Palak Paneer
Silky spinach sauce, golden-fried paneer cubes. The green is preserved by the ice-bath trick. My mother's version, not the restaurant version.
Flaky pastry shells filled with spiced potato and peas. The fold is the hard part. The eating is the reward. Makes 20.
Make pastry: rub oil into flour and carom seeds until breadcrumb-like. Add cold water slowly until a stiff dough forms. Rest 30 minutes.
Filling: heat oil, add cumin seeds until they pop. Add ginger and spices. Add potatoes and peas. Mash slightly. Add amchur and salt. Cool.
Divide dough into 10 balls. Roll each into an oval, cut in half.
Form each half into a cone, seal the seam with water. Fill with 2 tbsp potato mixture. Seal the top.
Deep fry at 160C (not hotter) for 10-12 minutes until golden and pastry is cooked through.
Serve with tamarind chutney and mint-coriander chutney.
Silky spinach sauce, golden-fried paneer cubes. The green is preserved by the ice-bath trick. My mother's version, not the restaurant version.
Thick eggplant rounds breaded and fried. The texture is extraordinary — crispy outside, silky inside. Vegan and honestly better than chicken.
Dum-style biryani: marinated chicken layered with saffron rice and slow-cooked under a sealed dough lid. The steam does the work.
Tonkatsu on a bed of glossy Japanese curry sauce and steamed rice. The S&B curry roux is non-negotiable.