Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

2 golden potatoes (cubed)

3 carrots (cubed)

1 cup frozen peas

1 chicken breast (cubed)

1/2 red onion (finely diced)

1/4 cup butter

1 3/4 cup chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp minced garlic

Pie crust:

1 cup + 3 tbsp all purpose flour

1/3 cup + 2 tbsp vegetable shortening

3 tbsp cold water

1 tsp salt

1 9" pie pan

Protocol:

To make pie crust:

Mix together flour and salt and cut in vegetable shortening into the mixture with two forks.

The pie crust should form flaky blobs which barely bind together

add the cold water and make it a loosely bound piece of dough

Roll out pie crust on a lightly floured surface using a well floured rolling pin. (Note: Do not role backwards and forwards.)

The rolled out pie crust should be 1-2 inches larger than the inverted pie pan

Gently slide the pie crust into the pie pan and lightly press on.

Filling:

Boil together chicken, potatoes, carrots, garlic, and salt. Add frozen peas last and boil for 2-4 minutes after this addition. All vegetables and meat should be tender but not gooey.

Strain and set aside.

In a saucepan melt butter and fry onions till finely translucent. Add the flour, and mix. Now add chicken broth and milk and cook while making sure the flour dissolves and does not congeal. Add a little salt and pepper.

Place the chicken vegetable mixture on the pie pan and tip with the onion-sauce.

Bake the chicken pot pie in the oven at 425o for 25- 30 minutes.

Pineapple Rasam

Ingredients:

1.5 tsp rasam powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

a pinch of asafoetida

1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind

3 cups water

1/2 cup toor dal

1 cup pineapple pieces (roughly copped)

1 ripe tomato (finely diced)

For garnish

1.5 tsp mustard seeds

6-7 curry leaves

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 green chillies (roughly chopped)

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

and some corriander leaves (cilantro)

Protocol:

Pressure cook toor dal with 1.5 cups of water for 3 whistles. Mash when its still hot.

Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water for 30 mins-1 hr. Squeeze all the juice out of the tamarind and throw away the pulp.

In a wok, add tamarind water, rasam powder, turmeric and asafoetida and cook on low flame till the raw smell of the rasam powder is gone.

Add the mashed toor dal to the wok and cook for 4-5 minutes

Now add the tomato, pineapple, and 1 cup of water to the mixture and allow to simmer for 5 - 10 minutes till the tomato pieces are not visible and a light froth begins to form at the top.

Garnish (Tadka)

Heat the ghee in a separate pan and add mustard and cumin seeds to the ghee.

Once the mustard seeds start to sputter, add green chillies and curry leaves and saute for 2 mins.

Add the hot garnish to the pineapple rasam.

Top it off with corriander leaves.

Eggplant Gotsu

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized egg plant (diced)

1 tomato (finely chopped)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp asofoetida

1 tsp channa dal

6-8 curry leaves chopped

3 dried red chillies

1 green chilli (cut)

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp jaggery

2 tbsp oil

1 lime-sized ball of tamarind

2 cups water

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

1 tbsp shredded coconut (optional)

Protocol:

Soak tamarind in 1 cup water for 45 mins, to make tamarind juice. Squeeze water out of tamarind and throw tamarind pieces but retain water.

Heat oil in a saucepan and add mustard seeds, red chillies, asofoetida and channa dal. Roast till mustard seeds sputter and dal turns a dark brown. Add ginger, curry leaves and green chilli and cook for 2 mins.

Add tomatoes and fry for 3-4 minutes till they soften. Add the egg plant and tamarind water. Add extra water till the eggplant is barely covered. Add salt and turmeric.

Simmer till egg plant is cooked and mixture thickens . Add jaggery and let it melt into the mixture.

Add 1 tbsp shredded coconut (optional)