Garlic Naan

For Naan

half cup milk (warm)
1/4 cup yoghurt
1 tsp instant yeast
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp oil

2 cups flour standard

For Garlic Butter

2 tbsp  soften butter

¼ tsp  finely chopped coriander

¼ tsp  chives finely chopped

Method

Take all the dough ingredients and mix well. Leave aside for about 2 hours to rise.

Or

Add all the dough ingredients to a bread maker in the exact order stated above. Set the mark to dough and allow the machine to do its magic.

Meanwhile make your garlic butter by mixing all the ingredients to together.

Once the dough is done remove on a floured surface and knead well. Divide into 6 equal parts.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface.

Heat a pan on the stove, once hot place the naan and cover for about 2 minutes or so till bubbles appear on the top and check if bottom is browned. Turn over and cook for another 2 minutes.

Once removed from the pan apply the garlic butter and keep covered so as to keep the naan moist.

Similarly repeat the process.

Bharela Bhindi

Ingredients

500 gms bhindi or Okra                             

1 cup besan or chickpea flour

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander powder

2 green chilli & few stalks of coriander chutney

1 tsp garlic crushed

Salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp chopped coriander

Method

To make the stuffing mix all the spices, besan, chilli chutney and garlic together .

Split the okra lengthwise only half way through, so as to make  groove.

Add some stuffing to the okra and set aside till the okra’s are stuffed. You may have some left over stuffing.

Heat oil in a pan add the stuffed bhindi , allow the bhindi to brown from all sides remove in a bake proof tray. If you have leftover stuffing add to the pan and cook thoroughly.

Place the browned okra into a pre-heated oven at 180c for 25-30 minutes till okra is done.

Add the remaining stuffing to the tray and garnish with coriander.

Serve with dal and roti.

Enjoy!

Bread Bhajiya

Ingredients

2 cups Besan (Chick pea flour)

2 green chilli & few stalks coriander chutney

1 tsp garlic crushed

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

8 slices of Bread

Oil to shallow fry

Method

Add besan, green chilli paste, garlic paste and spices in a bowl. Mix well and add little water at a time, make a thick paste. Set aside for 20 minutes minimum.

Cut 1 slice of bread into 4 pieces each.

In a pan heat oil enough to shallow fry the bread.

Dip the bread pieces into the besan batter. Lay in the oil slowly to not splatter oil on yourself.

Fry both sides till golden.  Fry in batches .

Serve with tea.

Enjoy!

Chickoo (Sapodilla) milk shake

Ingredients

250 gms frozen chickoo

500 ml milk

1 small banana

1 tbsp sugar (optional)

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Add all the ingredients in a large jug and mix with a hand held mixer. Or add these in a blender and blend till milk shake consistency.

Serve in glasses. (serves approximately 4 small galsses)

Tips:
I used Frozen Chickoo as that what I get here in NZ but feel free to use fresh Chickoo same amount.

Yellow rice

Ingredients

1 cup rice

1 tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

1 tbsp ghee

Method

Add 1 ½ cup water in a sauce pan, add salt , turmeric and ghee. Let it come to a boil.

Add the rice and cover.  Cook for 15-20 minutes or till the rice the done. Add more water if needed for the rice.

Once cooked run a fork through so that its separated.

Serve with side of your choice.

Spicy Masala Chicken

Spicy Masala Chicken

Ingredients

1.       4 pieces of chicken drums

2.       4 pieces of chicken thighs

3.       Juice of 1 lemon

4.       1 tsp of ginger paste

5.       1 tsp garlic paste

6.       1 tsp of crushed red chillies

7.       Salt to taste

8.       1 tsp brown sugar

9.       1 tsp liquid clear honey

10.   2 tbsp of coriander chopped

11.   1 green chilli chopped

2 tbsp of Oil for basting

Plus freshly chopped coriander for garnish

Method

1. In a large bowl mix the first 11 ingredients and add the chicken pieces. Allow to marinade for 3-4 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven on 180c grill setting.

3. Place the chicken pieces in a ovenproof dish and baste with oil. Cook till chicken is well done.

4. Turn in between and baste with oil.

Takes approximately 20-25 minutes to cook.

Serve hot garnished with coriander.

 Note: From step 2 you can even put the chicken pieces on a BBQ and cook till done to your liking.



Sabudana Kichdi

Sabudana Kichdi

Ingredients

½ cup sago or sabudana

¼ cup peanut roasted and skinless

1 medium sized potato finely chopped

2 green chillies chopped

¼ tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp asafoetida

½ tsp garlic flakes

2 tbsp of oil

Salt to taste

Coriander chopped for garnish

Lemon juice

Method

In a deep dish place sago and just about cover with water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. (to make sure its properly soaked the water should be completely soaked) You can add a little salt if you want this stage but make sure you don't add too much salt later.

Once your sago or sabudana is soaked, in a pan roast your peanuts and set aside to cool. Once peanuts are cool put in a mortar & pestle and crush roughly.

In a pan add oil, once oil has heated add cumin seeds and then garlic flakes. Add the chopped potato and allow to cook by adding very little water covered. Once you can cut through the potatoes; add the chopped green chilli and salt to taste.

Then add the sabudana and cook till done. You can tell that the sabudana is done when it goes transparent like.

Remove from heat and garnish with coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Enjoy!



Vesan

Ingredients

For Syrup

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

For Vesan

2 cups besan or chickpea flour

1 tsp cardamom powder

1 tsp ginger powder

¾ cup ghee

1 ¼ cup chopped nuts of your choice(pistachios, cashew  & alomonds)

Method

In a pan add sugar and water. Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Set syrup aside

In a thick bottomed pan add ghee, then flour cardamom and ginger powder. Allow the flour to give out the well roasted aroma. Take approximately 12-15 minutes. Constantly stir. You will know that flour is done when it start sticking to the back of your spoon. (best to use a woode spoon)

Add nuts and syrup at this stage and pour into a tray to set.

 Once set cut into squares and serve.

Keema matar

Ingredients

500 gms mince meat (lamb, beef or goat)

1 cup frozen or fresh peas

2 medium onions chopped finely

1 tsp green chutney (made with coriander and green chilli)

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

½ tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp chopped coriander for garnish.

Method

In a pan heat oil and add onions, let them sweat till translucent.

Add ginger, garlic paste and allow to fry for a few seconds.

Add green chutney and spices. Roast for a while and the add a little water. The masala should come off the edges and oil should come up.

Add the washed and drained mince, break the mince so as to mix well with the masala. Once mince is nicely mixed with the masala add the frozen peas and allow to cook for further 10 minutes covered.

Serve in dish and garnish with chopped coriander and serve with naan or roti.

Pan Fried Crumbed Fish- My Recipe

Ingredients

1.       500 gms fresh white fish fillets of your choice (used terakihi)

Marinade

2.       3 lemon juice

3.       2 green chilli & some coriander chutney

4.       1 tsp. garlic paste

5.       Salt and pepper to taste

Coating

6.       1 cup bread crumbs

7.       1 cup besan

8.       ½ cup shan fish seasoning

9.       ½ tsp pepper

10.   ½ tsp salt

11.   Oil for shallow frying

Method

Wash the fish if you need to, then mix the marinade items together in a tray. Add the fish to this marinade just so it is soaked in this.

Cover with wrap and let it sit for almost 30 minutes.

Then lay your process line of marinated fish then coating mix.

Heat some oil in a sauce pan.

Take  a fish fillet drain off the marinade well and then lay in the coating mixture.

Coat well on both sides and then lay it carefully in the oil to shallow fry.

Repeat the process for all fillets.

Serve hot with a choice of your sides-green salad, chips or mashed potato.

Garlic aioli also goes well these fish and chips.

Enjoy!

Bataka vada

Ingredients

Filling

2 boiled and mashed potatoes

1 green chilli deseeded and finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander

Juice of ½ lime

Salt to taste

Dipping batter

1 cup besan or chickpea flour

Salt to taste

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chilli powder

Pinch of baking soda

Water for mixing

Oil to deep fry

Method

Mix all the filling ingredients and make equal walnut sized balls. Set aside.

In a bowl add all the ingredients of batter and mix well adding little water at a time. The batter should be thick and not too runny.

Set aside for atleast 15 minutes.

Heat oil on medium high. Take the potato balls with a teaspoon and dip in the batter. Coat on all side and then drop into the hot oil one by one. Fry till golden and in batches.

Serve with chutney of your choice.

Chilli Garlic Prawns

Ingredients

25 prawns medium sized

2 shallots finely chopped

1 tsp of flaked dry garlic

1 tsp of red chilli flakes

½ tsp of cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

½ lemon juice

2 tbsp of butter

1 tbsp of olive oil

Method:

Wash and devein prawns.

In a pan heated at medium high, add butter and olive oil together.

Add shallots, let them soften. Add garlic flakes and then the prawns.

Allow the prawns to get that light pink colour. Then add chilli flakes 7 cayenne pepper.

Cook for a 3-5 minutes till prawns are cooked.

Remove from heat add salt and pepper to taste and  squeeze the lemon.

Serve with a healthy side of a salad of your choice. Or anything to go with like rice or roti entirely your choice.

Bataka ni Katri

Ingredients

2 large potatoes cut into chips

2 green chillies slit in the centre

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

½ tsp turmeric

½ cup water

Method

Add oil to a wok, let it heat on medium high, add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter.

Then add the green chilli and let it cook to let out the flavour in the oil. Add chips , salt and turmeric.

Stir well , add water and cooked covered for about 10 minutes or till the water evapourates.

Stir well to brown the chips from all sides. Open lid and cook for a further 5 minutes to get the chips crispy.

Serve with kadi kichdi or roti.

Afghani Tangdi Kebab

Ingredients

8 chicken drumsticks

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

½ red chilli powder

1 cup thick yogurt –hung for 15 minutes

¼ cup thick cream

80 gm grated cheddar cheese

1 egg

Salt to taste

1 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tbsp chopped coriander

1 tsp Chaat masala

Method

Wash & pat dry the chicken pieces. Make 2 incissions(not too deep cuts) on each drumstick.

Marinate the pieces with lemon juice, salt  & red chilli powder and set aside for  30 minutes.

Mix cream, cheese, egg, cornflour, ginger garlic paste, salt & coriander to the yogurt.

Pick up the chicken pieces discarding the lemon juice. Marinate the pieces in the yogurt mixture for 2-3 hours or eve  more, but refridgerate while being marinated. You may marinate the chicken overnight too.

Heat an oven at 200c , grill the marinated chicken pieces on a greased wire grill, turning once in between and basting the chicken legs with oil or butter. Grill till tender.

Serve hot sprinkle with some chaat masala and lemon juice.

Serve with mint chutney. Garnish with onion rings.

Thepla-Methi Paratha

Ingredients
1 Cup Wheat Flour
1 t/s salt
1 t/s Red chilli powder
1 t/s turmeric powder
1 t/s crushed garlic
1 t/s coriander powder
1 t/s half crushed roasted cumin seeds
1 t/s sesame seeds
1/2 cup freshly chopped Methi (fenugreek leaves)
1 table spoon yoghurt
water
oil

Mix all the dry ingredients and then add freshly chopped Methi , yoghurt, 2 tea spoons of oil, water and make the dough. Divide the dough into 8 portions and make round balls. roll each portion using a rolling pin into small sized "paratha". Cook these Parathas on a non stick frying pan turning both the sides using little oil, cook until golden brown.

Serve with Yoghurt and mango pickle. You can add butter on the thepla (Paratha) once it is cooked just before serving.

Added by Nandini Joshi

Mint Chutney

Ingredients

1 Cup Mint leaves

½ cup coriander leaves

2 green chillies

1 medium red onion

2 tbsp yogurt

Salt to taste

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp chat masala

½ lemon juice

Method

Combine all above ingredients in a blender and blend to a smooth paster.

Garnish with a sprig of Mint and serve as a condiment.

Sev Usal

Ingredients

1 cup dry green peas soaked overnight and cooked with salt

1 tbsp. of tamarind paste

1 tbsp of jiggery or sugar

1 inch stick of ginger

1 tbsp of chick pea flour

1 tsp of mustard seeds

3 cloves

1 inch stick of cinnamon

½ tsp of asfetida

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp of turmeric powder

2 green chilli and ½ cup coriander paste made in grinder

Salt to taste

Method

In a bowl soak tamarind paste in little warm water  for 30 minutes.

In sauce pan add oil, add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add asfetda, cloves and cinnamon stick. Add chick pea flour and stir till golden then add the tamarind water , allow the flour to thicken. Then add all the turmeric & chilli powder. Add the green chilli paste. Let all this combine then add the peas and 1 cup water and bring to boil.

Add salt (take care you add just enough for the curry as peas already cooked in salt water), jiggery. Allow the curry to reduce to ¾ of the original quantity. Add more water if you like it a bit thinner.

Serve hot with sev & garnish with green coriander.

This is a very famous dish served by the roadside vendors in Baroda.

Sev

Ingredients

2 cups chick pea flour

½ tsp ajwain seeds

Salt to taste

½ turmeric powder

¼ cup water

Oil to deep fry

Method

Mix all the ingredients to make a soft dough-not runny. Add water slowly to get the consistency right.

Grease the sev making machine and add the dough to it.

Heat oil in a fryer and make sev directly in the oil. Careful of  the steam. Keep hands away so as to avoid steam from the oil or from dropping the machine in the oil.

Fry in small batches to ensure the sev cooks well from all sides. Remove once golden.

Keep in air tight container for upto 1 week.

RASMALAI (Dumplings soaked in sweetened, thickened milk delicately garnished with pistachio nuts )

INGREDIENTS
250 grams Soft Paneer
4 tablespoons Plain Flour
4 cups Sugar
2 litres Milk
10 - 12 Pistachios, blanched, peeled and sliced
METHOD
Crumble the paneer(Indian Cottage Cheese) and mash it.
Add two tablespoons of plain flourand knead with the palm of your hand to make a smooth dough.
Divide into sixteen equal portions. Roll into balls and press slightly to flatten them.
Dissolve two cups sugar in the same quantity of water, bring to a boil and add the rest of the plain flour dissolved in a little water.
Slowly lower the paneer  balls in the boiling syrup and cook on high heat for ten minutes.
Add half a cup of water and bring to a boil again. Cook for three minutes.
Meanwhile prepare a thin sugar syrup with one cup sugar and two cups of water. Soak the cooked paneer balls in this syrup.
Boil the milk in a thick-bottomed pan, lower heat and continue to boil, stirring continuously, till it is reduced to a thick consistency. Add the rest of the sugar and keep boiling till the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, cool and refrigerate for an hour. Squeeze the paneer balls and put them into the chilled milk. Refrigerate it for another half an hour. Serve chilled garnished with sliced pistachios.
Recipe Tip :
Use paneer made from cow's milk. I make paneer at home and make this straightway as its nice and soft. Do not use frozen paneer.

Reshma's Notes:

This recipe is from my old Sanjeev Kapoor book. I have used this book so much that the pages are about to come apart.
Hope you enjoy making this as much as I do.

Jelly Faloda

Ingredients
3 cups Milk
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp Subza soaked
1/2 pckt falooda sev
2 tbsp Rohafza or rose syrup ( I like Rohafza)
10 -12 cashews or pistachios
1 pkt  strawberry jelly
Method:
Make your jelly in advance let it set as per instructions on the packet.
Heat the milk with the sugar and bring to a boil. Set aside to cool. Place in a refrigerator to chill. Add the soaked subza to the milk, stir and chill it in the refrigerator. Pour half a tablespoon of rose syrup into four wide-mouthed falooda glasses. Add jelly squares (make these small cubes so easy to drink along with the falooda).   Pour the milk into each glass, top with two to three tablespoons of falooda and a sprinkling of chopped cashew nuts.
 Serve at once.

Tips;
Make all the additions to milk and leave till last minute to assemble.
Notes:
I keep glasses ready with jelly, subza & sev and in a jug I keep the milk ready to pour.
This is a great for iftar and a good variation to the usual rohafza drink.
Enjoy!