BABA GANNOUJ & FALAFEL

Baba Gannouj

Aubergines. Respect!

Olive Oli

2 Aubergines

2 Garlic Cloves

3 Tablespoons Tahini

2 Tablespoons Humus

Handful of Chopped Parsley

Splash of Lemon Juice

Salt to taste

Roughly chop up a couple of aubergines (about half inch pieces) and set aside. In a pan heat up about three tablespoons of olive oil and then add the aubergines to it. Within no time you will find almost all of the oil soaked up by the aubergines. That should not be a cause for concern as more oil will be added as the cooking goes on. As soon as the aubergines start to colour add in a bit of water and throw in two finely chopped cloves of garlic. As opposed to most cuisines where the garlic is fried in the oil at the start, here it cooks in the water that is added. Continue cooking on low flame and keep adding more water as it dries up. The aubergines start to break down gradually. Add in a teaspoon of salt and a splash of lemon juice.

An important component of this dish is Tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are roasted and then made into a paste with the introduction of olive oil. Tahini is readily available at any store.

Add a tablespoon of Tahini to the aubergines along with another couple of tablespoons of olive oil and mix well. The dish is ready to be mashed up at this stage, very similar to a guacamole. However a dollop of humus, perhaps two if one is a fan of the chickpea elixir, can be added as well and then it all can be mashed up. Right at the end chop up a handful of parsley and add it to the mash and serve it with a drizzle of olive oil.

Falafel

…Lebanese Pakorey!

4 Tablespoons Humus

2 Tablespoons Flour

2 Teaspoons Coriander Powder

1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds

2 Garlic Cloves

1 Green Chilli

Handful of Chopped Parsley

Olive Oil for Frying

In a bowl add about four heaping tablespoons of humus, a couple of tablespoons of maida, two teaspoons of coriander powder, one teaspoon of cumin seeds and two finely chopped cloves of garlic. Mix all the ingredients well. Then add a finely chopped green chilli, a handful of chopped coriander and salt to taste. Mix well till the mixture takes the shape of dough. You can form them into any shape as you like but traditionally a falafel is spherical. Once they have been shaped, shallow fry them in olive oil till they are cooked well on both sides and they take on a deep golden brown colour. Serve with the Baba Gannouj.

CONCHIGLE PUTTANESCA

This dish is quite a contrast to Penne Arrabiatta, mainly because of the absence of a sauce. It still is another fine way of cooking pasta.

Macaroni/Shell Pasta

8 Cherry Tomatoes or 4 Small Tomatoes Cut in Quarters

8 Olives

2 Teaspoons Anchovy Paste

2 Teaspoons Capers

1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes

2 Garlic Cloves

Salt to Taste

Finely chop two cloves of garlic and sauté in a pan with a good amount of olive oil. Add to the pan a handful of chopped olives once the garlic is sautéd. As soon as that’s done add some capers and a couple of teaspoons of anchovy paste and continue cooking. The olives, capers and anchovies are salty, so no additional salt is required, though a pinch can be added later after tasting. Add a teaspoon of chilli flakes and the cherry tomatoes and give it a mix. Make sure the tomatoes retain their shape. Lastly add the pasta and mix all the ingredients well. Macaroni or spaghetti both work fine in this case.

As always top the dish with parmesan cheese, lashings of olive oil and freshly ground pepper black pepper. Serve with the bruschetta or simply just the way it is.

CHICKEN ROULADE WITH A WHITE MUSTARD SAUCE

1 Chicken Breast 

1 Onion 

1 Carrot 

2 Garlic Pods 

1 Tablespoon Flour 

1 Cup Milk 

1 Teaspoon Dried Mustard Powder  

1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds 

1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes 

2 Tablespoons Butter 

Olive oil 

Salt and Pepper to Taste
Parsley/Coriander Leaves for Garnish 

The Roux 

In a pan heat a table spoon of butter. When the butter is melted, add a tablespoon of flour and stir till a paste is formed. 

White Sauce

While on low flame, add milk in a slow drizzle to the roux, stirring continuously. The paste slowly starts to break down ultimately taking on the consistency of a sauce. Keep adding the milk and stir till the desired consistency is reached. Set aside.

Mustard Sauce

Finely slice an onion, and a clove of garlic. While a pan is heating up, add some olive oil, at least two swirls of the oil container. Add the garlic to the oil and fry for a few minutes till brown. Make sure you don’t burn the garlic. Then add the sliced onions and sauté for a bit. Subsequently add a pinch of mustard powder, mustard seeds and a splash of lemon juice. Once all the ingredients in the pan are incorporated together, add the white sauce, a table spoon at a time to the pan, stirring along the way. Slowly the sauce begins to take shape as it takes on all the spices in the pan. Add freshly crushed pepper and salt. Leave aside

Stuffed Chicken Breast

One healthy chicken breast should suffice. Make a small incision on one side of the breast to start with and slowly with the tip of the knife cut through the breast opening it out as you deepen the incision. Once the chicken breast is opened out, it has been ‘butterflied’. You may need to flatten the breast out with a pounder if required to ensure a uniformly flat piece of chicken. Make sure you don’t cut right through the chicken breast so as to end up with two pieces of chicken. Once that is done rub both sides with chilli flakes and mustard powder. Use not more than a pinch of mustard powder, but the chilli can be added depending on how spicy you want it to be. 

Next you julienne half a carrot (cut in long strips). Take some strips and place them in the center of the marinated chicken and gently roll the chicken concealing the strips of carrot and you go along. 

In a pan heat some olive oil and a knob of butter. When the butter is melted, carefully place the roll of chicken breast in the pan, the open end facing downwards so as to seal it first. Let it sit in the pan for a bit. The base of the chicken will start changing colour, appearing white gradually. Then flip it over and do the same on the other side. Once the colour of the chicken has completely changed add some water to the pan and leave it to braise till the water had evaporated. Put a lid on the pan while this is happening. 

Caramelized Carrot Garnish 

Heat some olive oil in a pan. Finely chop a clove of garlic and fry in the pan. Then add some carrot strips (previously prepared) to the pan and cook till they get soft. Add a pinch of chilli flakes and a splash of lemon juice and cook till carrots are tender. Finish it off with sprinklings of parsley. 

Plate up

Take a generous helping of the white mustard sauce and spread in the center of the plate in a circular fashion. Cut the chicken breast at an angle, getting at least four pieces from it. Make sure the stuffed carrots can be seen. Carefully place the pieces of chicken on the white sauce exposing the stuffed carrots. Garnish with the caramelized carrots, and finish the dish with a drizzle of the chilli oil in which the carrots were caramelized. 

•  Another alternative is to stuff the chicken breast with strips of red and green bell peppers. This adds another color dimension to the dish. Asparagus could also be used as a stuffing, but preferably after steaming or boiling them till they are tender enough. 
  
  
• Mushrooms can also be added to the white sauce.

The Seeds of Bavarchi-ism

The joy one experiences from cooking a meal and then having your family and friends enjoy it beats the joy from any corporate job for me. Bold words from a fresh graduate who only just recently walked the corridors of a reputable business school, but I stand by them and I always will.

Everything about food fascinates me, right from the ingredients to the processes and then the final product. The ability to transform a few basic ingredients into something that has the capability to ‘wow’ someone takes my breath away. As a kid I spent a lot of time in the kitchen watching my mother and grandmother cook. Amidst a barrage of memories, I distinctly remember all the times I would incessantly ask them to allow me to chop vegetables or light the stove or whatever little thing there was to do in the kitchen. I was always very enthusiastic about being in the kitchen and getting involved in all the cooking that went on. I firmly believe that all I am doing now and aspire to do in the future is a result of just that.

What I love about food is the fact that it is an art that engages all the senses, and my passion to cook stems from just that. From the sound of spluttering oil to the awesome fragrance of fresh herbs, from the divine feeling of a tender undercut piece of beef to the aesthetics and taste of a Michelin star dish. They all act as individual pieces to the ultimate culinary jigsaw puzzle. I am eager to learn about food and work with food. If given the chance, for once I will be at a place where I will be learning new things not because I have to, but because I want to. I grew up watching the likes of Jamie Oliver, James Martin, Michael Smith and many more and for me to emulate what they do in the kitchen would not only be an absolute honour, but also something out of my wildest dreams…and when I actually get down to it, in the immortal words of my idol Jamie Oliver, happy days…