Recipe of the month: Rajma Cheese Paratha

I must have already professed my undying love for aloo parathas in an earlier recipe post. I do also enjoy gobhi parathas and matar paneer parathas but there is another paratha that is a contender for my affection. This is the not-so-common 'Rajma Cheese Paratha'. This paratha has a filling which is a combination of kidney beans, cheese and spring onions which makes for a surprisingly delightful combination. 

Several years ago, I bought a cookbook by Tarla Dalal which was dedicated to parathas. I still have that book with me and it is stashed along with my other cookbooks on a kitchen shelf. I haven't tried out all the recipes from this book but one of the first ones that I did try and really liked was this rajma cheese paratha. I have been making this paratha for a really long time and it is one of my go-to recipes when I'm in the mood for parathas other than the usual aloo, gobhi or paneer and also when I feel like eating something a little less indulgent. 

These rajma cheese parathas are not only delicious but nutritious as well. Incorporating kidney beans, cheese and spring onion greens into a whole wheat paratha, fortifies the dish with protein, carbs, fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals. If you are not thrilled about the cheese being in there, either reduce the quantity or go for a low-fat option. The addition of cheese imparts a creamy texture to the paratha so I wouldn't recommend skipping it. These parathas have plenty of flavour so you don't need any side dish. A knob of butter, your favourite pickle and a bowl of plain yoghurt is all that is needed. That said, if you have enough time on your hands, a well-balanced yoghurt-based mint chutney would complement these parathas really well. 

I’ve said this before - my early paratha-making days were far from perfect. Rolling them out was a task in itself, let alone achieving a round shape! In those days, my go-to method was to roll out two small chapatis, place the filling on one, brush the edges with water, seal it with the second, and then gently roll it out to the desired size. As I grew more confident and experienced, I graduated to the traditional technique by placing the filling in the center of a single dough circle, folding and pleating the edges to seal it in, pinching off any excess dough, and rolling it out evenly. I still can't achieve a perfectly round shape which I've eventually come to accept 😄 The good news is that this particular recipe yields a filling that is quite dry, which makes it far easier to handle — no messy leaks or soggy dough, making it especially beginner-friendly.

I really hope you try this recipe because it is a keeper. You can go through the notes at the end of the recipe for more tips and tricks. 

Restaurant review: Graze @ Rochester Park, Singapore

Update: Graze @ Rochester Park has permanently closed

As soon as you hear the word 'Graze', you would probably imagine a herd of cows leisurely chowing down grass amidst lush green surroundings. Well, replace cows with humans and grass with brunch and viola! you might as well be teleported to this restaurant 😄 

Graze is located in a charming pre-war, colonial-style black and white house in Rochester Park, near Holland Village and offers a new concept in contemporary dining where people can hang out for an extended periods of time, experiencing modern Australian cuisine in a friendly and relaxed environment. The grassy lawns of Graze’s gardens and the fresh, airy ambiance of the colonial-style house adds to the allure of this restaurant. 

It was my first time in Rochester Park even though it is a stone's throw away from my workplace. I have been to the popular food enclaves in this part of the city like Holland Village and Dempsey Hill plenty of times but never to Rochester Park. My first thoughts as I entered the narrow, quiet, picturesque street leading up to the series of charming white colonial-style restaurants were - "why haven't I been here before....it's so lovely!" I was supposed to be meeting three of my girlfriends for brunch on a Saturday morning (very Carrie Bradshaw-esque, minus the alcohol) and we were scheduled to reach there by 11:30am. Since I was the first one to reach the venue, I had plenty of photo ops as you can see. 

Baker's Corner: Cheese Soufflé

The oh-so-fancy soufflé makes its debut appearance on my blog.

A soufflé is a French inspired dish that is a lightly baked cake made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with various other ingredients and served as a savory main dish or a sweet dessert. The word soufflé is derived from French and means "to blow up" or more loosely "puff up" which is an apt description of what happens to this combination of custard and egg whites in this dish.

It is no secret that the soufflé has a bad reputation. It is notorious for making even the most accomplished cooks break into a cold sweat. Whenever I see a soufflé being made on television, I always hear the ominous predictions of all that could go wrong. Temperamental people are my least favorite kind of people so it is no surprise that fussy dishes make me weary. That being said, I think it is good to accept cooking challenges and attempt dishes that are considered difficult. In the past, I have tried out the Chocolate Fondant which is another popular kitchen nightmare and although it didn't turn out perfect, I'm glad that I at least attempted it 😊

To be very honest, I don't get the hype that comes with a savory soufflé. I consider it to be a fancy replacement to a simple plain omelette. I prefer the sweet variety any day.

Making a soufflé has always been on my cooking radar. The reason I attempted the savory soufflé first is because I wanted to limit it to an audience of just me and hubby so I could comfortably learn all the basic tips and tricks for making a good soufflé before I attempted the sweet kind for future dinner parties. Now that I have overcome my initial fear of soufflés, I hope to make a chocolate  or strawberry soufflé sometime in the future.

This recipe is from Alton Brown, one of the people I admire the most on Food Network. I thought who better to follow for a recipe that is challenging than a person who delves so deeply into food science. This recipe has a few ingredients and is relatively simple. I made sure I followed the instructions very precisely. If you plan to make this dish I would advise you to keep all the ingredients ready, familiarize yourself with the recipe beforehand and have a plan in your mind as to how you are going to proceed. Scrambling around the kitchen like a headless chicken is not something you want to be doing especially with a fiddly dish like this.

Since first posting this recipe, I have made cheese soufflé a few more times. I have found that this recipe yields a soufflé that is light and airy with the subtle flavor of cheese coming through. The addition of mustard, nutmeg, paprika, cayenne pepper and chives imparts great flavour. I am always anxious if the soufflé will rise or not so I keep glancing at it nervously every few minutes as it was baking in the oven. Much to my delight, the soufflé always rises an impressive 3-4 inches above the edge of the ramekin. Unfortunately, it doesn't stay that way and slowly starts to collapse after a few minutes. I just about manage to take a few pictures before it begins to collapse.

This is the very first time I attempted a Cheese Soufflé 😀 I was so stressed in trying to get it right that I didn't make a salad or anything else to go on the side. It is safe to say that with time, I've gotten much better at it.

I'll be honest, making a soufflé is a little tricky but please don't be intimidated by it. Try this recipe and let me know if it works for you.

Good luck 🍀

Book Review: Lord of the Flies

You know what I consider to be a really good weekend? One in which I have time to curl up with a good book undisturbed and be able to finish the book by the time the weekend bids adieu. It doesn't happen very often but when it does, it leaves me feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Well, that is exactly what I was able to do last weekend (yay!). My bookcase at home is crammed with so many books that I "was supposed" to read but never got around to doing. My pick this time round was Lord of the Flies, a book I'm embarrassed to admit that I'd never even heard of until a few years ago. 

The Lord of the Flies is a 1954 allegorical novel written by Nobel prize winning English author William Golding. It is classic literature which has long since made its foray into reading material for schools, colleges and English literature courses for its thought-provoking take on human nature. It is also somewhat controversial for its dark and disturbing subject matter. My copy had the preface penned by Stephen King. I enjoyed reading his account of the circumstances leading up to his reading Lord of the Flies for the very first time, a book which profoundly resonated with him as a young boy and has evidently influenced him as a writer to this day.   

Before I proceed further, let me warn you that this review is ridden with spoilers so if you have been meaning to read this book then scoot.