Grilled fish with a coconut-based curry and spinach

Ingredients (Serves 2)

2 fillets of salmon (you can use any fish of your choice such as trout)
1 can coconut milk 

2 green chillies (optional)
1/2 red onion
1/2 medium sized tomato 
1/2 teaspoon of each of these Indian spices (chilli, turmeric, coriander and cumin, garam masala)
a pinch of saffron (optional)
1 bay leaf 
1 stick of cinnamon

Sliced almonds for garnish (optional)

Avocado oil 

Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Cook spinach with a little bit of oil in a pan for a minute or so. After it releases water, keep it aside. 

Step 2: Sauté finely chopped green chilies and onion in a pan with some oil of your choice. After it has turned slightly golden, add some finely chopped tomato, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and all spices except garam masala and let it cook. 

Step 3: After it has cooked to resemble the consistency of a thick paste, add the coconut milk and a few strands of saffron if you have them. If the milk is very thick you can add some water. Add some garam masala, and let it simmer for 5 minutes or so and keep it aside. 

Step 4: Cut the salmon into fillets of desired sizes. Sprinkle some salt, pepper, spray it with oil and let it broil in the oven (at 450F) for 10 minutes on parchment paper in a baking pan. If you like your salmon slightly under-cooked, you could keep it in for 5 minutes. 

Step 5: Garnish the fish with some sliced almonds and saffron. Serve hot with rice. 

Lamb shank with greens (an Instapot recipe)

Ingredients

1 bag baby spinach 
Two large lamb legs
2 small red onions (finely diced)

2 tablespoons of each of these spices (chilli, turmeric, garam masala powders)

2 bay leaves

4 pods of whole garlic
2 tablespoons of whole spices (pepper corns, coriander seeds, fried ginger)
1 small can of tomato paste

Cooking oil (I used coconut oil)

Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Saute the onion in oil, add the whole spices, garlic pods and let it cook in an Instapot (on the sauté function) for 4 minutes or so until the onion is soft. 

Step 2: Dice the baby spinach leaves and add it to it. Let it cook for another 4 minutes on the sauté function. 

Step 3: Add the tomato can, and the lamb. Cook for approximately 6-7 on Slow cook function on the Instapot. If you would like to cook it faster, you can pressure cook it. 

Step 4: Serve hot with naan or rice. I served it with separately cooked khichadi (rice cooking with lentils, chick peas and kidney beans).

British sausage rolls

1-pound minced lamb

British sausage rolls with onion relish

1/2 red onion 

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 eggs for the mix, and 1 egg for egg wash. 

2 Pastry sheets

1/2 teaspoon chilli, turmeric, cumin and coriander powders [optional]

Step 1: Dice onion and sauté it until golden brown. 

Step 2: Mix lamb with eggs, salt, Indian spices if you prefer. Add the cooked onion to the mix. 

Step 3: Unfold the pastry sheet and cut each into half, place the prepared sausage mix into a log, about 1-inch wide in the middle of the rectangle. 

Step 4: Apply the edges of the pastry with egg wash and roll it over and seal the ends on either side. Brush the tops with egg wash. 

Step 5: Cut into 6-8 pieces and place them on a baking sheet. 

Step 6: Bake for 25 minutes at 400F. 

Step 7: Serve hot with a relish of your choice. 

Butter chicken - an instapot recipe

 Ingredients

1 whole chicken (cut into small pieces) or boneless chicken

1 large red onion
4 medium tomatoes

12 cashews

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon garam masala 

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

1 cup yoghurt

1/2 cup butter

Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup cream [optional]

1 cup readymade chicken stock [optional]

Step 1: Marinate the chicken pieces with ginger-garlic paste, 1 cup yoghurt and chilli/turmeric powder and set it aside for 4-5 hours. 

Step 2: In a pan, sauté sliced onion, tomatoes, cashews, chilli and garam masala powder. Let it cool and grind it into a thin paste. 

Step 3: Lightly fry (or deep fry if you prefer) the marinated chicken in the insta pot for 4-5 minutes. 

Step 4: Pour the paste into the chicken, add chicken stock, along with some butter and let it slow cook in the pot for approximately 30-40 minutes. 

Step 5: Once cooked, sprinkle some kasuri methi and cream [optional] on it. Serve hot with bread, naan or steamed rice. 

Indian style dry potato sabji

Poori bhaji

Ingredients 

5 medium potatoes 

1 teaspoon jeera seeds 

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida or hing

1 teaspoon turmeric powder 

8 green chilies

handful of coriander leaves

1 teaspoon lime 

handful curry leaves 

Salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Dry potato sabji or bhaji

Step 1: Boil potatoes in an Insta-Pot (2 minutes on High) or a regular pressure cooker (4 whistles). After releasing the pressure, peel and cut into small pieces and apply turmeric powder, salt, lime and little sugar. Keep aside. 

Step 2: In a separate pan, heat oil and add jeera seeds and let them cook until they splutter. Add curry leaves, asafoetida powder, and finely chopped chilies into the oil. Add some water and let it cook on a low flame for 5-7 minutes. 

Step 3: Add the potato (from step 1) and let it cook on a low flame for 5-10 minutes. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatis or pooris. 

Sesame Prawn Toast

Sesame prawn toast 

Ingredients

White bread slices (as needed)
12-15 prawns/shrimps
2 tablespoons soya sauce

1 medium sized red onion

1 teaspoon tomato ketchup

5 green chilies

1 tablespoon chilli sauce or chilli powder

2 tablespoons corn flour

White sesame seeds (as needed)

2 eggs 

Salt to taste

2 teaspoon vinegar (optional)

Oil to fry

Step 1: Mince the shrimp and marinate with salt. 

Step 2: Dice and sauté the onion, finely chopped chilies, tomato ketchup, soya sauce, vinegar, sugar and salt for around 5 minutes on low flame until it is cooked. 

Step 3: In a separate bowl, stir corn flour in cold water and mix well. 

Step 4: Add the corn flour mixture to the onion paste (from Step 2) and let it cool. 

Step 5: After it has completed cooled, add the minced shrimp. 

Step 6: Apply the paste to slices of bread (I used white bread), sprinkle sesame seeds as needed. 

Step 7: Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. 

Step 8: Dip only the top of the bread slice (I usually cut the slices into triangular pieces) into the egg mix, and deep fry it.  

Step 9: Serve hot.  

Curried lamb rack - Instapot recipe

Curried lamb rack with a Mediterranean flavor

Ingredients

1 lamb rack
1 small onion
3-5 pods of garlic

1 whole jalapeno pepper (julienne cut)
1 teaspoon each of chilli, cumin, garam masala [Add more to suit your taste]

1 teaspoon coriander seeds 

1 cup olives 

1/2 cup readymade Hunt tomato sauce 

2 spoons pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves (for garnish)

Salt to taste

Step 1: Sauté diced onion, garlic, pepper and olives on the Sauté function of the Instapot for about 3-4 minutes. 

Step 2: Add the spices, coriander seeds and olives. Sauté it for another minute. 

Step 3: Add the tomato sauce and whole lamb rack. Pressure cook for 6-8 minutes and let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. 

Step 4: Garnish with pomegranate seeds/coriander leaves. 

Step 4: Serve hot with rice or couscous. 

Chicken Pineapple macaroni salad

 -- By Sania Nadkarni 

Ingredients: 

1 bell pepper

1 tomato

1/4th cabbage

7-8 pieces of pineapple

3-4 chicken breasts 

1 cup macaroni

12-15 pieces walnuts

For the dressing

2 Tablespoons Mayo

1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Cut all vegetables [Capsicum or bell peppers, tomatoes, cabbage] into small cubes. 
2. Cut pineapples into tiny cubes, add a little bit of sugar and freeze it for 5 minutes. Don't miss out on the pineapple. It is juicy and really adds flavor to the salad. 
3. In a pan, add some olive oil and cook chicken pieces into cubes with salt and pepper. Keep the chicken aside. 
4. Toss the cut veggies in the same pan for a few minutes [ don't add more oil]
5. Cut walnuts into small pieces and add to the bowl. 
6. Boil macaroni pasta [in 5 cups of water] with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1teaspoon salt. 
7. Mix the chicken, vegetables, pineapple and macaroni in a bowl. Squeeze 1/4th lemon, mix and leave aside. 
8. For the dressing, mix the mayo with 1 teaspoon olive oil and little milk. [It should not be very thick or watery]
9. Mix and pour it over the macaroni-veggie mixture. 
10. Mix well and refrigerate for some time. 
11. Serve chilled. 

Posh toast!

Homemade Avocado toast

 Avocado Toast is my new favorite posh toast. Perfect for breakfast, it is healthy and ready in minutes. While I have had several avocado toasts on breakfast menus in restaurants, my favorite was the one I had at Philadelphia's Reading Market. 

Here's a recipe to a version I tried : 

Ingredients

1 ripened avocado (mashed) 

Sea salt and pepper
2 slices of bread of your choice 
1 teaspoon chilli oil (store bought Chinese chilli oil) or Chilli flakes and olive oil
Topping of your choice: smoked salmon, fried egg or smoked ahi tuna

Avocado toast with fried egg, Reading Market

Step 1: Mash avocado and add a little bit of lime.
Step 2: Spread it on toasted slices of bread. 
Step 3: Add toppings of your choice. I have tried smoked salmon, fried egg and smoked ahi tuna.
Step 4: Add pepper, salt, and sprinkle chilli flakes and olive oil. Alternatively, you can use the ready made chilli oil. 

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients
8 Chicken thighs
3 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
3 green chilies
2 large onions
3 tomatoes
1/2 bunch of coriander leaves
2 potatoes
4 eggs
1.5 cups of basmati rice
2 Star anise/cinnamon stick.

For the marinade
1 cup yoghurt
2 teaspoon each chili, turmeric, cumin-coriander powders
2 teaspoon garam masala
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Boil eggs, cut them into halves and keep aside.
Step 2: Cut potatoes into slices, lightly sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes at 350F. Alternatively, you can also shallow fry the potatoes.
Step 3: Cut the chicken thighs into small pieces, and marinate them in yoghurt and spices listed above and keep aside for a few hours.
Step 4: Sauté the sliced onions and slit green chilies in ghee or oil of your choice on low-medium heat until they are caramelized.

 

Step 5: Add the diced onions and let it cook well.

Step 6: Finely chop the fresh coriander leaves and add it to the mix and let it cook.

 

Step 7: Add the marinated chicken to this and let it cook until the chicken is well done. Add salt and more spice to suit your taste.

Step 6: Pressure cook the rice separately with some oil, star anise and cinnamon stick.

Step 9: Once the chicken is done, in a separate dish, layer the curry at the bottom, add rice, potatoes. The top most layer should be rice. 

Step 9: Garnish on top with some more coriander leaves and boiled eggs. Once its layered, let the biryani cook on low heat for around 10-15 minutes.

Step 10: Serve hot with a side of yoghurt/or salad of your choice.

Smoked salmon tarts

Ingredients
Pastry puff sheets
2 pods garlic
Handful of mushrooms
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Fresh dill
3 tablespoon mozzarella cheese
2 small tomatoes
Store bought smoked Salmon

Step 1: Defrost the pastry puff. Roll it into small rectangles. Add diced tomatoes on them.
Optional: [you can also add some caramelized onions on them].

Step 2: Prepare the mushroom sauce. Sauté mushrooms and crushed garlic in olive oil. Add milk and cheese. Add flour to thicken the sauce. Add herbs and dill to the sauce. Add dill and other herbs of your choice.

Step 3: Bake the pastry puff sheets into an oven at 430F for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Add the prepared mushroom sauce on top of the baked pastry puff sheets. Garnish with smoked salmon and fresh dill.

Easy and cool dinners - Fresh Salads

Spinach salad/Cabbage and egg salad

Cabbage and Egg salad 
Ingredients:
1/2 bag of ready made cabbage (Trader Joes)
Handful of grape tomatoes
2 boiled eggs chopped
Handful of sliced mushroom
Handful of Mixed nuts (Walnuts and raisins)
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce, and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Spinach salad 
1/2 bag baby spinach
8 small mozzarella balls [Bought the ready made box of mozzarella balls in oil from a local store, Giant]
Handful of walnuts
4 Campari tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing: 
Olive oil with Italian herbs [ I used the oil that came with the mozzarella balls]

Preparation: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate for one hour. Serve cold.

Indian Butter chicken

Ingredients 
1 full chicken cut in small pieces
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
1/2 cup yoghurt
10 small shallots
2 large tomatoes
1 cup cashews
1 large tablespoon poppy seeds (Optional)
3 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 cup cream
1 cup tomato soup (Trader Joes low-sodium tomato soup)
1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi)
Salt to taste
1/2 cup butter.

Step 1: Marinate the chicken with yoghurt, 1 teaspoon chilli powder, turmeric powder, and 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste. Keep aside for atleast 3-4 hours.

 Step 2: Shallow fry the chicken and keep aside.






Step 3: Saute the shallots, tomato, cashew and poppy seeds, the remaining ginger-garlic paste in a pan with butter and cumin seeds. [You can skip this step and use the ready-made tomato soup as the base instead]

 Step 4: Add some tomato soup and grind the mixture to a thin consistency.

Step 5: Add the fried chicken pieces, garam masala, the remaining chilli powder and some cream. Add fenugreek leaves and let it cook until the chicken is done.








Step 6: Serve the chicken hot with bread or rice.

French fried with a home-made bell pepper sauce and cheese

Ingredients
1 bell pepper
3 corn cobs
4 small red potatoes
1/2 cup mozarella cheese.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Dried dill (optional)

Step 1: Boil the corn cobs and separate the corn from the cobs.
Step 2: In a dish, saute one red bell pepper along with the corn. Add some chilli powder, salt and pepper.
Step 3: Grind it all to a thin paste.
Step 4: Cut the potatoes, add salt and pepper. Shallow fry them.
Step 5. When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the sauce.
Step 6: In a separate baking pan, add the mixture. Add the mozarella cheese on top and bake for around 10 minutes until the cheese in brown. Sprinkle some dried dill.
Step 7: Serve hot. (I served it with guacamole). 

Spinach and Mushroom Dip

Ingredients

Spinach and mushroom dip

4 cups chopped spinach
1 cup mushrooms (diced)
2 garlic pods (diced)
1 cup cream cheese
1 tablespoon mayo
2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
Olive Oil
Chilli flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Saute the mushrooms and garlic in olive oil. Add the spinach and cook slightly.

Step 2: Add the mayo, cream cheese, and mozarella cheese and mix well on a very low flame. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Add parmesan cheese and bake at 350F for 20 minutes until the cheese turns brown.
Serve hot with pita bread. 

Mutton Curry

By Lubna Usman-Rifat : "A simple, easy to make recipe but special because its my 8-year old son, Kibriya's favorite mutton curry".

Ingredients
1/2 kg goat/mutton
2 large onions
1 inch cinnamon
1 pod cardomom
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
2 red chilies
Salt to taste

For the Marinade 
1 inch cinnamon
1 inch ginger
6 garlic pods
2 cardamom
1 bay leaf
3 red chilies
2 cloves
1 spoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons coriander powder

Step 1: Blend all the ingredients for the marinade and apply on washed meat. Set aside for 4 hours.

Step 2: Take a pressure cooker, put in on flame. Dry roast 1 inch cinnamon, pop open a pod of cardomon, one bay leaf, two cloves, two chopped red chilies for a minute. Keep an eye, dont let it smoke.

Step 3: Add 3 tablespoon oil, and fry finely diced onion until brown for approximately 10-15 minutes.

Step 4: Add the meat and fry for 15-20 minutes until the meat changes color. Add salt.

Step 5: Add water up to the level of meat (maybe an inch higher).

Step 6: Put the lid on and pressure cook (approximately 15 whistles). Add coriander leaves/mint for garnish. 

Apple Pie

By Norma Christie

Ingredients
5 apples (peeled and sliced) [ 4 Fuji apples, 1 green apple)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon Karo sauce (Sugar syrup)
1 teaspoon butter
Pinch of salt

For the crust 
2 cups white flour
2/3 cup Crisco shortening (or vegetable oil)
6 tablespoons ice cold water



Step 1: Stir the cinnamon, sugar and flour in a large bowl.

Step 2: Add the apples as you peel.

For the Crust
Step 3: Sprinkle the water over the flour mixture.

Step 4: Stir the shortening with a fork until you form you large balls of dough.

Step 5: Roll down the dough (as thin as possible) to fit your pan. Make the bottom dough slightly larger than the upper crust.

Step 6: Fit the bottom crust into the pan. Pour the apple. Sprinkle some karo sauce on top along with butter.

Step 7: Roll the top crust and cut a few slits. Brush the crust with some milk.

Step 8: Bake the pie [First 15 minutes at 450F, Next 15 minutes at 425F, Next 20-30 minutes at 400F].

Spanish seafood rice (paella)

Ingredients

Seafood Paella

1 1/2 cup Arboria rice (Spanish rice)
Olive oil
10 shrimp
5 squid (with tentacles)
1/2 large red onion
1 tomato
1/2 red bell pepper/capsicum
1 teaspoon chilli garlic sauce
2 cups fish stock (more if necessary)
1 cup dry wine (I used Chardonnay)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoon saffron
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1 cup green peas
Chopped cilantro for garnish
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Garam masala (optional)

Step 1: Saute Chilli sauce in olive oil. Add the veggies and let them cook slightly.

Step 2: Add the rice and squid and stir.

Step 3: Add the fish stock and wine. Add saffron, salt, pepper and lime juice. I added a little bit of garam masala but you do not have to.

 Step 4: Add the shrimp, green peas and cilantro.  Let it cook on a low flame until the rice is done.

Sprinkle olive oil on top and serve hot.