Jeera rice

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice
¼ cup fresh or frozen peas
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon jeera
1 tablespoon oil
1/3 teaspoon white pepper powder
2 cups water
1 small tomato sliced for garnishing.

Method:

1. Wash the rice and soak for 1 hour
2. In a shallow pan heat the oil when hot add the jeera
3. Drain the rice and add it to the hot oil
4. Gently stir so that all rice grains are covered in oil(this stops rice grains from sticking together)
5. Add the salt and pepper powder.
6. Add 2 cups water.
7. Bring the rice to boil.
8. Cover the pan and turn the heat to lowest setting.
9. Cook for 25 mins (DO NOT OPEN PAN LID IN THIS TIME)
10. After 25 minutes open the pan and this time fluff the rice with a fork and transfer to serving dish.

Garnish with tomato slices.

Green french beans sabji

Ingredients:

8oz french beans topped and tailed and cut into small 5 mm sized pieces.
1 tomato skinned and chopped finely
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon jeera powder
¾ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
2-3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander for garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan when hot, add mustard seeds.
2. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and all spices.
3.Cook till tomatoes soften add french beans, stir and coat with spices.
4. Add water and cook till french beans tender and water dried up.(this is a dry sabji)

Garnish with coriander and serve with hot rotis.

Vegetable pastry pinwheels

Vegetable pastry pinwheels-A savory snack dish made with vegetables such as peas,carrots,potatoes and sweetcorn encased in puff pastry and baked in the oven. A delicious snack served with chutney.

Ingredients:

1 packet ready to roll puff pastry
6 oz grated carrots
6 oz coarsely ground fresh or frozen peas
1 medium potato finely diced
3 oz sweetcorn kernals
6 green chillies finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground clove powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon flour for rolling out the pastry.
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan when hot add the mustard seeds.
2. Add the carrots, peas, sweetcorn and potatoes.
3. Add the spices, lemon juice and sugar and cook the vegetabls till tender.
4. Cool the masala. Add the coriander and stir through.
5. Roll out the pastry into a 12 inch square, and about 5mm thick (use the dry flour for dusting so pastry does not stick.)


6. Spread the cooled masala all over the pastry leaving about 1 cm clear at top edge.
7.From the bottom edge gently start to roll the pastry,making sure it is rolled tightly.


8. Seal the edge with some water and secure by pressing the edge down.

9. Cut the pastry roll in to 5mm thick slices and place on greased baking tray.

10. Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade and cook the vegetable pastry pin wheels for about 15mins until golden brown.
Serve with tamarind and coriander chutney.