at the table
SanjeeBollywood
Discover creative Indian cuisine by Sandra Salmandjee, aka @sanjeebollywood, chef and culinary author. An innovative and modern cuisine like an invitation to travel.
Naan with clarified butter,
India comes to your table with @sanjeebollywood
On the menu? Let yourself be surprised by tasty naan and its butter infused with garlic and fresh coriander. A recipe that will awaken your taste buds and take you on a journey instantly!
INGREDIENTS:
- 500 g of T45 flour
- 1 packet of baker’s yeast
- 1 plain yogurt
- 4 tbsp. of vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. of salt and sugar
- 18 cl of water
FOR CLARIFIED BUTTER:
- very good quality butter
- fresh garlic
- 1 bunch of coriander
Mango & Rose Lassi
Whether with friends or served alongside a spicy dish, @sanjeebollywood’s Mango Lassi is always a safe bet!
Refreshing, colorful and deliciously sweet, this Mocktail promises you delight from the first sip.
INGREDIENTS:
- 50 cl of fermented milk (or plain liquid yogurt)
- 50 cl of mango pulp
-
1 tbsp. of rose syrup per glass
-
1 pinch of powdered cardamom per glass
-
ice cubes, and fresh water
- sugar for decorating glasses
- organic dried rose petals, pistachios for dressing
Crispy Onion Pakoras
Out of ideas for cooking your vegetables? Get inspired by @sanjeebollywood with Crispy Onion Pakoras and their mint chutney!
Our advice? Take note of this delicious recipe so you don’t miss a single crumb.
INGREDIENTS:
- 250 g of chickpea flour
- 2/3 red onions
- 1 tbsp. of curry powder
- 1 tbsp. of cumin seeds
- 1/2 bunch of fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp. of black sesame seeds
- water, salt, and oil for frying
FOR MINT CHUTNEY
-
1 bunch of fresh mint
-
3 cm of fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp. of salt
-
2 Greek yogurts
- juice of one lemon
- 1 pinch of cumin powder
Photo credit @virginiegarnier
What made you want to cook?
I got started on a whim by creating Bollywood Kitchen in 2011 (my cooking blog).
I responded to requests and discovered a passion: cooking, and above all, sharing the cuisine of my ancestors, albeit in a slightly modernized form.
I gradually created a profession around this new passion: I started with cooking classes, then did a lot of home catering, and then supported projects, restaurants, brands, etc. I’ve written 9 cookbooks, and now I’m on TV! I love the way my job is evolving, and I can’t wait to see what happens next …
What does your cooking say about you?
It really looks like me. It is rooted in my origins, but it is simple and accessible with influences from around the world, and I like to add a little creativity and modernity to it.
I put spices everywhere!
"Cooking is literally an art of living for Indians.”
Sandra Salmandjee
Can you tell us about Indian gastronomy – what inspires you in this cuisine?
It’s a cuisine that is very popular but at the same time full of misconceptions. It has a mysterious aspect: we like it but we don’t really know why; it’s just that the spice mixes are intriguing… What matters to me is to make it accessible, to remove all preconceived notions and above all, to simplify and lighten the long list of ingredients of some Indian recipes.
How are cooking and the art of living linked for you, addressed in particular in your latest book "India: Gourmet Strolls, Recipes and Art of Living"?
Cooking is literally an art of living for Indians. Everything is governed around food, there are many rituals and codes that Indians are committed to respecting in their daily lives as well as during celebrations: what we eat in the street (street food), during weddings or receptions, or even why Indians are mostly vegetarians… There is also a very important connection between diet and religion in India.
What are your favorite Indian spices?
Ground turmeric (I love the fresh ones as well!), cayenne pepper flakes (not powdered!) and coriander seeds (I also love the leaves, I put them absolutely everywhere).
Tandoori, Indian taste, butter chicken… it’s a very good way to get started with Indian cuisine! I also created a range of spice mixes with Nomie (Available on the Bollywood Kitchen website: high-quality spices combining premium seeds and powders with artisanal know-how.)
Recipe No. 1
EGGPLANT CURRY IN COCONUT MILK
PREPARATION TIME
15 minutes
COOKING
20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 4 PERSONS
- 15 baby eggplants
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 10 curry leaves (fresh)
- 1 piece of fresh ginger, 3 cm
- 1 fresh green chili
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon of red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
- 50 cl of coconut milk
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons of ghee
- Salt
preparation
- Remove the green sprout of the garlic and then chop it.
- Peel and grate the ginger.
- Finely chop the onion and green chili.
- Mix them.
- In a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed frying pan, melt 2 tablespoons of ghee and fry the cumin seeds with the curry leaves until lightly browned.
- Add the garlic-ginger-onion-green chili mixture and turmeric, and continue stirring for 5 minutes over low heat, without letting it change color.
- Then add the halved eggplants and sauté for 5 minutes, then add ½ glass of water and cook over medium heat until evaporated.
- Pour the lemon juice and coconut milk into the pan and continue cooking over medium heat for a few minutes until the coconut milk has thickened.
plating
Serve with plain naan
Recipe No. 2
INDIAN PANCAKES AND COCONUT MILK
PREPARATION TIME
6+ hours (batter rest)
INGREDIENTS
FOR 12 PANCAKES
- 150 g of grated coconut
- 10 g of fresh baker’s yeast
- 45 cl of water
- 250 g of rice flour
- 50 g of granulated sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
FOR GOLDEN MILK (4 PERSONS)
- 1 teaspoon
of turmeric - 1 piece (approx. 2 cm wide) of fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
- 75 cl of coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
- 1 pinch of black pepper
(ground)
For topping
- pan masala
- some fresh raspberries
- rose syrup
preparation
- Start by preparing the batter: mix the yeast with water.
- In a large bowl, mix the rice flour, grated coconut, sugar and salt.
- Pour the water-yeast mixture in and mix well.
- Cover with plastic wrap and leave to ferment in the fridge overnight, or at least 6 hours, at room temperature.
- Oil a small pan and heat over medium heat.
Where necessary, if it is too thick, thin out the batter with a little water. - Pour a small ladle of batter and cook the pancakes on both sides.
- For the golden milk, pour all the ingredients into a saucepan, mix them and heat for 5 minutes (without boiling).
plating
Serve the pancakes with golden milk, sprinkled with seeds and raspberries and topped with syrup.
tip
Golden milk is a delicious hot drink full of health benefits. Anti-inflammatory and detoxifying, it is also an excellent antioxidant, to be consumed without moderation!
To adjust the taste to your liking, you can add half a teaspoon of cinnamon and a spoonful of honey.
Recipe No. 3
PALAK VEGGIE PAKORA - Spinach and vegetable fritters
PREPARATION TIME
15 minutes
COOKING
20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
FOR 15-16 PAKORAS
- 2 carrots
- 1 small zucchini
- 100 g of fresh baby spinach
- 1 red onion
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of garam masala
- 1 teaspoon of paprika or chili powder
- 25 cl of hot water
- 250 g of chickpea flour
- frying oil
- Salt
preparation
Prepare the batter for the fritters:
- Mix the flour with all the spices.
- Season with salt.
- Add hot water (approx. 25 cl) little by little to obtain batter that is smooth and not too thick.
Prepare the vegetables:
- Cut all vegetables into stripes as regularly as possible.
- Chop the spinach roughly.
- Add the vegetables to the batter and mix well so that the vegetables are fully immersed.
- Heat a large amount of frying oil.
- Using two tablespoons, scoop out a bit of vegetables without too much batter.
- Once the oil is hot, cook the pakoras while preventing them from touching each other.
- Turn the small fritters over and continue cooking for about 5-6 minutes until a beautiful golden color is achieved.
plating
Serve with lime wedges and yogurt sauce.