Corn, Spinach &Cheese Toast.

This is the simplest recipe but a fulfilling meal with minimum ingredients and less cooking time.

Now the ingredients-

Sweet corn kernels /sladké kukuřice jádra      – 1 cup

Spinach /špenát                                               -1 1/2cups

Garlic pods/ česnek lusky                                -3 medium size

Nutmeg/muškátový oříšek                               -1 tsp (grated )

Green chilli *                                                    -1 very finely chopped

Red chilli flakes/červené chilli vločky**           -1 tbsp (for spreading on the top of slices)

Butter/Maslo                                                      -50gms.

Onions/cibule                                                    -1 medium size

All-purpose flour/Mouka                                     -1 cup

Milk/Mleko                                                          -1 ½ cups  

Cheese                                                               -200 gms                         

As a practice prepare the ingredients before starting to cook.

Wash the spinach leaves in colander and keep it aside for the water to drain. Once the water is drained fully (need not have to be dried fully-as we are going to cook it),cut the spinach and keep it ready.

Cut onions into small pieces.

Peel the garlic and chop it well.

It’s easier to use the frozen sweet corn which is available in all the super markets.

Procedure

Take a pan and add the butter. If you want less fat use half of butter and oil. I used only butter.The choice is absolutely yours as the taste will not change in either ways:-).

When the butter is about to melt add the garlic and saute well .Don’t make it brown –please.

Then add the onions and green chilies and stir till the onions are cooked. Again don’t wait till its brown.

*You avoid green chilies if you are going to use the chili flakes on top of the slices of bread.

I preferred green chilies as it’s cooked and the chili will not be felt in every bite. Again the choice is yours-Please:-).

**use the red chili flakes if you are not adding the green chilies.

When the onions are cooked (when they are translucent) grate the nutmeg and mix well.

Now it’s time to add the flour. Put the flame in low medium and stir till the raw flavor goes out.

Add required salt. 

Now add half a cup of milk at a time and mix well. Stir well till you get a nice paste consistency.check the salt before switching off the gas.

Now the mixture is ready to be spread on the slices of bread.

Cut the edges (if you want to) and apply the spread generously on the slices and grate the cheese on the top and put it in the oven at 200 °f.

Cook it in the oven till the cheese melts. Please do not make the cheese brown.

The cheese should be felt in every biteJ.

You can see the cheese just melted and not brown. This is the time you switch off the oven and the toast is ready to serve.

I used brown bread as it is not sweet and goes well with this toast.

You can serve it as sandwiches too.

Egg Rice Noodles/ vermicelli

Hi again,

After a long break , another simple recipe with rice noodles. In my earlier blog ,I introduced rice noodles with coconut and lemon. Now with the eggs.

All you need is just half an hour- Preparation time of 10 mnts and cooking time of 15 -20 mnts.

Now for the ingredients.

Boiled Rice noodles*           -200 gms.

Eggs (large size)                   -2 nos.

Tomatoes                              -2 small sized or one big size.

Garlic                                    -2 pods finely chopped.

Onion**                                -1 big size.

Red chilli powder                  -1/2 tsp

Coriander powder                  -1/2 tsp

Oil                                          -2 tbsp

Mustard(semena hořčice)      -1 tspn

Salt                                         -to taste

Curry leaves                           -1 string

Bay leaf                                  -2

Kalpasi or stone flower***    -1 small pinch

*Please check my earlier post where I have shared how to cook the rice noodles without getting stickyJ.

**I love to have more onions in all my dishes. So, please add one more onion if you like the taste of onions in food. You can cut into small cubes or thin slices too as it will have great visual appeal. I made it with finely chopped onions. 

***Usually kalpasi or stone flower is added to give extra flavor to the food in small quantity. As it is not available in Ostrava I cooked without this. My friends in India –please add this to enhance the flavor as its easily available in the markets.

Ingredients to roast and grind.

1. Pepper                              -1 tsp

2. Fennel seeds                     -1tsp

3. Cinnamon                         -1/2 inch

4. Cloves                               -2

Procedure-

First dry roast the ingredients (1 to 4) till nice aroma comes out from the ingredients. Make it into coarse powder in mortar and pestle. Keep it aside.

Next step is to grind the tomatoes into puree.  keep it aside.

Heat oil in the pan and when it is warm add the mustard seeds. When it crackles add the bay leaves and curry leaves. During this process let the heat be in medium flame. Then add the chopped garlic .Before it turns into brown add the onions and sauté well. When its slightly cooked(transparent) add the ground powder. Now add the tomato puree and mix well. Now add the chilli powder, corriander powder and salt.  Saute well till the oil separates and the water from the tomatoes evaporates. It should be like a thick mixture consistency.

Break the eggs and pour it on the top of the mixture and scramble the eggs well .Put the flame on slow temperature when the eggs are cooked.

Now add the cooked rice noodles to the egg mixture and mix well.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Your egg vermicelli is ready to serve.

Tomato Onion Chutney.

Hi friends,one of the simplest recipe to go with bread ,Idli, dosa and chapatti.

Dear Czech friends-try this chutney with Knedliky or bread.

Now the ingredients:-

Onions                                       -2 big

Tomatoes                                    -3 big

Urid dal *                                    -2 tbsps

Red chili **                                   -1

Red chili powder***                           -1 tsp                          

Coriander leaves                               -a handful

Garlic(optional)                                 -one small pod

Salt to taste

Oil                                            -2 tbsps full

For finishing in the end

Mustard seeds (Horcice)                         -1/2tsp

Curry leaves                                    -1 string 

                                             

Procedure:-

Take a pan and add oil in it .When its warm add the Urid dal and sauté it till its slightly fried. Add Red chilies and sauté it for a minute.

*Dear Czech friends –As Urid dal is not available in the local markets –you can please skip this step.

**The whole red chili is available in the shop mentioned in my earlier blog. To benefit the people who are visiting my blog for the first time - Many of the Indian condiments are available in the shop in Futurum adjacent to New Yorker shop.

Once the dal is slightly sautéed with red chili add the cut onions and sauté it till its translucent.

Add a pinch of salt while sautéing the onions to cook faster.

Now add the tomatoes and sauté it well till the juices from the tomatoes are  released and the mixture slowly becomes mushy.

Then add the red chili powder and sauté for another few mnts.

***Dear Czech friends-If you don’t want the chutney to be spicy –add only the sladky chili powder to give you the color.

If you  want it spicy add half of pikant chili powder and half sladky chili powder.

For other friends-Add the Kashmiri chili powder.

Now once the mixture is cooked to mushy consistency remove the pan from the stove and add the coriander leaves to it and mix well.

Wait for the mixture to cool and grind it in a mixer by adding the salt to your taste.

Transfer the chutney into serving bowl.

Now take a small pan and add ½ tsp of oil in it and when its warm –add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the curry leaves and pour it on the top of the chutney.

Mix well and serve it as an accompaniment.

MANGO PANNA COTTA

Mango Panna cottaJ

Panna cotta (Italian 'cooked cream') is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded. The cream may be aromatized with chocolate, coffee, vanilla, or other fruit flavorings.

It is really simple to cook.

Today I will introduce you to mango panna cottaJ.

First let’s see how to prepare the panna cotta as it will be easy for you to add any flavors later.

Even the plain panna cotta with a dash of chocolate sauce or strawberry sauce makes it delicious.

Panna cotta

Ingredients-

Heavy cream*                    - 2 cups(400 to 420 gms )

Unflavored gelatin powder        - one small pack of 30 gms.

Sugar**                         - 50 gms

Vanilla bean                  -halved and scrapped(including the bone marrow)

       Or

Vanilla essence                 - 1 tsp full

Oil to wipe the molds.

Take 2 table spoons of water and sprinkle the gelatin and allow it to settle for 10 minutes till we cook the cream.

Add the cream and sugar in a sauce pan along with the vanilla bean and bring it to boil in a medium flame.

When the cream is just at the simmering point turn off the flame and add the set gelatin and mix well.

The gelatin should dissolve in the cream

Then strain it in the colander to remove the vanilla bean and bring the mixture to room temperature.

Pour it in the mold greased with oil and refrigerate. It should set in four to six hours. Better is overnightJ

*Heavy cream-I used 33% fat cream. The best would be if you get 40% fat cream.

Please don’t use any cream which is of lesser fat content to 33%.

**You can increase the sugar to another 10 gms depending on the sweet level you need.

Now to the mango part .

Ingredients-

Mango pulp *                               -2 cups.

Mango nectar                               -1 cup

Unflavored gelatin                           -1 small pack of 30 gms

Take a microwave proof bowl and add the gelatin in one cup of mango nectar and keep it aside for 10 mnts to set.

Take two cups of mango pulp. I used the canned kesar mango pulp.

*If you get fresh mangoes take 4 or 5 mangoes – Remove the skin and cut into small pieces.

Put it in a blender and make puree equivalent to 1 ½ cups.

Now heat the gelatin mix in microwave just for 1 minute only.

Add the warm gelatin into the mango pulp and mix well.

Pour it on top of the already set cream mixture.

Refrigerate for another 2 to 3 hours to set.

Your mango panna cotta is ready to serveJ

P.S-you can either prepare the mango or the cream mixture first of your choice.

To get the shape in the picture-

Take a muffin tray and slant the glass and make it rest in the muffin counter. Pour the mixture that is prepared first almost to the edge of the glass.

Set the mixture in the refrigerator.

Once it is set remove the tray from the fridge and make the glasses straight and pour in the second mixture. 

After this you need not have to use the muffin tray and can place the glass straight in the fridge.

Dear friends –

You can prepare the plain panna cotta and pour it in a mold. Once the panna cotta is set remove the mold from the fridge and place the mold in the warm water for 10 seconds.

Scoop it out in a serving plate and top it with chocolate sauce or strawberry sauce. Serve it immediately.

EnjoyJ

Spinach Dal-Aka-špenát čočka.

Hi friends,

After a small break I am posting my next recipe.

The recipe this time is spinach dal- špenát čočka.

The tasty food with simple ingredients.

What you need is

Masoor dal ( červená čočka )                       -150 gms

                                 

Spinach (Listový špenát)                            -100 to 150 gms.

Onions (cibule)                                     - one medium size

Tomato (rajčata )                                   - one small size

Green or dry red chilli (suché červené chilli )  ```       - 1 number.

Garlic (česnek)                                      - 1 pod

Ginger(zázvor)                                       - 1/2 inch

Curry leaves(optional)                                - one string

Mustard seeds(semena hořčice)                       - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds (Rimsky kmin)                           - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder(kurkuma)                            - 1 tsp.

Garam masala powder *                              - ½ tsp

Oil                                                   - 1 tbsp

Before starting to cook –please keep few things ready- as always.

Wash the lentil and keep it aside with some water in it.

Wash the spinach well and drain it in colander.

Finely chop the onions, garlic, ginger, tomato and the green chillies (if you are using it).

Now take the spinach and chop it nicely and keep it aside. Please don’t worry if there is some water in the spinachJ

Now let’s start to cook.

Heat a pan or thick bottomed vessel. Pour oil and when its warm, add the mustard seeds and when it splutters add the cumin seeds and turmeric powder (keep in medium flame ).

Then add the chilli (red or green-whichever you are using). Immediately add the onions, garlic and ginger. Saute it well by adding a pinch of salt.

 

Salt will make the onions cook faster as it helps in evaporating the water from onions.

Then add tomatoes and saute it again .When the tomatoes are slightly cooked –add the chopped spinach and stir it well. Add little salt.

When you see the spinach slightly cooked and when the mixture looks like  paste or mushy-add the soaked lentils.

Add adequate amount of water and salt and cover it with lid and increase the flame to medium high.

Please stir in between as the lentils should not burn.

When its cooked, Mash the lentils with the ladle nicely. Instead you can use the egg whipper and whip it gently till the lentils are not visible prominently.

Avoid electric whipper.

When it’s done fully –

Sprinkle ½ tsp of garam masala for flavor and mix it.

*Its optional –but as it is available in the shops which I mentioned in my earlier blog you can buy it and store it as it enhances the flavorJ

The cocka is ready to serve.

It will go very well with steamed rice.

You can even dilute it a bit and can consume as soup (polévka)-which is so filling and healthy too.

P.S.-Dear friends, you can boil the čočka separately and keep it before hand and add the boiled  čočka after the spinach is cooked.

We Indians use pressure cooker(tlakový hrnec). So instead of pan or thick bottomed vessel. we directly cook in it.

It cooks very fast and saves gas(plyn).

The pressure cooker is easily available at tescoma shopsJ. I use the one from Tescoma.

Bon appetite- Dobrou chuť.

Please look for the yummy dessert in my next column soon by this year endJ