29 March

Pune is already sweltering at 40 degrees outside. And it is like 37 degrees in shade today and uncomfortably humid by Pune standards. But I am still thankful it is not as bad as Mumbai or Kolkata at this time of the year. I can still brave the whole summer season without an AC or a cooler. But still the fact remains that every year the summer is a little more harsh than the year before and the impact of rapid urbanization is very much visible on our fragile environment. 

For the uninitiated, Solkadi or Solkadhi or Kokum Curry is a refreshing summer drink from Maharashtra's Konkan region. It cools down your body and helps in digestion in addition to working as an appetizer. Though I am in Maharashtra for more than a decade, I had the first taste of this amazing drink after coming to Pune. The first thing that catches your fancy is the light pink color of the drink which makes it look like a strawberry milkshake and you might be deceived in believing that you are about to taste something sweet. But then the aroma of coconut and tempered spices make you curious about what this drink is all about. Eventually when you taste it you find a very interesting savory concoction of the tangy Kokum, sweet coconut milk and a hint of spiciness from chilly and ginger. Solkadi is almost a mandatory part of any fish thali you have at typical thali restaurants here in the city. And it acts as an excellent palate cleanser before you indulge yourself in the spicy fish curry rice. I think the first ever solkadi I had in Pune was at this famous restaurant called Masemari and absolutely loved it at the first sip. I think even more than the seafood I loved the drink.

There is also a  funny incident that happened once related to Solkadi. This was like 5-6 years ago. We used to frequently go out on team lunches from office and explore new eating joints. So one of our Marathi colleagues had suggested this small thali restaurant which served lovely seafood near the Peth area of Pune. Once we placed our orders the first thing we were served was this pink solkadi in small steel glasses. One of our colleagues was a south Indian guy who was a junior and didn't have much experience in Maharashtrian food. So when he was about to take a sip of this drink, the guy beside him tells, "don't drink that" and he obviously asks why so. The guy tells him, "it is a pink drink and it is only meant for ladies, guys cant drink it". He said it with such a serious face that this south Indian colleague believed him without a question and he didn't drink it! We all laughed at this but he didn't budge from his decision and actually we could not make him even taste the drink no matter how much we convinced! I think till date he believes that solkadi is only meant for ladies :D.

But my love for this drink continues and grows stronger. I actually like my solkadi a little sweet which most of the time comes form the natural sweetness of coconut milk itself. But if not, I like to add a little sweetener to balance the overall savory taste. So this time I tried converting them into these delicious popsicles which I could have instead of the store bought ice cream. You can also convert your leftover solkadis into popsicles and enjoy.

Please note that there are many ways to enhance the flavour of this coastal drink, sometimes people temper it with curry leaves or spices as well. But here I have used the very basic recipe of Solkadi for the popsicles.

Checkout other Summer Coolers from my blog:

• Mojito Popsicle
• Beetroot Rose Sorbet
• Persian Saffron Rose Milkshake
• Kokum Juice
• Beetroot Rose Granita
• Spicy Strawberry Ghol

Ingredients for garnish:

• Roasted cumin Powder

Equipment:

• Popsicle Mold
• Mixing Bowl
• Mixer
• Strainer 

Procedure: 

1.  Start by rinsing the dried kokum pods. Then soak them in a cup of hot warm water for about 30 to 45 minutes. 

2. Using your fingers mash the kokum pods in the water to extract the pulp from them. Now pass this mixture through a strainer and preserve the extracted water. Discard the remaining solids in the strainer.

Note: Color will depend on the quality of the Kokum used. It may vary from brownish to pink.

3. Take a blender jar and add chopped ginger, grated fresh coconut, chopped green chili and 1 cup of water. Blitz it to a smooth paste. 

4. Strain this mixture using a fine mesh strainer to get a thick liquid. 

5. Return the leftover pulp in the strainer back to the blender and add another cup of water. Blitz it again to get a smooth paste. Now strain this in the same bowl to get a thinner liquid this time. 

6. Add the kokum water into the bowl and mix everything well

7. Add salt and sugar as per taste.

Note: Coconut milk is already a little sweet, so if you don't want to add more sweetener you can skip the sugar. I like mine a little sweet.

8. Add water if you want a thinner consistency. Your solkadi is ready.

9. Now take the popsicle molds and pour the solkadi. Freeze it for at least 10-12 hours or overnight.

Serve the popsicles with a sprinkle of roasted cumin powder or have it as is.

16 March

Its almost Holi. This year probably we can expect the Holi scene to be very similar to pre pandemic days. When we speak of Holi can we not talk about some refreshing drinks to cool us off after all that playing in the sun? The usual Holi recipes would call out for Thandai, Kanji, Mojitos and all the known suspects. But why not try a different cooler this time? Something very creamy, delicious and refreshing? Something which doesn't involve nuts, especially with people like me who doesn't really have a liking towards nuts, will absolutely enjoy this drink. 

Till now the only Mexican thing most of our subcontinent is aware is nachos or burritos. But Mexican cuisine has a lot of different things to offer. They are so similar like the Indian cuisine and yet very different. In fact when I was living in States, whenever I missed a good rice meal, I would head over to Chipotle ( a famous Mexican fast food chain) instead of any Indian restaurant (because the kind of Indian dishes served over there is not exactly what appeals to my palate) and gorge on the scrumptious burrito bowl. It is my most favorite meal till date! Also you might not be aware but some Mexican drinks are really amazing. 

When I was staying in San Diego, we visited the border town of Tijuana, Mexico. It was such a thrill that we were crossing borders to reach a different country. We had taken a city tour ticket and the conductor dropped us at a designated spot, dishing out many statutory warnings like 'don't buy silver, people will swindle you here', 'be cautious when you are crossing roads' etc. etc. To the point that it almost sounded scary. Me and my roommate skeptically set out to explore the area while all the warnings still ringing in our ears loud and clear. Maybe we looked like a couple of teenagers (we always got that wherever we went!) so no one thought we would be having enough money to buy silver! Thus we weren't approached by any so called swindlers. Tijuana appeared a very lively place. Whenever we were walking past the restaurants we smelled some heavenly aroma coming from inside. There was lots of music playing everywhere. It was in one such restaurant we got to taste Horchata for the first time. Back then I wasn't such a food connoisseur. So I didn't make out much form the drink apart form the fact that it tasted awesome and had a beautiful rich cinnamony aroma which lingered on the tongue. We left Tijuana that day but the taste of Horchata remained with us for quite long. 

Fast forward many years after that, I had completely forgotten about that experience. A few weeks ago  Facebook threw me a notification of photos from the Mexican trip and that's when I remembered about this unique drink from Mexico. I just had to revive that memory so I got down to work of gathering all the essentials. The key to this recipe is soaking the rice and cinnamon for almost 5-8 hours or better overnight. It helps develop the flavors nicely. So you need to be a little patient to enjoy this drink. There can be a good number of variation with the base recipe and I think I will be trying them out this summer and posting on my blog. So stay tuned on that.

Horchata (pronounced or-chah-tah) is a popular Mexican drink that is often described as a sweet rice milk beverage. One would find this drink at most Mexican restaurants in the United States and abroad. Mexican food is usually spicy and this refreshing drink helps to balance out the heat from those dishes. This recipe has several different adaptations depending on where you are drinking it. Mexican versions are usually made from rice, while the Spanish kind uses tiger nuts. 

Some additional trivia : The Mexican horchata dates back to the 16th century, but there are even older versions. In fact, the term "horchata" describes a group of related drinks with roots in ancient Rome and North Africa. The Romans' version was not based on rice or nuts, but on barley, which for a time was believed to possess curative properties. The Romans "milked" dried barley in water to form the basis for the drink they called "hordeata," which literally means "drink made from barley". As both the Roman and North African versions of horchata de chufa made their way around Europe, different cultures adapted the horchata using different grains, nuts, and seeds. 

Horchata is a simple yet satisfying drink on a hot summer day. So lets get to the recipe now.

• Can you add nuts?
• Yes you can. Almond compliments the best. For this recipe you can add 1/4th cup of almonds.
• Can it be made dairy free?
• Yes you can. Replace whole milk with canned coconut milk or non-dairy milk such as almond milk.
• Which Rice can I use?
• Avoid glutenous rice in this recipe (e.g Indrayani). Use long grain rice like Basmati or some fragrant rice like Ambemohar, Gobindobhog etc. They impart a nice floral smell.
• How long can you keep Horchata?
• The horchata base will stay nice in the fridge for up to 3 days. Don't leave it at room temperature. Always refrigerate.
• What are the different sweeteners you can use?
• You can use sugar, condensed milk, honey, maple syrup etc. can be used. Stevia can be used for a sugar free option. Adjust the sweetness level as per your liking. 
• Any Serving suggestions?
• This drink tastes divine when served on the rocks. Chill the Horchata in the refrigerator for an hour and then fill up a glass with ice cubes. Pour the horchata over ice and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon powder or cinnamon sticks. 

Ingredients for serving:

• Ice Cubes 
• Ground Cinnamon Powder

Equipment:

• Blender
• Mixing Bowl
• Spoon
• Strainer & Cheesecloth

Procedure: 

1.  Add rice, cinnamon sticks and water to a mixing bowl. Let soak at room temperature for about 2 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator overnight until the rice softens and the cinnamon stick is soft enough to break into smaller pieces.

Note: Some people recommend slightly blitzing the mixture in a blender just enough to break up the rice and then soak it overnight. I did not do this.

2. After 8 hours or the next day, transfer the cold rice mixture to a high-powered blender and blend to combine. Blend about 30 - 60 seconds on high speed or until finely pulverized, stopping occasionally and shaking blender if mixture sticks to the bottom. I blended it for about a minute in total. 

3. Now strain this mixture with a cheesecloth lined fine-weave mesh strainer. When finished, discard the remaining solids in the strainer and transfer the strained liquid to a pitcher or big container. This is the Horchata Base.

Horchata Base after straining

4. Now add the vanilla essence, milk and condensed milk. The condensed milk will give it sweetness as well as a thick consistency. Add the condensed milk as per your taste. For me I added 200 ml of condensed milk for this recipe for optimum sweetness.

Tip: You can also make this without condensed milk. Just add full cream milk to the consistency you want and add sugar or any preferred sweetener along with it.

5. Mix all the things together nicely, making sure the condensed milk is well incorporated.

Tip: You can also blitz this mixture for 20 seconds in a blender to achieve the final consistency quickly.

6. Now transfer this drink to the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving or until it is chilled.

Serve it in a glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish with cinnamon sticks or cinnamon powder. Enjoy!

30 December

I know I am super late for this post but then a good savory pastry recipe never gets outdated isn't it? This is just like the usual chicken pastry which is glammed up for a party.  And its the perfect party pleaser for a cozy house party on the new year eve. Pune folks are anyway going to be following the curfew hours from 9 PM due to new restrictions imposed and ring in the new year from the comfort of our home. 

This beautiful puff pastry is filled with the goodness of fresh spinach, chicken, cheese and Italian flavors. It looks super cute and is super fun to assemble. It may look complicated but pulling the pastry to make those starry shape is where all the fun is. You can just put on your imagination hat and stuff it with any filling of your choice and you are good to go. Add a glass of wine and a Netflix playlist of Korean romcoms to the scene and nothing can sound more appealing to me when I think of a cozy night at home.

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Ingredients :

• Skillet
• Brush
• Paring Knife
• Rolling base and pin
• Baking tray

Procedure: 

1.  Preheat oven to 180 Degree. 

Note: I made this in the convection mode of microwave at 200 degree.

2. If you have frozen pastry sheet then you need to thaw it as per the packet instructions. It can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight or in room temperature for minimum 40-50 minutes.

Tip: When you thaw it at room temperature, keep checking the pastry sheets every 15-20 minutes whether its ready or not. Gently press the ball of your finger in the middle of one of the sheets. f your finger leaves an indentation, the pastry is ready to be used. 

Note: To thaw in the microwave, remove 1 pastry sheet from the box and outer wrapping and wrap in a paper towel. Microwave on HIGH for 15 seconds.

3. Slice the mushrooms and onion.  Wash the spinach and drain the water. Chop the spinach into medium size. 

4. In a skillet, heat oil and butter. When hot, add chopped garlic and a pinch of salt . Sauté for a couple of minutes.

5. Add chopped onion and spinach. Sauté them till the spinach starts to sweat, for a about a couple of minutes. Squeeze the water from the spinach and keep aside. 

6. In the same pan add a knob of butter. Sauté the mushrooms till they sweat and caramelize a little. Take it off the flame and keep aside.

7. Slide the butter cube into the same pan. Once hot add the chicken pieces. Add salt and pepper powder. Fry on medium flame, till the chicken is done. Keep aside.

8.  Now in a mixing bowl crack open an egg and whisk it to make egg wash. 

Prepare the Puff pastry base:

1. Transfer the puff pastry to a sheet of parchment paper. Roll out the puff pastry. Use a 10.5 inch dinner plate as a template to cut a large circle out of the puff pastry. 

2. Now take a 4 inch bowl as a template for the inner circle and gently press into the center of the pastry sheet to outline a smaller circle. Make sure to not cut all the way through the pastry sheet.

3. Use a sharp knife to make a perpendicular cut across the small circle. Make two more cuts across the small circle to create four equal triangles. Refer to the image.

Note: If the pastry becomes too soft to work with, just transfer it to the fridge for 5 minutes to firm up the pastry.

Assembling the Wreath

1. Now we start to make the layers of the wreath. We start by adding a few pieces of cheese all around.  

Note: It is recommended to use mozzarella to get the gooey texture, but if you do not have mozzarella use any cheese of your liking. You can also vary the amount of cheese.

2. Spoon in the sautéed spinach next in a ring around the puff pastry leaving an inch boarder around the outer edge.

3. Now add the sautéed chicken, mushrooms and some more cheese pieces on top. Add some Italian seasoning on top and sprinkle some salt. 

3. Now pick up the tip of one of the center triangles and carefully wrap it over the filling and outer edge of pastry to seal. Use a little water and pinch the edges of the pastry as shown below. Continue with each triangle, wrapping over the filling to create a wreath.

4. Now brush the pastry surface with egg wash generously. 

5. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on the surface where egg wash was brushed. 

6.  Now bake in the pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the pastry becomes golden brown.

Serve warm with your choice of drink.

Wish you all a very Happy New Year in advance!

14 June

The monsoon is here and so is the craving for garma garam fritters with chai. Another good news is that the un-lockdown process has started. Fingers crossed that we do not have to see a third wave.

This time since mom is here with me, I have been trying out different kind of fritters which I always wanted to make - vegetable chop, daler bora, macher chop, chicken popcorn, beguni and the list goes on. It is so much fun to experiment with fritters because they don't usually go wrong even if you miss on a few ingredients. 

Before lockdown I used to buy fresh fish from a place enroute to my home form office. There was a fixed fish vendor from which I usually got my fishes. From the time lockdown started I have been getting my fish supply either from Fresh2Home or from Licious. While I left Licious provides more quality products, Fresh2Home has better variety. And due to which I had tried out all different varieties of fish which I probably had not tried in past decade. Some of the fishes like Koi was really amazing. Having Koi mach sitting in Pune was like an impossible dream before. 

For a couple of days I was seeing Kachki fish on the Fresh2Home seafood section. I deliberated whether I should get them but then parked the idea as I didn't know what to make with them. Then one day I came across this recipe on Sandeepa's (Bong Mom's Cookbook)  Instagram post. She had posted about Kachki Macher bora and I was really piqued. The immediate next step was to order the fishes ( which miraculously I got the very next day in their listing) and gather the ingredients.

These tiny  silver fishes are really delicate. I mean I have never worked with such delicate fishes in my life before. It was a breeze to clean them unlike other fishes. The boras itself got made within 30 minutes and I couldn't stop eating them right off the wok, they turned out that delicious!

While making bora or fritters at times we face a challenge that the ingredients don't bind well. Here is a quick tip for it, if it is a fish fritter especially, add an egg to it. Egg is a wonderful binder and also enhances the taste. This was the main difference in me and Sandeepa's recipe. 

You can also try the other fritter recipes

• Moringa Pakoda|| Drumstick Leaves Fritter
• Macher Dimer Bora || Fish Roe Fritters
• Bok Ful Bhaja || Hummingbird Flower Fritters

Check out a few of the dal recipes you can try this with

• Lau Data Diye Motor Daal
• Moong Daal Kalo Jire Diye
• Tetor Daal
• Aam Daal
• Kolai Daal 
• Masoor Daal
  

Ingredients :

• Wok
• Skillet
• Mixing Bowl

Procedure: 

1.  Clean the fish well in water. Keep in mind that these fishes are very delicate. Keep it in a strainer for all the water to drain off. Or you can also pat them dry gently with a kitchen towel. 

2. In a wok take the cleaned fish, 1 tsp of ginger paste, 1 tsp of garlic paste, 1 tsp of coriander powder and 1 tsp of red chili powder. Add about 1-2 cups of water, enough for the fish to get cooked. The fish will take about 10 minutes to cook covered. Open the lid and dry off any excess water. Now let the fish cool down a bit. 

Note: Do not add too much water. We only need to add enough water for the fish to get cooked in 10 minutes and dry off excess. 

3. Boil 1 potato and keep aside.

4. Take a mixing bowl. Take the boiled potato and mash it up completely. To the mashed potato add the minced garlic, chopped onion, spring onion, coriander, chopped green chili, red chili powder and give it a mix. 

5. Now add the cooked fish. Add rice flour, salt and break in one egg. Now with gently hands bring everything together. These fishes are very tender hence they would break easily so do not knead with force. Just press with the tip of your fingers to break them up while there are still some big pieces.

Tip: The rice flour would give it a crunch and the egg acts as a wonderful binder as well as taste enhancer. 

Note: Spring onions is optional here but very much recommended. I have seen Spring onion goes nicely with any kind of fish bhortas ( fish mash) or fish pakodas. 

6. Now with your hands make small balls or flat discs.

7. Heat Oil in a skillet and shallow fry the discs for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until they are done.

Serve it with rice and daal or have it like snacks with tea.

6 June

My birthday month is here! And just one day to for for my birthday. I am excited for another lockdown birthday.

Meanwhile the unlock process has started in Pune. It feels like a Deja vu from last year. After a long time I heard kids playing in the garden of our society. I really really wish to travel somewhere this year, once the wave dies down. It has been too long since I have been on the road or on the mountain. 

A small health update, I got my first vaccine shot last week. And no it was not through the cowin portal. My company had setup the vaccination drive across all its centers and Pune was the first location. The process was super smooth as it was handled by the admin team of our company. Jehangir Hospital facilitated the drive in our Hinjawadi campus. They were administering Covishield to us.  One entire floor was kept for the drive and there was separate section for men and women. After the shot, the doctor gave me a strip of Dolo 650 and asked me to have one tab immediately and rest only if fever is there. I took the medicine and for the next 30 minutes we had to wait in an observation room for any adverse side effects. It had a doctor stationed, refreshments and some beds in case someone felt sick. I had no symptoms whatsoever in those 30 minutes. The certificate of inoculation was immediately available on the cowin site. 

Here comes the main part. I did not have any symptoms apart from some pain in the arm where I got the jab for next 8 hours. Around 8 PM I started feeling a little lethargic and tired. I didn't feel an appetite as well during dinner time. Therefore I ate moderately that day. Post dinner the feeling of lethargy increased and I felt sleepy and heavy headed. I went to bed early and around 12 AM I felt severe chills and body pain. In sleep also I was shivering badly. There was mild shortness of breath. I took the Dolo and went back to bed. As I tried to sleep I noticed I was developing shooting headache. After trying to lie uncomfortably for 10-15 minutes I got up and noticed the headache was better if I sat or walked instead of lying. But the problem was that I was super feverish and it was taxing to walk around. So I went back to bed and tried lying down once again. It was almost over an hour after which I felt the fever subside, but the headache was a constant even the next day. I had nausea, appetite loss, fever the whole of next day. Appetite was heavily impacted. So much so that I had to take a leave from office as I was unable to sit for long. The symptoms started subsiding towards the evening and by 8 PM I was feeling much better. I felt hungry too. No fever came during the night of the second day. 

Third day, the fatigue remained and I was getting tired with a little talking. I kept it as a working day but was resting frequently. The pain in my left hand remained the entire 3rd and 4th day. By the end of 4th day I felt getting back to normal again. I think mine is one of those rare cases where all the side effects of the vaccine manifested. Research says the side effects are more prominent in the below 55 age group of people and especially women. Later I got to know from one of my colleague who already was infected with covid sometime back, that the side effect of the vaccine was much worse than when he had actually contracted covid. A couple of other team members also confirmed they had similar symptoms. That is my experience of getting jabbed for the first time. I cant say that I am not scared for the side effects when I take the second jab, but then it has to be done. Will update my experience of second jab when the time comes.

Meanwhile to perk up my mood over the last weekend after such a terrible two days of bedrest, I thought of going back to baking something easy. When I was visiting my aunt in Mumbai on the new years eve during 2018, she took me to a pretty café and we bought some chicken quiche for ourselves. Actually it was my cousin brother who wanted to have quiche in the first place and that's why we went and got. I had never had quiche before that, and not even heard about it. It looked to me like a savory tart. The first bite into it took me to a different level of ecstacy. I was in love with the gooey creamy center oozing with deliciousness and succulent chicken chunks. They were mini quiches, of the size of my palm. That memory had been with me for the longest time now. Quiche was something on my checklist of to do recipes. 

This time, with the second wave of lockdown I stumbled upon a brand Unroll which had the answer to my pastry cravings. They have a wonderful selection of products ranging from Bake Puff pastry Sheets, Short Crust pie pastry Sheets, Cinnamon Swirls, Garlic Baguette, Cheese Garlic Baguette and more. Its a boon, if you want to bake a super delicious pie or a pastry puff in no time which is also failureproof! They were generous enough to share with me two of their products - the puff pastry sheet and the shortcrust pastry sheet. The delivery was smooth even in times of restrictions and the delivery guy gave precise instruction to me how to keep it frozen till ready to use. I loved the delivery experience. The products are available in Bigbasket or you can directly order from selected stores.

With the beautiful shortcrust pastry I decided to make a quiche. My dream of recreating that memory was just about to be true. And since I wanted a loaded quiche, I added spinach, mushroom and onions along with the chicken pieces. It turned delicious beyond my imagination. Both me and my mom were head over heels with the result. The short crust pastry was just too good as a base.

I didn't face any challenge even if it was the first time I was working with frozen shortcrust pastry sheets. I kept the pastry sheets at room temperature for approximately 60 minutes till the time when gently pressed with hand it left a dent and I could easily unroll it. After you do it for the first time you will be at ease. Though the packet instructions say not to freeze back the remaining sheet, but I did and it doesn't cause any issue when you use it again later.  

If while thawing you accidently break the sheet, don't fret, just bring the piece together and roll on them with a rolling pin gently to seal any breakage. I faced a minor challenge while removing the paper from the frozen sheet. It got stuck with the dough. So I rested the dough in the refrigerator for 5-7 minutes and after that the paper came out clean from the dough easily.

Ingredients :

• Skillet
• Fork
• Brush
• Paring Knife
• Rolling base and pin
• Pie Mold

Recipe Video

Procedure: 

1.  Preheat oven to 180 Degree. 

Note: I made this in the convection mode of microwave at 200 degree.

2. If you have frozen pastry sheet then you need to thaw it as per the packet instructions. It can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight or in room temperature for minimum 40-50 minutes.

Tip: When you thaw it at room temperature, keep checking the pastry sheets every 15-20 minutes whether its ready or not. Gently press the ball of your finger in the middle of one of the sheets. f your finger leaves an indentation, the pastry is ready to be used. 

Note: To thaw in the microwave, remove 1 pastry sheet from the box and outer wrapping and wrap in a paper towel. Microwave on HIGH for 15 seconds.

3. Slice the mushrooms and onion.  Wash the spinach and drain the water. Chop the spinach into medium size. 

4. In a skillet, heat oil and butter. When hot, add chopped garlic and a pinch of salt . Sauté for a couple of minutes.

5. Add chopped onion and spinach. Sauté them till the spinach starts to sweat, for a about a couple of minutes. Squeeze the water from the spinach and keep aside. 

6. In the same pan add a knob of butter. Sauté the mushrooms till they sweat and caramelize a little. Take it off the flame and keep aside.

7. Slide the butter cube into the same pan. Once hot add the chicken pieces. Add salt and pepper powder. Fry on medium flame, till the chicken is done. Keep aside.

8.  Now in a large mixing bowl crack open two eggs and add 1.5 cups of fresh cream, 1/2 cup milk, salt and Italian seasoning. Whisk it to prepare a smooth sauce.

Prepare the tart base:

1. Roll the shortcrust pastry dough out on a well-floured work surface until it’s approximately 12-inches in diameter. Transfer it to a 9-inch glass deep pie dish. 

2. Using your fingers, press it firmly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Then fold/crimp/ roll over the overhanging dough. Prick the bottom and sides of the pie crust all over with a fork to prevent the crust from bubbling. Place a parchment paper on top of the pie base. Add some pie weights ( beans, rice, sugar etc.) on top. 

3. Transfer the pie crust to the pre-heated oven and bake for 15- 20 minutes, until par-baked.

Assembling the Quiche

1. Now add a layer of mozerella cheese on the par baked quiche shell. 

Note: It is recommended to use mozzarella to get the gooey texture, but if you do not have mozzarella use any cheese of your liking. You can also vary the amount of cheese.

2. Evenly add the sautéed spinach, chicken, mushrooms and onion on top of the cheese layer. 

3. Now pour the egg mixture to fill out all the gaps

4.  Now cover it with aluminum foil and bake in the pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the eggs are set and a knife inserted in center comes out clean. 

Let it cool before serving. Sprinkle a little more Italian seasoning and serve with a crisp green salad on the side or some wine.