Tag-Archive for » Indian «

03
Nov
Rasgullas
Brigita

Ingredients:

4 cups of whole milk

1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

1 and ½ cup sugar*

½ teaspoon cardamom powder

3 cup water for boiling*

*Proportion of sugar to water should be around 1:2.

Method:

1. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to milk and bring it to boil. The lemon juice will separate the milk into watery whey and solid chunks.

2. Throw away the liquid part by shifting the mixture through a clean muslin cloth. (It will take around 15 minutes to have excessive water drip off.). Then squeeze out the extra water.

3. Mix solid milk chuck with cardamom. Knead it like dough.

4. Make a small balls (around ½ inch diameter) out of dough.

5. Boil water in a wide utensil with at least 2 to 3 inches of water over medium-low heat.

6. Add sugar to the boiling water to make a sweet syrup.

7. Gently drop the solid balls in the boiling syrup.

8. Cook the balls in the boiling syrup for about 25 minutes. Balls will expand about twice its size.

9. Remove from the heat. Cool it. Serve it in room temperature or colder.

Note: The given recipe is a basic guide to make Rasgullas from scratch. Some also add semolina to firmly hold fresh cheese together in the spherical shape. Rasgulla (also spelled rasgula, rassogolla) is popular milk (soft cheese) based Indian dessert. Literally, rasgullas are spherical fresh cheese balls in sugar syrup.

Category: Desserts, Indian  Tags: ,  Leave a Comment
03
Nov
Goan Fish Curry
Brigita

Ingredients:

3 dried whole red chillies

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 teaspoon ground turmeric

3 garlic cloves

3cm piece ginger

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 ripe tomato, chopped

1 large green chillies, seeded and sliced thinly

440g can coconut milk

salt to taste

800g fillets flat head, halved

Method:

Using a spice grinder blend chillies, cumin, coriander, mustard seeds and turmeric to a fine powder. In a pestle and mortar crush garlic and ginger to a fine paste. Add spice powder and incorporate well into the ginger paste. Mix in vinegar.In a large deep frying pan heat oil. Add onion and fry until slightly coloured. Add spice paste and fry for 3 minutes until fragrant. Add tomato and chilli and cook for 10 minutes or until tomato breaks down. Add coconut milk, season with salt and then add fish fillets. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, turn fish over and simmer for remaining 5 minutes or until fish is cooked as desired, this will vary with size of fillet used. Serve with basmati rice

Note: As Goan version might be hot to someone’s taste, make it milder by halving the amount of spices/chillies.

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03
Nov
Chicken Tikka
Brigita

Ingredients:

• 500 g Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 2 tbsp Tomato paste

• 2 tbsp Lemon juice

• 2 tsp Ground coriander

• 2 tsp Curry Powder

• 1/2 tsp sweet red Paprika

• 2 cups plain Yoghurt

• 4 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)

• 1 inch Fresh Ginger (chopped)

• 2 tsp Ground cumin

• 3 tbsp Butter/Oil

Method:

•Mix all ingredients except chicken together in a bowl.

•Refrigerate it overnight.

•Add chicken (cut in cubes) and marinate it in the above-mentioned bowl.

•Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

•Preheat oven to 230 degrees C.

•Bring chicken to room temperature and skewer on metal or bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes).

•Place on baking tray and bake in oven for 20 to 35 minutes.

•3 tbs of butter/oil can be drizzled over for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

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02
Nov
J’s Prawn Curry
Brigita

Ingredients:

* 4 tbsp sunflower oil

* 1 tsp black mustard seeds

* 400g canned chopped tomatoes

* 500g raw tiger prawns, peeled

* 100ml coconut cream or fresh cream

* 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

For the curry paste:

* 1 medium onion, chopped

* 3 garlic cloves, crushed

* 2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped

* 2.5cm fresh ginger, chopped

* 4 tsp paprika

* 1 tsp garam masala

* 1 tsp ground coriander

* 1/2 tsp cumin powder

* 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

* 1/2 tsp salt

* 2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Make the curry paste. Put the ingredients into a food processor with 1 tablespoon of water and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the mustard seeds and cover the pan with a lid. As soon as they begin to pop, uncover and add the prepared curry paste. Fry for 4-5 minutes until it seems to be splitting from the oil, then add 250ml hot water and simmer for a further 3 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until they have broken down in the sauce. Add the prawns and cream and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, until

the prawns are just firm and pink. Season to taste. Stir in the coriander and serve immediately with naan bread or pooris.

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02
Nov
Rice with Onion & Cumin
Brigita

Ingredients:

2-cup cooks rice,

4-cups water

1-cup finely chopped onion,

1-tsp cumin seeds,

2-tbsp oil,

1-2 Bayleaf,

Salt to taste,

Coriander leaves for garnish (optional)

Method:

1: Heat the oil in pan and add cumin seeds and bay leaf in it.

2: Add finely chopped onion in it.

3: Cook until they are transparent not golden brown. Sprinkle salt to taste.

4: After that add rice in it and mix.Add water.

5: Cook in law flame until rice is soft.

6: Serve garnished with coriander leaves as side dish to curry or tikka.

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01
Nov
Lamb Madras
Brigita

Ingredients:

* 3-4 tbsps vegetable or sunflower cooking oil

* 1 kg lamb, chopped into cubes

* 2 onions, finely chopped

* 2 tsps garlic, ground to a paste

* 1 tsp ginger, ground to a paste

* 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped

* 1 tsp cumin seeds

* 6 peppercorns

* 6 cloves

* 2 tbsps coriander seeds

* 1 tbsp mustard seeds

* 1 tsp cinnamon

* 1 bay leaf

* 1 tsp fennel seeds

* 1/2 tsp chilli powder

* 1 cup thick coconut milk

* Salt

Method:

1. On a medium heated dry pan, roast the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves and peppercorns until they are slightly dark and aromatic. Remove from heat and grind to a fine powder mix.

2. Place the mix with the garlic and ginger pastes, red chilli powder, cinnamon and 3-4 tbsps of water in a food processor and grind until it’s a smooth paste.

3. Heat the cooking oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat. Fry the onion until golden, add the above masala paste and bay leaf and reduce heat slightly. Stirring often, fry until the oil separates from the spice paste. If required, add water to keep the masala from sticking to the pan.

4. Add the meat and brown it, then add the tomatoes, coconut milk and 1 cup of hot water. Season with salt. Cook until the lamb is soft and the gravy is thick. If required add hot water to maintain the amount of gravy as you cook.

Remove bay leaf and serve with brown or pilau rice and naan bread.

Note: This rather hot, but absolutely delicious dish, takes its’ name from the city of Madras in Southern India. In Southern India dishes tend to be made ‘hotter’ than other areas in India, designed to make you perspire, thus cooling you down… It is supposed to be a hot dish but if you find it ‘too hot’ then use less Chilli Powder

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01
Nov
Naan
Brigita

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour

• 1 tsp Superfine sugar

• 1 tsp Dry yeast

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 tsp Ghee or Oil

• Water as per requirement

Method:

•Take the yeast and dissolve it water taken in a bowl.

•Cover the mixture and leave it aside for 10 minutes.

•Now take the all purpose flour in a shallow tray and make a depression in the center.

•Add yeast, ghee, sugar and salt. Mix them properly.

•Add some more water if it is required.

•Put the mixture on a floured surface and make dough. Knead it well for 5-7 minutes.

•Keep it in a warm place for 1 hour and cover it so that it can rise.

•After due time period, make small balls out of the dough.

•Flatten each ball to make ovals of about 1 cm thickness.

•Put these ovals on a smeared heavy-duty aluminum foil.

•Grill it under a preheated broiler till golden brown color appears.

•Repeat the procedure with rest of the balls.

•Naans are ready to serve.

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27
Oct
Spiced Cookies
Brigita

Ingredients:

3 cups plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground star anise

OR

1 tsp mixed spices (contains all four of the above)

250g (1 cup) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices into a large bowl.

2. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until it becomes pale in colour and fluffy in texture. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combine.

3. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until it is all combined.

4. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to one hour. This will make it firm up a bit.

5. Preheat the oven to 200 deg C (400 deg F).

6. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls (about 2cm). Sprinkle with additional sugar and flatten slightly. Place on a lined baking sheet about 4cm apart.

7. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly browned (be careful, they may brown quickly after this).

8. Cool on the tray for a minute before placing on wire racks to cool completely.

Note: They keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

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27
Oct
B’s Chicken Curry
Brigita

Ingredients:

1. 6-8 chicken thighs and/or legs, skinned, bone in and washed

2. 250 mls thick (Greek style) yoghurt

3. 1 tbs ground red sweet paprika

4. pinch of chilli flakes

5. ¼ tsp of each powder: turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, black pepper

6. 1tsp curry powder

7. 1tsp garam masala powder

8. 3-4 tbs oil

9. 1/4 tsp of each type of seeds: cumin, coriander, carraway and poppy

10. 1-2 whole dry red birds-eye chillies

11.  2 big onions finely chopped

12. 1 tbs ginger-garlic paste

13.  1/2 tsp of each powder: coriander, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg, curry and garam masala powder

14.  400 g diced tomatoes (fresh or from can)

15.  salt to taste

16. chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Combine ingredients 2-7 into marinade mix. Poke Chicken thighs with fork. Marinate chicken for 20 mins-1 hr.

2.In a deep pan add oil and fry on low heat seeds and chillies (9-10) just to release aroma.

3. Add the onions and ginger-garlic paste and saute till soft and translucent.

4. Add all powders (13), combine well and fry for another minute to release fragrance.

5. Add the marinated chicken and cook on medium for 4-5 minutes until browned.

6. Add the tomatoes and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.

7. Add a cup of water for more gravy consistency, salt to taste. Simmer on low for 1 hr or until chicken pieces are soft (meat is coming of bones easily) and you get the desired curry consistency. Adjust salt.

8. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Note: This recipe uses dry seeds and powders and is handy if you can’t buy fresh ingredients (except for coriander leaves).  It gives delicious spicy but not hot taste. Amount of spices can be adjusted to personal taste.

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27
Oct
Rotis
Brigita

Ingredients:

(makes 12 rotis)

Whole Wheat Flour (Chapati Flour) – 2 cups

Salt – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Oil – 4 tsp

Warm Water – 3/4 cup

All-purpose flour – for rolling and dusting

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix Chapati Flour and Salt well.

2. Add Oil and mix until all lumps are gone.

3. Add Warm Water a little at a time to form a medium soft dough ball. Do not overwork the dough.

4. Add few drops of Oil and coat the dough ball. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

5. Heat Tawa or skillet on medium heat.

6. Knead the dough once and divide into golf ball size balls.

7. Dip one ball into the All-purpose flour to coat and roll it out into a thin disc. Keep dipping the rotli into the dry flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling surface.

8. Shake or rub off excess flour from the rotli and place it onto the hot tawa.

9. Flip to the other side once you see bubbles appear on the surface. Allow it to cook for 10-15 seconds.

10. Increase the stove heat to High, gently pick the rotli up with tongs, remove the tawa off of the flame, flip the rotli over and place onto an open flame.

11. The rotli should balloon up. Flip it over and cook on the other side.

12. Place the cooked rotli into an insulated container and smear it with Ghee or clarified butter and repeat the process for the remaining dough.

Note: Steps 10-11 are optional, but they enhance the flavour. If open flame is not available, they should be baked 1/2 min per side.

Category: Indian, Side Dishes, Vegetarian  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment