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With winter season receding and days becoming longer, the weather is perfect to cook some tikkas, kebabs and outdoor barbecue. Mankind’s love for freshly grilled meats will never fade away and it is always an interesting way to indulge in family time over weekends or a perfect sea-side get together. To enjoy grilled meats, the marinate plays an important part in the success of a perfectly grilled meat. The marinate should complement the meat and should not drip out while you are cooking it over fire. There are so many different marinades that you can choose to marinate your meats but there is always a scope for trying different marinades to your meats and make them more interesting and refreshing. One such marinade is hariyali which is made with mint and cilantro and yoghurt. The green coloured marinade gives a nice green colour to the dishes and is delicious. Hariyali chicken tikka is a mouthwatering appetiser recipe and is quite poplar in Northern India and best enjoyed with some exotic dips. This non-vegetarian recipe is prepared with juicy chicken breasts marinated in a blended mixture of mint leaves, coriander leaves, mint leaves along with a mélange of flavoursome spices. This recipe is easy to make at home and this appetiser would be loved by everyone in your house. One can serve this appetiser on occasions like get together, parties, birthday parties or kitty parties. For vegetarians just replace the chicken with your choice of vegetable or fruits like broccoli, baby corn, mushrooms, pineapple, paneer cheese and make your own vegetarian version of hariyali tikka. Adding fresh and healthy ingredients like mint and cilantro have their own unique benefits. Mint is the highlight of this recipe and the final dish has a prominent mint flavour. Mint has many health benefits too. Mint has the answer to almost all your digestive problems. It helps digest food easily. Menthol is the oil in mint which has antibacterial and antiseptic properties and helps soothe an upset stomach. Mint is loaded with anti-inflammatory properties and helps relive nasal congestion and relieves in asthma. The strong refreshing aroma of mint relieves headache. Mint oil-based balms are efficient in treating headache. Mint has long been used as breath freshener. Chewing the mint tablet or leaves helps freshen your breath instantly. Mint can also play its own sweet role in your weight loss regime. The reason is tied to its much-tamed digestive properties. Mint stimulates the digestive enzyme which helps in better absorption of nutrients from food. When the body can absorb better nutrients in the body there is better metabolism and faster metabolism aids weight loss. I strongly believe that knowing more about your food ingredients helps us to co-relate your health goals and include healthy ingredients in your diet and lead healthy eating habits. Hariyali chicken tikka Ingredients Serves 4 Chicken breast 4 nos. Hung yoghurt ½ cup Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp Mint leaves 1 ½ cup Green chilli 3-4 nos.  Cilantro leaves 1 ½ cup Salt to taste  Black pepper powder ½ tsp Red chilli powder ½ tsp Garam masala 1 tsp Dry mango powder ½ tsp Cumin powder 1 tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Lemon juice  ½ tbsp Clarified butter 4 tbsp Garnish Lemon wedge to garnish Red onion to garnish Chat masala to sprinkle Method Wash and clean the chicken breast and pat dry to remove excess moisture. Cut the chicken breast into 1-inch cubes and set aside. Place the yoghurt in a fine strainer and let the water drain out, keep it in refrigerator for 3-4 hours or preferably overnight. In a kitchen blender combine washed cilantro leaves, mint leaves and green chili and blend to get a fine paste adding very little water. In a clean mixing bowl, transfer the chicken, prepared green masala and yoghurt and the remaining spices. Combine well to coat the chicken evenly, leave covered in a refrigerator for 2-3 hours to allow the chicken to marinate. Preheat the oven and skewer the chicken pieces and cook over a dripping tray at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes or till you get the internal temperature to 75 Degree Celsius. When the chicken is almost half cooked, drizzle it with clarified butter to keep it moist and juicy. Allow the chicken to stand for 2 minutes and serve hot sprinkled with chat masala and lemon wedge and thin sliced red onion on the side. Note: You can use Greek yoghurt instead of the hung yoghurt to save time. Also, instead of cooking the chicken in oven you can skewer it over BBQ grill too. It is important to extract all the water from the chicken and use very little water to grind the mint paste as excess moisture won’t allow the marinade to stick to the chicken while cooking.

Wintertime is a perfect time to enjoy delicacies of all types. First the chilled water bottles go away, then the seasonal vegetables arrive and then comes the full winter season for hot desserts. India and its connection with the array of halwa does not need an introduction, we can make halwa with almost any food item available around us. Whether it is the moong dal halwa, gajar halwa (carrot halwa) or the sooji halwa (semolina halwa) or the rawa kesari (semolina and saffron halwa) or the lauki halwa (bottle gourd halwa), they all taste so much better in winters that I could not avoid writing about them. Moong dal halwa is relished throughout Rajasthan during the winter months, as it is supposed to keep the body warm and protect us from the bitter winter cold. It is believed that halwa may have been an import from the Arab and Turkish region. The Turkish confection of ground sesame seeds and honey is believed to have travelled towards the eastern countries in primitive times and became our very own halwa as we see it today. Moong dal halwa is undoubtedly the king among all of them. Moong dal halwa is an Indian dessert delicacy made with skinless split green gram. It is very rich due to loads of desi ghee and dry fruits that are included to make the halwa. This makes it a rich halwa, a must for weddings or festivals or special events. Moong dal halwa is a dessert with its roots in Rajasthan. Mostly, it is prepared during winters as a warm dessert. Rajasthan and its ingenious use of making the most interesting facets of Indian cooking are well known. Moong dal halwa is also considered to be one of the most auspicious dessert in the region and is prepared widely for special occasional such as Diwali or any other religious occasion or weddings. Moong dal halwa if not prepared right can turn out to be a disaster. Preparing moong dal does not require much time but it is the opposite while preparing its halwa. Moong dal halwa requires a lot of patience and muscle work and lots of ghee and dry fruits. But the amount of time and effort is worth the final product. The tradition of eating dessert after having a meal holds a special place in Indian cuisine. At the end of a yummy dinner, there is always a sweet treat for the guests. And what could be better than a homemade moong dal halwa? My first experience with this halwa was at a wedding in Delhi as a child. It was a cold winter night, and a huge queue was lined up in front of the stall for this halwa. And believe me, it was worth the wait. While I was working in Udaipur, Rajasthan, during winters I often visited a shop which specialised in moong dal halwa and relished with friends and family. Tips to make a good moong dal halwa: Soak the dal overnight and then roast it over low heat until it turns golden brown in colour. This step will take around 45 minutes to an hour. This is the most important step in the recipe. It will either make or break the final taste of the halwa. The halwa once prepared can be stored for up to several days in refrigerator and can be reheated again before consumption. It is best to reheat the halwa in microwave, but you can also heat it in sauté pan over low heat. Moong dal halwa Ingredients Yellow moong dal 1 cup Desi ghee ½ cup Saffron strands few strands Milk 1 cup Sugar 1 cup Cardamom powder ½ tsp For Garnish Almond slivers to garnish Pistachio slivers to garnish Method Wash and soak the split yellow moong dal overnight. Drain the water and grind the moong dal in a mixer to a coarse texture and keep aside. Dissolve saffron in 1 tbsp warm milk and keep aside. In a heavy bottom pan heat desi ghee over medium heat. Add the moong dal paste and stir well. Cook over low heat for 45 minutes while stirring continuously. Once the moong dal is cooked and the raw flavour is eliminated add some warm water and milk. Cook again over low heat for 7-8 minutes, while stirring continuously. Add sugar and mix well and cook for 3-5 minutes and remove from flame. Serve warm garnished with cardamom powder, and garnish with almond and pistachio slivers.

On a cold winter evening, there is nothing quite like sitting down to a piping hot plate of chicken tikka masala with steam rice and naan bread. This world-renowned dish, with countless regional variations, can be found in Indian restaurants around the globe. Although its origins are hotly contested, yet the creamy, spiced curry and tender chicken can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere. So, what exactly is the story behind this popular entrée? Let’s start with digging into its origin. The succulent creamy chunky tomato chicken curry is a perfect blend of spices and flavours that mesmerises people from west and east. I literally can eat this dish every day and is my idea of food heaven. Spicy, colourful, comforting and regal, it brings the world together. Some call it of British origin, some relate it to the ancient Mughal rulers and some even relate this dish to be relatively new and take the credit for it. So, lets revisit some of these food stories and see which one makes sense and let’s continue enjoying this divine dish called the chicken tikka masala.  About 500 years ago the Mughal rulers relished boneless pieces of meats cooked over fire and the name tikka came into existence. After that due to the continuous search of making unique dishes for the rulers, the chefs added the sauce to keep the chicken pieces moist and tender, the resulting dish was simmered in tomato and onion-based sauce and was popularised after that. After India’s independence from the British, there was a flood of immigration to UK and Indian restaurants mushroomed all over the country. Some run by the Indians and others run by Bangladeshi immigrants. One fine day, a British wanted a better dish than his dry chicken tikka masala sent the tikka back to the kitchen and the Bangladeshi chef in order to keep the chicken tikka pieces moist added tomato soup to the boneless chicken pieces and finished it with cream, thus creating a dish which British’s claim to be theirs. Again, with any popular food item, there is no limit to the number of stories related to its origin. Similarly, many foodies believe that the British version of origin story is too young to relate to this classical dish, which has been around for centuries in the Indian subcontinent. Another staggering claim is from the famed Moti Mahal restaurant. According to their version, the tandoor was introduced to the first Indian restaurant Moti Mahal, New Delhi in 1948 after the partition. Lala Kundan Lal Gujral first set up in Peshawar in 1920 came to Delhi in 1947 to set up Moti Mahal. He worked with a local man to produce the first restaurant version of tandoor and invented tandoori spice mix for the tandoori chicken. The restaurant was an instant hit and people used to line up for the tandoori chicken. The cooks in order to use the left over and trimmings simmered the chicken pieces in the buttery tomato sauce and then this delectable dish came to existence. Regardless of its mysterious origin, chicken tikka masala enjoys its special place in the food kingdom. Today, so many versions of this dish are floating around the world in restaurant kitchens and are the favourite among foodies. Chicken tikka masala Ingredients Marinade Chicken thigh 500gm Yoghurt 1 cup Ginger garlic paste 3 tbsp Salt to taste  Oil 2 tbsp Kasoori methi 1 tbsp Deggi mirch powder 2 tbsp For sauce Olive oil 2 tbsp Butter 4 tbsp Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp Green chilli 2-3 nos.  Tomato paste ½ cup Red onion, diced 1/3 cup Garam masala 1 tsp Paprika powder 2 tsp Coriander powder 1 tbsp Tomato, diced 8 nos. Salt to taste Water 2 cups Heavy cream ½ cup Cilantro, chopped 1/3 cup Method: For the marinade, in a large bowl mix together the marinade ingredients and add the diced chicken thigh pieces and leave it overnight or 2-3 hours in refrigerator. For the sauce, heat oil in a heavy bottom pan or skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and butter. Add ginger garlic paste and chopped green chilli and sauté till light brown. Add diced onion and tomato and diced tomato and sauté for 3-4 minutes, add tomato paste and water and simmer over low heat. Add garam masala, coriander powder, paprika powder, adjust the seasoning and keep aside. Heat the grill and brush with little oil and grill the chicken thigh pieces and turn to cook from the other side. Cook till the chicken is cooked, remove from the grill and cut into smaller dices, if required. Simmer the chicken pieces in the prepared sauce and add heavy cream. Serve hot garnished with chopped cilantro and choice of naan bread or rice.

I often wonder about one dish from different cuisine of India that lead the array of dishes from that region. Thinking of Gujarati cuisine, the first dish that comes to my mind is dhokla. Gujarat offers a host of delightful snacks that are very popular across the length and breadth of not only India but across the globe. Gujaratis being mainly a vegetarian community know how to extract multiple flavours out of their veggies and grains in their kitchen. Dhokla and khaman are two popular snacks for those trying to stay from junk food. Yes, you read it right, dhokla and khaman are two different dishes that are often confused for each other or both the words are used together to denote one of the food item due to the ignorance about the cuisine and the dish. Today, I will share with you the in-depth knowledge about these two different dishes, which look like each other but are different in terms of the ingredients being used. Khaman is made up of fresh chana (gram) dal or chana flour (besan), soaked overnight in water to make a soft thick paste which has a cake batter like consistency. The batter is then steamed to a soft spongy bread like texture. Gram flour, semolina, lemon juice and yoghurt are some of the main ingredients used in making khaman. The snack can be baked, steamed or even cooked in a microwave. A tempering using curry leaves, asafoetida and chilies is added on the top in the end to keep it moistened. This is just the basic version of khaman, there are several other interesting versions of khaman which are a must try like nylon khaman, Amiri khaman, Vati dal khaman and masala khaman to name some popular and prominent ones.  Nylon khaman – This version is made from besan and gets its name from its soft, smooth and spongy texture. Amiri khaman – You can call it the perfect teatime snack, and is made using leftover khaman crumble, tempered with garlic, and pomegranate and is topped with sev. Vati dal khaman – this traditional type of khaman is made from crushed lentils (vateli dal). Vati dal khaman is coarser in texture as compared to the nylon khaman made using besan. Masala khaman – masala khaman is a fried variant where baked khaman is fried in oil, along with red pepper powder, mustard seeds and turmeric powder, instead of tempering it. After knowing so much about khaman, I am sure you are super curious about dhokla and wonder that all these years you have been denoting this dish with a different name.  Well let me tell you that only a trained eye can tell the difference between dhokla and khaman. Dhokla is made from fermented batter of rice and split chickpeas and is pale yellow in colour. It is usually served with mint chutney. Speaking of texture, Dhokla is little harder than khaman and is garnished with a tempering of mustard seeds, coriander leaves, and split green chilies. It can be eaten for breakfast and can also be served as evening snacks. Dhokla can also be prepared in a variety of ways like rasia dhokla, khatta dhokla, toor dal dhokla and rava dhokla. Rasia dhokla – The dhokla is boiled in a curry made of tamarind, chillies, jaggery and other spices giving dhokla a delightful touch. Khatta dhokla – The white rice dhokla is fermented with yoghurt or lemon juice and served with a sweet chutney for added yumminess. The addition of yoghurt or lemon juice gives it a delicious sour taste Toor dal dhokla – This dhokla is prepared with mainly toor dal paste and is flavoured with ginger garlic paste. Rava dhokla – The last but not the least, it is the softest dhokla available and is made with semolina and is mainly served with green mint and cilantro chutney. Some other prominent types of dhokla are the green peas dhokla, cheese dhokla and mixed dal dhokla. In terms of colour and texture, the dhokla is pale in colour as compared to the khaman as it uses white rice, often some colour is added to the ones available in the market to make it appear more appealing and fresh. Khaman on the other hand is naturally richer looking and has a softer and spongeier texture. Khaman Ingredients Chana dal 250 gm Yoghurt 50 gm Sugar 1 tsp Salt to taste  For tempering Oil 1 tbsp Mustard seeds ½ tsp Green chili 3-4 nos. Asafoetida 1/3 tsp Water 1/3 cup Lemon juice 1 tsp Curry leaves few sprigs Salt to taste  Coriander leaves 2 tbsp Garnish Coconut grated 2 tbsp Coriander leaves 2 tbsp Method Soak the chana lentil in water overnight or seven hours to allow the chana dal to soften up. Blend the chana dal with little water and add yoghurt and sugar to get a pancake batter consistency. Keep aside at a warm place to ferment overnight. In another bowl add baking soda and oil and leave in a cool place. For cooking khaman, after the batter is fermented the next day, add the baking soda and oil mixture and salt and stir well to combine the ingredients. Grease a steamer mold and pour the required batter in the vessel and steam for 25-30 minutes or until khaman is steamed. Remove and allow to cool and cut into cubes and keep aside. For the tempering, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and wait until they splutter, add curry leaves, green chili, asafoetida, lemon juice and water and pour over the prepared khaman. Garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves and serve warm.

More than two-thirds of life on Earth died off some 252 million years ago, in the largest mass extinction event in Earth’s history. Researchers have long suspected that volcanic eruptions triggered “the Great Dying,” as the end of the Permian geologic period is sometimes called, but exactly how so many creatures died has been something of a mystery. Now scientists at the University of Washington and Stanford believe their models reveal how so many animals were killed, and they see frightening parallels in the path our planet is on today. Models of the effects of volcanic greenhouse gas releases showed the Earth warming dramatically and oxygen disappearing from its oceans, leaving many marine animals unable to breathe, according to a study published last week in the peer-reviewed journal Science. By the time temperatures peaked, about 80 percent of the oceans’ oxygen, on average, had been depleted. Most marine animals went extinct. The researchers tested the model’s results against fossil-record patterns from the time of the extinction and found they correlated closely. Although other factors, like ocean acidification, might have contributed some to the Permian extinction, warming and oxygen loss account for the pattern of the dying, according to the research. By this century’s end, if emissions continue at their current pace, humans will have warmed the ocean about 20 percent as much as during the extinction event, the researchers say. By 2300, that figure could be as high as 50 percent. “The ultimate driving change that led to the mass extinction is the same driving change that humans are doing today, which is injecting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere,” said Justin Penn, a UW doctoral student in oceanography and the study’s lead author. Curtis Deutsch, a UW associate professor of oceanography and an author of the research, said if society continues to pump greenhouse gases at our current rate, “we have no reason to think it wouldn’t cause a similar type of extinction.” The Earth 252 million years ago was a much different place. The continents as we know them today were still mostly one landmass, named Pangea, which looks like a chunky letter “C” on a map. The climate, however, resembled Earth’s now, and researchers believe animals would have adapted many traits, like metabolism, that were similar to creatures today. Nearly every part of the Permian Ocean, before the extinction, was filled with sea life. “Less than 1 percent of the Permian Ocean was a dead zone — quite similar to today’s ocean,” Deutsch said. The series of volcanic events in Siberia that many scientists believe set off the mass extinction “makes super volcanoes look like the head of a pin,” said Seth Burgess, a geologist and volcanologist with the United States Geological Survey. “We’re talking about enough lava erupted onto the surface and intruded into the crust to cover the area of the United States that if you looked at the US from above was maybe a kilometre deep in lava,” he said. Burgess, who has researched the Siberian Traps volcanic events but did not work on the new Science paper, said scientists believe magma rising from the earth released some extinction-causing greenhouse gases. In addition, sills of magma still inside the earth heated massive deposits of coal, peat and carbonate minerals, among others, which vented even more carbon and methane into the atmosphere. “That’s how you drive the Permian mass extinction, by intruding massive volumes of magma into a basin rich in carbon-bearing sediments,” he said. The UW and Stanford research “takes the next step in figuring out why things died at the end of the Permian,” Burgess said. “It couples what we think was happening in the climate with the fossil record, and it does it elegantly.” It took a supercomputer more than six months to simulate all the changes the volcanic eruptions are suspected of causing during the Permian period. The computer models go into remarkable detail — simulating things like clouds, ocean currents and marine plant life — in describing what temperatures and conditions were like on Earth. The researchers knew that surface temperatures rose about 10 degrees Celsius in the tropics because of previous scientific analysis of the fossilised teeth of eel-like creatures called conodonts. To run their model, researchers pumped volcanic greenhouse gases into their simulation to match temperature conditions at the end of the Permian period. As temperatures climbed toward the 10-degree mark, the model’s oceans became depleted of oxygen, a trend scientists are evaluating in today’s oceans, too. To measure how rising temperatures and less oxygen would affect animal species of the Permian period, the researchers used 61 modern creatures — crustaceans, fish, shellfish, corals and sharks. The researchers believe these animals would have similar temperature and oxygen sensitivities to Permian species because the animals adapted to live in similar climates. Warming’s effects were twofold on the creatures, the researchers found. In warmer waters, animals need more oxygen to perform bodily functions. But warm waters can’t contain as much dissolved oxygen, which means less was available to them. In other words, as animals’ bodies demanded more oxygen, the ocean’s supply dropped. In their model, the researchers were able to quantify the loss of habitat as species faced increasingly challenging ocean conditions. Surface-temperature rise and oxygen loss were more substantial in areas farther from the equator. Extinction rates also increased at higher latitudes. Animals in the tropics were already accustomed to warmer temperatures and lower oxygen levels before the volcanic eruptions shifted the climate, according to the research. As the world warmed, they could move along with their habitat. Marine creatures that favoured cold waters and high oxygen levels fared worse: They had nowhere to go. “The high latitudes where it’s cold and oxygen is high — if you’re an organism that needs those kind of conditions to survive, those conditions completely disappear from Earth,” Deutsch said. In modern oceans, warming and oxygen loss have also been more pronounced near the poles, researchers said, drawing another analogue between the shift in climate some 252 million years ago and what’s happening today. “The study tells us what’s at the end of the road if we let climate (change) keep going. The further we go, the more species we’re likely to lose,” Deutsch said. “That’s frightening. The loss of species is irreversible.” —The Seattle Times/TNS

Survivors of early-stage breast cancer who exercise and eat a healthy diet are more likely to lose weight and experience higher rates of disease-free survival, a new study suggests. The research is based on an examination of a lifestyle intervention that included exercise, diet, and at least one other component such as counselling, stress management, and discontinuing tobacco smoking. The study showed that obesity and low physical activity are associated with higher risks of developing breast cancer, as well as an increased risk of recurrence and reduced survival. “Lifestyle intervention might improve the prognosis of breast cancer patients if adherence is high,” said Wolfgang Janni from the University of Ulm in Germany. “Many breast cancer survivors would like to contribute actively to improving their prognosis, and guiding them on lifestyle factors that can help them control weight is one possible way to positively impact patient outcomes,” said Janni. For the study, the researchers enrolled 2,292 women among which all had a body mass index of 24 or higher. Some women were randomly assigned to receive either telephone-based lifestyle intervention for two years while others received general recommendations for a healthy lifestyle alone. Those who received the telephone calls were given advice on how to improve their diets, lower fat intake, increase physical activity, and achieve moderate weight loss and other tips that were geared to their specific needs. Findings, presented at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in the US, demonstrated that patients in the lifestyle intervention arm had lost an average of one kg, while the patients in the control group had gained an average of 0.95kg. Overall, 1,477 patients completed the lifestyle intervention. Those who completed the programme had a 35 per cent higher rate of disease-free survival than those who began the programme but did not complete it. Among those who completed the programme, those who received the lifestyle intervention were about 50 per cent more likely to have disease-free survival than those who received the general recommendations. – IANS

Kofta curry is a delectable dish, which can be enjoyed all year round, but I prefer to savour these especially enjoyed during winters, being comfort food. It is a sophisticated dish which involves ground meat with flavourings and herbs to make it tender and juicy. The kofta is world’s local favourite varying in taste and texture. You’ll find a local version of kofta in almost every corner of the world. The word ‘kofta’ is derived from the classical verb ‘Koftan’ which means “to beat” or to mince. Hence, the grounded meat is mixed with a range of spices. Kofta can be made with a variety of meats and are not necessarily meat. Vegetarians have their own variety made with vegetables or cheese. Making a kofta can be divided into a two-step process. The first one is to make the ground mixture to make a kofta and then is the accompanying sauce for the kofta to make it a kofta curry. Prepared kofta are simmered in a rich spicy sauce to make them more tender and juicy and make them wholesome. Special occasion koftas are occasionally stuffed to make them more exotic. Nargisi kofta is an example which comprises of ground meat with a boiled egg centre served in a curry sauce. Nargisi kofta is named after the Nargis flower and are served cut into half revealing the yellow of hard boiled eggs and has a marked resemblance to the elegant flower. Some foodies even relate the British scotch eggs with Nargisi kofta. Making a kofta is simple. The meat is grounded with garam masala and spices and shaped into a golf-ball-sized meatball and then either simmered in a flavoured broth, deep fried or baked to perfection. Vegetarians prepare the koftas to match the meat eaters by pressing into lauki (bottle gourd), kacha kela (raw banana), paneer (cottage cheese), aloo palak (potato spinach). An exotic vegetarian kofta is the aloo bokhara kofta (plum kofta) which encases a pitted dried plum. Some chefs also replace the dried fruit with almonds or pistachio as well. Exotic Mughlai recipes are rich in a variety of kofta recipes which are extra tender and more exotic versions of the regular koftas which were enjoyed in the royal palaces in the past. One such recipe is the Chui-Mui ke Kofte from Awadh, which tend to crumble in your mouth when you try to scoop out a bite sized portion, making you wonder how such a delicate thing endured the ordeal of cooking. Lamb Kofta Curry Ingredients Serves 4 For the meatballs Lamb ground meat 2 lb Garlic cloves 6-8 cloves Ginger mince 2 tbsp Cumin powder 1 tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Red chili powder ½ tsp Salt to taste Black pepper powder ½ tsp Turmeric powder ½ tsp Eggs 2 nos Cilantro chopped 4 tbsp Mint leaves chopped 4 tbsp For the kofta sauce Oil 1 tbsp Cumin seeds ½ tsp Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp Green chili, chopped ½ tbsp Red onion, chopped 4 tbsp Tomato chopped 4 tbsp Tomato puree ½ cup Cilantro chopped 2 tbsp Garam masala 1 tsp Salt to taste  Clove 2-3 cloves Green cardamom 2-3 pods Bay leaves 1-2 leaves Red chili powder ½ tsp Turmeric powder ½ tsp Method: Squeeze the ground lamb meat using a muslin cloth to extract the moisture and keep aside in a bowl. Add the eggs, salt, coriander powder, garam masala, minced ginger, garlic, cumin powder, black pepper powder, turmeric, cilantro chopped, and mint leaves chopped. Mix all the ingredients to combine well. Using a little water shape the meat into golf sized balls and keep aside. To make the kofta curry sauce, heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and add cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom pods and bay leaves. Let the cumin seeds splutter and add ginger garlic paste and sauté till light brown. Add chopped onion and tomato and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add salt, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and add tomato puree. Add two cups of water and gently add the kofta and simmer over slow flame. Stir gently to avoid breaking the kofta and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the kofta is cooked. Adjust the seasoning and add chopped cilantro. Serve hot with basmati rice or choice of bread. Note: You can also make the kofta sauce and toss in boiled pasta to make your own version of Indian meatball pasta. You can also simmer the prepared meatball sauce in water with salt and turmeric over medium heat. Then you can use the same water in the meatball sauce instead of water. This will make the sauce rich and make it taste better.

As far as the region’s cuisine and culinary habits are concerned, Peru is called the diamond of Latin America and home to unmatched dishes and flavours. Peruvian cuisine is a mesh of flavours from Europe, Africa and East Asia.  The Peruvian cuisine is gaining popularity all around the world and the Gulf countries are no exception. In Qatar, there are very few restaurants that offer authentic and delicious Peruvian delicacies, La Mar by Gastón Acurio being one of them. Chef Tomas De La Paz is an expert in Peruvian cuisine and the Head Chef at La Mar. He hails from Chile. He has worked in Peru as a Chef, honing his skills and expertise in the versatile cuisine. Gaston has been working in Qatar for two years and has just established the restaurant to offer all Peruvian flavours. Community recently caught up with Chef Tomasand to talk about the variety of delicacies offered by the Peruvian cuisine. About his background he said, “I come from Chile, a country not so far from Peru. Both countries share the same sea. The seafood is an important element in Peruvian cuisine. I have been working with Gastón Acurio chain of restaurants for a long time now.” He added, “Peruvian cuisine represents different cultures including Japanese, Chinese, Europeans, and Latin Americans. Peru has over 2, 000 types of different potatoes. I was born at a place near sea. In my childhood, I would go to sea daily for surfing and boating. I was also attracted towards cooking especially seafood even when I was studying at a university in Chile.” “In Chile, the chefs do not use all the available ingredients to prepare the seafood. However, in Peru the chefs are more expert and they use all sorts of ingredients available to prepare the dishes. Therefore, I travelled to Peru to learn more. I learnt more while working at a restaurant of Gastón Acurio, who is also called father of Peruvian cuisine,” the chef said. Speaking about his expertise or signature dish, Tomas said, “Cebiches, fresh seafood, and charcoal-grilled meat that is offered at Lar Mar is to die for. However, my signature dish is Cebiche, a of fresh raw fish entree. It is a significant dish from Peru. We use fresh fish and different kinds of chilies from Peru, lemon juice, garlic and coriander to prepare the dish.” He further said, “I have 15 years’ experience of working in the kitchen.” About his experience of working as a Peruvian cuisine expert chef outside Latin America, he said, “I have been enjoying working in the Middle East. I have been in Qatar for two years. There are a good number of people in Qatar from different Latin American countries. They look for Peruvian taste. Many local Qatari people have started to like the taste the Peruvian cuisine has to offer. We have not touched and changed the authentic Peruvian taste here at the restaurant. However, we have introduced different dishes keeping in mind the local taste. Here we are also offering lamb and other kinds of meat as well.” About the ingredients, he said, “It is bit difficult to find all the necessary ingredients here. It is difficult but not impossible. We manage to get the ingredients though.” When asked about his attempt to learn Arabic cuisine, Tomas said, “I hope to learn about Arabic tastes, spices and aroma very soon. It is important for me as a chef to know the food of the country where I live. I want to create some kind of fusion of Arab and Peruvian food. We are already using traditional Arab pita bread at our restaurant.” Speaking about his experience of living in Doha, he said, “It is a wonderful place to be. It is very quiet and peaceful here. I live near West Bay and watch the sea every day. I enjoy being close to the sea. Qatar is growing very fast. The culture of the country is very pure, staying true to its heritage and culture and its beautiful to see that in these modern times.”

It’s time for a winter dinner preparation and you are thinking of making a comfort Italian food, and lasagna comes to your mind. This simple dish is a perfect dish to satiate hunger for winters. It is hot, cheese and comes with the goodness of Italian pasta. Have you ever wondered how this delicious Italian dish became so popular and everyone’s favourite? You may not know this but technically lasagna did not originate in Italy as you may expect. Its origin can be traced way back to ancient Greece. The name lasagne or lasagna is derived from the Greek word Laganon, the first form of pasta, laganon was not a traditional lasagna as we know it with traditional Italian ingredients, but it was composed of layers of pasta and sauce. So, it basically got its name from the method in which it was made, not for its ingredients. Lasagna is a dish made with alternating layers of pasta, cheese, sauce and meat and vegetable. The plural of lasagna is lasagna. In Italy, lasagna is always used when referring to lasagne. The word lasagna originally referred to the pot in which the dish was cooked rather than the food itself as it does today. In fact, it is believed by some that the word is derived from the Greek word for chamber pot.  Like with any popular and successful dish, which everyone wants to call their creation, many countries have debated for years that who came up with the first lasagna recipe. Of course, Italians claim that this was their creation, but they were not the creators of this dish, however, perfected the layering process of this classic dish. Talking about the origin of the dish when Romans conquered Greece and occupied the country around 146 BC, they set about adopting local knowledge, culture, language and food as their own. While the Greeks didn’t invent the hearty dish, they know and love today, they inspired one of the world’s oldest pasta. The modern present-day pasta, the richly layered dish swimming in sumptuous tomato sauce, made its debut in Naples, Italy during the Middle Ages. Lasagna has always been served as a special dish on special occasion and even the mention of lasagna in the menu delights the diners as compared to other dishes. Lasagna as a dish is so iconic that July 29 is celebrated as lasagna day every year. Traditionally, the dough was prepared in Southern Italy with semolina and water and in northern regions, where semolina is not available with flour and eggs. Classical Italian lasagna Ingredients Lasagna sheet pasta Ground beef 500 gm Yellow diced onion 1 no. Garlic 5-6 cloves Tomato, diced 50 gm Tomato paste 200 gm Sugar 2 tbsp Parsley, chopped 3 tbsp Basil leaves 2 tsp Fennel root 1 tbsp Salt to taste Black pepper to taste Egg 1 no Ricotta cheese 100 gm Mozzarella cheese 150 gm Parmesan cheese 50 gm Method: Boil water with salt and oil in a heavy bottom pan and cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes. Check the pasta and cook till it is al dente and drain the pasta sheets in cold water and keep aside. In a separate heavy bottom pan, heat oil and sauté the chopped garlic cloves and fennel chopped. Add diced onion and add the ground beef and stir. Add tomato dices, tomato paste, dry basil leaves, salt, sugar and pepper. Cook till the beef is cooked and the meta is no longer pink and becomes crumbly. Remove from flame and keep aside. In a separate bowl combine eggs, ricotta cheese, parsley and salt. Spread the prepared meat sauce in a baking dish over a pasta sheet. And layer with one third of ricotta mixture and Sprinkle with 1/3 rd of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Repeat layers twice and top layer with remaining meat sauce and cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Let it stand for 15 minutes and serve hot garnished with some basil leaves. Note: Always boil the pasta in salted water with enough salt and oil to flavour the salt and avoid the pasta sheets sticking to each other. Also, while cooking the pasta do not make a mistake to over-boil it. Always boil the pasta till it is little raw from inside. Because when you cook it with the sauce, it will cook perfectly and will coat evenly with the sauce.

BOOK: Red Birds AUTHOR: Mohammed Hanif PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury PRICE: Rs599; PAGES: 304 With a fallen pilot, an ambitious, but floundering, teenager and a dog as the three narrators, Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif, in his latest book Red Birds, takes the reader to a new literary perch, one that is unfamiliar and at the same time precarious. Still riding on the success of his critically acclaimed first novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes, Hanif’s latest book lures readers into a large field laden with abstract crops without a compass, hoping that they would find their way back with a harvest of whatever they can find in its vastness. The title Red Birds is derived from a delicate and tragic reality of canaries in the region — Hanif does not identify it as any particular country — which serves as the ravaged landscape in the novel. The drinking water is contaminated with depleted uranium, and thus take on a red colour. The title and the recurring reference to the phenomenon is one of the more elegant — but few in number — aspects of the much-anticipated book. The novel opens with Ellie, an American fighter pilot distracted by problems with his missus back home, crashing into the desert in an unknown but familiar terrain while on a run to bomb a village harbouring enemies of the state. The “village”, which had been in his cross-hairs for destruction, turns out to be a refugee camp, where the reader encounters the novel’s second narrator Momo — a young boy who harbours ambition but is weighed down by his own inadequate and harebrained business plans, one of them being using falcons for an ethical hunting programme (part of the dollops of irony which appear a little too liberally fastened to the pages) as well as bad luck. Momo is also on the lookout for his dog, Mutt, who is the novel’s third major narrator. “Another reason I am reluctant to tell Momo about the red birds is that at heart he is a businessman. Even when he is watching television, even when his jeep breaks down, even when he is having murderous thoughts about his Father Dear, he is always working on a business plan which will make him fabulously rich. He has traded in nothing but junk but he is waiting for the ‘markets to open up, for the situation to stabilise, for the reconstruction phase to begin’ before he can embark on his financial adventures”. Yes, that’s the dog talking — narrating to the reader the nature of his master. One of the book’s best lines is also reserved for Mutt, when he analyses the anguish in Momo’s father, after he loses his other son. “Regret,” says Mutt, “smells like burnt bread.” The book is overwhelmingly fashioned as a black farce playing out in the backdrop of war, but amid its flashes of brilliance, Red Birds ends up stomping on its own tail; with everyone and their dog (in this case the character Mutt) routinely pontificating with a touch of jaded wit. What one needs to look forward to in Red Birds, however, is the portrayal of a region grappling with conflict and occupation and how different the grassroots’ realities really are, compared to the blistering and propaganda-laden images of war, broadcast on mass media. That and the turns of phrase, which made Hanif one of the most sought after Asian writers in recent times. Saket Suman adds: The month of November will reignite memories of long queues at ATMs following the recall of 86 per cent of circulated currency during the demonetisation in 2016 as at least three books — both fiction and non-fiction — will attempt to unravel the controversial decision.  Among the most anticipated novels from the coming month is Don’t Tell The Governor by Ravi Subramanian, whose stories are set against the backdrop of the financial services industry. Published by HarperCollins India, his 10th novel weaves a fictional narrative around demonetisation. “When the Prime Minister declares demonetisation at 8pm on 8 November, 2016, it leaves the nation stunned. But the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), who should have ideally been party to the decision, is at a crossroads. He has just carried out the most brazen act of his life — yet, it looks like it might also have been his most foolish. “Will he be able to pull himself out of the mess he has got into or will he be condemned for life? Will he manage to retain his autonomy or meekly surrender to the forces behind the massive scam? Or is he going to be the victim of a very sinister plot? Running desperately out of time, the governor has one week to set things right,” the publisher informed IANS about the narrative in the upcoming book. The next book, non-fiction, is by Meera Sanyal, who stepped down from her role as CEO and Chairperson of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) India in December 2013, and is titled The Big Reverse: How Demonetization Knocked India Out (HarperCollins India). Describing demonetisation as a black swan event in Indian history, the book, according to the publisher, will provide “the most comprehensive analysis of the policy, its execution and pitfalls”. It will present unprecedented insights backed by data, history and research, and as a result, answer the questions that still continue to haunt Indians, on the what, why and how of demonetisation. “While the Modi government claimed that it was the silver bullet that India needed to eliminate many of its longstanding problems such as black money, corruption, tax evasion and terror funding, the months that followed proved it otherwise. The return of 99.7 per cent of the banned 500- and 1,000-rupee notes showed that the RBI’s idea of a Demonetisation Dividend was nothing but a mirage. In the process, livelihoods of millions in the informal sector were destroyed, causing enormous distress to farmers and traders and forcing many micro, small and medium businesses into bankruptcy,” Sanyal notes in the book. And then there is Of Counsel: The Challenges of the Modi-Jaitley Economy (Penguin Random House India) by former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian, whose trusteeship saw the country through one of the most hotly contested and turbulent periods of economic governance and policymaking in recent decades — from the demonetisation to the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax, or GST. Subramanian, according to the publisher, provides an inside account of his rollercoaster journey as the CEA. With an illustrious cast of characters, Subramanian’s part-memoir, part-analytical book candidly reveals the numerous triumphs and challenges of policymaking at the zenith, while appraising India’s economic potential through comprehensive research and original hypotheses. And last but not the least, there is Heads You Win by Jeffrey Archer, published by PanMacmillan. It is billed as an “incredible and thrilling novel” by the master storyteller, whose final twist will shock even his most ardent fans. The publisher said that this is the international number one bestselling author’s “most ambitious and creative work” since Kane and Abel.  — IANS

Besides promoting long-lasting health, regular exercise in childhood can also counteract negative health effects such as diabetes inherited by father’s obesity, researchers say. The study found that children of fathers with a high-fat diet or who are obese are more likely to have low insulin sensitivity. People with low insulin sensitivity do not respond to insulin resulting in an increase in blood sugars levels, leading to the development of Type-2 diabetes. Exercising early in life reverses the negative effect of low insulin sensitivity in adulthood for children and can therefore prevent the risk of diabetes. “Obesity due to a high-fat diet in the father can have a negative effect on the metabolism of their offspring,” said lead author Filippe Falcao-Tebas, from Monash University in Australia. “The study showed that exercise only in early life of the offspring can have long-lasting beneficial effects on their health by normalising their muscle insulin sensitivity in adulthood,” Falcao-Tebas added. For the study, published in the Journal of Physiology, the team involved breeding obese male rats with healthy female rats. Their offspring underwent exercise training for only four weeks after weaning. They were then assessed as adults in terms of responsiveness to glucose and insulin, skeletal muscle function and pancreas structure. The findings showed that the offspring of obese fathers had reduced whole body and skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity and reduced insulin secretion. However, early life exercise did not have any positive effects on their pancreas. Further work needs to be carried out including understanding what genes are switched on and off to determine the relationship between paternal diet and offspring exercise, as well as how exercise and paternal diet can affect the offspring’s physiology. They also plan to examine if similar effects occur in larger mammals that have developmental rates more similar to humans, the researchers noted. – IANS

I am sure most of us have heard about Fiji but are not so familiar with its cuisine and eating trends. Fiji is a tropical country comprising of several hundred islands in the Pacific Ocean about few thousand kilometres from New Zealand. Almost all the islands were a result of the volcanic eruptions and till date some seismic activity is noticed over there. Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the pacific region due to abundance of forest, minerals and fish resources. Fiji water is highly regarded as a pure form of water and is naturally sourced and bottled and exported all over the world. Fiji is a set of islands which are not so populous and are known for their natural beauty, flora and fauna. Today the main source of foreign exchange is the tourism industry and sugar exports of the country. A solid 40% of the Fiji’s population is of Indian origin, most of them migrated during the British colonial rule in the 1800’s to work for sugarcane plantations. Indian dishes were traditionally made in their household but eventually formed into their own signature style over a period and is thus acknowledged as Fiji Indian cuisine. I would say the resulting food is strongly influenced by, yet still unique from Indian cuisine. The overall flavours of Fiji Indian cuisine are lighter and subtler. The dishes may sound similar but are different visually and taste different from Indian traditional dishes. Fijians have created hundreds of masala blends. Many of these blends have been passed through their families originating in India. Speciality blends include spicy masalas for meat and seafood. Masala is added to almost everything from vegetable and fruit dishes, to desserts and teas. Masala is the common thread that binds famous Fijian dishes by creating spicy curries and delicately flavoured entrees. Most Fiji restaurants create their own signature masala or curry. Visitors to Fiji will discover that the local hotels and restaurants provide inexpensive dining experience to sample Fiji’s rich cuisine and make it more popular. Many Fiji hotels and resorts host well-known chefs that utilise locally grown produce and spices to create unforgettable meals. Vegetarians will also appreciate the many vegetarian Fiji restaurants that provide Indian cuisine for the local vegetarian residents and tourists. Tourists looking for unique Indian curries and roti will discover that the tiny, two or three table restaurants provide authentic, delicious dining experience with personalised charm.   When you are visiting Fiji or an authentic Fiji restaurant never miss to experience a traditional lavo. This is the best example of traditional Fijian cooking method. A large pit is dug into the sand where seafood and vegetables such as taro and tapioca are cooked underground. This cooking method imparts earthen flavour to the food and is considered healthy too. The climate being tropical has abundance of coconuts and it is an integral part of the Fijian cuisine and culture, it is combined with almost everything and are used in varying degrees of its development in appetisers, entrees, desserts and beverages. This Fiji chicken curry is one simple recipe for you to try at home.  Fiji special chicken curry Ingredients Chicken thigh 2 lb Onion 2 no Garlic 4-5 cloves Ginger 1-inch cube Green chili 2 no Salt to taste Mustard seeds ½ tsp Cardamom 2-3 pods Curry leaves 2-3 sprigs Cloves 2-3 no Garam masala 1 tbsp Turmeric powder 1 tsp Olive oil 2 tbsp Coriander leaves 2 tbsp Lemon juice 1 tbsp Chicken stock 200ml Method Wash and chop the chicken into 1cm dice or bite size dice and keep aside. Thin slice on onion and chop the other one and keep aside. Combine garlic ginger, green chili and salt in a blender and make a paste. Add garam masala, turmeric powder and some water to make a curry paste, of running consistency, keep aside. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds to splutter. Add cinnamon stick and cardamom seeds and curry leaves, and let them splutter. Add the chopped onion and stir well to cook them till they are brown. Pour in the prepared curry paste and stir over medium heat, add chicken and the sliced onions and combine well. Cook the chicken, while turning it to avoid the burning. When the chicken is almost cooked, adjust the seasoning and add some stock. Adjust the seasoning by adding some salt and add some stock, bring to boil and finish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves. Serve hot on rice bed.

We all know and love our peanut butter sandwiches, but we never thought how this delicious and energetic superfood became so popular and became a household product? We have been loving this product since childhood as a part of our school lunches and evening snacks parties. Now a day you get an array of varieties but there are mainly two types of peanut butter available, the regular plain peanut butter and the other fancier one with peanut butter and jelly bean. I myself am a fan of the regular one. Today while we understand and read more about the peanut butter becoming a family tradition, I am sure that you’ll be able to answer a peanut butter trivia after reading this article. Peanut butter actually dates to Aztec times. The Aztecs mashed roasted peanuts into a paste, somewhat different from what we know of as peanut butter today. But many people have been credited with the title of peanut-butter-inventor, among them is also George Washington Carver. However, he did not invent peanut butter. Instead he promoted more than 300 uses for peanuts, among other crops such as soy beans and sweet potatoes. The actual invention of peanut butter, its process of manufacture and the machinery used to make it, can be credited to at least three doctors or inventors. In 1884 Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Canada patented peanut paste, the finished product from milling roasted peanuts between two heated surfaces. In 1895, Dr John Harvey Kellogg (the creator of Kellogg’s cereal) patented a process for creating peanut butter from raw peanuts. He marketed it as a healthy protein substitute for his patients without teeth. In 1903, Dr Ambrose Straub of St. Louis, Missouri, patented a peanut-butter-making machine. In 1922, chemist Joseph Rosefield invented a process for making smooth peanut butter that kept the oil from separating by using partially hydrogenated oil. In 1928, he licensed his invention to the company that created Peter Pan peanut butter. And in 1932 he began producing his own peanut butter under the name Skippy. Some Peanut Trivia: l Peanuts are actually not nuts, but legumes grown underground. l China and India are the major producers of peanuts respectively, followed by United States. Georgia and Texas are the two-major peanut producing states in US. l More than half of the American peanut crop goes into making peanut butter, whereas India and China uses it to make other peanut related products and are consumed in various types. l It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter. l Americans eat around 700 million pounds of peanut butter per year about 3 pounds per person. l An average American child eats 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before he/she graduates from high school. How peanut butter is made commercially? Peanuts are shelled at a plant and the excess debris is separated. The peanuts are placed in a hot air roaster where the temperature is raised to 240 degrees Celsius turning them from white to light brown. The peanuts are quickly cooled to room temperature by suction fans that suck out the hot air. The peanuts are then placed in the blancher which removes the skin and the bitter “heart.” The shelled, roasted and blanched peanuts are then dropped into a grinder and reduced to a thick paste. The paste is heated to 60 degrees Celsius to be mixed and then is cooled down to 38 degrees Celsius before it is jarred. Peanut butter cheesecake Ingredients For the base Pretzels, crushed 1 cups Butter, melted ½ cup For the filling Cream cheese 120 gm Sugar 1 cup Creamy peanut butter ½ cup Vanilla extracts 2 tsp Eggs 3 nos. Peanut butter chips 1 cup Dark chocolate chips 1 cup For the topping Creamy peanut butter ¼ cup Icing sugar ½ cup Whipped cream 1 cup Unsalted peanut ½ cup Method Lightly toast the pretzels and crush them to a coarse powder in a bowl. Add unsalted butter and combine well to make the mixture soft. Line and grease a spring foam type cake ring base with this mixture, press to make the base hold together. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350-degree Fahrenheit for 5-8 minute to bake the base, allow to cool on a wire cooling rack. In a separate bowl combine cream cheese and sugar until smooth and all the sugar is dissolved. Add peanut butter and vanilla extracts and mix well, keep aside. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs to make them fluffy. Combine the eggs and the cream cheese mixture and add the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. Pour the prepared mixture over the prepared crust and return the pan to the oven. Bake at 350-degree Fahrenheit for 50-55 minutes or until the center of the mixture is set. Check by piercing a knife, the cake is cooked if the knife comes out clean, allow to stand for 10 minutes and cool down. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours for the cheesecake to set and demold onto a serving platter. For the toppings whip the heavy cream and pipe on top of the cheese cake. Dust with icing sugar and sprinkle crushed peanuts on top, serve cold. Note: Instead of using pretzel as the cake base, you can substitute it with biscuit/cookies crumble.

The best part about being a culinary professional is that you get to meet so many different people and share their experiences with different diets and get feedback directly about their eating trends.  Recently I met a foodie, who was on a ketogenic diet and that inspired me to write about this relatively new diet, unknown to many people. Ketogenic diet also known as ‘Keto’ diet is a low carb, high fat, diet that offers many health benefits. In recent studies, this diet has been proven to help you lose weight and improve your overall health.  Keto diet has also been proved to be beneficial against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. This diet involved drastically reducing carbohydrates and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ‘Ketosis’, during that your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy.       It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain. Ketogenic diets can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This along with increased ketones has numerous health benefits. With any diet plan you must stick to list of foods – to avoid any food that is high in carbs. Here is a list of foods that need to be reduced or eliminated on a ketogenic diet. Sugary foods: Soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, and candy. Grains or starches: Wheat-based products, rice, pasta, and cereal. Fruit: All fruit, except small portions of berries like strawberries, and blueberries. Beans or legumes: Peas, kidney beans, lentils, and chickpeas. Root vegetables and tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Low-fat or diet products: These are highly processed and often high in carbs. Some condiments or sauces: These often contain sugar and unhealthy fat. Unhealthy fats: Limit your intake of processed vegetable oils and mayonnaise. Sugar-free diet foods: These are often high in sugar alcohols, which can affect ketone levels in some cases. These foods also tend to be highly processed. Now what you are allowed to eat in keto diet. You should base most of your meals around these foods. Meat: Red meat, steak, sausage, chicken and turkey. Fatty fish: Such as salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel, king fish. Eggs: Look for pastured or omega-3 whole eggs. Butter and cream: Look for grass-fed when possible. Cheese: Unprocessed cheese (cheddar, goat, cream, blue or mozzarella). Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds. Healthy oils: Primarily extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil. Avocados: Whole avocados or freshly made guacamole. Low-carb veggies: Most green veggies, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Condiments: You can use salt, pepper and various healthy herbs and spices. It is best to base your diet mostly on whole, single-ingredient foods.  Whatever diet plan you would follow, there will always be negatives along with the positives. It is important to understand them and minimise the side effects to gain maximum benefits. Mainly the side effects are observed during the initial phase. ‘Keto flu’ is often observed during the initial weeks of staring this keto diet. Keto flu includes poor energy and mental function, increased hunger, sleep issues, nausea, digestive discomfort and decreased exercise performance.  To minimise this, you can try a regular low carb diet for the first few weeks, to teach your body to burn more fat before you eliminate carbs. Keto diet also changes the water and mineral balance of your body, so adding extra salt to your meals or taking mineral supplements can help. Note: One most important thing to note is to consult your doctor before you indulge in any diet plan to carefully analyses if the plan is suitable for you without any drastic side effects. Skillet chicken  with goat cheese Ingredients Chicken breast 500 gm Goat cheese 4 tbsp Olive oil 1 tbsp Broccoli, florets ½ cup Asparagus 3-4 stalks Garlic 2-3 cloves Tomato, chopped 1 cup Milk ¼ cup Salt to taste Black pepper to taste Method: Wash and cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and sprinkle salt and pepper and keep aside. In a heavy bottom skillet heat oil over medium heat, sauté chicken to light brown colour, stir to cook evenly. Add some moisture to cook the chicken until no longer pink. Remove from skillet and keep aside covered with aluminium foil to keep aside. Add small broccoli florets and asparagus spears to the skillet and cook over medium high heat for about a minute. Add chopped garlic and stir in tomatoes, milk and cheese, cook covered over medium heat until cheese begins to melt. Stir in chicken and stir well to combine all the ingredients. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot, with some additional cheese on top.

I am sure almost everyone reading this article is familiar with what is dosa but may not be too comfortable to make this dish at home. I would like to make dosa-making simple and easy for all my readers. India is a land of remarkable diversity, from diverse traditions, landscapes to culinary delights, varying significantly by region. In India, food plays a large part in the country’s culture. Traditionally south Indian crepe dosa is widely recognised across the country. It is relished for its unique flavour, seasoning, taste, visual appeal and fragrance. Known by different names like dosai, dosa, dosay, it is a breakfast dish but is equally popular in lunch and dinner or simply as a snack. Dosa was recently named as the 50 most delicious dishes by CNN. Dosa is undoubtedly one the most ancient dishes, dating back to the 5th century AD. Originally Dosa were made from lentils but slowly the rice was added to make the dish in its present form which is liked by all. Dosa is traditionally served with accompaniments like sambhar, a thin lentil stew, coconut chutney and tomato chutney and spiced lentil powder called podi powder. People prefer different variations and styles of dosa, some prefer it like a thick pancake while some like it crispy and thin. I prefer the thin and crispier version. Dosa is considered a healthy food due to no sugar, very little fat content and being rich in carbohydrates and is easy to digest. A portion of dosa contains around 100 calories which is way less than a cheese pizza or a cheese burger. There are hundreds of varieties of dosa and the numbers are still growing with more chefs experimenting with it and trying to make their signature style out of the traditional recipe. Some of the Michelin starred restaurants even have dosa as a regular in their menu.  Surprisingly, Uthappam, an almost similar dish existed before the dosa around 1st century AD and is basically the same batter, except being thicker, fluffier and usually topped with spices, onion, curry leaves and chilies, and is cooked from both sides. Making thin dosa on a flat griddle requires some skills but initially one can practice making a thicker version which is easy to make and tastes equally good. Over the course of all those centuries, the simple dosa recipe has travelled far and wide, first within the southern states of India — Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu — then within India and soon after, across the globe. Dosa is not only popular in India but in countries like Sri lanka, Mauritius, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar to name a few.  Popular variations today include paper dosa, which is crispy and thin like a paper; multigrain dosa, a fancier and newer dosa; masala dosa, filled with a delicious potato bhaji; Mysore dosa, whose namesake invokes images of a fiery red chutney-laden dosa; rava dosa, made from semolina instead of rice; the cheese, paneer cottage cheese and many more. “The key to the perfect dosa, apart from getting the batter’s consistency right, of course, is the temperature of the griddle, the more you practice making it, the better is the result and you’ll get better day by day. Making a dosa batter requires a special short rice called poni rice, idli rice, parboiled rice or sona masori. One most important and frequently asked question about making dosa batter is “when to add salt” before grinding, after grinding, before fermentation or after fermentation? The ideal time to add the salt is after the fermentation so the salt does not affect the fermentation process and you can accurately taste and measure the salt in the finished batter. The Urad wash lentil and rice is soaked for about 2-3 hours and then grounded separately. The dal should be smooth and the rice to be little coarser than the lentil. Then combine both and leave it in a covered container in a warm spot in your kitchen. Next day morning add salt and mix the batter to combine well and removed excess air from fermentation. Store in air tight containers and use as required. The ratio of lentil and rice is 1:3. Dosa Batter Recipe Ingredients Parboiled rice 3 cups Urad wash lentil 1 cup Fenugreek seeds ½ tsp Salt to taste For potato masala Boiled potato 200 gm Oil ½ cup Mustard seeds 1 tbsp Asafetida 1 tsp Red chilly whole 4-6 nos Curry leaves 3-4 sprigs Ginger chopped 1 tbsp Green chili chopped 1 tbsp Onion, sliced 2 nos. Salt to taste Turmeric powder 1 tsp Garam masala 1 tsp Red chili powder 1 tsp Cilantro chopped ½ cup Method: Wash and soak the parboil rice and urad lentil separately for about 2-3 hours. In a wet masala grinder, grind the urad dal to a smooth paste, add some water if required. Remove the urad dal paste and grind the parboil rice and fenugreek seeds in the masala grinder and grind to a slightly coarser texture than the lentil mixture. Combine both the mixtures and keep aside covered overnight in a warm place in kitchen, the batter will rise to more than double the initial batter volume. Add salt and mix the batter using a whisk to remove excess air, store in air tight container in refrigerator for 3-4 days. For the potato masala mixture Mash the peeled and boiled potato in a bowl. In a heavy bottom pan heat oil, add mustard seeds to crackle. Add asafetida, ginger chopped, green chilly chopped, red chili whole, sliced onions and stir. Add the red chili powder, garam masala and salt. Once the onions become translucent add the prepared tempering to the boiled potato add cilantro and combine well. Adjust the seasoning and keep aside. To make the dosa, heat a nonstick flat top and drizzle some oil over medium heat. Add ½ cup of dosa batter and spread using the base of the bowl. Drizzle some oil to make the dosa crispy. Place the warm potato filling on one side and roll the dosa batter to make a roll and serve hot.

Biscotti, as you may not know is Italian word for ‘twice baked’, They are also known as’ Cantucci’ in Italy. These oblong shaped cookies were made in Prato and are super crunchy and dipped in tea or coffee to consume. The crunch factor depends on personal preference, some like it crunchier than others and like to dunk it more, so if you like a bit of a crunch, you can put those biscotti back in oven again for another round of baking. The longer the Italian biscotti are baked the cruncher it will become. Another well-known fact is that biscotti will last forever, well not technically, but they have a long shelf life. Biscotti are low moisture cookies and this will allow you to store them at room temperature. The objective behind making this cookie was to make a long shelf stable food for sailors and to be carried by Roman army. Originally flavoured with almonds, today you’ll find biscotti in a dozen flavours and are a popular accompaniment to cappuccino. Since it is a hard cookie biscotti I like to dip it in coffee, tea and milk before eating. Italians eat biscotti for breakfast and as a snack with coffee. Eventually with every popular local food there will be variations depending on people’s preference. The almond recipe of Tuscany expanded to anisette, to lemon flavoured dough and other spices, to biscotti with raisins and other dried fruits, to biscotti with chocolate morsels and with many other variety of nuts. Today the flavourings are not only limited to the imagination and palates of the customers.  As a kid I loved eating variety of biscuits and rusks. I strongly believe that there is nothing comparable to the taste of a freshly baked cookie. I consider myself lucky to have lived near a bakery which baked these fresh cookies and other such baked goodies. The bakery even baked whole wheat cookies as per our request and would call us informing about the freshly baked items.  The world of biscotti is not difficult to make. All that is required is some creativity and you are all set. They can be half baked and be stored in the fridge, so that you can get to taste freshly baked biscotti whenever you desire. They do not require special baking equipment and you can easily control the amount of sugar and the flavours you want. Once you have combined the ingredients, it’s time to shape the mixture into logs. You can make the logs as wide or as narrow as you want. I usually make the logs 3 inches wide. To make the logs, place the batter on cookie sheet and press and shape the dough mixture into logs with damp fingers. You can prepare the logs and keep them refrigerated. Bake the logs and then allow them to cool down and refrigerate, Slice the logs in the desired thickness before you bake it and then make it twice to make it crunchy and delicious.   Almonds and  Fennel Biscotti Ingredients Al purpose flour 3 cup Whole almonds 1 cup Fennel seeds 1 tbsp Baking powder 2 tsp Salt a pinch Castor sugar ½ cup Brown sugar 1 cup Eggs 4 nos. Vanilla extract ½ tsp Lemon zest 1 tsp Method Preheat the oven at 325-degree Fahrenheit and spread the almonds on the baking sheet and toast for 10-12 minutes to make it crunchy Coarsely chop the almonds and keep aside Sift flour, baking powder, salt in a bowl and add sugar and fennel seeds, keep aside In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and add vanilla extract and lemon zest and combine well Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, combine well with a wooden spoon Fold in the chopped almonds and divide the dough into half Place each half on baking tray and with damp fingers, shape into a 3” wide log shape Line a baking sheet with baking paper and place the logs on the sheet Bake for 30 minutes or until they are golden brown in colour and firm Allow the logs to cool down and refrigerate for 30 minutes Using a serrated knife, slice cookies at an angle about ½ inch- ¾ inch thick Place slices back on the baking sheet and return them into the oven for about another 15-20 minutes The longer they stay in oven the crispier will be the biscotti, you can choose the baking time depending on your preference on crunch Allow them to cool down, store them in air tight containers and serve with tea/coffee  Note: The basic dough and recipe remains the same, but you can customise the dry fruit as per your choice and the flavourings. Sometimes I roll the logs in oats which gives it more crunch after baking and enhances the taste too. * Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

Yesterday, I met a friend and we were discussing about our experiences with Peruvian cuisine and then I decided to write about the delicious cuisine. When most of us think of Peru we think of the ancient ruins and high mountain vistas. But speaking of cuisine, Peru is the hope diamond of Latin America and home to dishes and flavours you won’t find anywhere else. As a matter of fact, there are more Peruvian cuisine restaurants outside Peru than ever before and the number is growing. I would say that Peruvian cuisine is a blend of flavours from Europe, Africa and East Asia. Traditional Peruvian cuisine can be divided between three geographic locations – Seaside, Mountain and rainforest. The four staples of Peruvian cuisine are corn, potato and other tubers, Amaranthaceous (quinoa, kaniwa) and legumes (beans and lupins). It all began with the Spanish explorers and subsequent discovery of the new continent, the explorers initiated Columbian exchange which saw them take home foods unheard of in the old world, such as potato, tomato and maize. The life in Europe was never the same since then. Peruvian cooking is a balance of hot and cold, acidic and starchy, robust and delicate. That’s because Peruvian food is all about spices and big flavours, some clean and crisp, others deep and heavy. Every sip of a pisco sour tamed the citrus and Chile assault of a ceviche, a fish so fresh it almost crunches between your teeth. Potato is the king Long before quinoa, Peruvian had brought the world a staple food in the form of this humble root vegetable. The adaptability and fast growth rate of potato made it instantly popular in European countries. It would be almost unimaginable how people there would survive the difficult episodes in history without it. As a birthplace of potato, Peru’s institute on potato – Peruano de la papa estimates there are more than 3,000 varieties grown on home soil. They come in all shapes and colours and more importantly they are genetically unmodified.  Ceviche, Ceviche, Ceviche Ceviche is undoubtedly the favourite dish of many in Peruvian cuisine and is often the meal of choice for many locals. The costal sensation is made with freshly caught seafood steeped in onion, chilli and most importantly, lemon juice or lime juice, resulting in the fish appearing as “cooked”. Like any household delicacy around the world, every family has its secret recipe for it. Corn is everywhere Corn is another significant produce and export from Peru besides potato. It boasts a great amount of varieties in different hues, with purple maze morado being the most expensive. Corn can be eaten as a snack or in a meal. For instance, choclo, a variety distinctive for its large kernels can be toasted in oil for making the crispy snack cancha or consumed directly after sun dried. Corn juice is used to produce chicha, the national beverage with and without alcohol. Similar to Chinese food Peruvian cuisine has been constantly shaped by the external influences from Spanish conquistador to Asian immigrants arriving from the 19th century. There is a large community of Chinese population, which gave rise to Chifa cuisine, a Chinese – Peruvian hybrid food featured prominently in cities like Lima. Dishes like Lomo Saltado, a stir-fried beef steak with onion, tomato and French fries, demonstrate such cross-cultural blend of cuisine. Peruvian fast food South American cuisine is incomplete without street food and salchipapas is the dish you’ll find at every nook and corner in the city. It is self-explanatory, consisting of sausage and potato fries, served with tomato ketchup and mayonnaise on the side. Peruvian cuisine is all natural Ever so grateful to the natural surrounding they live in, the highland people can make the most of the condition. Pachamanca is a perfect example for this. In the native language “pacha” means earth while “manca” can be translated as pot. An earth oven is created to cook spice marinated meat and potato. The food is covered with hot stones on the ground. It is one of this dishes that make you wonder how simple good food is.  Peruvian cuisine evolution Like food everywhere today, there is a new style of Peruvian cuisine emerging and is often called Nueva comida meaning new style of food. With young chefs digging deep to find more exotic ingredients, the possibilities are endless. So, the evolution of the nation’s food continues, into the territories of modernist cooking that’s simultaneously old and new. Peruvian stuffed Rocoto peppers Ingredients  Rocoto pepper 8 nos. Sugar ½ cup Vegetable oil 2 tbsp Chilli paste 4 tbsp Sirloin, beef 400 gm Bay leaves 2 leaves Red onion, diced 2 lb Peanut, crushed 2 tbsp Oregano, dried ½ tsp Black olives 5-6 no Hard boiled eggs 2 no. Parsley leaves, chopped 1 tbsp Black raisin 2 tbsp Condensed milk 100 ml Salt to taste Black pepper to taste Method: Cut the rocoto pepper horizontally to scoop out the seeds, keep the top aside. Place the rocoto pepper in a pan and fill with water, add sugar and bring to boil. Turn off the heat and discard the water, add more fresh water and repeat this step three times, drain the water and cool the rocotos, keep aside. In a heavy bottom sauce pan, heat oil and add chilli paste, beef and bay leaves and add diced onion, ¼ tsp sugar, salt and pepper. Add peanuts, oregano leaves, hard boiled eggs, parsley, raisins, salt and pepper, cook for 15 minutes till beef is cooked. Fill the rocotos with this mixture and arrange in a baking pan. In a bowl, whisk one egg with milk, Salt and pepper and pour over rocotos. Beat two eggs until very thick and put a tablespoon over each rocoto. Then cover with the reserved tops. Bake in 350-degree Fahrenheit for 15 minutes and serve hot. Note: Rocoto peppers are very hot so you can replace them with bell peppers. * Chef Tarun Kapoor, Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

In today’s busy life style sometimes, all that we need is a quick prepared meal which tastes good and does not compromise with health. One such meal that comes to my mind is the fish stew. It is easy to prepare. It is quick and can be prepared in minutes. It tastes delicious and has all the health benefits associated with it. I often prepare this stew when I am in a hurry and need a quick meal ready in minutes. I do not follow a set recipe or guideline while making the fish stew, just that the fish pieces must be intact and not broken and it should have some vegetables added along to make it more wholesome. The fish that I will use to make this stew is Cod fish. Cod fish is a grey-green fish with a spotted pattern on their scales. Cods can grow up to 150 cm long, but most of the cod fish is around 80cm long and weigh around 25 - 30 Kg. Cod is a type of salt water fish that may come from the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean or the green land. All these types of fish can replace each other with little variance, however the Pacific cod provides larger, thicker fillets and that’s why chefs prefer the Pacific variant. Cod is one of the top 5 fish eaten in Europe. Cod fish is the perfect choice to make fish and chips. A lot of people like cod because of its mild taste and its ease of preparation for a variety of meals. You may have tried it in your fish and chips, fish fingers, fish cakes, fish pies or fish stews. I am sure you must have heard about the cod liver oil and its associated health benefits. Yes, this fish is the source of all the goodness of that fish oil. Cod is a good source of heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and is especially rich in lean protein and Vitamin B-12. Doctors recommend eating fish twice a week for its Omega-3 acids. These essential fatty acids help lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides in your bloodstream. Salmon and tuna have significantly more omega-3, but cod makes a good overall everyday common choice. Cod fish have a recognisable organ on their chin called barbel. The cod barbel has taste buds like our tongues and is used to help the cod to find food in murky water. A cod’s size depends on the species. However, an average cod can reach 51 inches in length and can weigh between 55 to 77 pounds. There are some extreme cases of cod that reach up to 220 pounds due to having a rich food supply. The backside of their body is greenish brown in colour which is the lateral side is lighter, their belly is almost always white. They are carnivores, which means they eat meat. Their normal diet includes other cod, sand eels, mackerels, squids and crabs. They are slow swimmers and travel in groups called ‘schools’. This helps them avoid their predators like sharks. They are easy to catch and do not resist much that’s why they are easily caught and preferred in recreational fishing. They are mainly caught for their meat and oil and humans are their biggest predators. Easy fish stew Ingredients Cod Fish fillet 800 gm Olive oil 2 tbsp Yellow onion 1 no. Tomato 2 nos. Bell pepper 1 no. Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp Celery 2 stalk Parsley few sprigs Black pepper to taste Salt to taste Lemon juice 2 tsp Coconut milk 100 ml Siracha sauce 2 tbsp Cilantro to garnish Method Wash and pat dry the cod fillet and cut into 1” squares and keep aside. Rub enough olive oil onto cod fillets and season with salt and black pepper, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan or skillet over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion until soft, add ginger garlic paste and bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in diced tomato, diced celery and cook over slow flame. Arrange cod fillets on the mixture and pour coconut milk over the fillets. Sprinkle green parsley and drizzle siracha sauce on top and adjust the seasoning. Cover the skillet or pan and reduce the heat to low, cook until fish is cooked and flakes easily. Do not stir the fish otherwise it will break apart, slightly move the skillet to stir the liquid in it. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro and lemon juice drizzle, serve hot. Note: The whole idea behind this recipe is to make you aware about the basic fish stew. You can try some different ingredients like shrimp, broccoli, carrot, mushrooms, snow peas, lemon grass, zucchini and make your own style of fish stew. Like most of the times, I add turmeric to my stews and soups for their anti-inflammatory properties and health benefits.

Last week I received a request for live cooking station for fresh fish and that made me jump with joy at the opportunity to visit and shop at the local seafood market. I was requested for fresh seabass and I knew that won’t be too difficult to source locally. So, I visited the market and bought fresh seabass on the day of the special event.  Seabass is a lean water fish that is meaty, yet soft and perfect for grilling. Sea bass has a mild, yet delicious flavour. Golden rule while cooking fish is not to overpower the natural properties of the fish with too many seasonings. Use at least a light brush of oil over the fish to hold the seasonings in place. However most of the fish labelled as sea bass are not actually bass. They just have some similar characters related to grilling and that’s why they are labelled as seabass. This is one of the fish that does not taste too fishy and is enjoyed for its great flaky meat. Black sea bass is a true bass which is a popular sport fish as well as an important commercial fish. It is one of the few fishes that tastes great without hurting your wallet and mother nature will thank you for consuming as it is in abundant enough and is usually available fresh. Always choose trap caught or handline caught fish rather than trawl caught fish for best eco rating.  Black seabass has lean, white flesh with a moderately firm texture, small flakes and a delicate flavour. Because of its small size, it is often prepared whole. Due to its lean nature, do not overcook seabass because it will easily become dry. The skin is edible if descaled and if presented well. You must have noticed Chilean sea bass in restaurant menus everywhere. Chilean sea bass is a Patagonian tooth fish and is a type of cod. It was relabelled because toothfish isn’t an appealing name on restaurant menus especially at a premium price. They are usually prone to overfishing but receive an “ok” eco rating.  Cooking sea bass Seabass adapts itself well to many different cooking methods like grilling, baking, steaming, poaching and shallow frying. Grilling is one of the most commonly used cooking method for sea bass and it brings out nice texture and wonderful flavour, making it perfect for everything from serving by itself or in fish tacos or salads.  The basic rule of grilling applies when you want to grill sea bass. Start with well-oiled and seasoned grill. Be careful about fish sticking to the grill. Check by placing a piece of fish on the grill if it does not stick, then only place the rest of the fish on the grill otherwise it will simply break apart. Heat the grill at a slightly higher temperature and season with some more oil and sprinkle salt to prevent fish sticking to the grill. Avoid overcooking your sea bass, make sure not to dry it out. I always tell my cooks that “The fish is one of the easiest to cook also the easiest to overcook”. The fish is done once the meat is completely opaque through the middle and flakes easily with a fork. This means that if you take a fork to the middle of the fish and lightly lift the meat apart it will have an even colour all the way through and won’t hold together.  The basic and most important rule for perfect cooking and delicious meal is to start with good ingredients. Similarly, it is very important to choose your fish wisely to get a perfect dish. Keep in mind the following points while you shop for fish 1- Check the eyes of the fish, they are an excellent indicator that the fish is fresh and healthy. They should be crystal clear, plump, wet, shiny, not sunken 2- No bruises on your fish and the fish should smell fresh and not fishy 3- Check the gills, they should be bright red and not brown or black 4- The scales should be shiny and not dull  5- Always keep the fish refrigerated on ice bed to keep it fresher for longer period  6- Ask the grocery storekeeper about the delivery schedule and plan your visit accordingly to get the fresh fish Whole baked seabass Ingredients Sea bass fish, whole 2 no. Olive oil 2 tbsp Garlic cloves 4-5 no. Lemon juice 1 tbsp Parsley, chopped 2 tbsp Pineapple diced ½ cup Basil, chopped 2 tbsp Cherry tomato 6-8 no. Salt to taste Crushed pepper to taste Method Gut and descale the fish (most of the supermarkets do it for you after they weigh your fish) Pat dry and make three or four diagonal cuts in each side of the fish and keep aside In a separate bowl combine oil, lemon juice, garlic paste, parsley leaves chopped, basil leaves chopped, salt and pepper, lemon to make a marinade Rub the prepared marinade to the fish and keep refrigerated for 30 minutes to an hour Use a cooking spray to oil the bottom of a roasting pan to prevent fish from sticking to the pan Drizzle some water or oil on the fish, add cherry tomato and diced pineapple  Bake in a roasting pan at 350-degree Fahrenheit for approximately 15-18 minutes Check the doneness of the fish by pressing a fork, if the fish flakes and the meat is opaque then it is cooked Serve hot garnished with some lemon wedges and grilled vegetable on the side. * Chef Tarun Kapoor,   Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

Lamb meat refers to the meat of a seep younger than one year old. Meat from older sheep is called hogget and from even older sheep is called mutton. It is important to clarify this as people often ask me this question time and again.  Lamb meat is considered a delicacy and is often the star item in restaurant menus and prepared with great care, which is also reflected in its price. There are several cuts of lamb used for different food items, like rib chops, loin chops or shoulder chops and whole leg of lamb and lamb cubes.  So now the next question that you’ll ask me is how healthy is it to consume lamb. The answer is yes, it is healthy in moderation. It is a good source of protein and vital nutrients like Iron, Zinc, Selenium, and Vitamin B12. Some of you might ask how can lamb be healthy being red meat. Yes, lamb is a type of red meat and you know about the bad reputation of red meat, but high quality meats like grass fed beef and grass-fed lamb are excellent and truly healthy protein sources in moderation.  Let’s understand how meat is classified as red meat and what makes it red in colour. The amount of myoglobin in animal muscles determines the colour of the animal’s meat.Red meats have a high myoglobin content, which is a protein found in muscle that changes to red when it’s mixed withoxygen. As a red meat, lamb inherently contains more zinc and iron than non-red meats. One ounce of regular lamb (not grass-fed) has the same number of calories as grass-fed beef but has more health-promoting omega 3 fatty acids. People also get worried about lamb’s fat content, but lamb can have less marbling of fat within the meat compared to beef. Most of lamb meat’s fat is around the outside and can easily be trimmed off.  How to choose, use and cook lamb meat. Lamb meat is available fresh or frozen in almost all the grocery stores. Always try and buy locally sourced lamb or lamb from reliable sources with certification. It is better to buy organic and grass fed to get the highest quality lamb meat possible. Just like gras fed beef has increased number of nutrients and health benefits, so does grass fed lamb meat. Every cut of lamb is different in fat content. So, if your goal is to get lower fat content from the lamb, you eat then opt for lamb leg or the loin. Also, it is easy to trim off excess fat from lamb as compared to beef where in it is marbled within the flesh and difficult to separate.  I would easily state that the most favourite part of lamb preferred by lamb lovers is the lamb loin chops. These are one of the most tender cuts of meat. In the culinary world, lamb loin chops are sometimes referred to as “the porterhouse steak of the lamb”. New Zealand and Australia are the leading lamb exporters of the world followed by United Kingdom. On a per capita basis, New Zealand, Australia, Greece, Uruguay and Ireland are the topconsumers of lamb and mutton. If you see“spring lamb” on a lamb meat label, it means that the lamb was slaughtered between March and October.Lamb meat is often paired with mint jelly, especially in British cuisine. French recipes tend to advise cooking lamb for less time and prefer to serve them medium rare or medium to best enjoy the taste and texture of the lamb.  But a word of caution: Lamb, like other red meat, does contain a significant amount of cholesterol so it should be enjoyed in moderation, especially if you have high cholesterol. Trimming lamb fat can help keep the cholesterol levels of lamb meat down. Also, the consumption should also be limited to one or two servings per week.  Honey mustard Lamb Chops Ingredients Lamb Rack 1 no. Honey 3 tbsp Dijon mustard 5 tbsp Garlic powder ½ tsp Onion powder ½ tsp Salt to taste Crushed pepper to taste Oil 3 tbsp Butter 50 gm Method Clean and fringe lamb chop Remove the fat cap and scrape off excess fat from the bones Cut along the length of the bone keeping two lamb chop bones together with the meat Remove one lamb chop bone, keeping one bone intact with the meat Wrap the bone with aluminum foil to avoid burning it while cooking it, keep aside In a separate bowl, combine honey, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and combine to make marinade Marinate the fringed lamb chops with the prepared marinade and refrigerate for 2-3 hours (preferably overnight) Heat oil and butter in a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat Sear the lamb chop in the skillet, turn to cook from other side Pour the butter over lamb chop to keep it moistened and cook it evenly Cook till it reached an internal temperature of 65-70-degree Celsius, remove from flame and allow to rest for 2 minutes before serving Serve hot with choice of potato and vegetables on the side. * Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]