Summer snack

If you don't want to stuff yourself with all that food on a hot summer day, try these lighter options

Chicken Olivettiu00a0

Ingredients
>>4 boneless chicken breastsu00a0u00a0
>>2 tsp ginger pasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>2 tsp garlic pasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1/2 tsp black pepper powderu00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1 tsp soy sauceu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>2 tbsp lemon juice
>>1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
>>1/2 tsp mixed herbsu00a0u00a0
>>12-16 green olives, stonedu00a0
>>2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch piecesu00a0
>>1 large bunch lettuce
>>5-6 black peppercorns, crushedu00a0u00a0
>>2-3 fresh sprigs of parsleyu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

Cut each chicken breast into one inch thick strips. In a bowl mix ginger paste, garlic paste, pepper powder, soy sauce and salt. Add lemon juice and marinate the chicken pieces in this mixture. Add red chilli flakes, mixed herbs and mix again. Keep for half an hour in the refrigerator.
Wrap a chicken strip around each olive and secure it with a toothpick. Reserve the remaining marinade.
Heat a non-stick pan and place the chicken olivettis on it. Cook, tossing the pieces occasionally, till chicken is almost done.
Add tomatoes mixed with reserved marinade. Stir and cook till the chicken is done. Add crushed peppercorns and toss.
Shred lettuce leaves with hand and spread on the serving plate.
Arrange chicken olivettis on the lettuce bed and garnish with fresh parsley sprigs.u00a0
Serve hot.

Three Aroma Vegetable Rice

Ingredients
>>1 1/2 cups rice, soakedu00a0u00a0
>>Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1/4 small cauliflower, separated into small floretsu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 centimeter cubesu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1/2 cup shelled green peasu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1/4 small cabbage, cut into 1/2 centimeter chunksu00a0
>>12-16 fresh spinach leaves, trimmed
>>1 1/2 tbsp corn flour
>>2-inch stalk lemon grass
>>2 star aniseu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>10-12 black peppercorns, crushedu00a0u00a0
>>1 tbsp soy sauceu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1 tsp sesame oil
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Method
Boil rice in salted boiling water until completely cooked. Drain and keep warm.
Soak the cauliflower florets in two cups of warm salted water for ten minutes. Mix corn flour in half a cup of water.
Take three cups of water in a pan, add lemon grass, star anise and carrots and bring it to a boil. Continue to cook for three minutes, reduce heat and add green peas and cauliflower florets.
Simmer till green peas and carrots are just done. Stir in cabbage and spinach leaves. Season with salt and crushed peppercorns.
Add soy sauce, bring it to a boil and add corn flour mixture, stirring continuously. Simmer for half a minute. Arrange rice in a large service bowl and pour cooked vegetables over the rice and sprinkle sesame oil on top.
Serve immediately.

Almond Pudding

Ingredients
>>15 grams china grassu00a0u00a0
>>1 3/4 cups (350 ml) milku00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1 1/4 cups sugaru00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1 1/2 tsp almond essenceu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

Method
Cut china grass strands into one-inch pieces. Soak in two-and-a-half cups of cold water for eight hours. Do not stir.
Transfer the china grass, together with the water, to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until the china grass has dissolved completely.u00a0
Heat milk in a separate pan; when it comes to a boil, add it to the china grass mixture. Add sugar and stir. Cook gently for ten minutes more.
Stir in the almond essence. Take the pan off the heat, and pour the contents into an eight-and-a-half inch by six-and-a-half inch shallow (one-inch deep) tray and fill to the rim.u00a0u00a0
The china grass will set at room temperature.u00a0 When firm, cut into cubes and serve.

Carrot and Onion Florentine

Ingredients
>>3-4 medium carrots, cut into 1 1/2 centimeter cubesu00a0u00a0u00a0
>>2 medium onions, thinly slicedu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>2-3 medium bunches fresh spinach, finely choppedu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>2 tbsp corn flouru00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1 tsp oil
>>6-7 garlic cloves, crushed
>>Salt to taste
>>White pepper powder to taste
>>2 cups skimmed milku00a0u00a0
>>100 grams broad beans (papdi), 1 1/2 centimeter piecesu00a0
>>1/4 tsp dried mixed herbsu00a0u00a0u00a0
>>1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbsu00a0
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Method
Mix the corn flour in quarter cup of water. Preheat the oven to 180 u00b0C.
Heat oil in a nonstick pan, add half the quantity of garlic, stir briefly and add the spinach. Sautu00e9 for four to five minutes over high heat, stirring occasionally or until the spinach is cooked completely. Add salt and white pepper to taste, stir well and remove from heat.
Heat the skimmed milk in a saucepan and bring to boil. Add the remaining garlic, carrots, broad beans and onion. Cover and simmer for three to four minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and white pepper powder to taste.
Gradually add the dissolved corn flour, stirring continuously, till the mixture thickens to a fairly thick sauce consistency. Sprinkle the mixed herb, stir well and remove from heat and keep warm.
Take an ovenproof glass or a ceramic dish and layer the cooked spinach. Pour the cooked vegetables along with the sauce over the spinach and level it with a spatula.
Sprinkle the fresh breadcrumbs on top and bake in the preheated oven for ten minutes.

Ruth Piedade wins an autographed copy of Chaat, Chef Kapoor's book

VEGETABLE VINEGAR PICKLE

Ingredients
1 medium raw papaya, sliced
1/2 kg carrots, chopped into medium long strips
100 grams dry dates (dry khajur)
1 1/2 cups cooking vinegar
1/4 kg jaggery
100 gms mustard powder
2 tbsp red chilli powder
Salt as needed

Method
Wash the papaya, carrots and dry khajur and allow them to drain. Let them air-dry (so that no water remains).
Mix vinegar, jaggery, mustard powder and red chilli powder to make a mixture and set it aside.
Mix all the vegetables and the mixture well in an air-tight container. Allow it to ferment for seven to eight days.
The pickle is ready. Tastes best with rice and dal.

Shopping list for next week

Spinach Gnocchi
> 200 gms refined flour
> 200 ml pack of fresh cream
> 60 gms Parmesan cheese
> 1 bunch fresh spinach leaves
> 1 medium green capsicum
> 1 bottle olive oil
> 1 pack dried oregano
> A few sprigs fresh basil leaves

Fusilli With Red Pepper Sauce
> 200 ml pack of tomato puru00e9e
> 1 pack coloured fusilli
> 1 medium red capsicum
> 1 medium carrot
> 1 pack white pepper powder
> 1 pack dried basil
> A few sprigs of fresh parsleyu00a0

Risotto With Three Cheeses
> 100 gms shallots
> 50 gms processed cheese
> 50 gms mozzarella cheese
> 1 small pack arborio riceu00a0u00a0

Tiramisu
> 200 ml pack of thick cream
> 175 gms chocolate sponge cake
> 50 gms instant coffee powder
> 3 eggs
> 1 pack unflavoured gelatine
> 1 pack mascarpone cheese
> 1 slab dark cooking chocolate