Jerusalem Salad

Presenting "Jerusalem Salad".. This is a very simple to make salad, which, as the name suggests, originated from Jerusalem. It is also known as Israeli Salad. It is made of cucumbers (preferably the Persian ones as they have very soft & tiny eatable seeds), tomatoes, parsley and onions. Very simple to put together yet incredibly flavorful.. Let me take you over the ingredients and you will want to go into your kitchen and make a batch! Do let me know your feedback in the comments section below.. Happy cooking!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Diced Cucumbers (preferably Persian variety)
• 1 cup Diced Deseeded Tomatoes 
• 3/4 cup Diced Onions
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Parsley 
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice 
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin 
• Salt & Pepper to taste 

Method:

• Mix lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, ground cumin, salt & pepper and set it aside. 
• In a mixing bowl, add the diced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and parsley; add the dressing from the step above and give it a good mix. You are all set now! Yes, so simple :-)
• Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions:

Jerusalem salad is traditionally served with pita bread, usually along with falafel and tahini sauce.

Falafel (Ground Chickpea Fritters)

Presenting "Falafel"... The famous Mediterranean vegetarian fritters, typically served in a pita bread in the form of a sandwich (open pita pocket or wrapped) but it is equally delicious with hummus and tahini sauce. It is a perfect blend of crushed chickpeas and parsley and/or cilantro with a hint of garlic and some seasoning. So let me get right to the handful of ingredients and the simple process that you'd need to follow and you'll indulge in thus awesomeness - it's a guarantee! I hope you do give this recipe a try and let me know your feedback in the comments section below.. Happy cooking!! 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Chickpeas (uncooked)
• 1 tbsp Garlic Minced/Crushed
• 1/2 Onion (Medium sized)
• 1/2 cup Parsley (or Cilantro or a combination of both)
• 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour 
• 1 tsp Paprika 
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin  
• Salt & Pepper to taste 
• Oil to fry

Method:

• Soak the chickpeas for at least 12 hours. You'll notice they would've bloated to almost double the size. They, however, would not be as big as the cooked ones e.g. the ones you'd have noticed from the cans. No need to worry about it, as this is expected. 
• Now, drain the chickpeas and lay them flat on a kitchen towel; idea is to remove as much moisture as possible. 
• DO NOT substitute with the canned chickpeas, they will not work and will be nowhere close to the version you've seen in the restaurant. 
• Add the chickpeas, onion, garlic, all purpose flour, parsley (and/or cilantro whichever one you are using), paprika, ground cumin, salt & pepper to a good processor and pulse until you achieve a coarse mixture. Empty the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate covered for at leas an hour. 
• Heat the oil on medium heat. You know the oil is ready when you drop a little bit of the mixture in the oil, and it starts bubbling right away. If you see a lot of smoke coming out of your pan, reduce the heat to low and let the oil cool down. Repeat the precious step to test the oil. 
• When ready to fry, take the mixture out of the refrigerator. While the oil is heating up, make the falafel balls. Dust your hands in flour to begin making the balls; it's easier that way. 
• Fry on medium heat (this will allow the falafel to cook from inside while the outer coting is getting cooked). Turn the falafel upside down if needed. Fry until medium brown in color. 
• Enjoy!! 

Serving Suggestions:

Serve falafel with hummus & tahini sauce or in a pita bread as a sandwich. 

Kadhai Paneer

Presenting - "Kadhai Paneer". This is a very famous North Indian delicacy equally popular amongst young and adults. It is a rich gravy dish made with paneer (of course, thats in the name!), bell pepper & onion. I've tried to make this recipe with very few ingredients (well, few considering that North Indian dishes are usually very elaborate). Do give this a try and I'm sure you'd want to make this again and again.. Do let me know your feedback in the comments below! Happy cooking..!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb Paneer, Cubed
• 1 large Green Bell Pepper, cut into squares of the same size as paneer
• 1 medium Onion, cut into squares of the same size as paneer
• 2 Onions Finely Chopped
• 4 Tomatoes Finely Chopped
• 1/4 cup Tomato Puree
• 4 tbsp Oil
• 2 tbsp Ghee/Clarified Butter
• 1 Cinnamon Stick (approx 3"), whole
• 3 Black Cardamom, whole
• 3 Bay Leaves, whole
• 1 1/2 tsp Ginger Paste
• 1 tbsp Garlic Paste
• 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 2 tsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves, crushed between your palms
• 2 tsp Corn Flour (you may substitute by 3 tsp All Purpose Flour)
• 3 tbsp Heavy Cream
• Water - as needed
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying paneer
• Cold Water and Ice Cubes
• 2 tbsp Cilantro/Coriander/Dhaniya Finely Chopped

Method:

• In a frying pan, fry the paneer, few cubes at a time. Fry on medium only for a few seconds, they still need to retain their color (if a few cubes do get brown on the edges, it is ok, don't worry about it). Drain them into the bowl with cold water and ice cubes for approximately 2-3 minutes; this is to stop the paneer from cooking further. Take them out of the water and set them aside for later use.
• In another pan, add the oil (we will add the ghee later) and shallow fry the onion squares on medium heat until tender; keep stirring constantly to avoid caramelizing the onions any more than necessary. Take them out into a bowl and set it aside for later use.
• In the same pan, shallow fry the green bell peppers on medium heat until tender; keep stirring occasionally. Take them out into a bowl and set it aside for later use.
• In the same pan with the remaining oil, add the ghee and the whole garam masala, viz. cinnamon stick, black cardamom and bay leaves; saute for about 30 seconds. Add ginger and garlic paste and saute for another 30 seconds.
• Add the chopped onions and season it with salt (just enough salt for the onions in the pan, we will season the remaining ingredients as and when we add them). Cook covered on medium heat until they are translucent (stir occasionally to avoid the onions sticking to the bottom of the pan).
• Add the chopped tomatoes, season it with salt (only for the quantity of tomatoes added) and stir well. Cook covered on medium low until oil starts leaving the sides; stirring occasionally.
• Add the tomato puree, stir and cook covered on medium low for about 3-4 minutes.
• At this point, the flavor of whole garam masala is incorporated in the gravy and it is ok to remove them (you may choose to leave it in if you prefer so).
• Add the spices, viz. red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, kasuri methi; stir well. Mash the gravy in the pan (you can either use a potato masher or just use the back of your stirring spoon).
• Mix the corn flour with water and add it to the gravy while stirring constantly.
• Add the paneer, onion and bell pepper and stir well.
• Add heavy cream and stir well. Add water, if needed, to adjust the consistency. Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
• Give it a final taste test and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Finally stir in the chopped cilantro (you may reserve some for garnish).
• Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions:

Kadhai Paneer can be served with naan/roti/paratha.

Tahini Sauce

Presenting - "Tahini Sauce". A healthy, tangy dish made from "Tahini Paste" - yes they are different, people who are not very well-versed with mediterranean cooking often tend to get confused. Tahini sauce can be served as a dip with toasted pita or be drizzled into a pita sandwich. You just need a handful of ingredients and this is very very easy to make...

I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know your feedback in the comments below! Happy cooking..!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Tahini Paste
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1 tsp Garlic Paste/Minced Garlic
• Salt & Pepper - to taste

Method:

• In a bowl, add the tahini paste, garlic and lemon juice and whisk together. You'll notice that the tahini paste changes color from brownish to a creamy color.
• Now, at this stage, the mixture will be quite thick. Add water to adjust the consistency. I don't prefer a very thin consistency so the measurements are mentioned appropriately; you may adjust the quantity of water to reach your desired consistency.
• Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tahini Paste

Tahini Paste - This is a very simple recipe and it happens to be one of the key ingredients when it comes to staple middle eastern food like hummus, baba ghanoush, tahini sauce, etc. You can sure buy it from the stores but if you continue to read this post, you'll see how easy it is to make it at home - I'm very sure you'll never think of buying from the stores again. Also, it can last in the refrigerator for months (I'm not saying it "would" last that long - if you like middle eastern food even half as much as I do!!). Now what you need for making tahini paste? Just 2 ingredients (yes you read it right, only 2 ingredients!!)... 

So let me take you over the recipe without wasting any more of your time :-)... I hope you give this recipe a try in your kitchen and let me know your feedback in the comments section below!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Sesame Seeds
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil

Method:

• Roast the sesame seeds in a broad saucepan stirring constantly on medium to medium-low heat. This would take about 8-10 minutes. 
• Empty the sesame seeds on a plate with paper towels (these help absorb the moisture released from the sesame seeds while they cool down).
• In a food processor/blender, grind the sesame seeds until they break down and release the oil. If needed, add little oil to help the grinding process. Now add the oil and pulse 2-3 times to combine.
• This is a very versatile paste and is used as a key ingredient in most of the middle eastern dishes, e.g. Hummus, Tahini Sauce, Baba Ghanoush, etc. This can be stored in the refrigerator for months together.
• Enjoy!!