CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF DR KAVIRAJ KHIALANI
Weekends are a perfect moment to sit back, relax and unwind looking at today’s work schedules of most of us, especially after the pandemic. People have either opted to go out and eat or call for food indoors to stay away from the heat and kitchen chores. However, there are a few of us who still wish to indulge into a little home cooking and want to try out some easy to cook up delights for friends and family as well. It is therefore a must at times to cook something different, easy and also tasty to enjoy the weekend even more!
Keeping that concept in mind, this weekend we have a mix- n- match of recipes with various concepts and ideas which can help foodies to pick the right choice and enjoy cooking over the weekend too!
The simplicity of semolina
Semolina also called Rava or Sooji in local terms is a coarse flour made from Durum wheat, a hard variety of wheat when ground into a flour it is called as semolina. It has been used across the world in breads, pasta, porridge, cutlets and more. To me, it is always helpful in my kitchen since it makes life easy in many ways due to its easy to find place into various recipes and different forms and somehow it just blends in so well that many of my guests didn’t even realise that it was a part of some recipes. Some of my all-time favorites have been sooji ladoo, sooji ka cheela, rava paniyarams & baked semolina and coconut pudding. It is usually yellow in color when made from the durum variety and when made from softer wheat types the color is a little whitish. Its shade is darker and more golden in color than all-purpose flour with a mild earthy aroma and it available all through the year. Semolina has found its way in a number of ways, forms and delicacies in global cuisines and is also easy to work with when it comes to mix-n-match fundamentals and fusion cooking as well.
Here is an interesting and easy Recipe with Semolina or Sooji
SNACK TIME SEMOLINA BITES
Ingredients
Semolina- 1/2 cup. lightly dry roasted.
Warm/hot water-1 cup
Oil- 1 tbsp. for cooking & little for shallow frying.
Cumin seeds- ½ tsp
Ginger-garlic-green chili paste- 1 tsp mix.
Boiled mashed corn- ½ cup
Boiled mashed potato-1/2 cup
Salt and pepper- to taste
Mixed herbs- ½ tsp
Chili flakes- 1 tsp
Grated cheese-2 tbsp.
To coat with semolina/breadcrumbs/oat meal flour etc.
To serve with – green coriander chutney/ ketchup/ pesto-mayo sauce, dips of your choice.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the recipe.
- In a pan, heat some oil add in the cumin and ginger, garlic, chili paste- if you wish you can use freshly chopped as well.
- Saute for a few seconds, add in the corn, seasonings and herbs, chili flakes.
- Mix well on a low flame, add in the roasted semolina and mix well, add in 1 cup hot water and continue mixing it, simmer and cook for 4 to 5 mins.
- Turn off the flame, add in the mashed potatoes, add fresh coriander, mint if desired.
- Cool the mixture, apply oil on the fingers, divide the mixture into equal portions, shape each of them into round tikkis, stuff with little cheese and seal well.
- Coat and shallow/deep fry as desired to a golden shade, serve hot as a snack/ also try using it as koftas, burger patties etc.
A NUTTY MIX WITH PEANUTS
Peanuts are also titled as the King of edible oil seeds; it was one of first cultivated crop having originated from South America. Popularly also known as peanut, monkey nuts and gobber nut, earth nuts and the most common term in Hindi moong phalli! It is the 13th most important food crop and 4th most important oil seed crop of the world. The taste of peanuts in various forms in the kitchen and bakery is just awesome and the aromas which build up when we use peanuts in the recipes are just so very appetizing and mouthwatering too. My experience with these nuts has been amazing from the boiled peanut chaat in varied fusion forms from the Indonesian peanut bhel to the Mexican moong phalli nachos and salsa, grilled peanut cutlets with chili soy dip, peanut brown rice risotto with sun-dried tomato and basil, peanut butter phirni with dates and walnut praline, nutty peanut macaroons, banana peanut bread and the list goes on…
Here are a few Health Benefits of Peanuts
- They are rich in fiber and protein content which is very beneficial for our body.
- These nuts are said to be high in nutritive values and are good for the brain and enhance memory power.
- Groundnuts are heart healthy food and stabilize good and bad cholesterol in our system.
- They contain good fats which can be included in our diets and they are also rich in anti-oxidant properties.
- Groundnuts are good for the bones and bone maintenance in our body and therefore should be consumed once in a while.
Here is an easy and healthy recipe using peanuts
STIR FRIED PEANUT NOODLES
Ingredients
Flat noodles/ rice noodles/ whole wheat noodles- 100-150gms
Boiled and kept aside.
Oil- 2 tsp
Butter-1 tsp
Garlic-1 tsp chopped
Ginger- 1 tbsp. cut into juliennes.
Spring onion- 2 -3 sliced
Carrots- ¼ cup shredded
Capsicums-1/4 cup shredded
Cabbage-1/4 cup shredded
Beansprouts- 1 cup
Sliced mushrooms-1/2 cup
Salt and pepper to taste
Peanut butter- 2 tsp
Soy sauce- 2 tsp
Red chili sauce- 2 tsp
White vinegar- 2 tsp
Water/stock-1/2 cup
Fresh basil- 8-10 no.
Boiled eggs/ boiled shredded chicken/ sausages etc may be used.
Spring onion greens- 2 tbsp. for garnish
Assorted nuts/ micro-greens etc for garnish.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the noodle stir fry and keep ready.
- Using a wok or an open saute pan heat oil and add in the onions, garlic, ginger and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add in the vegetables as listed or as per choice and add in the seasonings, sauces and peanut butter and add little water to mix all up well in the pan.
- Cook the veggies for a couple of minutes, add in the boiled noodles and give it a nice mix, cook for 3-4 mins on medium flame mix well.
- Serve hot garnished with roasted crushed peanuts, on-veg options as desired and greens etc.
WAYS WITH CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS
Chicken Drumsticks are one of those easy-to-use parts of a chicken which is not only healthy, easy to work with and also offers a good combination of eye appeal and taste factor when done well and served appropriately at the right temperatures with suitable accompaniments. Drumsticks have been used in a number of ways in many cuisines around the world and have had a good amount of fan following and is popular with kids as well. From snacks starting with a good marination and tandoori method of cooking to baking, roasting, grilling, pan frying and deep frying are commonly found it also goes well in main courses in gravy forms, combining them with rice in the form of a pulao or biryani etc also works well.
Here is a recipe which is easy to make and yummy with chicken drumsticks
MASALEDAAR TANGDI BEMISAAL
Ingredients
Chicken drumsticks- 500-750 gms
For the marination
Oil-2-3 tsp
Ghee-2 tsp
Lime juice- 2-3 tbsp.
Ginger-garlic paste-1 tsp
Salt-1/2 tsp
Curd-1 cup, thick and beaten
Cream-2 tsp
Dry roast and powder the following
Peppercorns- 4-5 no
Cinnamon stick-1inch piece
Cloves- 3-4 no
Dry red chilies- 4-5 no
Black cardamom-1-2 no
Green cardamom-2-3 no
Ajwain-1/2 tsp
Fennel-1/2 tsp
White sesame seeds-1 tsp
Additional ingredients
Oil-2-3 tsp
Ghee-2-3 tsp
Onion rings-1 cup
Shredded white cabbage-1 cup
Coriander leaves-2-3 tbsp. chopped
Garam masala -1/2 tsp
Chaat masala-1/2 tsp
To serve with
Assorted chutneys/ dips/ sauces as desired/ add lime slices and onion rings or laccha pyaaz on the side as well.
Method
- Prepare the chicken drumsticks, clean, wash and make a few slits on them to have the marination go deeper for better taste.
- Using a tava, dry roast all the spices as listed for 2-3 mins, and cool them completely. Using a chutney grinder, process them to a powder without using any water etc.
- In a mixing bowl, combine together the oil, ghee, beaten up curd and cream add in the chicken drumsticks, the prepared spice masala mixture, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lime juice, mix well and keep aside for 1 hour in the fridge.
- Using a non-stick pan or an oven tray place the marinated chicken drumsticks evenly spread out and allow to cook with a lid over on a medium to low flame for 18-20 mins, keep turning it occasionally to
- Ensure proper cooking.
THE PAPAD TRIVIA
A papadam, papad, or appalam is a seasoned flatbread made from dried dough of black gram bean flour, either fried or cooked with dry heat until crunchy. Other flours made from lentils, chickpeas, rice, tapioca, millet or potato are also used. Some papad also are lentil based studded with Indian spices which can also be deep fried. Salt and peanut oil are also used at times while making the dough for papad, flavoured and seasoned with spices like chili, cumin, coriander, turmeric and more.
The dough once made is rested for some time and then divided into equal portions, rolled out very thin and allowed to dry up before being packed and made available for sale or use. Deep-frying, toasting, roasting over an open flame, microwave method etc are some of the ways in which we work with papad.
Here is a recipe using our favorite papad in a starter format
KARARA PAPAD PANEER FINGERS
Ingredients
Paneer- 250-400 gms, cut into finger shapes
Papad-4-5 no, roasted and crushed
Bread crumbs-1/4 cup
Maida-water batter- 1 cup for dipping
Oil to fry
Dips/chutneys/ sauces to serve with.
For the marination on the paneer fingers
Oil-2-3 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste-1 tsp
Green chili paste-1 tsp
Salt to taste
Red chili sauce-2 tsp
Soy sauce-2 tsp
Tomato ketchup-2 tsp
Roasted crushed jeera-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Lime juice-2 tsp
Chaat masala-1/2 tsp
Method
- Prepare the paneer fingers and apply the marination on them and keep aside in the fridge for 20 mins.
- Meantime get ready with the maida-water batter and papad crumbs, dip every piece of paneer in the batter lift and carefully coat with papad crumbs, make sure they are covering the paneer pieces well on all sides, place it in the tray, chill for 20-30 mins in the fridge.
- Heat oil in a kadai to a medium hot flame and slide the paneer fingers and turn them gently in order to get a nice golden color and crusty outer texture, remove them on a kitchen paper, drain excess oil and serve hot with chutney.
BABYCORN TO BRING ON
Baby corn one of those cute and delicate looking variety of veggies we have been looking at and trying to include in our recipes in a number of ways since a while now is a cereal grain taken from corn harvested early while the stalks are still small and immature. It typically is eaten whole, cob included, in contrast to mature corn, whose cob is too tough for human consumption. It is eaten both raw and cooked. Babycorn are just regular corns which are picked before maturing. In terms of nutritive profile too, baby corn and corns vary very slightly. In fact, for those trying to lose weight baby corn may just prove to be a better bet, because of its relatively lesser starch content. Baby corns have found a popular fan following in the west too. It is one of the most imported vegetables across the world.
Here is a tasty recipe using Babycorn to relish in our collection
BABYCORN LEMON FRIED RICE
Ingredients
Babycorn- 150 gms, cut into smaller pieces
Oil-2 tsp
Butter/ghee-1 tsp
Hing- ¼ tsp
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- 4-5 no
Slit green chilies-2 no
Ginger-1 tsp chopped
Onions/ shallots- 2-3 tbsp. cut/ sliced
Boiled white/ brown rice -1 and a half cup
Salt to taste
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Garam masala powder-1/4 tsp
Sunflower seeds/ flax seeds/ pumpkin seeds- 2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Grated coconut-1/4 cup
Lime juice-2-3 tsp
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the Babycorn lemon fried rice.
- Heat oil and ghee in a pan add in the ingredients for the tempering from hing to mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, red chili, green chilies, ginger, and saute for a few seconds.
- Add in the sliced/chopped onions/ shallots and saute them until lightly pink, add in the grated coconut, salt and all the powdered spices, Babycorn pieces and mix well. Add a few spoons of water to prevent burning and to allow the Babycorn to get a little tender.
- Now add in the cooked rice of your choice, seeds as desired for a crunch and give it a nice toss and cover, simmer and cook for 8-10 mins, add a splash of fresh lime juice, mix and serve hot garnished with fresh coriander/ fried curry leaves/ mint or assorted nuts.
WEEKEND SPECIAL VEGGIE STIR FRY
The concept of stir fry cooking is quite an old and well known one by now since many years and it is applied in various types of cooking from Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian and even indian cooking to an extent. The idea of stir frying is to cook healthy and keep the crunch in the food and not to overcook and lose all the nutrients from the ingredients. Though not many of us use this method of cooking in our day-to-day cooking at all times, we must try to at least few times a week with some of our favourite recipes and give a much-needed bread and change to our palate and plates.
Stir fry cooking involves use of fresh crispy ingredients which can bear the heat and take in flavours and adapt themselves to the balance of cook with crunch. Understanding of proper cooking equipment’s, low quantity of fats and oils, cooking without covering totally as such and prepare close to consuming time are some of the factors which help in making good stir fry recipes.
Here is one of my favourite recipes with veggie stir fry concepts
STIR FRY DILKHUSH SUBZI
Ingredients
Oil-2 tsp
Butter-1/2 tsp
Garlic-1 tsp chopped
Ginger-1 tsp sliced
Green chilies-2 no slit
Red chili-1-2 slit
Lemon grass-3-4 pieces
Fresh basil leaves-4-5 no
Paneer- 1 cup cut into cubes
Capsicums- red/green/yellow-1/2 cup cubes
French beans-1/4 cup cut
Spring onions-2-3 sliced
Zucchini- ½ green sliced
Broccoli-1/2 cup florets
Salt and pepper to taste
Mixed herbs & chili flakes to taste
Soya sauce-2 tsp
Red chili sauce-2 tsp
Tomato ketchup-2 tsp
White vinegar-1 tsp
Spring onion greens-2 tbsp. chopped
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the stir fry veggie recipe.
- Heat oil and butter in a pan, add in the chilies, ginger, garlic, spring onions and saute for 1 min.
- Add in the assorted vegetables of your choice and add ¼ cup water just to allow them to cook well, we can also use blanched or boiled vegetables to save on time for the stir fry recipe.
- Add in the salt, pepper, herbs, chili flakes, lemon grass, basil leaves and sauces as per taste and mix well, cook on a medium flame for 3-4 mins.
- Now add in the paneer cubes and mix them well and add little water if desired for a little saucy texture or gravy. Adjust with corn starch solution if too thin.
- Serve hot garnished with spring onion greens and enjoy this recipe as a nice mini meal with some brown bread or toasted garlic bread.
Celebrity Master Chef Dr Kaviraj Khialani is a Mumbai-based hotel-restaurant and food consultant. He is specialised in over 33 international cuisines and has quality experience with hotels and airlines as a part of his long journey of over two decades in his chosen field. Chef Kaviraj is a renowned author, academician, food designer, writer and has also been awarded several national awards and global recognitions for his talent & outstanding achievements. Besides having been featured on several food shows on ColorsTV and Star Plus he is a mentor, coach and guide to aspiring to be future chefs and hoteliers of tomorrow.
He can be contacted at twitter: @kaviraj_chef, Mobile: 91 9820939336. Mail: chefkaviraj249@gmail.com
