Kokum Twist

(1 Serving)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Kokum or Garcinia Indica is a fruit bearing tree that has numerous culinary uses. The outer cover of the fruit is dried in the sun and then used in various recipes in India. Kokum yields a peculiar tangy, sour flavor and a blackish red color. It is often used as a souring agent as an alternative to tamarind or mango powder in curries in dishes from Goa and the Konkan region in southern India. Kokum squash or concentrate can also be used to prepare a sweet juice if you are in the mood for a mocktail. Dried kokum is readily available in most Indian stores or online. I had a lot of this dried kokum stored in my refrigerator and decided to get creative with a cocktail recipe that came out brilliant. Do try it out!

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Moroccan Chicken Pastilla

(4 Servings)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 90 minutes
Total Time: 120 minutes / 2 hours

This sweet and savory Moroccan pie is one of the most delicious dishes I have eaten in a while. Though you add some powdered sugar and cinnamon in the recipe, this dish does not come out too sweet and the flavors are really well balanced. Traditionally, pigeon is used as a more popular ingredient over chicken. Since it wasn’t very easy to find a store that sold pigeons in NYC, I decided to go with young chicken for this recipe. When you look at the steps in the recipe you will see that its not really a tough dish to prepare. We enjoyed the pie as a tea time snack!

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Lemon Honey Saganaki with Cottage Cheese

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

I got this idea when I ate saganaki at a moroccan restaurant. The cheese used traditionally for saganaki is halloumi, graviera or kasseri but I wanted to try this dish with cottage cheese or paneer as its known in India. The lemon and honey provide an element of robustness to the cheese which is very light in flavor. I also added a pinch of smoked paprika for a bit of a kick. This recipe is really quick to whip up and the kids will absolutely love it. You could avoid the mint with the little ones if they are finicky with the greens. The toasted honey pecans give the dish a crunch and the fried mint leaves round it off with crispiness. I used a cast iron skillet but you could just use a frying pan if you don’t have a skillet.

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Harissa Shrimp & Radish Beet Salad with Yogurt Lemon Vinaigrette

(4 Servings)

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 hours
Total Time: 40 minutes

I’m sure many of you have made new years resolutions to eat healthy. Making a resolution is one thing, but sticking to it through 365 days of the year can be tough, considering a busy schedule at work, kids etc. I don’t chide myself when I maybe have a few cheat days in the month, but use some simple steps to get me to my goal. Sundays are usually farmers market days. We have a cute little farmers market on the Upper West Side where we buy local, organic produce and stock up for the week. I also try to cook with unique, colorful and vibrant ingredients. It just brightens up the day and motivates us to keep eating healthy.

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Saffron Floating Island

(4 servings)

Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min

For once, I decided to not be just behind the camera, but also to cook! I got a craving for one of my favorite French desserts: “îles flottantes” (or “floating island”). Since the theme of this month’s cuisine is Morocco, I consulted Chef Nitant, and added a few ingredients to make this typical French dessert more exotic! Hope you’ll enjoy it!

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Lamb Shank Tagine

(2 Servings)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

This is one of my favorite recipes and I have been itching to get to Moroccan cuisine month to cook and post this recipe. I bought two beautiful lamb shanks at my neighborhood local and sustainable Hudson & Charles butcher on the Upper West side and knew exactly which dish I was gonna cook up. If you do not have an authentic clay tagine at home don’t worry you can follow the same recipe with an oven resistant covered cookware. After cooking for 3 hours the meat just falls off the bone and the harissa adds the perfect level of spice. This dish is great to share with family and pairs best with couscous, rise or bread (Indian roti or Moroccan msemen).

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