Red onion Raita

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 sm Garlic clove
1 sm Green Chilli, seeded
1 lg Red onion
2/3 cup Natural yoghurt
2 tsp. Chopped fresh coriander
Plus extra to garnish
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Method:

1. Heat a small frying pan and dry fry the cumin seeds for 1-2 minutes until they release their aroma and begin to pop.
2. Lightly crush or flatten the cumin seeds using the heel of a heavy bladed knife.
3. Finely chop the garlic, green chilli and red onion. Stir into yoghurt with the crushed cumin seeds and chopped coriander.
4. Add sugar and salt to taste. Spoon the raita into a small bowl and chill until ready to serve. Garnish wit extra coriander before serving. Good with rice and nan.

Stuffed Kareila

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 kg bitter-gourd
1/2 kg minced beef or mutton
3 onions , cut into thin slices
4 cloves of garlic crushed
1 inch piece of garlic crushed
2 tbsp fresh coriander
2-3 fresh green chilly
1 tbsp red chilly powder
2 tsp. salt
oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Peel of the bitter-gourd, make a long cut in it and take out all the seeds.Sprinkle salt in and out of the bitter-gourd and put it aside for at least two hours. Wash the bitter-gourd with plenty of water and rinse them softly.
2. Cook mince meat with one onion, one tomato, garlic, ginger, one tsp red chilly powder and one tsp. salt.
3. Fill the mince meat in each bitter-gourd, sew it with needle and thread. Deep fry them on medium heat until they turn golden.
4. Cook one onion, one tomato, one tsp. chilly powder, one tsp. salt and half cup of water. Cook it over low heat for ten to fifteen minutes or until the onion and tomato gets soft. Mash it with the back of a wooden spoon to make gravy. Add one fourth cup oil in the gravy and cook from three to four minutes.
5. Put the fried bitter-gourd in the gravy and cook for five minutes.
6. Garnish it with tomato, onion , Green chilly and coriander leaves.   

Tuna Ka Salan

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsps vegetable oil
2 ozs onion -- cut into half rings
1 clove garlic -- very finely chopped
1 tsp curry powder
1 6 oz can good quality oil packed tuna, undrained
1 fresh hot green chilli -- cut into fine rounds
1 1/2'' piece fresh ginger root, peeled -- julienned
3 tbsps coriander leaves -- chopped
salt and pepper -- to taste

Preparation time : 10 min

Method :

1. Put oil in non stick frying pan and set over medium-high heat
2. When hot,put in onion and garlic. Stir-fry until onion turns brown at edges.
3. Add curry powder; mix. Add tuna; mix well. Turn heat to low and add green chilli, ginger and coriander; mix. Check for seasoning; mix and turn off heat.
4. Serve hot or cold. As a sandwich filling, puff pastry filling, pasta salad.

Veggie Curry

Ingredients:

2 t Ghee
1 c chopped onion
4 ea Garlic cloves
4 oz Can mild chillies drained chop
1 t Grated ginger,salt, cumin
1 t Coriander, dry mustard
1/2 t Turmeric,nutmeg,cinnamon
2 ea Potatoes,peeled and diced
3 c Bite sized cauliflower
2 ea Large carrots
3 t Chopped fresh cilantro
2 c String beans, 1 in. pieces
1 c Plain low fat yoghurt

Serves 8

Method:

Heat ghee in karhai/wok. Add onion saute until translucent. Add garlic continue until onion golden. Add tomatoes, chillies , ginger , salt and spices. Bring to a simmer, then stir in potatoes, cauliflower, and carrots. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally , then stir in the cilantro. Simmer for another 20 minutes over low heat, until vegetables and tender but firm. While cooking, there should be enough liquid to form a sauce; If needed add additional water, but not so much that becomes soupy. Steam string beans separately until bright green and crisp tender. Stir into vegetable mixture. Remove from heat and stir in yoghurt. Serve at once.