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Obscurely referred to for years in England as “the Spanish Vegetable”, the name of this leafy green vegetable was later shortened to its present day form “Spinach”. It is thought to have originated in ancient Persia, Spinach cultivation spread to Nepal and by the seventh century, to China, where it’s still called Persian Greens. From cartoons, to comic books, to television commercials, to online journals to newspapers everywhere you see this super food being mentioned. They all have one thing to say about how strong you’ll be after you consume this healthy food on a regular basis. Today i’ll share my knowledge with you about this winter super food’s health benefits and how this can be incorporated in your diet and yield its health benefits.  This nutrient base vegetable is humble yet versatile – you can use this as a base of salads, a smoothie add in, a curry paired with protein or veggies or simply as a sautéed side dish. It’s loaded with tons of health benefits which will make it stand out. Consuming spinach regularly makes a marked improvement in your overall health and fitness.  It can reduce hunger and cravings – Spinach isn’t just an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K. It may also reduce hunger and carvings, according to a study published in the journal of the American College of Nutrition. It found that compounds in the photosynthesis cells of spinach promote the release of satiety hormones, probably the reason Popeye wasn’t fat after eating so much of spinach. It can make workouts easier – Another research states that spinach makes your muscles more efficient during a workout. That improved performance is the increased efficiency of mitochondria which powers body cells. It can prevent cancer – Spinach consumption can partially offset the damaging effects of cancer causing carcinogens. Spinach consumption nearly halved the incidence of colon tumours in laboratory animals in a recent study. Cooking will increase its health benefits – Cooking spinach actually increases its health benefits. Just half a cup of cooked spinach will give you thrice as much nutrient as one cup of raw spinach. That’s because the body cannot completely break down the nutrients in raw spinach for its use. As an exception to this is to consume spinach in juice form, and is the healthiest way to consume it. Blend spinach with other vegetables of fruits to create a delicious glass of juice.  How to choose your spinach? It’s wiser to choose tender baby spinach leaves. The larger the leaves, the more mature they are and more likely to be tough and stringy. Also spinach leaves that are placed under direct sunlight in the stores have been found to obtain more nutrients than those stored in darkness. Do add spinach in organic shopping list because the leaf tends to be sprayed heavily with pesticides that don’t come off with normal washing. Talking about the storage – freezing spinach demolishes its health benefits. The way to get the best from the leaf is to buy it fresh and eat it in a day or two. The following recipe is one of my favourite recipes which I created for an open air restaurant overlooking a lake in the beautiful city Udaipur. This recipe was a part of the shaker menu which featured dishes from the wild forest and game birds. The beauty of this recipe is the chopped spinach tossed with seasonings. The spinach tastes a bit bitter in this recipe as it is not blended beforehand and I cooked in the pan. Khada Palak Makai Ingredients Serves 4 Spinach leaves 300 gm Fenugreek leaves 100 gm Corn kernels 80 gm Mustard oil 2 tbsp Garlic, chopped 2 tbsp Ginger, chopped 1 tbsp Red chili, flakes 1 tsp Green chili, chopped 1 tsp Cumin seeds 1 tsp Salt to taste Crushed black pepper to taste Dried fenugreek leaves 2 tbsp Clarified butter 1 tbsp Heavy cream 2 tbsp Method Wash spinach and fenugreek leaves under cold running water to remove any foreign particles  Drain the water and roughly chop the leaves and keep aside. In a heavy bottom pan heat mustard oil and add cumin seeds to sputter. Add chopped garlic, ginger, green chili and sauce till the mixture is light brown. Add the spinach and fenugreek leaves and corn kernels. Stir over high flame to cook the spinach. Add chili flakes, and adjust the seasoning with salt and crushed black pepper. Continue to cook the spinach till all the raw flavour is gone. Add some water if spinach starts to stick to pan. Once spinach is cooked, add clarified butter and heavy cream to finish. Serve hot with choice of bread with salad on the side. Note: You can cook this recipe without fenugreek leaves and also replace spinach leaves with mustard leaves. To make a non vegetarian version of this dish replace the corn with sautéed chicken dices. Add some moisture to the dish and simmer till the chicken is cooked and palak chicken will be ready in minutes. * Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

Kashmir is undoubtedly the most beautiful place I have ever visited in my life and I am pretty sure that this statement is not going to change in my life ahead too. The Kashmir valley is a nature’s basket of life, full of vibrant colours, diversity, fresh air, beautiful mountain ranges and fresh water lakes. The words can’t do justice to describe the beauty of the valley. The Kashmiri cuisine is also a very special and integral part of the valley’s culture and is a specialised skill and requires a careful preparation. Kashmiri traditional cooks are called “wazwaans”. People perceive that Kashmiri cuisine mainly revolves around meat dishes and is predominantly non vegetarian but there is a vegetarian aspect of this cuisine too. Some of the popular vegetarian dishes include Dum Aloo (baby potato in fragrant sauce), Modur Pulao (Aromatic rice preparation), Kadam ka Saag (kashmiri sauteed kohlrabi), Rajma goagzi (kidney beans stew with turnip), Khoya Paneer (green peas and fenugreek in rich cream gravy), Khatte Baingan (kashmiri spice tempered bringal) to name a few. Kashmiris use very fragrant and hot spices to flavour their food.  The best and most popular vegetarian dish is “Dum Aloo” or “Dum Olav”. Authentic Kashmiri dum aloo is often served with the creamy and light sweet gravy in most of the restaurants is not authentic recipe. Kashmiri dum aloo is cooked with yoghurt, fennel, ginger powder, tomato paste and while dum cooking it, the gravy is almost absorbed in the potato and the potatoes are coated with spices and little fat and gravy. The most part to remember while making this delicacy is to prick potato after frying them so that the gravy or the sauce gets absorbed in the potato, makes them spongy and enhances the flavour profile of the potato multiple-folds.  One more small but important aspect about Kashmiri cuisine is the use of ginger powder in almost all the recipes. Due to its geographic location it was difficult in  earlier days to transport fresh ginger, so they incorporated dry ginger as an integral part  and continued with the recipes till date. In order to colour and spice up the dishes- Kashmiri’s use deggi mirch which is primary used to flavour and make the dishes more vibrant with its beautiful red colour. Kashmiri chili powder is not so high in Scoville unit and is thus not so hot. Yesterday I made a different variation of this dish and used the prepared dum aloo to make a biryani. The dish came out very good and is a good variation from traditional dishes. To make dum aloo biryani, separately prepare fragrant basmati rice and dum aloo. Then layer combine them in a shallow pan and enhance the aroma by adding mint leaves, cardamom powder, melted butter, garam masala and rose water. Seal the lid with dough and leave it on very slow flame for 10 minutes and allow to stand for another 10 minutes. Then serve hot along with raita. Kashmiri Dum Aloo Ingredients Baby Potato 500 gm Yoghurt 3/4 cup Kashmiri chili powder 3 tsp Fennel seeds 4 tsp Asafoetida 1/4 tsp Dried ginger 2 tsp Coriander powder 1/2 tbsp Shahi jeera 1/2 tsp Mawa (khoya) 2 tbsp Salt to taste Sugar 1 tsp Cooking oil to deep fry Tempering Cloves 3-6 nos. Green cardamom 4 nos. Cinnamon 1/2 nos. Bay leaves 2-3 nos. Clarified butter 2 tbsp Cooking oil 2 tbsp Method Wash  and scrub baby potato with hands in cold running water. Boil baby potato in water with some salt until they are half cooked. Allow the potato to cool down and prick them well with a toothpick to allow the sauce to seep into the potato and absorb the flavours and masala. Heat oil in a heavy boom pan and deep fry the potato and deep fry them until golden in colour. When the potatoes are cooked they will float on the surface. Strain the potato on a tissue paper to absorb excess oil and keep aside. In a separate bowl combine Kashmiri red chili, dry ginger powder  and asafoetida powder in 1/4 cup water to make a chili paste. Heat ghee in a separate heavy bottom pan and add shahi jeera, cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, fennel seeds, coriander powder and Kashmiri chili paste. Sauté to splutter the spices and add whisked yoghurt, and sauce till yoghurt starts to boil. Add 3 cups of water, sugar and salt and stir well to combine and bring to boil. Add the fried potato and reduce the flame. Add grated khoya, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, keep stirring to avoid burning the dish. When the potato absorb the gravy there will be little sauce left in the pan. Sprinkle some garam masala  and serve hot with choice of naan bread or rice. Note: When the potatoes are simmering in the sauce they become brittle, so take care while stirring it otherwise it will break. Also use medium sized baby potato as they will taste better as compared to very small ones.  Also do not fry the potato on high heat as it will make the potato crispy from outside while the core won’t be cooked properly. You can add few drops of lemon juice in the end to give a slightly sour taste to the dish. Also adding khoya in the dish is optional. *Chef Tarun Kapoor,   Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

A mention of South Indian food is incomplete without the soft steamed rice cakes called Idli. A South Indian household will definitely have the fermented idli better to prepare these rice cakes in their refrigerators. Idli sambar differs across the regions, communities and there is a variation in the recipes being followed. The origin of this popular convenient food was not India as menu researchers believe but it was popularised by South Indians were the painstakingly ground fermented batter of urad dal and rice was perfected. Over the years an array of varieties evolved. Some variations include but does not limit to – Thatte Idli, the size of a plate, Kanchipuram Idli (steamed in baskets with tempering), saunas (the goan version), ghee idli (the button or mini sized idli), rava idli (the semolina idli), mudde idli (the Mangalorean idli steamed in banana leaves), rage idli (the idli made with steamed finger millet).  According to a celebrated food historian, the idli originated in Indonesia which has a long history and tradition of making steamed and fermented rice dishes. He cites that India did not have a steaming vessel in 7th century. He also states that an Indonesian dish called Kedli, a similar fluffy steamed cake was the precursor of the Indian Idli. Another similar dish in Indonesia is Bura, a rectangular rice cake cooked on coconut milk that is served with spicy coconut powder. Also with a proven historical links with the rulers and traders of South East Asia and South India, the theory of origin of this popular food is plausible. The flavourful stew that accompanies the steamed rice cake is sambar, a lentil stew tempered with mustard seeds, red chili, curry leaves and other aromatic spices. The stew is then finished with tamarind and jaggery to make it a perfect balance of sweet and sour taste. As for this delicious medley of lentils and vegetable the story goes that the original recipe for this dish can actually be traced to Maratha ruler Shivaji’s son Sambhaji. He was very fond of amti, a thin spicy dal made with a handful of the sour kokum. Once the kokum imported from the coast did not reach the king’s kitchen. Sambhaji who was fond of cooking also decided to experiment by using tamarind pulp instead. The dish he made was served and was later on declared an outstanding preparation. Sambhaji loved his own recipe and gradually the dish became to be referred as sambar. For the kids and infants too idli is a perfect food to introduce them to solid foods. It is an easy dish to carry while on the go and can be consumed while you are travelling. Idlis are a great source of carbohydrates and proteins and the fermentation process increases the bio availability of proteins and enhances the vitamin B content of the food. As it is steamed the fat content is low and makes idli easily digestible and easy on the stomach.  Few days back I was preparing plain idli and a thought came to my mind to prepare some other variants too. That is when I prepared another popular variety of the idli – the Kanchipuram Idli. This variety is a slight variation from the regular recipe. The cumin seeds and pepper give a distinct flavour to this idly. The best accompaniment for kanchipuram idli is kara chutney which is tempered onion and tomato spicy chutney. Try out this delicious recipe and I am sure you’ll be delighted and will make this more regularly.  Kanchipuram Idli Ingredients Urad Dal  1 cup Raw rice 1 cup Par boiled rice 1 cup Salt to taste Cumin seeds 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp Mustard seeds 1 tsp (optional) Pepper 1 tsp Ghee 1 tsp Oil 2 tsp Cashew nut 10-12 nos Ginger powder 1 tsp Method Soak the rice and urad dal separately in water for at least 2 hours. Add fenugreek seeds along with urad dal, rinse and drain the water. Grind the rice and urad dal in grinder to a thick blender, the batter should be rough and not smooth. Add salt and keep the ground idly flour separately for 1/2 hours for the batter to undergo fermentation. Next day you’ll notice the batter has risen to almost double and fermented and would have become fluffy. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and add mustard seeds and when they sputter add chana dal and fry till the dal turns golden colour. Add curry leaves, cumin powder and fry for 10 seconds. Add this tempering to the batter and stir the batter to combine well. Now te batter is ready, grease the idli steamer mold with oil and place roasted cashew in each mold. Scoop the idli batter in the mould and steam cook it in pressure cooker for about 10 minutes. Allow the steam to release and allow it to cool down and then using a spoon, scoop to the prepared idli. You can also cook these idli in a cake tin or a flat bowl. Grease the cake tin and pour the idli batter and steam cook it for 12-14 minutes. Once cooked allow to cool down a bit and demold and cut into desired triangle shape and serve hot with kara chutney or malgapudi powder. Note: if you are team cooking the idli in the cake tin, it will take longer to cook as compared to individual idli. * Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

Yesterday after our family dinner at a Thai restaurant, my son craved for some desserts and we headed to one of our favourite sweet bar for our sugar dose. We ordered a chocolate lava cake and strangely enough I am at a loss of words to describe how it feels when you take a bite out of a chocolate lava cake on a cold winter evening after your dinner. It is one of the most satisfying feelings. Have you ever wondered why does it feel so good to eat chocolate and why do we have a temptation to eat more of it once we start eating it? Researchers in San Diego, California have found out that chocolate contains a feel good chemical called anandamide. Normally, this chemical makes our brain persist for longer- in other words giving us a longer lasting “chocolate high”. Chocolate is a compound of cocoa, sugar and cocoa butter in different proportions. Mainly depending on the content of cocoa it can be broadly classified as dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate. As a kid I loved the white chocolate because it was the sweeter of them all but now I prefer dark bitter chocolate.  Also you must have heard everyone say that eating chocolate is not good for you! Don eat too much of it!, but the fact is that chocolate is harmless to your teeth. The problem comes from the sugar in the chocolate products. It makes a sticky substance called play with feeds the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. Numerous studies have shown that eating moderate amount of dark chocolate helps reduce the blood pressure. Chocolate also contains high levels of antioxidant chemicals called phenolic, which prevent fats from causing a buildup of cholesterol.  Talking about chocolate lava cake it has five essential ingredients chocolate, sugar, eggs, flour and butter. There are many recipes for this delicious gooey, sweet chocolate treat. The United States based Chef Jean-George Vongerichten claims to have invented molten chocolate cake in New York City in 1987, but the French chefs dispute this and state that such dish existed in France way before this date.  According to Chef Jean George he pulled a chocolate sponge cake accidentally from the oven before it was done and found out that the centre was still runny, but was warm and tasted good with nice texture. He then worked on the recipe and came up with the chocolate lava cake which was an instant hit in New York and later in entire United States.  The dessert was seen in almost every high end restaurant menu in United States. Practically every restaurant has their own version of the chocolate lava cake recipe. I describe it as the richest miniature chocolate cake you can think of. The key to a perfect chocolate lava cake is to under bake the cake to revel a thick, hot fudge like centre that oozes out when you dig your spoon in. This dessert can also be described as a blend of flourless chocolate cake and chocolate soufflé cake. In the 80s, crème brûlée was in vogue and in the 90s, this dessert was considered as a pinnacle of perfection by pastry chefs and the pastry chefs who mastered this recipe were highly regarded.  Chocolate Lava Cake Ingredients Unsalted butter 1/2 cup Bitter sweet/semi sweet chocolate 120 gm Eggs 4 nos Sugar 1/4 cup Flour 2 tsp For preparation Unsalted butter to butter the molds Flour to dust the molds Garnish Raspberry ice cream 1 scoop Strawberry 2-3 nos Method Place the butter in a glass bowl and melt it in microwave. Add chopped chocolate to the hot butter and stir until melted. Take 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks in a separate bowl, add sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy. Add egg mixture and 2 tsp flour to the melted chocolate and whisk until combined. Butter and lightly flour the 4 ounce ramekins or molds, tap out excess flour. Pour the batter in the lined molds and refrigerate them for upto 3 hours. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and place the cake molds on a  rimmed baking sheet and bake until the cakes have puffed up a bit, the tops are barely set and the cakes still juggle when shaken. Remove the cake from oven and also to stand for a minute at room temperature. Place a plate on top of ramekin and carefully invert the cake onto plate, remove the ramekin and serve immediately with ice cream/ sorbet and fresh strawberries. Note: Make sure you line the molds with butter and flour evenly without leaving any side as you wont be able demold the cake unless it is coated evenly. * Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

Legend goes that in old days the Nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad) had an array of Biryanis cooked in his kitchen which churned out delicacies that were a combination of Turkish, Mughlai, and Arabic influences blended with native Telugu and Maratha culinary traditions and came out with unique and rich recipes which India never witnessed before.  A lavish Hyderabadi spread would comprise of an array of meat delicacies, biryani preparations and a rich dessert display. The dishes comprised were prepared in traditional and lavish style.  We often perceive that Hyderabadi cuisine is just about the delectable biryanis. However, Hyderabadi food is much more than biryani and shahi tukra. Nizami cuisine or recipes are now a days one of the most sought after cuisine/ recipes in India and food enthusiasts always search for the long lost recipes which have become less popular with time.  What makes Hyderabadi cuisine special is the use of special ingredients with their own unique flavour and fragrances. The ingredients are carefully chosen and cooked to the right degree. The addition of certain herb, spice and condiment or an amalgam of these adds a unique taste and texture to the dish.  A trip to Telangana is incomplete without the visit to the city of pearls, Hyderabad. Apart from its rich cultural heritage and dazzling past in diamond and pearl trading, the city exhibits thriving modernity amid traditional Nizami lifestyle. Like the Nizams of Lucknow were known for their lip smacking delicacies, the Nizams of Hyderabad too share the same passion for food. You can always sample a delectable fare in the busy by lanes of Hyderabad. The most popular dishes are haleem and biryani. I have always heard an ongoing battle between the biryani lovers from Lucknow and Hyderabad stating their biryani as better than their counterpart. There are numerous food joints selling their version of Hyderabadi biryani.  Mainly biryani can be divided into “kacchi” or the “pakki biryani” which means the meats either cooked raw along the rice or is cooked separately and then layered in the vessel and dum cooked.  Not many people may remember shikampuri kebab from Hyderabad. Shikampuri means belly full, basically its meat patty is stuffed with seasoned and spiced hung curd. The kebab is then shallow fried in clarified butter and served hot with raw onions salad and mint sauce.  Shikampuri kebab Ingredients Serves 2 Mutton mince 500 gm Chana dal 1/4 cup Oil 2 tbsp Green cardamom 4-6 pods Cloves 4-5 nos All spice (kebab chini) 1/2 tsp Cinnamon 2 sticks Mountain moss (patthar ke pool) 2 bunch Black cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Onion, chopped 100 gm Garlic, chopped 6-8 cloves Red chili powder 1 tsp Turmeric 1/2 tsp Coriander leaves 2 tbsp Mint leaves 2 tbsp Green chili 2-3 nos For the filling Hung yoghurt 250 gm Onion, chopped 200 gm Green chili, chopped 2-3 nos Coriander leaves, chopped 2 tbsp Mint leaves, chopped 2 tbsp Black pepper salt 1 tsp Method: Heat oil in a heavy bottom vessel and add green cardamom, cloves, all spice powder, cinnamon stick, mountain moss and black cumin seeds. Stir over medium heat and add the meat mince.  Add chopped onions and garlic and chana dal and continue to stir over medium heat. Add salt, red chili, turmeric and mix well. Add freshly chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chilies and stir. Add 2 cups of water and bring the mixture to boil till the dal is cooked and the water is completely absorbed. When the meat is cooked, remove, cool and transfer to a blender and keep aside. For the filling combine hung yoghurt, fine chopped onion, chopped green chili, coriander and mint in a bowl. Add black pepper and mix to combine well. Take about 1 1/2 tbsp of the mince meat mixture and place a portion of the filling in the centre and roll the meat mince to cover the patties. Repeat this for the remaining mixture. Heat a little oil in a kadhai and shallow fry the kebabs for 3- 4 minutes till they have a soft brown crust. Remove on a kitchen paper towel to remove excess moisture and serve hot garnished with thin sliced onions and mint sauce on the side. Note:You can simplify these kebabs and can make them without the hung yoghurt filling. Then they will be called a sham kebab and you can cook them by deep frying them over medium heat. * Chef Tarun Kapoor, Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

I always invite my readers and followers to ask for their preference about each Friday column. Last week one of my dear friends referenced about Pakistani food.  Pakistani food is generally perceived to be same as Indian food dishes, but they are significantly different from their Indian counterpart. I have a lot of friends from the region and I always exchange culinary knowledge with them. I have previously written about some delicacy like takatak chicken, chapli kebab, seekh kebab, biryani and today I will discuss some aspects about Pakistani cuisine.  Although Pakistan is relatively a new country, the cuisine has developed over hundreds of the years in the region and incorporated elements from the neighbouring region.  The Pakistani cuisine varies with each region – the fertile valleys and the sea of Sindh province to the Punjab with its five rivers and rugged north west frontier – the home of famous chapli kebab. The blend of Indian, Middle Eastern and far Middle Eastern cooking and techniques create a distinctive mix of complex flavours. The use of pomegranate seeds in some meat dishes adds a sweet, sour note and reflects the Middle Eastern influence on the food. Pakistani cuisine involves a blend of slow and fast cooking techniques. Dishes like Haleem are slow cooked over prolonged period of time and dishes like Chicken Takatak are prepared instantly on the hot plate. Lamb is the most popular meat preference for non-vegetarians, followed by chicken, beef and goat. Clarified butter “ghee” and yoghurt is used in the cooking.  Fresh bread is an important aspect of Pakistani cuisine, breads accompany almost all the meals and fresh breads are served along the meals. The food is eaten with right hand and curries are scooped with naan or roti. Other popular breads include paratha and chapati. Breads are also filled with dal, meat or vegetable mixes. Majority of the population is non vegetarian. Tandoor is another important and integral aspect of Pakistani cuisine. Tandoor is considered to have originated from Pakistan. Breads and kebabs, mainly non vegetarian and vegetarian are cooked over charcoal fire. The long grain basmati rice is also exported all over the world.  A terrific combination of Basmati rice and meat or vegetables is called biryani which is common in almost all the restaurant menus across the globe.  Chefs always brag about their own special recipe for the biryani and how uniquely they prepare it. Spices play an important role to develop a peculiar and distinct taste in the food. Spices are mainly used to develop and enhance the taste and aroma of the food rather than just make it spicy. Sweets are an elaborate affair and are mostly prepared using milk, carrots and flour. A generous amount of clarified butter, sugar and dry fruits are used in desserts which make them rich and wholesome. Some popular desserts are carrot halwa, gulab jamun, shahi tukra, moong dal halwa. Fragrant essence like rose water is also used. A rose drink which is exported all over the world is Rooh Afza, this is made with generations old secret recipe of rose petal leaves and herbs and is served as a summer drink.  Barrah kebab Serves 2 Ingredients Lamb chops 650 gm Yoghurt 60 gm Ginger paste 1 tbsp Garlic paste 1 tbsp Green chili paste 1/2 tbsp Red chili paste 1 tsp Onion, chopped 2 tbsp Garam masala 1 tsp Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp Mint leaves 1 tbsp Fenugreek leaves /2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped 1 tbsp Salt to taste Mustard oil 1 tbsp Lemon juice 1/2 tbsp Garnish/Accompaniment Onion rings Lemon wedge Mint chutney Method Fringe the lamb chop and remove excess fat, prick the sides of the meat with a fork and keep them aside. In a separate bowl combine all the ingredients except the garnish and combine well. Blend the mixture in a blender to get a smooth paste. Pour the prepared marinade over the lamb chops and rub well to coat the marinade evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or preferably overnight to allow the meat to tenderise and season the meat. Preheat the grill to high and brush with oil to prevent the meat to stick to the grill. Place the lamb chops on the grill and reduce the grill heat to medium. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side and baste its remaining juices in the marinade bowl. Baste with melted butter and continue cooking for 5-6 minutes. Once the chops are almost cooked, allow them to rest on the side and then heat them over the grill again. Once the chops are cooked, serve hot along with onion rings, lemon wedge, mint chutney on side and sprinkle chat masala. Note: Allowing the lamb chops to rest after grilling allows them to cook move evenly through carry over cooking and develops a tender soft meat. * Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

With the festive season in full swing all that we think is to celebrate and enjoy mouth-watering desserts.  Rasmalai tops the chart as the exotic festive sweet. Rasmalai is a combination of two words “Ras” meaning juice and “Malai” meaning cream. The dessert is also described as a rich cheese cake without a crust. The name itself is exotic and denotes the richness of this delicate Indian sweet. Rasmalai undoubtedly tops the list of all Indian milk based desserts. Rasmalai is a dessert originating from the eastern part of India as almost all the milk and cream based desserts originated in that part of India.  According to one of the local sweet shops in Kolkata, this Bengali origin dessert was first made and perfected by KC Das. Although these claims are not easily verifiable.  Another dessert popular and originated from Eastern India is the Rasgulla also known as the sponge Rasgulla due to its spongy texture. An important factor while cooking any food item is the water used in the preparation. The water will have its peculiar ratio of the minerals and other natural additives which will greatly affect the recipe and that’s why some particular items are related and taste better in one region only. Example, the New York pizza will taste better in New York as compared to the other regions. Similarly the Rasmalai or Rasgulla prepared in Bengal always tastes better when prepared there as compared to the rest of the India.  Rasmalai is basically a creamy and milky syrup that consist of Chenna (cottage cheese) balls. The syrup is purely made from milk, sugar, cream and saffron mixture. The super soft cottage cheese in the recipe is the essence of the recipe and makes it a great dessert for special occasion and is always served chilled. The Chenna should not be over cooked as that will result in a hard mass which cannot be called a Rasmalai. There are few variants of this exotic dessert like the fruit versions like mags Rasmalai, blueberry Rasmalai, strawberry Rasmalai, angoori Rasmalai and chenna payesh.  The sugary white cream coloured or yellow coloured balls of chenna soaked in rich milk cream flavoured with saffron, cardamom, rose water and pistachio. Unlike other Indian desserts this dessert needs skill and practice to perfect and get it right. The biggest problem while making Rasmalai at home is that the Rasmalai balls often turn out hard whereas they should be totally soft and in fact melt in mouth that’s when you know that you have perfected this classic Indian dessert.  Rasmalai Ingredients For the rasmalai balls Whole milk 1 litre Lemon juice 1 tbsp Corn flour 1 tsp Water 4 cups Sugar 2 cups For the syrup Whole milk 500 ml Cardamom pods 3-4 no Saffron strands few strands Sugar 4 tbsp Pistachio, chopped 1 tbsp Method: For the rasmalai balls, boil milk in a heavy bottom container. Once the milk has boiled, turn off the flame and add 1/2 cup of water to the milk to bring down the temperature. Wait for 8-10 minutes to allow the milk to cool down and add lemon juice to curdle the milk. Add more lemon juice till the milk curdles completely. Using a strainer drain the water and collect the chenna. Rinse the chenna under cold running water to remove the traces of lemon juice and reduce the sour taste of lemon. Leave in the strainer for 10-15 minutes to drain out any water and squeeze out to remove the water. Add corn flour and start smoothening the chenna with your palm until it is smooth. Make sure to smoothen the mixture to ensure it is smooth.  Divide equally and roll into small sized balls.  Heat 1 cup of sugar and 4 cups of water in a wide pan and wait until it comes to full boil. Flatten the balls using your palms and slide them into the sugar syrup and cook for 10-12 minutes to cook them and bind them together The balls will double in size by then. Strain the balls from the syrup and drop them in fresh water, if they sink in bottom they are cooked properly. For the thickened sweetened milk, boil 500 ml of milk in a heavy bottom pan Add few saffron strands, crushed cardamom pods, chopped pistachio and bring to boil, ice the milk boils, reduce the flame and reduce the milk for 20-25 minutes. Once the milk is reduced add sugar and mix, allow the milk to cool down to warm temperature. Transfer the balls to the thickened milk and chill in refrigerator for 5-6 hours. Garnish with chopped pistachio and saffron strands and serve chilled Note: Being a milk based dessert the shelf life of this dessert is 1 or 2 days and should be ideally consumed on the same day of preparation. * Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

The world remembered people in conflict-hit areas on this year’s World Food Day. The theme of the October 16 Day was: “Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development.” The day was also observed in Qatar. The country has won great respect and recognition for taking extraordinary measures to ensure the food supply chain and initiatives towards achieving self-sufficiency in the future. The official message of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) notes, “The world is on the move. More people have been forced to flee their homes than at any time since the Second World War due to increased conflict and political instability. But hunger, poverty, and an increase in extreme weather events linked to climate change are other important factors contributing to the migration challenge.” The message further states, “Large movements of people today are presenting complex challenges, which call for global action. Many migrants arrive in developing countries, creating tensions where resources are already scarce, but the majority, about 763 million, move within their own countries rather than abroad.” The world body has urged developed countries to pay attention to people hit by conflict, poverty, and food scarcity around the world. The world however, at the same time praised Qatar for managing its food supplies. Both local and international media have reported that Qatar has not only maintained the food supply but also conceived many projects to gain self-reliance in food production. Projects such as establishing agricultural, dairy, and poultry farms are underway and will be completed in due course. Community interviewed people in the education sector to ascertain how they see the World Food Day, Qatar’s success, and making young students aware of the significance and safety of food. Majida al-Tamimi, head of science and health science department at DeBakey High School for Health Professions, said Qatar had shown exemplary leadership despite the adversity. “I saw no shortage of anything. Rather, many new and even Qatari brands are coming up in the market. The new brands are fresher and cheaper. It is good that the country is going towards self-reliance,” she said. Majida disclosed that they teach their students regularly about how to consume food in a healthy way and not waste it. “We have regular sessions with students starting from Grade VII. At Grades VII, VIII, and IX, we teach them the basics about food; in particular how to choose a healthy diet. We tell them what is good for them to eat and what not to eat,” she said. The senior teacher further noted, “From Grade X to XII, we teach the students about the significance and value of food. We teach them that what may not be important for them can be necessary for the survival of other people. We continuously update our students in higher classes with facts and figures about what is going on around the world and how hunger affects people.” She added they also had different student clubs in the school for discussion and debate where the students were encouraged to share ideas with each other to have a better understanding of different things.  Majida said they also encouraged their students to save money and share food items with other children. To teach our students, they are often asked to buy bottle of waters and distribute among people working in open places. Such activities are good for students to inculcate in them a sense of responsibility about caring for others, she noted. Alistair Downs, head of the Royal Grammar School, said it was necessary to apprise the students of what was going on around them and much better to do it at an early age. “We are an international school with students coming from 20 different countries. In curricular and extracurricular activities, we teach young students about the value of food. We arrange regular events aimed at bringing them together,” Downs said. He said, “Students in a multi-cultural environment share, learn, grow, and develop for a better life in future. We celebrate an international day on October 16 in the school where students and their parents bring their food and food from different cultures are shared and offered to each other.” He felt students might not be mature enough to understand the extent of deprivation and hunger elsewhere. They however, learn to share and care for each other in an enabling environment. Regarding the food supply situation in Qatar, Downs said, “I have seen no shortage and had no problem finding the items I like the most. What we are rather seeing is that Qatar has started developing its food industry.” Meanwhile, The Next Generation School (TNG) organised different events to raise awareness among the students about the value and safety of food. The students participated in making posters selecting various topics related to the World Food Day. From healthy food habits to eliminating malnutrition, they made beautiful posters during special class activities. Some of the students shared their views about the significance of eating right and how they can work together to face the challenges of providing nutrition to people in areas where people are suffering hunger. Interactive discussions were conducted by senior students where they spoke about meeting the sustainable food and agriculture demand in the face of recent climatic changes and growing population. Riyaz Ahmed Bakali, Director TNS, said, “It is a blessing to live in Qatar is where all citizens are in good care with enough supply of clean water, food and medical facilities. Above all, Qatar takes the responsibility of providing quality education to each and every child residing in the state.” 10 facts you need to know about hunger *The world produces enough food to feed everyone, yet, about 800 million people suffer from hunger. That is one in nine people; 60% of them are women. *About 80% of the world’s extreme poor live in rural areas. Most of them depend on agriculture. *Hunger kills more people every year than malaria, tuberculosis and Aids combined. *Around 45% of infant deaths are related to malnutrition. *The cost of malnutrition to the global economy is the equivalent of USD 3.5 trillion a year. *1.9 billion people — more than a quarter of the world’s population — are overweight. *One third of the food produced worldwide is lost or wasted. *The world will need to produce 60 percent more food by 2050 to feed a growing population. *No other sector is more sensitive to climate change than agriculture. *FAO operates mainly in rural areas, in 130 countries. It works with governments, civil society, the private sector and other partners to achieve #ZeroHunger.

One of the many benefits of being a chef is to meet a lot of people. Having worked around the globe with a diversified staff is always an opportunity to interact with them and get to know their culture and cuisine. One such interaction, I had, was with Hawaiians about their cuisine. Hawaii’s diverse, spectacular natural scenery, warm tropical climate, abundance of beautiful clean beaches, oceanic surroundings and active volcanoes makes it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, farmers, biologists and volcanologists. Among the first settlers of the island were the Polynesian voyagers who brought around 30 plants when they arrived in 300- 500 AD. The most important of them was the taro of which a paste called poi was made. Later settlers brought breadfruit and baking banana, as well as coconut, sugarcane, sweet potato and yams. They also brought poultry and other animals since there were no animals on this remote island. Fish was always abundant and a local favourite among the settlers.  It is very interesting on how these newer islands were explored and people started settling down and developed these places and now these are one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the world map. Meat was preparedly spitting it on sticks and roasting it over fire or cooking it in underground ovens called “Imu”. To build an Imu they dug a pit in the ground and lined it with lava rocks. Then a fire was built and when the rocks were hot, the foods like sweet potato, taro, vegetables, meats and fish were wrapped in banana and ginger leaves were placed into the pit. The food was then covered with wet leaves and layer of earth. The cooking was done by the men only, sea salt was the most common seasoning initially. Any important occasion, a special fest called “aha’aina” was prepared. Now a days, they call it lu’au which comes from the name of the food that was always served at an ‘aha’aina” which was baked young taro tops with coconut milk and chicken or octopus.  When I think of Hawaii, the first thing to come to my mind is the pineapple cultivation in the region. The first pineapple was cultivated in Honolulu by Don Francisco de Paula Marin, a Spanish botanist , in 1813. Few years later he also planted the first Hawaiian vineyard and are now known as mission grape variety. Later he also planted the first coffee crop, but his plantations failed. But by the end of the century, pineapple and sugarcane were Hawaii’s most important crops. Dole planted pineapples on Oahu in 1901 and in 1922 the entire island of Lanai was purchased to grow pineapples. With the increase in the plantations the need for labour also grew and they were hired from China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Puerto rico and Portugal. These immigrants brought their own food culture, eating habits, ingredients and raw materials with them.  Today many local restaurants and roadside food stands serve the ubiquitous plate lunch also called “loco moco”, featuring the Asian staple, two scoops of rice, American macaroni salad, topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg and brown gravy. In 1992 a significant culinary movement was started by 12 Hawaii chefs and they promoted the use of locally grown foods instead of imported food items and thy formed an organisation to create the Hawaii regional cuisine. Today the cuisine of Hawaii remains a fusion of foods brought to the islands from around the world.  Poke is one of the favourite dishes from the region and the technique for making poke is so basic that even the most inexperienced cooks can get close to the perfect dish served in traditional Hawaii restaurant. But the catch is that you have to use only the freshest possible tuna. Tuna Poke Ingredients Yellow fin tuna Soy sauce – 60 ml Sesame oil – 2 tbsp Ginger root, grated 1 tsp Spring onion 1/3 cup Macademia nut, crushed 10-12 nos.  Seaweed  1 sheet Red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp Salt to taste Crushed pepper to taste Sesame seeds  1 tsp Avocado 1 no Accompaniments Lemon juice/ Lemon juice Rice vinegar Garnish Deep fried crispy fish skin  In a bowl whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, sliced onion, macadamia nuts, seaweed, pepper flakes and salt together in a bowl.  Cut tuna into small cubes and place it in a bowl Drizzle the marinade and toss and stir to marinate evenly Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, mix again to coat evenly Serve cold topped with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, sprinkle with lemon or lime or seasoned rice vinegar, avocado on the side Garnish with deep fried fish skin on the side Do not add the vinegar or citrus juice to the marinade. You won’t get the right texture.  You can also serve it on top of the rice with seasonal vegetables. You can also serve it on top of noodles or buckwheat noodles, or on salad or with nachos as an appetiser. * Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

Pumpkin is technically a squash and is a member of the cucurbits family which includes squash and cucumbers. It is not yet clear as to where pumpkin seed originated. Though the seeds have been found in present day Mexico and dates back to more than 7000 years. Pumpkins were integral parts of the Aztec and Mayan diets and were also staple for native Americans. Pumpkins are also credited with keeping New England settlers alive when they failed to grow wheat and corn. Centuries later, Irish Immigrants would start a new pumpkin tradition, carving jack-o lanterns. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin soup, pumpkin mash- the options are endless to savour this humble yet delicious squash. It’s finally the pumpkin season and the reasons to celebrate are many. Not only is fall’s signature squash versatile enough to fit into all the above and more, it also asks some powerful healthy benefits- like providing you and nutritious diet, keeping your heart healthy, vision and waistline in check.  Talking about the nutritional aspect of pumpkin - a cup of cooked mashed pumpkin contains more than 200 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A which aids vision in dim light. You may have also guessed that pumpkins are rich in carotenoids due to their bright orange color. Pumpkin is an often overlooked source of fiber, but the three grams per cup serving and only 49 calories will keep you feeling fuller for a longer time while adding only few calories on board. A fiber rich diet helps you to eat less and thereby shed weight.  Not only the pumpkin has so many health benefits associated with it, but it tastes so good when prepared well. Pumpkin seeds are naturally helpful to reduce the bad cholesterol. The seeds are also rich in amino acids which are beneficial for our overall well being. Pumpkin also boasts the antioxidant beta carotene which may play a role in cancer prevention.  There are mainly two varieties of pumpkin based on their intended use. The ornamental pumpkins also called the halloween pumpkins are mostly visible. They are round, bright orange, large sized smooth pumpkins and are typically carved for halloween or used as decoration. The second type is the processing pumpkin, which is dark, beige in color, oblong and flavorful. These are used in the processing plants where pumpkin flesh is canned and shipped to super markets, which sells it for pie making and other pumpkin related culinary use. This variety is to be used for all your recipes.  The natural energy diet I am sure you must have heard about banana being touted as the natural energy fruit containing 422 milligram potassium per cup. Whereas a cooked cup of pumpkin has 564 milligram of potassium. Potassium helps restore the electrolyte level in the body after work out and keeps the muscles functioning at their best.  I was never fond of consuming pumpkin in my diet and kind of avoided it all the time even without tasting it. It is only when I started my culinary journey and came across this squash and I must say the results were delicious. The first dish that I made with pumpkin was the soup, so I would like to share a pumpkin soup recipe with all my readers so that they also can shed their inhibitions about it and start enjoying and reap its health benefits too.  Every year in United States there are numerous pumpkin shows where farmers display their produce and compete against each other in the biggest, heaviest, unique, pumpkin carving and other such categories. These farmers market and shows is the ideal place to grab one for yourself. Illinois is the largest pumpkin producing state in United States due to its perfect climatic conditions, soil and water. A lot of pumpkin processing plants are also in and around the ares which again motivates the farmers to grow it.  Pumpkin coconut soup Ingredients Serves2 Pumpkin 500 gm Vegetable stock 500 ml Unsalted butter 2 tbsp Olive oil 2 tbsp Ginger chopped 1 inch cube Maple syrup 1 tbsp Coconut mlk 1/2 cup Nutmeg powder a pinch Salt to taste Black pepper to taste Heavy cream 1/2 cup Garnish Almond slices to garnish Method Cut the pumpkin into two or three pieces, scoop out the seeds Rub olive oil in the skin and pulp and roast in a pre heated oven at 300 degree Fahrenheit Roast until slightly shriveled and soft Allow to cool and scoop out the pulp and keep aside in a bowl In a stock pot heat some butter and sauce chopped garlic  Add the pumpkin mash and stock and maple syrup and simmer over slow flame Blend the soup using a hand blender or food processor until smooth Return to flame and adjust seasoning and finish with coconut milk and heavy cream Garnish with sliced almonds and serve hot with choice of bread or bread sticks Note: Take care while blending hot soup. Allow the soup to cool down before you blend to avoid any injury. * Chef Tarun Kapoor, Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at  [email protected]

Betel leaf is also known as Paan ka patta meaning the leaf used to make “paan”. It is a heart shaped leaf that is consumed in Indian subcontinent as a mouth freshener after a meal. Apart from being used as a mouth freshener betel leaf comes with tonnes of other health benefits too. Betel leaf’s medicinal uses are hugely underrated but highly efficient. I have not met an American in my last one year in USA who knows about this leaf and has ever tasted anything similar to this. Let’s take a dive into the world of betel leaf uses, benefits and get amazed. From using it in prayers and religious ceremonies to eating it in the form of a “paan”, betel leaves contain many curative and healing health benefits. The leaves are full of vitamins like vitamin C, Thiamine, Niacin, Riboflavin and Carotene and are a great source of Calcium. Since betel is an aromatic creeper, you can easily grow it your backyard as an ornamental plant and derive maximum health benefit from the same. Often referred to as a “paan leaf”, here are some useful medicinal properties of the betel leaf.  It helps in treating diabetes – it is believed that the components present in betel leaves can reduce the level of sugar in the blood, thus helps in controlling diabetes. So betel leaves can be used effectively by people who are trying to shed weight. It increases the metabolism rate on the body and helps reduce body fat. It helps in healing wounds. Betel leaf, when applied over a wound and bandaged can heal around and accelerate the healing process. They are widely used in natural medicine and Ayurveda for treating boils. Betel leaves also come to rescue when you have a headache. The leaves have cooling properties which provide instant relief from the ache. The leaves also contain the goodness of antioxidants which clears the free radical in our body. This restores the normal ph level of an upset stomach. As a result constipation is eased. You can simply chew betel leaf and ingest its juice on an empty stomach each day to get relief from constipation. Another way to extract the goodness is to mince betel leaf with water and store it overnight-drink the stored water on an empty stomach the next day.  People often perceive betel leaf with oral diseases but actually it is chewing of tobacco along the betel leaf.  Betel leaf-oil helps to refresh breath, protects against germs, bacteria and other oral pathogens in the mouth. It also prevents tooth decay and helps to strengthen the gum and reinforces teeth.  Betel leaf is not so commonly used in cooking, but I often include this unique leaf for its distinct taste and overall fragrance while cooking. One of the signature items in my restaurant is “Paan Shot” which is the extract of betel leaf, fennel seeds, rose petals and is served as a digestive after the meal. It is very popular among the patrons. The below recipe is about fresh water fish mince coated on betel leaf and batter fried to get a crispy, delicious and unique dish. Betel Leaf Fish Ingredients King fish fillet 400 gm Betel leaves 6-8 no Ginger, chopped 1/2 inch cube Green chili, chopped 2 no Cilantro chopped 2 tbsp Bell pepper, chopped 4 tbsp Oil 1 tbsp Oil to fry 2 cups Gram flour 1 cup Corn starch 2 tbsp Turmeric powder a pinch Salt to taste Black pepper to taste Garnish  Lemon wedge 3-4 nos.  Method Skin the king fish fillet and remove bones if present and chop it to small pieces or mince it using a mincing machine Place the fish mince in a bowl and combine the ginger, green chili, coloured bell peppers, cilantro and season with salt and pepper  Make a batter by combining gram flour and corn starch, turmeric, salt and pepper and keep aside Take a betel leaf and coat a thin layer of the fish mince on it, repeat for the remaining leaves, keep the stem of the leaf intact Heat oil over medium heat and dip the prepared betel leaf in the batter and deep fry over medium heat Fry till the fish is cooked and the batter is light gold in colour Place on a kitchen towel to drain excess oil and serve hot with choice of salad and lemon wedge on the side Note: You can replace king fish with any other easily available fish or your choice of fish. You can also substitute fish with chicken mince and make a chicken version of this recipe too. * Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind,  USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

Vada Pav is a spiced gram flour coated potato slider served with green chili and garlic seasoning. This popular street food has always been iconic to Mumbai streets and is a local favourite. Like with any other popular Indian street food there are a number of stories related to its origin. The story relates to a vendor outside Dadar train station in 1960’s and 70’s, In search for a food to fend off commuters hunger he devised a simple snack that could be eaten on the go. It is needless to say that his idea was a huge success and it has been an integral part of life in Mumbai. From the richest people to the poorest Mumbaikars they all savour this local favourite.  The interesting part about this sandwich is its political connection and history. The meteoric rise in popularity in the early 70’s is also credited to the nationalist party Shiv Sena, as they decided to promote this snack. They promoted this sandwich as a common man’s snack, at a mere 10 rupees a filling snack which appeals to the masses and was easy to replicate. The party encouraged and supported party members to set up street stalls. When the Mumbai textile mills started laying off workers they would help the newly jobless set up vada pav stalls outside the factory, using their political clout to bypass the need for a licence. The scheme was very successful, it provided job to the people in need, an economic meal for workers and street muscle for the party. Through their efforts they were able to adopt the vada pav as their own food and create their own story around it, Maharashtra’s authentic snack that sustains workers in times of labour trouble. In 2008, Shiv Sena even organised a vada pav competition in which the winning recipe was called shiv vada.  Every school, college, mall or office building started developing their own version/ recipe for the snack. As is the case with any popular food-enthusiasts always make variations to the original recipe. Fusion played a huge role in modernising this conventional Maharashtrian snack. There was  soon the schezwan vada pav with Chinese influences that perhaps the Chinese would never recognise, but the local public eating this knew and loved cheese vada pav, which included a nice scattering of grated cheese that melted deliciously and was a delight to the taste buds. Jain vada pav that catered to the demands of no onion, no garlic, and no potato eating community. You may wonder what is left? this version was made with cashew nut, raisin, and maraschino cherry and can also be called an exotic vada pav. When the mass production of this popular snack caught up several chins came up. The chains like jumbo king-which served pre fried, pre packaged and far less spicy vada if required, almost like a local version of the Mc donald’s aloo tikki burger. Gold vada pav was another rival chain and the Shiv Sena’s own shiv vada made its own niche in the business. But the name vada pav has always been synonymous with the local street vendors who have got the perfect vada pav and have been serving the common man for years.  Vada Pav  Ingredients Potato, boiled 3 nos. Green chili 3 nos. Mustard oil 1 tbsp Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp Curry leaves 2 sprig Garlic 2-3 cloves Ginger 1/2 inch cube Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Asafoetida 1/4 tsp Coriander, chopped 2 tbsp Gram flour 6 tbsp Water 3 tbsp Salt to taste Baking powder a pinch Pav bread 6 to 7  Green chili 4-5 nos. Method Boil the potato, cool them, peel and coarsely grate them and keep aside. In a sauté pan heat 1 tbsp oil and add mustard seeds to crackle. Add curry leaves, ginger chopped, garlic chopped, green chili chopped, turmeric and salt and cook to remove the raw flavour of garlic. Add this tempering to the potato mixture. Combine to evenly season the potato mixture. Divide the potato into 7- 8 equal balls and keep aside. In a separate bowl combine gram flour, water, salt and baking powder and whisk to make a smooth dough. Heat oil to medium heat in a heavy bottom pan. Dip the potato ball in the batter and deep fry over medium heat, to evenly fry the potato balls. Once the vada is lightly fried, remove and keep aside. Increase the heat and deep fry the vada again to make the coating crispy. Place the vada in lightly toasted slider bun and fried green chili on the side Note: the Gram flour batter should be thick, ensure you don’t add a lot of water to thin it. also while frying the potato mixture, the batter should evenly coat it otherwise the potato ball will break while frying. * Chef Tarun Kapoor, Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

My culinary interaction with Japanese cuisine started when I joined a leading luxury hotel in the Indian capital, New Delhi. Sakura, their Japanese restaurant, was said to be the best Japanese restaurant in India and won several awards in a row year after year. The restaurant specialised in “Kaiseki,” the traditional Japanese multi-course dinner. I have always been inquisitive about this traditional and stringent cuisine, wherein every food item has a place on the plate and is served very systematically.  Japanese restaurants around the world are highly appreciated and have been acclaimed to be among the best, which is evident from the many Michelin starred Japanese restaurants around the world.  I will be discussing Japanese cuisine in the coming weeks, starting with today – which is all about soba noodles. When you say “Japanese noodles,” there are high chances that the average person will assume you are talking about ramen. There is no denying that ramen is great – its accessible, economical and tasty, but it is high in salt content and calories, because of all the oil.  Soba, the buckwheat noodles, on the other hand are healthy, light and refreshing. Japanese soba noodles can be served hot and cold and are used in many different dishes. Soba is so popular in Japan that there is a district named for them. These noodles are made from freshly harvested buckwheat, which is sweeter and more flavourful. Cold soba noodles are first boiled like spaghetti and then cooled and served with a soy-based dipping sauce, seaweed, wasabi and other ingredients. After the noodles are finished, it is common to mix the boiling water with the dipping sauce and drink it. Hot soba noodles are served in a variety of broths and can contain vegetables, fish tofu and other ingredients. Working with buckwheat is not easy – chefs usually take years to master the art of making soba noodles. The basics are to sift and combine buckwheat flour with all-purpose flour and make a dough using water. Roll the smooth dough into a thin circle and roll into cylinder and then cut it thinly to get the noodles. The process of making fresh soba noodles is a popular thing for tourists to watch, along with the flying knives and spatula of the Japanese grill chef.  Once prepared, they should be stored in an airtight container so that they don’t dry up quickly. They can be boiled as required and served fresh. Soba is the most popular noodle in Tokyo and is a favourite treat on New Year’s Eve in Japan. It gained popularity because a diet of rice is low in thiamine and buckwheat is high in vitamin B. Handmade soba is preferred, but soba can be found dried and many restaurants sell the noodles and broth separately so people can make their dish at home. Fresh soba noodles – usually served cold –  have a firmer texture than the hot noodles and are popular in salads. The traditional way to savour this delicacy is to slurp the noodles. Fresh soba is not so easy to find outside Japan but dried noodles are always easily available. The word soba is most commonly used to refer to soba noodles, but it’s also the Japanese term for buckwheat. There are soba teas and even soba pillows filled with buckwheat hulls. Soba noodles have also become popular in European and American cuisine.  Soba with Beet and Peanut  Ingredients Soba noodles 200 gm Peanut butter 1/2 cup Rice vinegar 1 tbsp Maple syrup 1 tbsp Ginger, chopped 1 tbsp Garlic, chopped 1 clove Soy sauce 2 tsp Lime zest 1 tsp Lime juice 1 tsp Cilantro 2 tbsp Cucumber, diced 1 nos. Bell pepper, julienne 1 nos. Carrot, shredded 1 nos. Beetroot, diced 3 tbsp Peanut 2 tbsp Method Cook the noodles in boiling salted water, as per the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold running water and keep aside. In a blender, combine peanut butter, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice and cilantro. Make a smooth puree, add 2-3 tbsp warm water to it if required. Place the soba noodle in a mixing bowl; toss cucumber, bell peppers, carrots, beetroots, chopped peanuts and the prepared dressing. Toss to combine well and serve cold, garnished with some cilantro and crushed peanut. l Chef Tarun Kapoor, Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

Stromboli is an Italian food made out of the need and wish to enjoy pizza on the go. It comes with all the goodness of pizza with the ease of eating it like a sandwich. Stromboli is a type of turnover filled with sauce, cheese and cold cuts of meat. Calzones are similar to Stromboli but they are two distinct dishes. Most people think that is the ingredients that primarily make up the difference between them. But in actually, the ingredients are similar and are either chosen by the chef or the guest ordering the dish. The principal difference is actually that while Stromboli is served with sauce on the inside of the folded crust, a calzone has the sauce on the side or on top. the origin of Stromboli is a bit unclear, but it seems to date back to around the 1950s. Romano Italian restaurant and Pizzeria just outside of Philadelphia, claims to have originated Stromboli in 1950s. Another story relates the origin of Stromboli to Mike Aquino Sr of Mike’s burger royal in Spokane, Washington created a sandwich in 1954 with chili sauce and named the sandwich after the movie Stromboli.  Either way the delicious sandwich, it is a type of turner using Italian bread dough. Shaped into a square, it is filled with sauce, meats and cheese, rolled into a log and then baked. It’s filled with various cheeses and Italian meats.  Calzone on the other hand translates to “stocking” or “trouser” and originated in Naples, Italy. Calzone dough is similar to pizza dough and is stuffed with cheese, meats and vegetables. The dough is traditionally made with flour, water, yeast, salt and olive oil.  Calzones in the United States are typically made from pizza dough and stuffed with cheeses, meats and vegetables. The dough is traditionally made with flour, water, yeast, salt and olive oil. First, the yeast is proofed in warm water and then all ingredients are mixed until the dough is slightly sticky. The dough is kneaded on a floured board then placed in a warm location, covered with a moist towel and allowed time to rise. Once the dough has doubled in size, it is punched down, allowed to rise again and then formed into the desired shape for the calzone. Calzones are commonly stuffed with cheeses including mozzarella, Parmesan, ricotta, Provolone or a local cheese. These pillowy treats typically are served covered with marinara sauce or topped with olive oil, garlic and parsley. The dough is folded in half and sealed or formed into a circular shape and then baked. Some New York and Italian calzones are fried instead of baked but I prefer to bake them. Now that you’re completely bewildered, remember that a calzone is a type of turnover filled with various cheeses, typically mozzarella, and veggies or Italian meats, such as salami, capicola and bresaola. A Stromboli is made with square-shaped pizza dough that can be topped with any pizza toppings, and is then rolled into a log and baked. Stromboli Ingredients For Pizza Dough All-purpose flour 1 1/2 cup Warm water 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp Dry Yeast 2 tsp Honey 1/2 tsp Salt 3/4 tsp Pizza sauce 250 ml Mozzarella cheese 500 gm Turkey ham 12-15 slices Chicken salami 12-15 slices Egg 1 nos. Parmesan cheese 4 tbsp Method For the pizza dough, sift flour and salt in a bowl and keep aside. In a separate bowl combine honey, yeast and half of warm water and let it stand for 5 minutes to allow yeast to activate. Combine the yeast mixture to the flour and add the remaining water to make soft dough. Lightly grease the dough with 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Rest the dough and cover with moist kitchen towel, allow the dough to rise to double in size. Knead the dough again to deflate and roll the dough flat to a large rectangle. Preheat the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit and line a sheet and with parchment paper. Place the dough on the parchment paper and spoon 8 tbsp of pizza sauce and spread it over 3/4th of the dough, leaving an 1/2 inch border on three sides and 2 inch border on the longer side.  Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and top with turkey ham and chicken salami. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water and brush the edges with the egg wash. Fold the three sides using the parchment paper, roll the dough 1/3rd of the way. Grab the other side of the parchment paper and fold it over the rest of the way. Position the Stromboli in the centre of the pan, seam side down. Brush the entire thing with egg wash and make diagonal slits for venting. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove and allow the Stromboli to cool for 5 minutes before slicing 1 to 2 inch strips. Serve alongside the warm pizza sauce for dunking. * Chef Tarun Kapoor, Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

“The worst looking and best tasting dish of the year” – yes you heard that right. This is the feedback of a renowned food critic John Curtas in Las Vegas after tasting dal makhani for the first time in his life.  This humble and rather plain looking dish has extraordinary taste and flavour. Anyone can get hooked onto this dish. No one can imagine how this simple dish can taste so exotic and make or break the reputation of a restaurant.  Almost every hotel/restaurant in India tries to make their dal makhani unique and more delicious than their competitors. They even correlate the restaurant name with that of their own recipe of dal makhani.  I can’t think of a person who dislikes this delicacy. It is a soul food for many and even carnivores who consider their meal incomplete without meat will end their dinner with a serving of the dal. This lentil is a staple of the Punjabis and is loved by the entire Indian nation. Made with butter and cream, this is an unhealthy killer on your waistline. This dal is also known as “kali dal” or “maa ki dal” – meaning “black lentil” or “dal made by my mother” – and tastes as good as without the butter and cream.  The secret to make dal makhani without having to add too much butter and cream is the number of hours you slow simmer the lentils. Traditionally the lentils were simmered overnight on extinguished tandoors. The idea behind cooking them on extinguished tandoors is to slow simmer them over very slow yet constant heat so that the lentils mellow down and turn soft. Some recipes even call for the entire process to stretch to 36-48 hours.  Some of the recipes even call for the addition of rajma (kidney beans) and chana dal (split chicpea lentil) along with the black urad lentil. The idea behind adding these extra lentils is to make the dal makhani even richer.  The dal makhani without butter and cream is similar to other lentils in calories – it is the butter and cream that add calories to this dish. To make a healthier version of dal makhani without compromising too much on the taste, replace butter with olive oil and cream with milk and prolong the cooking time to compensate for the fewer rich ingredients.  In one of the hotels where I previously worked, I had appointed a cook especially for making dal makhani everyday as per my recipe. He followed my recipe and would get the dal makhani tasted and approved by me before serving it to guests. The result was a finger licking dal and a lot of guest appreciation. We used to have regular guests coming to the restaurant only for the dal makhani.  The non-vegetarians in India can’t stop thanking the inventor of butter chicken, for bestowing upon mankind the ever so creamy and sumptuous delight. The vegetarians on the other hand echo similar sentiments about dal makhani. For those who love both this delicacies I would make an announcement – do you know that butter chicken and dal makhani were created by a single man? Kundan Lal Gujral, the founder of Moti Mahal Restaurant chain, is believed to be the brain behind these lip-smacking dishes.  Kundan Lal revolutionised the art of preparing dal makhani, using the recipe he learned while he was working in Mukhey da Dhaba in Peshawar in the 1940. The owner Mokha Singh handed over the restaurant to him after his health deteriorated and Kundan Lal renamed it as Moti Mahal. Post partition, Gujral migrated to Delhi and carried on the Moti Mahal legacy by opening his first outlet in Daryaganj, Delhi and carried on the legacy to establish his chain of restaurants as we all know today. The invention of dal makhani is closely linked to the invention of butter chicken. I will discuss that in a separate column.  Dal Makhani Ingredients Whole urad lentil 2 cup Water 8 cups Salt 2 tbsp Ginger, chopped 1 tbsp Butter, unsalted 2/3 cup Oil 1 tbsp Kasoori methi 1 tbsp Degi mirch powder 1 tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Tomato puree 1/2 cup Honey 1 tbsp Cooking cream 1 cup Chili powder 1 tsp Asafetida powder a pinch Garnish Cream to garnish Green chilli to garnish Method Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the dal and rub to remove the polish/ dirt from the lentil.  Wash and soak in water with salt and ginger. Leave it overnight to expand in a heavy bottom vessel. Next day cook the dal over very slow flame with a hot plate under the cooking vessel. Add some butter, red chilli powder, coriander , asafetida powder while the lentil is simmering. Stir continuously to avoid burning the lentil. When the dal is cooked thoroughly, add tomato puree and simmer till the raw tomato flavour evaporates – about 15-18 minutes. Mash the dal using the back of the ladle, this will make it more tasty. Finish with cream, broiled kasoori methi, honey and adjust the consistency.  Adjust the seasoning and serve hot with bread or rice. * Chef Tarun Kapoor, Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

There is one staple of Mexican food that everyone loves – the Tostadas.  Tostadas is a cooked tortilla that is cooked further to make it crispy. “Tostada” in Spanish means “toasted”. This delicious Mexican classic is so easy to make and becomes even easier to cook with when you are familiar with the delicious and versatile food. The tortilla can be toasted or deep fried to make it crispy. It can be cooked flat as it is or it can be molded into a bowl shape to act as a container for a food item. Corn tortillas are generally used rather than the wheat ones. Traditionally tostadas were dry roasted in a pan called “Comal,” without using any oil. But nowadays, because of convenience, people often fry the tortillas in a small amount of oil in a pan. In order to avoid the oil and make a healthier version of tostadas, you can arrange tortillas in a single layer in cookie sheet, spray some oil and bake in a pre-heated oven for about 3 minutes. Talking about the versatility of the tortilla as a wrapper is endless. They are used for tacos and enchiladas. Among native Mexicans, tortillas are commonly used as eating utensils, as a plate, to make tostadas and much more. In the United States, the tortilla is no longer seen as just ethnic bread. This is partially due to the increase in Hispanic population and how easily people have developed a taste for Mexican cuisine.  The mainstay of the Mexican diet was and still is the tortilla. It won’t be wrong to state that this cuisine revolves around tortilla and its different available versions. The tradition continues today with little change. The kernels are cooked with lime to remove the husk and then ground on a stone slab with a grinding stone. The dough is formed into little round balls and then patted out by hand into thin round cakes or wrapped in a corn husk. Tostada also refers to a food dish made with a tostada. Appetizer tostadas are often flat, covered with a layer of refried beans or meat toast as an “adhesive” anchor and then covered with other toppings on top of that. I fell in love with this cuisine while I was on a cuisine ship sailing to the beautiful, clear waters of Mexico; I always visited nearby Mexican restaurants to savour local delicacies. It is such an easy meal to make but that doesn’t stop it from tasting or looking great! Another good thing about them is that they are inexpensive to make as well. Even on a low budget you can make this simple dish with some refried beans, ground meat, some vegetable and tortillas.  Tostadas have a few necessary components – refried beans, ground meat traditionally ground beef, vegetables (lettuce and tomato) and tortillas. It is easy to go to the store and get ready to eat tostada shells. That said I prefer to fry my own. They taste better that way and are so much more authentic. For the beans, it is important that you can spread them, so refried beans (black or pinto) are the best. In Mexico the beans are cooked and mashed but that takes a long time. Nowadays you also get premade refried beans in cans or bags, which makes your indulgence in Mexican Cuisine much simpler and even less time consuming. One more interesting and economical aspect of preparing tostadas was to use the leftover tortilla and save money. Tostadas Ingredients Corn tortillas 6 nos. Olive oil 2 tbsp Yellow onion 1 no. Tomato 3 nos.  Garlic 2-3 cloves Serrano chilli 1-2 nos. Iceberg lettuce, shredded 2 cups Red radish 3-4 bulb Cilantro, chopped 1/2 cup Chicken breast, shredded 2 cups Refried beans 2 cups Avocado, halved 1 no. Sour cream 1/2 cup Salt to taste White pepper powder to taste Oil to fry Monterrey jack cheese 1 cup Lime wedges to accompany   Method Shred the roasted chicken breast and keep aside. Slice half of onion into 3/4 inch wedges and chop the remaining. Toss onion wedges, tomato, garlic and whole chili with some olive oil in a pan. Broil until softened and charred for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile toss together shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced radish, chopped onion and half of cilantro. Puree the tomato and onion mixture along with serrano and seasoning until smooth. Transfer puree to a bowl and stir in chicken, the remaining cilantro; add salt and pepper to taste. Heat the remaining 1 cup of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Fry tortillas 1 at a time turning once or twice and pressing with tongs to immerse until golden brown – 40-50 seconds per tortilla. Drain briefly on paper towel and then transfer to plates. Spread tortillas thickly with heated refried beans, then top with the chicken mixture. Slice avocado over tostadas and add a dollop of sour cream. Mound lettuce mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese; serve warm * Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

I get this question all the time: what is the difference between a squash and a pumpkin. Well to keep it simple, pumpkin is a type of squash – which generally refers to four species of genus cucurbita.  Squash is considered a fruit and it grows on vine. In US and Canada, the squash family is divided into summer or winter squash depending on when there are harvested.  One thing that makes pumpkin a little different from other squash besides it orange with yellow orange skin is its stem. Anyone who has ever handled one knows that its stem is stiff and spiked. Another thing that sets pumpkin apart from its sisters in the squash family is that its seeds are edible. Squash comes from the word “narragan” which means eaten raw or uncooked. Squashes are one of the oldest known crops – thousands of years by some estimates of sites in Mexico. Since squashes are gourds, there most likely served as containers or utensils because of their hard shells. The seeds and flesh later became an important part of the pre-Columbian Indian diet in South and North America. North American tribes grew pumpkins, yellow crooknecks, patty pans, Boston marrows (perhaps the oldest squash sold in America) and turbans. Southern tribes raised winter squashes. Native Americans roasted or boiled the squashes and pumpkins and preserved the flesh as conserves in syrup. They also ate the young shoots, leaves, flowers and seeds. Virginia and New England settlers were not very impressed by the Indian Squash until they had to survive the harsh winter at which point they adopted squash and pumpkins as staples. Squashes were baked, cut and moistened with animal fat, maple syrup and honey. Pumpkin can be grown in many parts of the world whereas growing other varieties of squash is more restricted by specific weather conditions. Because of this, you’ll find specific types of squashes being grown in different parts of the world. But at the market, our world magically comes together and you’ll notice many varieties, some are edible and others are ornamental.  The next time you visit a hypermarket, spend some time by the squash section and pick up a few varieties to experiment with. It is always fun and exciting to try new recipes with less known food items. Spaghetti squash is a popular yellow orangish vegetable harvested in early fall. When cooked, the inside of the squash can be shredded into long, thin strands similar to angel hair noodles and can be used in comparable ways. Pesto Parmesan Squash and Shrimp Ingredients Spaghetti squash 1 no. Avocado oil 1 tbsp Basil Pesto 2 tbsp Baby spinach 40 gm Parmesan Cheese 1/2 cup Shrimp (16-21 pdf) 250 gm Paprika powder 1/4 tsp Garlic, chopped 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper a pinch Salt to taste Crushed black pepper to taste Parsley, chopped 1 tbsp Lemon wedge 2-3 no Method Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. You can microwave the squash for 4-5 minutes to soften it for easier cutting. Rub the pulp side of the squash with 1 tsp olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and rest the squash face down for 40 minutes or until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Cooking time will vary a bit depending on the size of your squash – a larger squash will need to roast a bit longer to get tender. Once ready, the exterior of the squash will be visibly softened with a tender interior Meanwhile, clean the shrimp and season with some oil, salt, paprika, chopped garlic and cayenne pepper. Heat oil in a heavy bottom skillet and cook the shrimp for 3-4 minutes until shrimp curls and becomes opaque. Once the squash is roasted, allow it to cool slightly until easily handled. Use a fork to separate and fluff the strands of spaghetti squash and remove strands; retain the squash skin boat. While the squash is still warm toss together with spinach, pesto and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, the warm strands will wilt your spinach until bright green and glossy. Stuff the tasty strands back into the squash; top with the shrimp and serve hot. * Chef Tarun Kapoor, Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

The word “date” comes from the Greek word “daktylos,” meaning finger. Everyone knows and loves dates – from the primeval times dates have been a popular food source for mankind. This naturally dried food is a powerhouse of vital nutrients and minerals. Dates provide iron for blood, fibre for roughage, vitamin A for your eyes, potassium for you heart, B-vitamins and tannins, which makes them one of the healthiest foods in the world.  Dates are a wonderful snack by themselves. But makes sure you eat them in moderation, as fruits can contain high level of fructose that can harm your health. For a twist, try stuffing them with a mixture of chopped raw almonds and walnuts and raw cashews, for a delicious, nutritious and completely unique hors oeuvre.  You can also dip them in your choice of chocolate and set them in refrigerator. This way your kids also develop taste for this wonder fruit. It won’t be wrong to state that dates made life possible in the nomadic areas of Middle East and North Africa. Dates are one of the most versatile and sweet foods that can regulate the digestive process. It can significantly boost energy levels within half an hour of consuming it. Muslims break their Ramadan fast with dates, as it provides instant energy and its fibre content helps avoid overeating.  Dates have become the superfood of the moment: the breakfast, lunch, dinner and coffee sweetener of champions. It is available in supermarkets and grocery stores and there are a few hundred varieties. It is available in various forms like whole, pitted, stuffed, chocolate coated, fresh plucked, extra ripe or paste to name a few. Its paste makes a natural binder in baked treats, while its syrup adds sweetness to beverages. Eaten plain or stuffed, it makes for a nutritious snack.  Dates are rich in antioxidants known as polyphenols, which fight disease-causing free radical. The low water and high sugar content gives it a long shelf life. One cup of date has about 400 calories, which gives about 27 percent of the recommended daily requirement of potassium and 48 percent of a person’s daily fibre needs. In Qatar, you’ll find date trees even on the roadside and when they are in season the dates can be plucked and enjoyed fresh. There are numerous date farms outside Doha, which also serve as getaway destinations and picnic spots for families as they enjoy freshly plucked dates from the trees. My son loved going to these date farms.  People consume dates in several ways, such as mixing the paste of the dates with milk, yoghurt and adding bread or butter to make them even more delicious. The paste is beneficial for both adults and children, especially during a time of recovery from illness or injury. Dates are considered a natural laxative and they are frequently eaten by people suffering from constipation. In order to achieve the desired laxative affect the dates are soaked in warm water overnight and then consumed in the morning when it becomes like a syrup to get the most optimal result. Today I will share a brownie recipe that may not contain butter, sugar or flour but these are some of the best brownies I’ve had. They are moist, dense, full of intense chocolate flavour and a bit of espresso. The walnut chunks make it fuller and even more nutritious.  No Bake Brownie Ingredients Walnuts 1 1/2 cup Almonds 1 cup Dates, medjool 2 1/2 cup Cocoa powder 3/4 cup Espresso powder 2 tsp Sea salt 1/3 tsp Method Place 1 cup of walnuts and 1 cup of almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the cocoa powder, espresso and sea salt and pulse to combine and then transfer to a bowl and keep aside. Add the dates to the food processor and process until small bits remain; remove from bowl and keep aside. Add the nut and cocoa mixture back into the food processor and while processing drop small handfuls of the date pieces down the food processor’s spout. Process until dough consistency is achieved, adding more dates if the mixture does not hold together when squeezed in hand. Add the brownie mixture to a small parchment lined cake pan or loaf pan; add the remaining 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts.  Toss to combine and evenly distribute and then press down with your hands until it is flat and takes form. Place in freezer or fridge to chill before cutting. Store in an airtight container to keep fresh.  The brownies will keep in fridge for at least 2 weeks and in the freezer for at least 2 months. Note: If you want to include dates in your favourite baked brownie recipe, just add chopped dates on top of the brownie mixture prior to baking. * Chef Tarun Kapoor,  Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

The Malays are easygoing, relaxed and warm people high on hospitality. Food preparation can be a communal affair among the Malays and it is not uncommon during major festivals or events to see neighbours gathered around a big pot stirring up a rendang or chicken curry. The story of Malaysian food is like that of the nation’s history, it is a composition of travellers in the region and is highly influenced by the neighbouring countries. The food itself played a major part in that history. Rich in spice with kaffir lime, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, coriander and lemongrass, Malaysia is a hub of different cultures, each of which has brought in different flavours to create a distinct and vibrant cuisine.  Today, I will share my culinary insights about the Malaysian peninsula. Malay food is strong, spicy and aromatic and combines the rich taste of the many fresh herbs and spices commonly grown in Southeast Asia. There is a heavy influence of Indian and Chinese cuisine, and the Malaysian food can be called a fusion of these cuisines.  Malaysia is comprised of 13 states and is home to predominantly Malays, Chinese and Indians; the population is a wonderful hub of cultures and ethnic groups, making the gastronomy here an exciting blend of spices, flavours and cooking techniques. Historically Malaysia was an important 15th century spice trade centre which makes it a special food hub. The welcoming and hospitable nature of the Malay culture has meant that the influx of different nationalities has been portrayed through their cuisine with ingredient choices taking influence from the north and east. Chinese influencers can be seen using soy sauce and noodles throughout the peninsula. Immigrants from Thailand are seen using lemongrass and galangal and ginger. Immigrants from India have added roti to the cuisine.  Although there are so many attributes about the Malay cuisine, the peninsula has accumulated all of the best aspects of these neighbouring cultures and combined them in harmony to form a distinct food destination. Just as in many other Southeast Asian cuisines, rice is the staple diet and is usually eaten together with a meat and vegetable curry and condiments like samba sauce. The dishes are placed in the centre of the table to be shared by all the diners. As is the case with all the sea faring people, the Malays include a lot of seafood in their diet. Almost all the varieties of seafood are equally enjoyed, like shrimps, fish, squid, snails, mussels and crabs to name a few. The stews and curries prepared in the region include fresh herbs and spices that are commonly grown in the Southeast Asian region. The vegetables are usually stir fried to preserve their crunch and retain the nutritional value, colour and taste. One common condiments that is served along most of the dishes is sambal belachan, a spicy chilly condiment. Lemongrass, shallots, ginger, chilies and garlic are the main ingredients that are blended together to make a sambal sauce or chili paste.  Fresh leaves like panda (screwpine leaves) and laksa add a unique and distinct taste and zest to the curries. Galangal, turmeric and kafir lime leaves are also used in abundance. Dried spices are also used in conjunction with the abundant fresh ingredients available. Malacca, a city in Malaysia about 200kms from south of the capital city Kuala Lumpur, was one of the great trading centres of the spice trade in the 5th century. This in turn benefited Malay cuisine and thus this cuisine ended up using a variety of fresh and dried spices. While talking about Malay cuisine, the role of coconut in various forms is imperative and can’t be ignored or left out. Coconut milk add a creamy richness to curries called lemark, giving them their distinctive Malaysian flavour. All the different parts of coconut in their various forms are used and nothing is left or thrown out. With so many different influences from around the region, Malay cuisine has become an interesting and varied adventure, something that can be savoured and enjoyed with family and friends. Malaysian Chicken Curry Ingredients Chicken fillet 800 gm Peanut oil 1 tbsp Onion 1 no Kafir lime leaves 4-6 no Cinnamon stick 1 stick Star anise 2-3 no Coconut milk 400 ml Chicken stock 150 ml Palm sugar 1 tbsp Fish sauce 2 tbsp Cilantro leaves to garnish Jasmine rice to accompany Curry paste Garlic cloves, chopped 4-6 no Red chili, chopped 4-6 no Lemongrass, chopped 2 stalks Ginger, chopped 1 tbsp Shallots, chopped 4 no Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Peanut oil 1 tbsp Salt to taste Crushed pepper to taste Method Wash and chop all the ingredients required for the curry paste.  Place all the paste ingredients in a food processor and process until a smooth paste forms; season with salt and pepper and keep aside. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan to medium heat and add chopped onion and sauté till onion softens. Add the prepared curry paste and cook stirring for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add diced chicken, lime leaves, cinnamon, star anise, coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes partially covered stirring occasionally. Simmer until the sauce thickens and chicken is cooked. Remove from heat and add palm sugar and fish sauce and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning and add sugar and fish sauce if required. Serve hot over steamed jasmine rice and garnish with cilantro leaves and sambal chili paste on the side. *Chef Tarun Kapoor, Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]

One of the best parts about working on a cruise ship was the chance to visit so many different places around the world and cultures while I travelled and earned money. So while I was cruising around Europe, I used to travel to neighbouring destinations near the seaport and explored their culture and food trends.  One mystical place that I visited and still have fond memories of is the Tuscan region of Italy. Tuscany is the central region of Italy and its capital is Florence. Tuscany borders the sea and has an extensive inland area and has a different eating tradition from that of the coastal areas. Throughout Tuscany, olive groves and wild herbs are everywhere. Many of the best olive oils produced in Tuscany are reserved for use as a condiment at the table, rather than as an ingredient in kitchen for cooking. I also brought a bottle of olive oil, which I used to flavour my special dishes.  Food in Tuscany region of Italy has been defined by its elegant simplicity. Their expectations for quality are very high. Rather than create an overly complex dish with exotic ingredients, Tuscans expect to eat produce that is locally grown, in season and at the peak of ripeness.  The flavours of Tuscany are strong and straightforward. The regional recipes are based on outstanding, locally grown ingredients. There are no reductions, no fancy sauces, no elaborate creations, no heavy complicated seasoning in Tuscan cuisine. Butter is mostly used as a condiment at the table, rather than in cooking. Tuscan extra virgin olive oil is used in almost every recipe in abundant quantity and is even drizzled on top of each recipe in the end. Chick peas, Tuscan kale, artichoke, peas and tomatoes are used in many ways, especially in the rustic preparations. The local salt-less bread is used to thicken many foods like ribollita or twice boiled vegetable soup or in kale or bean soup. Tuscan bread also appears in pappa al pomodoro, a hearty tomato and bread soup, and panzanella, a flavourful tomato and bread salsa.  Pasta plays a small role in the diet, but certainly not as big as it does in the other parts of Italy. Tuscans however consume more salad as compared to the rest of the Italy. The traditional method of cooking beans, particularly broad beans, is to boil it in a glass flask with olive oil and garlic, then setting the flask overnight at the side of a gentle dying fire in the hearth so they will be ready the next day. Meats and fish are grilled over fire. Vegetables are served raw, steamed or briefly sauteed. In Florence, people didn’t cook with tomatoes until the late 1600s . Their use until then in Florence was restricted to decorating tables. But now tomatoes in various forms are used generously in many recipes. In the olden days, breads tended to be made without salt. Salt used to be very expensive because of a tax on it, so the money-wise Tuscans simply stopped using it. The downside about bread is that without the salt, it doesn’t stay fresh as long, so Tuscan breads are often only good the day of their baking. Then the next day they are used to thicken the stews and are used to make soups. Rice dishes are also cooked with rich mixtures of meat, mushrooms and chicken giblets. Giblets or entrails are also used in classic Tuscan dishes like cibreo, or served on bread or crostini as chicken liver pate or stuffing. Tuscany is also known for its simple seafood dishes like cacciucco, a hearty fish stew and mussel soup. Tuscan shrimp is another good example of seafood dishes.   Tuscan Shrimp  Ingredients Shrimp 500 gm Unsalted Butter 2 tbsp Olive oil 2 tbsp Garlic 5-6 cloves Yellow onion 1 no Sun-dried tomato 100 gm Full fat milk 2 cups Heavy Cream 60 ml Salt to taste White pepper to taste Baby spinach 2 cups Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup Corn starch 1 tsp Basil leaves few sprigs Parsley leaves few sprigs Parsley leaves to garnish Parmesan cheese to garnish Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle Method: In a heavy bottom skillet, melt butter and add crushed garlic and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add peeled, deveined and cleaned shrimps and sauté for two minutes on each side or until just cooked through and the shrimps turn pink; remove from flame and keep aside. Add some olive oil in the skillet and add chopped onion and sauté for 1-2 minutes, add sun-dried tomato and continue to stir for 1-2 minutes to extract the flavour. Reduce the heat and add full fat milk and bring to a gentle simmer, while stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Add in the washed baby spinach leaves and allow them to wilt in the sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer for a minute and add dissolved corn starch if you find the sauce too thin. Add parmesan cheese and heavy cream; stir until cheese melts, add the sautéed shrimps and mix well. Sprinkle chopped parsley and parmesan cheese and serve alongside boiled pasta or steamed vegetables or freshly baked bread. Note: You can use half n half instead on the full fat milk to make the dish creamier and richer to taste. * Chef Tarun Kapoor, Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]