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Shahi Tukda stuffed with saffron infused cheese and drizzled with rose syrup

Shahi Tukda

4 slices of bread (your choice) I prefer white bread and thinner slices
Remove the crust of the bread and cut diagonally. Heat about 1/8” of a light cooking oil like canola or vegetable in a shallow pan. Fry the bread on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side to a golden brown.
Drain on paper towels and let rest for a couple of minutes.
Simple rose sugar syrup

1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
1 Tsp of rose essence or 1 Tbsp of rose water
Bring the sugar and water to a boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes till it thickens some.
Let it cool to room temperature and add the rose flavor. (you can also use almond or vanilla instead)
Dip a couple of pieces of the fried bread in the sugar syrup and let stand for 5-7 seconds and flip to the other side. Remove and arrange in a plate. Repeat till all the slices of bread have been coated in the syrup.
Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Saffron infused cheese filling

3-4 strands of good quality Spanish/ Indian saffron
1 Tbsp of milk heated for about 10-15 sec.
2-3 Tbsp of mascarpone cheese
Stir the saffron in the heated milk and let blossom for a couple of minutes till the milk turns a pale yellow. Mix with the cheese and chill for about 30 minutes. (If you would like the cheese to be sweet, mix a Tbsp of the above sugar syrup to the cheese mixture.)
After 30 minutes

Stuff the cheese in between two slices of the shahi tukda like a sandwich. (Amount of cheese used is upon your discretion).
Serve with a drizzle of the sugar syrup or homemade strawberry preserves.
Garnish with melon seeds, shaved almonds and edible pure silver varq (foil)

Cornmeal dusted Tilapia with Coconut cream sauce served over cranberry basmati rice pilaf

4 fillets of fresh Tilapia (washed, patted dry)
Breading mixture

½ cup of all purpose flour
¼ cup of cornmeal
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix the above mixture. Dip/coat the fish fillet one at a time in the breading mixture on both sides and shake off the excess. Arrange in a plate.
Heat (medium heat) about 1/8” of canola or vegetable oil in a shallow pan. When heated through, fry the fish one fillet at a time (to avoid breaking the fish) for 3-4 min on each side to a golden brown. (If the fish is thicker in the center, keep in the oil for another minute or so on each side). Drain on paper towels and wrap in aluminum foil to keep warm.
Coconut cream sauce

1 Can of coconut milk/cream (14 oz)
½ can of water (optional to make the sauce thinner if using coconut cream)
Group 1

½ medium Spanish/white onion chopped fine
1 clove of garlic minced
2 whole red chillies
1 sprig of kari leaves (optional)
Group 2

1 Tsp of coriander powder
½ tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of whole pepper corns
Salt and pepper to taste
Red cayenne pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar.
Saute Group 1 in 1 Tbsp of OO and a Tbsp of butter on medium heat till the onions change a little in color (4-5 min). Add Group 2 seasonings and the coconut milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes on low. Remove from heat.
In a platter, arrange the fried fish and pour the coconut sauce over it and let the fish absorb the flavor for about 5-6 minutes at least before serving.
Cranberry rice pilaf

1 Cup of basmati rice
2 Cups of water/stock/broth
1/3 cup of dried cranberries/ cherries
2-3 cloves
2-3 cardamoms smashed
Salt to taste
Saute the cloves and the cardamoms in a Tbsp of butter. Add the rice and toast them for about a couple of minutes. Add the stock, the cranberries and the salt. Lower the heat to a low-medium and cover the pan. Cook for about 10-13 minutes till the rice fluffs up with a fork.

Lentil soup with cilantro gremolata

Lentil soup


To serve 6

2 cups of lentils (French/or your favorite) (stones/grit removed and rinsed)
Group 1

2 cloves of garlic smashed/minced
1” of garlic root peeled and minced
1 cup of carrots chopped
1 medium white onion chopped
1 cup of celery stalks chopped
Group 2

2 medium tomatoes chopped
1 small can of tomato sauce (4-6 Oz)
1 Tbsp of tomato paste (more if you like the rich tomato flavor)
Group 3
2 Bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of turmeric powder
1 Tsp of garam masala (all spice)
1 Tsp of cayenne (optional)
Salt, pepper to taste
6-8 cups of stock/broth/water
Saute group 1 in 2 Tbsp of OO for about 5-6 minutes till the onions change a little color. Add Group 2 and continue sauteing on medium heat for another 5-7 minutes till the veggies wilt down further.
Add lentils and saute for a couple of minutes till well incorporated. Add Group 3 and about 4 cups of the liquid (stock/broth/water). Mix well and cover the pot and cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Add the rest of the liquid and continue to cook covered for another 12 minutes or so till the lentils are cooked to your liking.
You can increase/decrease the amount of liquid depending on how you like your soup. (Thick/thin). Also the volume of stock used would depend on the lentils you use. So taste the lentils at every stage to ensure the desired level of cooking.
Remove/discard the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick before serving.
Serve with the cilantro gremolata and a squeeze of lime. 
Cilantro gremolata 

1/3 Cup of fine chopped cilantro
1 clove of garlic minced
Zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp of OO
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix the above together and serve as a garnish/condiment immediately.