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.

23 October

Subho Saptami to all my readers!

Finally it is a beautiful sunny autumn morning today! I started my day watching the Saptami pooja at Ramakrishna math in Belur (west Bengal) which was streaming live in YouTube. This year it is a bit different kind of pooja but nonetheless it felt very divine to wake up to the chants for Durga Ma. 

I am going to talk about a 15 minute breakfast which is both healthy and hearty. It can brighten up your morning with all the necessary goodness. It is called breakfast hash with eggs. 

Quoting Wikipedia - "Hash is a culinary dish consisting of chopped meat, potatoes, and fried onions. The name is derived from French: hacher, meaning "to chop". It originated as a way to use up leftovers." 

I used to eat and love hash brown potatoes while I was travelling in the States. It was pretty much a morning staple across all the hotels I had stayed. And that is where I had developed a love for this dish. Though the hash brown is a very different recipe and much more calorie loaded. The one I am talking about today is a very simple version and mostly made in the homes. It is just a no fuss, flavorful breakfast recipe which you can try when you are not in mood of anything elaborate. Mostly it is my idea of a lazy weekend breakfast. 

I had read it somewhere it is not really a hash until something gets charred. So I have incorporated a lot of easy charring without any oven on a gas top. it adds a very nice smoky aroma to the overall hash and I just love it. 

The interesting and non conventional addition I have made is the charred garlic. in most traditional recipes of breakfast hash this is not how it is made. But trust me charred whole garlic with potatoes and eggs are the best thing in the whole world. The beautiful burst of flavors in your mouth will testify my claim any day. So without any further ado lets jump straight in to the recipe.

Preparation Time : 7 minutes

Ingredients for Yoghurt:

• Egg - 1
• Baby potato - 2
• Cherry Tomato - handful
• Mushroom - 4 , sliced
• Garlic Cloves - 10 to 12
• Onion (Medium)- 1/2 , sliced
• Spring Onion - 1/4th cup, finely chopped
• Cracked Pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Olive Oil

Method:

1. Start by washing the baby potatoes. The skin should be kept on. Then par boil them in a pot or pressure cooker. I did it in the pressure cooker for two whistles. Take them out from the water and keep aside to cool.

Tip: I jabbed the fork edge into the potato sides so that they are cooked to the core when boiled.

2.  Halve the baby tomatoes. Now take a slotted spoon or a wire mesh and arrange the cherry tomatoes, cut side down in a single layer and over the gas let it char. It will take around 2 minutes on medium flame. Then flip them and let the back side also get a little charred. Keep doing this in batches, don't over crowd the space else it will all become mushy. Keep them aside to cool.

3. Now dice the baby potatoes ( still with skin on) and again on the wire mesh char the sides of the potato over the medium flame. Char it as per your preference. It adds a nice smokey flavour to the hash.

Tip: Keeping the skin on gives a nice crunchy texture to the potatoes.

4. Now heat a griddle or tawa and place the garlic cloves in one single layer. Let each side get charred. Keep aside. Similarly add the sliced onions in single layer ( separate each leaf), let it char for a few minutes and keep flipping so that all sides are nicely done. 

5. Once the onions are almost done, add a little oil to the tawa and toss around the onions. Add the charred garlic and potatoes too. Let it sizzle for less than a minute. take them all off the tawa. Now in the same oil give a 30 seconds toss to the charred tomatoes. Then take them out and keep aside.

6. Clean the mushrooms and halve them. In the same tawa toss in the mushrooms and add a pinch of salt. Toss for about 30 seconds and take them off heat.

7. Wipe the tawa clean with a tissue and now cut roundles from the baguette bread and let it toast. Once the sides are a little brown take them off heat.

8. Finally its time for the egg. Add a little oil in the tawa and crack open an egg. Add salt and cracked pepper. It it cook on low flame for a nice white outer  ring for about 3-4 minutes. 

9. Now take a bowl and toss all the charred and fried veggies into it. Add a little salt and pepper and give it a toss. Your hash is ready.

10. Take a serving plate. Layer the hash and on top of it slide the sunny side up egg. Add the toasted baguette on the side. garnish with chopped spring onions and some more cracked pepper.

Bon Appetit!