Chef at Large

These are fresh button buttons, de-stalked and lightly sauteed in sesame oil - then stuffed with a spicy mixture of mushrooms, chicken and peanuts.
First de-stalk the mushrooms and then quickly stir fry them in some hot sesame oil - remember to use very little oil. Set aside.
Now for the filling. Finely puree some wood ear [...]

Another contribution by Naheed.
I had bought fresh thyme from the Okhla vegetable market and needed to use it in a dish the very same day. Here it goes then: Saute two ripe chopped tomatoes with onion and garlic, put in about 250ml thick tomato puree. Then add fresh basil and thyme along with some salt. [...]

This is a tasty meal that can be cooked in a jiffy [took me about 11 minutes from beginning to end - active time was about 6 minutes] and the kids love it.
You’ll need some spaghetti, a can of tuna, a block of grana padano cheese, onions, garlic, tomato puree, mixed herbs, salt, pepper and [...]

Every year around this time, the 25th of January, we make a tribute to immature boyhood - an all boys trip to somewhere, without really accomplishing anything. As far as age old traditions go, this doesn’t have much of a history; it is fun however. The first year saw us embarking towards the general direction [...]

We had some friends over for the weekend and decided to cook something a little more interesting than the food we had been subjected to over the last couple of days [See reviews on Udupi Cafe and Taste of India].
I didn’t bother taking any pictures of this one, as it didn’t look as if it [...]

This curry has a spicy, piquant taste and is flavored with mustard and curry leaves. I made this with very fresh fish and curry leaves picked off the tree.

1 kg fish, cut into slices
1 cup tomato puree
2 cups onions, sliced
handful, curry leaves
1 tbsp black mustard leaves
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1.5 tbsp [...]

Having bought some fresh crusty bread on the way back home, I wanted a hearty soup to go with it. Going against my normal defaults, this is a 100% vegetarian soup.

1 cup blanched and pureed spinach
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup diced bean curd (tofu)
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped beans
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 litre [...]

Yesterday, for some reason, I felt like cooking something… anything spicy, in a rich gravy. Unorganized people as we are, I couldn’t find much to work on. Here’s what we ended up with - and I must say, though it doesn’t look as nice as I would have wanted it to, I loved every bite!! [...]

Needed to make a quick snack for Cherie and her friends. Condition: No chilli to be used at all. Condition: I had 10 minutes. So here goes. You’ll need:

Macaroni as required
1/2 cup Chopped spring onions
1/2 cup Chopped ham
1/2 cup Diced boneless chicken
1.5 cups Chicken stock
1/2 cup tomato puree
2 tbsp Butter
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 [...]

Third in the prawn series. You’ll need:

500gm peeled prawns
1 medium cauliflour
2 large onions
6 green chilies
1 tsp ginger paste
 2 tsp cumin seed
6 pepper corns
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method:

 Wash prawns thoroughly
Cut cauliflower into florets.
Grind the onions, green chillies, cumin seed, pepper corns and red chillies into a paste
Heat oil and fry onion [...]