Chicken/Meat Kebab

When I grew up chicken or meat was never a must in our daily food. However,  I
remember we had fish every evening for dinner as we lived close to the
seaside(Malpe). Meat was ment for guests so when preparations were made for a
chicken or meat curry often we were expecting guests..........

I have given up meat.... to be honest sometimes I have cheated by having the
rice part of the biriyani or the gravey of a chicken curry.But my husband
has compleately given up chicken or any meat so I dont cook any non
veg. Instead, we have as much fish as possible.

However, when we get guests at home I have made this recipe which has been
well appriciated by all.
Recently I made this when Viren had come to have dinner with us. One bite
into the kabab he asked me:"Aunty who made this? " When I told him I had, he
replied: "this is exactly how kebab shoul be" & I said to myself 'I have a
recipe for my blog!'

So try this out. Its simple and easy. You would have noticed & agree with me
by now that I use very few spices and herbs yet am able to bring out a
delicious dish.

Ingredients:
500 gms. of any minced meat /chicken
1 rusk or 1.4 cup of fine bread crums
5 cloves of garlic
Ginger (same amount as the garlic)
1 heaped tsp. black pepper powder
1 tsp.garam masala powder
1 tsp.turmeric powder
1/2 tsp.red chilly powder
Two handfull fresh coriander leaves
One handfull mint leaves
Juice of half a lemon
Salt to taste

Method: 
Grind to a fine paste the ginger, garlic,coriander & mint leaves.

To this add the chicken/meat mince & all the other ingredients and mix very
well.

Make round or oval shaped kebabs and shallow fry in a greased pan for
10 to 15 minutes on either sides.

Slice a kebab to check if meat is well
cooked.

Serve with mint or tomato chutney as a starter.

Enjoy!

Tips:No need to use extra oil to shallow fry the kababs as the minced meat
does give out a lot of fat when cooking.
Fry a mall piece of the kebab to check if it is salted well.
Make kebabs and deep freeze them by placing a layer of the baking paper to
avoid getting the kebabs sticking to each other.
Kebabs can be grilled on a BBQ or an oven.

Orange Lentil Curry (Dal)

Easy Dal Curry in minutes

I came to the Netherlands in 1984 and didn't know where to find the Toordal
or any other dal I could make a dal curry with. However, this one lentil caught my
eye at the Turkish store and ever since I have used only this dal for any
Indian curries I make. I discovered it cooks in no time & it's also a very
tasty lentil to make our Dal Curry.
I started this Rice & dal with courgette / Zucchini with my son when he was
4 months so also with Ilse & Marijn the two babies who I had baby sat when
they came to me as 3 months old babies.....Now they are all grown ups and
still come to me to have 'Dal & Rice".....
I had omitted the green chilly and the seasoning until kids were
older.

I am sure if you have tried this recipe you will agree with me that it is
the best dal...
It takes probably 10 to 15 minutes to make it and can be stored in the
fridge for another 3 to 4 days.
Always make sure, for the days consumption you take, just warm or steam the
required amount of the food and not heat the entire pan.This way the
food remains fresh for a few days in the fridge and you are not reheating
it.


Ingredients

Zucchini / courgette cut into pieces

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 slit green chilly (option)
1 cup of Orange lentil (they do look like our masoor dal but its not the
same)
Salt to taste

Seasoning
1 tab.of ghee
2 cloves of garlic sliced into thin flakes
1 dried red chilly split
Juice of half a lemon

Method

Clean the Orange lentil in few changes of water & add 4 to 5 cups of water & allow to boil on medium flame.

Once it begins to boil I would remove
the white foam that forms on top of the simmering pan.

Then add the turmeric powder the green chilly and allow to cook on low flame
with the lid of the pan almost closed for 5 to 6 minutes.
By now it would have almost cooked

Add now the Zucchini / crougette & salt to taste and let it simmer for
another 5 minutes. 

Seasoning
Heat the ghee on low flame and fry the red chilly and the garlic flakes
until they are golden brown.Add this to the dal curry & add a tsp. of fresh
asefetida/ hing dissolved in water or a few pinches of powdered asefetida /
hing.

Asefetida dissolved in water

Orange lentil /dal is done.
Serve with rice or chapaties

Tips: One cup of this dal is sufficient for 6 persons.
If too thick add boilingwater to the dal curry.

Enjoy!

Healthy Sandwich bread

Broodje gezond as the Dutch call it.


By now you would have noticed I am not focussing only towards south Indianfood. I want you to know the healthy and easy way to make a lunch or dinner, thus some simple recipes are also in my blog.


This is what I would take with to have it at lunch break when I was working.I dont work anymore but I still have them for lunch and I love every bite of it......Ask Ilse(my daughter) she will tell you how tasty this can be!


All you need is:
Two slices of brown bread (DON'T eat white bread)
Slices of tomatos
cucumber
few leaves of iceberg lettuce
pinch of salt & black pepper.
A bit of butter to spread on one of the slices (option)



Tips:
-Do not keep tomatos in the fridge.
They need to be kept in the roomtemperature.Try a tomato from the fridge and one kept outside & see the difference intaste. Any tomato grower will tell you this.

-How to have fresh bread every day: 
Buy a loaf of fresh bread and keep 2 to 4 slices outside(not in thefridge as bread gets dry)The rest of it put in sandwich bags and keep in the FREEZER.

When ever you need the slices take them out of the freezer and thaw it as shown. 
This will take 5 to 10 mts. By the time you have made your cup of coffee or tea or had your shower your bread is thawed..............This way u can have fresh bread in the morning and at lunch with any filling of your choice.



Try it out!.

Green Mango Prawn Curry

A North Malabar curry I had learned from my mum's aunt Cheriyanjamma. A wonderful little lady who spent all her time in the kitchen making tasty food.......

Both my grandparents came from North Malabar from a place called Cherukunnu .However they both settled outside Kerala.This is how we landed in Udupi -Karnataka.




Ingredients:
1 kg. of fresh or frozen prawns
1 coconut grated or 1 large cup of desiccated coconut soaked in boiling water for half hour.
1/2 tbsp hot chilly powder

1 tbsp cumin powder
1/4 tbsp turmeric powder
2 green mangoes cut into small pieces
2 to 3 split green chillies
1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds
3 to 4 (large cloves) thinly sliced
A handful of fresh curry leaves
3 tbsp of coconut oil (if not available use sun flower oil)




Method:
Clean and devein the prawns & keep aside. Prawns need to be washed in a few changes of water to get rid of the sand in them.


Grate the coconut


Chop the green mangoes into small pieces and save the seeds to add to curry


Dry roast the coconut, cumin powder & the red chilly powder for a few minutes until you begin to get the roasted smell of the coconut.


Grind this to a fine paste adding half a cup of water & keep aside.
Add another cup of water to the grinder and use this to cook the mangoes with turmeric powder the slit green chillies and salt to taste. When the mangoes are cooked soft, add the prawns and cook for another 5 minutes on high flame.


Now add the coconut paste and let it simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes and then add the seasoning.

Take a small sauce pan and heat 3 tbsp of coconut oil. Once the oil is hot, switch off the flame and immediately add the mustardseeds and close the pan with a lid preventing the mustard seeds from popping (to pop) out of the pan.

When the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add the thinly sliced flakes of garlic and the curry leaves to it and bring it back to a medium flame. Fry until garlic turns golden brown. Now pour this on the prawn curry and stir well.


DONE! Serve with rice.

Tips:
This curry should be hot & sour & spicy.If you are not able to find green mangoes add juice of tamarind(the size of a lemon)Of course the taste will be different.
This recipe was chosen & published way back in 1981 in Eve's weekly



Enjoy!