Housed in the baroque splendour of the Old Westminster Library, The Cinnamon Club stands out as a true original. The beautifully restored, Grade II-listed building retains many Victorian features & references its bookish past with leather-bound tomes lining a gallery in the decorous, ‘beautifully ordered’ dining room.
The cinnamon club book is a compilation of some of the best recipes from the restaurant, brought together by the chef himself – Vivek Signh. This book finally brings the unique spirit and style of the Cinnamon Club to your home. While the dishes are exotic, they are also straightforward to create, providing everyone with oustanding results.
Find the book on our cookbook shelf at your nearest Nature’s Basket Store. Fornow, here is a teaser trailer from the book.
Seared Aubergine Steaks with Sesame Tamarind Sauce
This is one of those recipes where the texture plays an important role as much as the flavour. The spice mix filling inside the aubergines, and it is great to sprinkle on other vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
For the stuffing
- 2 tsp fennel seeds, roasted and coarsely pounded
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 3 tsp amchoor or dry mango powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp black onion seeds
- ½ tsp carom seeds or ajwain
For the aubergine
- 2 large aubergines
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp black onion seeds
- 3 tbsp corn or vegetable oil
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 50 gm desiccated coconut
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 50 gm peanuts or cashewnuts
- 4 dried red chillies
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp black onion seeds
- 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves
- 3 tbsp of boiled onion paste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 25 gm fresh coriander leaves, chopped
For the coating
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour
- 2 tbsp rice flour
Method:
- Combine all the spices for the stuffing, mix them well and keep it aside.
- Slice the aubergines into 2 cm thick rounds. Make an incision on the side of the steak (towards the middle), insert a small knife and make a pocket by turning the knife around. Fill the pockets with the dry spice stuffing and rub the salt and the spices on the outside. Set it aside for 30 minutes to remove the excess moisture.
- Mix together the coriander, sesame, and cumin seeds and roast in a dry frying pan over moderate heat until it begins to colour. Tip them out onto a plate and set aside.
- Roast the coconut in the same pan until golden and add to the seeds.
- Heat a tablespoon of the oil in the pan, add the nuts and fry until golden. Remove and combine with the seeds and coconut and blend to a smooth paste in a food processor using little water.
- Heat the remaining oil in a pan, and add the red chillies and the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the onion seeds, and curry leaves followed by the onion paste, and cook for 8–10 minutes until the oil separates.
- Now add the ground paste and stir on a low heat for a couple of minutes.
- Add the chilli and the turmeric powder, tamarind paste, and cook on low heat for 15–18 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the salt, sugar, and coriander.
- In another frying pan, heat three tablespoons of oil. Shallow fry the steaks till golden brown and cook through on medium to low heat.
- Place the steaks on the sauce and coconut rice, and serve garnished with deep fried tapioca crisps.
Tip: Add more water if needed to make the paste of the roasted spices, just take care while cooking them in the pan as it splutters and can cause severe burns. It works really well on a low flame.
Yoghurt Kabab with Fruit Chaat
Guaranteed to surprise your guests, this is a unique kabab made of yoghurt. Hanging the yoghurt in a muslin cloth overnight separates the whey, leaving behind the semi-solid textured yoghurt. Roasted chickpea flour absorbs the remaining moisture giving it a definite shape which holds it up while searing. The addition of the onion and spices gives it a bite, making it even more interesting especially for those who like to indulge in vegetarian food.
Preparation time: 6 hours
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4–6
- 1 kg Greek yoghurt or full fat yoghurt,
- hung in a muslin cloth overnight
- 250 gm roasted chana dal, powdered
- 3 red onions, finely chopped
- 20 gm ginger, finely chopped
- 20 gm green chilli, finely chopped
- 5 gm royal cumin
- 10 gm mixture of crushed cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ bunch fresh coriander stem, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the fruit chaat
- 1 red apple
- 1 pear
- 1 guava
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- ½ tsp sugar
Juice of half a lemon
Method:
- Hang the yoghurt in a muslin cloth for a good 6 hours to obtain a well-hung yoghurt. In a mixing bowl, fold the yoghurt with the roasted chana dal powder and refrigerate.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle some salt on the red onions and leave it in a warm place for 15–20 minutes. Transfer to a muslin cloth and squeeze to get rid of the excess moisture.
- Cut all the fruits into even sized dices. Fold in the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate.
- Mix the red onion with the yoghurt and with the rest of the ingredients. Form patties of equal size and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sear the yoghurt cakes on both sides to a golden brown colour.
- Serve with the fruit chaat.
