SPINACH PAKORA

Ingredients:

Spinach a big bunch, gram flour 1 1/2 cup, garam masala 1 tsp, red chilli powder 1/2 tsp, dhania powder 1/4 tsp, baking powder a pinch, salt to taste.

Method:

Rinse the spinach, then chop it finely. Take a bowl, put chopped spinach and gram flour in it. Mix it well, add little water to form thick paste. To the paste add salt, garam masala, dhania powder, red chilli powder, and baking powder and mix well.
In a kadai, heat oil on a high flame. Make small balls of spinach paste and fry till it becomes golden brown. Serve with mint chutney or tomato sauce.

Chicken fritters

Ingredients:

100 g (4 oz) boneless cooked chicken, skinned and finely chopped
25 g (1 oz) margarine
40 g (1 1/2 oz) plain flour
150 ml (1/4 pint) milk
1 egg yolk
50 g (2 oz) cooked ham, finely chopped
4 button mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
125 g (4 oz) packet batter mix
6 rashers streaky bacon, rinds removed
vegetable oil, for deep frying

Method:

1. Make the sauce: melt margarine in a saucepan, sprinkle in 25 g (1 oz) flour and stir over low heat for 1 - 2 minutes until straw-coloured. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the milk and the egg yolk. Return to heat and simmer, stirring, until thick and smooth.

2. Stir in the chicken, ham, mushrooms and oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture on to a large plate, spread it out with a knife and leave to cool for 15 - 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 110C/225F/Gas 1/4 and make up the batter according to the packet instructions.

4. Stretch each of the bacon rashers with the back of a knife and then cut them in half.

5. Divide the chicken mixture into 12, then roll each piece into a ball, and shape it into a roll. Wrap each roll with bacon.

6. Spread out the remaining 15 g (1/2 oz) flour on a flat plate and season with salt and pepper. Dip each roll in the flour until evenly coated.

7. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 190C/375F or until a day-old bread cube browns in 50 seconds.

8. Dip the rolls one at a time into the batter, then drop into the hot oil
and deep fry 6 at a time for about 6 minutes until golden and crispy. 9 Drain on absorbent paper and keep warm in oven while cooking the second batch.

Serve at once.


serving amount
serves 4

Chinese Fried Prawn

Ingredients:

500 grams Prawn
2 Remove seeds and chop Bell Pepper
1 Inch piece and minced Ginger
1.5 Tsp Vinegar
1 tbsp Soya Sauce
1 Tbsp Corn Flour
1 tbsp chopped Spring Onion (Scallions)
To taste Salt
A pinch Ajinomoto

Instructions:

1. Shell, de-vein and wash prawns. Mix with corn flour and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Heat oil and fry prawns for a few minutes till they just start to cooked. Remove and keep aside.

3. Heat some more oil in the same pan, fry the ginger for a few minutes, then add the chopped bell peppers and spring onions. Fry for another minute add vinegar and Soya sauce.

4. Stir and add the salt and ajinomoto to taste. Add the cooked prawns and fry for two minutes. Remove and serve hot.

Chicken in garlic sauce

Ingredients:
300 gms (boneless) Chicken
1/2 cup (chopped finely) Cabbage
1/2 cup (sliced finely) Carrot
1/2 cup (cut finely) Bell Pepper
1/2 cup (chopped) Spring Onion (Scallions)
1 tbsp (paste) Garlic
1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
1 tsp Soya Sauce
1/4 tsp White Pepper
3 tbsp Corn Flour
2 tbsp Cooking Oil
1/4 tsp Ajinomoto
1 tsp Lemon Juice
to taste Salt

Instructions:

1. Cut boneless chicken in small pieces. Marinate with one-teaspoon lemon juice and salt.

2. Mix corn flour in 1/2 cup water.

3. Heat oil. Add spring onion, chicken, carrot, cabbage and capsicum. Fry lightly and keep aside.

4. . Heat oil. Add garlic paste and fry for about a minute. Add tomato ketchup, Soya sauce, salt, pepper and ajinomoto. Add 1/2 cup water (or as required) and cook till boiled.

5. Add chicken and vegetables to the sauce. Adjust seasoning.

6. Add corn flour mixed in water. Cook for a minute. Serve hot with noodles or fried rice.

Aloo Tikki

Ingredients:
4 Potato 2 tbsp Bread crumbs 1 tsp Red chilli Powder 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder 1 tsp Corn flour Chopped coriander leaves Oil for Frying Salt to taste

Method:

Boil, skin and mash the potatoes. Add coriander leaves, chilli powder, garam masala powder, corn flour and salt and mix it. Make flat tikkis using small quantity of the mixture and roll it in bread crumbs.

Basic White Sauce

Ingredients:

3 cups milk
1/2 cup plain flour
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. cheese grated
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Method:

In a dry heavy sauce pan, dry roast the flour till light pinkish in colour.
Remove and keep aside to cool.
Melt butter in the pan, add half the milk.
Mix the remaining milk in the cooled flour to form a smooth paste.
When milk comes to a boil, add paste and stir continuously.
Bring back to a boil.
Cook till the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon thickly.
Sprinkle salt and fresh ground pepper and stir to mix well.
Use as required in individual recipes.

Making time: 20 minutes
Makes: 4 cups sauce
Shelflife: Frozen 2 weeks ( thaw to room temperature before using) Refrigerated 1 day

Note: I have used the above method as against the traditional method of frying the flour in the butter, since this way the consumption of fat (butter) is reduced as also the chance of lump formation is minimised. It is easier to handle by beginners.

ITALIAN SAUCE:

3 basil chopped
3 tbsp. parsley chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
200 ml. pure olive oil
75 gms. parmesan cheese grated
salt to taste
pepper to taste (fresh ground)

Baked Fish in Banana Leaf (Paturi)

Ingredients:
Serves 4

Banana leaves (each 10 in. x 10 in. approx.) 4 nos.
The basic idea is to cook the fish in a banana-leaf envelope. If you do not find banana leaves at your local grocers, you may use tender pumpkin leaves instead. However, the hallmark of this dish is its distinctive aroma, which only a banana leaf can lend.

Fish 500 gms. (8 pieces)
Any fatty fish without scale may be used. In India, typically Bowal, Pabda, Bhetki and Hilsa are used.

Cooking oil (mustard oil) 2 ½ tbsp.
Mustard oil lends a distinctive sharp aroma and is highly recommended.

Mustard paste 2 tbsp.

Ginger paste 1 tsp.

Green chilly paste 1 tsp.

Green chilly (sliced longitudenally into two) 2 nos.

Turmeric powder ½ tsp.

Salt to taste

Procedure:
Add all ingredients (except the banana leaves, of course) together and mix well. Thin out the rib running through the center of the banana leaf by slicing so that the leaf can rest flat on the frying pan.

Pre heat frying pan. Lay two leaves on the frying pan. Place fish-mix on the leaf. Place one leaf on top of the mix to cover the entire mix. Place lid on the frying pan. Cook on low flame for about 10 mins.

Remove cover. Place a large plate on top of the pan, and turn the pan upside down real fast, so that the contents of the pan are now transferred to the plate upside down.

Now there are two leaves on top of the mix, and one at the bottom. The topmost leaf will have burnt off considerably. Remove it. Place a fresh banana leaf on the pan. Transfer the entire content carefully from the plate to the pan. Replace lid and cook under low flame for about 10 mins.

Your Steamed Fish in Banana leaf is now ready. Serve hot with any form of rice, viz., fried rice, jeera rice, pulao, etc.

Prawn Malaicurry

INGREDIENTS:500gms Prawns

½ cup Coconut milk
½ cup Onions chopped
20-30gms Paste of mustard seeds
2-3 Green chilis chopped
1 tsp Turmeric
5 tbsp Mustard Oil
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Clean and de-vein prawns and marinate with the paste made from mustard seeds and little water, 2 tbsp of oil, chopped green chillies, turmeric and salt. Keep it aside for a while.

In a pan take 3 tbsp of oil and fry in the chopped onions till pale golden brown. Then add the marinated prawns into the pan properly fry for sometime while stirring.

Next add the coconut milk to the contents of the pan and cook for 10 minutes till the gravy has become thick.

Rosogollar Payesh

Ingredients:

2 liter Milk for chana or paneer
Lemon juice half a cup
Sugar 11/2 cup
1 liter Milk for payesh
A hand full of Cashew nuts
Pistachios 4-5 chopped
Cardamom 4-5

Method:

Take two liter milk in a big saucepan and make it to boil. Remove from heat, put the lemon juice in the milk, stir constantly, chana is ready. Now take a fine Muslin cloth drain the water from chana. Chana should be completely dry. Make 20 lemon size ball with chana.
Make a paste with cashew nuts.
Take another saucepan, pour 1 liter milk for payesh into the pan let it boil in medium heat. Put the cardamom seeds and cashew nut mix in the milk, then put the sugar. Let the milk boil at medium-low heat for 30-35 minutes. The milk should be thicken and light yellow in colour.
Then put the chana or paneer balls very slowly and carefully, don't let the balls break. Then stir the milk slowly at medium-low heat for another 10-20 minutes or untill the balls become fluffy and smooth. Then remove from heat, garnish with chopped pistachios.
Refrigerate for atleast 2-3 hours. Serve chilled payesh as a delicious sweet dish.

Hot and Spicy Chicken

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

4 tablespoon Oil
1 Scallion
2 Hot peppers -- or more
1 tablespoon Shredded Ginger
1 tablespoon Sherry
2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
2 pound Fryer
1/2 cup Chicken broth
2 tablespoon Wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Anise pepper -- or 2
1 tablespoon Cornstarch (corn flour)

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, marinate 15-20 minutes in ginger, sherry, soy sauce mixture.


2. Cut scallion and hot peppers diagonally into 1-inch pieces.


3. Grind anise pepper to powder. Mix chicken broth, soy sauce, wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.


4. Heat oil. Add scallion, and stir fry several seconds.


5. Add ginger, sherry, soy mixture and chicken to scallions and hot pepper, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes more.


6. Add chicken broth mixture, mix well. Cook over low heat until chicken pieces are tender. Add cornstarch to thicken.

Spring Rolls

The crisp texture of vegetables and savory seasonings makes the Chinese Spring roll a popular appetizer

Makes about 2 dozen spring roll

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
2 cups your choice of meat (cooked ham, Chinese barbecued pork, raw pork, or raw chicken, cut julienne; you can also add tiny shrimp or leave out the meat entirely and substitute more vegetables)
6 Chinese dried black mushrooms, soaked to reconstitute, then cut julienne
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, cut julienne
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 small carrot, shredded
1-1/2 cups Chinese or regular green cabbage, shredded
2 scallions, shredded
1/4 cup chicken broth (or vegetarian broth for a vegetarian version)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch (corn flour)
1 package spring roll or egg roll wrappers, thawed if frozen
1 egg, beaten

4 cups oil for deep-frying
plum sauce for dipping

Directions:

1. Prepare filling: Heat oil in a wok. Add meat and stir-fry briefly (until cooked through, if raw). Add vegetables and stir-fry about 2 minutes. Combine chicken broth, oyster sauce, sugar, and cornstarch. Add to wok and stir-fry until sauce thickens. Let filling cool before filling spring rolls (refrigerate if you're in a hurry).


2. To prepare each spring roll: Position one wrapper like a diamond with one point facing you. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in a log shape across the bottom about 2" from the lowest corner. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling and tuck it behind the filling. Roll the packet up once to enclose the filling securely. Moisten the three remaining corners of the wrapper with beaten egg. Fold the left and right corners to the center and press down firmly to seal, forming an envelope. Finish rolling up, sealing the top corner. Repeat with remaining packets.


3. (Spring rolls may be prepared a few hours ahead and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to cook. Make sure they do not touch each other or the dough will stick together.)

4. In a deep-fryer or wok, heat 4 cups of oil to 360 -375 degrees F. Deep-fry spring rolls a few at a time, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve the spring rolls hot, whole or cut in thirds, with plum sauce as a dip.

Juicy Steamed Dumplings

Ingredients:

4 1/2 (500 g) cups flour, sifted
1 lb (500 g) lean boneless pork, minced
4 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp rice wine
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
4 oz (125 ml) sesame oil
1/2 tsp MSG (optional)


Directions:

1. Mix the pork with the soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, MSG, salt, and sugar. Stir in one direction until it becomes a paste. Stir in the sesame oil and mix well.

2. Add 9 oz (250 ml) of cold water gradually to the flour and mix into a dough. Let rest. Turn out onto a flour board and knead until firm and elastic.

3. Knead the dough again and cut into 1/2 oz (15 g) balls. Flatten each ball lightly with your hand, then roll out each piece into a 3 inch (7 to 8 cm) circle, rotating the dough counter-clockwise while rolling so the centre is slightly thicker than the edges. Place about 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp (20 g) of filling on each circle and pinch the edges together into 18 pleats. Place the dumpling in a steamer and steam for 5 minutes over high heat.

Note: These dumplings are delicate in appearance and taste. the wrappers are thin and the filling deliciously juicy.

Pane dorato (Golden fried bread)

Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
6 slices of bread half a centimetre thick
250ml milk
2 eggs, beaten
Exta-virgine oil
Salt.
Optional:100g Gruyère cheese.

METHOD:
Half fill a heavy iron frying pan with oil. Cut the crusts off the bread and soak briefly in the milk. Dip both sides of each slice of bread into the beaten eggs. Heat the oil and plunge the slices into the pan one by one, frying each side for ten minutes until golden brown. Remove from the pan and leave to drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot.

Sandwich bread is best for the recipe, as the result is lighter. It is even tastier if very finely cut slices of Gruyèr cheese are laid on top of the fresly fried bread so that they gently melt into it. Golden fried bread can also be used to great effect in soups. Cut the slices into cubes and place in the soup dishes before serving clear beef broth a table.

A historic cookery book compiled by Domenico Romoli contains a recipe for Pan dorato con burrito (butter) but, in keeping eith Renaissance and medioeval tastes, the croutons were flavoured with sugar and cinnamon.

Mini Mexican Pizzas

40 min 15 min prep
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb ground lean ground beef
1 teaspoon taco seasoning / Mucho Gusto Taco Seasoning Mix)
24 inches flour tortillas
6 tablespoons salsa, divided (I used mild)
1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
While oven is heating,add ground beef and taco seasoning to a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.
Cook beef until no longer pink,about 8 to 10 minutes,drain if needed.
Lightly spray two medium sized cookie sheets with cooking spray.
Place two tortillas on each sheet,then lightly spray tortillas with more cooking spray.
Bake tortillas until lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove tortillas from oven and evenly spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of salsa on each.
Divide ground beef, corn, onions, and tomatoes evenly over each tortilla.
Divide cheese evenly over the top of ground beef mixture.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

4 servings

Vegetable Cutlets

Serves about 12 cutlets

1 medium size carrot
1 medium size potato
1 medium size beet root (optional)
4-5 Beans
Peas (optional)
garlic - 1 small piece
Fennel seeds 2-3
Green chilies 2-3
Coriander leaves little bit
One medium sized onion finely cut

To dip:Take 2-3 tablespoon of Maida & add little bit of water and mix them well (it
should be pouring like idli flour)

Powder: Take 3-4 slices of bread & powder them. (you can use either breads
crumbs)

Finely cut all the above said vegetables. Wash & Pressure-cook with little bit of water, turmeric powder &salt.Smash them & keep it aside (if there is any excess waterin the cookedvegetables just drain).Heat one tablespoon of oil.Fry onions till it turns into brown & add the grounded paste.

Just fry for a few seconds.Then add the smashed vegetables & fry till it gets thickened. Wait to cool.Then make them into small balls and dip it in the above said maida consistency & immediately smear them in the above said powder and spread them in the plate or paper to dry.

Once everything is over just do deep-fry or roast both the sides of them by adding little bit of oil till it turns into brown in the tava.

Samosa

For covering:
1 cup plain flour (maida)
2 tbsp. warm oil
water to knead dough

For filling:

2 potatoes large boiled, peeled, mashed
1 onion finely chopped2 green chillies crushed
1/2 tsp. ginger crushed
1/2 tsp. garlic crushed
1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1/2 lemon juice extracted
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds crushed
1 tsp. red chilli powder
salt to taste
oil to deep fry

For dough:

Make well in the flour.Add oil, salt and little water.Mix well till crumbly.Add more water little by little, kneading into soft pliable dough.Cover with moist cloth, keep aside for 15-20 minutes. Beat dough on worksurface and knead again. Re-cover.

For filling:

Heat 3 tbsp. oil, add ginger, green chilli, garlic, coriander seeds.Stir fry for a minute, add onion, saute till light brown.Add coriander, lemon, turmeric, salt, red chilli, garam masala. Stir fry for 2 minutes, add potatoes. Stir further 2 minutes.Cool. Keep aside.

Make a thin 5" diam. round with some dough.Cut into two halves. Run a moist finger along diameter.Join and press together to make a cone.Place a tbsp. of filling in the cone and seal third side as above.Make five to six.

Put in hot oil, deep fry on low to medium till light brown. Do not fry on high, or the samosas will turn out oily and soggy. Drain on racks or kitchen paper.Serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys (refer chutneys), or tomato sauce.