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,