Bacon Chutney

I am a big believer in edible gifts. I'd rather gift a friend a jar of something delicious than a lame shopping voucher. It shows thought, effort and love. A colleague from work and a good friend was leaving the city and moving to Bangalore. This guy is a sucker for all things bacon. So after a lot of searching I found an amazing Bacon Jam recipe. But what started out as jam came together while cooking to become an amazing Bacon chutney.



Having a jar full of this is so handy, its one of those condiments that can brighten anything. Use it as sandwich spread, in pancakes, stuff in in omelettes, or my personal favourite...eat it right out of the jar. Needless to say, my friend loved it and unknown to him, I've selfishly reserved half for myself. Don't judge! you wouldn't want to share it too!



Makes approx. 250gms

250gms chopped Bacon 250gms
1tbsp Mustard seeds
1tbsp Chilli powder
1tbsp Sugar
1 stick of cinamon
250gms Cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 tsp oil

In a saucepan, heat oil. I'm using the bare minimum amount of oil, as the aim is to cook this chutney in rendered bacon fat for additional flavour. Add the bacon and cook till done. Now add the mustard seeds. Once it tempers i.e. starts popping, add in the sugar and chilli powder. Now add the tomatoes and cook on a low heat till cooked. You know the chutney is done when the tomatoes start losing its shape and mash easily.

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.

Beer & Cheddar Dip

The football World Cup finals are just around the corner and I know most of us will be holed up with a group of friends, eating greasy food and beer, and cheering one side or the other. So when I was thinking of a World Cup inspired recipe to dish out for the finals, I really wanted something that brings together all elements of a sports bar.



I love this show called Chuck's Day Off. Chuck Hughes is one of my favourite chefs and its not the first time that I've tried out his dish (my Summer Berry Pudding). I was viewing an episode where he makes these pretzels with a cheese dipping sauce. I contemplated making the pretzels, but then it struck me that the cheese sauce is the best thing to serve at the game.



The beer in the sauce is bang on, incase you don't find any during the game :P

Adapted from Chuck's Day Off

1 can of Beer (any brand, any variety)
2 cups of Cheddar cheese
1 tbsp flour
1 clove of garlic, minced
A pinch of pepper and/or chilli flakes

I liked my sauce to have a nice kick of heat so the ingredients below are optional
Optional:
1 tbsp minced Jalapeño
1 tsp paprika



In a saucepan, bring the beer to a simmer over medium heat. Grate the cheese in a bowl and dust it with flour. Add this to the beer with the garlic. Stir till the cheese has melted and the texture is smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir till combined. Keep warm till you are ready to serve.



Note: Beer and cheese are inherently salty so DO NOT add salt additionally to the dip.

Tip: This sauce is a pot of gold. It can go with anything. You can cheat it into a fondue. Use it for nachos or tacos. Pour it over cooked macaroni to make some instant mac & cheese, or even use it as pasta sauce. But it goes best with a bag of chips or fries.

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.