Pasta

Ingredients:
300 gms - pasta of your choice (i tried fusilli)
1 tomato - finely chopped
1 onion - cut in rings
1 small capsicum - julienned
1" ginger
3-4 cloves garlic
2 green chillies
salt to taste
2 tsp oil for saute
2 tbsp - tomato sauce

Method:

1. Bring pasta to boil till tender. Drain and then sieve through cold water (this retains the colour of the pasta, in case you are using multi-coloured pasta).
2. Grind the chillies, ginger, garlic and tomato sauce together.
3. In a pan, heat oil, and saute the oinions & capsicum, then add the chopped tomatoes and the chilli-ginger-garlic-sauce-paste. Add salt and cook for 2-3 minutes. add water IF you want a gravy.
4. add the drained pasta, toss into the masala and cook for 2 minutes.

PASTA READY.

you also may...
prepare the pasta as above.
put in a baking tray. grate cheese over it.
preheat oven to 200C and bake for 10 minutes.

                                                                                          

                                                           

Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 kg boneless chicken skin removed
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your taste)
• 6 cloves
• 8-10 peppercorns
• 1" stick of cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 8-10 almonds
• Seeds from 3-4 pods of cardamom
• 1 cup fresh yoghurt (must not be sour)
• 3 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
• 2 onions chopped
• 2 tsps garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tsps coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 can (400g or 14 oz) of tomato paste
• 1/2 litre chicken stock
• 2 tbsps kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 3 tbsps unmelted, soft butter
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation:

• Mix the chicken, lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a large, non-metallic bowl. Cover and allow to marinate for 1 hour.
• Heat a flat pan or griddle on medium heat and gently roast (stirring frequently) the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves and almonds till they darken slightly. Cool and add the cardamom seeds. Now grind into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
• Mix the yoghurt, above whole spice powder (from previous step), coriander, cumin and turmeric powders together and add them to the chicken. Allow to marinate for another hour.
• Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. When hot, add the onions. Fry till a pale golden brown in color and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.
• Add only the chicken from the chicken-spice mix and fry till sealed (chicken will turn opaque and the flesh will go from pink to whitish in color).
• Now add the tomato paste, chicken stock, kasuri methi and remaining part of the yogurt-spice mix to the chicken.
• Cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy is reduced to half its original volume.
• Melt the butter in another small pan and then pour it over the chicken.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Naan and Kaali Daal.
• For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavour: When the Butter Chicken is cooked, make a small bowl shape with aluminum foil and place it on top of the curry ('floating' on it). Heat a briquette of charcoal on an open flame till red hot and gently put the charcoal in to the aluminum foil bowl. Cover the dish immediately. Remove the cover just before serving, discard the foil bowl and charcoal and serve. The curry will be infused with a smokey flavor!                                                                                    
•                                                
• Mix the chicken, lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a large, non-metallic bowl. Cover and allow to marinate for 1 hour.
• Heat a flat pan or griddle on medium heat and gently roast (stirring frequently) the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves and almonds till they darken slightly. Cool and add the cardamom seeds. Now grind into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
• Mix the yoghurt, above whole spice powder (from previous step), coriander, cumin and turmeric powders together and add them to the chicken. Allow to marinate for another hour.
• Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. When hot, add the onions. Fry till a pale golden brown in color and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.
• Add only the chicken from the chicken-spice mix and fry till sealed (chicken will turn opaque and the flesh will go from pink to whitish in color).
• Now add the tomato paste, chicken stock, kasuri methi and remaining part of the yogurt-spice mix to the chicken.
• Cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy is reduced to half its original volume.
• Melt the butter in another small pan and then pour it over the chicken.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Naan and Kaali Daal.
• For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavour: When the Butter Chicken is cooked, make a small bowl shape with aluminum foil and place it on top of the curry ('floating' on it). Heat a briquette of charcoal on an open flame till red hot and gently put the charcoal in to the aluminum foil bowl. Cover the dish immediately. Remove the cover just before serving, discard the foil bowl and charcoal and serve. The curry will be infused with a smokey flavor!                                                                                
• Mix the chicken, lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a large, non-metallic bowl. Cover and allow to marinate for 1 hour.
• Heat a flat pan or griddle on medium heat and gently roast (stirring frequently) the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves and almonds till they darken slightly. Cool and add the cardamom seeds. Now grind into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
• Mix the yoghurt, above whole spice powder (from previous step), coriander, cumin and turmeric powders together and add them to the chicken. Allow to marinate for another hour.
• Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. When hot, add the onions. Fry till a pale golden brown in color and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.
• Add only the chicken from the chicken-spice mix and fry till sealed (chicken will turn opaque and the flesh will go from pink to whitish in color).
• Now add the tomato paste, chicken stock, kasuri methi and remaining part of the yogurt-spice mix to the chicken.
• Cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy is reduced to half its original volume.
• Melt the butter in another small pan and then pour it over the chicken.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Naan and Kaali Daal.
• For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavour: When the Butter Chicken is cooked, make a small bowl shape with aluminum foil and place it on top of the curry ('floating' on it). Heat a briquette of charcoal on an open flame till red hot and gently put the charcoal in to the aluminum foil bowl. Cover the dish immediately. Remove the cover just before serving, discard the foil bowl and charcoal and serve. The curry will be infused with a smokey flavor!                                                                                    
•                                                
• Mix the chicken, lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a large, non-metallic bowl. Cover and allow to marinate for 1 hour.
• Heat a flat pan or griddle on medium heat and gently roast (stirring frequently) the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves and almonds till they darken slightly. Cool and add the cardamom seeds. Now grind into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
• Mix the yoghurt, above whole spice powder (from previous step), coriander, cumin and turmeric powders together and add them to the chicken. Allow to marinate for another hour.
• Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. When hot, add the onions. Fry till a pale golden brown in color and then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.
• Add only the chicken from the chicken-spice mix and fry till sealed (chicken will turn opaque and the flesh will go from pink to whitish in color).
• Now add the tomato paste, chicken stock, kasuri methi and remaining part of the yogurt-spice mix to the chicken.
• Cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy is reduced to half its original volume.
• Melt the butter in another small pan and then pour it over the chicken.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Naan and Kaali Daal.
• For an authentic and traditional cooked-over-the-coals flavour: When the Butter Chicken is cooked, make a small bowl shape with aluminum foil and place it on top of the curry ('floating' on it). Heat a briquette of charcoal on an open flame till red hot and gently put the charcoal in to the aluminum foil bowl. Cover the dish immediately. Remove the cover just before serving, discard the foil bowl and charcoal and serve. The curry will be infused with a smokey flavor!                                                                                    

                                                 

•  

Sarson ka saag

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch spinach washed and chopped fine (approximately 1/2 lb or 250 gms)
• 1 bunch mustard greens washed and chopped fine (approximately 1/2 lb or 250 gms)
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tbsp grated ginger (or paste)
• 1 tbsp grated garlic (or paste)
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsps ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 large onion grated
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Juice of 1/2 a lime/ lemon
• 1 tbsp bengal gram flour/ maize flour

Preparation:

• Mix the greens, green chillies and salt to taste and boil in 1 cup of water till cooked.
• Mash the greens mix well to make a course paste.
• In another pan, heat the ghee on a medium flame. When hot add the grated onion and fry till pale golden.
• Add all the other ingredients and fry till oil separates from the masala (onion-spice mix).
• Add the greens mix to this and stir till blended.
• Garnish with a dollop of butter and serve with Makki ki roti

                                                 

                                      

Tartes aux fruits

Fruit Tart (Tarte aux Fruits)
Serves:- 8, Preparation time:- 30 mins, Cooking time:- 50 mins

Ingredients
* 2 lb of mixed fruit, strawberries, peaches, pears, and kiwi's or whatever !
* 125g or 4oz of plain flour
* 125g or 4oz of unsalted butter
* 150g or 5oz of caster sugar
* 1 teaspoon of baking powder
* 2 eggs, beaten
* a pinch of salt
* the juice of half a lemon
* icing sugar for dusting at the end


Method
* pre-heat oven to gas mark 4 or 180deg C/350deg F
* in a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar
* add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix together thoroughly
* add the beaten eggs and mix just till the mixture is blended together
* use some butter to grease a 9-10 inch tart/flan dish
* pour in the batter
* smooth the batter down to cover the tin evenly
* slice all the fruit and lay it in circles over the batter or any pattern you like
* sprinkle the fruit with the lemon juice
* put in the pre-heated oven for about 35-45 mins
* take out of the oven, just to sprinkle some icing sugar over the top
* place back in the oven for a further 10 mins or until the batter is set and the fruit is soft
* keep an eye on it at the end, you don't want burnt fruit
* serve warm or ar room temperature