Raarha Meat

This dish is royal and extravagant in every way. It is a double whammy of meat – chopped up mutton leg and minced mutton, and needs to be made with a lot of love and a little bit of effort. I added some mutton chops to bring in more flavor to the dish, cooked slowly and patiently with whole spices –  black cardamom, green cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, whole black peppercorns, cumin seeds and Kashmiri red chillies.

MAAS KE SULE

A Rajasthani specialty Kabab ..... can be made from lamb, chicken, any kind of game (wild boar, venison, partridge, sand grouse) and even fish. There are many ways of making Sule, some are very simple and others are exotic. Here I have prepared Lamb Ke Sule following an exotic recipe of mine.

Gulab Jamun

Tandoori Tiger Shrimps with Brown Clam Shell Pulao

Laal Maas (Red/Fiery Hot Meat Curry)

Laal Maas is a traditional Rajasthani dish, made with goat/lamb and mostly accompanied with Bajra Ki Roti (Pearl millet flat bread). Laal Maas gets it's name from the huge quantity of dry red chillies used to prepare the dish. If you use the recommended amount of chillies, the dish can get very very hot. So the secret is to substitute half of the fiery-hot chillies with dry kashmiri chillies. Kashmiri chillies impart the bright red color with little heat.

Chicken Seekh Kabab on Rumali Roti

This Seekh Kabab is made of ground chicken, mixed with spices and herbs and then press moulded on metal skewers, cooked over charcoal in tandoor. Rumali Roti is soft and thin like handkerchief. This bread is made from a mix of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour and is baked on an inverted skillet. Rumal means handkerchief and Rumali Roti means Handkerchief Bread.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Twice baked potatoes stuffed in bell peppers.
Who doesn't love bell peppers right, especially the red, yellow and green ones stuffed with potatoes tempered with cumin seeds, fresh cilantro and baked. This dish is a meal in itself as it incorporates your protein, starch and veggies.You can also stuff these with variety of fillings like ground beef or ground chicken topped with cheese.  Bell peppers are high in vitamin C but one large Red bell peppers has three times more vitamin C and nutrients then orange bell pepper.

KADHAI GOSHT (LAMB)

Kadhai Lamb is a North-Indian lamb dish cooked in an abundance of tomatoes with the predominant flavors of fenugreek, coriander and cumin. This dish got it's name from the cooking utensil 'KADHAI' means wok, a typical Indian iron cooking utensil used in preparing it.. Most Indian prefer Mutton (goat meat) to Dumba (lamb meat) with a little fat on it ... this fat gives a very distinguished taste and great flavor to the dish.

Tangdi Kabab

Tangdi means leg. This chicken drumstick kabab is bar-be-cued with the bone in a charcoal tandoor which results in spice infused flavorful succulent kabab. If you don't have tandoor, you can cook this kabab in an oven too.

Murgh malai Kabab

I have made this magnificent, creamy, melt-in-the -mouth Kabab from the breasts of the chicken. It combines the joys of traditional spices and herbs with mild cheddar cheese.

TIPS: While bar-be-cuing baste the Kababs at least three times. It is the application of clarified butter or extra virgin olive oil which seals in the juices and makes the kababs succulent.

Kadhi Pakodi

A very simple dish, Kadhi-Pakodi originates from the northern state of Punjab- the land of milk and honey. Potato and onion dumplings simmered in a yogurt and chic pea based stew tempered with fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. This is usually eaten for lunch with plain rice or pan breads like chapati

Shrimps in Hot Garlic Sauce

 Indo-Chinese Cuisine came into existence when the Chinese community settled in India (Calcutta) between 1820 - 1837. Chinese food in India became very popular as the taste was modified to satisfy the Indian palate. Today Modern Indian-Chinese is one of the favorite cuisines  after Indian food in India. Chicken Manchurian and Hakka cuisine being the most sought after. Indian Chinese meal includes chicken, shrimp or vegetable variants of Hakka or Szechwan noodles popularly referred to as Chow Mein and Szechwan Fried Rice. American Chop Suey and Sweet and Sour dishes can be found at many restaurants.

Nalli Nihari (Lamb Shank)

Nalli Nihari ( Lamb Shank) originated in Jama Masjid and near by Daryaganj area of Old Delhi city of India during Mughal Empire in the late 18th century. Later on this dish was perfected in the Royal Kitchens of Awadh. Nihari is cooked overnight which results in extremely tender meat.  This Nihari recipe calls for 6-8 hours of cooking time. It is garnished with fresh cilantro, juliennes of ginger and a lemon wedge. Traditionally the dish is eaten in the early hours of the morning. It is eaten for lunch and dinner too. Best enjoyed during winter and best eaten with Naan.

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes with Tangy Onion & Tomato Sauce

I was thinking of making some vegetarian side dishes. Keeping this in mind and going down the memory lane I thought of this unique dish I used to prepare about 23 years back when I was in Jaipur (Capital city of Rajasthan, India).  I thought of sharing this very simple dish with you all today. This dish can go as a snack or a side dish. The low-fat paneer and sauted onions with green-peas in the tomatoes add an aesthetic flavor that is unique and healthy. This is a very low calorie dish and goes well with almost anything like naan, plain parathas or rice.

Some Amazing Corn Facts

                                         
                                               * Corn cob always has an even number of rows.
                                               * There is one piece of silk to each kernel
                                               * Each corn spiklet produces two florets- one fertile and one sterile
                                               * Popcorn and Sweet corn come from different plants

Dent Corn : Is the type of corn eaten as a vegetable. It has either white or yellow kernels. Dent kernels contain both hard and soft starch that become indented at maturity. Being one of the most cultivated crop in the world, it is mostly used to make processed foods.

Flint Corn : Flint corn, also known as Indian corn (A different variant of Maize) is very hard, so is compared to flint. It is used for similar purposes as dent corn. Flint corn is distinguished by a hard outer shell and kernels with a range of colors from white to red.Today, most flint corn is grown in Central and South America.

Sweet Corn : Sweet corn has higher natural sugar content then all the other corns (10% Sugar). It's most popular use is as 'corn on the cob', it is also canned or frozen for future consumption. Sweet corn is a source of carbohydrates and food energy and contains some vitamin A (Only yellow corn), minerals and protein. Almost 50% of the sugar can be converted to starch only 24 hours after it is picked, so it is best to eat it fresh!

Flour Corn : Flour corn are Corn having kernels almost entirely of soft starch with thin seed coats. Flour corn was a chief type grown by Native Americans. Flour corn is primary used for making corn flour and is used in baking because it has a soft, starch-filled, kernel that is easy to grind. Flour corn is primarily white, although it can be grown in other colors, for example, blue corn.

Waxy corn : This corn origins from China. Corn with grains that have a waxy appearance when cut, that contain only branched-chain starch, and that are used especially for desserts and adhesives and as a replacement for tapioca.This corn is much more glutinous than the other varieties. Waxy corn is used by wet-corn millers to produce waxy cornstarch which is utilized by the food industry as a stabilizer/thickener.

Pop Corn : Evidence of this Corn from 3600 B.C. was found in New Mexico. Popcorn, a type of flint corn, is generally not edible like other styles of corn. It has a soft starchy center surrounded by a very hard exterior shell. This corn is usually stripped from the cob to make popcorn . When popcorn is heated the natural moisture inside the kernel turns to steam that builds up enough pressure for the kernel to explode. When the kernel explodes they create fluffy, crunchy kernels. All types of corn will pop to some degree, but they won't necessarily have enough starch to turn inside out, or an outside layer that will create enough pressure to explode.

Murgh Musallam

Murgh Musallam is the most famous dish from the Royal Kitchen of Awadh. This very rich whole chicken dish is stuffed with ground chicken, almonds, pistachio-nuts with saffron and served with fragrant basmati pulao with dry fruits. This dish is influenced by Mughal Cooking Techniques. The aromatic hot spices together with saffron and dry fruits gives this chicken an exceptional taste. The recipe calls for some preparation work as it takes 6 hours for marination and you need to have some time on hand to prepare it. It is best for festive occasions and fills your home with mind blowing aromas.  

Rajma Galouti kabab ( Red Kidney beans Kabab)

Rajma Galouti kabab

From my recipe in Health Magazine

PREPARATION TIME : 50 minutes
COOKING TIME : 6 to 8 minutes
SERVES : 4

INGREDIENTS :
8 oz Red Rajma (Red Kidney Beans - soaked overnight)
1 oz Baked onions ground into a paste
1 oz Cashewnuts
1 oz Poppy Seeds
1 oz Sun-flower Seeds (Soaked and ground into a paste)
1 tsp Black peppercorns ( Roughly crushed)
1 oz Roasted Channa Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chillie Powder
Salt to taste
10 Cloves
3 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for shallow frying)
1 tsp Desi Ghee (Clarified Butter)

PREPARATION
Cook the soaked kidney beans in water with salt till very soft. Drain, remove and mash very fine. Add the rest of the ingredients except cloves and ghee. Combine well. Correct seasoning.
Keep the kidney bean mixture on a large plate and make a well in the center.

Combine red hot charcoal, cloves and desi ghee in a small bowl and place it immediately at the center of the mixture. Cover with a lid and keep aside for 30 minutes. In this process the mixture will get a smoky clove flavor.

Remove the lid now and knead the mixture to make a soft dough. Divide into 16 equal portions, make balls and using your palm flatten the balls to make round patties.


COOKING
Heat a non-stick fry pan, pour olive oil in it and shallow fry the kababs for 3 minutes on each side.

Serve hot with cilantro chutney.

CHILLI CHEESE TOASTS

                                 Recipe taken from my article in Femina Magazine ( Love bites)

CHILLI CHEESE TOASTS
Serves : 4
Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 4 minutes

Ingredients :
 8 Slices White Bread
 1 Small Yellow Onion
 8 Green Chillies
1/4 Cup Cilantro
8 Slices Processed American Cheese
1  Lemon
salt to taste

The preparation :
Peel, wash and chop the onions.
Remove stems, wash, slit, de-seed and chop green chillies.
Clean, wash and chop cilantro.

Method :
Mix all the chopped vegetables in a bowl. Add lemon juice and salt to it, mix well.
Toast the bread slices in an oven toaster at 400 degree Fahrenheit till they become light golden brown in color (only on one side).

Sprinkle the vegetable mixture evenly on the plain side of the toast and cover with cheese slices.
Put the slices back in the oven toaster and toast till the color of the cheese changes to light golden brown.

Remove the toasts from the oven toaster and cut off the edges. Cut each toast into two pieces (corner to corner) and serve hot.

TRADITIONAL "MUST-TRY" FOODS IN DIFFERENT CITIES AND STATES OF INDIA.

A good meal transcends all cultural boundaries and being open to the cuisines of any country you visit is the best way to connect with its people and their culture. Talking with the locals will give you some ideas of the perfect dish to try there.

India is a country full of versatile lip-smacking meat and seafood cuisines no matter which State or Region you visit. Each has it’s own traditional way of cooking and it’s specialty dishes. Sometimes certain items are very popular in a State or City even though those dishes have originated from another State. If you are a tourist then you must try the Hyderabadi Biryanis, Samosas, Chicken Tikkas, Pav Bhaji (puffed bread with spicy pureed vegetables), Masala Dosa (stuffed rice & lentil crepes).

Let’s go Regionally for some of the ” MUST TRY” Food in India.

Delhi: Dahi Bhalla (white lentil fritters in sweet yogurt and tangy spicy mint and tamarind chutneys), Papri Chat (crispy-fried round wafers topped with boiled potato, chickpeas, a yogurt sauce, tamarind and cilantro chutneys), Tandoori dishes (viz, Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Boti Kabab, Seekh Kabab to name a few), Paranthe (unleavened flatbreads made from wheat flour, stuffed with various veggies and/or paneer), Mutton Burrah kebab (marinated chops & chunks meat, skewered, roasted and charred in tandoor yielding tender, spicy, smoky meat), Shahi paneer (cottage cheese dish), Sohan Halwa (made of sprouted wheat flour, nuts, ghee, milk, sugar), Kulfi (India’s version of ice cream), Shahi Tukda (Dessert made with bread and reduced milk).

Mumbai / Bombay: Bombil fry (Bombil or Bombay Duck is a fish and not a duck) found in plenty in the sea-waters around Mumbai. It is coated with semolina and crispy fried, Baida Roti (pan fried flour bread stuffed with spiced chicken or ground mutton and enveloped in whipped eggs and shallow pan fried), Batata Vada (dumplings made with mashed boiled potatoes and spices, dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried. It’s served with cilantro chutney), Butter Chicken (chunks of chicken, marinated overnight in a yogurt and spice mix that includes ginger-garlic paste and lime juice, bar-be-cued in a tandoor and cooked in a rich tomato sauce made with butter and spices), Patrani Machchi (fish marinated with cilantro and ground coconut with spices, wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed).

Calcutta / Kolkata: Phuchka (Crunchy hollow balls made with semolina / flour, filled with chickpea and sweet, sour, tangy lip smacking flavoured water), Jhalmuri (Roasted peanuts, puffed rice, chopped onions and juicy tomatoes tossed together in sweet, sour, tangy and spicy chutneys), Kathi Rolls (a soft flat flour bread wrap with a stuffing of paneer / curried mutton / exotic flavoured chicken / mixed veggies or eggs), Macher Jhol (spicy marinated fish curry cooked in mustard oil), Rasgulla (sweet dish of cottage cheese balls floating in thick sugar syrup), Sandesh (cottage cheese sweetdish), Misti Doi (thick& creamy sweet yougurt made in earthen kulad / pot).

Madras / Chennai: Chettinad Pepper Chicken (spicy chicken cooked in freshly ground spices), Thogayal (gravy or a chutney made with curry or mint leaves), Appam (pancakes made with rice batter and coconut milk), Idiyappams (noodle clusters that are pressed from a ball of wheat or rice flour dough, salt, clarified butter and steamed), Parotta (flat panbread made with all purpose flour and minced vegetables), Puliyodarai / Puliyogare (tamarind rice spiced up with chillies and peanuts), Thayir Sadam (curd rice), Sweet Pongal (Rice boiled with milk and jaggery during the Pongal festival. This sweet pongal is made specially in earthen pots with a wood fire.), Payasam (sweet dish made of rice or semolina, sugar and milk), Kesari (sweet dish made with semolina, sugar & ghee and a pinch of saffron, Filtered coffee (sweet, frothy, milky coffee made from freshly roasted and ground dark coffee beans which is brewed with a metal device that resembles two cylindrical cups, one of which has a pierced bottom that nests into the top of the “tumbler” cup, pierced pressing disc with a central stem handle and one below to receive the brewed coffee).

Kashmir: Rogan Josh (chunks of lamb in spicy red gravy), Goshtaba (ground meat balls in saunff flavored creamy sauce), Tabak Maz/Qabargaah (fried rack of lamb), Syoon Pullav (meat p ulao), Nadir-Haaq/Karam Ka Saag (lotus stem in spinach or radish), Dum Aloo (whole baby potatoes cooked in spicy yogurt based fennel flavored gravy), Rajmah-Gogji (kidney bean with turnip).

Punjab: Amritsari Machchi (carom seed flavored fried fish) , Makki di Roti – Sarson da Saag (combination of a dsih cooked with green mustard leaves and corn bread), Choley-Bhature (combination spicy chick peas and fried bread made of all purpose flour), Kadhi Pakora (spicy yogurt curry with lentil dumplings), Naan/Kulcha (flat breads cooked in tandoor), Keema (braised mince meat), Paya (spicy soup made from goat trotters), Kunna Gosht (meat cooked in earthen vessels), Dal Makhani (lentils cooked with abundance of butter), Malpua ( khoya and flour sweet dish with semolina).

Haryana: Raabri (dish made with millet flour pan bread and buttermilk/yogurt), Chaach (Indian skimmed buttermilk), Lassi (drinks made from yogurt), Kachri Ki Sabzi (vegetable made from a wild variety of cucumbers that also resembles a small yellow melon), Hara Dhania Cholia (green gram with fresh cilantro leaves), Pethe ki sabji (ash-gourd vegetable), Tamatar Chutney (tomato chutney), Bajre ki Khichdi (millet rice preperation), Mithe Chawal (dessert made with rice).

Chandigarh: Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, Bhuna Ghost (lamb cooked by continuosly stirring with whole spices), Mutton Pulao (rice dish with meat and whole spices), Punj Ratani Dal (mixture of 5 lentils), Kadai Paneer (cottage cheese cooked in typical iron vessel called Kadai with lots of onion, garlic and tomatoes).

Rajasthan- Mirchi Bada (large green Chilles stuffed with mashed potates with spices, dipped in gram flour and deep fried), Pyaaz ki Kachori (flaky deep fried bread stuffed with lightly catamelized spicy onlion filling), Dal-Baati-Churma (a combination of three different food items – spicy lentils, baked or grilled balls of wheat flour dough and a sweet, made of wheat flour, sugar and dry fruits. Ghee/clarified butter made from buffalo or cow milk is an important ingredient in all the three items), Bikaneri Bhujia (lentil trial mix) , Lahsun ki chutney ( garlic chutney), Saanth Ro Achaar (pickled wild boar meat), Khad khargosh (wild hare cooked and roasted underground), Ker-Sangri (a combination of berries and dried beans cooked with yogurt and spices), Lal Maas Gatte ( spicy red curry meat with curried gram-flour dumplings), Mohan Maas (meat cooked in milk), Mawa Kachori (stuffed and deep fried pastry with reduced milk solids and nuts).

Gujarat: Thepla (spicy wheat pancake), Dhokla (steamed sponge like bread made of fermented batter of gram flour), Khandvi (a slowly cooked savory snack made mainly of gram flour and yoghurt), Handvo (savoury steamed vegetable cornmeal cake), Panki (paper thin pancake, roasted in banana leaves), Gathiya (long stick made of split pea), Khichdi (rice and lentil or rice and mung bean), Undhiu (spicy mixture of vegetables), Gujarati Thali (meal consists of roti, dal, rice and vegetables).

Maharashtra: Kothambir Vade (cilantro and gram flour balls with spices and deep fried), Vada-Pav (spicy deep fried potato ball sliders), Kanda-Pohe (a preparation of flatened rice and onion), Kolhapuri Vegetables (spicy mixed vegetables), Thalipeeth (multi-grain pancake), Sabudana khichdi (Prepation made out of Sago), Shrikhand (sweet dish made from strained yogurt), Modak (sweet dumpling stuffed with a filling of coconut and jaggery).

Tamil Nadu: Upma (popular hot-cereal breakfast made with semolina), Pepper Rasam (a spicy and tasty soup usually served with steamed rice), Idli (cakes made with fermented mixture of rice and urad dal) , Sambar (thick vegetable and lentil stew, goes well with idli), Vahrehvah Banana Dosai (thick banana pancake crispy on the exterior side with spongy interior), Pepper Chicken (stir fried black pepper chicken), Varuval (a dry dish with chicken, fish or vegetables fried with onions and spices), Poriyal (curry), Kuzambu (ingredients like lentil or vegetables stewed in a gravy of coconut milk and spices), Paruppu Urandai Kozhambu (lentil balls in tamarind based gravy or korma style gravy), Paruppu Usili (prepared by steaming lentils and cooking along with vegetables such as beans, cluster beans, broad beans, cabbage), Koottu (delicious authentic side dish which can made with potatoes and/or with any vegetable), Kola Kolumbus (kofta gravies), Keerai Masiyal (type of spinach curry), Kothu Parotta (made with mince of parotha, egg, meat, and a spicy chillie sauce), Muttai Parotta (made from minced parotta and scrambled egg), Paniyarams (dumplings), Lemon Rice, Thalappakatti Biryani (rich spicy meat and rice dish), Sweet Pumpkin Curry, Vendaikkai Mappas (Stir fried okra in spicy coconut curry), Karupatti Halwa (sweet dish).

Goa: Feni (locally brewed drink distilled from the fermented sap of the coconut flower-stalk or cashew fruit), Prawn Balchao (pickled prawns in a hot red and tangy sauce), Fish Recheado(whole fish, usually a mackerel or pomfret slit down the center and stuffed with a spicy red paste and shallow fried), Vindaloo (It’s a spicy pork chunk preparation with lots of red chilies, garlic and Goa vinegar), Xacuti (Goan Chicken curry), Chicken Cafreal (marinated pieces of chicken in a paste made of spices, chilies, garlic, ginger and lemon juice and then deep-fried or shallow fried till dry), Spicy Chourico Sausages (spicy pork sausages), Bibinca( concoction made from layer upon layer of coconut pancakes…traditionally 16 layers).

Kerala: Sadya Meal (A vegetarian meal served on banana leaf with steamed rice and a host of side-dishes), Avial (A thick mixture of vegetables, curd and coconut, seasoned & flavored with coconut oil and curry leaves), Malabar Paratha (Layered flaky flat bread),Puttu (Steamed rice flour cake – It’s steamed in long hollow bamboo or metal cylinders), Appam (Soft pancake made from toddy fermented rice batter), Payasam (Dessert made from milk, coconut extract, sugar, cashews).

TUSCAN STYLED GRILLED PEPPERED CHICKEN

                                                 From my recipes in the westside newspaper

Hot Tuscan styled grilled peppered Chicken is my own creation. And not to worry if you don’t posses a grill, a girdle or non- stick pan will do.
The predominant flavor is black peppercorn. Serve it with roasted garlic, mashed potatoes and vegetables is what I would suggest.

TUSCAN STYLED GRILLED PEPPERED CHICKEN

Preparation Time : 2 hrs 45 minutes
Cooking Time : 12 minutes
Serves : 4

Ingredients :
8 Chicken Breasts (small size)

Marination :
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp HP Steak Sauce
4 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/3 Cup Dry White Wine
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Crushed Black Pepper Corns
2 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Dry Marjoram
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp Olive oil ( For grilling)

Accompaniments :
1 lb Russet Potatoes
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp Manufacturing Cream
1 Tbsp Garlic
Salt to Taste
8 Baby Carrots
1 lb Broccoli
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( For sauteing vegetables)

PREPARATION :
Remove extra fat and clean the boneless chicken breasts. Cut each breasts into 5 pieces. Pound the pieces a little with a steak hammer. Mix all the ingredients for marination. Apply chicken pieces with the marination and keep in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Peel the baby carrots and blanch till crunchy and keep aside. Cut the broccoli into florets and blanch in salted boiling water. Once blanched remove and immediately put in ice cold water- that way it will keep it’s bright green color.

Peel potatoes, cut each potato into 2 pieces, wash and boil in water added with salt. Once boiled, remove potatoes from water and pass it through a sieve. Peel garlic, wash pat dry and slice them thin. Dry roast the garlic in an oven till crispy and light golden brown in color. In a non- stick fry pan heat up mashed potatoes, add butter and mix well. Now add cream and roasted garlic. Mix well. Check the seasoning.

COOKING :
Grill the marinated pieces of chicken on a griller till done turning at least one time. Once done serve immediately in a plate on a bed of garlic-mashed potatoes with sauted broccoli and baby carrots.

Semolina Cake

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 Cup semolina
1/2 oz Unsalted butter
A pinch of mustard seeds
A pinch of chopped curry leaves
2 Chopped green chillies
Salt (to taste)
3 Cups water
3 Eggs
1/2 lb bread crumbs (preferably Panko)
Oil for deep frying

Method:
1. Heat a frying pan on a gas burner and dry roast the semolina for three minutes, stirring continuously. Take care that the semolina does not become brown or gets burnt. Put aside to cool.

2. Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add butter and melt. Next add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add the chopped curry leaves and stir. Add water and salt.

3. When the water starts boiling, add the semolina. While you add semolina stir the mixture continuously with a whisk so that there is no lump formation. Whisk till the semolina is cooked.

4. Remove the mixture from the pan and cool it for 20 minutes. Make 20 equal-sized semolina patties and flatten them slightly using your palm.

5. Beat the eggs in a bowl, adding a little salt. Dip one patty at a time in the beaten egg, then into the bread crumbs.

6. Refrigerate the bread crumbed patties for at least 10 minutes.

7. Deep fry the patties at 350F for 3 minutes or bake them at 350F for 6 minutes. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or any hot sauce.

Note: If you don’t want to use egg, you can substitute it with a thin batter of all-purpose flour and water.

Stuffed Eggplant

Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Eggplant (Medium -sized) – 4 nos
Salt – 2 tsp (to apply on the eggplant)
Zucchini (Small) – 2 nos
Tomatoes (large) – 2 nos
Onion (large) – 1
Garlic – 2 cloves
Red bell pepper – 1
Parsley – 1/3 oz
Olive oil – 20 ml
Thyme (dry) – 1/2 tsp
Black peppercorns (crushed) – 1/2 tsp
Melted Butter – 20 ml.
Parmesan Cheese (grated) – 1 oz
Salt – to taste (for the stuffing)

For the garnish:
Tomatoes (small) – 1
Black olives – 4 nos

The accompaniments:
Green vegetables
Potatoes.

The preparations:
1. With a sharp knife cut the egg plant into half, lengthwise.
2. Sprinkle the halves with two tsp of salt and leave them to disgorge on kitchen paper towel for half an hour.
3. Wash and chop the zucchini.
4. Wash and chop the tomatoes after discarding the tops and the centers.
5. Peel, wash and chop the onion.
6. Peel, mash and crush the garlic.
7. Wash, remove seeds and chop red bell pepper.
8. Discard stems and finely chop parsley.
9. Wash and slice tomatoes for garnish
10. Wipe moisture from the eggplants with kitchen paper towel. Hollow out the centers with a spoon and chop them.

Method:
1. Heat oil over moderate heat in a large frying pan. Add onions and garlic and fry till the onion become light brown.
2. Add zucchini, bell pepper and chopped eggplant. Stirring occasionally, cook the mixture for five minutes.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and further cook for five minutes. Now add parsley, thyme and crushed black pepper corns.
4. Correct the seasoning, spoon the mixture into the eggplant wells.
5. Place the stuffed eggplant on a shallow ovenproof dish.
6. Pour the melted butter over the stuffed vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese and keep slices of tomatoes and black olives for garnishing.
7. Place the dish in the pre-heated oven to a temperature of 350º F. Bake until the vegetables are tender.
8. Remove the dish from the oven and serve immediately.

Corn Dum Biryani

Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb Basmati rice
1 oz ginger
1 oz garlic
50 ml corn oil
12 oz onion, chopped
10 oz potato, chopped
4 oz French beans, chopped
8 oz cauliflower, chopped
4 oz bell peppers, chopped
2 oz salt
1/2 oz red chilli powder
1 oz  Khada masala – a mix of bay leaves (tej patta), cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and black pepper seeds
2/3 oz powder masala – a mix of cumin powder, jaipatri, cinnamon and cardamom powders
8 oz sweet corn kernels (chunks)
1/2 lb yoghurt
1.75 oz ghee

For the Garnish:
1 slice each of onion, tomato, lime
1 sprig coriander leaves, finely chopped

Preparation:
Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes.
Parboil the rice and set aside.
Make a paste of the ginger and garlic and set aside.

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan; add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté. Add the chopped vegetables (onion, potato, French beans, cauliflower and capsicum) and sauté for three minutes. Add the salt, chilli powder, khada masala, powder masala, sweet corn kernels and yoghurt.
Bring it to a boil such that it forms a gravy.
Add the sweet corn kernels to the gravy. Mix well and add the parboiled rice to the gravy. Spread the ghee on the rice.
Place the biryani on Dum for about 30 minutes. Garnish with slices of onion, tomato and lime and sprinkle with coriander leaves.

Mango Creme Brulee

MANGO CREME BRULEE

PREPARATION TIME: 2 hours 30 minutes
COOKING TIME: 40 minutes
SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz Granulated Sugar
5 Egg Yolks
475 ml Heavy Cream
3 ml Mango Essence
Pulp of 2 Large Mangoes
1.5 oz Granulated Sugar to Sprinkle

PREPARATION & METHOD:
1. Heat oven to 300 F. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place eight 5 oz baking dishes in a large roasting pan.

2. Cook the pulp of the mangoes and reduce it to one-third. Cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. In a mixing bowl beat the sugar and egg yolk until the mixture forms a ribbon trail on itself when the whisk is lifted.

4. Gradually beat in the heavy cream.

5. Put the mixture in a large, heavy saucepan. Place pan over low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spoon.

6. Without allowing the mixture to boil thicken it more. Remove pan from the heat and beat the creme for a minute or two.

7. Stir in the mango essence and pulp.

8. Strain the creme and divide evenly among baking dishes.

9. Place the pan in oven. Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dishes. Bake until creme are just set ( it will take approximately 25 minutes and they should tremble slightly in the center when shaken).

10. Place them in a refrigerator to chill for two hours.

11. Remove serving dishes from the refrigerator and sprinkle 1 tsp granulated sugar over each custard. Now pass the flame of a torch in a circular motion two inches above the surface of each custard until the sugar bubbles, turns amber and forms a smooth surface. Serve immediately.