Vegtable Koftas – Curried Zuchinni Balls

Koftas:

2 cups zuchinni, coarsely grated

1/2 cup pea flour

1 tsp garam masala

oil for deep frying

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and mix into smooth batter. Heat oil in wok. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter into hot oil, a few at a time, and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain and set aside.

Sauce for Koftas:

2 medium onions, minced

2 tbsp clarified butter

1/2 cup tomatoes, cubed

1 tsp garlic, crushed

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 tsp salt or to taste

3 1/2 cups water 1 tbsp fresh  cilantro, chopped for garnishing

In saucepan, fry onion in butter until translucent. Add next 6 ingredients and cook until butter separates from sauce. Add water* and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Add zuchinni balls and garnish with cilantro.

*Zuchinni balls absorb a lot of liquid so adjust about of liquid as needed.

Serve with plain paranthas or rice pilaf.

Spinach with Indian Cottage Cheese – Palak Paneer

This one is by request – my Mother keeps trying to steal my Indian cookbook – actually everyone in my family does, and so I am posting this recipe (and a few others) for them.

Ingredients

4 cups spinach, finely chopped

1 cup split green peas

3 cups water

3 tbsp butter

1 med. onion finely chopped

1 tsp garlic, crushed

2 tbsp whole wheat flour (or thickener of your choice)

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt or to taste

2 cups paneer, cubed OR 2 cups tofu lightly covered in flour & pepper mixture and pan fried

Wash spinach in several changes of water. Discard tough stems and chop finely.

Wash peas, checking thoroughly for foreign objects. In saucepan, combine peas and water, bringing to boild. Reduce heat to simmer. Partially cover and cook for 10 minutes or until peas are half cooked.

Add spinach and continue cooking until peas and spinach are fully cook, about 10 minutes.

In saucepan fry onion in butter until golden brown. Add ginger and garlic, frying for a few more seconds. Add flour and cook for another couple of minutes.

Combine peas and spinach mixture, paneer, cayenne pepper and salt.

Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until smooth in consistency.

Serve hot with rice or Chapatties

Roasted Carrot Soup

I can take no credit for this soup, it is the genius of chef/author Angela Tunner – you may think it looks simple, but you haven’t tried it yet. It turned my carrot hating husband into a believer. Try it. You will see.

Roasted Carrot Soup

Ingredients
10 carrots
1 entire Tetra pak of chicken broth (size??)
Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Olive or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)

Method
1. Cut up carrots into slices discarding the ends. Leave aside.
2. Heat up saucepan. Add in oil and garlic if desired. Add in carrots and toss in to lightly brown them alternatively you can roast them in a pan in the oven. * this step is very important because it changes the flavor of the carrots.
3. Add in entire Tetra pak of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until carrots are softened or about 20 minutes or more. Test carrots using a knife to test for doneness.
4. Take off the heat and blend using an immersion blender until carrots are completely pureed.
5. Garnish with chopped parsley and/or a dollop of sour cream. Serve and enjoy!

PS: Vegitarians out there can do vegtable broth instead of chicken.

Alu Gobi – Potato Cauliflower Dish

(Serves 5)
• 1 small cauliflower
• 5-10 medium potatoes
• 1 cup of green peas
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 tsp fresh ginger finely chopped
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste *
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• 1 ¼ tsp salt or to taste
• 2 tsp sugar**
• 2 tbsp water
• 1tsp fresh coriander finely chopped ***

* (the cayenne pepper is what makes it spicy so if you don’t like it too spicy, be careful with this one.)
** (if the mixture is too spicy you can add a bit more sugar to de-spice it.)
***(again coriander may mean cilantro which is actually what I always use.)

Start by preparing your veggies, have them cooked before you start, and set them aside. Sauté the onion in butter and add ginger, cayenne pepper, turmeric, garam masala, salt and sugar. Add in the veggie and stir for a few minutes. Add the water and cover and cook over low heat for a minute or two. Garnish with coriander.