SHRIMP PULAV

Ingredients:
Rice – 1 ½ cup
Shrimp – 1 lb
Ghee – 2-3 tbsp
Onion – 1 big, sliced
Ginger – 1”
Garlic – 4-5 cloves
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Red chili powder – ½ tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Black cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Freshly chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
For masala:
Black pepper corns – 10-12
Cloves – 3-4
Cardamom – 2-3
Cinnamon – 1” stick
Bay leaf – 1
Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp

Cooking procedure:
Wash the rice till the water runs clear. Drain the water using colander and let the rice sit in colander till you prepare the other ingredients. Wash the shrimp, drain the water and add ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp salt and keep aside. Grind ginger, garlic and coriander leaves to a fine paste. Grind all the ingredients for masala into a fine powder. I use coffee grinder to grind the spices. Boil 3-4 cups of water.
Heat the ghee in a big skillet. I use deep skillets to cook rice so that they get even heat and rice is also fluffy. Then add the onion and fry on medium heat till they become golden brown. Then add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Then add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, sugar and sauté till the oil separates. Then add the shrimp, lemon juice and mix well. Let it cook for a minute. Then add the rice, black cumin seeds and masala powder. Mix everything and add the boiling water. Let the rice boil for 5 minutes and then cover it, reduce the flame to medium or low and let cook till the rice becomes tender. Half way through the cooking of rice, sprinkle some cold water over the pulav, again cover it and continue cooking. Do this for aleast two times and you will see the rice puff. Finally garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and lemon. Serve with radish salad.

RADISH KOSHIMBIR (SALAD)

Ingredients:
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
Radish (daikon) – 1 cup, grated
Green chilies – 2-3
Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp, chopped
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Mix all the above ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and keep aside for the flavors to combine. On hot days, I prefer to keep the salad in refrigerator.

BHARLE KARLE (STUFFED BITTER GOURD)

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd – 4, small
Masala for stuffing:
Roasted peanut – ½ cup
Garlic – 5-6 cloves
Garam masala – 1 tbsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Sesame seeds – 1 tsp, optional
Fresh chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
Salt

Cooking procedure:
Wash the bitter gourd properly and slit them lengthwise leaving 1/2" from top and bottom ends so that the two halves DO NOT separate. Gently scoop out the seeds and discard them. We like our gourds little bitter, but if you want to reduce the bitterness you can blanch them in salty water. To blanch the gourds boil a large pot of water, add salt, gourds and cook for just 2 minutes, do not over cook. Adjust the cooking time as per the tenderness of the gourd. Drain the gourds and they are ready to be stuffed.
For the masala, grind all the ingredients except the coriander leaves to form a fine powder. Do not over mix or lumps will form. Then remove all the masala in a plate and add freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Stuff this masala into the bitter gourd and keep aside. Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in shallow pan. Add the stuffed bitter melon to it with stuffing side down and cook on medium heat. When the masala gets brown, flip the gourd, cover the pan and let cook on low to medium heat till the gourd gets tender. To check if the gourd is cooked, if you poke a knife in the ends of the gourd and if it goes through easily, it means the gourd is cooked. For last few minutes of cooking remove the lid and let it cook on low flame so that the bitter gourd gets crispier.

GILKYACHE BHARIT (CURRIED SPONGE GOURD MASH)

Ingredients:
Sponge gourd – 3, chopped
Onion – 1 big, finely chopped
Green chilies – 5-6
Garlic cloves – 3-4

Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Asafetida a pinch
Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Below is the picture of sponge gourd. I buy this vegetable in Indian store or at farmers market.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the sponge gourd and sauté on high heat 2 minutes. Now add the salt, reduce the heat, cover and let cook till the gourd becomes tender. As you add salt, water will start oozing out of the gourd. If you notice that there is lot of water, sauté it on high heat, stirring continuously. Now remove the pan and keep aside. Make green chilies and garlic paste.

In a big pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Then add mustard seeds, when they start to pop, add the cumin seeds, peanuts and onions. Fry the onion on medium heat, till they become translucent. Then add the garlic paste. Mix well and fry for a minute, then add the turmeric powder, asafetida and salt. Mix well and add the cooked sponge gourd. Mix everything well and cover and let cook till the oil separates. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. This bharit taste very good with bhakri, pair it with kadhi and you will have a complete meal.

VEGETABLE PASTA

Ingredients:
Pasta – ½ lb
Garlic – 5-6 cloves, chopped finely
Red chili flakes – ¼ tsp
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Carrot – 1 medium, diced
Celery – 3 stalks, chopped
Green bell pepper – ¼ cup, chopped
Dry basil – ½ tsp
Dry oregano – ¼ tsp
Tomato – 1 can, 14 oz petite diced
Salt
Sugar – ¼ tsp
Black pepper powder – ¼ tsp
Extra virgin olive oil – 3 tbsp
Freshly chopped parsley for garnishing
Grated parmesan cheese – ¼ cup

Cooking Procedure:
Bring a big pot of water to a boil.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the garlic. Sauté the garlic for a minute and then add the onion. Fry the onion on medium heat till they become translucent, stirring occasionally. Then add red chili flakes, carrot, celery and green bell pepper. Mix everything well and add the salt and let it cook for a minute or two. Then add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, black pepper and sugar . Mix everything well, cover the pan and let it cook till the oil separates.
When the pasta water starts boiling, salt it generously and add the pasta. Cook the pasta as per the directions on the package, checking a minute before the indicated time. I cook pasta little more that al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the remaining water using a colander. Add the pasta water to the sauce and mix well. Reduce the heat and add the pasta. Mix everything well till all the pasta gets covered with the sauce. Turn off the heat and add grated parmesan cheese and mix well. Finally garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.

POTATO BHAJI

Ingredients:
Potato – 4
Onion – 1 big, chopped
Garlic – 3-4
Ginger – 1”
Green chilies – 3-4
Curry leaves – 3-4
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Methi seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Asafetida a pinch
Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Boil the potato, peel them and chop then into small pieces. Make ginger, garlic and green chili paste. Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add the cumin seeds and methi seeds. Then add the onion and fry till they become translucent. Then add the green chili paste and curry leaves. Fry the paste for a minute. Then add the turmeric powder, asafetida and salt. Mix everything well and then add the boiled potato. Mix everything well, cover it and let cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. You can serve this bhaji with dosa, roti and also use in missal.

KOLHAPURI MISAL PAAV

Ingredients:
Muth beans – 1 cup
Mung beans – ½ cup
Peanut – 3 tbsp

For Usal:
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Garlic – 2-3 chopped
Tomato – 1 small, chopped
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
Pinch of asfoetida
Coriander powder – ½ tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Salt

For Rassa/ Gravy:
Frozen shredded coconut – ½ cup
Ginger – 1”
Garlic – 3-4
Chopped coriander leaves – 3-4 tbsp
Onion – 1 big, finely chopped
Bay leaf – 3-4
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Kolhapuri masala – 1 tsp
Salt
Boiling water

Potato bhaji – 1 bowl

For Garnishing:

Onion - 1 big, finely chopped

Tomato - 1 big, finely chopped

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Lime - 1

Cooking Procedure:
Wash the moong beans and muth beans in different containers till the water runs clear. Take three times more water to fill each container and soak them overnight. The other day drain all the water using a colander. Dampen two muslin cloths and put the beans in centre of the cloth. Gather all the ends in the center and tie them together, to form a pouch. Keep these pouches in a container, cover them and keep them in a warm place. You can see sprouts coming out of the cloth after 7-8 hours.
To make the usal, transfer the sprouted beans and peanuts to a big pot. Add three times as much water in the pot and bring it to a boil. Cook the beans till they get half cooked. Now separate the beans and water. Reserve the water for Rassa.
To make the usal, heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in a pan, and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splatter add the cumin seeds. Then add the garlic and sauté for minute. Then add the onions and Sauté till they become golden brown. Then add the tomatoes and sauté for minute. Now add the turmeric powder, asafetida, coriander powder, red chili powder and salt. Mix everything very well and sauté till the oil separates. Then add one cup of hot water and cook till the oil separates. Then add the cooked beans and mix everything well. Cook covered till the beans get completely cooked. Add little hot water if required.
To make the rassa, grind the coconut, ginger and garlic to a fine paste. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan and add the bay leaf and onions. Fry the onion till they become golden brown. Then add the coconut paste and fry till the oil separates. Then add turmeric powder, asafetida, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masala, kolhapuri masala and salt. Mix everything well and add a cup of boiling water. Boil it till the oil separates. Then add 3-4 cups of boiling water and adjust the water as per your required consistency. Let the curry boil for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

To serve the misal, place 1 tbsp of potato bhaji in the plate and then top it with the usal, then with onion, tomato. Then add the ladle full of rassa. Finally top it with sev and coriander leaves. Serve paav on the side.

APPE

Ingredients:
Rice- 2 cups
Chana dal – 1 cup
Urad dal – ½ cup
Thick poha – 1 cup
Green chilies – 6-7
Chopped coriander leaves – ¼ cup
Eno/ baking Soda – ¼ tsp

Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Wash the rice, chana dal and urad dal in separate containers till the water runs clear. Take three times more water to fill each container and soak them overnight. The other day remove the excess water and grind the rice, chana dal and urad dal separately into a fine paste. Use little water while grinding*. As you grind the rice and dals, remove the pastes in one big container. Mix everything well to form a cake like batter. Add salt and leave the mixture to ferment for about 6-8 hours or till it rises. I keep the batter in oven and keep the oven light ON, so that the heat from the lamp boasts the fermentation process.
Before making the appe, finely chop the green chilies and coriander leaves and add it to the batter. Mix the batter well. Crush the poha with hands, add it to the batter and mix well. Just before making the appe, mix in the soda. Heat the appe mould and add a teaspoon of oil in each mould. This how the appe mould looks like. I bought this in India. You can buy it in US as well and is called "Aebleskiver Pan".

Pour a spoon full of batter in each mould and cook it covered on medium heat for about a minute.

Remove the lid and flip the appe.

Let the other side cook till golden brown. Serve hot with coconut chutney. If you want to eat the appe later, I usually remove the appe and keep them on cooling rack to cool so that they remain crispy. When they cool down a bit, I transfer them to a container. You can reheat them in the microwave.

* I use oster blender to blend the dals or rice and add about ½ cup of any ingredient in the blender so that air can circulate and the blades don’t get jammed. If you add too much, the blades get stuck and the required consistency and texture of the batter is not achieved.

COCONUT CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup
Roasted peanuts – 2 tbsp
Green chilies – 3-4
Ginger – 1 tsp, chopped
Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp, chopped
Curry leaves – 3-4
Salt

For tempering (tadka):
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Asafetida a pinch

Cooking Procedure:
Grind the coconut, peanuts, green chilies, ginger, coriander leaves, curry leaves and salt to a fine paste. Add little water while grinding if required. For tempering, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splatter, add the cumin seeds. Remove the pan from heat and add the asafetida, till the oil is hot. Pour the tadka over the chutney. You can use this chutney with dosa, dhirde, appe and even sandwiches.

DATE AND TAMARIND CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
Pitted Dates – 1 cup
Tamarind paste – ¼ cup
Jaggery – 1 cup
Water – 4 cups
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Salt

Cooking procedure:
Wash the dates properly. Add the dates to a pan, and then add the tamarind paste, jaggery, red chili powder, asafetida, salt and water. Bring this mixture to a boil and cook it for about 20- 25 mins. Then after the mixture is completely cooled, grind it to a fine paste. Strain it and store it in an airtight container. You can store this chutney in the freezer for a month. This chutney can be used to make bhel puri, pani puri, as a topping in many chaats, topping on dahivade.

DAHI VADE

Ingredients:
Urad dal – 3 cups
Moong dal – 1 cup
Yogurt – 5 cups
Green chlies – 4
Ginger – 2”
Sugar – 5-6 tbsp or as required
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Salt
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Date and tamarind chutney – ¼ cup

Cooking Procedure:
Wash the urad dal and moong dal in separate containers till the water runs clear. Soak the urad dals in 8 cups of water and moong dal in 3 cups of water for about 8-9 hours. Then drain the water and grind the dals to a fine paste. Don’t add too much water while grinding. The batter should be little bit thick in consistency. Add salt to the mixture abd whip the batter for 2-3 mins till it becomes little fluffy. To fry the vadas, heat some oil in a pan. I use a flat bottom pan to fry the vadas and add as much oil to cover 2 inch of the pan. To see is the oil is sufficiently hot, add a drop of batter in the oil, and if it comes to the top immediately, that means the oil is ready for frying. Add tablespoon size balls of batter in the oil and fry till golden brown. For one batch of vadas add 5-6 balls of batter in the oil or adjust the number of vadas as per the size of pan. The vadas tend to expand during frying. Fry the vadas on medium heat till golden brown. Fry all the vadas. Take some luke warm in a big bowl and add salt to it. Transfer the fried vadas to the water and leave them for a minute. Gently press the vadas in palm of your hands, to remove the excess water. Keep them aside.
To make the yogurt, grind the ginger and green chilies to a fine paste. Add the chili paste to the yogurt along with sugar, cumin powder and salt. Whisk everything very well. Add little water if the yogurt is very thick. Keep the yogurt in refrigerator to cool.
To serve the dahi vada, place the vadas in the plate and top it with the yogurt and sprinkle little red chili powder on the top. Finally drizzle with some date chutney.

BREAKFAST PANINI

Ingredients:
Sandwich buns – 2
Eggs – 4
Green chilies – 3-4, chopped
Onion – 2, medium sliced
Tomato – 2, medium sliced
Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
Cheese as required
Salt
Pepper
Butter – 2 tbsp

Cooking Procedure:
First make the omelettes. To make the omelettes take 1 tbsp of water in a bowl. Add salt, black pepper powder and coriander leaves, mix well then add the eggs ( I use 1 whole egg and 1 egg white to make one omelet). Whip everything very well. Then heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add the egg mixture and spread all over the pan. After one side gets completely cooked, flip the omelet and let the other side cook. Remove the omelet and keep aside.

Prepare the sandwich, apply butter to the outer sides of the snadwich buns. I use alluminium sheet for easy cleanup. On the bottom bun, place the omelette and top it with onion and green chilies.

Place the tomato slices on top of the onions. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

Then add the cheese, I used mexican four cheese mix

Now place the other bun on top of the prepared sandwich and place it in the panini maker. Grill for 4-5 minutes till it has golden brown crust. We like to eat this sandwich with tomato ketchup and ranch.

POTATO AND TOMATO BHAAJI

Potato and tomato are cooked with little gravy

Ingredients:
Potato – 2
Onion – 1 big, chopped
Tomato – 2, medium, chopped
Garlic – 2-3, chopped
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
Asafeotida – a pinch
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Salt
Roasted peanut powder – 1 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Cooking Procedure:
Peel the potato and cut them into small pieces. Keep the potatos in water so that it doesn’t get brown.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and when they start to sparkle add the cumin seeds. Then add the garlic and onion. Sauté till the onion becomes golden brown. Then add the turmeric powder, asafoetida, red chili powder and salt. Then add the tomato and sauté for a minute. Then add the potato and mix well. Now add 1 ½ cups of boiling water. Bring it to a boil and then add peanut powder and chopped coriander leaves. Now reduce the heat, cover and let cook till the potato becomes tender. Serve hot with chapatti/ roti, also this bhaji tastes good with rice.

VEGETABLE PULAV

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice – 1 ½ cup
Water – 3 cups
Ghee – 2-3 tbsp
Cashew nuts – 10-12 halves
Black pepper – 6-7
Cloves – 3-4
Cardamom – 2-3
Cinnamon – 2”
Bay leaf - 2
Black cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Onion – 1 big, sliced thinly
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Green chilies - 2-3
Cauliflower – ½ cup, small florets
Mixed vegetables* – ½ cup
Yogurt – 3-4 tbsp
Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Wash the rice till the water runs clear. Drain the water using a colander and keep the rice aside.
Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a pan. Add the cashews and fry them on low heat till golden brown. Remove the cashews from the pan and keep aside. Then add the cauliflower and fry till golden brown, stirring continously. Remove the cauliflower from pan and keep aside.
In the same pan, heat 2 tbsp of ghee. Add the black pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf. Then add the onions and fry till they become translucent. Then add the green chilies, ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Then add the mixed vegetables and sauté for a minute. Now add the cauliflower and cashews. Mix well and then add the yogurt. Mix well and then add the rice and black cumin seeds. Mix well and add the boiling water. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover and let the rice cook till tender. Don’t mix the rice too much otherwise the grain of rice will break. After about 10 mins sprinkle ¼ cup cold water over the rice, again cover and let steam for 5 more minutes. This makes the rice fluffy and tender. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and roasted slivered almonds. Serve hot.

* I used frozen mixed vegetables which contains green peas, corn, green peas, lima beans, you can use fresh vegetables as well.

GREEN CHILI THECHA

Thecha is basically Green chili and garlic chutney. It’s the most common side dish in Maharashtrian cuisine due to its spiciness. It goes great with leafy vegetables like methichi bhaji, palak paratha also with millet bhakri, jawar bhakri

Ingredients:
Green chilies – 15-20
Garlic – 4-5, big cloves
Salt
Oil
Freshly chopped coriander leaves – 3-4 tbsp
Roasted peanut powder – 1-2 tbsp

Cooking Procedure:
Remove the stems from the green chilies and wash them. Remove the water and transfer the chilies to a pan. Roast the chilies, stirring continuously till they become soft and have black spots on them. Don’t burn them, roast them on medium heat. After the chilies get roasted add the garlic and continue roasting for a minute. Now remove the pan from heat and keep aside to cool. Then place the chilies and garlic along with some salt in the food processor and grind them to form a coarse paste.

In the same pan, heat 2-3 tbsp of oil. Then add the chili paste to it and sauté till the oil seperates, remember to stir continuously so that the paste won’t stick. Then add the peanut powder and freshly chopped coriander leaves. Continue cooking for a minute or two. You can store this chutney in a airtight container in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

METHICHI BHAJI

Fenugreek leaves cooked in peanut sauce

Ingredients:
Fresh fenugreek leaves – 3-4 cups
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Asafoetida a pinch

For paste:
Roasted peanut - ½ cup
Garlic – 3-4 cloves
Green chilies – 3-4

Cooking Procedure:
Grind the roasted peanuts, garlic and green chilies to a fine paste.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Then add the turmeric powder and hing. Now add the fenugreek leaves and sauté for a minute. Now add the peanut paste and fry for 2 minutes. Then cover and let cook till the methi get tender. Serve hot with bajri/millet bhakri or roti.

ROASTED PEANUTS

Most of the Maharashtrian recipes make the use of roasted peanuts and it is very economical to make them at home. You can make them in bulk and use upto 3- 4 weeks. If you have ready made roasted peanuts, it is easier to make some dishes.
Place the raw peanuts in a non stick pan and roast on low to medium heat, stirring continuously. You will see brown spots on the peanut that means the peanuts have finished roasting and have become crisp. Remove the pan from heat and keep aside to cool. Cool down the peanuts completely. Then remove the skin by taking handful of peanuts and rubbing them. You will notice that the skin will come out easily. Remove the skin of all the peanuts. You can separate the skins from peanuts by just blowing away the skin or putting it in the colander. You can store the peanuts in airtight container. Also you can make the fine powder by placing the peanut in a blender and blend till powder is formed. Dont blend too much or it will turn into a paste.

TAWA PULAO

Ingredients:
Cooked rice – 2 cups
Boiled potato – 1, medium
Onion – 1, big sliced
Green bell pepper – ½, sliced
Green peas – ¼ cup
Cauliflower florets – 2-3
Tomato – 1, medium chopped
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Hing a pinch
Red chili powder – ¼ tsp
Pav bhaji masala – 1 tbsp
To garnish:
Butter
Sliced onion
Chopped cilantro
Lemon wedge

Cooking procedure:
Place the cauliflower florets and green peas in a microwave safe bowl and fill it with water till it fully covers the veggies. Microwave covered on high. After about 8-10mins drain all the water and keep aside. Now chop the cauliflower into small pieces, as shown in picture.

In a medium pan, heat 2-3 tbsp of oil. Add the onion and sauté till translucent. Now add the green bell pepper and fry for a minute. Then add the potato, cauliflower, green peas, tomato and sauté for minute. Do not cook the vegetables too much, they should remain crunchy. Then add the turmeric powder, hing and pav bhaji masala. Mix everything very well and add salt. Now add the boiled rice and mix everything very well. Cover the pan and let steam for 1-2 mins on medium heat. Serve hot with a teaspoon of butter, sliced onions, chopped cilantro and lemon juice.

GRILLED VEGETABLE PANINI

Ingredients:
Bread* – 4-6, slices
Zucchini – 1, cut into strips
Onion – 2, medium, sliced
Tomato – 2, medium, sliced
Canned roasted red bell pepper – 2, cut into strips
Dried basil – ½ tsp
Dried oregano – ¼ tsp
Black pepper powder – ¼ tsp
Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tbsp
Fresh mozzarella cheese – 6-7 slices
Red chili flakes – 1 tsp
Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Place all the vegetables in a big bowl. Add dried basil, oregano, black pepper powder, salt and olive oil. Then grill all the vegetables.

To build the panini, brush all the bread slices with olive oil on one side. On the other side place the zucchini, top it with onion, then with roasted bell pepper and tomato. Then top all the vegetables with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle black pepper powder, salt and red chili flakes. Top with other slice, with olive oil side on top and place it in Panini press. Grill it till golden brown.

* I used Sour dough bread but you can use any bread of your choice. Sometimes I use Focaccia or Ciabatta, they form a nice crispy crust.

DAL MAKHAANI

Ingredients:
Udad dal * – 1 cup
Kidney beans – ¼ cup
Onion – 1 big, chopped
Garlic – 4-5
Ginger – 1”
Tomato – 2, medium
Bay leaf – 2
Red chili paste – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Hing – a pinch
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Salt
Heavy whipping cream – ¼ cup

Cooking Procedure:
Wash the udad dal till the water runs clear and soak in water for 5-6 hours. Also soak the kidney beans. After that pressure cook both rajma and udad dal till tender.

Blanch the tomato and puree them. Make ginger garlic paste. Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in a pan and add the bay leaves. Then add onions and sauté the onion till they become golden brown.

Now add the ginger garlic paste and Sauté for a minute. Now add the tomato puree, red chili paste and sauté till oil separates.

Then add turmeric powder, hing, mix well then add the cooked dal and kidney beans. Bring it to a boil. Adjust the water as per the required consistency. Finally add the garam masala and cream. Serve hot with roti/ Naan/ rice.

* I used split black urad with skin, you can use whole urad.

ROASTED CORN SALAD

Ingredients:
Corn kernel – 1 ½ cup
Onion – 1 small, chopped finely
Tomato – 1 medium, chopped finely
Cucumber – 1 chopped, finely
Green chili – 1 chopped
Fresh chopped coriander leaves
Jeera powder – ½ tsp
Red chili powder – ¼ tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Salt

Cooking Procedure:
Take 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add corn and roast till they get cooked. Then add red chili powder, salt and mix well. Remove from pan immediately or the red chili powder will burn and keep aside to cool. After the corn gets cooled add the chopped onion, tomato, cucumber, green chilies, jeera powder, lemon juice, and finally add chopped coriander leaves.
You can use fresh as well as frozen corn kernel. I barbeque the corns remove the kernels and freeze them in small freezer bags, so that I can use one packet at a time to make the salad. In that case I add the red chili powder and salt after I thaw the corn.

COUSCOUS SALAD

Ingredients:
Couscous – 1 cup
Water – 2 ½ cups
Butter – 1 tbsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Ginger – 3-4 slices
Green peas – ¼ cup
Chickpeas – 15 oz can
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Tomato – 2 small, deseeded and chopped
Cucumber – 2 small, chopped
Jalapeno – 1, deseeded and chopped
Freshly chopped coriander leaves
Roasted cumin powder – ½ tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Extra virgin olive oil – 2tbsp
Salt

Cooking procedure:
Put the water in a pot. Add butter, salt, ginger and green peas to the water and bring it to a boil. Now remove the pot from the burner and add the couscous. Cover the pan with the lid and keep aside for couscous to cook. Let the couscous cool down completely. Fluff the couscous with fork. In a big bowl add onion, tomato, cucumber, jalapeno and coriander leaves. Mix well then add chickpeas, cumin powder, lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Mix well and then add the couscous. Mix everything well and keep the salad aside for 15-20 mins , so that the couscous takes the flavors from the vegetables. You can eat this salad cold. It’s a meal in itself and is very good for picnics.

HYDERABADI MURGH BIRYANI

Ingredients:
Garam masala:
Black pepper – 2 tbsp
Cloves – 1 tsp
Green cardamom – 6-7
Black cardamom – 2
Cinnamon stick – 2”

Grind all the above ingredients to form a fine powder.

Chicken – 1 lbs
Ginger Garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Green chilies – 4-5
Fried onion* - 1/3 cup + 2-3 tbsp for layering
Yogurt – ¾ cup
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tbsp
Freshly chopped coriander leaves
Freshly chopped mint leaves
Oil
Potato chips of 1 potato, thinly sliced

Rice – 1.5 lbs, 3 cups
Water – 9 cups
Cinnamon stick – 1”
Cardamom – 3-4
Cloves – 3-4
Shahijeera (caraway seeds) – ¼ tsp
Salt
Milk – 200 ml
Saffron – 4-5 strands

Cooking procedure:
To marinate the chicken, take the yogurt in a big bowl. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 3-4 tbsp of oil and whisk well. Then add then green chilies, fried onions, 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves and salt. Mix well and then add the chicken. Massage the chicken properly with the marinate using your hands. Cover the bowl and keep aside to marinate for 2-3 hours.
Add the saffron to the milk and keep aside.

Prepare the heavy bottom pot in which you are making the biryani by spreading the potato chips at the bottom. Now put the marinated chicken over the potato chips. Spread the chicken evenly.

Wash the rice till the water runs clear. Drain the rice in colander and keep aside. Mean while in a big pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, shahijeera and salt. Then add the rice and boil it on medium high heat till the rice gets half cooked.

If you pinch the grain of rice and if it’s a little soft, then its time to drain it. Immediately put half of the drained rice above the chicken. Evenly sprinkle some garam masala, chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions over the rice.

Now top it with remaining rice. Finally pour the saffron milk and 3-4 tbsp of melted ghee evenly over the rice. Transfer the pot to the burner. Cover the pot and cook on medium heat for first 10 minutes. Then sprinkle some water, cover and then cook on low heat for 30-35 mins. Serve with raita and mirchi ka salan.

* I have used store bought fried onions. While buying fried onions make sure to take a look at the ingredients, it should contain only onion, oil and salt. Some times they add cornflour or maida to make the onions crispier fast. That changes the taste and texture of the gravy. To make fried onions at home, slice the onion and fry them on medium flame, stirring continuously till they become dark brown. Then remove the onions on the paper towel and spread them evenly in a thin layer so that they remain crispy.

You can fry the onions a day before you plan to make the biryani. Also marinate the chicken a day before and the next day you just need to layer the biryani and cook. Also you can use dough to cover the lid, so that the vapor doesn’t escape and gives the dum effect. I sometimes use dough to cover the lid and sometimes just put on the lid.