Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

French flavours in a jiffy

Try this easy-to-make chicken soufflé and tomato and cucumber salad

A WHOLESOME MEAL Chicken soufflé and tomato-cucumber salad PHOTOS: T. SINGARAVELOU

This soufflé is also Pondicherrian with a French influence. Nutmeg, an important ingredient in French cuisine, gives this soufflé a distinct and exotic flavour. It is easy to make, the base can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. The white of the egg beaten stiff is added in the last minute and folded into the base that is brought to room temperature. The soufflé is baked and served piping hot with bread and cucumber and tomato salad.

Chicken soufflé
Serve 6
Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken mince - 1kg
Mushrooms - 250 gm, cleaned and cut in two (optional)
Maida - 2 tbsp
Butter - 100 gm
Cheddar cheese - 100 gm, scrapped
Milk - 350 ml
Eggs - 4
Nutmeg - half, powdered
Pepper - one and a half tsp
Salt

Method

Mince the chicken into a fine paste. Mix maida and milk, cook stirring all the time. Once the maida is cooked, it will become a paste; now add butter (50 gm), cheese and chicken mince and season with pepper, salt and nutmeg powder. Remove from the flame. Stir in well-beaten egg yolks and mushrooms, mix and let the mixture cool (this base can be prepared well in advance).

Cover with remaining butter an ovenproof dish, pour in mixture and fold in white of eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Leave some space in the dish for the soufflé to rise. Bake in moderate heat for 30 minutes. Let soufflé rise and serve piping hot. It has to be made just before serving.

Cucumber and tomato salad

Serve 6
Time 15 minutes

Perhaps the easiest and simplest salad one can make, it is made of cucumber, tomatoes, onion, oil and lemon juice. It is light and wholesome and goes well with chicken soufflé. It is a coolant and best eaten cold.

Cucumber - 2 peeled, deseeded and cut in fine slices

Tomatoes - 250 gm, cut in fine slices
Onion - 1 big, cut fine, lengthwise
Lemon - juice of one
Oil - 2 tbsp
Pepper - half tsp
Salt

Method

Peel cucumber and cut in fine slices. Add salt and leave sliced cucumber in a colander, let the excess juice drip. Cut in fine slices tomatoes and onion. Refrigerate.

In a big bowl, add limejuice, salt, pepper and oil. Mix just before serving onion, cucumber and tomatoes. Serve cold.

KETHARI SRIVANJIAM

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail