Hearty Spices

Preparation - Cut ½ cup of Broccoli into small florets, blanch and strain. Blanch 3 tomatoes, de-skin, puree and sieve it. Pasta - Cook 3 cups of Penne/Fusili Pasta in salted boiling water - 2 tsp of Salt and a tbsp of Oil until it turns soft yet firm. Remove from heat and let the pasta remain in the water for 3 minutes. Strain. Add cold water and strain again. Leave the pasta in the strainer for 12-15 minutes. Sprinkle a tbsp of Olive Oil and keep aside. Arrabiata Sauce - Heat a tbsp of Olive Oil in a vessel, add finely chopped Onion and 3-4 crushed Garlic flakes  and saute till transparent. Add the a finely chopped Green/Red Bell Peppers, 2 tbsp of chopped Coriander Leaves and Salt . Combine and add the tomato puree, 1 tsp of mixed Dried Herbs or Oregano , 2 tbsp of Tomato Sauce, ¼ tsp of freshly Ground Pepper and Salt . Add ¼ tsp of Red Chilli Flakes, 1 tsp of Brown Sugar and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring once in a while, over low heat. Add 2 tbsp of Coriander L...

Heat a pan with 1 tsp of Ghee / clarified Butter and roast some chopped Cashewnuts, Almonds, Raisins and a pinch of Cardamom Powder . Remove from heat and keep aside. Add another tsp of Ghee/ clarified Butter and roast 1 cup of Rava till it turns golden brown. Remove from heat and keep aside. Heat a saucepan with a cup of Water, 2 cups of Milk and bring to a boil. Add 1½ cup of Sugar, few drops of Food Color ; mix and let it dissolve. Then add the rava little by little so that lumps are not formed and simmer and cover with lid so that Rava cooks well. Garnish with the roasted nuts and  a tbsp of Ghee / clarified Butter .

Tandoori Style Chicken - Rub 2-3 tsp of Red Chili Powder, Juice of 1 Lime and ½ tsp of Salt onto 1½ lbs of Boneless Chicken breast / thigh meat and set it aside for 15 minutes. Whisk together ¼ cup of Yogurt, ¼ cup of Cream, 1 tbsp of Grated Ginger, 1 tbsp of Grated Garlic, 1 tsp of Cumin Powder, ½ tsp of Garam Masala, pinch of Orange color / Saffron and mix well. Marinate chicken with this mixture for 4 hours. Arrange the chicken on a rack with a tray underneath to collect the drippings. Discard the marinade. Set your oven to broil on high and broil the chicken for 5 minutes. Turn it over, baste with butter and broil for another 5 minutes. Chop the tandoori-style chicken into bite-size pieces. Makhani Sauce - Melt 1/3 of Butter in a pan and roast 3 tbsp of grated Ginger and 3 tbsp of chopped Garlic to golden color over medium heat for a few minutes. Add 3 cups of Diced Tomatoes ,  2 cups of Water and cover until most of the water has evaporated. Blend this mixture into...

Masala Paste - Dry roast 1½ tbsp of Sesame Seeds and 1 tbsp of Poppy Seeds (optional)  for 4-5 minutes and grind them along with 1 tbsp of Fresh Coconut and 1½ tbsp of Roasted Peanuts to a fine paste adding some water. Keep aside. Eggs - Shell and slit  6 Eggs after boiling them for 15 minutes in water. Heat 2 tsp of Oil in a pan, fry the eggs for 2 minutes and keep aside. Curry - In the same pan, add ¼ tsp of Cumin Seeds and let them splutter, add a pinch of Fenugreek Seeds, 8-10 Curry Leaves, 1-2 Dry Red Chili, 4 slit Green Chilies and 4 chopped Garlic cloves , fry for 20 seconds and add the ground paste along with ½ cup of Water . Sauté till oil separates i.e approx 7-8 minutes on medium heat and stirring it constantly. Now add ½ - ¾ tsp of Chili Powder, pinch of Turmeric Powder, 1 tsp of Coriander Powder, ½ tsp  of Cumin Powder and sauté again for 30 seconds. Add the boiled eggs and mix well. Add 1½ tbsp of Tamarind Paste and let it cook ...

Chicken - Clean 1 Kg (2 lbs) of Chicken , cut into bite-sized cubes and soak in salt water for atleast 5 hours in the refrigerator. Drain the chicken into a bowl and add 1/2 cup Yogurt, a tbsp of Ginger Garlic paste, a pinch of Turmeric and 1/2 Lemon Juice . Massage the chicken and keep aside. Ground Masala - Heat a pan and saute  1½ tsp of Whole Black Pepper, a tsp of Cumin Seeds, 2 tsp of Coriander Seeds, 1½ tsp of Fennel Seeds, 1½ inch Cinnamon, 6-7 Cloves, 6-7 Cardamoms and 10 Red Chillies on low heat for 10 minutes. Take the spices into a grinder and add a chopped Onion and grind to smooth paste adding Water as needed. Keep aside. Curry - Heat 3  tbsp of Ghee  in a heavy bottomed pan and sauté  5-6 Garlic Cloves, 4-5 slit Green Chillies, a sprig of Curry Leaves, 3 Red Chillies for 3-4 minutes . Increase the heat to med-high, add the chicken pieces and sauté well until the oil separates (15 minutes). Add the ground masala and  3 tbsp of Water...

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease Chocolate - Melt 1 cup of Semisweet Chocolate Chips in a bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds stirring in intervals until smooth. Repeat with 1 cup of White Chocolate Chips in another small bowl. Set aside. Batter - In a large bowl, cream together ¾ cup of Butter and 1 cup of Brown Sugar . Beat in 3 Eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated. Add 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract, ¾ tsp of Salt and 2 cups of All Purpose Flour , mixing just until all ingredients are combined. Transfer 2 cups of batter to a medium-mixing bowl. Add the melted white chocolate and beat to combine. Pour into the prepared pan. Top evenly with ½ cup of Semisweet Chocolate Chips and ½ cup of White Chocolate Chips . Beat melted semisweet chocolate into remaining batter. Drop small dollops of chocolate batter on top of the chocolate chip layer, then use a spatula to gently spread the chocolate bat...

Veggies - Peel and chop an Onion , finely and keep aside. Roast 1/4 Red Bellpepper and finely chop it, keep aside. Wash and chop 2-3 Basil Leaves, a tsp of Parsley and keep aside. Egg Mixture - Mix Salt to taste, 1 tsp of Red Chili Powder and 1/2 tsp of freshly ground Black Pepper and 2 tbsp of Half and Half / Milk . Add 2 Eggs and whisk it till the yolks are blended thoroughly. Add the veggies, 1 tbsp of Parmesan / Cheddar Cheese, 1 tbsp of Cooked Chicken cubes (optional) and mix well. Omlette - Spray the pan with 2 tsp of Oil and pour the egg mixture, cook on each side for 4 minutes. Serve it like a sandwich between 2 Bread Slices.