Tiffin

METHOD

1.   Heat the coal on a live flame until it turns red. This should take 8–9 minutes.

2.   Carefully, with a pair of tongs, place the coal in the dish you want to smoke. You can place the hot coal in a metal bowl or a piece of aluminium foil.

3.   Pour ghee over it and allow it to sizzle for a second. Cover the dish with a lid for 7–8 minutes, to allow it to smoke.

4.   Open the lid and discard the piece of coal with the tongs, and stir the dish well. This will ensure the flavor is absorbed thoroughly.

METHOD

1.   In a thick-bottomed pan over medium heat, heat milk and allow it to reach the boiling point.

2.   Allow it to bubble on medium flame, stirring occasionally to prevent it from spilling over.

3.   Scrape the milk solids from the side of the pan and keep adding them back to the pan.

4.   Continue to do this for an hour and a half to two hours until all the milk has thoroughly reduced and all you have is milk mass.

5.   Reduce the heat to low and monitor the pan, as it is likely to burn too quickly.

6.   Once all the liquid has evaporated, remove the khoya from the pan and refrigerate until use.

METHOD

1.   Warm the milk slightly in a milk pot for 2 minutes on low heat.

2.   Remove from the heat and let it rest for 3–4 minutes.

3.   Stir in the yogurt culture and keep it covered in a warm place for 6–7 hours.

4.   Refrigerate once it is set.

5.   For sour yogurt: Allow fresh yogurt to stay at room temperature once it has set. Leaving it out for 3–4 hours will speed up its bacterial activity and turn the yogurt sour.

METHOD

1.   On a hot standard pan on medium-high heat, tip in all the ingredients and toss for 1–2 minutes.

2.   Remove from the pan and allow it to cool.

3.   Blend it in a blender on high speed into a fine powder.

4.   Run it through a fine sieve and discard the molasses.

5.   Store in an airtight container for up to a month.

METHOD

1.   In a blender, beat both the ingredients into a fine purée. Add more water to smoothen, if needed.

2.   Store in an ice tray by freezing into cubes.

METHOD

1.   In a blender, blitz ginger and garlic together into a fine paste. Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen the paste.

2.   Remove from the blender and pour oil on top to keep it fresh.

3.   Refrigerate until use.

METHOD

1.   In a food processor, tip in raw or ripe mango. Add ice cubes instead of water and blend into a smooth purée.

2.   Strain the purée using a sieve and discard the molasses.

3.   Freeze until use.

METHOD

1.   In a blender, mix all the ingredients into a fine powder.

2.   Store in an airtight container up to a week.

METHOD

1.   Drain the lentils.

2.   In a pot, mix all the ingredients and allow it to simmer on medium heat for an hour and a half to two hours.

3.   Once the lentils are soft, drain and separate the stock.

4.   Add the cooked lentils to make kebabs, pureé into dosa batter, or add to rice pulaos. Save the stock in a refrigerator.

METHOD

1.   Pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth and fasten it from the top.

2.   Hang it loose and allow the water from the yogurt to trickle out slowly.

3.   After 5–6 hours, transfer the yogurt still retained in the cheesecloth into a bowl and use it as hung curd.

METHOD

1.   In a deep-bottomed pan over a medium-high heat, heat milk and allow it to reach the boiling point.

2.   Add lemon juice gradually, continuously stirring until the milk begins to curdle.

3.   Once the water separates out thoroughly from the thick white mass called paneer, strain it with a cheesecloth.

4.   Discard the whey and allow the paneer to rest inside the cheesecloth for 1–2 hours.

5.   De-mold the mass from the cheesecloth and use.

METHOD

1.   In a blender, add all the ingredients and blitz into a thick paste.

2.   Add more water if required.

3.   Refrigerate until use.

METHOD

1.   In a skillet, boil water and add dates, tamarind, and jaggery until the mixture reaches the boiling point. This should take 3–4 minutes.

2.   Cool off the mixture and blitz it into a thick paste. Strain using a fine sieve and discard the molasses.

3.   Add red chile powder, cumin powder, and salt, and stir well.

4.   Refrigerate until use.

METHOD

1.   In a skillet over a low-medium heat, dry-roast all the spices for 3–4 minutes or until they are fragrant.

2.   Ensure the pan is not too hot, or the spices will begin to burn.

3.   Remove from the heat and allow the spices to cool down.

4.   Blend them in a high-speed blender into a fine powder.

5.   Run the mixture through a sieve and discard the molasses.

6.   Stock the powder in an airtight jar for up to a month.

METHOD

1.   In a heavy-bottomed pan over low-medium heat, heat 1 liter of milk until it reaches the boiling point. Allow it to cool at room temperature, so a thin sheet of milk cream or malai forms on top of it.

2.   Save this in a bowl in a refrigerator. Repeat the process with other 3 liters of milk, boiling only a liter at a time. You can do this over 3 days and keep adding to your malai bowl.

3.   Once you have about a cup of malai, add yogurt to it and allow it to rest for 4 hours at room temperature. This allows the malai to get cultured.

4.   Using a wooden spoon, vigorously whisk the malai until the milk solids begin to separate from the whey. You can add 3–4 Tbsp of water in order to quicken this process.

5.   Transfer the solid into a heavy-bottomed pan and continue to cook it on low heat.

6. Once this butter melts off, the milk solids will settle at the bottom and the ghee will rise on the top.

7.   Run it through a sieve and collect the golden liquid in a bowl.

8.   You can store the ghee at room temperature for up to a week.

METHOD

1.   In a bowl, mix both the ingredients.

2.   Run a hand blender through the mixture until it blends thoroughly.

3.   Refrigerate until use.

METHOD

1.   On a skillet over low-medium heat, heat water and soak tamarind in it for 30 minutes.

2.   Drain and blend it into a liquid.

3.   Strain and discard the molasses.

4.   Refrigerate until use.