Saturday, September 8, 2007

Samosa

Ingredients
For cover:
1 cup plain flour (maida)
2 tbsp. warm oil
water to knead dough
For filling:
2 potatoes large boiled, peeled, mashed
1 onion finely chopped
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2 green chillies crushed
1/2 tsp. ginger crushed
1/2 tsp. garlic crushed
1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1/2 lemon juice extracted
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds crushed
1 tsp. red chilli powder
salt to taste
oil to deep fry
Method
For dough:
Make well in the flour.
Add oil, salt and little water.Mix well till crumbly.
Add more water little by little, kneading into soft pliable dough.
Cover with moist cloth, keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
Beat dough on worksurface and knead again. Re-cover.
For filling:
Heat 3 tbsp. oil, add ginger, green chilli, garlic, coriander seeds.
Stir fry for a minute, add onion, saute till light brown.
Add coriander, lemon, turmeric, salt, red chilli, garam masala.
Stir fry for 2 minutes, add potatoes. Stir further 2 minutes.
Cool. Keep aside.
To proceed:
Make a thin 5" diam. round with some dough.
Cut into two halves. Run a moist finger along diameter.
Join and press together to make a cone.
Place a tbsp. of filling in the cone and seal third side as above.
Make five to six. Put in hot oil, deep fry on low to medium till light brown.
Do not fry on high, or the samosas will turn out oily and soggy.
Drain on rack or kitchen paper.
Serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys (refer chutneys), or tomato sauce.
Making time: 45 minutes
Makes: 20 pieces (approx.)
Shelflife: Bestfresh

Malai Kofta

Ingredients:
Gravy:
125 gms. cream
75 gms. khoya or paneer
150 ml. milk
50 gms. cashewnuts
3tsp. white pepper powder.
2 1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. grated ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. garlic crushed
1" cinnamon
6 cloves
6 cardamoms
salt to taste
3 tbsp. ghee
Kofta:
50 gms. khoya
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50 gms. paneer
5 medium potatoes
20 gms. cashewnuts
20 gms. raisins
4-5 green chillies chopped fine
1/2 tsp. ginger grated
1 tsp. coriander chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
salt to taste
Garnish:
1 tbsp. grated cheese or paneer
1 tbsp. chopped coriander
Method:
Koftas
Boil the potatoes, peel and smash them.
Mix together all the ingredients except raisins and cashews.
Take a ping-pong ball sized dough in hand.
Flatten. Place 2-3 cashews and raisins in the centre and shape into a ball.
Repeat for remaining dough. Keep aside.
Gravy:
Roast the cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves together.
Dry grind and keep aside. Wet grind all the other ingredients, except ghee, to a paste.
Heat ghee in a skillet, add powdered spices and fry for 2-3 seconds.
Add paste and fry further for 5-7 minutes stirring well.
Add 2 cups water and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
Warm the koftas either in the oven or on the tava.
Optional: You can deep fry the koftas also.
To serve place warmkoftas in a casserole.
Either pour boiling hot gravy on the koftas or pour and bake in hot oven of 5 minutes.
Garnish with grated cheese and chopped coriander.
Serve hot with naan or parathas.
Making time: 45 minutes.
Makes: 10 koftas with gravy.
Shelf life: Best fresh.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Navaratana Kurma

Ingredients:
2 cups peas boiled
1 large carrot chopped and boiled
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup curd
1/4 cup malai(cream)
3 tbsp. butter
1 small sweet lime
1 small apple
1 banana
2 slices pineapple
10-15 cashewnuts
20 raisins
2 glaced cherries for decoration
1 tbsp. coriander chopped
1 tbsp. ghee
salt to taste
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Dry Masala:
1 tsp. cuminseeds
2 tsp. khuskhus (poppyseeds)
1 tsp. cardamoms
Wet Masala:
1 large onion
1/4 cup coconut shredded
3 green chillies
Method:
Grind the dry and wet masalas separately.
Chop all the fruit fine. Heat ghee and fry cashews, drain and keep aside.
Add butter to ghee and heat, add the wet masala and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the dry masala and salt and fry 2 more minutes.
Add the carrots and peas, mix together curd and cream and add to gravy.
Allow to thicken a bit, add fruit, cashews and raisins and boil till the gravy is thick and the fat separates.
Garnish with grated cheese ,coriander and chopped cherries.
Serve hot with naan, roti or paratha.
Making time: 45 minutes
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh

Potato in Curd Gravy

Ingredients:
3 medium. potatoes boiled and peeled
1 cup curd or yogurt beaten
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dhania powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. garam masala
2 pinches asafoetida
1 stalk curry leaves
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1 tbsp. coriander leaves chopped
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. each ginger, garlic grated
2 green chillies slit
1 tsp. each cumin, mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. wheat flour
1 tbsp. oil
Method:
Cut potatoes into big pieces. Mash 3-4 pieces fine with hand. Keep both aside.
Mix all the dry masala in 1/4 cup water.
Heat oil. Add the seeds (cumin and mustard). When they splutter, add ginger-garlic, chilli and curry leaves.
Add the masala mixture and fry for 2 minutes.
Add beaten curd and fry for 5 minutes or till the curd loses its whiteness. Stir continuously after adding curd.
Add the remaining water and all the potato and flour. Stir well.
Boil and simmer for 10 minutes or till gravy thickens
Garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve hot with thin wheat chappaties and rice.
Making time: 30 minutes.
Makes for: 5
Shelf life: Best fresh

Shahi Paneer

Ingredients:
250 gms. paneer (cottge cheese)
3 tbsp. ghee or butter
1 onion chopped into strips
1/2" piece ginger chopped fine
2 green chillies chopped fine
4 tomatoes chopped fine
2 cardamoms crushed
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1/4 cup beaten curd
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
salt to taste
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. tomato sauce
To garnish:
2 tbsp. grated paneer
1 tbsp. chopped coriander
Method:
Chop the paneer into 2" fingers.
Heat half the ghee. Add onion,ginger, green chilli and cardamom. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes, covered.
Add curd and cook for 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup water and cool.
Blend in a mixer till smooth.
Heat remaining ghee, add gravy and other ingredients except milk and paneer.
Boil to get a very thick gravy.
Just before serving, heat gravy, add milk and paneer fingers and boil for 3-4 minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander and grated paneer.
Making time: 45 minutes.
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: best fresh.

Sindhi Sabji

Ingredients:
1 each -carrot, capsicum, onion, small cabbage,potato, brinjal, tomato, ladyfinger (okra)
100 gms. french beans
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1/2 bunch each spinach, coriander, khatta (3 leaved) greens.
1/2 bunch any other leafy greens.
1 cup green gram dal
1/2 cup horsegram dal (channa dal)
4-5 green chillies
2-3 clovettes garlic
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. dhania (coriander seed) powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
3 tbsp. oil
1/2 tbsp. ghee
2 pinches asafoetida
METHOD:
Clean and wash dals.
Clean, wash and chop spinach and vegetables except tomato.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add all the vegetables, spinach and dals.
Mix well, add enough water to cover the contents.
Add all masalas and mix.
Place whole tomato on top, cover and pressurecook for 3 whistles.
Cool the cooker, open and handblend the contents.
Heat 1/2 tbsp. ghee add a pinch of asafoetida add to the mashed vegetable.
Serve hot with paratha or steamed rice
Making time: 30 minutes (excluding cooling time)
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh

Gobi Manchurian

INGREDIENTS:
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1 medium. cauliflower clean and broken into big florettes.
1 small bunch spring onoin finely chopped
2 tsp. ginger finely chopped
1 tsp. garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup plain flour
3 tbsp. cornflour
1/4 tsp. red chilli powder
2 red chillies, dry
3 tbsp. oil
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp. milk
METHOD:
Boil the florettes for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to which a tbsp. of milk has been added.
Drain and pat dry on a clean cloth.
Make thin batter out of flour and 2 tbsp.cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp. each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt
to taste.
Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside.
In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli and fry for a minute.
Add the salt and spring onions.
Stir fry for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil.
Add 1 tbsp. cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well.
Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling.
Boil till the gravy becomes transparent. Add florettes and soya sauce.
Boil for two more minutes and remove.
Serve hot with noodles or rice.
Variations:
Dry manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy.
Make florettes as above and instead of adding water as above, add fried florettes, spring onions and soya ce at this stage.
Sprinkle 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stirfry for 2 minutes.
Serve piping hot with toothpicks or miniforks and chilligarlic sauce or tomato sauce.
Same procedure for veg. manchurian (with gravy or dry), but instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped minced
vegetables and
bind with some cornflour or bread crumbs and make small lumps the size of a pingpong ball.
Fry as above and proceed as above.
Making time: 45 minutes
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh

Aloo Palak

Ingredients
3 cups chopped spinach
2 large onoins chopped fine
2 large potatoes boiled and peeled
1 tomato grated
2 green chillies
1" piece ginger
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. wheat or other flour
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. ghee
salt to taste
METHOD:
Put the washed spinach in a pan, add very little water (just a sprinkle) and a pinch of salt.
Cover and boil over a high flame for 2 minutes. Cool quickly, or hold under running water in a colander.
Put in a mixie, add green chilli and run for a minute. Keep slightly coarse, do not make very smooth.
Keep aside.
Cut the potatoes into big pieces. Heat ghee and fry potatoes till light brown.
Drain the potatoes, keep aside.
In the same hot ghee add the cumin seeds.
Add the ginger, onions and fry till very tender.
Add the tomato and further fry for two minutes.
Add all the dry masalas and fry till ghee separates.
Add spinach and potatoes.
When it resumes a boil sprinkle the flour and stir well. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice
Just before serving heat butter in a tiny saucepan and add the asafoetida.
Pour over the vegetable and mix gently.
Serve hot with naan or parathas or even rice.
Note: You may use boiled peas, boiled corn kernels or paneer chunks in the above dish, instead of potatoes.
Making time: 45 minutes
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Italian Crab Fried Rice recipe

Ingredients

Canned crabmeat is used in this recipe for convenience, but fresh white crabmeat could be used - quite deliciously - in its place.
150 g (5 1/2 oz) 2/3 cup long-grain rice
2 tbsp peanut oil
125 g (4 1/2 oz) canned white crabmeat, drained
1 leek, sliced
150 g (5 1/2 oz) 2/3 cup bean sprouts
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp sesame oil
salt
sliced lime, to garnish

Method

1. Cook the rice in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes. Drain well, rinse under cold running water and drain again thoroughly.

2. Heat the peanut oil in a preheated wok until it is really hot.

3. Add the crabmeat, leek and bean sprouts to the wok and stir-fry for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove the mixture from the wok with a slotted spoon and set aside until required.

4 Add the eggs to the wok and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 - 3 minutes, until they begin to set.

5. Stir the rice and the crabmeat, leek and bean sprout mixture into the eggs in the wok.

6. Add the soy sauce and lime juice to the mixture in the wok. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to combine, and sprinkle with the sesame oil.

7. Transfer the crab fried rice to a serving dish, garnish with the sliced lime and serve immediately.

To prepare fresh crab, twist off the claws and legs, crack with a heavy knife and pick out the meat with a skewer. Discard the gills and pull out the under shell; discard the stomach sac. Pull the soft meat from the shell. Cut open the body section and prise out the meat with a skewer.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Chilli Fish Soup recipe

Ingredients
Chinese mushrooms add an intense flavour to this soup which is unique. If they are unavailable, use open-cap mushrooms, sliced.
15 g (1/2 oz) Chinese dried mushrooms
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, sliced
100 g (3 1/2 oz) 1 1/2 cups mangetout (snow peas)
100 g (3 1/2 oz) 1 1/2 cups bamboo shoots
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1.2 litres (2 pints) 5 cups fish or vegetable stock
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro), plus extra to garnish
450 g (1 lb) cod fillet, skinned and cubed

Method
1. Place the mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Drain the mushrooms thoroughly in a colander. Using a sharp knife, roughly chop the mushrooms.

2. Heat the sunflower oil in a preheated wok or large frying pan (skillet). Add the sliced onion to the wok and stir-fry for 5 minutes, or until softened.

3. Add the mangetout (snow peas), bamboo shoots, chilli sauce, stock and soy sauce to the wok and bring to the boil.

4. Add the coriander (cilantro) and cod and leave to simmer for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

5. Transfer the soup to warm bowls, garnish with extra coriander (cilantro), if wished, and serve hot.

Chicken Noodle Soup recipe

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts 100 - 175 g (4-6 oz) each, skinned, boned and cut into thin strips
900 ml (1 1/2 pints) chicken stock
1 tsp (5 ml) mild curry powder
2 oz (50 g) Chinese egg noodles
2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste

Method
1. Place the chicken in a saucepan, add the stock and bring to the boil.

2. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken cooks through.

3. Strain the chicken, reserving the cooking liquid.

4. Place the chicken back in the saucepan, add the curry powder and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly so the curry powder coats all the chicken.

5. Gradually return the cooking liquid to the saucepan, then add the noodles, parsley and seasoning.

6. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve at once in individual bowls.