Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

Makes a bottle full

2 cups ketchup
1 cup cider vinegar or any white vinegar
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp mustard
1/4 cup chilli or paprika powder
1 tbsp grated ginger
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp oil
1tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer, stirring often, for 10-15 mins. The sauce will keep in a refrigerator for two weeks.

Homemade Nutella

This chocolate hazelnut spread needs no introduction. A spoonful of this will lift up your bread, dress up your ice cream, and even take you through a breakup. It is amazing, and this coming from a person who isn't into chocolate.



A jar of Nutella won't even last a week in my kitchen, but nowadays it just makes me sad. Since I'm getting married, I'm on a diet and its just impossible having just one spoon of this stuff. Which got me thinking, why not make my own Nutella, and try making a healthier' version? The important word being try! How you may ask? I've replaced milk chocolate with dark and palm oil with olive oil.



My dad got me some hazelnuts from his trip to Abu Dhabi, and I know its not easily available in India, but unfortunately there's no substitute.



Adapted from Buzzfeed.com

Makes a jar full

1 cup peeled hazelnuts
1 large bar of cooking dark chocolate
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbs sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder (co-incidentally I found a hazelnut flavoured powder in my pantry)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Toast hazelnuts in the oven for 10-15mins at 130 degrees Celsius. Set aside and let them cool completely. Melt chocolate in the microwave and stir till smooth.

Grind hazelnuts with oil until they form a paste. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla & salt and blend till mixture is smooth. Lastly add the melted chocolate and process till combined.

Transfer to a jar and wait till it cools to room temperature before putting the lid. Since no milk/cream is used, the spread will last at room temperature for few months (if it lasts that long!)



Note: I was concerned that my spread was too runny, but give it time to set and its just the right spreadable texture.

Update:
People from Mumbai attempting to make this: I managed to find Hazelnuts at Haiko supermarket in Powai, all Hypercity outlets and ofcourse Crawford Market.

Guacamole

I'm back!!! I apologize for my sporadic blog posts this month, but my health wouldn't permit me to enter the kitchen. But I'm back...with a vengeance may I add. I have a full pantry and a hungry tummy to make up to.

Knife to my neck, I could tell you how to make guacamole in one sentence. Mash avocados, add some onions and lime. But great great guacamole calls for a little more. Like most dishes, the success or failure of it depends on the quality of your ingredients. The most important thing in a guacamole is the avocados. I spend more time choosing avocados that making guacamole.They have to be ripe...but not too ripe. You are looking for buttery yellow flesh and texture. Too firm and its bitter as hell. Too soft and it will be too mushy.

Makes a big bowlful

4 avocados
1 clove of garlic, chopped and smashed
1 medium onion
Juice of 1/2 a lime
A pinch of chili powder or paprika
1 tsp cannola or olive oil (optional)
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander, chives and/or jalapeños to serve (optional)

Scoop out the avocado flesh into a bowl. Use a fork and mash the avocado. The extent of the mashing really depends on your preferences. If you like your guacamole chunky, obviously keep the mashing to a minimum. Add in the onions, garlic, paprika, oil and lime juice. At this point taste and adjust, trust your taste buds to balance things out. Serve topped with coriander, jalapeños or chives.



The best part of a guacamole is that its a versatile dip! Traditionally served with tortillas, I serve them with anything crispy, right from potato chips to rusk. I've served mine with some fantastic tapioca chips that I got from Kerala.



If you like your guac extra creamy or smooth, add a spoonful of yoghurt to the mixture.

Note: Always use room-temperature avocados and serve guacamole at room temperature. Don't serve guacamole chilled or make it with cold avocados.

Many recipes/ restaurants add tomatoes to the guacamole. I'm not a big fan of this, and to me its like mixing oil and water. I also feel like many restaurants do this to give the dish 'volume' as avocados are expensive and they can't afford to be luxurious about it.



Tip: Any leftover guacamole will turn brown when continuously exposed to air. Use plastic wrap pressed to the surface while storing (in the fridge). Another great way to save the integrity of your guacamole is to sit a stone in it, cover with cling and then refrigerate.

Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush is a mashed eggplant dish that is spiced with various middle eastern spices. I know your first thought when I said 'mashed eggplant' was eeek. It is an acquired taste, I agree. But give it a chance, and the subtle flavours might surprise you. So keep the boring old hummus aside and turn your pita in the baba ganoush direction.

I usually serve baba ganoush as a dip though you can use it in other dishes. It makes a fabulous and fuss free starter served with something crunchy on the side (see below for serving suggestions). 

Serves 4:

1 large eggplant

1/4 cup tahini* paste

Juice of 1 lemon

3 cloves of garlic

1 tsp Paprika or chili powder

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt to taste

*Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds and olive oil. It is also a crucial ingredient for that other famous middle easter dip - Hummus. I bought my tahini paste from a store, but incase it isn't available, you can easily prepare it at home. Just follow this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius 

Char the outside of the eggplant by placing it directly on top of your stove or gas burner. Keep turning the eggplant till the skin uniformly chars on the outside. I like my baba ganoush to be super smoky and tend to leave my eggplant on the flame for a good ten minutes. You can roast the eggplant for five minutes for a fairly good char, but smokiness is what defines this dish. Now cut the eggplant lenghtwise, and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 20 mins or until they are completely soft. 

Remove from oven and cool. Peel off the skin (which should come off easily) and add the pulp in a blender. Add in all other ingredients except olive oil. Blend the ingredients. Drizzle in olive oil while the ingredients are being blended. The mix should be smooth and creamy. 

Garnish with some paprika, olive oil and some herbs like mint, parsley or cilantro. You can add ground cumin which really compliments the eggplant and tahini. My fiancée, the chef, suggests adding yoghurt to balance out the richness and make the baba ganoush more palatable for first timers.

I served my baba ganoush with some rusk whose dry, hard texture I feel is a perfect compliment to the soft and moist baba ganoush. Traditionally it is served with toasted pita, but I've used crackers, chips and even papad to surprisingly good results. As long as its crunchy, I think anything can  work.

Note: My recipe calls for a generous amount of tahini which is why my baba ganoush is silky smooth and tastes a lot like hummus. You can add as little as you like, or skip the ingredient completely.

Home Made Caramel Sauce

This sauce is a must have in my kitchen. I usually whip up a big batch around christmas. Not only does it serve as a wonderful xmas present, I can also store the remainder sauce to help me dress up desserts throughout the year. I use it for ice creams and cakes; in my coffee to create my own caramel macchiato  or as a dip...and I love it as itself too....sprinkled with sea salt, covered in peanuts...you get the picture.

Caramel is finicky. It goes from perfect to a burnt mess in the blink of an eye. Make sure you give this sauce your undivided attention. And to be honest, making caramel scares me a bit, but practise makes perfect. And when you nail it, the outcome is extraordinary. I guarantee you will never buy those super sweet jarred versions again.

A word of caution:
Caramel is HOT so be very very careful. For your reference, water boils at 100 degrees, while the sauce you are attempting to make will reach a temperature of 175 degrees.

Makes a jar of sauce

1cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup cream heated till warm
2tbsp unsalted butter

In a heavy saucepan (must be able to hold atleast 5cups of water), add the water and sugar. Swivel the pan around to moisten the sugar. Heat (on low) and stir, till the sugar dissolves completely and the syrup starts bubbling. Stop stirring completely and allow it to boil undisturbed until it turns a deep amber. Immediately remove from heat and slowly and carefully pour the hot cream. It will bubble furiously, don't panic! STand back and keep your face away from the pan.

Stir the mixture till smooth. If any lumps develop, heat the mix and stir till they dissolve. Stir in the butter. The sauce will be streaky but will become uniform after stirring and cooling slightly. Allow the sauce to cool before pouring into storage jar.

Use a wooden spoon or silicon spatula to stir. Be sure you soak your cooking utensils in hot water after you are done, it makes it easier to clean.

Almond & Chili Pepper Pesto

Ah pesto! What can it not do; toss it in pasta, marinate it with meat, add it to salad etc. The best part is how versatile and creative you can get with ingredients. According to me, as long as the core ingredients of olive oil, garlic and basil are present, it doesn't matter what you put in the blender to make 'pesto'.

So here is my version. I've basically used leftover basil from my previous recipe and whatever I could find in my fridge. I had these beautiful red peppers left over so my pesto has a real kick. Its not too spicy when you remove the seeds, but still, definitely not for the faint hearted.
Disclaimer: I'm using chilli peppers which is similar to capsicum, do not confuse them to actual red chillies.

2 cups Basil
1 cup Pepper
3/4 cup Olive oil
1/4 cup Almonds
1/4 cup Cheese
3 cloves garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste

The best part about pesto is how easy and quick it is to make. Just toss all the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender. Blend till until its a fine mix. Drizzle in olive oil while the blender is mixing, until it forms a smooth paste.

Note: Using almonds completely changes the taste and texture of the pesto. Its a lot creamier, and there is a distinct nutty taste. Plus its a lot heavier, so cut down the generosity while spooning it over your pasta. The plus side is that this recipe also makes a fine sauce for noodles.
I also sprinkled the pesto with some lime to lighten it up.

Spinach & Basil Pesto

Making pesto is so easy, you will never buy that jarred stuff again.

You will need:

2 cups spinach
1 cup basil

1 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1/4th cup walnuts

salt and pepper

Add all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and turn on 'HIGH'. While its blending, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. We want the olive oil to emulsify the ingredients. Blend till desired consistency is reached.

Note: Traditional pesto calls for pine nuts, but its the priciest nut around. I substituted it for walnuts which worked beautifully. You can use pretty much any nut as a substitute except peanut. You can also experiment with different leafy veggies to make 'pesto' like spinach or kale .

Marinara Sauce (cheat's version)

I once read that Marinara sauce is the culinary version of the little black dress - and I completely agree! It can be dressed up or down with such ease. And my marinara sauce is so simple and quick, you'll never want to buy that jarred stuff again.

Ingredients:

Makes a potful, enough to lusciously coat 300gms of Spaghetti

3 Fresh Ripe Tomatoes
2 cups of Tomato Purée
6 cloves of Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
2 teaspoons of basil or mixed herbs (Note: there is ABSOLUTELY no replacing fresh basil, but since this is a cheats version, I'm allowing myself to use dried herbs)
2 tablespoons of Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Finely chop the garlic. I've used 6 cloves as I like a nice garlic hit, but you can use 2 cloves for a really mild flavour. You can use a dozen tomatoes and purée them or you can use a combination fresh tomatoes and ready made tomato purée like I did. I chopped the fresh tomatoes, skins and all, and bashed them in a mortar and pestle. Warning: tomatoes will squirt so please wear an apron.

In a heavy bottomed pan, add some olive oil and garlic (If you are making pasta, now is the time to put your salted water on the pan). Once the garlic is soft, add in the tomatoes along with the purée. Add the bay leaf and basil and let them poach till the sauce thickens and boils gently. If your sauce is too thick, add in some pasta water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves and voila! Your sauce is now ready!

Serving:
I can write a book on uses of marinara sauce! Marinara sauce is the foundation of many a good Italian meals. You can use it for pizzas, risottos, calzones and pastas. Add in anchovies, capers and olives for a quick Puttanesca. To add some depth and flavour, add a rash of bacon while the sauce is boiling. But today I'm going to use it to make traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Tip: If the sauce is too tangy or tart, add in a pinch of sugar to balance it out. I also like to add some wine or balsamic vinegar to give the sauce a little zing.

Note: The chunks in the sauce are mushrooms