Shaadi-shuda khaana peena

Sanjeev Kapoor, India's favourite celebrity chef is out with a new cookbook that is targetted at a peculiar audience: married couples



What led to the making of this book?
I have been married for 18 years, and understand the role of good food in a happy marriage. Alyona and I cook together. And we do it pretty often, hence the bonding. Food is the universal language of love, and every meal we have prepared together has created fond memories. What is life, but a collection of memories! That was my inspiration to write the book.

Why were the recipes chosen as befitting newly weds?
I wanted to come up with recipes that could impress a new partner! And they had to be simple to cook. Many couples who start their own home, struggle with cooking. The idea was to give them a combination of simple recipes with great presentation ideas.

A special annexure has been given for basic recipes of chutneys, stocks and sauces used throughout the book. The book ends with an English-Hindi glossary of ingredients.

Alcoholic beverages have been left out altogether.
Yes, I am a teetotaler. Neither in my books nor on television do I use alcohol.

Any other book on the same lines coming up... perhaps for expecting parents?
It is in the pipeline but before that two books are nearly ready to hit the shelves: a collection of recipes called, From My Mother's Kitchen, and a book on Indian Mithais.

Wedding Collection: Recipes for Newly-weds is published by Popular Prakashan. Available for Rs 1,250 at all leading bookstores

Paneer aur pudina naan

Ingredients
4 cups refined flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon soda bicarbonate
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons yogurt
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons onion seeds
Butter, to serve

Stuffing
800 g cottage cheese, gratedu00a0
cup mint chutney (see recipe below)
3 tablespoons oilu00a0u00a0
2 teaspoons cumin seedsu00a0u00a0
2 medium onions, choppedu00a0
4 chopped green chillies, salt to taste

Method
>> Sift the refined flour with the baking powder, soda bicarbonate and salt into a deep bowl. Add the sugar, egg, milk, yogurt and a little water and knead into a medium soft dough.

>> Brush with oil, cover with a damp piece of muslin and set aside for one hour.

>> For the stuffing, heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and when they begin to change colour, add the onions and green chillies and saut ufffd over medium heat for one minute.

>> Add the mint chutney and continue to saut ufffd for another minute. Add the grated cottage cheese and salt, toss well and transfer to a plate to cool. Divide into eight equal portions.

>> Knead the dough again and divide it into eight equal portions. Shape into round balls and dust with flour. Flatten each ball and roll out into four-inch rounds.

>> Place one portion of the stuffing in the centre, gather the edges together and shape into a ball again. Sprinkle one-fourth teaspoon of onion seeds, press lightly and roll out into a seven-inch round.

>> Heat a pressure cooker. Moisten one side of the naan with wet fingers and gently stick the moistened side to the inner wall of the pressure cooker. Make sure the naan is moist enough to stick.

>> Place the cooker upside down over an open flame to make a kind of tandoor. Cook over high heat for two to three minutes, lower heat and cook for two to three minutes more.

>> Turn the cooker upright and gently dislodge the naan from the cooker wall.
u00a0
>> Cut into quarters and serve hot with a dollop of butter.

To make mint chutney:
Grind 3 cups of chopped fresh mint, 2 cups of fresh coriander, 6 chopped green chillies, 1 chopped medium onion and 3 inch piece of ginger to a fine paste adding a little water if required. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt and 2 tablespoons of dried pomegranate seed powder. Mix well and serve.