Vegetable Patties

Fed up with meat and fish ?  Try these easy to make Vegetable Patties and keep your vegetarian friends happy . 

Recipe :

4 medium Potatoes

2 Carrots

½ cup fresh green beans

¼ cup peas

1 egg

Breadcrumbs

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp chilly powder

½ tsp chat masala

Coriander leaves

Oil for frying

Boil potatoes and mash.  Boil carrots, beans & peas till tender. When done mash.  Put in a large bowl. Add spices, season with salt. Add coriander leaves.  Form into patties and flatten.   Use a heart-shaped cutter to shape the patties.  Beat egg.  Dip the patties into egg and then dredge in bread crumbs.  Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Shallow fry till golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.   Serve hot with tomato ketchup.  Garnish with lemon wedges

Dal Makhani

Ingredients:
• 1 cup whole black Urad dal
• 1/4 cup Kidney beans
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1-2 tsp green chillies, sliced thinly
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 tsp dried Fenugreek leaves ( Kasuri Methi )
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2-3 cloves
• 2″ cinnamon stick
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup cream
• salt to taste and green coriander to garnish
Method :
Soak the lentils and kidney beans overnight. Boil the soaked dal and kidney beans in a pressure cooker and give it at least 1 whistle on high gas and leave it on sim for at least 15 mins. Once cooled mash it with the back of a spoon and keep aside.

In a saucepan, add butter along with cloves, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, cumin-coriander powder, bay leaf, ginger-garlic paste, chillies and onions. Saute until the aroma fills the room and onions get soft and translucent. Add the Tomato puree, close the lid and cook for 5 min.

Add the lentil mixture, reduce the heat to simmer, add salt close the lid and slow cook for 15-20 min. Stir occasionally to avoid the lentils from sticking to the bottom.

Add the fenugreek leaves along with cardamom powder, stir and then add the cream to the hot dal and mix. Do not boil after this, else the cream will separate. Serve hot garnished with finely cut green coriander. I usually pair it with Roti/ Phulkas.

This recipe turned out absolutely divine…. and it was a relief coz Dal Makhani always sounds sooo tedious but this quick recipe can do wonders to your dinner menu.

Herb Marinated Chicken Fillet

Want to try something different with Chicken ?  Try this !  It is not only different but also delicious.

2 chicken fillets,  4 tablespoons olive oil,  3-4 cloves garlic cloves-crushed and chopped fine,  few herbs -rosemary, thyme and oregano,  freshly ground black pepper (coarse),  1 chicken soup cube crushed into crumbs,  3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and juice of 1 lemon.

Marinate the fillets with above ingredients for about 2-3 hours.  (Add salt only if necessary as the sauce and the cube already contain it).  Add  2 tablespoons of oil into a non-stick skillet and when hot add the chicken fillets together with the marinade and cook on both sides till nicely browned.  Remove fillet and wrap in aluminium foil and let it rest for sometime before slicing.   I served it on a bed of a side-dish made with sausages, chickpeas, lentils and tomatoes.

Enjoy  !

Puffs with Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes

This is a sure-hit appetizer.   Leave them on the table and just turn your back for a second and you will have to return to the kitchen for a refill of the platter.   I used a circular cutter for cutting out rounds from the Puff-pastry,   {which I got from Malaysia}  and they turned out pretty fancy.  You could also shape them into diamond shapes or squares using your runner-cutter.  The topping can be made to suit your taste and budget.  I had a small box of cherry-tomatoes which I wanted to finish off…so cherry-tomato & cheese topping it was.  Do you like the look of it ?  Would love to hear from you. J

Puff pastry (thaw to room temperature)

Cream cheese

Cherry tomatoes

Sausages sautéed in tomato sauce & cayenne pepper

Sprig of Dill

1 egg beaten

Cut rounds from Puff pastry sheets and arrange on a baking tray line with wax paper.  Poke all over with fork and brush with beaten egg.  Preheat oven to 170 deg C and bake for approx. 15 minutes.   Remove from oven and cool.   Top with cream cheese, arrange a sausage slice and cherry tomato and garnish with dill.

Garlic Knots

These Garlic Knots were truly delicious.  So easy to make and nice to have for an afternoon snack.    Lovely when warm;   (but mark my words) ….you wont have any left to eat them when cold.  Even the kids gave a nod of approval;  so try them you must.

480 Grams flour

1 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons yeast

1-1/2 tsp salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup milk

1 cup lukewarm water

Glaze :  4 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon dried oregano flakes

Place ingredients in a bowl (flour, sugar, yeast and salt) into a bowl.  Add wet ingredients (olive oil, milk and water) and stir to combine.  Knead for 8-10 minutes or use your mixer with dough attachment.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour or till double in size.   Cut the dough into 12 pieces and roll each into a 10” long rope.  Tie the rope into a knot and tuck in the ends; one at the bottom and one above.  Transfer to a baking sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the knots rise for approx. 45 minutes.   Melt butter and press garlic into it.  Add dried oregano and brush the knots with the glaze.  Preheat oven to 175 deg C and bake for 18-20 minutes.  Remove and brush again with the glaze.  Eat warm.

Spicy Chicken Meatballs + Rice with Pine Nuts and Oranges

Would you like to have your lunch/dinner ready in 30 minutes flat? I was very happy when I churned out both the Spicy Chicken Meatballs and the Rice with Pine Nuts and Oranges in less than 30 minutes. You need a microwave and of course all the ingredients listed below on hand and ta-dah …….one hot meal completed in a jiffy. If you want to know the secret, then please read on…….

For the Rice with Pine Nuts and Oranges

1-1/2 cups rice (I use the big coffee mug)

 Fresh Orange juice mixed with water – about 2-3/4 cup (use same cup above)

Pine Nuts – ½ cup S

Saffron

Few drops of orange food colour

Butter- 2-3 tablespoons

A tablespoon of sugar

Wash rice and put it in a microwave safe dish. Add fresh orange juice and water and keep aside. (the water and juice content should be double the rice content less ¼ cup). {Our cousin Juliana from Sydney- always did her rice in the microwave and ever since I have picked this tip from her. The rice becomes extra long grained and is a nice shade of white always; and you can carry on with other chores while the rice is cooking}. In a small pan sauté the Pine Nuts in butter (1 tablespoon) for under a minute and add to the rice. Add remaining butter, a few strands of saffron, salt to taste, tablespoon of sugar; set the microwave for 23 minutes (high) and then continue doing your other chores. When done, gently fluff up the rice with a fork and add a few drops of orange colour and sprinkle a few strands of saffron.

For the Spicy Meatballs : 1

Packet of frozen chicken meatballs (I use Al Khabeer )

 2 big onions

4-5 tomatoes chopped fine

2 tablespoons bafat or chilly or cayenne powder

 1 green chilly

½ cup thick curds

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 tablespoon grated garlic

2 sticks of cinnamon

White pepper powder

 Bay leaf

Coriander leaves /parsley – cut fine

Garam masala powder

Oregano

Tomato ketchup – little

Few Pine Nuts

While the rice is getting done in the microwave,  shallow-fry the meatballs in hot oil. Brown and remove aside. In the same oil, add bay leaf and cinnamon and sauté for 30 seconds. Add chopped onions and fry till soft- then add tomatoes and fry till a sauce is formed. Add grated ginger, garlic, chopped green chilly, chilly/bafat powder, pepper and oregano and fry for sometime. Add curd and stir till fully incorporated. Add a dash of tomato ketchup and salt to taste. Then add the fried meatballs and keep stirring till the sauce nicely coats the meatballs and a thickish dry gravy is formed. Garnish with garam masala powder, pine nuts and finely chopped coriander/parsley leaves. Serve hot alongside with rice.

Fish Bruschetta

For all you fish-lovers-here is something for you.  This can be served as appetizers or even double up as a brunch.  Buy a tender flaky fish.  Chopped anchovy or even anchovy paste provides and earthy depth to the sauce.  If you do not  have it then substitute with a dash of fish sauce/oyster sauce.

You will need 5-6 ripe and red tomatoes (chopped), 1/2 cup chopped onions, 5-6 anchovies or 2 teaspoons  of anchovy paste, 3 cloves of garlic (finely minced), 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 4 white fish fillets,  4 slices of baguette, 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, olive oil and salt & pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 475 deg F.  Heat a pan over medium heat-add 1 tablespoon of oil, onions and anchovies.  Saute for 2 minutes then add garlic, tomatoes and tomato paste, salt & pepper to taste.  Bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Pat the fish with a paper towel and apply olive oil, salt and pepper on both sides of the fish.  Roast on a baking sheet for 6-8 minutes.  Brush bread with olive oil and toast in the oven for 2-3 minutes.  Chop coriander leaves.

To assemble-lay the toasted bread slices on a flat tray – top the bread with fish fillets add the tomato mixture and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.  Serve warm.

Cucumber Pudding

It was my husband’s birthday a couple of days ago and as I was very busy working nearly 14 hours a day last week, I could not dish out anything  special for him.  To make up,  I surprised him on Friday with a typical mangalorean lunch of Prawns  and Lady Fingers,  Fried Fish,  Fried raw Banana Slices,  rice and a vegetable side-dish.  I also made a  Mangalorean   Dessert,   which had him smile from ear to ear.     I found a recipe for a Cucumber Mandas  in  the  “CHEF”,  {a cook book written by a mangalorean for mangaloreans},   which I altered a bit to suit what I had in my kitchen.  Although this recipe calls for a special type of steaming in banana leaves and usage of coal on the top and bottom of the steamer,  I had to do away with all this.  I just steamed it in a plain steamer.

Hubby said that it was good;  but nothing compared to the one that his granny and Mom made ….. ha ha …Men will be Men……..Amen !!! (AH-MEN).

Recipe :

1 Kg basmati rice,   1 Kg boiled rice,  coconut milk (I used coconut milk powder) 2-1/2 cups,  600 grams jaggery,  6 cucumbers,  200 grams ghee, 1 teaspoon cardamom powder,  a pinch of grated nutmeg, salt to taste.

Cut cucumber into thin slices.  Remove pith and seeds, if any.  Wash the rice and soak for an hour.  Grind the rice with the cucumber and jaggery and coconut milk.  Add the cardamom powder and nutmeg powder , salt and ghee and mix thoroughly .   Steam in a steamer  for about 1 hour.

Cut into slices, garnish with chopped nuts.

Semolina & Almond Delight

Here is an easy to make dessert which all of you will love.  I put it in moulds when just warm and served it in individual plates and delighted my guests.  You can have it warm or cold;  I like it warm.

Recipe :  1 cup semolina, 1/2 cup almond meal (almond powder), few sliced almonds and pistas;  quarter cup ghee, 2-1/2 cups milk,  1/2 cup sugar (can add more if you like it sweeter), saffaron strands, 6-8 cardamoms crushed.

Boil milk and saffron and keep aside.  In a non-stick pan, add semolina and almond powder and roast them for sometime (2-3 minutes) ensuring that they do not burn.  Add 1/4 cup ghee and stir.  Add cardamom powder and keep stirring.  Do this for 12-15 minutes.  Add aliced almonds.  Remove from pan and pour milk and stir so that no lumps remain.  Put it back on the burner and add sugar and stir till the milk gets absorbed and the sugar is all dissolved.  Wait till the mixture cools down a bit and when still warm put in moulds.  Remove on a plate and garnish with almonds and pistas.