Cook Book Forward

What is the single most important tool to win hearts…world over? Great cookery skills! With this talent, it’s easier to make friends, the kids don’t fuss over food, the guests are mighty impressed, and you become a VVIP during festivals and social gatherings!

Wonder Cook Recipe Book is the celebration of 50 extraordinary cooks and their 50 extraordinarily delicious recipes. Most of these cooks have watched a lot of cookery shows and referred to countless recipe books. But not in their wildest dreams, did they imagine having their own cook book published. Wonder Cook Recipe Book is a dream come true for these gifted cooks.

Find 50 mouth-watering recipes handpicked by none other than Celebrity Chef, Sanjeev Kapoor. Make sure you try each one of them and win accolades from your family and friends.

“Cooking is love made visible”

PS: ‘Wonder Cook’ was a culinary contest organised by AEGON Religare Life Insurance Limited. From over many hundreds of recipes received, 50 top recipes were handpicked by Mr. Sanjeev Kapoor and published through Wonder Cook Recipe book. Index

Sr. No. Recipe Page No. Sr. No. Recipe Page No.

01 Bharwa Karela ka Naya Andaaz ...... 01 27 Bitter Gourd Prawn Masala Fry...... 27 02 Chunka Pitha with Chutney ...... 02 28 Eggplant Parmesan...... 28 03 Wonder Moong Balls...... 03 29 Degchi Biryani ...... 29 04 Kol Posola Mansho 30 Farra with Sukhe Aloo and (Banana Stem with Chicken) ...... 04 Sitaphal ki Subzi...... 30 05 Desi Ilish (Hilsa) Biryani ...... 05 31 Fish Cheese Tikki with 06 Lukhunvi Pizza (Non-Veg) ...... 06 Tango-Coco Sauce ...... 31 07 Black Cumin With Kajuli Fish ...... 07 32 Green Tofu Patra Chaat with Herbal Buttermilk ...... 32 08 Corn Kofta With Peas Curry...... 08 33 Herbed Yogurt Salad Sandwich ...... 33 09 Indre...... 09 34 Ilish Sarso Bata ...... 34 10 Chicken Chap ...... 10 35 Spinach Fish ...... 35 11 Banana Wonton ...... 11 36 Chicken Flowers ...... 36 12 Besan Baingan Cuts ...... 12 37 Bengali Fish Curry (doi Maach) ...... 37 13 Budha Chakuli...... 13 38 Khatti Meethi Tokri...... 38 14 Cassava Soup...... 14 39 Exotic Pasta ...... 39 15 Jackfruit Sweet Idli ...... 15 40 Paneer Dilruba ...... 40 16 Kadai Curd Chicken ...... 16 41 Mandua Ki Roti...... 41 17 Khas Khas Chicken ...... 17 42 Delicious Pizza Delight ...... 42 18 Palak Paneer Khandvi...... 18 43 Rice Muthias...... 43 19 Patory ...... 19 44 Lababdar Curry With Vegetables...... 44 20 Pizwich...... 20 45 Nargisi Kofta ...... 45 21 Savoury Cheese Biscuits ...... 21 46 Navratan Korma ...... 46 22 Sesame Gold Coins ...... 22 47 Pancham Dudhiya Thepla ...... 47 23 Green Spinach Rolls...... 23 48 Yummy Navdhanya Bisi Bele Bath...... 48 24 Double Bhetki Roll ...... 24 49 Egyptian Koshary ...... 49 25 Poha Tikki...... 25 50 Aloo Dum, Dahi Wada With Ghugni ...... 50 26 Pizza Basket...... 26 BHARWA KARELA KA NAYA ANDAAZ Ashwini Sanjay Tiwari | Vadodara

Karelas will no longer make anybody run. Your loved ones will go gaga over this yummy version of karela!

Ingredients: Method: Bitter Gourd (Karela) 250 gms ?Prepare a mixture by grinding together fenugreek, cumin, fennel, turmeric and salt. Take coriander powder twice the Potato, sliced 500 gms amount of this mixture and add it in. Mix well and set aside. ? Fenugreek seeds 20 gms Scrape the bitter gourds slightly, and give it a cut on one side. If the seeds are soft, leave them in; if hard, remove them. ? Cumin seeds 50 gms Stuff the bitter gourds with the spice mixture prepared. ? Fennel seeds 50 gms Heat 1 ½ tbsp oil in a pan and arrange the stuffed bitter gourds inside. And on top, arrange the sliced potatoes. ? Turmeric, as required Sprinkle any left over spice mixture over the vegetables. Close the lid and cook for half an hour, stirring only at intervals. ? Salt to taste Take out the potatoes when they turn brown, and set aside. Continue to cook the bitter gourds till they too turn brown. Once done, add the potatoes back; give it a stir and turn off the gas. Coriander powder ?Squeeze in a little lemon juice just before serving. Oil 1 ½ tbsp Lemon juice Tips: • If you are preparing it as snack for kids, then reduce the quantity of ginger, garlic and red chillies and make it less spicy, suitable for kids. • If you are preparing it as snack for kids. • If you are preparing it as snack for kids, then reduce the quantity of ginger.

01 CHUNKA PITHA WITH CHUTNEY Binita Das | Rourkela

An appetising and healthy dish served with tangy-minty-spicy chutney!

Ingredients: Method: For Pitha: For Pitha: Split black gram (Biri dal) -1 cup ?Soak rice and Biri dal for 4-5 hours in water. Then, grind it to a thick paste and leave it overnight. Next morning, Rice - 1 cup add salt and mix well. ? Onion - 1 To prepare the filling, finely chop onion, tomato, ginger, curry leaves and green chillies, and mix well. ? Tomato - 1 Heat oil in a pan. Take one spoon of the rice-dal paste and flatten it into a circular shape. Place some ‘filling’ in the centre. Take another spoon of the rice-dal paste, flatten it and cover over the filling. Seal the sides and fry Green Chillies, Curry leaves, Ginger it till golden brown on all sides. The Pitha is ready to be served with chutney. as per taste For Chutney: Salt to taste ?Chop tomato, mint leaves and chillies. Oil for frying ?Grind them well with little water and the chutney is ready. For Chutney: Tomato -1 Mint (Pudina) leaves, Green chillies as per taste Salt to taste

02 WONDER MOONG BALLS Dipti Tiwari | Indore

A mouthwatering vegetarian fare you would love to savour during the hot summer days!

Ingredients: Method: Split green gram (Moong dal) 1 cup ?Soak Moong dal for 3 to 4 hours. Then, drain and set aside. Indian round gourd (Tinda), small size ½ kg ?Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add cumin, asafoetida, moong dal and mix well. Add water and let it cook for 10 - 12 minutes. Cumin seeds 1 tbsp ?Then, add salt, turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder. Let it cook for 2 more minutes, and the stuffing is ready. Asafoetida (Hing) - Small pinch ?Now, cut the tindas on top and press in the stuffing tightly, taking care not to break them. Salt to taste ?Tie a thread around the tindas so as to keep their shape intact. Turmeric powder ½ tsp ?Deep fry the stuffed tindas in oil. (While frying, gently place them in the pan, and after one side is done, gently turn Red chilli powder 2 tbsp over and cook the other side.) It takes around 15-20 minutes and ‘wonder moong balls’ are ready to be served. Coriander powder 1tbsp Oil - 3 tbsp

03 KOL POSOLA MANSHO (BANANA STEM WITH CHICKEN) Luki Borthakur | Guwahati

Check out this Chicken curry with a difference!

Ingredients: Serves 2 Method: Banana stem, grated - 1 cup ?Take chicken and grated banana pith in a vessel. Add turmeric, garam masala, 1 grated onion, 1 tbsp oil, Chicken - 200 gms 1 green chilli, little garlic paste and salt. Mix well and marinate for 20 minutes. ? Turmeric powder - ½ tbsp Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the remaining garlic paste and onion, and fry until light brown. Add the marinated chicken mixture and fry for 10 minutes, stirring well. Garam Masala - 2 tbsp ?After 10 minutes, add warm water. Then, cover with a lid and cook for 40 minutes on low flame. Onion, grated - 2 ?Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice. Green chillies - 2 Garlic, smashed - 1 whole Tips for grating: Salt to taste ?Before grating the banana stem, soak it in water for 5 minutes. Wear gloves while grating, else it could Mustard oil - 3 tbsp stain your hands. Once done, crush the thread-like stuff in a crusher (do not use a mixer grinder). Water (warm) - 1 cup Coriander to garnish

04 DESI ILISH (HILSA) BIRYANI Mithu Das | Siliguri

Patience is a must for Biryanis. Try this one on leisurely day and revel in the aromatic flavour of every morsel!

Ingredients: Method: For Ilish: ?Heat mustard oil in a pan. Fry Ilish pieces until light golden brown and set aside. Mustard oil 1 cup ?In the same pan, add mustard paste, ginger paste, green chilli paste, red chilli powder, sugar and salt, and fry for a minute. Ilish 12 pcs Add curd, Ilish stock and cook for 5 minutes on low flame. Finally, add cream. Green chilli paste 1 tsp ?Take a big vessel (handi) and boil water with some salt, ghee, clove, star, cinnamon, etc. Add rice and cook till partially Turmeric powder 1 tsp done (about 70%). Strain the rice and set aside. Red chilli powder ½ tsp ?To assemble: In a handi, arrange one layer of rice followed by a layer of fish, and then repeat the layers. Finally, add Ginger paste ½ tsp chopped coriander leaves, cover with a layer of rice and top it with fried onion slices. Mustard paste 4 tsp Curd 2 tsp ?Cover the vessel with an aluminum foil and cook it for 5 minutes on high flame, and for another 5 minutes on low flame. Ilish stock 2 cups Garnish with mint leaves and serve hot. Sugar 1 tsp Salt to taste Cream 2 tsp For Rice: Basmati rice 4 cups (washed and soaked for an hour) Anise Star 1pc Clove 10 pcs Ghee 3 tbsp Anise 5 pcs Cinnamon 2 pcs For layering: Onion - 2 (sliced and fried till golden brown) Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 cup Mint leaves, chopped - 1 cup

05 LUKHUNVI PIZZA (NON-VEG) Mona Navinchandra Surawala | Surat

Quick and easy home-made pizza never tasted so good!

Ingredients: Method: Pizza bread 4 ?Heat 3 tsp oil in a frying pan. Add minced mutton and roast well for 5 minutes. Minced mutton 200 gm ?Add salt, ginger garlic paste and green chilies, and mix well. Once the mixture turns dry, add garam masala, mix Oil 3 tsp well and turn off the gas. ? Salt to taste Now, take the pizza bread, apply some butter, spread the minced mutton mixture on it, and place it on a pan on low flame. Top it with mayonnaise and cheese. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Onions 2 ?Sprinkle some pizza masala on top and your pizza is ready to be served! Ginger Garlic paste 3 tsp Green chilies, chopped - 2 tsp Garam masala 3 tsp Butter Mayonnaise Cheese Pizza masala 1 tsp

06 BLACK CUMIN WITH KAJULI FISH Soma Ray | Kolkata

An amazing spice flavoured fish treat to go with your rice.

Ingredients: Method: Kajuli fish - 250 gms ?Grind together black cumin, coriander leaves and green chillies to form a paste Black cumin - 2 tbsp ?Simmer oil in a pan and add the cleaned Kajuli fish. Coriander leaves ?Add the cumin-coriander-chilly paste to the oil, along with salt and turmeric, and mix well. Green chillies - 6 pcs ?Add little water and let the fish cook with the spices, on low flame for 5 minutes. Turmeric powder - ½ tbsp ?The Kajuli Black Cumin is ready to be served. Salt to taste

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