Red Hot Chilli Prawns

My brother is here and I'm trying to spice up my cooking. He's just back from a holiday in Indonesia where he didn't really enjoy the food....so these days i do try to cook something special every day.

Today I was thinking of making my usual prawns in coconut gravy but I needed to spice it up. I ended up making something completely different indeed!!

1 cup large prawns
1 tbsp jeera garlic red chilli paste
1 large onion minced
2-3 hot green chillis
1/2 tsp jeera
200 ml coconut milk.
turmeric
salt
chilli pwd
oil
curry leaves
3 cloves, an inch sized stick of cinnamon
Chopped fresh coriander leaves.


Heat oil in a wok and drop in the cloves and cinnamon, add the jeera and let it sizzle. Add the curry leaves and the chillies, slit or in pieces. Stir for half a minute or so and add the finely chopped or minced onion. Don't let the onions burn. Stir well and once they are mildly brown add in the spice paste. You can make this paste yourself or buy it off the shelf (as I do). Mangal makes a good one and so does Atash. Add the salt, turmeric and a spicy chilli powder and a bit of water so the dry spices don't burn.
Once the spices are mixed in well, stir in the prawns (shelled and deveined, of course!). Mix well to coat with the spices. Pour in the coconut milk and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Keep an eye on the prawns and be careful not to over cook them. Add in a generous amount of chopped fresh coriander leaves and you're done!

Serve with fluffy hot steamed rice and some poppadums.

Pancakes!!!

I learned how to make pancakes when I was ...maybe...9 or 10 years old. I made them recently for breakfast, after a really long time and was flooded with memories of my childhood. This was one of the first things I could cook from scratch without anyone's help and ma allowed me to make it quite often :)

The thumb rule that I remember for pancakes is 1+1+1.

1 cup of milk
1 egg
1 cup flour, sifted.
Mix all three in a large bowl and add some salt. Let it rest in the fridge, covered, for at least half and hour.
In a small non-stick pan, add a little oil and ladle in the batter, enough to cover the base. Once it bubbles, flip the pancake and cook the other side. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes in all.

You can make them thick or thin, as you prefer. To make thin pancakes, simply add some milk to the batter.





Serve hot with honey, peanut butter, Nutella, cheese spread, jam, marmalade, sauteed mushrooms....whatever you like!! We had ours with honey and with bacon rashers.

Akuri- Masala Scrambled Eggs, The Parsi way..

4-6 Eggs
1/4 cup milk.
1 cup Tomatoes, Chopped
1 cup Onions, Chopped fine
Chillies
fresh Coriander, Chopped Fine
A sprig of curry leaves
Ginger Garlic Paste
Jeera powder
Turmeric
Chilli powder
Salt
oil

In a non stick frying pan heat oil and fry the onions on a medium flame till almost caremalised. Don't burn them. Add the tomatoes and the chillies, the sprig of curry leaves, a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste, half teaspoon each turmeric, chilli and jeera powders, mix well. Cook till tomatoes are cooked through and the oil is released. Lower the heat. Add salt and the chopped coriander and mix well.
In a cup or bowl beat the eggs and milk. Pour it slowly into the pan, stirring constantly till all is poured in. Keep the heat low or the Akuri will thicken too fast. Remove from heat when it comes to the consistency you like- loose and runny or firm or somewhere in between...
Serve with rotis, warmed Brun bread or with regular sliced bread.

Add a dollop of butter just before serving :)

Grilled Chicken Livers

This is what Hubby has requested I make this evening to have with drinks...
Its an extremely simple recipe, practically cooks itself...and with delicious results.

Chicken livers, cleaned.
Cajun seasoning
salt
neutral oil

Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning liberally over the chicken livers and let it marinate for a while. Add salt too.
Heat some oil in a non stick pan and fry the livers quickly over a high flame. Reduce heat after a minute and let it cook further. Don't cover, let the moisture evaporate while cooking. Once the livers have turned pink inside, they're done.
Serve in a pretty platter with toothpicks and napkins.

In case you don't have Cajun seasoning, make a mix of some fried garlic, chilli flakes, a little pepper, salt and you get quite ggod results using this combination too.

Sorse Ilish or Ilish in Mustard Sauce

We were at the fish shop this morning and I chanced upon a small Ilish, all silver and glistening. We have friends coming home for dinner tonight so I snapped it up. As soon as I got home I called up my mum and asked her how to cook this Bengali classic dish.

Here is what I did-

Sliced Ilish pieces, washed.
3 green chillies
Mustard paste
mustard oil
kalonji seeds
salt
turmeric
Fresh coriander leaves.

Wash the fish pieces and coat with salt and turmeric. Keep aside. Heat the mustard oil in a kadai and drop in the green chillies and the kalonji seeds. Let them all splutter. Slide in the fish pieces and fry on a low flame. Be gentle as the fish tends to break. Pour in the mustard paste and some water. Let it cook covered for a few minutes till the fish is cooked through. Remove to your serving bowl. Pour a tablespoon of mustard oil on the dish and sprinkle with well washed fresh coriander leaves.
Serve with hot rice.



This is one of the very few recipes where neither ginger nor garlic paste, not even onions are used. It is an extremely simple recipe, ready in less than 15 minutes....but sublimely delicious to eat.

Chicken Salad with Home-made Honey Mustard Mayo

This divinely simple salad is what we had for dinner yesterday...thanks to my dear hubby..

We were both tired of the usual rice/roti/dal/subzi routine and I was a bit off the cooking wagon. So hubby volunteered..

The salad is quite simple-

Take a cup each of cubed carrots, potatoes and medium cut french beans, all boiled but firm. Boil them separately. Cool and combine in a bowl.

Boil some chicken with salt and pepper. Once cooled, chop into small cubes or strips. Add to the veggies.

For the mayo-

Crack two eggs in your blender, add a tablespoon of honey, a good squeeze of mustard, a pinch of salt, two tbsp vinegar, some pepper and start blending with a thin stream of neutral oil. About a cup or a bit more is what you'll require.
Once the mayo is done, add as much as required to the salad and refrigerate the rest in a closed container.

Mix the salad and add a dash or two of tabasco for a bit of bite.

Serve the salad absolutely chilled.

Of course you can add other veggies to the salad- beetroot, cucumbers, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, whatever you fancy. Of course ham, salami, chopped boiled eggs will work wonderfully well too. Hubby used what we had at home.. The true joy of the salad of course was in the mayo- not your generic store bought variety but home-made and absolutely delicious and simple.

Hubby's tip- use chicken leg meat, preferably as breast meat tends to dry out and taste stringy.

As usual it was polished off before I could take a picture...

Mangsho'r Jhol or Bengali Mutton Curry

Didin is what I called my maternal Grand mom. And like most of us do, I loved her immensely!! All holidays as a child were spent at the big rambling house in Calcutta being spoilt silly by her and a myriad aunts, uncles and other relatives. We (my brother and I) would descend upon them every summer and rampage around their houses for a full 2 and a half months till summer ended and the new school year beckoned…

One of the ‘tastes’ of these holidays were ‘Mangsho’r jhol’ or mutton stew eaten with plain hot rice. This was my absolute favorite and was made every three or four days, or at least once a week if I remember correctly. Chicken was not on the menu very often. Bengalis prefer mutton.

The mutton would be bought from a particular shop, and the butcher would be given a severe warning- the grandchildren are visiting, so make sure you give tender mutton that they will be able to eat easily, not an old animal which will make their jaws ache from chewing and chewing!!

I would be excited waiting in anticipation, hovering near the kitchen, watching to see how far the cooking had progressed. Very often Didin would give us a small bowl of the Jhol with a piece or two of mutton and a nice piece of potato to ‘taste’ and then verify that it was quite alright … how I miss her indulgent love..

Here’s how Mangsho’r jhol was made in Didin’s house.

1 kg tender kid
2 large onions, sliced fine
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces.
4 carrots, peeled and cut into thick sticks or large cylinders.
100 gms, fresh curd
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
Turmeric, chilli , coriander and cumin powders
Salt
Whole garam masala- cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise,
Mustard oil

Wash the meat and drain excess water. Don’t wash too much, just a quick rinse. Take a clean vessel and put in the meat to marinate. Add the fresh curd, ginger garlic paste, powdered spices, salt and mix thoroughly. Make sure the meat is well coated in the marinade. Let it marinate in the fridge for a good 3 or four hours.

In a pressure cooker heat the mustard oil till it just smokes. Reduce the flame and fry the potatoes till golden, infact even a dark brown… remove to a plate.




Then put in the whole spices. Increase heat if required. Stir for a minute till the aromas are released and then add the sliced onions. Stir well so the onions don’t burn. Let them fry on a low flame till they turn brown. You must keep an eye on them. Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar and mix well to let them caramelize.

Add the marinated mutton to the onions and mix well. Let it fry for about 10 minutes turning and stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining marinade if any is left in the bowl. Mix thoroughly. Once the meat has changed colour evenly, add the potatoes, carrots and a cup and a half of water. Use your judgment - there shouldn’t be too much water or the gravy will be thin and watery. Shut the pressure cooker and let it cook on a high flame. At the first ‘whistle’ simmer down the heat and let the mutton cook under pressure for 10 minutes by the clock. Once you have switched it off, let the cooker cool completely before opening.

Your mangsho’r jhol is ready to serve. It tastes great with rice and also with plain parathas.

Traditional Dhansakh

Dhansaakh

(Dhaan + Shak or Rice + Cooked Vegetables)
The name dhansakh implies rice eaten with the famous daal cooked with veggies in it. The rice is not plain white steamed rice but is a rich caramelized rice, cooked with a mix of whole spices. The daal of course is famous..

So here’s how the two are made-

For the rice-

Good quality Basmati rice, washed
whole spices- Bay leaves, cassia Bark, Cloves, pepper corns, Black cardamom (elcha), Star Anise, Javitri (mace)
Sugar

In a pan make caramel with the sugar. About 1 tbsp of sugar for a cup of rice. Add a cup of water to the caramel moments before it burns. Take off the heat and keep aside. You want a liquid, not thick hard caramel.

Make rice as usual adding the caramel water and whole spices, salt (optional)and a tablespoon of oil or ghee. The rice should be brownish in colour.

Garnish with long fried onions.

The Daal

masoor daal
Tuvar daal
Red Pumpkin
Brinjals, small pink ones
spring onions
baby methi sprouts
tomatoes
Curry leaves
Dhansakh masala powder
turmeric
Salt
Ghee
Kairi Sambhar powder (not south Indian sambar masala) Available at Motilal masala, Grant rd, East, available under the Mangal brand.


Wash equal quantities of both daals, about a cup each. Add chopped pumpkin (200gm), brinjals (200gm), spring onions (1/2 bunch), one bunch methi sprouts, half a tsp of haldi, salt and pressure cook with enough water.
Once cooked, puree the whole thing.

In a kadai heat ghee and add the curry leaves and the masala powders, and fry. Add chopped tomatoes and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Smash up the tomatoes while cooking. Add the mashed daal puree to this and mix well. Add water if required. Let it come to a good rolling boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Traditionally dhansakh is made with mutton, though chicken is often used these days. To use either, marinate the meat in ginger-garlic paste, salt, and braise before pressure cooking along with the daals and veggies. (Remove before pureeing). Alternatively you can cook the meat separately and add to the cooked daal/veggie puree later. But the first way tastes far better!

Dhansakh is not a celebration dish, contrary to popular belief. Traditionally dhansakh is served on the fourth day after a funeral.
Of course, it is not restricted to such sombre occasions and is often on the menu for a family Sunday lunch :)

Parsi New Year and a lot of food....

We're just recovering from a very hectic week indeed. There were 3 important days of the Parsi calendar- Pateti, Navroze and Khordad Saal. All are celebrated with enthusiasm and of course, food!
Pateti is the last day of the Parsi calendar. A lot of people mistake it to be the New Year day. It is, in fact, a slightly solemn day, the last day of the year. One reflects on the year past, thinks about what one has done in that time and looks back in penitence over the mistakes made, the sins committed and promises to do better in the forthcoming New Year. The day is also full of hope for the coming New Year, so it is sombre and hopeful, sad and happy together.
The menu this year for Pateti was-

Russian Pattice
Patra ni Machhi
Pisela Badam Darakh ma Marghi
Mutton Pullao with Dhansakh Daal
Lagan nu Custard


Navroze is New Year's day...a joyful and hopeful day looking forward to a brand new year. As is done in all commuities, Navroze is celebrated with much celebration and plenty of good sumptuous food.

The Menu this Navroze was-

Bheja Cutlets
Sahs ni Machchhi
Chicken Mhaiwahlan
Sali Jardaloo Mutton
Prawn Pullao with Dhansakh Daal
Lagan Custard

The 6th day of theNew Year is Khordad Saal, or the Prophet's Birthday.

We had-

Mutton Cutlets with gravy
Baked Fish Florentine
Coq au vin
Paella or Spanish rice
Chocolate Mousse.

For the Vegetarians, yes, Parsis do eat vegetarian food (!!), there was-

Vegetable Cutlets
lagan nu Istew
Paneer Makkhanwala
Vegetable Pullao with Dhansakh Daal.

The recipes will follow soon..

Since work was insanely hectic I didn't get a chance to take any pictures.

Potato and Green Pea Samosas or a Lesson in Kitchen Geometry

These are my hubby's favorites. He loves them over any shop bought samosa, even the non-veg ones :)
I make them rarely as both he and I are struggling with being fat!!
But anyway, they're quite easy to make, I think. And they're delicious!!

maida
a little ghee
a pinch of salt
water

Potatoes, boiled and peeled. mashed roughly.
green peas
salt
turmeric
jeera
chilli powder
oil

To make the dough for the samosas mix the maida with the other ingredients till you get a smooth and soft dough. It shouldn't be very soft as it will turn sticky. You can also add some wheat flour for a healthier and quite tasty variation. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

For the filling, heat a little oil in a kadai. Sizzle the jeera and then add the potatoes. Add the spices and salt and mix well. Add in the boiled green peas if using fresh ones or thawed peas if using frozen ones. Mix well and let it cool.

To make the samosas, take a largeish lemon sized ball of dough. Flatten a bit on your board and roll out a small disc. Fold in half to make a half-moon. Roll out to elongate the semi circle and then join the two 'points' and fold. You'll get a rough triangle. Roll it further to make a larger triangle, about 6 inches on each side.



Put some of the filling in the centre and bring two points of the triangle together. Pinch along the sides to seal. Pick up the third point and shut the samosa. You should get a 4 sided pyramid.
Make up the samosas.



Heat oil in a deep wok and fry the samosas two or three at a time.



Serve hot with a chutney or tomato ketchup.

Note: I have no pictures of the samosas after they were fried...err, we forgot. We ate them to soon, too fast!!! But I'm sure you all understand :) :)

Tarela Boomla - If you're Parsi you gotta love these!!!

Every monsoon my family (the in laws side) goes crazy with yearnings for Bombay Ducks or 'Boomlas'. These small longish 'gel-like' fish are a gastronome's delight and a gourmand like me's heaven :). I can, with pride, out eat anyone in the family where these babies are concerned!! Boomlas are a no-fuss fish. The best way to have them is fresh, deep fried, hot off the pan with some flavourful fresh-squeezed lemon juice. MMMMMMMMMMM!!!

Here's how I make them.

20 fresh Bombay Ducks, cleaned.
salt/turmeric/chilli powder
Chana atta/besan/chick pea flour
Oil to deep fry in.
Fresh limes to serve with.

Marinate the ducks in salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Use salt sparingly as the boomlas are naturally salty. Be sure to drain off any excess water after washing the fish or the marinade becomes watery and falls off the fish.

In a flat plate or on newspaper spread the chick pea flour and roll each fish individually, pressing a bit to coat well.



Heat any neutral oil in a large flat pan. Let the oil heat up well and then fry the fish till golden. regulate the heat so you don't burn the outside. Turn the fish and cook the other side too. Be gentle when turning as the fish is delicate and might break.



Serve immediately with lemon wedges and INSIST that they are eaten hot!!



They are just delicious!! You can make simple daal and rice to go with them. I eat them with no distractions!!

Simply Delicious Shortbread

This is a recipe I have used time and again.. it is from The Big Book of Beautiful Biscuits (Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook Series). It's an easy recipe and suitable for vegetarians too.

Here goes!!

You will need 250gms butter, softened.
2 tbsp rice flour/ground rice
2/3 cup icing sugar
2 cups plain flour.

Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Rub the butter into the mix. Turn out on to a lightly floured board or table top and knead untill smooth.

Grease a 9x9 baking tin and press the dough into the pan. Level the top with a spatula. mark squared with a blunt knife and poke lightly with the tines of a fork.

Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes at approx 170 C.
Cut while warm and let it cool after. Cut and serve with coffee. Store in an air tight tin, of course..

The Perfect Breakfast

Hubby cooked this breakfast a few days ago...

Scrambled Eggs with ham, Smoked Ham and Cheddar Cheese

Take 3 eggs, a knob of butter and a couple of slices of ham along with a tablespoon or so of milk.
In a pan melt butter and add the milk, stir and add the eggs, whisk around. Add a little salt. Add the ham, cut into small bits. Stir up till scramble is the consistency you like.

Serve in a plate with some smoked ham and a wedge of Cheddar and a couple of slices of bread.

Voila!!! The Perfect breakfast is ready!!

Minced Chicken with Vegetables

The last time we stocked the freezer we bought a ton of chicken and plenty of chicken mince. Here is a simple preparation that both, hubby and I love. the good part is that it is chockful of vegetables and is very light on the spices. Its a perfect light summer lunch, and if you make it soupy, its a wonderful comforting soup in winter.

Here's how-

500g Chicken mince
1 large onion finely chopped
1 large carrot, cubed small
8 -10 french beans, strung and cut small
1/2 cup green peas
1 large tomato, chopped fine or tomato puree
1 large potato, cubed small
Celery, chopped fine
3-4 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
3 cardamoms
fresh cracked pepper
Salt
olive oil
mixed herbs

Heat the olive oil in a pan/wok. Saute the garlic and the onions. Add the bay leaves and cardamoms. Shake around. Don't let the onions brown or burn. Add the vegetables and stir well to mix. Cook covered for a minute. Add the minced chicken breaking up any lumps and mixing well. Cook on a high flame for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato and stir well. Add salt and pepper and cook covered till the mince is cooked. Add water, about a cup full. Let it come to a boil and then simmer till the veggies are cooked through.

Remove from flame and pour into your serving bowl. Garnish with mixed dried herbs.

You can turn this into a hearty winter One-Dish meal by making it soupy and adding some macaroni or other small pasta to it.

Good Old Chocolate Brownies

"Early to bed
and early to rise
I'll bake just as soon
as I open my eyes!!"

Sometime when I was in college my Mum bought me this little book...The ABC of Cookies from the Peter Pauper Press. It is chockful of easy recipes and little rhymes that all have to do with baking.

I've made Brownies following the instructions here hundreds of times....recipe is simple and absolutely guaranteed :)

2/3 cup Flour, sifted with a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp baking powder.
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup soft buttter
2 eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
200 gms Chocolate
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a bowl mix the sugar with the butter whisking till light.Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or zap in the microwave. Add to the sugar-egg mix and blend it well. Add the flour gradually mixing as you go and finally stir in the nuts. Mix the batter well.
In a greased baking tin spread the batter and bake at 350 F or 180 C for about 25 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve hot!!

Easy Pasta with Tuna and Vegetables

This is a dish that I made often in the hostel in Pune while we were doing MA and PhD... it is fairly simple and very flexible depending on what you have available in your pantry.

Any medium sized pasta- macaroni, fusili, etc
1 can Tuna in oil
2 or 3 eggs, boiled, peeled and chopped roughly
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
200 gms, mushrooms, washed and sliced
garlic, as required, chopped
capsicums,green or coloured, cut into small pieces
1 zucchini, chopped into small cubes
olive oil
1 or 2 flavour cubes, as required
dried oregano
cheese slices
salt
fresh cracked pepper

Cook the pasta till al dente and keep aside. Toss in a tsp of olive oil.
Flake the tuna in a saucer. Reserve the liquid.
In a pan or wok heat a tbsp of olive oil and fry the garlic and spring onions for a couple of minutes. Add the mushrooms and the zucchini. Cook till the water from the mushrooms has dried up but not completely. Add the flavour cube(s) and salt and pepper as required. Add the chopped capsicums and toss on heat for a minute.

In a large bowl mix the warm cooked pasta with the mushroom mix. Toss in the chopped boiled eggs, flaked tuna and mix gently. Tear the cheese slices into largeish shreds and add to the pasta. Pour in some of the reserved tuna oil and toss with the dried oregano. Ensure that the pastas is still warm when you toss in the cheese...it melts a bit and is just great!!

You can chuck in some sliced black or green olives for an added zing.

Just leave out the tuna and the eggs to make it vegetarian....the pasta still tastes quite yummy.

This makes a nice light lunch especially in the summer.

This is more of a 'salad' type of a pasta preparation.

Garlic Mushrooms

My love affair with mushrooms started just as I began college. My cousin Bipasha and I shared a great love for mushrooms and we discovered many recipes using the button mushrooms that were available in the market.

This is a very easy way of doing mushrooms and it is somethig I often serve when I'm having guests over...

250 gms Button mushrooms, washed thoroughly
garlic, finely minced or sliced
1 cube Maggi seasoning
fresh black pepper
1 tbsp soya sauce
olive oil

Slice the mushrooms, not too thin. Make sure they have been washed really well and all the mud is off. In a pan heat some olive oil and toss in the sliced garlic. Fry for a minute and then add the mushrooms. Once they release water crumble in the flavour cube. Add a good grinding of fresh black pepper. Let it cook covered till the mushrooms are done. Remove lid and dry out the excess liquid. Splash in the soya sauce and coat the mushrooms well.

Remove onto a serving plate and serve.

Short-cut Butter Chicken

This is how my hubby taught me to make Butter Chicken. Not the flaming red grasy concoction that we eat at most restaurants but a delicious flavoursome (and calorie-packed!!) version that I love making. It's also a very easy recipe indeed.

2 portions Chicken Tikkas
1 large onion, chopped fine
5 tbsp cashew nuts soaked and ground to a paste
approximately 3/4 cup tomato puree
garam masala powder
salt
butter/cream
oil

Its easiest if you get the chicken tikkas from your local tandoori joint because if you have to make the tikkas at home then the 'easiness' of this recipe ends right there.

For a generous portion of this dish, enough for about 4 people, take 2 portions of the tikkas.

In a wok/kadai fry the onions till pink. Add tomato puree and let it cook. Adjust the amount of puree depending on how sour it is. Add a generous spoonful of garam masala powder and pour in the cashew paste. Mix well and add the tikkas. Let it come to a boil. Add water if the gravy is too thick. Add salt as required. If you like a bit of a bite you can add a couple of minced green chillies along with onions at the start, or a good spoonful of chilli powder with the puree.
Once you have removed it to the serving bowl put a dollop of butter or cream and serve with parathas/naan.




You can also take a full Tandoori Chicken and shred the meat to use in this gravy instead of tikkas.
The same basic gravy can be made to make Paneer Tikka masala.

Chicken Cafreal..easier done than said!!!

Chicken Cafreal is one of my classic preparations. It is absolutely fool proof, it has never failed...and it is probably the easiest and yet impressive dish that I rustle up in no time at all. Of course there's no way I can really take all the credit for it. The secret is a ready-made marinade that I buy and always have in my pantry cupboard. Cafreal Masala by Goana foods. You can order this online, they will deliver it by post to you.

www.goanafoods.com

The masala itself is a coriander/mint paste with some other spices, a green masala.



Chicken Cafreal.

1 chicken
cafreal masala
salt (only if you need it)
Butter/Olive oil


Marinate the chicken pieces in a generous amount of the marinade masala. Let it sit for half an hour or so. heat butter or Olive il in a flat pan and put in the marinated chicken and marinade. Fry on a high flame till chicken is well coated in oil/butter and the masala for about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce flame and cook covered till the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with garlic bread or rotis or regular sliced bread. It tastes lovely with the little soft 'gutli' pavs that are available in Mumbai, too.

You can use this same masala with squid. Get the squid cleaned and sliced into thin rings. marinate and cook as above. It's just yummy!! Prawns work well too.

You can make a really yummy and out of the ordinary starter by doing chicken wings with this marinade. Make sure you have plenty of paper napkins around!

Spicy Whole Masoor

1 cup whole masoor
1 tsp GG paste
2 green chillies
1 large onion chopped fine
1 tomato, chopped fine
Turmeric, chilli, jeera, dhania powders
Garam masala powder
2 tbsp curd
Salt
Oil
Chopped coriander leaves

Pressure cook the washed whole masoor with turmeric till soft.
Heat oil in a kadai and chuck in the green chillies. Add the chopped onion and fry well for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato and the GG paste and fry further for another 2 minutes. Stir well. Add the powdered spices and mix well. Add the curd and mix it well. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour in the cooked masoor and stir. Add salt. Let it come to a boil adding a little water if required. Let it boil well. Sprinkle the chopped coriander and serve with rotis/parathas/bread or even rice.
You can add a tablespoon of pure ghee to the pot at the end. It gives the entire dish a wonderful aroma and flavour.
You can also add small cubes of potatoes to the masoor while pressure cooking it.