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Au Gratin is a very popular French dish that has veggies or meat covered and drenched in white sauce topped with bread crumbs and cheese ...

Vegetable Au Gratin

Au Gratin is a very popular French dish that has veggies or meat covered and drenched in white sauce topped with bread crumbs and cheese and broiled in the oven to create a toasted crust. For years I have been trying to recreate an Au Gratin that tasted similar to what I had tasted some years ago. Dasa, a very popular restaurant in Chennai and Coimbatore had vegetable au gratin on their menu. It was a dish that I enjoyed a lot and have always thought of preparing it at home. I recollect that it was not too cheesy nor did it have a strong cheese smell or taste. All I remember was the creamy silky texture in every bite. So after a lot of trial and error I felt that the one I prepared for dinner last night was the closest to the Dasa Au Gratin.


Gadgets:

Ramekins - 6
Cutting Board
Knife
Sauce pan
Heavy Bottom Vessel
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Spatula

Ingredients:

Vegetables ( Cauliflower, Carrots, Beans, Corn) - 3 cups
Water - 5 cups
Salt

White Sauce:
All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
Butter - 2 tbps plus 1 tsp
Milk - 4 cups
Cheese - 3 tbsp ( white cheese that can melt)
Salt
Nutmeg - 1/8th tsp
White Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper
Cream- 1/4 cup

Topping:
Bread Crumbs - from 1 slice
Parmesan Cheese - 2 tbsp
Olive Oil - 3 tsp


Procedure:

1. Cut the veggies and cook them in boiling water with required salt. Some like them cooked with a bit of a crunch to it but I like it well done but not mushy. Its important to get the vegetables to hold their form.

2. Drain the vegetables into a colander and let all the water drain out.Allow it to cool.

3. Set the saucepan on low heat. Add 2 tbsp butter and when it starts to melt add the all purpose flour and mix well. You will see a froth forming. Reduce the heat to low and slowly add 1/2 a cup of milk and mix well again to always see to it that there are no lumps forming. Mix in the rest of the milk a cup at a time.

4. Add the cheese, salt, nutmeg and peppers and mix well to form a thick sauce ( ketchup consistency) and remove from flame.

5. Prepare the ramekins by coating it with a little butter and add the veggies to it. Using a tbsp spoon the white sauce so as to coat the veggies and fill them up.

6. Mix the bread crumbs, cheese and olive oil and spread it on top of each ramekin to form a crust.

7. Broil it on low until the top looks roasted ( 10 minutes)

12 comments:

  1. That looks and sounds wonderful !!!

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  2. Sounds interesting,looks yummy and sure to taste great too :):)

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  3. hmm ... it always feels good to get our favourite restaurant recipe by our hands .. looks too good .. bookmarking it da

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  4. That looks great and very inviting.

    http://aaha-oho.blogspot.com/

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  5. Vegetable Au Gratin looks very tempting Srimathi,Beautiful clicks

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  6. I wanted to try this recipe the very day I saw this post. I kept saying that I should do it for dinner everyday and I did it last night. I remembered having Au Gratin in India once and when I had it last night I remembered those days. The recipe was so perfect and delicious. My husband enjoyed it a lot and he also aked me to make it again which itself is a compliment for my cooking. Thank you Srimathi and keep posting wonderful recipies like these and I shall try and pass my review.

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  7. Made cauliflower and Peas Au Gratin. So easy to make. I was kind of nervous how my daughter will like it. She had 1 spoon and said I will pass and walked away.. Suddenly she stopped and said...This is awesome !!!!!!!! and she finished her share and convinced her dad to give her his share.. My mother-in-law ate the first spoon hesitantly and then asked for 2 more rounds... Thank you for taking me down the memory lane...It tasted exactly like the one i had in Dasa

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  8. made it again this time with my daughter... tasted good... wish I remember to make this more often

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  9. Where did u use the cream mentioned in the white sauce section..when does that need to be added

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  10. Hi Deepika,

    Thank you for your enquiry. Please refer to step 6 in this recipe. That is the stage you add the white sauce.

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