Showing posts with label party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label party. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Eggplant dip and Red Bean dip Party starters

Dip, dip, dip!

Sometimes, you just want something light to nibble for dinner. While Ive labelled this recipe under Party Starters, you need not necessarily have a party to enjoy this kind of finger food. This is perfect stuff to share with your partner while watching your favourite movie on a Friday evening.

My evening menu this Friday was oven baked roti chips, plenty of them to dip into an oven roasted eggplant dip called the Badenjan dip and a red kidney bean dip. The Badenjan dip is quite different in preparation and taste, from the Baba Gannouj which Ive shared earlier with you. While it may sound light, it is quite filling as the components are the same as any other Indian meal - Chips (roti), Eggplant dip (Vegetable) and Kidney bean dip (Dal / Lentils). This can be served with a salad like Fattoush and you have a complete meal.

For a party, Id highly recommend Nigellas own spread for exotic evenings from her book Feast - Pita chips with Eggplant dip, Red bean dip, Fattoush, a Bulghur salad and the tiny lamb meatballs. You can get recipes for the entire exotic menu from her Nigella Feats show.

Eggplant goes exotic!

Badenjan Dip / Roasted eggplant dip with pine-nuts and mint


Category - Dip for toasted pita chips or pita bread, Party starter
Serves - 4
Time taken - 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on how you roast the eggplant
Source - Nigella Feasts



ingredients
1 large roasting eggplant to make about 1 1/4 cups when roasted, pulped and sieved
2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra-virgin)
1 large onion, finely diced
3 fat cloves garlic, minced or grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup homemade / Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, to garnish
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, to garnish

directions
Roasting the eggplant - You could do this in a broiler or direct on the flame.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Dribble extra-virgin olive oil, to garnish. Prick the eggplants with a fork and put them on a baking sheet and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft to the touch. Allow to cool before peeling and mashing them, then leave the pulp in a sieve to drain.

Alternately prick the eggplant and keep it on a medium flame. Rotate at intervals so that the whole exterior is charred and interior is pulpy. This will take roughly 10-15 minutes.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook until golden and then add the drained eggplant mush, cooking it with the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes over a gentle heat, stirring frequently. Take off the heat and turn into a bowl to cool and season with salt and pepper. Add the yogurt to the cooled eggplant mixture together with the saffron in the now golden water, stirring together well. Turn into a bowl and sprinkle over the mint, toasted pine nuts, and a dribble of oil.

Note
I served this with oven-baked roti-chips. Make regular thin rotis from whole wheat flour. Cook them very lightly on both sides and keep aside. Dont put them directly on flame to puff them etc. Cut the rotis into triangles and spread in a single layer. Bake them in a 250C oven for around 5-7 minutes till they are light brown and crisp. Store in airtight container.

Dont miss out on the saffron and the mint. These two spices lend the touch of exotica that youd never find in a Baba Gannouj or any other roasted eggplant dip recipe.



This is my entry for Meetas Monthly Mingle - Arabian Nights




Tags: eggplant dip, eggplant, exotic recipes, dips, party starters, Saffron Trail, Recipe, Food, Indian food blog, Healthy eating, Healthy living, Mumbai, India

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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

My Paleo Superbowl Party Menu


Any given Sunday you might find me doing the following:
-Painting my nails
-Washing my hair for the week (once, maybe twice, is sufficient)
-Live tweeting the red carpet arrivals for the Emmys/SAG awards/Oscars, etc.
-Re-watching episodes of My Drunk Kitchen on YouTube.

Oh, hey, you know what Im not doing any given Sunday (or day that ends in "y")? Watching football. Okay, lets not discriminate here--the truth is, Im not watching any sporting event. Ever. You know what I will watch? An old lady trying to recapture the talent and success of her youth, shimmying around in a crotchless pleather girdle for 10 minutes before descending the stage into the arms of her son. I mean, boyfriend. In other words, Madonna.

For me, the Superbowl is really just an excuse to watch what I can only hope is a trainwreck of a half-time show (in recent history, Janet Jacksons wardrobe malfunction or Fergies vocal malfunction have been particular favorites) and willingly watch advertisements for cars, potato chips, and silicon implants, all while stuffing my gourd with the nearest starch and cheese dip. But not this year!!

I mean, Ill still be stuffing my gourd, but as for the menu, Im going to keep it paleo. Heres what Im planning on serving at our pigskin bash:


Nibbles 
1. Maple-glazed cinnamon almonds and Rosemary Cashews (recipe coming tomorrow)
2. Walnut red pepper dip with red pepper paleo crackers

MEAT
Buffalo wings
Instead of frying ours in vegetable or peanut oil, Im going to use coconut oil. It has a very high smoke point (key for frying) and adds a tremendous flavor to meat. Ill be making the sauce with ghee instead of plain butter.
3. Mini cauliflower crust pizzas
Beanless chili
Im strongly considering this recipe (minus the teaspoon of sugar, duh)

Sides
4. Sweet Potato chips
5. Faux-tato salad

Dessert
6. Vanilla pavlova topped with paleo chocolate pudding (it tastes like frosting!!) and whipped coconut cream

Drinks
Mint Iced Tea
Whatever booze Kyle picks up

Whats on YOUR Superbowl menu??
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