Come winter, there is an abundance of fresh green peas. Make the most of the season with these simple, delicious pea-based recipes. Fried peas, pea frittatas and pea tikkis are perfect for light meals or snacks.

Crispy fried peas

Ingredients
250 gms fresh green peas, shelled
10 gms ginger-garlic paste
1 green chilli, chopped fine
50 gms cornflour
Salt, to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method
Marinate the green peas with all ingredients except cornflour and oil. Dampen the mixture with a little water. Apply slight pressure on the peas so as to break the outer skin only. Add the cornflour and mix well to coat. Fry in medium hot oil — be careful as the peas whose skin is not broken may tend to burst or splatter.
Remove on absorbent kitchen towel and serve warm with drinks or just as a lovely winter snack.

Pea mint frittata

Ingredients
6 eggs
350 gms fresh green peas, shelled
200 gms sliced onion
20 fresh mint leaves
½ sprig marjoram
20 gms grated parmesan cheese
Salt, to taste
2 tbsps oil

Method
Beat the eggs to homogenise but do not beat to a foam. Keep aside in a bowl. Add a little oil to the pan and sauté the sliced onions and peas. Add this along with the fresh torn herbs and grated parmesan to the eggs. Season the egg mix. Gently pour back into the warm sauteuse and cook to firm the base. Cover with an inverted plate and flip gently. Slide the uncooked side into the sauteuse and cook to firm the base again.

Continue to cook till done. Serve warm with a fresh tomato sauce or use as a filling for a sandwich.

Fresh pea and cashew tikkis

Ingredients
1 tbsp ghee
5 gms cumin seeds
½ tbsp chopped ginger
½ tbsp chopped garlic
2 green chillies
450 gms fresh green peas, shelled and mashed
Salt, to taste
60 gms cashewnut, crushed
15 gms boiled potato, grated
Oil to shallow fry

Method
Heat ghee in the kadhai and sauté the cumin seeds, ginger and garlic. Add the chopped green chilli. Add the green peas mash and cook to evaporate all moisture. Add the grated potato and mix well. Add the crushed cashewnuts. Take off the fire. Allow to cool slightly. Season to taste. Divide the mixture into 12 parts and shape each into small tikkis. Shallow fry the tikkis in a sauteuse in little oil. Serve warm — a tangy yoghurt dip will go very well with it.

— The writer is the Executive Chef, The Park, Bengaluru.

It’s not in meat or milk or fish. It is only found in things that grow in the ground, such as vegetables, grains, fruit and nuts. We’re talking about dietary fibre — the carbohydrate components of plants that are not digested and absorbed into the small intestine. Fibre is just on its way through. So why is it important in our diet?

1. Dietary fibre protects against heart disease. Research shows that 12 to 33 grams of fibre a day may lower blood pressure, improve blood cholesterol levels, and reduce the "inflammation" attributed to cardiovascular disease.

2. Soluble fibres absorb water as they pass through the body, which helps pull "bad" LDL cholesterol out of the body. Good sources of soluble fibres include apples, barley, oats, beans and other legumes.

3. Insoluble fibres encourage "laxation" of the gastrointestinal tract, enabling normal bowel movements. Whole grain foods are good sources of insoluble fibre. Cabbage, honey, figs, prunes, and strawberries are natural laxatives.

4. Dietary fibre may help control diabetes. As the body does not absorb fibre, a fibre-rich diet results in fewer total carbohydrates converting to high blood sugars.

5. Certain types of fibres in fruit, vegetables and whole grains are fermented in the large colon and may actually help our bodies absorb important minerals such as calcium.

6. Lastly, dietary fibre may help keep the kilos off. Our body does not derive any calories, from fibre. So when we eat high fibre foods, we fill up on "bulk" that makes us feel satisfied but does not turn into love handles.

The holiday season is just around the corner! It’s time to take stock of your home bar and get all the essentials to shake, stir and serve up a round of drinks to celebrate the festive spirit. Here’s a checklist for all that you need:

Rum: Bacardi white rum is a good choice, and for the dark variety, try Bacardi Reserva or a more affordable option, Old Monk.

Vodka: Plain vodka is a neutral spirit, but you could also go for different flavours. Smirnoff is a popular brand which is a must-have.

Whisky: You need to develop a taste for fine single malts like Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie and Lagaluvin. For blended scotches, popular brands like Johnnie Walker Red Label and Black Label are a safe bet.

Gin: Gilbey’s is a good local gin. Imported brands like Gordin’s and Beafeter are also available. If your pockets are deep enough, Tanqueray is a great high-end product.

Wine: Basic reds and whites are a must, but connoisseurs will appreciate a vintage label during the festive season. New world wines are also a good choice.

Sherry: Harvey’s Bristol Cream is a favourite that you can rely on.

Cognac: These are the most exclusive brandies from France. For cognac connoisseurs, Henessey VS, VSOP and XO are the way to go.

Liqueurs: Kahlua, Tia Maria, Crème de menthe, Triple Sec or Cointreau, Bailey’s Irish Cream and you’re all set to serve up an impressive drinks menu.

And a dash of:

Angustra Bitter: Just add two-three drops of this Caribbean tonic to give your cocktails a zing.

Tabasco sauce: This hot sauce made from tabasco peppers, vinegar and salt is a must-have.

Sugar syrup: Just a hint of sweetness to balance your cocktails.

Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is simply the best.

— The writer is the Executive Assistant F&B Manager at Ista, Bengaluru.

Smoothies are the best drink invented so far for health freaks in the world. For a few mothers it is the cleverest ‘technique’ invented for providing a healthy amount of milk, yogurt and fruits to their troublesome children. Smoothie is the easiest drink that can be prepared at any time of the year without much fuss. Avinash Bharwani, director at the Health And Soul Juice Bar, Mumbai says, “Low fat smoothies are very popular these days.

Many people mistake smoothies to be only milk based, but they can be fruit based as well. The right way to prepare them at home would be to have the perfect blend of various fruits. Have a good mix of juicy and seasonal fruits. You can choose some fruits just to add flavour and give consistency to the drink after blending.”

A good smoothie has a perfect blend of all the ingredients so it is very important that the contents are mixed properly in the blender. You can also create various flavours by adding dry fruits, syrups and jellies to your smoothie.

Given below are a few easy and delicious smoothie recipes by Avinash Bharwani of Health And Soul Juice Bar, Mumbai.

Chocolate treat
A delicious yet low-fat chocolate smoothie with milk and yogurt.

Ingredients
30 gm low fat chocolate
20 gm banana
150 ml low fat milk
Crushed ice

Method
Blend the banana and chocolate together. Then blend the mixture with low fat milk or soymilk. Serve chilled with ice chips. Make sure all the ingredients used are clean.

Acai powerpunch
Kickstart your day with a power packed acai berry smoothie.

Ingredients
30 ml organic acai berry syrup
150 gm pineapple
20 gm banana
Crushed ice

Method
Blend the banana and pineapple together. Add the acai berry syrup to the mixture and blend all the ingredients properly. Serve it chilled with a slice of pineapple on top.

Breakie
The highlight of this drink is that it acts as a whole breakfast hence the name ‘break’ie.

Ingredients
40 gm banana
40 gm natural muesli (oat cereal breakfast)
30 gm low fat yogurt
150 ml low fat milk or soymilk

Method
Blend the banana, muesli and yogurt together. Add low fat milk or soy to the mixture and blend well again. Pour it in a glass and put some muesli as topping. Serve chilled with ice chips.

Kashmir is not only famous for its beautiful snow covered mountains and valleys but also for its distinct cuisine. Kashmiri cuisine is known for its flavourful and aromatic specialities. Try out these two delicious curries that are very popular in the Valley.

Murg dhaniwal korma

Ingredients
1 kg whole chicken (cut into eight pieces)
150 ml refined oil
5 gm cinnamon stick
5 gm black cardamom
5 gm green cardamom
3 gm cumin seeds
10 gm ginger paste
1 litre, milk
2 gm garam masala
5 gm besan
3 gm saunf powder
3 gm saunth powder
5 gm haldi
100 gm green coriander
Salt, to taste
500 ml chicken stock

Method
Clean and cut the chicken into eight small pieces. Fry them in hot oil till well cooked and keep separately. Heat mustard oil and add cinnamon stick, black and green cardamom, and allow them to crackle. Add jeera, ginger paste and cook for a few seconds. To this add milk and turmeric powder and let it boil for five minutes. Add besan, fried chicken pieces and chicken stock and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Add saunf, saunth, salt and finish cooking. Garnish with garam masala and chopped coriander.

Haaq

Ingredients
1 kg raw haaq (Kashmiri spinach)
125 ml mustard oil
1 tsp heeng
10 gm red chilli (whole)
5 gm ver (tikki) masala
Salt, to taste
500 ml water

Method
Heat mustard oil and add heeng to it. Add water, boil the mixture, put haaq leaves into it and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt and ver masala. Serve hot with boiled rice.

The writer is a senior executive chef at the Jaypee Siddharth, New Delhi

* When cleaning green vegetables, add a handful of salt to the second round of water. The sand from the vegetables will sink to the bottom of the pan, so another rinsing will make vegetables thoroughly clean.

* A little vinegar added to the water in which you are soaking slightly-wilted vegetables will make them crisp and fresh.

* While peeling vegetables, place a plastic bag near the counter and keep the mouth of the bag open so that you peel the veggies directly into them and then throw the peels away without creating a mess.