We all have that one comfort food that we unfailingly turn to -be it at the end of a long, tiring day or the beginning of a bad break-up. Those with limited culinary skills may have to make their peace with instant noodles and chopped sausages, or a double cheddar pizza ordered as takeout, but what do chefs rustle up to combat a bad day? Here, three city chefs share their go-to, home-cooked comfort food, with basic ingredients.
Kayzad Sadri
Former executive chef, Intercontinental, Marine Drive "I was on a trip to Italy a few years ago and I had this dish at a small trattoria in the countryside of Tuscany and even thought it was a simple dish. I remember its flavour even today. I made it at home for the first time and it turned out well but I remember putting the prawns in the sauce instead of grilling them. But the next time, I grilled them instead of putting them in the sauce because that's how I like it best. The result was phenomenal. The first time I made it, I used regular pasta. Now I use whole wheat as it's a healthier alternative."
Ingredients
Whole wheat pasta (40 gms per person)
medium sized prawns (cleaned and peeled, 10 pieces)
tomato (400 gms, blanched, peeled and rough ly chopped)
garlic (3 cloves)
onion (1 small, very finely chopped)
salt and pepper (to taste)
chilli flakes (to taste)
oregano (preferably fresh or dried, 2 to 3 sprigs)
basil (2 to 3 sprigs)
extra virgin olive oil (1+1+1 tsp)
Method
- Boil pasta in boiling salted water.
- Take one teaspoon olive oil in a pan.
- Add onion and garlic. Saute till soft Add chilli flakes and tomatoes.
- Season with salt and pepper and cook for 30 minutes till done.
- Marinate prawns with salt, pepper, chilli flakes and olive oil. Grill and cook in a pan for two minutes on each side. Do not over cook Toss the pasta in the sauce and cook for five minutes till well combined.
- Finish the pasta with basil and check seasoning.
- Top with the grilled prawns, chopped fresh herbs and grated parmesan cheese.
- Pour a little extra virgin olive oil on top for better flavour.
Chef Sahil Singh
Pa Pa Ya "Rajma chawal is my comfort food and I can consume it to my heart's content any day. Coming from a Punjabi household, my mother would cook it for us and serve it with other accompaniments like mango pickle, poppadums and home-made fresh coriander and mint chutney. The best thing is to have it hot, straight from my mother's kitchen."
Ingredients
Red rajma (300gms)
ginger paste (40gms)
garlic paste (40gms)
onion paste (120gms)
tomato paste (120gms)
garam masala (20 gms)
deggi mirchi (20gms)
red chilli powder (20gms)
zeera powder (20gms)
black cardamom (5gms)
hing (2gms)
tej patta (10gms)
corinader seeds (15gms)
water (500ml)
chopped coriander (30gms)
green chillies for garnish (20gms)
salt to taste
basmati rice (300gms)
Method
- Soak rajma and rice overnight. Pour oil in a pressure cooker.
- Add tej patta, black cardamom and hing. Saute. Add ginger garlic paste. Add the onion paste. Saute till golden brown.
- Add the tomato paste. Cook. Add other ingredients. Saute.
- Add water. Cover the cooker. Wait till six whistles.
- Serve with steamed basmati rice. Garnish with chopped coriander and green chillies.
Chef Dhwani Agrawal
Sr. Sous Chef, Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra "I have fond childhood memories of my mother's Sindhi Kadi Chawal. Since it takes time to make the dish, mom usually made this on Sundays, thus making it the Sunday special. It was something we would eagerly look forward to every week. All my friends would ask me to treat them to my mom's Sindhi Kadi Chawal as it was a hit amongst all. Till date, when I go home, she cooks it as she knows that it will make my day.When I am ill, it is my mom's version of chicken soup for the soul."
Recipe for 4 portions
Ingredients
Besan (4 t-spoon)
tomatoes (pureed and strained, 8-10 nos)
drumsticks (cut 3 inch long, 2 nos)
yam (cubed, 250 gms)
cluster beans (100 gms)
potatoes (cubed), okra (slit and fried, 150 gms)
curry leaves (23 strings)
oil for roasting & frying
salt to taste methi seeds (12 tspn)
whole jeera (12 tspn)
hing (a pinch)
turmeric powder (1 tspn)
fresh coriander leaves (chopped, to garnish),
whole red chillies (dry, 2-3)
kokum, 6 nos
tamarind pulp (3 tblspn)
Method
- Heat oil in pan. Roast besan on low flame till light brown.
- Add hing, dry red chillies, methi seeds, whole jeera Add tomato puree.
- Add water and bring to boil. Add turmeric powder, salt and all vegetables except okra.
Add kokum and curry leaves and boil Add tamarind pulp, fried okra after vegetables in the curry are cooked.
- Garnish with chopped coriander
For Tuk - Fry the cubes of potatoes in slow fire till half done Remove from oil, cool, flatten lightly and fry on high flame Sprinkle turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt and amchoor.
