Seekh Kebab (Minced Meat Roasted on Skewers)

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb. ground beef
2. 1 tsp. lime/lemon juice
3. 2 tbsp. roasted ground coriander seeds
4. Blended green chillis to taste
5. 2 tbsp. gram flour OR 1 egg yolk
6. 1 tbsp. garlic paste
7. 1/2 tsp. garam masala
8. 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
9. Salt to taste

Method:

• Knead the ground meat until it is sticky.
• Add salt and lime/lemon juice and leave for a couple of hours to become tender.
• Mix remaining ingredients with the meat. Knead thoroughly.
• Divide the mixture into 30 equal balls.
• Pass the skewer through the middle of each ball. Wet your hands and start pressing the meat gently on to the skewer. Rotate the skewer with one hand while you press the meat gently with moist fingers of the other hand.
• The kebab should be shaped to 3 - 4 inches in length.
• Grill on BBQ or broil in the oven.
• Gently turn the skewers. If a jerky movement is used, the meat may fall into the fire.
• Kebabs can be served with cucumber or cut onion rings and blended green chillis.
• Kebabs can also be rolled in a naan with onions, cucumbers and blended green chillis.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 pkg. frozen grated coconut (from oriental stores)
2. 4 -6 green chillis (or to taste)
3. Fresh coriander leaves
4. 2 tbsp. lime/lemon juice
5. 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
6. 1/4 tsp. garlic (optional)

Method:

• Defrost grated coconut.
• Blend green chillis, coriander leaves, lime/lemon juice, salt and garlic
• Mix grated coconut and the blended mixture
• Serve with Kababs, Samosas and Bhajias

Meat Samosas

Ingredients: Step (a):

1. 1 lb. ground beef OR chicken OR veal OR turkey
2. 1/2 tsp. salt
3. 1/2 tsp. ginger paste
4. 1/2 tsp. garlic paste
5. 2 tbsp. lemon/lime juice
6. 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
7. 1/2 tsp. blended chillis (or to taste)
8. 1 onion finely chopped
9. 1 tbsp. chopped coriander
10. 1/2 tsp. garam masala
11. 1 tsp. chopped green chillis (optional)
12. Oil for deep frying

Step (b):

1. 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2. water

Step (c):

1. Samosa pastry (available at Indian Stores) or Spring Roll pastry (available in Chinese Stores).

Method:

Step (a):

• Cook meat on medium heat, stirring and breaking all lumps until all pinkness gone.
• Add salt, ginger, garlic, cumin powder, chillis. Continue cooking until mixture is dry.
• Cool the mixture and add finely chopped onions, chopped fresh coriander, chopped green chillis, garam masala and lime/lemon juice.

Step (b):

• Make a smooth paste from all purpose flour and water.

Step (c):

• Fold samosa wrappers - take one strip, use a centre point and fold both sides into centre to make a "v" pouch, put in the meat mixture in the pouch and fold over the remaining sides, making sure all three corners are sealed. Apply flour paste to the fold over sides and seal forming a triangle.
• Heat oil and deep fry samosas on medium heat, turning often for a golden brown colour. For crisp, smooth pastry, make sure the oil is not too hot. Drain on paper towel to remove excess oil.
• Serve with lime or lemon wedges or coconut chutney.
• Makes 22.

Dhal ja bhajia (Black-Eyed Beans Fritters)

Ingredients:

1. 1 1/2 cups split OR whole black-eyed beans
2. 1 small onion
3. 1 small potato, boiled, peeled and mashed
4. 1/2 tsp. ginger paste
5. 1/2 tsp. garlic paste
6. 1/2 tsp. blended chillis (or to taste)
7. 1/2 tsp. salt
8. 1 tbsp. coriander leaves
9. 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
10. Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Soak beans overnight.
• Blend drained beans in a blender into a thick and grainy consistency (not too smooth), adding very little water, if necessary.
• Blend onion and add to the bean mixture.
• Add mashed potato, ginger, garlic, chillis, salt and coriander leaves and mix well.
• Heat oil for deep frying.
• Make balls or patties from the mix and deep fry both sides until golden brown.
• Serve with coconut chutney.
• Makes 25 - 30.

Batata Wada (Mashed Potato Balls) or Bundas

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb. potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
2. 1/2 tbsp. oil
3. 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
4. 1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
5. Few curry leaves (limdho)
6. 1/4 tsp. turmeric
7. 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
8. 1/4 tsp. ginger paste
9. 1/4 tsp. garlic paste
10. 1/2 tsp. blended chillis (or to taste)
11. 1 tsp. lemon/lime juice
12. 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
13. 1 tbsp. gram flour
14. Water
15. Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Heat 1/2 tbsp. oil and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric, cumin powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, blended chillis and salt.
• Add the above mixture to mashed potatoes (remove limdho leaves) and mix well.
• Add lime/lemon juice.
• Make 10 small balls from the potato mixture.
• In a bowl, combine gram flour and water to make a paste of thin to medium consistency.
• Dip the potato balls in the gram flour mixture and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.
• Drain on paper towel to remove excess oil.

Tumbuwa Ndizi (Banana Fritters)

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb. white flour
2. 1/2 lb. suger
3. 2 tsp. baking powder
4. Coconut milk
5. Cooking bananas
6. 1/4 tsp. cardamon (elaichi)
7. Oil for deep frying
8. Castor sugar (powder sugar)

Method:

• Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and grounded cardamon into a bowl.
• Add enough coconut milk so that the mixture's consistency can coat the back of your spoon.
• Keep the mixture in a warm place till it rises.
• Cut bananas into horizontal thin slices.
• Coat bananas in flour mixture and deep fry on high heat.

Parothas

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups white flour OR whole wheat flour
2. 1/2 tsp. salt
3. 2 tbsp. clarified butter OR ghee OR olive oil
4. 1 egg
5. 1/2 tsp. baking powder
6. 3/4 cup water
7. Oil for frying

Method:

• Combine flour, clarified butter (OR ghee OR olive oil), salt, baking powder, egg and knead the ingredients into a smooth dough with water.
• When the dough is ready, cover it and leave it for about an hour.
• Divide the dough into 4 portions and roll out each on a floured board.
• Lightly cover a frying pan with oil and heat.
• Fry each parotha until golden brown on either side.
• Drain each one on paper towel to remove excess oil.
• Serve hot.
• Serves 4.

Macchi Paka (Fish in Coconut Cream)

Ingredients: Step (i):

1. 1 Whole fish (Snapper) OR 1 lb. fish fillets OR King fish steaks
2. 1/2 tsp. ginger paste
3. 1/2 tsp. garlic paste
4. 1/2 tsp. blended chillis (or to taste)
5. 2 tsp. curry powder (blend of coriander and cumin powders)
6. 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
7. Salt to taste
8. 1 tbsp. lemon/lime juice
9. 1 tsp. olive oil

Step (ii):

1. 1 pkg. coconut cream mixed with 3 cups of water OR 3 cups of milk extracted from 3 shredded coconuts
2. 1 small tomato
3. 1 small onion
4. 1/2 tsp. ginger paste
5. 1/2 tsp. garlic paste
6. 1 tbsp. lemon/lime juice
7. Pinch of turmeric
8. Salt to taste
9. Chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Step (i):

• Clean whole fish and remove scales.
• Make a paste of all ingredients noted above under Step (i).
• Apply this paste thoroughly all over the fish and let it stand for a little while.
• Apply very little olive oil all over the fish and grill it in the oven or on BBQ at medium heat until the fish is cooked right through.

Step (ii):

• Blend small tomato, small onion and few coriander leaves in a blender into a smooth consistency.
• In a saucepan, combine extracted milk of coconuts OR coconut cream, the tomato and onion mixture. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently until gravy becomes thick.
• Add lemon/lime juice, salt, turmeric.
• Place fish gently into the mixture to cover the entire fish or fillets.
• Garnish with coriander.
• Serve with parothas.
• Serves 3 to 4.

Naryal Waro Mogo (Cassava in Coconut Cream)

Ingredients:

1. 1lb. meat cubed (Chicken or Beef)
2. 2 cups water
3. 1 tsp. ginger paste
4. 1/2 tsp. salt
5. 1 pkg. frozen cassava (mogo)
6. 2 1/2 cups water
7. 1/4 tsp. salt
8. 1/2 tsp. blended chillis (0r to taste)
9. 1/4 tsp. garlic paste
10. Pinch of turmeric powder
11. 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
12. 1/3 bar of creamed coconut OR 1 can of coconut milk OR 1/3 pkg. powdered coconut cream
13. 1 tbsp. lemon/lime juice
14. Chopped coriander leaves (for garnish)

Cooking Method:

• Cook meat with cups water, ginger, and 1/2 tsp. salt until meat is tender.
• Cut cassava into cubes (removing the thick string from the middle), and cook in 2 1/2 cups of water and 1/4 tsp. salt.
• When cassava is tender, add all remaining ingredients including meat and its broth. The liquid should be enough to cover both the cassava and the meat.
• Cook for further 5 - 10 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serves 5 to 6.

COOKING FISH - HELPFUL HINTS

Helpful hints to tell the freshness of fish:

1. Fish must smell fresh. Stale fish has a definite ammonia smell.
2. The flesh of the fish must be firm and the eyes and scales must be bright and clear.
3. The gills should be bright red in colour.

To clean fish:

1. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to chop off the fins.
2. Slit from heart to belly. Open slit and remove the intestines.
3. Fish may be cooked with the head on. If removed, then cut just behind the gills.
4. Remove the gills. There should be a straight clean passage from gill cover to the belly once the fish is cleaned.

To scale fish:

1. Hold firmly by the tail and scrap with the back of a knife towards the head.
2. Remove loosened scales with cold water.

Quantities:

This depends on the person's appetite. As a general rule, allow:

1. Fillets - One large or two small fillets per person - approximate weight of fillet - 6 oz.
2. Cutlets - 7 oz. to 9 oz. per person. Some of the weight is accounted to the large bone.
3. Whole - A whole fresh fish with the head on weighing 2.5 to 3 lbs. will serve 4 people.

Cooking Fish:

Never overcook fish as the delicate flavour is easily lost.

1. Poaching - used when the fish has a strong flavour - Salmon. This method is especially recommended for people who use a fat less diet.
2. Steaming - This is recommended for invalids as fish is easy to digest.
3. Frying - Both shallow and deep fat frying are suitable.
4. Grilling - An excellent method as it retains all the flavour. Keep fish basted with fat when grilling.
5. Baking - Fish may be baked whole with vegetables or it may be covered with foil while baking.
6. Casseroling - This is particularly suitable because everything is cooked in one diet and cooked in an oven and then served up in the same dish. All nutrients are retained.
7. Soups - A good way of using up the head of fish. It provides flavour as well as valuable minerals, salts and protein.