I am sure all of you are glued to your TV sets watching our Men in Blue take on our neighbours! Whether you are watching the match at home with family or friends or at a club, restaurant or any other venue, the experience will not be complete without snacks to munch on and refreshing beverages to go with them. You may not have time to dish up what I am going to share today, but can definitely try it out when the bigger match (the final) on Saturday. Here's an easy to put together snack that can be had all through the match... it's healthy and delicious. Also, sharing a very refreshing mocktail recipe. THe combination of Chana Aloo Chaat and Orange Twist can be quite something. Hope you enjoy:)

Chana Aloo Chaat

Ingredients
250 grams Kabuli Chana soaked in water for about 6 hours
2 medium-sized potatoes boiled, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 medium-sized onions finely chopped
1 inch piece ginger cut into thin strips / chopped
1 Tomato finely chopped (optional)
2 green chillies finely chopped
A few coriander finely chopped
Quarter tspn red chilli powder
2 tspns coriander powder
2 tspns chaat masala
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
50 grms fine sev (Bhel Sev) (optional)
Procedure
Pressure cook the Kabuli Chana with 4 to 5 cups of water for 10 to 15 minutes after the first whistle on low flame. When cool open and drain out water and put chana in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients except sev and mix together. Put in a serving bowl, garnish with coriander leaves and sev and serve. The chaat can be enjoyed all through the match and does not need to be heated.

Orange Twist

Ingredients
Orange Juice
Ginger-ale
Lemon Slices
Procedure
Mix chilled Orange Juice and Ginger-ale in 60:40 proportion. Add crushed ice (optional) and slice of lime and serve.

Last week I attended an interesting event hosted by the The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States - A tasting session of American Whiskeys, which was truly educative and enjoyable. In addition, I learnt a lot obout the uniquiness of American Whiskeys and how one can make interesing cocktails using these Whiskeys.

David Pickerell, the Master Distiller of George Washington Distillery explained to us that “American Whiskeys are produced in a completely natural process. Unlike other whiskeys, Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskeys are primarily made from corn, and are aged in charred, new oak barrels which can be used only once. This combination makes for a fuller, sweeter whiskey than its European counterparts.”

Several whiskey-based cocktails such as a Bourbon Manhattan and a Twisted Whiskey Sour were demonstrated at the event by master mixologist Shatbhi Basu, who explained that “Bourbon & Tennessee whiskeys make great cocktails because of their definitive flavour. They bring an edginess and depth to the drink - a certain assertiveness that redefines the taste experience! This is what makes them hugely popular with Indian consumers.”

I am sharing two of the recipes that Shatbhi Basu mixed up for us... Black Gold and Twisted Whiskey

Black Gold

30ml Bourbon or Tennessee Whiskey
30ml Coffee Flavored Liquor
Splash of Cola
1. Take old-fashioned glass filled with ice
2. Pour whiskey, coffee liquor, add a splash of cola, and stir
3. Serve in an old fashioned glass
4. Garnish with a stick of Kit Kat chocolate

Twisted Whiskey Sour
45ml Bourbon or Tennessee Whiskey
20ml Lime Juice
15ml Sugar Syrup
30ml Orange Juice
2/3 drops of Aromatic Bitters
1. Take a mixing tin filled 3/4th with ice
2. Add whiskey, lime juice, sugar syrup, orange juice, bitters. Shake
3. Serve in a Champagne tulip
4. Garnish with a slice of orange / cherry

HOLIday!

Sunday being Holi, I am sure most of us will spend the morning with family and friends having fun and spreading joy with colours and letting ourselves go. While we will all have our share of jalebis and rich food during the day, I think Sunday evening will be a time for relaxing at home and watching a cricket match with a soup and salad.

Lemon Coriander Soup
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 2 – 3 pieces of Lemon Grass washed
• 1 – 2 slit chillies
• ¼ cup carrots, sliced
• ¼ cup mushrooms sliced
• ¼ cup cabbage, diced
• ¼ cup red cabbage diced
• ¼ cup spring onion whites, sliced
• 2 tbsp spring onion greens, chopped
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
For the garnish
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 tsp lemon juice
Procedure:
Method
Combine the lemon grass and chillies in a pan with six cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer till the water reduces to approximately four cups. Strain and keep the stock aside, discarding the lemon crass and chillies. Heat oil in a pan and add the carrots, mushrooms, cabbage, red cabbage and spring onion ad whites and sauté for 1 -2 minutes. Add the stock, slat and pepper and bring to a boil.Simmer till the vegetables are tender. Add the spring onion greens and serve hot garnished with coriander and lemon juice.

Cabbage & Capsicum Salad
Ingredients:
• 1 small fresh cabbage
• 2 spring onion
• Juice of1 lemon
• 2 capsicums
• 1 green chillie
• ½ tsp. Sugar
• Salt and Pepper to taste
Procedure:
Grate or finely chop the cabbage. Finely slice the capsicums, spring onions and chillie. Mix all the vegetables in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator. Just before you serve, add salt, pepper, sugar & lemon juice and toss well.

White Bean and Vegetable Soup

I am sharing today the recipe of a soup I had recently which had a distinctive taste and I think is very nutritious too. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Ingredients
1 cup white beans (chouli)
1 small carrot finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
1 boiled potato cut into tiny pieces (optional)
1/2 inch piece of ginger ground
1 tspn butter
1/2 lemon juice
Salt
Pepper to taste
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Procedure
Soak white beans for 3 to 4 hours in water. Pressure cook beans with 4 to 5 cups of water for 10 minutes (reduce flame after first whistle and allow to cook for 10 minutes). Open the cooker when cool. Remove 1/4 of the cooked beans and keep aside in a bowl. Put the remaining beans along with the water in a blender and blend. In a pan heat butter and add ground ginger and blended chouli mix. If too thick, dilute with a little warm water and bring to a boil. Add finely chopped carrot and allow to cook for a minute or two, then add the potato, tomato and beans that you have kept aside in the bowl, salt and pepper and allow to boil for a minute or two. Turn off the flame, add lemon juice and serve hot with garlic toast or bread sticks.

Fish in Methi

This weekend I'm sharing a very traditional Sindhi recipe of Fish in Methi. It has a very distinctive taste and flavour and goes well with Roti or even rice khichdi., You could try with Surmai pomfret or even Ravas fish all of which will taste good when cooked in this masala. If you are planning to have fish this weekend, you could look at trying this Sindhi recipe. I think you will like it.

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 slices of Surmai / Pomfret fish
• 2 medium sized tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 tsp. Finely chopped ginger garlic / paste
• 2 green chillies chopped
• 1 small bunch Methi leaves (Fenugreek)
• ¼ tsp. Garam Masala
• 1 tsp. Coriander Powder
• 3 tsps. Oil
• Salt to taste
• Few coriander leaves chopped

Procedure:

Wash the fish slices, sprinkle salt on both sides and keep aside. Take out all the Methi leaves from the stems, wash and chop finely. In a kadai heat oil. Add ginger garlic and green chillies. Reduce flame and stir for a minute. Now add methi leaves and cook in open kadai for 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and the dry spices. Cover with fitting lid and cook for a few minutes till tomatoes and methi are well cooked and soft. Now put in the fish, add a little salt and cook on medium flame for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot decorated with fresh coriander leaves.