www.tarladalal.com TARLA DALAL I N D I A’ S # 1 C O O K E R Y A U T H O R INTRODUCTION Dear Friends, Here is a book dedicated to all Jain cooking enthusiasts who often face problems while converting their favourite International recipes as per the Jain standards. The past few decades have seen a major change in the food habits of Indians, with the increasing influence of International cuisines. Many chefs and cookery authors have experimented with, and modified several International recipes to suit the Indian palate. Here, I have attempted to convert several popular International recipes according to the Jain principles. I have tried to simplify the recipes for your convenience, and have also taken care to use easily available ingredients, so you will not have any problem while cooking. The book includes famous recipes like Thai Curry, Vegetable Au Gratin, American Chopsuey, Hakka Noodles and Mexican Enchiladas. The recipes have been classified according to their country of origin, so that you can formulate menus accordingly. I seriously believe that it is possible to visit a place through its food. A nation's cuisine is a window to its culture. If you've often felt the pangs of disappointment because you've not been able to visit a Mexican, Italian, Thai, French or Chinese restaurant as they do not serve Jain food, your worries are over. With this collection of Jain versions of International recipes, you can explore the cuisines of various nations and relish foods from their repertoire, from your home itself! Good Luck! CONTENTS STARTERS & SNACKS SOUPS Corn and Cheese Quesadillas ............ 10 Sweet Corn and Asparagus Soup ..... 31 Spinach Cheese Cigars ........................ 12 Spinach and Baby Corn Soup ............ 33 Raw Banana Rosti ................................ 14 Creamy Almond Soup ........................ 34 Chocolate Chip Apple Pancakes ....... 16 Creamy Pistachio Soup ....................... 35 Crusty Raw Banana Wedges ............. 18 Minestrone ............................................ 36 Corn and Rice Croquettes .................. 21 Winter Vegetable Soup ....................... 39 Mini Tacos ............................................ 23 Cream of Broccoli Soup ...................... 41 Sizzling Asparagus and Baby Corn .. 25 Manchow Soup .................................... 42 Cottage Cheese Cutlets........................ 27 Corn Chips with Salsa and INTERNATIONAL MAIN COURSE Avacado Dip ........................................ 29 Mexican Mexican Vegetable Faheeta ............... 44 Spinach Stuffed Enchiladas ............... 48 Bean Toastada ....................................... 51 Thai Cheesy Pepper Rice ............................. 53 Thai Stir-Fried Noodles ...................... 77 Chinese Green Vegetable Noodles in Red Curry Sauce .......................................... 80 American Chopsuey ........................... 56 5 Spice Vegetable Fried Rice .............. 58 Sweet n Sour Vegetables .................... 60 Crispy Vegetables and Tofu .............. 62 Schezuan Noodles ............................... 64 Thai Green Curry ................................ 83 Peanut Sesame Vegetables ................. 86 French Cuisine Home-Style Casserole ......................... 88 Vegetable Au Gratin ........................... 91 Italian Creamy Corn Pizza ............................. 66 Noodle and Vegetable Sizzler ........... 68 Garden Fresh Fusilli ............................ 70 Pesto Penne .......................................... 72 Olive and Tomato Pasta ..................... 74 Baked Ratatouille Crépes in White Sauce .......................................... 93 Spinach and Cottage Cheese Quiche ................................................... 96 BASIC RECIPE Italian Tomato Sauce ........................... 98 Tomato Sauce ..................................... 100 Chilli Sauce ......................................... 102 Crusty Raw Banana Wedges The common banana just got a makeover in this recipe! Steaming the bananas before frying helps retain the original flavour and to seal in the moisture content. Preparation time: 15 minutes. 4 peeled raw bananas 1 tsp red chilli powder 1 tsp castor sugar Salt to taste For the batter ½ cup plain flour (maida) 2 tbsp cornflour ½ tsp green chilli paste Salt to taste Cooking time: 15 minutes. Serves 4. Other ingredients Finely crushed cornflakes for coating Oil for deep-frying For the garnish Lemon wedges Parsley sprigs 1. Slit the bananas into half and cut each half into 3 wedges. 2. Mix bananas with chilli powder, sugar and salt and steam for 5 minutes in a steamer. Leave aside to cool. 3. Mix all the ingredients for the batter together with enough water to a thick paste. 4. Dip the raw banana wedges in the batter, roll out in the finely crushed corn flakes and deep-fry in hot oil till crisp and golden brown. 5. Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot garnished with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs. Crusty Raw Banana Wedges Olive and Tomato Pasta Basil, which so commonly available in India, adds an exotic flavour to this tomato pasta. Preparation time: 15 minutes. 3 cups cooked bow pasta (farfalle) For the basil and Tomato Sauce 1 recipe Italian tomato sauce, page 98 ½ tsp dry red chilli flakes 4 to 5 tbsp fresh cream ¼ cup chopped black olives 4 tbsp grated vegetarian cheese 2 tsp olive oil Salt to taste Cooking time: 15 minutes. Serves 4. For the olive and tomato sauce 1. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the Italian tomato sauce, chilli flakes and salt. 2. Add ½ cup of water and cook till the sauce thickens. 3. Add the cream, olives and cheese. Mix well and keep aside. How to proceed Just before serving, re-heat the olive and tomato sauce and toss the bow pasta in it along with the cheese. Serve hot. Olive and Tomato Pasta Cream of Broccoli Soup “Padma Shri” awardee, Mrs Tarla Dalal is India's best selling author in any field, with over 4 million cookbooks sold to date. She is the first to launch a bi-monthly food magazine, ‘Cooking & More’, which is the best selling cookery magazine in India, under her own name. J ainism is not just a religion but a beautiful way of life. Considering that food is an important aspect of life, the Jain scriptures have clearly delineated rules for preparation and consumption of food, based on the ultimate principles of compassion, nonviolence and respect for even the lower life forms, including plants and bacteria. Jain cooking enthusiasts often have trouble converting their favourite International recipes, in conformance with the Jain principles of cooking. In this book, I have attempted to present several all-time favourite International recipes, spanning several world cuisines such as Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Thai, French etc., in a Jain rules compliant form, thereby adding them to the repertoire of Jain cooking. Surprise yourself and your Jain friends with exquisite meals comprising your favourite International recipes, all cooked in your own kitchen and completely in accordance with the Jain standards. Good luck! ISBN 978-818949128-4