Food

Hariyali vegetable curry 

This simple vegetable curry will be a breather to the regular curries you make. I have used cluster beans, a hardy vegetable to give the dish volume and capsicum which compliments the dish with its flavour. 

Gawar/ cluster beans – 250 grams
Capsicum – 2 large
Tomatoes- 2 medium chopped into large pieces

To grind
Onions – two large
Coconut- two tablespoons
Corriander leaves with stalk – cup full
Mint leaves – 10-15 large
Green chillies – 4
Jeera/cumin – one teaspoon
Coriander seeds – two teaspoons
Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoons
Peppercorns – 8
Garlic – 8 cloves
Ground nuts -20
Salt to taste

For tempering
Mustard oil – as required
Mustard seeds – one teaspoon
Red chilly – 1

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Uncategorized

South East Asian food has now become a main stay on the Indian menu. Here is a fantastic dish with loads of tips to help you make a mouthwatering dish. Remember that south east Asian dishes are cooked for the table and not some curry that can be made in the morning and eaten for dinner.

Ingredients 

Chicken – 500 grams, boneless breast

For the batter

Egg – one

Corn flour – two table spoons

Pepper powder – 1 teaspoon

Chicken stock seasoning (Maggi cube) – 1 large

For sauce

Garlic – three tablespoons finely chopped

Green chillies – four large, sliced at an angle

Ginger – one teaspoon

Star anise – four

Sugar – one teaspoon

Soy sauce – one and half tablespoon

Oyster Sauce – One and half tablespoons

Capsicums – two large, diced thumb nail size

Spring onions bulb – five large

Spring onion greens – ten stalks, chopped fine

Corn flour – one tablespoon

Basil leaves – fifteen large leaves

Flat Noodles – one packet  

Salt and oil – as desired

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Food

Chicken with onion gravy

This Chicken dish does not require coconut and uses green chillies as the heat agent. It is flavoured with a hint of nutmeg and curry leaves. Allow this dish to rest for at least half an hour if not more before serving. The flavours need time to marry.

I cooked this dish keeping in mind families that may want to be frugal with the use of chicken yet who may want to have a nice Sunday chicken dish.

Ingredients

Chicken – two breasts with bone (now adjust the rest of the ingredients to the quantity you require)

Onions – three large, sliced and do not reduce the quantity

Tomatoes – two diced roughly

Green chillies – four large

Potato – 1 large, diced thumbnail size

Coriander seeds – two teaspoons

Jeera or cumin – one tea spoon

Nutmeg – 1/8th grated

Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

Methi seeds – ¼ teaspoon

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Cardamom – one

Cloves – 4

Garlic – eight cloves

Curry leaves – four large sprigs

Salt to taste

Oil as required

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Food

Chorizo and black eyed peas or chowli

I enjoy mixing and matching ingredients to create these one pot meals. Today’s dish is an attempt to blend together a great Goan favorite, Chorizo (Chouriço) or as we call it, Goa sausages with black eyed peas or chowli. I used some great homemade twelve hour smoked Goa Chorizo by Joshua from Bandra, Mumbai (9833849912)who along with the chorizo also smokes bacon and ham at home.

This is my twist on a Portuguese Feijoada a staple dish in Portugal made with cheap and easy to find ingredients. This one pot meal originally had grains, vegetables and pork meat as the main ingredients. Feijoada” comes from the word “feijão”, which mean beans and is traditionally cooked with red kidney beans or rajma. Feel free to fool around with this recipe and make it yours. This dish can be served with crusty bread or with rice.

Ingredients

Black eyed beans or chowli – 200 grams (soak overnight)

Onions – 300 grams or two large, minced

Tomatoes – two medium sized, chopped finely.

Potato – one very large or two medium, diced thumb nail size

Chorizo – 100 grams

Curry leave – four large sprigs

Green Chillies – four, finely minced

Ginger and garlic paste – two teaspoons

Turmeric – ½ teaspoon

Chilli Powder – 1 ¼ teaspoon

Cumin or jeera powder -1 teaspoon

Coriander powder – two teaspoons

Tomato ketchup – three tablespoons

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Art/ Heritage

LUCA SIGNORELLI: The Chapel of San Brizio, Orvieto

Beyond the touristy tumult of Rome, Florence, Milan and Pisa lies the Green Heart of Italy. Perched upon its tufa cliffs, is the ancient Etruscan capital of Orvieto. Riddled with history and mystery, at the heart of the town is tucked the breadth-taking, magnificent Gothic Duomo.

The Duomo of Orvieto is undoubtedly one of the best cathedrals in the world – famously called the Golden Lily of all the Italian Cathedrals. Its construction began in 1290 and was encouraged by the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena (1263) and the Institution of the feast of the Corpus Christi in 1264. The Cathedral is dedicated to Our Lady of Assumption and boast of one of Italy’s liveliest Gothic façade. With every gaze one is embraced by a gentle breeze that beckons contemplation upon its crowning mystery, namely, the Corporal of the Eucharistic Miracle within its repository. The Duomo also houses a renowned gem in its right transept – the Chapel of San Brizio.

This splendid Chapel was built at the beginning of the 15th century. Initially called the Cappella Nuova or the New Chapel in 1622 it was dedicated to one of the first Bishop who evangelized the people of Orvieto – namely St. Brizio. Legends state that the Bishop left back a beautiful panel of the Madonna enthroned with Christ Child that continues to sit upon the high altar of the Chapel. At present the Chapel is separated from the rest of the Cathedral by two wrought iron gates. 

Beyond these gates, in the interiors, lies a paradise of art, history and faith. The Chapel boasts of a cycle of frescoes by some of the greatest geniuses of the Renaissance – Fra Angelico, Benozzo Gozzoli and finally Luca Signorelli, the Tuscan painter from Cortona. He is popularly recognised for having decorated the Sistine Chapel with a beautiful fresco illustrating the Testament and the Death of Moses. However, his greatest masterpiece to posterity was rendered within the serene hill-town of Orvieto.

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