). I had tried Sloppy Joes for the first time this week, so I had reserved the rest of the ground beef for burgers.

I went pretty simple with the execution, cut the ground beef into three patties. Seasoned it with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning. I am not adept with grills, nor is it the time to grill in Minnesota! I decided to cook it in the pan just like I had done a steak earlier on. I also worked with store-bought hamburger buns and baked them with an egg-glaze and sesame seeds to get the brown sheen on the buns. Finally topped the patties with a slice of American cheese. Served with a side of hot baked crinkle cut french fries (bought frozen from the store), I guess my burgers made the impact that I was hoping for. After baking the french fries as per package instructions, I tossed them in the pan in which I cooked the patties, for an added flavor.

JM was really happy with the execution and my lil LM was after the fries (should have expected that!). I topped mine with a few pickled jalapeno slices and I was in burger heaven, seemed like JM was following too!!

You can add your personal touch to the burger with an endless array of toppings and seasonings some of which include onions, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, jalapenos, bacon, ketchup, mustard, mayo and the list goes on. You can also experiment with chicken, turkey or even vegetable patties.

Recipe (Makes 3 burgers) :

Hamburger buns - 3
Ground beef - 1/2 pound
Salt and pepper - as needed
Cajun seasoning - 1/2 tsp (for a mild taste), divided between three patties
Butter - 1 tbsp
American cheese - 3 slices
Egg - 1, beaten
Sesame seeds - as needed
Seasonings and toppings - as per your taste.

Method:

Cut the ground beef into three patties.

Season both sides of the patties with salt, pepper and cajun seasoning.

Heat a tbsp of butter in a heavy skillet over medium high heat until smoking hot (almost brown).

Place the patties onto the hot skillet and allow to cook for 3 minutes.

Do not move the patties around too much so that the patties are caramelised.
Flip them over and allow to cook on the second side for 2 minutes.

Close the skillet with a lid and allow to cook for 2 more minutes.

Remove the lid and allow the patties to caramelise on either side.

Remove from heat and place a slice of cheese on top. (It will melt in the heat of the patty).

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F.

Brush the burger buns with beaten egg.

Sprinkle the white sesame seeds on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 2 minutes until the top is browned.

Assemble the burger with the patty and bun and add your favourite toppings.

Enjoy warm with fries.



Tips:

1. The burger cooked the way I mentioned would be well-done.
2. If using cajun seasoning, use salt sparingly as the seasoning contains salt.
3. I had the oven preheated for the fries, so I browned the buns at 400F. The burger bun can also be browned at 350F for about 5 minutes.

Awards galore:

I cannot help but thank Uma of Essence of Andhra from the bottom of my heart because she passed ALL these wonderful awards to me and overwhelmed me with her love. She is one great blogger and an adorable person. It feels great to be once again accepted and acknowledged by someone like Uma!

I would love to pass these onto,

Happy Cook of My kitchen treasures

Ivy of Kopiaste

Archy of Archy's Recipe Book

Sukanya Ramkumar of Hot n' sweet bowl

EC of Simple Indian Food

Trupti of Recipe Center
Shubha of Chutki Bhar Pyar

Enjoy your awards, girls!!

Have a great day and an awesome weekend!

Sizzling Steak Fajitas

I love Mexican food. I guess Mexican food is particularly appealing to Indian palates because it is somewhat similar to Indian food and makes use of many of the same spices. JM wasnt particularly a big Mexican food buff, but seems like its undergoing a change nowadays. One of our favorite Mexican joints is the restaurant Chipotle which is basically a fastfood place where your order is assembled in front of you just like in Subway. I really savor the taste of each of the ingredients in their burritos and fajitas, especially the red chilli sauce that they pour on the fillings. Their cilantro-lime rice is just out of the world!

All these inspired me to try out this Steak fajita recipe though its not very similar to the ones in Chipotle, in its fillings. But nevertheless, it turned out to be very delicious, one worthy fo sharing with all of you!! It makes for a very colorful meal, and wuick to put-together too, with very satisfying results. I halved the recipe to yield 2 servings, which even then was plentiful! Dont be alarmed by the long list, it is just a very handy list of simple and easily available ingredients. Do try this out soon!

Recipe (Serves 4) :

Flank steak - 3/4 pound

Ground cumin - 2 tsp

Chilli powder - 2 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Garlic powder - 1/8 tsp

Black pepper - 1/8 tsp

Ground red pepper - 1/8 tsp

Flour tortillas (8") - 4

Vegetable oil - 1 tsp

Sliced onion - 2 cups

Green bell pepper strips - 1/3 cup

Red bell pepper strips - 1/3 cup

Yellow bell pepper strips - 1/3 cup

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Fat-free sour cream - 1/4 cup

Green salsa - optional

Cilantro sprigs - optional

Method:

Trim fat from steak. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

Combine steak and the next 6 ingredients in a large ziploc bag .

Seal bag and shake to coat.

Warm tortillas according to package instructions.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add steak, onion and bell-peppers.

Saute 6 minutes or until the steak is done.

Remove from heat, stir in lime juice.

Divide the steak mixture evenly among the tortillas and roll up.

Serve with sour cream.

If desired, serve with green salsa and garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Source: The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook.

Tips:

1. I used stew-cut beef instead of the flank steak.
2. I didnt have garlic powder, so I used a minced garlic clove.

Do let me know your thoughts and suggestions. Dont forget to update me on how this turned out for you!! Hope you all had a great Valentine's day!

Have a great day ahead!!

Stir-fried Chicken and Broccoli with Noodles

Hey Friends, hope you all are having an awesome time! I have missed quite many wonderful posts and milestones of you all, but I hope I will be able to catch up on everything soon. My family and I are really busy going on small outings everyday with my in-laws and we also have a major trip in the making! Eventhough I hoped that I would be able to post as frequent as earlier, I understood that it would not be the case. But still it really is hard to stay away from the blog, without interacting with all my friends!!

Anyways, coming to the recipe, this is a stir-fry that I made from a cookbook that has become my favourite in no time. This was actually a stir-fry with pork, which I adapted to be made with chicken. My vegetarian friends can do without chicken/meat and add other veggies like snow-pea pods, mushrooms, carrots and onions along with broccoli to make an delicious and healthy meal. This recipe is distinct in that the cooked noodles are pan-fried with garlic which imparts a delicate flavor and texture to the noodles. The stir-fry also has a very balanced flavor, the white wine lending a unique and extraordinary distinction to the dish. It is kid friendly too. I have used dried (and not fresh) egg noodles, which was cooked to perfection in boiling water. My lil one and I thoroughly enjoyed it for lunch and JM, for dinner. It simply was perfect! Hope you all would give this a try! I will be back with another recipe soon. Until then, have a great time and enjoy!!

Recipe (Serves 4) :

Chicken (Beef/Pork) - 6 oz
Salt - 1/4 tsp
White pepper - a pinch
Cornstarch - 2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp, divided
Broccoli - 10 oz
Oyster sauce - 2 tbsp
Dried egg noodles - 8 oz
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp, divided
Minced garlic - 2 tsp
White wine - 2 tbsp
Chicken broth - 1 cup
Green onion - 1, shredded

Method:

Cut the chicken into thing strips and mix with salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp cornstarch.

Cook the fresh florets of broccoli in boiling water for a minute and drain.

Immediately rinse in cold water, drain well and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 2 tbsp cornstarch, oyster sauce and 2 tbsp water.

Cook the egg noodles in a pot of boiling water until just al dente (about 5 minutes for dried noodles and 3 minutes for fresh noodles).

Drain well and set aside.

Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat.

Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil, garlic and noodles and pan fry until both sides are browned (about 2 minutes). Keep aside.

Add the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the skillet.

Toss in the marinated chicken and stir-fry until the meat is cooked (about 1 minute).

Pour the white wine and stir well.

Add the broccoli and chicken broth to the meat and heat to boiling.

Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly until thickened.

Pour the chicken and sauce over the noodles.

Garnish with the shredded green onion.

Serve immediately.

Source: Everyday Chinese Cooking by Leeann Chin and Katie Chin.


Tips:

1. Fresh egg noodles (14 oz) can be used instead of dried egg noodles.
2. I used frozen broccoli and cooked it slightly in the microwave.
3. Vegetarians can adapt this recipe by omitting the meat and adding a bit of their favorite veggies. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
4. The picture shows a garnish of green onions and red hot chilli peppers.

Sichuan Beef Stir-fry

I have a little news to share, I have family "coming over" to my home for about 2+ months. Yes, my in-laws are coming for a small vacation to the US. They will reach here on Monday. Hopefully I would be able to continue posting regularly, but be prepared to see more traditional Kerala recipes from now on. There might be some other posts in between, and ofcourse some dessert recipes too, but mostly it would be of the traditional recipes that I am going to learn from my MIL. This is why I am pretty busy nowadays, getting the house ready for the arrival of our "guests".

Recently on a trip to the grocers, I picked up this small packet of Asian Sichuan seasoning mix (powder form) which was tucked away in a corner beside the more popular stir-fry sauces and noodles. I also picked up some Japanese stir-fry blend from the frozen section which actually is a blend of broccoli, carrots, snowpea pods, onions and mushrooms. I knew I would be able to make a sizzling meal out of these two. I wasnt wrong! The color of the dish was just awesome, and very appetizing. We all had a very satisfying meal, thanks to the wonderful flavor imparted by the unassuming packet of seasoning mix - Szechwan (as on the packet). The stir-fry can be made vegetarian by omitting the meat, or beef can be replaced by the all-time favorite chicken or pork. Experiment with your favorite blend of vegetables and enjoy!!

Recipe (Serves 5) :

Beef - 3/4 lb, cut into strips
Sugar - 1 tsp
Soy sauce - 3 tbsp
Water - 1/4 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Fresh mushrooms - 1/4 lb, sliced
Bamboo shoots - 1 can, drained
Japanese stir fry mix - 8 oz, frozen **
Hot & Spicy Sichuan/Szechwan seasoning mix - 1, (3/4) oz packet


Method:

Combine the seasoning mix, sugar, soy sauce and water.

Blend and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil, add meat and stir-fry until browned.

Add the frozen stir-fry vegetables and saute until cooked and tender.

Toss in the sliced mushrooms and bamboo shoots, stir-fry.

Add the seasoning mxiture.

Stir fry for another minute or until thickened.

Serve the stir-fry over noodles or fried rice.

Tips:

1. I served the stir-fry on a bed of enriched lomein noodles.
2. Chicken or pork can be substituted for beef in this recipe.
3. Make a quick vegetable stir-fry by omitting the meat.
4. The actual recipe called for fresh vegetables. So instead of the stir-fry vegetables blend, you can use onion (1 medium, sliced), carrots (2, sliced) and red or green bellpepper (1, sliced).
5. I did not use bamboo shoots.
6. Stir-fry over high heat so that the vegetables would stay crisp.
   

I am sending this stir-fry to the "Eat Healthy - Protein Rich" event at Sangeeth's Art of Cooking Indian Food. Check out my other entries like,

Chicken tikka masala
Noodles with Peanut Sauce
Stir-fried Chicken with Mango
Baked Buffalo Wings
Chicken tikka
Diced Chicken with Vegetables
Hot and Sour Pork with Celery
Sweet and Sour Chickpeas

Have a great weekend ahead!!

I had been tagged by Skribles of Food with a pinch of love for a meme which I had already done. Check this out for my previous post on the meme! But today, the five things on my to-do list are

Keeping in touch with my friends
Cleaning the house (to welcome my in-laws!) and more cleaning!
Cooking
Blog-hopping
Shopping

Anyone who is interested can take up the tag and enjoy doing it!! :-)

Almond-Pork Curry (Rogan Josh)

Well friends, the votes are in.......Dont know what I'm talking about? I was conducting a poll on my blog about the reader's favourite set of lemon rice pictures. And the winner is...Set 2 (Pictures 2 & 4) which, as many of you guessed, is my choice too!! Yaaay!!! I believe I proved my point, we should stick to what we do best. JM is the best at photography between the two of us and I guess food styling should be left to me! But to tell you the truth, I value JM's suggestions a lot, but sometimes, we do disagree!! That happens, right? Like a few readers mentioned, the pictures of rice in the bowl does look wholesome and would probably be how I would serve when I have guests over. Thanks a lot everyone who took a minute to participate in the poll, I had a lot of fun!!

Please dont forget to vote for my entry: Black forest cake at the "Great Cooks Community: Kid Friendly Cooking" event. I would really appreciate your support. Click on the link below and vote for JZ's black forest cake. For the original recipe, click here.

http://www.greatcooksblogroll.com/group/greatcookscountyfair

Last night I made "Rogan josh" at home. Until now I thought "rogan" meant lamb in some other language. After a bit of research on the net, I am as confused as ever. On wiki, it is mentioned that rogan means clarified butter and josh means fiery, hot or passionate! It is also mentioned that almost always it is made with lamb. But another site mentions that rogan means red. I am more inclined to go with rogan = red! If anyone knows the actual deal, please let me know. Anyhow, I was going through the Betty Crocker's Indian cookbook and the chef mentioned that lamb can be substituted with beef or pork. So I adapted the recipe to be made with pork. When I work on unfamiliar territories like this one, I usually follow the recipe as such. The speciality of this particular recipe was that it involved baking the meat in the oven for a long time and the meat came out succulent, moist and perfectly cooked! I just do not have words to explain how rich, creamy and tasty it was. I wish you all couldve had it!! As you all might know, this Kashmiri dish is a rich curry with almonds and cream, so dazzle the eyes of your guests with this "fit-for-a-king" recipe! Enjoy!

Recipe:

Lamb/Beef/Pork - 1 lb, cut into 2" cubes
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Red onion - finely chopped, 1/2 cup
Ginger - finely chopped, 2 tbsp
Garlic - 5 medium cloves, finely chopped
Slivered almonds - 1/2 cup, ground
Red chilly powder/ cayenne pepper - 1/2 tsp
Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
Tomato sauce - 1/2 cup
Water - 3/4 cup
Fresh cilantro - 2 tbsp, freshly chopped
Whipping (heavy) cream - 1/2 cup

To grind together:

Cardamom seeds - 1/2 tsp
Whole cloves - 1/2 tsp
Black peppercorns - 1/4 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp ( I used coriander powder)

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat.

Add the cumin seeds and sizzle for 15-30 seconds.

Toss in the onions, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes or until onion and garlic are light brown.

Add the ground almonds, ground coriander, salt, red pepper, cardamom powder, ground cloves and ground black pepper.

Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until the almonds are partially brown.

Stir in the tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of water and reduce heat.

Partially cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until a thin film of oil separates from the sauce.

Stir in the meat and a half of the cilantro.

Heat oven to 300F.

Cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is partially cooked.

Stir in the remaining water.

Spoon the meat mixture into an ungreased casserole/baking dish and cover with foil.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Uncover and bake for 45 minutes longer or until the meat is tender and the sauce is slightly thickened.

Remove from the oven and gently stir in whipping cream and cilantro.

Seve hot with rice or any Indian bread.

Source: Betty Crocker's Indian Homecooking, Recipes by Raghavan Iyer.

Tips:

1. I used about 2.3 lbs of pork. For this, I just doubled all the ingredients except salt.
2. I had less that a cup of almonds, so I used a few cashews to compensate.
3. I used store-bought 12 oz can of tomato paste which yields about 1 cup.
4. While adding water with the tomato paste (to simmer) I had to add more than what was mentioned in the recipe.
   

Beef dragon for Fortune Cooking Contest

Beef dragon is a recipe that I saw on a cookery show sometime back when I was in India. I guess it could be called an Indo-Chinese recipe, more towards Indian. All I remember is my mother-in-law and I preparing this for lunch the next weekend. We were pretty impressed, but typical of men, the three men in the household didnt mention about it at all, until asked. We were infuriated and this recipe went on the back burner, until now. (BTW, the men also loved it). I was thinking of doing something different with beef when I found this recipe in my old book. It didnt mention the ingredient measurements, but I was pretty confident to work with what I had. We had grilled some steaks on the same day, so it was kind of a beef overload! When I got around to tasting it later in the day, it was awesome! I could finally recollect why we enjoyed it when we made it the first time. Atleast now, thankfully, I got a good review from JM. I loved it too!

I am sending this to Shriya's Fortune Cooking Contest at Spicy Tasty. I chose beef because it is the non-vegetarian choice given for Sagittarius (Nov 22- Dec 21). Eventhough my zodiac sign is not Sagittarius, it is special to me because four members of my family are Sagittarians - my lil one who was born in Nov, whose birthday almost always falls on or near Thanksgiving day, my husband and dad who share their birth dates (but born years apart, ofcourse!) and my brother who also is a Sagittarian. So what better zodiac sign to celebrate with!

Hope you all are enjoying the weekend! We just had a severe tornado warning in our area. It has just moved on farther to the Southern and Eastern areas. Hope no one gets harmed!!

Recipe:

Beef - 1 lb, cut into thin strips
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Corn flour - 2 tsp
All-purpose flour - 2 tsp
Green bell-pepper - 1/2 of a large
Yellow onion - 1/2 of a medium
Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp
Salt - as needed
Red color - a pinch (optional)

Method:

Cook the beef with a little bit of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder in a pressure cooker. (I put it on high heat for 3 whistles, took it off the heat and let it cool by itself)

Once cooled, mix the beef with the spice powders, all-purpose flour, cornflour, ginger-garlic paste and food color.

Keep aside for 30 minutes. ( I skipped this step :-) )

Fry the beef strips in oil until brown/reddish brown.

Slice the onions lengthwise to form long slivers.

Cut the bell-peppers lengthwise.

In a skillet, heat oil and saute the onions until tender.

Toss in the bell-peppers and saute until slightly soft, but it should still retain a crunch to it.

Add the fried beef and mix well with the onions and peppers.

Mix in the soy-sauce and the tomato ketchup.

Toss to coat evenly.

Serve hot with rice or Indian breads.



Tips:

1. The beef strips, when fried, should be slightly crisp. Do not over-fry or they will become hard and chewy.
2. Celery will also form an interesting pair with bell-peppers.
3. These would also go well as fillings for wraps.
4. Change the amount of onions and bell-peppers as desired. Next time, I would double their quantities.

Pan-Seared Top Sirloin Steak with Jus

Steaks are great for a romantic dinner or for a grill party with friends. During winter, spending time outdoors grilling a steak in your backyard can be a bit overwhelming. One of the best alternatives is to pan-grill the steak. I found an excellent recipe on video.about.com by Chef John and tried it out on Valentine's day as a surprise to my husband. I should say that it turned out real nice for my first attempt at preparing a steak. To watch the original video, click here. I hope everybody will try this out... Have a sizzzzling dinner!!

Pan-seared top sirloin steak (Serves 2)

Top-sirloin steak - 8oz - 2
Clarified butter - 1-2 tbsp
Seasoning - Black pepper and salt

Method:

Heat a heavy pan on high heat till its very hot.

Prepare the steaks on a seperate plate by seasoning them with salt and pepper.

Add clarified butter to the hot pan.

Place the steaks into the pan. Bring the down the heat to medium high. Do not move the steaks for about 4 min.

Turn the steaks over and again leave the steaks for about 5 min on the second side.

Keep the steaks for about a minute or two before serving so that the juices within the steaks get time to settle.

Serve the steaks topped with jus, sauteed onions and mushrooms, with mashed potatoes and steamed mixed vegetables as sides.

For the pan jus (juice):

Water - 1/2 cup
Worcestershire sauce - 1 tbsp
Balsamic vinegar - 1 tbsp
Ketchup - 1 tbsp

Method:

Mix the ingredients together and set aside.

Once the steaks are cooked, add the sauce to the pan over high heat.

Scrape the bottom of the pan so that the caramalised meat on the pan is released into the sauce.

Reduce to half over high heat.

Shut off the flame and add the natural juices released from the resting steaks.

Whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter.

The jus is ready to be served with the steaks.

Tips:

1. To clarify butter, microwave 2 tbsp of butter until melted and remove the foam on top of it. The liquid underneath is the clarified butter.
2. The time of grilling depends on the size and thickness of the steaks.
3. The given timing makes a medium rare steak. Adjust time according to your preferred doneness. Other steak seasonings can also be used.