Meatless Monday: Indian Curry Dhal with Onion Bhajias

Today was a good day to make my favourite dhal, which I have posted before. However, for some insane reason I decided to make dhal, naan bread, onion Bhajias and raita. It was delicious.... Even if it was a little chaotic in the kitchen.



Onion Bhajias

You will need:
2 brown onions
1 cup Chana flour (regular will do though)
1 green chilli
2 cloves garlic
Handful of coriander
2 teaspoons cumin powder
Tablespoon Olive oil
1\2 cup water (ish)

1. Slice the onions into half circles. Smaller would be better for smaller ones, but I decided to make big ones. Sprinkle with salt, and sit in a colander while you do the rest. These need at least 10 minutes to lose as much moisture as possible.

2. Put the garlic, coriander and chili in a food processor. You can add a little ginger if you like as well. Blitz until everything is a small, uniform size and shape, but not liquidised.

3. Sift flour into bowl. Add the cumin and the green stuff from the food processor.

4. Add oil, and water and stir together into a thick-ish batter.

5. Place oil in a fry pan to heat (or use a deep fryer. I don't have one, so I use a pan).

6. This gets messy... But give it a go. Take about half a handful of onions from the colander (which should be pretty dry by now), and place in the batter. Using your hands form a battered ball of onion. Place into hot pan. Work quickly, which will be messy, but it washes off easily... Just don't wipe your eyes.

7. When golden brown on one side, flip the Bhajias over and cook again on the other side.

Serve with raita.
Makes about 8 large Bhajias

Raita

You will need
1/2 cucumber
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
Handful of fresh mint
Handful of fresh coriander
Juice from one lemon

1. Dice the cucumber and chop up the mint and coriander.

2. Throw into medium sized bowl. Pour over the lemon juice.

3. Mix in the yogurt. You can season with salt and pepper if you like at this point.

Use as a dip for the onion Bhajias.





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Leek and Egg Dumplings

Seriously, the greatest dumpling flavour combination in the world, and I ate a fair few in China.  The flavour combination is traditional, and gorgeous.  Also, there are only 4 real ingredients, so simple, economic and delicious.  Perfect for a meatless meal.

You can make your own dumpling skins, or buy them ready to go.  This is up to you really.  If you have experience making roti or chapati, they are easy.

Dumpling skins

You will need:
2 cups plain white flour, sifted
3/4 cup of boiling water (but let it cool just enough to be able to work it with your hands)

1.  Sift the flour into a bowl.
2.  Boil the water and measure out 3/4 cup.
3.  Stirring with a knife, pour the water into the flour, bringing it together into a dough.
4.  When it is cool enough to work, sprinkle a little flour on a surface and kneed the dough until it is smooth.
5.  Roll into a long tube about 2cm thick.
6.  Cut approx 1cm circles off the tube carefully.
7.  Roll out flat, but not too thin.  I find that about 10-12cm in diametre is good.

Filling

You will need:
4 eggs
2 baby leeks

1.  Crack all the eggs into a bowl.  Whisk.
2.  Finely slice the whole baby leek.  The green colour is amazing which is why I like smaller leeks here.
3.  In a hot wok (or fry pan) pour the eggs.  Cook them as scrambled eggs and keep stirring until the eggs have formed a scrambled texture.
4.  Add the leeks and keep stirring.  The egg should dry out into little 'chunks'.  The leek does not take a lot of cooking.

Assembly

1.  Take a dumpling skin and place about 2 small teaspoons of filling in the centre.
2.  Fold over and press the edges together firmly.

If you wanted to join them in other ways, just check youtube for different methods.  But making little half-circles is probably the easiest method.

The dumplings can be dropped into boiling water and cooked.  They do not take very long at all.  Keep a close eye.  All they need is the skin to go a little shiny or translucent, and to warm the filling through.  Pull out with a slotted spoon or wire scoop.

I prefer them steamed, to do this place in a steamer above boiling water.  This will keep the flavours fresh and strong.

They can also be fried in oil in a pan.  This turns them golden brown.  

Serving

Serve with a dipping sauce of soy, roasted garlic and chilli.  For more fun, also include chopsticks.

Eggs Masala (Meatless Monday)

The husband still isn't convinced of meatlessness as a good thing, but he doesn't complain at these eggs. I like them for lunch, and they are the ideal using up the end of the ingredients before grocery shopping.



Ingredients
1/2 onion
1/2 tomato
3 eggs
Chillies to taste
Garam masala
Turmeric
Cumin seeds
Garlic clove
Olive oil

1. Dice onion and tomato. Toss in a hot pan with oil and cumin seeds, crushed garlic, finely chopped chillies, and other spices to taste.

2. Cook until the onion is clear.

3. With a fork, whisk the 3 eggs in a separate bowl. Tip into the pan with the rest and a little salt and pepper.


Serve on toast, or I prefer rolled into a wrap and toasted in a panini press.



These little containers are brilliant reminders of part vege in my fridge. Whenever I have the tomato and onion I know I am nearly ready for eggs masala.


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Chicken and Silver Beet Stir-fry Rice

With that, "what's for lunch?" Question, this is a super simple solution, especially with cooked rice hanging about. I always refrigerate leftover rice for just such an occasion.



Last night the husband made a chicken curry. With 2 chickens. Sometimes getting him to cut down on meat seems nothing less than futile. However, he set aside about 3/4 cup of chicken meat, that he diced for lunch today.

Literally this whole meal took less than 10 minutes, and that included a trip to the garden, and taking photos.

Ingredients
3/4 cup chicken
1 cup cooked rice
3 small silver beet (chard) leaves
5 small chillies (he likes spicy food)
1/2 cm of ginger
2 spring onions
1/4 small red onion
Coriander leaves
Soy sauce
Olive oil
Sweet chilli sauce

1. Head the oil and soy in a wok. When hot, throw in the chicken to cook.


2. Dice the onion and silver beet (chard) stalks and add to the wok when the chicken is cooked.



3. Dice the chillies and ginger, toss in the wok, and keep it stirring.



4. Add the rice

5. When the rice is coated in all the juices, throw in finely chopped silver beet (chard) leaves and coriander leaves.

6. Slice the spring onions and add to the wok.

7. Add salt, pepper and a little chilli sauce.

8. Serve and eat



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Flautas - with an Asian Flair

Alright, I admit it.  Sometimes I try to fix something that is already delicious.  Simply because I can.
This time it was my favourite Mexican food of the moment - flautas.  Makes 4.

Ingredients
- 3 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, sliced
- several birdseye chillies (or one)
- a tomato, diced
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- ginger, about a 1/2 cm, smashed with a mortar and pestle
- sweet chili sauce
- dark soy sauce
- spring onions
- corriander
- 4 flour or corn tortillas

Method

Brown the chicken in a large fry pan.

Add the tomato, red onion, sauce, garlic, soy, and chilies into the pan.

Heat through until everything is soft.  Allow most of the moisture to evaporate.  Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Slice the spring onions length ways.

Heat a sandwich press, and lay out the tortillas, and fill with the chicken mixture.  Don't overfill or the whole thing becomes soggy and very challenging to manage.  Lay the spring onions and corriander on the top.  Fold over the tortillas and close the press.  Allow to brown.

Slice and serve with a spicy guacamole or sour cream.