Wandsworth Parking Charges - Daylight Robbery

The council here, trying to balance its books.

Parking charges have tripled in the last 7-10 years, though if you ask small businesses if their sales, profit margins or customer foot fold have increased, the answer will be NO! More the fact, prices of goods and services have not trebled in the last 7-10 years, so why should parking charges.

We all want to balance books and know that times are hard. Why don’t the directors at Wandsworth Council take a reduction of salaries like the rest of us, if they want to balance books.

I ask shoppers, businesses, business representatives to ACT now before you let our council kill the High Street.

Please, vote your concerns by directly writing to:

Director of Technical Services
Wandsworth Borough Council
The Town Hall
Wandsworth High Street
London
SW18 2PU

Steamed Garlic Fish

Ingredients

400gms Tilipia Fish (frozen) or 4 fresh fillets     

4 stalks of spring onion finely chopped      

4-5 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 small red onion finely chopped

2-3 red or green red chillies finely sliced

2tbsp fresh coriander or parsley, finely chopped

1/2 a yellow lemon

100gms of butter or 4tbsp of olive oil 

Salt & pepper to taste

Foil

Preparation

Place the fish fillets in a plate and squeeze over the lemon, if using frozen allow to thaw before using.

Sprinkle over salt and pepper, leave to chill for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, add the finely chopped spring onions, garlic, coriander, green chillies and mix well.

Depending on the size of your fish cut out 4 large pieces of foil in order to make parcels as shown as below.

Place one fillet piece on a sheet of foil and sprinkle quarter of the herb mixture over. Place 25gms of butter or sprinkle desired amount of olive oil over.

Taking the edges of the foil carefully wrap making a parcel, as shown above. Make sure all edges are tight. Place the parcels in a tray and into a pre-heated oven at 175°C degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove and serve hot.

Bav's Christmas Lamb Chops

Spicy Lamb Chops, served with a Mango, Coriander & Mint Relish

Ingredients

1kg Lamb Chops (front), 1 centimetre thick cuts

25-30 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1tbsp garlic paste

1tbsp ginger paste

3tbsp natural plain yogurt

1/2 juice of a fresh lemon

2tbsp sunflower oil

1tbsp ground coriander

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp ground nutmeg

1tsp ground black pepper

2tsp salt

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, add the oil, garlic, ginger pastes and all the dry spices and mix together well.

Then add the yogurt, lemon and finely chopped mint leaves and stir in.

Add the lamb chops and mix in well, either with a spoon or using you're hands. Cover and leave to marinate up to 3 hours or preferably over night.

Arrange the chops on a large roasting tray, using all the marinade. Place in the middle of a pre heated oven at 225 °C degrees for 45 minutes. Check and shake the tray a few times.

Serve hot!

My Methi Chicken

Chunks of boneless chicken cooked in spices, herbs, tomotoes, yogurt & methi (fenugreek). 

Ingredients

1kg medium chicken chunks

100gms fried onions

20gms kasuri methi (dried fenugreek)

1tbsp garlic paste

1tbsp ginger paste

1 ½ tsp cumin seeds

6-8 whole black peppercorns

1 ½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp ground coriander

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp ground black pepper

1tsp garam masala

1tbsp fresh chillies finely chopped (optional)

200gms natural plain yogurt whipped

4med fresh tomatoes liquidised

6tbsp sunflower oil

Preparation

In a large deep frying pan, preferably one with a lid, heat up the oil on a medium heat. Once hot add the cumin seeds, black peppercorns and fry for 20 seconds.

Add the fried onions and stir fry for one minute, then add the garlic, ginger pastes and stir fry for a further 30 seconds.

Add in the chickens chunks and stir fry for 10 minutes, until all meat has turned white. Sprinkle in all the dry spices, kasuri methi and stir fry for a further minute or two.

Reduce heat and pour in the blended tomatoes and whipped yogurt, stir in, cover with a lid and allow too simmer for 40 minutes, occasionally stirring.

Sprinkle in the salt, green chillies if using, stir and serve hot.

The Boss

My Dad, lovely pic Nirja.

Chana Masala

Chickpeas stir fried in spices and herbs

Ingredients

500gms boiled chickpeas

2med red onions finely chopped

1tbsp crushed garlic

1tbsp crushed ginger

1tbsp fresh green chillies finely chopped (optional)

1tsp cumin seeds

2tsp ground coriander

1tsp garam masala

1 tsp mango powder (amchur)

1tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp chilli powders

1tsp pomegranate powder (anardana)

1tsp dried mint

15gms dried fenugreek (kasuri methi)

5tbsp sunflower oil

50ml water

1tbsp fresh lemon juice

1½ tsp salt

Preparation

Heat up the oil in a large deep non-stick frying pan. Add in the cumin seeds and stir fry for 20-30 seconds.

Add the in the onions, garlic, ginger, chillies and sauté for around 10 minutes.

Sprinkle in all the dried spices, herbs and stir fry for a minute, then pour in the water and stir thoroughly.

Add the chickpeas, salt, fresh lemon juice, mix together and cook for 10 minutes before serving hot.

Chana Masala with added cooked potatoes

Vegetable Bhajia (Fried spicy vegetable dumplings)

Ingredients

200gms gram flour

200gms semolina coarse

1 ½ tsp salt

1tsp baking powder

1tsp coarse black pepper

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp turmeric powder

2tsp cumin seeds

1 med potato, grated

1 med carrot, grated

100gms fresh spinach leaves chopped

1 med onion, chopped or sliced

1tbsp garlic, chopped

1tbsp ginger, chopped

1tbsp green chillies, chopped, (optional)

300gms natural plain yogurt, whipped

Oil for deep frying

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, add the gram flour, semolina, salt, coarse black pepper, chilli powder, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, green chillies and mix well.

Pour in the whipped yogurt and mix in well, using a whisk or folk, to form a slightly thick batter. Add the onion, potato, carrots, spinach and mix well.

Finally add in the baking powder and give a final stir, before frying.

Heat up the oil in a frying pan, on a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat slightly.

Using two large tablespoons, scoop up some of the batter in one spoon and use the back of the other to scrap the batter off the spoon and into the oil.

Fry these vegetable balls for around 5-6 minutes in small batches, moving around gently using a perforated spoon. Once they turn golden brown remove on a plate of kitchen towels using a perforated spoon.

Serve Hot!

Dopiaza/Dupiaza/Do Peeaza

A traditional Mogul dish, the term means any meats cooked with vegetables. The dish found in restaurants today in the west uses two kinds of onions or the same amount of onions as the meat. Hence coming from the name which sounds like two onions. Is this another recipe that has been created by our chefs in the Midlands or is it a true dish? Cooking with the same amounts of onions and meats can make a dish very sweet, so my opinion would be to use two onions in the different stages of cooking, i.e. adding fried brown onions on top, just before serving.

Karahi/Korai

Cast iron wok with two ring handles on either side, used to create dishes like Lamb Karahi which you will find in certain south Asian restaurants. Like Chinese woks, the method here is the same, quick cooking times due to the heat cast iron gives off, once hot, often stays hot, even after removing from the heat.

Karahi Egg Kheema

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