For marinade-
1/2 cup yogurt,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
Salt to taste,
1 tbsp vinegar.

For the gravy-
2 star anise,
1″ stick of cinnamon (dalchini),
1 small piece of mace (javitri),
2-3 cloves (laung),
4-5 black peppercorns (kalimirch),
2-3 bay leaves (tejpatta),
2-3 dry red chillies; broken into pieces,
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
2 medium size onions; chopped,
1 medium size tomato; finely chopped,
2 tbsp readymade tomato puree or tomato ketchup,
2 green chillies (or as per taste), finely chopped,
A pinch of turmeric powder,
2 tsp garam masala or Chicken masala,
Salt to taste,
3/4 cup fresh cream; well beaten,
Chicken stock or water,
Ghee/Butter/Oil. (Preferably use ghee for rich taste).

Method:
Make small slits into the chicken pieces. Combine all the ingredients of the marinade in a large mixing bowl and transfer the chicken pieces to the bowl. Apply the marinade generously all over the chicken pieces and cover and refrigerate for over 2-3 hours (the more the better).
To prepare the gravy-
Melt ghee in a kadhai on a low-medium flame. Add dry red chillies, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, star anise, mace and fry for 30 seconds on low flame, or only until fragrant. Do not let them burn. Then add ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and fry for a minute. Now add onions and saute nicely for 5-7 minutes on medium flame, stirring ocassionally until they become transparent and soft. Then add little turmeric powder and chopped tomato. Cook until tomato becomes soft. Then add tomato puree/ketchup and garam/chicken masala. Cook until the masala starts leaving oil. Then add the chopped methi and fry for a minute. Add marinated chicken pieces, combine well to coat them with the masala. Roast for 2 minutes. Then add chicken stock or water to it, enough to cover all the pieces. Cover with a lid, pour some water on the lid. Cook on medium flame until chicken is done. Season with salt. Add beaten cream, mix and serve hot with chapatis, parathas , butter naan or even with steamed rice.

For marinade-
1/2 cup thick yogurt,
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp garam masala powder,
Salt to taste,
1 tsp vegetable oil,
Few drops of red food color (optional, you can add little Kashmiri red chilli powder too)

For the gravy-
2 large size tomatoes;
1″ stick of ginger,
4-5 pods of garlic,
2 tbsp cashew nuts; soaked into hot water for 15 minutes,
1 tbsp tomato ketchup,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
3/4 tsp red chilli powder,
1 -1 1/2 tsp garam masala powder,
Salt to taste,
1 tsp sugar,
Butter to saute,
1 tsp crushed Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves),
1/2 cup fresh cream,
Chopped coriander leaves,
Water.

Method:
Mix all the ingredients for marinade and marinate the paneer cubes for over an hour. Keep in a cool place or for best results in a refrigerator.
Place the marinated paneer cubes on the a greased tray and grill them at 150 degree C for 5 minutes. Flip them over and grill them again for 5 minutes.

To prepare the gravy, grind tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts, tomato ketchup into a puree.
Melt butter in a pan. Let the flame be low-medium. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder, stir and add the tomato puree. Stir and cook on medium flame, stirring until the masala starts leaving out oil. Then add garam masala, sugar, water enough to prepare a thick gravy. When the gravy boils add salt, kasoori methi and chopped coriander leaves. Garnish with fresh cream and serve hot with butter rotis.

Tip:
Prepare Paneer Tikkas as given above and serve as appetizers or cocktail snacks.

Ingredients:
200gms white button mushrooms,
1 cup shelled green peas; boiled,
2 onions; finely chopped,
1/2 cup tomato puree,
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai),
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera),
1 tsp Bengal gram (chana dal),
1 tsp black gram (dhuli urad dal),
2 tbsp freshly grated coconut,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
1 tsp ground coriander,
Few curry leaves,
Salt to taste,
Freshly chopped coriander leaves to garnish,
Oil for frying,
Water.

Method:
Wash the mushrooms under running water and cut each into 2 (if smaller in size) or 4 (if larger in size). Heat some oil in a pan and saute the mushrooms until golden brown and dried. Set them aside.
In the same pan, add some more oil if required. Then add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add cumin seeds, both the grams and curry leaves. When they are fragrant, add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute. Now add onions and fry them until they turn pinkish brown. Then add tomato puree and cook until oil separates from the masala. Add coconut an stir fry for a minute. Then add fried mushrooms and boiled peas, stir well. Add 2 cups water, salt, stir, cover and cook on low-medium flame for few minutes. Garnish with chopped coiander leaves and serve hot with parathas, puris or pulao.

Ingredients:
2 cups atta (whole wheat flour),
1 1/4 cup thick poha (flattened rice),
2 cups grated/powdered jaggery,
1/2 cup powdered sugar,
1 tsp ground elaichi,
1/4 - 1/3 cup of melted ghee.

Method:
Melt 2-3 tbsp of ghee in a kadhai and add poha. Roast stirring on low-medium flame until they become crisp. Transfer them in to a dish. In the same kadhai add some more ghee and add atta. Roast stirring continuously until it is fragrant and turn light pink. To this add jaggery and keep mixing until jaggery melts. Meanwhile, using your fingers lightly crush the roasted poha. Do not crush them into a powder, we would want the laddus to give a crispier texture. Add sugar, elaichi powder to the flour mixture along with crushed poha. Stir well until mixed properly. Add remaining ghee, stir and let it cool down at room temperature. Later roll into laddus. You can store them into airtight containers for a week.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup moong dal (green grams, split and without skin),
1/2 cup rice (uncooked),
2 tbsp chana dal (Bengal gram),
2″ piece of ginger,
6-7 cloves of garlic,
2 green chillies or as per taste,
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds),
1 onion; very finely chopped,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1/4 baking soda,
Salt to taste,
Water,
Oil,
Fresh grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

Method:
Soak dals and rice in water for around 4-5 hours. Then grind all of them together with ginger, garlic, green chilli, jeera, salt, turmeric powder and water. Grind it until smooth batter of dropping consistency, similar to dosa batter.
Then add onion to it, mix well. In a bowl combine coconut and chopped coriander.
Heat a non-stick griddle on low flame, grease with some oil. Scoop out a spoonful of batter and rapidly spread it out in circular motion to thin it out into a round ghavan (similar to dosa). Sprinkle some amount of coconut-coriander mixture and some oil from the sides and center. Let it cook from one side until golden brown in color.

Then flip over and cook from the other side too. Serve with tomato ketchup or tamarind chutney.