Chinese Potato balls

Serves : 4

Prep Time : 10 mins

Cooking Time : 25mins

Ingredients :

1 tbsp Cornflour

1 tsp garlic,finely chopped

1 tsp ginger,finely chopped

2 tbsp oil

3 potatoes boiled but firm

1/2 tsp red chilli  finely chopped (fresh or dried)

Salt to taste

1 tsp Soya sauce

1 bunch spring onion chopped

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp tomato sauce

1/4 cup sauce

Method

1.Mix the cornflour and water. Keep aside.
2.Peel and chop the potatoes into long thick chunks.
3.Heat oil in a wok or pan, add some potatoes at a time.
4.Fry till light golden brown. Finish all potatoes similarly.
5.Keep aside. Remove half the oil.
6.In the remaining oil, add the chillies, ginger and garlic.
7.Fry for a minute. Add the potatoes.
8.Add sauces, salt and sugar.
9.Stir well and add the cornflour solution.
10.Cook till the wateriness is gone.
11.Add spring onions and stir. Serve hot.

Aloo ka bharta

Serves 4

Prep time: 7mins

Cooking time: 25mins

Ingredients

2 cup Cooking oil

bunch of Hara Dhania

3 onions

1/2 tsp yoghurt

1/2 gms potatoes

1tbsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Method

1. Boil the potatoes in a pot of water on the stove. Once the potatoes are well cooked, drain the water and let the potatoes cool. When the potatoes are cool, peel them and mash them well in a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl combine the salt, red chilli powder and yugurt. And beat it well.

3. In a heavy based pot heat some oil. When oil is hot add in the sliced onions and fry the onions until golden brown. Then add in the yugurt mixture to onions and stir. Add the mashed potatoes, mix well and take off heat. Finally garnish with the fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and mix well.

1. Boil the potatoes in a pot of water on the stove. Once the potatoes are well cooked, drain the water and let the potatoes cool. When the potatoes are cool, peel them and mash them well in a bowl. 2. In a separate bowl combine the salt, red chilli powder and yugurt. And beat it well. 3. In a heavy based pot heat some oil. When oil is hot add in the sliced onions and fry the onions until golden brown. Then add in the yugurt mixture to onions and stir. Add the mashed potatoes, mix well and take off heat. Finally garnish with the fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and mix well.

lychee Icecream Cake

Serves 4

Prep Time 7mins

Cooking Time 25mins

Ingredients

1/2 cup Butter

2 cups Crushed Cornflakes

2 cups Drained lychees

1 quarter plain vanilla ice cream

4 tsp sugar

Method

1. Ice cream should be fairly soft. Leave ice cream in refrigerator for one or two hours.

2. Mix sugar, melted butter and crushed cornflakes in a large bowl. Divide into three portions.Use one portion to line inside of an 8 inch cake pan (or loaf pan).

3. Mix soft ice cream with coarsely chopped lychees. Spread half of the ice cream mixture over crumb mix, followed by the second portion of crumb mix. Top with remaining ice cream, and crumbs.

4.Cover with a piece of baking foil and freeze until firm.

Moong Dal Pakodas

Its like a must must during the rains espclly the Amchi Mumbai rains......

Serves  2

Ingredients

• 1 ½  cup Moong Dal (Chilta wala) 
• ½ cup Moong  Dal(yellow) 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 2 green chillies,chopped 
• ½  tsp jeera 
• ¼ inch ginger 
• 1 onion,finely chopped 
• little Coriander 
• Salt to taste 
• ¼ tbsp Turmeric powder

Method

1.Soak both the dal in water for 4 hours.

2.Drain the water and put the dal in the mixer alongwith all ingredients do not add water.

3.Grind them coarsely not into a fine paste.Cut 1 onion and little coriander finely chopped mix in the batter and keep for 10mins.

4.After 10 mins set oil for frying and deep fry the pakodas.

Homemade Pasta Sauce

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tbs tomato paste
• 2 x 400g cans chopped peeled tomatoes
• salt and ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped basil
• 1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened but not browned.
2. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute (this 'cooks off' the paste, giving it a richer more intense flavour).
3. Add the peeled tomatoes, reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until thickened.
4. Stir through the salt and pepper, sugar, basil and parsley, adjusting the seasoning as required.

Ratatouille

Ingredients (serves 12)

• 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
• 2 brown onions, coarsely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 large (1kg) eggplants, cut into 2cm pieces
• 2 red capsicums, halved, deseeded, cut into 2cm pieces
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tbs chopped fresh oregano
• 4 medium (500g) zucchini, halved lengthways, cut into 2cm pieces
• 2 x 250g punnet cherry tomatoes
• 250ml (1 cup) passata (tomato pasta sauce)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based stockpot or large flame-proof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the onion is soft.
2. Add the eggplant, capsicum, thyme and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, tomatoes and passata. Cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture thickens.

 

Spaghetti with garlic bread

 

Cooking Time

15 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 500g dried spaghetti pasta
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• baby basil leaves and shaved parmesan, to serve

Method

1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, following packet directions, until tender. Drain. Return to pan.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add breadcrumbs. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat.
3. Add half the breadcrumb mixture, basil, pesto and chilli to pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Serve pasta topped with remaining breadcrumb mixture, baby basil leaves and parmesan.

 

Broccoli Soup

Preparation Time

15 minutes

Cooking Time

25 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1kg broccoli
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1.25L (5 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

Method

1. Thinly slice the broccoli stems and break the heads into even-sized florets.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the broccoli stem and garlic, and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute or until tender. Add the florets and stir until well combined.
3. Add 1L (4 cups) of stock. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until broccoli is soft but still green. Uncover. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Transfer half the mixture to the jug of a blender with half the remaining stock. Blend until smooth. Return to the pan. Repeat with remaining mixture and stock. Place over medium heat. Stir until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. .
5. Ladle the soup among serving bowls. Season with pepper. Serve hot

 

 

Spicy Corn and Carrot Fritters

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons korma curry paste
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 corn cobs, kernels removed
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, grated
• 2 tablespoons oil

Method

1. Process curry paste, flour, egg and half the corn kernels until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Squeeze excess liquid from carrot. Add carrot and remaining corn to curry paste mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
3. Heat half the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add 2 heaped tablespoons mixture to pan. Spread slightly . Repeat to make 4 fritters in total. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and mixture to make 12 fritters. Serve.

 

Vegetarian Pad Thai

Cook  5 mins

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 250g rice stick noodles
• 2 tablespoons Rice Bran Oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup pad Thai paste (Look in for the recipe in the blog or you can use the readymade sauces)
• 250g firm tofu, diced
• 3 green onions, trimmed, finely sliced
• 100g beansprouts, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts (optional)
• lime wedges, to serve

Method

1. Place noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with hot water. Stand for 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add egg and swirl to coat. Cook for 2 minutes or until egg is set. Remove to a plate. Roll up and roughly chop.
3. Heat remaining oil in pan. Add paste and tofu. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add noodles. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until noodles are warmed through. Remove from heat.

Pad Thai Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• MAKES 2/3 cup Pad Thai Sauce (enough for 1 to 2 batches of pad Thai, depending on how many you're cooking for)
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1+1/2 Tbsp. tamarind paste (available by the jar at Asian/Indian food stores)
• 5 Tbsp. fish sauce (available in tall bottles at Asian stores) - substitute 6 Tbsp. soy sauce if vegetarian
• 1 fresh red chili, minced, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, OR 2-4 tsp. chili sauce
• 5-6 Tbsp. brown sugar

Preparation:

1. Pour the hot water into a small mixing bowl or glass measuring cup. Add the tamarind paste and stir well to dissolve.
2. Add the other ingredients and stir to dissolve. (Note that you will need all the sugar to balance out the intense sourness of the tamarind.)
3. The sauce should taste tangy - a balance of sour, sweet, spicy, and salty. If it's still too sour for your taste, add a little more sugar. Remember that once it's distributed throughout the noodles, the sauce will no longer be so spicy or strong-tasting.
4. Your pad thai sauce is now ready to be used, or store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to made pad thai noodles. The sauce will keep in a covered jar for several weeks.

• Pad Thai Tips: For authentic-tasting pad thai, be sure to soak your rice noodles (instead of boiling them) until they are softened but still firm and little bit "crunchy", then fry them up with the sauce.

Curried Vegetable Burger

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 cucumber, chopped
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 100g (about 4 slices) wholemeal bread, crusts removed
• 400g canned chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 3 tsp mild curry paste
• 3 tbs crunchy peanut butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tbs chopped coriander leaves, plus extra leaves to serve
• 6 bread rolls (used cape seed or alternative burger bread)
• Mayonnaise, chutney, lettuce and tomato, to serve

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a large frypan over medium-low heat, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.
2. Add the garlic, cucumber and carrot, then cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until wilted and softened. Drain off any liquid.
3. Place bread and chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.
4. Add softened vegetables, curry paste, peanut butter, yolk and coriander. Process until mixture comes together.
5. Form the mixture into 6 patties and chill for 10 minutes. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a non-stick frypan over medium heat and cook the burgers, in batches if necessary, for 1-2 minutes each side until golden.
6. Serve in rolls with mayonnaise, chutney, lettuce, tomato and extra coriander leaves.

Asian-style chopped salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 baby cos lettuce
• 1 small carrot, peeled, grated
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup beansprouts, trimmed
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 1 long red chilli, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped roasted salted peanuts

Method

1. Place oil and lime juice in a screw-top jar. Season with salt and pepper. Secure lid. Shake to combine.
2. Remove outer leaves and core from lettuce. Separate leaves. Wash and pat dry with a tea towel. Roughly chop. Place lettuce, carrot, onion, beansprouts, mint, coriander and chilli in a bowl. Add dressing. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve.

Lemon And Herb Chicken schnitzels

Ingredients (Serves 4)

4 chicken breasts fillets, trimmed
1/3 cup plain flour
2 eggs

2 cups fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

1 lemon, rind finely grated
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter

extra-light olive oil, for frying

Method 

1. Combine flour and salt and pepper on a large plate. Lightly whisk eggs in a shallow dish. Combine breadcrumbs, lemon rind, parsley  in a separate shallow dish.
2. Lightly coat chicken in seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg then coat in breadcrumb mixture, pressing crumbs on with fingertips to secure.
3. Place 1 tablespoon butter in a large frying pan. Pour oil into pan until 1cm deep. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Cook schnitzels, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until golden. Drain on paper towel. Place on a baking tray in oven to keep warm while cooking remaining schnitzels.

Lemony Potato Salad

Serves : 6
Prep Time : 20 mins
Cook Time : 20 mins

Ingredients

• 900g halved new potatoes
• 3 tsp olive oil
• juice 1 lemon
• 1 tsp each toasted black mustard seeds and toasted cumin seeds
• 1 finely chopped green chilli (optional)
• ½ finger-length piece grated ginger
• pinch turmeric
• 4 sliced spring onions

Method

1. Boil the new potatoes for 15 mins until just slightly overcooked but still holding their shape. While still warm, toss with all the other ingredients. Season. Can be made up to a day ahead and chilled, but take out of the fridge a good few hours before serving.

Pumpkin curry with chickpeas

Serves : 4

Prep time : 20mins

Cook time : 20mins

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 tbsp Thai yellow curry paste
• 2 onions , finely chopped
• 3 large stalks lemongrass , bashed with the back of a knife
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 tbsp mustard seed
• 1 piece pumpkin or a small squash (about 1kg)
• 250ml vegetable stock
• 400ml can reduced-fat coconut milk
• 400g can chickpeas , drained and rinsed
• 2 limes
• naan bread , to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a sauté pan, then gently fry the curry paste with the onions, lemongrass, cardamom and mustard seed for 2-3 mins until fragrant. Stir the pumpkin or squash into the pan and coat in the paste, then pour in the stock and coconut milk. Bring everything to a simmer, add the chickpeas, then cook for about 10 mins until the pumpkin is tender. The curry can now be cooled and frozen for up to 1 month.
1. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the curry, then cut the other lime into wedges to serve alongside. Just before serving, tear over mint leaves, then bring to the table with the lime wedges and warm naan breads.

Tomato Soup

Serves :
Prep Time :
Cook Time :

Ingredients

• 1-1.25kg/2lb 4oz-2lb 12oz ripe tomatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1 small carrot
• 1 celery stick
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 squirts of tomato purée (about 2 tsp)
• a good pinch of sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.2l hot vegetable stock (made with boiling water and 4 rounded tsp bouillon powder or 2 stock cubes)

Method

1. Firstly, prepare your vegetables. If the tomatoes are on their vines, pull them off. The green stalky bits should come off at the same time, but if they don't, just pull or twist them off afterwards. Throw the vines and green bits away and wash the tomatoes. Now cut each tomato into quarters and slice off any hard cores (they don't soften during cooking and you'd get hard bits in the soup at the end). Peel the onion and carrot and chop them into small pieces. Chop the celery roughly the same size.
2. Spoon the oil into a large heavy-based pan and heat it over a low heat. Hold your hand over the pan until you can feel the heat rising from the oil, then tip in the onion, carrot and celery and mix them together with a wooden spoon. Still with the heat low, cook the vegetables until they're soft and faintly colored. This should take about 10 minutes and you should stir them two or three times so they cook evenly and don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Holding the tube over the pan, squirt in about 2 tsp of tomato purée, then stir it around so it turns the vegetables red. Shoot the tomatoes in off the chopping board, sprinkle in a good pinch of sugar and grind in a little black pepper, then tear each bay leaf into a few pieces and throw them into the pan. Stir to mix everything together, put the lid on the pan and let the tomatoes stew over a low heat for 10 minutes until they shrink down in the pan and their juices flow nicely. From time to time, give the pan a good shake - this will keep everything well mixed.
4. Slowly pour in the stock, stirring at the same time to mix it with the vegetables. Turn up the heat as high as it will go and wait until everything is bubbling, then turn the heat down to low again and put the lid back on the pan. Cook gently for 25 minutes, stirring a couple of times. At the end of cooking the tomatoes will have broken down and be very slushy looking.
5. Remove the pan from the heat, take the lid off and stand back for a few seconds or so while the steam escapes, then fish out the pieces of bay leaf and throw them away. Ladle the soup into your blender until it's about three-quarters full, fit the lid on tightly and turn the machine on full. Blitz until the soup's smooth (stop the machine and lift the lid to check after about 30 seconds), then pour the puréed soup into a large bowl. Repeat with the soup that's left in the pan. (The soup may now be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost before reheating.)
6. Pour the puréed soup back into the pan and reheat it over a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until you can see bubbles breaking gently on the surface. Taste a spoonful and add a pinch or two of salt if you think the soup needs it, plus more pepper and sugar if you like. If the colour's not a deep enough red for you, plop in another teaspoon of tomato purée and stir until it dissolves. Ladle into bowls and serve. Or sieve and serve chilled with some cream swirled in. For other serving suggestions, see opposite.

The step wise pics

Yummy scrummy carrot cake

Serves : 15 slices
Prep Time : 1 hr - 1 hr 15 mins inclusive 40-45 minutes in the oven.
Cook Time :

Ingredients

• 175g light muscovado sugar
• 175ml sunflower oil
• 3 large eggs , lightly beaten
• 140g grated carrots (about 3 medium)
• 100g raisins grated zest of 1 large orange
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg (freshly grated will give you the best flavour)

For The Frosting

• 175g icing sugar
• 1½-2 tbsp orange juice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment. The easiest way to do this is to cut two long strips the width of the tin and put each strip crossways, covering the base and sides of the tin, with a double layer in the base.
2. Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.
3. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl. Lightly mix all the ingredients - when everything is evenly amalgamated stop mixing. The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40- 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. (You can freeze the cake at this point.)
5. Beat together the frosting ingredients in a small bowl until smooth - you want the icing about as runny as single cream. Set the cake on a serving plate and boldly drizzle the icing back and forth in diagonal lines over the top, letting it drip down the sides.

Chicken and Basil Soup

Serves : 4
Prep Time : 10 mins
Cook Time : 40 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp plain flour , seasoned
• 2 red peppers , diced
• 12 new potatoes , halved
• 150ml white wine
• 200ml chicken stock
• 20g pack basil , leaves only
• crusty bread , to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, flameproof casserole. Dust the chicken thighs with the seasoned flour and add to the casserole. Cook over a high heat, turning once, until golden all over.
2. Add the peppers and potatoes to the casserole and cook for 3 mins. Pour in the white wine and chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Cover the casserole and simmer for 20-25 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the basil and cook for another 5 mins. Serve with some crusty bread.

Spaghetti omelette

Serves :
Prep Time :
Cook Time :

Ingredients

• 200 g spaghetti
• 20g butter
• 1tbsp plain flour
• 1 cup(250ml) skim milk
• 1/2 cup (40 g) grated cheddar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion,chopped
• 1 garlic clove,crushed
• 2 zucchini,grated,squeezed to remove liquid
• 2 eggs,lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp chopped leaf parsley
• 3 cups salad greens,to serve

Method

1. Cook spaghetti in a pan of salted boiling water according to packet directions.Drain.
2. Meanwhile,melt butter in a pan on medium heat.Add flour.Cook,stirring,for 2 mins,until starting to change color.Gradually stir in milk.Cook,stirring for 5mins,until sauce boils and thickens.Stir in cheese.Remove from heat.
3. Heat half of oil in a pan on medium.Cook onion for 5mins,until soft.Add garlic and cook for 1min,until fragrant.Add zucchini.Cook for 3-4mins,until tender.Transfer to a bowl.Add sauce,spaghetti,eggs and parsley.Season.
4. Preheat grill on high.Heat remaining oil in a pan on medium.Add spaghetti mixture and smooth surface.Cook for 3-5mins,until almost set.Grill for 2-3mins,until brown.
5. Cool in pan for 5mins.Serve with salad.