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Malwani Chicken   Ingredients: Desi chicken 1 kg Onion 4 Coconut 1 Malwani masala 4 tsp Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder 1 tsp Dry coconut grated      2 tbsp Rice   1 tsp Ginger 2 inch Garlic  6-8 cloves Green chilly     2 Coriander leaves 1 tbsp Oil     2 tbsp Salt   Method to make Malwani chicken: First make paste of ginger, garlic and green chilly. Clean chicken and marinate with Malwani masala, turmeric powder, and grind paste. Keep aside for 30 min. Cut 2 onions in slices and 2 in fine pieces. Grate coconut. In a kadhai heat 1 tbsp oil and fry onion slices till brown. Then add grated coconut and fry it till dark brown. Add rice and dry coconut in it and mix well. Make paste in mixture with sufficient water. In a pan heat oil and fry the chicken till light brown. Cover the pan for 4-5 mins on low flame. Add little water. Allow to cook. Then add salt. Lastly pour grind coconut paste with garam masala powder. Malvani chicken is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves.

SOYA THANDAI INGREDIENTS: 3 cups soya milk 1 tablespoon cashews 1 tablespoon almonds 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 5 peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder 6 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon rose water METHOD: Blanch and peel the almonds. Soak all the ingredients (except sugar and rose water) in water for about four hours. Grind into a fine paste. Add the paste to cold soya milk and strain through a muslin cloth. Discard the residue. Add sugar and rose water to the strained soya milk. Chill the thandai and serve with ice.

Ten years back when Noida was still a poor cousin of New Delhi, the brother-sister duo both still in college at the time-set up a restaurant there, called Punjabi by Nature. Neither had any experience in the hospitality business but say they were foodies looking to fill the void of good Punjabi eating places in the NCR and, at the same time, start a venture of their own. Initially, they were helped by their father who runs a real estate business, but today, the two are on their own, clocking an annual turnover of Rs 25 crore and a growth rate of about 30 per cent. Yes, we are talking about Arjun and Pia Puri Having tasted success in the capital-where they have four restaurants-the Puris now plan to expand nationally over the next two years. When they started, Noida was a sleepy suburb. But with IT companies setting up shop in the area and the DND toll bridge allowing easy access, Noida’s Sector 18 market, the location of their first restaurant, became one of the most bustling areas of the township. The 180-cover restaurant became a success almost overnight. Chef Jeet Singh Thapa, who had worked previously at lTC’s famous Bukhara restaurant, was roped in to cook up innovative recipes. And innovative they were, starting with the vodka shots in golgappas, followed by beer as a chaser. The dishes that especially got tongues watering, and wagging were the raan-e-Punjab (leg of tandoori lamb), jhangi chaap (lamb chops with Indian spices), tandoori prawns, dahi ke kebab (made of hung curd), and the Lahori masala paneer-all of them served in traditional utensils. They set out to do something different with traditional Indian cuisine, which is how the idea of serving golgappas spiked with flavoured vodka came up. The vodka mix, a closely guarded secret, is prepared in-house over a month and is available in five flavours-two pepper versions, aam panna, jal jeera and tamarind. Buoyed by the good response to this unusual offering, Punjabi by Nature has now added tequila golgappas to the menu as well. In 2002, as business improved, the Puris decided to expand and set up a second outlet up in Delhi’s upmarket Vasant Vihar with 240 covers. In August 2006, they followed it up with a 180-cover eatery in Gurgaon. The latest outlet at Raja-Garden opened in December 2006, with 200 covers and an alfresco dining area. [...]

SPICY SAUCE IN CHANDIGARH Every city has its favourite eat streets-those by-lanes that buzz in the evenings with hungry shoppers jostling around stalls dishing out sizzling hot samosas, burgers and tikkis or ice-creams, soups and chaats drowned in spicy sauce. Chandigarh is no exception; it too has its share of pitstops that dole out no-frills but delicious fare. Meet Azeez, who is one of the biggest stars on Chandigarh’s eat street. The most famous golgappa seller in the city, Azeez says his day typically begins at six in the morning, when the day kisses the night. The whole day, he toils on the preparations for the spices and fillings that make his chaats the chat of the town and come evening, he’s ready at his stall in Sector 23. When the light starts going out, people start coming,” he laughs. Azeez, who quaintly is also known as Michael, is a rather poetic being. Gesturing towards his abundant spread of golgappas, aloo and chana, he pronounces: “All these things come from the sunlight, the colours of the rainbow and the glory of nature.” Interrupt him to ask him about hygiene and he bristles. “Hygiene is of paramount importance to us. People will never visit us again if they fall ill after having our golgappas. Which is why we keep the ingredients covered and wash our hands before serving customers.” Regular customer Natasha Sethi wouldn’t dream of having golgappas off a platter served by a waiter in a restaurant anyway. “No fancy restaurant can match the charm of a roadside vend. The real flavour of street food lies in the way it is served-on paper or leaf platters. Making and eating golgappas is an art. In any case, the water used to fill the golgappas is good for digestion,” she says. Despite the incursion of spiffy retail chains, burgeoning fast food outlets and stringent court diktats, the popularity of street food remains unchallenged. People enjoy getting their hands dirty and watching the vendor prepare the snack-an experience that can’t be matched by the best air-conditioned restaurants where kitchens are strictly out of bounds. That’s perhaps one of the reasons Mahendra Chopra, a New York-based watch designer, and his wife Yogita, are drawn to Punjab’s street food. Every time they are here, they stop by Ali’s roadside stall in Sector 21. “I don’t think anybody makes better burgers than him,” asserts Mahendra. Ali [...]

Gourd gets going The torai is often a-victim of overpowering spices and is seldom appreciated for its original flavour. Doodhiya, nenua, ghee torai call it by any name, the poor gourd remains Cinderella untransformed by any fairy godmother’s magic touch. Immensely beneficial, it has a sweet taste if you don’t (unwisely, according to us) adulterate it with tomatoes, onions, Garam masala and what not. The pilaf – presumably the root for pulav – is commonly acknowledged as a Central Asian contribution to global cuisine. Though references in Bhavprakashnighantu, an ancient ayurvedic text nail the lie. Palav was known to our ancestors as ‘rice cooked with meat and condiments’. The point is that even in times gone by the shakahari version was not found worth mentioning. Times have changed and nowadays there are myriad avatar in this genre-peas; navaratan, jeera, gucchi and what not. All much to our regret mimic their meaty cousin. What the torai pulav attempts is to assert the ‘superior’ simplicity of the dish. It is sufiana in temper, impressive in subtle play on the palate. Perhaps, a purist would frown upon the vegetarian pilaf but that does not detract from the sheer simplicity and pleasure of serving and having a well-made pilaf. This torai pilaf is not only quick to make but ensures that the subtle flavour of the torai and delicate aroma of rice are preserved. Often accused of being bland, the torai is often a victim of overpowering spices and is seldom appreciated for its original flavour. This recipe however does justice to the gentle flavour of torai. We acknowledge our debt for introducing us to this beauty to friend from Allahabad.             How to make TORAI PILAF   INGREDIENTS QUANTITY Torai 1 kg Basmati Rice 250 gm Onion(medium size) One Garlic ginger paste 1tbsp Cinnamon sticks One or Two Bay leaf One Brown cardamom One Green cardamom Two Shah zeera ½ tbsp Peppercorns ½ tbsp Cloves Three to four Ghee 3 tbsp Salt According to taste METHOD: Peel the torai, wash and cut in small pieces. Pick and wash rice then soak for about half an hour. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan. When it reaches smoking points put in first the bay leaf, then the royal cumin seeds and when these begin to pop up, add the other spices. After about thirty seconds put in the sliced onions and stir-fry briskly for a [...]

The Spinach Solutions The Popeye Spinach. It is the chef’s best help when in need – always so easy to cook and fast. Makes a great combination with cream and butter, or with tomato. It also adds color to a buffet spread. The only thing while cooking spinach is to watch out for a few points that many in India miss out: 1. Buy it fresh and cook it fresh. 2. Wash it in cold running water for at least 3-4 times to get the dirt out. 3. Boil it in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes only. 4. While boiling, do not cover the lid as then the spinach will tend to go black. 5. Drain and refresh immediately in cold water to retain the colour. 6. Never put it in water if it is not boiling. And don’t forget to put the salt in water. If you follow this method, you will get the brightest of spinach you have ever cooked. In fact this method holds true for most green veggies. Spinach has a large nutritional value, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. Apart from being a rich source of Iron and calcium it is a rich source of vitamins A, C, E, K, magnesium, and several vital antioxidants. Recently, opioid peptides called Rubiscolins have also been found in spinach. It is a source of folic acid, and this vitamin was first purified from spinach. To derive benefit from the folate in spinach, it is better to steam it than boil it. Boiling spinach for four minutes can halve the level of folate.     Cream of Spinach Soup (Epinard a la Creme) Ingredients: 1 & 1/2 cups water 300 gms cooked spinach as told to you above, (for that you will need 750gms raw spinach) 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups milk salt and pepper to taste 200gms of cream Method: In a medium saucepan, combine water and spinach. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook for two minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Stir in spinach mixture. Close the heat and stir in the cream. Spinach Baked Chicken (Chicken Florentine) Ingredients: 600 gms of boiled and chopped spinach (please see the steps above for boiling spinach) · 50 gm butter 2 cloves of garlic (chopped) Dash-dried [...]

INDULGE! Luxury, once considered the purview of a chosen few, is no longer that inaccessible. For the discerning, it is now well within reach; in fact, for the gourmet it is right there on the kitchen shelf beside the other stuff. Long confused with style, it is now clear that luxury is really in the detail. You will find it in the fragrance of long-grained basmati rice for your biryani; in the flavour of Kashmiri saffron soaked in warm milk for your dum recipes and in the red rice from Kerala. You will taste it in Peking Duck and you will savour it in Scottish Salmon; you will mask it with chives and boiled eggs when biting into Sevruga on Melba toast. You will feel it (terribly) in your effort to add that perfect pungency to your French & Italian dishes, when you pay an eye-popping 30,000 in INR, for half a kilo of black truffle. I didn’t say luxury was cheap, just more accessible! It’s back to the details. A perfect cup of morning tea cannot be the result of the leaves alone. A ceramic pot, chemical free water for boiling and the brewing method employed, all combine to give it the superlative touch. Similarly, luxurious evenings are not just about the guest list, or the catering. They are about subdued lighting, soft music, aromatic candles, gleaming cutlery, and fine bone china on spotless linen. Luxury is to not in the labels of fancy wine bottles, it is in the soil and climate of the region of their origin. It is in the dedication and patience of generations who have toiled for ages to provide value, instead of expense. It is in the sweetness of dessert wines. It is in the peat on the heaths around the lochs and glens of Scotland. Luxury is in pasta made from dough, hand-kneaded with spring waters. It is in the spices that flavour Awadhi kebabs, just as it is in the cuts of meat that go into their qormas. It is reflected in the traditional vessels employed for cooking of Chettinad delicacies, just as it is sealed with dough for a dum pukht experience. Luxury can be seen shining bright in the elaborate recipes handed down from the Mughal period. Experiments with special garnishes for royalty led to the use of real silver and gold leaf (warq). These dishes were even placed [...]

Luxury of a loaf With the mushrooming of cafes, bakeries and confectioneries in the city, the customer is certainly spoilt for choice. For one, the product is far superior in quality, it is mostly healthy and, the rest is packaged so invitingly, I’d buy it anyways. Be that as it may, we finally have available a doughnut, light and airy enough to be dunked in a steaming mug of black coffee. What’s more, it is spongy enough to soak in the hot liquid without leaving traces akin to an oil spill in the mug. Also, the variety of breads is mind boggling. No longer do you have to make do with the customary milk or caramelised brown bread, nor the special sandwich loaf from the neighbourhood bakery. No longer do you juggle the garlic baguette and the cheesy one for your ‘continental‘ evenings; you can now experiment with loaves garnished with olives and oregano. As for the ingredients, ‘you have a choice of breads prepared with atta, bran, soya, whole wheat, wholemeal, wholegrain; multi-grain, seeded… the list is endless. As a result, the once lowly sandwich, has suddenly acquired a certain air about itself. Given that it is essentially made up of leftovers disguised as exotica, it is quite the fashionable option to be caught eating with your cappuccino. Toasted, grilled or otherwise; hot or cold; open or layered, the fillings are as many (oftentimes as desi) as the toppings being offered by pizza companies. Depending on where you are eating, these carb-laden delights are served with good, bad or sour coleslaw. Potato crisps, tomato ketchup and mustard (or is it?) make up the rear end, unfailingly. Even as I fall victim to this food fashion, I am reminded of the ones my cousins, siblings and I created during our midnight feasts many summer vacations ago. Since this activity required utmost stealth, we could not rummage through the larder and had to make the most of easily available ammunition. Invariably, that comprised tough bread curling at the edges left out for feeding birds the following day! The fillings consisted of unbelievable (sometimes unidentifiable) material. Still, they were our mainstay when hunger pangs struck the instant the domestic help retired for the night. I’m not so sure how my insides would react to a banana, cheese and walnut sandwich today, or, apple and ginger on a layer of cream and sugar. [...]

A Consommé & The Minestrone. Come monsoons and a bowl of soup is one thing, other than piping cuppa tea, one can never say no to. In India soups have come a long way: from the doctor advising you to have soup to recuperate and mom putting all the bountiful ingredients, chosen with care, in a pot boiled for hours to the lamb knuckle soup that keeps you warm in winters.  Nowadays, while some people prefer soup as a starter to meals, others, especially on a diet, take soups as a whole nourishing meal with no calories at all. Here are a few of my favourite soups. Clear soup: the most famous and the basic of soups, clear soup has its origin in the delicate French cookery and is very nutritious and nourishing. Very delicately flavoured, it is called Consommé. It can be served with different kinds of garnishes and hence gets its different names. A consommé should be crystal clear. The clarity comes from the albumen of the egg white and the coagulation of the meat and clearing quality of the egg shell. Basic recipe of a consommé: 200 gm minced lamb 1 litre stock or water (cold) 1 bay leaf,  1 clove 3-4 pepper corn 100gm mixed vegetables, finely chopped (onion, carrots, turnips, coriander left over, and ginger trimmings) 1 egg white with the egg shell crushed into it, Salt and white pepper powder to taste Method: Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together in cold water (or stock) in a thick bottom pan. Place on boil on high heat and bring to boil stirring only once. As soon as it comes to boil stir slightly once and reduce heat to gentle. Cook for an hour on very low heat without stirring. Strain carefully using a muslin cloth in a clean pot. Serve in a warm soup tureen after correcting seasoning. The next soup I am going to talk about is the world-famous soup form Italy called Minestrone. This is tomato based garlic flavoured soup with pasta and vegetables and cheese. Minestrone Ingredients: 300gm mixed vegetable (onion, carrots, turnips, cabbage) cut in small dices 50gm Butter 25gm French beans cut diagonally into diamond shape, 1 litre Stock, with 1 clove of crushed garlic, salt, 1 clove, 1 bay leaf, 3 peppers corns. Pinch of nutmeg , 25gm Peas, 200gm Tomatoes (de-skinned, de-seeded and finely chopped), 25gm Spaghetti or any [...]

HISTORY IN SPICES & SPICES IN HISTORY IF you’ve read histories of the colonial period then you’ll know that European traders first came to India because they were looking for spices to take back to their countries. In those days, any Indian spice was so highly valued in Western markets that traders found it worth their while to spend years at sea in inhospitable conditions just to return with a consignment of cloves or nutmeg. And Europeans, in turn, prided themselves on possession of the spices of the East. If a man had a fistful of nutmeg, he was probably a millionaire! To serve any kind of Indian spice was regarded as a mark of great prosperity and social accomplishment. As we all know, the Spice Route became the stuff of legends (and the subject of many contemporary books) and led, almost entirely; to the birth of colonialism. The Europeans first came here as traders (as in the case of John Company; better known later as the East India Company), then settled down to wage war with the local rajahs and nawabs and then took over great swathes of land. In most colonies, the traders were then replaced by governments themselves and 19th century imperialism was created: In India, for instance, the East India Company ran the show till 1857 when the violence of the Mutiny/Revolt/First War of Independence (pick your option according to your political perspective) led the Crown to intervene and Queen Victoria proclaimed that her government would administer India henceforth. Why am I giving you a history lesson? Well, because two things about this story have always intrigued me – more so, now, as we celebrate the anniversary of the battles of 1857. First of all, do we realize that the foundation of Imperialism – and certainly; of British rule in India – was food? If the East India Company had not arrived here in search of spices, there would have been no British Empire. But it’s the second thing .If the British came here looking for spices and the ones they took back to their country were so valued, then why is all European food (and English food in particular) so lacking in spice? Think about it. When you consider the diet of the average Brit, or even the rich Brit, in that era, do you imagine him eating anything other than joints of lamb, meat [...]