Watermelon & Cucumber Chaat (Salad)

"I know I know, summer is over, but can't we celebrate anyway?

Slurp, crunch, savor, the red we love all May...

Spiced like the streets, on a scorching Indian afternoon

It's like those childhood treats, during holidays in June

July has come & gone, and Autumn is taking over the sun

So we'll hold on to the warmth, in this little glass of yum.."

Ingredients

1/2 watermelon, cut into cubes or rounds (using a melon baller)

2 large cucumbers, de-seeded, peeled and cut into 1inch pieces

Juice from 1 lemon

Handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped (the more the better!)

12-15 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon black/rock salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika or chili powder

1/4 teaspoon dry mango powder

1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

Salt to taste

Mix the watermelon, cucumber, coriander & mint and chill for 30 mins. When ready to serve, toss with lemon juice and spices.  Eat fresh. A quick, simple, super healthy spiced fruit salad that will change the way you see watermelon!

Roasted Carrot Salad

"Fall is warm, fall has a chill

It's sometimes green, with an orange frill,

With pumpkins & carrots, everywhere

Halloween, and scary faces that stare,

It's comfort, before winter sets

The last of picnics, on a grassy bed,

But what remains, is the food affair

So lets celebrate, like we don't care!"

Fall is orange. And lovely. But the cool evening breeze reminds me that winter is approaching, and makes me crave all things warm. Not hot, just warm. This salad, with the sweetness & warmth of fresh roasted carrots and a drizzle of chilled yogurt is my perfect fall dinner (or snack if you may!). The combination of warm with a cool is like the weather itself. And the flavors, ah the flavors were a match meant to be eaten. Trust you me, and give it a try. What've you got to lose (other than a plateful of carrots I suppose!?)

Ingredients

For the dressing

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup mint leaves

Few stalks of coriander

1 small clove of garlic

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon paprika or red chili powder

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of sugar

Salt to taste

For the Salad

1 bunch of carrots, cleaned and sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 stalks of spring onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon chat masala [indian mixed spice]

2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Salt to taste

Make the Dressing

Mix all ingredients for the dressing, except the yogurt, with 1/4 cup water and blend in a mixer. Add the oil, a tablespoon at a time, and blend till you get a smooth-ish chutney. A few chunks are ok! Meanwhile whip the yogurt till smooth and creamy. Add the chutney with the yogurt, a few teaspoons at a time, till you have a light green color. Adjust salt & refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Roast the carrots

Heat oil in a flat non-stick pan. Once hot, add cumin powder and mix for a few seconds. Stir in the carrots and turn heat to high. Let the carrot brown on the underside, and then give them a quick toss. Finally add salt, chat masala and spring onions, mix and remove from heat. Cool slightly.

Serve the warm roasted carrots with chilled yogurt dressing & a sprinkle of fresh coriander.

Roasted Chickpea Salad w/ Tamarind Vinaigrette

"Light & hearty, perfect for fall

Serve as a salad, or simply eat it all

The tang, that replicates flavors of the street

Busy, noisy, with a crowd of Indians at your feet!

An everyday snack, or Chaat as it's popularly known

Oh, for this how many miles I have flown!

Now right at home, I have a healthier clone

Though, I will still jump on a chance to go back home..."

Ingredients

For the Salad

2 cups boiled chickpeas, liquid drained

1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

1/2 green pepper, finely chopped

1 small red onion. diced

1 green chili, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon dry mango powder

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

2-3 stalks of fresh coriander, finely chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

For the Dressing

2 tablespoons Tamarind chutney (available in all Indian grocery stores)

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Bunch of coriander (leaves + stem), finely chopped

1 tablepoon light olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

Salt to taste

Make the Dressing - Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate for an hour to let the flavors fuse.

Make the Salad - Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add the fennel seeds and cook till begin to brown. Stir in the remaining dry spices and roast for a minute. Add the chickpeas, mix well, and cook on medium-high flame till the chickpeas begin to turn crisp - approx 10 minutes. Make sure all the moisture has been absorbed. Turn off heat and cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, add all the chopped vegetables and mix well. Add the dressing, a teaspoon at a time, and mix well. Adjust seasoning and serve fresh.

A sweet & tangy [vegan, glutenfree] salad that compliments the colors of summer and the flavors of fall.

Try this and other delicious 29. creations at our social dining events. Don't like strangers? Simply book a private event!

Raw Grape and Ginger Soup

"Grapes are a favorite, and not only as wine,

I love them as a snack, natural & fine

Sweet as Fall, they create a soup swell

Raw, vegan, glutenfree, and sugar-free as well!

Just blend it all up, with spices favorite few

Leave it to chill, and there's a recipe new

Not complicated, doesn't take all your time free

Delicious & easy, as easy as cooking can be!"

Ingredients

1 pound seedless green grapes

1 inch piece of fresh ginger

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

6-8 fresh mint leaves

1/4 teaspoon paprika/chili powder (adjust to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black salt/rock salt

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Pinch of salt

Wash the grapes and remove from stem. Put in a blender along with ginger, lemon juice & mint. Blend till smooth. Stir in all the dry spices (adjust seasoning to taste) and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Serve chilled.

Yes, that's it!

A refreshing, raw and uber healthy soup to accompany your fall table.

Fresh Peach Rasam

“I love biting into a ripe peach

That smells of summer, and the beach,

With juices that trickle down the chin

As I bend over the kitchen sink.

I eat one, then two, then three

And wish I had a peach tree,

I’d then dip them in syrup, bake a pie

Blend into a smoothie, or try in chai

Make chutney, perhaps pickle a few

Brew up this rasam, and serve to you!”

Ingredients

4 ripe peaches - peeled, de-seeded and quartered

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon red chili flakes or paprika

½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder

½ teaspoon dry mango powder

¼ teaspoon black/rock salt

Pinch of salt

Sugar to taste (only if the peaches are not sweet enough)

2-3 mint leaves, roughly torn

Blend the peaches with ½ cup water.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and cook till they begin to splutter. Stir in all the dry spices, mint leaves and peach puree. Bring to a slight simmer & remove from heat immediately. Adjust sugar/seasoning and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled.

Chocolate Cardamom Cream Puffs

“Light & airy, in a bite

You seem like nothing, but have that might

Creamy, oozy, Mmmm.. you sound

Of happiness, smiles, and love newly found

Pop in a few, and those worries run

It’s song and dance, and all things fun

What’re you waiting for, c’mon off you go

Roll up your sleeves, and make a few!”

 

I have always been scared of puffs. And all things pastry. But these little bites of cloud were very so easy to make, and turned out pretty darn well for my first attempt! Oh, and as always, I filled them with a cardamom flavored chocolate cream for a sneaky indian twist!

Hopefully this post will encourage all those who have been shying away from making puffs, to don that apron and give it a bake.

Ingredients

Puffs (makes 15-18 bite sized puffs)

½ cup boiling water

¼ cup (4 tbsp) unsalted butter

½ cup flour

A pinch of salt salt

2 large eggs

Filling

½ cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon brown sugar

2 green cardamom, crushed

Make the filling

Whip the cream till soft peaks form. Fold in the sugar, cardamom & cocoa. Give it another quick whip till the cocoa is well blended. Discard the cardamom skin and refrigerate for at least an hour to get it chilled.

Make the puffs

Boil the water in a saucepan. Add the butter to the water and stir until melted. Stir in the flour & salt, and mix well till the dough starts to come together and a sticky, homogeneous ball is formed (see below).

Remove from heat and add 1 of the eggs. Beat well and let the mixture stand for 3-5 minutes. Add the other egg and, once again, beat well. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Mix for the last time and put the mixture into a piping bag. Snip off the edge of the bag, and put dollops of the mixture on a cookie tray, approximately 2 inches apart. You may use a spoon to do this, but the dough is rather sticky so I find it easier to use a bag!

Pre heat the oven to 375 F and bake for 20-25 minutes, till the crust is light brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Mine were done in 22 minutes.

Cool completely and then fill with a teaspoon of the cocoa cardamom cream. Eat immediately.

You can use a variety of fillings such as banana cream, rum ganache (trust me on this one!), vanilla custard, ice cream (mmm!) or even go savory with chicken or a creamy salad. Let your imagination run wild, and enjoy this light & creamy snack bite-sized snack!

Dinner Under The Bridges - A PopUp Picnic

"It's September! see what a season brings, a cooling breeze, and your heart does sing

Changes to the plate, and that sullen mood, it's time to reconnect with your food

Take a gamble, give a new cuisine a try, perhaps a spiced fritter in lieu of that french fry?

Whatever you dare, it'll be oh-so neat, for there will be new storytellers you'll meet

There is magic on a table that shares, moments of unparalleled freedom from worldly cares

So eat, smile, give a compliment or two...nothing like happiness from a taste new!

When you're done, take a look around, count the new friends you just found

Wasn't this as simple as just being you? and that my friends, is a dining experience true!"

You know those weeks when you wake up everyday and something seems to go wrong? This, is definitely NOT it. This week I feel elated, accomplished and pretty exhausted. Go on, ask me why.

On Wednesday, in a collaboration with Komeeda NYC, I hosted a popup picnic dinner under the Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges. The setting was perfect, the wind was on our side, the sunset gleaned brighter than usual and along with my wonderful co-host, the guests were just the kind of bunch you want to spend a random NYC Wednesday evening with. In short, it was magical. And I was so glad to be a part of creating it all.

In a true 29. style, the meal consisted of a 5-course indian inspired menu. The guests were welcomed with mini spicy rice frittata bites smothered in mint yogurt and curried eggplant toasties. Not a bad way to begin eh? While they said their hellos, got to know each other, and prepared for the surprise that awaited, we lit some candles, spread out the cushions and worked our way to the highlight of the day - the dinner.

As the sun set over the Brooklyn & Manhattan bridges, our popup came to life. The courses, seasonal, balanced and apparently scrumptious (duh!), started with a raw Chilled Green Grape Soup with with mint, ginger & spices. A roasted Chickpea Chaat in a tangy tamarind vinaigrette colored the plates next. Then came the Fishcake Sliders - my personal favorite - and complementing it was a little game to keep our guests in the spirit (and occupied while I plated the next course!). The fourth and final savory course was a trio of Turmeric Pilaf, Masala Chicken & Spiced Lentil Broth. I had to respect the carrot season so the dessert was one of my regulars, Carrot Halwa drizzled with gooey homemade burnt sugar caramel & coconut dust. (Mmm, I might have some leftovers as I type..)

Needless to say I had fun. And as I leave with you with a more visuals of an event that we would've loved to meet you at, a BIG shout out to all those who came! Especially my collaborator-in-crime and the brain behind Komeeda, Jabber, and our shutter-eye for the evening, Felix, who's photos reflect the very essence of the event! (Check out his photography at Cooperfield Weddings)

Oh, and there is much more where this came from. 'Nuff said. Watch this space!

Maple Yogurt w/ Cinnamon Ginger Plum Compote

 

"Red fiery red, swirled with white

Like ribbons of energy, in a dark lifeless night..

A burst of flavor, tart, sweet & spice

Your go to snack, when dessert doesn't suffice.

Quick to whip up, pleases the mid day munch

A luscious splash,  and a recipe emerging from a hunch!"

Ingredients

2 ripe plums, pitted and chopped into pieces

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 cup thick yogurt (greek or otherwise)

2 teaspoons dark maple syrup

Heat a non stick pan. Add sugar, along with 3 tablespoons water and allow the sugar to melt. Once melted, add the ginger and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the plums, cinnamon & vanilla essence. Cover and cook on medium flame till plums are tender.

Turn heat to high, and mash the pulp with a spoon. Continue cooking till most of the liquid is absorbed and you get a jam like consistency - but don't let it get too thick. Remove from heat and cool.

Mix the yogurt & maple syrup till smooth & creamy. Add a dollop of the compote in a tall glass, followed by the yogurt. Refrigerate for 2 hours & serve cold.

A creamy, low fat dessert with hints of summer fruit & spice!