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For mumma, who made me realise how easy it is to diss food and how hard it is to make it.
In class our assignment was to create a cookbook using aspects of our personality depicted through different recipes. I’ve never really cooked in my life, but while making this book I realised how I have been taking food for granted. Earlier I instantly rejected a food item if the salt content was less or if it was too spicy. I realised how easy it is to eat something which looks and tastes good quickly, but never thought of the ‘behind the scenes’. I have learnt to look at food not just as something which fills up our stomach but as another living being which makes us feel good about ourselves without asking for anything in return. The reason why I’ve made my cookbook in the form of a bus journey is because that’s when I think the most. Even the whole Idea of this cookbook came to me while I was travelling in a bus. The entire cookbook has me travelling around different states in India, eating dishes that are had there. In the end I reach my home since I love the food there the most. The Hands are a representation of the ingredients that are required for each recipe. The Magical Cooking Hat is similar to the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter which tells you which house you’re in. Similarly the Magic Cooking Hat tells which aspect of my personality the dish represents.
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DELHI
p p a a g l go
While walking five steps I drop fifteen things around me. When we eat Golgappas the pani always trickles down our arms and mouth making it a messy dish. 1. Mix together all the dry ingredients for the puri. Add little water at a time and form a stiff dough. 2. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and keep aside for 20-30 minutes. 3. After 20-30 mins, remove the wet cloth and knead the dough again. 4. Cut out round puris from the entire rolled dough. 5. Heat oil in a kadai. When the oil becomes hot, slip one puri in the oil. 6. The puri will immediately puff and become golden brown. Apply a little pressure with a slotted spoon so as to help the puri puff up, if it is not puffing up. 7. When cooled, store the puris in an airtight container. While making pani puri, remove the puris from the container and serve with pani, ragda or boiled potatoes, sprouted moong and chana.
haak
KASHMIR
I have always been determined in life and have had a goal rather than living callously. Haak is made of spinach which makes you strong like Popeye! 1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. 2. Once the oil starts to smoke, add water and bring it to boil. 3. Add a pinch of soda to water and then put collard greens. 4. Stir around the mixture till the haak wilt. 5. If required, add more water. Remember that the leaves should remain submerged. 6. Add salt and chilies to the mixture. 7. Close the lid of the pressure cooker. Let the vegetable cook for 5 to 7 minutes. 8. After due time, release the pressure immediately. 9. Haak is ready. Serve it with steamed rice and plain yoghurt.
GUJRAT
dhokla
I have cried in every movie I have seen. I get affected too easily. The texture of Dhoklas are very soft and break easily. •1.1. In a bowl add gram flour (besan), Curd and water. •2.2. Mix well and make a smooth batter. The batter should be of thick consistency. •3. 3. Add salt and set aside for 4 hours covered with a lid. •4. 4. Take the ginger and green chili paste and add to the batter. Also add turmeric powder and mix well. •5. Keep the steamer or cooker ready on gas. 6. Grease a baking dish (it should fit in the steamer or •6. cooker). 7. Now in small bowl take a tsp. of soda bi-carb or eno, •7. 1tsp oil and lemon juice and mix well. •8. Add this to the batter and mix well. 9. Pour the batter into the greased pan and steam for •9. 10-12 minutes or till done. •10. Cool for sometime and cut into big cubes. •11.11. Heat little oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves allow to splutter. Remove and pour it over dhoklas. 12. Garnish the besan dhokla with coriander and slited green •12. chilies. Serve with hari chutney.
shrik MAHARAS
Once I start some work I won’t stop till the time its over even if that means sleepless nights. It take 2-4 hours to make Shrikhand and you can’t leave it in the middle once you start. 1. Hang yogurt in a muslin cloth, in a refrigerator until all the liquid from the yogurt has drained off. (Approximately three hours.) 2. Dissolve saffron in warm milk and set aside. 3. Blanch almonds, cool and cut into slivers. Cut pistachios into slivers and powder sugar. 4. Tie a clean muslin cloth tightly over the mouth of a large clean vessel. The muslin cloth thus acts as a sieve and should not sag in the middle. 5. Transfer the thick yogurt along with the sugar over the muslin cloth, in small quantities. For every cup of thick yogurt, add three fourth cup of sugar. 6. Rub the above mixture firmly over the cloth, till the whole mixture is sieved. 7. Add the dissolved saffron, almonds, pistachios and green cardamom powder to the sieved mixture. 8. Mix well and transfer to a glass bowl and refrigerate till cold.
HTRA
ha n
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KARN
ha ath b bisi b e l e Throughtout my life my first impression has always been what I’m actually not. Bisi bele bhaath is a dish that doesn’t look too good visually, but has an incredibly amazing taste. 1. Pressure cook toor dal and cook rice separately. 2. Boil diced vegetables in water with salt and turmeric powder until cooked. Drain the water and keep aside. 3. Make bisibele bhath powder: Dry roast all the powder ingredients and grind into a powder. This powder will keep for a few months if stored in an airtight container. 4. To 'assemble' bisibele bhath, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan. Add the tempering ingredients and fry till mustard seeds splutter. 5. Now add the cooked dal and vegetables. Add 2 table spoons of the bisibele bhath powder (more or less to taste), tamarind, and coconut. Add salt to taste. Add some water if necessary. The consistency of the dal mixture should be like a thick sambar. It should be a little runny at this stage because when you add the rice, it will absorb water. 6. Add rice to the dal mixture. Stir well and add ghee. Simmer on low heat for 10 - 15 minutes till bisibele bhath is bubbling. Serve hot or at room temperature.
bhut t e ka khe e s
M.P
I’m extremely moody and tempramental which is why sometimes I end up doing things which even I don’t expect from myself. I never expected an Indian sabzi to be made of corn. 1. Using a hand grater, grate the corn into a bowl. . 2. Finely chop the green chillies and ginger. 3. Stir in the chickpea flour into the grated corn and its milk. Ensure there are no lumps. 4. Mix the chopped chillies and ginger. 5. Heat water in a pressure cooker. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low. 6. Remove from the pressure cooker and let it cool for about 15 minutes. 7. Heat the oil and ghee mixture in a heavy-bottomed, Add the mustard seeds and roast till they begin popping. Crush the cloves (laung) and add to the tempering. 8. Add the steamed corn mixture to the pan. Also, mix in the turmeric, red chilly, and coriander powders. 9. Garnished with coconut flakes, chopped coriander leaves, and squeeze of a lemon. Serve with additional lemon. This is the traditional garnish, I believe. I didn’t have the coconut, so absent in the pics.
momo s
NAGALA
I generally tend to stick to one way of thinking and refuse to budge from it for a long time. Momos all over India are made in the same way. They always look and taste the same wherever you eat them. 1. Mix the refined flour, salt and baking powder and knead to a stiff dough, with water. 2. Heat oil and add the onion and garlic. Saute till a little soft and add the chicken. 3. Turn around over high heat till chicken is almost cooked. 4. Take it off the heat and mix in the soya sauce, salt, vinegar and black pepper. 5. Roll the dough thin (translucent) and cut into 4"-5" rounds. 6. Take a round, wet edges and place some filling in the center, bring edges together to cover the filling, twist to seal and fill the rest in the same way. 7. Steam for about 10 minutes and serve with soya sauce ` and chilli sauce.
ND
t h u k pa SIKKIM
I can’t sit still for too long. Either my feet move or I draw things in air with my fin fingers. Thukpa is a slippery dish with noodles and soup, so its difficult to eat it as its always falling around. •1.1. Cook noodles in boiling salted water until slightly under cooked. Drain and rinse. •2.2. In a sauce pan heat two tablespoons of cooking oil. Add onions, fry till light brown. Add bay leaf, turmeric, garlic, ginger, chilies, timur and asafetida. Stir well for a minute or so. •3. 3. Put the pieces of chicken and brown well. To the chicken mixture add tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper and cook until the chicken is tender. 4. Add carrot, red bell pepper, celery and spinach shreds; •4. fold into the chicken soup mixture. •5. 5. Cook for a couple of minutes until the vegetables are tender.You may add more broth if a soupier consistency is desired. •6. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. •7. 7. To serve, pour soup broth into a serving bowl and add the cooked rice noodles. Serve immediately. •
BIHAR
m a l pu a
I generally prefer being on my own and don’t need another person’s opinion to take decisions. Mal Pua is one dessert which is very filling and doesn’t need to be eaten with anything else. •1. Boil the milk till it reduces to 1/2 its quantity. •2.2. Roast the rava till light brown. Add to the milk along with maida.There should be no lumps. •3. 3. It should be a smooth pouring consistency. Heat the ghee.Take the batter in a glass. •4. 4. Pour in circular movements into the ghee to form a small pan cake. Turn over. Take care that it does not become crisp and hard. •5. 5. Make a sugar syrup of 1 thread consistency. Dip the malpura in the syrup and lay out on a plate.
roti
HOME
I am highly opiniated and generally stand by them no matter what. There is only one way to make a roti and it always has to be circular. I only like the roti made in my house. 1. In a large mixing bowl, mix Chapati Flour and Salt well. 2. Add Warm Water a little at a time to form a medium soft dough ball. Do not overwork the dough. 3. Knead the dough once and divide into golf ball size balls. 4. Dip one ball into the All-purpose flour to coat and roll it out into a thin disc. Keep dipping the rotli into the dry flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling surface. 5. Shake or rub off excess flour from the rotli and place it onto the hot tawa. 6. Flip to the other side once you see bubbles appear on ` the surface. Allow it to cook for 10-15 seconds. 7. Increase the stove heat to High, gently pick the rotli up with tongs, remove the tawa off of the flame, flip the rotli over and place onto an open flame. 8. The rotli should balloon up. Flip it over and cook on the other side.