Chunky potato fries.

Chunky potato fries-Crispy outer with a soft and fluffy inside. A delectable snack served with a sprinkling of sea salt and spicy chilli sauce.

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes
Sunflower oil for frying
Sprinkle of sea salt
Sprinkle of chilli powder (optional)
Chilli sauce / ketchup.

Method:

1. Peel and wash the potatoes. Dry them.
2. Slice into length wise into chunky fries approx 1 cm wide and 5 mm thick.
3. Heat the oil, when medium hot fry the fries in small batches till golden brown.
4. Drain on kitchen paper.
5. Sprinkle with sea salt and chilli powder.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup and chilli sauce.

Sweet and sour sesame vegetables

Sweet and sour sesame vegetables- A medley of colourful vegetables stir fried in a Chinese style sesame sweet and sour sauce. Delicately flavoured with dark soya sauce and sweet chilli, it makes a lovely accompaniment to plain boiled or egg fried rice.

Ingredients:

4 small broccoli florets
4 small cauliflower florets
6 green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
2 spring onions cut into 1 inch pieces
½ red capsicum diced in 1 inch pieces
1 small red onion cut into thin slices
6 baby corn cut into 1 cm rounds
2 water chestnuts cut into strips
8 mange tout cut into 3 pieces each
1 carrot cut into thin slices
2 small button mushrooms sliced.
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnishing
½ cup bean sprouts
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cashew nuts
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 table spoon sunflower oil
2 tablespoons dark Soya sauce
2 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
2 green chillies finely sliced

Method:

1. Prepare and cut all the vegetables so that they are similar sizes.
2. Heat sunflower oil in the wok and fry the cashew nuts,
3. Remove cashew nuts and keep aside.
4. Add the sesame oil and add the garlic ,chillies and all the vegetables.
5. Stir fry the vegetables on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the Soya sauce, honey ,lemon juice and sweet chilli sauce .
7. Add the salt and stir in the sesame seeds and cashew nuts prepared earlier.
8. Stir fry for 2-3 more minutes. (Vegetables should just wilt but still be crisp and retain shape.
9. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with few more sesame seeds.

Serve with plain boiled rice or egg fried rice.



NB- Vegetables can be varied according to what ever is available or preference, careful with salt as soya sauce is already salty.If you don't have sweet chilli sauce add 1 tablespoon tomato sauce and extra chillies instead.

You may like:
Chilli paneer
Hakka noodles

Gujarati karela -Sabji

Karela-Bitter gourd, an indian vegetable with a bitter taste but if cooked correctly it can be made into a delicious spicy sabji, sweet and delicately flavoured in an onion and tomato gravy sweetened with gor(jaggery) to balance the bitterness.

Ingredients:

3 medium karelas each peeled and each cut into 3 pieces.(9 pieces in total )

1 small onion sliced

1 tomato finely diced

1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander for garnish

For Stuffing:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon besan

1 tablespoon gor (jaggery)

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander

For gravy:

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 tablespoon gor(jaggery)

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon garlic paste

Method:

1.Cut a slit into each karela piece and remove the seeds.

2.Mix together all the ingredients for the stuffing and make a thick paste.

3.Stuff the cavity of each karela piece with this stuffing .

4.Place stuffed karela pieces on a tray and stem for 20 min still karela are tender and cooked.

5.Heat oil in a shallow frying pan and add mustard seeds.

6.Once the mustard seeds start popping add the garlic paste and onions and saute till onions start to colour slightly.

7.Add the tomatoes and add the spices set aside for gravy ,cook till tomatoes break down and the gravy thickens. Add gor and cook.

8.Add the steamed karelas and gentle toss to cover the karelas with the gravy.

9.Cover the pan and let the karelas infuse the gravy and spices for a further 5 minutes.

10.Transfer the karela sabji to a serving dish and garnish with fresh coriander.

Aloo (potato) paratha

Aloo paratha- Delicious flat breads made from wheat flour with a filling consisting of boiled potatoes delicately flavoured with ginger,green chillies, coriander and a blend of spices . Delicious served with natural yoghurt and mango pickle.

Ingredients:

1 bowl wheat flour
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
Dry flour for rolling
Oil for shallow frying
water for making dough

For Filling:

3 medium potatoes boiled and mashed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
3 green chillies deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon clove powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method:

For filling:

1.To the mashed potato add the spices ,coriander, chillies,ginger and lemon juice and mix.
2.Divide mixture into 8 parts and make small balls.
3.Keep aside.

For paratha:

1.Add salt and oil to flour and make a dough using a little water.Cover and leave for 1 hour.
2.Divide the dough into 8 small balls.
3.Using dry flour roll each ball into a three inch round , place the potato ball in centre and bring sides up to encase the potato ball within the dough.
4.Using dry flour flatten the potato coated dough patty and gently roll into a six inch paratha.
5.Heat a tava and place the paratha on it , when it starts to form bubbles turn it over.
6.Spread some oil on the paratha and turn it over and let it cook under neath.
7.Spread some oil on top side and flip the paratha over and cook top side.
8. Cook remaining parathas in same way.

Serve with plain yoghurt and pickle.

Eggless Chocolate chip muffins.

Eggless Chocolate chip muffins- Soft light and extremely chocolatey muffins, delicious with a surprising bite of chocolate chips in each mouthful.
Makes 12

Ingredients:

1.5 cups plain flour (maida)
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup apple sauce (substitute for egg)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white chocolate chip

For topping:

200 grams milk chocolate
Decorations/sprinkles of choice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade
2. Line the muffin pan with muffin liners.
3. In a bowl sieve the flour with the salt, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa and baking powder.
4. In another bowl whisk together the apple sauce, sugar, oil and milk.
5. Gently fold in the flour with the wet ingredients. Do not over mix.
6. Gently stir in the white chocolate chip and fill each muffin case ¾ full.
7. Bake in oven for approx 20-25 minutes. Bake muffins until golden brown and check muffin with a skewer; if it comes out clean they are ready.
8. Remove from oven and transfer muffins to cooling rack.


For the topping:

1. In a double boiler melt the chocolate.
2. Using a palate knife spread the chocolate over the top of each muffin and sprinkles with decorations of your choice.

You may like:

Eggless Almond vanilla cookies