Beer braised short ribs

Recipe: Beer braised short ribs

4 meaty short ribs

Barbecue rub

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp hot chili powder

1/8 tsp celery salt

1/8 tsp onion salt

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix this all together and rub over meat, let stand for 1 hour.

1/2 onion, peeled and finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 carrot, peeled and finely diced

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely diced

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp oil

1/4 cup sherry or red wine

1 tin plum tomatoes

1/2 bottle beer or lager

1 beef stock cube

1/2 tsp salt or more to taste

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat and sear the ribs on all sides until very dark brown. Remove from the pan and pat dry on kitchen towel.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and bay leaf to the pan with the extra 1 tbsp oil and saute over low heat until soft. Place the ribs back in the pan on top of the vegetables.

Add all other ingredients, bring to the boil, reduce heat to low - medium, cover and let cook for about 3.5 - 4 hours until the meat is very tender.

Once cooked, you can remove the meat and keep warm while you reduce the sauce to thicken. It should be quite creamy from the spices and sugar from the barbecue rub. Mashed potato would probably be the best accompaniment  for this or some rice.

Prawn and lentil salad with coconut, peanut & lime

 

Recipe : Pan fried prawns with coconut peanut lentils

1 tin lentils, drained and thoroughly rinsed

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced length ways

1 bunch spring onions, (scallions), finely chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, finely sliced 

1 small red chili pepper, seeded and finely sliced

a handful of spinach

1/3 cup coconut milk

juice of one lime

1 tbsp Asian style peanut sauce or peanut butter

a dash or two of fish sauce

10 - 15 large, raw prawns

1 tbsp butter

Place the lentils in a bowl with the cucumber, scallions, peppers and spinach and mix together well. 

In a separate small bowl, mix together the coconut milk, peanut sauce or butter and lime juice. Taste and season with the salty fish sauce to achieve a nice salty, sweet and tangy dressing. Adjust with a little more lime juice if you like. Set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a pan over medium heat and fry the prawns until pink and cooked through. Drain on paper towels and then add to the lentil mixture. Pour over the dressing, mix everything together thoroughly, then serve.

Carrot halwa

 

Recipe : Carrot Halwa

I've always known Indian people are stereotyped with very sweet teeth, (2 thumbs up, a popular drink, is 5 times sweeter than Coke), but this dessert was a more subtle take on a classic, perhaps watered down slightly for 'delicate' Western palates. Considering the amount of sugar, condensed sweetened milk and butter that went into it, it was surprisingly light, tasting of sweet, earthy carrots and cream.

1 kg carrots
1 litre milk
200g sugar
100g unsalted clarified butter
1 tbsp green cardamom powder
1 tin condensed milk
30g each almonds and raisins

Peel and grate the carrots and place in a large pan. Add the milk, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the carrots are soft and fully cooked and the milk has reduced significantly. 

Add the sugar, cardamom powder, condensed milk and clarified butter and let the mixture cook until until all the moisture has evaporated.

Allow to cool, garnish with almonds and raisins and serve. Chef Gurpreet suggested vanilla ice cream or maybe whipped cream to accompany. 

Okra with onions

 

Recipe : Bhindi po piaza (Okra with onions)

I still have no idea how chef Gurpreet managed to cook this dish without there being any trace of sliminess in the okra whatsoever. I have always known that okra could be slimy, tried it once which confirmed my suspicions and never really thought about it again. This recipe deceived me into thinking I could easily recreate such a tasty, crunchy and wonderful dish. Nope, tried it again last night and had to throw the whole thing away, so bad was the gelatinous gloop inside each little green finger. The chef said simply don't add water and that would be good enough. I didn't and it wasn't! This was wonderful however. Very spicy but a great vegetable accompaniment to all the rich curries. I looked online and found a few ideas for reducing the slime, one of which maybe chef used, (if sauteing, cook for at least 15 minutes which should draw the gloop out). 

450g okra

2 big onions

20g amchur, (mango powder)

10g red chili powder

10g garam masala

50g ghee

3 green chilies

salt and pepper

Heat the ghee in a large pan over medium to high heat and saute the onions until brown and caramelised.

Add all the spices and cook, stirring, for one minute.

Add the okra and allow it to cook over slightly reduced heat, don't stir too much.

After about 15 - 20 minutes the okra should be crisp tender (and hopefully not slimy at all). Stir in the green chilies and serve.

Paratha

 

Bread is integral to Indian food, whether the deep fried puffy puri, raised naan or flat bread such as chapati. This is a version of the unleavened paratha, a robust wholewheat flat bread that is composed of layers and brushed with melted butter.

Notes

You can add many different seasonings to this bread, including salt or spices such as cumin seeds, poppy seeds or chili powder.

2 cups wholewheat flour

water

salt

oil

Pour the flour into a large bowl, add salt, (start with about 1 tbsp) and gradually add cold water, about 2 tbsp at a time until you have formed a soft dough that leaves the edges of the bowl clean. Let rest for about 20 minutes.

Separate the dough into about 10 small balls, (or more if you want smaller paranthas) and roll each into a smooth ball. Roll each ball out on a lightly floured surface until quite thin and keeping the round shape. Add any seasonings you would like now.

Make a cut into the circle about half way up, (like you are drawing a radius) and brush the bread with a thin layer of oil. Start curling the edge of one cut side around itself until you have a cone like shape and press this down. Roll this out to a circle again, (this is what creates the layers).

Heat a griddle or flat pan over high heat until very hot, (the school used an upside down cast iron frying pan to create a smooth surface - pretty ingenious I thought). Fry the paranthas until they are golden brown on both sides and crisp.

Serve with a curry, using the bread to pick up the sauce like a spoon.

Butter chicken

OK, that's more like it! I hear the combined calls of a nation raised on this perennial favourite. Strange that I'd never heard of it before coming to North America. I'm assuming it's also called Murgh Makhani, often seen on UK menus but usually ignored in lieu of the chicken tikka masala or lamb vindaloo. It's a beautiful dish, full of complex notes from the tomato, creamy and luscious from butter and cream and a little spicy heat to round things off.

Chicken

500g boneless chicken breast

1.5tbsp grated fresh ginger

1.5tbsp minced fresh garlic

100g yogurt

1 tbsp vinegar

2 tbsp red chili powder

1 tbsp garam masala

Gravy

250g well flavoured tomatoes

10g fresh ginger

10g garlic

2 green chilies

3 cloves

2 green cardamoms

10g coriander

50ml heavy cream

2 tsp butter

100ml cashew nut paste

1 tbsp kasoori methi, (fenugreek leaf)

salt and pepper

100ml tomato puree

10g deghi mirch, (paprika)

Notes

Butter chicken is so called because of the texture, which should resemble butter and not the use of butter in the recipe (although it is often included).

It's important to add any fenugreek a recipe calls for at the end. If added too soon it will create a bitterness that will spoil the finished dish.

Slashing meat and adding a mix of vinegar and salt for 15 minutes before marinating will help tenderise and assure the marinade will take better. It needs to be patted dry before the meat is placed in the marinade.

The cashew nut paste in this dish is integral to an authentic flavour, but is often left out in restaurant curries or even cookbook recipes. It adds a depth and creaminess. You may need to make your own by soaking the required quantity of cashew nuts in water for up to 24 hours and then pureeing to a paste. This makes it very creamy, (the same technique is often used for raw cheesecake as a cream cheese substitute).

Make slashes on the chicken breast and rub with the vinegar and sprinkle well with salt, rubbing this into the flesh also. Let stand for 15 minutes and then rinse and pat dry with paper towels.

Mix the chicken marinade ingredients together and add the chicken. Allow to marinade for around 6 hours, or longer

Chop the tomatoes and add to a pan over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, green chilies, cloves and cardamoms and stir well.

Add the tomato puree and cook over gentle heat until the tomatoes are completely collapsed and cooked, (about 50 minutes). 

Puree the mixture in a blender until very smooth.

Heat the butter in a separate pan until foamy and then add the coriander powder and deghi mirch, (paprika). Stir well. Transfer the pureed tomato sauce to this and stir. Let cook for about 4 - 5 minutes.

Add the cashew nut paste and cream. Simmer and stir constantly until the cashew nut paste starts to sink. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Grill or bake the chicken until cooked through, chop into small pieces and add to the sauce.

Finally, add the kasoori methi, (fenugreek), stir well and serve.

Samosas

Recipe : Samosas

450g white flour

a few pinches of salt

125ml vegetable oil

700g potatoes

2 medium onions, chopped small

15g grated fresh ginger

2 small green chili

1 bunch fresh cilantro

200g fresh green peas

10g curry powder

20g garam masala

20g coriander powder

10g red chili powder

Notes

The key to samosas is very thin pastry. Chef Gurpreet suggested that when held to the light, it should be almost transparent. This ensures a truly crisp samosa.

Crimping the edges of samosas with your fingers ensures they are even crisper still. Obviously, the crispness is something highly desirable with these little fried dumplings.

The dough

Mix the flour and salt together then add the vegetable oil and mix to breadcrumb consistency.

Add 125ml water and bring together with your hands to create a soft dough.

Wrap in cling wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

The stuffing

Boil the potatoes in boiling salted water until soft, then dice finely. Taste and add more salt if required.

Heat oil in a pan over medium - high heat and saute the onions and ginger. When the onions begin to brown, add all the spices and stir well for a minute.

Add the green peas and cilantro, taste again and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add everything to the diced, cooked potato, stir thoroughly and allow to cool.

To make the samosa, divide the dough into balls, (as many as you like, but generally samosas are quite small). Roll each ball into a circle very, very thinly. As I mentioned in the notes, this is key to a crisp samosa. 

Cut each circle in half to form two semi circles. Fold the semi circle on itself to make a cone sealing the edges with a little slur, (a mixture of dough and water to form a sealing paste). Fill the cone with about 1/2 - 1 tbsp of filling, (don't overfill or the samosa will break) and then seal the edges shut with more slur. Crimp the top seam with your fingers to make it very thin, then repeat with the other dough and fillings.

Deep fry each samosa at a temperature of 350oF until golden brown and crisp.

Serve with tamarind chutney and mint chutney, (recipes follow).

Recipe: Mint chutney

2 bunches fresh mint

1 bunch fresh cilantro

2 green chilies

100ml plain yogurt

15ml lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients to a smooth paste in a blender or processor.

Recipe : Tamarind chutney

65ml tamarind pulp

1.5 cups jaggery, (cane sugar could be substituted)

5tsp roasted cumin seeds

1 tsp black salt

1.5 tsp black peppercorns

2 tsp red chili powder

salt to taste

10ml ginger juice

1 cup water

Heat 1 cup water until hot and add the tamarind pulp.

Add all the other ingredients and simmer slowly until it reduces down to a sauce consistency.

Allow to cool before serving.

Lamb rogan josh

Lamb. Most North Americans will now be shaking their heads and proclaiming their dislike for this meat, something that has always astounded us Brits. "It's too gamey", "the smell is too strong" they lament. In shops the poor misunderstood flesh is usually squeezed into a tiny area between the beef and pork, sometimes, in some supermarkets and butchers, there is none at all. In Europe we adore it, (and the Middle East and parts of Asia too). Try a shank or leg slowly simmered Greek style with oregano and garlic, cooked for so long the meat is falling from the bone. Or, British style, roasted in the oven and served with mint sauce and savoury gravy, or, of course, Indian style, like this wonderful curry. At our class nearly everyone commented surprisingly that their favourite dish was the lamb,  the chef nodding knowingly that he hears that all the time...

Recipe : Lamb Rogan Josh

1 kg lamb shoulder on the bone, cut into pieces

100gms ghee

2 green cardamoms

2 black cardamoms

2 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

200gms onions, peeled and sliced

40gms ginger and garlic paste

150gms plain yogurt, full fat

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp fennel

Notes:

5 grams is equivalent to 1 tsp

Whisking yogurt before using will help to ensure it doesn't curdle or split while cooking. Likewise, full fat is best for this also. (If your curry does split, you can try taking a few teaspoons out, placing in a bowl and whisking with a few more tbsp yogurt until smooth. Add this back to the curry and whisk well to amalgamate).

The ginger powder and fennel are traditionally very important for this dish and will give an authentic flavour.

Black cardamoms are stronger and nuttier than green. They are good with lamb and beef, but not really suitable for chicken or pork where the strong flavour could overpower.

You can tell a curry sauce is ready when the oil rises to the top. If using meat, it may need longer cooking to become tender, but the dish is ready to eat  if the main ingredient is also cooked, (eg. fish or vegetables).

    

Heat the ghee in a large pan over medium - high heat and saute the cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon.

Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, until browned. 

Add the ginger and garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric, ginger powder and fennel. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the lamb and cook, stirring constantly to brown for about 10 minutes.

Add the yogurt and reduce the heat to medium.

Cover the pan and let the curry gently cook until the lamb is very tender, about 1.5 - 2 hours.

Baked chicken with saffron rice

Recipe : Baked chicken with saffron rice

Adapted from Under the walnut tree by Anna and Fanny Bergenstrom

I adapted the recipe to include chicken stock instead of water for the cooking of the rice as I felt it needed a little extra flavour.

 

1 cup basmati rice

2 tbsp olive oil, separated

3 cups chicken stock

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp saffron strands

2 tbsp hot water

4 chicken thighs

1 tbsp butter

4 whole cloves

4 whole green cardamoms

1 one inch piece of cinnamon stick

1 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp almonds

2 tbsp sultanas

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

First, toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking quite frequently until they are golden brown and smell wonderful. Set aside.

Place the rice in a colander and rinse several times with cold water, then place in a bowl with lots of water to soak for 1 hour.

Bring the drained rice, chicken stock, 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp salt to boil in a pan over medium heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain away the excess liquid and set aside.

Place the saffron in a bowl with the 2 tbsp hot water and let infuse for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the other 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the chicken thighs until golden and cooked through. Place on top of the rice in the pan with any juices accumulated. 

Add the cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, onion, cumin, almonds and sultanas to the pan and drizzle with the saffron water. Tuck in the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, cover, bring to the boil, then simmer, very gently for about 35 minutes until fragrant and fluffy. You can fleck the whole thing with some butter or maybe even ghee before serving if you like..

Cheesy squash and potato burritos

 

Recipe : Squash and potato burritos

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 small squash, cut in half and seeded

1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

a handful of kale

1 tbsp black pitted olives

1 tbsp harissa paste

juice of one lemon

a little salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tortillas

1 cup grated cheese

sour cream and hot sauce to serve

Preheat the oven to 400oF and place the  potato, squash and onion onto a baking dish. Drizzle with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Bake for around 40 - 50 minutes or until everything is soft. Remove and allow to cool. Remove the squash flesh from the skin and leave in fairly large chunks to match the potato.

 

Transfer the squash, potato, onion and 2 tsp oil to a pan set over medium heat and add the kale, olives, harissa and lemon juice. Fry gently, stirring frequently until the kale has wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning if you like. 

 

Lay each tortilla out on a clean, flat surface and place a quarter of the filling in a line down the middle. Sprinkle with about an eighth of the cheese. Roll up and repeat with the other tortillas.

Place the burritos carefully onto a baking tray, ensuring that the join is at the bottom and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top evenly. Grill, (broil) under high heat until the edges of the tortillas are crisp and brown and the cheese is melted. Serve with the sour cream and hot sauce and enjoy. 

Beet, apple & apricot salad

This recipe is a little of Autumn with the earthy beets and tangy apples and a little of Summer with the sweet apricots, perfect for this time of bridging the two seasons when one day can be hot and sunny and the next cold and dark. We had this salad with some roast pork, (of course), but it could easily hold it's own for a lunch.

Recipe : Beet, apple and apricot salad

2 beets, 1 peeled and chopped into chunks and 1 peeled and very finely sliced into slivers

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and finely sliced

2 apricots, peeled and chopped into thin slices

a handful of seasonal mixed greens

Dressing:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp agave syrup or honey

1/4 tsp mustard

a little salt and pepper

First, bring a pot of water to the boil over medium heat and add the chunked beet. Cover and let cook until the beet is soft enough to be pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes or so. Drain well and let cool. Place the apple slices, beet slivers, apricots and greens in a large bowl and add the beet chunks when cool. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and taste to ensure you have a balance you like, then pour over the beets and other ingredients. Mix well and serve.

Balinese chicken

Recipe : Balinese chicken 

(adapted from Food and Wine magazine, June 2011)

2 chicken breasts

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 chilies

1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 bay leaves

Juice of half a lime

 

 

Whizz everything except the chicken and bay leaves together in a food processor to create a paste.

Transfer the paste to a pan and heat, stirring, over medium heat until it becomes fragrant and slightly browned, let cool.

Place the chicken onto a baking tray and rub the marinade well into both sides, (I cut some slits in the chicken also to help the marinade penetrate). Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for as long as you can, (preferably overnight or 8 hours).

 

When you're ready to cook the chicken, remove from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Place a bay leaf on top of each one. You can whack the grill (broiler) up to high and grill for around 20 minutes until cooked, (ensure the juices run clear) or grill on a barbecue or even bake in the oven.

 

Recipe : Peanut sauce. 

 (This makes a nice sauce to complement the chicken or can be used with satay or as a dipping sauce). Adapted from Weight Watchers 'New complete cookbook'.

 

3 tbsp smooth peanut butter

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 tbsp soy sauce

4 tsp sugar

2 tbsp water

1 and 1/4 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp chopped cilantro or mint

Blend everything together in a food processor and chill until needed.

 

Recipe : Cucumber and chili salad

1/4 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

1 small chili, seeded and sliced

2 radishes, sliced finely

1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped finely

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar or fish sauce

Mix everything together in a bowl.

Mexican chicken & grilled veg salsa

Recipe : Mexican chicken

1 chicken, spatchcocked

1/2 block of prepared anchiote paste mixed with about 6 tbsp water until smooth

juice of half a lemon

3/4 cup sour orange juice or orange juice mixed with juice of half a lime

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried Mexican oregano

1 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

To spatchcock the chicken, lay it on it's back, cut down through the back bone and flatten out like a book, (you can cut the backbone out as well if you like). Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a shallow baking dish, add the chicken, turn to coat and leave to marinade, covered, for a minimum of 2 hours up to 24.

Other ingredients:

2 large mild chili peppers, cut into chunks and de seeded

1/2 red onion, cut in half

8 tomatillos, cut in half

Barbecue the chicken over indirect medium heat for about 45 minutes until cooked through and crispy on the outside.

Place the vegetables on a perforated or flat barbecue cooking grill and grill over medium to high heat.....

.... for about 15 minutes until softened and slightly charred in places. Remove from the grill.

Let the veg cool slightly then chop into equal small dice for your salsa, perhaps adding a little touch of salt and lime juice.

To serve, place a little piece of chicken on a warmed tortilla with a spoonful of salsa, a little sour cream and a dash of hot sauce. Roll up and nosh.