(Serves 6-8)

2 cups (200 gms) gram flour (besan)
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp yogurt/curd
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp coriander (dhania) powder
¼ tsp turmeric (haldi)
¼ tsp garam masala
A pinch of soda bicarb
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
For the curry
4 tbsp oil
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
½ tsp coriander seeds (saboot dhania)
3 onions - grated
3 tomatoes
1 piece ginger
6-8 garlic flakes
1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
A pinch of turmeric (haldi)
½ cup curd - beat well to make it smooth

METHOD:

1. Sift besan. Add oil, curd, salt, chilli, coriander powder, turmeric, soda-bi-carb, garam masala and coriander leaves to the besan. Add a little water and knead the mixture into a tight dough.
2. Divide the dough into 5-6 balls and roll into long, ½" thick rolls. Cut each roll into ½" small slices.
3. Boil 2 cups of water in a pan, immerse the small gatta pieces in boiling water and boil on low flame for 2-3 minutes. After getting cooked, the gattas will get light in colour. Drain and reserve the water.
4. For the curry, make a paste of tomatoes, garlic and ginger. Heat oil in a kadhai, add asafoetida and cumin seeds and slightly crushed saboot dhania, stir and add the grated onions. Cook till light brown. Add the prepared tomato paste and cook again till the oil begins to separate.
5. Add all the masalas and salt. Reduce heat. Mix well and add the curd, stirring constantly. Add the gattas and the reserved water. Add 1 more cup of water and bring to a boil.

Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot.

Chef Amit Desai, from Aromas Cafe, Powai shares some of his unique recipes for toasts laden with a hint of blueberry, a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of masala

Blueberry French Toast

Ingredients:

12 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 packages (16 ounces total) cream cheese
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries,
thawed
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup or other syrup

Sauce:

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon butter

Method:

Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes; place half in a greased 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking dish.
Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes; place over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread.
In a large bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in milk and syrup, blending well.
Pour egg mixture over bread mixture.
Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
Uncover, bake 25-30 minutes more or until golden brown and the center is set.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until berries have burst. Stir in butter until melted. Serve sauce with French toast.

Serves 6 to 8

Cinnamon French Toast

Ingredients:

1 egg
2 egg whites
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon dash nutmeg
8 slices French bread, sliced on diagonal

Method:

In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and egg white until foamy. Whisk in milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Heat butter in heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Dip 4 slices of bread in the egg mixture, turning to coat thoroughly. Let excess drip back into bowl.
Place coated bread slices in hot skillet. Cook, turning, until both sides are nicely browned, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer to a warm plate and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining bread and egg mixture.

To serve, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired. Serve with maple syrup.

Masala Toast

Ingredients:

6 white or brown bread slices
3 eggs
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 tsp red chilli powder or 1 green chilli chopped fine
1/2 tsp pepper
40 gms – chopped red tomatoes
40 gms chopped Onions
10 gms fresh coriander leaves
Oil to fry.

Method:

Whisk the eggs with all the spices, herbs and cheese. Season to taste. Heat a skillet with olive oil. Dredge a bread slice in batter and shallow fry on moderate heat till golden brown. Drain excess oil on absorbent paper. Serve with ketchup or chutney or tomato salsa.

Pureed spinach becomes transformed with a range of balancing spices. It is gently thickened with gram flour. (besan).

Serves 4

500 gm spinach (palak) - chopped (5 cups)

4 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), 1 cup chopped coriander, 1 green chilli

1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp gram flour (besan), 250 gms paneer- cut into 1" pieces

½ stick cinnamon (dalchini),

2 green cardamoms (chhoti elaichi),

3-4 cloves (laung) 5 tbsp oil,

2 onions - ground to a paste,

½ cup cream or milk, approx., 1 tsp salt, or to taste BAGHAR

1 tbsp desi ghee, 1 tbsp chopped ginger, ½ tsp red chilli powder


1. Boil spinach, kasoori methi, fresh coriander and green chilli in 1 cup water with sugar. Cook on low flame for 4-5 minutes till spinach turns soft. Remove from fire. Strain the spinach and keep liquid aside. Cool the spinach and blend to a puree.

2. Mix besan with the spinach liquid and keep aside.

3. Crush dalchini, laung and seeds of chhoti elaichi to a rough powder. Keep aside.

4. Heat 5 tbsp oil. Add onions and cook on low heat till oil separates and they turn light brown.

5. Add the freshly ground masala. Cook for a few seconds.

6. Add besan dissolved in liquid. Cook for 2 minutes.

7. Add the palak puree. Bhuno for 5-7 minutes till dry and oil separates.

8. Add enough cream or milk, to get the right consistency and colour. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes.

9. Add paneer pieces.

10. Add salt to taste. Simmer for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.

11. To serve, heat 1 tbsp desi ghee for the baghar. Add ginger. Remove from fire. When ginger turns golden, add red chilli powder to the hot oil. Remove from fire and mix lightly with the spinach.

Serve hot.

Spicy, saucy and oh-so-tasty, we put together some delicious marinate ideas!

It’s fun, it’s magical. It’s hassle free and can be creative too. Marinating is definitely a thrilling process. It not only adds flavour, it is also extremely simple and speeds up cooking time. And of course, it is extremely creative because you can let your imagination run riot to make the marinade. It’s a very simple process of mixing the ingredients and then soaking the meat, seafood or even vegetables in it. The time they are kept immersed in the marinating liquid depends upon the ingredient being marinated. Obviously, vegetables require hardly any time, while meat can be kept overnight in the fridge. After marination, you can put the meat or veggies into the oven, tandoor or grill, or, you can place the pan on a slow flame and leave it there. While it is cooking, you are free to do other work.

Some tips on marinating...

- As a thumb rule, you will need approximately eight tablespoons of marinade per half-a-kilogram of the ingredient (meat, chicken or vegetables.)
- Always marinate in the refrigerator. However, if you are short of time, the chicken can be marinated at room temperature for up to one hour. Use a glass or non-metallic bowl. Turn the ingredient several times with a metal or wooden spoon to expose all sides to the marinade.
- Before grilling, make sure to wipe off any excess pieces of garlic, herbs, or vegetables that may have clung to the meat/chicken during marinating, or they will burn over the high heat.

MAGICAL MARINADES

Here are some suggestions for marinades, but it’s more fun to dream up your own.
- ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 garlic clove ( minced ), 1 teaspoon ginger and ½ teaspoon minced parsley leaves.
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons minced green onion, 2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds, ½ teaspoon coriander and ½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes.
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon mustard paste, 1 teaspoon vinegar, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce.
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, 5 tablespoons curd, ½ teaspoon red chilly paste, salt, pinch of turmeric and one teaspoon coriander powder.

After beating the dahi well, add crushed garlic (depends on your taste), crushed ginger, some garam masala (if you want Indian flavours), a dash of vinegar and even some red chilli powder. Let the meat or chicken soak in it for a few hours at least (all night will soften it even more and reduce cooking time too). Put the meat and marinade into a thick bottomed pan and cook over a slow flame and you will be delighted with the ease and deliciousness of the dish. Enjoy!