Alice In Eatland

Recipes . Eateries . Inspiration

Summer

Tamatar Paneer Recipe

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Tamatar PaneerTamatar Paneer, a vibrantly spiced Hyderabadi-style tomato curry with “crisp-on-the-outside-creamy-on-the-inside” grilled homemade paneer wedges.

A spring-summer favourite, ideal for cooking when tomatoes are in seasonal abundance and one of my top favourite ways to enjoy paneer.

This recipe has been inspired by the Tamatar Paneer on the menu of Patli Galli, a desi restaurant that I am very, very fond of.

During Lockdown 2020, the restaurant started offering takeaway vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis and Tamatar Paneer was one of the veg thali offerings. Notable mention: the Mirchi Ka Saalan from the veg thali was quite possibly, the best I’ve ever had.

The thalis have been discontinued but the delicious vegetarian options such as the ubiquitous Daal Maash and Palak Paneer are still available (both very good, actually). Thankfully, Tamatar Paneer is also still being offered and I believe, Patli Galli is the only restaurant in Lahore that has it on the menu. I hope they bring the Mirchi Ka Saalan back.

Tamatar Paneer Recipe

The phenomenal takeaway Vegetarian Thali (Tamatar Paneer in the centre) from Patli Galli Restaurant, during Lockdown 2020. They need to bring this back!

6 Tips For Making The Best Tamatar Paneer

  • Use ripe tomatoes for best results.
  • Tomato Paste adds great depth of flavour so please try not to omit it.
  • A small amount of sugar (preferably soft brown sugar, but regular white sugar is fine)  is essential to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
  • Please use the best quality paneer you can find for this recipe.
    Search for home-based vendors or small scale artisanal cheese makers. Commercially available cottage cheese is no substitute for paneer and is “highly NOT recommended” here!
  • I have used homemade paneer and would encourage you to do the same to make a really standout Tamatar Paneer. The recipe for homemade paneer is linked in the ingredients list (or just type in the search bar above).
    If you follow the recipe correctly, your paneer will turn out rich and creamy and will stay moist and velvety inside even after being grilled to a crisp outside.
  • Try Tamatar Tofu for a delicious vegan spin on this dish.
    Simply replace the paneer with firm or extra firm tofu.
    Slice tofu slab in half horizontally and  microwave 2 minutes on high. Much of of the liquid will get released.
    Drain and place tofu between heavy duty paper towels or a kitchen towel with a cutting board and a weight on top to press out as much moisture as possible.
    After 30 minutes, cut the pressed tofu into cubes or wedges and proceed with the grilling part of the recipe.

Tamatar Paneer is best served with garlic naan but a simple roti or a paratha will do in a pinch. Good with boiled white rice too. Surprisingly decent cold, straight out of the fridge as well.

Tamatar Paneer Recipe

 

How To Make Tamatar Paneer

 

Tamatar Paneer, a vibrantly spiced Hyderabadi style tomato curry with “crisp-on-the-outside-creamy-on-the-inside” grilled homemade paneer wedges.

 

Recipe Type: Main

Author: Alice In Eatland

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 2

 

INGREDIENTS

 

TOMATO CURRY

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 dried red chilli
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds
  • Salt
  • 6 – 8 fresh or dried curry leaves
  • 1/2 tablespoon crushed garlic
  • 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons gram flour
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • Good pinch brown sugar or white sugar
  • 500 grams ripe tomatoes, blended to a coarse purée
  • 3/4 cup hot water

 

GRILLED PANEER

  • 100 – 200 grams paneer wedges or cubes (find the recipe to make your own paneer at home here
  • 1 tablespoon oil


TEMPERING & GARNISH

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 dried red chilli
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled & thinly sliced
  • 2 fresh green chillies, quartered
  • 6  – 8 fresh or dried curry leaves
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Fresh coriander leaves
  • Fresh red chillies (optional)

 

METHOD

 

TOMATO CURRY

  1. Heat oil.
  2. Add dried red chilli, cumin seeds, brown mustard seeds and nigella seeds.
  3. Sauté until the seeds start crackling.
  4. Add curry leaves, followed by crushed garlic and grated ginger.
  5. Stir until fragrant and add the gram flour.
  6. Sauté until the gram flour doesn’t smell raw anymore and the colour deepens slightly, about 2 – 4 minutes.
  7. Add tomato paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Kashmiri chilli powder (if using, cumin powder, coriander powder and sugar.
  8. Cook, stirring and adding a splash of water if needed, till the masala thickens and the oil begins to separate from it.
  9. Pour in the coarsely blended tomato purée and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
  10. Cover partially and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid evaporates and the tomato mixture thickens and begins to come together.
  11. Add water at this stage, stir and bring to a simmer.
  12. Let cook 5 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to float on top in places and the curry is as thick as your preference.

 

GRILLED PANEER

  1. Heat a grill pan or heavy bottomed frying pan (non-stick works better here) on high heat and brush with half a tablespoon of oil.
  2. Coat the paneer wedges or cubes thoroughly with the remaining half tablespoon of oil.
  3. When the grill pan/frying pan is searingly hot (this is important, otherwise the paneer will stick to it), add the oil-coated paneer pieces. (Please follow the same instructions if you’re grilling tofu for a vegan Tamatar Tofu – see tip #6 at the top first though!)
  4. Let sit undisturbed 2 – 4 minutes or until you can see the bottom edges of the paneer browning.
  5. Turn carefully, prying gently to loosen with a spatula or butter knife if needed, and cook the same way on the other side.
  6. Remove paneer pieces to a plate.

 

TEMPERING & GARNISH

  1. Spoon the Tomato Curry into a serving dish or bowl.
  2. Arrange the grilled paneer pieces on top.
  3. Heat oil in a small pan.
  4. Add all other ingredients, except the mint and coriander leaves.
  5. Sauté until the garlic turns light golden and pour the hot tempering over the tomato curry and grilled paneer.
  6. Garnish with fresh min leaves, fresh coriander leaves and sliced red chillies, if using and serve.

Homemade Paneer: Made With Just 3 Ingredients

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Homemade Paneer Recipe

Homemade paneer, with its mild milky flavour and firm but creamy texture is the easiest cheese you can make with just 3 ingredients.

This lovely tasting non-melting cheese is a great source of vegetarian protein and is good either on its own or as an ingredient in vegetarian recipes.

Homemade paneer is pretty easy to make but there are certain things that need to be kept in mind if you want to make a really good one as opposed to just the okay-ish kind.

I have been making it myself for many years now and hope that the following tips will help you make excellent paneer at home.

Tips For Making The Best Homemade Paneer:

How To Make Paneer

  • Raw, unpasteurised whole milk is a must for good quality and decent yield.
  • UHT treated milk can be used but both the quality and quantity of your final product will be significantly lower.
  • Fresh lemon juice can be used instead of white vinegar in the recipe, though I find paneer made with lemon juice tends to have a very pale yellow tint compared to the bright white shade that paneer made with white vinegar has.
  • A clean muslin cloth (that you use exclusively for cheese making) placed over a sieve is excellent for draining the whey from the curds.
  • The handy dandy paneer press that I use and was sent to me by my maternal aunt from Karachi. It measures nearly 4” in diameter and is around 2 1/4” high.
    She purchased it from Bohri Bazaar but in case you wish to order one online, a couple of sellers on Daraz.pk are stocking stainless steel ones.
  • 1 litre of quality unpasteurised milk usually yields around 170 grams or so of cheese.
  • For a rich and creamy paneer, store it  submerged in drinking water in an airtight container in the fridge.
    The yield will increase to around 200+ grams within 24 hours.
  • It will not dry out should you grill or fry it, which seems to be a common issue with paneer.
  • Stored airtight, submerged in drinking water in the fridge, the paneer stays fresh up to 3-4 days as long as you change the water once daily.

Delicious Recipes Made With Homemade Paneer:

Paneer is a pretty versatile ingredient. Check out my recipe for Paneer Hara Masala Rangoons for the ultimate crispy, cheesy starter.
For a satisfying Hyderabadi style main course, have a look at my super delicious Tamatar Paneer.

Homemade Paneer Recipe

My Pac-Man style paneer 🙂

Homemade Paneer: Made With Just 3 Ingredients

 

Recipe Type: Homemade Cheese

Author: Alice In Eatland

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 60 Minutes

Serves: 2

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 litre raw unpasteurised whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar

 

METHOD

  1. Add 1/4 cup water to a heavy bottomed pan.
  2. Pour in the milk and bring to the boil over medium heat.
  3. When milk reaches the boil, lower the heat and let boil for 5 minutes.
  4. Stir the white vinegar into the remaining 1/4 cup of water.
  5. Lower the heat under the milk and slowly stir in the vinegar solution.
  6. The curds will begin to separate from the whey (which will have a greenish tinge, ideally).
  7. Turn off the heat, let sit a minute or so.
  8. Line a sieve suspended over a bowl with a clean muslin cloth.
  9. Transfer the separated curds onto the muslin cloth with a slotted spoon.
  10. Alternatively, the curds can be transferred directly into a paneer press if using one.
  11. Let drain 2 minutes then cover with the cloth sides and place a weight on top.
  12. If using a paneer press, place the lid down firmly and place a weight on top (I usually use my small steel mortar).
  13. After an hour or so, remove the disc of paneer from the muslin or press and place in a container with a lid.
  14. The paneer is ready to be used though I find the texture vastly improves in creaminess once it is submerged in drinking water and stored airtight in the fridge for a day.
  15. Store 3-4 days in the fridge, changing the water once daily.
  16. This recipe makes a 3.5” – 4” paneer disc with a 3/4” thickness.

How To Make Moutabal

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Moutabal
Moutabal is a creamy, smokey and pleasingly textured Middle Eastern eggplant dip. Healthy, budget-friendly and delicious, it is a must add to your “dips” repertoire, if you have one.

When served with crudités, pita chips or crackers, Moutabal is a fantastic everyday snack and a fabulous mezze platter item.

What’s the difference between Moutabal and Baba Ghanoush?

Aren’t Moutabal and Babaghanoush interchangeable names for what is essentially the same dip? No.

While the star of the show in both dips is charred eggplant, the recipe for Moutabal calls for the addition of tahini as a key ingredient, that gives the dip it’s characteristic taupe creaminess.

Many recipes for Moutabal also call for the addition of a bit of yoghurt which balances out the slight bitterness that sometimes charred eggplant and tahini can have.

Babaghanoush, on the other hand, has no tahini and a couple of additional ingredients such as tomatoes, onions and capsicum/bell pepper. It is another delectable dip that’s a great addition to a mezze spread.

Here’s an easy recipe for Moutabal that you can whip up in no time. As long as you have the ingredients on hand, it doesn’t take long to make. No special equipment required either.

Tips For Making Delish Moutabal:

-charring the eggplant directly on fire with a pair of steel tongs gives the best smokey flavour.

-alternatively, the eggplant can be roasted in the oven under the grill/broiler.

-when the skin of the eggplant blackens, chars in places and the size of the fruit (yes, eggplants are technically fruits and not vegetables) reduces, it is ready.

-a butter knife works well here, allowing you to scrape off the charred eggplant skin without slicing off any flesh underneath.

-peeling the burnt eggplant skin may be a bit of a pain, but kindly do not give in to the temptation of giving the eggplant a rinse under running water or worse, submerging it in a bowl of water  to loosen every bit of skin *shudder*

-if your eggplant has been roasted to perfection, a fork is all you need to shred the eggplant flesh and mash it into a semi chunky purée along with the other ingredients.

-if using a food processor, pulse the ingredients in quick, short bursts so that the texture remains slightly chunky and you don’t purée everything into a gray coloured paste.

Moutabal

 

MOUTABAL

 

Recipe Type: Starter/Appetiser/Snack

Author: Alice In Eatland

Serves: 2

 

Moutabal, a mezze superstar! A creamy, smokey and pleasingly textured Middle Eastern eggplant dip that’s healthy, budget-friendly and absolutely delish!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large or 2 medium eggplants
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1-2 tablespoons dairy or plant-based yoghurt (optional)
  • Lemon juice
  • Salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Pomegranate seeds, fresh red chillies or pickled radishes (to garnish)
  • Fresh parsley (to garnish)
  • Black sesame seeds or nigella seeds (to garnish)
  • Crudités, pita chips, crackers (to serve)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place the eggplant(s) directly on the burner on a gas stove on medium high heat.
  2. Roast, turning and rotating the eggplant frequently with metal tongs, until it shrinks slightly and the skin blackens and chars with no purple areas remaining.
  3. Remove to a heatproof bowl or plate, cool and peel off the skin.
  4. Remove the stem and place peeled eggplant flesh in a colander or sieve with a bowl underneath for 10-15 minutes.
  5. Whip (either in a food processor, blender or using a hand whisk) the tahini with grated garlic, lemon juice, salt & yoghurt (if using) till pale and creamy.
  6. Add drained eggplant to a mixing bowl along with the with the tahini mixture and mash until a semi-smooth yet textured consistency is reached.
  7. Check seasoning and adjust if needed.
  8. Serve swirled with extra virgin olive oil and garnish as you wish.

Chocolate Custard Cream Cake

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Moist cake layers & fluffy custard cream – Chocolate Custard Cream Cake is an elegant cocoa-based take on the classic vanilla custard cake of yesteryear.

A WhatsApp conversation with some of my school friends got us all dreaming of a certain custard cake that used to be a popular thing to bake when we were growing up in Daharki back in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

The confection in question was a simple sponge-style cake filled and covered with vanilla custard made from Rafhan Custard Powder – in truth, the sort of homely, old-fashioned baking one rarely comes across that often now.

Chocolate Custard Cream Cake

Luckily, one of my friends still has the recipe and inspired by that, I made this cocoa version with a slightly different take on the custard filling & frosting.

The cake is my basic go-to chocolate cake recipe and you will find more ideas based around this recipe on the blog.

The custard here is made from scratch and “lightened” (in the textural sense only obviously) with a little whipped cream that gives it an airier, fluffier quality.

Try it.

Chocolate Custard Cream Cake

 

CHOCOLATE CUSTARD CREAM CAKE

 

RECIPE TYPE: DESSERT    AUTHOR: ALICE IN EATLAND
PREP TIME: 60 Minutes    COOK TIME: 60    TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS
SERVES: 6 – 8

 

Moist cake layers & fluffy custard cream – Chocolate Custard Cream Cake is an elegant cocoa based take on the classic vanilla custard cake of yesteryear.

 

MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 tbsp white vinegar
  • 2 cups caster sugar or superfine sugar
  • 1 cup + 3/4 cup plain flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
  • 2 tsp instant coffee
  • 1 cup boiling water

 

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease two 6.5” x 2.5” round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
    Grease and flour the paper.
    Or do what I usually do: line cake pans with aluminium foil and grease and flour the foil. Set aside.
  3. Stir the milk and vinegar together in a small cup or bowl to make buttermilk. Set aside.
  4. Combine all the dry ingredients, except coffee, in a bowl.
  5. Whisk the eggs. Stir the buttermilk and add to the eggs along with the oil and vanilla.
  6. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and beat until well mixed.
  7. Stir the instant coffee into the boiling water and carefully stir into the cocoa mixture. Batter will be quite thin.
  8. Divide the batter into two and pour into the prepared cake pans.
  9. Bake 30 – 40 minutes or until the cakes have risen and a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.
    This can take up to an hour depending on your oven.
  10. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack.
    Invert so that the top of the cakes is up and cool completely.
  11. Your cakes may have domed tops so trim off carefully with a long serrated knife and discard (by “discard” I mean eat with chai like I do).
  12. Slice each cake horizontally into two so you have 4 layers.

 

CUSTARD CREAM FILLING & TOPPING

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 – 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, well chilled
  • A few tablespoons of icing sugar, sifted

 

METHOD

  1. Whip the cream till thick & fluffy. Cover & keep in the fridge.
  2. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar & milk in a pan until combined.
  3. Place the pan on a medium-ish heat and keep whisking or stirring the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon thickly.
  4. Keep stirring and remove from the heat just as the custard begins to reach a gentle simmer. Do not let the custard boil as it may split or curdle.
  5. Once off the heat, stir in the butter and vanilla.
  6. Cover the entire surface of the hot custard with plastic wrap and cool completely.
  7. Push the cooled custard through a sieve so that you have a smooth custard & no tiny eggy lumps. Chill covered.
  8. When cold, fold in 2 tablespoons of the whipped cream.
  9. Sandwich the cake layers generously with this custard cream.
  10. Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  11. You may need to insert a long wooden skewer or satay stick into the centre to stabilise the cake layers.
  12. Fold any leftover custard cream into the remaining whipped cream and taste to see if it’s sweet enough. If not, beat in enough of the icing sugar till desired sweetness is reached.
  13. Frost the cake with the custard cream.
  14. Keep filled & frosted cake refrigerated.

 

 

 

 

White Haleem

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White Haleem

White Haleem is a delicately flavoured grain and lentil based stew that makes for a delicious, nourishing and satisfying meal.

Dubai based food blogger Tasneem Rajkotwala, and her beautiful blog “Thoughts Over Chai” introduced me to the wonders of White Haleem.

She refers to this haleem as her “Dadijaan’s Morning Haleem” and you can head to her blog for the original recipe and accompanying post here.

Tasneem’s blog is a treat and a great place to check out if you’re looking for traditional Bohra recipes.

I am always on the lookout for a good meatless Haleem recipe and this is a lovely vegetarian and vegan friendly version.

White Haleem is kind of like a milder sibling of traditional Haleem, the spicy meat, lentil and grain stew popular in Pakistan and parts of India.

White Haleem

Regular Haleem is meat based and generally packs quite a punch whereas White Haleem is meatless and fairly mild.

The lack of fire in this delicious stew however, by no means denotes any lack of flavour.

The absence of strong spices means that the actual flavour of the lentils and grains themselves really shines through.

The final damm of ground spices infuses the haleem with the pleasingly heady aromas of caraway seeds, nutmeg, mace and green cardamoms.

I love White Haleem and honestly, it reminds me more of Shorba, a light non-spicy Yemeni Haleem than of Pakistani Haleem.

I had Shorba over a decade ago at a school friend’s home in Sana’a, Yemen. It was made by her Mother and I have never been able to forget it’s tastiness.

White Haleem

I am hopelessly addicted to spicy food. But there are some recipes that work so well without being fiery that I don’t miss the bite of spices at all.

With White Haleem, I feel that an inclusion of heavy flavours would actually intrude on its deliciously soothing taste.

Traditional haleem toppings such as fresh herbs, green chillies, caramelised onions and roasted nuts provide a pleasant textural contrast to the creaminess of the haleem, the ghee or oil and garam masala add additional flavour and the lemon juice imparts subtle tartness.

To make this vegan, simply substitute the ghee called for in the recipe with oil.

Perfect for any meal or any time of the year really.

White Haleem

WHITE HALEEM

 

Recipe Type: Main    Author: Alice In Eatland
Prep Time: 15 Minutes (plus 2 – 4 hours soaking time)    Cook Time: 60 Minutes    Total Time: 2 – 3 Hours
Serves: 2 – 4

 

White Haleem, a satisfying, aromatic  grain & lentil stew. The topping of fresh herbs, ginger, cashews & caramelised onions add additional flavour & textural contrast.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup white basmati rice
  • 1/4 cup barley porridge / barley cereal (jau ka dalia)
  • 1/2 cup split black gram (maash daal / urad daal)
  • 1/4 cup split yellow mung (moong daal)
  • 1/4 cup split Bengal gram (channa daal)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds / caraway seeds (kaala zeera / shah zeera)
  • 1/4 of an inch or so piece of nutmeg (jaiphal)
  • 1 – 2 blades of mace (javitri)
  • 2 – 4 green cardamoms (hari elachi)
  • 2 medium onions, peeled & thinly sliced
  • Oil to deep fry
  • 2 – 4 medium fresh green chillies, roughly chopped
  •  1 medium onion, peeled & roughly chopped
  • 1 MSG free vegetable stock cube / vegetable bouillon cube (optional but recommended)
  • Salt
  • A few tablespoons of desi ghee (omit if making the haleem vegan)
  • Fresh ginger, peeled & cut into thin batons
  • Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
  • Fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • Fresh mild green chillies, seeded & chopped
  • Lemons, cut into quarters
  • Roasted cashews
  • Garam Masala

 

METHOD

  1. Place the rice, barley porridge and lentils in a large bowl and wash in several changes of water until it runs almost clear.
  2. Finally fill the bowl with enough water to come a couple of inches up the sides and let the grains and lentils soak for 4 – 6 hours or overnight.
  3. Grind the black cumin seeds, nutmeg, mace and green cardamoms to a fine powder in a small spice / coffee grinder. Set aside.
  4. Heat oil for deep frying and when hot, fry the sliced onions until golden. Remove fried onions to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Set aside.
  5. Reserve about 4 – 6 tablespoons of oil after deep frying.
  6. Boil a kettle of water and set aside to simmer on a very low heat.
  7. Drain the soaked grains and lentils and rinse one more time with fresh water. Place into a pan along with 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil, stock cube (if using), chopped onion, chopped green chillies and around 4 – 6 cups of water.
  8. Bring to the boil on a high heat, then lower the heat to low and let cook partially covered, stirring occasionally until the grains and lentils are completely soft and mushy.
  9. The mixture can take anywhere from 1 hour to more to soften to a mush. If you feel the haleem is getting too thick, add more water from the simmering kettle to thin it down.
  10. When cooked, the haleem will be thick but the consistency should also be slightly on the looser side.
  11. Sieve in the reserved ground spice mixture, cover and simmer on a very low heat for 10 minutes.
  12. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature and blend in a blender or with a stick blender until somewhere between smooth and grainy.
  13. It is best not to overblend because you want some of that grainy texture to remain.
  14. Check salt and adjust if needed.
  15. White Haleem can be frozen airtight at this point, if wished.
  16. When ready to serve, ladle out hot haleem into serving bowl (or individual serving bowls, if wished).
  17. Heat ghee if using or the leftover reserved oil until hot and pour all over the surface of the haleem.
  18. Garnish with ginger, coriander, mint, green chillies, cashews and reserved fried onion.
  19. Sprinkle garam masala and squeeze lemon juice on top.
  20. Eat.

Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles

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Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles

Post Updated: 04.12.23

The one and only Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles – I am salivating while updating this post.

Also, I am mentally going through the contents of my fridge and pantry, hoping I have all the ingredients to make these noodles after I’m done with this post.

Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles: The Legend

Restaurateur David Chang, creator of Netflix cult favourite “Ugly Delicious” and founder of the Momofuku Group of Restaurants writes in his book “Momofuku” (written with Peter Meehan) that “Our ginger scallion noodles are an homage to / out-and-out-rip-off of one of the greatest dishes in New York City: the $4.95 plate of ginger scallion noodles at Great New York Noodle Town down on the Bowery in Chinatown.”

I agree with Chang when he says, “You need ginger scallion sauce on your noodles, in your fridge and in your life. For real.”

Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles

Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles: The Real Star Of The Show

The real star of this Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodle dish is the Ginger Scallion Sauce. There is absolutely nothing like it.

Also, the sauce in question is more solid than liquid, more like a chunky condiment or a chutney than a pourable flavouring concoction.

This Ginger Scallion Sauce is also a perfect demonstration of how the correct combination of just a few simple ingredients can result in astoundingly astonishing flavours.

I use it not just for this noodle recipe but also to top fried rice, mashed potatoes and soups. The possibilities are quite literally, endless.

Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles: How Do You Serve Them?

The Ginger Scallion Noodles at Momofuku are served with things like bamboo shoots, pickled cucumbers, pan roasted cauliflower, sliced scallions and toasted nori.

I eat mine unadorned, except for a few fresh spring onions tops chopped into bits sometimes. But mostly with nothing else.

These noodles taste great at room temperature but somehow I love them cold straight from the fridge more. Cold buckwheat soba noodles would also go pretty well with this sauce.

Thanks to fellow foodie blogger friend Monita Sen for introducing me to these incredible Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles – check out Monita’s luscious Instagram feed; it is insanely gorgeous!

Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles

Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles

 

Recipe Type: Main, Snack
Author: Alice In Eatland
Prep Time: 10 Minutes   Cook Time: 10 Minutes    Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves: 1
Keyword: 10 Minute Recipe, Asian Noodles, Asian Recipe Easy, Dinner Ideas, Easy Recipes, Healthy Asian Recipes, Noodles, Quick And Easy Recipe, Vegetarian Recipes, Quick Recipes

 

 

Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles:

7 everyday ingredients & 10 minutes of your time are all you need to make David Chang’s ultimate ramen noodle recipe.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 100 grams (4 oz) cooked ramen or egg noodles
  • 1 1/4 cups finely chopped spring onions / green onions / scallions (both white and green parts)
  • 1/8 cup peeled, grated ginger
  • 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup oil*
  • Salt
  • A few teaspoons of white vinegar
  • A few teaspoons of soy sauce

 

METHOD

  1. Place the chopped spring onions / green onions / scallions and the grated ginger in a heatproof bowl.
  2. Pour the oil into a small saucepan and place over medium heat until the surface of the oil is shimmering slightly.
  3. Put a piece of chopped spring onion in to test the oil. If it sizzles immediately upon contact with the oil, your oil is hot enough.
  4. Remove pan from heat and pour the hot oil straight onto the chopped onions and grated ginger.
  5. Stir in salt, vinegar and soy sauce to taste.
  6. Let sit 10-15 minutes.
  7. Place noodles in a bowl and stir in a couple of tablespoons of your ginger scallion sauce.
  8. Top with some fresh spring onion green bits if liked.
  9. Store any leftover ginger scallion sauce airtight in the fridge for up to 2 – 4 days.

 

*David Chang recommends either grapeseed or any other neutral oil for this recipe.

I just use regular cooking oil from my kitchen.

Any oil would work alright except a strong tasting one like olive oil.

Rose Crème Brûlée

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Rose Crème Brûlée

Rose Crème Brûlée: what better way to start things than with this deliciously elegant rose flavoured take on this timeless dessert!

(Post Updated: 25th March ‘23)

The idea for making a rose crème brûlée came while I was living in London a few years ago. I adore watching food channels and that mania started way back in the 90s (the beginning of the ‘dish antenna’ phenomenon in Pakistan) when I was exposed to the utterly delicious channel BBC Food on ‘the dish’.

Sadly BBC Food stopped airing in Pakistan fairly soon, but I was delighted to find it again on tv, years and years later, in London. I was hooked on BBC Good Food and Food Network and one of the shows I’d watch regularly was “Giada at Home” featuring the lovely Giada De Laurentiis.

On an episode of the show, very romantically titled “We’ll Always Have Paris”, Miss De Laurentiis made gorgeous Raspberry Rose Pots de Creme and I knew right away that I would make a similar raspberry rose-ish dessert one day.

Though I still haven’t tried my hand at Giada’s Raspberry Rose Pots de Creme, the recipe on the show in London inspired me to make rose flavoured crème brûlée years later, back in Lahore, Pakistan.

Summer can be brutal in most parts of Pakistan. With temperatures high enough to test the patience of a saint, food that calls for minimum effort and as little time in the kitchen as possible is obviously called for though this dragon fire summer heat usually does little to deter most of us Pakistanis from slaving over elaborate meals in hellishly hot kitchens because we are slaves to our tastebuds.

Rose crème brûlée is a pretty fuss-free dessert. It takes mere minutes to combine the few ingredients called for in the recipe, bake them and then let the fridge do the chilling and final setting. It is the perfect summer dessert. I make it year round.

The Raspberry Rose Pots de Creme recipe uses rose water for flavour; I still haven’t found the kind of rose water that I’d like to put in a dessert. The search continues.

4 Tips For Making A Beautiful Rose Crème Brûlée

  • Red rose syrup, very popular in Pakistan for making cooling summer drinks was a revelation when I added it to the crème brûlée mixture.
    The amount I use in the recipe adds a lovely but subtle rose flavour and pretty pink color.
    It is a very heady syrup and too much of it can be quite overpowering so you have been warned.
  • I’ve used raspberries to garnish the rose crème brûlée because of the Raspberry Rose Pots de Creme inspiration but strawberries look pretty and go well with it too.
    The two-toned rose petals are from a rose bush planted by my Dad in my home garden.
  • You can caramelize the sugar under a hot grill in the oven for a few minutes but I highly recommend getting a kitchen torch for this, which is quite inexpensive and fairly easily available.
  • And in order to get the kind of picture perfect, evenly blistered crème brûlée top that one sees on Pinterest and blogs and in cookbooks and food magazines, use granulated brown sugar or demerara sugar and a kitchen torch.
    I will forever be grateful to Nigella Lawson, the ultimate domestic goddess, for this priceless tip.

This recipe was featured in the first issue of “My Kisan Kitchen” a Pakistani food and lifestyle magazine.

 

Rose Crème Brûlée

Recipe Type: Dessert    Author: Alice In Eatland
Prep Time: 10 Minutes    Cook Time: 20 Minutes    Total Time: 30 Minutes    Serves: 2

 

Creamy pink rose flavoured crème brûlée. If you like traditional crème brûlée, you will love this lusciously exotic take on the classic dream dessert.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tbsp red rose syrup (the kind used to make red summer drinks – I like Rooh Afza)
  • 1 pack (around 200 ml) cream
  • 1/2 a vanilla bean or 1 tsp good vanilla essence or extract
  • A few tablespoons granulated brown sugar or demerara sugar
  • Fresh raspberries, strawberries or any other fruit
  • Fresh rose petals and leaves, thoroughly washed and dried

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F).
  2. Stir yolks and red rose syrup together until combined.
  3. Put the cream in a pan, scrape in the vanilla seeds from the pod or add the vanilla essence or extract, stir and bring to the boil while stirring.
  4. Remove from heat and whisk into the yolk and red rose syrup mixture until well mixed.
  5. Strain this mixture into 2 ramekins or a single ovenproof dish.
  6. Put these in a larger ovenproof pan and carefully pour boiling water inside the larger pan until it comes nearly halfway up the sides of the ramekins/dish.
  7. Place pan in preheated oven.
    Check after 15-20 minutes; shake the ramekins/dish gently – if the sides look set and the centre still wobbles, the custard is ready. If it needs more time, check after 2-5 minute intervals. Do not over-bake.
  8. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature and then chill in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours.
  9. When ready to serve, take out ramekins from fridge, sprinkle enough granulated brown sugar or demerara sugar to form an even layer all over. Tilt and gently shake the ramekins to help the sugar spread evenly. Make sure the entire surface of the custard is covered with sugar.
  10. Caramelize the sugar with a kitchen torch until burnished and dark.
  11. Put back in the fridge for at least 5 minutes to let the custard cool down from the heat.
  12. Garnish with fresh fruit and decorate with fresh rose petals and leaves just before serving.