Chef at Large

Yesterday saw me rather tired towards the end of the day and it had been raining incessantly, so a hot, comforting soup seemed to be the best choice for dinner. The camera was in office, so no photos unfortunately, but it did come out well. I chopped mushrooms, french beans, spring onions, a few chicken [...]

We had a dinner guest last evening and like all such occasions, there were a few left overs. Rather than leave the stuff in the fridge till it starts evolving into a different life form, I thought I’d use some of it for breakfast.
Boiled and mashed some potatoes, added a dash of mustard, paprika and [...]

We had these crunchy, spicy pakodas for lunch yesterday.
While not usually lunch material, they provided a nice change as pakodas are normally snack food in India. One of the most common times they’re made is when it’s raining outside. Most houses will then deep fry this delicious snack and the whole family consumes copious quantities [...]

Right, so all I’m writing about is Zainab’s food - I know.
I’ve tried cooking here and nearly always wind up with disastrous results. The problem is that when you’re not in your own kitchen, you almost never have the ‘right’ implements or spices and there are so many stuffed in various nooks and crannies of [...]

This noodle soup is immensely satisfying and is perfect for a hot, nutritious complete meal for the kids. It uses glass noodles or bean threads and looks quite interesting too. With the right vegetables in it, it can look simply amazing!
Start by sauteing some spring onions, carrots, beans and cauliflower, all cut to the right [...]

Ok, so I love potatoes. Who doesn’t? You can stuff pies, bread, paranthas [a kind of indian roti bread], mash it, fry, boil it, steam it and oh, you can even eat it.
This one builds on a previously published recipe - Stuffed Potatoes. If you haven’t seen it, do take a quick look first.

I used [...]

We had Id lunch at Naheeds place… and what a lunch it was. I don’t think I have ever eaten better mutton curry (called Nihari, traditionally made with beef, made here with succulent cuts of tender lamb, the many spices tempered with yoghurt) or kebab (Pasanda kebab, with the flavor of woodsmoke still in it). [...]

I live in this lovely little place called ‘Parsvnath Prestige’. One of the unique features of the residents is what I like to call a socio-economic thermostat. Sounds intriguing doesn’t it? Here’s how it works. You go to the children’s park or the gym or perhaps the swimming pool. Being a normal, social kind of [...]

Found a nice leg of lamb [Raan] at the butchers the other day. So thought we’d have a nice roast for the last meal of the weekend. You’ll need:

For the Raan

1 Kilo Whole Leg of Lamb
Meat Tenderizer
1 tbsp Garlic Paste
2 tbsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Onion Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Paprika
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Japanese [...]

The last of the ‘Prawn Week’ series, this is a simple and quick recipe that can be modified according to your needs.

Wash and drain the shrimp. Do not peel.
Fry in hot oil for about a minute.
Season [see note]
Serve hot

Note: Seasoning can be something as simple as table salt, or a little more complex but readily [...]