Category: FOOD

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CHANNA MASALA

Channa Masala

Whether eaten as a snack or a main, this tangy chick pea stew is invariably one of the more popular vegetarian dishes. Channa masala or chole as it is sometimes referred to, can be prepared with tinned chick peas for a quick meal or you can go the whole hog and make from scratch.

There are so many versions of this dish and personally I think you can create your own version using my recipe as a base.

INGREDIENTS

250 grams dried chick peas soaked overnight for a minimum of 8 hours or about 2 x 400 grams tins of chick peas drained

200 grams onions sliced

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STIR FRIED SQUID

Stir fried squid

Squid is eaten in many cuisines. It is a good source of protein, low in fat, a great source of micronutrients and a good choice to eat. The rules for cooking squid are simple – they require either a short cooking time on a high heat (such as frying, deepfrying, grilling or BBQ’ing) or long slow cooking on low heat.

How to prepare the squid tubes?

I like to use frozen squid tubes. It is very easy to prepare them. Once thawed, I cut the tube in the centre and lay it out flat with the inside facing up. Wipe with paper towel and lightly score in a criss-cross pattern. Depending on the size of the tubes, you can then make into 5-6 centimetre long pieces.

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VEGETABLE SOUP

This is a classic vegetable soup. It does have 5 plus vegetables but it doesn’t have a distinct taste of any particular vegetable. However it is very soothing and sometimes this is all you need on a cold winter’s day. I make my soup with some butter and once blitzed, it just looks so luscious and appetizing.

Vegetable Soup

2 x large carrots washed, peeled and diced

4 x large celery stalks, peeled and sliced 1 centimetre wide

1 x large leek, washed and sliced into half moons

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CAULI STALKS KOORA

My Amma (Mum) would never waste the stalks whether it is cauliflower or radish greens. If we had cauliflower for dinner, the next day I was sure that the stalks would be served up this way. When I was younger and didn’t know better, I didn’t appreciate it at all. But now I am full of appreciation for my Amma’s resourcefulness.

Cauli Stalks Koora

300 grams cauliflower stalks (peeled and cut into 2-3 centimetres)

75 grams of split chick pea (channa dhal)

50 grams of grated fresh or frozen coconut

2 tablespoons of peanut oil

25 grams of peanuts

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BROCCOLI WITH SESAME SEED POWDER – Broccoli with Nuvvula podi

Sesame seed powder or nuvvula podi (in Telugu) is like dukkah for Andhras. We use it to sprinkle on hot rice or add it to vegetable dishes to give extra oomph – flavour as well as nutrients.

Broccoli with sesame seed powder

1 large head of broccoli cut into florets and the stem peeled and cut into 3-4 centimetre pieces

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

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STIR FRIED GREEN BEANS WITH COCONUT – Kobbari Vesina Binnies Koora

Stir fried beans with coconut

This is one of my favourite ways of cooking beans. This method is popular in Andhra Pradesh and also in Tamil Nadu. It is simple, easy, no fuss cooking.

500 grams green beans very thinly cut (about 2 millimetres wide)

1 medium sized onion finely chopped

1 -2 green chillies finely chopped

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

75 grams of grated fresh or frozen coconut

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KADAI PANEER

Kadai Paneer

Gone are the days when I used to make my own paneer. What I miss the most about not making my own paneer is using the whey to make drinks and use it as stock. Paneer is readily available and I like to buy the one in blocks so I can cut to my liking. This dish is rich and creamy, and I make no apologies for it!!

300 grams paneer cut into strips of 7 centimetres long by 1 centimetre wide

300 grams onions finely chopped

3-4 centimetres of ginger

3-4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek available in Indian stores)

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