"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.

So many recipes... so little time...

So its been awhile so I really need to tackle the backlog! There have been a few recipes I have been asked for in recent months and I will do my best to get on to it. Coming soon to a shoddy blog near you - Super Rich Chocolate Cake, Perfect Saag Aloo From Scratch (plus the cheaters version), Baingan Bharta (Indian-style Baba Ganoush) Italian approved Tiramisu - nom nom nom. Plus updates on my first foray into Homebrewing - and Scrumpy Cider-making (and pitfalls)... watch this space :)

Easy Irish Soda Bread

This is my version of a recipe taken from Clodagh McKenna's The Irish Farmers Market Cookbook. I omitted the wheat bran from my recipe, however like all bread recipes, once you become comfortable with recipe you can change the recipe to suit your tastes. This bread is so easy to make that it could very easily become your stable. The quantity is for two 2lb loaves. It is easy to half/double this recipe to suit yourself and your needs, though considering the cooking times it may be easier to make more and freeze up the excess.

Ingredients:
1lb wholemeal flour
2 1/4oz wheatgerm
2 1/4oz plain flour
8oz pinhead oatmeal
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp bread soda/Bicarbonate of soda
1ltr buttermilk
Butter/Margerine for greasing the tins
Seeds for toping, ie white sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 230'C
2. Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl except for the plain flour and bread soda, which should be sieved together into the bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the buttermilk retaining 100ml or so. Mix well. Add the last 100ml to the point where the mixture is wet but will retain knife mark. It is a wet dough but should not be sloppy.
3. Grease the loaf tins right to the top and dust with seeds. Divide dough between tins and sprinkle more seeds on top. "Cut" a line on the top with a knife.
4. Place in the hot oven for 10-15 minutes until well risen, then lower the temperature to 140'C for at least one hour. At this temperature the bread cooks slowly but steadily. After one hour you can remove it from the oven and the tin. If you tap the base it should have a hollow sound. If you are unsure if it is is suffienciently cooked it is possible to put is back in the oven, either in the tin or as it is. As the temperature is so low you can leave the loaf in the oven for up to a half an hour more as it will not burn.
 5. When the bread is finished remove from the oven and wrap in a clean tea towel.

Elderberry Wine

This recipe was given to me by friend's granddad. I have never used it but he swore by the results. Might be good to research sanitising and other wine-making methods. I'm going to try it out this Autumn.

Ingredients:
5lb Elderberries
3lb granulated sugar
1 Gallon cold water
6 Cloves
Campden Tablet
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
Pectic Enzyme
G.P. Wine Yeast
Yeast Nutrient

Equipment:
Preserving pan - large bucket with lid - long wooden spoon - Demijohn - Airlock and rubber stopper - Wine bottles and corks.

Method:
1. Wash and clean the berries well.
2. Put in a preserving pan with a gallon of cold water and boil until fruit is tender.
3. Strain off liquid into a plastic bucket and add 3lb of sugar, 6 cloves and the ground ginger and stir well until the sugar is dissolved. When the liquid has cooled ass a crushed Campden tablet and pectic enzyme. Cover and leave in a warm room for 24 hours and then add the yeast and nutrient.
4. Cover bucket and leave in a warm place for 10 days, stirring daily. Then strain into a demijohn. Fit with an airlock and keep in a warm place while the mixture ferments to a dryness. The wine can then stacked and bottled

Ready in six months but better if left longer.

The Homebrew Company

Last week on the Ray Darcy show there was a report on alcohol consumption in Ireland. it seems it has gone down in traditional consumption. However like the way allotments and vegetable growing has seen an upsurge in interest, so too has homebrewing.

I have been interested in Homebrewing for awhile. I bought all the equipment for making elderberry wine some years ago. I just never got round to it. So listening to the section on the Ray Darcy show inspired me to get a Kit from the The Homebrew Company.

I ordered it at lunchtime on Tuesday the 15th of June and it was delivered the next day before 10.00am. Now that is great service. Also 7€ delivery countryside.

I also sent them an email about their Kriek Brewferm kits which are currently out of stock. I received a reply promptly informing when they would be back in stock and telling me they would email me when it arrives.

Great prompt service that I would use again.

Elderflowers - I may have missed the boat

What the difference a week makes... Last week I had my pick of flower heads and this week the elder flowers have turned into the early signs of the berries to come. Little hard green berries have appeared where the forthy white flowers were last week.

I will have a look in some shadier cooler places where the flowers may have come out later. Lesson learned though.. :(