Lamb curry with bulgur pilaf

What a busy couple of weeks it has been! This last week especially has been a week of pizzas and take away because I couldn't whip up the energy to do the day to day cooking. It feels like today was the first free day I've had in a long time. The day started late following a restful lie-in. I meant to spend most of it in the kitchen but a short visit to the bank ended up turning into a day of shopping. It was late when I got back home, but I still wanted to make something nice for dinner. It was mostly driven by my guilt of having eaten out so much.

Anyway what I ended up making was a lamb curry (being a vegetarian, this was not for me) and a simple pilaf using bulgur. I mostly use the pressure cooker for anything that takes a long time to cook (lamb, mutton and turkey). The kind of pressure cooker I have is the one that maintains a steady pressure and not that one that whistles. Mine takes about 5-7 minutes to cook the meat fully. You can always do it over stove top except that it will take between 40 minutes to an hour of slow cooking. You know it is done when you cut into a piece of meat it cuts through without any resistance.

Lamb curry

300g diced lamb
2 medium onions, sliced thinly
4-5 green cardamom pods
3-4 black cardamon pods
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp tomato paste
Salt to taste
Handful of chopped coriander leaves

Marinade
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 1/2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or Spanish paprika)
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp lemon/lime juice

• Prepare the marinade by mixing all the ingredients well and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a pressure cooker or a heavy bottomed sauce pan. When the oil is hot, add the cardamom and cinnamon and toss for a few seconds. Then add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter.
• Add the sliced onions and saute till the onions are nicely browned. Add a teaspoon of sugar to expedite this.
• When the onions have caramelized, add the ginger-garlic paste and continue to cook for a minute.
• Add the diced lamb and stir over high heat for a couple of minutes.
• Add the marinade and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes till the oil starts to separate. 
• Add the tomato paste and salt and mix everything together.
• If you are using a pressure cooker, put the lid and the weight and cook for 5-7 minutes when the pressure starts to release (about 5 whistles).  You don't have to add water, the meat will release enough water to cook it. Turn off heat and wait till the pressure cooker is ready to be opened. Add water to bring it to the gravy consistency if required. If you do so, put it back on the heat and bring to a boil again. You can do this on the stove top without using a pressure cooker. Add a cup or two of water and allow everything to come to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover and cook till the meat is tender. This may take between 40 minutes to an hour. You'll also need to top up the water if needed.
• Finish off with  chopped coriander.

This will taste best the next day when the flavour goes into the meat. It goes well with rice and can also be used a side for naan or roti. A lot of Kashmiri chilli powder is used. This is a very mild chilli powder and is mainly used to impart the deep colour to the dish. If this isn't easily available, Spanish paprika can be substituted.


Bulgur pilaf

1 cup coarse bulgur wheat
1 large onion, sliced
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced parsnip
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup dried cranberries
4-5 cardamom pods
4-5 cloves
1 small stick cinnamon
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste
2 cups boiling water
Handlful of chopped coriander for garnish

• Place the bulgur in a bowl and pour freshly boiled water over it. 1 cup of bulgur will need about 2 cups of water. Cover with cling film and keep it aside for 20 minutes.
• After this time, drain any remaining water and keep aside.
• Soak the cranberries in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a pan. Add the whole spices and fennel and toss in the hot oil for sometime.
• Add the sliced onions and saute till it turns translucent. 
• Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute more so the raw flavour disappears.
• Now add the turmeric, chilli powder and diced vegetables and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add salt to taste along with couple of table spoons of water and cover and cook till the vegetables are softened.
• When the vegetables are cooked, add the prepared bulgur, lemon juice and cranberries and mix everything together. Keep the heat low and toss it around for a 3-4 minutes to allow the flavours to combine. Adjust the salt if needed.
• Turn off the flame. Finish off with some chopped coriander. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes before serving.

Cauliflower and chickpea stew with bulgur wheat

Winter is coming to an end and spring is rearing its head but the British weather is as unpredictable as ever. Where yesterday it was warm, bright and sunny, today it was nippy, gloomy and wet... Still I thought it was a good opportunity to make a warm and satisfying stew.

One is always on a lookout for good one pot recipes. This is one such dish. You can make variations of this using different vegetables, chicken and bulk it up using bulgur, quinoa or even rice. Or you can just use the vegetables and make it into a chunky style soup. However you choose to make it, it is still satisfying and very filling.

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 carrot, diced
400g tin of whole or diced tomatoes (or 5-6 fresh tomatoes blanched and skin removed)
400g tin of chickpea
1 tsp cumin powder
11/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp sugar (optional)
11/2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
1/2 cup coarse bulgur wheat (optional)
Handful of chopped coriander leaves or flat leaf parsley

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Sauté the onions in the oil till they are softened.
• Add the diced carrots and fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes followed by equal amount of water (just use the same tin the tomatoes came in to measure) 
• Allow this to come to a boil. Add sugar, stock cube and  all the powders except for nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper, mix everything together and cook for a couple of minutes
• If using bulgur, add it to the saucepan at this stage followed by the cauliflower florets. Cover and simmer till the bulgur and cauliflower have cooked. This will take between 10-15 minutes depending on the coarseness of the bulgur. Add the chickpeas half way through this time and also add more water if needed.
• Sprinkle the nutmeg and mix well. Finish off with chopped parsley or coriander.

Serves 4

Crispy ravioli bites

There's always a scramble to prepare some snacks when you have friends over. When given a lot of notice, I normally plan and make something elaborate. But sometimes you don't have the time for it or you just can't be bothered. I have just the thing for such occasions. All you need is some fresh ravioli from the supermarket - the kind they sell in the fresh pasta section, a couple of eggs and bread crumbs. It is a snap to make and is quite a tasty finger food.

1 pack of fresh ravioli
2 egg whites
200g bread crumbs
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Oil for frying

Whisk the egg whites lightly in a bowl. Toss the breadcrumbs with the pepper and keep ready in another bowl. Coat each ravioli in the egg white first and then dredge them in the breadcrumbs and keep aside for frying.

Heat the oil in a pan to fry the coated ravioli. Toss the ravioli into the oil one by one when the oil is hot (medium - medium high). The ravioli will start to bubble from the sides if the oil is hot enough. It will first sink to bottom, but as it cooks it will float back up. Add about 6-10 at a time depending on the size of the pan, don't crowd it all in as the temperature of the oil will drop immediately and it will turn everything soggy. Move them around and continue frying till they are golden brown and crisp.

Serve with some dipping sauce (tomato pickle (or chutney) or pasta sauce or even ketchup will do nicely)  and a piping cup of chai!

Capsicum (green bell pepper) rice

This is one of those recipes I reach for when I am pushed for time. It is quick and flavourful and doesn't need anything fancy as a side. You can have with just plain yogurt, papad or potato crisps and little bit of lime pickle. The only preparation you really need is to cook and cool the rice ahead of time. But even that is acceptable as you don't have to keep an eye on it all the time.  It is in fact a great way of using up left over rice. I prefer to keep the cooked rice in the fridge for an hour at least before making such dishes. The cold tends to draw out the moisture from the rice, so it doesn't stick together and you don't have to be delicate when mixing it.

The spice blend can be made ahead and stored in an air tight container for long time.

Spice blend
1 tbsp chana dal (split bengal gram)
1 tbsp urad dal (split black gram)
5-6 dried whole red chillies
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
12-15 curry leaves

Dry roast all of these individually and then powder them in a spice blender or a coffee grinder. 

To make the rice

2 green capsicum (bell pepper), diced into 1cm pieces

2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped finely

3 cups cooked rice

2 green chillies, chopped

1 medium onion, sliced

5-6 curry leaves

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp tamarind extract (optional)

2-3 tsp lemon juice

handful of coriander leaves, chopped

11/2 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp of the spice blend

2 tbsp fresh grated coconut (optional)

Salt to taste

• Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the cumin and mustard seeds when the oil is hot and allow them to splutter.
• Next add the onion, ginger, green chillies, turmeric and curry leaves and sauté till the onion has cooked and softened.
• Add the capsicum pieces and fry over high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add a little salt, turn the gas to medium and cover and cook till the capsicum has cooked. Don't add any water. This may take between 7-10 minutes. Stir a few times in between so it cooks evenly.
• Next, add the spice blend and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle a little water to prevent the spices from burning. Also add the the tamarind extract at this stage if you are using it.
• Add the rice to the above and mix it all together till every grain of rice is coated well. Check and adjust the salt as required.
• Toss in the coriander leaves and grated coconut (if using). Finish off with the lemon juice. You may need more of this if no tamarind was added at the earlier stage.
• Cover and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes on a low flame to allow all the flavours to combine and the rice the is heated through.

Serves 4

Shrikhand (strained yogurt) with strawberries macerated in Port wine

Shrikhand is a popular western Indian dessert. It is a staple sweet dish in Gujarati and Maharashtrian cuisines. It is actually quite simple to make, especially when you can buy good quality yogurt from the supermarket. Traditionally it is made with curd made with full cream milk. The curd is then hung in a muslin cloth for a few hours or even overnight. The whey drains out leaving behind a thick creamy curd. This is the time consuming part of this dessert. Thankfully, you can shave off a few hours by using a Greek yogurt of any kind - full fat, low fat or even fat free, personally preference being low fat.  Once the desired consistency is obtained, all that remains to do is to sweeten and flavour the curd. Cardamom and saffron are the more common flavourings. Other variations add mango pulp to make the popular Amrakhand.

My variation uses vanilla as the base flavour. I have used a 500g tub of Greek yogurt which makes 2 servings. I have also steeped the strawberries in reduced Port wine and used this as a topping and sauce. This, infact makes a good topping for ice creams as well.

500g low-fat yogurt
2-3tbsp sugar
1 tsp good vanilla extract
Muslin or cheese cloth

For the topping
4-5 strawberries
4 tbsp good quality Port wine
11/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

To prepare the topping

•  Boil the Port wine along with the sugar and vanilla in a small pan. Reduce it to a syrupy consistency. It should just start to coat the spoon. 
•  Allow this cool. It will thicken slightly as it cools.
• Meanwhile, hull and quarter the strawberries. Add the strawberries to the reduced Port and mix well.
• Allow this to marinate in the fridge for at least half an hour.

To prepare the yogurt

• Line the inside of a large strainer with the muslin. The muslin the strainer should be big enough to hold the quantity of yoghurt. Place this over a large bowl in order to collect the whey that drains out. 
• Pour the yogurt into the muslin lined strainer. Bring the ends of the cloth together and tie it lightly at the base.
• Place a small plate of top of this and place some kind of a weight on top. A tin of tomatoes or something equivalent will do nicely.
• Keep this in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours or overnight if you like . If a lot of water collects in the bowl, you may have to drain it in between. The curd will form a solid mass but will feel very creamy to touch - not unlike slightly softened ice cream.
• Transfer the curd to a bowl and beat in the sugar and vanilla extract. The sugar quantity I have mentioned here is just a ball park figure. You can add as much or as little as you like.
• Transfer this into serving bowls and chill in the fridge for another 20-30 minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve fully. 
• Add the topping when ready to serve and serve chilled.

As mentioned, the above quantity makes 2 servings. 

Butternut squash and chickpea (chana) subzi masala

I wasn't familiar with this variety of squash till I moved to the UK. This is a winter vegetable and  is very similar to the yellow pumpkin, just sweeter. It is really lovely when simply cooked or roasted or made into soups, but it can also stand up to complex Indian cooking. The inherent sweetness mellows down the spices and heat.

This is a versatile side dish that goes well with rotis or rice. I tend to use a lot of chilli to balance the sweetness of the squash. I have also used black(kala) chana (chickpea) here just to add a contrasting colour and texture. You can always substitute it with the more common light coloured chickpea. Black chana has more of a bite compared to the more common Kabuli chana because of its thicker skin and has a slightly nuttier taste. We use it a lot in Kerala cuisine. Because of their hardy nature, both types need to be soaked in water for a long time before they can be cooked. That's fine when you are planning ahead, but I always keep a few tins of both varieties in the pantry to cater for those impromptu cooking sessions.

500g butternut squash, cut into 1cm pieces
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1/2 cup cooked chickpea
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp cooking oil
Salt to taste
handful of coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)

• Heat oil in a wide pan. When it is hot, add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
• Add the curry leaves, onion and the ginger-garlic paste and saute till the onion has softened, but not browned.
• Add the turmeric, cumin, chilli and coriander powders and saute for 10-15 seconds being careful not burn them. Sprinkle a little water if they are catching at the bottom.
• Add the squash pieces and saute for a 2-3 minutes.
• Add the chickpea and salt and mix everything together. Add 4-5 tablespoons of water and cover and cook on a really low flame till the squash is cooked. You just need a little water to create enough steam to cook everything. 
• Finish the dish with some chopped coriander (and optionally garam masala) when the squash has cooked and all the water has been absorbed.

Zesty orange rice with rosemary and fennel

Another weekend and time to try something new...

We are all used to spicy lemon rice down south. I wanted to try out something similar using oranges. Surprisingly, the sunniest of all fruits are in season during dullest months of the year.

The rice came out very mild and fragrant and I think will be a good accompaniment for strong spicy curries. The sweetness of the oranges mostly cooks out leaving a lingering sweet aniseed flavour. I used rosemary, star anise, fennel and green chilli to add the spice component. Rosemary isn't an herb I am very familiar with but I thought the strong aniseed flavour of fennel and star anise would go well with it.

   

1 cup basmati rice
2 stalk of celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped finely
5-10 green chillies, chopped finely (depending on the heat in the chillies and your heat quotient)
2 sprigs of rosemary
3 navel oranges
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
3-4 star anise
2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/3 cup frozen peas
4 tsp cooking oil
Salt to taste

Wash the rice a couple of time to remove the starch and then keep it soaked till while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Soaking helps the rice to elongate while cooking.

Remove the rosemary leaves from the stalk and chop finely. Zest the oranges first using a grater before extracting the juice and keep aside.

Roast 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds in a dry pan for a few minutes and grind them to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar. This will be added at the end of the cooking process.

Boil at least 11/2 cups of water in a kettle and keep ready.

• Heat the oil in a pan. Add the star anise to the hot oil and toss for a few seconds. Follow this will the 1 tsp of fennel seeds and allow them to splutter.
• Add the chopped onions and sauté till they are softened and translucent. We don't want the onions to brown.
• Add the turmeric, chopped celery and chopped green chillies and sauté till they are also softened.
• Drain the rice well. Add it to the pan and fry it for a few minutes till the rice turns opaque and the crackling sounds have mostly gone. You'll need to keep stirring on a medium heat, otherwise the rice will catch at the bottom of the pan.
• Add the zest and juice of the oranges to the rice along with the salt and stir to combine. Follow this with enough boiling water to just cover the rice. I eyeball this, but in theory you need 11/2 times the amount of liquid for every cup of basmati rice. This quantity will include the orange juice as well.
•  Cover and cook on a low heat. If you are using garden peas add it at this stage along with the water. Petit pois don't need much cooking, so they can be added half way through the cooking. You can also add more water (few tablespoonfuls) at this stage if needed. The rice will require about 7-10 minutes to cook with the lid on. Don't keep taking a peek as you'll let the steam escape and it will take longer and may require more water.
• When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat. Add the roasted fennel seed powder and stir to combine. Cover and let it sit for some more time (about 10 minutes). 

Serves 3-4.