As one of the judges on Food Network's TV show, "Chopped," Maneet Chauhan is used to dishing out praise and criticism for contestants' meals. Now she dishes up her own top recipes for TODAY, from grilled shrimp tikka to tomato cumin rice.
Grilled shrimp tikka with Nilgiri herbs gremolata
For the shrimp:
- 2 lbs. shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails attached
- 1 tbsp. ground cumin
- 1 tbsp. grated ginger
- 1 tbsp. grated garlic
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- 10 bamboo skewers (soaked in water for at least 20 minutes)
For the gremolata:
- 1/4 cup mint, minced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
- 1/4 cup scallion greens, chopped
- 1 tsp. chilis (serranos or jalapeños), minced
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt (to taste)
To assemble:
Heat and grease the grill. Marinate the shrimp with salt, pepper, cumin, ginger, garlic and a bit of extra-virgin olive oil.
Thread shrimp onto the skewers. Place the skewers over high heat and grill, turning shrimp once, to ensure good grill marks on both sides (about 5 to 6 minutes).
For the gremolata, combine all the ingredients and spoon over the grilled shrimp.
Cilantro mango salad with lime dressing
- 1 mango, julienned
- 1 in. of ginger, micro-planed
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- Sugar (to taste)
Mix all of the ingredients well. Chill, then serve.
Tomato cumin rice
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped finely
- 1 cup basmati rice, washed and soaked for 10 minutes
- 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
- Salt (to taste)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 cups water
- Oil
Heat oil in a heavy bottom vessel. Add the cumin seeds and tomato, as well as salt to taste. Sauté the ingredients. Add the rice and mix well.
Pour in the water and simmer until done. Mix in the chopped cilantro. Serve hot.