Jam and Chutney

Pumpkin Recipe:

2lb (900 g) pumpkin, peeled and chopped
1 1b (450 g) tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pint (570 ml) white vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons allspice berries
1 ½ teaspoons white peppercorns
11b (450 g) onion, peeled and sliced
1 ½ lbs (675 g) brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons of black peppercorns

Method:

Place the chopped pumpkin in a pan and cover with vinegar, add the sliced onions, chopped garlic and chopped tomatoes.
Crush the allspice and peppercorns, add both to the pan then stir thoroughly and leave for about 1 hour.
Add the ginger, salt and sugar to the mixture and bring it to the boil slowly.
Simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and taking care that the consistency does not get too much like that of jam.
Allow the chutney to cool, pour it into clean jars, cover and store.

This recipe originally appeared in the National Vegetable Society Bulletin




Kasundi Recipe (from my good friend Indian food author Kris Dhillon...yes name dropping and I don't care)


Kasundi
Cook time: 2-3 hrs on High 4-6 hrs on Low
Spice Mix
1 ½ tbsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp black cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp chilli powder
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10 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 x thumb sized pieces of ginger, roughly chopped
6 hot green or red chillies, roughly chopped
1.5kg Roma style tomatoes, chopped
400ml malt vinegar
200ml olive or sunflower oil
½ cup grated palm or soft brown sugar 110 grams
1 tbsp salt
Process garlic, ginger and chillies until finely chopped. Place half the chopped tomatoes in food processor or blender, add about half the vinegar and process until fairly smooth. Repeat with remaining tomato and vinegar.
Heat the oil in a wok or large pan until very hot but not smoking. Turn the heat down a little and add the spice mix. Cook stirring for about 2 minutes until mixture darkens a little and becomes deeply aromatic. Take care not to burn it or it will become bitter.
Add the garlic and ginger mixture and stir fry over medium to high heat for about a minute and a half or until aromatic.
Add processed tomato, sugar and salt and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Foam will form at the surface. Skim this off and discard. Don’t worry if you don’t get it all.
Transfer mixture carefully to slow cooker, cover and switch on. Stir half way through cooking.
Kasundi is ready when it develops a jam like appearance and the oil rises to the top.
The kasundi will keep in the fridge for up to 4 weeks or indefinitely if transferred whilst still hot to sterilised jars and sealed.



All the jams were made using jam sugar. Follow the instruction on the back of the packet of jam sugar.

Fruit Scones

Fruit Scones


You will need:

450 grams of plain flour (sifted)

Pinch of salt

20 Grams of baking powder

75 grams of butter or margarine

2 eggs

140 ml of buttermilk or plain milk

85 grams of sultanas

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
Rub in the butter or margarine, until the mix becomes like breadcrumbs.
Add in the sultanas.
Whisk the eggs and milk in a jug and add to the flour mixture.

Work well until the mix comes together in a ball, leaving the bowl clean.

Place the mixture on a lightly floured surface and knead gently for a minute or two.
Roll the scone mix out to a thickness of about 1 inch, flouring lightly if needed.

Use a cutter to cut into rounds.

Brush any remaining egg and milk mixture on top of each scone and place on a greased and lightly floured baking tray.

Bake the scones for about 12-15 minutes until slightly golden on top.


Leave to cool on a wire rack and eat the same day.

Kris Dhillon's Butter Chicken

A really beautiful dish.This is worth making.

Makhan Chicken
This is a fairly simple but quite spectacular dish in which tandoori chicken is transformed by a delectable creamy sauce.

Serves four.
Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes.
2 oz (50g) butter, preferably unsalted
½ pint (275ml or two cups) curry sauce
2 tablespoon tomato puree
1 level teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon salt
½ ground cummin
1 green chilli finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped green coriander
3 teaspoon lemon juice
½ pint single cream
4 portions freshly cooked chicken tikka



Melt the butter in a large frying pan with deep sides. Add the curry sauce, tomato puree, garam masala, salt, cummin, chilli, coriander, and lemon juice. Mix well.
Bring to a simmer and cook on medium heat for a minute or so, mixing in the butter as you do so.
Stir in the cream, cook for another minute, and add the chicken pieces.
Stir once and serve.
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Chicken Dhansak

PART ONE:
You have to make tarka dall first:

Recipe:

1 cup red split lentils
4 cups water
half a teaspoon salt
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
4 tablespoon melted vegetable ghee
half a teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala

Put the lentils into a saucepan with the water, add the salt, and bring to the boil.
Then simmer for 20 minutes, or according to the instructions on the pack, skimming off any froth that gathers at the top.
As the dal is cooking fry the onions and garlic in the ghee until the onions are just brown.
Add the turmeric and garam masala to the onions and cook for about 30 seconds.
Add this onion mixture into the cooking lentils.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for a total of one 30 minutes, at the end of which you should have a yellow, soup-like consistency.


PART TWO

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
200ml of the base gravy
4 tablespoons of the tarka dall
2 breasts of chicken cut into chunks
1 teaspoon teaspoon salt
half a teaspoon chilli powder
1 red chilli chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cummin
1 teaspoon of tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh green coriander

Cook the chicken in the oil until almost done, this will take only a few minutes
Add the curry sauce and lentils and bring to the boil
Add the salt, chilli powder,red chilli. garam masala, cumin and sugar
Stir well and continue to cook on a high heat
Add the tamarind concentrate and continue to cook for about five minutes, or until sauce thickens, stirring regularly.

Now turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for a further three minutes. Stir occasionally.

Serve sprinkled with the green coriander.

Thai Style Chicken and vegetable curry

1 TBS oil
1 chicken breast cut up into chunks
1 TBS grated ginger
1 TBS thai curry paste (I used PanAng Paste)
1 small onion diced
½ a yellow or red pepper cut into strips
1 mushroom sliced
3 or 4 snow peas, whole
1 TBS fish sauce
1 tsp of tamarind concentrate
1 TBS mango chutney
1 tsp sugar
100 ml base gravy
150 ml coconut milk


method:

Add oil to a hot wok or pan
Fry the chicken on a high heat until almost done
Add ginger and fry for 1 minute
Add onions and fry for a further 3 minutes
Add the curry paste and fry for 3 minutes
Add the pepper and fry for 3 minutes
Add the tamarind, mango chutney and sugar; the mushrooms and snow peas and fry for 2 minutes
Add the gravy and the coconut milk and reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes stiring all the time.

Serve with Jasmine rice

Malt Loaf

Preheat an oven to 150 degrees
Prepare a 2lb loaf tin by putting greased parchment paper on the sides and botom.


225 Grams of plain or cream flour
5 Grams (1 teaspoon ) of Baking Powder
3 Grams ( about 1/2 teaspoon) of Bicarbonate of soda
175 Grams of Sultanas
2 eggs
150ml of Luke warm strong black tea
50 Grams of dark brown sugar
175 Grams of Malt Extract (available at most health food stores)
1 heaped tablespoon of Molasses



1. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl
2. Sift in the Bicarb and the Baking Powder
3. Add the Sugar, Molasses and Malt Extract to the luke warm tea and mix well
4. Beat the two eggs and add to the dry ingredients
5. Pour in the wet ingredients
6. Beat well until very smooth. Using a food processor to do this saves a lot of time and arm ache
7. Pour in the sultanas and mix them into the bread mix, reserving a small amount for decoration on the top
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin
9. Sprinkle the leftover sultanas on top of the mixture
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour

When ready the loaf will have risen and will be quite firm to touch.
The loaf can be eaten as soon as it is cold but it better eaten the next day, as this allows the flavours to develop.

Healthy Brown Bread

225 grm plain flour
150 grm wholemeal flour
50 grm porridge oat flakes
30 grm pinhead oatmeal
20 grm mixed seeds
1 rounded teaspoon of bread soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1 heaped teaspoon of sugar (honey)
3 tablespoons of veg oil
1 egg
400 ml of buttermilk


Method:

Add all the dry ingredients together and sieve in the bread soda.
Mix well.
Add the oil, egg and buttermilk.
The mixture will be very wet as in pic below:



Pour into a 2LB loaf tin and flatten down with the back of a dampened hand



Sprinkle some porridge oats over the top and push in.



Run a knife down the middle to allow even cooking.



Bake in an oven at 180 degrees for 50 minutes



Leave to cool, but best eaten the day it is made, but the loaf does hold well if kept in a sealed bag.

Hi All

I made these Potato Bhajias yesterday and they were very nice indeed. I had an onion in the fridge and sliced it into rings and dipped it into the batter as well as in the picture.


Ingredients:
250 grm of besan
1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda
1 teaspoon turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder.
1 Tablespoon of salt
400ml water
1 teaspoon mint from a jar
1 tablespoon pataks tandoori paste
3-4 potatoes washed and sliced. I left the skin on.

Mix everything up as for onion bhajias and fry