Comfort food for the rainy season

Monsoon brings much-needed relief from the scorching heat but it also brings some health risks. The human body is supposed to have less immunity during this season and it is a time when we need lots of warmth in terms of what we eat. So, I have chosen broths, stews and puddings.

Broths are soups with lots of vegetables and meat. They are pretty much meals in themselves as they provide different nutrients in a bowl and are eaten with breads. Minestrone is a classic winter vegetable broth where the vegetables and pasta are cooked together. It is topped with basil pesto which gives great flavour as well as immense health benefits.

Stews are traditionally dishes where the available vegetables and meats are cooked together for a long time on simmering heat with minimum use of oil. This is a great comfort food. I have chosen a curried chicken and root vegetable stew, too, since the root vegetables are rich in starch and have long cooking time so they get cooked evenly with the meat. Sticky date pudding is a rich and luxurious dessert suitable for a cold night. Dates, the key ingredients of this dessert, have vast health benefits and are available round the year.

(Rajeev Menon is an Executive Chef at Crowne Plaza, Kochi)

Sticky toffee pudding (serves 4)

Ingredients
Butter 100 gm
Brown sugar 100 gm
Egg 3
Baking soda 10 gm
Flour 300 gm
Dates 300 gm
Milk 250 ml

Method
Cream the butter and brown sugar and add eggs one by one.
Soak the dates in hot milk.
Sieve the flour with baking soda.
Now mix the creamy butter to the flour.
Gently blend the dates and milk and add that to the mixture.
Grease a baking dish with butter and dust with flour.
Pour the mixture into the baking dish.
Place the baking dish into a tray of water so that it is half immersed in water.
Bake at 160°C for around 30 to 40 minutes.
Poke the pudding with a small knife and ensure it comes out clean.
Serve with butterscotch sauce.

Butterscotch sauce
Sugar 200 gm
Butter 200 gm
Milkmaid 200 gm

Caramelise the sugar in a pan and whisk in butter slowly on a low flame. Now add Milkmaid and whisk continuously.

Minestrone soup (Portions-4)

Ingredients
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Onion diced 1
Garlic chopped 4 cloves
Carrot diced 1
Potato diced 1 small
Beans diced 4
Broccoli florets 50 gm
Macaroni cooked 50 gm
Chopped tomato 3
Vegetable stock 1 litre
Thyme 1 sprig
Oregano 1 tsp
Basil 3 leaves
Bay leaf 1
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Basil pesto
Basil 1 bunch
Garlic 4 cloves
Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp
Olive oil 4 tbsp
Pinenuts or walnuts 1 tbsp
Salt and pepper

Blend all together in a mixie to make a coarse paste.

Method
Cut all vegetables to small dices.
Heat olive oil in a pan; add onion, garlic and rest of the vegetables and sauté.
Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for five minutes.
Add the vegetable stock, thyme, oregano, bay leaf and basil leaves.
Gently simmer the soup for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are well cooked.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve hot with basil pesto and garlic bread.

Curried chicken and root vegetable stew (serves 4)

Ingredients

Chicken thigh with 500 gm
skin, cut into two
Onion chopped 1
Garlic chopped 6 cloves
Celery chopped 2 sticks
Potato cut into chunks 1
Carrot 1
Beetroot 1
White radish 1
Thyme 1 sprig
Bay leaf 1
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Green chilli chopped 3
Black pepper crushed 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Chicken stock 1 litre
Olive oil 4 tbsp
Flour 3 tbsp
Cream 2 tbsp

Method
Season the chicken with salt and pepper, dust in flour.
Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the chicken pieces until nicely coloured.
Remove the chicken from the pan; add the onion, garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes.
Add the rest of the vegetables except the beetroot and sauté.
Now add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and chopped green chilli and sauté well.
Add the chicken, stock, bay leaf and thyme. Allow it to simmer.
Cook until the chicken and vegetables are cooked well and finish the stew with cream.
Now add the cooked beetroot to the stew.
This can be eaten with some bread.