CHICKPEA SALAD

“People aren't either wicked or noble. They're like chef's salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict.”

― Lemony Snicket, The Grim Grotto

It's the end of November and the middle of party season in Delhi. If you're regretting all those kaybob rolls and malai tikkas here is an easy recipe for redemption.

Also, I am so tired of salad recipes asking me to go buy all kinds of insane leaves that someone has flown down from another part of the planet! Who ever has that kind of stuff on hand?! Nobody as poor or disorganized as me for sure... Additional points to this recipe for using stuff most Indian kitchens will have available.

What you’ll need:

2 cups chickpeas (boiled but make sure they’re cold for the salad)

2 cups spinach (cut very small)
1 small onion (sliced thin)
¾ cup cilantro (chopped small)

For the dressing:

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

How to:

1. Slice up your spinach and cilantro as small as you can. Cut up the little onion into thin circles. Mix together with chickpeas in your salad bowl.

2. Mix together all your dressing ingredients nicely. Pour on top of your chick pea mix and mix again.

Note: I feel like I’ve said this before but as long as your hands are washed don’t be shy about using your hands. Unless you’re the kind of tosser who owns a salad tosser this is the best way to do it. Having said that to the tossers who own tossers – I want to be like you.

3. Chill in the fridge for a few minutes before serving.

 

SPICED COTTAGE PIE

“We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.”  ― David Mamet, Boston Marriage

I've been meaning to try a shephard's pie for a while but I found this interesting vegetarian version I wanted to try. I've never cooked soya before and I have to say I'm not a fan of it per se but this is probably one of the nicest ways to eat it. This is a nice, warm, filling dish - great as a winter Sunday lunch where everyone gets to nap after or a convenient one pot dinner for a small group of friends.

What you’ll need:

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions (finely chopped)

2 tomatoes (blended into a puree)

200 gm soya bean (cooked as per packet instructions. I used Nutrella which requires boiling for about 10 minutes)

2 handfuls peas

½ kg potato (peeled)

4 tbsp butter

½ cup grated cheese

3 tbsp ginger paste

3 tbsp garlic paste

Tomato puree (for sauce – keep a carton handy)

Bunch of coriander leaves (with stalk)

Salt and pepper to taste

Splashes of milk (about 80 ml)

Dash of lemon juice

Spices

3 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp chilli powder

3 tsp garam masala

2 tsp ground cumin

3 bay leaves

5 black cardamom pods

How to:

Preheat oven to 200°C

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and add onions, cardamom and bay leaves. Roast till onions are nicely golden. Add ginger and garlic paste. Stir for 3 -4 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes and all spices. Stir till the masala has thickened. Add the soya bean.

3. Dilute masala with a couple of generous dashes of tomato puree. Eventually I ended up using half a carton.

4. Simultaneously pile your potatoes in a pot of hot water and boil till tender.

5. Add half a liter of water to the soya bean and let the pot simmer till most of the water has been absorbed. Taste and check the seasoning. Add pepper and lime.

6. Add peas to the soya bean mixture and stir through. Cook for about 5 minutes. Check seasoning one final time. If you’re good with the taste, stir in the coriander and turn off the flame.

7. Once the potatoes are soft, mash them well. Add butter, a generous splash of milk and cheese. Mash some more. Add salt and pepper.

8. Spoon the soya bean mixture into an ovenproof dish. Add the potato mash as a layer on top and even it out. Pop in an oven for 30 minutes.

OATMEAL BANANA SMOOTHIE

Everything we do is a choice. Oatmeal or cereal. Highway or side streets. Kiss her or keep her. - Ned from Pushing Daisies (Possibly my favourite TV show ever)

I often miss breakfast and I know that's a stupid thing to do. Sleeping for 5 more minutes, trying to find the back of a pair of earrings I want to wear that day and sheer laziness keep getting in the way though. This smoothie is really easy, tastes great and will fill you right up if you don't get the chance to sit down to breakfast.

What you’ll need:

2 bananas

½ cup instant oatmeal
1/3 cup yoghurt
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp honey

How to:

1. Pour all ingredients into blender. Blend.

2. Drink.

RESTAURANT REVIEW: THE ALL AMERICAN DINER

For when only breakfast will do.

 

 

LOOKS LIKE

 

Many online reviewers have talked about the charming décor of the All American Diner but to be perfectly honest to me it looks Minnie Mouse went wild in a diner. Bright red, plastic booths and Betty Boop posters can only be Minnie’s idea of an authentic diner experience. I’m not saying I don’t like it, it's a sweet, cheerful space but if you told me you find it cloying, I wouldn’t disagree. I imagine kids love the place.

One thing that really bothers me about the décor is the innumerable, incongruent, disorienting tin plate ads on the walls. Selling everything from knives to cars, they’re all over every wall. I would have thought the place much prettier if they just got rid of, about 25 to 40 of them.

 

TASTES LIKE

 The Diner has a pretty extensive menu but really the only thing worth eating on there is the breakfast food. And the breakfast food is good.

I alternate between the sausages and eggs or the bacon and eggs (2 eggs, your choice of breakfast bread, hash browns and 3 slices of bacon or pork/chicken sausages) and I’m never disappointed. The hot dogs, pancakes and milk shakes also all work.

Don’t bother with the miscellaneous lunch and dinner plates, any non-breakfast food you would get at the Diner would probably be better someplace else. Ditto for the burgers, the Chilli Bean Burger was just the most insipid, dilute attempt at a vegetarian burger and the Spicy Cheese Toast was ordinary masala toast served cold.

 

FEELS LIKE

 

The service really isn’t great. There’s not much more to say about it. They forget orders, they take too long, they aren’t particularly knowledgeable about the menu and pretty much all you can expect is for them to gaze at you blankly. Go when you’re feeling patient. Also check your bill, they get their numbers wrong quite often.

More Reading:

I didn’t find any very interesting review to share but here’s their official site if you want to take a look:

http://www.habitatworld.com/diner.php

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Should you go? A reliable option when you want breakfast for breakfast, lunch or dinner

Vegetarian Options – Available

Liquor license – Yes

Address – India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi

Phone – 011 41220000

 

ROSEMARY, CHEESE AND HAM OMELET

Guest Post by Vrinda Singh Oberoi!

 

Let’s start the week with a recipe for the most important meal of the day.  I love eating omelets but I hate when they end up hard and flat. Here is my very own foolproof rendition of a fluffy rosemary, cheese, mushroom and ham omelet recipe. Feel free to replace the stuffing or rosemary with any combination of ingredients you prefer. Hope you enjoy it!

What You’ll Need:

2 Eggs

A generous quantity of Cheese (grated)

2 -3 Button mushrooms (finely chopped)

Handful of Salami or Ham (finely chopped)

Rosemary to taste

Salt to taste

Olive oil

How to: 

1. Probably the most important (maybe the only important) and slightly tough thing about the omelet making process is the splitting of the egg into two bowls. Separate the egg white and the yolk and put them in different bowls.  

Note: In case you find it hard to separate the eggs, just break a tiny hole into the shell of the egg instead of doing the whole splitting and juggling of the egg yolk thing. This is much easier though it might take half a minute longer.

2. Beat the white of the egg till its almost stiff (enough to make soft speaks). Then beat the yolks in the other bowl.

Note: I prefer beating it by hand though that takes a little bit of time but electronically run beaters work just fine.

3. Once the eggs are beaten drizzle some olive oil in a non stick frying pan which has been sitting on the stove on low flame and is nice and warm.

4. Pour the beaten egg whites into the frying pan (let it settle for about 5 seconds) and then pour the egg yolks over the whites.

Note: You can choose to skip the yolks completely if you’re watching your cholesterol levels.

5. While the center is still uncooked add the grated cheese, mushrooms, salami/ ham, rosemary, salt and any damned seasoning you please.

Note: I love smoked salami and honey glazed ham so always end up using these more than any other type of cold cuts but you don’t need to limit your topping to these  - you can really play around with what you would like in your omelet.

 

6. Fold the omelet from both the sides once the base is golden and lift gently and turn over.

7. Once the inside of the omelet looks like its firm enough (should take about 2-3 minutes) gently lift the omelet and place on serving plate.

8. Serve hot with bread.

 

SNAPSHOTS: FOOD ILLUSTRATIONS BY AASH!

For you today, these adorable, funny food illustrations from my very talented friend Aashmita Nayar! I love how much personality each ingredient has, my favourites are the suspicious onion and the narcissist pepperpot.

One day when all you wonderful readers make the effort to go like our facebook page, making us super famous and able to afford the publishing costs of a cook book we'll hire Aashmita to do our illustrations. In the mean time we'll happily cover her work here!

I love the suspicious expression on the onion's, erm, face(?).

 

This reminds me of a boy in my school. Do you have a dancing chicken in your life?

 

 

Narcissistic Pepper Pot