Toasted Shahi Tukde

    Usually a dish that involves deep fried slices of bread drizzled with a thick, creamy milky sauce. This is a lightened version using similar ingredients, a twist to the deep frying with the pan toasting and the sauce a little thinner.

I featured this dessert at the first class of my Young Chefs cooking school this late spring.

6 thick slices of any eggy bread like brioche, challah, shirmal or any home made sweet bread.

4 tbsp butter or ghee

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup packed tight light brown sugar

2 tsp rose water

1/2 tsp cardamom pdr

3 strands saffron

2 tbsp toasted coconut

In a wide skillet, heat 2 tbsp of butter on a medium flame.

Toast 3 slices of bread in this butter on medium-high heat till they are golden brown on each side.

Repeat the process with the other 2 tbsp butter and 3 slices of bread.

Set the bread aside and prepare the sauce.

In a glass mixing bowl whisk together the cream and sugar till the sugar crystals dissolve.

Heat this mixture in the microwave till it's slightly hot but not boiled.

Infuse this cream with the flavours of the rose water, saffron and cardamom for 6 minutes.

To assemble the Tukde..

Cut each of the toasted bread slices into four pieces, either squares or triangles.

Arrange them on a shallow bowl anyway you want it.

Drizzle the cream&sugar sauce over the top of the bread enough to soak the pieces.

Then top with the coconut.

Serve this cold or at room temperature.

Variation..

For a chocolatey twist you can add 3 tbsp of Nutella into the cream sauce after u heat the cream and infuse it with the aromatics. And you have a Nutella Shahi Tukda.

Another variation....

Just fry the bread in butter till both sides are golden and crispy...serve with a sweet sauce made from 1 can condensed milk mixed with 1/3 cup full cream. Warm the milk and steep 5 saffron strands in it along with 1 tsp rose water. If you don't have saffron just used 1/2 tsp cardamom powder.

Potato Curry with Peas/ Corn

A North Indian flavoured dish that pleases the palate and is really easy to make. By mimicking techniques found in many Indian kitchens, using simple ingredients and familiar flavours I came up with this recipe for a version of a typical 'Aloo ki sabzi'. It was part if a compilation of home cooked recipes for my older sons's preschool family cookbook 4 yrs ago.

15 fingerling potatoes, peeled,diced into thick 1-inch pieces kept in water to keep from oxidizing.

1 cup frozen peas/ frozen yellow corn

1 big size onion, sliced

1/2 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt for the onions.

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 1/4 cup tomato purée made by blanching two large tomatoes.

2 tsp ginger-garlic paste or 1 tsp chopped ginger, 1 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 tsp Garam Masala 

1 tsp paprika 

2 tsp salt

1/2 cup macadamia nuts

water for cooking

oil for cooking

1 tbsp cilantro chopped for garnish.

Prepare the Nut Paste. Soak Macadamia Nuts in 1/4 cup warm milk for 25 minutes.

Now Blend them with the soaking water into a fine paste. 

Add more water if necessary to make the paste fine.

Keep aside to be used in the final stage of the curry.

To blanch tomatoes, cut them in quarters, put in glass bowl, fill with 1/2 cup water and heat in a microwave for 6 minutes on high.

Once they cook with a spoon add each tomato quarter one by one into another bowl filled with 2 cups of ice cubes and 1 cup water. Remove the skins of the tomatoes. Strain the water out and purée the tomatoes in a blender.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan.

Saute the potatoes till all the sides turn slightly brown. Don't cook them through. keep aside.

In a skillet heat 1 tbsp oil, add the sliced onions. 

Add the sugar and the salt.

Cover and cook for 8 minutes.

Caramelize them till golden on a medium heat if needed for a further 8 mins.

Cool, Blend with 1/4 cup water. 

Add more water if needed to make a smooth purée.

In the same skillet add another tbsp of oil, heat on medium then add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.

Now Add the Onion puree, cook for 5 minutes.

To this the Ginger-Garlic to this and cook further for 3 min.

Now add the garam masala and sauté further for 5 minutes.

Now add the Tomato Puree along with 1 cup of water.

Then season with salt and the paprika.

Stir and cook this on medium high heat for 5 mins.

Now reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 min.

Stir a few times during this process to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom. Add the potatoes and the peas/ corn.

Cook this with 3/4 cup water on low heat or until the potatoes are cooked fork tender approx 20 min.

Now combine the macadamia nut paste with the curry. Stir well. Bring this to heat on medium flame for 5 min.

Once hot take it off the flame.

Transfer to a serving bowl. 

Garnish with cilantro and serve with Naan bread or Flavoured rice.