ORIENTAL POACHED STEAK

Unlike the traditional steak, this piece of meat is poached. This style may be unorthodox, but it is nevertheless effective.

1 Steak

1 Carrot

1 Spring Onion

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 cup Water

4 Tablespoons White Vinegar

4 Tablespoons Soya Sauce

1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes

2 Teaspoons Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Flour

1 Teaspoon Butter

Salt and Pepper to Taste

For the Mashed Potatoes (Champ):

2 Potatoes

2 Spring Onions

1 Garlic Clove

Half Cup Milk

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

The Roux

In a pan heat a tablespoon of butter and mix in almost half a tablespoon of flour till a powdery paste is formed.

The Poaching Broth

In a slow trickle add water to the roux and keep stirring till the paste is transformed into a thin sauce like concoction. Do so while the pan is on the heat, and stop till there is almost a cup of water in the pan. To the liquid add four tablespoons of vinegar and the same amount of soya sauce. Add also some chilli flakes for a bit of spice. Bring the liquid to a boil.

The Steak

It is always good if an undercut piece of meat is used for steaks. Take an individual portion and flatten it, just a bit, with your palm. Sprinkle both sides with salt and then carefully place the steak into the poaching liquid. Cook both sides for around three minutes each, and then a further couple of minutes on each side again. Repeat the process till the meat is cooked to your liking. For medium rare, the cooking process shouldn’t be more than ten minutes. Once the meat is done, remove and set aside to rest.

The Sauce

Bring the same poaching liquid to a boil and reduce it to about half the original quantity. Add a bit of brown sugar to it to even out the sharpness of the soya sauce and vinegar. Add chopped carrots and spring onions and continue cooking. Once the liquid has reduced and thickened, add a knob of butter to form a glaze. Salt is not required because soya sauce does the job, but it can be added if required, after tasting it.

Plate up

The steak can be served as it is with a generous helping of the sauce and the vegetables in it. Or the steak can be sliced into pieces and layered on the plate, with the sauce poured over it.

Mashed Potatoes (Champ)

Heat a tablespoon of oil in the pan. Chop a clove of garlic and add it to the pan. Then add the mashed potatoes and mix it well. Add around 100ml of milk to the potatoes and continue mixing. The mash starts to break down and it becomes much smoother. Add chopped spring onions and season with salt and pepper. Add chilli flakes to spice it up a bit. At this point a knob of butter and/or cheddar cheese can also be added along with cream if you feel generous.

·       The mashed potatoes can be served with the steak along with the sauce, or alongside the traditional pepper steak, which is simply an undercut piece of meat thoroughly salted and peppered on both sides and then sealed in a pan with oil and a knob of butter. Cooking time will again vary depending on how one prefers the meat done.

SPINACH OMELETTE

2 Eggs

Handful of Baby Spinach

Cheddar Cheese (Optional)

Salt and Pepper for Taste

Olive Oil for Frying

In a bowl beat two eggs and season with salt and pepper. Add a handful of chopped spinach and half an onion, finely chopped. To make it a spinach and cheese omelette, just add in a handful of grated cheddar cheese. In a pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and then transfer the omelette mix to the pan. With a spatula stir the omelette in the pan as it cooks. This helps it ‘fluff’ up. When the base of the omelette is cooked, just fold it across the pan and let it cook to a minute or so before serving it.

Omelette Toast: Simply soak a slice of bread in the omelette mixture and then fry it in a pan with olive oil. Cook till both sides of the bread are golden brown.

SOLE WITH A BEURRE BLANC SAUCE

Beurre Blanc is a simple butter based sauce that goes very well with seafood and fish. This recipe uses sole fillet because it is thin and is a great choice for a quick meal.

2 Sole Fillets

1 Cup Bread Crumbs

Half Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg

1 Cup Milk

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon Double Cream (Optional)

3 Tablespoons Flour

Few Parsley Leaves Finley Chopped

Salt and Pepper for Taste

Olive Oil for Frying

For the Stock:

1 Garlic Clove Finley Chopped

Half an Onion Finely Chopped

1 Chicken Cube

1 Liter of Water

Olive Oil

Begin the dish by first preparing the fish. Have three bowls ready each containing a cup of bread crumbs mixed with a handful of grated parmesan, a nicely beaten egg, and flour batter (three tablespoons of flour mixed with a little bit of water to form a fairly viscous batter. Also add a pinch of pepper). Take a nice fillet of sole, coat it in the beaten egg followed by the flour batter and finally the bread crumbs mixture. In a pan heat up some olive oil and then fry the fish in it till it becomes golden brown on both sides. Since the sole fillet is very thin, the complete frying process should not take more than three minutes. When the fish is almost done, add a knob of butter to the pan and allow both sides of the fish to take on the flavour of the butter. Then set aside and move on to the Beurre Blanc.

In a pan heat a large tablespoon of butter and prepare a roux (a teaspoon of flour should suffice). Then add about a cup of milk, a little at a time, whisking continuously to get rid of lumps. Once the sauce is done set it aside. A tablespoon of heavy cream can also be added if one wishes to be indulgent.

In another pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and to it add a finely chopped clove of garlic. When the garlic starts to colour, add half an onion finely chopped. Cook for a bit till the onions become translucent. Then add in a quarter of a cup of light stock (a chicken cube dissolved in hot water works just fine). Now allow the liquid to reduce stirring every now and then. The idea is for the onions and garlic to infuse into the stock. When the stock reduces to almost half, pass it through a sieve and discard the onions and garlic pieces. The stock then needs to be added to the white sauce, a little at a time, again whisking continuously, till the desired consistency is reached. Add a pinch of salt for seasoning. Right at the end add another generous knob of butter and allow it to melt into the sauce while it is still warm.

Just before serving, carefully place the fish fillet in the center of the plate and top it with a generous helping of the sauce. For finishing touches just sprinkle with chopped parsley leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

RASAM & VADAS

RASAM

Coconut Oil

Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

2 Garlic Cloves

1 Teaspoon Milagai Thool

1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds

1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds

2 Dried Button Chillies

1 Cup Tamarind Water

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

Milagai Thool (Mixed Spice)

4 Dries Red Chillies

2 Teaspoons Coriander Seeds

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper Corns

4 Teaspoons Cumin Seeds

Half Teaspoon Methi

Half Teaspoon Turmeric Powder

4 Curry Leaves

Roast the spices on a dry pan and then grind them to a fairly fine powder.

In a pan add two tablespoons of coconut oil and the same amount of olive oil. When the oil is heated up add two cloves of garlic finely chopped. As soon as the garlic is cooked, add two heaping tablespoons of tomato paste. Cook it well till the tomato paste combines with the oil and garlic. This may take a couple of minutes as the paste has to completely break down. As soon as that occurs add in the dry spices: one teaspoon milagai thool, one teaspoon coriander seeds, one teaspoon cumin powder, one teaspoon mustard seeds, one teaspoon fennel seeds and a couple of button chillies. Cook all the spices well till all the ingredients in the pan become a homogenous mixture. Once the rawness of the spices is killed, add a ladle of tamarind water and continue cooking for a couple of minutes or so.

The consistency of the rasam is subjective, depending on how one wishes to serve it. Ideally rasam is enjoyed as a soup in most parts of South India, so the consistency is quite runny, almost like a broth. Should this be the case then a couple of ladles of tamarind water should suffice. On the other hand it can also be served as a dipping sauce to compliment the vadas. In this case it is quite thick. Thus the amount of tamarind water being added can be controlled accordingly. Whatever be the choice, the addition of tamarind water should always be followed by a couple of teaspoons of brown sugar so as to balance the sourness of the tamarind.

VADAS

Half Cup Mixed Flour (equal portions of rice flour and white flour)

1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 Small Onion

1 Teaspoon Milagai Thool

Coconut Oil (to bind the mixture)

Salt to Taste

In a deep mixing bowl add around half a cup of mixed flour (maida and rice flour in equal proportions). To it add a teaspoon of milagai thool and a pinch of cumin seeds. Finely chop about half a medium sized onion and add it to the mixture. Finally add a pinch of salt and mix it well. Chopped green chillies can also be added to the mix, but this is an onion vada, commonly known as a ‘maddur vada’ in South India, so it can be left out. Once all the dry ingredients are mixed, add coconut oil, a tablespoon at a time and slowly start to bring the mixture together. After adding about four tablespoons of oil, the mixture starts to take the shape of dough. Transfer the dough onto the cutting board and knead it till it is firm and stops falling apart.

Vadas can vary in shape and size, but are usually doughnut or disk shaped. Once the vadas are formed, shallow fry them in oil. Make sure the oil is nice and hot before the vadas go in, or else they will start to crumble as the frying goes on. Serve alongside the rasam, or the vadas can be completely immersed in the rasam as well and then served.