"Meaty" Vegetarian Chickpea and Coconut Curry

This is a bloody good veggie curry - very filling and naturally rich in flavour.

1 tablespoon chopped coconut pieces (fresh or frozen)

2 tablespoon cooking oil or butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 brown cardamom pod (optional)

1 red chilli, dried (or 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder)

1 fresh tomato chopped or 1/4 carton of pasata

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 inch root ginger, crushed into paste

2 tablespoon grated/dessicated coconut

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder (or cumin seeds) (optional)

1 small potato, peeled and chopped

1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Salt to taste

1. Heat oil in a deep saucepan, maintaining low to medium heat, fry the chopped coconut pieces. When they begin to turn brown remove from heat set aside.

2. Add onion and garlic, on medium heat and fry until onions start becoming golden. Add mustard seeds, cardamom pod, red chilli broken and fry for a couple of minutes.

3. Add chopped tomato or pasata and fry for about 5 minutes.

4. Add garam masala, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder(or seeds), crushed ginger and fry for a 3 minutes. Add the grated coconut, mix well, cover and cook for about 3 minutes.

5. Add 1/2 cup of hot water and stir. Then add the chickpeas, potato, fried coconut and mix. Mash some chickpeas, cover and simmer on medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. Chickpeas should be tender but still whole. Add salt to taste.

6. Remove from heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes or so. Serve with rice

Alternate method to prepare chickpeas.

1. Take 1 cup large dry chickpeas and steep in water overnight. 

2. Cook chickpeas in pressure cooker with 2 tablespoon grated coconut.

3. Add the contents above in step 5.

Rasam - South Indian Pepper Soup

Well its that time of year when cold and flu are on the increase. If you find yourself reaching toward the medical cabinet: wait! Try out this delicious recipe for Rasam, a spicy warming soup from southern India which should kill off all but the stubbornest of colds.

I have made a version that does not involve overly complicated preparation. No it does not stick zealously to the original but you should be able to find most of the ingredients in a store cupboard, besides the green chillies, and it means you don't have to venture out if its cold and you are under the weather.

Ingredients:
2-3 ltr of boiled water
3 medium tomatos, skins removed chopped /500grms pasata, /1 tin chopped tomatoes
1-2 green chillies, roughly chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves sliced
1 tbsp (heaped) corriander powder
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp (level) whole pepper corns, roughly ground
1/2 tsp chilli powder
Gram Powder mixed with water until lump free /or some crushed beans
Tamarind water to taste
1-3 tbsp dessicated coconut  (optional)

1. Place all ingredients in boiling water for half an hour until ingredients are well cooked.

Can be stored in fridge and individual bowls reheated.

Sooji (Semolina) Halva

This is a really quick and simple dish to prepare with most of its preparation time spent in the fridge chilling. I've tasted shop-bought Halva and I find it overly sweet. This is a beautiful springy Halva that is less cloying than its shop-bought counterpart. Try making it once and you will be coming back for more. It is also great way to get milk into the little ones.

Ingredients :

1 pint milk (its possible to use reduced-fat milk if you don't allow milk boil)

5-6 cardamom pods (Add more if you like)

6oz sugar

4-5 tbsp ghee (sub with butter)

8oz semolina
3oz raisins

Method :

1. Heat milk, sugar and cardamom pods in large pot until first boiling bubbles appear. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Melt the ghee in a pan and then add the semolina. The mixture should have a breadcrumb consistency. fry until turning slightly golden. Use a wooded spatual to stop it sticking.

3. Carefully add the milk and stir until it begins to solidify and it is difficult to stir.

4. Turn out onto a plate and shape. 

5. Once cool cover with cling film and place in the fridge.

6. Cut into sweet-size cubes and serve. 

Naan Bread (in a conventional oven)

Naan bread is something we all love when we go to eat at a restaurant. However the thoughts of making it ourselves can be quite daunting and we often resort to shop bought versions. This recipe gives you the authentic taste of naan bread from a conventional oven. For convenience sake these can be made ahead of time, stored in a towel and simply grilled before serving (step 9). Although this recipe may pose some difficulty for the novice, the experienced pizza or bread maker should have no difficulty with this. Recipe can also be halved easily.

Makes 6

Ingredients:
16oz/225g strong white flour
1 tbsp (level) dried yeast
100ml warm water (skin temp)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp whole cumin/coriander(each) seeds (optional)
1 egg
4 tbsp natural yoghurt (Room temperature)
1 tbsp ghee/butter
1 tbsp garlic paste (optional)

Equipment:
Large Bowl - Pestle and Mortar - Wooden Spoon - Frying Pan - 2 Tea Towels - Cling Film - Baking Tray - Brush/Paper Towel - Rolling Pin

1. Activate yeast according to packet instructions. Place in 100ml of skin-temperature water with sugar and salt, with a sprinkling of flour. Leave aside in a warm place for 15 minutes.
2. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan until you can smell their aroma. Grind roughly in a pestle and mortar. (Substitute with the ground spices if you wish)
3. Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the spices, yeast mixture, yoghurt, vegetable oil and egg. Mix with wooden spoon.
4. The mixture should be just a little too sticky to knead. Naan is normally cooked in a Tandoor oven very quickly. This will be in a conventional oven for longer so needs to be wetter than a normal bread mixture. Add more skin-temperature water if needed. Knead, in the bowl, by dipping one hand in flour until the mixture begins to stick to your hands again. Repeat this process of dipping your hand in flour until bread has been well kneaded. You may get only 4-5 "kneads" from each flour dipping. Leave in bowl, covered in oiled cling film with a clean tea towel over this, for 40-60 minutes.
5. Pre-heat the oven to the highest temperature it can go to.
6. Cut dough in half, then cut 1/3 of this away and cover remaining dough with the oiled cling film. Dip hands in flour and knead a little. Dust surface well with flour and make an egg-shape with the dough. Roll into tear-drop shape, concentrating on the wider end.
7. Take oven-width baking tray and line with baking paper. Place the naan on the baking tray, stretching out to rolled naan to fit the tray and place in the hottest part of the oven and watch until puffed up. Naan should still be quite white and just starting to get very small brown spots. Take out quickly and close the door of the oven to maintain temperature. Turn over and pop back in the oven until it puffs and small brown spots appear on that side. Remove and place in a clean tea-towel and cover. Repeat for all six naans.
Tip: Use two baking trays so that as one is finished the other can go in. The baking paper will not have to be changed either.
8. Mix butter/ghee and garlic pasted in a pestle and mortar or bowl.
9. Turn on grill. Run tap and quickly wet each side of the naan under the water. Place under grill, allow to brown and turn. Remove and with a brush or a kitchen towel rub with butter/garlic mix. Serve.
Tip: For convenience it is possible to stop at step 7 and leave the naans in a clean towel until just before food is served. Then just follow step 8 & 9 before serving.

Carrot Halva (Halwa)

This unusual dish may take many by surprise. It is rarely, if ever, on the menu at restaurants as the idea of carrot as a sweet is alien to European palates. So for some it is an acquired taste - but once you acquire it - you will never regret it! It is reminiscent of rice pudding but more exotic and with less scrunched-up faces from those who have grown up with it. It is also a great way to get kids to eat both carrot and milk, with all their associated benefits.

Method

Ingredients :
500 g carrot grated
2 litre milk
250 g sugar
5-6 green cardamom pods
15-20 Raisins (optional)
1 tbsp (level) Butter/Ghee (optional)
mixture of Cashew/Almond/Pistachio (optional)

Equipment :
Grater - Large Pot - Wooden Spoon

1. Wash and scrape carrots. Grate using broad-holes on the grater.
2. Pour milk into large pot with cardamom pods and turn on the heat. Do not allow to boil over. Watch until first bubbles begin to appear and remove from heat.
3. Place grated carrot in milk and place back on heat and bring to boil again. Again do not allow to boil over.
4. Add sugar and leave to simmer, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes.
5. When milk has evaporated to the point where it is less visible, ie there less milky fluid around the carrot, increase heat and stir constantly.
6. In a frying pan heat the ghee/butter and fry the raisins until plump. Add to the halva mixture.
7. The halva is finished when there is no liquid present. It should be a rich carrot colour and no longer have a carrot texture. Allow to cool before shaping and placing in fridge to cool further.
8. Chop nuts and in a dry frying pan toast the nuts. Sprinkle over halva and serve.