TOMATO SOUP

(Serves 2-4)

You can turn this soup into a one pot meal by adding some vegetables. Use mushrooms, celery, spinach, carrots, broccoli or whatever you have. You can add in some boiled wheat noodles or pasta if you like. If you are using mushrooms make sure you fry them separately in some olive oil before adding them to the soup. Add the rest of the vegetables along with the tomato puree, so that they have enough time to cook. But if you are using any leafy vegetables add them along with the spring onions. You can also add some fat free grated cheese if you wish.

Ingredients

• Tomatoes: 4 large, pureed
• Extra virgin Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
• Garlic: 4-6 cloves, chopped
• Green chillies: 1 finely chopped
• Bay leaves: 1
• Onions: 1 medium, finely chopped
• Chicken stock: 1 cup
• Salt: to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper: to taste
• Spring onions: ½ cup, chopped
• Low fat half & half/cream: 2 tablespoons

Method
Heat oil in a pan and add green chillies, bay leaf and garlic. After about thirty seconds toss in the chopped onions and sauté till translucent. Add the tomato puree and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for ten to twelve minutes. Combine the chicken stock/water and add salt and pepper. Let it simmer for two more minutes. Add spring onions and cook covered for one minute.  Just before turning off heat add half & half. Serve hot with garlic bread.


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SIMPLE STEW

(Serves 2-3)

I have used boneless chicken for this recipe but you can practically use any thing you like. You can even use any leftover meat.  Skip the meat if you are a vegetarian. You don’t  necessarily have to use carrots and potatoes; use eggplant, celery, beet, radish, bell pepper, mushrooms or even okras, whatever you have.  This is an ingenious way of recycling whatever may have been sitting in your fridge for days. Does not matter what you put in this stew, it is going to taste heavenly any way. The flour helps thicken the soup and gives it a nice texture and the milk lightens up the color so it looks really pretty. Use cream for a richer texture. But you can skip the flour and milk if you like. If you want the stew healthier use olive oil or canola oil instead of butter. Don’t have chicken stock? No problem! Use water. Cooking this dish does not demand a lot of attention so this can be a homework friendly recipe.  You can simply mix all the ingredients together, put it over low flame and totally forget about it, or at least until the fire alarm goes off  :)

Ingredients

• Boneless chicken: 250 grams cut into small pieces
• Butter: 2 tablespoons
• Bay leaves: 1
• Onions: 1 medium, chopped
• Garlic: 4 cloves, chopped
• Carrots: 1 cup, diced
• Green beans: 1 cup, cut into small pieces
• Potatoes: 1 large, diced
• Chicken stock: 2 cups
• Black pepper powder: 1 teaspoon
• Salt: to taste
• Flour: 2 tablespoons
• Milk: ½ cup

Method

Heat butter in a pan and add bay leaf. Add onions and garlic and sauté till translucent. After about thirty seconds add carrots and potatoes and sauté for about five minutes. Toss in the green beans and chicken and cook over medium heat for two to three minutes. Add chicken stock or water and bring the pot to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and cook covered till the vegetables are done. Reduce heat and add flour stirring continuously to avoid the formation of lumps. Now add milk and stir. Let it simmer for two to three minutes before turning off heat. Serve hot with garlic bread.

 
  

ALU CHOP/POTATO CHOP

Happy Independence Day to all Indians and Pakistanis. This is my first Independence Day outside India and I am feeling extremely nostalgic. Sadhin Sangha (a club in my neighbourhood) must be blasting away patriotic songs. The locality must be exuberant with tri-colours flying everywhere. The sky must be covered with kites. I can almost smell the Rajanigandha (Tuberose) adorning the pictures of Netaji and Gandhiji everywhere. The local clubs must have been raising funds for a month now to help the not-so-privileged-ones. Harish Park (another local club) must be giving away free books to disadvantaged children. The Colleges must be organizing blood donation camps. The small tele bhaja (deep fried) shop around the corner of Turf Road must be giving away free alu chops (potato chops).  Everybody must be trying to help, to make a difference, does it matter if only for a day? And here I am doing nothing but celebrating Independence Day making alu chops for friends. Recipe follows...


(Makes 20-25 chops)

Ingredients

• Potatoes: 3 medium, boiled
• Cumin seeds: 2 teaspoons
• Coriander seeds: 1 teaspoon
• Whole dry red chillies: 6
• Chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
• Black salt: 2 teaspoons
• Salt: to taste
• Green chillies: 2 chopped
• Ginger paste: 1teaspoon
• Gram flour: 1 cup
• Carom seeds (Ajwain): 1/2 teaspoon
• Oil: 1 tablespoon, plus extra for deep frying.
• Baking powder: ½ teaspoon

Preparation

Dry roast cumin seeds, coriander seeds and dry red chillies and grind into a powder.

Add ¾ cup of water to the gram flour to make a smooth batter. Season with salt and add baking powder, carom seeds and half teaspoon chilli powder. You can add a pinch of turmeric powder to the batter if you like. Mix very well and set aside for fifteen minutes.

Mash the boiled potatoes.

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add potatoes, the ground spices, ginger, green chillies and chilli powder. Cook till the potatoes form a lump and no longer stick to the bottom of the pan. Season with black salt and extra salt if needed. Turn off heat. Let cool and then divide into twenty to twenty five balls. Flatten with your palms; dip in the batter and deep fry till golden brown. Sprinkle some black salt and serve immediately.

FISH FRY

Ingredients

• Fish fillets: 500 grams cut into 5-6 pieces
• Lime juice: 3 tablespoons
• Red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
• Green chillies: 2
• Garlic: 4 cloves
• Fresh coriander leaves: 1 cup
• Onions: 1 medium
• Salt: to taste
• Eggs: 2 beaten
• Bread crumbs: 2 cups
• Oil: for deep frying

 

Preparation

Grind together coriander leaves, green chillies, garlics and onion and add lime juice, salt and red chilli powder.

Marinate the fish in the coriander paste for thirty minutes.

Method

Take one fish fillet at a time and dip it first into the egg wash and then in the bread crumbs. Make sure that the fillets are nicely coated with bread crumbs. For very crispy fries refrigerate the fillets for two hours and then deep fry one at a time. Serve with tartar sauce and pickled onions. 

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CHICKEN MOMOS/DUMPLINGS

 (Serves 2)

Ingredients

For the dumplings

• Chicken: 250 grams minced
• Oil: 2 tablespoons
• Spring onions: ½ cup, chopped
• Onions: ½ cup, chopped
• Green chillies: 2 chopped
• Garlic: 4-5 cloves, chopped
• Soy sauce: 1 tablespoon
• Vinegar: 1 tablespoon
• Salt: to taste
• Flour: 2 cups

For the sauce

• Fresh red/green chillies: 2-3
• Tomato sauce: ½ cup
• Salt: to taste
• Garlic: 2 cloves
• Oil: 2 tablespoons
• Vinegar: 1 tablespoon

Preparation

Mix flour, water and a pinch of salt to make the dough. The dough should be pliable enough but not very soft either.  Divide the dough into eight to ten balls. To make the wraps role out the balls into thin round sheets.

To make the sauce, mix all the sauce ingredients in a food processor.

Method

Heat oil in a pan and toss in garlic, chillies and onions. Sauté till the onions turn translucent. Add the chicken and sauté for five minutes. Combine soy sauce, vinegar and salt and cook for two minutes. Add the spring onions and turn off heat. Let the stuffing cool down. Put some stuffing in the centre of each wrap and seal the edges properly. Arrange the dumplings on steamers and steam for fifteen to twenty minutes. You can fry the dumplings also. Serve hot with the sauce.

MURGH MALAI KEBAB/CHICKEN CREAM KEBOB

Ingredients

• Chicken: 500 grams boneless cut into small pieces

For first marinade

• Meat tenderizer: 1 teaspoon
• Black pepper powder: 1 teaspoon
• Cardamom powder: 1 teaspoon
• Cinnamon powder: a pinch
• Garlic paste: 1 teaspoon
• Ginger paste: 1 teaspoon
• Salt: to taste

For second marinade

• Grated cheese: ½ cup
• Yogurt: 1 cup
• Heavy whipping cream: 4 tablespoons
• Salt: to taste
• Green chillies: 2 chopped
• Coriander powder: ½ teaspoon
• Corn flour: 1 tablespoon
• Oil: 1 teaspoon
• Butter: for basting

Preparation

Preheat oven to the maximum temperature possible in the broil mode.

Dab the chicken pieces with a kitchen towel to absorb all the excess moisture.

Drain the yogurt in a muslin cloth to drain as much water as possible.

Now add to the chicken, all the ingredients of the first marinade and mix well. Refrigerate for thirty minutes.

Mean while mix all the ingredients of the second marinade (except butter) in a food processor to form a very smooth paste.

Marinade the chicken in the second mixture for another hour.

Method

Arrange the chicken pieces on skewers exposing as much surface area as possible. Cook in the preheated oven for twelve to fifteen minutes of till done, basting with butter from time to time. Serve with mint chutney. 

CROQUE MONSIEUR

Ingredients

• White sandwich bread: 8 slices
• Butter: 2 tablespoons
• Flour: 3 tablespoons
• Milk: 1 cup
• Dijon mustard: 1 tablespoon
• Tomato sauce: 2 tablespoons
• Black pepper powder: ½ teaspoon
• Parmesan cheese: ½ cup, grated
• Salt: to taste
• Baked ham: 4 slices
• Gruyere cheese: 4 slices

Method

Heat butter in a pan over low heat and add flour. Continuously whisk for about a minute to avoid the formation of lumps. Slowly add milk and keep whisking. Increase heat to medium and add dijon mustard, tomato sauce, black pepper powder and salt. Add the grated cheese and turn off heat. Place a slice of ham on each slice of bread, place a slice of gruyere on the ham and sprinkle some sauce. Top with another slice of bread and toast on a griddle for one minute on each side.  Serve hot.