Return of the Dhaba

We had a Baisakhi lunch at the Dhaba in Claridges, Surajkund last week, it had been a while since we had Indian food so this was one afternoon I was really looking forward to. The Dhaba turned out to be this adorable concept destination, dressed like a Dhaba yet ambient like a 5 star Hotel. Complete with a truck face sticking out of the wall, a 'doodh wala' cycle, retro movie posters and a very freaky looking weighing machine, I loved the interiors of the newly revamped restaurant. The Dhaba also has a spectacular view of the Aravali rock face, it is bright with a sparse layout, so there is plenty of room to move around and enjoy a certain level of privacy between tables.

Our menu for the day read like this:

Appetizer:

Aloo methi corn tikki: this was nice and very home-y

Tawe di chappe: I liked them for what they were but felt the 'tawa' stamp was missing, no charring on the meat, it felt like the masala was applied on a broiled 'chaamp'. Chef explained that people preferred this variant and that charring was perceived as 'burnt food' ...sad!

Main course:

Paneer Cholia: this is one dish that took me back to my mother's kitchen. I love chholia and this was a nice heartwarming dish to enjoy in a Hotel. I sometimes wish Hotels would go back into what we ate 25 years ago and avoid new age ingredients for the time being.

Chicken hara masala: though this dish was a quintessential 'saag chicken' I was expecting something else. I envisioned a 'hari chutney' chicken considering this was a summer menu. I enjoyed the dish but still hoped it was a tart, 'tez' chutney masala version!

Dal lashkar: the 'dal' was outstanding! I could taste the ghee, a few drops of lemon and this was 'dal' heaven! I had one whole extra roti just to have more dal!

Amritsari kulcha: these are never really bad, not even on the streets and yes they were good here too!

 

Dessert:

Atta pinni: I missed the 'atta' crunch in this, could have been roasted longer, but then again every kitchen does their own version, considering I am not much of a 'mithai' person, I ought to not comment this much!

Gur ki Kulfi: I was really looking forward to this, it tasted a bit 'Bong' and was a tad too pasty for me.

All in all I am glad the Dhaba is back, a la carte has plenty of promise so that's what I will be going back for. I loved the lounge feel and the service was excellent, which ultimately gives guests a superior meal experience, for which I thank The Claridges and the team at the Dhaba kitchen. A special mention for the welcome drink, it was exquisite, stuff I could drink all summer and spike every evening!

Love Italy, Love Italians!

I got Chef David Rocco's cookbook, 'Made In Italy' as a gift from a dear friend about a month ago, it made my day. I ran home and stewed a batch of mutton with tomatoes and red wine, it was exquisite, not because I made the dish, because David developed the recipe! That's how much faith I have in chef's I love (Jaime, you know you're on my mind right now, wink wink!). Here's the sad part, I took the book with me to the hospital for a bunch of tests I needed, stayed overnight and subsequently left it there. Not because I am a bubble head (which I am!) but because someone else packed for me when I was about to leave. A couple of days later, I looked for the book to see what I can do with 2 gorgeous avocado's I had and that's when it hit me, it hit me like a steam roller! I called the hospital, I even went there, but there was no sign of it. I was convinced that a Malayalee nurse was busy making rustic Italian food somewhere! A week later I got a call from ITC Maurya asking me whether I was available to meet David, that was my manna from heaven, redemption for taking the sacred to godawful places like a hospital and reprieve for that mistake. Of course I was available!!

We met at West View at ITC Maurya on a gorgeous summer afternoon, at a table filled with my lovely blogger friends and at the head of the table sat none other than David Rocco himself. He was lovelier in person. That afternoon I saw a man who is passionate about all the important things in life, his family, his progeny, his craft and subtler things like cooking fresh, cooking frugal and cooking with love. These are hugely meaningful words for me because not only do I believe in them, I practice them too. There was nothing starry about him (except for the fact that he looks like one), he discussed his process with us, he shared his principles, he told stories we could all relate to. How his mother could feed a brood in a couple of dollars, how simple foods need love more than expensive ingredients. He talked about how a hearty tomato sauce can feed so many and I knew he was speaking my language. I make a basic tomato sauce and use it for pastas, pizzas and even as a sandwich spread for a hot pepperoni sandwich, much like a quick bread-y calzone! David came across as one of those honest, whole hearted 'cooks' who cook because they 'feel' like it. His family is truly lucky to have him for a papa, I can compare that 'feeling' to the papa in our home, Andre is the kind of man who can whip up a mean batch of curried crabs and then eat 8 of them over an hour. I think that's what really hit home for me, how 'real' David was with us that day.

His 'Menu del Giorno', read like a dream, despite having chicken featured on it.

Primo
Rigatoni con Pomodori e Melanzane: Neapolitan style pasta with eggplant and mozzarella sauce
Paired with Fratelli Sauvignon Blanc

"Anything with aubergine is cool with me. David even mentioned an aubergine and chocolate dessert, but then again anything with chocolate is cool with me! I love Pomodori pasta, rich, robust and full of tomato-y goodness, goes with any pasta and preferably with fresh cheese. I make one with baby bocconcini torn up on the top, now its going to have aubergine in it as well. This dish was served with a Fratelli Sauvignon Blanc, though my all time 'white' favourite from Fratelli was the Chardonnay, then it was the Chenin Blanc, then this and then... then I realized, they make great white wine!"

Secondi
Saltimbocca di Pollo: Chicken with prosciutto & sage cooked in marsala wine

"I have had Saltimbocca before but with a layer of spinach and bacon, I guess that was a short cut because this one with proscuitto was just perfect, despite being nestled in chicken. David talked about 'real' saltimbocca made with veal and in my heart I so wished we were having this meal in a country where it would have been veal!"

Contorni
Beet Risotto
Olive Oil doused broccoli in onion & red chilli flakes
Baby carrots with Cilantro
Paired with Fratelli Sangiovese 


"Contorni or Side dishes in Italian can be very interesting. From broiled to braised to grilled, Italians seem to pay as much attention to the side dishes as they do to the main dish of a meal, how satisfying! I couldn't get enough of the Beet Risotto, the only dish I like that has a bite to it (I'm not much for al dente pasta, due apologies!). David spoke of the real beet risotto, made entirely of beet juice, how potent, how deep, how I wished it were on my plate! A special mention for the Fratelli Sangiovese, it was glorious. I am a lover of red wines and this one was so special, so good and it makes me proud that it is a wine made in India, try it because you won't believe it. I have subsequently bought two more bottles, one for David's lamb and red wine recipe and the other to drink with it. Kudos Fratelli, keep bringing us bottles of the good life while David's recipes keep us so happily full."

Dolce

Torta Caprese: Flourless Chocolate Cake
Zabaglione con Frutti di Bosco: Mixed fruits with espresso sabayon (zabaglione)

"I had another glass of the Fratelli Sangiovese with the espresso sabayon, good coffee flavours are very complimentary to red wine and if you add fruit to it, it could well be a meal. Coming back to the dessert, the cake we had was by far one of the best flourless Chocolate Cake's I have had in a long time, the combination of hazelnuts and walnuts made me feel all warm and loved, the way good desserts should make one feel... a fuzzy kind of good!"

Thank you Chef David Rocco, Chef Manisha Bhasin (a mentor who has no idea how much she means to me!) and my Alma Mater ITC for always inspiring, for raising the bar and keeping so many people, so very happy. You guys are doing a splendid job, keep doing it!

*Guys go pick up a copy of David Rocco's 'Made in Italy' right here. I need a copy too, since it's my b'day next week, I will just hope my friends read this post (hint hint!!), check out West View at ITC Maurya for a spectacular view and a hearty meal and add Fratelli wines to your grocery list for next month, as Alessio Secci of Fratelli rightly says, "how can you cook good meats in bad wine?"

This wonderful afternoon was spent with:

The superbly spirited Charis

The deeply knowledgeable Sangeeta

The wonderfully talented Deeba

The greatly gregarious Ruchira

*Click on their names to see how well they do what they do!

Fantastic Fro-Yo

I'd like to believe fro-yo (frozen yoghurt) has fewer calories than ice cream, so let's keep it that way because I have fro-yo at least 5 times a week. Always strawberry and always the same toppings - butterscotch, granola and walnuts. If I am feeling naughty, then I'll switch the granola for snickers, yum!! And among preferred brands (till PinkBerry lands up here!) it has to be Cocoberry hands down. Even though they peeve me with issues like limited flavours, out of stock flavours, out of stock granola, I find comfort in the fact that it's an Indian product. the yoghurt is freshly made and not a pre-mix from the brand's native country.




Chef at Large did a consumer survey between the three prominent fro-yo brands in India - Cocoberry, Red Mango and Yogurberry and the findings were pretty interesting!

Cocoberry voted the most preferred frozen yogurt brand: 2013 Indian Frozen Yogurt Market survey (India, New Delhi, March 26th 2013)

Chef at Large, one of the most popular online food networks, today announced the results of the 2013 Indian Frozen Yogurt Market survey, conducted by them to reveal interesting results such as taste wins over health and Cocoberry tops all other brands, as the most preferred frozen yogurt brand in India.

The 2013 Indian Frozen Yogurt Market survey was conducted with the objective of understanding the consumers’ mindset to this product category. The category has been present in India for over 3years now, with presence from both domestic and international companies, trying to win the customer’s loyalty.

Sid Khullar, Editor at Chef at Large, commented saying, “The 2013 Indian Frozen Yogurt Market survey was an initiative from us to showcase, at the onset of summers, what consumer’s think about this product category and how brands can better engage with them.”

Mentioned below are some key results from the survey:

- Cocoberry is the most favored frozen yogurt brand, followed by Red Mango and then Yogurberry
- Taste, followed by variety of toppings offered and then location, are the top factors
people consider while eating frozen yogurt
- While majority of people like to have toppings over their cup of frozen yogurt, they’re
currently only experimenting with toppings 

For more details on the 2013 Indian Frozen Yogurt Market survey, please visit: http://chefatlarge.in/surveys/yogurt

About Chef At Large
Chef At Large is one of India’s largest online food networks. The network provides industry
commentary on the Indian F&B industry. It manages separate communities dedicated towards
food loving consumers and some of India’s top food bloggers. It also has an extremely popular
blog  and does the following: Restaurant, alcohol, book, wine, book and appliance reviews |
recipes | columns and opinions | event listings. Apart from this, the network has experts on
food photography, food styling and menu development that assist individuals and brands with
such services.

Media contacts:
Parul Shirazi, parul.shirazi@chefatlarge.in, +919811408127

Three Cheers for Chipotle!

I forget what I read the other day, is chipotle the new harissa or is it the other way around? Who cares, both rock! I for one am super excited to have access to chilli pastes like these because quite honestly I have never been much for red chillies, except maybe the Goan rechad masala. Chipotle is essentially smoke dried jalapeno's blended into a cooking paste and has a very Mexican flavour while Harissa is actually North African, it is big in Moroccan, Tunisian and Algerian cuisine and has come into mainstream markets thanks to chefs who have taken their local foods to other countries. In fact Jamie Oliver owns a restaurant called Chipotle and the best Harissa I ever had has been at a Moroccan restaurant. Harissa is made with serrano and piri piri chillies and isn't all that pungent, its just hugely flavoursome. These chilli pastes are very versatile, they can be used as dipping sauces, in curries, in casseroles that need a perk up and even in marinades for sturdy meats like beef, lamb and pork too.

I keep a couple of jars of chipotle at all times. I love making a typical Indian 'chaamp' (lamb chops) curry with it, its on my menu too. I prefer harissa raw but chipotle is definitely better once cooked. We love lamb in our kitchen and since I make my own mince at home, we love anything we can make out of it, curries, cutlets, chops, scotch eggs, moussaka, shepherd's pie, you name it! And over the last year chipotle goes into all of those. The simplest way to weave a new ingredient into your every day food is by way of incorporating it into a regular, every day dish. So I started making Chipotle Keema Matar (lamb mince and peas). It's a heart curry you can have with rice, naan, roti, pao bread or dinner rolls too. Chipotle lends a nice smoky, spicy flavour to meat and this may be a personal feeling, it goes best with red meats!

Ingredients:

1/2 Kg Mince lamb or mutton
2 large red onions, finely chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, smashed
100 gms shelled peas, use fresh, they're sweeter
3-4 cloves
3-4 green cardamom
1 bayleaf
2" piece of cinnamon
1 black cardamom
1 tsp zeera (cumin)
2 tbsp Chipotle paste, pile it on if you like your curry spicy.
2 tbsp tomato paste or puree, I just chop 1 large tomato into four pieces and throw it in
4 tbsp cooking oil, I used olive oil
1/2 cup warm water
1 large potato cut into four parts
Salt

Dry roast the whole spices - cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, zeera and bayleaf for a few seconds, do this in the same wok or pan you plan to cook the mince curry in. Pour the cooking oil over it and add the onions and garlic, I feel this traps in all the oils from the whole spices and the roasting process takes the oils out of them. Fry till the onions are about to start browning, add the mince, break it all up nicely with the ladle you are using, if you are not cooking this in a pressure cooker, then add the potato pieces and green peas now, fry it up on high for 4-5 mins, so the mince changes colour uniformly. Add the chipotle paste and cook covered for about 10 minutes, add the tomato paste or puree, the salt and the potatoes and peas (for pressure cooker), mix it up and cook for another 2-3 minutes, add the water depending on the consistency/curry you want, season with salt and cook for another 5 minutes to finish. I usually finish it in the pressure cooker, which cooks the potato and peas through. Just one whistle is sufficient, that also makes the oil separate and add depth to the curry.

Serve with breads, rice, couscous or roti's ...Enjoy!

I am a Tourist

And if you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born
Then it's time to go
And define your destination
There's so many different places to call home
- You are a Tourist, Death Cab for Cutie

I am  in that strange frame of mind. Where I want to bottle all the familiar aromas of my world, from Ally's grubby hands after school to jalebi's frying outside Bikanervala. I am getting vague and nostalgic towards things I used to love, a few books, a couple of collectibles from our 15 year journey in this 'gaon' and the last time I broke a Borosil mixing bowl I didn't even flinch! These are signs, signs of things to come and I feel ready, for once I feel ready.

Despite the sombre introduction to this post, we are going to end up talking about food, as we always do. My emphasis on good food comes from a deeper place, food stays with you, it builds you, it repairs you, body, mind and soul. So though books satisfy and collectibles complete the 'want' in life, it is only the food you eat that actually becomes you. So my food journey continues. Even though I cook everyday, I don't always eat what I cook. I have always preferred food that is cooked for me, even when there is lasagne for the family or for an order, I'll eat the 'sambhar-rice' made by our cook.

This is has been compounded by the fact that I have been going to the nooks and crannies of Delhi for paperwork and stuff and bumping into foods of the past (Karim's Jama Masjid) and culinary urban legends (sweets from Chaina Ram, Chandni Chowk!). Karim's is iconic I know but there are certain nuances you will only find there, the seekh kebabs are stupendous, they taste of real meat and flavours of real spices, amazing balance. The Gosht (Mutton) Biryani is so perfect that you dare not ask for 'raita', just sliced onions and mint/green chilli chutney. The 'naan' has a signature hint of sweetness that comes from the lightly fermented dough, there is probably yogurt there somewhere, they are airy and fabulous. Pick up round, sesame 'rusk' from the guy outside and if you want to walk off the food, hop over to the brass market next door. We had started the day with breakfast at Saravana's, amazing Thali at noon, hits the spot! Followed by 'karha' prasad at Bangla Sahib which was blessed dessert in its truest sense, lovely! And the 'peda's' at Hanuman Mandir led us to all our Gods in a day.

But there are few places that I have never been to even though I was born and brought up here (albeit with a 4 year break, but still!). Majnu Ka Tila in the DU North Campus was one such place. My blogger friends who are MKT veterans were kind enough to take me there, these guys are totally the best, believe me, if you love food, you know and understand 'love' and these guys are brimming with it. Shoutout to Charis, Sid, Sangeeta and Avanti (click on their names to see what makes them famous!). Majnu ka Tila was kickass, even though most of the market was closed for 'prayers', we were there to eat and eat we did! Our journey started at the mouth of an alley, where a lady sat with a little soup vend, it looked like soup but then everything in MKT is in bowls, so?! She was a 'laphing' vendor, arrowroot pancakes (steamed), rolled and sliced, much like fettuccine, topped with faux meat made with flour (you will not believe its not chicken), and then flooded with soy, warm water, chilli oil and vinegar. It is so good, so good! *No words!

Further up, I found the cutest ever single serve cups with lids, at 400 bucks a pop I was going to get just one (am not allowed to collect, for the lack of space or whatever, sore topic!!), while we checked that out, Sid was kind enough to pop into a quaint little Tibetan 'canteen' (for the lack of a better word) and grab us a table. We had chilli pork, pork salad (perfect, thin slices of pork tossed in an Asian dressing with greens), beef with mushrooms, pork with thin noodles, thyngmo's and apple beer. The food was hearty, distinctive and very potent, the meal seemed heavy while eating but once we were done, we were out looking for pancakes.

My discovery and rediscovery of this city is making me feel all sort of things, I am elated to be able to absorb all this, I am stumped by the possibility of missing it all so terribly, I am a tourist, in the city I was born and I think it's time to go!

The Silver Spoon

I have written about Kingdom of Dreams and 'Culture Gully' at other places before but never here, I had felt the need to chronicle it here as well, for posterity and for all those amazing memories and that's when we were invited for dinner at the Rajasthan Pavilion and a viewing of 'Zangoora' the Bollywood musical. The Rajasthan pavilion is especially close to my heart, their chef, Maharaj is a man with all the charm of a celebrity chef and none of the 'attitude', he is steeped in culture and carries with him a trove of erstwhile and often royal recipes and he keeps his pavilion like the warm (and rather opulent) living room of a gilded 'khandaan'!

Kingdom of Dreams is majestic. It is a startling artifact in the heart of an urban jungle and no matter who I take there, they always come out feeling 'awed' and some of these people are seasoned travelers. I remember my father telling me about the artificial sky in a casino in Vegas about a decade ago, that's what he was reminded of when he visited, my 7 year old feels like it's a fairytale and me, well I have been there about 20 times and am yet to eat everything on my list from their14 pavilions and kitchens. With an awesome team of 100 chefs, Culture Gully is where you will find the best Haleem (Lucknow), Rava Fish Fry (Kerala), Vindaloo (Goa), Hyderabadi Biryani, Raj Kachori (Rajasthan), Chingri Malai Curry (West Bengal) and everything, absolutely everything at the Lucknow pavilion.

Since we were guests of Maharaj, we spent a very vibrant hour with a man who told tales from history like he had been there. He spoke of food like it was a 'healing force and he was a medicine man, it was beatific. He spoke of the troubles and travails of a space age generation with the comic relief of his anecdotes about solemnizing Marwari and Baniya weddings right here in this pavilion, he is not just Maharaj to many, he is 'Panditji' too. Maharaj's kitchen serves pure vegetarian food, sans onions and garlic too. This is the food I grew up with in my father's side of the family. Though most of his generation and the ones after did not abstain per se, my grandparents did. They were lovely people, they never questioned our culinary leanings and never imposed theirs, which is why I remember actually loving 'Jain' food because it was left entirely to us as to how we want to perceive it. Most people discuss Jain food with disdain, like it were a punishment, if only they gave it the time of day, they would realize, how much fresher and more transparent the tastes of food are when potent flavours like onions, garlic and even ginger are kept at bay.

We started with the best Raj Kachori I have ever had and I have had many thanks to my brother who has one at least twice a week albeit at commercial chaat places (sadly!).  It's the filling which was perfect, much like Gujarat, Rajasthani's love chiwda's or dry snacks (Farsaan in Gujarat). This is a desert state where produce is hard to come by and so many dishes are made with mock veggies formed out of 'chickpea flour' or 'Besan' like the 'Gatte ki Sabzi'. The Kachori was crisp and fresh and enormous and 'not' filled with annoying bean sprouts but with 'namkeen'! Loved it!

Then came the enormous silver thali, laden with goodies, some of which I hadn't had in years and some I hadn't had at all!It had their signature 'Ker Sangri' which I was secretly very thankful for and the best ever 'matar ki poori' or green peas stuffed poori (sorry Biji!). The menu will stump you mainly because it is very tough to eat all that but some of us actually managed to gormandize the entire platter. The 'Bajre ki Khichdi' was a revelation, I loved the texture and the fact that it was sweet was so soothing for the palate. The Badam ka Sheera reminded me of the 'Panjiri' we grew up on, the kind I made for myself when my daughter was born as my mother looked down upon us...this one took me back to my childhood so much so that I had to hold back the tears. We make the Dal Panchmeli very often, my mother learned it from people my father knew in Jodhpur, we have it with a 'meetha' Parantha, decadent and deadly!

Rajasthani Thali:
Matha (yogurt based beverage)
Dahi Ka Singhara

Jodhpuri Gatta Curry

Sangri Ka Kofta

Aloo Methi Lipatma

Matar Mangori Ki Subzi

Bhindi Jaipuri

Dal Panchmeli, Bati, Churma

Ghee Bhaat

Bajre Ki Khichdi with Rawri

Bedmi

Bikaneri Paratha

Missi Roti

Ker Sangri

Badam Ka Sheera

After a meal like that, what do you think one needs? A La-Z-boy easy chair, a Bollywood musical with a fair share of dance, drama, climax and six packs and bhelpuri! It's the perfect life, it truly is. Zangoora was yet another revelation, mainly because I am not a Bollywood person but I am all for theatrical performances, my family says that's because my whole life is one (hahahaha!!). The whole performance is spectacular mainly because India has never really seen anything like it. Trapeze artists fly overhead, hyper-energized dancers mingle with the audience and Hussain and Gauhar are quite a treat. This is an elaborate production and one everyone should see at least once for the simple fact that no celluloid movie can ever mimic the heart thumping involvement that theatre induces. I am going back for Zangoora next week, this time with the kid in tow, I would rather she appreciates Film/Arts this way than have a not-so-secret crush on Sallu Bhai! Keep Kingdom of Dreams on your to do list when you hit Gurgaon, its probably one of the best things about this town!

I spent this wonderful evening with my fellow blogger buddies, read more of their perspective right here  -


Sangeeta Khanna: Banaras Ka Khana
Charis Bhagianathan: Culinary Storm
Sushmita Sarkar: My Unfinished Life
Himanshu Taneja: The White Ramekins

The SoulFoood Shirazine project!

I had lost that deep love I had for green chillies, well not entirely, they still make for my favourite pickle but I rarely used them like a few years ago. I fell for the chipotle and the harissa's of the world. I still love green chillies in masala omelets, Arab 'turshi' and salan too, but I like the flavour, not so much the 'bite'. It was only last week that I rediscovered this love and that too while reviewing products from Soul Foood. I came across their Green Chilli Vinaigrette, it smelled divine, the kind of green chilli fumes that make you look around for any bread-y, cracker like thing to dunk in it and eat! I tasted it with the tip of my finger and was happy to find a jalapeno 'tang', and that's when I knew this dressing was going to make for a fantastic marinade.

I loved the chunkiness,  it glued onto the chicken and I'm sure it helped in tenderizing the chicken breasts as well. That's the thing about chicken breasts, very few places get them right. TGIF never does...ever! That's my most vivid memory of an unnecessarily expensive chicken dish that tasted like cotton/cloth, cotton and cheese! So when I make chicken, it has got be at least juicy, then done perfectly ...then flavoured right and so on. We eat a lot more of fish and chicken now that A is away,  he was the red meat guy, now we have dad who's age inhibits him from diving into a sea of steaks, we have V who is having the most epic battle of the bulge over the years and it breaks my heart because he is a sincere lover of food and devout follower of my kitchen, he avoids red meats as far as possible and we have Ally who prefers fish and seafood over even chocolate sometimes! So you will be seeing quite a few fish and chicken recipes while I am here, once we move to A-land ...I plan to go crazy with lamb, beef and seafood only!!

Green Chili Chicken in a mushroom sauce

Ingredients:
½ kg boneless chicken, with grill cuts
2 tbsp Chilli Vinaigrette
Coat and set aside.
For the Pan:
8-10 button mushrooms sliced
2-3 spring onions sliced
2 tbsp flour
1-2 glasses warm milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp Leonardo olive oil
Oregano, salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan to garnish

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a grill pan that fits all the chicken breasts, melt the butter in the warm oil. Sear the chicken with the marinade on, scrape and apply if you need to, don't waste even a smidgen. Cook on high flame, 3-4 minutes on each side, once you get the grill lines, lower the heat and add the spring onions and mushrooms, cover and pan fry for 3-4 minutes or till the pinkness inside the chicken is gone, you can pry open a piece and see. By now the mushrooms and onions would have released moisture and softened. Remove the cooked chicken breasts into a serving dish, cover to keep them moist. Add the flour to the spring onion and mushroom mix in the pan, sauté for few minutes to cook the flour through. Take off the heat and slowly add the milk, use a wooden spoon to break down any lumps, this is much like the process of white sauce except with veggies. Once you get a custard thick consistency, cook on a low flame for few minutes. Season with oregano, salt and pepper, pour over the chicken, garnish with parmesan and serve hot. I served it with an iceberg and olive salad and a side of home made wholewheat pita crisps.

This dish has a lovely Indian green chilli ‘twang’ but is so rich and French! Enjoy!