Noodle Soup of my dreams

It’s that time of the year. Chilly weather calls for heartwarming comforting meals. Soups, stews and several beige foods rule the roost of this genre. In my sincere attempt to liven up the dreary 4pm sunset Chicago winters I got into experimenting with lots of colorful toppings on a light flavorful broth. While doing that, I went down a rabbit hole of perfecting a vegetarian pho base which honestly was hard to find here in Chicago (so far I like Pho 888 in the Argyle area the most, if you are visiting then make sure to check them out. Their tofu banh mi is pretty rad IMO). I wouldn’t say I have succeeded but if I have to pick Noodle Soup of dreams then this it!!!!

Thick Rice Udon is served in a smoky spicy broth where charred alliums and toasted dry spices form the base and shiitake mushrooms add the Umami kick. Finished with fresh herbs, fried shimeji mushrooms, chiles, pickled cucumbers, lime and a dash of fiery (homemade) chili sauce.The broth is the real star here so feel free to switch up toppings and try with different noodles …but highly recommend try my way at least once.

Incredibly grateful to many many of my Instagram followers and friends for taking out time to test and share feedback in perfecting it! You all are the reason I’m still going…

Ingredients (serves 2 as Main)

For Charred base

1 medium Red Onion, quartered

10g Ginger, roughly cut in chunks

2 Scallion Whites, roughly cut in chunks

1 tbsp Dark Soy (1.5 tbsp if using Light Soy)

1 tsp Brown Sugar

2 tsp Neutral Oil

For spice mix

1 tbsp Coriander Seeds

1/2 stick of Cinnamon

1 Star Anise

4 Cloves

2 Black Cardamom Pods

1 tsp hot Red Pepper Flakes

1 tbsp Neutral Oil

3 Garlic Cloves, crushed

1 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar

5 lime leaves (substitute with 1 tbsp lime zest)

15g Dried Shiitake Mushrooms soaked in 250ml boiling water (reserve this please) for 20 mins then thinly sliced

600ml Vegetable Stock or Water - if not committed to keeping it vegan then feel free to use Chicken stock

2 tsp Mushroom/Chicken Bouillon (optional)

2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce ( increase to 3.5 tbsp if not using dark soy)

420g cooked noodles of your choice, preferably thick rice noodles but regular Udon or Instant Ramen Noodles are fine too

Topping (all optional but highly recommended)

Reserved scallion greens, thinly sliced

7g Thai Basil, torn (substitute with a mix of cilantro and Italian sweet basil)

1/2 Chile (either Jalapeño or Fresno), thinly sliced

1 small Breakfast Radish thinly sliced into rounds and 1 Persian Cucumber sliced into matchsticks and pickled in 2 tbsp lime juice

Fried Shimeji Mushrooms, handful (optional)

Lime Wedges (an absolute must!)

Directions

🍜Turn the oven Broiler on HIGH. Toss all charred base ingredients in a small baking pan (should be snug). Put the pan under broiler for 10mins or until well charred. Once cool enough to handle finely chop everything and keep it aside. Reserve any leftover soy reduction

🍜Combine spice mix ingredients in a small pan, toast on medium flame for 2 mins or until very aromatic. Then using spice grinder / mortar pestle, whiz these toasted spices into fine powder

🍜In a deep bottom pan heat up oil,  then add chopped charred base ingredients. Sauté for 2 mins then add garlic and fry for a minute. Add ground spice mix and fry everything for 3-4 mins on medium flame

🍜Add sugar and fry for 2 more minutes. Add any leftover soy reduction from step-1, then add lime leaves (if using; don’t add zest at this point), both dark and light soy sauces. Cook for 1 min

🍜Now add mushrooms with soaking liquid, followed by stock. Bring it to boil then reduce the flame to let it simmer for about 18-20 mins

🍜Divide cooked noodles into two bowls. STRAIN and ladle broth into noodle bowls. Now finish with all toppings, add lime zest (if using), finish with a hearty squeeze of lime and slurp right away!

Not Your Average Bruschetta

Warning: Lots of scandalous switch-ups and additions here! I have loved bruschetta all my life as it has three of my most favorite things in whole wide world - fresh tomatoes, cheese and a solid crusty bread. Hence, I’m quite particular about maintaining the purity of the classic while upping the umami game. The aromatic dressing is what makes it unique, feel free to re-purpose it in other summer salads too! Skip the bread, put a burrata on a bed of these dressed up tomatoes and you have a reimagined caprese salad. As you can sense from my pushy tone, this summer I urge you to make this at least once.

*Note: The quality of ingredients is truly what differentiates an exemplary bruschetta from a regular one, so make sure to use top quality oil, good seasonal toms, fresh herbs (instead of dried bottles ones) and of course a nice baguette or sourdough with a satisfying chew!

Ingredients (makes enough for 8-10 pieces)

Dressing

2 Garlic Cloves, crushed

3 tbsp Fresh Oregano Leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 tbsp Fennel Seeds, toasted and crushed

1 tsp Ground Allspice Berries

1 tsp Coriander seeds, toasted and crushed

1 tsp Hot pepper Flakes, more to finish

2.5 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tbsp Lemon Zest

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

1/2 tsp Brown Sugar

Pinch of Fine Sea Salt

Tomato Prep

350-370g (about 2 cups) mix of Cherry and Heirloom Tomatoes, diced

8-10g Sweet Basil Leaves, finely chopped

1.5 tsp BalsamicVinegar

1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt

40g combination of Grated Parmesan and Gruyère in your preferred ratio (if you don’t find Gruyère or looking for a pasteurized cheese alternative then you can use Fontina or Emmental or else you can just use 40g good quality Parmesan)

8-10 Slices of Baguettes (the ones here in photo are from Middlebrow Bakery)

Couple tablespoons of Olive Oil for Toasting

Directions

🍅 In a small heatproof bowl - combine garlic, chopped oregano leaves, fennel, allspice berries, coriander and hot pepper flakes. Microwave Olive Oil for 2 mins (or until shimmering) in 30 sec bursts, then immediately pour the oil into bowl. Give everything a good mix and let it come to room temperature. Then add lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and sugar into the aromatic oil, give it a good mix. Keep it aside for at least 15 mins so that the flavors meld properly

🍅 In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, vinegar, salt and cheeses. Transfer the cooled aromatic oil into this bowl and mix gently until everything is well combined. Adjust seasoning if required

🍅 Heat up a skillet (preferably a cast iron one), brush the baguette slices with some olive oil, and lightly toast in batches (avoid over crowding the pan). Spoon the dressed tomato mixture on each toast and finish with more hot pepper flakes (optional). Serve some really good quality extra virgin olive oil on the side so that whoever wants the oomph can drizzle some on top before popping one into their mouth.

*Skip the cheese or use Vegan alternative to Parmesan to keep this Vegan

Two Potato and Onion Bechamel Focaccia With Chimichurri

Focaccia is hands down the ideal beginner bread using yeast as it requires the minimum tools, skills and ingredients. Even then, at the end of the day its bread, therefore temperamental. Type of flour, humidity, room temperature, altitude, etc. differs in every kitchen -leading to varied results and sometimes unsuccessful! So, like any avid breadmaker I have been on a journey to find a “NO FAIL” Focaccia and drumroll for my version that will be perfect as long as the yeast used is alive and you follow the instructions to the T.

After playing around with several recipes online here I have my very own take that uselessly I have felt quite territorial about. The topping and sauce are obviously flexible but I will admit that this combo of crisp sweet potato and potato with onion and a cheat’s bechamel is simply out of the world. The chimichurri sauce is an evolved version of the one I picked up from a cooking workshop led by the chefs of BOKA restaurant in Chicago. Its our staple that we use on salads, roast veggies, sandwiches but nothing beats dunking this focaccia into that earthy zingy goodness! I have made this a zillion times including the vegan versions. Please be patient with all the ingredients and instructions and read the recipe thoroughly before starting. You will be rewarded at the end!

*If you would like to see a demo of before and after bake then tap here. Also, I have made several same day focaccia recipes and strongly prefer the results from a longer cold proving. Long story short, you can totally start this one in the morning and have it ready for dinner and it will taste just fine, not the best!

Ingredients (one 13” x 9” loaf)
Dough
500g Bread Flour (substitute with any strong flour with at least 10-11% protein). I use King Arthur Brand that’s readily available in the US however any high protein flour will work
420g Lukewarm Water
6g Granulated Sugar
14g Olive Oil (3 tbsp or more for finishing)
8g Instant Yeast (I exclusively use either Fleischmann or Red Star brands)
11g Sea Salt (I prefer Trader Joe’s brand but have been successful with 9g of Morton Sea Salt)

Topping
1 Medium (or 2 small) Yukon Gold Potato, as thinly as possible sliced (I prefer using a Mandoline however a sharp knife will work just fine)
1/2 Purple Sweet Potato, thinly sliced (substitute with regular sweet potato)
90g Cream Cheese (For the Vegan version I use the Trader Joe’s brand and for regular it’s either Philadelphia or Trader Joe’s)
1 heaping tbsp of Greek Yoghurt (Use any Plant Based Yoghurt of your choice)
8-10 Chive Blossoms, tips separated, and rest finely chopped (substitute scallions or regular chives)
1 tbsp Chopped Thyme
1 tsp Ground White Pepper (substitute with Black Pepper)
100g Shredded Gruyère Cheese (substitute with any Melty vegan Cheese of your choice)
1/2 Large Red Onion, thinly sliced

Chimichurri Sauce
1 large Garlic Clove or 2 small, smashed
4 Scallions, roughly chopped
15g Cilantro including stems (substitute with equal weight of Parsley leaves, not stem)
15g Chives
1.5 tbsp Light Soy Sauce or Tamari or Coco Aminos
1/2 Green Chile Pepper (optional)
3 tbsp White Wine or Champagne Vinegar (substitute with Apple Cider vinegar)
2 tbsp Orange Juice
1 tbsp Orange Zest
1/2 tbsp Maple Syrup
50-55ml Olive Oil (top quality preferable)

Directions
💥 Combine and mix flour and salt in a large bowl. In a large measuring jug or another container with spout, combine and mix rest of the dough ingredients. Once the yeast mixture look foamy (activated), pour it into the flour-salt mixture. Using a spatula, mix it really well so that the entirety of flour is hydrated (DRY FLOURY SPOTS is unacceptable!). With over 80% hydration, it may look loose or soupy but don’t worry just let it rest for 10-15 mins

💥 Now we will perform the “stretch and fold” action (that helps in building strength and structure of the bread) - with very wet hands, pull a handful of dough from 12 o’ clock position all the way up and fold over the bulk of dough to 6 o’ clock position. Repeat this action on all sides (3 o’clock and 9 o’clock) or until you are satisfied with the amount of tension you have built or until it roughly tightened up into a ball. Let it rest for another 10-15 mins and then repeat the “stretch and fold “ action one more time. After 30 mins and two rounds of tension building exercise, transfer into a large Tupperware. Form into a ball with smooth top (essential to trap the air bubbles inside) and seam side down, cover and put it in the fridge for 12-48 hrs

💥 Whenever ready to bake, prepare a 13” x 9” baking tray (preferably a jelly roll pan) by greasing with 1 tbsp oil then lining with a parchment (so that we avoid sticking to the pan situation). Add 2 tbsp Olive Oil on to the parchment and brush it thoroughly so that it’s well-greased. Now tipple the risen dough into the lined baking sheet

💥 Oil your hands well and fold one side of the dough to the middle and repeat with other side (think folding a paper into thirds). Now pinch the ends that meet in the middle and flip so that seam side is down and smooth side is up. Cover with an inverted tray (don’t use tea towel or plastic wrap as it will stick and alter the crumb structure while getting it off) or put in a large plastic bag to tie like a balloon and let it rise until it fills the pan completely (may take upto 3 hrs.). If not filling the tray completely then with oiled hands you can stretch the edges (from the bottom) gently towards the pan edges. During this time dunk potato and sweet potato slices into salted boiling water, let them soften for 8-9 mins. Drain and using paper towel pat dry the slices as much as possible. This helps in removing excess starch and getting crisp results

💥 Once well risen and filling the pan, the dough should look shiny, smooth and jiggle when the tray is shaken. Whisk cream cheese, yoghurt, chives (excluding the tips), thyme and pepper into a paste and chill in the fridge until needed. Now pre-heat oven to 435F or 220C

💥 Plop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture all over the dough and very gently massage it to cover the surface area as much as possible. With oiled fingers, now press the dough gently touching bottom of the tray to make dimples. Do this action a couple times (DO NOT GET CARRIED AWAY as too much dimpling will lead to structural collapse). Scatter shredded cheese & sliced onions all over; followed by potato and sweet potato slices. Finish with tips of chive blossoms and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 29-31 tsamins in the lowest rack or until it looks very golden (if you have a thermometer then stick it in the middle and if it reads at least 190F or 88C  then it’s done). Transfer the focaccia out of parchment on to a cooling rack or any perforated tray (helps to keep the bottom crisp instead of soggy).

💥 While the bread is in the oven or just before ready to serve, in a food processor - blitz all chimichurri ingredients into a glistening sauce like consistency. Cut the Focaccia into equal bite size squares and serve with chimichurri sauce, Enjoy! It’s truly my most favorite :)

My Ultimate Soy Curry

Like everybody else, I have my set of comfort foods as well - that help in serotonin boosts to ride through rough workdays, dreary weather or after a long holiday! For me the top spot is invariably a good crispy bottom dumpling bowl with fixings such as sautéed greens, fried shallots, some sauce or lots of chili oil. Then comes the trio of Rasam-Rice, Khichdi (aka Kedgeree) and this Soy Puff Curry. The soy puffs are a great source of protein and absolutely incredible at soaking up all the curry goodness and transforming into these magical flavor bombs. However if you can’t find them then highly recommend looking for Soft or Firm Silken Tofu instead of regular Firm Tofu.

With an overriding flavor of Black Cardamom (found in Indian Grocery stores) and the cooling creaminess from lentils-coconut combo, this one can be a curry canvas for various toppings such as - grilled halloumi or any meat, pasta, meatballs, koftas, fried eggplant, silken tofu… the list is endless truly. I urge you all to make an effort to seek out this specialty cardamom variety that’s native to South Asia and a critical ingredient for Biryanis, it’s very unique - is more floral than green one and when toasted renders a slight camphor like tingly sensation on your palate. If you can’t find them then regular green one will be fine too but not the same. I hope just like in our house, this one will become a staple in your house too!

*Note: it tastes better the next day!

Ingredients (serves 4)
2 Bay Leaves
2 Whole Cloves, Crushed
4 Whole Black Cardamom pods, Crushed
2 Tbsp Sunflower Oil (substitute with any Neutral Oil)
2” Knob of Fresh Ginger, grated
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Shallot, thinly sliced
1 tsp Ground Turmeric
1.5 Tbsp Sambal Oelek (Indonesian Chile Paste) - substitute with Sriracha or any Hot Sauce. Red Curry Paste works in a pinch too!
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Coconut Sugar or Brown Sugar

65g Red Lentils, properly rinsed
400g Vegetable Stock or Water
315g Coconut Milk (I prefer full-fat but reduced fat works just fine)
1.5 tsp Fine Sea Salt
90g Soy Puffs (each cube halved) or 100g Soft Tofu
210g Frozen Chopped Spinach, unthawed
1/2 Tbsp lime juice
Generous drizzle of favorite Chili Oil for each serving

Directions
💥 Heat up a deep bottomed pan; on medium-high flame dry roast first 3 ingredients for 3 mins or until very fragrant. Then add oil into the pan, sauté the spices for a minute and immediately add ginger, garlic, shallot. Continue sautéing for 5-6 mins on medium flame

💥 Now add sambal paste, turmeric, tomato paste and sugar - sauté everything for 2 more mins. Then add lentils, vegetable stock/water, coconut milk and salt. Bring it to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 mins

💥 Fish out the bay leaves; Add soy puffs and spinach (straight from the freezer). Give it a good stir, let it cook for 3 mins. Turn off the heat and add lime juice

💥 Divide into serving bowls, drizzle generously your favorite chili oil on top and serve with your favorite flatbread (mine are Chinese Scallion Pancakes or the Trader Joe’s Malabar Parathas) or some jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Strawberry Labneh Yin-Yang

Its the contrasting texture and temperature that got me naming this Yin and Yang - slightly warm and jammy tart berries with chilled thick labneh. Strawberries are tossed with Anardana (ground dried pomegranate seeds, typically found in South Asian specialty store), sugar and fresh Orange Juice (fruit juice helps in cutting down the added sugar) then roasted for a short while. Once cooled it’s mixed with Grand Marnier (use vanilla extract or orange juice to keep it alcohol free), then served alongside chilled sweetened labneh that’s scented with vanilla & citrus zest. Finished with a good dose of fresh mint. It’s a play of tart on tart flavors - I strongly feel that it works just like eating tea Madeleines with tea.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Roasted Berries

1 lb Strawberries, tops removed, hulled & halved

2 tbsp Coconut Sugar or Dark/Light Brown Sugar

1 tbsp Granulated Sugar

1-1.5 tbsp Anardana - substitute with Sumac or 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

50 ml Orange Juice , reserve the zest

2 tsp Grand Marnier (substitute with Triple Sec)

Scented Labneh

275g Labneh (strained Greek Yoghurt) or you can use Icelandic Skyr (to keep it vegan feel free to use your go to Vegan Greek yogurt)

2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or extract (make sure to use a good quality pure extract)

2 tsp Orange Zest (Reserved from the juiced orange used in the roasted strawberries)

1 tbsp Granulated Sugar

Garnish

3-4 sprigs of Mint, torn or roughly chopped

Directions

🍓Pre-heat oven to 400F, combine all ingredients for roasted berries except Grand Marnier in a high-sided baking dish. Give it a good mix and bake for 16-17 mins. Keep it aside to cool completely

🍓 Meanwhile, whisk scented labneh ingredients until well combined. Divide and smear generous portions in one side of each serving bowls. Refrigerate until ready to serve

🍓 Once the roasted strawberries are completely cooled, add liquer and mix until well combined. Bring out the labneh bowls from fridge, spoon strawberries on opposite side of the bowl. Drizzle the berry syrup, garnish with chopped fresh mint and enjoy!

Crispy Taro Cake Bowl

Whether it was the influence of several friends and colleagues being Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Taiwanese or just my very deep-rooted love for the flavors from East Asia - we celebrate Lunar New Year every year. Other than making Nian Gao (the New Year cake) from scratch we do try to make most of the traditional dishes such as dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, pickled veggies, turnip and taro cakes. Along with some non-traditional ones such as Baozi or Gua Bao, Steamed Eggs, Rice Paper Rolls, Wontons, etc. The spirit of eating a lot of food with friends and family being intact!

For this year’s celebrations, I made this salad with leftover Taro Cake pieces and was a massive hit at the party! I made the cakes from scratch but you can find them in specialty stores such as H-mart or Park to Shop. If not then, substitute with Tteok or Tofu for similar textural delight or else go with boiled baby potatoes or cauliflower florets. Add some chopped up omelette or boiled eggs for extra richness. Gong Xi Fa Chai!

Ingredients (serves 2 as Main)

Vegetable Base
2 Persian Cucumbers, de-seeded and cut into 2” chunks. Salted and drained after 10 mins
2 Baby Carrots, thinly sliced into batons
1 Celery, cleaned & thinly sliced (optional)
1/2 Jalapeño, thinly sliced
1 small garlic, crushed
1 tsp Chili Oil (Homemade or Lao Gan Ma)
1 tsp light Soy Sauce (substitute with Tamari or Coco Aminos based on your dietary preferences)
1/2 tsp Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp Doubanjiang or Fermented Broad Bean Paste(optional but highly recommended)

Sauce
2 tbsp Neutral Oil
4 Scallions, finely chopped (Handful greens Reserved)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder

1 tsp Brown Sugar or Agave or Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce (substitute with Tamari or Coco Aminos based on your dietary preferences)
2 tsp Black Vinegar (substitute with equal parts of Balsamic and any White Vinegar)

10-12 pieces of rectangular Taro Cakes, cooked (substitute with 100-120g sliced rice cakes/Tteok or soft tofu)

12g Cilantro, roughly chopped (substitute with basil)
1 tsp Black Roasted Sesame Seeds
1 tsp White Roasted Sesame Seeds

Directions
🧧 In a large bowl, combine all vegetable base ingredients and mix thoroughly. Keep it aside for 15-30 mins or while you prep rest.

🧧 In a non stick skillet - add oil, scallions, garlic and spices. Turn on heat on the lowest setting/flame. Fry the aromatics until they begin to color and become very aromatic (about 4-5 mins on low flame). Fish out the fried aromatics into a small bowl and increase the heat to medium.

🧧 Now gently fry the cooked Taro cakes or any of the substitutes until golden and crisp on both sides. Be patient for this step as it will take about 15-20 mins of attentive frying - but when you achieve that crisp exterior and jelly like soft n chewy interior it will be all worth it! If using rice cakes, then it will be much faster but keep an eye as it’s easy to over cook and make it rubbery. If using tofu, then gently coat with some cornstarch (about 1 tbsp). Adjust the timing if using Potatoes or Cauliflower. Once fried, transfer the Taro cakes to a paper towel lined plate to get off any excess oil

🧧 Now add rest of the sauce ingredients to the bowl with fried aromatics. Give it a good mix and transfer into the large bowl with vegetables. Transfer the crisp Taro cakes into the large bowl, add fresh cilantro, give everything a gentle mix and let the flavors meld for 15 mins

🧧 Divide into serving bowls, finish with roasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Harissa Kabocha Squash Mascarpone Flatbread with Fixings

Don’t want to make dough from scratch but want to serve a party pleaser centerpiece that’s not charcuterie? I got you! Here’s an impressive flatbread utilizing generic store-bought pizza dough with fixings that add legit drama. The pizza dough come in quite handy for a dinner party or a busy workday lunch - amazing canvas to use up leftovers too.

I got my favorite kabocha squash - the texture is quite unique, and I usually use it in stews and making desserts but this season I have been hooked to roasting with harissa and employing as a pizza topping. Its quite delish and satiating.

The herb paste and pickled radish are an absolute must! I like to serve it with a Turkish Chile Pepper (Pul Biber) and grated garlic infused olive oil but feel free to serve with any chili oil that you like!

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1lb store bought Pizza dough (I used from Trader Joe’s)

Harissa Squash
350g Kabocha Squash, sliced into 1/8” thick half moons (substitute with any winter squash) - I like to keep the skin on for the texture but you can totally peel it off and bake
1/2 tbsp Tomato Paste
1-2 tbsp Harissa Paste (adjust based on the type and your spice tolerance - if using Mild variety then you can use upto 2 tbsp)
2 tbsp Neutral or Avocado Oil
1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Mirin

Fried Aromatics
1 trimmed Leek, only edible white & light green portion - sliced into 1/2” thick half moons
2-3 Small Breakfast Radish
4 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
2 tsp Neutral Oil
1 tsp Harissa Paste

Mascarpone Mix
110g Mascarpone, Room temp
50g Greek Yoghurt
1 tbsp dried Mint
1/2-1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Herb Paste
10-12g Mix of Fresh Cilantro and Mint leaves
20g Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Lemon Zest (optional)
1.5 tbsp Chili Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for less heat)

Pickled Radish
4 Breakfast Radish, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
Pinch of Sugar

1-2 tsp Olive Oil to finish (optional)

Directions
💥 Bring the pizza dough to room temperature. Oil a 13”x9” baking sheet, line with parchment and lightly grease with oil. With wet hands, transfer the pizza dough on to the sheet and fold one side of the dough to the middle and repeat with other side (think folding a paper into thirds). Now pinch the ends that meet in the middle and flip so that seam side is down and smooth side is up. Cover with an inverted tray or put in a large plastic bag to tie like a balloon and let it rise until it fills the pan completely (may take upto 3 hrs)

💥 Pre-heat oven to 420F and line a large baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine all Harissa Squash ingredients and give it a good mix. All slices should be well slathered. Arrange the slices on the lined sheet and bake for 20-25 mins or until golden & cooked through. Increase the oven temp to 435F

💥 While squash is in the oven, heat up oil in a skillet and on low flame fry leeks and radish with garlic and harissa paste for 4-5 mins. Keep the fried aromatics on side. Combine and whisk all mascarpone mix ingredients into a smooth paste. In a small bowl, combine all pickled radish ingredients and leave it to pickle for 15-20 mins

💥Dimple the risen dough, spread the mascarpone mix on top, arrange Roasted squash wedges and scatter fried aromatics. Drizzle 1-2 tsp Olive Oil (optional) and bake for 25 mins or until golden with crisp bottom. Meanwhile, blitz all herb paste ingredients and keep it aside

💥 Plop spoonful of herb paste all over on the flatbread, scatter pickled radish and serve warm or room temperature. Enjoy!

Sambar Coconut Crêpes with Fixings

First things first - even if you think you are familiar with Indian cuisine and more or less understand the flavors, I can assure you that you are not there yet! As someone who spent 26 formative years in the sub-continent and have been exposed to a fair bit of several regional cooking, I know that I can barely scratch the surface of the rich and complex food the country offers. It’s quite encouraging to see, several up-and-coming Indian origin chefs and social media influencers are now focusing a lot more on branching out beyond Butter Chicken, Garlic Naan, Dal Makhni and Gulab Jamun. Now, I finally feel quite optimistic that we are at the cusp of the beginning of a new and exciting phase for Indian Food representation, yay!

So here I am, sharing a bit of nostalgia and food from my home state - Orissa (Odisha now!) where one of the most popular dishes is called Pitha - a family of breads, dumplings and pancakes mostly made of rice flour and usually steamed or fried. This particular dish is inspired by a specific variety called “Chitau Pitha” (quite similar to the “Neer Dosa” from Mangalore) - which traditionally has ground soaked rice, freshly grated coconut and a bit of ghee in the batter and served during breakfast either with a cauliflower potato stir fry or a sweet coconut relish. While growing up, I would ONLY eat these as roll-ups smothered with the fiery Gunpowder Spice blend supplied by our neighbor Auntie and stuffed with Green Beans…well I was an infamously picky eater with weird food habits! Thankfully most of them are corrected now. To celebrate that memory, I made these tender and fragrant savory crêpes filled with fresh herbs, jammy tomatoes, fried beans and pickled elements. I would highly encourage to scout for two specialty ingredients used here - Sambar Powder and Gunpowder/Milaga Podi in your local Indian Grocery Store, if unavailable then you can totally look on Amazon or make your own (tap the links shared in the recipe). These crêpes are quite versatile actually, feel free to use your favorite sauces, fried stuff… think taco fixings?! I hope you all like it as much as I do.

Ingredients (makes 8-10)
Batter
150g Rice Flour
20g Gluten Free Plain Flour (substitute with plain flour)
1 tsp Ground Turmeric
1 tbsp Sambar Powder (to make your own just Google and pick any of the top results)
1 tsp Fine Sea Salt
1 Can or 400g Coconut Cream (NOT same as Coconut Milk)
120g Water
1 large Egg OR 50g Aquafaba (reserved liquid from canned garbanzo or cannellini beans)

Green Beans
2 tsp Neutral Oil
1 Large Shallot, thinly sliced
2” Ginger, peeled and grated
2 tsp Mustard Seeds
10g Chives, finely chopped
300g Green Beans, de-stringed and sliced into thin 2.5-3” long pieces
1/4-1/2 tsp Salt (adjust to your taste)
1-1.5 tbsp Water

Jammy Tomatoes
250g Cherry Tomatoes, whole
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar
1.5-2 tbsp Gunpowder Spice Blend (substitute with any savory Dukkah or your favorite spice blend)

Pickled Stuff
6 Breakfast Radish, thinly sliced into discs
1 small Shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 Red Fresno Chile, thinly sliced into rounds
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt

9-10g Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped
8-9g Fresh Sweet Basil Leaves, roughly chopped

Directions
💥 Combine all pickled stuff ingredients in a small bowl and keep it aside for 20 mins or so. Now heat up a small 8-9” nonstick skillet, once very hot transfer tomatoes and begin charring them. Keep the pan moving to ensure they don’t stick. Once they start softening and blistering, add pepper and let everything char/cook for 1 minute. Turn off heat and transfer everything into a bowl, immediately add paprika, salt, sugar and gunpowder (spices must be added when hot). Give it a good mix and keep it aside

💥 Put all crêpe batter ingredients in a blender, pulse until smooth and loose consistency is achieved. Adjust water quantity to get to a thinnish crêpe like batter consistency. Let it rest for 25-30 mins. Meanwhile, heat up oil in the same skillet - add ginger, shallot and mustard seeds. Fry on medium flame for 2 mins, add green beans and continue frying for 4 mins. Add chives, salt and water, mix and cover. Let it cook on low flame for 3 more mins. Turn off heat and transfer and keep those beans aside (they should be cooked with a bite)

💥 Pre-heat oven to 200F. Wipe the skillet clean and put it back on heat (no oil needed, the fat in coconut cream is enough). Give a little whisk to the batter so that it de-settles and becomes homogenous again. On low-medium flame, ladle about 1/4 cup batter and swirl to cover the base (the edges will be thinner than center). Cook for 2-3 mins or until it’s set. Then flip and cook for another minute and gently slide onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat this process to make about 8-10 crêpes and keep them warm in the oven until ready to serve

💥 Pick up a warm crêpe and stuff with some jammy tomatoes & fried green beans (refer to the image gallery). Top with pickled stuff and fresh herbs, roll up and enjoy!

Blistered Garlic and Breakfast Radish Rasam

In my 15 years of home cooking journey, the very first dish I deliberately tried to nail was “Rasam” - the magical soup hailing from Southern India that not only warms you soul but also cures the seasonal sniffles in no time (sounds dodgy, eh!). The recipe varies across all states in that region and after experimenting with different variations, I have found my happy version that includes lots of whole caramelized garlic and sweet radish. I love dunking steaming Idlis (steamed fermented rice cakes) however the classic Rasam-Rice combo is hard to beat. Don’t get bogged down by the long list of ingredients as I can swear you will get hooked on to this for life - especially when down with cold/flu.

Ingredients (serves 3-4)
15 cloves of garlic, peeled and whole
6-7 Breakfast Radishes, quartered (substitute with Daikon or Jicama about 20-25g)
2-3 tbsp Ghee
1/2 tsp Salt

Rasam
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tbsp Cumin Seeds
2 Rehydrated Dried Chiles - soak dried chilies in boiling water for 15 mins then drain and pat dry
1 large Garlic Clove
1 Medium Red Onion (about 30-35g), thinly sliced
1/2 jalapeño, de-seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
1 Medium Tomato, finely chopped (preferably remove the skin)

1/2 tbsp seedless tamarind pulp soaked in100ml warm water or else 3/4 tsp Tamarind Concentrate (Tamicon Brand) dissolved in 100ml Water
500ml water
50g Cooked Red Lentils
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp ghee (substitute with Olive Oil)
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
Generous Pinch of Asafoetida (optional)
10-15 curry leaves
2-3 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

🥣 Soak the tamarind pulp for at least 30-40 mins then using a sieve strain the concentrate and keep it aside. If using the concentrate, then mix with water and keep it aside

🥣 In a pan, on low heat, toast peppercorns & cumin for about 5 mins or until very aromatic. Now using a mortar pestle/spice grinder/food processor blitz the toasted whole spices, garlic & rehydrated chiles into a coarse paste

🥣 Now heat up a nonstick skillet. Once smoking, add garlic cloves and toast for 2-3 mins or until begins to char or turn deep golden. Then add 1 tbsp Ghee and fry garlic for 3 mins. Transfer the garlic into a bowl and return the skillet to high heat. Now add radish quarters and let them start turning golden, then add 1 tbsp Ghee and fry for 4-5 mins. Transfer into the bowl with garlic. Everything should look deep golden and blistered all over. Sprinkle salt and toss to coat well. Keep it aside

🥣 In a soup pot, on medium flame - heat up ghee and add onion and jalapeño. Fry for 10-12 mins or until looks caramelized and smells aromatic. Now add mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric & asafoetida and sauté for 2-3 mins. Add ground spice paste and continue to sauté for another 2 mins, then add lentils, tomato and sauté for 3 more mins. At this point, add the tamarind concentrate, water & salt. Adjust the seasoning (if required)

🥣 Simmer this on medium heat for 13-15 mins. Add blistered garlic and radish into the pot and cook for 2-3 more mins. Serve right away with a garnish of chopped cilantro

Spicy Numbing Cauliflower Fry

Loosely inspired by the Sichuan Cauliflower dish from MCCB restaurant in Chicago, this one is a staple in our house during cauli season. It comes together pretty quickly for a weekday lunch or dinner. The Taiwanese variety of cauliflower can be found in Asian Supermarkets and have slender, light green stems with small flower buds. When cooked, it tastes sweeter than regular variety! I highly encourage you to make an effort to find this variety to make this dish as is at least once.

Ingredients (serves 2 as Main)
500g or 1 Head of Taiwanese or Chinese Cauliflower (substitute regular cauliflower)
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
6 Dried Red Chilies (optional but highly recommend), snipped into small pieces
1 small red onion, finely chopped
10 garlic cloves, whole
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (optional)
1/2 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns

1.5 tbsp Doubanjiang Paste
1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper (substitute with black pepper)
1 tsp Ground Coriander Seeds

Sauce
60ml Water
2 tbsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine (substitute with Dry Sherry to keep it GF)
1.5 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2 tsp Maple Syrup

Garnish
2 tsp Roasted Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
Handful fresh cilantro, chopped (substitute with 1-2 tbsp chopped chives)

Directions
💥 Remove tough parts of cauliflower stems, cut into long florets if using Chinese / Taiwanese variety. For regular cauliflower, cut into bite size florets. Rinse well, pat dry and keep it aside

💥 In a bowl, whisk all sauce ingredients and keep it aside. Now add oil into a large wok or skillet and put on medium high flame

💥 Once hot, add onion, chilies and ginger (if using), fry for 2 mins. Then add coriander, Sichuan peppercorns and Doubanjiang fry for 60-90 seconds (if the aromatics start sticking then splash 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine or water to deglaze)

💥 Add garlic cloves and cauliflower into the wok and fry for 2 minutes. Now add the sauce, cover and let it cook for 8-10 mins or until cooked through with a bite (if using regular cauliflower then 5-6 mins). Check at 3 mins mark to see the doneness - if too dry then splash some shaoxing cooking wine or water and if too wet then cook on high heat uncovered

💥 Once done, serve right away with finishing touches of sesame seeds, oil and fresh cilantro. Best eaten with Jasmine Rice

Blistered Baby Carrots with Soy Butter, Lime and Shichimi

Sticky, sweet, salty and super smoky. These baby carrots definitely hit the Umami Jackpot! Friends from the US, if you haven’t yet discovered those Les Petit Carrots of Many Colors at Trader Joe’s then I urge you to run and pick up a bag stat! Hands down one of my top 5 TJ products. The technique of making the soy butter and pairing with lime can be used in other vegetables or even for Egg on Toast.

*I eat it with some sticky rice, roasted nori and silken tofu but feel free to stuff in a sandwich wrap or serve as a small plate in a dinner party spread.

Ingredients (serves 4 as a side)
1 lb Baby Carrots, whole & peeled
2.5 tbsp Vegan Butter (substitute with regular Unsalted Butter if not keeping vegan)
1 small garlic clove, grated or crushed
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce (substitute Tamari or Coco Aminos)
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
1/2 tbsp Mirin
1.5 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
Zest and juice of 1/2 Large Lime

1 tsp Shichimi Togarashi (substitute with 1/2 tsp chile flakes + 1/4 tsp+ toasted black sesame seeds + 1/2 tsp crushed toasted Nori)
1-2 tsp Roasted Sesame Seeds

1 tsp Finely chopped cilantro or scallion greens for garnish

Directions
🥕 Bring a large pot of water to boil, add carrots and let them boil/cook for 13-15 mins or until tender but firm enough to hold shape. Drain and keep it aside

🥕 Melt butter in a large skillet, then add garlic. Fry for 45 sec then add soy sauce, using a whisk or spatula keep stirring on medium or low heat so that it’s well emulsified. Immediately add carrots and turn off heat. Coat the carrots well with soy butter, then blow torch thoroughly so that it has black patches all over and very smoky. If not using blow torch then transfer into a baking dish and put it under grill / broiler for 2-4 mins while giving it shakes in every minute

🥕 Transfer the carrots onto a platter reserving the buttery juices. Now transfer those juices into a microwave safe bowl, add maple syrup, mirin, vinegar and lime juice into that. Give it a good whisk & microwave for 30-45 seconds and pour this concoction on top of the carrots.

🥕 Finish with lime zest, shichimi, sesame seeds & greens. Serve at room temp or straight away! Highly recommend alongside a sushi or soba noodle dinner spread.

Persimmons with Whipped Ricotta, Rose-Lemon Maple

A side effect of my endeavor to come up with wacky flavor combos is - we eat the same dish everyday until I get the fine balance between bold flavors right! So after eating this one for seven days straight …. here I’m with my latest obsession - “Rose-Lemon Maple” drizzled on fresh Persimmon wedges nestled in creamy aromatic whipped ricotta laced with dried Mint and lemon zest….mmmm then the finishing touch of a heady exotic oil - Urfa Biber, fresh herbs, rose petals & sesame seeds. The key to this dish is simplicity and delicate balance of bold flavors - it’s quite magical indeed!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2 as side)

2 Ripe Fuyu Persimmons, peeled & each cut into 8 wedges

Whipped Ricotta

100g Whole Milk Ricotta (substitute with Vegan Ricotta)

50g Plain Whole Milk Greek Yoghurt (substitute with your go to vegan yogurt)

3/4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (top quality)

1/2 tsp Maple Syrup

1 tbsp Lemon Zest (if you can get your hands on Meyer Lemon then it will be quite special)

1 tsp dried Mint

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Rose Lemon Drizzle

25ml Lemon Juice (again Meyer Lemon preferable)

45ml Maple Syrup

1 tbsp water

1/2 tsp Rose Water

Mint Urfa Oil

4g Fresh Mint Leaves, finely chopped

2g Sweet Basil Leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Urfa Biber

3/4 tsp Roasted Sesame Seeds

1/2 tsp crushed dried rose petals

1 tbsp good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch of salt

Garnish

1-2 tsp Roasted Sesame Seeds

1 tbsp Dried Rose Petals

Directions

💥Combine all Mint Urfa Oil ingredients & keep it aside

💥Combine all whipped ricotta ingredients and whisk well until smooth & luscious (about 12 mins by hand; 5 mins by electric whisk) & keep it aside

💥In a saucepan combine lemon juice, water & maple syrup. Cook on high heat stirring constantly, turn off heat as soon as it starts to bubble (~ 4 mins). It should be like runny syrup consistency. Let it cool for 2 mins then stir in rose water & keep it aside

💥To plate - divide and dollop the whipped ricotta into two lipped plates . Make a dip in the middle, arrange persimmon wedges, spoon mint oil & generously drizzle the rose lemon syrup. Enjoy!

Citrus Salad with Bitter Greens

One of my most favorite salads to whip up during any time of the year. Sticky and caramelized citrus served on a bed of seasoned bitter greens such as endives (aka chicory) and arugula. Finished with an orange blossom-maple syrup dressing, crumbled feta and toasted seeds.

Ingredients (serves 4 as a side)

2 Chicory or Belgian Endives, separated

25-30g (about generous handful) Arugula Leaves, roughly torn

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ tbsp White Wine Vinegar (substitute apple cider vinegar)

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp crushed black pepper

2 Medium Oranges or 4 Mandarins – flesh cut into 1 cm thick discs and peel zested

5 tbsp Maple Syrup

80ml Fresh Orange Juice

1.5 tsp Orange blossom water or Grand Marnier liqueur

Topping

Handful Pomegranate Seeds (optional)

60-65g Crumbled Feta

1 tbsp Toasted Fennel Seeds

1/2-1 tsp Maras or Urfa Chile Flakes

2 tbsp Roasted Pumpkin Seeds or any Roasted Nuts of your choice

Flaky Salt to finish

Directions

🥗In a small pan, combine maple syrup and orange juice cook on medium high flame for 7-8 mins or until reduced to runny syrup. Then add the orange discs into the syrup and cook for 4 mins flipping halfway so that each disc is nicely coated and looks golden & sticky. Take off heat stir in the orange blossom water and orange zest. Let it cool and come to room temperature

🥗 Meanwhile, in a bowl - combine first 6 ingredients, give it a good mix and keep it aside

🥗Arrange the dressed endives & arugula on a serving platter. Transfer the sticky oranges on top of the leaves. Scatter pomegranate seeds, feta, chile flakes and seeds (or nuts) then drizzle any leftover orange maple syrup. Finish with more flaky salt and enjoy!

Silken Tofu Citrus Celebration Salad

A dish that celebrates the citrus season and my love for silken tofu with sesame oil - charred peppers and cherry tomatoes are mixed with a flash fried ginger scallion numbing oil, which is further intensified with blood orange zest and juice, soy, vinegar, Shaoxing cooking wine and toasted sesame oil. Silken tofu and citrus wheels are arranged in a platter then this smoky sweet aromatic dressing is poured all over. Finished with toasted sesame seeds, flaky salt and scallion greens. It tastes better over time and can be kept in the fridge up to 3 days.

Ingredients (serves 4 as a side)

14oz or 400g Silken Tofu, cut into roughly 2” x 4” rectangles

3 Blood Oranges (substitute with 2 Navel or Cara Cara Oranges), peeled and cut into 1/2” thick discs

5-6 Mini Sweet Peppers, whole

12-14 Cherry Tomatoes, whole

Dressing

2 tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated

1 Scallion, white portion - finely chopped and green portion sliced at an angle (reserved for garnish)

1 tsp Ground Sichuan Peppercorns (I use a mix of red and green , feel free to use whatever is available)

1.5 tsp Chile Flakes (feel free to use your go to hot pepper flakes)

2 tsp Roasted Sesame Seeds

2 tbsp Vegetable oil, shimmering hot

2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 tbsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine

3 tbsp Blood Orange Juice (substitute with fresh Orange Juice)

2 tbsp Dark Soy

1/2 tbsp Maple Syrup

1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil

Garnish

1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp Flaky Salt

Directions

🥗 Heat up a skillet, once smoking add peppers to it, using tongs begin the charring process. After 8 mins, add tomatoes into the skillet & continue charring everything until blistereded and soft. About 15 mins total. Once cool enough to handle, chop up the peppers and leave the bursting tomatoes as is

🥗 Combine first 5 Dressing ingredients in a heatproof bowl, pour the hot oil into it, give everything a good mix (it should making a hissing noise). After 1 min add remaining dressing ingredients, followed by chopped peppers & tomatoes. Give everything a good mix and let it marinate for 45 mins at least or upto overnight

🥗 In a large lipped platter, arrange the tofu pieces and blood orange discs. Pour the dressing all over, garnish with sesame seeds, oil and scallion greens. Serve at room temp or chilled (during summer chilled version is too good), Enjoy!

*Note: Feel free to substitute the citrus during summer with peaches or plums

Umami Tomatoes

Perfect topping or condiment to posh up your pasta, sandwiches, salads, stews and what not.

Ingredients (enough to store in a pint size container)

4-5 medium sized Vine Tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges

2 tbsp Olive Oil (or any type of oil)

3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp Fine Sea Salt

1/2 tsp crushed pepper (black/red/white)

1/2 tsp Granulated Sugar

9-10 sprigs of Thyme, pick leaves and chop up roughly (if using dried thyme then 1-2 tbsp)

Directions

🍅 Pre-heat oven to 340F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well

🍅 Arrange the wedges on a parchment lined baking sheet (reserve the excess juices/liquid) and bake for 60 mins or until they look dark, slightly shriveled yet a bit juicy

🍅 Let it cool completely. Transfer into an air-tight container/jar then add the reserved juices and store up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Use it to jazz up sandwiches, pasta or eggs!