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.

Dal - Wash ¾ cup of Moong Dal (Pesara Pappu) in a bowl, add water and soak it for ½ hour. Drain the water and keep aside. Veggies - Microwave finely chopped ½ head of Cabbage with little water for 15 minutes, stirring in between. Allow standing for 5 minutes in the microwave and spread in a plate to cool. Wash and clean 5 Green Chilies, an inch of Ginger and grind them to a coarse paste. Wash and chop few Curry Leaves finely. Fry - Heat 3 tbsp of Oil in a pan. Toast 2 tbsp of Cashewnuts and keep aside. In the same oil, add 1½ tsp of Urad Dal and fry till they change color. Then add ¾ tsp of Mustard Seeds, ¾ tsp of Cumin Seeds and fry till they splutter. Add the chopped curry leaves, coarsely ground chili-ginger paste, a sliced Onion and fry till they are transparent. Add ¼ tsp of Turmeric Powder, Salt to taste , mix and cook for few seconds. Now add the soaked moong dal and mix well. Garnish with the fried cashew nuts. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice.

Masala Powder - Roast ¼ cup of Chana Dal, ¼ cup of Urad Dal, ¼ cup of Sesame Seeds, ¼ cup of Grated Coconut, ¼ cup of Peanuts, 1 tbsp of Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp of Cumin Seeds, ¼ tsp of Cloves, ¼ tsp Cinnamon, ¼ tsp of Black Peppercorn, ¼ tsp Fenugreek Seeds and 15 dried Red Chillies in a pan. Grind into a smooth powder once cool. Add a tbsp of Jaggery, tbsp of tamarind paste and a tsp of salt . Blend them to smooth consistency. Purple Brinjals (Eggplants) - Wash and make two cuts in 12 young Brinjals , one horizontal and one vertical keeping one end intact. Gravy - Heat a tbsp of Oil in a big pan. Add and toast few Curry Leaves and a tsp of Cumin Seeds and a tsp of Mustard Seeds. Add the brinjals to the pan along with the ground masala powder. Add 2 glasses of Water and stir in ½ tsp of turmeric and ½ tsp of Salt . Cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring in-between. When brinjals are cooked to tender and masala sauce thickens. Remove from ...

Preparation - Melt the 3 tbsp of Ghee/Butter in a pan and roast  1 tbsp of Raisins until they puff up, and remove. Fry the 1 tbsp of Cashewnuts until golden and remove. In the same pan, add the 3 cups of grated Carrots and fry until soft. Milk -  Reduce the 2 cups of Whole Milk on a medium heat to 1 cup. If using 1 cup of Half and Half , heat up before adding it to the carrots. (Use only 1 cup of milk). Halwa - Add the milk to the grated carrots and cook down until really thick and it begins to come off the sides of the pan (for 10-12 minutes on medium-high heat). Add a pinch of Salt, 1/2 cup of Sugar,  3 powdered Cardamoms, few drops of Rose Water (optional) and Roasted Cashews and Raisins. Stir to combine well and serve warm. Tip - To thicken the halwa, add ¼ cup lightly toasted cashews (or almonds) and ground to a powder (optional) to the halwa.

Heat 1 tbsp of Olive Oil in a stockpot; add a chopped medium Onion, chopped 2 medium Celery Stalks, chopped 1 big / 2 small Carrots and a peeled and chopepd small Potato . Sauté until the onions soften and then add 2-3 cups of chopped Broccoli and 1 tsp of Red Chilli Flakes , saute for few minutes before adding 2 cups of Vegetable Broth and a cup of Water . Let it come to a boil, cover and simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Remove from heat and allow cooling a bit. Reserve a few tbsp of the vegetables and keep aside. Puree the remaining with a cup of Milk . Return to the pan with the reserved vegetables to the heat and add Salt and Black Pepper to taste . Add more water/milk, if required, to adjust consistency. When hot enough add 2 tbsp of Sour Cream / Whipping Cream (optional) and stir. Serve hot.

Bittergourd - Wash, peel and slice ¼ kg Bittergourd into thin rounds. Add 2 cups of Water, 1½ tbsp of Tamarind Paste, Big pinch of Turmeric and Salt to the bittergourd rounds and cook for 15 mts or till the bitter gourds are ¾th cooked. Drain any left over water and keep aside. Masala Powder - Dry roast and grind 1 tsp of Coriander Seeds, ½ tsp of Fennel Seeds and 2 dry Red Chillies into coarse powder. Fry - Heat 1½ tbsp of Oil in a pan, add ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds and let them splutter. Add 4 Curry Leaves, a pinch of Asafoetida and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the thinly sliced 2 medium Onions and fry for 6-7 minutes till they turn brown. Add the masala powder and 1-2 tsp of Jaggery Powder and combine well. Add the cooked bitter gourds and stir fry. Constantly stir fry on medium heat ensuring they don’t burn or stick to the pan. Keep frying till they well roasted and this could take about 15-18 minutes. Adjust salt and serve hot with rice.

Rice - Cook 1½ cups of Rice , cool and keep aside. Cabbage Rice - Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a pan, add ½ tsp of Mustard and ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds and once they splutter, add a chopped Onion and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add ½ tsp of Ginger Garlic paste and cook for another minute. Then, add a chopped Carrot and 3 cups of chopped Cabbage ; cover and cook for 12-15 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Add 2 tsp of Tomato Paste(optional), Salt to taste, ½ tsp of Garam Masala and ½ tsp of Red Chili Powder. Cook for another 3 minutes. Add the cooked rice, mix well and cook for couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot along with yogurt.

Lightly roast 1 cup of Sesame Seeds till golden brown color. Grind them into powder and then add ½ - ¾ cup of Jaggery , grind again. Make small lemon sized balls with the ground mixture.

Using a mortar and pestle, grind together a  tsp of Cumin Seeds, 1 1/2  tsp of Black Pepper Seeds,  4-5 Garlic Cloves and a sprig of Curry Leaves into a coarse paste. T ake 3 chopped Tomatoes, 8-10 Coriander Stalks  into a bowl. Press them with hands and extract the juices. Add 2 cups of Water and repeat the process. Squeeze and discard the tomato skins and stalks out of the bowl and set aside. In a saucepan, add the extracted Tomato mixture, 1/4 tsp of Turmeric Powder, Salt as needed, 3 slit Green Chillies, a tsp of Tamarind Paste and mix well. Let it boil until the green chillies are soft. Add the prepared Cumin-Garlic coarse paste and continue to boil until foam appears on the top.  Tempering - Heat a ts p of Oil in a pan; add a pinch of Asafetida, ¼ tsp of Mustard Seeds, 2 Red Chillies and a sprig of Curry Leaves . Remove from heat. Add the tempering to the rasam and remove from heat. Serve hot with Rice.

Marinade - Marinate 1lb of cubed boneless Lamb with ½ cup of beaten Yogurt and 1 tbsp of finely crushed Garlic for 2 hours. Fry - Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a pan; add 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp of Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp of Fennel Seeds and few Curry Leaves , allowing them to sizzle. Add a finely sliced Onion and sauté till golden brown. Add 1 tbsp of freshly ground Black Pepper and marinated lamb along with marinade. Cook covered on low heat for 45 minutes or till lamb is tender and cooked through, stirring occasionally and adding Water as needed, if it begins to stick to bottom of the pan. Season with Salt , and add thinly sliced Bell Pepper and cook covered for another 5-10 minutes. Garnish with fresh Coriander Leaves and sprinkle Lemon Juice . Serve hot with rice.

Plantains - Skin 2 raw Plantains and cut them into small cubes. Add a cup of Water to them along with a big pinch of Turmeric Powder and Salt to a pan. Cook till soft but not mushy, keep aside. Masala Paste - Make a coarse paste of 1½ tsp of Mustard Seeds, 1 Green Chilli, 1” Ginger, 2-3 tbsp of Grated Coconut and 2 tbsp of Water . Curry - Heat 1½ tsp of Oil in a pan, add ½ tsp of Mustard Seeds and when they splutter, add ¼ tsp of Split Gram Dal and let them turn golden brown. Add the few Curry Leaves, a slit Green Chilli and a pinch of Asafoetida/Hing . Immediately, add the cooked plantain pieces and combine. Adjust Salt. Add the ground mustard paste and combine. Cook for 2 minutes before removing from heat. Serve hot with rice.

Melt 4 tbsp of Butter in a microwaveable bowl for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of Milk Powder, ¼ tsp of Cardamom Powder and a tin of Condensed Milk and combine well. Return it to the microwave oven for 5 minutes, stirring every 1 minute. Let the mixture to cool. Grease your hands with a little of ghee and take a small ball of mixture and shape the pedas into a desired shape.

Prep - Wash and drain ¾ kg minced Meat and keep aside. Finely chop 3 large Onions, 4-5 Green Chilies, 2 Tomatoes separately and keep aside. Ground Powder - Dry roast ½ tbsp of Coriander Seeds, ½ tsp of Cumin Seeds, ½ tsp of Poppy Seeds, 3 dry Red Chillis, Pinch of Fenugreek/Menthulu Seeds, Pinch of Fennel Seeds/Saunf (optional) and grind into a coarse powder. Curry - Heat 2½ tbsp of Oil in a pressure cooker, add green chilies, curry leaves, onions and saute till the onions turn transparent, approximately 4 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic paste and saute further for another 3 minutes. Add minced meat and ½ tsp of Turmeric Powder and cook on high without lid for 4-5 minutes stirring in between. Add the ground masala powder, Salt to taste and combine well. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes on medium flame. Add a cup of Water and cook on pressure upto 4 whistles or until the meat is almost cooked. Remove from heat. After 3-4 minutes, remove lid, add 1 tsp...

Veggies - Break off the ends of a bunch of Asparagus (about 20 pencils) , holding the stalk at both ends, bend the stalk until it snaps. Cut them into about 2 inch pieces and keep aside. Clean, peel and mince 1 tbsp of Ginger . Roasted Asparagus - Heat 2 tbsp of Olive Oil in a pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of Cumin Seeds and let them crackle. Add ginger, 2 tsp of Lemon Juice, Salt to taste and ½ tsp of Black Pepper . Stir-fry for a minute and add asparagus pieces. Stir-fry for about 4 to 5 minutes until asparagus are tender but still have the crunch. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of Grated Parmesan Cheese or Cheddar Cheese and when melted, remove from heat. Serve hot or at room temperature.