Sugar et al, Author at Sugar et al

Rhubarb Orange Ginger Jam

15|10|2013

There is something special about making things from scratch. Especially when they are simple, easily achievable and money-saving. Making Jam at home is an easy process as long as you keep in mind a few basic things.

The gelling agent that sets a jam/jelly is Pectin that is a naturally occurring carbohydrate found in fruits. The levels of pectin varies between fruits and therefore it is handy to know which fruits will give you a better consistency while making jam (without having to add an external gelling agent). Does that mean, you cannot use your favourite fruits to make jam or preserve if they are low in pectin? Not at all. In that case, you can combine low-level pectin fruits with a high level one to get the desired consistency. You can refer to this page to understand the levels of pectin in fruits.

This jam is not too sweet and the combination really works. Citrus peel is high in pectin and gives the jam just the right amount of citrusy flavour to balance the sweetness of the rhubarb. The peel along with Glace/Candied/Crystallised Ginger gives the jam a unique texture and bite. Ginger is my all time favourite ingredient and I just need an excuse to add it in my recipes. Rhubarb can vary in sweetness at different time so you will need to adjust the sweetness accordingly. Also, candied ginger is already sweetened so if you are skipping it, the sweetness might again need adjusting.

Rhubarb, Orange, Ginger Jam
Makes 1 jar

1 bunch rhubarb( approx 350 g), trimmed, cleaned and chopped into 2 cm pieces
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Peel from 1 orange, thinly sliced
1/4 cup glace/candied/crystallised ginger, roughly chopped
200 g castor sugar

Combine the rhubarb, sugar, orange juice and orange peel in a large, wide heavy-based saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium, add the ginger and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until jam reaches setting point.

Remove the jam from the heat immediately and ladle into the preserving jars and seal. Set aside until cooled completely. Label, date and store in a cool, dark place.

Pumpkin Fritters

14|10|2013

Brown paper bags make me happy! Grease stained, slightly crumpled and smelling of fried goodness, they have always bought me joy as a little girl. During school vacations when we visited my grandparents I would wait impatiently for my grandfather to come back from his morning walk. He would return holding a paper bag that had my favourite things in it.

I have to admit, Pumpkin is something I have started to enjoy recently. Though, I don’t love it yet there is no denying that Pumpkin recipes are everywhere at this time. Particularly sweet ones. So I decided to go savory and post something which would require minimal effort and can be made without an oven. These fritters are so delicious..even non pumpkin lovers will enjoy them.

I did not have access to canned pumpkin puree, so I have used frozen pumpkin (approx 400g) that has been microwaved on high for 7 minutes and mashed with a fork. You can use the processor to make a fine puree. I wanted to leave little bits and chunks of pumpkin so I used a fork.

The yeast action makes them light and fluffy. You can make them into any size by adjusting the batter that is dropped into the oil. Any seasoning will work too. I love the combination of coriander, mint, onion and chillies since the fritters that I ate as a child would primarily have all these ingredients. Feel free to make your additions and leave out the chillies if you want to avoid heat. They taste best with a chutney which is available in most supermarkets these days. Otherwise tomato ketchup or sweet chilli sauce will also do…we want an accompaniment which will have sweet spicy tangy kind of flavours.

Pumpkin Fritters (minimally adapted from Gourmet Traveller Magazine)
serves 6

1 cup pumpkin puree
11/2 cup plain flour
1 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp white sugar
150 ml milk
1 egg, lightly whisked
1/2 onion, finely chopped
¼ cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
a handful mint leaves, finely chopped
2 long green chillies, finely chopped
salt and pepper to season
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Combine flour, yeast, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl, then stir in milk and egg. Stir through onion, coriander, mint, green chilli, pumpkin and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper and salt(to taste). Cover and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size (1 hour).

Heat vegetable oil in a large deep saucepan or deep fryer to 180 degrees C. Deep-fry spoonfuls of batter in batches, turning once, until golden (4-5 minutes). Drain on absorbent paper and serve immediately with tomato chutney (or ketchup/sweet chilli sauce)

Lamb Seekh Kebabs- Indian Lamb Skewers

10|10|2013

As our festival of Durgotsava kicks off from today, I cannot help but feel very nostalgic. Though we do take part in quite a few celebrations that take place around Sydney, it is nothing compared to the ones that happen back home in India.

During this time, the Eastern part of India shuts up shop for 5 continuous days and is in a celebratory mode. Makeshift structures (pandals) are constructed all around the state of West Bengal to house the warrior Goddess Durga and every nook and corner of the state is adorned with beautiful lighting and floral decorations. Mother Durga as she is referred to is an embodiment of feminine power in the Hindu culture and the 5 main days of the festival are celebrated as the time she returns to stay (along with her children) at her father’s place. Therefore married women also look at it as an occasion to reunite with family. The idols that also showcase the unique craftmanship of their creators depict the Mother riding a lion and carrying different weapons in her ten arms as the festival celebrates her victory over the mythological demon Mahishasura. The Durga Puja festival essentially epitomizes the victory of good over evil. Needless to say, food is an integral part of this celebration.

Very few at this time cook at home and prefer to eat either at the community get together or the various food stalls that sell the traditional Indian dishes. Mainly the street food. I have told you earlier how much I love the street food in India. Among the popular food are the chats, chicken rolls, kebabs and Biriyani. Indians love their biriyani and each state has their own way of cooking it. I will post my biriyani recipe one of these days too but today I am sharing a recipe that we generally make during pre or post festival gatherings.

These kebabs are really easy to put together and are just perfect when you are entertaining a big group of people. The mince mixture can be prepared ahead in time and skewered to be grilled when your guests arrive. The last part of the recipe is my own addition. Lamb and cumin are a classic combination and coating the kebabs in roasted cumin powder brings out the flavour like an explosion. The kebabs can be served with a cucumber ribbon salad or a mint chutney. You can eat them on the skewer like an appetizer or wrapped in a flatbread or tortilla for lunch or dinner.

Lamb Seekh Kebabs -Indian lamb Skewers
Serves 6

500g lamb mince
1 medium-sized onion chopped very fine
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (more if mixture does not come together)
1/2 cup fresh chopped coriander leaves
1/4 cup freshly chopped mint leaves
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp garam masala powder (available in most supermarkets or Indian stores)
1 tsp cumin powder
2-3 green chillies very finely chopped (optional)
Salt to taste
Vegetable Oil for cooking

Roasted Cumin Powder
1 tbsp cumin seed

Combine all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using hands or with a wooden spoon mix the ingredients thoroughly till they are well blended. Cover the bowl and put into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
If you are using bamboo skewers, soak the skewers in water for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the mixture from fridge and divide into equal portions. Take each portion and form it into a long sausage-like kebab while pressing on to a skewer. Do this till the mix has firmly adhered to the skewer. Put some oil on your hands to prevent meat from sticking to them. Repeat till all the kebab mix is used up.

Heat a chargrill pan or a large frying pan with oil till smoking hot. Brown the kebabs on one side, then flip over and brown on the other side. Take care not to overcook the kebabs or they will lose their juicyness. It generally takes 7-8 minutes to cook them overall.

Remove from the pan and coat the kebabs in the roasted cumin powder. Serve with lime wedges and salad.

To make the roasted Cumin Powder, roast the cumin seeds in a frying pan over heat till fragrant. Process to a powder in a food processor.

Gluten Free Chocolate Hazelnut and Candy Cake

8|10|2013

If you have kids at home, it is likely that your house is never short of candies. At least, in my house even if I don’t buy them, they find a way to my pantry through friends and visitors. And with so many different varieties around I am never short of inspiration to create. My favourite candies have to be the ones with chocolate in them.

At this time of the year, you will definitely notice candies all over the blogosphere on account of Halloween. It’s also not surprising that our Chocolate Party theme for October is Chocolate and Candy. For the time being, I am leaving the spooky ones to my incredibly talented blogger friends and using up mine instead to decorate my flourless hazelnut chocolate cake. Please don’t forget to check out the fantastic creations of my friends at the bottom of the post.

Like most flourless cakes, this one uses hazelnut meal (ground hazelnuts) and separated eggs. I love the nutty yet moist texture of this cake. I know that a lot of people find it intimidating to make recipes where meringue is involved but trust me when I say this. Those recipes are more forgiving than a normal cake recipe and for just 5 basic ingredients the results are always great. Please feel free to substitute hazelnuts with whichever nut you prefer or even a mix. The only thing to note here is that the egg whites are to be beaten to a soft peak (when the peaks are just starting to hold)…this gives an amazing texture to the cake.

I have used a thin layer of chocolate ganache to hold the candies together. The topping consists of chocolate coated nuts, candies hazelnuts, chocolate kisses and jaffa (orange chocolate candies). They can be easily replaced with your favourite candies or even eaten as it is, without the topping. Also, if you want a round cake you can use an 8 inch round cake pan for the same recipe. The baking time may need adjustment though.

This cake is a huge hit with kids and adults alike. I say this from my experience. The difficult part is to resist from eating the candies as you layer them on the top of the cake.

Flourless Chocolate Nut and Candy Cake
Serves 10

200g dark chocolate, chopped
150g butter, chopped
6 eggs, separated
2/3 cup castor sugar
1 1/2 cups hazelnut meal

Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C fan-forced. Line base and sides of a 25 cm square baking pan with baking paper. Combine chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted. Alternately melt the two together in short bursts of 20 seconds in a microwave Set aside to cool.

Place egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until thick and creamy. Add chocolate mixture. Beat to combine. Add hazelnut meal. Beat to combine.

Place egg whites in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form. Using a metal spoon, stir one-third of egg whites into chocolate mixture. Gently fold remaining egg white through chocolate mixture.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre has moist crumbs clinging. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Ganache and Candy Topping

150 g dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup of chocolate coated nuts, candied hazelnuts, chocolate kisses, jaffa or any candy of your choice.

Place chocolate and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth. Spread over top of the cake. Place the candies on top.

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