Summertime specials

Palak Rice with Kulhad ki dahi

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice (uncooked)
• 1 to 1.5 tbsp oil
• Half of a star anise or few petals
• 2 green cardamoms
• 3 cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp cumin or shahijeera
• 1 small bay leaf
• 2 cups palak / spinach
• (tightly packed about 100 grams leaves)
• 2 to 3 green chilies sliced
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste or
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 medium potato or any veggies
• 1/2 to 3/4 garam masala
• A little turmeric
• Salt as needed
• Lemon juice as needed

Method

• Cook rice and cool completely.
• Wash spinach thoroughly in ample water. Drain completely.
• Add them to a blender and puree.
• Heat a pan with oil, add spices and saute for a min.
• Fry ginger garlic paste until the raw smell vanishes.
• Add onion and fry until golden. Add veggies and saute until they are tender. If needed, sprinkle some water and cook.
• Sprinkle garam masala, salt and turmeric.
• Add palak puree and saute until the raw smell goes off.
• Add cooled rice, squeeze in the lemon juice.
• Mix everything well.
• Garnish with fried dahi chilies.
• Serve hot.

Panki

Ingredients

• 2 cups rice flour
• 1/2 cup curd, beaten
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly ground
• 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
• 2 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp melted ghee
• A pinch turmeric powder
• 4 to 6 banana leaves, cut into 150 mm. x 150 mm. (6” x 6”) square pieces
• Oil for greasing and cooking

Method

• Combine the rice flour, curd, salt and 3 cups of warm water in a bowl and mix well to make a thick batter. Cover and keep aside for 3 to 4 hours to ferment.
• Add ¾ to 1 cup of water, asafoetida, cumin seeds, ginger, green chilli paste, garlic paste, ghee and turmeric powder and mix well.
• Apply a little oil on one side of each banana leaf and set aside.
• Put 2 tbsp of the batter on one half of the greased side of a banana leaf and spread it evenly to make a thin layer.
• Fold the other side over the batter.
• Cook on a non-stick tava (griddle) using a little oil till light brown spots appear on the leaves and the panki in between peels off the leaf easily.
• Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 19 more pankis.
• Serve immediately.

Recipe by Marzy Parakh, owner of The Bombay Havelli

Watermelon Strawberry Caprese Salad

Ingredients

• 3 cups watermelon cubed
• 2 cups strawberries chopped
• 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, torn

Method

• In a large bowl, combine watermelon, strawberries, feta and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
• Garnish with basil and serve

Recipe by Ashvini Kumar, executive chef, Four Points
by Sheraton Navi Mumbai

Mango, avocado and arugula salad and chili vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2 cups arugula leaves
• 1 mango peeled and cut into small dices
• 1 avocado peeled and small dice
• 1/2 sliced red onion
• 1 tbsp lime juice

For the chili vinaigrette

• 2 tbs cider vinegar  
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 lime
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 finely chopped red chili
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing in a bowl and whisk using a fork until the ingredients are well mixed.
• Soak the onion slices in warm water with a dash of salt and 1 tbsp lemon juice for about 10 minutes.
• Rinse and drain the onions slices.
• Toss the arugula leaves with half of the vinaigrette.
• Add the avocado, mango and onion slices to the arugula mix, drizzle the remaining vinaigrette on top and serve.

Recipe by Dev Rawat, head chef, Su Casa