Hearty Spices

Batter - Take 3/4 cup of Chick Pea Flou r in a bowl. Add 2 1/2 tbsp of Rice Flour, a tsp of Red Chilli Powder, a pinch of Turmeri c, 2 tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves, Salt as needed, 1/2 tsp of Ajwain Seeds and Water as needed  to make a smooth batter (like dosa batter).  Oil -  Heat a wide pan with  Oil, as needed  for deep frying. Bread -  Take  6 Slices of Bread  and gently cut them into half. Dip them one by one in the batter till fully coated and slip them into the hot Oil kept for deep frying. Do not overcrowd the pan. Gently fry them on both sides and remove and drain them from oil when they are golden brown. Serve hot with Muri Upma or as a appetizer with mint chutney or tomato sauce.

Clean and cut 1 lb of Boneless Chicken Thighs into bite sized pieces. Keep aside. Saute 10 Cashewnuts in a tbsp of Butter and keep aside. Tomato Paste -  Make a smooth paste of 2 Tomatoes, 1/4 cup of Cashews and 5 Green Chillies and keep aside. Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in a pan and splutter 1/2 tsp of Cumin seeds . Add 2 Cardamoms, an inch of Cinnamon Stick and a Bay Leaf and saute for few seconds. Add in a finely chopped large Onion, 2 slit Green chillies and saute till onion is golden brown. Add in 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste and saute till the rawness disappears.  Now increase the heat to high and add the chicken pieces. Saute them for 3-4 minutes and add Salt to taste, a tsp of Coriander Powder, a tsp of Cumin Powder, a tsp of Red Chilli Powder and 1/2 a tsp of Garam Masala Powder . Mix well and cook on medium heat until the oil surfaces. Add the tomato paste to the chicken and cook for 10 minutes mixing well in between to avoid the curry sticking to t...

Cook 16 oz or 1 lb Macaroni / Elbow pasta according to the instructions and keep aside. Reserve 2 cups of Pasta water and keep aside. Melt 3 tbsp of Butter in a saucepan and saute 3 finely minced Garlic Cloves till golden brown. Add a cup of Heavy Whipping Cream and whisk it. Add 2 tbsp of All Purpose Flour and continue to whisk until sauce thickens. Season with Salt to taste, Pepper to taste, a tsp of Italian Seasoning and 3/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese . Continue whisking until the sauce is thickened. Add the reserved pasta water to thin it out a bit as needed for the pasta. Now, toss in the cooked pasta and mix well. Sprinkle a tsp of Red Chilli Flakes and 3 tsp of finely chopped Parsley . Top with a cup of grated Mozarella Cheese and place under broiler on High for 5 minutes or until the cheese gets golden brown spots. Garnish with more Parmesan Cheese and Parsley , if preferred. Serve hot.

Preheat the oven to 350F and line the cookie sheet with aluminium foil or parchment paper. Cinnamon Sugar - In a small bowl, add 2 tbsp of Sugar and 2 tsp of Cinnamon and mix well. Keep aside. In a bowl, melt a cup of unsalted Butter and add in 1 1/4 cup of White Sugar and 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar . Beat the mixture until creamy. Add in 1/2 tsp of Vanilla Extract and 2 Eggs , beating on low till smooth mixture consistency is reached. Add a tsp of Cinnamon, 2 tsp of Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp of Salt and slowly incorporate 2 1/4 cups of All Purpose Flour . Do not over mix. Cover the bowl and put in the freezer for 15 minutes. Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and taking a 1 1/2 tbsp of dough at a time, make a round balls with all the dough. Now roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar and place on the prepared cookie sheet, about an inch apart. Lightly press the ball to flatten it on the top.  Bake for 11 minutes and serve. 

Peel and dice a Mango and a Banana into a blender. Add 1 1/4 cups of Milk, a scoop of Vanilla Icecream, a tbsp of Sugar / Honey and process until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately. 

Wash 5 large Limes and remove the peel for 3 of them. Cut them into 1/8ths and remove the white pith. Add them and 6 cups of Cold Water to the blender and pulse 7-8 times. Strain the juice through a strainer by pressing the pulp against it.  Add the strained liquid back to the blender along with a can of Condensed Milk (14 oz) and pulse until creamy and frothy. Add Ice as needed and blend again few times. Serve cold with a slice of lime .

Wash and drain 6 chicken drumsticks and make 3-4 slits all the way to the bone and add them to a mixing bowl.  In a small mixing bowl, take 2 tbsp of Yogurt,  a pinch of Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp of Cumin Powder, a tsp of Tandoori Masala, a tsp of Red Chilli Powder, a tsp of Ginger Garlic Paste, Salt as needed,and a tbsp of Lemon Juice . Mix well and add this mixture to the drumsticks. Rub in the mixture into the chicken and keep aside for 30 minutes. Add a tbsp of Oil and massage the chicken and set aside to marinate for 4-5 hours. Take a small saute pan and add a tsp of Ghee to it. Once hot, add 2 tbsp of Chickpea Flour and saute till the raw smell disappears. Remove from heat and add it, 2 tbsp of Yogurt and some minced Mint leaves to the chicken and set aside for an hour. Preheat the oven to 490F and in the meantime arrange the drumsticks on a aluminium foil lined pan. If there is any marinade left, pack it on the drumsticks. Reduce the heat to 400F and ...