So here’s THE sauce that I was talking about. It’s pretty much a fail safe recipe and so much more flavorful and satisfying than the store bought varieties. Also when there is an overload of tomatoes in the market which you bought home just because they looked “so nice and juicy”, I suggest putting them to good use in this recipe. This sauce recipe can be used in so many dishes that it’s great to have around. And it’s perfectly healthy!!! Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce What you need:1 kg Tomatoes (pureed)500 gms Blanched Tomatoes3 cloves garlic1 Large Onion, minced6 cloves1 teaspoons basil1 Tbsp Rock salt1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper2 Tbsp sugar1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil What to do:In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Squash the blanched tomatoes with your hands in a bowl and toss into the pot. Saute for a 3-5 mins. Now add the puree. Season with the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20-30 mins. Check seasoning. Mamma Mia!

Aubergines/ Eggplants are not the co-resident’s favorite vegetable. Forget favorite, it does not even feature in an “I like” list. So when I suggested I was going to make Aubergine Parmesana, the response was a turned up nose and a resigned sigh. Not an encouraging start! When I started frying the aubergine, there was a grunt of approval and finally when the dish popped out of the oven, he ate more than me. So I’ve copied this recipe to help you convert others, after all who can hate a vegetable which is the color of royalty – purple! Aubergine Parmesana What you need:1 large/ 2 small Aubergines/ Eggplants2 Med EggsFlour for dustingSalt and Pepper to tasteOil for frying2 cups Italian Tomato Sauce (Store/ Home made)2 Garlic cloves1 tsp crushed red pepper flakesA few leaves of fresh Basil/ 2 Tbsp dried Basil150 gms Mozzarella cheese (grated)½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated) What to do:Preheat oven to 375F/ 190C. Start by salting and pressing the eggplant (aubergine). You need to do this several hours before you start the …

Hummus is a dip/ spread that is made from chickpeas. In fact, hummus is the Arabic word for Chick pea. The cool thing about Middle eastern food is that no recipe is set in stone. You can vary the ingredients to suit your taste and still end up with something amazing on your plate. This delicious puree can be served over salad, as part of a Turkish style mezze, a dip or even as a sandwich filling. Don’t let rules bind you … go have some fun! Hummus Bi Tahini (with Tahini – sesame paste) What you need:Juice of two lemons2 Garlic cloves, sliced2/3 cup Tahini pasteFlat leaf parsley – to garnish¾ cup dried Chickpeas2 Tbsp Olive oilPinch of Cayenne PepperSalt and Ground Black pepper, to tasteExtra Olive oil and Cayenne pepper for sprinkling What to do:Put the chickpeas in a large bowl with plenty of cold water and leave them to soak overnight. Throughly rinse and drain the chickpeas, then place them in a large pan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the …

My friends and I went to this beautiful restaurant in Bangalore, 100Ft Boutique and they served a lovely Chicken in Mustard Cream sauce. I was hooked and had to try to replicate the recipe at home. So after scrounging the net for about an hour I realized that Mustard Cream Sauce is a classic recipe that every culinary student will learn sometime in their career. So my learning begins now. The recipe called for Chicken breasts but I used some drumsticks as well. I also used a mix of both white wine and chicken stock. I served the chicken with carrot shavings and mashed potatoes. If I must say, it turned out pretty darned good. Maybe I’ll try the sauce over some grilled fish next time… Sublime! Chicken in Mustard Cream Sauce What you need:4 Chicken Breasts½ tsp Salt½ tsp Pepper¼ tsp Cayenne pepper powderFlour for dredging1 cup dry White wine/ Chicken stock¼ cup chopped Shallots2 tsp Oil2 cups Cream¼ cup Dijon Mustard½ tsp Salt¼ tsp Cayenne pepper powder2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon What to …

This is one of my perennial favorite dips. I can’t however entirely take credit for this recipe – It’s from a Dutch friend of mine. (Thanks JW!) I’ve tweaked the recipe just so and love it even more now. I’ve had friends finish an entire jar of dip in one sitting – so be warned, making the quantity you thought is enough is actually never enough! Garlicky Yoghurt Dip What you need:1 cup thick Yoghurt¾th cup Mayonnaise5 pods Garlic (minced)2 pods Garlic (bruised)10 sprigs of Parsley (Chopped fine) What to do:Mince garlic, smash two pods using the flat side of the knife. Combine the yoghurt and mayo. Toss in the garlic and parsley and stir. Serve with Nachos/ Chips/ Nuggets/ Vegetable Crudités.

Bangers and Mash = Sausages and Mashed potatoes. It’s called Bangers because if you don’t poke a hole in the sausages when cooking them, they tend to burst with a “bang”. This is a cheap and economical meal, but there is no compromise on the taste. It’s a British favorite and generally there serve whole sausages in gravy. However, I like to slice and dice mine up, so that the rich gravy can coat each mini piece of yumminess (Don’t know if that’s a real word!). The best part about this dish is that I can have it for breakfast or lunch or dinner. Promise you the kids will love them…and so will you. Easy Breezy. Bangers and Mash Cooking time – 15 minsServes 4 What you need:8 Medium Size Sausages (Chicken – I like the flavoured ones)2 Tbsp Oil2 Med Onions (sliced)4 Tbsp of Barbeque Sauce2 Tbsp of WaterSalt and Black PepperFor the Mash:800 gm Potatoes6 Tbsp Milk1 Tbsp Cream50 gm ButterSalt and Black Pepper What to Do:Boil water in a saucepan and toss …

I would presume cheese and bread are staple items in anyone’s cupboard. No matter which way you combine them, you’re sure to have a comforting meal. You can almost call them a happy couple – Wonderful by themselves and more fun when they are together. So obviously I was game when I came across a recipe for “Irish Cheese Pudding”. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out what was so Irish about it, then I read about the magic ingredient – Dark Beer. Magic? Well, if you’re a beer drinker/Irish (they’re almost synonymous) the reason will be obvious to you. But for the uninitiated, .. the Dark Beer will make the Cheese Pudding moist and fluffy. And anyone who’s tried to achieve the same result without beer, will now vouch, that beer in a main course weaves it own little magic. So I made my cheese pudding and served it with a green salad and like the Irish say, “LoVely it was!” Irish Cheese Pudding Prep time – 30 minsBaking time – 30 …

Yesterday was one of the days when the co-resident was not going to be home for dinner. Considering I don’t really have any strong dislikes for any specific food groups, my options seemed endless. Cooking for one however can be quite daunting. You don’t want to go though a complicated recipe and have it turn out perfectly with no one to go “ta da” for. You also don’t want to curl on the couch with instant noodles, though trust me sometimes that’s the best way to relax. Most of my cooking revolves around what I have in my refrigerator on any given day. So a quick peak established that I would need to find a recipe that involved carrots. Everything fit into the plan perfectly as I zeroed in on Carrot Soup with Yoghurt! a. The co-resident does not consider “Soup” to be a meal, b. Carrots do not feature in his list of ‘yummy’ things to eat, c. Cold Soup?? … That was pretty much an oxymoron that I cannot be bothered to explain …