Mushroom Pepper Chili (It's Delicious!)

 You have no idea, how much have I fallen in love with this dish! Mushrooms have become the star guest on the grocery list, ever since this was made for the first time in my kitchen. And you know you like it a lot when you have already eaten most of it from the plate and still trying to go for the last piece (even though you know the other person wants it as bad.) J

And you will know why I am raving so much about this once you make it too. If you love Indo-Chinese food, go, get the mushrooms NOW! J . I am not sure if the exact same dish is served in restaurants, but I do know chilly paneer, chili chicken are similar in some ways.  But quite frankly, this beats them all. For one, it tastes good, second – it’s super healthy. Seriously, give it a try!

I write too much, cause I love sharing the story behind every dish/ recipe. And each time I try to just move on to the recipe, I recollect what else I wanted to share. J . Ok this recipe happened purely because one of my vegetarian friends told me that he eats this mushroom recipe at some place in Bangalore and it’s called Pepper Mushroom and raved a lot about it. And the name sounded so fascinating that I just made something assuming what 'could' it be like. So never know, I could be horribly wrong in replicating that recipe, but it sure does work for me!! J

And one last bit. I usually share recipes with my friends to get their reactions/feedback before posting here. And one of my very good friends/ critics, Shaan had this to say:

“Truly a great dish...esp if u love indo-Chinese cuisine! Pls pls post this and help poor souls like us..:-) we are enjoying it with d-coke! I added all three types of peppers as well...”

You need: (should serve 3 but with me around, it’s good for 2 only!)

Button Mushrooms – 8 Oz or 250 grams

Cornflour – 3 Tbsp

Rice Flour – 1 Tbsp (for crunch)

Salt – to taste

Pepper – about a tbsp. (fresh coarse ground)

Oil – about 2 tsp (can use more if no restriction J )

Ginger – 1 tsp grated, ½ inch cut into juliennes.

Garlic paste– 1 tsp

Onion – 1 no. medium (fine chopped)

Onion – ½ medium size (with layers cut into square shape)

Long green chilies – 5-6nos. (the variety that has absolutely no heat, slit them)

Small green chilies – 1-2 nos (slit and seeds removed, adjust to taste)

Capsicum/ Bell Peppers – 1 Nos (cut into squares, can use colored peppers too)

Dark Soya Sauce – 1 Tbsp

Vinegar – 1 Tbsp

Tomato Ketchup – 1 Tbsp

Lemon Juice – 1 tsp  (optional)

Spring Onion – only green part cut into 1 inch pieces (optional)

1. Dunk the mushrooms in hot water for a minute and run under cold water and decant all water. Let the mushrooms remain a little moist so that the flour mixture sticks well to the mushroom.
2. In a bowl, mix cornflour, rice flour, a 2-3 pinches of salt, and about a 1tsp of ground pepper and mix well. 
3. Now coat all mushrooms with the flour mix. I usually coat them well once and wait for a few min and repeat the process with the remaining flour that didn’t stick the first time. This helps as the first layer soaks all the moisture and then second layer sticks even better but will be a little dry-ish adding to the crunch.. 
4. In a wide non stick pan, add about 1 tsp of oil and pan fry the mushroom on medium high and then on low flame to make it crispy. Pan should be wide enough so that mushrooms have space to fry well, else the moisture will make them soft instead. And if you are generous with oil, you don’t have to worry about all this. J
5. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate once they are brown from all sides.
6. Also fry squarish shaped layers of onion pieces and the bell peppers (typically the kinds u get in chinese gravy) in the same pan and transfer to another bowl.
7. In the pan add remaining 1 tsp of oil. 
8. Add grated ginger and garlic paste and fry well. 
9. Now add fine chopped onions and slit green chilies both big and small. Fry till onions get translucent. 
10. Now add soya sauce, tomato ketchup and vinegar. Fry till a little dry.
11. Now add mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, ginger juliennes and give a quick stir and add the remaining freshly ground pepper.
12. And if you are adding the greens of spring onions, do it now. 
13. Serve on a nice looking plate and squeeze lime if you wish to add some zing!

 *I sprinkle very little, ready ‘very little’ water after I coat the mushroom with flour mixture the first time. This helps more flour stick to mushrooms. But be careful to not make it gooey.

**You can always be generous with oil while frying mushrooms. And infact mushrooms taste very good even as simple stir fry like this.

***If you are not sure about the tang bit, try squeezing lime juice on a small portion only. Only then on the rest if you like.

****The black pepper quantity can be adjusted to suit your liking.

*****I feel this recipe will work well with paneer and boiled potatoes too.  

Kalmi Kabab

Kabab, Kebob, kabob or kebab or whatever variation you may have tried of this all time hit, you gotta admit this must be the oldest celebrity meat dishes in this world. The word itself is so old (from Akkadian:kababu - "to burn, char"), it makes you think - people of this world probably started enjoying this delicacy long before the advent of the written word. Perhaps one of the most loved, most customized, most delicious and the most simple non vegetarian stuff there ever was, is and will be!

No wonder I am a fan of kababs. So I set about making one of my personal favorite variants - the "kalmi kabab" - and it turned out super! So here's the secret folks. Well, no secret really - it's way too simple. Indian spices, yogurt, all purpose flour, egg and you are done!

You need:

(For four chicken legs) 

Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Shahi jeera (roasted and ground) - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon stick - 2 inch
Yogurt (set dahi) - 1 cup
Lime juice - 6 tbsp
Egg (beaten) - 1 no
All purpose flour (maida) - 1/4 cup
Saffron - 1 pinch
Salt to taste

1. Wash and dry the chicken leg pieces and make small incisions at a few places with your knife. This will make sure the marinade stays in.
2. Take 1 tbsp of milk in a small bowl and warm it up in the microwave for 3-4 seconds. Add the pinch of saffron into the warm milk and mix well.This releases all the color and flavor really well.
3. Mix all the ingredients above, and the milk and saffron from step 2.
4. Coat the chicken thoroughly with the marinade and set aside for 2 hours
5. Pre heat oven to 450 F for 10-15 minutes
6. Place the chicken pieces on a rack with a drip tray beneath so it does not get sticky and gooey as water oozes out during the grilling process.
7. Spray some oil/butter/ghee on the chicken pieces (or just drizzle if you don't have a cooking spray)
8. Grill for 15 minutes, turn the pieces over, spray some oil/butter/ghee on the other side, and grill for 15 more minutes to ensure its done well from all sides.

Serve with onion, lime, thinly shredded cabbage and mint chutney, eat well and come back and tell me about it!

Cabbage Kabab (Super Healthy, Super Tasty!)

Super healthy and super tasty kababs for vegetarians. Don't let the cabbage discourage you! The cabbage and potato mixture make these kababs super moist, succulent. Since I  steam-cook the cabbage almost three-fouth, before adding other ingredients, it has a creamy texture and there is no way anyone will guess whats inside!!  It's a must try!

By the way it's my mom's recipe with a slight twist! While she cuts her cabbage a little coarser to have a distinct taste of crispy cabbage, I like mine very very fine (almost minced) to lend a creamier texture and taste. She makes them like patties/ cutlet shapes (to keep them crispier uniformly) and avoids cornflour, while I make mine round so that I get a succulent centre and crispy exterior. Feel free to try my mom's version too as a variety, just chop the cabbage a little coarse and shape them like patties and skip the corn flour. It tastes good too!!

You need:

Very finely grated cabbage - 1 Cup

Boiled potato - 1 medium size (grated fined)

Onion - 1 medium (chopped very very fine)

Roasted cumin powder - 1 tsp 

Green chilies - 2-3 nos. (fine chopped, adjust to taste)

Fresh coriander leaves/Cilantro - 1/2 cup (chopped fine)

Fresh mint leaves - 5-6 nos. (fine chopped)

Fresh ground pepper - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)

Corn flour - 1/2  Tbsp

Gram flour - 1/2 Tbsp

Aamchoor/ Dry mango powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 Tbsp (or enough to pan fry)

1. Add a tsp of water to the cabbage and pop it in the microwave oven for 2-3 min. (squeeze out if any excess water remains). You can alternatively cook it in a non-stick pan without adding any water till its cooked three-fourth. The objective is to cook it before making the kabab so that it remains soft, moist and creamy. 
2. Mix all the ingredients other than oil and mix really well so that the kabab mix is homogenous.
3. Cover with a cling wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for 15-20 min. This makes the mixture firm enough to not crumble while cooking. 
4. After 15-20 minutes if you feel the mixture is not firm enough to stay intact while cooking add a little more gram flour to the mixture. Add just enough to hold it as adding more flour would make it less succulent and soft. 
5. Form balls and cook on a non-stick pan with just enough oil to coat the kababs and fry till golden brown in color. The heat should be medium high in the beginning and then low so that exterior gets a little crispy from outside and still stays soft from inside.
6. Transfer to a plate and serve with mint chutney!

* To make roasted cumin owder - slow roast on a pan and crush in a mortar pestle or spice blender)

Phyllo Cup Appetizers - A Gourmet Finger Food

Ever since I discovered Phyllo sheets, have gone bonkers making so many of those finger licking food with crispy wraps - Phyllo cups with savory fillings, Baklava, Chicken rolled in phyllo, variety of Cheese wrapped in phyllo, Samosa stuffing in phyllo, Chocolate in phyllo and so on. Somehow the crispy buttery taste of phyllo goes so well with just about everything. 


Wrap anything you love (of course I meant food ingredients you silly! :)), bake for 10-15 min and you have a speciality of your own!

I made some elegant looking finger food, perfect for a cocktail party. Couldn't resist and ended up making Phyllo Cup Desserts - A Gourmet Finger Food too! When you want to serve your guests something bite size, so that they could taste a variety of  stuff without getting an overdose, this is a perfect option! It looks awesome when displayed on an elegant looking tray, just like gourmet tasting sessions! No one will guess it was so easy to make!! (Just hope my friends who were raving about all my hard-work in making these bite size delicacies are not reading this! :) ) 

You can also make these phyllo cups well in advance and store them in an air-tight container. And then just before your party starts fill them up! If you have something that has a lot of syrup or juice, fill the stuffing just before the guests arrive. You don't want your guests to mistake it to cold  steamed dimsums! :)

This is how Phyllo cups look like in a muffin tray.

You need:

Phyllo dough/ sheet ( found in any Grocery store) 

Melted butter - approx. 1 tbsp

Small muffin tray 

How to make Phyllo Cups:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
2. Place a phyllo sheet on a flat surface. Brush melted butter all over the side facing up, using a pastry brush.
3. Place the next sheet on top of this sheet. 
4. Repeat with butter application and one more sheet. So total of 3 layers of phyllo sheets with melted butter in-between, is what you are looking at. 
5. Now cut these layered  phyllo sheets into 2.5 inch x 2.5 inch squares. 
6. Place one square over another in such a way that it forms an eight end star. Ie; don't place one square on top of another, but a little dispersed so that it looks like a star/ flower and does the job of a cup once placed inside the cups of the muffin tin.
7. Lightly grease the muffin tray. Now place sheet on the cup of a  muffin tin and push the centre so that it forms a cup.
8. Now bake it for 7 min or until its golden brown. 
9. Flip the cups gently and bake for 2-3 more minutes so that the base too becomes crispy.  
10. Now they are ready to be filled with anything you fancy!

Ideas for the Filling:

• Soft brie cheese with olive
• Hummus with pine nuts or pomegranate seeds. 
• Mango Salsa – Chopped mango tossed with fine chopped red chilies, parsley, salt, lime juice and sugar. 
• Cooked shrimps/ prawns tossed with thousand island dressing
• Chopped boiled potatoes with mint chutney and a tsp of yogurt to make it into an Indian chat
• Tomato salsa
• Chopped boiled egg with chives, salt and pepper. 
• And whatever you fancy.  There are no set rules!

*Use only unsalted butter and please don't use any other spread or vegetable spread. I tried to avoid butter and instead decided to use melted vegetable spread that tastes like butter. I melted the spread in a dish and soon had a film of vegetable oil floating on water. The phyllo sheets got only water between the layers and I ended up with a sticky gooey baklava instead of the flaky layers. I had to redo to perfect it! :(

** Try using an organic phyllo dough. Keep them frozen till you are ready to make your cup cakes. These sheets thaw in minutes. Keep a moist kitchen towel handy to cover the those sheets which are in the queue.

Egg Patty

Here comes something all eggitarians will love! I have many friends who enjoy eating eggs but don't get many varieties of egg-based snack/ appetizer at home or while eating out. This has a nice mild taste of an egg, even though you never feel you are biting into one. A bite and it will leave you guessing – where's the egg! These nice crisp golden brown bites are heavenly!

This patty is supposed to be deep fried, but nah, that's way too much oil! Pan fried with a little oil works just fine! Remember, always try adding ajwain/carrom seeds when you are using besan/ gramflour to fry something. They compliment each other and at the same time have digestive properties. You will not experience the typical heaviness after gorging on fried stuff if you add the ajwain. 

For your next party, you can make them in different shapes and sizes for a pretty looking appetizer tray! I am posting two pics. One to show you the texture and second one to show you shapes you can try making. But don't worry if the shapes don't come out perfect, the egg patty will still be delectable! Serve it with some hot spicy chili sauce! A word of caution here – always keep some distance from the pan as you fry them, since the eggs just pop a little bit as they turn golden brown. Don't let this scare you, it's all easy and safe, just that a word of caution for a safe kitchen! :)

You need:

(makes 10-12 pcs)

Large boiled eggs – 5-6 nos. (see my note below for a perfectly boiled egg)

Besan/ Gramflour – ¾ Cup

Ajwain/ Carrom seeds – ¼ tsp

Salt – to taste

Green chilies – 2-3 nos. (finely chopped)

Spring Onions – 5-6 nos.  (finely chopped, use both white and green part)

Crushed black pepper – ¼ tsp 

Baking Soda - 1/8 tsp

Water – 2 Tbsp

Oil – enough to pan fry (I used 1 tbsp for a batch of 6 patties in total f)

1. In a wide bowl, grate boiled eggs using a thick side of the grater. Don't use the fine grater as the eggs will get mashed up and the patties will not have any texture. If you don't have a thick grater, fine chop the eggs instead.
2. Add besan, ajwain, salt, green chilies, spring onions, black pepper and baking soda. Add very very little water, just about 2 tbsp of water. This should be enough to bind the ingredients as the egg yolk is sticky enough already.   You may add 1 tsp of water at a time to adjust the consistency of the patty mixture if its still too dry.
3. Divide the mixture into 12 equal parts. Shape them any way you like! 
4. In a non-stick pan, heat 1 Tbsp of oil and fry the patties till golden brown in color. Cook them on medium high so that they cook through and also have a golden brown crispy exterior.
5. Serve with spicy chili sauce, red or green, I leave it to your discretion. :)

Vegetarian Hara Bhara Kabab (Vegetarian Kabobs)

Every restaurant serves this Hara Bhara Kabab! So why not! 

It tastes great, has a nice texture, and feels very light too! A very nice appetizer for all your vegetarian friends. And yeah, its super easy and quick. You can keep the kabab-mix ready in advance and pop it into your pan or oven just before your guests arrive. Serve this kabab with two types of dips. No, this time skip the mint- coriander chutney, instead make tamarind chutney. The second dip is made by whisking together 2 Tbsp thick yogurt (all water removed or use greek yogurt), 1 tsp lime juice,  pinch of salt and sugar. These two compliments the kabab and each other too. Try it!!

I need a lot of courage or a special occasion to deep fry! So as usual, these kababs are pan fried with very little oil. Glad to say deep frying would not have made it any better! 

You need: (Makes about 12 kababs)

Boiled potatoes – 3-4 Nos. medium size

Spinach – ¾ Cup (blanched and chopped fine)

Boiled green peas – ¾ Cup (blanched and coarsely ground)

Coriander leaves – 2 Tbsp (finely chopped)

Ginger – 1 inch piece (grated )

Green chillies – 3-4 nos. (fine chopped, can be adjusted to taste)

Amchoor/ Dry mango powder – 1 tsp 

Mint leaves – 2 Tbsp

Cumin powder – ½ tsp 

Cornflour – 1 Tbsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 Tbsp

1. In a bowl mash boiled potatoes, add ground peas, chopped spinach (make sure all the water is squeezed out), coriander, mint leaves, ginger, green chillies, salt, aamchoor, cornflour and cumin powder.  Mix well with your hands. 
2. Now divide this mixture into 12 equal parts. Roll them into balls and flatten them a little between your palms to form a patty.
3. Pan fry the kababs till very light golden brown in color. 

*You can make this kabab in oven too if you are inviting a big group for a party. Just pop the kababs on a baking tray into a pre-heated oven at 400 F for 15-20 min. 

**You can more things like paneer, corn etc to make your own variation. 

Baba Ghanoush/ Mutabbal

First thing first, Mutabbal and Baba Ganoush (BG) are NOT the same. :) . So why have I mentioned both in my post title? Well, they are often used interchangeably even in well known Middle Eastern restaurants, leaving many like me - confused! :) OK, so both have the same main ingredient -  smoky baked eggplant/ aubergine. That's the only common thing between the two. But what makes them different? Read on..

Mutabal is the one with tahini and garlic and sometimes yogurt (sour cream) to make it creamy. 

BG is the one with pomegranate molasses, tomatoes, parsley and walnuts. (Somehow I always associate BG with baigan bharta, but that's just my personal opinion! :))

This recipe is for Mutabbal, which I prefer over BG because of super garlicky taste. Of course you can go easy on garlic if you don't want to smell of garlic on a romantic date!

You need:

Large Eggplant - 1 no. (baked then peeled)

Lemon Juice - 1.5 Lemon (adjust to taste)

Tahini Paste - 2 heaping tsp

Garlic – 2-3 cloves (minced, reduce if you are not a big garlic fan)

Salt – ½ tsp 

Greek Yogurt - 1 Tbsp or thick plain yogurt (optional, you can always add later to check if you want it or not)

Sour Cream, - 1 Tbsp (optional as I added this to cut down on the  raw garlicky taste, replace with Greek yogurt)

To garnish:

Mint or parsley leaves 

Olive oil

Cayenne pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Puncture the eggplant and roast it on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
2. Then place the eggplant in a bowl and cover with a cling wrap.  Once it cools down, you can easily peel it and extract just the pulp.
3. Add the minced garlic (to avoid big chunks while eating), lemon juice and tahini paste, blend in a blender or with a mortar.
4. If you feel you want it a little creamier and eggplant-garlic taste is a bit too strong, add Greek yogurt, sour cream and blend well. 

How to serve:

Spread nicely in a plate such that you form a pit in the center that is not too deep. (as shown in the picture). Garnish with parsley or mint and top with olive oil and sprinkle cayenne pepper or paprika. Add olives!

Serve with olives and pita bread.

Hummus (Hummous, Hommus, Houmous)

Hummus or houmous, hommus, hummos, hummous -  no matter how you spell it, it will still be that one helluva delicious, versatile dip with amazing creamy texture. And yeah, its super healthy! Always remember - Olive oil is healthy!! OK, back to making Hummus. It is essentially made of blended chickpeas, sesame tahini, lemon juice, and garlic.

You need:

Chick Peas/ Garbanzo Beans – 1 can (14oz or 16 oz) or 1.5 cup soaked overnight

Tahini  -  5 heaping tsp and adjust to taste (Sesame Seed Paste, notes below to see how to make it yourself)

Greek yogurt - 2 Tbsp (I used Fage brand of Greek yogurt, substitute with plain yogurt with any excess water removed )

Sour cream - 1 Tbsp

Lemon juice - 2 Tbsp (adjust to taste) 

Garlic – 2-3 cloves (grated, optional if you don't want the garlic taste)

Salt – ½ tsp

Fresh mint leaves – 3-4 nos.

To garnish:

Pomegranate seeds – ¼ cup

Fresh Parsley - 2 Tbs 

Cayenne Pepper or Paprika – 1 tsp

Olive Oil - 1/4 Cup 

1. Remove all the water from the chickpeas, as you can always add a little water later if its too thick, but you can't do the reverse! If you are using soaked chickpeas, boil them with ¼ tsp of baking soda  until soft and cooked through. Use minimum amount of water and drain it before you add the chickpeas to the blender. 
2. In a blender add chickpeas, Greek yogurt or sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, salt and mint leaves. Blend until smooth to desired thickness.
3. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, parsley, cayenne pepper and olive oil as shown in the picture.

*Lime juice can be adjusted. It does remove the bitterness from the tahini sauce and makes it sweet and creamy

**If you can't get hold of tahini sauce, dry roast sesame seeds and blend with olive oil to make a very very fine paste. Best gadget to use to blend to such a fine paste is to use a spice/ coffee grinder.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Very healthy, very quick, very fresh, very tasty ! This is indeed a very good choice for an appetizer!

Most of the vegetables can be replaced with the ones of your choice, so that leaves you and your imagination to go wild. While pre cooked shrimps/ prawns make this appetizer super nice, this time around I replaced them with eggs to keep it light. You can omit egg too if you wish to eat something pure vegetarian.

You need:

For the rolls:

Rice paper (usually found in round shapes)

Thinly sliced lettuce

Bean sprouts

Rice vermicelli/ cellophane (soaked in hot water for 10-15 min and drained)

Shrimps/ Prawns - precooked and tails removed (omit if making vegetarian)

Carrot julienne

Green onions (1 inch length, only green part)

Thinly sliced basil

Chopped mint

Boiled eggs - Sliced (omit if making vegetarian)

Ginger juliennes

Cucumber – seeds removed and cut into fine juliennes

For the Peanut dipping sauce:

Roasted peanuts – 1/3 cup

Coconut milk - 4 Tbsp

Thai red curry paste - 2 tsp

Salt - Adjust to taste

Palm sugar/ Jaggery - 1 tsp (substitute with brown sugar or plain sugar)

White/ Cider vinegar – (Don not use red wine or balsamic vinegar))

Water - to adjust consistency

How to make the rolls:

1. In a medium bowl, cover the vermicelli with cool water and let soak until pliable, about 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside once done.
2. Keep all the ingredients handy as you will have to work fast once you start rolling the rolls.
3. Dip each rice paper in a bowl of warm water to wet it. Set the rice paper on a work surface to soften; the paper will become opaque and pliable.
4. Place any one vegetable on the rice paper along the lower third of rice paper, leaving 1 inch gap from all three sides(bottom, left and right). Layer all the vegetables, eggs, and noodles on top of the first layer.
5. Pull the rice paper up and over the filling and roll up tightly, folding in the sides as you go. Same way as you roll your burrito or spring roll.
6. Place the roll on a large platter, seam side down, and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
7. When you place them on a platter, make sure they don't touch each other else they will stick.

How to make the peanut dipping sauce:

1. Blend the roasted peanut to a very fine paste using water.
2. In a heavy bottom pan, add the peanut paste and all other ingredients. Bring this to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Now let the mixture simmer for 3-4 min over low heat. Keep stirring to not let the mixture stick to the bottom.
4. Remove from heat and transfer to a clean glass container. The refrigeration will thicken the sauce a little. Whenever you want to use, just add a little water and reheat. You can also freeze it in an ice tray and once frozen,transfer to a freezer safe container or zip lock bags to use later.

Focaccia Bread

Focaccia bread is usually seasoned with olive oil and herbs. It is a very versatile bread and can be topped with onion, cheese and different kinds of meat or vegetables. You can eat is as an appetizer or a serve it with a steak, make a sandwich, or serve it with a soup to make a meal in itself. 

This time I made rosemary, oragano and onion focaccia, and I am already planning to make it with za'atar (Middle Eastern herb spice mix)!


You need:

All purpose flour/ Maida – Up tp 5 cups

Luke warm water – 1 2/3 cups
Rapid rise yeast – 1 packet (it is a little more than 2 tsp)

Sugar – 1 tsp

Salt – 2 1/2 tsp

Olive Oil – 1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp ( to make herb infused oil for coating the top) + 1 tsp for coating the base of the pan

Rosemary – 1/2 tsp (Fresh or dried  chopped)

Oragano - 1/2 tsp (Fresh or dried chopped)

Onion – 1/4 of a small one (finely sliced)

Sea Salt/ Kosher Salt – to taste (can replace with regular salt)

1. In the food processor bowl add warm water, yeast and sugar. (You can use the regular chopping blade instead of bread making one, it works better for this one). If you don't want to use a food processor use a large mixing bowl to make the dough using hands. 
2. Cover and keep for 5-10 mins until foamy. Be careful not to use very warm/ hot water as it will kill the yeast. It should be just lukewarm.
3. Add Salt, olive oil and 4 cups of all purpose flour (more can be added as needed).
4. Pulse the food processor until the dough comes together. Run the food processor for 1 minute.
5. Add more flour, around 2 Tbsp at a time as needed until a very soft dough forms.
6. Knead dough on a floured work surface or large bowl for 1 minute or until a smooth ball forms. The dough should be very soft and very easily pliable. 
7. Generously drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of a 15×10 inch baking pan.
8. Place dough ball in pan and press into the bottom into an even rectangular shape, almost 1 inch thickness. The spread out dough should be of even thickness all over.
9. Cover with a kitchen towel/ Cling wrap and keep in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours to rise. You can also pre-heat oven to 150 F and switch off and keep the pan inside the oven. 
10. After 1- 1.5 hours take out the tray and preheat the oven to 425F/218C.
11. With your finger or blunt end of a rolling pin, gently press on the dough. You will get a slight pit on the dough. Don't press too hard to make it too deep, just like a small puddle kind. Now make more such pits 1 inch apart from one other, all over the dough.
12. In a small bowl, mix 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil with rosemary, or any other herb of your choice and sliced onions.
13. Spread the oil mixture over the top of the risen dough using a brush. 
14. Arrange onions and herbs evenly over the top.
15. Bake the dough  for 20 mins at 425F/218C. Towards the end keep watching as each oven works differently. 
16. Enjoy with an olive oil + garlic + rosemary + oregano dip. (shown in picture)

Paneer Brochettes (Skewered Cottage Cheese)

A very popular cocktail/ finger food. The colors and the presentation makes any party or dinner feel special. You can keep the skewers ready well in advance and just pop them in the pan whenever you are ready to serve. 

You need: 

Paneer/ Cottage cheese  - 200 grams (cut into1/2 inch squares)

Onion -  1 medium (layers separated and cut into 1/2 inch square pieces)

Green capsicum – 1 big  (cut into 1/2 inch square pieces)

Yellow capsicum – 1 big  (cut into 1/2 inch square pieces)

Red capsicum - 1 big  (cut into 1/2 inch square pieces)

Yellow seedless squash – Sliced same thickness as capsicum

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Garlic - 3-4 cloves (finely chopped)

Tabasco sauce - 1 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Crushed black peppercorns

Salt to taste

Wooden skewers/ Toothpicks

1. Cut all the veggies and paneer of same size, so that they all cook evenly and brown evenly. This will also ensure that the paneer on the skewer stays intact and browns evenly on all sides when tossed. Skewer the pieces so that the colors look vibrant. You could try the the sequence as in the pic. Don't worry there is no rule here, the end result will taste the same no matter how you skewer them. Just that you want each bite complimenting the other as you till be eating them in the same order if you are doing so straight from the skewers! 
2. Heat oil in a pan wide enough to accommodate the skewers. 
3. Add garlic and sauté till very light brown.
4. Add the brochettes now as the garlic will also brown with the vegetables and paneer and will turn bitter if burnt.
5. Add tabasco sauce, lemon juice, crushed black peppercorns and salt. Toss gently.
6. Serve with mint chutney when uniformly browned from all sides.