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The Diary of a Domestic Diva by Shilpa Shetty Kundra – Recipe Excerpt

Shilpa Shetty Kundra is a renowned film and TV actor, businesswoman, author of The Great Indian Diet, entrepreneur and health enthusiast. With Shilpa Shetty’s quick and hassle-free methods, The Diary of a Domestic Diva makes cooking good food easy. These favourites of the Shetty-Kundra household have been created to give you variety, taste and the occasional food coma.
Let’s read this recipe which will give us a peek into the world of the Domestic Diva!
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Shilpa’s Treasure Pulao
This is a simple pulao recipe that I whip up when I am struggling to decide what to cook. It pairs well with cucumber raita, dal, chicken or any other curry. It’s a permanent fixture at all occasions, arties or pujas at my house and is always appreciated by guests.
Serves: 3
Nutritional value:
768 kcal (Carbs: 53 g,
Protein: 4 g, Fats: 60 g )
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 big onion, julienned
1 bay leaf
3 star anise
2 black cardamoms
5 cloves
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp garam masala
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp black pepper powder
½ cup fresh corn
1 tbsp ghee
1 cup basmati rice, washed and soaked for 15minutes
2 cups water
1 veg or chicken stock cube, soaked in 4 tbsp warm water

  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok on medium heat and fry the onions till they are golden brown. Next, add the bay leaf, star anise, black cardamoms and cloves. Mix well.
  2. Add the powdered spices and mix for a couple of minutes till they are fragrant.
  3. Add the corn, making sure it is partly cooked before you add the rice. You can also steam it separately if you want to save time.
  4. Mix in the ghee and the rice, along with water, vegetable stock and lemon juice. Cook for 15 minutes in a pressure cooker. If you want to cook it without pressure, then add 1¾ cup water. Season well and serve hot after removing the whole spices.

Variation: Check if the vegetable cubes are low in salt. Normally, stock cubes are pre-salted, so I hunt for the low-sodium ones. You can substitute corn with green peas or chicken. Nonvegetarians can substitute the vegetable stock cubes with chicken stock cubes.
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Toddy Pancakes: A Gem from the Suriani Kitchen

The state of Kerala serves as a pandora’s box for culinary and gastronomically exquisite dishes. Since time immemorial, the spices of Kerala have drawn seafarers and traders to this state and the tradition has remained unchanged till date.
Drawing on this rich culinary heritage, Lathika George’s The Suriani Kitchen brings us unique recipes straight from the cookbooks of Syrian Christians.
Here’s a delicious sneak-peek into the book.
Toddy Pancakes
Kallappams
As the name implies, these appams get their name from kallu, the toddy that is traditionally used to prepare the batter. Yeast is substituted here, with good results. Kallappams are cooked on a griddle like thick pancakes. Serve these pancakes hot or cold with curries and stews.
Ingredients
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Grind the soaked rice with the 2 cups of water in a blender or food processor until it becomes a smooth batter. Add the coconut and cooked rice, and process for 2 more minutes.
Pour the batter into a deep bowl and add the sugar, salt, and yeast mixture. Set aside to rise in a warm place for an hour or longer. When ready, the mixture should be like a frothy cake batter.
Pour 3⁄4 cup of batter on a hot, lightly greased griddle, and cook the thick pancakes over medium heat for 1 minute on each side. Repeat until all the batter has been used, keeping the cooked pancakes warm.
Does your kitchen smell like heaven yet?
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In Conversation with Pankaj Bhadouria

We recently spoke to Pankaj Bhadouria, the winner of MasterChef India Season 1. Pankaj has written two more cookery books, Barbie: I am a Chef and Chicken from My Kitchen.
Below are a few questions we asked her:
What was the very first dish that you cooked and for whom?
From what I remember, the first was probably breakfast for my Dad. The dish was nothing but toast, butter and tea with a rose on the tray. I must have been eight or nine years old at that time so the memory is very precious to me.
What is the best cooking related memory you have?
I think my best cooking related memory is when I was cooking for the finale at MasterChef. I was very calm and not under any pressure at all! I think that not only prevented me from making any mistakes but also reflected in the food that I created that day and helped me win.
Tell us the go-to spice mix in your kitchen.
That would be the Kadhai Masala! Be it with potatoes, chicken, paneer, cauliflower, stuffed paranthas – I use it almost everywhere!
Share with us a secret that you think helped you become the first MasterChef of India.
It is difficult to say…maybe a lot of homework that I’d done over the years aided by the fact that I could work well within limited time or perseverance and not giving up under pressure. Also I would pay a lot of attention to what comments my competitors would get from the judges and made it a point to not repeat those mistakes myself.
Are there more books coming from your kitchen?
Of course, there are! Just wait for what is next to come!
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6 Essential Spices from Masterchef Pankaj Bhadouria’s Kitchen

Straight from the kitchen of India’s first Masterchef, Pankaj Bhadouria, here is a glimpse of her book — The Secret’s in the Spice Mix. Now you’re just a teaspoon away from stirring magic in your pan with these 6 spice mixes you must have in your kitchen:

Greek Seasoning

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Za’atar
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Pizza Seasoning
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Barbecue Sauce
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Tawa Subzi Masala
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Panch Phoron
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So, what is the best kept secret in your kitchen? Tell us as we make our way to gastronomic heaven.
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