Recipes

These are firm favorites with children who enjoy them as an after-school snack, cold or hot with tomato ketchup.

INGREDIENTS

450 g/1 lb potatoes, diced
1 onion, grated
1 tsp Garam Masala (see page 12)
1/4 tsp chilli powder (optional)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander salt
4 tbsp ghee or butter
Fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish

VARIATION

For a filling cake, cook 225 g/8 oz beef mince until brown. Cool and add to the potatoes. Add 115 g/4 oz cooked peas, mash, shape and cook.

METHOD

1. Cook the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until tender, but still firm. Meanwhile, place the grated onion in a clean tea towel and wring well to squeeze out the excess moisture. Transfer the onion to a large bowl and stir in the Garam Masala. chilli powder (if using), lemon juice and chopped coriander, Season with salt to taste.

2. Drain the potatoes and add to the bowl. Mash roughly with a fork or potato masher. Divide the mixture into 8 equal-sized portions, then form each portion into a ball between the palms of your hands and flatten into a cake.

3. Heat the ghee in a large, heavy-based frying pan. Add the potato cakes, in batches, if necessary, and fry for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the frying pan with a spatula and drain on kitchen paper. Serve warm or cold garnished with sprigs of fresh coriander.

These little dumplings are very easy to prepare and are ideal to serve as a delicious snack at any time of the day.

INGREDIENTS

200 g/7 oz urid dal powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
700 ml/ 1/4 pints water
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
400 ml/14 fl oz natural yogurt
75 g/2 3/4 oz sugar
Sliced fresh red chillies, to garnish

MASALA

50 g/ 1 3/4 oz coriander seeds
50 g/1 3/4 oz white cumin seeds
25 g/1 oz crushed red chillies
100 g/3 1/2 oz citric acid

Cook’s tip

The masala spice mixture for the dumplings is usually made in a large quantity. It can be stored in an airtight container in a dark cool place.

METHOD

1. Place the powdered urid dal in a large bowl. Add the baking powder and ground ginger and stir to mix well. Add 300 ml/10 fl oz of the water and mix to form a paste.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer or large, heavy-based saucepan to 180-190oC/350-375°F, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Add the batter, 1 teaspoon at a time, and deep-fry the dumplings until golden brown, lowering the heat when the oil gets too hot. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and reserve.

3. Place the yogurt in a separate bowl. Add the remaining water and the sugar and mix together with a whisk or fork, Reserve.

4. To make the masala, roast the coriander with white cumin seeds in a small saucepan. Heat them until they become little darker in colour. Transfer to a food processor and process them until roughly ground. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle Add the crushed red chillies and citric acid and blend well together.

5. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the masala over the dumplings and garnish with chopped red chillies. Serve with the reserved yogurt mixture.

Variation

If you prefer, use low-fat natural yogurt, or rich, Greek-style yogurt for a special occasion.

Cooking Time: 40 mins
Preparation Time: 40 mins, plus 1hr standing
Makes: 10-12

These traditional, savory, deep-fried pastries are filled with a spiced potato mixture and perfectly complemented by a squeeze of lemon juice. They are suitable for vegetarians.

COOKING TIP

When deep-frying the samosas, do not overcrowd the saucepan because you need room to turn them, Remove the cooked samosas with a slotted spoon to allow some of the oil to drain off.

INGREDIENTS

PASTRY

100 g/3 1/2 oz self-raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
40 g/1 1/2 oz butter, cut into small pieces
4 tbsp water

FILLING

3 potatoes
1 tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
1 tsp crushed fresh garlic
1/2 tsp white cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mixed onion and mustard seeds
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red chillies
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 small fresh green chillies,
Finely chopped
Ghee or vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Lemon wedges, to serve

METHOD

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pour in the water and mix with a fork to form dough. Pat the dough into a ball and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth. Add a little flour if the dough is sticky. Cover and leave to stand for 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, to make the filling, cook the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 20-25 minutes, until tender. Drain and gently mash the potatoes, then add the ginger, garlic, white cumin seeds, onion and mustard seeds, salt, crushed red chillies, lemon juice and green chillies and stir well to mix.

3. Break small balls off the dough and roll each out very thinly to form a round. Cut in half, dampen the edges and form into cones. Fill the cones with a little of the filling, dampen the open edges and pinch together to seal, Reserve.

4. Fill a deep-fat fryer or large, heavy-based saucepan one-third full with vegetable oil and heat to 180-190°c/350-375°F, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Carefully lower the samosas into the hot oil, in batches, and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain thoroughly on kitchen paper. Serve hot or cold with lemon wedges.

VARIATION

Substitute the green chillies with 2 red chillies, and if you don’t like it too spicy, deseed the chillies before using.

If you like your food spicy, choose the Indian variations.

 Indian vegetable stock

Makes: 3 litres/5 1/4 pints
Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus 3 hours standing
Cooking time: 1 hour 40 minutes

3 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil 1 tsp Garlic Paste (see page 12)
1 tsp Ginger Paste (see page 12)
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
5 cloves
10 black peppercorns 5-cm/2-inch cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 carrot, chopped
3 litres/5/4 pints water

• Heat the ghee in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the Garlic Paste, Ginger Paste, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, cardamoms, onion and carrot. Cook, stir it frequently, for 8 minutes.

• Add water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

• Remove from the heat and sieve the stock into a bowl. Leave it to cool, then chill in the refrigerator. When chilled, carefully remove and discard any fat on the surface. Use it immediately.

Basic vegetable stock

Makes: 3 litres/5 1/4 pints
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

2 tbsp sunflower oil
115 g/4 oz onions, finely chopped
115 g/4 oz leeks, finely chopped
115 g/4 oz carrots, finely chopped
4 celery sticks, finely chopped
85 g/3 oz fennel, finely chopped
85 g/3 oz tomatoes, finely chopped
2.25 litres/4 pints water
1 bouquet garni

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and leeks and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened.

• Add the remaining vegetables, cover and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the water and bouquet garni, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

• Remove from the heat and sieve the stock into a bowl. Leave to cool, then chill Remove and discard any fat on the surface. Use immediately or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

Garam masala

Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus 10 minutes cooling
Cooking time: 10 minutes

1 cinnamon stick 8 dried red chillies
5 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp cardamom seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp whole cloves

• Dry-fry the cinnamon and chillies in a heavy-based frying pan over a low heat, stir it constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the remaining spices and dry-fry, stirring and shaking the frying pan constantly, for 8 minutes, or until they give off their aroma.

• Remove the frying pan from the heat and leave to cool. Transfer the Contents to a spice grinder and process until ground. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Paneer

Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus 3 hours standing
Cooking time: 5-10 minutes

1 litre/13/4 pints milk
2 tbsp lemon juice

• Bring the milk to the boil in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for a few minutes. Add the lemon juice, stirring constantly until the milk begins to curdle.

• Drain the mixture through a muslin-lined sieve, then rinse the contents of the sieve under cold running water. Gather up the corners of the muslin, tie them together and squeeze gently to extract any moisture.

• Hang the muslin-wrapped cheese for 1 hour to drain, then press under a heavy weight for 1 1/2-2 hours. Transfer to an airtight container and store for up to 1 week.

Before we start to learn about the dishes, let us first discuss on how to make the basic recipes, i have a list of basic stuffs which are most commonly in Indian cuisine.

1. Panch phoran

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 0 minutes

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp onion seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp aniseed

• Mix all the seeds together in a small bowl and store in an airtight jar

2. Garlic paste

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 0 minutes 

115 g/4 oz garlic cloves, halved 125 m|/4 fl oz water

• Place the garlic cloves and water in a food processor or blender and process to make a paste.

• Transfer to a glass jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

2. Ginger paste

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 0 minutes

115 g/4 oz fresh root ginger, roughly chopped 125 ml/4 fl oz water

• Place the ginger and water in a food processor or blender and process to make a paste.

• Transfer to a glass jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

3. Curry paste

Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus 20 minutes cooling

Cooking time: 10 minutes

4 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
2 curry leaves
2 dried red chillies
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp chilli powder
5 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp water 125 ml/4 fl oz vegetable oil, Plus extra for sealing

• Grind the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves and dried red chillies in a spice grinder. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, vinegar and water to make a smooth paste.

• Heat the vegetable oil in a targe, heavy-based frying pan. Add the paste and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed and the oil rises to the surface.

• Leave to cool, then spoon into a glass jar with a lid. To preserve the curry paste, heat a little more vegetable oil in a clean saucepan and pour it over the surface. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.