Saffron Pistachio Dip

This goes well with crackers, bread sticks, and even bagels.

1 pack of soft Philly cream cheese
Milk
Saffron
Pistachios
Garam Masala

I do not remember the exact proportions, since I kept adding, adjusting, and tasting.
Mix the saffron in hot milk and keep adding.
Grind the pistachios.
Keep adding garam masala till you get a perfect flavor.

Chilly Paneer

You see, I am a sucker for Indo-Chinese food, any restaurant known as “masala wok” or “spice and zen” has me instantly. I always loved chowmein, gobhi Manchurian, fried rice, chilly paneer, sweet and sour soup etc. The strong tangy flavors always resonated with me, and I still prefer Indo- Chinese food over traditional Chinese food at times, at least the take out variety or American –Chinese food. Although I must admit, I love Panda Express at times. It is right opposite my house and the noodles and spicy eggplant with the Rangoon cream cheese fried wantons, hit a spot at times. :)

Indo-Chinese food gets it unique flavor from a combination of Indian ingredients such as garam masala, cilantro and tamarind with Chinese soy sauce, ginger, garlic, vinegar, green chilies, and scallions. I think it is a great marriage between two cuisines, backed by century’s old cooking traditions. The two flavor profiles complement each other so well; it’s like a perfect marriage between two people who just complete each other. And then, I love paneer. I still don’t understand why people use tofu as a substitute in curries. Tofu is tasteless, while paneer has a nice meaty flavor and texture, which my partner says reminds him of chicken. Paneer stand up well to strong Indian sauces. And it works very well, in this Indo-Chinese dish as well.

Chilly Paneer is made after deep frying the paneer which is coated in a cornstarch batter. I hate deep frying, so I always avoid that step. I just sauté the paneer till I get a sear.


1 pack paneer
1 tomato
I bunch spring onions
Corn flour
Ginger
Garlic
Garlic chilly paste
4 green chilies
Soy sauce

1. Saute paneer till golden.
2. Heat some oil. Add the ginger garlic and wait for the raw smell to dissipate.
3. Add the chopped spring onions.
4. Add ginger garlic paste.
5. Add the tomato, cook till pulpy.
6. Add the green chillies.
7. Mix corn flour in some water and mix.
8. Add paneer. Cook for a while.
9. Add soy sauce.

Indian Vegetarian Noodles

1packet Hakka Noodles
1 tspn garlic chilly paste
Sriracha Sauce
Magi sweet and hot sauce
Soy Sauce
Garam Masala
Ginger garlic paste
1pack of broccoli slaw
1 bunch of green onions
Salt

1. Heat some oil. Add the ginger garlic and wait for the raw smell to dissipate.
2. Add the chopped spring onions.
3. Add ginger garlic paste.
4. Add the broccoli coleslaw and the garam masala.
5. Meanwhile, boil the noodles in some salted water till they have a nice bite but are not mushy.
6. When the vegetables are ready, add the cooked noodles.
7. Add the soy sauce, sriracha and magi hot and sweet.

Serve with chilly paneer.

Kofta Rice

I just totally loved this dish. The combination of the spicy koftas, sweet raisins, crunchy cashews, and cool mint is a sensory delight. I like to go to the Master Chef India website and read recipes, and that is where I found this recipe. It has many components to it which includes making spicy kidney bean balls, cooking the rice, frying the cashews and raisins, and finally bringing it all together with tomatoes, spices. I served this with a pomegranate raita and chilies. Inspired by Smita’s recipe

http://starplus.startv.in/masterchef/mcrecipe.aspx?sid=40&cname=Smita+Dugar

• Making the Kebabs

Can of kidney beans – 400 ml
Garam masala
Coriander powder
Mint Leaves
Salt
Ginger paste
Coriander
Corn flour

Mix all the above together and sauté small kidney bean patties. Keep aside.

• Rice

Boil 1 ½ cup of rice with frozen vegetables (corn, beans, carrots, peas) and salt, I clove, and 1 lack cardamom. Remove spices when done. Keep rice aside.

• Fry some cashews and raisins in ghee keep aside.

• Spice paste

Onion – finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
Cumin
Mint leaves
Coriander leaves
Garam masala
Coriander powder
1 bay leaf
Cumin seeds
Ginger
Garlic

Oil, bay leaf, cumin, ginger, garlic, onions till golden.
Tomatoes till pulpy.
Mint and Coriander leaves, garam masala.

Assembling

Add the rice to the spice paste and mix. Check for seasoning. Add the kebabs, cashew and raisins. Garnish with coriander and mint.

Serve with pomegranate raita – Yoghurt, coriander leaves, mint leaves, salt, and black pepper.
Bhari mirch –Remove the ribs and seeds of four Serrano chilies. Fill with aamchur, salt, garam masala, haldi. Saute in oil with panch phoron.

Lasagna

For tomato sauce
2- 28 cans crushed tomatoes
I pack of mushrooms – finely diced
3 fat cloves of garlic- crushed
Pepper flakes
Salt
Black pepper
1. Sauté mushrooms till brown.
2. Cook all the other ingredients till sauce is thick and almost half of what you started with.
3. Add the mushrooms.
Spinach Sauce
15 oz tub ricotta cheese
8 oz of frozen spinach ( small box)
Nutmeg
Salt
1. Thaw the spinach in the microwave and wring out water.
2. Mix with the cheese, salt and nutmeg.
Also need
• 16 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese, cut in thin slices.
• 8.8 ounce pack of oven ready lasagna sheets.
• 12”x8” lasagna dish which you should oil
• Pre heat oven to 375 degrees
• Parmesan cheese for top
Assembly
• Layer tomato sauce at the bottom of the dish. Add noodles on top.
• Now add a layer of mozzarella, tomato sauce, and spinach sauce.
• Another layer of noodles. Repeat.
• Last layer – noodles. Tomato sauce. And mozzarella. And parmesan.
• Toss in oven for 30-35 minutes.

French Toast with whipped cream and strawberry compote

I loaf of brioche bread. I leave it out for two days; since you want it dry enough to absorb the custard.
4 eggs
¾ cup of heavy cream
Butter
1. Cut the brioche into slices around ¾ inches thick.
2. Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the serving plates in the oven.
3. Mix the eggs and the cream.
4. Dip each slice of bread in the custard for around 30 seconds.
5. The flame should be at medium to medium high. Warm around ½ tbspn butter for each slice. Add the slice ad flip when done.
Whipped cream- refrigerate your mixing bowl and whisk. Now whip together 1 cup of heavy cream with 2-3 tspn confectioners’ sugar. Add a little vanilla essence and whip till you get soft peaks.
Strawberry Compote – Take a pint of strawberries. Dice half of them finely, and rough chop the other half into chunky pieces. Heat a pan, add the finely diced strawberry with some brown sugar and cook till you get a sauce. Now add the rest of the strawberries till they are soft but retain their shape. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar.

Strawberry Shortcake Sundaes

1 pint of strawberries
1 tbspn brown sugar
Seeds of 1 pomegranate

Make croutons as mentioned in the following recipe

http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/10/nectarine-sundaes-for-2.html

Heat a pan and add the strawberries. Cook them for around 5 minutes with the sugar, till they are pulpy but still retain their structure. When cool add the pomegranate seeds. Refrigerate.

When you assemble the dessert with the cake croutons, the vanilla ice-cream, and the strawberry sauce, it reminds you of strawberry shortcake albeit a frozen one.

Onion Pepper frittata (9” skillet) with a tomato sauce

What I love about frittatas is that you can make them in advance, and have a wedge for breakfast as long as it lasts. Grabbing a protein filled breakfast on a rushed morning could not get easier. The whole technicality in getting frittatas right, is using the right number of eggs based on your skillet. You definitely do not want a thin frittata; the slices should be like wedges of a pie. For an 8 ½ “- 9” inch skillet, I like to use 6 eggs. This is sufficient for two people. However, if you are using a larger skillet, say 12”, I would use 10-12 eggs, and this would work for 4 people. 3 eggs per person is a good ratio, and therefore one should be mindful of the size of the skillet.

As for oven temperatures, estimates vary from 350degrees to 400 degrees. You need a moderate oven, and I like to work at 350 degrees, since the top does not brown very quickly.

I also make this sauce to go on top of the frittata. It makes the frittata less dry and gives it an additional flavor, although you could do away with this step if you chose.


Frittata

6 eggs
½ large red pepper5 cut into fine strips
½ onion cut in strips
3/4cup of corn
1 pinch of garam masala (optional)
Parmesan cheese
Dash of sriracha sauce
Salt to taste

Sauce
2 Tomatoes – roughly chopped ( or use 8-10 plum tomatoes)
A few leaves of basil
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper flakes
Black pepper

About the skillet-for 6 eggs, use a 9” ovenproof skillet. The handle of my last skillet was not exactly ovenproof, so I covered it with a couple of layers of aluminum foil.

Oven- Pre-heat to 350 degrees.

Eggs- Sauté the onions and peppers till soft. Add the corn and sriracha. Beat the eggs lightly Add the salt, pepper, garam masala. Cool the vegetables a little and add the egg mixture. Stir initially and then allow to set till it looks curdled on the top. Grate the cheese on top and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, till golden and puffy.

Sauce
Cook all of the ingredients till tomatoes are soft and puffy. Add the basil at the end.

Serve the frittata with the sauce on top. Grate some parmesan on the top.

Pizza from scratch

My man asks me, “So what could go wrong with a pizza?’
I am not into argument or justification, so I made him my pizzas just a day after he orders Pizza Hut. That sealed the deal. Making a good pizza, is about getting it correct technically.

But the point is that plenty could go wrong with pizza.

• The base for instance could be hard or unevenly cooked. That is why it is important to keep the dough at 100- 110 degrees, you want the yeast to be active and that leads to an airy base. Also roll out the base evenly.
• Pre-heat your oven for at least 45 minutes to get your stone blazing hot. The stone absorbs the moisture from the base and this leads to a crispy base.
• If you are making thin crusts, do not overload your base with toppings and sauce. It will not slide off the peel.

The three tools you need are a pizza stone, a peel, and a pizza cutter.
I bought the following 13” stone. It is made of clay and works excellently. The pizza stone cooks your pizza evenly from the bottom and sucks out the moisture giving you a crisp base.

http://www.amazon.com/Fox-Run-13-Inch-Pizza-Stone/dp/B0000VZ4M8/ref=sr_1_11?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1288549708&sr=1-11

I bought the following peel. It is big, made of bamboo, and could also double as an attractive cheese plate.

http://www.amazon.com/CounterArt-78101-Bamboo-Pizza-Peel/dp/B0028LKE6E/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1288549953&sr=1-1

Base- makes four 11” pizzas

I take four cups of all-purpose flour with a teaspoon of salt, and one sachet of yeast. Dissolve the yeast in a cup of warm water with a teaspoon of sugar. And leave it to mix for 10 minutes before you add it to the flour. The optimum temperature for yeast is 110- 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Yeast is a living organism and you would like to keep at the same temperature to allow it to grow. Use warm water and a teaspoon of olive oil to knead the flour. Pre-heat an oven to 200 degrees, and leave the door open to allow some heat to escape. When the oven is warm enough, put the dough in, and it will double in size. I keep covering the dough with a warm wet cloth, to maintain warmth and to prevent it from drying. The dough should be ready in 3-4 hours. Punch it, and knead again. Divide into four parts, and roll it out into an 11”-12 “pie on the peel, when you are ready to make the pizza. Use plenty of flour to dust the peel so the pizza should easily slide off the peel.

Sauce

Take a 28 Oz can of crushed tomatoes. You will end up using half, so this sauce is sufficient for 8 pies. To this add one finely chopped garlic, pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Simmer on medium heat for 40 minutes. You may add some honey, if you like your sauce sweeter.

Cheese

I buy an eight ounce pack of fresh mozzarella cheese for four pies. If you like your pizza cheesier, use one third of the pack. I also use cheddar, parmesan, feta, and fontina for additional flavor.

Oven

Place your stone in the pizza and pre heat to 450 degrees for 45 minutes.

Assembling

To the pie, add some sauce, about one tablespoon to each pie. Do not add too much sauce, or your pie will not slide off the peel. Add the mozzarella and toppings. Some of my favorites include

• Feta, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and basil as optional
• Sautéed mushrooms and cheddar
• Sautéed bell pepper, onions, olives
• Margherita with just some fresh basil

Bake for 15-20 or minutes whenever your pizza looks ready. This depends on your oven. Pull out with the peel.

Masala Corn Pancakes – Makes 4 large

I must admit, these pancakes are kind of sweet, despite all the additions. I don’t think I will use the jiffy mix next time, maybe corn flour and baking powder, to get a lesser sweet version. But if you have a sweeter palate, this works fine.


1 - 250 g pack of Jiffy’s corn mix
1 egg
¾ cup of milk
1 cup of chopped spinach
Salt
Black pepper
1 tspn garam masala
1 clove of garlic – minced
1 piece of ginger – minced
1 scallion diced

Mix the above together.
Take some oil in a 9” skillet pan. Add ½ cup of batter.
Flip when golden.
Serve with green chutney.

Roasted Cauliflower with Bread Crumbs

Cauliflower is a divisive vegetable; it has ardent admirers and devout haters. I think a good cauliflower dish is highly dependent on getting the texture right. Vegetables like potatoes are more forgiving, but a mushy cauliflower is almost inedible, in my opinion. It tastes and smells very differently from a crunchy crisp floret of cauliflower. So for me cauliflower should be crisped, steamed soggy cauliflower is a big no-no.

This recipe was inspired by a posting on Huffington Post.
http://www.food52.com/recipes/7015_roasted_cauliflower_with_gremolata_bread_crumbs


Mix the following together and throw in a 425 degree oven. Bake till the cauliflower looks roasted and brown. It should take around 20 minutes.

1 cauliflower head cut into florets
1 tbspn olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Meanwhile in a small pan take the following:

1 tspn olive oil
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
Red pepper flakes
Salt

Roast till bread crumbs are light brown.
When the cauliflower is done, just add the bread mixture and add the zest of ½ lemon. You could also add some parmesan cheese, but it is strictly optional. Garnish with parsley leaves.

Eggplant Sabzi

I used to think that the only way to make eggplant edible was to make “baingan bhartha,” (http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2009/03/baingan-bhartha-eggplant-relish.html) where you lose the taste of the eggplant in a flurry of spices and tomatoes. But, I am a convert now. I love “vangi bhaat,” which is a combination of fried eggplant, rice and South Indian spices.

But this recipe, which is very basic and uncomplicated, works for me too. The sweetness of brown caramelized onions, the tanginess of the tomatoes, the spices, and the robustness of Japanese eggplant, all work together very harmoniously and bring out the fleshy eggplant, pretty well. And unlike the “baingan bhartha,” the eggplant does not disappear.

2 Japanese eggplants – diced (I like to cut each eggplant in half, and then dice semi circular pieces)
2 tomatoes – diced
1 red onion diced
½ “piece of ginger minced or finely diced
½ tspn mustard seeds
½ tspn cumin seeds
1 tspn garam masala (reduce if you don’t want it too hot)
1 tspn coriander powder
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves
Olive oil

1. Take some oil in a pan. When it is hot, add the cumin and mustard, and sauté till you hear a splutter.
2. Add the onions. Sauté till brown.
3. Add the tomatoes and ginger. Cook till pulpy. Add the garam masala and coriander powder.
4. Add the eggplant and salt.
5. Cover and cook till done.
6. Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Naan Pizza

The other day my friend Ava was complaining that eating pizzas out was expensive. I like to make my own pizzas from scratch. Check

http://indianfoodathome.blogspot.com/2010/10/pizza-from-scratch.html

However, that takes time, and the following recipe is quick and a great way of using left over naan. The sauce here has Indian elements like ginger and garam masala while the toppings include paneer. But I think it is very easy and inexpensive to use naan as a base, pile it with toppings and cheese.


Sauce
14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
1 tspn garam masala
2 cloves of garlic
Ginger finely minced
Cumin powder
1 -2 green chilies

Toppings
1 cup paneer
1 bell pepper finely chopped
Mozzarella cheese ( ½ pack)
Parmesan
Cheddar
Loads of finely chopped green coriander

Base
4 naans

Instructions

1. Simmer all the ingredients of the sauce till you get a thick sauce which loses most of its water.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Sauté the paneer and the bell pepper separately.
4. On each naan, add the sauce, toppings.
5. Bake till golden brown.

Nectarine Sundaes – for 2

Occassion - friends for dinner. My reaction -the usual "dinner is a breeze, but dessert will baffle me." Action - the usual " browse through food and wine magazine till you hit a no-bake dessert.
recipe inspiration -
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/bourbon-nectarine-ice-cream-sundaes-with-pound-cake-croutons

I did not use bourbon, and I will do so next time.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Take a pound cake and cube it till you get a cup of cubes.
3. Add 1 tbspn melted butter to the pound cake cubes and bake till crispy. Should take 15-20 mins.
4. You can freeze the croutons so make them in huge batches.
5. Slice a nectarine finely.
6. In a pan take some butter. Add 1 tbspn light brown sugar. Add the nectarine slices. Saute till moist.
7. Add some lemon juice. Cook sauce till thick.
8. In a bowl, take one fourth of the nectarine sauce. Add a scoop of ice cream. Top with croutons. Repeat.

Baked Ravioli

For Dinner I made

• Baked ravioli (recipe inspiration - http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/baked-ravioli )
• Nectarine sundaes (recipe inspiration http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/bourbon-nectarine-ice-cream-sundaes-with-pound-cake-croutons)
• Garlic Bread

Baked Ravioli

1 pound store bought buitoni cheese ravioli
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
Ground pepper
1 ½ tspn oregano
1 tspn pepper flakes
Salt to taste
½ pack of mozzarella cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Panko bread crumbs
2 tbspn olive oil

1. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Take some oil in a pan. Sauté the onions and garlic. Add the tomatoes and pepper flakes, oregano, black pepper. Cook till sauce is thick and not watery.
3. Heat some water in a pot, add salt. Now add the ravioli. Do not cook too much . Just let the ravioli rise to the top.
4. Add the ravioli to the sauce. Check the salt.
5. Add the cheeses and the bread crumbs to the top.
6. Bake till golden brown on top.

Chana - Methi

1 cup of black chana
1 cup yoghurt
1 piece of ginger cut into strips
2 tspn besan
1 ½ tspn chana masala
I medium red onion
1 cup of fenugreek
1 tomato
½ tspn zeera
1 green chili

1. Boil the chana in salt.
2. Heat the zeera in some oil. Saute the onions. Add the ginger after the onions are soft. Fry for another minute.
3. Add the chana masala.
4. Add the chana. And tomatoes.
5. Mix the besan, green chili and the yogurt.
6. Add to the chana
7. Cook till the raw smellof besan goes away.
8. Add the fenugreek
9. Garnish with coriander leaves

Spicy Pot pie- makes 2

My partner is an avid carnivore and he digs pot pie. I tried and trashed many pot pies. I was using the ususal medley of frozen vegetables ( peas, beans, carrots) with the bechamel sauce. I thought the recipes were inspid, just not spicy enough. And then I just experimented with the following recipe and he licked the platter clean.

2 large potatoes – boil
½ cup of peas
1 tbsp oil
2 tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
2 Tbspn hot mango pickle masala
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn red chili powder
½ tspn turmeric
2 blocks of frozen fenugreek
½ tspn cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves
½ tspn garam masala
Frozen puff pastry – bring it out to thaw
Parmesan cheese
2 - 13 oz gratin dishes, which have been buttered

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and the onions. Cook till translucent. Add the spices.
2. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Add the diced potatoes. Coat with the spices. Add finely minced garlic.
4. Add peas and fenugreek.
5. Add achaar masala. Cook till done and add garam masala. Mash the vegetables a little with a heavy spoon.
6. Add coriander leaves and distribute in the gratin dishes.
7. Once the pastry has thawed, roll it out. Put a gratin dish on top and cut a circle around the dish so nearly an inch hangs outside the dish.
8. Cover the dish with the pastry. Make small vent on the top.
9. Bake for 25 minutes, till pastry is golden brown. Add parmesan on top of the pie.
10. Let the pie rest for at least 20 minutes and then serve with a garnish of coriander leaves.

Omelettes

1. Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, Thai chilly
2. Mushrooms sautéed till wilted, black pepper , garlic
3. Tomatoes, green chilly , cilantro
4. spinach, onion, feta, sun tried tomatoes
5. ricotta, sun dried tomatoes, pepper flakes, lemon zest, spinach, onion (sauté onion and spinach, when cool add rest of the ingredients)


For the perfect omelette

Beat the following –

12” non stick skillet
1 tbspn water
3 eggs
Hint of turmeric and paprika
Salt
Black pepper

Brush some oil on the skillet. Heat on medium high. Put your palm above the pan, till you can feel the heat. Add the egg mixture. Bring the flame down to medium.

When the mixture starts to curdle, start moving it around so it doesn’t set. Keep doing till nearly set. The mixture should be a little runny on the top and light yellow on the bottom. Move around the liquid yolk on the top, till it is evenly distributed. Wait for the liquid to set. Now add the filling on half of the omelette. Fold the other half. Shift the half folded omelette towards the center of the pan and cook for another minute or two, till the cheese in the filling melts and the other half is glued.

Slide gently on a heated plate. ( plate which has been in the oven at 200 degrees till you make the omelette)

Paani Poori

I got the poori from the Indian store.

For the paani – Blend the following

1 cup of mint leaves
½ cup of coriander leaves
3 tbspn tamarind – soaked in warm water. Remove any seeds.
½ tspn chaat masala
1 tbspn zeera powder
1 tbspn Salt
1 tbspn Sugar
½ tspn black pepper
Juice of half a lime
1 pinch of heeng
4 green chilies
¼ tspn sonth

Now strain this mixture along with 4 cups of water. Fill each puri with 1 tspn boiled potatoes and 1 tspn kala channa.

Dutch baby

3 eggs, 1 cup of flour, 1 tspn vanilla, 1 cup of milk, 3 tbspn sugar – blend.

Heat 2 tbspn butter and add to the mixture.

Bake in a 400 degrees pre heated oven for 20 minutes.

Dust confectionery sugar on top. Serve with whipped cream, berries, or maple syrup.

Open Toasts

Mix 1 cup of ricotta cheese, 2 large tbspn sun dried tomatoes chopped walnuts, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt.
Grill toasts and serve with this spread.

Another combination
Fromage blanc cheese, finely sliced pears and pecans.

Sour sweet potatoes

1 Pack of cubed sweet potatoes – microwave for 5 minutes
In a pan take some oil. Add two pinches heeng and 1 tbspn panch phoron.
When the seeds splutter add coriander powder, turmeric, and cayenne powder to the oil.

When the spices sizzle, add the sweet potato. Add salt. Cook till done and deglaze the pan with tamarind water.

Perfect Grill Cheese Sandwich

Take a table spoon of butter and add a pinch of paprika. Microwave for a minute.
Heat grill to medium.
Grate ¼ cup of smoked cheddar and ¼ cup of gruyere or gouda and 1 tbspn parmesan. Alternatively use two slices of your favorite cheese. However, this does not taste as well as the above mentioned grated cheeses.
Brush one side of each slice of bread with the butter. Toast the butter side on the grill; add half the cheese on each slice. When the cheese starts to melt, cover one slice with the other. Grill on both sides till done.

Cheese Chutney Sandwich- single serving

Two slices of multigrain bread
Two slices of cheddar cheese or grated cheddar
Green chutney
Two slices of tomato
Two slices of Cucumber
Little paprika
Oil

1. Mix the paprika in the oil.
2. Heat the grill to medium.
3. Brush the slices of bread with oil – one side. Put this side on the grill.
4. Put the cheese on top of each slice of bread.
5. Brush the chutney on one side of bread.
6. When the bread is almost done, add the tomato and cucumber slices. The vegetables are best at room temperature.
7. Make the sandwich.

Plum and Avocado Salad

I found this recipe on Huffington Post.

3 ripe plums- peeled
A firm avocado
1 dry red chilly
1 clove of garlic
Salt black pepper
Juice of one lime
Plenty of chopped cilantro

In a mortar and pestle grind the chilly, garlic, black pepper, lime juice and some of the cilantro.
Chop the plums and avocado into chunky bites. Add the dressing. Garnish with coriander.

Shahsuka – Serves two

The first time I had shashuka was in Mumbai where the chef had close ties with Israel. Shahsuka is one of my favorite ways to eat eggs. The spicy tomato base goes very well with a runny egg on the top. I like to keep my shashuka simple- no onions or bell pepper. For each portion of Shahsuka, you need two medium tomatoes and one egg. You can make it in your skillet, but I like to make individual portions in my 13 oz gratin pans.

You need

4-5 tomatoes (chopped in chunky pieces)
3 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
2 green chilies – finely chopped (I use Thai)
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn cumin powder
2 tbspn olive oil
Salt to taste
Parsley or coriander for garnish (chopped)
Black pepper
2 eggs

Preheat broiler to 400 F.

Heat the oil. Add the tomatoes, garlic and chilies. Add the spices. Cook the tomatoes, till most of the juice evaporates. Make sure the tomato base is not soupy.

Now ladle the tomato mixture in the gratin dishes. Break an egg on each dish. Cook in the broiler till done. When the egg is half cooked, break the yolk. The yolk should be slightly runny.

You could make the tomato base a few days in advance. Serve with warm pita bread.

Pancakes with a twist – Makes 8

You can make pancakes from scratch. For this recipe you would need 2 cups of all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 2 pinches of salt, and 2 teaspoons of sugar. If you want to use a boxed mixture, use Bisquick or something very basic. I strongly advise against using one of the pancake mixes that asks you to just add water. Instead of the above mixture you could use 2 cups of Bisquick.

To the mixture add 2 cups of milk, 2 eggs, the juice of half a lime, a teaspoon of vanilla essence, ½ tspn baking powder, and ½ cup of ricotta cheese. Stir to get rid of lumps.

Mix the following for the topping – ½ cup of ricotta cheese, zest of half a lime, ½ tspn vanilla essence, 1 tspn sugar, few drops of lime juice.

Another toppping idea is applesauce, cinnamon, and ricotta cheese.

Toast ½ cup of walnuts.

In a non stick skillet, heat 1 tspn butter or vegetable oil. Add less than ¼ cup of batter or more if you want thicker pancakes. When you see bubbles on the top, time to flip. Serve with butter, maple syrup, and ricotta topping.

Broccoli Cauliflower Coconut Curry

To some oil in a pan, add one clove, a little cinnamon, and mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter, add two dry red chilies. Now add cumin powder, coriander,cayenne pepper, and some turmeric. Roast the spices. Sauté the onions. Add curry leaves. Add a small tin of coconut milk.

Add any vegetables of your choice. I added cauliflower and broccoli. Add tamarind water. Add peas. Add garam masala when done. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice.

Achari Paneer Wrap

This is a simple flavorful quick recipe.
I took a pack of paneer and cubed it. I took some oil in a pan and added loads of asafetida. To this I added mustard seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, and fenugreek seeds. In retrospect, I could have used panch phoron. I added a teaspoon of garlic. Once then seeds sizzled, I add turmeric and cayenne pepper. When the spices are done, add around 1 cup of thick yoghurt to the pan and whisk slowly. At this stage I added two teaspoonfuls of hot mango pickle. Add the paneer and cook till dry.

Now add some ghee to a pan. Spread out a roti or parantha. Add some of the paneer mixture. Add cilantro chutney, chopped tomatoes, onions (pickled in vinegar), and cream cheese (Optional).

Serve with cucumber raita.

Tomato Salad

For the Vinaigrette
½ cup olive oil, 2 tbspn finely chopped onion, 1 tbspn chili garlic paste, coriander leaves, and a squirt of sriracha sauce, salt, black pepper

Mix and refrigerate for two days for the flavors to seep in.

Add juice of ½ lemon and pour over halved plum tomatoes. Add salt to taste.

Mac and Cheese (serves 4)

I use three cheeses- sharp white cheddar, gruyere, and parmesan for the topping. The sharpness of the cheddar is balanced by the nutty sweet creaminess of gruyere. However, make sure you use a young gruyere, since aged gruyere is more earthy and complex. I also like to compliment the sharpness of the cheese with the heat of cayenne pepper, pepper flakes, black pepper, and mustard powder. This version of Mac and cheese has a kick! I like a crusty topping, so I use panko bread crumbs. Panko crumbs are used in Japanese cuisine and are lighter, airier, and crisper than western bread crumbs.

Ingredients

3 cups of milk (at least 2%)
½ pound of Barilla elbow macaroni (half a pack or 2 1/2cups of pasta)
2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup of grated gruyere
¼ to ½ cup of parmesan
¼ cup of flour
4 tbspn butter (1/2 stick)
1 bay leaf
1 tspn cayenne pepper
½ tspn mustard
Nutmeg
Salt to taste (1 tspn)
Black pepper
2/3 cup of panko bread crumbs

1. Heat the broiler to 400 degrees.
2. Heat the milk in a saucepan with the bay leaf.
3. Boil water and then add the noodles. If you are using Barilla pasta, boil for 4-5 minutes. You want to boil the noodles for a time period that is 3 minutes lesser than the manufacturer’s instructions. You want the pasta to cook to a lesser extent than the normal al dente. When you drain the pasta, immediately shock it with cold water to stop the cooking. Run it under cold tap water till it cools down.
4. Take 3 tbspn butter and heat on a pan. When the butter is frothy add the flour. Sauté the flour for around 2minutes, till it turns blonde and smells buttery.
5. Add the cayenne pepper and mustard. Sauté for a few seconds. The flour will turn a red, and turn pink when you add milk.
6. Add a little milk slowly while you keep whisking the flour and the milk in the pan. Slowly add all the milk and remove the bay leaf. Keep whisking to make sure you do not end up with clumps.
7. Cook the sauce till it bubbles and become thick.
8. Now remove the sauce from the heat and add the cheddar and gruyere.
9. Add black pepper. Grate some nutmeg on the top and stir in.
10. Adjust the thickness of the sauce. I end up using a little pasta water to get the right consistency.
11. Add the noodles to the sauce and adjust the salt. I prefer to add salt only after I add the cheese and the noodles to avoid over salting.
12. Pour the needles to four mini gratin dishes. I use 13 oz gratin dishes because I get a better crust with these and the presentation is better. Alternatively you could use a 1.5 quarts casserole dish. Butter the dishes/dish with the remaining (1tbspn) butter.
13. Sprinkle the panko bread crumbs and the parmesan on the top. Cover a sheet pan with tin foil to catch any spills from the mini gratin pans/ casserole dish.
14. Bake till the crust turns golden brown. Should take 15-20 minutes.

Mirchi ka salan

My virgin attempt at Mirchi ka Salan was quite successful. I ended up eating so many green chilies last night that my stomach hurt. You could use any pepper you like. I used Thai chilies, which I deseeded and removed the rib. You could use hot fingers or even jalapenos. I personally wouldn’t use jalapenos. Sauteing the green chilies, takes the edge off them and makes them edible- pretty much like eating a jalapeno popover.

The ingredients that go in the salan are pre-cooked before they all mesh together in lovely gravy which is – tart, sweet, hot, and salty, all at the time. And though there are many components to the cooking, you can do it in one pan.

So the first thing you do is roast the spices- the coriander seeds, the red chilies, and the cumin, till a splendid aroma hits your nostrils. Throw the spices in the blender.
In the same pan, throw in some peanuts. I used pre-roasted unsalted peanuts, but I still roasted them a bit, to release the aroma. You should dump these peanuts with the spice mixture.
Now it’s time for the coconut to join the party. I don’t like a lot of coconut in the salan- the combination of peanut and coconut is too cloy, in my opinion. Therefore, I restrict the coconut to a spoonful. Again, add the roasted coconut to the peanut and spice mixture right in the blender.
Same pan, add some oil now. In goes the onion, with the ginger and garlic. Keep roasting till the onions are done. Add to blender.

While the onions were cooking, you should take a small bit of tamarind, maybe two tbsp; throw in 1/3 cup of water and microwave for 40 seconds. You should get a dark brown liquid if you crush the tamarind a bit. I don’t like using ready made tamarind paste- it always has a weird after taste.
Add around 4 tbsp tamarind juice to the blender. Add a cup of yogurt, salt, ½ tsp sugar, and some water to the mixture, and blend all of these till you get a smooth liquid. Meanwhile back in the pan, add a1 tbsp of oil and saute the chilies till you get a sear on them. Add all the contents from your blender in the pan and simmer on low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning – sugar, salt, tamarind juice.

And serve with rice or paranthas. This is also an excellent accompaniment to Hyderabadi biryani.


Dry roast the following
1 tspn cumin seeds
2 tbspn sesame seeds
3 red chillies
1 tspn coriander seeds
add
1/3 cup of peanut roasted
Dry roast 1 tbspn coconut
Oil
Roast 1/3 large onion
1 pod of garlic
ginger

Blend the above with 4 tbspn tamarind juice, i cup of yogurt,water, salt and sugar.

Now take 8-10 green chillies. Slit and deseed. In 1 tbsp oil saute the chillies. Now add the blended mixture. Cook for 15 mins.Add chopped coriander.

Paneer Tikka Masala

Lately, I have met someone, who is white, and can take more heat in his food than a bunch of Hyderabadis put together. It works for me- he appreciates my cooking and I am happy not to temper down my spices. The other day we were at Kasa, a self promoted ‘indian taco joint’ in the Marina, which serves wonderful home cooked fillings like kadhai paneer, chicken tikka masaka, or kadhai gobhi, in a warm parantha wrap.
There I figured out his love for “chicken – teekaa – musaalaah’, and I wanted to make a vegetarian version with paneer.

The dish has two components to it. You make a tikka – or paneer/ chicken which has been marinated and skewered to imbibe the flavor of the marinade. The second component is the sauce – a rich spicy creamy tomato sauce. A lazy version of the sauce used by many a British home cook, has been a jar of Campbell tomato soup, spiced and creamed. However, this version had to use a basic Indian sauce, cooked from scratch, with a robust North Indian flavor. For this very reason, I dismiss Gordon Ramsay’s recipe since he uses the very South Indian aromatic- curry leaves.

I looked up recipes on the Internet and read the recipe from Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors by Lizzie Collingham. I particularly like Harpal Singh Sokhi’s version for chicken tikka masala. Here is a cook, who understands Punjabi cuisine and he explains the little tricks, and he definitely does not have a heavy hand with onion, garlic, ginger, which in their extremity mask the true flavors of the dish. He seems very technically proficient. However, I did change the recipe a little.

For the paneer tikka
Marinate a pack of cubed paneer overnight in the following marinade.
1 cup of yoghurt, 1 tspn each of cumon powder, coriander powder and chat masala, ginger, garlic, salt, and juice of half a lemon.we
The next day, you could either bake the paneer in a hot oven at 400 F, on oiled tinfoil.
Or use skewers. Soak the wood skewers in water. Skewer the paneer and get a fine crusting using a hot tawa.

For the Sauce
to some hot oil add the following - cumin seeds, 3 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, black pepper, 2 bay leaves, 1 small piece of cinnamon
Add 1 and 1/2 large onions chopped finely to the spices .And saute till brown.
In a blender blend the following - 3 med tomatoes ( you want the onion -tomato ratio to be the same), 4 tspn cashewnuts, 3-4 cloves garlic, ginger.
Once the onions are done add the tomato mixture. Cook till dry. Add coriander powder, turmeric, red chilly powder. Roast the spices.

Add some water, and add the paneer. Cook for 15 mins. Add 1 medium cubed capsicum, Cook for another 10 mins, and keep adjusting water. Add 1/2 tspn sugar.
Add garam masala, chopped coriander, and cream. Mix all together.

Alu Tamatar – Special

This is a simple way to cook potatoes and tomatoes together, albeit it looks fancier. For once this recipe does not use garlic and ginger. I like to use Sanjeev Kapoor’s Punjabi mango pickle. I have used other brands, but this brand works really well with vegetables and adds the perfect flavor to the tomato gravy. This is a fairly quick recipe and serves as an excellent side dish for last minute guests.

Take 6- 8 baby potatoes and microwave them for 5 minutes. Slice in half. Now take some oil in a pan and add the potatoes, till you get a crust on both sides. Prick the potatoes with a fork and set aside.

Dice 3 tomatoes finely. In a pan take some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add heeng and zeera. Now add the tomatoes. Keep cooking till tomatoes are pulpy. Add haldi, salt, red chilly powder, coriander. Add the potatoes.

Cook for another 5 minutes. Add garam masala, kasoori methi. Add a tbspn Punjabi mango pickle.

Daal Makhani

I must admit, it took me a while to making this daal. I was always intimidated by the copious amounts of butter the recipe required. After improvising, substituting and experimenting, I concluded that there was no substitute to the butter. Either swallow the bullet and make the daal the way it should be, or just make a tepid version but then don’t call it daal makhani. I do however try to get maximum bang for my buck by adding the butter at the very end. This requires less butter than actually using it when you cook the ginger, garlic and tomatoes.
The quantity of tomatoes makes all the difference. This recipe calls for five tomatoes and the result is a creamy tangy reddish daal. However, you can get a meatier taste if you ease on tomatoes but that would be a different daal all together.


1 cup black whole urad
1/3 cup rajma
1/3 cup black chana

Soak the above dals overnight. In a pressure cook, steam for 1-2 whistles with salt and water.

Blend the following together

5 tomatoes
5 fat cloves of garlic
1 “piece of ginger
Two green chillies

Take some oil in a wok. When it is hot add cumin seeds. After they splutter add the tomato paste and reduce it till it is pulpy and thick. Should take 15- 20 mins. After around 10 minutes, add red chilly powder, turmeric, and coriander powder.

Now add the daal.

Cook for another 10 minutes, adjusting for water and salt. Add ½ cup of cream and garam masala. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add ½ stick of butter and 2 tbspn kasoori methi.
Garnish with coriander
If you are serving the next day , you could take some butter in a pan and melt it. Add a pinch of red chilly powder. When the powder sizzles, pour over the daal.

Chane ki kadi

Pressure cook some black chana daal with salt. Drain out the excess water and mash coarsely.

In a container, take some yoghurt. Add some besan, dhania powder, salt, green chillies, garam masala, salt, red chilly powder.

In a pan take some ghee. Add some rai and zeera. Add the yogurt mixture and the chana. Cokk till besan loses the raw taste. Garnish with dhania.

Panchmel Daal

This is a daal more common to Rajasthan and goes well with baati. I still have to get my baati, or baked wheat dense bread right, but the daal turned out fine. The fried aamchoor or dried mango powder gives the daal, its tangy taste and golden color. I use equal portions of the split daals. I use my pressure cooker and boil these daals till the pressure cooker whistles once, and then I let the daals steam in the cooker for awhile. This is the perfect texture for me, since the daal is cooked and not mushy yet.

Take all the split daals in the pantry. I used arhar, chana, urad, mooong, masoor. Pressure cook with salt till you hear a whistle.

In a small pan take some oil. Add one bay leaf and zeera,and saute the spices till they splutter. Now add red chilli powder, coriander powder, and some aamchoor to the oil. Sauté a bit and add to the daal. Add some garam masala and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with Baati.