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.

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.