Fruit Chaat (Fruit salad with chickpeas)

1 Tin Chickpeas, drained
1 Tin Fruit Cocktail, drained
2 Apples - cored and chopped into small peices.
1 big Banana or 2 small ones - chopped into small pieces
A handful of strawberries or any other soft fruit.
Orange Juice, or mixed juice. About half cup.
pinch of Black Pepper
1-2 tsp Sugar
1tsp Chaat Masala Mix (flat tsp, not heaped lol!)

Step 1: Put chickpeas, fruit cocktail, apple, banana and any other fruit in to a dish and stir well. Add the orange juice, and stir so the fruit is covered in juice.
Step 2: Add the black pepper, sugar and the Chaat Masala Mix. Stir and taste it.
Add more sugar or more chaat masala mix if you like.
Step 4: put in fridge to chill, then serve when cold.

Aubergine & Potato Curry (Aloo Bangan)

Oil
2 x Onions (3 if small), sliced
1-2 x Tomatos
1 spoon Garlic and Ginger Paste
2 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1/4 Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2 x Big Aubergines
2 x Potato's, peeled, bioled and chopped into even sized chunks.
1 spoon Yogurt
Fresh Coriander

Step 1 --> Fry onions in oil till light golden, add little water, stir and cover, repeat once more when dry. Then add the tomatos, spices, salt and garlic and ginger paste. Stir and add little more water, cover for about 5-8 min. Uncover, add little more water and repeat till tomatos are reduced.
Step 2 --> Slice aubergine up in to chunks with skin on them. Add to curry, stir so nicely covered in the curry, and add half cup water. Cover and leave for 15 min, stirring now and then and adding more water if dry.
Step 3 --> When aubergine is nearly cooked, add the potatos and cook for 5 more min. Then add fresh corriander and the yogurt.
Check taste..if not so spicy then add little more spices.

Serve on a bed of rice, with yogurt on the side

Anda Piaz (egg & onion curry)

Quick curry to make in a hurry. Quite tasty too! Serves 2

You will need:
3 Onions
2-3 Eggs (if large eggs use 2)
1 Tomato (chopped)
squirt of tomato puree (if not have then 1-2 tbsp of the juice from tinned tomatos will do)
Fresh corriander (to garnish)
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Ground Coriander Powder

Step 1 -> Placed sliced onion in pan with little oil, on high heat and pound a little with a wood spoon. Stir so onion is nicely covered with oil. Lower heat to medium and gently cook until golden (don't burn it).
Step 2 -> Add half cup of water, then squirt of tomato puree and the one tomato.
Step 3 ->After a few min add the chilli powder, ground coriander and salt. Stir and cover with lid.
Step 4 -> Crack egg into bowl, and add the fresh coriander.
Step 5 -> When oil is seperate from tomato, mix and pound the curry a little, and then pour the egg mixture over the top. Cover with lid, and do not stir! After 2-3 min uncover, stir and cover. after 2 min, check egg is cooked.
Serve with roti and enjoy!

Potato Curry

This curry has no onions, great if you hate them. Serves 2

2-3 medium Potatos (chopped)
3 Tomatos (fresh is best, if not go for 2 tomatos in a tin of peeled plum tomatos)
1/2 tsp Salt (or less)
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin (seeds or powder or 1/2 of each)
1 tsp garlic and ginger paste (more if you like)
Fresh Coriander

-> Put oil in pan and fry Tomato's and spices. Add salt. When dry, add water and fry again till dry, then add water again and pound the tomatos a little with wooden spoon. When tomatos reduced then add potatos and water.
-> When potatoes are cooked, check taste of masala. If taste of tomatos is strong then add yogurt.
-> Then add corriander, stir and leave covered till you wish to serve.

Chana Daal (Chickpea Curry)

You can eat this with rice or roti/naan.

You will need:

1 Tin of Chickpeas

2 Tomatos (from a tin of peeled plum tomatos)

1 dessert spoon of Yogurt

1 spoon Garlic & Ginger paste

3/4 tsp Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Corriander Powder

1/4 tsp Tumaric

pinch of Gram Masala or Cumin Powder (optional)

Fresh Corriander to garnish

Method:

Chop onions quite small, fry in oil till light brown. Add a little bit of water and when onions are soft try to mash them with your wooden spoon. Then roughly cut tomatos and put in pan with onions, and a little water or juice from tomatos tin. Cover and simmer, check it after 5min and if needed add a little more water. When tomatos are reduced add salt, chilli powder and ground corriander powder.

Fry for 5min more and then add the garlic, ginger, tumaric and gram masala, cook for awhile and then add the chick peas and half cup water.

Leave to cook, and when oil is seprate from tomato then add yogurt, stir and cook for 5 more min. Add water for desired consistansy. Then place the chopped fresh corriander on top and leave covered until time to serve.

Easy Peasy Spicey Rice

(This pic is after you have added the rice and water. (rice is not cooked yet))

This is a Quick and easy recipe. Great for guests, impressing your husbands family and surprisingly moorish.

You will need:

1 Cup of rice (this serves 2, so 4 people is 2 cups of rice)
Tin of peas (if using fresh or frozen you will need to adjust cooking time)
1-2 onions
1-2 tomato's (chopped)
1 spoon of mixed garlic and ginger paste (or estimate for fresh)
1 Black Cardamon
1 Cinnamon Stick
5 Cloves
1tsp Ground Coriander Powder
1tsp Chilli Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
Oil for cooking

Step 1: Chop onions, then fry in oil till golden. Add little bit water and cover, cook a little bit and then add the tomato's, salt, chilli powder, coriander powder, black cardamon, Cinnamon stick and cloves. Cover and fry like this till tomatos are reduced, keep adding little water when dry, then cover and fry again, repeat till its a thick sauce, then add garlic and ginger.

Step 2: After 5 min, add the peas and half cup water or more so the peas are covered. When cooked check the taste, it should taste a little salty. You can add more chilli and coriander powder or pop a green chilli in if you like.

Step 3: Add the rice, stir and cook a little so the rice takes in the flavour. Then add 1 cup and half of water and leave to cook, covered. When rice is cooked but a little hard then put on low heat, put Dam on and leave for 5-8min. Then switch off and leave with Dam on till ready to serve.

**Instead of peas you can use Chickpeas, Chicken, Mutton, mixed Veg or Kidney beans.

**Dam is when you place a cloth in-between the pan and lid.

Serve with Gram masala Powder mixed in yogurt.

Chicken Handi Curry

1 Chicken in small pieces.
2-3 Onions.
1-2 Big Tomatoes (if you only have one use some tomato paste, or a tin of tomatoes).
1 Piece of Ginger or 2 teaspoons of ginger paste.
3 Cloves of Garlic or 3 teaspoons of garlic paste.
1 Tablespoon of Yogurt (optional).
1 Black Cardamon ( if you don't have use 3-4 green cardamons).
1-2 Cinnamon Sticks.
7 Cloves.
2 Bay Leaves.
1 Teaspoon of Salt.
1 Teaspoon of Pepper.
1 Teaspoon of Chili Powder.
1/2 Teaspoon of Turmeric.
1 and 1/2 Teaspoon of Coriander Powder.
1 Teaspoon of Cumin Powder.


Right,
-> First get your chicken and stick it in hot water if frozen. If not then just put it in cold water.
->Then chop your onions, and put them in the pan with some oil, fry till light brown.
->while your oniouns are frying, blend or chop up your garlic and ginger. Then put them in a small bowl and add your spices. (Corriander powder, Cumin powder, Chilli powder, Cloves, Pepper, Turmaric, Cinnimon sticks, and Bay leaves) Stir and set aside.
-> Then chop or blend your tomatos, and Add your Salt.
-> When onions are ready (the oil will seperate (2 colors)), add your garlic/ginger/spice mix and stir, adding water if it sticks.
-> Cook for 5 min, keep checking that its not sticking, by stiring it.
-> Rinse chicken a few times, then add to the pan and stir to the sauce you have made is on the chicken, you may need to add some water, just so some of the chicken is covered, but dont add to much as chicken will release juices.
-> after the chicken goes white (it will be pink still inside), add the tomatos and stir. Add a cup of water, so the curry covers the chicken, and leave it bubbling for 25 min.
-> Keep checking on it in this time, and stir it now and then so all the chicken gets cooked.
-> Now eat it, with pitta bread or rice.

Rules : Teaspoon is the smallest spoon. Tablespoon is the biggest spoon. If you don't have a Tablespoon use 2 Spoons.

Sub note: if you forget to add anything, don't worry! just throw it in at last minute or leave it out. This recipe is pretty flexible with quantity.

Simple Daal (lentils) recipe

This is a quick and easy recipe for a filling but light meal.
you can make it as soup (add more water) or on top of rice, or with naan/roti.

1 Cup of Daal (lentil) (any will do)
3 Cup Water
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Gram masala
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
small chunk of ginger (chopped)
1 medium tomato (chopped)

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
1 black cardomon (optional)
half a onion (chopped)

some oil
fresh coriander to garnish

Right, bring the 3 cups of water to the boil, then Add Lentils, garlic, ginger, tomato, gram masala, turmeric powder and chili powder.
Mix for a few min, then leave to simmer for 20min or until lentils are done.
For a more creamy soup, add more water and cook for longer.
Now chop up the onion and fry with the cumin seeds, until onions are brown. Then add it to the Daal.
Add coriander.

serve and enjoy :)