Punjabi style Vegetable Samosa using Tortilla Wraps

Ingredients
1  medium sweet potatoes
1 carrots
1 400g tin Chickpeas; drained and washed
1 cloves garlic
1 inch piece ginger
1 green chillies
1/2 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
6 stalks coriander, finely chopped.
1 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds 
10 curry leaves 
½ teaspoon  garam masala
1 medium sized (8in. diameter) pack soft tortillas (6)
50g plain flour; mixed with water to make a thick paste to use as glue
Extra oil and turmeric to brush over the samosa

Method

1. Boil the peeled sweet potatoes, and dice into small pieces and grate the carrots.
2. Chop spring onions and coriander and set aside.
3. Mince the garlic, grate the ginger and mince the chillies and set aside.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the curry leaves, cumin and mustard seeds.
5. Add the turmeric, garlic and ginger, stir for a minute and add the carrots, mix, turn the heat down and cover. Leave for 5 minutes.
6. Add the chickpeas cook 5 minutes and add sweet potatoes, mix well. Remove from heat and add the spring onion.
7. Let it cool and add the coriander and garam masala.
8. Cut a tortilla wrap down the centre. Fold one side over and add a little paste then fold the opposite side over on top of the paste. This acts as a glue.
9. Fill the samosa and seal the top with more paste.
10. Place onto an oiled baking tray brush with oil with a little turmeric and bake at 180 for 20 minutes.

Makes 12

Sweet and Sour Okra (Khata Mitha Bhinda)

Ingredients

1 kg Okra
3 onions; sliced
4 tablespoons Mustard Oil 
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder
Tamarind pulp – ½ cup
50g brown sugar or Jaggery (Gur)
Chopped Coriander for garnish


Method

1. Wash and dry the Okra, then top and tail them, leave whole. 
2. In a frying pan add 2 table spoon of mustard oil, sauté okra for 5-8 minutes and set aside
3. Heat rest of mustard oil in another pan and add the onions, fry until golden brown, add to the okra and add the spices.
4. Add a sprinkle of water and cook for 10-15 min with frequent stirring, till okra become soft and tender. Taste, and adjust salt or chilli.
5. Add tamarind pulp and jaggery to it to give a nice sweet and sour flavour.
6. Cook for 2-3 min and serve hot garnished with coriander.

Beetroot and Coconut Samosas

The filling for this recipe is adapted from the Keralan Beetroot Thoran.  This is a dry stir fried vegetable with coconut.

Ingredients
500g beetroot
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp hing - asafoetida
10-12 curry leaves, finely sliced
2 green chillies, finely sliced
200g fresh grated coconut or
100 desiccated coconut
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 pack of filo pastry (6-8 sheets)
Olive oil for brushing

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. Peel and grate the beetroots, set aside 
3. Heat 2 tbsp of oil and add the mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter then reduce the heat and add the cumin seeds and curry leaves.
4. Stir together and cook for a minute before adding the asafoetida.
5. Stir in the grated coconut and saute with the spices. Coconut can stick to the bottom of the pan so keep stirring. 
6. Once the coconut has toasted add the beetroot and cook until the beetroot is dry.  Place in a glass bowl to cool.
7. To make samosa:  Spread one sheet of the filo pastry brush with olive oil. Place another sheet on top and spread with olive oil.
8. Cut the phyllo sheets in 3 strips.  At the end of each strip add one tablespoon of the filling. Fold one corner to form a triangle and continue folding the triangle upon itself, until the entire piece of filo is used. Continue with the rest filo sheets and filling.
9. Oil the bottom of a large baking tray, place the samosas and brush them with some olive oil on top. Bake in for 25-30 minutes, until golden and crispy.

Makes 18-24

Recipes from my Age UK Cookery Class - 1

Clockwise from top:
Pomegranate Raita
Kachumber Salad
Basmati Rice
Naan Bread
Beetroot and Coconut Samosa
Lamb Kofte Curry
Cauliflower and Peas Curry 

Fenugreek Infused Aubergine, Peas and Sweet Potato Curry

Ingredients

1 large onion; chopped fine

4-5 cloves garlic; minced

3 inch ginger; grated

1 bunch fenugreek, chopped fine

4-5 green chillies; minced

3 large aubergines

3 large sweet potatoes

2 cups frozen peas

3 tablespoons oil

2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

10 curry leaves

1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

3 heaped teaspoons cumin/coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Salt to taste

Method

1.     Chop the onions and set aside

2.     Mince the garlic, ginger and chillies in a food processor or chop finely

3.     Chop the fenugreek finely

4.     Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes

5.     Cut the aubergines into similar size cubes.

6.     Heat the oil in a large pan, add the cumin, curry leaves and mustard seeds. After they have popped add the onion and salt,  fry until golden brown.

7.     Add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, chillies, decrease the heat and cook for 7-8 minutes, until it is like a thick sauce, then chopped fenugreek, mix and cook for 3 minutes.

8.     Add the cumin, coriander and turmeric powders, and mix and cook for a few minutes.

9.     Add the potatoes, mix so the potatoes are coated with the tomato sauce, cover and cook about 10 minutes. Then add the aubergines and mix.

10.  Lower the heat, cover and cook for about 30 minutes until the potatoes and the aubergines are cooked.

Mung Dal

Ingredients

1 Cup Moong dal

1 tbsp chopped corriander

pinch of turmeric

salt

for Tadka

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

pinch of hing

1 tsp jeera

5-6 Curry leaves

2 green chilli split into halves length way

Method:

Soak the mung dal for about 2 hours or overnight, place in a pan and cook with 2 cups of water 30 minutes

Heat oil in a small frying pan and add mustard and cumin seeds,  green chillies, curry leaves and hing

Pour this tadka to the moong dal and add salt, turmeric and cook for 2-3 mins.(Addmore water to the required consistency).Add chopped corriander at the end and mix well.

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