What is ‘Indian’ cuisine? Here are 3 recipes that redefine fusion food

Truth be told, no one sub cuisine (Punjabi, South Indian, etc.) can claim to represent the vastness of Indian cuisine; but collectively they come together to form “Indian” cuisine.

Often, these sub cuisines get mixed up with one another to form a whole new dish! Take the case of the dosa khakras- this part Gujarati - part Udupi dish is a sensational amalgamation of flavour one simply cannot resist.

The thing we personally love about Indian food is that it never stops evolving! The Indian flavours’ audacity knows no bounds when it comes to giving international dishes a desi twist. Speaking of which, have you ever had the subcontinent's newest favourite snack- the tandoori momos? The dish is a confluence of Punjabi flavours on an oriental staple, and to say that they are amazing would be an understatement!

Our hybrid India has an array of delectable dishes that you can make in your kitchens. Here are our picks for you to try out at home:

Schezwan dosa

A cross between Oriental and Udupi flavours, this lip-smacking dish is sure to be a favourite among kids and adults alike! Here's what you need to make this dish in 20 minutes flat!

Ingredients

For the Dosa

4 cups of Dosa batter
3 tablespoons of butter
3 teaspoons of Schezwan sauce
For the Chinese style Schezwan noodles
2 teaspoons of oil
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
½ inch of ginger (finely chopped)
3 spring onions (chopped finely with whites and greens separated)
1 carrot (julienned)
½ cup of cabbage (julienned)
1 tablespoon of Schezwan sauce
1 teaspoon of soya sauce
Salt
1 teaspoon vinegar
50g-70g of noodles cooked

Preparation

In a wok, heat the oil
When the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger and saute till they turn aromatic
To the wok, add the spring onion whites and sauté them till they turn soft
Then add the julienned vegetables to the wok and cook them for about a minute
When done, add the schezwan sauce, soy sauce and vinegar
Taste and then add salt if necessary
Lower the fame on the gas and add the cooked noodles to the wok
Mix them gently till they are all coated with the sauce
Shut the gas and set the schezwan filling aside
On a flat tawa or dosa pan, pour a ladleful of the dosa batter and spread it into a circle using the circular back of the ladle
When it starts cooking, add a little butter and allow the dosa to absorb it
Then put a little schezwan sauce on the dosa and spread it
Scoop a spoon full of the prepared noodle mixture and place it in the centre of the dosa
Once the dosa base is golden brown, cover the noodle mixture by turning in the two sides of the dosa to make a net roll
That's it, your Schezwan or Spring dosa is ready to devour! Enjoy whilst it’s hot

Biryani risotto

We know what you’re thinking, but you won’t know how amazing it tastes till you try it for yourself! Here’s what you will need:

Ingredients

2 teaspoons of oil
2 teaspoons of butter
10 gm of garlic (finely chopped)
10 gm of onion (finely chopped)
5 gm of celery (finely chopped)
15 gm of biryani masala
10 gm of makhani gravy (ready to eat packet)
1 teaspoon mint leaves (finely chopped)
200 gm risotto rice
20 gm cream
½ a teaspoon of salt
a pinch of black pepper

Preparation

In a pan, heat the oil and butter
When hot, add the onions, garlic, celery and saute well
Add the biryani masala to the pan and mix well
Add 100 gm of the risotto rice and mix it
In another pan, heat the makhani gravy and add 50 gm of risotto rice to it
Mix and let it cook
In a third pan, heat the butter and cream; once bubbly, add the remaining risotto rice and cook well
Once all the rice is cooked well (with a little bite to them, al dente style), turn off the heat and transfer to the plate
For garnish, prepare fried onion, chopped coriander and sliced lemons. Serve this dish hot!

This laborious dish is well worth the effort! We promise. Should you want a non-vegetarian version, you can add shredded tandoori chicken to the risotto as its being cooked with biryani masala.

Nutella paratha

It's really as delicious as it sounds and, may I say, as addictive as well!

Here's what you need to make them:

Ingredients

2 cups of flour
Water to knead
A pinch of taste
2 tablespoons of butter and
4 tablespoons of Nutella

Preparation

Knead the flour and set aside
Pinch a ball from the dough and roll it into a thin circle
On half, the circle spread a tablespoon of Nutella and close the paratha by folding the other half over the Nutella and pinching the edges
On a Tawa, add butter and fry the paratha till it is golden brown
That's it! Enjoy this deliciousness as a post-meal dessert!

Do try these super fun and yum, off-beat recipes and tell us how they turned out. If you have any favourite hybrid recipes, tell us; we'd love to try them!