Courgette sabji

Ingredients:

3 medium courgettes
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato puree

1 teaspoon garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon fresh coriander finely chopped for garnishing.

Method:

1. Wash and cut the corgettes into long thin slices about 2 inches long each.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.

3. Let them pop.
4. Add the garlic paste and cook slightly.
5. Mix 1 tablespoon water in the tomato puree and add to the garlic.

6. Add all the spices and mix throughly.

7. Add the courgettes and toss the courgettes so that they are covered by the spices and tomatoes.
8. Cover and cook on a low heat till courgettes are tender.

9.Transfer courgette sabji to serving dish and garnish with fresh coriander.

Serve with hot rotis.

Plain paratha

Ingredients:

1 bowl wheat flour

1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt

Dry flour for rolling

Oil for shallow frying

water for making dough

Method:

1.Add salt and oil to flour and make a dough using a little water.Cover and leave for 1 hour.

2.Divide the into 12 small ball.

3.Using dry flour roll each ball into a six inch round paratha

4.Heat a tava and cook the paratha, when it starts to form bubbles turn it over

5.Spread some oil on the paratha and turn it over and let it cook under neath.

6.Spread some oil on top side and flip the parath over and cook under side.

7. Cook remaining paratha in same way.

Serve with any curry or pickle.

You may like:

Aloo paratha

Baked potato skins

Baked Potato Skins- A fast and easy lunch dish. Baked potato skins filled with a savory spicy filling ,topped with cheese and baked until golden brown and crisp.Delicious served with a cruncy garden salad.

Ingredients:

2 medium baking potatoes
4 oz cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
2 spring onions finely chopped
2 tablespoons cooked sweet corn kernels
2 green chillies finely chopped

1 teaspoon butter

1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder

Method:

1. Wash and prick the potatoes and cook in microwave on high for 8-10 mins.
2. When potatoes are cooked cut into halves.
3. Scoop out the flesh from the potato shell leaving the skin intact .
4. Put all the scooped potato flesh into a bowl. Add the onions, sweet corn, chillies, salt , pepper,1 teaspoon butter and two ounces of cheese and mix thoroughly.
5. Place the potato skins on oven proof dish and scoop back the mixture into the skins.
6. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake in oven for 20 minutes till cheese melts and turns golden brown.

7. Serve with salad.

You may like: Garden Salad with Italian herb dressing.

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Mirch Masala-Sunday snacks cheese

Crispy potato bhajiyas

Crispy potato bhajiyas-Thin slices of potato, seasoned with an array of spices in a chickpea flour(besan)flour coating.Delicately spiced with ginger and chillies and deep fried to a golden brown coliur.Crispy and scrumptious, simply devine served with chutneys.

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
½ tablespoon fresh green finely chopped chillies
2 tablespoons fresh chopped coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ajwain seeds
½ teaspoon chilli powder
2 tablespoons besan

1 tablespoon rice flour

1 tablespoon corn flour
Oil for frying

Method:

1. In a bowl add the besan, riceflour ,corn flour ,salt, turmeric , ajwain seeds and chilli powder .Mix thoroughly and keep aside.(seasoned flour)
2. Peel the potato and slice thinly into rounds, wash drain and keep aside.
3. In a large basin place the potatoes slices and add the fresh ginger garlic paste, chopped chillies and the coriander. Mix thoroughly.
4. Place the oil to heat.
5. Sprinkle the dry masala made in step 1 over the potatoes and toss the potatoes to coat with the seasoned flour.
6. Sprinkle 1 -2 teaspoons water over the mixture to enable the seasoned flour to stick to the potatoes. Mix thoroughly making sure all slices are coated with the seasoned flour.
7. Deep fry the potato slices in small batches till golden brown and crispy.
8. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with amli (tamarind)chutney and green chutney.

Vegetable manchurian

Ingredients:

4 oz Cauliflower finely chopped

4 oz Beans finely chopped

4 oz Carrots finely diced

2 Green Chillies (finely chopped)

Ginger paste (1/2 tsp)

2 Garlic pods (peeled and chopped finely)

Coriander leaves (1/4 cup)

2 Spring Onions (finely chopped)

4tablespoons Corn Flour

Tomato Ketchup (2-3 tbsp)

Soya Sauce (4 tbsp)

Red Chilli powder (1/4 tsp)

Salt to taste

Oil to deep fry

Method:

1.In a bowl add the carrots, beans and cauliflower. Add ginger garlic paste, little salt, and chopped chillies.

2.Add the corn flour with 2 tablespoons water and mix to make a stiff dough.

3.Make small balls from the vegtable and corn flour dough and fry in the oil till golden brown on medium heat.

Keep all the fried balls aside.

4.In a saute pan add 2-3 spoons of oil, add chopped garlic, onions, red chilli powder, salt, chopped chillies and saute them for a while. Once they are little fried add ketcup, soya sauce and mix well.

5.Now add all the fried balls and mix well so that these balls get a even coat of the sauces.

6.Garnish with chopped coriander

Serve with veg rice or boiled rice..

Bhakar wadi

Ingredients:

For potato filling:

6 medium potatoes boiled and grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 /2 teaspoon chilli powder
2-3 green chillies deseeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger paste
1 tablespoon fresh coriander finely chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon clove powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar

For Dough:

6oz plain flour with ½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
Oil for frying.

Method:

1. Add the oil to the flour and make dough with the plain flour to a soft pliable consistency.

2. Divide dough in to 6 parts cover and keep aside.
3. In a bowl mix together all the potato filling ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4. Divide mixture into 6 parts and keep aside.

5. Take 1 part of the dough and roll into an 8 inch round circle.
6. Next take the 1 part potato mixture and spread evenly over the dough chapatti you have rolled out.

7. Starting at the top tightly start rolling the chapatti so that the potato mixture is encased in it like a swiss roll(ie sausage shape)

8. Once the swiss roll shape has been formed give the sausage shape by rolling it 1-2 times till the sausage is uniform thickness.

9. Cut 1 cm rounds from the sausage and slightly pat down into disc shape.
10. Place on oiled thali in refrigerator and repeat the same for the rest of the potato mixture.

11. Chill these for ½ an hour and then deep fry them in batches on medium heat till golden brown, drain on kitchen paper

Serve with green /red chutney or chilli sauce.

Gulab Jamun

Gulab jamun- A delicious dessert ,sweet, spring balls soaked in sugar syrup, flavoured with saffron,cardamon and garnished with slivered almonds.A sensational dessert to accompany any india meal.

Ingredients:

1 cup Milk powder
¼ cup all purpose flour
Pinch of baking soda
¼ cup milk
3 tablespoons melted clarified butter
oil for frying
Few almonds and pista for garnish.

For syrup;

1 cup sugar
1.5 cups water
Few strands saffron
½ teaspoon cardamon powder

Method:
For syrup

1. Bring to boil water add sugar elachi and saffron
2. Boil to make 1 tar consistency.
3. Keep aside

For Gulab Jamun

1.Make a dough with milk powder, flour, clarified butter, baking soda and milk.
2.Keep aside for 30 mins
3.Slightly oil hands and divide dough into 10 small 1 inch balls, making sure there are no cracks.

4.Heat oil and fry gulab jamum on low heat, stirring constantly so they brown evenly.
5.Fry till golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper
6.Place the fried gulab jamun into the warm syrup and leave them to absorb the syrup for 1 hour.
7.Place gulab jamun in serving dish and garnish with slivers of almonds and pista.

NB when jamun are cut open they should be soft and springy inside if there is a hard centre it means that the jamuns were cooked on too high heat.

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Boondi

Semolina Halwa

Dry bindi masala-okra

Ingredients:

300 grams okra cut into long slits
½ teaspoon mustard seeds

1 medium onion sliced finely

3 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 tablespoon plain flour
Fresh chopped coriander for garnish

Method:

1. Heat oil on medium level in a pan , when hot add mustard seeds.
2. Add onions, and stir fry on medium level for about 4 minutes or till they are very lightly browned. Add spices and tomato puree. Fry again for a few seconds.
3. Add the okra and stir fry till they are coated with spices then sprinkle with flour (this stops okra from going sticky) Mix well.
4. Cover and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes or till the okra are cooked but firm.

Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve with hot chappatis

Plain boiled rice

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice

2 pints water

Method:

1.Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour

2.Change the water in the rice and put fresh water in it

3.Bring to boil and simmer for 10 mins until rice is tender(a la dente)

4.Drain rice in a collander and pour over the rice some boiling water to wash out the starch (this will give you less starch rice and separate grains)

5. When water is drained put rice in serving platter and using fork separate the grains .

Serve as accompaniment with any curry.

Hakka Noodles

Hakka noodles-A medeley of vegetables stir fried with egg noodles , spiced with aromatic fresh ginger, garlic, soya sauce and chilli sauce.Garnished with fried cashew nuts and spring onions.

Ingredients:

2 cups or 1 packet boiled noodles (For noodles follow the directions on the packet)
4 oz baaby corn cut into 1 cm pieces

40z snow peas cut into 1 cm pieces

1 small bunch spring onion chopped into 1 inch pieces
3 small capsicum thinly sliced (red,yellow,green)
1 small carrot thinly sliced
1 teaspoon garlic finely chopped

1 teaspon ginger finely chopped

2 tablespoon soya sauce

1 tablespoon chilli sauce
2 chillies deseeded and finely chopped
Salt to taste1 1/2 tbsp oil

Method:

1.Prepare all vegetables and keep aside

2 Heat 1 tbsp oil in the non stick pan, add chili and garlic and fry for a minute. Add the capsicum and carrot and fry till tender.
3 Add the spring onion and chillies and fry again for 2-3 minutes.
4.Add noodles and salt and mix well.
5.Now add the soya sauce and chilli .
6.Mix well and serve hot.

You may like:

Chinese spring rolls.

Vegetable munchurian.