KEEMA PIE FOR CHRISTMAS

Wish you a very Happy New Year everyone. Now that the dust has settled in, and everyone is getting ready to get back to their school and work schedules, I knew I have to put on my writing hat again.  I have been a bit irregular with my Bogging Scheds the last few weeks. And I am having typing, as many of you might know that I had to undergo an Emergency Hand Surgery. On the path of recovery  with all your good wishes, which are always such a strength.This post was supposed to go Love on Christmas Day, but as I forgot my laptop while on my Holiday. this stayed back in the drafts.

Without much further, let get talking about Food. Keema Pie is a favorite in our household for the last few years. Guests who have eaten it at our parties, keep requesting for it. Its the ideal main course for any special occasion you might be hosting. So its ideal for a Christmas Party or a New Year Eve Home party.

What exactly is a Keema Pie? For starters, its a savory pie and not a sweet one. Borrowed from Greek, Keema means Minced Meat in Indian Cooking. Keema usually referm to minced Gaot Meat, but can also refer to any meat of choice, which has been coarse minced. We had been to India a few years back, and eaten at a restaurant which had introduced a Bengali fusion menu. My husband liked the idea so much, that when we were home, he came up with the idea of cooking Keema in a Pie. The idea was to introduce a Bengali element in the well known British classic -  Shepherd's Pie.

Its hearty, its got an element of spice, it pleases one and all. Mildly spiced goat mince, layered under spicy mashed potatoes, encased in a pie shell of flaky puff pastry. Baked to a golden perfection. Its a brilliant play of textures, in every bite. It pairs lovely with some Single Malt or Red Wine.

KEEMA PIE : 

Ingredients : 
Goat Keema : 1 lb
Puff pastry Sheets - 2
Potataoes : 3- 4 large
Ginger - Garlic Paste : 2 tbsp
Chopped Ginger - Garlic - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds : 2 tsp
Salt
Canola Oil : 2- 4 tbsp
Onion - 1/2 large - Paste
Onion : 1/4 large - chopped
Frozen Green Peas : 1/2 cup
Sharp Cheddar Cheese - 1 cup - Grated
butter - 1/2 stick

Procedure: 

Pre - Heat the oven to 350 F.

In a non stick pan, heat some canola oil. Crackle some cumin seeds.

Add onion- gonger - garlic paste, and roast it till its light golden.

In a different sauce pan, boil the potatoes. Once they are done, let them cool.

Once the onion paste has caramelized, add in the goat mince. Mix well. Add salt .

Once the goat meat has almost cooked, and all the liquid has dried up, add in the frozen peas and chopped cilantro. Mix well. Cook for another five minutes. Take off flame and keep aside.

In a different pan. add in chopped onions, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, and fry them to a light golden.

Transfer them to your peeled, boiled potatoes.

Season with salt and half a stick of room temperature butter.

Mash everything.

Now comes in the Final Assembly.

Use the first sheet of Puff Pastry to line the Pie Pan.

Add in the layer of Keema Masala, you made earlier. Smooth it out with a spatula to get an even layer.

Cover it with your layer of Masala Mashed Potatoes. Smooth it with a spatula again.

Sprinkle grated sharp cheddar cheese over the masala mash .

Cover it all with the second sheet of puff pastry. Puff Pastry is very delicate, so be careful to not snag or tear it.

Crimp the edges with a fork.

Snip off the excess puff pastry hanging on the side.

Make three small slits on top of the pie so that the steam might escape while the pie is being baked.

Bake at 350 F for around 40 mins, or till the crust is golden brown.

Bon Appetit !

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S'MORES PIE FOR NATIONAL S'MORES DAY

I was recently binging in some late night TV over the weekend, when there were quite a few mentions of NATIONAL S'MORES DAY. Trust me, I had no clue that there was a day dedicated to this popular sweet treat. So I made up my mind, that there had to be a commemorative Post in and around  the day in question. August 10 is celebrated as NATIONAL S'MORES DAY in North America.

I know we live in a  global world today and local food traditions are re-created in every part of the globe with equal flair. I did not grow up in North America for example, but when I made this country my home, I fell in love with so many things. Its no surprise that S'mores were on that list.

As Wikipedia explains it, S'MORES  are a popular Campfire Sweet Treat, in United States and Canada. It starts off with roasting your marshmallow on a stick or skewer over the camp fire. Then you sandwich the soft gooey roasted marshmallow in between a piece of chocolate and two graham crackers. As we love barbecues and camping so much, S'mores became a part of our Midwestern Summers for all the years, we made North America our home.

But I had wanted to re-create S'mores at home, where there were no campfires. Then I came across a recipe of S'mores Pie on Cooking Channel. I wanted to surprise our friends Aryadeep and Garbita for their anniversary,and it seemed like the perfect dessert, rather than a heavy cake. You can always squeeze in a candle , right.

The idea is to take the essential elements of S'MORES  and try to re-imagine them as a pie. The chocolate, was replaced by a chocolate pudding. While the original recipe had called for a chocolate custard to be made from scratch, I used Jello-O which I cooked till it was thick. The Graham Cracker pieces,which sandwich the roasted marshmallow and chocolate, became the base of the Pie, in a crumbled form, with some butter for company. Almost like a Cheesecake Crust. Finally , it was the turn of the Marshmallow, which became the pie topper. Yes, they did finish off under the broiler to get the lovely roasted charred tops. 

S'MORES PIE: 

Recipe Inspiration: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/kelsey-nixon/smores-pudding-pie.html

Ingredients: 
Chocolate Jell-O: 2 packets (I used the cooking variety and not the instant ones)
Whole Milk(to cook the Jell-O)
Brown Sugar: 2 tbsp
Graham Crackers: 10
Butter: 1 stick(Melted)
Marshmallows: 9 to 10 (large ones) : I used the square ones, which are meant for S'mores

Procedure: 

Cut the Marshmallows in triangles . Every Marshmallow should give you two triangles. Keep them aside.

THE CRUST: 

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

For the crust, take the graham crackers in a gallon sized zip lock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. Or you could also crush them in a food processor.

In large bowl. mix in the melted butter, brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs. It should resemble wet sand.

Grease a 9 inch by 9 inch spring form pan and lay the crust flat, like a Cheesecake crust. It should rise along the sides for at least an inch. Make sure the crust is evenly thick all around.

Bake the crust in a pre-heated oven at 350F for around 15 minutes or till its crisp and golden. Take it out of the oven, and let it cool completely.

THE CUSTARD: 

Follow package instructions and cook the Jell-O with whole milk. Dont skimp on it please. Whole milk lends it that velvety smoothness.

When its cooked , then pour it into the cooled crust(in the baking pan) and lay a cling film on top. The cling film prevents a thick skin forming on the custard.

Let it chill in fridge till the custard has set.

FINAL ASSEMBLY: 

Before serving, remove the cling film. Then decorate the top with the marshmallows.

Brown the Marshmallows under a pre-heated broiler or with a torch. keep an eye, so that the marshmallows don't melt away. We just need a color on it

Remove the spring form pan from the sides, by running a spatula all round, to release the pudding.

Enjoy !! Bon Appetit !!!

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