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Method for Pongal:

Wash Rice and Moong daal thoroughly. Dry roast moong daal for about 4 minutes. Let it not get burnt.

On medium heat, in a pressure cooker add the rice, roasted moong daal and cumin seeds. Add 4.5 cups of water.

Pressure cook for 5 whistles. After the pressure is released, immediately mash the rice and daal with back of a ladle.

On medium heat, in a large pan, add 2 tbsp ghee. Once hot add peppercorns, green chillies, ginger and cashews. As the color of cashews begin to change, add asafoetida, ground pepper-cumin powder and curry leaves.

Add the mashed rice and daal mixture. Add salt, cilantro and remaining ghee. Mix well and remove from heat.

  • Ingredients for Ven Pongal:
  • 3-4 tbsp ghee
  • 12 cashews
  • Cilantro
  • 4.5 cups water
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/3 cup moong daal
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1/4 tsp asafoetida
  • Salt – to taste
  • 1/4 tsp peppercorns
  • 3 green chillies
  • Few strings of curry leaves
  • 1 tsp of ground pepper-cumin powder
  • 2 1″ ginger piece(roughly chopped)
Method for Ven Pongal Arancini:

Remove the pan from the heat and spread the rice daal mixture on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper to allow it to cool. Once it has cooled, roll portions of the mixture in your hands to form balls of about 4 ounces, and stuff each one with a piece of mozzarella and coconut, sealing any holes.

Place the flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Coat one ball first with the flour, then with the egg, and finally with the breadcrumbs, then place it back on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this process until all the risotto balls have been coated thoroughly.

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat 1 cup of oil until it is almost smoking. Cook the arancini in the oil until they become golden brown all over. Remove each rice ball to a plate lined withpaper towels to drain.

Finish with a touch of chaat masala.

Serve warm with coconut chutney

  • Ingredients for Ven Pongal Arancini:
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Cilantro
  • Salt, to taste
  • 4 tbsp frozen coconut
  • 2 ounces fresh mozzarella
  • Cut into 20 ½-inch dice
  • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup oil, plus more as needed
Method Gajar Halwa:

Add carrots, cardamom powder and saffron to milk and bring to a boil. Cook on slow flame, stirring occasionally till milk dries up and the raw smell of the carrot disappears.

Add ghee, nuts, raisins and the paneer cook for another 10 min. Add condensed milk and sugar. Cook on a slow flame till dry (about 25 to 30 min) stirring occasionally.

  • Ingredients For Gajar Halwa:
  • 5 cups milk
  • 2 oz raisins
  • 1-2 tbsp sugar
  • ½ cup grated paneer
  • 2 oz cashew chopped
  • 2 oz chopped almonds
  • 2 oz pistachio, chopped
  • 1 tin condensed milk
  • 1¾ lbs carrots, grated (preferably red)
  • 3-4 pods cardamom, powdered
  • 4 tbsp ghee, clarified butter
Method Swiss Roll Sponge cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Line the base of a 10 by 15 inch Swiss roll or jelly roll pan with greaseproof or parchment paper. Brush the base and sides of the pan with melted butter, and dust with flour.

3. Whisk the eggs, and sugar together, until light and fluffy, and then add the water, and vanilla extract.

4. Sift in the flour with cardamom powder, about a third at a time, and using a large metal spoon, fold it into the egg mixture.

5. Pour the mixture gently into the prepared pan, and bake in the oven until the center of the cake is slightly springy and the edges have shrunk a little from the sides of the tin, about 12 to 15 minutes.

6. Spread out a piece of parchment paper (slightly larger than the tin size) on a work surface and sprinkle evenly with caster sugar (this stops the roll from sticking to the paper). Turn or invert the pan onto the sugared parchment paper, and then carefully remove the tin and parchment paper from the bottom of the cake.

7. Place a slightly damp, clean tea or kitchen towel over the cake while it cools- this will prevent it from drying out and cracking when you roll it.

8. When the cake is cool, spread gajar halwa over the cake, leaving a 1-inch border. Repeat with the whipped cream. With the longest side facing you, roll up the Swiss roll away from you, then transfer to a plate to serve. Sprinkle the cake with caster sugar or dust with icing sugar to finish.

  • Ingredients Sponge Cake for Swiss Roll:
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 4 1/2 ounces caster sugar (superfine)
  • plus 3 tablespoons for sprinkling or use icing sugar (confectioners'), for dusting
  • For the filling for Swiss Roll
  • 8 ounces heavy cream, whipped
  • 6 tablespoons gajar halwa
Method for Tandoori Chicken:

Heat butter in a small pan over medium heat, then cook the tandoori masala, stirring often, until fragrant (approximately 2-3 minutes).

Whisk in the spice mixture into the yogurt, then mix in the lemon juice, garlic, salt and ginger.

Coat the chicken in the marinade, cover and chill for at least an hour (preferably 6 hours), no more than 8 hours.

Arrange on a greased tray and bake.

  • Ingredients for Tandoori Chicken:
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp tandoori masala
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 minced garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 chicken breasts
Method for Tikka Masala Sauce:

Heat butter, when melted add the tandoori masala and fenugreek leaves. Sauté till aromatic.

Add the marinara sauce.

Mix and bring to simmer.

Add rest of the ingredients and let it simmer for additional 5 mins.

Store bought puff pastry:

Thaw the puff pastry. Cut in heart shapes. Fill with the chicken filling.

Crimp the sides. Egg wash, bake and serve hot.

  • Ingredients for Tikka Masala Sauce:
  • 3 cups canned marinara sauce
  • 2 tbsp tandoori masala (shan brand)
  • 4 oz unsalted butter
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp honey
  • ¼ cup dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
Method for Heart Gulab Jamun and Strawberry Mousse:

Preparation of sugar syrup:

Mix together water, sugar and crushed cardamoms in a pot.

Boil the syrup until it turns slightly sticky. Turn off the stove before it goes to a 1 string consistency.

Add rose water and mix. Set aside to keep it hot.

Making the dough:

Sieve together flour, milk powder and soda in a bowl. Add ghee to it and mix well.

In a small bowl, mix together yogurt and 2 tbsp milk. Pour 1.5 tbsp of this to the flour mixture.

Begin to bring the flour together to make a dough. If the dough is too dry, add little more milk & yogurt. Do not add too much, use only as needed. The dough turns sticky.

Between two sheets of greased paper, roll the dough to a thin sheet. Cut heart shaped pieces.

How to make Gulab Jamun:

Heat up the pan with ghee or oil on medium heat.

Also check if the syrup is hot. If it is not hot, heat it up a bit. It must be hot but not very hot.

When the ghee is just medium hot, add the hearts. Make sure the oil is not very hot, else the gulab jamuns will turn brown without cooking well. To check the right temperature, you can drop a small piece of dough in the oil. It must rise slowly without changing its color. If it rises rapidly then you will need to cool the oil a bit before frying.

Fry the hearts on a medium flame until golden. Keep stirring gently to fry them uniformly.

Add them to the hot syrup. Allow them to rest for about 30 mins.

Whip heavy cream with sugar and salt. Add strawberry puree.

Layer 3 gulab jamun with strawberry cream and slices.

Garnish gulab jamun with chopped pistachios, fresh organic flowers and gold sheet

  • For Sugar Syrup:
  • 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 ½ cup water
  • 1 tsp rose water
  • 4 pods green cardamom or
    ¼ tsp cardamom powder
  • To make Gulab Jamun:
  • 1 cup milk powder
  • 6 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 tbsp yogurt
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • Oil for deep frying
  • 1/2 cup strawberry puree
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  • 1 cup heavy cream for whipping
  • 2 tvs chopped pistachios for garnishing
  • Some organic roses for garnish
Dahi Kale Pakora Chaat:

Start with potatoes on the base, sprinkle garbanzo beans, tomatoes and onions.

Top with tamarind chutney, mango mint chutney and lemon yogurt.

Sprinkle with cumin, red chili and chaat masala.

Arrange the kale pakoras.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds, sev and fresh coriander.

  • Ingredients for Dahi Kale Pakora Chaat:
  • Kale pakora
  • Salt, to taste
  • ½ red onion chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • Aloo Sev
  • 2 medium boiled potatoes, diced
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
  • 1 tablespoon roasted cumin
  • 2 tablespoon pomegranates
  • ½ cup black garbanzo, soaked and boiled with salt
  • ½ cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, assorted colors
Lemon Yogurt :

Whisk together the yogurt, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and sugar to taste.

  • Ingredients for Lemon Yogurt:
  • 2 cups of yogurt
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • Sugar to taste
  • Salt, to taste
Tamarind Chutney :

Blend all ingredients together, besides salt, until a smooth puree.

Bring tamarind chutney to a boil and then let it simmer for 5 minutes

  • Ingredients for Tamarind Chutney:
  • ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup tamarind pulp
  • 1 ½ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon ginger powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili
Mango Mint Chutney:

Blend all ingredients together until smooth

  • Ingredients for Mango Mint Chutney:
  • 1 cup mango pulp
  • 1 cup mint leaves
  • 2 cups cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 green chili
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Salt to taste
Kale Pakora:

Take a medium bowl and sift together besan, rice flour and corn flour. In the same bowl, add salt, carom seeds, red chili and turmeric powder and combine together all the ingredients.

Add water and mix the mixture well, using your hands to make a smooth batter. Ensure there are no lumps formed. Remove the middle vein from the kale leaves.

Now, heat oil in a frying pan over medium flame and dip kale leaves in the prepared batter and deep-fry them till they are crisp and golden brown in color. Sprinkle with chaat masala.

  • Ingredients for Kale Pakora:
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 4 oz chickpea flour (besan)
  • 1 teaspoon powdered turmeric
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon carom seeds(Ajwain)
  • 1 lb kale
  • 3.5 tbsp rice flour
  • Salt as required
  • 3 cups cold water
  • 2 tbsp corn flour
  • Water as required
Thandai Masala:

Dry roast nuts on a low flame for 3-4 minutes on a skillet. Add the saffron strands to the skillet and roast for 30 seconds. Let the nuts and saffron cool.

Add all ingredients, including the nuts and saffron, to a blender and blend until you have a fine powder.

  • Ingredients for Thandai Masala:
  • 1/4 cup pistachios
  • 1/4 cup cashews
  • 1/4 cup almonds
  • 2 tbsp melon seeds
  • 2 tbsp white poppy seeds
  • Pinch of saffron
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp milk powder
  • 2 tsp dried rose petals
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
Panna Cotta:

In a heavy bottom saucepan add heavy cream and thandai masala on medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Add agar agar and whisk continuously until the cream come to a boil. Then simmer on low heat for 2 minutes. Keep whisking the entire time.

Pour cream into your mold or cup.

Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. If you used a mold, just gently pop the panna cotta out of the mold and place onto your serving plate. Garnish with additional thandai masala and enjoy!

Serve on a base of mango and strawberry coulis with thandai masala garnish and edible marigolds and micro mint.

  • Ingredients for Panna Cotta:
  • 2 tbsp thandai masala
  • 1/2 tsp agar agar powder
  • 1 cup heavy cream
The Celebration:  Vaisakhi, Tamil New Year, Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Pahela Baishakh
Sarson ka Saag Spanakopita:

Mix the greens, green chilies and salt to taste and boil in 1 cup of water till cooked, in a covered pot.

Drain and squeeze out the excess water. Puree the greens mix well to make a coarse paste.

In a pan dry roast the besan or chick pea flour till the raw smell disappears.

In a large pan heat ghee on a medium flame. When hot add the chopped onion and saute till pale golden. To this add grated ginger,grated garlic, garam masala and the roasted chick pea flour.

Add the greens puree to this and stir till its all combined. Remove from heat and set the greens aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the grated paneer, and ricotta cheese. Add the cooled spinach mixture and mix until combined.

Combine the melted butter with the olive oil in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly grease a 9 x 12 rectangular pans. (or use your favorite pan).

Carefully remove the Phyllo roll from the plastic sleeve. Most packages come in 12 x 18 inch sheets when opened fully. Using a scissor or sharp knife, cut the sheets in half to make two stacks of 9x12 inch sheets. To prevent drying, cover one stack with wax paper and a damp paper towel while working with the other.

Layer about 10 sheets on the bottom of the pan making sure to brush each sheet with the butter/olive oil mixture. Add the spinach mixture in an even layer and press with a spatula to flatten.

Layer another 10 sheets on top of the spinach mixture making sure to brush well with butter/olive oil mixture. Before baking, score the top layer of phyllo (making sure not to puncture filling layer) to enable easier cutting of pieces later.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until deep golden brown for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

  • Ingredients for Sarson ka Saag Spanakopita:
  • 1/2 lb frozen fenugreek leaves (1/4 kg)
  • 2 serrano chillies, thinly slices
  • 1 lb. phyllo pastry sheets (1/2 kg)
  • 1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese
  • 1 tbsp grated garlic
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 lb mustard greens washed and chopped fine (1/2 kg)
  • 1 lb spinach washed and chopped fine (1/2 kg)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
  • 1 tbsp besan/chick pea flour/maize flour
  • 2-3 tbsps ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 cup grated paneer
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder
Bhapa Doi Brulee :

In a large pan, whisk hung curd and condensed milk together till smooth and creamy.

Add milk slowly and whisk again till you see the froth appearing.

Add cardamom powder and saffron and give a quick stir again.

Preheat the oven at 350-degree F.

Take 6 ramekins or earthenware or any oven-safe bowl in which you want to bake the curd. Pour in the curd mix into the ramekins till the rim.

In a baking tray, place the filled ramekins and pour water in the tray till the ramekins are half immersed.

Place the tray in the oven and bake for 40-45 mins or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Take out the tray and let it cool.

Once the ramekins are cooled completely, sprinkle granulated sugar and brulee

  • Ingredients for Bhapa Doi Brulee :
  • 1 1/2 cup desi hung curd
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 1 pinch saffron
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
  • 4 tbsp pistachios - chopped
Rose  Sandesh Crumb:

Take the paneer and knead until it is very smooth and without any granules. Add in powdered sugar and Rooh Afza and mix it well.

Transfer this to a heavy bottomed pan and stir the mixture on low flame.

The mixture should not very hot. You should be able to touch it by hand.

If the mixture became very hot, remove from flame and keep on stirring on the residual heat, until it becomes dry.

Remove from flame let cool and crumble.  Let dry in refrigerator overnight.

Garnish with seasonal citrus supreme and mint.

  • Ingredients for Rose  Sandesh Crumb:
  • Soft paneer made from 1 lt milk
  • Powdered sugar 1/3 cup
  • Rooh Afza 2 tbsp
The Celebration:  Mothers Day
Lychee Rose Pistachio cake:

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment until fluffy. Add the eggs one by one. Sift the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt.

Add the flour and milk. Do not over mix. Pour in buttered and floured cake pans. Bake in the oven at 350 F for 25-30 minutes.

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff and gently fold in mango pulp.

Assemble layers alternating with cake, mango pulp, cream and lychee. Garnish with pistachio dust and dried fresh rose petals.

  • Ingredients for Lychee Rose Pistachio cake:
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 cups A.P. Flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda 
  • 2 tsp cardamom powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cup milk
  • 4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • ½ cup mango pulp
  • 1 can lychee
Kebab Platter – Chicken, shrimp, lamb, veggies:

In a large shallow dish, whisk the sour cream, cream cheese with garlic, cumin seeds, garam masala, peppercorns, ground cumin, ginger and turmeric.

Coat shrimp (chicken or lamb) and vegetables thoroughly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Thread shrimp (chicken or lamb) alternating with vegetables onto skewers and season with salt. Place on a tray and cook at the broiler setting in the oven until cooked through. Sprinkle the kebabs with chat masala and serve with lime wedges.

  • Ingredients for Kebab Platter:
  • Assorted vegetables (red onions, peppers, mushrooms) – cut in cubes
  • 3 tbs unsalted butter, melted
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced 
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds 
  • 1 tsp ground cumin 
  • ½ cup cream cheese
  • 1” ginger, minced 
  • Salt 
  • 16 jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined. (Or small pieces of chicken or lamb)
  • 1/2 tsp chat masala
  • Lime wedges for serving
  • 1 tsp garam masala 
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp cracked white and black peppercorns