Recipe of Spring Salad

Ingredients:

2 red capsicum

2 yellow capsicum

1 zucchini

10-12 basil leaves

100 gm rocket leaves

½ iceberg lettuce

1 small bunch of parsley

10 pitted green olives

10 pitted black olives

For the dressing:

4-5 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

3-4 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp garlic sauce

Sea-salt to taste

Method:

Cut the capsicums lengthwise, deseed and cut into cubes. Keep them aside in a salad bowl. Cut the zucchini into round chunks, then cut the chunks into half and cut lengthwise into thin slices. Add to capsicum. Add the rocket leaves, basil leaves and parsley. Then roughly tear the iceberg lettuce and add to capsicum. Chop the olives into small pieces and add to salad. Whisk all the ingredients together. In the end add sea-salt and toss the salad. 

Recipe of Porcini Risotto

Ingredients:

100 g dried procini mushrooms

4 cups of rice

2 cubes of procini stock

4-5 tbsp olive oil

1 ½ liters of water

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried parsley

2 cups white wine (optional)

Sea-salt to taste (optional)

Method:

Soak the porcini mushrooms in ½ liter of warm water just two hours before cooking. Once the mushrooms soften, drain them but also reserve the water. Add one more liter of water to this porcini water and let it boil. Add the cubes of porcini in the stock and let it simmer on low heat. Heat four tbsp. of oil in a non-stick pan. Reduce the flame and add rice to it and stir.  Then add dried oregano and parsley and continue to stir. Pour in white wine and mix well. Now add one or two ladles of the stock to the rice so that the grains get soaked in it. Stir vigorously to allow the rice to release its starch. Keep adding some stock to prevent the grains from drying out. The rice grains will begin to swell up as they release their starch. When the rice looks almost done, taste a couple of grains. They should be al dente, with a bit of bite in the center. Now switch off the fire. In another pan, heat one tbsp. of olive oil and quickly sauté the rehydrated porcini mushrooms. Add some sea-salt if needed, as the mushrooms already have salt. Mix the mushrooms into the risotto. Serve hot. 

Recipe of Amritsari Macchi

Ingredients:

50 g chickpeas or besan flour, sifted

1 tbsp malt vinegar

1 ½ tsp hot chili powder

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp peeled and finely grated root ginger

½ tsp ajowan seeds

1 tsp garam masala

½ tso ground black pepper

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp lemon juice

400 g boneless and skinless cod or sole fillets, in bite size chunks

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method:

In a bowl, mix the flour, vinegar, chili powder, garlic, ginger, ajowain, garam masala, black pepper and salt with about 3 tbsp cold water to make a thick smooth batter. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the fish, then place the fish pieces in the batter and mix carefully, ensuring that the fish doesn’t break up. Cover and leave to marinate for about 15 minutes. Heat the oil in a fryer or wok to 180 degree C. To check that the oil is at the right temperature, carefully add a small droplet of batter to the oil. If the batter sizzles, the oil the ready. Deep-fry the fish in batches. Cook for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with a chutney of your choice. 

Recipe of Bombay Curry

Ingredients:

1 lb. cod

2 tablespoon Jeera

18-20 dried Kashmir red chilies

1 full garlic

1 can coconut milk

2-3 green chilies – whole

2 medium sized onion – sliced

½ teaspoon tamarind extract

Method:

Grind jeera, garlic, red chilies – adding water to make it into a paste. Put coconut milk into a pan/ casserole, add paste of curry and cook. Add sliced onion and fresh chilies. Tamarind when it comes to boil and add fish pieces last.

Preferably cook a day before serving. Serve with rice.

Tip: You could use coley instead of cod, it’s cheaper and offers more texture for this kind of curry preparation.
Tamarind extract can be substituted by fresh lemon or lime juice.

Recipe of Theplas (Unleavened fenugreek flatbreads)

Ingredients:

150 g whole wheat flour, plus extra for dusting

¼ tsp turmeric

Pinch of asafetida (optional)

20-30 g fenugreek leaves, finely chopped (or 2 tbsp dried)

½ tsp mild chili powder

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp peeled and finely grated root ginger

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

Mix together flour, turmeric, asafetida, fenugreek leaves, chili powder, coriander, cumin, ginger and 1 tbsp of oil. Then add approximately 100 ml of tepid water and knead the flour for 5-7 minutes into a soft pliable dough. Leave it covered of 10-15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal sized balls. Cover them with the damp cloth to stop the dough from drying out. Take each ball and with a dusting of flour, roll it out into 12.5 cm dics, about 2 mm inch thick. Heat the griddle. When it is hot, add 1 tsp of oil and place he disc on to the griddle. Cook for about 1 ½ minutes on each side, carefully pressing the disc firmly down so that the thepla is cooked. Cover with foil and place in a warm oven while you cook the remaining discs, adding 1 tsp oil each time. Serve hot with chutney or mixed vegetable curry. 

Recipe of Rasgulla

Ingredients:

½ liter Milk
1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice or 2 tbsp curd

¾ cup water

5 ice cubes

4 cup sugar

A pinch of cardamom powder

3-4 pistachio, finely chopped

Method:

Boil mill and then add lemon juice, let it curdle. Now add ice cubes and let it cool. Now separate curdled milk from water. Wash curdled milk (chena) with cold water once and keep it aside for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes rub it between your palms and then knead it like flour. Make small balls and keep it aside.

Take water in a pan and add sugar, cardamom powder and prepare the sugar syrup. Add the chena balls and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes. Let it cool and garnish with pistachio flakes.

Recipe of Kachumber Salad

Ingredients:

1 peeled diced cucumber

1 peeled diced raw mango

2 diced tomatoes

1 diced onion

2 tbsp chopped coriander

½ tsp roasted cumin powder

Pinch sugar

Pinch chili powder

2 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

Combine all the ingredients and serve

Recipe of Dal ka Shorba

Ingredients:

1 Cup Tuar dal
½ cup masoor dal
2 tsp haldi powder
4 tbsp oil
1 tsp asafetida
2 tsp Raee
1 red chili, broken into two pieces
Few curry leaves
½ cup onion, sliced
12 buds of garlic, sliced
2 tbsp Madras curry powder
3 tbsp tamarind paste
4 tbsp green coriander, chopped

Method:

Pressure cook both the pulses till done. Add turmeric and cook again. Keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan. Add Raee and curry leaves. Dissolve asafetida in tbsp water and in pan. Add red chili powder and cook for a while. Add chopped garlic and onion. Cook till golden brown on low flame. Add madras curry powder and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add dal and water as required and cook on low flame for 5 minutes. Add tamarind paste and cook for a while. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot. 

Recipe of Raw Papaya Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups of grated raw papaya

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp fried peanuts

1 tbsp chopped coriander

1 tbsp chili sauce

2 chopped red chilies

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together and served chilled. 

Recipe of Orange and Carrot Muffins

Ingredients:

300 g flour

2 tsp baking powder

100 g caster sugar

½ tsp cinnamon powder

A pinch of salt

1 egg, beaten

2 oranges, juiced and zested

100 g carrots, peeled and grated

75 g butter, melted

Method:

Mix the flour, baking powder, castor sugar and cinnamon powder in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Heat the oven to 190 degree centigrade. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with squares of baking parchment, pushing them down to make little cases. Whisk together egg, oranges, carrots and butter.  Stir this into the flour mix. Do not over mix to ensure they stay a little lumpy. Spoon into the muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes until risen.