Tarka Dall

The famous spicy lentil soup found in nearly all good south Asian restaurants. Here is my spiced up version, using two different lentils.  

Ingredients

150gm masoor dall (split red lentils)

150gm moong dall (split yellow lentils)

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp fresh garlic crushed

1 tbsp fresh ginger crushed

1000ml water

1 medium onion, finely sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

2 long dried red chillies

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2 tbsp butter ghee

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp onion seeds (nigella seeds)

1/4 tsp asafoetida

2-3 green chillies

10gms fresh finely chopped coriander

Serves 4

Cooking The Lentils

Place the lentils in a pot and rinse a few times in warm water. Add the correct amount of water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

Add the turmeric powder, salt, crushed garlic, crushed ginger and stir in well. Place on the hob and bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. I tend to remove the froth which appears half way the cooking process.

Once cooked, either liquidise or sieve through the lentil soup so it becomes smooth, place back in a pan.

The Tarka

In a small frying pan pour in the oil and butter ghee, heat on a medium heat.

Once fairly hot, add the mustard, onion seeds and dry red chillies. Fry until the mustard seeds stop crackling.

Sprinkle in the asafoetida, stir in for a few seconds. Add the sliced onions, garlic and fry until the onions turn golden brown.

Pour the Tarka over heated Dall.

Sprinkle the chopped coriander , chillies in the middle of the Dall and serve hot.

Mung Bean Dal

Mung Beans is one of the most popular beans I sell, various recipes exist, including sprouting these nutritious beauties for various culinary uses. Below is my Gujarati style tomato based Dal.

Ingredients 

500gms large mung beans

2500ml water

10tbsp sunflower oil

1tsp cumin seeds

2"inches cassia bark

5 whole cloves

1/4tsp asafoetida

2 whole red chillies

2 medium onions, finely chopped

700gm fresh tomato pulp

1tbsp crushed garlic

1tbsp crushed ginger

4-5 Indian green chillies

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground turmeric

2tsp garam masala

1tsp amchur powder

3tbsp fresh coriander

2tsp salt

Serves 4-6

Cooking

Soak the mung beans in water for 12 hours overnight.

Place the soaked mung beans in a large pot with 2500ml water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, until cooked. Leave aside.  

In a large wok heat up the oil on a medium heat, once hot throw in the cumin seeds, cassia bark, cloves, whole red chilli and stir fry for 15 seconds.

Sprinkle in the asafoetida, stir quickly and throw in the finely chopped onions and allow to brown, stirring throughout. 

Once brown, add the crushed garlic, ginger, green chillies and saute for 2 minutes.

Pour in the fresh tomato pulp, stir in well and simmer for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle in the dried spices and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Pour the tomato sauce into the pot of mung beans, stir well, put back on a low heat for around 20 minutes.

Serve hot with warm Indian breads and rice.

Mushroom Bhajee

A succulent dish of sauted mushrooms in butter and infused with herbs and ground spices.

Ingredients

200g Chestnut Mushrooms, halved and sliced
3tbsp Olive oil
50g Unsalted Butter
1tbsp Garlic Crushed
2 Green Chillies, finely sliced
2 Spring Onions, sliced
2 tbsp Fresh Coriander, finely chopped
1/2tsp Ground Coriander
1/2tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/4tsp Ground Star Aniseed
1/2tsp Salt
1tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

Cooking

In a wok heat the olive oil and butter on a medium heat.

Once fairly hot, add the crushed garlic, sauté for around a minute.

Throw in the mushrooms and sauté further for another 8-10 minutes, until their juices evaporate.

Sprinkle in the dried spices, spring onions, chillies and lemon juice and stir in well for a few minutes.

Serve hot, by itself or accompanied with other dishes.

Mint Paneer Tikka

The perfect vegetarian starter, Indian cottage cheese marinated in mint, herbs, spices, yogurt, char grilled either on a griddle or barbeque. 

Ingredients

500gm Paneer Cubes

20 Mint leaves

25gm Fresh Coriander, finely chopped

1tbsp crushed garlic

1tbsp crushed ginger

2-4 fresh green chillies

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp mango powder (amchur)

1 ½tsp salt

4tbsp natural plain yogurt

Cooking Instructions

Place all the ingredients into a herb mixer excluding the yogurt and blend a few times, until the herbs are broken down. 

Now add the yogurt and blend a few more times, add the marinade to the paneer and allow to marinate for up to1 hour in the fridge.

Skewer and either griddle or barbeque on a low heat evenly, until cooked.

Serve on a bed of salad and a slice of lime.

Chatpata Choley - Sweet & Sour Chickpeas

This delicious, nutritious, high protein pulse is popular amongst vegetarians the world over and it's one of my favourite too. This particular dish is my take on a classic,  Chatpata Choley, in other words spicy, sweet and sour chickpea's.

   

INGREDIENTS

1kg chickpeas cooked

2 small onions finely chopped
1tbsp crushed garlic
1tbsp crushed ginger
2-3 fresh green chillies finely chopped
1tsp cumin seeds
4tbsp sunflower oil/olive oil
1tsp garam masala
1tsp chilli powder
1tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground star aniseed
1tsp salt
1tsp sugar
1tbsp concentrated tamarind paste dissolved with 300ml water
Serves 4

COOKING
In a large deep frying pan heat up the oil on a medium heat, once hot throw in the cumin seeds and allow too crackle for 15 seconds. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, chillies and sauté for 10 minutes until onions softened. Add the chick peas and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Pour in the tamarind juice,    sprinkle in the spices, lower heat and simmer for 16-18 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tamarind juice has evaporated.

Serve Hot.

Paneer Spinach & Tomato

I have been asked by customers and on my travels for a perfect recipe for Saag Paneer, which for those who don’t know is an Indian style cottage cheese in a spicy spinach pureed sauce. And even though I like cooking a traditional style paneer saag, it got me thinking of how I would like to cook it in my very own style.

 

So over the weekend this is what I done………..  

Ingredients

750gms paneer cubes, fried until slightly brown throughout

400gm baby spinach leaves, washed

1 medium tomato, seeds removed, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cayenne powder

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground white pepper

1tsp pomegranate powder

1 tbsp fresh garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

1tsp green chillies chopped

1 tbsp fresh lemon  juice

6 tbsp olive oil

Serves 2-4

Cooking Instruction

In a  fairly large wok heat up the olive oil on a medium to high heat, once hot add the garlic, ginger, chillies and sauté for one minute. 

Throw in the fried paneer cubes and stir fry for a further minute. 

Add the spinach, tomatoes, all dried spices and stir fry for five minutes, sprinkle in the lemon juice, one final stir and serve hot.

Aloo Tikki

Is something like your fried potato cake or croquette though much spicy.

Taste's delicious!

Ingredients

1.5kg boiled potatoes, just cooked, skin removed

4 stalks of spring onions

5-6 Indian green chillies, finely chopped

1 large teaspoon finely grated ginger

2tsp salt

1 ½ tsp sugar

1tsp chilli powder

½ tsp ground white pepper

1tsp mango powder

3tbsp plain flour

3tbsp cornflour

1tsp ground black pepper

oil for shallow frying, at least 1½cm

Preparation

Sieve through the plain flour, cornflour and ground black pepper into a bowl and leave aside.

Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle in all the herbs and spices.

Using a fork break into the potatoes and mix all the ingredients together. You don't want a mash though the potatoes broken into little pieces.

Make little patties around 4cm in diameter and 2½cm thick, leave to one side.

Place the patties into the plain flour mixture and coat well. Shake a little to get rid of any excess flour and place back on a plate.

Heat up the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat, once hot try one to begin with. They should fry very easily, around 3-4 minutes on each side and should brown slightly. Remove to a plate of kitchen towels to drain excess oil.If you are happy then fry the Aloo Tikki in batches of 5-6, otherwise reduce or increase heat slightly.

Serve Hot! 

Stir Fried Pak Choi in Garlic, Ginger & Chillies

Went next door to the Asian fresh vegetable shop and found pak choi, it's amazing the availability of variety of Asian vegetables in our local and large supermarkets. It just makes us want to try out new recipes, that we may only find in restaurants.

So here is my take on one of my favourite vegetables, pak choi, baby Chinese cabbage, stir fried in garlic, ginger and red chillies. Though a Chinese dish, this vegetable dish can go with any cuisine.

Ingredients

Serves 2

250gm Baby Pak Choi, separate stalks and leaves

3 cloves garlic, finely sliced into strips

1 small piece of ginger, finely sliced into strips

2-3 fresh red chillies, finely sliced

200ml vegetable stock

1tsp sugar

1tsp salt

1tbsp dark soy sauce

1tsp fresh lemon juice

1tbsp sesame oil

4tbsp olive oil

Cooking

In a small bowl, pour in the sesame oil, soya sauce, lemon juice, salt, sugar, stir and leave a side.

Heat the olive oil on a high heat in a wok or deep frying pan.

Once hot, throw in the garlic, ginger, chillies and stir fry for a minute.

Add the stalks of the pak choi and stir fry for 2 minutes.

Add the leaves and stir fry for a further 2 minutes.

 Pour in the vegetable stock and soya sauce mixture, stir and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, before serving.

Sweet Corn Curry

A Gujarati favourite sweetcorn in a spicy rich tomato creamy sauce.

Serves 6

Ingredients

750gm sweetcorn

500gm tinned chopped tomatoes, blended in a liquidiser

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1tbsp crushed garlic

1tbsp crushed ginger

2-3 fresh green chillies, finely chopped

3tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

6tbsp red peanuts, coarsely grounded

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp garam masala

1tsp pomegranate powder

2tsp salt

100ml single cream

8tbsp sunflower oil

Preparation

In a fairly large pot, heat up the oil on a medium heat, once hot sprinkle in the cumin seeds and allow to crackle for 20 seconds. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, crushed chillies and saute until light brown.

Sprinkle in the coarsely grounded red peanuts and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the blended tomatoes, sweetcorn and the also the dried spices, stir well and allow to simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on, stirring occasionally.

Finally pour in the single cream, sprinkle in the coriander, stir and cook for a further 10 minutes before serving hot, goes well with naan bread.

Spicy Butter Mushrooms

Very very naughty, though taste's divine.

Ingredients

600gms open cap mushrooms

4tbsp natural plain yogurt, whipped

2tbsp fresh lemon juice

6tbsp olive oil

75gm butter

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

½tsp ground black pepper

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp salt

2tbsp crushed garlic

3-4 red chillies, finely chopped

3tbsp fresh coriander finely chopped

Preparation

In a fairly large bowl pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle in the dry spices and stir well.

Pour in the yogurt, lemon juice and whisk in well.

Throw in the mushrooms, stir in well, coating all the pieces with the marinade, allow to marinate for a few hours or use straight away.

In a medium frying pan or wok, add the rest of the olive oil and butter, allow to heat over a medium heat, once hot, add garlic, red chillies, fresh coriander and saute for a minute.

Add the mushrooms and stir fry for 15-17 minutes, until cooked.

Serve hot with warm bread of you're choice.

Quick & Easy Hot Bean Salad

Hot Soyabean Salad

INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6)

500gms Cooked Soybeans (Boil dry soyabeans for 3 hours or use Tinned)

1tbsp crushed ginger

1tbsp fresh green chillies finely sliced

2tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

5tbsp olive oil

1pcs green bell pepper, finely chopped

2medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

½tsp turmeric powder

1tsp pomegranate powder

1tsp mango powder

2tsp salt

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp chilli powder

3 medium red onions, finely chopped

COOKING

Heat the olive oil on a medium heat in a fairly large non-stick pot. Once the oil is fairly hot, throw in the onions, ginger, chillies and saute for 5 minutes, stirring.

Add in all the spices, beans, tomatoes, peppers, salt and stir in well. Cook for 10 minutes and serve hot, sprinkle a little lemon over if you wish.

Sweetcorn in a Spicy Yogurt Curry

  

Ingredients

500gm sweetcorn  

3 medium onions chopped 

1tbsp fresh ginger, finely crushed

3-4 fresh green chillies finely chopped

4tbsp sunflower oil

500gm natural plain yogurt, whisked, add 300ml water & whisk again

2tsp cumin seeds

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp turmeric powder

3tbsp gram flour

2tsp salt

Preparation

Heat oil up in large pot on a medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and allow to crackle for 15 seconds. Add the onions, crushed ginger, fresh chillies and stir fry  until onions soften.  Remove pot from the heat, add the gram flour and stir  rapidly, once all flour has dissolved, pour in the yogurt       mixture, stir and put back on a low heat. Sprinkle in the dry spices and sweetcorn, stir in well and allow to simmer for a further 15 minutes.

Serve hot!