Chenna Pakora Rice

Chenna, 1 Pound
Milk for Chenna, 3 Quarts
Lemon juice for Chenna, 1/3 Cup
Chickpea flour (Besan), 3/4 Cup
Yoghurt, 1/4 Cup
Asofoetida, 1/4 Teaspoon
Ghee, For frying
Basmati Rice, 3 Cups
Saffron , Large pinch
Cumin, roasted and ground, 2 Teaspoons

Make the chenna in the usual way. Press for 20 minutes with medium weight. Make a batter with the besan, yoghurt and asofoetida, adding water until you get a medium consistency. Form the chenna into small balls, about ½”, coat lightly in the batter, and fry until golden. Make the rice as usual, adding the roast, fresh ground cuming and an opulent pinch of saffron to the water. When the rice is cooked, gently stir in the chenna balls and leave to warm through for five minutes before offering.

Kabli Dal

Chickpeas, whole, 4 Cups
Buttermilk, 2-1/2 to 3 Cups
Chickpea flour (Besan), 1/4 to 1/2 Cup
Turmeric, 1 Teaspoon
Red Chilis, flakes, 1/4 Teaspoon
Asofoetida, 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt, To taste

If using dry chickpeas, soak them overnight, covered in water. If using canned, use as is. Put chickpeas in a heavy bottom pot with water covering the chickpeas. Boil until they're nice and soft. Drain off the water and add buttermilk to the top of the beans. Mix in the gram flour slowly as the buttermilk comes to a boil, adding just, enough to thicken it. Make a chaunce with the spices and add. Simmer on medium-low heat for another 20 minutes and offer.

Sankirtana Naan

Cake or Bread Flour (high gluten), 6-1/2 Cups
Baking powder, 2 Tablespoons
Sugar, 2 Teaspoons
Sesame Seeds, 2 Teaspoons
Kalongi Seeds, 2 Teaspoons
Salt, To taste

In a large bowl, mix together the water, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Gradually add 5 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well as you go. Knead the dough by hand until it is smooth and elastic. Add just enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough, while preventing it from sticking to the work surface. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a ghee-greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest and rise in a warm room for about 1-1/2 hours, until it has increased in bulk. Divide the dough into four pieces, and shape each into a ball. On a floured surface, roll out each ball into an 8 inch round. With a pastry brush, brush each round with a little cold water. Cover with a clean towel, and let stand for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and place two heavy baking sheets in the oven for 10 minutes to pre-heat them. Wet the dough again just a bit. Using the heel of your hand, press down in the center and prick with the tines of a fork to make a design. Sprinkle with the sesame and kalongi seeds. Take out the baking sheets and sprinkle them lightly with cold water. Put the naan on the baking sheets. Throw a few ice cubes in the bottom of the oven to create added moisture. Put the naan on the lowest rack of the oven and bake until they're golden brown - about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before offering.

Saag Paneer with Pear

Spinach, fresh, 3 Bunches
Cream, 1/2 Cup
Jalapenos, crushed, 2
Ginger, fresh minced, 1 Inch
Nutmeg, 1/4 Teaspoon
Paneer, 1 Cup
Milk for chenna, 1 Quart
Lemon juice for chenna, 1/8 Cup
Ghee, For frying
Ghee, 6 Tablespoons
Turmeric, 1/4 Teaspoon
Asofoetida, ½ Teaspoon
Cayenne, 1/2 Teaspoon
Tomatoes, fresh diced, 2 Medium
Coriander, powder, 1 Tablespoon
Pears, Bartlet or red, ripe, 2
Garam Masala, 1/2 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds, 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt, To taste

Make a chaunce and add mustard seeds until they splutter, then add all the remaining spices except nutmeg, along with the ginger, jalapenos, and tomatoes. Make the chenna in the usual way, pressing for 20 minutes under medium weight. Cut into cubes and fry to a golden brown in ghee. Cook the sauce on low until most of the moisture evaporates. Steam the spinach until just cooked, but still holding its shape. Add the spinach, cream and nutmeg to the tomato/spice mixture and cook for 5 to 10 minutes at medium heat, until the cheese takes on the sauce. Add the diced pears and simmer for 5 more minutes. Offer.

Gauranga Potatoes

Potatoes (Yukon Gold, preferably), 8 medium
Ghee, 1 Tablespoon
Asofoetida, 1 teaspoon
Rosemary, dried, 3/4 Teaspoon
Black Pepper, coarse ground, 1 Teaspoon
Turmeric, 3/4 Teaspoon
Sour Cream, 3 Cups
Butter, melted, 1 Tablespoon
Paprika, 1 Teaspoon
Salt, To taste

Peel the potatoes and slice into ¼” pieces. Boil in salted water until they're cooked but still firm. Drain off the water. In a large stove-top and oven-safe pan, add the ghee, asofoetida, rosemary and turmeric. Lightly brown, then add the sour cream, melted butter, salt to taste, black pepper, and ½ cup water. Gently fold in the potato slices. Sprinkle with paprika and bake for 30 or 40 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, until top is golden brown.

Chana Tikka

Channa dal (Bengal gram), 1/2 Cup
Peanuts, roasted, 1/2 Cup
Potatoes, boiled, 6 medium
Jalapenos, 2
Bread crumbs, 1/2 Cup
Lemon juice, 2 Teaspoons
Flour, 1 Teaspoon
Spinach leaves, 10 or 12
Coriander leaves, fresh, Handful
Ghee, For frying
Salt, To taste

In a grinder or food processor, grind the roasted peanuts and channa dal to a coarse mixture. Dice the jalapenos, coriander leaves and spinach leaves and mix with the chopped boiled potato. Mix in the flour, lemon juice and bread crumbs and mix well. Shape the mixture into balls, flatten them, and fry in ghee in golden and crisp.

Gaura-Nitai Twists

Flour, white, 2 Cups
Sugar, 1/8 Teaspoon
Salt, 1 Teaspoon
Ghee, 4 Tablespoons
Ice water, 1/2 Cup
Cumin, 1 Teaspoon
Saffron, Good Pinch
Turmeric, 1/4 Teaspoon
Asofoetida, 1/4 Teaspoon
Ghee, For frying
Blueberries, 1/8 Cup
Ginger, 1/4 Teaspoon

Mix the flour, sugar, salt and ghee together and rub with your fingertips to a coarse crumb consistency. Add a scant 1/2 cup of ice water, quickly working the mixture into an evenly moistened dough. Add extra water only as necessary to get a pliant, kneadable dough that's soft and non-sticky. Knead for about 8 minutes, divide into two even portions, cover with plastic and set aside to rest for a half hour or so.

In a frying pan, roast the cumin until it browns a few shades. Grind to a fine powder, and set aside. Next, put the saffron, in the pan and brown a few shades. Set aside, and crush saffron threads with the back of a spoon. Put a scant ½ teaspoon of ghee into the pan, add the turmeric and asofoetida, and brown a few shades, then mix in with the saffron.

Crush the blueberries and force through a fine sieve. Keep the filtered liquid and set the fruit mash aside for use at another time. Take one half of the dough, and knead the finely diced ginger and ground cumin into it. Then, add just enough blueberry juice to the dough in order to get the blue color, and knead thoroughly. Cover and set aside. Take the second half of dough and knead the saffron, turmeric and asofoetida into it, blending well.

Roll the blue dough into 3-1/2” lengths, bending into a slight curve. Gently slide into hot ghee, and fry just long enough for the dough to hold it shape without easily crushing. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain excess ghee and set aside to cool. As soon as the dough is cool enough to be worked, take the golden dough and shape it into 3-1/2” lengths, again bending into a slight curve. Now take the golden dough and wrap it around the base of the blue dough pieces, spiraling just enough time at one end to hold the two pieces together. Make sure the golden piece is curved outwards, opposite the blue (like curved arms on a ‘Y'. Carefully drop the two pieces back into the oil, and fry just long enough for the golden dough to be crispy, but before the blue is overdone. Remove, drain and offer.

Stuffed Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts, 30
Sour Cream, 1 Cup
Honey, 1 Teaspoon
Turmeric, 1/4 Teaspoon
Black Pepper, coarse ground, To taste

Steam the whole brussel sprouts until about 1/2 cooked. Slice them in half lengthwise. Scoop out a bit of the center, and stuff the hole with a dollop of the blended mixture of sour cream, turmeric, honey, and black pepper. Set upright in a glass baking dish and put in oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, until sour cream mixture gets a little crusty.

Simla Mirch Sabji

Green Bell Peppers, diced, 8
Jalapenos, 8
Channa dal, roasted, 8 Teaspoons
Coconut, grated, 10 Teaspoons
Tamarind paste, 3 Tablespoons
Jaggery, 2 Teaspoons
Sesame seeds, 4 Tablespoons
Salt, To taste
Ghee, For frying

Put a few tablespoons of ghee in a pan and add the chopped jalapenos and bell peppers. Cook on medium heat until soft and nearly cooked. Add the tamarind and salt and cook until fully done. Meanwhile, grind the roasted channa dal and sesame seeds into a powder, then add the jaggery and coconut and grind the whole mix. Add to the sabji, stir well, cook for another five minutes, and offer.

Phajeto Mango Khadi

Mangos, ripe, 8
Cumin seeds, 1/2 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds, brown, 1/2 Teaspoon
Asofoetida, 1/4 Teaspoon
Curry leaves, 10
Yoghurt, 1/2 Cup
Ginger, fresh, 1 Inch
Jalapenos, minced, 1
Coriander leaves, fresh, 2 Tablespoons
Salt, To taste
Sugar, 2 Tablespoons
Chickpea flour (Besan), 1 Tablespoon
Cashew Nuts, 1 Tablespoon

Skin the mangos and remove the kernels (seeds), and set them aside in 4 glasses of water for a few hours. Strain the liquid and set aside, and discard the skin and seed. Make a chaunce with the cumin and mustard, until they splutter, then add curry leaves and cashews. When nuts are brown, add asofoetida for a minute, then pour in the mango liquid and bring to a boil. Next, add the yoghurt, chickpea flour, ginger, jalapeno, coriander leaves, sugar, salt, and mango pulp. Simmer the mixture on low heat for about 45 minutes until thick and bubbly.

Blueberry Chenna Chatni Bowls

Flour, white, 2 Cups
Sugar, 1/8 Teaspoon
Salt, 1 Teaspoon
Ghee, 4 Tablespoons
Ice water, 1/2 Cup
Chenna, 1 Pound
Milk for Chenna, 3 Quarts
Lemon juice for Chenna, 1/3 to 1/2 Cup
Blueberries, fresh or frozen, 4 Cups
Butter, 1 Tablespoon
Lemon juice, 1/4 Cup
Sugar, 1/4 Cup
Raisins, ¼ Cup Ginger, fresh, 2 Inches
Masala (any blend, or curry powder mix), 2 Tablespoons
Asofoetida, 3/4 Teaspoon
Salt, To taste
Mint, fresh, 3 Tablespoons

To make the chutney, combine all ingredients (except mint) in a heavy bottom pan, and cook on medium heat until the mix has thickened and glazed. Stir often to avoid sticking. When finished, chop the mint and stir in. Set aside to cool.

While the chutney is cooling, make by dough. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and ghee together and rub with your fingertips to a coarse crumb consistency. Add a scant 1/2 cup of ice water, quickly working the mixture into an evenly moistened dough. Add extra water only as necessary to get a pliant, knead-able dough that's soft and non-sticky. Knead for about 8 minutes, cover with plastic and set aside to rest for a half hour or so.

Make chenna in the usual way, pressing for 40 minutes with heavy weight. On a large, clean surface, roll the chenna out with a rolling pin, breaking down the threads and getting a smooth, flat layer of cheese that's only about 1/8” thick. Take a knife and score the cheese into 3” squares. Carefully pick/peel up the pieces, and set aside (stack so they won't stick together too much). Next, roll out the dough into a 1/8” thickness (about like a pie crust). As you did with the chenna, score into 3” square pieces, and set them aside.

Heat the ghee. Form the cups by taking a square of dough and a square of chenna, sandwiched together. Hold the two in your palm, and press them up around your thumb, making a ‘cup', with chenna on the inside. Move your thumb around enough to make the inside roomy. You can turn the top edge out a little, slightly fluted. When each cup is formed, set aside and press down to flatten the bottom a bit. Fry the cups in medium-hot ghee, guiding them gently with tongs to keep the two pieces together. (Once cheena fries a bit, they should meld together nicely.) When the dough is golden brown and the chenna a little browned, carefully remove and set aside. When the frying is complete, and the cups have cooled down, fill them with the blueberry chutney, and offer.

Bargi Kheer

Butter, 1/4 Pound
Vermicelli, fine, 1-1/2 to 2 Cups
Milk, 4 Cups
Whipping Cream, 1 Pint
Raisins, 1 Cup
Sugar, 3 Tablespoons
Almonds, finely chopped, 1 Teaspoon
Pistachios, finely chopped, 1 Teaspoon

Melt butter in a heavy bottom pot. Break the vermicelli into 3” pieces. Over low heat, brown the vermicelli in the butter until it darkens a few shades. Pour in the milk and bring to boil at medium heat. Boil for a few minutes, then add the raisins, nuts and sugar. Cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, then add the whipping cream. Cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, then chill before offering.

Spicy Pineapple Punch

Sugar, 1 Cup
Cinnamon sticks, 3
Cloves, whole, 10
Ginger, powdered, 1/8 Teaspoon
Mint, fresh, 1 Tablespoon
Pineapple Juice, 4 Cups
Orange Juice, 1 Cup
Lemon Juice, 1 Cup
Mango Juice and/or Pulp, 1 Cup
Passion Fruit Juice, 1 Cup

Put the sugar, spices and mint in a pan with 1-1/2 Cups water and bring to a boil. Leave on low heat for 15 minutes at slow boil. Remove and drain liquids, discarding spice remnants (or keep for later use). Mix the syrup with the fruit juices, blend well, and chill or pour over crushed ice and offer.