Sweet Millet Halva

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp finely ground barnyard millet
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 12 tbsp water
• Pinch of cardamom and all spice

Method

On a low heat Fry millet in ghee until golden brown and aromatic. In a separate pan boil sugar with water and a little ground cardamom. Once hot switch of the gas. Then add the hot water to the millet and mix well. Keep stirring until a semi solid consistency is obtained. Switch the gas off and cover for a few minutes.

Variations

Add a small handful of any form of dry fruit to the boiling water

Add 3-4 blanched sliced almonds/cashews/other nuts to the sooji and water mixture. 

Sprinkle with cinnamon powder when serving

Experiment with other ground millet varieties

Rice & Black Gram Dosa – South Indian

Servings: 10 Dosas

Ingredients

• 1 cup short grain broad white rice also known as idli rice
• !/3 cup urad dahl also known as whole/split black ground ( the white skinned variety only)
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• ½ teaspoon salt
• water as required
• 5 teaspoons of oil or ghee

Method

Wash the dahl and rice. Soak the dahl separately in plenty of water. Soak the rice and fenugreek in plenty of water. Soak both items for and rice separately in plenty of water for

6-8 hours or overnight. After soaking strain water and grind both the dahl and water separately. Keep adding water until you get a very thick and smooth consistency. Mix both the ground dahl and rice together and add salt. Pour in a container four times the size of the volume of the mixture. Place in a warm place for 8-10 hours. If you are in a cold climate place next to a heater or boiler. Natural fermentation will occur and the mixture if properly fermented will rise to 4-5 times its volume.

To make the dosa, take a heavy flat iron griddle or large frying pan and place on a low heat for 3-4 minutes. Oil the griddle or frying pan very lightly with a brush. Turn heat to medium. Mix water into the dosa batter to make a pancake like batter. Take a ladle and put mixture into the centre of the pan and spread outwards with the back of the ladle until a thin pancake size circle is formed. Cook for a few minutes and sprinkle oil/ghee on the sides of the dosa and on the surface. Turn with a spatula and increase the heat slightly. Spread oil again as before and after a few minutes turn once more. The surface of the dosa should be light brown. Remove from gas and serve hot or store in a container.

Variations

Fill the dosa with a sautéed spiced vegebatble or scrambled paneer

Bottlegourd Soup

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 handfuls of largely chopped Pumpkin
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of pepper
• A pinch of hing
• 1cm of chopped ginger
• Enough water to just cover the vegetables
• 1 tsp of oil /ghee
• 1 pinch of rosemary (optional)

Method

In a pressure cooker or other pan, add oil and fry hing on a low heat till light brown. Then add the vegetables and enough water to just cover the vegetables. Add ginger, salt and pepper.

If using a pressure cooker, use a medium eat and let the vegetables boil for 2 whistles and then switch off. If using a pan, place on a low heat half covered and cook until vegetables are tender.

Let the vegetables cool and blend in a blender. The veg soup is ready.

Variations

Add 5 dry roasted cashewnuts when blending

Use other local seasonal vegetables

Blend with fresh herbs

Sauteed Fresh Paneer

Serves 2

• 1 litre of milk
• Juice of 1 lime or ½ a lemon
• 1 tbsp oil/ghee
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• Pinch of Hing
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper

Method

Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan. When boiling add the lime/lemon juice. You will see the curds separating from the whey. When the liquid is a greeny/yellow colour, pour contents of saucepan into a fine sieve or through a muslin cloth. Let the paneer strain for 30 or more minutes. Then chop the paneer into small cubes. Add the oil/ghee to a heavy bottomed frying pan or wok. Add cumin seeds till golden brown then add hing till light brown. Add chopped paneer and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until light brown on both sides, turning once only.

Variations

1. Mush up the paneer with your hand and cook as above
2. Garnish with fresh herbs
3. Cook chooped onions and garlic first and then add paneer
4. Fry an 1/8 tsp furmeric after the hing to make a yellow colour.

Wheat Pancakes – Basic recipe, Variation of herbs & spices

Servings: 3-4 pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup of wholewheat or chapatti flour
• ¾ cup of water
• pinch of salt
• pinch of black pepper
• A small handful of finely chopped herbs, eg. coriander, mint, parsley, chives, etc.
• ¼ tsp carom
• ½ tsp. of finely grated ginger
• 4 tablespoons of cold pressed oil

Method

Put the flour into a bowl. Pour a little water at a time and mix well into a paste-like consistency. Keep adding a little water at a time until the mixture resembles a thick batter. The batter should not be too thick or too thin. Once the batter is ready, add the herbs and salt ( Herbs are optional and not necessary if you want a sweet pancake)

Put the griddle on a medium heat. When warm, put a tablespoon of oil on it and spread all over the griddle with a wooden spatula.

Once the oil has been spread, take a large spoonful of the batter and pour into the centre of the griddle. Spread the batter outwards from the centre with a large spoon or ladle using light circular strokes. After a minute or two, pour some oil on the top and edges of the pancake. When bubbles appear start to loosen the pancake with a spatula and flip it over. One side should be nice and brown now. Cook the remaining side for a few more minutes then remove from the griddle. Serve hot off the stove or wrap in a cloth and put into an insulated box

Other Pancake variations

Follow the procedure above

Mung Dahl – grind yellow mung dahl into a thick smooth paste and then add water till pancake consistency has been obtained.

Chickpea flour – same procedure as wheat pancakes but do add the herbs and spices as well as a ¼ tsp hing and ¼tsp carom as chickpeas can cause bloating.

Brown/white Rice pancake –same as mung dahl and chickpea pancakes

Variation of herbs and spices

These can be varied according to seasonal availability

For a sweet pancake – use rice or wheat and top with maple syrup or other sweetner apart from honey before serving

Experiment with other grains such as quinoa and millet and oats

Buttermilk Recipe

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp curd
• 1 cup water
• ¼ tsp ghee
• Pinch of asafoetida
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ spoon turmeric
• pinch of salt.

Method

Pour the curd into a blender and add 2 cups of water and blend for 3-4 minutes or until butter forms on the top.

Keep a thick bottomed saucepan on heat. When hot, add gheel. When the ghee is hot add cumin, asoefedia and turmeric. Fry them for 2 minutes. Add the buttermilk and salt. Bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and serve