Salmon in a Spicy Coconut Sauce

So Pyarali helped me with the cooking on Saturday. We had salmon with brocholi spears and peas in coconut sauce and basmati rice. Alas Pyarali only ate mani! (chapati). On Sunday he only ate puri, 2 puris for breakfast, 3 for lunch and 3 for supper! His parents tried hard, but Chachi's puris won the day.


Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp Thai green curry paste (available from most Asian Grocery Stores)
4 spring onions; finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic; minced
1 inch ginger; grated
1lb skinned salmon fillet; cubed
6 oz of large cooked prawns3-4 small new potatoes; scrubed and cut in halves
handfull of Brocholi spears; cut into small pieces
1 cup green peas (frozen is fine)
2 green chillies; chopped fine
6-8 kaffir lime leaves, torn into pieces
1 400ml tin of coconut milk OR creamed coconut
1 tspn Thai fish sauce

Method
1. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the onions, fry until transparent.
2. Add the green curry paste, garlic and ginger cook for about a minute, reduce the heat slightly and add the potatoes.
3. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and bring to a simmer, cooking for 15-20 minutes until thickened slightly.
4. Add the salmon and the vegetables and cook for a further 12 minutes, add the prawns, cook for 1 minute.

5. Serve with lots of boiled or steamed rice.

Split Mung Dal and Spinach Shaak

1 cup split mung beans; washed and soaked for about 2 hours
1 onion; chopped finely
3 tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped
2 cups spinach; washed and chopped roughly
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 inch ginger; grated
2 green chillis; minced
1/2 tspn tumeric powder
2 tspns coriander/cumin powder
Salt to taste



Methods
1 Heat the oil in a pan  and fry the onions until golden brown, add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger and chillis, cook for about 5-8 minutes until it is blended together.
2. Add the tumeric, coriander and cumin powders, stir and cook for about 3 minutes.
3. Add the split mung beans (add a tblspn of water if neccesary), and cook for about 20 minutes


4. Add the spinch, stir and cook for a furhter 5 minutes
Serve with chapatis.

Sesame Soya Bean and Potato Shaak

Gem came for lunch yesterday, and I rustled up some of this. It was delicious.


Ingredients
2 cups green soya beans (frozen)
1 cup green garlic; chopped
1 cup rocket (argula)
1 large potato (cut into 1 inch cubes
2-3 tomatoes; blanched and minced
2 inch piece of ginger; grated
2 green chilis (I used one red chilli)
1/2 tspn whole cumin
1 tspn whole mustard seeds
2 tablespns sesame seeds
1 tablespn oil
1/2 tspn tumeric powder
2 tspn cumin/coriander powder


Method
Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin, mutard and sesame seeds, as soon as they pop, add the tomatoes, fry for a few minutes. Add the tumeric, cumin and coriander powders. Cook for a few minutes.
Add the rocket, stir and cook for a few minutes, add the potatoes mix and add the soya beans.
Mix thoroughly, lower the heat, cover and let it cook for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.
Serve with chapatis.

Winter Ratatouille

Sunday Lunch. I adapted the recipe from Jan/Feb issue of Waitrose Seasons magazine. They suggest that it be served with rice, but we had it by itself. Very filling and healthy.

Ingredients
1 swede; peeled and cubed
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 parsnips; peeled and cubed
2 carrots; peeled and cubed
1 sweet potato; peeled and cubed
8 shallots; peeled and halved
1 garlic bulb; peeled
1 lb of cherry tomatoes
800ml of tomato juice or passata
3 to 4 sprigs of sage, chopped
salt and black pepper
2 tblspn olive oil


Instructions
Heat the oven to 200°C. Place the vegetables, garlic cloves, salt pepper and the sage in a very large, deep oiled roasting dish.


Add the oil and mix, roast for 30 minutes until the vegetables are brown.
Remove from the oven, add the cherry tomatoes and passata, then cover the dish with a foil. Lower the oven temperature to 190°C, and cook for a further 1–1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft.

seville orange marmalada

Step by Step - Seville Orange Marmalade

With their refreshing, sharp flavour, Seville orange make great marmalada. a bright, sparkling preserve. The season for Seville oranges is short, usually lasting only a few weeks in January. So it is worth making a batch of marmalade now to enjoy the flavour throughout the year. Cut the peel as thickly or thinly as you prefer, according to taste. This task should not be rushed and is one of the pleasures of making marmalade.


Ingredients for 3kg marmalade
1kg Seville oranges1 lemon 2kg Sugar
Step 1
Wash the oranges and lemon thoroughly, then dry them in a clean tea towel. Pour 2 litres cold water into a large, wide pan . Squeeze the oranges and lemon and add the juice to the water. Reserve the pips and orange rind, but discard the squeezed lemon.
Step 2
Cut the oranges in half again and, using a metal spoon, scrape the pith and pips into the centre of a large square of muslin. Tie the muslin with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to the pan and tie the ends of the string to the pan handle to make it easier to remove later.
Step 3
Cut the orange peel into strips - chunky for coarse cut and thinner for a fine shred. It is easier and quicker if you place 2 pieces on top of each other and slice with a sharp knife. Add to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, until the peel is very soft and the liquid reduced by about half. Remove and discard the bag with the pips and pith, squeezing as much juice as possible back into the pan with the back of a wooden spoon.
Step 4
Add the sugar and stir over a low heat until it has dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly until it reachessetting point. This usually takes about 15 minutes. To test, remove the pan from the heat and spoon a little marmalade onto a chilled saucer. Allow to cool for a few seconds, then push with a finger. If the surface wrinkles it is ready. If not, boil for a further 5 minutes and test again. Leave the marmalade to settle for 15 minutes, then skim off any scam from the surface with a slotted spoon. Stir the mixture and pour into warm, clean jars, using a jug. Cover.

Prepare the jars
At the end of step 3, prepare the jars. Preheat the oven to 160°C, gas mark 3. Ensure the jars are clean and free from cracks and chips. Place the jars on their sides in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the oven off leaving the jars inside until the marmalade is ready to pot.sowhsi

Bhurtho - Smokey Aubergine (Eggplant) Dip

Ingredients
4 large aubergines
1 tbspn oil
3 garlic cloves; minced
3 green chillies; minced
6 stalks coriander
4 tomatoes; blanched, peeled, and chopped
1 medium onion.

Method
Wash the aubergines, make some slits on them and put them in a moderate hot oven (180 C) for 45 minutes.
Peel and mash the aubergines
Fry the onions in a large pan until golden brown, add the tomatoes fry for 5 minutes, add the garlic, chillies and the mashed aubergines and coriander. Mix well and cook for a few minutes


Infuse with charcoal smoke, by making a dip in the mashed aubergines, and placing a piece of foil with a burning piece of charcoal. Add a little oil to the charcoal and cover immediatly, this will allow the smoke to be absorbed into the aubergine.



Serve with hot chapatis or Lasan Ladu

Lasan ja Ladu; Green Garlic and Bajra (Millet) Ladus

Green garlic is fresh tasting, much milder than mature garlic. There is a great pasta and green garlic recipe on Mandira's blog

These Lasan Ladu are served for breakfast in Bhuj, Gujarat in the winter. It is usually served with yogurt or bhurta. One ladu would keep a farmer going until lunchtime.


Ingredients
1. 3-4 rotla - made from 3 cups of millet flour, omit spreading them with butter.
1 cup finely chopped green garlic.
1 cup olive oil (in Bhuj, they used ghee;)

Method
1. Break the rotla and grind into fine crumbs.
2. heat the oil in a large pan, fry the garlic for a few minutes, add the ground rotla and mix.
3. Remove from heat, let it cool , and shape into balls. 8 small ones from this recipe.
4. Serve hot, warm them in a microwave or wrap in foil and place in a hot oven for 5-6 minutes.
5. Serve with yogurt or aubergine bhurta.

Bajra Rotla; millet bread

Rotlo (millet bread) is typical Cutchi/Gujarati food.

Ingredients
3 cups millet flour
salt to taste
1 and 1/2 cups water
butter or Ghee to spread on the rotla

Method
1. sieve the flour and salt, add water slowly to form a soft dough.
2. Divide the dough into 3-4 portions
4. Form a ball, place on a piece of cling film on a board and flatten into a 1/3 inch thick circle.
5. Place carefully on a medium hot tava (griddle) ensuring no bubbles are trapped underneath, turning it when it after a few minutes. Turn again a couple of times times until cooked, remove and spread some butter or ghee on it.
6. Serve hot with aubergine and potato curry (ringra batata jo shaak) and yogurt.
7. Can be reheated in a microwave or toaster.

Ginger & Sesame Salmon Cakes

The ingredient for Jihiva this month is ginger; hosted by Rosie.
So it had to be something with ginger for our Sunday Lunch. Ginger & Sesame Salmon cake is a tasty fusion between East and West.
Ingredients
1 large fillet of salmon (1lb and 10 oz), cut into large chunks.
4 small potaoes;
3 stems of coriander (half cup); chopped finely
2 cloves garlic; minced
2 inches ginger; grated
1 chilli; minced
2 tblspn sesame seeds
Juice of 1 lime; salt
1 table spoon oil; plus oil for greasing.
oil spray can
breadcrumbs
1 egg

1. boil the the peeled potates until cooked
2. steam (or micorwave) the salmon.
3 mash both of them in a large basin, add juice of 1 lime and salt.
4. mix the chopped coriander, ginger, garlic and chilli.
5. Heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the sesame seed, fry for a few minutes, add the coriander/ginger mix; fry for a further few minutes and add to the fish mixture.
6 Mix; add some breadcrumbs if too wet and make 8 large fish cakes.
7 Beat the egg, coat the fish cakes with egg and then bread crumbs and placed on a greased baking sheet.
8. Spray some oil on the fish cakes and bake at 200C or 390 F (hot oven) for 25 minutes.
These fishcakes are large; one is enough per person; unless very very hungry. Makes enough for 8 or 4 very hungry people

I served the ginger & sesame salmon cake with a tomato/horseradish salsa, potato wedges (oven baked) and steamed brocholi. Very tasty and healthy.

I

Katogo Matoke in a Groundnut Sauce (Binyebwa) or Green Bananas in a Peanut Sauce

Matoke is a typical Ugandan dish, it is stuff that we grew up on. Groundnuts are used in many African countries as a base for a savoury sauce for meat or vegetables

4 Matoke or green bananas; peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 cup peanuts (roasted, skinned and ground; I used a coffee grinder);
1 tbspoon of vegetable oil (not olive because that is rather strong tasting)
1 stem of coriander; chopped finely
1 medium onion; chopped finely

1 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn mustard seeds
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 inch ginger; grated
3-4 chilies; minced
4 tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped finely
1/2 tspn tumeric powder
2 tspn coriander/cumin powder

salt to taste

Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the whole mustard and cumin, wait for it to pop, and add the onions, fry until golden brown.

2. Add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger and chillies, fry for about 5 minutes, add the tumeric, coriander and cumin powders, cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Add the matoke, mix, until all the matoke is coated by the tomato sauce. Cook for a few minutes.

4. Add the ground peanuts, and mix so that all the bananas are coated with the tomato/peanut mixture, add 1 and 1/2 cups of water.
5. Bring to boil, and cook for 20 minutes.
6. Garnish with the chopped coriander.

It is lovely by itself or with some chevr0.

Bharela Bhinda or Stuffed Okra (Ladies fingers)

Having looked at various recipes on the web, there seem to be many ways of making this Gujarati dish. Some people stuff the okra with dry masala; Trupti at Spice who loved me uses chickpea flour, this however is our family recipe, passed down through at least 3 generations.

Ingredients
12 oz Okra
2 stems of coriander; chopped finely
1 small onion; chopped finely
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 inch ginger; grated
3-4 chilis; minced
2 tomatoes; blanced, peeled and chopped finely
1/2 tspn tumeric powder
2 tspn coriander/cumin powder
1 tspn cumin seeds
1/2 tspn mustard seeds
salt to taste

Method
1.Wash and dry the okra, and top and tail them. Cut a slit down the side on each okra.
2. Make the stuffing, by mixing the tomatoes, coriander, onions, garlic, ginger; chillies, salt, tumeric, coriander and cumin powders.
3. Stuff each okra with this mixture (messy work; but worth it)
4. Heat the oil in a pan, and add the mustard and cumin seeds, after they pop and splutter; add the stuffed okra, cover and cook with low to medium hear
5. Gently turn the okra over. Leave to cook for about 15 minutes







Serve with chapati.

Mandazi - Coconut Bread (Mahamri)

This East African coconut bread is slightly sweet and has often been likened to doughnuts. It is available everywhere in East Africa; it is typical street food, mandazi is eaten at anytime, for breakfast with tea, for a snack or with bharazi for lunch or dinner.


Ingredients
2 1/2 cups plain flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon freshly grated or dried coconut
1/2 cup tin coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon roughly ground cardomom
warm water to bind
Oil to deep fry



Method
1. Mix all the dry ingredients, add the coconut milk and mix, add warm water for form a soft dough (not sticky). Knead thoroughly.
2. Place the dough in an oiled polythene bag and put in a warm place (airing cupboard) for 2-3 hours; until it has doubled in size.

3. Knead the dough and divide into 6 - 7 portions
4. Roll a roti like circle and cut into four parts
5, Fry in hot oil, two to three at a time, holding them under the oil on the first side until they puff. Turn over until brown on both sides.



Serve with bharazi

Bharazi / Mbaazi za Nazi - Pigeon Peas in Coconut Sauce

This is also an East African dish. It is usually served with Mandazi (coconut bread). The combination of the two is heavenly! Try it for your self.



Ingredients
1 cup dried pegeon peas; soaked over night, and boiled (in the pressure cooker)
1 400gm can of coconut milk
1 medium onion or 2 small; finely chopped
2 clove garlic; minced
1 inch ginger; grated
3 chillies; minced
1/4 tspn tumeric powder
1/2 cup coriander; chopped fine
1 tbspn vegetable oil
salt to taste


Method
1. Fry the onion in medium hot oil, when golden brown, add the boiled pigeon peas and the coconut milk.
2. Then add the garlic, ginger chillies and tumeric and salt.

3. Cook for 3o minutes. If neccessary add a little water. Add the chopped coriander.
4. serve with mandazi.