Spicy Kerala Style Mussels

I love seafood ! Being an island in the midst of the Indian ocean , seafood is an integral part of the Mauritian cuisine. I was recently gifted with a Kerala cookbook and was totally amazed by the array of seafood dishes in it. I was completely inspired by the Oyster dish "Ularthiyathu" . I used the same recipe but made it with mussels instead.

INGREDIENTS :

400 grms mussels (Steamed in water and shells removed)
1 Big onion chopped
2-3 Green chillies chopped
1 small piece of Ginger
8 flakes of garlic
1/2  cup grated coconut
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbs of oil
2 -3 curry leaves
1 tbs fresh lime juice
salt to taste
1 tsp mustad seeds


METHOD :

• Grind coconut , ginger, garlic and green chillies and set aside
• Heat oil in a pan
• Add turmeric powder, curry leaves, mustard seeds and chopped onions - Sautee well
• Add mussels , coconut paste and stir
• Allow to cook for a few minutes
• Add lime juice and leave to simmer on low heat for 2-3 mins until quite dry
• Serve with bread , rice or chapatti

Sago Gula Melaka (Malay style Tapioca pearls)

This sweet treat is so simple with minimal ingredients yet so refreshingly tasty after a heavy meal. Feel free to use Brown sugar instead of the Gula Melaka (which is a palm sugar). The taste of Gula Melaka is quite unique though , if you are able to find it (available at the Chinese grocery stores)  give it a try.

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 1/2 cups of Tapioca pearls (Also known as Sago pearls)

200 grms of Palm sugar (Gula Melaka )

1 can -250 ml of coconut milk

2 tbs of water

Pinch of salt

Enough water to boil sago pearls

 

METHOD

 

• Boil water in a saucepan , add in tapioca pearls and keep stirring to make sure that they do not stick together. Cook until pearls are translucent
• Strain and wash away excess starch in cold water
• Put pearls in individual cups or glasses and allow to set in the fridge
• Boil coconut milk in a saucepan, stir constantly until thick . Allow to cool and add a pinch of salt
• In another saucepan , melt the palm sugar with the 2 tbs of water on low heat
• Once syrupy set aside to cool
• Remove sago from the fridge- add sugar syrup and coconut milk to each glass
• Serve cold

 

 





Lobster Mac and Cheese

I have been craving for a good lobster mac and cheese for a while. When I went for grocery 2 weeks ago , I could not resist the fresh lobsters in the tank. They were too appealing and when the guy behind the counter told me "We can cook it for you if you'd like " ! I was sold :)  - The thought of putting live lobsters in a pot of boiling water makes me a bit squeamish . This was an offer I simply could not resist. Off I went with my 2 cooked lobsters and my White cheddar ,Swiss and Gruyere cheese.

INGREDIENTS :

300 g Elbow Macaroni ( I like to use Barilla brand- just a personal favorite )
2 Lobsters fully cooked and cut into big chunks (keep the shells and other parts to make a great Lobster Bisque)
1/4 cup of butter unsalted
2 Tbs of flour
2 cups of warm milk
4 cups of grated cheese combined ( I used white cheddar, Swiss Emental and Gruyere)
Few sprigs of thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
Panko bread crumbs (optional to your liking )

METHOD :

Cook Macaroni according to instructions until al dente- Keep aside
Heat butter in a pan
Add flour and cook until slightly brown
Slowly add the warm milk (if cold milk is used sauce will be lumpy)
Whisk until it turns into a smooth paste (not too thick - add more milk if required)
Add nutmeg , thyme leaves, pepper
Now add the cheese and mix well until completely melted - Add salt only if required
Add the pasta and lobster and stir well to coat
Pour into individual casserole dishes (or a medium sized one)
Ready to eat as is or if you wish , sprinkle panko breadcrumbs on top and broil on high for 2-3 mins until bubbly

NOTES :

It is sometimes daunting to look for cheese that does not contain Rennet (animal based enzymes ). However, a lot of brands now use bacterial culture as opposed to Rennet such as Agropur



Moist Chocolate Cake with chocolate ganache

Happy 2013 to everyone ! It's been a while since I posted anything on my blog. I have been extremely busy at work and did not do much cooking over the holidays. This morning I woke up with an urge to get cooking ! I was not sure what to make as the first post of 2013. While asking my sister for suggestions, she told me a "Chocolate cake with chocolate Ganache" would be a great start. Now, I am not a huge fan of chocolate ( I am more of an ice cream girl !) but thought it was a great idea as I have not made a chocolate cake in ages. I had a recipe in my high school recipe collection and this is the one I tried . The result was a very moist chocolate cake .

INGREDIENTS :

1 Cup Good quality Cocoa powder
1/2 cup of boiling water
1/4 cup of evaporated milk
1 tsp instant coffee
1 Cup of flour
2 tsp Baking powder
vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 stick of butter
1 cup of sugar
Pinch of salt

INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE GANACHE
8 ounces of semi sweet chocolate
3/4 cup of evaporated milk (or cream can also be used for a richer texture )
2 tbs butter

METHOD

Heat oven to 350 and grease a small baking tin
Add boiling water to cocoa powder, coffee granules and mix thoroughly
Now add the evaporated milk and mix well
Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy
Add eggs one at a time until lemony in color
Add vanilla essence
Sieve baking powder, flour and salt
Now fold in flour and cocoa powder paste alternately in egg mixture
DO NOT OVER BEAT !
Fold as gently as possible starting with flour and ending with flour
Pour in baking tin
Bake for 50 mins (or until skewer comes out clean when tested)
Allow to cool

METHOD FOR GANACHE
Ganache is just a French word for chocolate sauce which can be used in multiple ways

Pour hot cream or evaporated milk on chocolate
Mix well until chocolate is completely melted
Now add butter and beat well until smooth and glossy
Allow to cool at room temperature or in the fridge

Once cake is ready pour Ganache on top

Serve with a cup of coffee or tea

 

Sauteed Tiger Prawns

I love seafood and when it comes to Tiger Prawns I like using as few ingredients as possible so that the sweet taste of the prawns do not get overpowered. I sautéed those juicy prawns in ginger, garlic, dried red chillies , salt and pepper . They turned out to be absolutely phenomenal.

INGREDIENTS :
1 box of Tiger Prawns (if using frozen or 12 fresh )
1 head of garlic
1 small piece of ginger (to make around 1 tbs of finely chopped)
1 tsp of dried red chilli flakes
Pinch of sugar
1/4 cup of water
2 tbs oil (preferably peanut oil otherwise vegetable oil)
salt and pepper to taste

METHOD :
Clean prawns and pat dry
Add salt and pepper
Heat oil in a wok
Add finely chopped garlic and ginger
Fry for a bit and add Prawns and keep stirring
When Prawns start to change color to red, add water and allow to cook for a 2 mins
Now add sugar and fry till all liquid is absorbed
Add the chilli flakes and mix well

Serve with rice or can be eaten with hands as is !

Jus de tamarin - Tamarind refreshing drink

Tamarind is a tropical fruit and found everywhere in Mauritius more so in the south of the country and there is even a village called Tamarin in the district of Black River. When ripe the fruit is sweet and sour and is extensively used in Indian cuisine as well as many other Asian cuisines (Thai ..). The trees grow very tall and we used to go pick tamarinds under the trees when in season and these would be turned into of array of different things such as tamarind candy balls, tamarind paste for cooking , tamarind syrup for refreshing drinks in summer . I recently came across tamarind for sale at my local No Frills store ! I simply could not resist .

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag of tamarind
1 litre of water
2 cups of brown sugar

METHOD :

• Peel tamarind and remove from outer layer
• Put in a pot and add sugar
• Cook for 1 hour on low heat
• Remove all the pits and strain to remove all impurities
• Mix with water and add ice
• Enjoy on a hot summer evening !

Achard de légumes - Raw vegetable pickle

Achard de legumes is a crunchy mixed vegetable pickles Mauritian style. It is usually served as a side to many main courses more so with rice dishes. Very easy to make and if you have left over vegetables you are not sure what to do with , give it a try !

INGREDIENTS :

4 carrots
1/2 medium sized cabbage
2-3 green chillies
4-5 green beans (optional)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp of salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp of tamarind paste if not available substitute with 1 tsp of vinegar

METHOD:

• Slice carrots finely and shred cabbage using a mandolin slicer (or use a knife instead)
• Slice green beans if using
• Remove seeds from green chillies and slice finely as well and set aside
• Slice clove of garlic and set aside
• Take all vegetables and put in a colander
• Add the salt and mix well . Leave to rest for 15-20 mins
• Boil water and pour onto vegetables to rinse properly
• Now drain and take all excess water out by pressing vegetables in between hands (wear gloves if you wish )
• Add all other ingredients (turmeric, mustard seeds, green chillies, garlic , oil and tamarind or vinegar ) and mix well
• Leave pickle to rest for an hour or so
• Adjust salt if necessary (will be salty from the first step of adding salt and leaving it to soak in it for 15 mins. Even after rinsing usually vegetables remain salty )
• Serve with rice or any other main dish