Pork Sorpotel

My earliest memory of my uncle was of a tall, mustachioed guy with a booming voice. It was dislike at first sight. How dare this loud creature take my delicate Masi away from us. I clambered furiously up to my aunt's arms and declared. " Masi iss aadmi ke saath nahi jayegi!" (My aunt shall not leave with this man!) No one paid heed to my decree. And for that i am grateful!
Over the years I came to adore him. He was a madcap friend with a great taste in music and a shared love for PJs and puns! He was a neatness freak who drove us crazy. He was the life of the party, always up for a pint. And he was a insatiable foodie who was also a fantastic cook!
Sunday afternoons at his place usually meant beer, conversation and pork. Cooked with his meticulous perfection and served with a whole lot of love. When I started my food blog, he was always the first to leave a comment. He was my testbed for some of the more experimental recipes. And he always complained that I didn't devote enough space to his favorite red meat!
The last time I met him, I promised I would perfect my skills and wow him with the ultimate pork dish. And I did! Perfect it. But I still needed his final approval on it. I clicked a pic and sent it across. He texted that it looked tempting and he was looking forward to the taste test. Alas! That shall never be. He was taken away too soon, too sudden.
This post is in your memory my MeshoMoshai ( I can see your eyebrows shoot up and your mouth hang in shock at that traditional address!) I guess I'll have to wait till I join you up there for your seal of final approval. Till then, I know you look down and send me all the love and luck. And plentiful beer to go along with this spicy Pork!

Ingredients:

Pork                        1 kg

Red Chillies            25

Coriander seeds      1 tablespoon

Peppercorns            15

Garlic                      10 cloves

Cinnamon               2 inch

Tamarind                an onion sized ball ( roughly 5 tablespoon)

Turmeric                 1 tsp

Cumin                     4 teaspoon

Onions                    4

Green chillies         6

Ginger                    2 inches

Vinegar                  1/4 cup

Sugar                     1/2 teaspoon

Method: 

Finely chop the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Grind together the rest of the ingredients except pork and sugar. To the pork, add just enough water to reach the level of the meat. Boil pork till it becomes light pink in colour. Add the ground masala, the chopped ingredients and salt to the pot. Pressure cook for 30 minutes. Once the cooker cools, add the sugar and thicken to the consistency you like. Serve hot with steamed rice and chilled beer!

Mocha Layer Pudding

Everybody loves dessert. And if you are me, you probably skip the main course to make room for dessert. But be warned! You can't serve me ice cream and call it dessert. Ice cream is ice cream. When I was younger, parties always meant light citrus souffles and decadent mousses. There were multi layered trifles and warm, gooey flans. Ice creams were for weekdays when mom was too busy to whip up dessert. 

Of late though, desserts have vanished from the dinner parties. Too complicated and tedious, say the ladies. Trust me, it doesn't have to be. I am no superhero domestic diva, but I do manage to serve up a duo of desserts at the dinners I host. This Mocha Layer Pudding is almost always a permanent on my menu. And it only takes me five minutes. Honest! 

Give yourself a treat today and go ahead and try this blockbuster hit. I promise you will never fear once you've tried this dessert dare!

Ingredients:

Bread                          10 slices

Cocoa Powder             6 tbsp

Coffee Powder            1/2 tbsp

Sugar                           6 tbsp, powdered

Fresh Cream               500 gms

Walnuts                       1/2 cup, chopped

Rum or Brandy          2 tbsp (optional)

Method:

Run the bread in the mixer to make bread crumbs. Whip the cream lightly and add 2 tablespoons of sugar and the brandy or rum. To the bread crumbs, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. In a serving dish, spread a layer of the bread mix. Then pour a layer of the cream. Repeat layers till the ingredients are used up, ensuring the last layer is of the cream. Garnish with chocolate bits and shavings and some walnuts, Refrigerate for an hour. And you have yourself an easy dessert to indulge!

Orange Whiskey Marmalade

The markets are flooded with oranges. All shapes, sizes and sweetness. Tempting you with their fresh, springtime aroma. Tempting enough for hubby to haul home an entire crate! Its been a week, and there they lie, begging to be devoured.
Unfortunately, the only fruit enthusiast at our place is the monster munchkin. And frankly, I am terrified he'll choke on the pips. And no, I am far too lazy to sit patiently and peel and de-seed the segments. Let him be content with kiwis, plums and berries for now.
That still leaves me with a crateful of oranges that no one wants to eat. Its not warm enough for a fruit salad or even juiced oranges, so I decided to take the route less travelled. Do I dare to attempt marmalade?
My past efforts at jam making have always resulted in mushy, oversweet pulp. Do I dare subject these vibrant citrus to what may result in another failed attempt? Aah! But you already know the answer to that! I dared!
I dared and am I glad I did! I am always a sucker for good marmalade. But good home made marmalade? Sheer heaven! And I thought to myself, if I am going to dare, why not take it a step further? Even if it meets a disastrous end, I have a warm cocktail to drown my defeat! So now I present, not just any marmalade. But an easy, super delicious home made Orange Whiskey Marmalade!

Ingredients:

Oranges       1.5 kg

Sugar           1.2 kg

Lemon         1

Whiskey      150 ml

Water          6 cups

Method:

Wash and halve the oranges. Juice them using a citrus juicer. Slice the empty peels into thin strips, discarding any pips you may find.  Place an empty saucer in the freezer to chill.  In a heavy bottomed pan, throw in the sliced peels, the strained orange juice and the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover and cook for about 30 minutes, Once the peel turns translucent and soft, add the sugar and lemon. Stir till the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture come to a boil again and then continue to simmer, stirring every ten minutes, After about 50 minutes, the mixture will start becoming translucent and jelly like. Bring out the chilled saucer and place a drop of the orange mix. Return the saucer to the freezer, After three minutes, push the chilled drop on the saucer. If it wrinkles, the marmalade is ready. If it is still liquid and sliding, let the mix cook for another three minutes before testing on the chilled saucer again. Once the marmalade is ready, turn off the heat and stir in the whiskey. Pour into sterilized glass jars and allow to cool to room temperature before putting the lids on. Store in a cool place, or refrigerate for upto six months. 

Go ahead and dare today! Hey! If I could finally break my jam jinx, so can you!

Carrot and Raisin cake

The monster munchkin has turned two! There were days that never ended, and yet when I look back time seems to have just flown. Parenting hasn't gotten easier, just the challenges have changed. Just when I thought I had figured it out, the munchkin will throw a curveball my way. Mum rolls her eyes when I mention it. Her grandkid is an angel and I am the monster!
One thing that hasn't changed, is my obsession to provide him balanced, nutritional meals. And this includes sweet indulgences. Luckily he hasn't taken to chocolates and sugar laden treats like his dear ol' mum! Last birthday he was indulged with a blueberry yogurt cheesecake. And now it is the year of the super healthy Carrot and Raisin Cake. Now scoff all you like. I did too. But surprisingly, it was delicious. And the monster munchkin actually asked for seconds! Guilt free indulgence on his birthday? Hey! Why turn him down?!
So give this kid friendly recipe a go. Duly endorsed by an ecstatic two year old :)

Ingredients:
Carrots                                2, large
Soft Brown sugar               3/4 cup
Eggs                                   2
Butter                                 1/2 cup, melted
Whole Wheat Flour           1 1/4 cup
Baking Powder                  1 teaspoon
Baking Soda                      1/2 teaspoon
Milk                                   1/4 cup
Cinnamon powder             1/4 teaspoon
Clove powder                    1/4 teaspoon
Nutmeg powder                 1/4 teaspoon
Ginger powder                   1/4 teaspoon
Raisins                                1 cup

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180 C. Run the eggs and carrots in a food processor till the carrots are finely chopped. Add butter and sugar. Process again till well blended. Pour into a bowl and fold in the rest of the ingredients. Bake in 9x5 inch loaf tin for 45-50 mins. Serve up a slice of health and happiness.