Ful-cobi ne mutter jo shaak / Cauliflower and Peas curry

Ingredients

1 medium cauliflower; cut in small florets

3/4 cup green peas

1 tbsp oil

4-6 dried curry leaves;  crumbled roughly

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

3 medium  tomatoes;  blanched, peeled and crushed

1 teaspoon tomato purée

2-3 garlic cloves; minced fine

1 inch ginger; grated

2-3 green chillies; minced fine

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon coriander and cumin powder

salt to taste

2 springs  coriander; finely chopped

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves.  As soon as they splutter; add the tomatoes and tomato puree; stir , turn down the heat and cook for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, ginger and chilles, mix and cook for a few minutes.

3.  Add the tumeric, coriander and cumin powders, mix, cook for about a minute

4. Add the cauliflower and peas and salt, mix well, cover and cook at low heat for about 15 minutes or until cooked.  The cauliflower should be al dente, firm but cooked.

Garnish with coriander and serve with chapatis

Machi Bhat / Spicy Coconutty Salmon with Rice

Ingredients

STEP 1
1 lb salmon; cut in 2 inch chunks 

Marinade

Juice of 1/2 a lemon
4-5 garlic cloves; minced

2 inch ginger; grated

2-3 green chillies; minced

STEP 2

2 tablespoons oil

whole garam masala; 1 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves, 4 peppercorns, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 pods cardomom

3  medium onion chopped fine

4 small potatoes; peeled and cut into halves

4 large tomatoes; blanched, peeled and liquidised,
1 teaspoon tomato puree

1 tablespoon of fresh grated coconuts (frozen available in most Indian Grocery Stores

1/3 packet of creamed coconut (half cup coconut milk)
1 tbspn yogurt

2 teaspoon coriander and cumin powder

1/2 tspn tumeric

1/4 tspn garam masala

STEP 3
1 1/2 cup rice; washed and soaked for 30 minutes
lots of water


STEP 4
pinch of saffron; soaked in a tablespoon of hot water

1/2 table spoon oil

1 tspn cumin seeds

Step 1: Marinate the salmon in the lemon juice, garlic, ginger and green chilli mince and salt for at least 30 minutes;  set aside.

Step 2. Heat half of the oil in a large saucepan, fry the whole masala; cumin, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and cardomom, fry until they pop and splutter, add the chopped onions and fry until golden brown, add the potatoes, fry until the onions are dark brown

 Add the tomotoes mix and fry for a few minutes; add the cumin and coriander powders and tumeric powder and add the grated coconut and the coconut cream,  simmer for 15 minutes.

 Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, mix and fry for a few minutes.  Add the yogurt, mix and cook for a few minutes

Meanwhile, heat the other half of the oil in a frying pan and fry the fish until slightly brown.  Add the fish add the garam masala, stir carefully and set aside.

Step 3:   Wash the rice and soak in some water for at least 30 minutes. 

Switch on the oven at 150 degrees Centigrade.  Boil the rice in lots of  salted water for 15 minutes, drain.

Layer half the  rice in a pan add the fish sauce cover  with rest of the rice, 

Step 4:  Add the water / saffron mix on top.  Fry the cumin in a little oil, pour over the rice, place in the oven for 15 minutes and serve.

Dish of the Day: Tikkha Chilla

Recipe HERE

Bharela Marcha / Stuffed Peppers

We made these for Zayn's Birthday Picnic a few weeks ago



Recipe

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Chachi's Bakala jo soup . Mixed Vegetable Soup

Ingredients
1 table spoon butter
1 medium onion; finely choped
1 table spoon plain flour
1 400 gm tin plum tomatoes; liquidised
4 cups finely choped cabbage
1 cup peas
1 cup chopped carrots
3 cups water ( you can add more or less water according to how thick you want the soup to be)
salt to taste
f1 tspn reshly ground black pepper or to taste

Method
Add butter to the heated saucepan
Add the onions; fry until transparent
Add the flour, fry until light brown, it should smell delicious
Add the tomatoes
Cook for 10 minutes at low heat
Add the vegetables and the water.
Add the salt and pepper
Simmer for 20 minutes, serve with garlic bread or plain rice.

Khajur ne Akrot jo Cake / Date and Walnut Cake

The is a healthy cake, containing rolled oats (lower your cholesterol), wholemeal flour (fibre), gur / jaggery (unrefined cane or palm sugar containing minerals and vitamins), dates ( a source of B complexed vitamins, potassium, copper, magnesium, and iron) .walnuts. (omega 3 and minerals such as zinc).




Ingredients
2 cups medium chapatti flour (or 1 cup wholemeal flour, 1 cup plain flour)
2 cups rolled (porridge) oats
2 level tspn baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1 cup gur / jaggery; grated  (or brown sugar)
2 cups milk
2 eggs
5 table spoon vegetable oil



1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients
3. Beat the milk, eggs and oil
4. Mix all together.
5. Pour in a 9 inch greased tin
6 Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour

kheema na mutter jo shaak / mince meat and peas curry

Served here with lime and chilli pickle and chapati

Ingredients
whole garam masala: 1 cinamon stick, 4-5 pepporcorns, 2 cloves, 2 cardomom and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 table spoon oil
1 medium onion; chopped fine
1 lb minced beef (or lamb)
3-4 cloves garlic; minced
2 inch ginger; grated
2-3 green chillies; minced
1/2 tspn tumeric powder
1 400gm can peeled tomatoes; liquidised
2 tspn cumin/coriander powder
2 tablespoon yogurt
1 cup peas
1/2 tspn garam masala
salt to taste.
1 tablespoon chopped coriander for garnish


1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the whole garam masala
2. when they start to crackle and splutter add the onion, and fry until golden brown
3. Add the minced meat, garlic, ginger and chillies and fry until the meat is brown, break down any lumps that form
4. Add tumeric, coriander and cumin powdereds, stir, add the tomatoes.
5. Bring to boil and add the yogurt, mix and add the peas.
6. Simmer for 20 minute suntil the peas are cooked.
7. Add the salt and garam masala powder, mix and garnish with coriander leaves
Serve with rice or chapati

Machi ja Bhajia / Coriander Salmon Cakes (Baked)

Machi ja bhajia is an East African Ismail dish.


Ingredients
1 lb Salmon fillet; skinned
12 oz (3 medium) potatoes; peeled and halved
3 cloves garlic; minced
1 1/2 inch ginger; grated
2 green chillies; minced
2 tablespoon chopped coriander
1/2 lemon; juiced
salt to taste
Oil Spray or a litte oil and brush
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs




Method
1. Steam or poach the salmon, place in a large bowl and flake
2. Boil the potatoes, mash and add to the salmon
3. put aside
3. Pre-heat the oven at 200 Centigrade
4. Add the garlic, ginger, chillies, coriander, lemon juice and salt to the fish / potato mix
5. Mix everything, let the mixture cool a little.
6. Make a lemon size ball with the fish mixture, flatten and place on a ungreased tray, make them all
7. Grease another tray with oil spray or oil and brush.
8. Beat the eggs, and place the bread crumbs in a saucer or small plate
9. Dip the fish cake in the egg, and then into the bread crumbs so that they are completely coated, place on the greased tray
10. Repeat until all are done. (I made 10)
11. Place in the oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until brown.



Serve with home made tomato chutney (recipe soon)

Mango Salsa with Ginger and Coriander

This goes well with spicy meat or fish such as tandoori salmon, mackeral or chicken



Ingredients
1 large mango; cubed
1 red pepper; diced
3 spring onions; choped fine
1 inch ginger grated
1 tablespoon chopped coriander

Mix all, and set aside for 2 hours at room temperature. This lets the flavours develope.

Mayai jo Pudlo / Onion, Chilli and Coriander Omelette (Ismaili Style)

Mayai is eggs in Swahili.

4 Eggs
1/4 cup milk
6 spring onions; finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
1-2 green chillies; finely chopped
Oil Spray

1. Beat the eggs and milk
2. Add the spring onion, coriander and chillies.
3. Add the salt and pepper
4. Mix well.
5. Heat up a frying pan, spray oil on it, pour the egg and cook covered at very low heat.
6. Flip it, if you can, or elso place under a grill and broil for a few minutes.


We had it for breakfast today with Chachi's Puri

Karanga wari Kasori / Kasooli in Groundnut sauce (Binyebwa) / Sweet Corn in Peanut Sauce

4 corn on the cob; husk and cornsilk removed, and cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup peanuts (roasted, skinned and ground; I used a coffee grinder);
1 tbspoon of vegetable oil
1 stem of coriander; chopped finely
1 medium onion; chopped finely

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

1 cup water

salt to taste

Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan, 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 peanuts

4. Add the corn, mix, until all the corn are coated by the peanut/tomato sauce. Cook for a few minutes. Add the water, cover and simmer until the corn is cooked (10 to 15 minutes).

5. Garnish with coriander, just before serving. Enjoy

Jugu Cake / Twice Baked Peanut Bars

Jugu or njugu is peanut or groundnuts in Swahili. As a child I remember them as karanga which is also swahili. My best memory of these is when we used to get them fresh. Local farmers would sell them house to house shouting:
'karaaaaaaaaaaaaanga karaaaaaaaaaanga!!' Ma would buy them and we would get them boiled for our tea. So yummy. We used to eat them hot, just pop them in our mouths and pop them so all the juices and the nut is squirted into our mouths. They were sooo sweet and tender.

Jugu cake is a Tanzanian special; twice baked, like biscotti according to Aly Khan of Treat a Week Recipes, a fellow Ismaili blogger with a great site.
This recipe makes two plates for khana and spare.



Ingredients
3 Cups peanuts; grind roughly (reserve 1/2 cup)
5 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used corn oil)
2 eggs
2 cups milk

Method
1. Heat the oven to 175 Centrigrade.
2. Beat the eggs and milk in a large bowl and keep aside
3. Mix all the dry ingredients including the whole peanuts
4. Add the oil and mix with finger tips to make a bread crumbs like mixture
5. Add the egg and milk mixture slowly, mix, this will be quite sticky
6. Pour into a 12 inch by 12 inch tray
7. Bake for 30 minutes
8. Cut into diamond shapes and place on a oven tray
9. Heat the oven to 220 Centigrade
10 Bake again for 15 minutes

Makate Mimina / Mkate Wa Kumimina

This cardamom spiced rice and coconut bread originates in Tanzania. Mkate means bread, and kumimina means to grind. This one was made yesterday.

Recipe can be found here

Piri Piri Chicken

The word piri piri originates in Mozambique, it means fiery hot chilli peppers! In Kampala we used to call these pili pili ho ho. My mouth is twinging just at the thought of these.
This recipe was prepared by Joanne, my sister-in-law in Toronto.

Marinade

1 large red pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic

2 tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp chili flakes

1/4 cup white vinegar

2tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp salt.

4 Chicken breasts or pieces from one chicken

Mix all the ingredients above in a food processor to make a smooth paste.

Marinade your chicken over night or at least 1 hour.

The more time you marinade the better.

Make sure the meat is room temperature before you start to BBQ.

Heat BBQ to a very high temperature.

Sear the chicken on both sides then reduce heat to medium-high until chicken is cooked.

Tandoori Salmon

1 skinned fillet of salmon (1lb); cut into 2inch cubes
2 tablespoons yogurt
1 dessert spoon oil
2 level tspn tandoori masala
2 inches ginger; grated
3-4 cloves garlic; minced
2-3 green chillies; minced
salt to taste

1. Mix the yogurt with the oil, tandoori masala, ginger garlic, chillies and salt
2. Mix with the fish
3. Marinate for at least 1 hour; place on pre-soaked wooden sticks.
4. Grill / broil or barbeque 5/6 minutes
5. Or bake in oven (220 C) for 15 minutes.

I served it with mango and ginger salsa and tandoori mohogo.

Machi Bateta jo Shaak / Spicy Cod and Potato curry

We had this for our dinner tonight. Recipe can be found here

Bhinda jo shaak / Curried Okra / Ladies Fingers

Recipe

Coconut and Mint Chutney

2 cups freshly grated coconut (frozen available in Indian Grocery stores)
1 cup mint (I got them from the garden)
6-7 green chilies
1 lemon; juiced
salt to taste
1 tblespoon oil
1 tspn mustard seeds
2 tspn sesame seeds
6-7 curry leaves

Place the mint leaves, green chillies and lemon juice in a liquidiser, and grind
Add the coconut and liquidise until semi-smooth
Place in a bowl and set aside
Heat the oil, add the mustard and sesame seeds and the curry leaves, cook until the sesame seed are brown and pour the mixture over the chutney.

Mutter jo shak / Peas and Potato Curry

Peas are full of nutrients, they contain vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B1, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B2. Apart from the vitamins they contain manganese and phosporus and the all important dietary fibre, protein and carbs
They are available fresh at the moment, so get cooking!



Ingredients

1 tablespoon of oil
2 medium onions; chopped fine
4-5 cloves garlic; minced
3 inch ginger; grated
4-5 green chillies; minced
4 large tomatoes; blanched, peeled and liquidised.
2 medium potatoes; cubed

2 cup fresh peas
2 heaped teaspns cumin/coriander powder
1/2 tspn turmeric
Salt to taste

Method
1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, fry until translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes, 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 the peas
4. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the peas and potatoes are cooked.

Serve with bajra rotla, puris, or chapati

Hara Bhara Kebab / Peas and Spinach Burger

Another pea dish. I first had this at Sakoni in Wembley, it is a North Indian recipe. Talking to my friends and searching the net I managed to find this recipe. Delicious. We had this today for a light lunch with Beetroot Soup (also in season). I baked these, so very healthy.




Ingredients
1 cup peas; boiled
230g spinach; steamed / 1 cup / you can use frozen spinach
3 medium potatoes; boiled
2 inch ginger; grated
2 green chillies minced
1/2 lime; juiced
salt to taste
oil for greasing the tray and brushing the kebabs / burgers


Method

1. Heat the oven at 220 degree centigrade
2. Combine the peas, spinach and potatoes, mix
3. Add the ginger, chillies, lime juice, garam masala and lime juice mix
4. Let it cool for a while.
5. Make lemon sized balls, flatten and place on a greased tray
6. Brush with oil, and bake for 20 mins

Serve with a green salad. Or in a burger roll with salad.

Peas / Mutter kachori / gughra / Spicy Pea Pastry

Served with mint and coconut chutney. These are baked in the oven so healthy. Fresh peas are in season right now, they are so yummy, I simply could not resist them.

Ingredients
Filling
2 cups freshly shelled peas;
1 tablespoon oil
1 tspn cumin seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 - 4garlic cloves; minced
2 inch ginger; grated
3-4 green chillies; minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated coconut ( I used frozen, you can use descicated coconut if you wish)
1 tspn sugar
salt to taste
2 tablespoon chopped coriander

Method

1. Roughly grind the peas and keep aside.

2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin and sesame seeds.

3. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies, stir quickly and add the peas, mix.

4. Stir and cook for about 15 minutes, turn down the heat so that the peas do not burn.

5. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl, add the coconut, sugar, salt and coriander. Mix well. Make the kachori / pastry when cool.

Pastry
2 cups plain flour
salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil
2/3 cups water

1. Add the salt to the flour and mix
2. Rub the flour and oil till you get a bread crumb like appearance.
3. Slowly add the water to get a fairly firm pastry, knead well and leave until the filling has cooled down.

Making the Kachori / pastry / gughra

Oil spray or oil for brush

1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees centigrade

2. Grease a oven tray

3. Divide the dough into 20 pieces.

3 ways

a. roll, place a tablespoon of mixture in the middle, wet half the edge with water and fold.

b Mark the edge with a fork and place on a greased oven tray.
c.Repeat until you have made 20. brush or spray with oil

d. Place in the oven bake for 20 minutes

OR

a. roll, place a tablespoon of mixture in the middle, bring the edges together and make a ball.

b. Repeat until you have made 20. Place on greased tin, brush or spray with oil

c. Place in the oven bake for 20 minutes

OR

a. roll, place a tablespoon of mixture in the middle, place in the kachori mould / dabbi, wet half the edge with water and fold, close the mould, remove place on greased tray.

b.Repeat until you have made 20. brush or spray with oil

c. Place in the oven bake for 20 minutes

I used the third method. These moulds can be bought in Indian shops (at Popats, Ealing Rd, Wembley