Monday, August 18, 2008

Nectarine & Plum Tart

These supposed to be Plum tarts but ended up was a few Nectarine Tarts as the plums I bought was over riped. So, I replaced it with a few leftover nectarines from the fridge. Luckily there was one plum still can be used.

Now, the plum tart become a protagonist.
I think any fresh fruits would be delicious with the combination of frangipane and rich shortcrust pastry. I love the color of plums, its sharpness of color had pampered my appetite.

For the rich shortcrust pastry:
2 eggs yolks
2 tbsp cold water
220g plain flour
110g unsalted cold butter, diced
pinch of salt
For the frangipane:
143g ground almond
25g plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g butter
125g sugar
1 1/2 large egg
Method:

  1. For the pastry, add 2-3 tbsp cold water to the egg yolks and stir with a fork.
  2. Place the flour into the bowl of a food processor, followed by the cold butter, sugar powder and the salt.
  3. Turn the processor on and pulse several times until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  4. Add two-thirds of the egg yolk/water mixture and pulse again. If the mixture is still too dry, add the remaining egg and water mixture (you may not need to use all of it). Be careful not to overwork the pastry. Stop pulsing when the mixture has the consistency of chunky breadcrumbs.
  5. Turn the pastry out onto a clean, floured work surface and, with floured hands, bring together to make a smooth dough, but don't knead.
  6. Shape into a flattened ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes. You can keep the pastry at this stage for 2-3 days if not using it immediately.
  7. Remove the pastry from the fridge. On a clean, floured work surface, roll it out with a floured rolling pin until it's slightly larger than the flan ring. Using the rolling pin, lift the pastry and lay it over the flan ring.
  8. With your fingers, lightly press the pastry into the sides of the ring. Run a rolling pin over the top of the ring and pull away the excess pastry at the edges. Using your fingers, gently press the pastry up to slightly build up the height of the pastry at the edges. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork.
  9. For the frangipane, blitz the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a food processor until light and creamy.
  10. Add in the ground almond, plain flour and beaten eggs and whiz until completely mixed and smooth.
  11. Place in the fridge to firm up for at least half an hour.
  12. Chopped some over riped plums and cook gently unil softened, with jammy consistency. Let is completely cool down and ready to use.
  13. Cut others plums or nectarines into slices and maceratet them for 5 minutes by sprinkling them with sugar.
  14. Spoon some plum jam into the pastry case then spread the frangipane over the plum jam.
  15. Arrange the plums or nectarines on the surface of the frangipane, pressing them in lightly.
  16. Bake the tart in the 180'C preheated oven for about an hour. Remove tarts from th oven and leave it to cool.

Kose Porial - Cabbage Curry

Kose Porial - Cabbage Curry

At the mention of the very name, I remember the varied contortions that used to distort my husband’s face! He detested having to eat the ‘off white over cooked vegetable’, which also ‘smelt awful’. Hence cabbage curry was taboo at home, especially when we had guests at home. Somehow, the chances of spoiling a cabbage curry are more when compared to cooking other vegetables. Either it is over cooked or is half done!
My grandmother was an excellent cook who had strict rules about the dos and donts for good cooking. She cut the vegetable so finely that it cooked in a minute when she immersed it in boiling water. She would immediately drain and season it. The addition of fresh grated coconut made it more lovable.

My grandchildren love this simple curry when prepared to their taste. Adding boiled green peas makes it all the better. Though it is not his favourite curry, my husband holds no grudge against it any more.


INGREDIENTS
Cabbage – 1 (Medium size)
Salt - to taste
Sugar – 1 pinch
Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
Black mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Urad Dal (Split Black Gram Dal) -1 tsp
Bengal Gram dal – 1 tsp
Dry Red chillies - 2
Curry leaves – a few
Oil – 2 tsps

METHOD
1. Clean and chop cabbage as finely and as uniformly as possible.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
3. When it splutters add the dals and roast till they are golden in colour.
4. Add broken chillies and curry leaves.
5. Add turmeric powder and fry .
6. Add the cut cabbage and stir once to blend with the seasoning.
7. Add salt and a dash of sugar and again blend well.
8. Cover the pan without letting any steam escapoe, and let the curry cook over low flame.
9. Remove lid now and then to ensure its not over cooked or browning.
10. When the vegetable is half done and when it throws out water remove lid and increase the heat.
11. Let it cook in its own water until all the water is absorbed, and remove from fire.
12. Optional: Garnish with fresh grated coconut .

Tomato Rice /Thakkali Sadam


There are varieties of rice which are popular in the South like the pulaos of the North. Coconut rice, lemon rice and tamarind rice/pulioyodharai are the common ones and they are served as prasadam too. In my childhood days, I am more familiar with the above said types. Later on, Amma started preparing tomato rice, which she learnt from one of aunts. Needless to say, we were hooked to it and loved it for our lunch boxes. Tomato rice with some appalam or any fritters makes an ideal choice as travel food too. There are many ways to prepare this. I follow the method where in I use all the powders readily available on the shelf.


Cooked rice - 2 cups with grains separated.
For the masala
Ripe tomatoes - 3 nos

Onion - 2 nos

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tspn

Sambhar powder - 1 tblspn

Green chilly - 2 nos

Curry leaves - few

Gingely oil/any vegetable oil - 3 tblspn

Mustard seeds - 1 tspn

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn

Turmeric - a pinch

salt

garam masala - 1/2 tspn (optional)

Finely chop the onions and tomatoes and keep them separately.
Heat a kadai with 3 tablespoons of oil. Add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the cumin seeds. When it starts to brown, add the slit green chillies, curry leaves and chopped onions. When onion turn slightly brown, add chopped tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes or till the tomatoes turn mushy. Add the powders (turmeric,red chilly powder, sambhar powder) and salt. Keep stirring in between so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of kadai. When the oil separates from the gravy, remove from fire. If you want to add garam masala, add before taking off from the fire.

Mix with cooled rice and serve with fritters/raitha. I have served with microwaved sago(javarisi) applams.