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

Leek And Potato Soup

(Step 2^)
(Step 3 ^)

Really easy and yummy recipe, which can be enjoyed hot or cold. If you add more potatos it becomes a whitish soup or more leeks if you want a greener color.
To make it low-fat, use oil instead of butter and simi-skimmed milk instead of whole milk.

3-4 Leeks
1 medium Oniuon, (sliced)
2 medium Potatos, (chopped into cubes)
2 oz Butter
1 and a half, pints of Veg Stock
10 floz (275ml) Whole Milk
Salt & Pepper

To Garnish (optional)
Chives (chopped) or Parsley



Step 1 -> Trim leeks, slice lenghways and then slice finely. Wash in 2-3 changes of water and drain.
Step 2 -> In a pan, gently melt the butter, then add the leeks, onouns and potatos. Stir them so that they all get a nice coat of butter. Season with salt and pepper. Then cover the pan with its lid and let the vegtables sweat for 15min.
Step 3 -> Then add the veg stock and the milk and bring to simmering point, and let the soup simmer gently for 20min or until veg is cooked.
Step 4 -> Let the soup cool and then blend.
(I tend to blend two thirds of the soup, so then I have some bits inside...yummy!)
Then return the soup to the pan and gently reheat it, and season to taste.
Step 5 -> serve garnished with chopped chives or parsley.

Enjoy!

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.

Carrot and Corriander Soup

This recipe contains my secret ingredient..Honey! It serves 4.

450g Carrots, peeled and sliced
1 Leek, sliced
1 Onion, chopped
1 tbsp Sunflower Oil
25g Butter
30ml Honey
Juice of 1 Lemon
2 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Plain Flour
900ml (1 1/2 Pints) Veg stock
Salt and Pepper
120ml single cream or milk
24g walnuts (buy the already chopped and roasted packet)
Fresh Coriander sprigs to garnish

Method:

-> Heat butter and oil in large pan, until melted. Add onion and cook for 5 min, then add leek and carrots and cook over gentle heat for 5min.
-> Stir in honey, lemon juice and ground coriander and cook stirring 2-3mins. Stir in the flour. Gradually stir in stock and bring to biol, stirring. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20min.
->Cool slightly then puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Return to the pan and stir in cream/milk. Reheat gently. Serve with sprinkled walnuts and garnished with fresh coriander.

Enjoy!

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.

Pumpkin Soup

Its Autumn again, my fave season. What I love about this season is the incredible vegetables that come into season and taste at its best!

I am going to put up some yummy and simple recipes for you guys to make, full of veg or great warm up, keep you full up meals.

This is one of my fave soups, Me and my mom used to cook this together. now you can cheat and buy already chopped pumpkin, but then you cant serve it in the pumpkin skin!

There are many pumpkins to choose from, and squashes, i suggest to experiment or make like 3-4 for when guests come and you want to try or mix it up. it looks great on the table.

Heres a soup recipe, enjoy :)

1 Pumpkin

2 medium onions

knob of butter

chicken stock

black pepper

grated nutmeg

small piece Cinnamon stick

Step 1: Cut Pumpkin lid of carefully, as this will be the lid later. Remove seeds from inside, and discard. Remove flesh with a spoon. leave 2cm of the flesh inside. It is very important you do not go right up to the skin or Peirce the skin.

Step 2: roughly chop up the pumpkin flesh, and chop the onions.

Step 3: Melt the butter in a pan, add the onions and fry till golden, then add the pumpkin flesh, the Cinnamon stick and the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. increase heat to medium, cover with lid, and stir occasionally to stop from sticking. cook for 40-45 min until pumpkin is cooked right thru.

Step 4: add the stock and bring to biol. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly then pour into blender, blend, and pour back into the pan, bring to biol and cook simmering or another half an hour.

**pre heat the oven 45 min before serving on gas 3.**

Step 5: pour soup back into the pumpkin. Put the ''lid'' back on, and place the Pumpkin on a baking tray in the oven for 45mins.

to serve, carefully put on the table and ladle in to bowls.

try this recipe with other pumpkins and squashes for different tastes :)

Thai Mushroom Stir Fry

1x Packet Baby Corn
1x Box Mushroom
3x Peeled Carrots
3x Mixed Color Peppers
1x Garlic (as much as you want)
1 Big (or 2 little) Chicken Stock Cubes (or vegi ones)
Soya sauce (dark)
Thai Jasmine Rice (avalible in lidil)

You will also need,
a Wok
and some Oil

Please note: You can not use frozen veg, as this is a healthy meal, frozen would be like a insult to the pourpse.

Step 1->
Wash vegtables, slice corn in half, then half again (so like qauters).
Chop peppers up so they look like squares but not to big or too small
(like 1p).
Chop mushroom same like corn, but rinse do not bathe them in water
(we dont want soggy)
Chop carrots into 3 chunks, then cut each in half, then slice lengthways in to slices.
(not too thick, you should get 7ish slices.)

Step 2->
Put wok on heat (eletric 4)
Add little oil (oil should cover bottom of wok easy)
When oil hot, peel and crush garlic (using back of knife) and add to oil.
After a few min add vegtables and a little water and stir.
Open the chicken cubes and crumble over the vegtables.
Pour swish of soya sauce, and cook for awhile till mushrooms go small, and corn goes bendy. Carrot should be soft but little hard, same for pepper.
Add more soya sauce to taste.
Put on low heat, and put rice in water, you need to stir every 3 min intervals as it is a softer rice that burns easy.
When rice cooked, put on plate, put veg on top and serve.
Also nice with thai sweet chilli sauce (can get in tesco 98p)

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 :)

easy philipino chicken soup

1 chicken in pieces
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 soy sauce
5 cloves of garlic (minced or mashed)
1/2 cup water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp of black peppercorns
1/2 tbsp brown sugar

Step 1: in a pan, combine the meat, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns. Pour in vinegar - Do Not Stir.
Step 2: bring to boil, stir and turn meat, simmer for about 10 mins.
Step 3: stir in soy sauce, sugar and water. simmer till meat is tender, add more water if it is drying out or you want more sauce.

4: (Optional) Pan fry meat very breifly, just to brown the outside, and then put back in to the sauce/soup.
5: (Optional) Add some thickener like cornstarch (or porridge oats) dissolved in water. then add in to the sauce.
6: (Optional) Add carrots, peas, sweetcorn.