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THE TERRIFIC TRIO: A trio of mocktails to beat the heat.     Photo by TK Nasar By Aney MathewYou are sitting on the beach under an umbrella, sipping sparkling elderflower lemonade, while enjoying the scenic beauty of the clear, blue waters; the sound of happy children playing as they build sand castles on the shore, and the sight of youngsters ripping across the waters on their water-scooters in the distance, add to the splendour of the moment — a great way to spend a hot summer’s day.This scenario needs to be no figment of imagination. You could savour such a moment in reality in Qatar, except for possibly the easy availability of sparkling elderflower lemonade; perhaps you could replace it for a tall, cool glass of refreshing water berry or orange mojito.With summer taking hold of the region, attention has naturally once again turned to thirst quenchers. Cool, refreshing drinks are the hot favourite — even if it’s just a glass of good, old lemonade. Every region and area has its favourite summer drink, which involves the extensive use of locally available fresh fruits. On a typical day in summer, depending on the region, you could be offered anything from a cool, fruity mocktail to a simple glass of refreshing buttermilk, or an exotic fruity lassi. Recent trends have been favourable towards bestowing an emphatic concurrence to nature’s produce and the sun is certainly shining brighter on fresh, fruity drinks. Nature’s bounty provides so many different flavours to satisfy various palates. Fortunately, the markets in Qatar provide a wide selection of fresh fruits from around the globe, the whole year round, giving us quite a choice. From mango and watermelon, to peaches and strawberries or even the more exotic dragon fruit, you can make a range of fruity drinks and mocktails right at home; the variety would be limited only by your imagination. Add a dash of sparkling lemonade and the drink gets a tangy, bubbly appeal. Garnish with some mint leaves or chopped honeydew melon and give your drink some extra freshness. Fruit juices and mocktails are a great way of ensuring your family gets their daily servings of fruit. There’s nothing like a refreshing, delicious, fruity drink to start your day, even if you are one of those people who isn’t keen on a breakfast. For those who are wondering – a mocktail is simply the combination of the juice of several fruits.Whisking together a scrumptious mocktail isn’t confined to the kitchens of trendy restaurants. You can whip them up at home, quite as easily. To give our readers an idea of how to come up with a mocktail that will impress guests, Community got the staff at the La Spiga Restaurant by Paper Moon in W Doha, to share with us some of their popular summer sippers.By way of introduction, Denis Cefa, the Asst Restaurant Manager says, “The three mocktails that we have selected for our demonstration, have something in common. They are all very colourful, rich in antioxidants, very refreshing and certainly healthy. They are perfect for the summer as they are full of fruity flavours and they also contain herbs like mint which makes them more refreshing.“While choosing these drinks we wanted to incorporate some variety too; they are varied not only in taste but also in their colour and texture. For instance, the texture of Water Berry is close to that of a melon. Here the ingredients are just added and shaken well in a bottle, before being served. The mint is not crushed, in order for its distinct taste to come through. The idea is that the flavours of the various ingredients should not vie with each other.”Explaining further about the mocktails, Denis points out, “We are also sharing the recipe for an orange mojito. All mojito have the same, common base – mint, lime and brown sugar; and the ingredients are ‘muddled’ together. Mojitos originated from the Caribbean and hence the use of brown sugar.” As if on cue, Manas Rath, the bartender, proceeds to muddle the orange mojito; he crushes the ingredients in a sturdy glass with a muddler, which resembles the handle of a rolling pin. Muddling is basically crushing the ingredients together. The muddler is pressed lightly on the leaves and given a few gentle twists. The process releases a gentle aroma of mint. Care should be taken not to over-muddle the ingredients. “The Virgin Mint Honey is different from the other mocktails, in that the ingredients are neither shaken together nor muddled, but processed through a blender, along with ice cubes. This gives it a totally different texture and is perfect for the poolside,” says Denis, pointing to a green, frothy treat.In addition to the recipes, here are some handy tips that will help you get best results, when you attempt your own mocktails:l Ensure you are using the freshest fruits and ingredients and try to keep the constituents as natural as possible.l Rather than just mixing together the juice of a few fruits together, try blending them together in a blender for an appealing frothy, drink.l Mocktails taste best when served immediately after they are made, so making them ahead of time is not a good idea.l Colour, fragrance and presentation are quite crucial to the way we enjoy food; they affect our psychological impression of the food served. As a matter of fact it is said, that we first eat with our nose and eyes. So while colour is an important element to our taste perception, try to use only natural colouring agents as much as possible. With these tips and recipes as a guide, go ahead and try the mocktails shared here, and of course let your imagination take over as you come up with your own fun combinations.Whether you choose to enjoy your thirst quencher while enjoying the view on a beach, or while simply flipping channels on your flat screen TV, these fruity, summer sippers will help you beat the heat.Water BerryA bestseller in the restaurant — this drink contains amino acid citrulline, which is found in particularly high amounts in watermelon juice. It helps in improving blood flow and relaxing blood vessels. If you’d like to help protect your heart, skin and body from cancer, then this juice is for you.Eating watermelon or drinking the juice before heavy exercise can also have an anti-inflammatory effect. This mocktail is great for your kidneys, having a highly cleansing effect when you drink it, while the cranberry juice helps prevent UTIs and other related illnesses. The watermelon and cranberry together help flush out ammonia and uric acid from the body, leaving you fresh, hydrated and ready for a summery day.Ingredients:100 ml Fresh Watermelon Juice50 ml Cranberry Juice10 ml Fresh Lemon Juice15ml Apple JuiceMethod:Shake the ingredients altogether well in a bottle and garnish with red berries and a sprig of mint.Orange Mojito Put the plain old soda aside and grab yourself one of these irresistible and refreshing drinks this summer. This virgin orange mojito is the perfect recipe to impress your friends and family; it will be the hit among for people of all ages.Ingredients:2 Slice of Orange 10 Mint Leaves 1 Lime cut in 8 wedges2 Cube of brown sugar30 ml of fresh orange juiceTop up with 7 UPMethod:Muddle sugar, mint, lime and orange slices together. Add fresh orange juice, crushed ice and top up with 7 UP.Virgin Mint Honey Feeling a little under the weather? This extremely easy mocktail will lift you right up.Orange juice is widely considered one of the healthiest beverages because of its wide range of health benefits. This includes its ability to boost our immune system, reduce signs of ageing, protect against cancer and boost cellular repair and metabolism. It also helps to detoxify the body, improve circulation, improve blood pressure, reduces inflammation, and lowers cholesterol levels. When paired up with fresh mint leaves that are known to have one of the highest antioxidant capacities in any food. Add a dash of honey and you have perfect formula to start the day — energised and refreshed.Ingredients:70 ml fresh orange juice 8 mint leavesDash of honeyMethod:Blend all three ingredients together in a blender and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Biryani is one of those single words that are enough to bring a smile to a foodie’s face. Eid is one of the best occasions to relish a Biryani. Biryani is a traditional aromatic long grain basmati rice dish cooked with meat and assortment of flavourings, herbs and spices usually served with a yoghurt based dip called raita or spicy peanut-based gravy called salan. Almost all the chefs boast of their own unique recipe to prepared Biryani with an array of ingredients. The history of Biryani is still unclear but one thing that is clear is the fact that Biryani has been with us since ages and is still a favourite among the masses. The word Biryani is derived from the Parsi word Birian meaning fried before cooking. In olden days, rice was fried in ghee to give the rice a nutty flavour and also forming a layer on the ice so that the rice does not stick or get mashed while cooking with the meat. After the rice was stir fried it was simmered in water with spices till half cooked.The most appropriate and common choice of meat for Biryani is the baby goat. The meat is marinated in a paste of yoghurt, spices, herbs and papaya and is used the next day to get a soft and tender meat when cooked with rice.The traditional way calls for an earthen pot or copper utensil called a handi. The rice and meat are layered; the top layer is always rice. The aromatic condiments like mint leaves, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, cinnamon powder, mace, rose water and coriander leaves  are also inter-layered between each layer to make the dish more flavourful. The handi and lid is sealed with dough and some smouldering charcoal is placed on the lid to heat the Biryani from top and bottom. The lid is opened just before the dish needs to be served.My Biryani StyleI always keep on enhancing the Biryani experience for my guests and try to make it in a unique way by draping the Biryani in bread dough and then baking it in oven. This method ensures that the Biryani is dum cooked with bread and is served along with raita and spicy gravy. Guests can break open the bread to allow the hot steam to vent out and then relish the Biryani with its bread.Lamb BiryaniServes 2IngredientsMutton cubes 600 gmOnion, sliced 1 cupGinger, chop 1 inch pieceGarlic, chop Few clovesCoriander powder 3 tspGreen chilies 3 noChili powder 1 tspPoppy seeds 1 tspCardamom, Cloves 3 no eachPeppercorns 5 noStar anise 2-3 noCinnamon, stick 1 inchYoghurt 1 cupSalt to taste Desi ghee 3 tbspFor RiceBasmati rice 2 cupsOnion ¼ cup onionCloves 3 noCinnamon 1 inchCardamom 3 noBay leaf 2 noSalt to tasteDesi ghee 5 tbspSaffron few strandsRose water 2-3 dropsFor BreadWheat flour 2 cupSemolina ½ cupCurd 1 cupCaraway 1 tspDesi ghee 1 tspSalt to taste    Method Wash and marinate the mutton pieces with red chilli, ginger garlic and salt.Roast and powder cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorns.Grind together red chillies, half the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Heat ghee, add sliced onions and sauté and ground spices. Add mutton, sauté well, add ground poppy seeds.Add moisture and allow the mutton to simmer, keep covered.Once the mutton is cooked, pour in remaining curd and season. Sprinkle powdered spices and remove from fire.For the RiceHeat oil, fry onions and remove, add whole spices.When spices crackle, add rice and fry for a few more minutes. Add salt and double the quantity of hot water.When rice is cooked and all moisture has evaporated, remove from fire.For the breadMix all the ingredients together and then mix to form dough.Make sure the dough is soft and not too dry/soft.Knead well and then divide the dough. Now with a rolling pin, roll it out into circles.For the BiryaniPlace some prepared rice on the flattened dough and layer with mutton and then again with prepared rice, sprinkle some rose and saffron water on it and add some mint leaves and fried onion on it place another flat dough bread on top and seal the sides using a fork. Place on a baking tray and bake over medium heat for 10 minutes so that the bread is cooked and has nice golden brown colour.Serve hot, garnished with fried onions, chopped coriander, mint and fried nuts and raita.* Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to: [email protected]

IN ACTION: Khalid al-Jabri makes some delicious, hot Omani halwa.   Phot: Anand HollaBy Anand HollaOf the few shops housed in the traditional market place built along the Katara beach, Khalid al-Jabri’s stall is by far the sweetest – he is the only one who makes and sells Omani halwa.Right from the start of Ramadan, al-Jabri’s authentic take on lip-smacking Omani halwa has been generating quite a buzz among visitors to Katara and its beachfront. Most of the small shop, which will be open till the last day of Eid, is occupied by a giant cooking pot, and al-Jabri prides on being a one-man show.“From assembling the ingredients to handling these big utensils, I do everything by myself. I like it this way,” he says. Priced at QR50 for a kilo, the halwa, which is available in two variants (brown and black), tastes divine. It also comes at a much better price than the usual market rate. “I haven’t seen anyone make Omani halwa alone; be it in Oman or in Qatar,” he says, as he garnishes the halwa placed in various boxes with diced dry fruits.The 38-year-old self-taught chef lives in Muscat but flies down to wherever work beckons. “I travel wherever work takes me,” al-Jabri says, “I go to UAE, or Kuwait for the food festival. After Eid, Inshallah, I will go to Egypt and open a shop in Alexandria.”Al-Jabri says he is an expert at cooking Omani cuisine, Gulf cuisine, Indian cuisine, and Arabic cuisine. “But sweet-making is my new fascination,” he says.Before turning his interest to cookery, al-Jabri worked at the control room of the Dubai International Airport for eight years. “It was crazy. Some people would be furious and really tough to deal with. I didn’t like the atmosphere,” he recalls. Next, al-Jabri made a swift career turn and took up one of the most calming jobs there could be.“I joined the royal musicians’ orchestra for Sultan Qaboos (the Sultan of Oman), which is made up of Omani musicians, and became part of the choral team,” al-Jabri says. He worked there for a decade, until last year.It’s rather clear that al-Jabri is a versatile character. “Any work that comes to me, I take it up. Ahlamdulillah I am ready for everything. Sometimes, I work as a fisherman, and sometimes I drive big boats or trucks,” he says, “I work with everybody; Arabs, Indians, Filipinos, Russian, and I can talk all these languages, too.”But of late, it is food that has him excited. “I have been cooking for 15 years. I learnt it by looking at my mother. Now I cook well enough to be called a Chef,” he says, smiling.While he has now perfected the Omani halwa, he first worked at it with sketchy instructions. “One time, I asked a friend, who works in a sweetshop, how to cook authentic halwa. He gave me oral instructions and I remembered it,” al-Jabri says.At his Katara shop, weekends bring in some customers, but otherwise business has been lean. “I haven’t set up this shop for money. What I need most is for people to visit me, see me, see my cooking, taste the halwa and like it enough to remember me, return to me. Everybody must remember Khalid al-Jabri and the halwa he makes,” he says, adding, “Katara officials have helped me put this together. They are very kind and supportive.”Most of those who try a spoonful of halwa end up making a buy. “While I get all sorts of customers, those from the Gulf form the bulk. Then there are those expats who have been to Oman or lived there before and want to revisit the taste of Omani halwa,” al-Jabri explains.For al-Jabri, who plans to open a multi-cuisine restaurant in Doha, the most heartening part of his halwa shop has been the great feedback he has been getting. “Many have told me that they will place bulk orders once I open a halwa shop,” he says.What, then, is the singular secret to making mouth-watering sweets? “When you make sweets, it’s all up to you,” says al-Jabri, “If you are feeling happy and relaxed, it turns out superbly. But if you are worried or stressed, things don’t come together well. Ahlamdullilah, I am always happy.”

Eggplant, brinjal, aubergine or guinea squash — whatever name you call it we all recognise this vegetable from its gorgeous purple coloured skin. They are available in the markets all year round but are at their best from August to October. Eggplants grow in a manner like tomatoes, hanging from the vines of a plant that grown several feet in height. Eggplant is best known for two most popular dishes namely moussaka and ratatouille. This vegetable is very high on nutrients and has many health benefits so one should include this at least once a week in their meals for its health benefits. If you cook it well, even those people who don’t like it will appreciate its taste. I am a vegetable lover and I always try and make dishes with a lot of vegetables. Many readers also demand more vegetable dishes, so I thought this time to make something with the humble eggplant and make it into a complete meal for my followers. This dish is a combination of eggplant filled with seasoned rice and nuts served with a chunky tomato sauce. Tips while cooking with eggplantWhile cutting eggplant, always use a stainless steel knife instead of metal knife as eggplant is reactive to other metals. After cutting, place the pieces into salt water or sprinkle some salt over them to remove the bitter taste of eggplant and make it tastier. You can add eggplant to a variety of dishes like sambhar stew, pizza topping, and pasta sauce. To cook eggplant you can choose to roast it, fry it or grill it, marinated with some olive oil and seasoning. How to pick a good eggplantOne common question that pops up in most people mind while buying eggplant is which one to choose? Well the following tips will ensure you choose a good and tender eggplant that will delight you once cooked well. Firstly choose a small or medium sized eggplant, as the bitterness of eggplant increases as it matures so young eggplant will be sweet with soft seeds. Then look for the skin, it should be bright, shiny and smooth. Turn the eggplant to notice any blemishes, cuts or wrinkles as these denote that the eggplant was not stored or handled well and is not fresh. The eggplant should feel light as compared to its volume when held in hand and the skin should spring back when you apply some pressure with your finger. Keeping all these points in mind will ensure you get a nice eggplant for cooking. Do not cut your eggplants and then store them as they will perish quickly. Instead you can store the whole vegetable for several days in the refrigerator. Eggplant and Rice Serves 4IngredientsEggplant 2 no (medium size)Long grain rice 2 cupsButter 2 tbspOlive oil 2 tbspMustard powder 2 tspCumin 2 tspCinnamon 1 tspGinger, chopped 1 tbspGarlic, chopped 1 tbspRed bell pepper 1 noGreen bell pepper 1 noRaisin ¼ cupPistachio ¼ cupTomatoes puree 2 cupsTomato, chop 1 cupSalt To tasteBlack pepper To tasteParmesan cheese, grated 4 tbspMethodFirst cut the eggplant into half lengthwise and carefully hollow out the halves until there is 1 cm of flesh to the skin.Season the inside of the eggplant with salt and grease the skin with butter and keep aside.Cut the hollowed-out eggplant into dices and keep aside.In a heavy bottom sauce pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and add half of garlic and ginger and stir over medium heat.Add diced bell pepper, eggplant, cumin, cinnamon, mustard powder, raisin, pistachio and rice. Stir well to combine.Pour 4 cups of water into the pan and bring to boil, add seasoning.Simmer and leave it on slow flame till the rice is cooked and the water is evaporated.Remove from flame and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Scoop the prepared rice into the emptied eggplants and place them in baking tray. Sauté remaining garlic and ginger in a separate pan and add chopped tomato and tomato puree.Reduce to sauce consistency and adjust the seasoning, keep aside. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and add grated cheese on top and bake again till the cheese melts. Serve hot on the bed of prepared tomato sauce.

PWA Qatar’s cooking contest draws a large number of contestantsBy Umer NangianaOffering a rare opportunity to women to prove their culinary skills, Pakistan Women’s Association (PWA) Qatar attracted a large number of contestants from different expatriate communities at the second edition of its Cookery Contest and Show.Held in association with Shan Masala (spices), also the main ingredient spice for the competing recipes, the show put together women, mostly housewives, from Pakistani, Indian, Filipino and other communities in a competition for ‘best cook.’Allowed to prepare their favourite recipes, the women presented the dishes in various innovative styles at the Doha Marriott Hotel.“This is our second cookery show and we are promoting Pakistani products. Shan is a product that is popular all over the world and is available in many countries across the globe for its quality. But in addition to Pakistanis, Indian and Filipino communities also actively participated in the show,” Rahat Mansoor, the President of PWA, told Community.From the registered contestants, PWA had shortlisted 21 people to compete in the show. “We made sure that no recipe is repeated. We had an overwhelming response from people. Initially, we had slotted 10 places but we had to increase it to 21,” said Rahat.Contestant were monitored and judged by Chef Zakir (one of Pakistan’s top chefs), Jassim Mohammed (judge) and Chef Tony (Doha Marriott Senior Chef) on taste and presentation.Prizes were given to the seven top contestants. Rukhsana Muneer won the first prize for Mutton Haleem with Dash Chicken and Honey Mustard Chicken. The second position went to Nelofar Ameer for Mutton Kadahi with Rasmalai and the third position went to Aiysha Ali for Shahi Haleem, vegetable cutlets with walnut halwa. Shabana Shoaib finished 4th, Henna Syed 5th, Afreen Yousuf 6th, and Hameeda Syed 7th.The top three contestants won a Gold Ring from Malabar Gold. The fourth to seventh place finishes each got QR500 in gift vouchers from Malabar Gold and Diamond Jewellery. All winners also got gift hampers from Shan Masala and VLCC. “It was challenging to choose winners from 21 contestants, as each contestant did a remarkable job with their hard work in preparing and presenting the dishes,” said Chef Zakir. He is considered as one of the most famous and successful chefs in Pakistan. Being an all-rounder in all cuisines, Chef Zakir has made his recognition all over world media having live shows in 42 countries.“In judging the quality of the food, we mainly see three things. First of course is that how much the meat is cooked. If it is over-cooked, this means that the spices in it were over-cooked too. This results in waste of meat’s protein,” Zakir told Community.The second thing, he said, was the quantity of spices used in proportion with the quantity of meat. There must be a fine balance between the two, or else it results in acidity or burning sensation in your throat or stomach.The food should be balanced in such a way that everyone is able to eat it. It should have the right combination of salt and other spices.Cooking has become relatively easy but good cooking techniques come with practice, said the chef. “Cooking is just like any other field like medical science or engineering. You have to spend time and energy to gain expertise in your technique. It is not just something gifted,” he added.“In Pakistan, we do not have training institutes so we do not have much awareness about it. In developed countries, they study cooking in colleges and universities,” said Chef Zakir.He said he wanted to become a soldier when he was young. His parents and certain mentors, however, pushed him to become a chef. “I thought about it and realised they were right. I can make name for my country with my work as a chef as well,” said Zakir.Once he joined this profession, he said, he never looked back. He has devoted his entire life to it.He said the contestants were mostly housewives and they did really well despite the fact they made Pakistani recipes whose complete ingredients are not available locally. The climate and water here are also different from that of Pakistan, he said.It is the job of a chef to balance everything in a certain recipe between ingredients, temperature differences from the areas it is from, blend of spices available and so on. And this is an art. Whoever masters it, masters cooking, said the chef.

Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to: [email protected] is a traditional Moroccan tagine, or stew, eaten during Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, one of the most important religious Muslim days of the year. It is a sweet and spicy lamb dish that is very tender due to the fact that it is slow-cooked over an extended period of time. Moroccan cuisine is known for its fragrance and spiciness. Due to its position in the Mediterranean, Morocco’s culture and food incorporates a number of different styles — African cuisine, Mediterranean cuisine and Arab cuisine are combined into a delicious fusion of Moroccan tastes. Mrouzia is but one example of the hundreds of fragrant traditional Moroccan dishes.When cooking mrouzia, it is preferable to use a traditional tagine dish, which is made of clay, either glazed or unglazed. They consist of a large, round flat dish and a conical top that fits into the dish. It is designed in such a way that all the condensation formed during the slow cooking process falls back into the dish, which allows for an extremely moist and tender finished product when cooking in a tagine pot. The mrouzia is usually served directly from the tagine dish.Typically, mrouzia is cooked using lamb, but sometimes goat or beef is used too. Equal parts sweet and savoury, this dish is a long-cooking stew where lamb shares the stage with a host of spices. Lamb shoulder is the ideal stewing meat, its plentiful connective tissue will melt down during the braising process to thicken the sauce. The cooking time may vary depending on the type of meat used. The dish consists of the meat combined with onions, garlic, honey, almonds, raisins and a combination of spices, giving it a sweet and spicy flavour. Spices used, which are normally combined into a paste using a mortar and pestle and then rubbed on the lamb before cooking, include cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, cumin and turmeric.Traditionally the meat is not browned and all the ingredients, except for the raisins and honey are thrown together in the pot and left to cook at low heat for up to 12 hours or more. Some people also keep the almonds out for addition later, while others cook them with the rest of the ingredients. The honey and raisins are usually added at the end. The dish can also be cooked, less authentically, in a casserole dish or pressure cooker.The Muslim community is known for their charitable practices and Ramadan is no exception. It is tradition to ensure that no impoverished person goes without a meal at this special time in the Muslim calendar. Food, including mrouzia, is shared between everybody within the community. Lamb MrouziaServes 4IngredientsLamb cubes 1200 gmGinger, chop 1 tspBlack pepper crushed 1 tspMorocco spice mix 1 tbspSaffron few strandsWater ½ cupButter 6 tbspOnion, chopped 2 noGarlic, chopped 2 clovesCinnamon sticks 2 noChicken stock 5 cupsDried apricots, chopped 1 cupAlmonds, blanched 1 cupHoney 4 tbspCinnamon powder 1 tspParsley, chopped ½ cupCarrots 2 noBread loaf 1 noMethodIn a bowl combine ginger, morocco spice mix, saffron and water and mix well. Add lamb meat cubes and rub the paste evenly on it.Cover and refrigerate overnight. In a heavy bottom pot with lid, heat butter and add onion, garlic, cinnamon sticks, and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the marinated meat in the pot and chicken stock, cover the meat and simmer over slow flame.Skim if any scum or froth appears on top.Add water if the pot becomes too dry and stir occasionally to turn the meat in the pot.Simmer for 1½ hrs or until the meat is tender. Add apricots, blanched whole almonds, honey, diced carrots, cinnamon powder and simmer for 20- 25 minutes.The dish should not be too watery or too dry. Allow to cool and stir in freshly chopped parsley and serve with sliced bread loaf, steamed cous cous or rice.Note: Moroccan spice mix includes ginger powder, cinnamon powder, all spice, cloves, cardamom, black cumin, aniseed, coriander, cayenne pepper, lavender leaves, mace, nutmeg and turmeric. You can make your own spice by combining these or just can buy it ready made from hypermarkets. If you can’t find it, add equal quantity of Chinese five spice powder with a combination of available spices like ginger, cinnamon, cumin and coriander etc).

- Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to: [email protected] is the time to purify oneself with fasting and also relish many delicacies in the Iftar. One such delicacy is the kofta. Kofta, kofte, kufta, or kefta — whatever you may call it is ground meat flavoured with herbs, spices and other ingredients and is cooked in oven or griddle or skewered or fried and usually served dry. Kofta is a Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian dish made by grinding meat, mixing it with spices, and forming it into balls or cylinders for cooking. And there are hundreds of variations on this dish ranging from spicy lamb koftas grilled on the streets in Turkey to vegetable koftas served with naan in India. Many Middle Eastern and Indian restaurants offer some version of kofta, and it is also possible to make kofta at home, since the dish is extremely flexible, cooks can adjust the ingredients and accompanying items as desired.The most basic kofta is made from meat that has been so finely ground so that it turns into a smooth paste. I first came across such a fine grind of meat during my tenure in Srinagar, Kashmir where specialty cooks known as waazas typically used to pound fresh warm meat with walnut wood hammer and used to turn it into such a fine paste that the resulting koftas would simply melt in the mouth. The meat is mixed with spices like parsley, garlic, onions, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon or nutmeg, and then it is grilled, baked, fried, or roasted, depending on the cook’s taste. Many cooks skewer their koftas for easy cooking, although the skewers are typically before they are served, except in parts of the Middle East, where cigar-shaped kofta are served on skewers.There are numerous variants of kofta available in almost every country. The below mentioned recipe is for the Arabic lamb kofta. The meat is combined with the other ingredients and grounded together to blend all the ingredients and to make the meat smooth and soft while eating. You can shape them as balls or flat patties, thin fingers or torpedo shaped depending on choice and cooking method. Common choices for making kofta include beef, lamb and chicken although some  vegetarian versions are also prepared by mincing vegetables and either frying them or cooking on hot plate. Smaller kofta make great appetizers however they can also be stewed in gravy or sauce to be served as main course. There’s basically no hard and fast rule for making kofta and one can try and experiment with the available ingredients to make their own signature kofta.A similar kofta is also found in Italian cuisine where it is called meatball. A meatball is ground meat flavoured with herbs and seasonings held together with a binding agent and fried or simmered in its own sauce along with rice or pasta. I can relate the origin of the kofta as a way to utilise the leftover scraps of meat and turning it into a boneless meat dish, which later on was so appreciated that it acquired the status of a popular dish across the kitchens of the world. Lahm KoftaServes 4IngredientsGround lamb meat 1 kgMint leaves, chopped ½ cupOnion, chopped ¼ cupGarlic cloves 4 -6 noCumin powder 1 tbspPaprika powder 1 tbspSalt to tasteBlack pepper, crushed To tasteOlive oil 2 tbspMethodCombine lamb mince with mint leaves, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper in a bowl and mix well.Using moistened hands, scant 2-3 tbsp of the mixture and roll into a meatball and arrange on a baking sheet.Heat oil in a skillet or a heavy bottom pan and shallow fry the meat balls on both the sides until almost cooked.Place in a baking tray and cook in a preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for another 10-12 minutes or until the lamb is cooked.Prick the meatball with a knife to check if the juices run clear.Allow to stand for a while and serve hot with pita bread and choice of salad on the side.Note: You can also use beef or chicken instead of the lamb as per your choice.

Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to: [email protected] we celebrate the holy month of Ramadan and break our fast every day after sunset one delicacy that everyone likes is the hot Kunafeh. I can definitely vouch that Iftar is not complete without Ramadan desserts and Ramadan desserts are not complete without the Kunafeh. Kunafeh is the perfect dish to complete the Iftar. Kunafeh is an Arabic pastry made of spun wheat strands first baked and then soaked in sweet sugar-based syrup. The Kunafeh originated in the city of Nablus in Palestine but is famous now across the globe and specially Middle East for its great taste and texture. There are numerous recipes and variants of this dessert. The city of Nablus in Palestine is especially renowned for its Kunafeh. The largest plate of Kunafeh was made in Nablus in an attempt to win a Palestinian citation in the Guinness World Records. It measured 75×2 metres and weighed 1,350 kilograms. Palestinian cuisine has its own distinct features but shares many features and influences with food from other parts of the region, including desserts (there are many regional variations of Kunafeh including in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey). The story of Kunafeh begins when it was introduced by a physician who saw a princess having a hard time fasting because of her appetite. He created the dish and instructed the princess to eat a great amount of it just before dawn, and as a result she was never hungry during the day. Kunafeh is a sweet dessert made from spun shredded wheat and topped with raisins, nuts, and cream. In different variations of this dish, the cream is replaced by mozzarella cheese or by cream cheese and at times also flavoured with cinnamon or rose water. Kunafeh is an Arabic pastry made with spun shredded wheat soaked in sugar syrup and topped with nuts, raisins and cream. Like the traditional Nablus variant, Lebanese Bil Jibn Kunafeh and some more local variants using different ingredients. Kunafeh pastry comes in three types based on the texture of the dough used in the making. First is the rough one in which the crust is made with long thin noodle threads of spun wheat. Second is the fine texture where the dough is made with semolina and the third and last one is the mixed one, which is made with a combination of the above two types of dough. My personal favourite is the second one. In different variations of this dish, the cream is replaced by mozzarella or by cream cheese and at times cinnamon is added. This is one of my favourite desserts and my family loves it too, we’ve been relishing this sweet treat ever since I came to Qatar three years back. Kunafeh Serves  4IngredientsKunafeh dough 400 gmDesi ghee  200 gmFor fillingAkawi cheese  600 gmSemolina  ½ cupSugar syrup  2 tbspFor sugar syrupSugar  500 gmWater  500 gmRose water  few dropsFor GarnishPistachio  50 gmMethodGrease a baking tray with ghee and spread a layer of half of Kunafeh dough.Keep another baking tray on the dough and place a heavy weight on top to make the dough flat.In the meanwhile slice the cheese and keep it dipped in cold water for 10 minutes to remove excess salt.Repeat the above step till the cheese loses its salty taste (approximately 5- 6 times).Layer this desalted cheese on the Kunafeh dough layer.Add remaining Kunafeh dough on top of cheese and press again using another baking tray and heavy height.Leave aside to set for 1 hour and remove the top tray and apply remaining desi ghee on top.Bake in a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes at 220 degree Celsius.Make a thick sugar syrup by boiling together sugar and water and adding rose water to flavour.Once the top layer has a nice golden colour, remove from the oven and pour the prepared and cooled sugar syrup as desired,Garnish with crushed pistachio and serve hot.

The dondurma is a Turkish ice cream that does not melt easily and holds its shape easilyBy Aney MathewIt’s tasty, it’s thick and incredibly stretchy; it can be cut with a knife and eaten with a fork! Who would say it’s an ice cream? What’s more, the Turkish ice cream or dondurma, as it is traditionally called, doesn’t melt easily — it holds its shape so well, that it can be enjoyed slowly even on a hot, summer’s day without the fear of it melting and dribbling down your cone!Turkey offers several flavours to excite your palette. While its cuisine is widely praised for its diversity, one culinary item that stands apart is the dondurma (literally Turkish for “freezing”); its taste and stretchy texture  have earned it a different status when compared to the commercially produced ice creams. So, how stretchy is Turkish ice cream? It is so pliable that it would give any decent chewing gum a run for its money. Make no mistake though, it certainly doesn’t taste or feel like chewing gum; the traditional dondurma is soft and creamy and certainly a ‘cool’ cut about the rest.Dondurma is sold on carts by street vendors in Turkey and also at stores. The ice cream mixture is regularly churned with long-handled metal paddles to keep it workable and stretchy. Dressed in traditional attire, vendors attract and delight customers especially tourists, by playing all kind of tricks with their long paddle and a chunk of dondurma. The ice cream is so flexible in their hands that they can fashion it into diverse shapes; it wouldn’t be surprising to spot a hawker drawing out the dondurma into a long rope that people can skip with! The good news of course, is that you don’t have to travel to Turkey to try this unusual ice cream. Community visited one of the most famous dondurma producers in Qatar, to give our readers a closer insight, into this remarkable delight. “The origin of the dondurma goes back to 300 to 500 years approximately. When you say ‘ice cream’ in Turkey, you mean Maras ice cream. The region of Kahraman Maras (or Maras for short), is often referred to as the capital of ice cream in Turkey. So naturally, the best ice cream is the Maras dondurma,” explains Salahattin Gunenc, the Restaurant Manager of MADO Turkey, a Turkish outlet at The Pearl. MADO is so well known for its Maras dondurma, that their menu begins with dondurma and desserts!“What makes the dondurma distinct in flavour and texture is the use of goat’s milk and salep – a powder from the root of wild orchids indigenous to Maras. Salep — a famous winter Turkish drink is another product that uses this powder. Baklava, the most famous Turkish dessert is best eaten with the Maras Dondurma,” Salahattin adds, highlighting the significance of the dondurma to the Turkish palette. The genesis of this unusual ice cream is quite a story by itself. It is all said to have begun with the accidental formulation of karsambac — a summer drink, made from well-preserved, flavoured snow from the nearby mountains. The creation of the karsambac, the availability of the rare salep and an abundant supply of free goat’s milk thanks to the generosity of a successful, local goat farmer, soon resulted in the invention of the dondurma — a  dessert that literally stretches the imagination. Even today, real Maras dondurma is made using only goat milk.As we sit listening to Salahattin, our conversation is suddenly interrupted by the sound of pounding, from the other side of the restaurant. Mustafa Cebeli, the Patisserie Chef at MADO is busy preparing another batch of dondurma for expectant customers. Within a few minutes of pounding a small loaf-sized slab of ice cream with his long-handled paddle, the product seems to have increased in size several times. Mustafa picks up this gigantic glob of ice cream easily and holds it up effortlessly with no danger of it falling off his paddle or melting down – it just doesn’t behave like ice cream! After about 20 minutes of ‘hammering’ there’s another surprise waiting; the ice cream is now a white stretchy mass — it bears no more resemblance to an ice cream! We watch fascinated as he proceeds to demonstrate the flexibility of the dondurma, pulling, stretching and twisting it, seemingly enjoying the process. The ice cream (it seems odd calling it that, at this stage), can now be moulded into any shape and it seems to retain its contour quite firmly. As a final step of the display, Mustafa decides to have some more fun. He proceeds to fill a cone with a generous chunk of ice cream, ready to serve, using his extra-long paddle. And just as Salahattin reaches out to take it, Mustafa twists and twirls his paddle, deftly wielding the ice cream away from him, demonstrating the various tricks a street vendor would typically play on an unsuspecting customer. The dondurma is available in a variety of flavours. For instance, MADO produces 50 different flavours, including some favourites that incorporate seasonal fruits, exclusive to the season.Besides the cone, ‘kesme dondurma’ is another interesting way of serving the dondurma. The ice cream is formed into log shapes and cut into thick slices. Portions of various flavours are then served on a cold marble slab, placed atop dry ice. The kesme dondurma has to be cut with a knife and eaten with a fork as it cannot be scooped up with a spoon! Ice cream by any other name is still as delightful, but the dondurma holds its own. So the next time you seek respite from the summer heat, how about a Maras dondurma?Historical dondurmaAs distinct as its taste and texture, is the origin of this unique ice cream from Turkey. Salahattin a Turk himself, gives a rather interesting insight into the history of the dondurma.“The hometown of the dondurma is Maras, a city, located South East of Turkey. Although it has a warm climate in the summer, Maras is blessed with mountains all around. The highest mountain — Ahir Dagi, has snow all year around. Centuries before electricity was invented and refrigerators were used, the natives of this city found a way to preserve and use ice during the harsh, summer months. “The local goat farmers would regularly take their flock to Ahir Dagi for fodder, as the mountain was lush with vegetation especially thyme, which resulted in the goat’s milk having a richer flavour. Through their many ascents up this mountain, they gradually found a way of preserving snow by covering it with brushwood. It is also said they sometimes carried the snow into caves and covered it with the leave and brushwood to preserve it better. “During the hot summer months, they would climb the mountain to bring back the snow on mules; they proceeded to mix it with grape molasses, honey or fruit juice and soon a delightful, cold dessert named Karsambac was born. The Karsambac turned out to become a highly sought-after, cool treat to welcome guests with during the harsh summer. The product was so popular that it soon became a business for locals in the various districts of Maras city; they would bring down the preserved snow from the mountains and store it in earthen pots, ready for sale in the neighbourhood.  “Around this time, there was a rich rancher, who had several goat farms on the slopes of the Ahirdagi mountain, as the climate and flora were ideal for raising goats. His goat farm thrived so successfully, that he found himself having an excess of goat’s milk. Magnanimous at heart, he decided to build a marble canal from the Ahir Dagi mountain right down to the city centre, to supply the milk free to the natives of the area. “Incidentally the area is also renowned for the salep – a wild orchid indigenous to Maras. Now as a series of happy coincidences, the people of Kahraman Maras had karsambac from the snow, creamy goat’s milk and the salep. It was only a matter of time before they learned to combine these special products together and the rest is literally history,” narrates Salahattin smiling.Save the Salep!The popularity of the Maras Dondurma has naturally meant a high demand for the salep root. Since salep orchids have not been successfully cultivated yet, it has resulted in a decline in their population. Although they are now under protection, a limited amount is still being picked up from the mountains. Each orchid has a few roots. The traditional method of collecting the roots, ensures not all the roots are removed; a few roots are left underground to ensure the continued growth of the orchid plant. The government has however slapped a ban on the export of salep to reduce their decline.

Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to: [email protected] food is one of the most liked cuisines from South East Asia. This cuisine not only tastes good but is a true delight to the eyes also with the use of fresh ingredients and colourful varieties of vegetables used to prepare the dishes. Thai cuisine is influenced by Chinese and Indian cuisine in its preparation style to cooking style and the ingredients. Thai cuisine has five taste elements — namely sweet, sour, bitter, salty and spicy. Thai chefs and cooks have taken influence from foreign cuisine and have come up with their own unique cuisine. Whther chilli hot or comparatively bland, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. This is the reason you can easily notice two or more distinct flavours in each Thai dish. Today, Thai cuisine is a continued exploration of new and old, with chefs innovating fusion foods with the continual import of foreign ingredients and arrival of foreign chefs in the Thai kitchens. A lot of emphasis is given to the use of fresh ingredients like vegetables and fresh herbs in Thai cuisine. A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with fish and vegetables. The soup can be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by a non-spicy item. Basically there should be harmony of taste and texture within individual dishes and the entire meal. Common Thai ingredientsLime leavesAlso known as kaffir, lime leaves are thick, green and shiny on top and pale and black on the other side. These leaves are used in abundance in Thai cooking and have a major role to play in terms of flavour. You can tear a leaf to smell the distinct fresh aroma. You can store fresh lime leaves in the refrigerator for about two weeks. These leaves are almost irreplaceable in Thai cuisine when it comes to their flavour. If you can’t find some, omit them from the recipe rather than substituting them with something else.LemongrassLemongrass is a widely used mild citrus flavoured herb used in Thai cuisine and used for its medicinal properties in Indian cuisine. It is commonly used as flavouring in tea, soups and curries and is also suitable to use along with poultry, seafood, beef, and various types of fishes and vegetables. During my last visit to Singapore I came to know that locals use lemongrass juice to repel mosquitoes. You can store lemongrass foe weeks in refrigerator. To use lemongrass, just crush the stalk with the knife handle and then finely chop it into small pieces and use directly while sautéing the ingredient for curries.GalangalGalangal and ginger appears to be similar but are different. Galangal has a tighter skin and is lighter in colour and can have pinkish portions too. Fresh galangal is abundantly available and is widely used in Thai food preparations. Galangal is thought to have originated in Indonesia and has a pine, pepper and ginger-like flavour. There are two ways in which galangal is added in foods — one is in crushed form and the other is in thin strips. Thai people love to make spicy curry paste and even dipping sauces with galangal as an ingredient. You can store galangal in refrigerator for two weeks.Fresh Red Chilli (Bird’s Eye Chilli)The spicy red chilli hails from Mexico, Central America and South America. In Thai cuisine these chillies are highly prized for their fruity taste and extreme spiciness. They are extensively used in many Thai curries, and even salads. These chillies are not only used as flavouring agents in dishes but are used as a garnishing element in the dishes as well. However the garnish chilli is not as spicy as the cooking one. The bird’s eye chillies can be stored for weeks in the refrigerator. Thai Shrimp CurryServes 2IngredientsTiger shrimps     600 gmShallots 5-6 noLemongrass 1 stalkGalangal 1 inch cubeThai yellow curry paste 3-4 tbspVegetable oil 1 tbspBrown sugar 1 tspKaffir lime leaves 4-5 noBasil leaves few noCoconut milk 400 mlCoriander leaves 30 gmMethodPeel and thinly slice the shallots. Fine chop the lemongrass and galangal and keep them aside.Heat oil in a wok and fry the shallots until soft, add galangal and stir in curry paste and cook for a minute, stirring all the time.Add the shrimps and stir fry for 3-5 minutes, add lemongrass, sugar, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk.Bring slowly to boil and reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the shrimps are cooked.Adjust the seasoning and add roughly chopped coriander leaves and basil leaves.Serve hot with Thai jasmine rice or steamed basmati rice.

- Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to: [email protected] cupcake is a small cake individually baked individually in a mould and served for a single person. Cupcakes are always a favourite among all age groups and can be enjoyed at any time of the day. In earlier centuries, before muffin tins were widely available, the cakes were often baked in individual pottery cups, ramekins, or moulds and took their name from the cups they were baked in. This is the name that has remained, and the name of “cupcake” is now given to any small cake that is about the size of a teacup. Right now, two possible theories are circulating in the food world. Both theories are based on cupcake recipes found in cookbooks from eras long ago. The first theory is that cake batter was cooked in teacups and other small containers since it took such a long time to cook cakes in older ovens. The small teacups cut the cooking time of cakes dramatically.The second theory is based on how the ingredients in the cupcake recipes were measured — like 1 cup flour, 1 cups sugar and 1 cup butter etcetera, making the cupcake a simple process without involving the weighing scale on which the baking dishes are heavily dependent.However they first came about, these wonderful creations we call cupcakes are still near and dear to everyone’s heart whether we’re young or just young at heart. This cupcake recipe will help you recreate your fondest childhood memories or create new memories. A standard cupcake uses the same basic ingredients as standard-sized cakes — butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Nearly any recipe that is suitable for a layer cake can be used to bake cupcakes. The cake batter used for cupcakes can be flavoured or have other ingredients stirred in, like candied fruits, raisins, fruit purees, berries, frozen foods, nuts, chocolate chips or biscuit crumble.Today the cupcake is in vogue and has gone gourmet. Cupcakes nowadays are more elegant, sophisticated and glamorous. Over the past few years, cupcake bakeries have opened around the globe with people even waiting late at night at their door to fulfil their sweet cravings and I am sure that this will continue. Chefs also are creating a lot of variety ranging from exotic flavours to meticulously decorated ones to ones that are coated in gold leaf or silver leaf for the niche clientele.Storage of cupcakesCupcakes can be stored for 2-3 days in an air tight container in the refrigerator to maintain the freshness. Berrylicious CupcakesIngredientsMakes 10 cupcakes of 90 grams eachFlour no 1 200 gmUnsalted butter 200 gmSugar 200 gmEgg 5 noVanilla extracts 1 tspBaking powder ½ tspBlueberry filling 100 gmFondant icingIcing sugar 250 gmWater 125 mlCream icing    Whipping cream 300 mlMethodSift flour and baking powder together and keep aside. Pre-heat the oven at 180 Degree Celsius.Cream butter and sugar till all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy.Add eggs and vanilla extract one by one and mix well.Gradually add flour and mix using spatula by cut and fold method. Ensure not to over mix the mixture.Pour in the desired cupcake mould and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes.Pour a spoonful of blueberry filling and swirl using a tea spoon to create a marble effect. Check the cupcakes by piercing a cupcake with knife; if the knife comes out clear then the cupcake is cooked.Remove from oven and allow it to cool down; garnish with fondant icing or whipped cream as per your choice.For fondant icingCombine icing sugar and water and bring to boil till the mixture is of coating consistency.Pour on top of cupcakes and spread evenly while hot, allow to set and decorate with cream or sprinklers or fruits of your choice. For cream icingWhip the chilled cream to make it light and fluffy and pipe using a piping bag on top of cupcakes.  Note: While the cupcakes are being baked do not open the oven door frequently to check the baking status of cupcakes as the oven temperature goes down once you open the door and that may affect the quality of the final product.

By Umer NangianaPresenting some of the best recipes from the traditional authentic Italian cuisine, Cucina, the Italian restaurant, at Marriott Marquis City Centre Doha is celebrating the Italian National Day in taste and style.Boasting one of the best ambiances among the town’s fine dining places, the restaurant has been further decorated for the occasion by its team. The restaurant has launched a 7-day celebration starting from June 1 to 7, offering culinary highlights from all regions in Italy to its guests, as well as the Italian community.The highlight of the celebrations was a buffet on June 2, the Italian National Day, featuring Italian classics as well as live cooking and carving stations.“We have decorated Cucina with the colours of the Italian flag and we have displayed two motorbikes representing the two largest Italian motorbike brands, Vespa and Ducati. Besides, we have arranged for a different uniform for our hosts to provide a different ambience to our loyal guests,” Daniel Burstein, Director of Restaurants, Marriott Marquis The City Centre, said.Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day) is the Italian National Day and Republic Day, which is celebrated on June 2 each year. The day commemorates the institutional referendum held by universal suffrage in 1946, in which the Italian people were called to the polls to decide on the form of government, following the Second World War and the fall of Fascism.With 12,717,923 votes for a republic and 10,719,284 for the monarchy, the male descendants of the House of Savoy were sent into exile. To commemorate it, a grand military parade is held in central Rome, presided over by the President of the Italian Republic in his role as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.The Prime Minister, formally known as the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, also attends. There are important celebrations in all the Italian embassies and foreign heads of state are invited. Even though the main parade is in Rome, many Italian cities celebrate the day as well.Besides traditional Italian fried cod fish with tomato salsa and green sauce, spaghetti pasta with green mussels, cherry tomato, walnuts and pecorino cheese and pizza with ten cheeses, the rich menu arranged specially for the occasion contains Cappelleti or pasta served with chicken broth.Cappelletti or ‘little hats’ are meat-filled pasta served in rich capon or chicken broth. The best are said to come from Gubbio where it is a tradition, as in many other parts of Italy, to have them on Christmas. They are a delicate beginning to any Sunday dinner or a special occasion.Another authentic recipe Vitello Tonnato or braised slice of veal with tuna sauce is Italy’s most celebrated contribution to the cold table. It is an ideal meat course for a summer menu, an exceedingly elegant antipasto for an elaborate dinner. It is regarded as the most successful party dish for small or large buffets.Besides a savoury range of pickles, salads and cheeses, the menu contains features black ink risotto with grilled calamari and shaved parmesan cheese and tomato concasse, the two traditional Italian dishes.The team at Cucina has carefully created the ambiance of the dining place which would be incomplete without Italian music.“We have an Italian singer from the sunny island of Capri to provide live entertainment from 7pm to 11pm during the promotion. This is the first time we have worked with live entertainment in Cucina, and the feedback has encouraged us to explore this option further for our regular nights,” said Burstein.Cucina is known to provide an authentic Italian dining experience by offering traditional Italian dishes in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The courteous and attentive service is an additional key feature that get highlighted by our loyal guests on a regular basis, said the manager of restaurants.

- Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to: [email protected] is a wonderful green leafy vegetable often recognised as one of the functional foods for its wholesome nutrition, antioxidants, and anti-cancer composition. Its tender crispy dark green leaves are one of the favourite ingredients for chefs around the world. This humble wonder food is commonly overlooked at the vegetable shelves of market while shopping, but the amount of essential vitamins and iron present in a small quantity is more than sufficient to meet out daily dietary requirements.  Spinach is thought to have come from Persia and is now cultivated across the world. Spinach is a seasonal vegetable available March to May and then again from September to November but can be easily found almost in all the season thanks to better logistics and greenhouses. Spinach is essential for our overall wellbeing because of its high iron content, which is essential for better blood circulation in our body. Nutritional aspectA 100 gm serving of spinach provides only 23 calories. Spinach is consumed fresh, frozen, steamed or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Magnesium and — the most important — iron which is the reason why our hands get black while cutting spinach leaves with knife. A 180 gm serving of spinach contains 6 mg of iron.  It is also a good source of fibre. StorageSpinach is best when bought fresh featuring dark green colour, vitality and crispiness. Avoid dull or wilted leaves, yellow discoloration or spots. Fresh spinach can be easily stored in the refrigerator for about a week; however you should try to eat it at the earliest in order to get the maximum nutrition benefit. Spinach is sold loose, bunched, packaged fresh in bags, canned, or frozen. Before use, wash the leaves several times thoroughly in clean running water to remove any dust or soil. It is also advisable to rinse it with salt water to remove any traces of pests or insects.  Hara Bhara Seekh KebabUndoubtedly one of the most loved vegetarian kebabs in almost all Indian restaurants. Hara Bhara Seekh Kebab is one of the recipes many readers have requested me to share. It is a very simple and easy recipe with common ingredients and tastes superb. The kebab is made with spinach bound together with mashed chana lentil, green peas and cottage cheese and flavoured with readily available spices and ingredients like ginger, garlic and green chilies.   Hara Bhara Seekh Kebab is great finger food for toddlers and kids, these crispy kebabs are so delicious, filling and healthy that you can serve these for breakfast too. Do try this recipe for fussy kids and toddlers — they will surely eat their dose of spinach and green peas this way.Serves 4IngredientsChana dal 1/3 cupSpinach fresh 1 bunchPotato, boiled 2 noGinger, chopped 1 tbspGarlic, chopped 1 tbspGreen chilli, chopped 1 tspGreen peas, boiled ½ cupChat masala 1 tspGaram masala ¼ tspCoriander leaves few sprigsSalt to tasteCorn flour 2-3 tbspButter 3 tbspOil to deep fry (optional)MethodClean wash and soak chana dal for an hour.Boil chana dal with ginger, garlic, green chilli, green peas, with 2 cup of water, do not add more water otherwise the kebab mixture will end up being wet.Drain excess water and mash the mixture and keep aside.Boil spinach and coriander and refresh in ice cold water; chop roughly and keep aside.Boil the potato, mash and keep aside.In a bowl combine all the ingredients and add the remaining spices.Sprinkle corn flour to bind the mixture together.Shape the prepared mixture on skewers and cook in tandoor or BBQ griller.Baste with butter to colour and make the kebabs more flavoursome. Once the kebab is cooked remove from skewer, sprinkle chat masala and serve hot with choice of dip.Note: You can also cook the kebab on a greased griddle — either shallow fry or deep fry as per your choice.Cooking tip of the weekWhen you boil the spinach, do not leave the spinach in hot water otherwise the spinach will discolour and turn black, instead dip the spinach immediately in ice cold water. You will see the spinach turn into vibrant bright green colour instantly which will enhance your final food preparation.

TOUCH OF ASIA: Hwang is a Pan Asian restaurant. Right:  AUTHENTIC: Korean cuisine is served in authentic way at Hwang.By Our CorrespondentWith all its cultural delicacies, South Korea arrives at Hwang. Bringing popular Korean authentic dishes to its pan-Asian restaurant, the InterContinental Doha, The City is celebrating ‘Take a Trip to South Korea’ promotion for 20 days starting yesterday.Prepared by three guest chefs from South Korea, the rich menu includes traditional and popular Korean food from across the country with dishes such as Japchae, Doobu Kimchi, Jeonbokjuk and more.Dooboo Kimchi, the South Korean food lovers would know, is a popular appetiser or side dish. It consists of boiled tofu, kimchi and some meat if you are not a vegetarian. Tofu is usually placed alongside kimchi as they are eaten together as a whole.Kimchi is normally placed in the centre of a plate with tofu slices around the perimeter. The meat, usually beef, can be left out to be served as the perfect vegetarian dish. This mouth-watering dish is garnished with chopped green onions for its final touch.The special South Korean menu has been crafted by three guest chefs from Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas and InterContinental Seoul COEX. The South Korean cuisine will be served in Hwang pan-Asian restaurant and in a special section of the buffet at The Square.“The Korean cultural wave has now swept through China and Southeast Asia to reach Europe and America and we are excited to bring it to Doha,” said Pascal Eggerstedt, General Manager at InterContinental Doha, The City.“We are also delighted to welcome Chefs Huh Jae Seok, Kang Youcheul and Moon Jin Ju who will create a menu of authentic cuisine from South Korea,” he added while introducing the three guest chefs to the members of media.As Master of the hot and cool section at Grand Kitchen contemporary all-day dining cuisine in Grand InterContinental Hotel Seoul Parnas, Chef Huh Jae Seok serves as poissonnier, saucier, entremetier, garde manger and friturier. With 13 years of experience and cooking licenses in Korean, Western and Japanese cuisines, the highly versatile Chef Huh creates exciting combinations with authentic Asian influences.Japchae or glass noodles, another prominent entry on the menu, is a stir-fried dish that combines sweet vermicelli noodles made from the starch of a white sweet potato, thin slices of beef, and various vegetables. It is usually prepared with carrots, green onion, spinach, shiitake mushrooms and green peppers and beef can also be added as an option.The noodles are grey when raw and turn almost translucent when cooked. They retain a chewy texture. It can be eaten as both side dish or can be served in the main course.Chef Moon JinJu has 12 years of experience cooking at premier five-star hotels operated by InterContinental Hotels and Resorts Group. With cooking licenses in both Western and Korean cuisine, Chef Moon is known for his innovation and creativity.His many achievements and accolades include 2014 winner of the Korea Creative Cuisine Contest and Chef of the Year in a Hotel in 2015. Currently, he works at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas and InterContinental Seoul COEX located in the heart of Seoul’s business district with more than 1000 guest rooms and 17 Food and Beverage outlets.With nearly 25 years of experience with Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas and InterContinental Seoul COEX, Chef Kang Youcheul has an abundance of culinary knowledge and skills. From Firenze Kitchen Italian restaurant to Grand Kitchen buffet restaurant, Chef Kang has honed his culinary artistry in international cuisine and has earned his place as a top chef in South Korea.Throughout the duration of the promotion, the diners will also have the chance to enter a prize draw for a three-night holiday package for two in Seoul, South Korea including Business Class tickets and five-star accommodation at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas.Hwang is located on the first floor of InterContinental Doha The City and is open Sunday through Friday for lunch from 12 noon to 3pm and for dinner from 6pm to 11pm. The Square is located on the second floor.InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has 181 hotels located in more than 60 countries with local insight that comes from over 60 years of experience.

- Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to: [email protected] you read it right: chocolate and yet healthy. Medical studies show that people who eat dark chocolate have healthier cardiovascular systems, better blood circulation and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If you are already a dark chocolate lover, you now have a valid reason to munch on your sweet treat. Eating dark chocolate provides our body with energy, fat, minerals and antioxidants. These benefits come from the cocoa beans that are roasted, ground and mixed with cocoa butter and sugar in different proportions to form your favourite chocolate bar. Always check the cocoa contents in the chocolate on its wrapper— the higher the cocoa content, the better the nutritional value of the chocolate. The cacao tree is native to central and South America. Today it is cultivated around the equator and can be found in the Caribbean, African, and Southeast Asia. Also if you want to add chocolate to your diet, do it in moderation as most commercial chocolates have ingredients that add fat, sugar and calories. And consuming too much of it can contribute to weight gain, and put you at a greater risk for high blood pressure and heart disease and diabetesNutritional aspectDark chocolate with a high cocoa content is actually quite nutritive.A 100 gram dark chocolate bar with 70-80% cocoa contains around 10 grams of fibre, 67% of the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for iron, 58% of RDA for magnesium, and 89% of the RDA for copper, 98% of the RDA for manganese and is also rich in potassium, phosphorous, zinc and selenium. StorageThe shelf life for most chocolate is one year and two years for dark chocolates. Always store the chocolate at ambient room temperature around 20 degrees Celsius.  But in hot climate like the Middle East or in summers, it is advisable to store chocolate in fridge as the heat will not spoil the temper of the chocolate (the whitish coating also called bloom on melted and re-hardened chocolate is actually the cocoa butter coming to the chocolate surface). And to store the chocolate in fridge it should be kept in an airtight wrapper and container to avoid moisture in the fridge from spoiling the chocolate.Dark Chocolate TartIngredientsFor crust    Biscuit crumble 1 cupUnsalted butter 5 tbspCastor sugar ¼ cupFor fillingCooking cream 1 ¼ cupDark chocolate 250 gmEggs 2 noVanilla extracts few dropsSalt ¼ tspFor glazeCooking cream 2 tbspDark chocolate 50 gmCorn syrup 1 tspWarm water 1 tbspGarnishChocolate chips 4 tbspPistachio crushed ½ cupWhite chocolate 2 tbspMethodCombine biscuit crumble and unsalted butter and castor sugar. Line a 9 inch tart pan and press onto bottom and 3/4th inch upside of tart pan.Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes at 180 degree Celsius for 10- 12 minutes. Once the tart mould is ready, allow it to cool on rack for 15 to 20 minutes.For the filling, bring the cream to boil in a heavy bottom pan and add dark chocolate and let it stand for 5 minutes until the chocolate is completely dissolved. Stir gently until smooth.Whisk eggs with vanilla essence and salt in another bowl and then stir into melted chocolate.Pour the prepared filling into the prepared crust.Bake until the filling is set about 3 inches from the edge but the centre is still wobbly (about 20 to 25 minutes). The centre will continue to set as tart cools down. Cool completely on a cooking rack for about 1 hour.For the glaze bring the cream to boil and remove from heat. Stir in dark chocolate until smooth and stir in corn syrup and warm water.Pour the prepared glaze on tart and tilt and rotate the tart so glaze coats the top evenly.Pipe melted white chocolate on top on parallel lines.Using a tooth pick, cross the parallel lines from one side to the other to make the pattern shown in picture. Coat the sides of the tart with crushed pistachio by applying some cream to the edges so that the pistachio sticks to the tart shell. Cut into desired size and serve cold. Note: you can remove the sugar in the recipe to make a healthy version of the recipe. Cooking tip of the weekWhile melting chocolate don’t let the chocolate heat too fast. The best way to melt the chocolate is to melt it on double boiler. If you aren’t stocked with one then fill a wide pot with water on kitchen burner and set a smaller pot inside the first. Chop chocolate into dices and place them into the inside pot and stir to melt the chocolate evenly.

Cottage CheeseCottage cheese as we all know is a fresh mild cheese with a subtle flavour of its own. While making the cheese the curd is drained but not pressed so that some whey remains and the cheese retains its moisture. The curd is generally washed to remove the acidity and leave a sweet taste. Cottage cheese can be made from different types of milk and with different fat content. The term cottage cheese is believed to have originated as this cheese was generally made in cottages from the left over milk after making butter. Cottage cheese like the any other cheese can be eaten raw or can be cooked in various ways to make it more appealing and flavourful as per ones choice. Some people found the taste of cottage cheese a bit bland so it is always good to cut the cottage cheese into smaller size or cubes so that the seasoning and curry can season it well and enhance its taste.Nutritional aspectCottage cheese is surprisingly healthy. A 100gm serving of cottage cheese contains only 98 calories and 4gm of fat of which 1.7gm is saturated. Also it contains 3.4 gm of carbohydrates and 364 mg of sodium. This is a popular food among the athletes and body builders due to its low fat, low calorie and low carbohydrate content. Cottage cheese is a good source of proteins with 11gm of protein in a 100gm serving.StorageYou can store cottage cheese dipped in water for 2 days in refrigerator or can store the frozen cottage cheese as per the packaging shelf life guidelines.Homemade cottage cheeseYou can make fresh cottage cheese at home by curding hot milk with vinegar or lemon juice and stringing the curd through muslin cloth and keeping it hanged or under some heavy object to press the cheese so that it forms into a single mass.Angoori Cottage Cheese As we all know that cottage cheese has a very subtle and mild flavour, so I decided to flavour and colour it not only once but thrice so that it is attractive to the eyes and also imparts three different flavours in a single dish. So I used three types of grapes to marinate the cottage cheese and make a dish that is unique and easily cooked.Serves 2IngredientsCottage cheese 600 gmHung curd 150 gmGinger paste 2 tbspGarlic paste 1 ½ tbspOnion seeds 2 tspGram flour 3 tbspButter 3 tbspTurmeric powder ½ tspYellow chili powder ½ tspCoriander powder ½ tspTomato taste 2 tbspKashmiri chili powder 1 tspRed grapes 100 gmGhee 1 tspSalt to tasteCoriander leaves to garnishOnion rings to garnishLemon wedge     to garnishLemon juice 2 tbspChat masala ½ tspMethodCut the cottage cheese into 3 inch round barrels and make three slits evenly spaced for the grape chutney. In a separate bowl combine roasted gram flour, hung curd, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, salt and cream to make a smooth mixture.Divide this marinade into two parts and add yellow chili and turmeric in one and tomato paste and Kashmiri chili in another, keep them aside.For the grape chutney marinade, heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and add onion seeds to it.Sauté and add roughly chopped grapes and cook over slow flame till the mixture is reduce to sauce consistency.In each slit of cottage cheese barrel slide in some grape chutney, yellow marinade and the red marinade.Skewer the cottage cheese barrels in tandoor or oven basting with melted butter to keep the cottage cheese moist.Serve hot, sprinkled with chat masala and garnished with onion rings, lemon wedge. Cooking tip of the weekWhile cooking the cottage cheese always remember that it is a cheese that can be eaten raw also, so do not overcook it otherwise the proteins in the cheese will coagulate and make it chewy and difficult to digest. While making cottage cheese curry add cottage cheese only when the curry is almost ready in the end and bring it to boil once and then remove from flame for a better tasting and soft cottage cheese.

Angel Food Cake Trifle/Meen Varaval When it comes to the backwaters in Kerala, there is absolutely no comparison to the cuisine they have to offer on the vibrant floating restaurants. One recipe that caught my fancy was the diced fish fry recipe known as Meen Varaval. This is an easy recipe which can be prepared quickly with all the common ingredients usually available in the home. Kerala cuisine revolves around using common ingredients like curry leaves, red chilli, peppercorn, mustard seeds, asafetida, and coconut oil. Seafood is consumed in abundance and a meal is considered incomplete if it does not include any of the seafood like fish, shrimps, mussels or squid. The backwater cruise boats offer the best of Kerala cuisine and you can see the food being cooked live in front of you. This recipe has many variations wherein you can choose different variety of fish available and also play around with the ingredients used and can modify or remove some of the ingredients depending on your taste buds. Meen VaravalServes 2IngredientsKing fish 500 gmShallots 100 gmGinger, chop 1 tbspGarlic, chop 1 tbspGreen chilli, chop 1 tspLemon juice 1 tbspCoconut oil 4 tbspKokum, chopped ½ tspTurmeric powder ½ tspKashmiri chilli powder ½ tspSalt to tasteRed chilli whole 2-3 noCurry leaves 2 sprigsBanana leaf 1 noBlack pepper crushed to tasteLemon wedge 2-3 noMethodWash, clean and debone king fish and cut into 1 cm small cubes.Marinate the fish with salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, lemon juice, crushed pepper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.Heat 2tbsp oil in a heavy bottom pan and sauté the marinated fish over medium heat.Toss gently to avoid breaking the fish pieces, once the fish is cooked remove from flame and keep aside.In a separate pan heat 2tbsp oil and sauté ginger, garlic, shallots, green chilli, whole red chilli, kokum and curry leaves over medium heat till the onion turns translucent.Add the cooked fish into this pan and toss gently to combine the prepared masala with the fish.Serve hot, garnished with curry leaf and lemon wedge on banana leaf.Angel Food CakeThe theory behind the name of Angel Food Cake is that this dessert is so light, fluffy and so white that it must be for the angels. One more theory that answers the origin of this recipe is that may be some other recipe involved using egg yolks only due to which pastry chefs were left with a lot of egg whites and they came up with this recipe which involves mainly egg whites. One more theory states that with the introduction of electric whisks pastry chefs wanted to explore recipe options to utilise the light and stiffly whisked egg whites, thus formulating this recipe. Irrespective of the history or theory of the Angel Food Cake it is a must try for baking enthusiasts. Angel Food Cake TrifleIngredientsFor AngelFood CakeFlour no 2 1 cupCastor sugar 1 ½ cupEgg white 12 no’sSalt a pinchCream of tartar 1tspLemon juice 3tbspVanilla extracts few dropsAlmond extracts few dropsWater 1tbspLemon zest 1tspIcing sugar 1 cupFor trifleStrawberries 2 cupBlueberries 50 gmRaspberries 50 gmCastor sugar 3tbspOrange juice ¼ cupHung yoghurt 1 cupHoney 3tbspAngel Fruit Cake 250 gmMethodFor Angel Food CakeSift flour and add sugar to it and keep aside.Beat the egg whites until light and fluffy, add salt, vanilla extracts, cream of tartar, 2tbsp of lemon juice and whisk again, add some water.Gradually add the flour and mix using a spatula with cut and fold method.Pour into a greased baking mould and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes.Remove from mould and allow to cool down.For the trifle Dip the berries in the orange juice and sugar for 20 minutes.Combine yoghurt and honey in a separate bowl and cream to make the yoghurt smoother.Cut the Angel Fruit Cake into chunks and place a layer in the trifle bowl or glass dish.Add a layer of syrup coated berries and then a layer of yoghurt.Repeat the layers to fill the bowl completely, leaving some spoonfuls of yogurt for the top.Pipe the remaining yoghurt on top and garnish with strawberries.Refrigerate for 2-3 hours and serve cold in the trifle bowl or glass dish.

By Anand HollaSoon after Italian-born brothers Francesco and Simone Panella opened Antica Pesa in Williamsburg, New York, modelled on the original one in the Trastevere neighbourhood of Rome, established in 1922, the gastronomic glow of its authentic Italian fare was matched by the throng of A-list celebrities who have been frequenting it, ever since.Madonna, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Mick Jagger, Charlize Theron, Richard Gere and Leonardo Di Caprio are only some of the top clientele of the restaurant back in Brooklyn.Here, in Doha, Wednesday night gave the chosen few a lip-smacking preview of Antica Pesa that is nestled in style in the grounds of one of the city’s plush destinations, Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl-Doha. Packing in serene views of Qanat Quartier and the Arabian Gulf, with inside or outside dining on the terraces, Doha’s new ‘real Italia’ culinary experience that opened to public yesterday looks sure to set a new benchmark in Qatar’s food scene.Be it the tasteful artwork throughout the décor of the restaurant with pieces by artists such as Andy Warhol, De Chirico and Helmut Lang photos, or the traditional Italian recipes served with all the finesse and flavours they deserve, Antica Pesa offers a wholesome Italian fine dining experience.The restaurant remains true to its 17th Century family-focused roots, with four generations of the same family having managed the restaurant over the past 93 years. The menu is created following two fundamental guidelines: reworking traditional recipes from Roman cuisine and creating dishes using local organic products for seasonal dishes, with a nod to modern trends.The inspiration for the restaurant’s name comes from its origins as a Vatican customs post that collected taxes on grain in Rome. The antique customs officer decided to initiate a sort of eatery that offered bread and wine to the many peasants who came to the tollhouse. ‘The Old Scales’ or ‘Antica Pesa’ was coined in the late 19th century when the original customs function was replaced by a real restaurant.Head Chef Marco Calcaterra told Community, “I want to put all of myself into the food we make and give the very best of our tradition that we know. Even this location is so amazing. It reminds me of my town in Sicily. It’s so quiet and peaceful here.”Francesco Panella, owner of Antica Pesa restaurants, said, “We are excited to open the doors of Antica Pesa to local food lovers offering ‘real Italia’ cuisine. The artistic design features, world-class food and beautiful setting of the restaurant make for a truly authentic and unique experience that will redefine Qatar’s Italian culinary scene.”Antica Pesa is located in the grounds beside the iconic horse sculpture at Marsa Malaz Kempinski, which is located on its own secluded island, and offers guests 281 luxurious rooms and suites offering unparalleled space and luxurious comfort.

By Bob DowningChichen Itza, on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, is dominated by grey limestone that was cut by hand and moved without any wheels.Once home to 30,000 people, Chichen Itza was the last major city developed by the Mayans and was certainly one of Mexico’s grandest cities for nine centuries. It was a political, economic and religious centre.It covered six square miles with 30 major buildings including several temples that have been uncovered and restored. Others still lie buried in the jungle-forest.Chichen Itza features columns, bas-reliefs, sculptures, stone murals, pictographs, monuments, statues and warrior images. It is a visually stunning, must-see ancient city, one of the world’s greatest archaeological mysteries, especially for its end.It has been named one of the Seven New Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The property is owned by the Mexican federal government and managed by the National Institute of Anthropology and History. There is a first-rate visitor centre and museum at the entrance.The sprawling ruins are very impressive with numerous architectural styles and features. Still-buried ceremonial and residential complexes surround the central core of what was one of the largest pre-Columbian cities.The older ruins lie to the south. The newer and grander ruins are to the north. The buildings are very sophisticated and artistic.The most recognisable structure is the Temple of Kukulkan, also known as El Castillo, or the Castle. That name came from the Spanish.It is a four-sided pyramid that is really a calendar made of stone honouring the feathered serpent deity. The seven-story step pyramid demonstrates the accuracy and importance of Mayan astronomy.It dominates the main open-air esplanade at Chichen Itza, encircled by other important buildings. The plaza is generally filled with groups of tourists and guides.The temple is only 79 feet high, but it appears much taller because the side panels get smaller as they slope up the platform atop the pyramid.It is 190 feet on each side and there are steps on all four sides.The temple has 365 steps, one for each day of the year. Each of the temple’s four sides has 91 steps and the top platform makes the 365th step.It also features 52 carved panels and 18 terraces, the number of weeks and months in a Mayan calendar year.In the past, visitors could ascend the steps of the temple, but it is off-limits today.Twice a year, on the spring and autumn equinoxes, a shadow falls on the pyramid in the shape of a serpent. As the sun sets, this shadowy snake descends the steps to eventually align with a stone serpent head at the base of the great staircase.Clappers are everywhere at the base of the pyramid. People stand in front of the pyramid and repeatedly clap their hands to produce slight pinging echoes from the stone walls.Not far from the temple is another of Chichen Itza’s other great buildings: the I-shaped Great Ball Court, the largest blood-sport stadium built in the Americas. It also features some of the most ornate carvings, structures and inscriptions.Ball courts to play soccer-like pok-ta-pok were common in Mayan culture and about a dozen small ones have been found in Chichen Itza, but this one is the largest. It is bigger than a football field, 554 feet long and 231 feet wide. The walls are 27 feet high on the two sides.By its size, some believe that the Great Ball Court was more about pageant than sport. The game was a sacred event, a religious ritual and was used to settle wars and disputes. It reveals a much deeper significance in Mayan tradition and mythology. Gambling on the games was widespread.During games, players tried to hit a hard rubber ball through stone scoring hoops set 22 feet high on the court walls. The stone hoops feature intertwined feathered serpents. Players would use no hands or feet. Hips, heads, shoulders, chests, elbows and legs were used.Games would last two to three days. There are no written records but pictographs show participants being decapitated at the conclusion of the games. Some say the winners lost their heads and became gods. Others say it was the losers.Nearby is the grim Tzompantli or the Wall of Skulls with images of armed warriors and eagles devouring human hearts. Some believe captives were sacrificed on the stone platform with their heads left on display. It is, some say, a votive building to exalt death. The stone platform is 50 yards long by 13 yards wide.The east side of the Great Plaza is dominated by the Temple of the Warriors and the Thousand Columns.The main building, constructed atop earlier buildings, has four stepped sections and its friezes are decorated with carved reliefs. The temple is famous for its hundreds of elaborate columns and is still covered in carvings of dramatic feather-bedecked warriors, 2,211 men marching in a procession toward the temple. They are bearing weapons and some have suffered wounds. All are different. Some are prisoners; some are wizards.The Mayans’ astronomical skills were so advanced that they could predict solar eclipses, and they built the impressive and sophisticated Observatory or El Caracol (the Snail) with its circular stairway.The Caracol featured small loopholes that faced key astronomical events in the night sky. Venus was known as Chak Ek or the Great Star. It guided many Mayan activities including war.The major buildings at Chichen Itza lie off 80 limestone-paved causeways, lined today with merchants selling colourful blankets and clothes, onyx chess sets, wooden carvings and clay Mayan masks. “Just $1” is the message from those peddling items. They number in the hundreds. Man-made jaguar calls also abound as merchants use ceramic kazoos to attract buyers.Chichen Itza relied on a series of sinkhole wells for drinking water. The Sagrado Cenote with its steep walls is about 195 feet in diameter. It is a 72-foot drop to the greenish sacred water that’s about 40 feet deep.This is where the Mayans performed human sacrifices to please Chaac, the rain deity. Archaeologists have found the bones and artefacts of victims who died in the cenotes.The Sagrado Cenote is one of two major cenotes to serve Chichen Itza, whose name means “at the mouth of the well of the Itza.”Chichen Itza has a complex history. Work on the massive settlement began about AD 435-455 by the Mayan Itza people from the island of Cozumel.They occupied the original Chichen Itza for about 200 years. It controlled the local trade in salt and was tied to trading routes. In 692, they abandoned the site and moved south into the rain forest.About 998, their descendants returned to Chichen Itza to restore its glory. It became part of the powerful League of Mayapan. The city also shows Toltec influences from central Mexico. It was destroyed by a civil war in 1204. Two hundred years later, Chichen Itza was abandoned to the jungle. The Mayans-Toltecs left behind no record as to why they abandoned their city.Scientists have speculated that deforestation was involved as forests were cleared to burn the limestone to create stucco. Droughts, exhausted soils and royal quests may have contributed to Chichen Itza’s downfall.It was run by a confederacy of powerful families, not the kings that ruled other Mayan cities.The first excavation at Chichen Itza took place in 1841.Most visitors spend two to four hours at Chichen Itza. It can be very hot, over 90 degrees. That makes morning visits cooler and less crowded. Bring drinking water, hats and sunscreen.The ruins draw hundreds of buses with 3,500 to 8,000 visitors per day. That adds up to 1.2 million visitors a year.  — Akron Beacon Journal

- Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to: [email protected] you read it right the 24 hour fish curry from Kerala. I’ve been meaning to share this fish curry recipe for a while now. This is a fiery red fish curry which is not as hot as it looks but is tangy. The trick to get the red hot colour is to use the Kashmiri red chili, which has more colour and does not make the dish too hot. Also the key ingredient in this dish is a variety of tamarind known as kudampuli or pot tamarind, which gives the dish its tangy twist. Ideally to enjoy this fish curry one should prepare this a day in advance in the clay pot and consume it the next day so that the kudampuli gives its complete tanginess to the dish. The Kerala cuisine is renowned for its delectable fish and seafood delicacies and Malayalis have a great enthusiasm and passion for fish curries. The truth is that almost no Kerala traditional lunch is complete without a fish curry. You can always smell simmering fish or fried fish in their kitchens. Also the clay pot used to prepare this curry imparts its earthy flavour to curries and is believed that the fish prepared in another dish is not as good as the one cooked in clay pot. Fish VattichathuServes 2IngredientsKing fish  500 gmShallots  100 gmGinger  1 inch cubeGarlic  10 clovesGreen chili 2-3 noKashmiri chili powder 2 tbspFenugreek seeds 1 pinchKudampuli 2- 3 noCoconut oil 2 tbspCurry leaves 2 sprigsSalt  to tasteMethodCut the king fish into cubes and wash with salt and vinegar.Pat dry the pieces and keep aside. Heat coconut oil in the clay pot and crackle fenugreek seeds.Add chopped ginger, garlic, green chili and shallots and sauté well over low heat.Once the onions are light brown add Kashmiri chili powder and kudampuli salt and water and bring to boil. Slide the fish pieces into the gravy and simmer over very low heat to avoid breaking the fish apart.Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked.Remove from heat and allow it to cool down in the same clay pot.Keep it covered until the next day.Reheat the fish once and serve hot with steamed rice, pickle and popadums on the side.WalnutWalnut is an edible kernel that has been cultivated since ancient times. The ancient Greeks called walnuts as karyon, meaning head because the shell resembles the human head and the nut itself looks like brain. This nut is enriched with many health benefiting nutrients especially omega 3 fatty acids that are essential for optimum health. Structurally the walnut kernel consists of two uneven corrugated lobes that are off white in colour and covered by a papery thin, light brown layer. The lobes are partially attached to each other. The oil extracted from the nuts, apart from cooking has also been used as a base or carrier oil in medicine and in aromatherapy. Walnut oil has flavourful nutty aroma and exhibits astringent properties. Its local application helps to keep skin well protected from dryness. In addition to that walnuts are rich source of many phyto chemical substances that may contribute to their overall antioxidant activity.While buying look at nuts that are bright brown in colour, compact, uniform in size and feel heavy in hand. They should be free from cracks, mould, spots and rancid smell. Unshelled walnuts can be placed in cool dry place for many months, whereas shelled kernels should be placed in airtight container and kept inside the refrigerator so that they don’t turn rancid.Walnut & Date SaladServes 2 IngredientsWalnuts 100 gmDates  100 gmRocket lettuce 200 gmCucumber 200 gmFor dressingOlive oil 2 tbspHoney  1 tbspLemon juice 2 tbspSalt  to tasteWhite pepper powder to tasteMethodToast the walnuts in the oven to make them crispy.Deseed the dates and keep aside.Wash and dry the lettuce and cucumber.Place the above ingredients in a salad mixing bowl.Combine all the ingredients required for dressing in a salad bowl.Whisk to make the salad dressing.Pour the prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently.Place the prepared salad in the serving bowl and drizzle the remaining dressing on top.