Sufro for Chandraat - 1

Bateta Champ / Mashed Potatoes stuff with spicy meat

Chikki / Peanut Brittle

Ghosh Pilau / Lamb Pilau

Vegan Carrot Halwa

2 cups grated carrots

1 cup ground almonds

2 cups hot water

1 tablespoon raisins

½ teaspoon ground cardamom;

¼ teason grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon saffron

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

1 tablespoon sliced pistachios

1.     To make almond milk, mix the ground almonds with the hot water and leave for two hours.

2.     Place the almond milk in a saucepan and bring to boil, add the carrots, raisins, cardamom, nutmeg and saffron and simmer for 30 minutes or until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.

3.     Add the sugar, almonds and pistachios (reserve some nuts for garnishing), mix and cook for 5 minutes

4.     Serve hot or cold.  Great with ice cream.

Murgh Makhani / Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken apparently originated in a restaurant called Moti Mahal in Delhi in the 1950s. The chef had some leftover chicken tikka which was too dry to serve to the customers, so he made a tomato based buttery sauce and voila Butter Chicken was born!

4 chicken breasts; cut into 2-inch chunks)

Marinade

1 lime; juiced

½ cup yogurt

1-tablespoon oil

2-teaspoon paprika

2 inch piece of ginger; grated

4 garlic cloves; minced

1 or more green chilies; minced

1-teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Salt to taste

Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1 table spoon oil

2 medium onions; chopped fine

1 400g-can plum tomatoes; blended

1-teaspoon tomato puree

2-tablespoons cashew nuts; ground

3-4 cloves garlic; minced

2-inch piece ginger; grated

2 chilies; minced

2 teaspoons coriander powder

1-teaspoon cumin powder

½ cup cream

½ teaspoon garam masala

Method.

Mix the marinade ingredients

Marinade the chicken for at least two hours (overnight if possible)

Grease a large baking tray; place the chicken on the tray and cook in the oven at 220^oC for 15 minutes

Meanwhile fry the onion in the butter and oil mixture until translucent.

Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, ginger and green chilies; stir and cook until you can see the butter.

Add the cashew nuts, mix well

Add the cumin, coriander powders.

Add the chicken and cook for about 10 minutes; add the cream

Add garam masala

Serve with nan bread.

Menu for Rachel and Tal Lunch 2nd July 2011

Starters (Vegan)  Assorted Vegetable Bhajia (Indian style tempura made from Chickpea flour served with coconut coriander and chilli chutney, Dips and Puri    (crispy Indian fried bread),  Bhurto (smoked aubergine with fresh herbs), Avocado and mint with a hint of chillies

Main Course  Chicken Makhani (Chicken tikka in a buttery tomato sauce), Butternut Squash Korma (Vegetables  in a creamy coconut sauce) , Split Mung Beans with Spinach                                                                          

Sides  (Vegan) Herbed Pilau Rice, Nan Bread, Tomato Salad                                                                                                

Pickles  (Vegan) Sprouted Fenugreek (with pomegranate molasses - sweet, sour and hot!) , Gunda and Mango (with mustard and fenugreek seeds)

Dessert:  (Vegan) Nutty Carrot Halva (grated carrots steeped in almond milk flavoured with cardamom and saffron

Drinks:  Salty Lassi (yogurt drink), Fruit Juice

Give Peas a Chance

Peas are in season right now, some tasty recipes:

Click to View Recipe

Peas and Cauliflower Curry

Minced Beef and Peas Curry

Peas and Potato Curry

Peas and Spinach Burgers (Hara Bara Kebab)

Mutter Katchori

Peas, Aubergine and Potato Curry

Methi Peas and Mushroom Curry

Peas Pilau

Gujarati Khandvi - Microwave Method

Ingredients

Batter

1 cup Chickpea / gram flour

1 cup yogurt

2 cups water

3 garlic cloves; minced

1 inch piece of ginger; grated

2 green chilies; minced

½ teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon asafetida / hing

Salt to taste

For Vaghar / Tempering

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

6 curry leaves

For garnish

1 tablespoon desiccated coconut

2 tablespoons coriander; finely chopped

Method

1.    Place all the batter ingredients in a microwave bowl, mix well to make a smooth fairly thin batter. Beat well; I used a hand blender to make sure there were no lumps.

2.    Cook uncovered in microwave for 3 minutes, mix well and cook for another two 3 minutes mixing well between cooking. I cooked the batter for a total of 9 minutes. (Microwave times differ according to different makes).  The batter should be quite thick now

3.    Test if it is done by place a drop on a flat surface, if it sets, it is ready.

4.    Spread the batter as fast as possible with a palate knife on ungreased foil sheet.   Make sure is spread quite thinly.

5.    When cool and set, (a couple of minutes), cut the sheet of khandvi into 2 inches thick pieces.  Roll each piece into khandvis (like Swiss roll), and place on a flat serving dish.

Vaghar/tempering

6.    Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the sesame, mustard and cumin seeds with the curry leaves cook for a 2-3 minutes and pour over the khandvi.

7.    Garnish with the desiccated coconut and the chopped coriander.

Bhaji Gosht / Palak Gosht / Lamb with Spinach

Ingredients

1 lb lamb; cut into bite size pieces

3 bunches of spinach; washed and chopped (3 cups when chopped)

2 tablespoons  oil

Whole garam masala  (3 cloves, 4 peppercorns, 2 whole cardamoms, 1 inch piece of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds)

1 onion; chopped fine

4 small new potatoes (optional); cut into halves

400g tin of plum tomatoes; liquidised

3-4 cloves of garlic; minced

2 inches piece of ginger; grated

2 green chillies; minced

2 teaspoons of coriander and cumin powders

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a a pan, add the whole garam masala  (3 cloves, 4 peppercorns, 2 whole cardamoms, 1 inch piece of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds).  Let them pop, and add the chopped onions and cook until transparent.

2. Add the potatoes (if using) and continue to cook until the onions are golden brown, add the lamb and cook until the meat is brown all over.

3. Add the tomatoes, garlic and ginger and simmer for 40 minutes.

4. Add the spinach, mix and add the water and simmer for a further 20 minutes or until the lamb is cooked.

5. Add the garam masala and salt.

Serve with hot chapatis