How To….. The Basics 🥣

Welcome to the Basics. As part of my posts I create many powders, pastes, sauces etc. This page will attempt to capture those creations, which can be referred to and used in many preparations. Lets call them – The Basics 😉 Cooking is 50-50 – creativity and basic combinations.

The Table is ordered in Alphabetical order for easy access to the basics 🙂

The Basics ….….. How to prepare
Avocado foamRecipe link
Avocado Tomatilla salsaRecipe link
Cilantro Jalapeno chutneyRecipe link
Chocolate frostingRecipe link
Chocolate sauceRecipe link
Chutney – roasted carrot and peanutsRecipe link
Green thai curry pasteRecipe link
GuacamoleRecipe link
Mango Orange pureeRecipe link
Massaman curry pasteRecipe link
Pesto Recipe link
Red thai curry pasteRecipe link
Strawberry sauce Recipe link
Tempura style veggiesRecipe link
Tikka Masala sauce Recipe link
Vanilla ice creamRecipe link
Yellow curry pasteRecipe link
White sauceRecipe link

Avocado foam recipe

Avocado foam recipe

Fluffy and light avocado cream dressing, that goes well with taco or even plain as a dip with chips
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Course: Dips
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 2 cups

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 2 Avocadoes not too ripe
  • 2 tbsps Sour cream
  • 2 tbsps Cilantro
  • 2 pods Garlic
  • 1 Jalapeno (or green chillies) desired spice levels
  • Salt

Instructions

  • Blend all the ingredients to a smooth paste, do not add any water
  • Season with salt
  • The texture should look like whipped cream or foam

Avocado Tomatillo salsa recipe

Avocado Tomatillo salsa

Roasted tomatillo and jalapeno blended and mixed with mashed Avocados
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Dips
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 4 Avocados medium ripe
  • 1 Tomatillo
  • 1 Jalapeno
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Roast the Tomatillo wedges and slit jalapenos until blistered
  • Cool and blend well to a puree
  • Peel, de-seed and mash the avocados with salt
  • Add the puree and mix very well

Cilantro Jalapeno chutney

Cilantro Jalapeno tangy chutney

Basic recipe which goes as topping for all possible things
Prep Time5 minutes
Course: Condiments and Sauces
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch Cilantro with stalks
  • 1 Jalapeno
  • 1 pod Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Tomato paste
  • 1/2 Lemon juiced
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Using a blender grind to a smooth paste – cilantro, jalapeno and garlic
  • Add the tomato paste, salt and lemon juice and mix very well

Chocolate frosting

Chocolate frosting

A simple date sweetened chocolate frosting, that can be used as toppings for muffins, icecream and even mixed into milk for chocolate milk
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Condiments and Sauces
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 10 Dates soaked
  • 1/2 cup Milk
  • 1/4 tsp Corn starch
  • 2 tbsps Cacao powder

Instructions

  • Blend the soaked dates into a pulp with milk and corn starch
  • Add the cacao powder and mix well
  • Heat on low for 5-7 minutes and let it thicken
  • Store in glass jars after cooling completely

Chocolate Sauce

Chocolate Sauce

Pure cacao powder and maple syrup is all you need for a yummy chocolate sauce. Use this for a hot chocolate milk, dipping donuts and a variety of ways.
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Condiments and Sauces
Servings: 2 6 oz jars

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Cacao powder raw
  • 1 cup Maple syrup 100%
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Start a dutch oven pot on low flame
  • Mix maple syrup with 1 cup of water and bring to a low boil
  • Add vanilla extract
  • Add the cacao powder and keep stirring to mix it in
  • Bring to a very low boil and turn off heat
  • Cool completely and store in glass jars in refridgerator

Roasted Carrots and Peanut chutney recipe

Roasted Carrots and Peanuts chutney

A simple yet very tasty, easy to prepare chutney with just 4 ingredients
Prep Time8 minutes
Course: Dips
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 15 Baby Carrots
  • 1/2 cup Peanuts with skin
  • 1 Jalapeno
  • A handful of Cilantro stalks and leaves

Seasoning-

  • 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp Urad dal
  • 1 tsp Oil

Instructions

  • In a cast iron skillet, roast all 4 ingredients with just a drop of oil
  • Cool and grind to a smooth chutney in a blender
  • Heat up a tsp of oil and season Mustard seeds and urad dal
  • Add to chutney and mix well

Green thai curry paste recipe

Green thai curry paste recipe

Of all the Thai curries – Green curry is the spiciest version. All thai curries can be created from scratch at home using regular spices. Three of the Thai herbs which are rare to find are galangal, kefir lime leaves and lemon grass. Just substitute them with regular ginger, lime peel and lemon grass powder (which is available in jars). If lemon grass is not available, it is ok to omit it. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Course: Condiments and Sauces
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 2 8 oz jars

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp Coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp Black peppercorns
  • 2 inch Ginger
  • 4 pods Garlic
  • 5 Green chillies
  • 2 tbsps Cilantro (coriander leaves)
  • 1 Shallot
  • 2 inch Lemon peel white parts removed
  • 2 inch Lemon grass stalk

Instructions

  • Dry roast all of the ingredients and grind to a fine paste with 1/2 cup water 
  • Store in airtight glass jars for upto a month in the refridgerator and 6 months in freezer

Guacamole recipe

Guacamole – hand mashed and fresh

Guacamole is one dish which needs very limited additions to avocados since it holds it own on just the taste of ripe avocados. All it needs is finely chopped onions, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro. Season liberally with salt and fresh squeeze of lime juice. Mash the avocados and mix well. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 Avocados ripe
  • 1 Onion finely chopped
  • 1 Jalapeno finely chopped
  • 3 pods Garlic finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Cilantro finely chopped
  • 1 Lemon squeezed
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Deseed the avocados and mash them roughly
  • Add all the other ingredients and mix very well, DONE !

Mango Orange puree recipe

Mango Orange puree recipe

A reduction of cooked WHOLE oranges… yes you heard that right… the oranges are used in whole, skin and all… The mangoes are cooked with oranges and spiced with star anise. Cooled and completely blended to a puree. 
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Condiments and Sauces
Cuisine: Fusion
Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Mango cubes
  • 3 Oranges
  • 4 Star Anise
  • 2 tbsps Maple Syrup

Instructions

  • Take the oranges and make slits in the skin 
  • Take a large cooking pot, add the mango chunks, whole oranges, star anise, maple syrup and 2 cups of water
  • Put a lid on it and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour checking and adding more water as needed to submerge the oranges and cook it completely
  • The skin of the orange must be completely cooked and turn pale in color 
  • Cool, remove the spices and blend to a smooth puree 
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour to thicken

Massaman curry paste recipe

Massaman curry paste

Roasted and Hand-pounded ingredients make up this traditional Thai paste
Prep Time10 minutes
Course: Condiments and Sauces
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 1 8 oz

Ingredients

  • 4 pods Cardamom
  • 2 sticks Cinnamon
  • 5 Cloves
  • 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tbsp Cumin seeds
  • 4 dried Red chillies deseeded
  • 1 tbsp Lemon rind
  • 1/3 tbsp Peppercorns
  • 1 Star anise
  • 1 tbsp Nutmeg grated
  • 1 small Shallot
  • 1/2 inch Fresh Ginger
  • 10 pods Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Miso paste (in place of fish sauce)

Instructions

  • Take a small skillet and roast the shallots and garlic on a low flame to brown color, remove to a plate
  • To the same skillet, add all the other ingredients and roast until well roasted, let it cool
  • In a blender, grind both sets of roasted ingredients to a coarse paste, it should not be smooth. Add drops of water as needed.
  • Store in airtight glass jars in refridgerator for up to a month or in the freezer for upto 6 months.

Pesto recipe

Basic Pesto recipe

Pesto is a very herbaceous spread which can be used in many ways. I remember first seeing a recipe in a kids cooking book about pesto. Thought to myself, must be simple enough to be included in a kids cooking book.
Pesto needs only 3 ingredients – fresh parsley, pine nuts and garlic. Some lemon juice and jalapeno complete the pesto. I sometimes try to enhance pesto by adding toasted walnuts along with pine nuts. Pesto also stays good in the fridge for several weeks. It can also be frozen for several months. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Course: Condiments and Sauces
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 1 8 oz Jar

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Curly leaf Parsley packed
  • 1/2 cup Pine nuts toasted
  • 10 pieces Walnuts (optional) toasted
  • 3 pods Garlic peeled
  • 1 large Jalapeno
  • 2 tbsps Lemon juice

Instructions

  • Toast the pinenuts and walnuts and keep aside
  • In a blender, add the parsley, toasted nuts, garlic, jalapeno and blend to a smooth paste with 1-2 tbsps of water
  • Add the lemon juice and salt to taste and mix very well

Red thai curry paste recipe

Red thai curry paste

Red thai curry paste from scratch with simple ingredients
Prep Time10 minutes
Course: Condiments and Sauces
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 1 cup

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 1 Shallot large
  • 2 pods Garlic
  • 4 Red chillies
  • 2 inch Ginger
  • 6 stalks Cilantro
  • 1 tsp Black pepper
  • 1 tsp Miso paste
  • 1 tsp Lemon grass powder
  • 3 pieces Lemon peel
  • 1 tsp Coarse sea salt

Instructions

  • In a blender – grind all the ingredients with few teaspoons of water to a thick paste
  • Store in air tight container in refridgerator for 1 month or freeze for upto 6 months

Strawberry sauce recipe

Strawberry sauce

Homemade strawberry sauce made with fresh strawberries and maple syrup
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Keyword: Sauce
Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 30 Strawberries
  • 1 cup Maple syrup

Instructions

  • Wash and chop the strawberries
  • In a large dutchoven, add the maple syrup and strawberries, bring to a boil
  • Simmer and put a lid on and let it cook for 20 minutes
  • Turn off heat and let it cool down completely
  • Puree to a smooth sauce without adding water, in a blender
  • Store in airtight glass jar in refridgerator

Tikka Masala sauce recipe

Tikka Masala sauce

Famous Indian Tikka Masala sauce made using the InstantPot
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Condiments and Sauces
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4 cups

Equipment

  • Immersion blender
  • InstantPot

Ingredients

  • 1 large Onion cut into pieces
  • 3 pods Garlic
  • 1 inch Ginger
  • 1 Yellow Pepper cut into squares
  • 1 Green Pepper cut into squares
  • 4 Red chillies dried
  • 4 Green chillies
  • 10 stalks Cilantro with leaves
  • 4 Roma tomatoes cut into big pieces
  • 1 tbsp Kasoori Methi seasoning Dried Fenugreek leaves

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients into the InstantPot
  • Add 1 cup of water
  • Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes
  • Release pressure and open, let it sit for 10 minutes
  • Carefully using the Immersion blend, blend to a smooth Puree
  • Tikka Masala Sauce is ready

Tempura style veggies recipe

Tempura style veggies

Crispy veggies – to go with anything. Use broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, zucchini, squash etc.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Broccoli florets
  • 2 cups Cauliflower florets
  • 4 tbsps Corn meal
  • 2 tbsps Fine corn flour
  • 4 tbsps Sesame oil
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Toss all of the ingredients very well and spread on a cookie sheet
  • Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes
  • remove from oven, stir together and spread evenly
  • return to oven for another 10 mins until crisp and crunchy

Basic Vanilla ice-cream

Basic Vanilla ice cream

A basic Vanilla icecream recipe to churn using an ice cream maker.
Churning Time –25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 15 scoops

Equipment

  • Ice-cream maker

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Heavy cream
  • 2 cups Whole milk 2% also works well
  • 3/4 cup Maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla extract OR pods of a Vanilla bean

Instructions

  • Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and pour into the frozen base of an ice cream maker
  • Churn for 25 minutes for basic Vanilla ice cream
  • NOTE – if adding toppings, churn for 20 minutes and add toppings, churn for 5 minutes to mix-in
  • Freeze for 2-3 hours for firm icecream or serve immediately for soft-serve ice cream

Yellow curry paste

Yellow curry paste

This is a recipe to prepare Yellow curry paste from scratch with easily available ingredients.
Prep Time20 minutes
Course: Condiments and Sauces
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 12 oz

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 3 Shallots
  • 2 pieces Ginger
  • 3 pods Garlic
  • 8 Dried Red Chillies hydrated in water
  • 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
  • 1 stick Lemon Grass
  • 1 bunch Cilantro stalks
  • 1 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Curry powder

Instructions

  • Wrap shallots, ginger and garlic in aluminium foil and bake it a 350 degrees for 10 minutes
  • (This step brings out the sweetness of the ingredients)
  • Next add all the ingredients to a blender and grind to a smooth paste with just drops of water
  • Store in airtight glass jars for upto 3 months in refridgerator or 1 year in freezer

White Sauce

White Sauce

White sauce or Bechemel sauce 1,2,3 recipe. Works well with all types of milk – regular, almond, oat etc.
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Condiments and Sauces
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Béchamel
Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Butter VEGAN OPTION – Olive oil or vegan butter
  • 1 tbsp Plain flour Whole wheat flour also works well
  • 1 cup Milk VEGAN OPTION – Almond or Oat milk

Instructions

  • Start a small saucepan on low heat
  • First melt the butter
  • Second add the flour and mix throughly without any clumps
  • Third add the milk slowly mixing evenly to avoid clumps, take off the heat while doing this step
  • Once throughly incorported, return to low heat and mix until desired thickness