Paneer Tikka

Ingredients: (Serves 2 people)

Paneer Medium Cubes - 16 to 20 pieces

Small Onion bulbs - 4 to 5 pieces

Capsicum Flakes - 8 to 10 pieces

Garlic paste - 1/2 tea spoon

Ginger paste - 1/2 tea spoon

Oil as cooking media

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: cooking time 10-12 mins

Preheat the oven to 350 degree Celsius. Mix salt, pepper, ginger and garlic, oil into a paste - coat the Paneer cubes with this. Cut out bulbs from the center of onion and chop out flat flakes from capsicum sides. Presentation is important in any dish! So skewer the capsicum flakes between Paneer cubes and centrally arrange the onion bulbs. Spray some oil over it and let it stand for 10-12 minutes in the oven - turning time to time for even caramelization. Once done serve with coriander chutney!

Crème n Strawberry

Ingredients: (Serves 2 people)

Fresh Creme - 100 ml

Fresh Strawberries: 8-10 large

Fresh Strawberry Syrup: 25 ml

Sugar: 2 table spoons

Preparation: 5 mins

Mix Sugar, Creme and Strawberry syrup in blender till it is even and smooth. Chill the mix. Add fresh Strawberries before serving!

Mango Yogurt (Aam-Ras)

Ingredients: (Serves 2 people)

Pain Curd - 250 ml

Fresh Mango: 6-8 medium cubes

Fresh Mango Pulp: 100 ml

Sugar: 3 table spoons

Cardamom Pods: 3 peeled and crushed

Preparation: 5 mins

Mix Sugar, Curd, Mango Pulp and Cardamom in blender till it is even and smooth. Chill the mix before serving. Garnish with Mango cubes!

Italian Baked Cauliflower

Ingredients (Serves 2-3 people)

1 Large Cauliflower

Plain Mayonnaise - 2 table spoons

Garlic paste - 1 tea spoon

Tabasco sauce - 1 tea spoon

Oregano powder - 1 tea spoon

Basil leaves finely chopped - 3 pinches

Paprika Powder – 1 tea spoon

Tomato puree - 2 table spoon

Olive Oil and salt n pepper to taste

Marination: 30 mins to 1 hour

Cut the large cauliflower into 4 equal pieces. Soak in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Mix the spices, salt n pepper, tomato puree, plain mayonnaise and olive oil into a paste. Smear this paste on the heat soaked Cauliflower pieces. Let this stand for the marination time.

Preparation: cooking time 12-15 mins

Preheat the oven to 350 degree Celsius. Place the cauliflowers on an Aluminum plate, brush olive oil on them and place in the oven. Turn time to time to evenly cook the cauliflowers. Once evenly caramelized, remove the tray from oven and sprinkle some grated cheese. This dish goes best with Italian garlic bread!

Cocktails at Home!

Name	Ingredients	Comments
Long Island Ice Tea	Grand Marnier Tequila Light Rum Vodka Lime Juice Cola Gin - optional	Shake it up and serve on a bed of crushed ice. For more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_Iced_Tea
White Russian	Kahlua Vodka Fresh Cream	It is a sweet/creamy cocktail. For more refer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Russian_(cocktail)
Black Russian	Kahlua Vodka	Build over ice in a rocks glass. For more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Russian
Diamond Margarita	Grand Marnier Tequila Lime Juice	Shake it up!
Kamikaze	Grand Marnier Vodka Lime Juice	Shake it up and serve on crushed ice! For more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze_(cocktail)
Bloody Mary	Vodka Tomato Juice Tabasco Sauce	Shake it up! For more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Mary_(cocktail)
Tequila Sunrise	Tequila Orange Juice Grenadine	Juice + Tequila mix on top of Grenadine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tequila_Sunrise_(cocktail)
B52	Grand Marnier Kahlua Baileys	Layered shot. For more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-52_(cocktail)

Palak Paneer

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 people)

Paneer diced in medium cubes – 400 grams

Palak (boiled and made paste) - 4 cups

Tomato Puree - 3 table spoons

3 Onions made into paste

Ginger paste - 2 tea spoons

5-6 Garlic pods finely chopped

2 Bay leafs and 1/4 Cinnamon stick

Coriander & Cumin powder – 1 tea spoon each

Green Chili - 5

Vegetable Oil as cooking medium and salt to taste

Preparation: cooking time 30-35 minutes

No marination is required. However one may shallow pan fry the cubed paneer.

Put 3-4 bunches of fresh spinach in boiling water and leave till the leaves are soft and pulpy. Strain and blend them into a paste using a mixer along with 4-5 green chilies.

Heat the oil and throw in the Bay leafs, Cinnamon stick and finely chopped garlic. Let the garlic crackle before adding the onion paste. Once the onions are glazed, add tomato puree followed by ginger paste, salt, coriander & cumin powder. Let the spices integrate into the paste.

Then add the palak paste, mix well and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes - stirring it time to time. The paste would get a bolder, darker color and there would be a natural reduction in the water content. Add the paneer cubes and cover the pot for another 5 minutes to simmer. Once the dish is almost ready, add butter/fresh crème and douse the flame. Cover the pot and let it stand before serving!

Kasoori Methi Malai Paneer

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 people)

Paneer diced in medium cubes – 400 grams

Full Crème Milk - 100 to 150 ml

KasooriMethi  – 2 table spoons

3 Onions made into paste

Ginger and Garlic paste - 3 tea spoons

2 Bay leafs and 1/4 Cinnamon stick,

4 -5 Cardamom pods and Pepper corns

Coriander & Cumin powder – 1 tea spoon each

Green Chili paste – 1 tea spoon

Vegetable Oil as cooking medium and salt to taste

Preparation: cooking time 15-20 mins

No marination is required. However one may shallow pan fry the cubed paneer.

Heat the oil and throw in the Bay leafs, Cinnamon stick, pepper corns and Cardamom pods before adding the onions mixed into paste. Once the onions are glazed, add the ginger-garlic paste.  Add salt, coriander & cumin powder and chili paste. Let the spices integrate into the paste. Then add milk and the soaked Kasoori Methi along with the half cup of warm water it was soaking in!

Mix well and let the gravy  simmer for 5 minutes. Add the paneer cubes and cover the pot for another 5 minutes of simmer. Once the dish is almost ready, add butter and douse the flame. Cover the pot and let it stand before serving!

Note: The dish in the inset image was prepared with red chili powder (in place of green chili paste) and hence the reddish color

Chicken Tikka

Ingredients: (Serves 2-3 people)

Boneless Chicken Breasts (small): 15-20 pieces

Ginger and Garlic paste - 2 table spoons

Tandoori Masala - 2 table spoons

Garam Masala - 2 tea spoons

Red Chili Powder: 1-2 tea spoons

Lime juice - 1 table spoons

Plain Curd - 2 table spoons

Vegetable Oil as cooking medium and salt to taste

Wooden Skewers: 2-3 pre soaked in water

Marination: min 1 hour to 24 hours max

Mix salt and listed ingredient spices above in 2 table spoons of oil. Marinate the boneless chicken breasts in this and let it stand for the marination time.

Preparation: cooking time 15-20 mins

Pre-heat the oven to 300-315 degree Celsius. Skewer the marinated chicken breasts. Spray some oil on the skewered chicken and put them in the oven (on an aluminum tray). Wait till the chicken caramelize, turn them to even grill. Once done take them out of the oven and let it stand for 5 mins before they are served!

Shrimp Skewers

Ingredients: (Serves 2-3 people)

Scaled Shrimp (any size): 20-25 pieces

Ginger and Garlic paste - 2 tea spoons

BBQ Sauce - 2 tea spoons

Lime juice - 2 tea spoons

Vegetable Oil as cooking medium and salt to taste

Wooden Skewers: 2-3 pre-soaked in water

Marination: min 10 minutes to 3 hours max

Mix salt, ginger-garlic paste, lime juice and BBQ sauce in 2 tea spoons of oil. Marinate the shrimps in this and let it stand for the marination time.

Preparation: cooking time 10-15 mins

Pre-heat the oven to 300-315 degree Celsius. Skewer the marinated shrimps. Spray some oil on the shrimps and put them in the oven. Wait till the Shrimps get golden and take them out of the oven. They are ready to be served!

Butter Chicken

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 people)

Butter - 50 gms
Plain Curd - 2 table spoons

Bone-less Chicken - 2.5 lbs

Onions finely chopped - 1/2 lbs

Ginger and Garlic paste - 2 table spoons

Tomato Puree - 3 table spoons

2-3 Bay leafs, 1/4 Cinnamon stick,

4 -5 Cardamom pods

Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon

Red Chili, Coriander & Cumin powder - 1 tbl. sp

Vegetable Oil as cooking medium and salt to taste

Marination: min 30 minutes to 24 hours max

Mix salt, ginger-garlic paste (1 table spoon), turmeric and chili powder, curd in 2 tbl. spoon oil. Marinate the boneless chicken in this and let it stand for the marination time

Preparation: cooking time 30-35 mins

Heat the oil and throw in the Bay leafs, Cinnamon stick and Cardamom pods before tossing the finely chopped onions. Once the onions are glazed, add the ginger-garlic (1 table spoon) paste. Once the ginger-garlic has integrated, add the marinated chicken. Mix it well and let the chicken get tender.

Mix the tomato puree, salt, cumin and coriander powder in half cup of warm water and add it to the chicken. Mix well and let the chicken soak in the spices by simmering the flame and cover the pot. Stir the mix time to time and let it cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Once the dish is almost ready, add butter and douse the flame. Cover the pot and let it stand before serving!