World Recipes

Prawns in Pink Sauce

3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 pounds prawns, peeled
Salt and pepper

Sauce
4 tablespoons tomato puree mixed with enough
    water for 1 cup of sauce
1 cup single cream
1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

Mix all the ingredients for the sauce. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop, add the garlic. Stir once and put in the prawns. Stir and fry until they just turn opaque, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Pour in the sauce and stir.

As soon as the sauce is bubbling, serve with rice.

Nadur Monji (Lotus Fritters)

1 thick lotus root
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 teaspoon red chile powder
1/2 teaspoon black cumin
1/4 teaspoon thyme seeds, powdered
Water, was required
2 cups oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash the lotus root thoroughly. Cut into 5 cm lengths and further cut into strips. Drain and pat the strips dry.

Make a thin batter of rice flour, salt, chile powder, cumin and thyme powder. Dip the strips in the batter and drop a handful of the tangled strips into a kadhai with sizzling hot oil. Fry until crisp and reddish-brown in color. Remove, drain and serve hot.

Murgh Makhan (Silken Chicken)

Source: The Best of India - Balraj Khanna

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 (3 pound) chicken, skin removed and cut into 10 pieces
4 garlic cloves, halves
1 medium fresh hot green chile, seeded
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups finely chopped onions
8 cardamom pods, cracked
9 whole cloves
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon chile powder (unspiced ground red chiles)
1 (1 1/2-inch) piece cinnamon stick
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped, with juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh coriander

Combine garlic, chile and ginger in a blender and process for 15 seconds.

Add onions and process for 15 seconds.

Add cardamom pods and cloves and process for 15 seconds. Set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet until the foam subsides.

Over medium heat brown half the chicken pieces on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with 3 more tablespoons butter and remaining chicken.

Add remaining butter and garlic/onion/spice mixture to pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes or until liquid has evaporated.

Add cumin seeds chile powder and cinnamon stick and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add tomatoes, with their juice and salt. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.

Add chicken and its juices. Reduce heat to low. Cook covered for 30 minutes, until chicken is tender and sauce is thickened. Garnish with fresh coriander to serve.

Serves 6.

Moghlai (Spinach)

3 pounds fresh spinach
1 (2-inch) piece ginger root
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ounces butter
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 whole cardamom pods
3 onions, cut into fine half rings
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Wash spinach well and set it aside.

Cut ginger into fine julienne strips.

Over medium heat, cook oil and butter in a large pan. Lower heat, then add fennel seeds and cardamom pods. Stir once, then add onions and ginger.

Stir and fry until the onions turn a rich brown color.

Put in the spinach. Cover and allow it to wilt completely, stirring every now and again.

Turn heat to medium, then add the salt and chili powder. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.

Remove the lid and add garam masala. Stir and cook uncovered for 5 minutes more or until there is hardly any liquid left in the pan.

Kari Ayam (Chicken Curry

1 whole chicken, cut into 18 pieces
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
2 cardamom, crushed
1/2 large onion, sliced
3 cloves
1 (1/2-inch) piece cinnamon stick
1/2 large onion, blended with 2 cloves
    garlic, minced and 1/2-inch ginger, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup oil
2 potatoes, cut into eighths

Heat oil in a pot. Fry sliced onion, garlic and ginger until brown. Add cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Add curry powder and the blended ingredients and stir until color changes. Add 1 cup of water and keep stirring. Add chicken and cover the pot. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Add potatoes and cook until the potatoes are tender. Add coconut milk and stir. Let it boil for a while. Add tomatoes and boil for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Jallebis (Sweet "Pretzels")

Jallebis are made in India only by professionals in pans 2 to 3 feet across!

1 package yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rice flour or cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon saffron or a few drops yellow food coloring
Oil for deep frying
3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
1 teaspoon rose water

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix flour, rice flour, water and saffron; then add yeast mixture. Let stand at least 1/2 hour.

Boil sugar and water for 5 minutes. Keep warm but not enough to cook it more. Add rose water just before using. Pour batter into a plastic squeeze bottle such as for dispensing catsup. Squeeze batter into hot fat at 375 degrees F in pretzel shapes and fry until lightly brown, turning once. Lift from fat, drain and drop directly into sugar/water syrup. When clear and full of syrup, remove and drain, placing on serving platter. Do not use the same slotted spoon in the hot fat as in the syrup, as it splatters badly. It helps to have 2 people cooking, 1 frying and 1 taking the jallebis out of the syrup. Be careful not to let the fat get too hot. A small pan is safer than a large one.

Makes about 50 jallebis.

Indian Omelet

2 large eggs
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Combine eggs, red onions, tomatoes, chiles, fresh coriander and salt in a bowl and beat until frothy.

Heat the butter in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat.

Add the egg mixture and spread until it covers the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes until the egg is set and the underside is lightly browned.

Turn with a wide spatula and cook for 30 seconds until the other side is browned. Serve immediately.

Chicken Kabobs (Sat Ajam)

This features the Indonesian combination of spicy-hot and sweet. Serve with Peanut Sauce.

2 large whole chicken breasts (about 2 pound)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed

Remove bones and skin from chicken breasts. Cut chicken into 3/4-inch pieces. It is easier to cut while partially frozen. Mix chicken, soy sauce, oil, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, at least 2 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade; reserve marinade. Thread 4 or 5 chicken pieces on each of 14 to 16 bamboo skewers. Brush chicken with reserved marinade. Set oven to broil or 550 degrees F. Broil skewers with tops about 4 inches from heat for 4 to 5 minutes; turn. Brush with marinade. Broil until chicken is done, 4 to 5 minutes longer.

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