LAUKI KA HALWA

 Ingredients
Lauki (bottle gourd), grated    4 cup
Ghee (measure when solid)       6 heaped tbsp
Khoya   1 cup
Condensed milk, sweetened       800 ml
Cardamom powder 1 tsp
Almond, blanched, cut into 
thin slivers        ½ cup

Method
Remove the skin and seeds of lauki and grate it.
In a non-stick pan, heat ghee on medium flame until it turns warm.
Add grated lauki in the ghee and stir until it turns transparent and separates from the lauki.
Add khoya and mix well. Cook for about 5-6 minutes.
Once done, add sweetened condensed milk and cardamom powder to the mixture and blend well.
Stir constantly to prevent scorching. The change in the consistency of the halwa into thick pudding form would indicate the doneness.
Garnish with almond slivers. Serve.

MOONG DAL CHEELA

Ingredients
1 cup of moong dal (also known as split green gram, which should ideally be soaked for 5 hours before preparing)
½ a tablespoon of cumin powder
1 tablespoon of ginger-chilli paste
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Method

 

Drain the moong dal and grind it in a processor until a thick, non-lumpy mixture is formed.

Add the remaining ingredients to the mixture and mix well.

Now, heat oil in a flat non-stick pan and spread the dough evenly using the back of a serving spoon.

Pour the mixture evenly on the surface of the pan.

Turn the pancake over, and make sure it is slightly brown from both the sides.

Serve with green chutney or tomato sauce. You can also enjoy this as a good carb accompaniment with stir-fried vegetables or lean protein.

GOOD OLD CHICKEN SOUP (FOR COLD)

 Combine 4 (about 900g) chicken thigh cutlets, 1 large onion – chopped, 1 large carrot - peeled, 1 celery stick chopped, 2 large cloves garlic -  chopped, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 8 cups water and ½ tbsp whole black peppercorns in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Simmer and cook, covered, for 40 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Remove chicken meat from the bones and discard bones. Finely chop the chicken meat and add to the soup. Taste and season with sea salt.

MUTTON SEEKH KABAB

Serves: 2
 Ingredients
Mutton, minced (keema)  500 gm
Garam masala    ¾ tsp
Garlic paste    1 tsp
Raw papaya paste        1 tbsp
Ginger paste    1 tsp
Onion    2 pc
Mango powder, dried     2 tsp
Cumin seed      3 tbsp
Ginger, dry     1 tbsp
Black pepper    1 tsp
Nutmeg powder   ½ tsp

Method
Wash the keema and strain, gently pressing to squeeze out all the water.
Mix all the ingredients with the 
keema and knead well. Keep aside 
for an hour.
Heat the BBQ pit with charcoal.
Take a big ball of the keema mixture and press onto a skewer. Repeat with leftover mince on all the skewers.
Place the skewers on the pit. Keep rotating them occasionally.
When cooked, gently remove the kebabs from the skewers with the help of a napkin. Serve hot.

DAL MAKKHANI

 Ingredients
Urad dal, whole 150 gm
Kidney beans, red (rajma)       50 gm
Ginger, peeled  10 gm
Garlic  2-3 clove
Chilli, green   2 pc
Salt    to taste

For tadka:

Ghee    50 gm

Cumin   1 tsp

Garlic  2-3 clove

Asafoetida powder       1 pinch

Fenugreek seed  ½ tsp

Tomato paste or puree   100 gm

Butter  100 gm

Cream   30 ml

Chilli powder    ½ tsp or more

Garam masala    ½ tsp

 

Method

Soak all of the lentils (urad and rajma) in water for 6 hours, or preferably overnight. Wash four times, changing the water each time.

Chop the garlic, ginger and green chillies finely.

Boil all of the lentils with the ginger, garlic, green chillies and salt, and simmer until lentils are well cooked. Drain off excess water and mash the lentils lightly with the back of a ladle.

To make the tadka, heat the ghee or oil in a heavy pan until hot, and add the cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds, and stir until they crackle.

Add the garlic and fry until they begin to colour.

Bring the dal to boil again, adding the chilli powder, butter and cream. Simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add garam masala and adjust seasoning.

  

MANGO STICKY RICE

Serves: 1

Ingredients
Glutinous rice       150 gm

Thai sweet mango              90 gm

Coconut cream    25 ml

Sesame seeds     2 gm

Coconut, dry, sliced           2 pc

Sugar syrup         50 ml

Salt                     5 gm


Method
Soak rice in water for 
three hours.

Steam the rice in a steamer; cook for 15-20 minutes.

Mix cooked rice with sugar syrup, coconut cream and a pinch of salt.

Peel and slice Thai mango.

For plating, arrange rice quenelles, sprinkle sesame seeds and place mango slice on top. Drizzle coconut cream on plate.

Garnish with roasted dry slice of coconut.

Sol Kadi

Sol Kadi

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

8 ounces kokum fruit 
(can substitute with 
tamarind, lime or 
lemon juice)

2 cups coconut milk

2 cups water

½ teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly roasted

1 large green chilli

3 cloves garlic

¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons fresh coriander, finely chopped

Preparation

In a saucepan, combine kokum with the water and boil until the liquid reduces to 1 cup.

In a blender, combine the kokum and the kokum water with all the other ingredients except coriander; blend until the chillies and garlic are coarsely chopped.

Strain the mixture through a muslin or cheesecloth.

Mix the chopped coriander into the liquid and refrigerate until chilled.

Mrouziya

Ingredients:

2 pounds lamb chunks

2 teaspoons Ras El Hanout (Blend of spices including cardamom, clove, cinnamon, ground chili peppers, coriander, peppercorn, and turmeric, all ground and mixed)

4 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup almonds and raisins each.



How to make Mrouziya :

Pre Heat oven to 350 degrees. Take the lamb chunks and glaze the Ras El Hanout on them well. Place this in a dish and add water and the honey to it. Bake in the oven for two hours, however ensure to cover the dish.

Now drain out the excessive oil and remove the lamb from the stew. Add the almonds and raisins to the stew. Boil this mixture until it thickens. Now place the lamb chunks again in the stew and leave it to boil for a few minutes. Serve with bread.

Mutton Biryani

Mutton Biryani


Ingredients:

2 cups Rice

1 kg Mutton

10 gms Cardamom, Cinnamon and Cumminseed

40 gms Ginger, garlic, salt and chillies as per taste

2 Lemons

Curd and Ghee.

How to make Mutton Biryani:

Wash the mutton well. Grind the ginger garlic, chillies, and other spices and add it to the mutton. Add curd to this mixture. Boil 6-8 cups of water in a vessel and then add rice to it. Place the mutton mixture in a pressure cooker. When the rice is ready, spread it over the mutton mixture.

Let it cook for 30 minutes on a low flame.

Malabari Prawn Curry

Ingredients:


750 gms large prawns

THE MARINADE

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp refined oil

THE CURRY BASE

3 tsp refined or coconut oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2-3 green chillies, slit A few curry leaves

4-5 shallots, julienned Ginger, sliced thin

4-5 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric, coriander powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/5 cup fresh coconut Milk

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup thick coconut Cream (commercial)

Juice of 1/2 a lime

2 tsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method


> Peel the prawns and take off the heads. Leave the tails intact. Make a shallow cut down the spine of the prawns and remove the veins and discard them. Wash the prawns under cold running water and drain thoroughly.

> THE MARINADE: Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the prawns, rub the marinade into them, making sure that all of them are evenly coated in the simple marinade. Cover and put into the refrigerator.

> THE CURRY: To make the base, heat a medium-sized pan and add the oil. Once the oil is hot and nutty in its aroma, add the mustard seeds and sauté them on medium heat, till they crackle. Add the green chillies, curry leaves, shallots, ginger and garlic. Sauté them on medium heat for a few minutes, till they are soft, fragrant and slightly coloured. Sprinkle in the spice powders and salt and sauté the spices or a few minutes, till well toasted and intensely aromatic. Add a few drops of water and bhuno the spices and aromatics a few times on high heat, till the masala is homogenous and the oil has risen to the surface. Once the masala is a rich yellow-green in colour and fully cooked, turn the heat down to low and add the coconut milk to the pan.

Stir the coconut milk and spice base and bring to a gentle boil to amalgamate the flavours. Turn the heat down further and simmer the delicate, golden-coloured curry, till it is reduced by a quarter, is semi-thick in consistency and a little oil has risen to the surface. Now add the cherry tomatoes and simmer them in the coconut milk gravy for 6-8 minutes or till they have softened a little and released some of their sweetness into the gravy. Stir everything together a few times and then add the prawns and coconut cream to the simmering gravy. Gently stir the prawns around and poach them in the delicate curry, till they are perfectly cooked through and succulent. The prawns are ready to eat when they curl up fully and are firm to the touch.

Now, add the lime juice to the pan and stir through, then sprinkle the coriander leaves and turn off the heat. Check for a balance of flavours: the prawns should be thoroughly cooked, moist from within, tender and beautifully flavoured with the delicate coconut and spice-based gravy. The lovely, bright yellow curry should be creamy, with the rich coconut sweetness and the delicate spices coming through perfectly on the finish. The cherry tomatoes and coriander leaves should provide a distinct flourish and an amazing contrast of colours as well. Serve with steamed or lemon rice.