Sheer Kurma (Seviyan)

Growing up in Mumbai, every Eid my mom used to make Sheer Kurma.  Not something you would typically find in a Keralite home, this dish is similar to "paysam" but with a lot more different nuts to the list of ingredients.  While paysam is made with vermicili, milk, cashews, raisins and sugar/condensed milk. Sheer Kurma is made with all of the above plus other nuts like pistachios, almonds, dried dates, charoli and saffron.  For those who don't know what Charoli is - my next post will be on it.

As a kid, I remember my mom, getting ready to prepare this dish the day before Eid.  She would do so by soaking the pistachio, almonds and charoli. Then she would peel the nuts and sliver it.  She would be making a whole lot to serve the next day to eat after the Eid prayers and to serve it to guests who would stop by all day to exchange Eid greetings.  

Now, as the mother in my household, I am carrying on this tradition and my husband and kids love the post biryani sugar rush.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 gallon of milk
  
• 1/4 cup almonds slivered
  
• 1/4 cup cashews
  
• 1/4 cup raisins
  
• 1/4 cup unsalted pistachios slivered
  
• 1/4 cup charoli
  
• 1/4 cup dried dates (optional)
  
• 4 cardomon pods
  
• 50 gms roasted vermicili
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• can of condensed milk
  
• 2 pinches of saffron
  
• 2 tbsp Unsalted butter/ghee 
  

Method:

Soak the almonds(if using whole) in warm water for 20 minutes or so, peel and cut them. Soak the pistachios and do the same.  Soak the charoli in warm water for 20 minutes or so and drain them on to some paper towels, lightly rub them on the paper towels to remove the flaked skin.  Chop the cashews.  Lightly crush the dried dates and remove the pitt.

In a heavy bottom pot, melt butter/ghee, add the almonds, cashew, pistachios, raisins, charoli, dried dates and saute for a few minutes, until the nuts are lightly toasted.  Add the vermicili and saute for a 2-3 seconds.  Add the milk, sugar and condensed milk.  Add the saffron, crushed cardamon or cardamon powder and let it boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for  3 - 4 minutes.  Adjust the sweetness to your liking. Serve warm.

Pistachio, chocolate, oat cookies

My 4 year old is a fussy eater. The only way she’ll eat oats is if it’s hidden in a cookie. I am always on the lookout for recipes in cookbooks or online to make something that my 4 year old will eat without a fuss.

When we lived in Belgium, the only English-language non-news channel to watch on TV was BBC1 and BBC 2. I loved the cooking programs on these channels and discovered some great UK chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Nigela Lawson, Rick Stein, James Martin, Gordon Ramsey, and of course, Madhur Jaffery. It was hard to get any English reading material, be it a book or a magazine in Brussels. There was one English bookstore in the city and one newsstand at the Brussels airport that had a limited section of English books and magazines. Whenever we traveled outside Brussels, we would hoard up on some UK magazines, such as, BBC GoodFood, Olive and Delicious. I would read every article in these magazines, articles on the use of fresh seasonal produce, nutrition, kitchen layout, recipes, etc. Later, when we moved to the US, I obviously didn’t have to hunt for English-language magazines but I did struggle to find the UK magazines I loved, especially GoodFood. Bookstores like Barnes and Noble had them in the international magazine section but they cost a lot.

Then one day… I opened my mailbox and there it was – the latest issue of GoodFood. Huh! How did this happen? My darling hubby surprised me with a yearly subscription. Was I thrilled or what? I have every copy of the magazine. One section of my kitchen cupboard is devoted to this beautiful tried and tested team. Every so often, GoodFood would include a special supplement, such as one on cakes, another on pastas, etc. They are all just pure mind blowing recipes.

The following recipe is adapted from one of the bonuses that I got with my subscription.

Ingredients:

• 125g/4 ½ oz unsalted butter
• 125g/4 ½ oz caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 125g/4 ½ oz porridge oats (old fashioned - not the instant ones)
• 75g/2 ¾ oz plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 100g/4oz shelled pistachio nuts, chopped
• 125g/4 ½ oz chocolate cut into chunks or chocolate chips

Method:

Heat oven to 180C/fan160c/gas 4. Lightly oil two baking sheets or use SILPAT.

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg, vanilla, flour, baking powder and oats until well combined.

Stir in the pistachio nuts and chocolate chucks and mix well.

Divide the mixture into 16 and spoon, spaced well apart onto the baking sheets. Press down slightly with the back of a fork and bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly golden on the edges.

Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Almond pistachio shortbread cookie

These cookies remind me of the biscuits that we get in the local bakery back home. They are great with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients:

• 75g/ ½ cup shelled pistachios toasted
• 250g butter, chopped
• 160g/1 cup confectioners (icing) sugar
• 225g/1 ½ cup plain flour
• 2 tablespoons rice flour
• 2 tablespoons corn flour
• 90g/ ¾ cup almond meal
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 55g/ 1/3-cup confectioners (icing) sugar

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 150C/300F.

Chop 50g / 1/3 cup of the pistachios, leave the remaining pistachios whole.

Beat butter and sugar in medium bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Stir in sifted flours, almond meal and chopped nuts.

Shape level tablespoons of mixture into mounds. Place mounds about 3 cm apart on greased oven trays or SILPAT, press a whole pistachio on each. Bake for about 25 minutes or until firm. Lift cookies onto wire racks; when cool brush with orange juice, stand for 5 minutes. Dust cookies with extra sugar.

Pistachio Chicken

This recipe is a sure hit when you have guest, especially those not used to Indian food. It has a lovely creamy texture and nutty flavor from the pistachios. It is mild (but can be hot if you want it to). It doesn’t have any onions, so there is little chopping to do. It also has a lovely green color that you don’t usually find in Indian curries.

Ingredients:

• 1-cup shelled pistachios
• 4-5 green chilies (or more)
• 1 bunch of coriander
• 1-cup yogurt
• 1-pound chicken breast
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• Salt to taste

Garnish:

• 1 tomato chopped
• Few sprigs of coriander

Method:

Clean and cut the chicken to about 2” pieces. Marinate the chicken with the beaten yogurt, turmeric powder and garam masala and salt. Let it stand for 1-2 hours.

In the mean time, soak the pistachios in some hot water for ½ hour or so. Peel the skin of the pistachios and grind it with coriander and chilies. In a pot, cook the marinated chicken with the marinade till the chicken is cooked. There will be some water coming out from the yogurt and it will look like curdled milk. Once the chicken is cooked, add the ground pistachio mixture to the chicken, mix it well. Simmer for 10 – 15 minutes on a low flame. Adjust the seasoning.

Garnish with chopped tomatoes and coriander. Serve hot with roti or parathas.