• 1/2 cup Toor Dal
• 1/2 Onion, sliced
• 1/2 Tomato, chopped
• 1-2 Green chillies, slit
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt, as required 
• 3/4 cup Water
• Coriander leaves, chopped 

• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
• 2 sprig Curry leaves
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
• A squeeze of Lemon juice
• Coriander leaves, chopped 

1. Wash toor dal well and add to a pressure cooker. 
   
   
   
   
   
2. Pressure cook all the ingredients except for the ingredients under tadka for 1 whistle. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
3. In a small tadka pan, add in butter, allow to melt. 
4. Splutter the cumin seeds, add ginger garlic paste, curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves and sauté well. 
5. Pour the cooked dal, add in the Kashmiri Red Chilli powder, and adjust seasoning if required.
6. Allow to simmer well. Finally squeeze lemon juice, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and add in a blob of butter.
7. Enjoy with cooked rice, and your favorite sides like chicken or fried seafood!

• 1 cup Macaroni
• Boiling water, to cook the pasta
• Salt, as required
• A dash of Olive oil
• 1 Garlic clove, sliced
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 3 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
• 1/4 Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
• 1/4 piece of a large green Capsicum
• 1/4 tsp Oregano
• 1/2 cup Paneer cubes
• Salt, as required 
• 2 tsp Arrowroot powder
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/4 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
• Cheddar Cheese, optional

1. In a pot, boil the macaroni with salt, and olive oil until al dente.
2. In a small grinder jar, pulse tomato paste, spices like Onion powder, Kashmiri Chilli powder, turmeric powder, Cumin powder and chopped capsicum.
3. In a large pan, pour the olive oil and the butter, add the sliced garlic and Sautee for a couple of seconds.
4. To this, add the pulsed tomato-capsicum paste, a little pasta water, sprinkle oregano and add in the washed Paneer cubes an add salt as required.
5. Once the Paneer comes to a boil, add the arrowroot powder/ flour, mix and pour the milk.
6. Check seasoning and add salt if required. Add a generous amount of Mozzarella cheese, close lid and allow cheese to melt.
7. Finally sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

• 1kg chicken
• 3 glass Basmati rice
• 1 large onion
• 3 tbsp ginger garlic paste (6 cloves garlic and 1 inch ginger) 
• 1/2 small green Capsicum, chopped finely
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 Cardamom
• 1 Clove
• 3 tsp Arabic Masala Powder *
• 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder 
• Salt, as required 
• 1 large potato, sliced
• 1 aubergine/eggplant, sliced 
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 non ripe tomato, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 3 cups Basmati rice (preferably soaked for 30 minutes before cooking for longer grains) 
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 4 tbsp tomato paste 
• 1 tsp arabic masala powder
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1 tbsp oil
• 4 tbsp water 

1. In a large casserole, pour some oil and ghee and add in your chopped onions, add salt and cook until translucent. 
2. Next add in your chopped Capsicum, ginger garlic paste and saute well until raw smell disappears. 
3. Next place in your chicken pieces, sprinkle the arabic spices masala, add in salt and pepper * and Turmeric if required. 
4. Pour in water. 
5. Close the lid and allow for the chicken to cook well for around 20-25 minutes. 
6. Whislt the chicken gets done, fry each of your chopped vegetables in batches and set them aside. Sprinkle salt over the fried veggies. 
   
   
   
7. Once done, drain the chicken pieces, reserve 1/2 cup of stock and set aside. 
8. Now in the chicken broth, add in your cleaned, soaked and drained rice, add salt as required and cook on low for around 10 minutes. (the rice will cook completely once layered and cooked on low) 
9. To prepare the tomato gravy for the rice, in a small pan, add your tomato paste, salt, pepper, arabic masala powder, oil and water and allow to come to a boil. 
10. Once done, mix it into the cooked rice. 
11. Now let's assemble and layer the Maqluba. Into your large casserole, start by adding your fried potatoes as the base and building up with any of the fried veggies. 
12. Layer your cooked chicken pieces. 
13. Next add a layer of cooked rice mixed with the tomato gravy. 
14. And add any leftover veggies and finish off with a layer of rice and gently run the back off your spatula over the rice (do not press) and pour the reserved chicken stock, close lid and allow to cook for at least 20-25 minutes. 
15. Now for the moment of reveal, place a rice platter or a large plate over the casserole and flip the casserole carefully and tap around the casserole using a wooden spoon, so that all remains of the Maqluba falls into the plate. 
16. Carefully remove the casserole slowly, so that the layers remain intact and you get to witness a beautiful Maqluba. 

• 2 glass Ponni Rice/ Jeerakashala
• Water (check notes) *
• 15-20 Prawns, cleaned and deveined (marinated in turmeric powder, Kashmiri chili powder, 1 tiny garlic minced and salt)
• 1-2 tbsp ghee
• 4 tbsp Coconut oil 
• 1 medium Onion, sliced
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 3 green chilies
• 2-3 sprig of curry leaves
• 1/4 Turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander powder
• 3/4 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 cup Coconut milk 

Instructions :

1. Pour the coconut oil in a large pot and fry the prawns that have been marinated in Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and 1 small garlic minced.
2. In the same leftover coconut oil, add ghee and sauté the onions until translucent and add in your ginger garlic paste and curry leaves. Saute till the raw smell disappears.
3. Now add the slit green chilies and chopped tomatoes, and cook for a couple of minutes until the tomatoes mash.
4. Now add all the spices and Sautee on low till the spices have no raw smell, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the fried prawns to this and sauté,
6. Next, add the washed and drained rice and add in 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder if needed and sautee. Next, add water as required (refer notes)*.
7. Add the coconut milk to the rice and close the lid and allow to cook. For cooking time for the different types of rice check notes.*
8. Voila, and you are done! Effortless Chemmeen Thenga Chor is done.
9. Garnish with fried curry leaves and a Mango coconut chutney and achar/ pickle on the side.! (recipe below 👇) 

Notes*-

• You may always use freshly squeezed Coconut milk if you have the time or canned coconut milk is definitely much convenient and better!
• For Jeerakashala : water ratio is 1 : 1 1/2 glass (Since you’ll be adding 1 glass of coconut milk, reduce the amount of water accordingly. For example, if you’re using 2 glasses of Jeerakashala rice, the total liquid should be 3 glasses. Instead of adding 3 glasses of water, use 2 glasses of water and 1 glass of coconut milk.)

          Ponni rice : water ratio is 1 : 2 1/4 glass

• For cooking Jeerakashala rice - After 10 minutes give a mix, and close the lid and let it cook on simmer for another 5 minutes and it's done! (If using Jeerakashala I prefer using ghee along with coconut oil)
• For cooking Ponni rice - Cook covered for at least 25 minutes and check it's doneness and cook more if required. 

Mango Coconut Chutney

Ingredients :

For sambar:

• 1/2 glass Toor dal
• 2 green chillies
• 1 small onion slices
• 1/2 tomato
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• A pinch of asafoetida/hung (optional)
• Salt as required
• 1 potato, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 drumsticks/ beans/ ladies finger etc. *

For tempering:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• 2 dried red chillies
• 2 tsp Sambar powder*
• Other ingredients :
• About 2 tbsp tamarind pulp*
• 1 tsp Jaggery (optional)

1. Pressure cook everything in the list under 'for Sambar' except for the vegetables in about 1 and half cup to 2 cup water for 3 whistles.
2. Once the pressure is released on its own, let the cut vegetables cook in the dal curry mixture for about 15 minutes or until knife passes through the vegetables easily.
3. Temper the ingredients under the list 'for tempering' in coconut oil and add the Sambar powder and mix until raw smell of powders dissappear, (be careful not to burn) and toss it into the Curry and let it all boil well. Lastly add the tamarind pulp and Jaggery. Adjust salt and your Sambar is ready! 😋