Hello bloggers!

Last week I presented some traditional dishes from South America, did you like them? I hope you did!

While doing some research, I realised that many of the "traditional dishes" from around our American continent are actually Chile's fav dishes too; then, I thought: -Are these dishes actually Chilean? or Do they come from another country or culture? 

After putting some thought on it, it didn't matter much to me because I came to the conclusion that if you either "export" a recipe into another country or you "import" one into your own, it will have the same outcome: receiving or sharing wonderful creations to be eaten by us! So today I decided to show you how I have integrated a recipe originally from India into my diet, it's a really simple and tasty one! *wink wink*

Chapatis

The Chapati is a flatbreat that belongs to the unleavened type of bread called Roti. It is mainly consumed as staple food in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. I learnt how to prepare this type of bread with my Indian friends when I was living in the UK, so this recipe is legit! However, today I'll show how to make your own Chapati in the Chilean style! For that I have prepared a video-tutorial for you to enjoy and learn, I hope you like it :)
 

Many thanks to my friend IgnaciodeChile for helping me recording this video, I wouldn't have done it without you!

Please leave some comments below, you can tell me if you liked the video, or if you have tried chapatis before. I strongly encourage you to do so if you haven't yet, they are so good!

Let's read each other soon!
Pinu

Hello there!

For this week we have a special post for you master chefs! If you're willing to try new recipes and flavours, please check my flickr photo album right below, which will show you pictures of the most traditional dishes from these South American countries: Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela.

Most of these dishes are typical from each country; however, there are many others that are shared among the South American cuisine, isn't that awesome?

Now, please let's interact a little bit!

Questions for you bloggers:

1. Have you ever tried one of these dishes? If you have, which one is your favourite one?
2. If you haven't, which one would you like to try? why?

Please leave your answers in the comments! I am hoping to read them and see if I can post something relevant for your taste buds next week :D

Have a great week!
Pinu.

Hello again bloggers!

For this week, we have the classic Mac & Cheese. Very easy to prepare, and so delicious! The chef has also added a video from the BBQ Pit Boys channel, with a different, nonetheless delicious version of this dish, which I am sure you would love.

Classical Macaroni & Cheese (Ready in 1 hr 10 mins)

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package macaroni
• 1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Place a quarter of the macaroni in the bottom, followed by an even layer of one-quarter of the cheese slices. Dot with butter and season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering three times. Pour evaporated milk evenly over the top of all.
3. Bake, uncovered, for one hour, or until top is golden brown.

Mac & Cheese, at the BBQ Pit Brothers pure style

mac & cheese mmm yummy!

Hope you enjoy this recipe! nom nom nom!

Pinu

Hello dear bloggers!

Long time no see... For this week, Chicken Enchiladas is the winner, so here we go with the recipe!

Chicken Enchiladas 

Ingredients (for 16 enchiladas, 8 servings)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions
Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.
Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.
Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.
Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.
Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence. Read more here.

Watch this video if you want to learn more of this recipe

 And this one if you want to learn how to make enchilada sauce!

 

I hope you make this enchiladas! have a Mexican night with your partner, family or friends and enjoy this delicious food!

For next week you'll have a special recipe, directly brought from the US.

We'll read each other soon!

Pinu.

Hello fellows!

Pinu the Chef with the spicy flavours of India has arrived to share a nice and tasty recipe.

First of all, my apologies to my dear bloggers, it's been a long week and now I am ready to discover the wonderful Indian cuisine with you. While checking your votes, I found out that all the options had one vote only, it was a tie! so I decided to go for the first option for this weekly post. 

For next week we have mexican food, vote for your favourite one!

A thing you have to know: this recipe has changed throughout time, it's well known by many cultures and countries, so bear in mind that there IS NOT only one way of cooking this dish. 

There are recipes and videos for you to be delighted in this post, so don't miss it!

Chiken Tikka Masala: Enjoy! 

Ingredients (Servings 3) 

1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

1st Marinade

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon red chili powder (preferably kashmiri type)

2nd Marinade

• 4 tablespoons yogurt
• 2 tablespoons double cream
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon mustard oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon garam masala
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, crushed (kasoori methi)
• salt

Tomato Masala 

• 6 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons coriander seeds
• 5 cm cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 4 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed
• 4 black peppercorns
• 1 ³⁄₄ lbs tomatoes, cut in half

Gravy

• 6 tablespoons ghee
• 4 ounces onions, finely chopped
• 1 ounce blanched almond, toasted almonds
• 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
• 1 tablespoon double cream
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon turmeric
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon paprika
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 -3 teaspoons honey
• 1 processed cheese slice
• 6 tablespoons double cream
• 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon garam masala
• salt
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, finely chopped

Directions 

Check the videos below, bear in mind that the directions are the same, though not the ingredients.

1. Mix ingredients for the first marinade. Add chicken pieces and marinate for 25-30 minutes. Dry-roast coriander seeds in frying pan over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add cumin seeds and dry-roast for 30 seconds. Grind these spices in blender, or mortar & pestle, then mix them in non-metallic bowl with other ingredients for second marinade. Salt to taste, and add chicken pieces. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
2. Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers. Pre-heat a grill, chargrill or grill pan to hot. Grill the skewered chicken, turning a few times, so that the chicken gets cooked evenly from all sides. Remove the chicken from the grill. Take the pieces off the skewers and place on a plate.
3. For tomato masala heat ghee, or oil in frying pan. When the ghee is ready, turn the heat to medium-high and fry coriander seeds and cinnamon stick for 1 minute. Add bay leaves, cloves, green cardamoms and black peppercorns, and fry for 1 more minute. Now add halfed tomatoes and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add 125 ml of hot water, bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cover with a lid. After 20 minutes remove skin from the tomatoes and continue to simmer until the tomatoes have completely disintegrated. Now remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves from tomato masala and blend it with a hand-held blender and pass it through a sieve to obtain smooth puree. Set this masala aside.
4. For the gravy heat the ghee in frying pan. When the ghee is hot, add the onions and reduce the heat to medium. Fry for 10-15 minutes, or until onions are tender and golden.
5. In the meantime, put almonds and desiccated coconut in blender and grind to powder. Now grind this almond-coconut powder with double cream and a little water to make a fine paste.
6. When the onions are golden add garlic, ginger, and green chillies, and fry for 1 minute. Then add turmeric, paprika and cumin and saute for 30 seconds. Put in the tomato masala, almond-coconut paste, tomato paste, honey and 125 ml of hot water. Cook for 10 minutes, or until sauce starts to thicken. Remove the curry sauce from the heat, and blend it again with the hand-held blender until smooth. Return to a clean pan, reheat again and add cheddar cheese. When the cheese is melted, slowly whisk in the cream. Add dry fenugreek leaves, garam masala and salt to taste. Put in the chicken pieces and stir for 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
7. To finish the dish, stir in the chopped coriander leaves. Serve with naan bread or pilau rice.

This is the traditional way of preparing CTMasala.

And this one is the hot spicy way of preparing it (add English subs)

I hope you enjoy preparing this dish and marvel your guests or family with this spectacular indian food!

For the ones who voted for the other recipes, check this links:

• Indian Chiken butter (Murgh Makhani) With Jamie Oliver
• Sweet & Sour Lentil Dhal With Maunika Gowardhan
• Paneer Butter Masala (hmmm yummy!!) With Vahchef 

 Have a lovely weekend!

 Pinu

Hello bloggers!

Pinu the Chef with the newest recipes has come to help you!

First & foremost, I'd like to thank you all for your comments! I'll do my best to keep all my dear bloggers happy; however, this week I'll go for the "Malaya" and "Alfajores" which were the most voted options. Please do not stop voting! your opinion is very important to keep this culinary blog alive :) For next week we have Indian food, so check the right side of your screen and vote on the poll!

Here we go then:

"Malaya or Stuffed Malaya" (to serve cold)

Ingredients:

2 kilos of tenderloin meat or (Rose meat)/ malaya beef cut (in Chile)
1/2 cup (120 ml) of vinegar
2 onions cut in halves
1 bay leaf
1 clove

Celery sticks 
Swiss chard
4 boiled carrots cut in stripes
2 to 4 boiled eggs
12 pitted black olives
2 cloves of garlic 
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preparing the meat:
1. Boil eggs & carrots beforehand
2. If the meat is not cut straight across the width of it, check this video to know how to do it! (up to 2.30 min) It's real simple. In some butcher shops you can order the meat ready to prepare a delicious Malaya!
 

 

This is pork loin but for the malaya you need beef, this is just an example of how carving the meat.

3. When the meat is ready, you can either leave it marinating with salt, pepper (of your choice), vinegar, and maybe oregano the night before, or just season it before adding the stuffing.

Stuffing: (check the video below)
1. place the boiled eggs, sliced carrots, the chard and olives if you'd like, on to of the meat.
2. roll the meat from the end of the cut to the centre.
3. tie the loin with a strip and make nots at the top, end and finally centre of the roll.
4. add to a pan chopped celery and onion, bay leaves, cloves, more carrot and spices of your taste (parsley, merkén, more pepper and salt, etc.). 
5. In the pan add the roll and cold water covering all the meat; cook it for 2 hours approx. or until the meat is tender.
6. Leave the meat rest for at least 45 minutes in the pan.
7. Remove the strings and slice the meat.

You can eat the Malaya with mashed potatoes or rice, and if you want some gravy on it, blend the boiled vegetables and make the most delicious gravy ever!

Now the dessert:
"Alfajores"! Check this video, this guy is awesome!

 Please don't lick your fingers as he does while cooking! lol

I hopey you have enjoyed these videos and prepare the recipes at home! And remember to vote for the Indian dish on the right side of the screen.

We'll read each other next week!

Pinu.

Hi my dear bloggers!

Pinu the Chef reporting again.

Since just one super duper cool blogger commented on the first entry, I will give the rest of my special followers a second chance to participate and choose what they want to read & learn in the next entry! So I hope to have more answers by the end of this week *wink wink*

So far for Chilean sweets there's "Pie de Limón" with 1 vote leading, and for Chilean food is "Empanadas" with also 1 vote.

If you need a reminder of the instructions, here they are:

"What I would like you to do, my dear bloggers, is to choose one dish from the picture "CHILEAN FOOD" and one dessert from the one called "CHILEAN DULCES" (Chilean sweets & cakes) that you would like to learn how to prepare. In order to do so, leave me a comment below, sharing what your options are; I'll check your answers by Wednesday night, and the dish and dessert that get more votes, will be the topics and recipes for next week's entry!"

Please, leave your comments on either this entry or the previous one! Let's find out what being the super chef in your house feels like! ↓

I'll read you next week! Ü

Pinu