Baba Bharta (Eggplant Dip with a twist)

The Story: While eating dinner at a Middle Eastern friend's place, we learnt about Pita, Hummus and Baba ghannouj (ba-ba gan-oosh). The last item reminded me of a dish we make called Baingan Bharta (Eggplant medley). The resemblance in taste was so similar that I had to try to fuse them together. While the individual recipes vary quite a bit, the taste is unbelievably similar. The magic perhaps lies in the mystery vegetable: Eggplant (aurbergine)...This makes for a great appetizer dip.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large dark eggplant
1 c. red or white onion, chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 - 3 Tbsp. oil or butter
1 tsp. grated ginger (or ginger paste)
1 large tomato, chopped
2 - 3 green chillies, chopped
Salt to taste
2 - 3 sprigs of fresh cilantro leaves

METHOD:
• Wash and dry the eggplant. Do not cut off its top crown. Slit into two halves. Sprinkle the pieces with a little oil and salt and place in the broiler with the skin surface facing the broiler. Broil at 450F for about 30 minutes. (Outside skin will be burnt and some water will be expelled in the process). The eggplant is done when the flesh is soft pulpy.
• Remove from the broiler. With a spoon, scoop out the fleshy, soft part of the
eggplant. Throw the burnt skin away. Run the eggplant in a food processor to get a smooth texture.
• In a non-stick pan, add oil and sauté the onion until translucent in color.
• Then add finely chopped garlic and ginger.
• When the paste turns brownish-pink, add the tomato. Sauté on medium to high
heat for about 2 minutes. Then add the green chillies and the roasted eggplant paste.
• Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 3 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• If you like a textured dip, then leave it as is. Otherwise, run the mix through the food processor one more time. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and finely chopped cilantro. Serve with Pita, Crackers or Bread.

Spinach and Cheese Soup (Chowder consistency)

The Background: Spinach and other green leaves makes you dream of a salad. In India, people love to cook it and eat it in a soup like format with pieces of homemade cheese called paneer. After telling my daughter not to put random flowers and leaves in her mouth, it was a challenge to ask her to eat spinach in a salad. Imagine the confusion of a little girl! How do you know Mommy, which leaves are good for you? Well, the "Mommy knows" answer didn't satisfy her. So making a "green soup" was a better option (green being her favorite color helped too). Ever notice how kids love foods which have horrific or bold colors?

INGREDIENTS:
1 c. Mozzarella or Cheddar Cheese (grated)
1 medium bunch of fresh spinach (or 1 lb. frozen variety)
1 medium size onion
6-7 pods garlic
1-inch piece ginger
1-inch stick cinnamon
2 small tomatoes (roma type)
Salt to taste
a pinch of sesame seeds
¼ tsp. Sunflower kernel seeds (optional)
1 bay leaf
½ c. heavy cream
½ tsp. sugar
2--3 Tbsp. oil, ghee or butter

METHOD:

• Chop the spinach and boil with very little salt until soft. Do not overcook or the spinach will look dull.
• Let it cool slightly, and then puree it in a blender with very little water.
• Grind the onion, garlic, tomatoes and chopped ginger with very little water.
• Grind the cinnamon sticks, sesame seeds and sunflower kernel seeds (optional) into a dry powder in a coffee grinder. Keep aside.
• In a saucepan, add oil, butter or ghee, bay leaf and fry the ground wet paste of onions, etc.
• Cover the pan and fry on medium heat. Stir from time to time till paste becomes drier and brownish-red.
• Add the ground dry powder spices.
• Cover and cook on low heat. When the paste starts to turn a darker color add the spinach puree, heavy cream, salt and sugar. Cover and let it simmer on low for five minutes. Carefully open the lid to stir from time to time (it splatters, so be careful).
• While still warm, sprinkle the grated cheese on top and serve with a slice of baguette or pita bread.

Shrimp Lo Mein- A New Version

My Take: There's nothing like a little noodle dish to perk you up any day. Mine is a simple version using shrimp and vegetables. The ketchup adds a unique sweet tartness to the noodles. It also makes the dish moist and kid friendly. My version is a cross between the traditional Lo Mein and Pad Thai.

INGREDIENTS:
½ c. julienned potato
½ c. julienned carrot
½ c. small cauliflower florets
1 small green pepper, julienne
½ c. green peas
¾ c. julienned red onion
½ c. finely chopped green beans
1 c. small shrimp
Salt to taste
8 oz. egg or plain noodle, uncooked
2 Tbsp. ketchup
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 ½ tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. Black Bean sauce/paste
3 – 4 Tbsp. oil
3 green chillies, chopped
1 egg, scrambled
1/2 c. finely sliced spring onion or garlic chive

METHOD:
• Boil water in saucepan. Add a little salt, 2-tsp. oil and cook the noodles until they
are al dente (slight bite left to it). Do not overcook. Strain the noodles in a colander.
Do not wash them. Keep aside.
• In a wok or large non-stick fry pan, add the remaining oil. Sauté the shrimp, onion, green beans, carrot, peas, cauliflower, pepper and green chillies with a little salt on high heat. When the vegetables and shrimp are done, add the ketchup and soy sauce. Cover and cook on high heat.
• Add the black bean sauce/paste and mix in the boiled noodles. Saute for a few minutes.
• Remove from heat and add the vinegar. Mix well. Keep covered to preserve the aroma. Garnish with the scrambled egg and finely sliced spring onion or garlic chive.

Chinese Fried Rice

The Story: The beauty of cuisine from China is that it is very easy to adapt to and vary in taste. Most of the dishes from China are catered towards the general taste palette of the local region. For example, in India, Chinese food is spicier and with more of the sweet gravy as compared to Chinese food in the US, which is less spicy, more stir-fried. As such, the dishes become a favorite of most individuals as they relate to their preferred ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:
2 c. rice
¼ c. green beans, finely chopped
¼ c. carrots, diced
¼ c. green peas
1 ½ c. red onion, chopped
3 eggs
1 c. chicken, bite size pieces
½ c. shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
5 cloves garlic, chopped
½ c. olive oil
Soy sauce to taste
Salt to taste, vinegar/spring onion for garnish

METHOD:
• Wash and cook the rice in an open pan until the rice is almost done. Keep aside.
• Beat up the eggs in a bowl and make scrambled eggs using a little oil. Set aside.
• Saute and cook the chicken pieces with a touch of vinegar and salt. Do the same for the shrimp. Set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in a deep pan. Fry the chopped garlic and onion till light brown.
• Add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes.
• Follow with the other vegetables. Add a little salt and cook again until the veggies are tender.
• Add the cooked chicken and shrimp. Mix well and brown it all for another 2 minutes. Add
the almost-done rice, a little salt and mix well. Sprinkle a little water if needed.
• When the rice has softened, add the soy sauce.
• Garnish with the pieces of scrambled egg and chopped spring onion. Serve hot.

Shrimp Pilaf (Shrimp Biryani)

The Background: Rice is a soul satisfying comfort food for most Asians. The typical varieties are the vegetable rice dishes or meat-rice dishes (biryani). Seafood and rice is the less common choice unless you live on the coasts of India. This dish is very delicious and you can always choose to substitute the shrimp with a vegetable or meat of your choice. The dish is very similar to the Rice Pilafs served in American restaurants.

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ c. basmati rice, washed and dried
3 medium size onions
1 stick cinnamon
2 green cardamoms, crushed
1 ½ tsp. cumin seeds
2 cloves
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. peppercorns (whole black pepper)
1 lb. prawn (shrimp), cleaned and de-veined
½ tsp. chilly powder
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 ½ tsp. turmeric powder
7 cloves garlic
2 green chillies
2 boiled eggs, shelled (garnish)
Salt to taste
10 onion rings (garnish)
½ c. ghee

METHOD:
• Grind the garlic, 1 onion, green chillies, cayenne peppers, 1tsp. turmeric powder
and 1 tsp. cumin seeds into a paste. Set aside.
• Finely slice 1 onion in strips and fry in half the ghee until golden brown. Add the remaining cumin seeds, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and peppercorns. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the rice and 3 c. of water and cook until tender. Set aside.
• Mince the remaining onion and fry in the remaining ghee until light brown. Add
the ground paste prepared in the first step to it. Cook till the fat separates. Add the remaining turmeric powder, chilly powder and the tomatoes. Cook until
the gravy has thickened.
• Add the shrimp and salt per taste. Cover and cook till the shrimps are done.
• In your serving bowl, place a layer of the rice at the bottom. Follow with a layer of the shrimp mixture. Continue by forming an alternate layer of rice and shrimps. The topmost layer should be rice.
• Garnish with onion rings and slices of the boiled eggs. Cover and keep warm.
Serve with standard salad or an yogurt salad called raita.

Royal Chicken Curry (Shahi Chicken Korma)

The Story: There are so many ways you can cook chicken. From the mild chicken soup that's good for the flu to the richness of fried chicken as an ultimate comfort food. One fine day I decided to indulge in some royal flavors for a change. The inspiration for this dish comes from traditional Mughal cuisine. Kings (बादशाह) and Conquerors from the Middle East ruled over northern India for many hundreds of years. They brought with them some amazing spices and rich aromas that today comprise of the family of Royal cuisine also known as Mughlai (मुघलाई) or Shahi (शाही) cuisine। The recipe here is my version of the flavors typical to this type of cuisine. Shahi Chicken Korma (शाही चिक्केन कोरमा) means Slow Braised Royal Chicken Curry. {Yes, this one does have a sweet cream gravy}.

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ lb. chicken
1 red onion
¾ c. yogurt
4 pods garlic
¾ c. cream
½ c. almonds or cashewnuts (pre-soaked in water)
½ c. golden raisins
½ c. oil
1 Tbsp. coriander seed
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
½ tsp. nutmeg powder
½ tsp. crushed mace
½tsp. garam masala
A pinch of saffron
Salt to taste
Slivers of almond for garnish

METHOD:
• Clean, wash and dry the chicken, using kitchen towels.
• Grind coriander seeds, ½ the onion, the soaked almonds/cashewnuts and garlic.
• Marinade the chicken in the above paste for 2 hrs.
• Heat oil, fry the remaining onion, sliced thin. Keep aside.
• Add the chicken and fry till the liquid dries up.
• Add ¾ c. hot water, salt, cayenne pepper and simmer slowly until meat is tender and cooked.
• Uncover and dry the liquid.
• Add beaten yogurt and sauté till it leaves oil. Then add the fried, ground onion.
• Beat the cream and add ground saffron, nutmeg and mace. Mix it with the cooked chicken.
• Add Garam Masala and the golden raisins and bake at 250ºF for ½ hr.
• Serve garnished with slivers of almond or halves of cashewnut.

Chickpea Salad

The Inspiration: If you have a 3 year old who is into sauces, curries and gravies, then consider yourself very fortunate (even if you have never won a lottery). If not, then you will understand my pain and dilemma. Emilie will try almost anything as long as it appears to be sauce-free, curry-free. So much so that I had to resort to a slotted spoon to filter out lentils from a lentil soup! Tired of trying to "drain out" the chickpeas from a popular chickpea dish called "Chana Masala" (चना मसाला ), I decided to come up with a salad version.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. chickpeas (boiled or canned variety)
1/4 c. white onion (diced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1/2 c. cucumber (diced)
A pinch of sugar
Salt to taste (Rock Salt is preferred)
A pinch of black pepper
2-3 large mint leaves (julienned)
1 small sprig of cilantro or flat leaf parsley
2 tsp. lime juice

METHOD:

• Put the boiled chickpea (चना) in a salad bowl. If using the canned variety, drain well and rinse with cold water. Then boil the beans once more in salted water for 15-20 minutes or until they feel fork tender.


• Add the diced onion, tomato and cucumber. Toss well with a fork.


• Add the sugar, salt, black pepper and lime juice. Mix well.


• Garnish with julienned mint and cilantro/parsley. Chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.


• Serve cold with a side of crunchy chips.
  

Lip-Smacking Hip-Shaking Nachos

Background: I love Nachos. What I don't like about it is the cheese sauce, which stays a minute on my lips and forever on my hips. So I set out to find a healthier option to the dish and fused it with the closely resembled Indian version called Chaat. Chaat, an Indian snack, is simply a layer of crunchy chips (made from Chickpea flour) with toppings, yogurt sauce, seasonings and garnishes. The list of items for toppings and garnishes go as far as your imagination can take you. Combine the best of the two worlds (India and Mexico) and voila, you have a lip-smacking hip-shaking good treat.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large bag of flavored corn chips (Doritos Cheesy Nachos flavor or your favorite)
1 small bag of ruffled potato chips (Ruffles or Lays)
1 medium size potato, baked and diced (optional)
1 tomato, diced

1/2 white onion, diced
1 c. chickpea, boiled (canned is okay, but should be well drained)
1 tsp. Chaat Masala or lemon pepper seasoning mix (like Mrs. Dash's)
1 c. plain non-fat yogurt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. chilly powder (for a spicy kick)
2 Tbsp. tamarind chutney or Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. cilantro or mint chutney
1/2 c. sev or any crunchy salad topper

METHOD:

• Place the chips in a layer on the serving platter. Break down the pieces if they are too large.
• Top with the potato chips in the same fashion.
• Just before serving, add the toppings of chickpea, onion, tomato and potato.
• Sprinkle the seasoning (Chaat Masala or your favorite one).
• Add the sugar and the chilly powder (optional) to the yogurt and stir to make a smooth sauce. Add a little cold water if the sauce is too thick and cannot be poured easily.
• Drizzle the yogurt sauce all over the chips and toppings.
• Follow with small dollops of the tamarind chutney (or Worcestershire sauce) and cilantro/mint chutney all over the platter.
• Garnish with some fine crunchy topping (sev in the above picture).
• Serve cold immediately. (A scoop of this tastes like a chip & dip in one).
  

Go Green Sloppy Joe Sandwich

The Inspiration: I came up with this dish while creating the menu for my son's first birthday party. The party was slated for outdoors on a nice balmy summer afternoon. My challenge was to make the food "picnic friendly" without making it a barbeque. Add to that the restriction that many of our friends are vegetarians. The dish that came to mind was a sandwich like sloppy joe's, but with none of the mess or meat in it.




INGREDIENTS:
1 c. sweet peas (frozen variety)
1 c. sweet corn (frozen variety)
1/2 c. white or walla walla onion
1 potato (boiled, peeled and mashed)
3-4 pods of garlic
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. cumin
1tsp. coriander
1tsp. whole garam masala
1 Tbsp. Ketchup
1/4 tsp. Sun-dried Mango powder
1 jalapeno (optional)
Salt to taste
2-3 Tbsp. oil/ghee combination (or oil/butter)
Sliced tomatoes for garnish
Cilantro for garnish
Sesame seed buns

METHOD:

• Thaw out the frozen peas and corn.
• Run them through the food processor for 1o pulses, twice. This should leave you with a paste that has some consistency left to it (neither coarse nor very smooth). Do not add any water.
• Dice the onion in the food processor also.
• Finely grate the garlic.
• In a non-stick pan, heat the oil/ghee mixture. Add the whole garam masala. Follow with the diced onion and saute on high heat until the onions start to brown. Add the ginger paste, grated garlic and the jalapeno (finely diced) and saute for a minute or two.
• Add the Ketchup and sun dried mango powder to the mix. Stir well.
• Add the ground corn/pea mixture and the mashed potato.
• Add salt and saute well to combine everything into an even consistency.
• Remove and spread into a non-stick baking pan coated with a little butter. Put it into a 350F oven for 7-10 minutes.
• Garnish with sliced tomatoes and chopped cilantro. Scoop and serve with your favorite condiments on a sesame seed bun.

Soul Satisfying Tomato Soup

The Story: Soups are atypical in everyday Indian menus. They are mostly seasonal and vary regionally. With the climate in India being mostly tropical in nature, soups are popular during the winter months. They are served at weddings and large gatherings as a beverage often. I love the flavor of Thai Tom Yum soup. I merged the lemon grass flavor into this tomato soup for a soul satisfying experience.

INGREDIENTS:

1½ lb. ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped lemon grass or lemon-thyme seasoning
2-3 curry leaves
4 oz. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
1 Tbsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. roasted cumin seeds, finely ground
A pinch of ground black pepper
A pinch of cayenne pepper
A pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
2 tsp. lime or lemon juice
Water

METHOD:

• Put the tomatoes, lemon grass/thyme, curry leaves, ginger, salt and a cup of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.


• Uncover, increase the heat and simmer more rapidly for another 15 minutes.


• Puree the mixture in a blender and then sieve through a strainer. You should have about ¾ pt. thick tomato juice.


• Add the heavy cream, milk, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Blend well by hand.


• Add in the lime or lemon juice. Stir well and reheat gently without boiling.


• Serve in small cups, garnished with a tiny dollop of creme fraiche or a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

Meet the No-Meat "Meatball" (Kofta)

Background: A meatball is a meatball. There are no substitutes. Right? Wrong. There are ways to make a vegetarian meatball that can be just as satisfying and tasty. Plus, you get to cut out a lot of the fat, calories and cholesterol if you are watching your health. So, what's the catch? None. Just follow this recipe below to indulge in a healthy spaghetti and "meatball" treat without causing a worry to your heart.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. zucchini (green)
¼ c. chickpea flour or regular all-purpose flour

2 large potatoes (any variety)
1 Tbsp. ginger paste
1 ½ c. red onion, chopped
4 – 5 cloves garlic
1 green chili (optional)
Salt to taste

A pinch of sugar
½ tsp. sesame seed, powdered
½ tsp. garam masala
½ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. ghee or butter
Oil for deep-frying

METHOD:

• Peel and grate the zucchini using the fine side of a hand grater.
  
• Squeeze out the water/excess-moisture from the grated vegetable using a cheesecloth or by hand. Set aside in a bowl.
  
• Peel and boil the potatoes. Mash them into a smooth paste using butter or ghee.
  
• Add the mashed potato to the grated zucchini and mix well to a dough like consistency.
  
• Add in the flour until the mixture is soft and dry enough to roll into small balls. Avoid the urge to add excess flour. It may dry out the "meatballs".
  
• Add in all the spices listed above including the chopped red onion, garlic, ginger and chili. Knead the mixture well and form into small round balls.
  
• Deep-fry the balls in oil until golden brown. Place in a bowl lined with paper towels (helps absorb the excess fat from deep frying).
  
• To serve: Drop as many of the balls as you like in your favorite sauce and simmer for 3-5 minutes. This helps the "meatballs" absorb some of the sauce and keeps them moist. Serve warm with spaghetti or rice.

Tip: Wrap the potatoes with their skins on in paper towels. Microwave them for 3-4 minutes on high. Let stand for 2 minutes. Peel and use in recipe as described. This will save you time. You may refrigerate extra "meatballs" for 3-4 days.

Rice Pudding from Mom's Kitchen

About the dish: Rice pudding is a universal comforting dessert. Everyone has a take on it. Mine comes straight from my mother's kitchen-no questions asked. In India rice pudding or kheer as it is called, is considered auspicious to many life events and ceremonies. We just love to eat it with or without any special reason.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. long grain basmati or short grain rice (shorter grain=creamier consistency)
4 c. whole milk
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. sugar (optional per taste)
1 green cardamom, crushed
1 small piece of cinnamon, crushed
1 bay leaf
2-3 Tbsp. ghee or butter
1/3 c. golden raisins
1/3 c. chopped or sliced nuts (almond or cashew)
A generous pinch of saffron
Confectioner's sugar to taste

METHOD:

• Wash and soak the rice in cold water for ½ hour.


• Heat 2 Tbsp. ghee/butter in a thick bottom saucepan. Add the crushed cinnamon, green cardamom and bay leaf. Sauté for 1 minute.


• Add the raisins, nuts and fry till golden brown. Remove the raisins and nuts only from the saucepan and set aside in a bowl.


• Drain the rice well and add to the same saucepan. Add the remaining Tbsp. of ghee to the pan. Fry the rice for a minute or two stirring constantly.


• Add the sugar (if you like extremely sweet desserts), milk and condensed milk to the rice.


• Cook on low to medium heat until the rice has softened and the consistency is thick. Frequent stirring is needed to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.


• Turn off the heat and mix in the pinch of saffron.


• Remove from heat and adjust sweetnessto taste your palette once the dish has cooled slightly. (Use sprinkles of confectioner's sugar.)


• Decorate with sliced almonds or cashew halves. Serve cold.

(Note: If you don't like a layer of pudding-skin, place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface when the dish is cooling)

Crispy Onion Fritters with a Tangy Chutney (award winning recipe)

Story behind the recipe:

This is one of those events in life where spontaneity rewards itself. A neon green flier spotted in a grocery store during a regular "oh so boring" chore started it all. Object advertised was the Fifth Annual Middleburgh Heights Onion Cooking contest in Cleveland, OH (we were Midwesterners back then). I thought it was completely silly but my significant other tickled my interest and so we went. We both love this appetizer and it is our favorite indulgence on cold rainy days. So, on that spring morning, I made a bowl full of them for the contest. All the while I was thinking: "I can't wait to eat them after the competition is over". Lo and behold, the dish was judged the winner (they were calling my name and I was looking around to see who had won). Although all the fritters were eaten up and I got none, I went home totally ecstatic about my culinary skills. We still laugh about it.

Crispy Onion Balls:

INGREDIENTS:
2 onions (white or red)
1 c. chickpea flour (besan)
2 Tbsp. rice flour
1 Tbsp. corn flour
2 green Chillies or Jalapenos
2 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. garlic paste
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. garam masala
1 Tbsp. ghee or clarified butter
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
1/4 c. coriander leaves, chopped

METHOD:
• Finely slice the onions lengthwise.
• Chop the green chillies. (De-seed them for a milder taste).
• Mix all of the above ingredients together without adding water.
• Keep it aside for 20 minutes.
• Heat oil. Make small rough shaped balls from the dough.
• Deep-fry the onion balls till golden brown. Remove the fritters (called pakoras) from the oil and place into a bowl lined with paper towels. Sprinkle a little salt while still hot. After a couple of minutes, remove the paper and serve the fritters with the onion chutney.

Onion-Mint Chutney (Tangy Dip)

INGREDIENTS:
1 white onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. mint leaves, chopped
½ c. coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp. sugar
2 cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. yogurt, plain
1 green chilly or jalapeno
½ tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. sun-dried pomegranate seed powder
Salt To taste
2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice

METHOD:
• Grind all the above ingredients together to a fine paste with very little water.
• Add the lemon juice.
• Stir well, cover and keep in the refrigerator for 24-48hours. Refrigeration brings out the true flavor of this chutney.

Emilie's Tandoori Chicken Roll

Inspiration for the dish:
I was trying out a chicken burrito one day, when it dawned on me that food is not all that different between the countries of the world. There was chicken, beans, rice, salsa and condiments like sour cream all rolled up in a warm tortilla. Very similar to what is simply referred to as a "roll" in Indian cuisine. The internal contents vary slightly as do the names of the "rolls", but the overall concept is the same. That is what inspired me to come up with the following recipe using my special tandoori marinade.

INGREDIENTS:
For the marinade:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 c. plain yogurt
1 tsp. cumin powder (freshly ground)
1tsp. coriander powder
1tsp. garam masala
A pinch of sugar
½ tsp. salt
1tsp. cayenne pepper or chopped Serrano chili (optional)
2 Tbsp. Canola/Olive Oil or Melted Ghee
2 tsp. grated garlic or paste
2 tsp. grated ginger (or paste)
Food coloring (red or orange) (optional)
2 tsp. lemon juice

For the filling:
1 large white or red onion
2 tsp. white vinegar
A small sprig of cilantro/parsley
Onion chutney or any favorite condiment

Other:
1 large flour tortilla
Skewers for grill/oven
Ghee (clarified butter) or butter for basting

METHOD:

1. Combine the yogurt and oil, beating lightly.


2. Add the cumin, coriander, ground garam masala, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar, cayenne pepper and food coloring. Mix well into a smooth paste.


3. Clean and dry the chicken tenders. Marinate the chicken pieces in the yogurt mix for an hour.


4. Just before grilling (or broiling in the oven), add the lemon juice and mix well. Weave the chicken tenders on water-soaked wooden skewers or metal skewers.


5. Grill on each side for about 4 mins, while basting with some butter or ghee to keep it moist. (For oven, broil at 450F for roughly 4 mins on each side). Check to see if chicken is done (inside should be white, not pink).


6. Cut the large onion into 1/8 inch wedges and marinate in vinegar along with finely chopped cilantro/parsley for 1/2 hour.


7. To serve: Warm a large flour tortilla. Spread a little tangy onion chutney (or any favorite condiment of your liking) on it. Top with the chicken cut into smaller pieces and the 'pickled' onion wedges. Fold and wrap the tortilla like a burrito.


8. Enjoy with a little lemon-butter dip.