Tempura Prawns

Ingredients:
5-6 prawns
asparagus/bell pepper - optional
1/2 a bowl of Tempura flour/rice flour
ice water for the batter
a plate of dry flour for coating
oil for deep frying


For the Tempura Sauce:
1/2 cup Soya sauce
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp miring (optional)

Method:
Take a bowl and mix the flour with the ice water.
Whisk it slowly till it becomes a liquid batter.

Heat oil in a deep pan on high heat.

Dip the prawns first in the dry flour then in the batter and fry them till golden brown.

For the sauce, pour the Soya sauce in a pan, add the sugar and miring.
Bring the sauce to a boil.

Serve the prawns with the sauce.




Courtesy: Samir Modi and Chef Thomas Figovc

Yaki Soba Noodles

Ingredients:
5 prawns
vegetables - optional
100 gm soba noodles
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp onion
2 tbsp chopped chillies
2 tbsp garlic
2 tbsp bean sprouts and shitake mushrooms
1 egg
3 tbsp Soya sauce

Method:
Heat oil in a pan. Fry the prawns.

Saute the vegetables with the noodles and then add egg.

Season with salt and pepper and Soya sauce.

Arrange the vegetables with the prawns and serve.




Courtesy: Samir Modi and Chef Thomas Figovc

Yakitori Skewer

Ingredients:
220 gm meat (chicken or lamb)
2 tbsp Soya sauce
a pinch of sugar
2 red onions
oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
pepper to taste

For the Sauce:
1/2 cup Soya sauce
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp miring (optional)
2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Method:
Take the lamb or chicken meat in a bowl,
add the Soya sauce and the sugar.
Marinate and refrigerate for an hour.

Stick the meat and the chopped onions onto the skewer.
Pour a few drops of oil on the lamb and grill till done.

For the sauce, pour the Soya sauce in a pan, add the sugar and miring.
Stir and add the sesame seeds.

Bring the sauce to a boil.

Garnish the lamb with roasted sesame seeds and serve with the sauce.




Courtesy: Samir Modi and Chef Thomas Figovc

Fried Lotus Stems with Chutney

Ingredients:
For Lotus Stems
lotus stems - finely sliced
oil - for deep frying
salt - to taste

For Walnut Chutney
4 tsp curd
1 cup hung curd
7-8 walnuts
pinch of Kashmiri red chilli powder
salt - to taste

For Mooli Chutney
2 tsp curd
1 cup hung curd
3-4 tbsp grated mooli
pinch of Kashmiri red chilli powder
1/2 tsp green chillies - chopped
1/2 tsp shahi jeera
salt - to taste

Method: 
For Lotus Stems
Heat oil in a vessel and deep fry the stems till crispy brown.
Take them out onto tissue paper to remove excess oil.

Sprinkle salt over it and serve hot.

For Walnut Chutney
Grind the walnuts with two tsp of curd in a mixie to make a walnut paste.

Add the paste to the hung curd with two tsp more of the regular curd. Mix it all together.

Then add the chilli powder and salt. Mix again and serve as a chutney or dip.

For Mooli Chutney
Mix the two curds together in a bowl.

Add the mooli, red chilli powder, green chillies and salt. Mix it all together and sprinkle the shahi jeera over and mix again.

Serve as a chutney or dip.



Courtesy: Sita Raina

Dum Aloo

Ingredients:
1/2 kg potatoes - medium sized
oil
5 tbsp oil
water
1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
2 1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp saunth
1 tsp saunf powder
2 green cardamom
3-4 tsp of curd
salt - to taste

Method: 
Cut the potatoes in half, deep fry them and keep aside.
Prick the potatoes with a toothpick and keep aside.

Mix all the dry powders in a bowl. Add enough water to the bowl to make a paste.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the cardamom. Pour in the paste and stir for about 4-5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and mix well. Then mix in the curd.

Cover and cook for five minutes. Serve hot with rice.



Courtesy: Sita Raina

Tomato Curry

Ingredients:
6 tomatoes
1 tbsp besan
2 curry leaves
oil
250 gm moong dal
1 tsp jeera
3 cloves
2 big elaichi
2 sticks of dalchini
3 green chillies - chopped
1 tsp ginger - chopped
1 tsp garlic - chopped
1 cup peas
1 potatoes
half lauki
1 carrot
4 bhindis
2 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp dhania powder
salt - to taste

Method:
Pressure cook the tomatoes and moong dal along with salt and green chillies.
Let it cook for upto three whistles.

Keep aside to cool and then make a paste out of it.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, kadi patta, laung, elaichi, dalchini, ginger, garlic and saute.

Add besan and keep stirring so that no lumps are formed.
Keep mixing till the besan turns brown in colour.

Add peas, potatoes, bhindi, lauki and carrot. Add little water and tomatoes and let it boil.

Add garam masala, dhania powder, haldi and salt. Let it boil for some time. Serve hot with rice.

Courtesy: Anjali Dhawan

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:
palak
1/2 kg paneer
3 onions - peeled
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3 big tomatoes - pureed
3 tbsp cream
3 tbsp milk
3 tsp ghee
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp dhania powder
heeng
1/4 tsp haldi
salt - to taste
1 stick dalchini
3-4 cloves

Method:
Boil the palak in water. Let it cool and then make a paste.

Heat oil in a kadai and add heeng, jeera, onion, ginger-garlic paste and mix well.

Add dalchini, cloves, tomato puree, milk and cream. Mix well.

Add the paneer and salt. Serve hot.


Courtesy: Anjali Dhawan

Boti Kabab

Ingredients:
1 kg mutton-cut into pieces
1 cup yoghurt
salt to taste
1/4 cup roasted gram-powdered
onion slices-to garnish
lemon wedges-to garnish

Grind to a paste
1/4 cup raw papaya-chopped
1 tbsp peeled garlic
1 tbsp roughly chopped ginger

Method:
Pierce the pieces of meat with a fork or skewer.
Mix in all the ingredients except the roasted gram and marinate for 6 hours or even better, overnight.

Mix in the powdered gram and skewer the meat pieces.
Bake in a pre-heated oven over a drip-tray, for 15-20 minutes.
Then lower the temperature and bake for another 10 minutes or till tender.
Alternatively, the pieces can be grilled on a barbecue.
This gives it a better flavor.

Serve garnished with the onions and the lemon wedges.
A green chutney is a good accompaniment.

* For better results marinate and keep overnight in a refrigerator



Courtesy: Chef Niru Gupta

Chicken Fry

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken- cut into 8 pieces

Mix together for marinade
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp garlic paste
salt to taste
2 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp gram flour
2 tsp ajwain
5 cloves-roasted and powdered
1 tsp fenugreek seeds-roasted and powdered
4-5 peppercorns-roasted and powdered
seeds of 2 black cardamoms-roasted and powdered
2 tsp cumin seeds-roasted and powdered
1/2 cup mustard oil
lemon twists and coriander to garnish

Method:
Prick the chicken in 2-3 places, marinate in the mixture and keep for 3-4 hrs.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and put the chicken pieces into it.

Deep-fry over a medium flame, till the chicken is tender.
Takes 15-20 minutes.

Serve garnished with lemon twists and coriander leaves.

* For better results marinate and keep overnight in a refrigerator



Courtesy: Chef Niru Gupta

Fish Fry

Ingredients:
1 kg singhara-cut into thick slices and with skin
1 tbsp powdered yellow peppers
1 tbsp chilli powder
2 tsp ajwain
2 tbsp gram flour
salt to taste
2 tsp garlic paste
mustard oil to deep-fry the fish
chaat masala and lemon wedges for garnish

Method:
Mix all the ingredients except the oil and apply to the fish.
Marinate for about 1/2 an hour.

Heat the oil in a kadahi; when hot, add as many pieces as fit in comfortably.
Fry over high heat till lightly coloured, and the masala forms a coat over it.

Remove fish from oil, and set aside over a colander. Heat oil again,
before frying the remaining pieces.

Before serving, heat the oil and add the pieces of fish to it;
press them down a little and fry till cooked through and crisp on top.

Drain on an absorbent paper and serve hot,
sprinkled with chaat masala and lemon wedges on the side.




Courtesy: Chef Niru Gupta

Crispy Chicken Wings

INGREDIENTS:
6 chicken wings-pricked in 2-3 places 
1 egg-slightly beaten 
1 cup cornstarch / cornflour 
1 tsp garlic paste 
1 tsp ginger paste 
1 tsp salt 
oil for deep-frying
 
METHOD:
Mix together the chicken, egg, cornflour, garlic and ginger paste, 
1 tsp salt and enough water so that the chicken pieces are `coated' with the batter. 


Leave thus about 1 an hour. 


Heat the oil and deep-fry the chicken wings over high heat to begin with and then lower the heat till wings are almost cooked through. 


Drain on absorbent paper. 
Just before serving, heat the oil again and fry the wings in hot oil till brown, 
drain on absorbent paper and serve hot with tartar sauce or cheese dip.

Courtesy: Chef: Niru Gupta

Egg Biryani

INGREDIENTS
2 cups Basmati [long grained] rice - soaked for 10 minutes 
6 large eggs 
1 onion - sliced thin 
10 green chillies - slit 
1 bay leaf 
4 cloves 
1/2 tsp peppercorns 
1 inch cinnamon 
1 tsp each of ginger and garlic paste 
1 tsp pulao masala 
2 tbsp of oil 
salt - to taste


METHOD:
Boil and shell four of the six eggs. 
Heat oil in a large dish and add the whole spices. 


After a few seconds add the onion and green chillies along with the ginger garlic paste. 
Fry till they turn light brown in colour. 


Now break the two eggs into the pan and scramble. 
Add the drained rice to it and fry for a minute. 


Season with salt. 


Now put the boiled eggs into it and pour four cups of water. 
Cover and cook till the rice is half done. 


Stir in the pulao masala and a little bit of lemon juice and mix gently. 
Cover and cook till all the water evaporates and the rice is done. 


Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Courtesy: Asha Ramalingaiah

Veg Stromboli

INGREDIENTS

For the Dough:

250 gms flour

10 gms yeast

10 gms salt

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp olive oil

1 cup water

For the Filling:

50 gms roughly chopped paneer

1 bunch blanched and chopped spinach

½ tsp lemon zest

1 cup (100gms) black olives

2 pieces sundried tomatoes with it's oil

1 tbsp mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp jalapeno chillies

1 tbsp ricotta cheese

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic sliced

1 chopped green chilly 

For the Sauce:

2-3 basil leaves

2 ripe tomatoes

Few leaves of oregano

1 tsp tomato puree

Salt and pepper to season

METHOD:

Put the yeast in water for it to start reacting and then mix it with the flour. 

Put it in a kitchen aid and mix till it all comes together and looks like a dough. 

You can tell it's done once it does not stick to anything.

Leave it to prove in a warm place, until it doubles in its size.

For the Filling:

In a hot pan put the sundried tomatoes with it's oil, jalapenos,

green chilli, spinach, olives, lemon zest, garlic and paneer.

Put in some cracked black pepper and salt to season.

Transfer into a bowl.

For the Sauce: 

Cut the tomatoes in fours and put in the mixer; put some basil, oregano and tomato puree.

Blend the ingredients into a nice sauce. 

Season it with salt and pepper.

Flatten out the dough and roll it into a 12'' diameter.

Spread the tomato sauce on the flattened dough and stuff with the paneer filling.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and the ricotta cheese on the dough.

Sprinkle with cracked black pepper and fold into a crescent shape or half circle. 

Bake in the oven at 225 C for 15-20 minutes.

*Non Vegetarians can replace the existing fillings with their choice of fillings.

Courtesy: Chef Vicky Ratnani

Shahi Paneer

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups paneer [cottage cheese] -cubed 
30 gm melon seeds 
1/4 cup butter 
1 tsp black cumin seeds 
1 tbsp ginger-finely chopped 
2 cups tomatoes-grated 
1/4 tsp turmeric powder 
2 tsp coriander powder 
2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp chilli powder 
1/4 tsp garam masala 
2-3 green chillies-slit 
3/4 cup water


METHOD:
Soak the melon seeds in water and grind to a paste. 
Heat butter in a heavy-based pan and add cumin seeds. 


When the seeds begin to splutter, add ginger and brown very slightly. 
Add tomatoes and saute over medium flame, till the oil separates.


Add the melon paste, turmeric, coriander, salt, chilli powder and garam masala and saute over low or medium flame, till the oil separates once again. 


Add green chillies along with 2 cubes of crushed paneer and saute till the green chillies start looking glossy. 
Mix in water and bring to a boil. Leave to simmer for 3-4 minutes. 


Add paneer cubes, simmer for about 2 minutes and serve hot, garnished with coriander.

Courtesy: Chef Niru Gupta,