Caprese and Chhole

Mixing up Italian and Indian is not something to be done lightly. I will stop with political humor there (Indian politics), but get to briefly describing what I made for a Labor day barbecue event hosted by a British friend of mine in the US.

A simple caprese salad appetizer,easy hand held food.

A simple to make,but complex flavored chickpea rice dish. (Chana masala + sauteed veggies + basmati rice)

Sliced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fresh leaf basil, Virgin olive oil drizzle.

Saute the veggies in a small amount of hot oil. Red chili powder, salt, cumin powder go well here.

Note: the general procedure for most "curries" involves roasting cumin seeds in hot oil, let crackle, then add chopped red onions, sauteing those for 2 mins on mediumheat, add garlice, ginger finely chopped pieces, saute for a min, then add veggies,saute for 2 mins,add tomatoes, sprinkle turmeric and red chili flakes - cook for a min or two, then add chickpeas.

Throw in drained chickpeas (I used a can).If you cook chickpeas fresh, then drain and add.

Mix in the already cooked rice. I used basmati rice, added a spoon of ghee for flavor.

Mix it up to coat the rice well and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves or provide them at table for garnishing on serving plate.