• 1 Large Eggplant, cubed 
• 2-3 Pita Bread, cut into small squares 
• Olive oil
• Salt 

• 1 cup Low fat Yogurt* 
• 1 tbsp Tahini
• 1 small clove of Garlic, minced 
• Salt 

• 1 tbsp Butter 
• 1/2 Onion, chopped 
• 1 small Clove of Garlic, minced 
• Salt 
• Tamarind , Half a lemon sized (soaked in  1/2 cup hot water) 
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste 
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper or Paprika 
• 1 tsp Honey 

• 1/2 cup Cooked Chickpeas 
• 2-3 tbsp Pine nuts/ Almonds**
• Parsley, chopped 

1. Cut the pita into squares and toss it in some olive oil and salt and toast/ bake the Pita Bread in the oven for 10-15 minutes until crisp and brown in a preheated oven at 190 deg C. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Next, toss the cubes eggplants in some salt and olive oil and bake/ air fry for 25-30 minutes until golden and crisp with the insides tender. 
3. 
   
   
   
   
   
4. Make the sauce by mixing the ingredients under yogurt sauce and set aside. 
5. Next, take a small sauce pan and melt the butter and fry the nuts in the butter and set aside, now to the same butter add in your chopped onion, salt as required and sauté well.
6. Add in the minced garlic, soaked tamrind water/ pulp, mix well and once started to boil, low the flame and add cayenne pepper/ paprika and a dash one honey to balance the acidity. Switch off the flame when you scrape the saucepan with a spatula, the sauce stays seperated.
7. Finally, to assemble, take a large serving plate and first add in a layer of the toasted pita, then the air fried eggplants, top it with the tomato gravy (add once cooled), next pour in the yogurt sauce, cooked chickpeas, more toasted pita (for added crunchiness), pomegranate seeds, fried nuts and finally garnish with finely chopped parsley.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
8. Enjoy immediately!

Here I am going reveal what I did to cause the proofing work faster. I preheat my oven to 140° C or the lowest heat setting for 2 minutes, place my dough covered in the oven, without completely closing the oven door and voila! In 15-20 minutes maximum you have your dough risen well, now this was an experiment and alhamdulilah it turned out great. Now no more worries of the Proofing time if you are anything like me.. 😂😂

• 1 cup Whole wheat flour/ Aatta
• 1 cup All purpose flour
• 1 1/2  cup or more All purpose flour to combine the dough
• 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Salt, required
• 3 tbsp olive oil

For the pizza filling:

• 250 gms boneless tender chicken breasts, cut into small strips
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp Paprika (optional)
• 1/2 tsp Red chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1/2 of medium onion, chopped roughly into squares.
• 1/4 Capsicum, chopped
• 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
• 1 tsp oregano
• 3-4 tbsp Tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 garlic clove, minced

1. In a large bowl combine yeast, warm water, warm milk and sugar. Stir gently, close with a lid or a plate and set aside for 10 minutes for the yeast to bloom.
2. After the 10 minutes add in your salt, wheat flour and all purpose flour along with olive oil and combine well.
3. After the mixture is well combined, add in 1/2 cups of all purpose flour until you get the desired consistency.
4. The dough will be soft and pliable once it reaches the desired consistency. (check notes*)
5. Place the dough back in the bowl and allow to proof. Preheat your oven to 140° C or the lowest heat setting for 2 minutes, place your dough covered in the oven, without completely closing the oven door and voila! In 15-20 minutes maximum you have your dough risen well.
6. Beat the risen dough using your fists and knead for a couple of minutes and make them into small round balls, flatten using a rolling pin and cook them on a tawa for 2 minutes or until it puffs up so that there is a cavity for the filling (flipping every other minute).

1. Cut the chicken into small strips, place it in a bowl. Now add salt, ginger garlic paste, Turmeric powder, chili powder, paprika.
2. Onto a fry pan pour some olive oil and Sautee your onions. Next add your Capsicum and mince 1 garlic clove to this.
3. Add in your marinated chicken and cook on medium high.
4. Add soy sauce and Sautee well.
5. Next add in your garlic powder and Chilli Flakes.
6. While the chicken gets done. Prepare the pizza sauce.
7. In a bowl add tomato paste, ketchup, oregano, a tsp of olive oil and a garlic clove, finely chopped, add salt to taste, if required. Mix and set aside.
8. Cut the pita bread into halves so that you have two pita pockets with cavity. Spread the sauce inside and fill in your chicken filling, add your olives and finally add Mozzarella.
9. Grill them on a grill pan on Sim with lid on so that the cheese melts, can be done in a fry pan too.
10. Voila! And your pizza pockets are ready, Enjoy!

• We are a fam of 3, so I didn't require so much dough, so I kept the extra dough in the fridge. Next time when I use it, I thaw it well and use.
• This filling recipe is perfect for 6 pitas where you will get 12 pockets.
• Make sure you don't use hot water, this will kill the yeast.
• You may add Mayo for a more creamy texture, I did not add it as I wanted to make the flavor to be authentic. 
• You may make the same recipe with all purpose flour completely, but I wanted a healthier version.
• *To get the desired consistency of the dough, do not add too much flour, it should be workable. 

Khameer /Bakhmir

Ingredients :

• 1 - 1½ cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup wheat flour/ atta
• 1 tbsp active dried yeast
• 1 ½ tbsp sugar
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 large egg
• Salt as required
• ½ cup warm milk/ 2 tbsp milk powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp black seeds
• A pinch of cardamom powder (optional)
• Oil for frying

Instructions :

1. In a large bowl add the active dried yeast, sugar and warm water and stir until dissolved and cover the bowl with a plate or lid for about 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.
   
2. In a separate small bowl crack an egg, add warm milk and salt. (keep in mind not to pour in hot milk).
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Pour the egg mixture to the activated yeast and give it a mix. 
   
4. Next, add 1 tbsp olive oil and add the cardamom powder (if using at this stage) and mix.
5. Add the flour 1 cup at a time and knead well, check the consistency, if required add more. The consistency isn't that of chappati, it is a very wobbly dough but not very sticky either.
   
   
   
   
6. Place the lid and let it rest for 1 hour in a warm dry place until it doubles in size.
7. 
8. After 1 hour, pound the dough slowly with your fists, slowly bring the dough from the sides of the bowl to the middle.
9. When at the final stage of kneading add the black sesame seeds.
   
10. Grease your hands and the countertop with vegetable Cooking Oil. Make dough balls size of an orange.
11. Now with the help of your fingers and inner palm, press the ball into a circle shape, you may use the help of a rolling pin but usually, it's done with the hands as the consistency isn't that of a chappathi.
    
12. Press to a medium thickness, not too thick or thin and cut into fours using a knife or pizza slicer into a + sign, you should now have 4 pieces of Khameer from 1 ball.
    
13. Fry in hot oil, when the khameer puffs up, flip and fry until golden brown on both sides. (Check notes for baking instructions).
    
14. Enjoy your khameer with a drizzle of honey, cream cheese, or jam, etc! The perfect Emirati Breakfast! You may also pair it with any of your choice of Indian curries.
    
    
    
    

• Be careful that the water isn't too hot, or else the yeast won't activate.
• Do not do the yeast activation in a glass or small bowl. When the yeast activates, there are high chances that the solution will overflow and you will end up with a big mess. I suggest do it in the bowl that you plan to knead the dough.
• I have used equal parts of All Purpose Flour and Atta, it is normally prepared in Maida (APF).
• You may also bake in a preheated oven at 230 deg C for 2-3 minutes changing sides when you see it starts browning. 

Ratatouille - A French Veggie Stew

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of Tomato puree/ crushed tomato (fresh/tin, tetra pack)
• Dried Oregano, to taste
• Red Chilli flakes, to taste
• Dried Basil, to taste
• 1 tsp Minced Garlic
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Pinch of Sugar
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 aubergine/eggplant
• 2 red bell pepper/ tomatoes
• 4-5 zucchini
• 2 Potatoes/ yellow bell pepper
• Salt, pepper, thyme, olive oil to drizzle

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. 
2. Slice all the veggies into thin rounds using a sharp knife. Add some salt, pepper, oregano, Thyme and a drizzle of olive oil to the veggies and give it a toss.
3. To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Add the red chili flakes. Remove from heat, then add the dried basil. Stir once more, then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.
4. Arrange the veggies over the tomato sauce, alternating the colors in a consistent manner, starting from the outer edge, and ending in the middle of the pan. Season if required. Drizzle a good amount of olive oil over the veggies. 
5. Bake for 35-40 mins until the veggies have softened and completely cooked and develops a crispy effect on the edge of the veggies.
6. Serve with some crusty bread or pita bread or as a main course itself. 
7. 

• It tastes best the next day, reheat for 15 minutes or simply microwave.
• I used fresh tomatoes pureed and some tomato paste too.
• It is usually prepared with tomatoes, I used red bell pepper instead.