Nepali Meat Dishes
Author: Ayush Vaidya
Date: 2009-06-04 05:59:12+00:00

First Edition, 2009

ISBN 978 93 80075 29 7

© All rights reserved.

Published by:

Global Media

1819, Bhagirath Palace,

Chandni Chowk, Delhi-110 006

Email: globalmedia@dkpd.com

Table of Contents

The best food recipes from Nepal & Pakistan.

Nepali Meat Dishes

Chicken Bhutua

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb. Chicken, black and white, cut into 1-in pieces (can also be substituted with lamb)

• 5 garlic gloves, minced

• 1 in. ginger, minced

• 3 fresh red chilies, minced

• 1 tablespoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 tablespoon musturd oil

• 1 cup green onions, cut in 1 in. length

• 4 tablespoons musturd oil

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon cinammon powder

• 5 cloves

• 1 teaspoon fenugreek

• Salt to taste

Directions

In a large bowl combine chicken, 1 tablespoon of mustard oil, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat thoroughly. In a non-stick pan heat 4
tablespoons of musturd oil. Splitter fenugreek till it turns dark. Add cloves and fry for 15 sec. Transfer the coated chicken to the pan, stir well to brown.

Add garlic,ginger, and red chilies. Stir-fry chicken in medium heat until cooked through. May need water to moisten, if it starts to burn. Add green onions and cinnamon, stir for 2 min. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with stir-fried vegetables and rice, or roti.

Nepali Spicy Grilled Chicken Sauteed in

Chili Sauce

This is a very good recipe, but a bit hot and spicy.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs. chicken breasts, skinned, boned

• 3 dry whole red peppers

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon ginger, finely grated

• 5 red chilies, julienned

• 1 cup onions, finely chopped

• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon coriander powder

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• ½ cup green onion, cut in 1-in length

• Salt to taste

• 2 tablespoons mustard oil

• 1 cup chicken broth

Marinade:

• -1 cup yogurt

• -1 tablespoon lemon juice

• -2 tablespoons soy sauce

• -½ cup onions, roughly chopped

• -1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• -1 teaspoon pepper corn

• -1 teaspoon timur (szechwan pepper)

• -2 fresh red chilies

• -2 tablespoons mustard oil

Directions

In a blender combine all the marinating ingredients to form a smooth paste. Pour the marinating paste over the chicken in a large bowl. Mix well, cover, and let marinate for at least four hours. Grill the marinated chicken on a charcoal grill, occasionally turning until cooked through, about 7 min. Cut grilled chicken into 1-in strips.

In a sauce pan heat 2 tablespoons of mustard oil. Fry dry whole red peppers till dark.

Add turmeric and stir for 15 sec. Add onions, sautee in medium heat till brown. Add garlic, ginger, red chilies, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and salt to the onion mixture.

Fry for 30 sec, and add tomatoes and chicken broth. Lower the heat and let the tomato-onion mixture simmer for 10 min till it thickens. Transfer grilled chicken strips to the sauce, stir well. Cook for another 10 min to evaporate excess liquid so that the chicken pieces are coated with the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with green onions. Serve with rice, or roti (whole wheat flat bread)

Jwanu Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 lb. chicken, cut into 1-in. cubes (can be substituted with lamb or shrimps)

• ½ lb. spinach, thoroughly washed and torn into pieces

• 3 dried red chilies

• 1 tablespoon jwanu (lovage seeds)

• 1 teaspoon musturd seeds

• 1 cup onion, chopped

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon coriander powder

• 3 fresh chilies, julienned

• 2 cup tomatoes

• 2 cups yogurt

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 3 tablespoons musturd oil

• Salt to taste

• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

In a large bowl, combine chicken pieces with one tablespoon of musturd oil, turmeric powder, cracked black pepper, and salt. Let marinate for 10-15 minutes.

In the mean time, heat two tablespoons of oil in a sauce pan. Put dried red chilies and fry until dark. Add jwanu and musturd seeds to the oil; fry for 15 sec. Transfer the marinated chicken pieces to the pan and brown well on medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and to the browned chicken mixture, add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, and fresh chilies; stir the entire mixture well for about two minutes until the aroma of different spices are released. Add chopped tomatoes, yogurt and chicken broth and mix well. Bring the stew mixture to a boil and allow stewing over low heat for about 20-25 minutes until the chicken is tender and the desired consistency of the sauce has been achieved.

And last, add spinach and gently fold into the stewed jwanu chicken in batches. Allow cooking for a minute or so just until all the spinach is wilted. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with rice and roti.

Chicken Sekuwa

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and cut into 1-in. cubes. (Can be substituted with large shrimps)

• Melted butter for bastin

• Bamboo skewers (pre-soaked for at least 30 min. in cold water Marinade:

• 2 cup Nepali yogurt

• 1 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons musturd oil

• 1 cup onions, roughly choppe

• 1 tablespoon cumin seed

• 1 teaspoon coriander seed

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeri

• 3 fresh red chilie

• 1 teaspoon pepper cor

• 1 teaspoon timu

• 2 cloves garli

• 1 in. ginger

• 1 tablespoon fresh dill weed, choppe

• 1 cup celery, choppe

• 1 tablespoon soy sauc

• Salt to tast

• 1/4 cup green onions, cut in 1-in. length

Directions

In a blender, combine all the marinating ingredients to form marinade. In a large bowl mix chicken with the marinade. Marinate fo at least 6 hours.

Fire up a charcoal grill. Clean the grill surface thoroughly Thread the marinated chicken cubes into skewers. Do not overcrowd th pieces. Grill the skewered chicken cubes, frequently turning an basting with melted butter until cooked through. Take off the grill an brush the cooked sekuwas with butter before serving. Arrange the sekuwas on the bed of rice pilaf and stir-fried vegetables. Sprinkl chopped green onions over the sekuwas. Chili-cilantro chutney makes a ideal condiment for the sekuwas

Chicken Tarkari

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken, black and white, skinned, boned, and cut into 1.5-in. cubes

• 3 cups onion, chopped

• 2 cups yogurt

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 5 cloves

• 5 cardamom, bruised

• 1 in. cinnamon stick

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 tablespoon cumin powder

• 1 tablespoon coriander powder

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated

• 4 tablespoons musturd oil

• Salt to taste

• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

In large bowl, combine chicken pieces, pepper, turmeric, and salt; toss well. In a non-stick sauce pan, heat oil. To the hot oil, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaves; fry for 30 sec. Add chopped onions, and fry until brown. Put garlic and ginger into the onion mixture; fry for 30 sec. To this mixture, add cumin, coriander, chili powder, and grated nutmeg. Mix them well for a minute or so on low heat. Increase the heat to medium, and transfer chicken pieces into the spice mixture; stir well to brown.

Add yogurt, chicken stock to the browned chicken. Lower the heat to low and let simmer until chicken pieces are tender, and the sauce has thickened up to a desired consistency, about 35-45 min.

When cooked, turn off the heat and add chopped cilantro to garnish. Serve hot with rice, and or roti.

Potato Curry - Alu-Tarkari

Ingredients

10-12 potatoes (medium sized)

• 1/4 tsp tumeric

• 2 chillies

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/2 cup yogurt

• 2 TBS mustard oil

• green coriander leaves

• 1 inch ginger

• salt to taste

Directions

Boil potatoes, peel and cut into small pieces. Heat oil and add tumeric, green chillies, garlic, and ginger. Fry for 1 minute. Add yogurt, potatoes and salt. Cover and cook gently for 4-5 minutes. Garnish with green coriander leaves.

"Note: If desired water can also be added after frying potatoes and boil it for 5 minutes to give it the right consistency."

Onion Ground Meat Curry - Payajra

Dhulo Masu

Ingredients

1. 1 cup ground meat

2. 1 cup finely chopped onions

3. 1 inch finely chopped ginger

4. 1 tsp pepper

5. 1 tsp cumin powder

6. 1 tsp turmeric

7. 1/2 tsp salt

8. 2 TBS mustard oil

9. 1/2 cup water

Directions

Heat oil in a pan and add turmeric. Mix all ingredients (except the meat and the water) and put them in the oil. Add meat and turn it over well. Fry until it becomes brown.

Add the 1/2 cup of water and boil gently for a few minutes.

Gorkhali Shrimp

(Nepali Spicy Grilled Shrimp Sauteed in Chili Sauce) Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs. Medium-size shrimps, peeled and deveined

• Bamboo skewers (pre-soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes)

• 3 dry whole red peppers

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon ginger, finely grated

• 2 red chilies, julienned

• 1 cup onions, finely chopped

• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped

• 2 cups red bell pepper, cut in 1-in strips

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon coriander powder

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/2 cup green onion, cut in 1-in length

• Salt to taste

• 2 tablespoons musturd oil

• 1 cup shrimp broth

• 1 cup yogurt Marinade:

• 1 cup yogurt

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/2 cup onions, roughly chopped

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon pepper corn

• 1 teaspoon timur (szechwan pepper)

• 2 fresh red chilies

• 2 tablespoons musturd oil

• Salt

Directions

In a blender, combine all the marinating ingredients to form smooth paste. Pour the marinating paste over the shrimp in a large bowl. Mix well, cover, and let marinate for at least four hours. Thread shrimps into the skewers. Grill the skewered shrimp on a charcoal grill, occasionally turning until cooked through, about five minutes.

In a sauce pan, heat two tablespoons of musturd oil. Fry dry whole red peppers till dark. Add turmeric and stir for 15 sec. Add onions, saute on medium heat till brown.

Add garlic, ginger, red chilies, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and salt to the onion mixture. Fry for 30 sec, and add tomatoes, shrimp broth, and yogurt. Lower the heat and let the tomato-onion mixture simmer for 10 minutes till it thickens. Transfer the grilled shrimps and red bell pepper strips to the sauce; stir well. Cook for another five minutes to evaporate excess liquid so that the shrimps are coated with the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with green onions. Serve with rice, or roti.

Gorkhali Lamb

(Nepali Spicy Grilled Lamb Sauteed in Chili Sauce) Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Lamb chops

• 3 dry whole red peppers

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon ginger, finely grated

• 5 fresh red chilies, julienned

• 1 cup onions, finely chopped

• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped

• 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon coriander powder

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• Salt to taste

• 2 tablespoons mustard oil

• 1 cup lamb broth

• 1/2 cup green onion, cut in 1-in length for garnish Marinade:

• 1 cup chopped roasted tomatoes

• 1 cup roasted red bell pepper

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 cup onions, roughly chopped

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon pepper corn

• 1 teaspoon timur (szechwan pepper)

• 1/2 cup celery, chopped

• 2 tablespoons musturd oil

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

In a blender combine all the marinating ingredients to form smooth paste. Pour the marinating paste over the lamb chops in a large bowl. Mix well, cover, and let marinate for at least six hours. Grill the marinated lamb chops on a charcoal grill, occasionally turning until cooked through, about 5-7 min. Cut grilled lamb into 1-in cubes.

In a sauce pan heat 2 tablespoons of musturd oil. Fry fenugreek, bay leaves, and dry whole red peppers till dark. Add turmeric and stir for 15 sec. Add onions, sautee in medium heat till brown. Add garlic, ginger, red chilies, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and salt to the onion mixture. Fry for 30 sec, and add tomatoes and lamb broth. Lower the heat and let the tomato-onion mixture simmer for 10 min till it thickens. Transfer grilled lamb cubes to the sauce, stir well. Cook for another 10 min to evaporate excess liquid so that the meat pieces are coated with the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with green onions. Serve with rice, or roti.

Lamb Quantee

(Mixed Sprouted Beans with Lamb)

Ingredients

• 2 cups mixed beans (kidney beans, black-eyed beans, chickpeas, soya beans, mung beans, green beans, black beans, white beans, red beans)

• ? lb. lamb (chicken can be used), cut into small pieces

• 1 teaspoon jwanu (lovage seeds)

• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 tablespoon cumin powder

• 1 tablespoon coriander powder

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced-3 fresh red chilies, minced

• ? teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes

• 2 cups yogurt

• 4 cups rich lamb broth

• 3 tablespoons musturd oil

• Salt to taste

• 2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped, for garnish Directions

In a large bowl with water soak beans overnight. Drain the water, wash the beans.

Cover the bowl and set it in a warm place to allow sprouting. It takes about 2-3 days depending on the desired length of sprouts.

To cook, in a large bowl combine lamb, salt, and pepper with 1 tablespoon of musturd oil. In a sauce pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil; fry jwanu, fennel seeds, and musturd seeds until light brown. Add the lamb mixture and brown well. Add 3 cups of sprouted beans and fry for 2 min. under medium heat. Add chilies, cumin, coriander, garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Stir well to coat the meat and sprouted beans, for about 2
min. Add tomatoes, broth and yogurt to the beans' mixture. Bring to a boil and let simmer over low heat until the meat and sprouts are tender and the desired consistency of the soup has been achieved. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with rice.

Nepali Goat Curry

In this recipe, the meat is marinated in a small amount of yogurt, ginger, garlic, red chili paste, turmeric, salt and clarified butter for up to four hours. It is then cooked with several other herbs and spices. Nepali garam masala or masu ko masala is added at the end of cooking process to retain pleasant aroma. The meat cooks in its own juice with the help of some water. The marinated spices add flavor and tenderness. It is served with rice, puffed-bread, chiura and a selection of chutney and vegetables.

Preparation and marinating time: 4 hour and 15 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending upon the age of meat) Yields: 4-6 servings

Serving suggestions: Serve with freshly boiled rice, lentil daal, and vegetable curry or with puffed bread (Poori)

Ingredients

1. 3 pounds lean goat meat, (bone-in or boneless - preferably from shoulder or leg), cut into 1 or 1 ½-inch cubes, excess fat removed 2. 1 tablespoon clarified butter (ghee)

3. 1 ½-inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and minced to fine paste (to yield 11/2
tablespoons)

4. 6 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced and mashed to paste (to yield 1
tablespoon)

5. 6 whole red dried chili pepper, stemmed, broken into 2 pieces, seeded, soaked in ½ cup hot water until doubled in size, drained and minced to fine paste 6. ½ cup unflavored plain yogurt, lightly beaten 7. ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

8. Salt to taste

9. 4 tablespoon light oil (any variety)

10. 1 pound yellow or white onion, peeled and chopped fine (to yield 4 cups) 11. 3-4 medium size vine-ripped red tomato, finely chopped or mashed 12. 1 tablespoon cumin, dry-roasted and ground

13. 1 ½ tablespoon coriander, dry-roasted and ground 14. 1 teaspoon fennel seed, dry-roasted and ground 15. ½ cup water and more if needed

16. 2-teaspoon Nepali garam masala or masu

17. ko masala (see glossary)

18. 1 or 2 bunches of cilantro leaves (fresh coriander), washed well, chopped to yield ½ cup

19. 4 scallions, white and pale green parts only, root end discarded and sliced into cubes

Directions

…Wash meat pieces thoroughly with cold water. Cut into 1 or a ½ inch pieces. Trim away as much visible fat as possible. Prepare the herb and spices as indicated in the ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine meat, clarified butter, ginger, garlic, chili, yogurt, turmeric and salt. Rub and message well into each piece vigorously by using hand. Cover and allow the meat to marinate up to four hours in room temperature or can be placed in the refrigerator overnight. Bring it back to room temperature before cooking.

…. When ready to proceed, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and cook until golden brown and until the oil starts separating from the side of the pan. Add tomato and cook until all the moisture has evaporated, stirring frequently. Mix ground cumin, coriander and fennel. Add marinated meat pieces and mix to coat the spices well. Add ½ cup of water and continue cooking covered. When it is boiling, reduce the heat to simmer. Continue cooking until the meat is tender and the sauce is reduced and thickened. At this stage of cooking, the oil will start to separate and float on top of the gravy. Add garam masala and stir well.

Add more water (2 tablespoons at a time) if the meat is not cooked, continue cooking until the desired tenderness is obtained. The secret to success this recipe is to keep

adding small amount of water and let it evaporate before more is added. Remove from heat and adjust salt. When ready to serve, transfer to serving dish, add cilantro and scallions. Serve hot.

Nepali Garam Masala - *NEPALI GARAM MASALA ½ CUP CUMIN SEEDS ½ CUP

CORIANDER SEEDS 1 TABLESPOON BLACK PEPPERCORN 1 TABLESPOON

CARDAMOM SEEDS 2 INCH CINNAMON STICK 1 TABLESPOON WHOLE

CLOVES 1 TEASPOON GROUND NUTMEG ( Do not dry roast) Dry roast the spices separately in a pan over medium heat until fragrant. Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Store in a airtight jar.

Sesame Lamb Chhwela

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. 1-in. thick lamb chops (can also be substituted with chicken)

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon musturd oil

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Salt to taste

Marination:

• 1 cup roasted sesame seeds

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds

• 3 red chilies

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1-in ginger

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 4 tablespoons musturd oil

Garnish:

• 1 teaspoon fenugreek

• 10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon musturd oil

• 1/2 cup green onions, cut in 1-in. length

Directions

In a large bowl combine 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon musturd oil, 1
teaspoon of ground black pepper, and salt. Coat lamb chops with the above mixture, set aside for 30 min. Grill the meat until cooked through. Cut into ½-in. cubes.

In a blender combine roated sesame seeds, cumin seeds, chilies, 3 cloves of garlic, ginger, and turmeric with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoon of oil to yield smooth paste. In a bowl mix the garlic-ginger paste with the meat, gradually pouring 2
tablspoons of musturd oil, toss it well to coat thoroughly. Cover and set aside for 10
min. to marinate.

To garnish, in a non-stick pan heat 2 tablespoons of musturd oil, splitter fenugreek till it turns dark. Add garlic slices and fry till light brown. Pour the oil mixture over the marinated meat. Add green onions. Toss the whole mixture well. Sprinkle one tablespoon of roasted sesame seeds for garnish. Serve with green salad.

Aloo Tama

Say 'tama' to some of your Nepalese friends and you will probably get a nice chuckle others may laugh outright. Ask for it in any 'authentic' Nepalese restaurant and you may meet with the disbelief of both the chef and the waiter. Serve tama to our guests?

No way! What is 'tama' that it should evoke such strong opinions? Quite simply, tama is one of the best-kept secrets of Nepalese cuisine. The tama itself is the pickled and fermented tender young bamboo shoots. It is not served to visitors simply because it is considered plain, peasant fare not worth of being served to honored guests. But in households throughout Nepal it is such a well- loved comfort food that it is served at least once a week during the winter season. The secret of its enduring popularity is that it is extremely tasty - slightly sour – extremely pungent (OK, let's be honest, downright stinkey!) but very appetizing. Like its not so distant cousins, kim-chi and sauerkraut, this fermented vegetable has quite a following but can be an acquired taste. Keep an open mind and give it a try.

Fermented bamboo shoots are also used extensively in Chinese cuisine where they most probably originated. Aloo Tama, as it is served in Nepal, it is a dish that bridges these two cultures: the tama from China and the spices from India. To the best of my knowledge, fermented bamboo shoots are not used at all in Indian cuisine.

You can buy tama at almost any vegetable shop in your local chowk. It can range in color from pale white-gray to bright yellow depending on whether it has been treated with turmeric. Look for it in large plastic containers where it is soaking in its own brine

- you usually don't have to ask for it because if they sell it - you can smell it! It is sour, pungent and very evocative. More recently it is sold in sealed glass jars – look for it in the 'pickle' section of the supermarket. Look for nice fresh plump tama that is not too
woody - the tenderest young shoots are the best.

The recipe I have chosen is the most common preparation: tama with aloo (potato) and bori (black eyed peas). This preparation ranges in consistency somewhere between a runny stew and a thick soup and it is usually simply served with plain rice – a one-dish meal (homey fast-food).

Ingredients

• 1 cup tama (rince with fresh water before cooking)

• 1 cup diced potatoes

• 1 cup black eyed peas (soaked overnight)

• 2 tbs. oil or ghee

• 1/2 onion diced

• 5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped

• 1 tsp. whole cumin seeds

• 1 tsp. ground cumin

• 1 tsp. ground coriander

• 1-2 tsp. turmeric

• 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped

• 1 tsp. salt or to taste

• 2 tbs. chopped fresh coriander for garnish

Directions

Heat the oil and fry the cumin seed until fragrant then add the onion and garlic and sauté gently for a few minutes - add the ground spices and fry well. Add the salt, tomatoes, tama, potatoes and the black eyed peas and add enough water to give it the consistency of soup. Cook in a pressure cooker for 20-30 min. or until the black-eyed peas are cooked. Adjust the seasonings and cook for 10 more minutes uncovered until it has reached the right consistency. Grnish with a generous sprinkling of fresh chopped coriander. Serve with plain rice. Enjoy!

Nepali Vegetarian Dishes

Pickled Potatoes (Aloo Acchar)

If you love hot, spicy and sour stuff like most Nepali people do, you'll love this recipe.

However, people not used to eating spicy food can still enjoy it by using a lesser amount of chilies.

Ingredients

• 10-12 medium-sized potatoes

• 1/4 cup black sesame seeds (til)

• 2-3 green chillies (more or less according to taste)

• 1/4 tsp turmeric

• 3-4 tbsp lemon juice

• 1-2 tbsp mustard oil

• coriander leaves

• 1 tsp chili powder

• salt according to taste

Directions

Boil and peel potatoes. Cut them into approx 1 inch cubes. Place the til in a pan and roast the till they look well roasted and crisp. Remove the pan fron heat and let the til cool. Then grind the til into a fine powder(as you might notice til contains oil). Add the til powder, chili powder, salt, turmeric, lemon juice and mustard oil to the potatoes and mix well. Also add the green chilies cutting them into long strips. If the sauce looks too thick, you can add some water and if the sauce is not thick enough, you can add some mashed potatoes. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy.

Beans and Bamboo Shoots

Ingredients

• 1 cup bamboo shoots

• 2 cups potatoes, peeled, and cut into ½-in. cubes

• 1 cup black-eyed peas, soaked overnight

• 1 cup onions, finely chopped

• 3 dried red chilies

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon coriander powder

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 cup yogurt

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes

• 3 tablespoons mustard oil

• Salt to taste

• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

In a sauce pan heat oil, fry dried red chilies until dark. Add onions and sautee until light brown. Add cumin, coriander, chili powder, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper. Fry for 1 min under low heat. Add potatoes to the onion mixture and sautee for 5 min in medium heat. Sprinkle water if it starts to burn. Add soaked beans, bamboo shoots, tomatoes, yogurt, and broth to the potatoes mixture; stir well. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 15-20 min. under low heat until potatoes are fork-tender, and the gravy has attained its desired consistency. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with rice, or roti.

Vegetable Curry From Nepal

Ingredients

In A Dutch Oven, Saute

• 3 Onions, sliced thin

• 3 Cloves garlic, minced

• 1 ts Ground coriander

• 1 ts Ground turmeric

• 1/2 ts Ground cumin

• 1/4 ts Dry mustard

• 1/8 ts (+-) cayenne

Add To It

• 6 c Potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed And diced

• 1 ds Peanut oil for flavor

When Almost Tender, Add

• 4 1/2 c Broccoli, cauliflower or Cabbage, chopped

• 1 Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 Tomatoes

• 1 ts Curry powder

Directions

Cover and simmer until all veggies are tender. Serve over rice.

Nepali Vegetable MOMOs

(Nepali Vegetable Stuffed Dumplings)

Ingredients

Dough for wrappers:

• 3 cup All-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 1 cup water

• Pinch of salt

Filling:

• 3 cups assorted vegetables (spinach, cauliflower, carrot, green peas, daikon, red pepper, green pepper), finely chopped

• 1 cup onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon timur

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 3 fresh red chilies, minced

• 1 cup Nepali cheese (paneer), roughly crushed

• 2 tablespoon clarified butter

• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek

• 1 tablespoon water-flour mixture (thickening agent)

• Salt to taste

Directions

Dough

In a large bowl combine flour, oil, salt and water. Mix well, knead until the dough becomes homogeneous in texture, about 8-10 min. Cover and let stand for at least 30
min. Knead well again before staging the wrappers.

Filling:

In a non-stick pan heat clarified butter, splitter fenugreek until it turns dark. Add chopped onions and saute until just slightly light brown. Add turmeric, garlic, ginger, and chilies. Fry for 30 sec. Put vegetables and stir-fry until slightly soft. Do NOT over stir-fry the vegetables. Salt and pepper the vegetable mixture. Add cheese, green onions and cilantro, mix well. To solidify the vegetable mixture, add one tablespoon of flour-water mixture. Mix the mass over until thickened. Transfer the vegetable filling into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow cooling.

Assembly:

Give the dough a final knead. Prepare 1-in. dough balls. Take a ball, roll between your palms to spherical shape. Dust working board with dry flour. On the board gently flatten the ball with your palm to about 2-in circle. Make a few semi-flattened circles, cover with a bowl. Use a rolling pin to roll out each flattened circle into a wrapper. For well excecuted MOMOs, it is essential that the middle portion of the wrapper be slightly thicker than the edges to ensure the structural integrity of dumplings during packing and steaming. Hold the edges of the semi-flattened dough with one hand and with the other hand begin rolling the edges of the dough out, swirling a bit at a time. Continue until the wrapper attains 3-in diameter circular shape. Repeat with the remaining few semi-flattened dough. Cover with bowl to prevent from drying.

For packing hold wrapper on one palm, put one tablespoon of the filling mixture and with the other hand bring all edges together to the center, making the pleats. Pinch and twist the pleats to ensure the absolute closure of the stuffed dumpling. This holds the key to good tasting, juicy dumplings.

Heat up a steamer, oil the steamer rack well. This is critical because it will prevent dumplings from sticking. Arrange uncooked MOMOs in the steamer. Close the lid, and allow steaming until the dumplings are cooked through, about 8-10 min. Take the dumplings off the steamer, and immediately serve. To serve, arrange the cooked MOMOs on a plate dressed with an ample amount of hot tomato achar.

Vegetable Thukpa

(Himalayan Vegetable-Noodle Stew)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Tibetan noodles, similar to spaghetti, cavatelli

• 3 cups assorted vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, green beans, mustard greens, potatoes)

• ½ lb. Spinach, washed and cut into pieces

• 1 cup onion, chopped

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• ½ teaspoon jwanu (lovage seeds)

• 3 fresh chilies, julienned

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 cup tomatoes

• ½ cup yogurt

• 2 tablespoon soy sauce

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 2 tablespoons mustard oil

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

Cook noodles in boiling salted water until slightly undercooked. Drain and rinse. In a sauce pan heat two tablespoons of mustard oil. Add onions, fry till light brown. Add turmeric, garlic, ginger, cumin powder, and chilies. Stir well for a minute or so. Put the assorted vegetables and stir-fry well, about five min. To the vegetable mixture add tomatoes, soy sauce, yogurt, broth, jwanu, bay leaf, salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender. Add the noodles and stew for five more minutes or until nice consistency of the sauce is attained.

And lastly, add spinach and fold into the stewed noodles for a minute or so until wilted.

Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with roti.

Pumpkin Vine Tips

(Curried Tender Vine Tips of Pumpkin)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Pumpkin vine tips, washed, peeled, cut into 1-in. pieces

• 3 dried red chilies

• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon whole timur (szchawan pepper)

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 3 tablespoons clarified butter

• Salt to taste

• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Directions

In a non-stick pan heat three tablespoons of clarified butter. Splitter fenugreek seeds, whole timur, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds until they turn dark. Fry dried red chilies for 15 sec. till it turns dark. Add garlic, ginger, ground pepper, cumin, and turmeric; fry for a minute or so on low heat. Add pumpkin vine tips to the spice-mixture, and stir-fry for about two minutes. Salt it. To the stir-fry mixture, add broth, and let simmer until the vine tips are tender and the excess liquid has evaporated off. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with rice.

Mustard Greens Bhutuwa

(Stir-Fried Mustard Greens)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. mustard greens, washed, peeled, cut into small pieces (spinach can be used)

• 3 dried red chilies

• ½ teaspoon jwanu seeds (lovage seeds)

• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon whole timur (szchawan pepper)

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 3 tablespoons mustard oil

• 2 tablespoons fresh dill weed, finely chopped

• Salt to taste

Directions

In a non-stick pan heat three tablespoons of mustard oil. Splitter jwanu seeds, whole timur mustard seeds, and cumin seeds until they turn dark. Fry dried red chilies for 15
sec. till it turns dark. Add garlic, ginger, ground pepper, and turmeric; fry for a minute or so on low heat. Add mustard greens to the spice-mixture, and stir-fry for about two minutes. Salt it. Increase the heat to high; cook the mustard greens until wilted and the excess liquid has evaporated off. Do not overcook the greens. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped dill weed. Serve with rice.

Mixed Vegetable and Cheese Bhutuwa

Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables and Nepali Homemade Cheese Cubes

Ingredients

• 2 cups Nepali homemade cheese, diced (tofu can be used)

• 2 cups mushroom,sliced

• 1 cup cauliflower, chopped

• 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped

• 2 cups spinach, cleaned and torn into small pieces

• 1 cup onion, chopped

• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced

• 5 dry whole red chilies

• 1/2 cup yogurt

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 5 tablespoons oil

• Salt

• 1/2 cup green onion, cut in 1-in. lengths

Directions

In a non-stick saute pan, heat two tablespoons of oil.

Salt and pepper cheese cubes and brown well on all sides and reserve in a large plate. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch vegetables, including cauliflower, mushroom and

red bell pepper for a brief time. Remove immediately and place in ice bath.

In the same saute pan, add remaining three tablespoons oil. Add turmeric and dry red chilies and fry until the chilies turn dark, releasing an earthy flavor. Add chopped onions and stir constantly until lightly browned. Add garlic and ginger and fry for a minute or so. Transfer the browned cheese cubes and lightly blanched vegetables and stir-fry for five minutes over low heat. Add tomatoes, yogurt, soy sauce, and ground pepper; mix well. Allow cooking for five-eight more minutes, adding a bit of water if necessary. At last, add spinach to the cheese-vegetable mixture and gently fold in to wilt it down. Garnish with green onion. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with steamed rice.

Masaura and Potato Tarkari

(Stewed Potatoes and Lentil-Vegetable Balls)

(Note: Masauras are dehydrated (usually sun-dried) balls of black lentil paste and minced vegetables. Allow ample time to make masauras before assembling the dish) Ingredients

For Masauras (Sun-Dried Lentil-Vegetable Balls):

• 4 cups split black lentil, presoaked overnight

• 2 cups finely chopped onion, scallions, radish, cauliflower

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Salt

• 1 cup water

Directions

In a blender, combine soaked lentil, water, salt and pepper to for smooth paste. Reserve the paste in a large bowl. To the lentil paste, add chopped vegetables; mix thoroughly to incorporate all ingredients. Make 1-in. balls of the mixture and arrange them on a baking sheet. Allow sun-drying until the ball are completely dehydrated. Food dehydrator can be used instead. Package the dehydrated lentil balls in air-tight container.

For Tarkari:

• 3 cups masauras

• 2 cups potatoes, diced

• 1 cup chopped onions

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes

• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon garlic paste

• 1 teaspoon ginger paste

• 1 teaspoon chili paste

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 cups milk

• 5 tablespoons oil

• Salt

• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Directions

In a large non-stick saute pan, heat three tablespoons of oil and fry masauras until golden brown. Reserve in a large plate. To the same saute pan, add the remaining two tablespoons of oil. Fry fenugreek and cumin seeds until dark. Add chopped onions and fry until lightly browned. Add potatoes, salt and pepper to the onion mixture and fry on low heat for ten minutes or so until potatoes are lightly browned cooked half way. Add cumin and coriander and stir for a couple of minutes. Add browned masauras to the potato mixture followed by tomatoes and milk. Cover and allow simmering for 10-15
minutes or until the potatoes are cooked tender and a desired consistency of the stew has been achieved. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with steamed rice.

Eggplant Bhutuwa

(Eggplant Stir-Fried with Potatoes)

Ingredients

• 5 cups eggplant, cut into 1-in. pieces

• 2 cups potatoes, sliced

• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped

• 1 cup green onion, cut in 1-in. lengths

• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced

• 1 tablespoon red chilies, minced

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 cup yogurt

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1/2 cup cooking oil

• Salt

• 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Direction

In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch eggplant for a couple of minutes and transfer to ice bath. In a non-stick saute pan , heat oil and fry fenugreek and cumin seeds until dark. Add potatoes slices, turmeric, salt and pepper and stir-fry until potatoes are well browned and cooked half way. Add garlic, ginger and chilies. Mix well to incorporate into the potatoes. Add blanched eggplant, yogurt and soy sauce and stir fry for five-seven minutes over medium-low heat until potatoes and asparagus are tender. Add diced tomatoes and green onions just before removing from heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with rice pilaf, accompanied by tomato achar.

Bitter Melon Tarkari

(Bitter Melon Stewed in Yogurt Sauce)

Ingredients

• 4 cups bitter melon, cut in 1-in. lengths and quartered

• 1 cup onion, finely diced

• 1/2 cup green pepper, finely diced

• 1/2 cup celery, finely diced

• 5 dried red chilies

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 cups yogurt

• 1/2 cup cooking oil

• Salt

• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Ingredients

In a large pot of well-salted boiling water, blanch bitter melon for a few minutes and transfer to ice bath. Blanching in heavily salted water reduces the bitterness of bitter

melon. In a non-stick sauce pan, heat oil and fry mustard seeds and red chilies until dark. Add onion, green pepper and celery and fry until light brown. Add turmeric, black pepper, garlic and ginger; mix for a minute or so. Add the blanched bitter melon and stir fry for five minutes. To the bitter melon mixture, add yogurt and salt; mix well to incorporate all ingredients. Cover and cook on medium heat for ten more minutes.

Once a desired consistency of stew has been achieved, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with steamed rice.

Cheese-Stuffed Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Nepali homemade cheese, crushed

• ½ cup onions, finely chopped

• ½ green onions, finely chopped

• 1 cup cooked rice

• 2 teaspoons dill weed, minced

• 1 teaspoon garlic paste

• 1 teaspoon ginger paste

• 3 fresh red chilies, minced

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon flour

• 1 egg

• 2 tablespoons melted butter

• 1 head fresh cabbage

• Salt to taste

For sauce:

• 1 cup chopped onions

• 2 cloves garlic

• ½ in. ginger

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 cup yogurt

• 1 cup rich vegetable stock

• 2 tablespoons clarified butter (or margarine)

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• ½ teaspoon jwanu (lovage seeds)

• 2 tablespoons green onions for garnish.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except cabbage. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate

for at least an hour. In the mean time, core the head of cabbage, boil in salted water till soft. Separate into leaves, and keep in ice-cold water. Remove the thick veins if necessary. Spread a cabbage leaf on cutting board, place two tablespoons of filling, fold sides, and roll up. Hold the loose end of the leaf with small bamboo sticks. Repeat with other leaves. Rub butter generously on the stuffed rolls and stack in a steamer. Steam till the stuffing is cooked through, about 8-10 min. Transfer the steamed rolls to a large plate.

For sauce

In a non-stick sauce pan heat two tablespoons of clarified butter, splitter mustard seeds.

Add onions and saute till brown. Add garlic, ginger, and chili powder, and fry for a minute over low heat. Add tomatoes, broth, jwanu and salt and pepper. Simmer the tomato mixture until the sauce thickens up, about 15 min. Transfer the stuffed cabbage rolls to the sauce and heat through, frequently turning, about 10 min. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with roti and tomato achar.

Alu Tama

(Potato with Bamboo Shoot)

Ingredients

• 1 cup bamboo shoots

• 2 cups potatoes, peeled, and cut into ½ inch cubes

• 1 cup black-eyed peas (soaked overnight)

• ½ cup onions, finely chopped

• 2 red chilies

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

• ½ cup yogurt

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons oil

• Salt to taste

• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

1 Heat oil, sauté red chilies until dark.

2 Sauté onions until light brown. Add spices and salt and cook few minutes on low heat.

3 Add potatoes to the onion. Sauté for atleast 5 minutes in medium heat.

4 Add soaked beans, bamboo shoots, tomatoes and heat for few minutes.

5 Add yogurt, and broth to the potatoes mixture; stir well. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes under low heat until potatoes and beans are tender, and the gravy has attained its desired consistency.

6 Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with rice.

Black Lentil Deep Fried Patties

(Bara) or (Badha)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Black lentil

• 1 table spoon ginger paste or ginger juice

• 1/4 tea spoon asafetida (Hing)

• 1/2 tea spoon Cumin Powder (Jeera)

• Oil enough to deep fry

• Salt to taste

Directions

1 Soak black lentil in water overnight or until the black coating is easily removed.

2 Remove black coating by rinsing with water.

3 Grind into a paste with minimum water.

4 Add all the spices to the lentil and mix well.

5 Heat the oil for deep fry.

6 Make a patty shape out of lentil in a plate. Make a hole in the patty like that in donut.

7 Carefully put it in the hot oil and cook golden brown in both sides.

8 Serve hot

Nepali Sauces & Marinades

Chicken Chili Marinade

Marinade:

• -1 cup yogurt

• -1 tablespoon lemon juice

• -2 tablespoons soy sauce

• -½ cup onions, roughly chopped

• -1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• -1 teaspoon pepper corn

• -1 teaspoon timur (szechwan pepper)

• -2 fresh red chilies

• -2 tablespoons mustard oil

Directions

In a blender combine all the marinating ingredients to form a smooth paste. Pour the marinating paste over the chicken in a large bowl. Mix well, cover, and let marinate for at least four hours. Grill the marinated chicken on a charcoal grill, occasionally turning until cooked through, about 7 min.

Sekuwa Marinade

Ingredients

• 2 cup Nepali yogurt

• 1 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons musturd oil

• 1 cup onions, roughly choppe

• 1 tablespoon cumin seed

• 1 teaspoon coriander seed

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeri

• 3 fresh red chilie

• 1 teaspoon pepper cor

• 1 teaspoon timu

• 2 cloves garli

• 1 in. ginger

• 1 tablespoon fresh dill weed, choppe

• 1 cup celery, choppe

• 1 tablespoon soy sauc

• Salt to tast

• 1/4 cup green onions, cut in 1-in. length

Directions

In a blender, combine all the marinating ingredients to form marinade. In a large bowl mix chicken with the marinade. Marinate fo at least 6 hours.

Shrimp Marinade

Ingredients

• 1 cup yogurt

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/2 cup onions, roughly chopped

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon pepper corn

• 1 teaspoon timur (szechwan pepper)

• 2 fresh red chilies

• 2 tablespoons musturd oil

• Salt

Directions

In a blender, combine all the marinating ingredients to form smooth paste. Pour the marinating paste over the shrimp in a large bowl. Mix well, cover, and let marinate for at least four hours.

Lamb Marinade

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped roasted tomatoes

• 1 cup roasted red bell pepper

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 cup onions, roughly chopped

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon pepper corn

• 1 teaspoon timur (szechwan pepper)

• 1/2 cup celery, chopped

• 2 tablespoons musturd oil

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

In a blender combine all the marinating ingredients to form smooth paste. Pour the marinating paste over the lamb chops in a large bowl. Mix well, cover, and let marinate for at least six hours. Grill the marinated lamb chops on a charcoal grill, occasionally turning until cooked through, about 5-7 min.

Babari ko Achar

(Mint Chutney)

Ingredients

• 4 cups young fresh mint springs and leaves, cleaned and coarsely chopped

• 4 fresh green chilies

• 1 medium-size red onion, roughly chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced

• 1-inch piece fresh gingeroot, peeled and cut into small pieces

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

• ½ cup plain yogurt (unflavored) or 4 tablespoon of water (to facilitate blending)

• Salt to taste

Directions

Preparation and Blending Methods:

1 Select only fresh and young leaves and springs. Avoid wilted, mature and dry leaves. Wash and chop roughly.

2 Place all the above 8 ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until smooth and well grinded. Once blended, transfer to a serving dish and serve.

3 If not used immediately, it can be stored covered in the refrigerator up to one week. When serving bring back to room temperature.They chutney will start to change color to light pale, once stored in the refrigerator, but the flavor will not change.

Serving Suggestions:

4 Serve with fried and steamed snacks, serve with Nepali meals.

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes. Yields: 2 cups Nepali Desserts

Kheer (Vermicelli Pudding)

Make sure that the vermicelli is very fine (angel hair pasta is ok but the very fine vermicelli that can be bought at chinese stores is the best).

Ingredients

• 1 stick Butter

• 2 handfuls Very fine vermicelli

• 4 cups Milk

• 1 pint Whipping cream

• 1 handful Raisins

• 3 tblsp Sugar

• 4 Almonds (optional) peeled and thinly sliced Directions

Melt butter in a 4 qt pot. Break vermicelli into 3" pieces. Over low heat stir vermicelli into butter until it turns light brown. Pour in the milk and stir over medium heat until it boils. Put in the raisins, almonds and sugar.

Continue to cook under low heat for 10 minutes. Add whipping cream and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and, when cool, chill in the refrigerator before serving

Rice Flour Pudding

(6 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 c Milk

• 3/4 c Sugar

• 2 oz Rice flour

• 6-8 drops Rose water

• 1 oz Almonds

• 1/2 oz Pistachio nuts

Directions

Blanch (optional) and shred nuts. Mix rice flour into the milk and mix until smooth.

Cook over medium heat until a creamy consistency is achieved (20-30 minutes?).

Simmer and add sugar and stir for 2-3 minutes more.

Cool (in refrigerator for 30 minute) add the rose water, almonds and pistachios (maybe before it cools). Pour into individual dishes and serve.

Besan Burfi

Ingredients

• 1 c Besan

• 1 c Shortening

• 1 c Sugar

• 4 seeds Cardamom

• Nuts (optional)

Directions

Melt shortening in a pan. Turn down heat and add cardamom and Besan. Fry, stirring constantly to prevent burning until it has changed to a brown color and smells done. (Test: a few drops of water sprinkled on it sputters instantly).

Turn off the heat and stir in the sugar. Spread 1/2" thick onto a platter. Cut into diamond shapes after it has cooled down.

Kheer 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 c Rice

• 4 c Milk

• 1/4 c Raisins

• 3/4-1 c Sugar

• 1 t Cardamom seeds

• 1/4 c Shredded blanched almonds

• 6-8 drops Rose water

• 1/2 c Water

Directions

Wash and drain the rice. Soak in 1/2 c water for 1/2 hour. Boil the rice in the same water until it is coated and the water dries up. Add the milk and simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 hours.

Scrape the sides and bottom frequently to prevent sticking and mash rice while stirring. When it is creamy, add sugar and stir in well. Remove from heat and add crushed cardamom seeds, rose water and shredded almonds.

Serve hot or cold decorated with silver or gold leaves (optional). [Silver/Gold leaves are very fine and tasteless.]

Gulab Jamuns

(Easy Method)

Ingredients

• 1 c Bisquick

• 2 c Carnation powder

• 2 c Water

• 1 1/2 c Sugar

• 4 pods Cardamom

• few drops Rose water

• 1/2 stick Butter (4 T)

• 1/8 c Yogurt

• Milk

• Oil for frying

Directions

Heat butter and pour in a bowl. Add Bisquick, carnation powder and yogurt and blend together. Knead well adding milk if necessary. Make a smooth ball, cover and let rest (30 minutes?). Make 12-14 small balls.

Heat the water, add sugar, bring to boil, add cardamom seeds and simmer. Boil, then simmer to reduce the water by half. Heat the oil until hot and fry the balls to a golden brown or until they are dark brown---almost black.

Soak in sugar syrup until they double in size (1 hour or overnight). Serve hot or cold.

Suji Halva

(Semolina Halva)

(4-6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1/2 c Suji (semolina)

• 1/2 c Sugar

• 1/2 c Ghee

• 1 1/2 c Water

• 1 oz Sliced almonds

• 1 oz Raisins

• 8 Green cardamoms

Directions

Boil sugar and water together for 5 minutes. Heat ghee add suji and stir on low heat until mixture becomes light creamy in color and ghee leaves the side of the pan. Add the syrup and stir briskly until it is absorbed in the semolina. Mix in crushed cardamom seeds, almonds, and raisins. Serve hot.

Sewian

(Vermicelli)

Ingredients

• 2 c Sewian (vermicelli)

• 3 1/2 c Milk

• 3/4 c Sugar

• 1/4 t Rose water (or 6-8 small cardamom seeds)

• Ghee

Directions

Fry the sewian in hot oil until golden brown. Heat the milk to boiling and add the sewian. Cook until the milk is reduced by half. Add sugar and cook on low heat until creamy (about 25 minutes). Remove from the heat. Add in rose water.

Decorate with blanched finely shredded almonds and pistachio nuts and silver leaves if desired.

Carrot Halva

Ingredients

• 4 lbs Carrots

• 1/2 gal Milk

• 2 c Sugar

• 2 c Carnation milk powder

• 1 c Oil

• to taste Nuts

Directions

Clean and grate the carrots. Heat milk to boiling and add the carrots. Cook until liquid is almost gone, stirring to prevent sticking and burning (3 to 4 hours). Add oil and cook more, stirring often, to roast the carrots well (about 1/2 hour). Add the powdered milk and sugar and cook until all the liquid is gone and the mass does not stick to the sides. Add the nuts and raisins and turn off the heat. Pour in a serving dish and serve warm or cold. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Rasgoola

Ingredients

• 1 ltr Homogenized Milk

• 2 tsp White Vinegar

• 1 1/2 C Sugar

• 3 C Water

Directions

Bring the milk to a boil and add vinegar to the boiling milk to separate the whey.

Throw away the liquid part by sifting the stuff onto a muslin cloth. Pour some cold water over the curd to cool and wash it. Discard the water and hang the cloth for 15-20 minutes to let the excess water drip off.

Put the curd in a food processor or blender and blend at high speed to get a smooth consistency. You may add just a little (1 tsp or so) water while blending, if the curd is too dry and will not blend. Be very careful so as not to add any extra water.

Remove the paste and make small balls (1-2" in diameter).

Boil water in a wide vessel. Make sure that there is at least 2-3" of water in the vessel. If not, add more water and increase the quantity of sugar proportionately.

Add sugar to the boiling water to make a light syrup.

Continue boiling the syrup and gently drop the curd balls in the boiling syrup. Cook the balls in the boiling syrup for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the stuff cool down. Put the balls and the syrup in a storage container and refrigerate (don't freeze). Serve cold.

Mango Ice Cream

This is a great desert which can be made with very little effort. You can replace the Mango pulp with any other pureed fruit.

Ingredients

• 1 can Condensed Milk

• 12 oz. Whipped cream (real is best, but can use cool-whip or equivelent)

• 1 can Mango pulp

It is very confusing to describe quantities as 1 can. Well, I do not remember the exact numbers so let me describe the sizes. The Mango pulp can is about 6" high and 3" in diameter. I think it is the only size available in an Indian store. The condensed milk can is about 3" high and about 2.5" in diameter and should be available in your neighbourhood grocery store.

Directions

Mix all of the pulp, condensed milk and whipped cream in a bowl. Put in the freezer for about 8 hours.

Gajar ko Halwa

(Carrot Pudding)

Ingredients

• 2 lb or ½ kg carrots

• 3 cups whole milk

• 1 cup half and half

• 2 cups sugar

• 3 tablespoon ghee

• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (elaichi)

• few flakes of saffron

• chopped almond and/or pista.

Directions

1 Grate carrots.

2 Put whole milk, half and half, sugar and carrots in a heavy saucepan.

3 Boil until it is thick. Remember to stir continuously once it thickens.

4 Add ghee, elaichi (cardamom) and saffron. Stir on low heat untill ghee oozes out of halwa.

5 Serve hot, decorated with a chopped almond or pista Burfi

(Diamond Shaped Milk cakes)

Ingredients

• 1 cup ricotta chesse

• ½ cup ghee (clarified butter)

• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder

• 1 cup sugar

Directions

1 Mix ricotta chesse, sugar and cardamon.

2 Fry them in ghee until light golden brown. Alternatively, bake in 300 F for 10 to 15 minutes until light golden brown.

3 Pour it over greased tray or plate and cut it in the daimond shape.

4 Cool and serve as dessert.

Nepali Dessert or Sweet

Nepal has a wide variety of desserts. Many popular Nepali deserts such as Rasbari (Rasgula in Hindi) are common throughout South Asia while many other are local favorite are typical to only an ethnic group in Nepal.

ricotta chesse Alternate

Boil milk with few drops of lemon or vinegar. Milk will separate into solid and liquid. Filter out solid and use instead of ricotta cheese.

Pakistani Meat Dishes

Chicken Jalfarezi

Ingredients

• 3 lb. Chicken breast-boneless

• 8 oz Green Pepper

• 8 oz Tomato

• 8 oz Onion (Red-Large)

• 1 t Cumin Seed

• 10 Garlic cloves

• 2 oz Ginger root

• 2 oz Green Chili pepper

• 2 t Salt

• 1 t. Red Chili powder

• ¸ t Turmeric Powder

• 8 oz Butter solids

• ¸ bunch...... Cilantro

Directions
a) Gather all ingredients
b) Cut chicken in to 2 x ² inch pieces.

c) Dice 6 oz tomatoes, 6 oz onions & all green peppers into 1" pieces.

d) Melt butter in a wok (or hotel pan - or other thin utensil) e) Finely cut 2 oz onions. - Finely dice garlic cloves and make a paste f) Add chicken pieces, finely cut onions, cumin seeds, salt & garlic to butter and mix well
g) Cover and let the chicken steam at medium heat. Stir occasionally.

- Finely chop remaining 2oz tomatoes.

- Cut ginger into julienne.

- Wash cilantro and separate leaves from stem.

h) Remove cover. Add red chilies, turmeric powder, green chilies & finely chopped tomatoes.

i) Mix well and let the chicken cook in this mixture at medium heat until almost all water has evaporated.

- Add julienne garlic when half the water has evaporated.

j) Add diced green peppers, onions & tomatoes and mix.

k) Turn off heat and add cilantro. Cover.

l) Keep the cover in place for at least 5 minutes.

****** Makes 9 servings of 5 oz. each*****

Chicken Masalah

Ingredients

• 1 lb Chicken fillets cut into 1/2 inch (1 cm) cubes

• 1 small onion finely chopped

• 1 levelled teaspoon chilli powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

• 1 clove garlic crushed

• 1 levelled teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon garam Masalah

• 1 heaped teaspoon coriander powder

• 6 tablespoon oil, ghee or melted butter

• 1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves Directions

Heat the oil in a cooking pan and fry the chopped onion, browning it a little. Add chilli powder, ginger powder, salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and fry the spices for two minutes. Then add chopped tomatoes and keep stirring it for ten minutes or until the butter leaves the spices. Now add the chicken cubes and stir them in the masalah to get the chicken pieces nicely coated.

Add 1/2 a cup of water and leave the chicken to cook on a low light for fifteen minutes. Remove the lid, stir the chicken and cook for further ten minutes. When butter starts to come out, add 1/4 cup of water, sprinkle garam masalah and thinly chopped coriander leaves and cover the pan for five to six minutes.

Ginger Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 lb Chicken (breast off the bone)

• 3 inch long piece of ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (ground)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoon plain yoghurt

• 4 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon garam masalah

Directions

Cut the ginger into matck-stick like pieces (3 inches long 2mm thick). Mix garam masalah, black pepper and salt into yoghurt. Now heat the oil and pour the yoghurt mixture in it and stir/fry until the water of yoghurt has boiled away and you can see the oil. Add the ginger sticks and stir/fry for 10 minutes. Then add the chicken pieces and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over the chicken. Cover the pan and leave it to cook for 15 minutes. Stir the chicken thoughly and cook for a further 10
minutes. Stir it carefully (or carefully turn the chichen pieces over), leave the lid off and let it cook on a low light for 10 minutes.

Lamb Pasanday

Ingredients

• 1/2 kilo lamb (boneless, cut into 1/2 thick slices)

• 2 onions

• 6 green chillies

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds

• 250 grams yoghurt

• 6 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 8 whole black pepper

• 1/2 piece of bark

• 2 colves

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander

Directions

Cut one onion and place it into a food processor. Now add chillies, coriander seeds, garlic, salt, whole black pepper, cumin seeds, piece of cinnamon and cloves. Grind and mix it well with the onion to make a paste.

Peel the other onion and cut it into rings. Now fry onion rings in ghee or vegetable oil until light brown. Take the onion rings out of ghee or oil and add the onion paste.

Stir/fry it until the ghee or oil comes out (or at least ten minutes).

Now add meat and yoghurt and fry it for a further ten minutes. Add 1 pint of hot water, and let it cook for twenty minutes. Add fried onion rings, chopped green coriander and let it cook for five minutes in a covered pan.

Serve with rice and Tarka dal

Taway kay Kabab

(Lamb Kabab)

Ingredients

• 1 lb Lamb leg (boneless - chopped into 1/2 inch (1 cm) cubes)

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

• 4 tablespoonful oil, ghee or melted butter.

• 1 small onion

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 heaped teaspoon coconut

• 4 Almonds

• 4 oz natural plain yoghurt

• 3 tablespoon water

Directions

First of all grind the almonds and mix them with the garlic powder, ginger powder and coconut. Now add this mixture to the yoghurt and stir it thoroughly. Put cubes of meat in a bowl and pour the mixed yoghurt over it. Leave it for 15 minutes to marinade.

Then pour the oil on the tawa and spread marinated meat over it. Cut the onion and layer it over the meat. Add 3 tablespoon of water and cover the pan. Leave it to cook for fifteen minutes on a low light. Take the lid off and stir the meat, put the lid back on and let it cook for further ten minutes. If the meat is golden brown and the oil starts to come out, its ready to be served, otherwise cook it for further five minutes.

Serve with Chutney and Salad Tip: Always use halal or kosher meat for curries. Non-drained meat changes the colour and the taste of curries.

Palak Muragh

(Chicken legs with Spinach)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon oil

• 1 onion

• 1 clove of garlic (crushed)

• 1/2 inch piece of ginger

• 1 teaspoon coriander

• 1 levelled teaspoon chilli powder

• 1 lb chicken legs

• 500 grams tin of spinach puree

• 2 teaspoon milk

• 1 levelled teaspoon salt

Directions

Heat the cooking oil in a pan. Add chopped onion and fry it until golden brown.

Now add ginger, coriander, chilli powder, garlic and salt. Fry this mixture for 10
minutes and keep it stirring every two minutes. Fry both sides of chicken legs in this masalah until brown and add the spinach, cover the pan with a lid and leave it on a gentle heat for 25 minutes. When the water has been absorbed, add 2 teaspoon of milk and let it cook for further 5 minutes.

Serve with Boiled Rice

Tip: I always pour some water over the spinach to wash the preservatives off before adding it to the chicken legs, and then leave it to drain all the water for few minutes.

It also gets rid of the extra salt.

Anokhay Kabaab

Ingredients

• Minced beaf 2 cups

• Salt To taste

• Green chillies(sliced) To taste

• Red chilli powder To taste

• Ground Peppers To taste

• Cooking oil For frying

• Cummin seeds 1 tsp

• Chopped potatoes 1 cup

• Flour of pulse (Baisan) 1 Tbsp

• Fresh carder 2 Tbsp

• Egg 1

• Mint leaves to taste

• Dried carder (Sabat Dhania) 1 Tbsp

Directions

Take minced beaf in a bowl. Add all other ingredients except oil. Make kabaabs of reasonable thickness and size. Deep fry on medium heat.

Serve with chutney.

Nauratan

(Nine Jewels Meat with Vegetables)

Makes 6 servings -

Ingredients

• 1 lb Lamb, cubed

• 1 c Oil

• 1 T Garlic & ginger, ground

• 2 ts Chilli powder

• 2 ts Salt

• 1/4 lb Onions

• 1/4 lb Potatoes

• 1/4 lb Eggplant(aubergine)

• 1/4 lb Turnip

• 1/4 lb Carrots

• 1/4 lb Okra

• 1/4 lb Cauliflower

• 1/4 lb Green beans

• 1/4 lb Cabbage

• 1/4 lb Chopped spinach

• 1/4 lb Peas

• 1/4 lb Zuchinni or marrow

Directions

1. Wash all the vegetables and cut into 1" pieces

2. Fry all the vegetables with half of the oil until light brown and set aside 3. Heat rest of the oil in a large saucepan, add sliced onions, and fry until light brown.

4. Add salt and spices to onions and fry for a few minutes.

5. Wash cubed lamb and add to onions and fry until light brown. Add 1 cup of hot water and cook over slow fire until meat is tender.

6. When meat is tender, and only a little water remains add all the vegetables.

7. Mix vegetables and meat together and cook over a slow fire, stirring gently to avoid mashing the vegetables, for about 5 minutes.

8. Place in a medium oven for 5-10 minutes, until oil separates.

Galawat kay Kabab

Ingredients

• Minced beaf/mutton (Qeema) 1/2 kg

• Fresh carder (Dhania) 4-5 Tbsp

• Peppers (ground) 1tsp

• Mint leaves (Podina) as required

• Green chillies (cut to slices) 6

• Oil For shallow frying

• Salt To taste

• Red chilli powder To taste

• Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

• Garam masalah 1 tsp

• Poppy seeds (Khashkhaash) 1 Tbsp

• Ginger + garlic paste 2Tbsp

• Seramum seeds (til) 1 Tbsp

• Onions (fried & chopped) 2 (cut to slices)

• Raw musk (poppaya) 1 Tbsp

• Soya sauce 2 Tbsp

• Flour of pulse - parched (Baisan) 2 Tbsp

• Egg 1

Directions

Take minced beaf in a bowl. Add all the ingredients except oil and mix well. Prepare kabaabs of reasonable thickness and size of this mixture. Shallow fry the kabaabs on medium heat (Never press while frying). Serve with ketchup or chutney.

Shahi Korma

Lamb In Saffron & Cardamom Cream

Serving Size : 1

Ingredients

• 1 tb Cumin seeds

• 4 ts Coriander seeds

• 1 Or 2 teaspoons cayenne -pepper

• 1 t Saffron threads

• 3 tb Hot milk

• 6 tb Ghee or clarified butter -(see note)

• 2 md Onions, chopped

• 5 Black cardamom pods -cinnamon sticks

• 4 Cloves

• 3 Bay leaves

• 1 Fresh ginger, grated

• 4 lg Garlic cloves, minced

• 2 lb Boneless lamb, cut into -1/2-inch cubes

• 1 c Fresh, sweet, unflavored -yogurt

• Salt

• 1/4 c Heavy cream

• 1 tb Rose water

• 1/4 c Blanched almonds

Directions

Grind the cumin and coriander seeds in a spice mill, combine with the red pepper and place near the stove. Soak the saffron in hot milk.

Heat the ghee or clarified butter in a large, shallow, heavy pan.

Stir in the onions, cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to turn reddish brown, about 15 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the onions are reddish brown.

Stir in the ground spices and cook, stirring, for about 10 seconds, or until the spices release their fragrance.

Dry the meat with paper towels. Stir half of the meat into the spice mixture.

Increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring for a few minutes, making sure

all the meat is coated with the spices. Stir in the remaining meat, and cook as before, scraping the bottom of the pan.

If the mixture gets too dry, splash in a little water.

Turn the heat to medium. Start adding the yogurt 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring and incorporating it into the mixture before adding the next tablespoonful.

Continue adding in this way until all the yogurt has been used.

Turn the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer the meat for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. If necessary, splash in a little water from time to time.

When the meat is tender, and salt to taste. Stir the cream and cook until the sauce is thick. Stir in the saffron and rose water and heat thoroughly.

Fry the almonds in a little oil until golden brown. Serve the lamb piping hot garnished with the almonds. (The whole spices in this dish are not meant to be eaten.) Serve this dish with a pilaf or any Indian bread.

Raan Masaledar

Whole Leg Of Lamb In A Spicy Sauce

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 5 lb leg of lamb

-----SAUCE---

• 2 oz Almonds, blanched

• 1/2 lb Onions, coarsely chopped

• 8 Garlic cloves, peeled

• 4 Cubes ginger, 1", peeled ;chopped coarsely

• 4 Green chillies, chopped

• 20 fl Yoghurt, plain

• 2 tb Cumin seed, ground

• 4 ts Coriander seed, ground

• 1/2 ts Cayenne pepper

• 3 1/2 ts Salt

• 1/2 ts Garam masala

• 6 tb Vegetable oil

• 1/2 ts Whole cloves

• 16 Cardamom pods

• 1 Cinnamon stick, 2" long

• 10 Peppercorns, black

-----GARNISH----

• 4 tb Sultana raisins

• 1/2 oz Almonds, blanched, slivered

Directions

Make sure that all the fat has been trimmed from the outside of the leg and that most of the fell (parchment-like white skin) has been pulled off. Put the leg in a baking dish made, preferably, of pyrex or stainless steel. Put the 2 oz. almonds, onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies, and 3 tablespoons of the yoghurt into the container of a food processor or blender and blend until you have a paste.

Put the remaining yoghurt into a bowl. Beat lightly with a fork or a whisk until it is smooth and creamy. Add the paste from the processor, the cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and garam masala. Mix. Push some of the spice paste into all the openings in the lamb. Be quite generous. (I forgot to say, you need to ask the butcher to make a deep pocket to hold a "stuffing", in this case, some spice paste mixture, or make a pocket yourself) Spread the paste evenly on the underside of the leg (the side that originally had less fat.) Now, using a small, sharp, pointed knife make deep slashes in the meat, and push in the spice paste with your fingers.

Turn the leg over so its outer side (the side that was once covered with fat) is on the top. Spread a very thick layer of paste over it. Again, make deep slashes with the knife and push the spice paste into the slashes. Pour all the remaining spice paste over and around the meat. Cover with plastic cling film and refrigerate for 24
hours.

Take the baking dish with the meat out of the refrigerator and let the meat come to room temperature. Remove the cling film. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorns.

When the cloves swell - this takes just a few seconds - pour the hot oil and spices over the leg of lamb. (My note: I found the spices jumped and spat in the oil quite a lot - make sure your arms and counter are well protected) Preheat the oven gas mark 6, 400 F. Cover the baking dish tightly either with its own lid or with a large piece of aluminium foil. Bake, covered, for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Baste 3-4 times with the sauce during this period. Scatter, or arrange in a pattern, the sultanas and the 1/2 oz.

almonds over the top of the leg and bake for another 5-6 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it sit in a warm place for 15 minutes. Take the leg out of the pan and set it on a warm platter. Spoon off all the fat from the top of the sauce. Use a slotted spoon and fish out all the whole spice in the sauce. Discard the spices. Pour the sauce around the leg. My Notes: I served the sauce separately, in a

gravy boat. It is delicious!

Prawns in Spicy Coconut Sauce

Yield: 1 servings

Ingredients

• 14 oz Canned coconut milk

• 8 Dried, red chile peppers *

• 2 ts Cumin seeds

• 2 ts Coriander seeds

• 1 ts Turmeric

• 1 tb Grated fresh ginger

• 6 Garlic cloves, minced

• 5 tb Peanut oil

• 1 lg Onion, thinly sliced

• Salt

• 1 lb Prawns, shelled, deveined

* seeded or partially seeded (reduce or increase amount for a milder or spicier flavor

Directions

Do yourself a favor and use canned coconut milk in this recipe. It's a heck of a lot easier and probably better than what you would produce using a fresh coconut.

Process the grated fresh coconut or the desiccated coconut with 3 1/2 cups hot water in a food processor. Drape a piece of folded cheesecloth over a bowl and pour the coconut mixture into the cheesecloth. Strain the liquid, squeezing the pulp to extract as much milk as possible. This is thick coconut milk; set aside.

Pour 2 1/2 cups hot water over the coconut in the cheesecloth and squeeze to extract more milk into another bowl. This second extract is thin coconut milk. Set aside.

If you are using canned coconut milk, skip this step and proceed with the recipe.

Grind the chile peppers, cumin and coriander seeds in a spice grinder and set aside.

Process the thick coconut milk (or canned coconut milk) with the ground spices, turmeric, ginger and garlic; set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy, shallow pan. Add the onions and cook until the edges begin to turn almost reddish brown (about 15 minutes), stirring frequently. Add the coconut-spice mixture and cook until the liquid evaporates and oil separates from the paste. Cook this paste for 10 more minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in the reserved thin coconut milk (or 2 cups water, if you have used canned coconut milk) and let simmer until reduced to a creamy sauce. Add salt to taste.

Stir the prawns into the sauce and cook a few minutes until the prawns are just cooked. (Be careful not to overcook). Serve with steamed rice.

Grated fresh coconut: Pierce the eyes of a fresh coconut and drain off the liquid. Put the coconut in a preheated 375F oven for 20 minutes. Break it open with a hammer and separate the meat from the hard shell in large pieces. Break the pieces into smaller ones and, using a vegetable peeler, peel the brown skin off the meat. Grate the coconut meat in a food processor.

Desiccated coconut: May be found in Asian stores.

Pakistani Vegetable Dishes

Red Kidney Beans

(Rajma)

Serving Size : 6

Ingredients

• 2 c Red kidney bean

• 3 qt Water

• 1 t Turmeric

• 1 tb Salt

• 1/4 c Oil

• 1 c Chopped onion

• 1 Inch ginger chopped

• 1 t Garam Masala

• 3 Tomatoes chopped

• Coriander leaves for Garnish

Directions

1. Wash beans and boil for 2 - 3 hours or 1/2 hour in a pressure cooker.

2. In the meantime make masala of onions, garlic, ginger and tomato as in chicken curry.

3. Add to the beans and cook again till most of the liquid dries up and the beans are soft and thoroughly cooked.

4. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Red Lentil Soup

Serving Size : 6

Ingredients

• 3 tb Ghee or vegetable oil

• 1 md Onion, chopped

• 12 ea Peppercorns

• 4 ea Bay leaves, crumbled

• 3 3/4 c Vegetable stock

• 1/2 lb Red lentils, washed

• 2 tb Chopped fresh parsley

• 3 ea Dry red chilies, seeded

• Salt

• 1 ea 1/2" piece of ginger, grated

Directions

Heat ghee (or oil) over low heat. Add onion & cook til it softens, stirring ocassionally. Add peppercorns & bay leaves & cook for 5 minutes. Add stock, 1 c water, lentils, parsley, chilies & salt. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. When soup begins to boil, add ginger & cotinue to cook & stir for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Lentils should be soft.

Spiced Potatoes In Tamarind Sauce

(Daum Aloo)

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tb Tamarind paste

• 2 c Water

• 8 sm Boiling potatoes

• 1/4 c Corn oil

• 1 md Onion; thinly sliced

• 2 ts Minced fresh ginger

• 4 Garlic cloves; minced

• 1/2 ts Dried red pepper flakes

• 1/2 ts Ground turmeric

• 1/2 ts Ground cardamom

• 1/2 ts Ground fennel

• 1/2 ts Cinnamon

• 1/4 ts Freshly ground pepper

• Salt

Directions

Dissolve tamarind paste in 1 cup water. Let stand 30 minutes. Strain. Boil potatoes until just tender. Cool completely, then peel. Using wooden skewer, pierce each potato in 4 places.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until crisp and lightly browned, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove from skillet. Add potatoes and brown well on all sides. Remove from skillet. Pour off all but 1
tablespoon oil from skillet. Add ginger and garlic and stir 1 minute. Stir in pepper flakes and turmeric. Blend in 2 tablespoons water. Mix in onion. Add potatoes, tamarind liquid and remaining 14 tablespoons water. Stir in cardamom, fennel, cinnamon and pepper. Cover and simmer until sauce has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season with salt.

Pokara

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound Chickpea flour (Gram Flour - "Besan" in local markets)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon red chili powder

• 1 teaspoon coriander seed powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 medium egg, beaten

• 1 medium onion - chopped fine

• 1 large potato -- 1/4" cubes

• oil for deep frying

• water, enough to make paste

• Optional Ingredients - Spinach, eggplant, cabbage, fresh chilies Directions

1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and add enough water to make a paste. Mix well.

2. Take spoonful at a time from the bowl of paste and deep fry it in hot oil til golden brown.

3. Serve with dipping sauces

Pumpkin Fugadh

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
o

1/2 kg Diced butternut Pumpkin/squash (1.1 lb)

o

1 Finely chopped onion
o

1 Finely chopped tomato
o

1/2 ts Mustard seeds
o

1/4 ts Turmeric
o

4 tb Oil
o

400 ml Coconut cream (About 1 1/2 cup)

o

200 ml Water (about 1 cup)

o

Salt to taste
o

Coriander leaves For garnish

Directions

Mild sweet curry ideal as compliment to a really hot curry.

Heat oil and cook mustard seeds until they burst. Add chopped onion and fry until tender. Add chopped tomato and tumeric, cook briefly approximately 2
minutes). Put in the diced pumpkin, salt and water. Stir well to coat the pumpkin. Add coconut cream. Cover and cook until pumpkin is soft--this depends on how small/large you dice. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Pumpkin Soup

Serving Size : 9

Ingredients
o

1 Small Pumpkin -- seeded, unpeeled
o

2 Tablespoons Oil
o

1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seed
o

1 Each Cardamon
o

1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
o

1/2 Teaspoon Coriander -- ground
o

1/4 Teaspoon Ginger -- ground
o

1/4 Teaspoon Chili Powder
o

1 Teaspoon Garlic -- minced, heaping
o

2 Cups Onion -- chopped
o

1 Cup Cauliflower Flowerets
o

1/2 Cup Carrot -- sliced
o

11 Ounces Corn -- can,undrained
o

Salt And Pepper -- to taste
o

1/2 Teaspoon Tumeric

Directions

Put oil in large pot or kettle. Heat til quite warm. Add cardamon, and cumin seeds. Cook until seeds crackle. Add Onions, garlic and powders. Saute until onions are browned. Add cut up pumpkin and water til not quite covered.

Cover and simmer until pumpkin is tender. Mash or puree. Return to pot and add your choice of vegetables. Cook until desired tenderness. You can add powered broth if desired. You can also add greens and can substitute acorn or butternut squash.

Rice With Potatoes, Cilantro And

Mint

Serving Size : 6

Ingredients
o

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
o

1 1/2 cups boiling water
o

2 cups basmati rice -- or other long-grain rice -- dry measure o

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
o

4 cloves
o

1 stick cinnamon
o

2 potatoes -- 1/2" cubes (about 8 oz/250g) o

2 tablespoons chopped mint
o

1 tablespoon fresh ginger -- minced
o

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
o

1/4 teaspoon salt
o

1/4 cup chopped cilantro
o

1 onion -- thinly sliced

Directions

(2O minutes)

Soak the saffron in a small bowl in 1 tablespoon of the boiling water for= at least 10 minutes. Wash the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain,= then place it in a medium-sized bowl, cover with water and soak for 30= minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350=B0F (180=B0C) COOKING (25 minutes) Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the rice, stir well, and= boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Drain.

While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a large, flameproof casserole= dish over medium heat. Add the cloves and cinnamon and stir for 30 seconds.=

Add the potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5=
minutes. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the mint and half of the ginger=
over the potato mixture.

Spread half of the rice over the potato mixture. Place the yogurt, salt, saffron and saffron liquid in a small bowl.= Combine well. Pour half of the yogurt mixture over the rice in the= casserole dish.

<> Sprinkle the remaining ginger, the cilantro and onion on top and cover=
wiht the remaining rice. Pour the remaining yogurt mixture over the rice. <> Pour the remaining boiling water down the side of the mixture. Cover and=
bake in the oven until the rice is tender and all of the liquid is= absorbed, about 15 minutes.

<> Loosen the edges of the cake from the casserole dish. Warm the serving=
plate. Put plater on top of casserole and turn the rice onto the plate.

Uppama

Serving Size : 4

Ingredients
o

6 tb Vegetable oil
o

1 pn Asafetida
o

1/2 ts Whole black mustard seeds
o

1 Whole dried hot red pepper
o

1 t Chana dal
o

2 ts Urad dal
o

1/2 md Onion -- peeled and minced
o

1 c Finely shredded cabbage -- firmly packed
o

1 sm Potato -- peeled -- cut into 1/4-inch dice o

2 tb Shelled peas
o

1 Fresh hot green chili -- minced
o

1/2 ts Finely grated fresh ginger
o

3/4 ts Salt
o

1 c Cream of wheat -- (15 minute variety)

o

1 1/4 c Boiling water
o

1 tb Finely minced cilantro

Directions

Pour the oil into a medium or large skillet set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the asafetida, mustard seeds, red pepper, chana dal, and urad dal. When dals turn reddish in color, add to the pan the onion, cabbage, potato, peas, green chili, and ginger. Increase heat to medium-high and cook the mixture, stirring all the while, for about 2 minutes. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and simmer until vegetables done, about 5-6 minutes. Uncover and mix in salt. Increase heat to medium and add cream of wheat. Cook 5
minutes, stirring the mixture and being careful not to let the cream of wheat brown. Decrease heat to low.

Add boiling water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, stirring after each addition and allowing water to be absorbed before adding more. (More water may be used if a moister uppama is desired.)

Continue stirring and cooking over low heat for 10 more minutes. Garnish with minced cilantro for serving.

Alu Carrot Pickle

Serving Size : 1

Ingredients
o

3 medium carrots peeled
o

1 medium caulifower stalks removed
o

1/2 cup salt
o

3/4 cup red chilli powder
o

1 tablespoon turmeric
o

1 cup vinegar
o

1 cup jaggery (Indian palm sugar) -- grated

Directions

Cut carrots lengthwise into four, or six, if very thick. Cut lengths into 1 1/2
inch stubs. Keep aside.

Separate cauliflower florets. Break to halves if very big. They should match size of carrot pieces.

Add chilli, salt, turmeric. Toss well. Transfer to a clean dry bowl, Keep in sun for 4 days.

Heat vinegar till warm. Add jaggery, stir. Heat further till vinegar is very hot, and jaggery has melted. Cool to room temperature. Add to sunned vegetables.

Transfer to a clean dry pickle jar, close lid tightly. Marinate in a warm dark place for 5-6 days. Turn well with a spoon;

Serve with chappatis, rices or just about anything.

Making time: 1 hour (marinating 4 + 5 days)

Makes: 1 kg pickle (approx.)

Shelflife: 3-4 months refrigerated

Spicy Eggplant In Ginger-Tamarind

Sauce

(Masala Vangi)

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients
o

1.00 1/2-inch-round ball tamarind
o

0.25 c -Boiling water
o

1.00 lb Thin, long eggplant
o

3.00 tb Light vegetable oil
o

1.50 ts Minced garlic
o

2.00 ts Ground coriander
o

0.25 ts Ground cinnamon
o

0.13 ts Ground cloves
o

0.50 c Packed flaked coconut -- fresh or canned, -- unsweetened o

1.00 ts Cayenne pepper (or more)

o

0.50 ts Coarse salt; or to taste
o

2.00 tb Unsulphured molasses -OR- Brown sugar
o

0.50 ts Black mustard seeds --GINGER-TAMARIND SAUCE---
o

-Tamarind residue from above
o

0.50 c -Boiling water
o

0.50 ts Cornstarch
o

1.00 tb Shredded fresh ginger

Directions

Put the tamarind in a nonmetallic bowl. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and let it soak for 30 minutes. Mash the pulp and extract as much juice from it as possible. Pour all liquid into a bowl, and save the fibrous residue for making the sauce.

Slit the eggplants lengthwise to within 3/4 inch of the stem end so that each eggplant remains in one piece.

Measure out the spices and place them right next to the stove in separate piles. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the coriander, cinnamon, and cloves; fry for 15 more seconds. Stir in the coconut and cayenne pepper; continue frying, stirring, until lightly toasted (about 2 minutes). Turn off the heat and stir in the salt, tamarind liquid, and molasses, and mix well.

Stuff the eggplants with the spicy coconut mixture. Secure them by wrapping thread around them.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same pan over medium-high heat.

When it is hot, add mustard seeds. Keep a pot lid handy, as the seeds may spatter and fly all over. When the seeds stop spattering, add the eggplants in one layer. Fry the eggplants, turning them often, for 3 or 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium or medium low and cook them, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are soft and cooked through. Turn off heat. Transfer them to a serving platter, pour Ginger-Tamarind sauce over them, and serve immediately.

Ginger-Tamarind Sauce:

Put tamarind residue in a nonmetallic bowl, add 1/2 cup boiling water, and let soak for 30 minutes. Mash the residue and extract as much tamarind essence as possible, squeezing it hard, into a bowl. Discard the fibrous residue.

Put tamarind water in a nonmetallic pan along with cornstarch, mix well and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in ginger shreds.

Note: For a hotter flavor, stir 4 chopped hot green chilies into sauce.

Vegetables in a Yoghurt and Coconut

Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
o

100 g Green beans, cut into 1cm Pieces
o

50 g Carrots, diced into 5mm Cubes
o

50 g Peas
o

3/4 t Chilli powder
o

1/2 t Ground turmeric
o

3/4 t Salt
o

350 -ml water
o

250 -ml unsweetened yoghurt
o

2 Green chillies
o

1 t Ground coriander
o

2 T Dessicated coconut
o

1 T Oil
o

1/2 t Mustard seeds

o

8 Curry leaves

Directions

Place the vegetables, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.

Whisk the yoghurt, green chillies, coriander and coconut together and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves, and after 5-6 seconds add the vegetables with the liquid. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat and add the yoghurt mixture and stirring occasionally, cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Serve with rice.

Pakistani Sauces

Aaloo Bukharay Ki Chutney

Ingredients

• Dried plums (aaloo bukharay) 1/4 kg

• Water 2 cups

• Sugar 1/2 cup or to taste

• Salt To taste

• peppers(ground) To taste

• Red chilli powder To taste

• Vineger 1/2 cup

• Red food colour(optional) One pinch

Directions

Add water, salt, red chilli powder, and peppers to dried plums and boil till they get soft. Add sugar to them and cook on medium heat,until it melts and the mixture becomes a bit thick( for about 2 minutes). Add food colour, viniger and boil for an other minute.It is now ready to be served with roti.

Kabob Sauce (Lacto)

Ingredients

• 2 md Onions, peeled

• 2 c [nonfat] plain yoghurt

• 1 ea Lemon juice or rice vineger

• 1 ea Sugar

• 1 ea Pepper to taste

• 2 tb Ground cumin seeds

• 2 tb Ground coriander seeds

• 1 t Garam masala

• 1/2 To 3/4 tsp cayanne pepper or Chili paste

• 2 ts Fresh ground ginger and Garlic paste

• 1 ea Chopped cilantro to taste

• 1/2 ts Turmeric

Directions

Liquify in blender. Simmer until thickened slightly and flavor is set. Use as a marinade for kabobs or any meat or fish. Very good with rice.

Pokara Dipping Sauces
from Jasmine's kitchen in Karachi via Chile-Head

Serve as an accompaniment to hot pokaras.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound tamarind pulp

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon red chile powder

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Soak Tamarind in hot water for about one hour. Drain the tamarind and grind it in a mortar and pestle.

2. If its already ground, then just mash it and mix other ingredients.

Pokara Dipping Sauce - Yogurt

Ingredients

• 1 cup yogurt, plain

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated

Directions

1. In a mortar and pestle, mix the garlic and ginger together.

2. Transfer to a bowl and add yogurt and mix well.

Podina Chutney

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Mint

• 1 oz Green Chili

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 oz Pomegranate Seed-dried

• 32 oz Yogurt

• 4 Tbsp Water

Directions
a) Gather ingredients.

b) Remove stems from green chilies.

c) Wash mint and remove leaves.

d) Blend together mint leaves, green chilies, salt and pomegranate seeds in an electric blender to make a paste.

e) Add water to make a smooth paste.

f) Remove from blender and mix in yogurt.

******* Makes 36 ounces of chutney ******

********* Serve in 2 or 4 ounces ********

Sambar Powder I

(Sambar Podi I)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 2 cups red chillies

• 1 3/4 cans coriander seeds

• 4 tablespoons cumin seeds

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds

• 1 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns

• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds

• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric

• 2 teaspoons Bengal gram dal -- picked over & rinsed (yellow split peas, channa dal)

• 2 teaspoons red gram dal (pigeon peas, toor dal) -- picked over & rinsed

• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

• 2 large sticks cinnamon bark

• a few curry leaves

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy frying pan or skillet. Add the chillies and saute for 1 - 3 minutes.

In a heavy saucepan, dry-roast all the other ingredients until they each give off a strong aroma. (However, do not roast the ground turmeric.) Place all the ingredients in an electric blender or food processor. Blend into a fine powder.

Store in an airtight container and use as required.

Makes 7 ounces.

Rasam Powder

(Rasam Podi)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups coriander seeds

• 1 1/2 cups red chillies

• 1/2 cup black peppercorns

• 3/4 cup red gram dal (pigeon peas, toor dal) -- picked over & rinsed

• 4 tablespoons Bengal gram dal -- picked over & rinsed (yellow split peas, channa dal)

• 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 small bunch curry leaves

Directions

In a heavy saucepan, dry-roast all the ingredients seperately, until they each give off a strong aroma. (However do not roast the Ground turmeric.) Place all the ingredients in an electric blender or food processor. Blend into a fine powder.

Store in an airtight container and use as required.

Makes 15 ounces.

Spiced Fruit Chutney

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cider vinegar

• 1 medium Onion -- finely chopped

• 1/2 cup Water

• 1 tablespoon Ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons Grated orange peel

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

• 1 Garlic clove -- minced

• 1/4 teaspoon Dried red pepper flakes

• 3 cups Firmly packed golden brown -- sugar

• 2 small Bartlett pears -- cored and

• 1 large Granny Smith apple -- cored diced

• 2 cups Cranberries

• 1/2 cup Dried currants

Directions

Combine first 9 ingredients in heavy medium sauce pan over medium- high heat.

Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add sugar, pears, apple, cranberries and currants and stir until sugar dissolves.

Cook until fruits are soft and liquid thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 1
hour. Cool to room temperature (chutney will thicken more as it cools). Cover and refrigerate.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

Pakistani Desserts

Kheer (Vermicelli Pudding)

What makes this dessert unusual is that it is not as sweet as most Indian desserts. It is fairly simple to make. Make sure that the vermicelli is very fine (angel hair pasta is ok but the very fine vermicelli that can be bought at chinese stores is the best).

Ingredients

• 1 stick Butter

• 2 handfuls Very fine vermicelli

• 4 cups Milk

• 1 pint Whipping cream

• 1 handful Raisins

• 3 tblsp Sugar

• 4 Almonds (optional) peeled and thinly sliced Directions

Melt butter in a 4 qt pot. Break vermicelli into 3" pieces. Over low heat stir vermicelli into butter until it turns light brown. Pour in the milk and stir over medium heat until it boils. Put in the raisins, almonds and sugar.

Continue to cook under low heat for 10 minutes. Add whipping cream and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and, when cool, chill in the refrigerator before serving

Rice Flour Pudding

(6 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 c Milk

• 3/4 c Sugar

• 2 oz Rice flour

• 6-8 drops Rose water

• 1 oz Almonds

• 1/2 oz Pistachio nuts

Directions

Blanch (optional) and shred nuts. Mix rice flour into the milk and mix until smooth.

Cook over medium heat until a creamy consistency is achieved (20-30 minutes?).

Simmer and add sugar and stir for 2-3 minutes more.

Cool (in refrigerator for 30 minute) add the rose water, almonds and pistachios (maybe before it cools). Pour into individual dishes and serve.

Besan Burfi

Ingredients

• 1 c Besan

• 1 c Shortening

• 1 c Sugar

• 4 seeds Cardamom

• Nuts (optional)

Directions

Melt shortening in a pan. Turn down heat and add cardamom and Besan. Fry, stirring constantly to prevent burning until it has changed to a brown color and smells done.

(Test: a few drops of water sprinkled on it sputters instantly).

Turn off the heat and stir in the sugar. Spread 1/2" thick onto a platter. Cut into diamond shapes after it has cooled down.

Kheer 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 c Rice

• 4 c Milk

• 1/4 c Raisins

• 3/4-1 c Sugar

• 1 t Cardamom seeds

• 1/4 c Shredded blanched almonds

• 6-8 drops Rose water

• 1/2 c Water

Directions

Wash and drain the rice. Soak in 1/2 c water for 1/2 hour. Boil the rice in the same water until it is coated and the water dries up. Add the milk and simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 hours.

Scrape the sides and bottom frequently to prevent sticking and mash rice while stirring.

When it is creamy, add sugar and stir in well. Remove from heat and add crushed cardamom seeds, rose water and shredded almonds.

Serve hot or cold decorated with silver or gold leaves (optional). [Silver/Gold leaves are very fine and tasteless.]

Gulab Jamuns

(Easy Method)

Ingredients

• 1 c Bisquick

• 2 c Carnation powder

• 2 c Water

• 1 1/2 c Sugar

• 4 pods Cardamom

• few drops Rose water

• 1/2 stick Butter (4 T)

• 1/8 c Yogurt

• Milk

• Oil for frying

Directions

Heat butter and pour in a bowl. Add Bisquick, carnation powder and yogurt and blend together. Knead well adding milk if necessary. Make a smooth ball, cover and let rest (30 minutes?). Make 12-14 small balls.

Heat the water, add sugar, bring to boil, add cardamom seeds and simmer. Boil, then simmer to reduce the water by half. Heat the oil until hot and fry the balls to a golden brown or until they are dark brown---almost black.

Soak in sugar syrup until they double in size (1 hour or overnight). Serve hot or cold.

Suji Halva

(Semolina Halva)

(4-6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1/2 c Suji (semolina)

• 1/2 c Sugar

• 1/2 c Ghee

• 1 1/2 c Water

• 1 oz Sliced almonds

• 1 oz Raisins

• 8 Green cardamoms

Directions

Boil sugar and water together for 5 minutes. Heat ghee add suji and stir on low heat until mixture becomes light creamy in color and ghee leaves the side of the pan. Add the syrup and stir briskly until it is absorbed in the semolina. Mix in crushed cardamom seeds, almonds, and raisins. Serve hot.

Sewian

(Vermicelli)

Ingredients

• 2 c Sewian (vermicelli)

• 3 1/2 c Milk

• 3/4 c Sugar

• 1/4 t Rose water (or 6-8 small cardamom seeds)

• Ghee

Directions

Fry the sewian in hot oil until golden brown. Heat the milk to boiling and add the sewian. Cook until the milk is reduced by half. Add sugar and cook on low heat until creamy (about 25 minutes). Remove from the heat. Add in rose water. Decorate with blanched finely shredded almonds and pistachio nuts and silver leaves if desired.

Carrot Halva

Ingredients

• 4 lbs Carrots

• 1/2 gal Milk

• 2 c Sugar

• 2 c Carnation milk powder

• 1 c Oil

• to taste Nuts

Directions

Clean and grate the carrots. Heat milk to boiling and add the carrots. Cook until liquid is almost gone, stirring to prevent sticking and burning (3 to 4 hours). Add oil and cook more, stirring often, to roast the carrots well (about 1/2 hour). Add the powdered milk and sugar and cook until all the liquid is gone and the mass does not stick to the sides.

Add the nuts and raisins and turn off the heat. Pour in a serving dish and serve warm or cold. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Rasgoola

Ingredients

• 1 ltr Homogenized Milk

• 2 tsp White Vinegar

• 1 1/2 C Sugar

• 3 C Water

Directions

Bring the milk to a boil and add vinegar to the boiling milk to separate the whey.

Throw away the liquid part by sifting the stuff onto a muslin cloth. Pour some cold water over the curd to cool and wash it. Discard the water and hang the cloth for 15-20
minutes to let the excess water drip off.

Put the curd in a food processor or blender and blend at high speed to get a smooth consistency. You may add just a little (1 tsp or so) water while blending, if the curd is too dry and will not blend. Be very careful so as not to add any extra water. Remove the paste and make small balls (1-2" in diameter).

Boil water in a wide vessel. Make sure that there is at least 2-3" of water in the vessel. If not, add more water and increase the quantity of sugar proportionately. Add sugar to the boiling water to make a light syrup.

Continue boiling the syrup and gently drop the curd balls in the boiling syrup. Cook the balls in the boiling syrup for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the stuff cool down. Put the balls and the syrup in a storage container and refrigerate (don't freeze).

Serve cold.

Mango Ice Cream

This is a great desert which can be made with very little effort. You can replace the Mango pulp with any other pureed fruit.

Ingredients

• 1 can Condensed Milk

• 12 oz. Whipped cream(Cool whip)

• 1 can Mango pulp (Alphonso)

It is very confusing to describe quantities as 1 can. Well, I do not remember the exact numbers so let me describe the sizes. The Mango pulp can is about 6" high and 3" in diameter. I think it is the only size available in an Indian store. The condensed milk can is about 3" high and about 2.5" in diameter and should be available in your neighbourhood grocery store.

Directions

Mix all of the pulp, condensed milk and whipped cream in a bowl. Put in the freezer for about 8 hours.