ORIENTAL SOLE

This dish incorporates both flavour combinations and techniques that are characteristic of Thai cooking. Preparation again is key to the success of the dish.

1 Sole Fillet

1 Red Onion

Half Inch Ginger Stalk

2 Garlic Cloves

2 Red Chillies

1 Tablespoon Soya Sauce

Half a Stalk of Lemon Grass or a few Kafir Lime Leaves

1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar

Coriander Leaves for garnish

Finely slice one red onion, a couple of red chillies on the diagonal and about half a medium sized ginger stalk into fine strips. Then finely chop a couple of cloves of garlic. In a pan heat some olive oil and sauté the garlic till it starts to change colour. When that happens, add in the sliced onions and continue to sauté. Then add in the ginger and the red chillies and cook for a bit till all in the ingredients in the pan have mixed well with each other. When the aromas start coming through add in a little more than a tablespoon of soya sauce and a couple of tablespoons of water. The water not only adds to the sauce but it also prevents the soya sauce from burning. A very interesting addition to the dish at this point is a stalk of lemon grass or a couple of kafir lime leaves. This adds a wonderful citrus element to the dish. However if they are not available, the juice of half a lemon works too. Finally add in a teaspoon of brown sugar and mix well. If lemon grass or kafir lime leaves are used, then discard them before serving the dish. It is only their flavour that is required.

For the fish, sole and snapper both work well in this dish. Take a fillet if the fish and sprinkle both sides with a pinch of brown sugar and a few drops of soya sauce. In a pan heat some olive oil and then fry the fillet. Fish cooks very fast so each side should not be cooked for more than minute or so. If the fillet is reasonably thick then cooking time will vary. The idea is to watch the fish whiten while it cooks. As the colour spreads towards the center of the fillet flip it and do the same with the other side. When the ridges on the fillet are prominent enough, the fish is cooked.

For plate up, simply pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with some coriander leaves.

GOURMET CHICKEN BURGER

Everyone loves a juicy burger. A mediocre burger can turn into something special with just a little bit more effort…

For the Burger Patti:

150g Mince- Chicken or beef

1 Shallot or Red Onion

1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes

1 Teaspoon Mustard Powder

2 Apricots

2 Tablespoons of Cheddar Cheese

Salt and Pepper to Taste

For the Mayonnaise:

2 Egg Yolks

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

150ml Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Honey

1 Teaspoon Mustard

Pinch of Salt and Pepper

For the Tomato Chutney:

2 large Tomatoes

100ml Water

2 Tablespoons Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

Olive Oil

Salt to Taste

For the Crispy Fries:

2 tablespoons Flour

1 Teaspoon Mustard Powder

1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes

1 Cup Water

The Chicken Patti

Take a handful of minced chicken and form a patti, the size of your palm. To it add a teaspoon of mustard powder, chilli flakes, finely chopped onions, salt, pepper and a handful of cheddar cheese. Mix well and form into a decent size patti.

The Gourmet Touch

Finely chop an apricot. Make a cavity in the center of the patti and stuff the chopped apricot into it. Conceal it well and restore the original patti shape. Apples can also be added, but after cooking them slightly so that they are soft enough.

Mayonnaise

Separate two egg yolks from the whites and set them in a bowl. With the bowl firmly fixed to the surface, whisk the yolks vigorously while simultaneously adding olive oil in a thin stream. Whisk at all times till the yolks and olive oil have combined well. Add a dash of lemon juice and season well with salt and pepper. At this point a tablespoon of honey can also be added or similarly mustard paste too. Once done refrigerate so that the mayo comes together.

Tomato Chutney

Roughly chop two tomatoes. In a pan heat up a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and transfer the tomatoes to the pan. Cook for a bit and then add about 100ml of water, a splash of vinegar, a heaping teaspoon of brown sugar and a tablespoon of tomato paste. Continue cooking on a medium flame. Gradually the water evaporates and the tomatoes start to break down. As the water reduces keep adding more till the tomatoes are reduced to almost a pulpy mash, an indication that the chutney is ready. Add a pinch of salt or more according to taste.

Crispy Fries

In a bowl add two tablespoons of flour, a teaspoon of mustard powder and a pinch of chilli flakes. Add water to the bowl and mix well till a batter is formed. The batter should neither be too thick nor too thin.

Blanch potatoes for a few minutes till they soft, but not fully cooked right through. Cut them into strips or fries and coat them in the batter. Shallow fry them till they are golden brown or till when the potatoes are cooked well. Sprinkle with salt as soon as they are removed from the oil.

Plate up

Cut a burger bun in half. Spread a generous amount on the mayo on both sides of the bun. Place the patti on the base of the bun and top it with a heap of the tomato chutney. Have the upper part of the bun rest alongside the patti instead of placing it on top like any other burger. Alternatively you could just have the patti in between the bun, and the chutney served separately in a bowl. Don’t forget no burger is complete without the fries, so scatter them around the burger or however way you want them on the plate.

·        Instead of a minced patti, a simple chicken breast can also be used. With the help of a knife, make cuts all over the piece of chicken, making sure you don’t cut all the way through. Do the same on both sides. The batter used to coat the fries can be used to coat the chicken breast too. Deep fry the chicken till the batter gets crispy and the meat is cooked. Chicken cooks fast so it shouldn’t take more than five minutes, a little more than two minutes per side.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

1 Chicken Breast

1 Teaspoon Seven Spice Mix

1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes

Juice of Half a Lemon

*Seven spice mixture includes some cloves, some black pepper corns, two cinnamon sticks, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, a couple of dried button red chillies, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf) and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, all roasted slightly on a dry pan and then ground to a powder.

Marinade a chicken breast with a teaspoon of the seven spice mixture* and chilli flakes and a healthy splash of lemon juice too. In a pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and then introduce the chicken to the pan. Cook the chicken till its base starts to whiten a bit. This may take about three minutes. Then flip it and let it continue to cook on the other side too till it is uniformly cooked throughout. Finally when the chicken is cooked add about five tablespoons of water to the pan and let it braise on low heat with the lid on for about five minutes. Then simply shred the meat with the help of a fork or finely slice it.

For the labneh/yogurt: To a couple of tablespoons of yogurt add a tablespoon of cottage cheese, a splash of lemon juice and a teaspoon of pepper and mix it well. Get rid of all the lumps till you end up with a really smooth mixture.

For the Tabouleh/salad: Chop a cucumber and a tomato into small cubes. Add to it a healthy swirl of olive oil and a splash of lemon juice and mix well. Once that is done add a pinch of pepper and a reasonable amount of chopped mint leaves.

Humus: Boil about a cup full of chickpeas in water till they are cooked well. Transfer them to a blender and blend till they form a paste. While the blender is running add some olive oil and the juice of a lemon to help it turn into a smooth paste. When the desired consistency is reached, season with salt and pepper.

Pita bread is usually always used. Toast the pita on a dry pan or even in a toaster till they colour ever so slightly on both sides. They will puff up a bit. This actually works well because they form pockets which can then be stuffed with the chicken and the rest of the accompaniments. Otherwise just put all of it on top of the pita and serve.

PENNE ARRABIATTA WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Penne Pasta

2 Pods garlic

1 Onion

3 Tomatoes

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

4 Basil Leaves

1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Half Cup Water

Finely chop two cloves of garlic and sauté in a pan with olive oil. When the garlic loses its rawness add a finely chopped onion. Cook the onions till they become translucent. Coarsely chop three medium sized tomatoes and then add them to the pan. Continue cooking till the tomatoes start to break down and become soft. Add some water to the pan at this stage and let the tomatoes continue to cook. This essentially is the marinara sauce in which the penne pasta will cook later on. Add two tablespoons of tomato puree and a splash of lemon juice and continue cooking till the puree mixes well with the rest of the ingredients. Add some more water and leave the sauce to cook. The term arrabiatta literally means ‘angry’ in Italian; in this case a spicy tomato sauce. So add a teaspoon of red chilli flakes or more depending ones threshold for pungency.

The pasta as mentioned will cook in the sauce itself and so it does not need to be boiled beforehand. Add the pasta to the sauce, along with some more water and leave it to cook. Since the pasta is not pre boiled, season with salt. As the pasta keeps cooking water may need to be added from time to time. While most people prefer their pasta to be well cooked, here it is simply cooked a la Dante i.e. just right or to perfection. A good practice is to cut a piece of the pasta on the diagonal at different stages of the cooking process. The cross section will probably show a white ring which gradually disappears as the cooking process approaches the final stages. When this ‘ring’ is only just visible, the pasta is ready. Put off the flame and let the pasta continue to cook in the sauce for a bit. Add basil leaves and freshly ground pepper.

Serve either in a bowl or platter, drizzled with olive oil and topped with shavings of parmesan or cheddar cheese.

·      When cooking Italian food it is always good to spend time first in deciding what pasta should be used. This recipe is a sauce based one so penne works best. The sauce clings on to the exterior surface of the pasta and also accumulates inside each pasta piece ensuring that each bite has a bit of everything in it. Spaghetti or linguini is not a good choice for such a dish as the sauce simply runs off the surface of the pasta and settles at the bottom of the bowl or serving platter.

MUSHROOM RAVIOLI

The best thing about ravioli is that you can pretty much stuff it with anything. It is super easy to make and serves as a complete meal in itself. Ravioli works very well with seafood, but below is a vegetarian take on the same dish. Elbow grease is involved especially in the making of the pasta, but a pasta machine can be used as well. The idea is to have the pasta rolled out as thinly as possible, yet still making sure that it is firm enough to hold the stuffing in while it is being cooked in the boiling water.

For the Ravioli:

2 Tablespoons Flour

1 Egg

A Tablespoon of Milk (maybe more) for Kneading

Pinch of Salt and Black Pepper

For the Stuffing:

2 Garlic Cloves

Half Onion Finely Chopped

Handful of Mushrooms

1 Tomato

3 Tablespoons Paneer

Olive Oil

For the Butter Sauce:

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Juice of Half an Orange

5 Olives Chopped or a Couple of Tablespoons of Chopped Asparagus

1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes

In a bowl add two heaping tablespoons of flour, a pinch of salt and an egg and mix till dough is formed. Add a tablespoon of milk at a time to help the dough form. From the bowl then transfer the dough on to a flat surface and continue kneading it, dusting it with flour occasionally to dry it up. The egg will ensure that the dough remains elastic at all times and that is how it should be. Spend time kneading the dough and do not try to rush with it as it may ruin the end product. Patience is a virtue after all. When the pasta dough is ready divide it into four pieces and roll them out as thinly as you can. Once the sheets are rolled out, move on to the stuffing.

In a pan heat some olive oil and add to it a couple of cloves of finely chopped garlic. Cook it for a bit till the garlic starts to colour. Then add in half an onion, again finely chopped and continue sautéing. Soon after that add in the chopped mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of chilli flakes for some heat. Cook for another couple of minutes and then turn off the heat. When the mixture cools down add to it two heaping tablespoons of cottage cheese (paneer) and mix it in well together with the remaining ingredients. This is a very basic stuffing and it can be tweaked depending on preferences and tastes.

Take a sheet of pasta and put a small amount of the stuffing in the center of the sheet. With a brush or the tip of your finger line the edges of the sheet with water and place another sheet over it, pressing gently on the edges so that the stuffing is secured well in the center. With the help of a fork, press down on the edges to completely seal the ravioli, but by doing this you also create ridges that enhance the look of the ravioli. Just like any other pasta, take the ravioli and place it in boiling water. At first it will sink to the bottom but it will eventually rise to the top when it is cooked. While it is in the water flip the ravioli occasionally.

The ravioli can be served with a very simple butter sauce. Add a decent knob of butter to a pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the butter has melted add to it some chopped olives, asparagus, a splash of orange juice and some chilli flakes and mix well. Drizzle this over the ravioli just before serving, and preferably eat it as soon as it is cooked.

ORIENTAL POACHED STEAK

Unlike the traditional steak, this piece of meat is poached. This style may be unorthodox, but it is nevertheless effective.

1 Steak

1 Carrot

1 Spring Onion

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 cup Water

4 Tablespoons White Vinegar

4 Tablespoons Soya Sauce

1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes

2 Teaspoons Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Flour

1 Teaspoon Butter

Salt and Pepper to Taste

For the Mashed Potatoes (Champ):

2 Potatoes

2 Spring Onions

1 Garlic Clove

Half Cup Milk

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

The Roux

In a pan heat a tablespoon of butter and mix in almost half a tablespoon of flour till a powdery paste is formed.

The Poaching Broth

In a slow trickle add water to the roux and keep stirring till the paste is transformed into a thin sauce like concoction. Do so while the pan is on the heat, and stop till there is almost a cup of water in the pan. To the liquid add four tablespoons of vinegar and the same amount of soya sauce. Add also some chilli flakes for a bit of spice. Bring the liquid to a boil.

The Steak

It is always good if an undercut piece of meat is used for steaks. Take an individual portion and flatten it, just a bit, with your palm. Sprinkle both sides with salt and then carefully place the steak into the poaching liquid. Cook both sides for around three minutes each, and then a further couple of minutes on each side again. Repeat the process till the meat is cooked to your liking. For medium rare, the cooking process shouldn’t be more than ten minutes. Once the meat is done, remove and set aside to rest.

The Sauce

Bring the same poaching liquid to a boil and reduce it to about half the original quantity. Add a bit of brown sugar to it to even out the sharpness of the soya sauce and vinegar. Add chopped carrots and spring onions and continue cooking. Once the liquid has reduced and thickened, add a knob of butter to form a glaze. Salt is not required because soya sauce does the job, but it can be added if required, after tasting it.

Plate up

The steak can be served as it is with a generous helping of the sauce and the vegetables in it. Or the steak can be sliced into pieces and layered on the plate, with the sauce poured over it.

Mashed Potatoes (Champ)

Heat a tablespoon of oil in the pan. Chop a clove of garlic and add it to the pan. Then add the mashed potatoes and mix it well. Add around 100ml of milk to the potatoes and continue mixing. The mash starts to break down and it becomes much smoother. Add chopped spring onions and season with salt and pepper. Add chilli flakes to spice it up a bit. At this point a knob of butter and/or cheddar cheese can also be added along with cream if you feel generous.

·       The mashed potatoes can be served with the steak along with the sauce, or alongside the traditional pepper steak, which is simply an undercut piece of meat thoroughly salted and peppered on both sides and then sealed in a pan with oil and a knob of butter. Cooking time will again vary depending on how one prefers the meat done.

SPINACH OMELETTE

2 Eggs

Handful of Baby Spinach

Cheddar Cheese (Optional)

Salt and Pepper for Taste

Olive Oil for Frying

In a bowl beat two eggs and season with salt and pepper. Add a handful of chopped spinach and half an onion, finely chopped. To make it a spinach and cheese omelette, just add in a handful of grated cheddar cheese. In a pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and then transfer the omelette mix to the pan. With a spatula stir the omelette in the pan as it cooks. This helps it ‘fluff’ up. When the base of the omelette is cooked, just fold it across the pan and let it cook to a minute or so before serving it.

Omelette Toast: Simply soak a slice of bread in the omelette mixture and then fry it in a pan with olive oil. Cook till both sides of the bread are golden brown.