Chicken Shawarma

For Shawarma:

Chicken Thigh - 6 pc, deboned

Oil - 3 1/2 tbsp.

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp

All Spice - 1/4 tsp

Garlic - 1 clove, grated

Salt & Pepper

Place the Chicken Thighs in a Ziploc bag with Oil, Corinader powder, Cumin powder, Chilli powder, Allspice, Garlic, required Salt and Pepper. Rub in until fully incorporated. Seal the bag and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 min.

Preheat grill to med-high heat.

After marinating, use the skewers to pierce the pieces of Chicken through the center. Slide the pieces down leaving enough room for you to hold the skewer, about 3 pieces of Chicken per skewer. Continue this process until all the Chicken is skewered. Place on a hot Oiled grill top for 4 minutes per side.

For Tomato Cucumber Relish:

Olive Oil - 2 tbsp.

Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tsp

Oregano - 1 tsp

Tomato - 2, diced

Cucumber - 1, chopped

Garlic - 1 clove, grated

Lemon - 1, juiced

Onion - 1, diced

Parsley leaves, chopped

Salt and Pepper

Mix Olive Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Oregano, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Garlic, Lemon juice, Onion, Parsley along with required Salt and Pepper. Keep aside.

For Tahini Sauce:

Tahini paste - 1/4 cup

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp.

Lemon - 1/2, juiced

Salt

In a medium bowl, combine Tahini paste with Olive Oil, Lemon juice, 1/4 cup Water and required Salt.

Pita - 4

To serve, fill the Pitas with the grilled Chicken, Cucumber relish and Tahini sauce.

Tiffin Sambhar

For cooking lentils

• ▢ ¼ cup tur dal (husked & split tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils)

• ▢ ¼ cup masoor dal (husked & split red lentils)

• ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)

• ▢ 1.25 to 1.5 cups water – for cooking in a 2 litre stovetop pressure cooker

For tempering

• ▢ 2 tablespoons oil – gingelly oil, sunflower oil or peanut oil

• ▢ ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

• ▢ 1 teaspoon urad dal (husked & split black lentil)

• ▢ 4 to 5 curry leaves

• ▢ ¼ teaspoon asafoetida powder (hing)

For cooking veggies

• ▢ 1 large (100 grams) onion – chopped or 10 to 12 pearl onions or small shallots

• ▢ 3 medium-sized (220 to 230 grams) tomatoes– chopped

• ▢ 1 to 2 drumsticks – scraped and chopped in 2 to 3 inch pieces

• ▢ 1 carrot – medium-sized

• ▢ 6 to 7 green beans or or flat beans, chopped

• ▢ 1 potato – medium-sized, optional

• ▢ 4 to 5 okra – chopped (bhindi)

• ▢ 6 to 7 nos or (80 to 100 grams) brinjals – small sized, (mini or baby eggplants) quartered or halved depending on the size

• ▢ 1 to 1.25 cups water or add as required

• ▢ salt as required

For tamarind pulp

• ▢ 1 tablespoon tamarind

• ▢ ¼ to ⅓ cup water – warm or hot

For tiffin sambar powder

• ▢ 5 kashmiri chilies or or byadagi/bedgi chilies or 4 to 5 dry red chilies – reduce depending upon the heat in the chilies

• ▢ 11 to 12 large curry leaves or 16 to 18 small curry leaves

• ▢ 1.5 tablespoons coriander seeds

• ▢ 1 tablespoon chana dal (split & husked bengal gram)

• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• ▢ ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

• ▢ ½ teaspoon whole black pepper

• ▢ ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)

• ▢ 2 teaspoons oil – gingelly oil, sunflower oil or peanut oil

Other ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup water – to be added later or add as required

• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves – chopped for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Cooking the lentils

• Rinse both the lentils well and then add them in a 2 litre stovetop pressure cooker with 1.25 to 1.5 cups water and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.

• Pressure cook the lentils for 7 to 8 whistles or 11 to 12 minutes until the lentils have softened and well cooked. 

• You can also cook the lentils in a pan on a stove top or in the instant pot.

  I recommend to soak the lentils for about 30 minutes in enough water prior to cooking them in a pan. This helps in the faster cooking of the lentils.

• Once the pressure settles down naturally in the cooker, open the cooker. Mash the lentils with a wired whisk and spoon. Keep aside.

Making tiffin sambar powder

• In a small and heavy frying pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil. Keep the heat to a low. First, add the mustard seeds. 

• Then add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper, chana dal (bengal gram), fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and dry red chillies. 

• On a low heat stir non-stop and roast till the spices become aromatic and golden.

• Keep aside to cool. Don’t burn the spices.

• Once the spices cool, grind them to a powder in a dry grinder or coffee grinder. Keep aside.

Preparation for idli sambar

• Soak the tamarind in warm water for 25 to 30 mins.

• Later squeeze the tamarind in the soaked water and extract the tamarind pulp. You can strain tamarind pulp and keep aside.

• Chop all the veggies. Quarter the onions or halve the pearl onions. Peel and dice the carrots and potatoes.

• Dice the brinjals and add them in water to prevent discoloration.

• Chop the tomatoes in small pieces.

Cooking veggies

• In a pan, heat oil first. Add the mustard seeds and let them begin to crackle. Then add the urad dal and sauté till they turn to a maroonish color.

• Add quartered onions or halved pearl onions, curry leaves and asafoetida. Stir and saute for 2 minutes till the onions soften a bit.

• Add the tomatoes, salt as required and continue to saute for 4 to 5 minutes on a medium-low heat.

• Then add the veggies which take a longer time to cook (carrots, beans, potatoes, drumsticks etc) and saute for 4 to 5 minutes on a medium-low flame.

• Then add remaining quick-cooking veggies like brinjals, ladyfingers (okra), pumpkin etc now. Stir and mix. 

• Add the tamarind pulp and 1 to 1.25 cups water. 

• Season with salt as per taste. Mix well. 

• Cover pan and simmer until the raw aroma of the tamarind goes away and the veggies are almost cooked. 

• If the veggies are undercooked, then continue to simmer till they are almost cooked. 

Making idli sambar

• Add the ground sambar powder which we have already prepared. Mix well. 

• Add the mashed dal.

• Add 1 cup water or as required depending on the consistency you want.

• Stir and simmer without lid for about 6 to 7 minutes or till it comes to a boil. Stir at intervals. 

• Check the taste and add more salt if required.

• Meanwhile when you keep the dal for pressure cooking, you can steam idli. Both small-sized mini idli or large idli goes well with tiffin sambar.

• While serving place the idli in a serving bowl. Pour sambar. Garnish with some coriander leaves. You can even drizzle a bit of ghee on top. Serve idli sambar hot.

• You can also garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with medu vada, idli, dosa, uttapam or even with steamed rice.

Chicken Tostada

8 corn tostada shells

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

2 tablespoons salsa, plus more for drizzling

Shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, sliced avocado, pickled red onion, and crumbled queso fresco, for topping

Lime wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; arrange tostada shells on baking sheet in a single layer. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add beans, and smash into a paste using the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in 3/4 cup water, cumin, garlic powder, salt, oregano, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until bean mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Bake tostada shells until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Spread 1/3 cup bean mixture evenly over each tostada shell. Toss together chicken and salsa macha in a medium bowl; top tostadas with evenly divided chicken (about 1/4 cup each). Bake tostadas until chicken is heated through, about 3 minutes.

Top tostadas with cabbage, radishes, avocado, pickled onion, and queso fresco; drizzle with additional salsa macha. Serve with lime wedges.