Cooking Corner

Chef’s Corner

Cooking has always been a favorite pastime for me since my childhood days. I really don’t remember the first time I cooked, but my mom keeps telling me that it was in third standard that I cooked my first omelet. Since then I’ve been experimenting with new recipes in my mom’s “lab”, I meant the kitchen. Here I present to you, not my “experimental recipes”, but a few “All time favorites”. I believe these dishes would perfectly do for a simple “Three Course Meal”.

A “Three Course Meal” comprises of the following:

1. Entrée – This is the first course where an appetizer and starter are served. The appetizer is something eaten or drunk to stimulate the appetite which in most cases is a soup, and the starter is a nibble which is mostly a fresh salad or a meat tart.
   

2. Main – Here, the main dish prepared on a rice base (staple food) is served along with accompaniments.

3. Dessert – This is the sweet course of the meal which is served at the end.

Many at times we think that those wonderful delicacies we eat at a restaurant can’t be prepared by us, but we need to remember how Col. Sanders, founder of the world renowned KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) made a fortune out of his experimental chicken delicacy which turned out to be unique. Hope all of you would enjoy preparing these dishes, and I’m back to my mom’s lab. Bon appétit!

Entrée

Tomato Soup - Appetizer

INGREDIENTS (Serves Five)

Apple Tomatoes……….….……3 nos

Carrot……………………………..…1 medium sized

Bay Leaf……………….……….…..1

Water…………………………….….6 cups

Sugar……………………………...…2 tsp

Tomato sauce…………………...2 Tbsp

Pepper…………………………..…3/4 – 1 tsp

Corn flour……………………...…3 Tbsp

Butter…………………………….…1 Tbsp

Clarified butter (Ghee)….....2 Tbsp (for frying bread)

Bread croutons……………..….12 – 14 pcs

METHOD OF PREPARATION

1. Wash and cut tomatoes into quarters, peel wash and cut carrot into roundels.

2. Cook the above in three cups of water adding the bay leaf.

3. Discard the bay leaf, grind the cooked vegetables and extract the stock only.

4. Add pepper, sugar, tomato sauce and two cups of water

5. Mix 4 Tbsp of corn flour in one cup of water and add to the above stock.

6. Cook for 5 to 8 min and add butter.

7. Serve piping hot with bread croutons.

Note: For making bread croutons, cut 2 bread slices into half inch squares and fry in Ghee.

Mexican Carrot Salad - Starter

INGREDIENTS (Serves Five)

Sliced Carrots…………….…2 cups

Lime Juice………………….…1/2 cup

Salt………………………...….…1 Tbsp

Sugar……………………………2 tsp

Pepper Powder…………...1 tsp

Lettuce/cabbage leaf…..for garnish

METHOD OF PREPARATION

1. Combine carrot with lime juice, salt and sugar.

2. Allow to marinate for at least two hours.

3. Drain lime juice, pressing all the liquid out of the carrot.

4. Add pepper and serve.

5. Serve on a bed of lettuce/cabbage leaf.

Main

Chilly Chicken

INGREDIENTS (Serves Five)

Chicken……………...500 gms

Soya Sauce………...5 Tbsp

Chilly Sauce………..5 Tbsp

Vinegar……………....5 Tbsp

Tomato Sauce……..5 Tbsp

Oil……………………….1 cup

METHOD OF PREPARATION

1. Clean, wash and cut chicken into 5 pieces.

2. Marinate the chicken pieces in soya sauce, chilly sauce, tomato sauce and vinegar for 2 hours.

3. Heat oil in a pan and put the marinated chicken pieces into it.

4. Cook over a very low flame for about 45 minutes or until done.

Note: Turn the chicken pieces occasionally while frying.

Extra caution must be taken while frying as the oil may spurt.

Add a pinch of salt if necessary while marinating.

Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS (Serves Five)

Rice………………………………………..….. 1/2 kg

Eggs………………………………………….....4 nos

Oil…………………………………………..…..1/4 cup

Boiled Peas………………………………...1/4 cup

Boiled & Shredded Chicken……….1 cup

Boiled & Shredded Prawns……..…1 cup

Spring Onion……………………………...1 bunch

Coriander Leaves……………….………1 bunch

Green Chilies……………………………..7-8 nos

Soya Sauce…………………………………3 Tbsp

Ajinomoto……………………………….…1/4 tsp

Salt…………………………………….………to taste

METHOD OF PREPARATION

1. Boil the rice till ¾ done (Discard the water). Strain it and cool it for 2-3 hours. Sprinkle 1Tbsp oil on the cooked rice.

2. Heat oil, add half of the spring onion and add chopped green chilies, chicken, prawns and green peas.

3. Fry for five minutes

4. Add rice and mix well.

5. Beat eggs and add salt to make thin omelets.

6. Scramble the omelet and mix it with the rice.

7. Add Ajinomoto, soya sauce and salt.

8. Garnish the rice with rest of the spring onion and coriander leaves.

Dessert

Cherry Cake

INGREDIENTS (Serves Five)

Butter………….…........250gms

Refined Flour (Maida)….3cups

Cherry………………....250gms

Sugar………..................1cup

Milk………………..…..1cup

Vanilla Essence…………1tsp

Eggs………………........4

Baking Powder…………2tsp

Salt…………………….a pinch

METHOD OF PREPARATION

1. Sieve flour, baking powder and salt together.

2. Beat butter until soft. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1Tbsp of flour after each egg.

4. Add cherries and the remaining flour into the creamed mixture alternatively with the milk.

5. Pour the mix into a greased mould. Bake it in a preheated oven for 1hr at 180°c.

6. Garnish the cake by placing a few cherries on the top.