Sandwiches,Savoury Focaccia – is definitely one of my most favourite kinds of breads. There are so many interpretations and ideas of focaccia around the country and of what it should be like; this recipe is as close to the focaccia I was served throughout my childhood in italian restaurants around the world. Closer to home, the local bakeries make a thicker version, and more of a loaf-bread texture. For me focaccia has a crisp top, bread-y inside, and lot’s of flavourful toppings. A good focaccia does not need dipping condiments. I’ve tried countless recipes to recreate but none justified my memory. But this one finally did – most of focaccia I found previously had a portion of olive oil in the dough – but this one is as simple as it comes – flour, salt, yeast and water. Olive oil poured on top along with toppings. For me, a simple brush of olive oil, garlic, and sea salt is perfect – to be devoured with a wonderful bottle of wine. This is that focaccia. To humour the rest of the family, I added sliced onions, dried sage and rosemary with garlic – it’s delicious! When you start kneading this dough, you may feel is sticky and wet – that’s the signature of a focaccia – don’t worry. Have faith. You prove it twice, and then straight into the oven. You wash just 1 mixing bowl, 2 pans and the surface area you knead on. That’s all you need! Enjoy! The RecipeServes Total time: 3 hours Need: 2 cake tins (8” by 8”) Ingredients 10 g of instant dried yeast 465 g of flour 12 g of salt 320 ml of warm water 1 medium onion, sliced 1/2 cup olive oil 1 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp dried herbs (sage, basil, rosemary) 1 tsp sea salt oil extra – for greasing Instructions Whisk the flour, salt and dried yeast in a large wide bowl Slowly pour the warm water into the mix, while bring the dough together – knead for 5 minutes Then tip the dough onto a greased surface and knead well for 5 minutes, stretching out the dough to arms-length on the work surface, tucking the sides into the middle as you go – the dough will be slightly wet – don’t worry. If the dough sticks to your fingers and doesn’t come off quickly, add some more flour – but be careful not to add too much dough. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a bread cloth and leave for around an hour to prove Grease the two pans with olive oil Once the dough has doubled in size gently flatten and stretch to fit into the two greased pans, pushing and stretching the dough to the corners Cover the two pans and place in a warm place to prove again for 1 hour Preheat the oven to 220°C Whisk the olive oil with garlic and herbs and set aside Using the tips of your fingers, dimple the surface of the dough all over. Place the onions over the dough, and the olive oil mixture, followed by sea salt Bake for approximately 20 minutes Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool Serve warm Storage: once completely cool, you can store in a bread box at room temperature Best consumed on the same day, like the Italians

I gave you a sweet version of a baked apple – but a savoury one works just as well. There is something so intriguing and versatile about the apple – it makes a lovely pie, a cake, a relish, a chutney… and also goes superbly well with almost every kind of cheese. The Gujarati in me enjoys sweetness in every meal – a discovery I learnt at a very late age. I grew up on meals with many regional and international influences, but surprisingly less of Gujarati (both my parents are pure-bred Gujaratis but don’t eat so). It was only after moving to Ahmedabad did I really experiment with the local cuisine. I discovered that I enjoy Gujarati dal and kadi with a lot more sweetness than what I grew up with. I am beginning to warm to the idea of eating mango ras with roti and puranpuri as well – not quite there, but give me a few more years. That’s the beauty of food habits – they tend to grow on you. My parents were strict at the table – if we didn’t like anything that was given, we didn’t get any other food and were served that for the consequent 3 days until we learned to eat it up or go hungry. Sounds military-esque, but it worked. This is how you build tastes and encourage kids to try new foods. In other words, we were far from pampered and spoilt. I remembered all this simply because for this recipe the tables had turned last week, and I forced my mother to eat this. She was being fussy, grumbly and cranky about trying this delicious baked apple, and I put it in front of her, until she had no choice. She liked it. PROOF that if you force feed, it will work. She’s now put this recipe up for her next dinner party (and pretty sure she’ll claim the credit too and we shall bicker in front of the guests!). So, if you have kids or fussy adults, try to take this route, and see the beauty and ease of traveling with your kids the next time! Here, I stuff the apples with ground almonds, cranberries, sage, grainy mustard, onions and gruyere cheese – the combination is an utter delight on the palate. This is a great side dish to pasta, rice or quinoa. If you don’t have gruyere, you can opt for any other strong flavoured cheese that complements the apple well (ementhal, gouda, Britannia block cheese, Swiss).

Sandwiches,Savoury Yes, a wholewheat pizza base – never thought I would come to this, but here we are. It’s what kids do to you. This recipe is delightfully easy, the edges crisp up well, and if you roll it out thicker, you would see some bubbles too. Of course, you cannot compare this to a neapolitan crust or something as authentic as that, but it makes a satisfying healthier version. I make this our green pizza – with lots of pesto, a bit of cheese, lots of zucchini ribbons, olives and capers, along with chili oil drizzled generously. baked to perfection within 10 minutes, this is a good one! The Recipe Serves 6-7 Ingredients Flatbread: yields: 6-7 flatbreads 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp olive oil 2 ½ tsp instant dry yeast 1 tbsp honey ¼- ½ cup warm water Topping: 1 zucchini, peeled into ribbons ½ cup pesto handful of shredded cheese / feta cheese / buratta cheese olives capers fresh basil red chilies extra virgin olive oil or chili oil Instructions Flatbread: Stir the ¼ cup warm water with instant dry yeast and honey and set aside for 10 minutes In a big mixing bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour and salt Once the yeast has bloomed, make a well in the center of the flour Add the yeast mixture and olive oil and stir to make a dough. Add more water if required Knead for 5-6 minutes Place in a greased bowl and cover with a cloth Place in a warm place for an hour After the hour is completed, knead the dough for a few minutes Then divide into 6-7 equal size shaped balls and roll out into rounds Spread a generous amount of pesto on top of each flatbread Add cheese, zucchini ribbons, olives, capers, red chilies, fresh basil and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or chili oil Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 10 minutes Serve hot Can add buratta cheese or feta cheese on top and another drizzle of EVOO on top before serving

I chanced upon a bottle of black garlic paste in olive oil and my mind started to churn non-stop. I found a few recipes that paired it with baby onions and lots of cheese and you know I can’t say no to that! This recipe is inspired from a few recipes put together to create a new one. I first gently cook the baby onions in olive oil and salt, hoping to get them slightly caramelized, then add some fresh minced garlic to sizzle, gently deglazed with some wine – either red or white, and a heavy dose of the black garlic paste, lots of black pepper and fresh basil, some of the pasta water added with the pasta to just gently coat it. The final touch is lots and lots of grana Padano cheese. Recipe Ingredients  2-3 tbsp olive oil10 baby onions or shallots, quartered1 tbsp minced garlic¼ cup red or white wine – optional 2 tbsp black garlic paste1 tsp salt1 tsp black pepper1 tbsp dried thymefresh basilGrana Padano cheese cooked pasta for 4 persons + pasta water Recipe Instructions Heat the olive oil in a deep bottom panAdd the quartered baby onions and salt and let cook slowly for 5-6 minutes – allowing the onions to slowly carameliseThen add the garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionallyThen add the wine if using and stir and let the wine cook offAdd the black garlic paste and thyme halfway and stir wellAdd black pepper and fresh basil leavesThen add the cooked pasta and a few spoons of the pasta water and stir Remove from the heat and add lots of shaved grana Padano cheese

Eggs are versatile and delicious in every form for me and I particularly am fond of eating eggs for lunch – which means baked eggs in various forms! I started thinking of something along the lines of Thai curry and eggs and thought, why not bake them? Here I use leftover Thai curry green paste, add it to coconut cream, add some fresh lemongrass, a dried kaffir lime leaf and cook for a little bit in a pan, then crack eggs on top, cover, letting them steam and then voila! Simply sprinkle some sesame seeds and peanuts and really, you’ve got yourself a whole meal! Recipe Serves 1 person Recipe Ingredients ½ onion, crushed1-2 cloves garlic, minced1 tsp ginger, minced1 tsp cumin seeds1 tbsp Thai green curry paste100 ml coconut cream½ dried kaffir lime leaves1-2 stalks of fresh lemongrass2-3 tbsp water (optional)1 tsp salt1 tsp red chili flakes2-3 fresh basil leaves2 tsp coconut oil2 eggssoya sauce (optional)for garnish: black and white toasted sesame seeds and toasted peanuts Recipe Instructions Heat coconut oil in a small pan and add the cumin seeds, onion, garlic, ginger paste and Thai curry paste and sautéThen add the coconut milk, salt, chili flakes, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, basil, salt and cook for a few minutes, to reduce downAdd water if required, stirring occasionallyThen crack two eggs in the center and cover the pan with the lid and let the eggs cook and steam for about 3-4 minutes, ensuring the whites firm up but the yolk has some jiggle to itSprinkle sesame seeds and peanuts over and if you like a teaspoon of soya sauce

Sandwiches,Savoury This baguette recipe comes to you after months and months of practice. Every time I got to come home for a few days from my last project, I went straight to the kitchen to give this one a shot. The beauty of this bread is the minimal ingredients, and a fairly straight forward procedure – although the first time I made it, it did not seem so. By the third time, this recipe and method became ingrained in my head that even after weeks of break, I still did not require to look at the notes or measurements again!This baguette is free of gluten and bread improver – although I have tried this recipe with adding some of it, I found these came out better without the added interference.Once you get the hang of this one, I assure you, you will never buy baguette from the stores again! The RecipeServes 6-7 mini baguettes Ingredients 50 ml warm water 1 ½ tsp instant dry yeast 1 pinch sugar 450g flour maida 2 tsp salt 285 ml cold water additional flour for dusting oil for greasing lots of ice for the oven Instructions Measure the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside.

 Measure the bread flour into a large bowl and stir in the salt.

 Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, and stir in the dissolved yeast.

 Add the cold water, a little at a time, while stirring, just until a shaggy dough has formed.
 Cover the bowl with damp cloth and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

 Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and gently press it into a rectangle and fold into thirds. Turn 90 degrees and repeat. 

 Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, and cover with damp cloth. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 ½ to 2 hours).

 Divide the dough into 6-7 equal portions, and shape each one into a long loaf Place the loaves on a floured towel, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in size for 45 minutes.

 Preheat the oven to 250 C, and place a pan of water with lots of ice on the bottom rack.

 Uncover the baguettes and transfer to lightly greased baking sheets.

 Sprinkle with flour, and make 4 elongated slashes down each one with a lame, razor, or sharp knife. 

 Bake the breads until crusty and brown for approximately 20 minutes The baguettes should give a hollow sound when tapped

Savoury Quinoa and broccoli are excellent sources of fibre and nutrition. Quinoa is a good dose of protein and energy source which helps with fatigue syndrome and proper digestion. It is also gluten free and high in alkaline so helps with anyone who also suffers from celiac disease and acidity. I pair quinoa with broccoli here, with ginger, garlic, onions, chilli flakes and dried basil and just a few lashings of soya sauce for flavour. Broccoli is rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamins A, B6, B12, D, E and K and folate. It has a high antioxidant profile for fighting inflammation – it has Kaempferol, a natural flavonol, which is especially good at reducing inflammation. You can surely add in some tofu, or paneer if you are okay with dairy, and of course scrambled eggs! The Recipe Serves Ingredients ¼ cup quinoa - cooked 1 tsp red chilli flakes 2 tsp garlic minced 2 tsp ginger minced ½ onion, sliced 1 tsp soya sauce 1 cup broccoli florets 1 tsp salt 1 tsp dried basil or 4-5 fresh basil leaves 1 tsp olive oil Instructions Heat olive oil with garlic, ginger and onion and sauté Then add the broccoli, soya sauce, salt, red chili flakes and dried basil and sauté Then add the cooked quinoa and stir together Serve hot Optional: serve with a mint yoghurt or tahini sauce

Savoury This is a one-pot soup that is cooked in just half a teaspoon of olive oil with garlic, onions, bay leaf, star anise, minimal salt, lots of vegetables of your choice, my preferred being zucchini and red peppers. I drizzle a lot of extra virgin olive oil on top and dried herbs for added flavour. Here’s a breakdown on why the above ingredients are chosen: Star Anise: Since ancient times, star anise was a key ingredient to relieve body pains, swelling and arthritis. The compounds found in this spice include vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbbohydrates, antioxidants that decrease inflammation of muscles, joints, and skin by “inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme. COX-2 is one of the main regulating enzymes of the inflammatory response which activates production of inflammation lipids prostaglandins and proteins (cytokines)” Bay leaf: is known for soothing digestive track and avoid stomach disorders. A key to easing chronic inflammation is taking care of your gut. This leaf is known also for anti-inflammatory properties and relieving joint pains. Garlic and Onion: both are aromatics that help stimulate the body senses – they contains diallyl disulfide, an anti-inflammatory compound that limits the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines The Recipe Serves Ingredients ½ tsp olive oil 2 tsp garlic 1 bay leaf ½ star anise ½ medium onion, chopped or sliced ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper ½ cup chopped vegetables, bite-sized (carrot, zucchini, bell peppers) 3 cups water (optional to add cooked lentils, chickpeas, rice, noodles or whole grain such as quinoa or barley towards the end, of cook along with the vegetables) Instructions In a medium stock pot, warm the olive oil with garlic, onion and bay leaf and cook on low heat Allow the garlic to sauté and become fragrant and then add the vegetables with salt and stir Then add the star anise and water Stir and let cook for 10 minutes You can eat the soup as is, or remove the bay leaf and star anise and crush Eat warm.

Savoury My mother spent a weekend at a wellness spa resort and came home to make this delicious Ayurvedic-inspired yellow dal that is ideal for daily consumption and also for bad days that are plagued with exhaustion, body pains and tiredness after long travels.The tempering is simple, made in ghee – this helps with stomach issues, ease of joint movements, skin dryness and energy boosting.Have it with plain rice (preferably jirasar or kolum variety) or roti made with whole wheat, jowar or ragi or whatever suits your digestion. The Recipe Serves Ingredients ½ cup moong dal – rinsed and soaked for 2 hours 1 ½ cup water ++ ½ tsp salt Tempering: 1 tsp ghee 1 tsp cumin seeds 8-9 ginger julienne pinch of hing ½ tsp turmeric 1 green chili, finely chopped (optional) fresh coriander ghee on top Instructions In a cooker, boil the dal and some salt with water – it should be a thin dal Once it is done, remove the lid and stir, adding some more water to make it a thin consistency Tempering: Heat ghee in a small pan with cumin seeds and ginger Once it starts to sizzle, add hing, turmeric, green chili and sauté Then add it to the dal and stir Serve with another dollop of ghee on top and garnish with coriander

Savoury The outdoors has become more precious now, more than ever. When you’re asked to stay indoors, stay home, work from home, not go out for anything other than essentials, the human mind automatically rebels. And so, like other humans, I spend all my time in the garden. Granted, I never spent enough time at home before, spending perhaps 90% of a day at the office or other work site and so never really truly appreciated my home. While most have been hating the #WFH home routine, I am revelling in that. I cannot put it in any other way than: I love my home, I love being at home and I don’t want to leave my home. So, we are eating meals in the garden and using the BBQ grill at least once a week – and one of the best items are baby potatoes – marinated in mustard oil which lends the delicious aroma and flavour. The Recipe Serves Ingredients 20 baby potatoes, par boiled with skin Marinade: 1/8 cup mustard oil 1 tbsp mustard powder 1 ½ tsp salt 2 fresh red chilies Instructions Mix all the marinade items together in a large bowl that has a lid Toss the par boiled potatoes into the bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or longer, until ready to grill Before cooking, bring the potato bowl out to room temperature skewer them into a long stick grill on a hot grill / coal grill for 5 minutes or so, turning over often

Savoury The beauty of cooking is that there are no rules – the cyclone played havoc on the trees and countless mangoes, ripe and unripe, littered the ground, cut short of their life span. And if you know me, I cannot see waste of any sort. I had a big bag of them sent across, and most of it turned into Mango Chutney which sits well in the fridge for weeks. But a small portion I set aside to experiment with. This rice recipe is an amalgamation of various other recipes, and adapted to my tastes – I cannot put a label on it and call it Gujarati, from southern India or just from air – you will have to take your own meaning! This recipe is adaptable to your pantry and of course tastes. I use urad dal in the rice, but you can use sesame seeds, channa dal – anything that gives it it’s crunch! The Recipe Serves 2 Ingredients ½ cup uncooked rice 1 spoon sesame oil 1 large raw mango 2 red dry chillies 2 tsp white urad dal (or white sesame seeds, channa dal) 2 tbsp ghee 5-8 curry leaves 1 tsp salt Dry masala: 2 red chillies ¼ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp mustard seeds pinch of hing ½ tsp sugar or jaggery – optional if the mango is too sour for your taste Instructions Cook the rice in boiling salted water till tender but not mushy. Drain the excess water and stir in some oil lightly with a fork to keep the grains separate. Make the dry masala by putting all together in a mortar and pestle and ground Peel and grate the mango. Mix the dry masala and the mango into the cooked rice. Heat the ghee in a pan and brown the dal lightly. Add chillies and curry leaves and fry a little. Put the rice in and stir well. Cover with a well-fitting led and allow to rest over very low heat till ready to serve.

Savoury This is a delightful one-pot meal which has all the required components, takes less than 15 minutes of prep, 15 to 20 minutes cook time, and a delicious. aroma will fill your kitchen, home and entice even the kids to run to the table. This is a perfect option for those #WFH and balancing all duties and responsibilities, and also for those caring for covid patients at home – you get protein, fibre, carbs and greens in one go. Pair it with plain yoghurt for it’s healthy bac for the stomach. Rice and I are first lovers and I always look for unique ways to make it. Perhaps it is the leftover habit from college, where rice was easier to make in a rice cooker, no nonsense of kneading dough and rolling it out and looking for a flame gas to ‘fulavo’ the roti! But rice to me, is the blank slate that I can build up on any way I like, depending on my mood – soya sauce, fried egg, chilies, and garlic or garam masala and coriander with potatoes or italian spices with lots of tomatoes and mushrooms…. The RecipeServes 4 Ingredients ¾ cup masoor dal (brown), uncooked, soaked in water for 2-3 hours, rinsed 1 cup rice, uncooked, soaked in water for 2-3 hours, rinsed 1 big onion, finely chopped 1 tbsp green chili – ginger – garlic paste 2-3 cups spinach, finely chopped 2 tbsp ghee 1 tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp turmeric powder 1 star anise 1 inch cinnamon stick 2 green cardamom, bruised up 8 cloves 1 bay leaf 1 mace 4-5 whole black peppercorns (aakha mari) ½ cup chopped mint leaves 2 tsp salt Temper: 1 tbsp ghee 1 tbsp minced garlic 10 mint leaves fresh Instructions Heat ghee in a deep pot Add the star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf with onions and let cook on low heat until fragrant Then add the cumin seeds and green chili, ginger and garlic paste and sauté Then add turmeric powder, coriander-cumin powder and sauté for a few minutes Then add the spinach and salt and sauté for a few seconds Add the dal and rice and stir to coat with all the masala Add water to cover the mixture, with a bit more (approx. 2 cm) Add the mint on top Cover and let cook for 15-20 minutes or so until the rice and dal has cooked through and water has been completely absorbed While the rice is resting, temper the ghee with garlic – allow the garlic to turn red and fragrant and then add the mint leaves to fry Pour over the rice