Mediterranian madness

When one says Mediterranean food, the first couple of dishes that come to mind is the Chicken Shwarma. But there is more than meets the eye when it comes to this cuisine as every country that borders with the sea, has a spin of their own, from the lasagnes of Italy to the paellas of Spain and the crepes of France. Speaking to chef Amit, he believes that he is influenced by the cooking methods involved in this cuisine.

He observes a familiarity between Indian Cuisine and Mediterranean cuisine as well. He continues, “Indian food and Turkish food are very similar — there is only a difference of 10-20%. The spices are almost the same. Their palate (the Turkish) is also similar to us.” Speaking about his favourite dish, he says, it is Lamb Adana Kebab. He explains, “If we are cooking this dish, we cook the lamb in it’s fat due to which, the flavour of lamb is enriched.”          

RECIPE OF DUCK PATE

INGREDIENTS
l Duck 120 gms
l Marjoram 5 gms
l Thyme 5 gms
l Sage    5 gms
l Basil   5 gms
l Cinnamom stick 10gms
l Bayleaf 10gms
l Peppercorn to taste
l Cranberries 35 gms
l Cream 35ml
l Soft Butter 20 gms

Method
l Cook the whole duck by using all herbs like thyme sage marjoram
l Add all together to influence the flavour of duck by using braising method of cooking.
l Blend them all together and keep it aside to set.
l Once the pate is set keep the pate cover by orange glaze and serve with thick toast.

Lamb Adana Kebab

Ingredients
l Lamb Mice 130 gms
l Lamb Fat 40 gms
l Red Pepper 10gms
l 10 gms Green Pepper
l As per taste Chilli Flakes
l As per taste Salt
l As per taste Black Pepper
l How to make it
l Take a mixing Bowl and Mix all the ingredients all together and mix them well
l Take an Iron Rod; Place the Mixture on this Iron Rod
l Put the Rod on Burning Charcoal till the meat gets tender
l Serve Hot with Turkish Bread, Grilled Tomato and Chilli

 Egyptian Koshari

INGREDIENTS
l Olive oil 2tbls
l Basmati Rice  1cup
l Puy lentin 1cup
l Macaroni- 2cups
l Vegetables Stock 2cup
l Garlic 20gms
l Bay leaf 2nos
l Cumin pwd. 1tbls
l Cinnamon pwd. 1tsp
l Green cardamom 4nos
l Salt 2 tspn
l For sauce Olive oil 2tbls
l Onion chopped 25gms
l Garlic 15gms
l Tomato pilate 400gms
l Bharat spice 1tbls
l Salt 1tsp
l Pepper 1tsp
l Fried Onion for Garnish

l Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
l Add the rice and fry it for 2 minutes, then add the vegetable stock. Bring it to a boil, decrease the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
l Rinse the lentils under cold water and add them to another medium saucepan with 2 cups of water.
l Add the garlic, cumin and bay leaf and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
l Once cooked, add the salt and stir to combine. Strain any excess liquid if necessary.
l Cook the macaroni until al dente.
l Note: Prepare the rice, macaroni and lentils while the sauce is simmering and leave them covered in the pots to keep warm.

To make sauce
l Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until golden brown. Add the tomato sauce, baharat, salt and pepper to taste. Bring it to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
l To make the crispy onions, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onions and fry until dark brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove them from the oil and place them on paper towels to drain and cool.
l Add the rice, lentils and macaroni to a large bowl and toss to combine (or simply scoop out desired amounts of each onto the plates). Sprinkle a little baharat over each portion and serve topped with some of the spicy tomato sauce. Top with garbanzo beans, the crispy onions and another sprinkle of baharat.
Serve warm

 UMM ALI

l Milk 200ml
l Condensed milk 30ml
l Saffron 1pinch
l Almond 10gms
l Pistachio 10gms
l Raisins 5gms
l Bread 50gms
l Berry compote 20gms

Method
l Boil milk and add condensed milk and saffron in to it.
l Take a bowl put all the nuts, bread and milk.
l Give a rest for 15 min. Then bake it in an oven for 15 min at the temperature of 150°c.

For Berry compote
l Cranberry-50gm
l Blueberry-50gm
l Strawberry-50gm
l Glucose-10gm
l Water-50ml

Method
l Take a sauce pan put all the ingredients and cook for 20 min