Friday food and cookery thread

[The Large One]

Mushroom and pea risotto

Chop an onion and lightly fry in olive oil on a medium heat until soft. Add a couple of cloves of chopped garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Do not let it brown.

Toss in 250g chopped mushrooms and a 500g bag of arborio rice, together with a generous half glass of white wine (about 150ml). Stir well and allow the wine to soak in. An option is to add in a teaspoon of tomato puree.

After five minutes, turn the heat up to full and add about a 1/4 pint of chicken or vegetable stock. Boiling water with a couple Oxo cubes will suffice if necessary. Within a couple of minutes, the rice will soak up the water. Just before it has done this, add another 1/4pint, and repeat until about 1 1/2 - 2 pints of stock are in there.

Reduce the heat to low/medium, cover. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking. Cook slowly for about 30-40 minutes. About ten minutes before serving, add about 200g of frozen peas, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and some chopped parsley, and allow to cook through.

Serves about six as a main dish, or 12 as a side dish.

My dinner last night (not all of it, obviously).

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Certainly looks like it will work. Risotto is a good thing to know how to cook properly - and not very difficult, really. Consistency should "flow", and not be stodgy. I would recommend using as good a stock as you can, this is the real basis of the dish - I prefer to use the bottles of bouillion if I don't have proper stock handy, cubes tend to be too salty.

 

[Springal]

I did a proper nice Asparagus and Chicken ovenbaked Risotto the other day, well yummy

 

[The Large One]

Certainly looks like it will work. Risotto is a good thing to know how to cook properly - and not very difficult, really. Consistency should "flow", and not be stodgy. I would recommend using as good a stock as you can, this is the real basis of the dish - I prefer to use the bottles of bouillion if I don't have proper stock handy, cubes tend to be too salty.

True, which is why, when I have to use Oxo, I put so little salt in upfront.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Chop an onion and lightly fry in olive oil on a medium heat until soft. Add a couple of cloves of chopped garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Do not let it brown.

... add some vegetable stuff (TLO chose mushrooms; but tomatoes are an alternative. Or french beans. Or something else).

... then add some meat (any sort)

... chuck in some herbs or spices at some stage

... eat with rice (stir it all in if you want) or pasta or spuds.

... and you have the PERFECT recipe for DINNER.



Be brave. Be creative. It will be TASTY. If it isn't ... add ketchup or Worcestershire Sauce.

 

[The Large One]

... add some vegetable stuff (TLO chose mushrooms; but tomatoes are an alternative. Or french beans. Or something else).

... then add some meat (any sort)

... chuck in some herbs or spices at some stage

... eat with rice (stir it all in if you want) or pasta or spuds.

... and you have the PERFECT recipe for DINNER.



Be brave. Be creative. It will be TASTY. If it isn't ... add ketchup or Worcestershire Sauce.

Or a bit of a mess.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Or a bit of a mess.

Yep. I wouldn't rule out the option of putting the whole lot in a blender and calling it SOUP.

 

[Mendoza]

I think I will try my hand at making a DOSAI to celebrate DIWALI.

No idea how its going to taste, never made one before, but we ate them in Delhi and they are the boom ting!!

 

[BensGrandad]

I prefer Lord B version with meat as a meal with out meat is not a meal in my mind. Personal choice of course others may differ.

 

[clapham_gull]

I think I will try my hand at making a DOSAI to celebrate DIWALI.

No idea how its going to taste, never made one before, but we ate them in Delhi and they are the boom ting!!

I'm just been reading you are looking at a nine hour preparation time.

 

[Superphil]

Boil the kettle, once boiled leave if for 2 minutes. During this time empty contents of lemsip pouch into a mug, then pour in water from kettle. Add a spoonful of honey and then go site in a room with the lights low and consume. The feel sorry for oneself, wait 3 hours, and repeat.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I'm just been reading you are looking at a nine hour preparation time.

That's ok if he starts now - dinner at eight !!

 

[Mendoza]

I'm just been reading you are looking at a nine hour preparation time.

Not sure what would take 9 hours. Its essentially a crispy pancake filled with spicy potatoes and onions

 

[clapham_gull]

Not sure what would take 9 hours. Its essentially a crispy pancake filled with spicy potatoes and onions

You need to ferment the dhal, before grinding into flour.

 

[clapham_gull]

Actually you are looking at over a day.

You soak the dhal / rice and make a batter out of it. This will take 6 hours.

You then need to let the batter ferment in a warm place for 12 hours.


Soak Rice, Poha & Methi seeds with warm water for about 6-7 hrs.

Soak dal with warm water for about 4-5 hrs.

Grind Rice, Poha & Methi mixture to a fine paste & keep aside.

Grind Urad dal seperately to a fine paste.

Mix well both the paste. Add Salt & mix again for 4-5 times.

Keep the mixture in a warm place for fermentation. Best is overnight.

Before making dosa, once again mix the batter well 2-3 times

 

[Mendoza]

Actually you are looking at over a day.

You soak the dhal / rice and make a batter out of it. This will take 6 hours.

You then need to let the batter ferment in a warm place for 12 hours.

Surely there will be a shop (Taj) that you can purchase the flour mix. Hope so anyway

If not, its just a Curry concocted from the 30 different spices i took back from Delhi

 

[clapham_gull]

Surely there will be a shop (Taj) that you can purchase the flour mix. Hope so anyway

If not, its just a Curry concocted from the 30 different spices i took back from Delhi

Hopefully.

You'll still need to let it ferment which I imagine it key to the flavour, else they wouldn't bother doing it.

You may be able to buy some rice and dhal flour, mix with warm water and add some quick yeast (available everywhere)

Thanks for that, never heard of that before and looks very tasty. I see if I can track some instant mix batter in Tooting next time I'm done there.

 

[Mendoza]

Hopefully.

You'll still need to let it ferment. You may be able to buy some rice and dhal flour, mix with warm water and add some quick yeast (available everywhere)



Thanks for that, never heard of that before and looks very tasty. I see if I can track some instant mix batter in Tooting next time I'm done there.

Its not something Ive seen before on an English menu. Used to eat them in Bangalore a few years back, and had one in Delhi last month, which was the best one ive ever had. Will make a load of side dishes to go with it too.

Cannae wait

 

[The Merry Prankster]

Sorry but the key part to any rissotto is gently frying the rice until you hear it begin to crack this allows the wine and then the stock to penetrate. Without this essential step you cannot produce the perfect rissotto.

 

[The Large One]

Well, I've just done a really daft thing.

Just chopped some chillies for a big chilli bean stew, didn't rinse my hands, then rubbed my eye.

What a berk.