Tag Archives: Indian Food

Red Rice, Cauliflower & Green Bean Biryani

26 Wednesday May 2021

Posted by in Main Courses, Vegan, Vegetable Dishes

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In the lockdown I got into ordering some of the food stuffs less easy to get hold of locally online, and that is where I found the red rice. I overcooked it the first time I used it, but now I’ve got it right. It’s all down to the soaking. This rice wants to be steeped in cold water for a couple of hours or so before it’s cooking.

For 4 portions

120 grams red rice

500 ml vegetable stock

50 grams raw cashew nuts

2-3 tablespoons olive or peanut oil

1/2 red onion – diced

3-4 cloves garlic – finely chopped

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 red chilli – finely chopped

Seeds from 10 green cardamoms

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 medium courgette – cut into small cubes

1/2 cauliflower – just the florets cut small

150 grams french green beans – cut into 1/2 cm lengths

salt and freshly ground black pepper

At least two hours before you are going to cook, put the rice to soak in enough cold water to cover it generously.

Toast the cashews in a thick based pan over a low heat until golden brown. Put to one side.

Drain the rice from its soaking liquid. Heat the stock in a saucepan and once it is boiling add the rice and a pinch of salt. Leave to cook on a slow simmer for about ten minutes.

Heat the oil or butter in a wok or deep frying pan over a low heat and add the onion. Fry until translucent then add the garlic and ginger. Continue frying until the contents are lightly browned.

Add the spices and fry for a few minutes.

Add the courgettes and cauliflower florets. Cover the pan and continue cooking.

After the rice has had its ten minutes of cooking, throw in the green beans and cook for a further 3-4 minutes by which time most of the cooking liquid will have been absorbed.

Add the rice and beans to the rest of the vegetables and stir well to mix. Cook for a further five minutes for the flavours to mix and to dry the Biryani if it is a bit too liquid.

Check the seasonings adding salt and pepper as needed.

Lastly stir in the cashew nuts and serve.

Indian Spinach Salad

29 Saturday Aug 2020

Posted by in Vegan, Vegetable Dishes

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This salad does not have to be only spinach, it can be a mixture of any dark leaves. If you can include some bitter ones like chicory or rocket it will add to the depth of flavour. I used mostly spinach, three shredded chicory leaves and some watercress.

If your leaves are tough, then you will need to boil them in water for five or ten minutes until they are tender but still with a bite.

If the leaves are very tender then blanch them by pouring boiling water over them and then leave them for a couple of minutes before draining the water away.

The dressing is raw and made in the food processor.

Bunch of fresh mint leaves

1 clove garlic – roughly chopped

fresh ginger – 2 x 2 x 2 cm – roughly chopped

1/4 teaspoon smooth mustard

2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil

fresh chilli – roughly chopped

Whizz these ingredients together, then add to the warm leaves. Mix well and leave to marinate for about an hour before serving.

An Indian Feast

03 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Main Courses, Vegetable Dishes

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?????????????????It is a warm summers evening and I have friends coming for dinner. I am in the mood for something spicy and hope that my guests are too. I have a piece of loin of pork that I was going to salt to have as ham at a future date, I recall this recipe for pork cubes in a creamy sauce flavoured with honey and citrus, spiced with cinnamon, cardamoms and turmeric.

I cooked far too much rice yesterday, there may be enough, if I add some chick peas there will definitely be enough. I will fry some red onions and garlic, then add the rice and chick peas to heat them through. A garnish of chopped chives should finish off the dish.

A vegetable dish then. Not in a sauce as I already have one, and picante seeing as the sauce is mild and sweet. I have in my minds eye those lovely spicy vegetable fritters that you get in Indian cooking, but I want to make them lighter and less calorific. I have some courgettes fresh from the garden, in slices they will absorb the flavours of a marinade, then I plan to dust them with Gram flour and grill them.

Some Nan bread and Sweet & Sour Lime Pickle from the farm shop will complete the meal.

 

PORK BRAISED WITH HONEY – SHIKAR KORMA

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For 4
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
2 tablespoons honey
30 grams butter
500 grams lean pork cubes
Half teaspoon Cardamom seeds
Heaped teaspoon Turmeric
1 broken quill of cinnamon
2 strips each lemon and. Orange peel
2 tubs full fat yoghurt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 large onion – sliced
Cream
Fresh coriander
Peel the onion and cut up into small pieces. Put in a shallow pan with the garlic and half the butter. Fry until just starting to brown.
Put in the honey and continue cooking until the honey is thickened and starting to caramelise.
Add the pork cubes and the rest of the butter. Cook until the pork is sealed and browning.
Stir in the turmeric and cardamoms. Add the yogurt and stir in. Add the cinnamon and the strips of peel – use a potato peeler to remove the strips from the fruit.
Lower the heat to the minimum, cover and leave to cook for about 20 minutes.
The dish can be cooked in advance up to this point.
To finish peel and slice the second onion. Fry rapidly in butter until browned and dry.
Rewarm the korma if you have cooked in advance. Add the cream and continue cooking to thicken the sauce. You can remove the pieces of peel and cinnamon at this point in you want to.
Garnish with the chopped fresh coriander and the fried onions.
SPICY GRILLED COURGETTES for 4

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2 medium sized Courgettes – washed and cut into half centimetre thick slices

Marinade –

1 clove garlic

Half teaspoon salt

Piece ginger roughly 2×2 cm

Green chilli

1 tablespoon Olive oil

1 tablespoon Gram (chickpea) flour

Chop the garlic and put it into a mortar with the salt. Mash to a pulp.

Grate the ginger into the mortar and mash to blend with the garlic.

Finely chop the chilli and add to the mortar. Mash again to blend moistening with the olive oil as you go

Add the marinade to the courgettes and mix to make sure that the slices are evenly coated with the marinade. Leave to let the flavours seep into the courgettes for at least an hour.

Heat a griddle or thick based non-stick frying pan.

Dust the courgette slices with gram flour and grill or dry fry until turning from time to time until browned and cooked but still with some bite.