Rösti-Topped Salmon Pie With Broccoli, Green Garlic and Dill

This is my entry for JFI for March

Ingredients
For filling
salmon; cubed
brocholi spears; cut into bite sized portions
peas
green garlic; chopped (if not availabe use ordinary garlic)
small bunch of dill
creme fraiche
salt and pepper to taste

Rosti topping
4 large waxy potatoes; boiled and roughly grated,
2 tbspn of vegetable oil
parsley



Method
Filling
1. Place the peas, green garlic and dill in a large oven dish, mix
2. steam the fish and the brocholi for 10 minutes, mix with the peas mixture, add the salt and pepper
3. Add the creme fraiche and mix well
4. top with the rosti
5 Cook at 180 C for 30 minutes, or when the topping is nicely brown.

Rosti Topping
mix the grated potato with the oil and parsley, sprinkle on top of the pie and cook for 30 minutes at 180 C for 30 minutes or when the topping is nicely brown

Mashed potato or swede can be used instead of rosti potatoes
I have adapted this recipe from Waitrose website:
http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/recipes/recipesearch/recipe/0702r03.asp

Chore ja Bhajia; Blackeye Beans Vada / Falafel

Ingredients
1 cup blackeye beans; washed and soaked overnight
1 medium onion
2/3 green chillies
2 cloves garlic
2 inches ginger
1 small bunch coriander
salt to taste
oil for frying

Method
1. Drain the blackeye beans, grind using a food processer - DO NOT ADD ANY WATER -Place the ground blackeye beans in a bowl
2 Grind the onion, coriander, chillis, garlic and ginger in the food processer, add to the ground bean and mix.
3 Add the salt and beat the mixture to get as much air into it as possible, add a little water is neccesary, the mixture should be fairly thick. (not runny)
4. Heat the oil and add 1 table spn to the mixture, beat it in.
5. take 1 tablespn of the mixture and gently place in the medium hot oil, using a tspn to push the mixture off. Flip the bhajia / vada / falafel over so both sides are nicely brown.
repeat until all the mixture is used. Serve with coconut chutney.

Bundi ja Ladu

Ingredients

1. Bundi
2 1/2 lb chickpea (gram flour)
1 heaped tpsn coarsely ground cardamom
yellow colour (optional)
pinch safron soaked in a little water
2-3 cups water
oil for deep frying

2. Syrup
2 lb sugar
3 cups water
1 pinch saffron
yellow colour (optional)



3. Ladu
1/2 tspn nutmeg
8 oz slivered almonds
1 oz raisons
2 gram saffron

Method
Bundi
1. Mix the flour and cardamom in a large bowl, add water, saffron and colour if using to make a thick batter. Let it sit for 20 minutes, add more water if neccesary.
2. Heat the oil in a large wok or karai (we used our faithful wok bought from chinatown eons ago)
3. Place the bundi jaro (see pic 3rd in first set), over the hot oil and pour a ladleful of batter on the jaro, rub the batter on the jaro/sieve, so that fine bits of batter fall into the hot oil to make little balls (bundi). Remove from the oil into a large container.
4. Repeat this step until all the batter is used up


Syrup / Chasni
Place the sugar, saffron and water in a saucepan, bring to boil. When the syrup forms a thread beween two fingers, add it to the bundi.

Ladu
Mix the bundi with the almonds, nutmeg, raisons and saffron, add the syrup, mix well.
Form medium sized balls (slightly smaller than a tennis ball)
makes 45.

Chana Bateta; Spicy Chickpeas and Potatoes

Ingredients
1 tin chickpeas

2 tbspn chickpea flour
2 medium potatoes; boiled and cut into cubes
1 tin peeled plum tomatoes; liquidised
1 tblspn tomato puree
1 large lemon; juiced
2 tbspn oil
1/2 tspn mustard seeds
1 whole dry red chilli
2-3 curry leaves
2 tbspn chickpea / gram flour
1/2 tspn tumeric
1/2 tspn red chilli powder (or to taste)
1 cup water

Salt to taste

Method
1.Heat the oil in a pan, add the whole red chilli, mustard seeds and curry leaves, let the seed pop, Add the chickpea flour and cook for a few minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and the tomato puree, stir and cook for about five minutes
3. Add the tumeric and the red chilli powder, mix and cook for a few minutes.
4. Add the potatoes and the drained chickpeas, add water and lemon juice, and let it cook for 10 minutes. Add Salt to taste

Serve with Amli (tamarind) chutney and chevro / chivdo or potato or casava crisps

'Fried' Mohogo / Mogo

This is Shaheen's recipe, it is a 'no fry', healthy recipe

Ingredients
1 large tuber of cassava (or 1 pkt frozen cassava)
Juice of 2 Limes
1/2 cup olive oil
chilli flakes
salt

Method
1. Cut the tuber into 3 pieces, peel by slitting the skin on one side, the skin will peel of quite easily.
2. cut in large chips and boil with a little salt. (In the case of frozen mogo; boil with some salt)
3. Slice into thin (1/2 - 3/4 inch wide - see picture.
4. Mix the olive oil, lime juice, and chilli flakes, add to the casava, toss to ensure that all the pieces are evenly coated.
5. Place the casava chips on a baking tray and cook in a hot oven (220 C) for 20 minutes or until the mogo looks golden brown, and is crispy.
Serve with tamerind chutney, (coconut chutney) in the pic.

Sunday Tea

It was Mohsin's Birthday last Sunday, so we all went round for tea to their house.


Shaheen made:

Fried Mogo (Casava)
&
Chana bateta (Spicy Chickpeas with Potatoes)

and Muni made:

An Almond Cake

Recipes to follow

Dinner Party Menu

I had a Dinner Party Last Saturday Evening

Here is the Menu

Crispy Papad
Bharala Marcha (Stuffed Chillies)

Methi Prawns and Mushroom
Spicy Broadbeans and Spinach in Coconut
Ringra bateta jo shaak (Aubergines / Eggplant Curry

Puri
(with out Tumeric)

Lamb pilau
Kachumber, Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad

Lime and Ginger Pickle
Sweet/Hot Carrot Pickle

Washed down with Montana Marlborough Saugvinion Blanc

Ringra Bateta jo Shaak - Aubergines (Eggplant) and Potatoes in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
2 medium onions; chopped fine
4-5 cloves garlic; minced
3 inch ginger; grated
4-5 green chillies; minced
1 400g tin peel tomatoes; liquidised
2 tbspns tomato puree
4 large aubergines; cubed
4 large potatoes; cubed
1 teaspn cumin seeds
2 tspn mustard seeds
2 heaped teaspns cumin/coriander powder
1 tspn tumeric
3 tablespns oil
Salt to taste

Method
1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the cumin and mustard seeds. After they have popped add the onion and fry until golden brown.


2. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, ginger and chillies, decrease the heat and cook for 7-8 minutes, until it is like a thick sauce, then add the cumin, coriander and tumeric powders, and mix and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the potatoes, mix so the potatoes are coated with the tomato sauce, cover and cook about 7-8 minutes. Then add the aubergines and mix.

Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes and the aubergine is cooked.
Serve with bajra rotla, puris, or chapati

Trupti has a variation of this dish on her blog, with hing and gur (jaggery), I guess my recipe is Gujarati but khoja style!!

Spicy Broad beans & Spinach in Coconut Sauce

1 medium onion; chopped fine
2 cloves garlic; minced
2 inch ginger; grated
2-3 chillies; minced
3 tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped
1/2 tspn tumeric
2 tspn coriander/cumin powder
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup broad beans (fresh or frozen)
1 large bunch spinach, washed and chopped
1 tbspn oil

Method
1. Heat the oil in a large saucement (to accomodate the bulky uncooked spinach)
2. Fry the onions, until transluscent, add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the oil separates from the tomatoes, add tumeric and the cumin/coriander powders, mix and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the beans, stir until they are coated with the tomato sauce. Cook for a few minutes.
4. Add the spinach, cook until it reduces in quantity, add the coconut milk . Simmer until the beans are cook (15 minutes)
Serve with rice or chapati.

Khari Puri

Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
2 tblspns vegetable oil
1 tblspn cumin seeds
1 heaped tspn coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tspn salt
Oil for frying

Method
Sieve the flour, mix in the cumin seeds, salt and pepper
Add the oil, rub it in so it is like bread crumbs
Add enough water to make a firm dough
leave the dough for 30 minutes
Divide into walnut sized portions


Roll into a 3 inch diameter circles


Make small slits with a knife
Fry in medium hot oil

Paratha Stuffed with Brocholi and Potatoes

Ingredients
Pastry
3 cups chapati flour
1/2 tspn salt
1 tblspoon
water to mix

Method
Sieve the flour and salt together. Add the oil, rub it in so that it appears like crumbs, slowly add the water to make a firm dough. Knead well, leave aside for 30 mins

Filling
2 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
small head of brocholi, steamed and mashed
salt to taste
1/2 tspn black pepper
1/4 tspn ajwain

Method
mix all the above

Stuffed Paratha
1/2 cup olive oil for frying



1. Divide the dough in 6 parts, further divide each portion into two and roll out to get a 4 inch diameter roti.
2. Place a heaped tablespoon of the potato mix on the roti and spread evenly.

3. Place the other roti on top, seal the edges, and roll until it is about 7 inch diameter.
4. Place a little olive oil on a hot tava (frying pan)
5. Place the paratha carefully and fry both sides for couple of minutes each side.
6 Repeat until all the paratha are made.
Serve with any curry or chutney. I served it with beans curry.

I tried to make these paratha the proper way, but I had the same results as Shyamala with her alu parathas.
So I made these the way we make stuffed chicken paratha, or turkey, just after christmas LOL

Janjaare jo shaak / Pinto Beans Curry / Spicy Maharagwe

Having lived in East Africa, our Kutchi is peppered with Swahili and Lungandi, janjaaro (beans) is derived from 'bijanjaalo' which is Lugandi for beans. I remember shelling these as a child. I hated it when we found small green caterpillers in the pod!




Ingredients
1 cup dried pinto; soaked overnight and boiled (I used the pressure cooker; about 10 mins)
2 Potatoes, peeled and cut in small cubes
3 Cloves garlic; peeled and minced
2 inch ginger; peeled and grated
3 large tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped



1/2 tspn cumin seeds
1 tspn mustard seeds
2 - 3 chilies slit through the centre (see pic)
1/2 tspn tumeric powder
2 tspn coriander and cumin powders
2 tspn oil
salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the chilies, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Cover and let them pop and splutter.
2. Add the tomotatoes, garlic and ginger cook for 5-6 minutes, add tumeric, coriander and cumin powders, cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes, cook for a few minutes, add the salt.
4. Add the boiled pinto beans, with 2 cups of the water the beans were boiled in
5 Cover and cook, until the potatoes are done.
I served it with paratha.

Mung (moong) Bean Biryani

Ingredients
1 cup mung beans, washed and soaked overnight
2-3 large onions, chopped fine
1/2 cup yougurt
3 cloves garlic; minced
2 inch ginger; grated
3-4 green chillies; minced
8 small potatoes, peeled
21/2 cups basamati rice; washed and soaked in water
6 large tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped
1 tblspn tomato puree
1 heaped tspn cumin seeds
3-4 cloves,
2 sticks cinamon
6-8 peppercorns
3 cardomom pods
1/2 tspn saffron
1 teaspn garam masala

for tarka
1 tspn cumin
for topping
1/2 tspn saffron soaked in some warm water


Method
1. Boil the moong beans.
2. Fry the potatoes in hot oil , so that they are golden brown (par cooked)
3. Heat some oil in a large pan, fry the whole masala; cumin, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and cardomom, fry until they pop and splutter, add the onions
2. Fry the onions until brown


Add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, chilli and tomato puree, fry for 5-8 minutes
Add the yougurt and the saffron, cook for a further 2 minutes
Add the mung beans with a 1 cup of the water they were boiled in
Add the potaotes and cook for 5-6 minutes


Meanwhile parboil the rice in 5 cups of water for 10 minutes, drain and add half the rice to a large oven proof container.
Add the moong/potato/tomato mixture
Top with the other half of the rice
Fry the cumin in the oil

Pour the oil and cumin mixture on the rice
Pour the saffron and water mixture on the rice

Cove the rice, and place in the oven at 150 Centigrate for 45 minute
Serve with cuchumber (tomato and onion salad) recipe to follow