It has been a long journey for me. I had always dreamt, with eyes wide open, of taking Indian cuisine  to the fine palates of those existing beyond our sub-continent.

Healthy eating is now, the new mantra. It was important for me to intertwine the two in order to achieve the perfect blend. My journey to New Zealand, some years ago, finally introduced me to an  ingredient that helped me accomplish this long standing dream. In 1989, I became executive Chef at an Indian restaurant with a handful of other Indian cooks. Since the kitchen was huge, I pushed for the owner to start two separate restaurants. One catering to  International cuisine the other Indian. We churned up Indian culinary delights without much ado. Soon, I realised  that olive oil was taking the kitchen by storm! Indian chefs were introducing this alien cooking medium to traditional Indian dishes and it dawned on me that it worked wonders in our style of cooking as well. The patrons did not resist.

Then, four years ago, I received  a box of different olive oils sent to me from New York. I tucked them away into my kitchen cupboard. Much later, I  remembered a particular one that I thought I could incorporate in my cooking. But to my surprise, I found that my 78 year old cook from Andhra Pradesh had happily used it all up! Strangely, we never realized the difference in taste at the table either!

Olive oil provides for five different flavours: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent and is known to help decrease cholesterol.

There have always been reservations about using this Mediterranean ingredient in authentic Indian cooking. However, through my book 'Best of India - Cooking with Olive Oil' commissioned by International Olive Council I have tried to dispel some of these myths and getting the average Indian accustomed to it  and introducing them to a world of delicious healthy eating.

ALOO KACHALU CHAAT
Ingredients
2 large potatoes, boiled,
1 inch cubes
1 large sweet potato, boiled,
1 inch cubes
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
Salt to taste
1 inch piece ginger,
cut into thin strips
1 large ripe banana 
2-3 green pickled olives, sliced
2-3 black pickled olives, sliced
2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chaat masala 
2 tablespoons chopped
fresh coriander leaves 
Method
Add half a teaspoon of lemon juice and a pinch of salt to ginger strips. Keep in the refrigerator.
Peel and cut banana into one inch pieces, apply half a teaspoon of lemon juice and set aside.
Place potatoes, sweet potato, banana, green olives and black olives in a mixing bowl.
Add remaining lemon juice, tamarind pulp, green chillies, chaat masala, salt, coriander leaves and toss lightly.
Serve garnished with pickled ginger strips.

Sweet potatoes have a distinctive sugary flavour, which makes them an excellent addition to chaats.

ALOO POSTO
Ingredients    
5-6 medium potatoes, 1 inch cubes 
4 tablespoons poppy seeds
(khuskhus/posto)   
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon onion seeds (kalonji) 
Salt to taste   
½ teaspoon sugar  
2 green chillies
Method
Soak poppy seeds in one cup of warm water for fifteen to twenty minutes. Drain and grind to a fine paste.
Heat olive oil in a pan. Add kalonji and stir-fry briefly. Add potato pieces and cook on medium heat for five minutes, stirring frequently.
Add poppy seed paste, stir and add half a cup of water. Cover and cook on low heat till the potatoes are almost done. Uncover, add salt, sugar and slit green chillies. 
Continue to cook for a minute more or till potatoes are completely cooked and serve hot.

Bengalis use a lot of nutritious seeds in their cooking. This particular dish is focussed on poppy seeds. I suggest you try this recipe at a Sunday lunch as the slumberous effect of poppy seeds will warrant a nap. Traditionally mustard oil is used as the cooking medium but I have adapted the recipe to make a grand entry in this collection.

URULAI CHETTINADU
Tempered Chettinad Potatoes
Ingredients
500 grams baby potatoes, halved 
4 whole dry red chillies  
2 tablespoons split black gram
(dhuli urad dal)  
10-12 black peppercorns  
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
1 teaspoon mustard seeds  
20 curry leaves   
20 small onions   
Salt to taste
Method
Dry roast whole dry red chillies, urad dal and black peppercorns. Cool and pound to a coarse powder.
Heat extra virgin olive oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, small onions and sauté till
lightly browned.
Add potatoes, stir and add salt. Cover and cook till the potatoes are almost done.
Add the masala powder and mix. Cover and cook over low heat for about three to four minutes or till the potatoes are done.
Serve hot.
 — Rakesh Sethi

LAL MIRCH KA BENARASI ACHAR
Ingredients
12-15 large fresh red chillies 
½ teaspoon asafoetida  
½ cup mustard powder  
¼ cup fenugreek (methi dana) powder
2 tablespoons fennel (saunf) powder 
¼ cup salt   
¼ cup dry mango powder (amchur)
1½ teaspoons turmeric powder
1 cup olive oil
Method 
Slit fresh red chillies and remove seeds. Remove the stems too.
In a bowl take asafoetida, mustard powder, fenugreek powder, fennel powder, salt, dry mango powder and
turmeric powder and mix. 
Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the dry masalas and mix. Stuff the chillies with this masala. 
Dip each chilli in the remaining oil and keep in a sterilized glass jar.  Pack them tightly by pressing. 
Pour the remaining oil over, close the jar and keep in the sun for a week.
It is now ready to be served.
  — Rajeev Matta

KACHCHE GOSHT KI BIRYANI
Ingredients 
1 kilogram mutton or lamb,
2 inch pieces
2 cups basmati rice, soaked
4 inch piece ginger  
20-25 garlic cloves  
5 tablespoons olive oil + to deep fry
4-5 large onions, sliced  
A few strands saffron  
3 tablespoons milk, warm
2 cups yogurt,2 green chillies, chopped
2 teaspoons red chilli powder 
1 teaspoon turmeric powder 
½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves 
Salt to taste
5-6 cloves,1 inch stick cinnamon 
5 green cardamoms  
1 black cardamom 
10 black peppercorns 
¼ cup potli masala  
½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
2 teaspoons garam masala powder 
1 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
½ cup hand torn fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons rose petals  
1 teaspoon rose water  
1 teaspoon kewra water  
Dough made of wheat flour (atta)
to seal
Method
Grind half of the ginger with garlic to a fine paste. Chop the remaining ginger into thin strips. Heat sufficient olive oil in a kadai and deep-fry onion till brown and crisp. Drain and place on absorbent paper and set aside. Dissolve saffron in warm milk.     
Take the mutton pieces in a bowl. Add yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, one-third of the fried onions and chopped mint leaves and mix.
Boil five cups of water in another pan to cook the rice. Put cloves, cinnamon, green cardamoms, black cardamom, black peppercorns and potli masala in a muslin cloth and tie up in a potli. Add this potli to the boiling water. Add salt, caraway seeds and the soaked rice. Bring to a boil and cook till the rice is parboiled.  Remove the potli and drain the rice.
In a thick-bottomed vessel arrange half of the marinated mutton. Over it arrange half of the parboiled rice. Then arrange one third of the fried onions and ginger strips.  Sprinkle half of the green cardamom powder, garam masala powder and coriander leaves. Spread hand torn mint leaves. Pour two and half tablespoons of olive oil on top. Add half the dissolved saffron to the pan. Sprinkle half of the rose petals, rose water
and kewra water.
Repeat the layers once. Cover the vessel with a lid. Seal the lid with atta. Cook on high heat for five minutes then lower the heat.  Keep on a tawa and cook on low heat for forty-five minutes. Serve hot with a raita of your choice.       
 — Harpal Singh Sokhi


Pepper & Coconut Chicken
Ingredients
1 kilogram chicken, 16 pieces 
2 whole dry red chillies
2 inch piece ginger  
6-8 garlic cloves  
1 teaspoon red chilli powder 
1 tablespoon lemon juice  
1 teaspoon turmeric powder 
Salt to taste   
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
12-15 curry leaves
3 medium tomatoes, chopped 
2 teaspoons coriander powder 
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp 
1 teaspoon garam masala powder 
16-18 black peppercorns,
coarsely crushed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
coriander leaves 
Method 
Make a paste of dry red chillies, ginger and garlic. Marinate the chicken pieces in chilli-ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, lemon juice, turmeric powder and salt for three hours preferably in the refrigerator.
Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a thick-bottomed pan and sauté the marinated chicken on high heat till chicken pieces are dry and a little browned. Take out chicken pieces
and set aside.
Add the remaining oil in the pan and fry onions till brown.  Add curry leaves and stir well. Add tomatoes, salt and coriander powder and cook till oil separates from the masala.
Add the chicken and a little water. Cover and cook till the chicken is done and the masala coats the pieces.
Add tamarind pulp dissolved in half cup of water. Add garam masala powder. Simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. 
Adjust the seasoning and add crushed black peppercorns. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

KOLHAPURI SUKKA CHICKEN
Ingredients
1 medium (approx 1 kilogram)
chicken,12 pieces 
1 teaspoon Kolhapuri dry chutney
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (til) 
2 tablespoons poppy
seeds (khuskhus)
6-8 black peppercorns  
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
(shahi jeera),
1 inch stick cinnamon 
3-4 green cardamoms 
1 black cardamom  
4-5 cloves, 1 blade mace  
¼ cup grated dry coconut  
8-10 bedgi red chillies  
1 inch ginger piece
6-8 garlic cloves
5 tablespoons olive oil  
3-4 whole dry red chillies 
3 medium onions, chopped 
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder 
A pinch grated nutmeg  
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves 
Method
Dry roast sesame seeds, poppy seeds, black peppercorns, caraway seeds, cinnamon, green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves and mace separately.  Cool and grind along with dry coconut and bedgi red chillies to a fine paste, adding a little water. Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste.
Heat olive oil in a thick-bottomed pan, add dry red chillies, stir-fry briefly, remove and reserve for garnish. Add onions to the same oil and sauté till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook on medium heat for a few seconds.
Stir in the prepared coconut paste and cook further for three to four minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Add chicken pieces, mix well and cook on high heat, stirring continuously, for two to three minutes. Add half a cup of water and continue cooking on medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring frequently.
Add turmeric powder, grated nutmeg, Kolhapuri dry chutney and salt. Mix well and cook further till chicken is completely cooked, stirring frequently.
The masala should be quite thick and dry. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves and fried dry red chillies.

MALABAR CHEMEEN KARI
Ingredients
25-30 small prawns
shelled
deveined
1 teaspoon turmeric powder 
Salt to taste
2 cups scraped coconut
6 tablespoons olive oil  
9-10 sambar onions, chopped 
1 tablespoon red chilli powder 
1 tablespoon coriander powder 
6 green chillies, slit   
4-6 curd chillies, slit  
2 sprigs curry leaves  
6 pieces kodumpulli   
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
(methi dana)
lightly pounded 
4 whole dry red chillies  
2 drumsticks
remove string,
1 inch pieces  
1 medium raw mango
cut into wedges
Method
Marinate prawns in half a teaspoon of turmeric powder and little salt.
Soak and grind coconut with one cup of warm water and extract thick milk and keep. Keep the coconut residue also.
Heat four tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pan, add onions and fry till transluscent. Add red chilli powder, remaining turmeric powder, coriander powder and stir. Add green chillies, curd chillies, curry leaves and kodumpulli. Add the coconut residue and four cups of water. Boil till it reduces by half and thickens.  Set aside.
Heat the remaining olive oil in another pan, add pounded methi seeds and whole red chillies and stir well.  Add the marinated prawns, drumsticks and mango. Cook till the prawns are three-fourth done.  Pour in the curry and simmer till it combines well. Add salt to taste.
Remove from heat and add the coconut milk and let it simmer for five minutes. Serve hot.

Note: To make curd chillies, soak chillies in a mixture of thin curd and salt for 6-8 hours. Dry in sun till all the moisture dries up. Store in airtight tins. Deep fry and use as an accompaniment also.

MASALA POMFRET
Ingredients
2 fresh pomfrets (600 grams each) 
Salt to taste
Crushed black peppercorns to taste
1 teaspoon red chilli powder 
½ teaspoon turmeric powder 
6 tablespoons olive oil    
1 tablespoon garlic paste  
1 tablespoon red chilli paste 
1 tablespoon fresh coriander
leaves paste
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp 
½ teaspoon clove powder  
½ cup rice flour  
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
coriander leaves
1 medium onion, cut into rings
1 lemon, cut into wedges.
Method
Make one centimeter deep slits on either side of the pomfrets. Apply salt, crushed black peppercorns, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and set aside to marinate for fifteen minutes.
Prepare another marinade with two tablespoons olive oil, garlic paste, red chilli paste, fresh coriander leaves paste, tamarind pulp, clove powder and a pinch of salt. Apply this on the pomfrets on all sides. Set aside for another fifteen minutes.
Heat a tawa.  Roll each pomfret in rice flour and place on the tawa. Drizzle some olive oil all round the fish. When the underside is golden flip over, drizzle some more olive oil all round and cook till the other side is evenly golden.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with onion rings and lemon wedges.
 — Ganesh J. Sonone

PRAWN VARUVAL
Crisp Fried Prawns
Ingredients   
12-16 medium prawns, shelled and deveined  
1 inch piece ginger, 6-8 garlic cloves 
1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder 
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp, 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder,
2 tablespoons rice flour 
Salt to taste   
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice 
Method
Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste.
Mix ginger-garlic paste with roasted cumin powder, tamarind pulp, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, rice flour, salt and two tablespoons olive oil.
Marinate prawns in this mixture and set aside for at least two hours, preferably in the refrigerator.
Heat remaining oil in a pan, add the marinated prawns and cook for a minute on high heat. Turn over the prawns and cook for another minute. Reduce heat and cook for two to three minutes turning the prawns occasionally for uniform cooking.
Drain and place on an absorbent paper. Sprinkle lemon juice and serve hot.

Ideal dish for those who want to be initiated into the art of non-vegetarian cookery. Simple to make, great to taste, it is ideally accompanied with rice and rasam.  They can be served as starters with cocktails too.

BALUSHAHI
Ingredients   
1½ cups refined flour (maida) 
¼ teaspoon soda bicarbonate 
2/3 cup olive oil + to deep fry 
8 tablespoons yogurt, beaten 
2 cups sugar   
2 tablespoons milk  
4-5 pistachios, finely chopped
Method
Sift refined flour and soda bicarbonate together into a bowl.
Rub in two-thirds cup of olive oil into the flour mixture till it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add beaten yogurt and knead into soft dough. Cover and allow it to rest for forty-five minutes.
Divide into twelve equal portions and shape into smooth balls. Take care not to overwork the dough.
Make a slight dent in the center of the ball with your thumb. Keep the balls covered.
Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and when it is medium hot, add the prepared dough balls and deep fry on very low heat. If necessary you may place a tawa below the kadai so that the oil does not get too hot.
Gradually the balushahis will start floating to the top. Turn gently and fry on the other side till golden. The entire process may take around half an hour to forty-five minutes.
Drain and allow to cool to room temperature. This can be an overnight process. 
Heat together sugar and one cup of water till it reaches a two-string consistency.  Midway through add milk to the cooking syrup so that the scum rises to the surface. Carefully remove this scum and discard.
Remove the syrup from heat and soak the fried balushahis in it for thirty minutes.
Gently remove the balushahis from the sugar syrup and place on a serving plate.  Garnish with pistachios. Serve when the sugar has hardened.