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.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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.

Spicy Corn Fritters

I'm a fritter fan.  And on cold days, I find nothing nicer than corn fritters with tomato sauce.  Yes, I am THAT classy.

Spicy Corn Fritters

1 small red onion - diced
1 can cream corn
3/4 cup flour
1 tspn baking powder
1 egg
1 tspn curry powder
1 green chilli - finely chopped
Salt and pepper

1.  Chop all the raw ingredients

2.  Mix all fresh ingredients, with the corn and the sifted flour.  Mix with a fork.

3.  Fry in a hot pan with a little olive oil

Lentil and Chickpea Patties

BBQ season is upon us, and as a vegetarian, this can be a daunting prospect.  These patties are terrific and tasty, can be BBQ'ed and used in burgers, or made smaller and eaten in a sandwich or wrap, or served as finger food with a yogurt dip.

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils
Vegetable stock cube
1 can chickpeas
2 cloves garlic
Handful of fresh parsley
Handful of fresh coriander
1 onion
Tablespoon curry power
Olive oil
1 egg
Squeeze of lemon juice
1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Flour

Method

1.  Put a large saucepan on to boil with the vegetable stock cube in it.  Rinse the lentils (I cheat and do this in a sieve), then throw them in the pot.  Boil for 10 minutes.  Stir relatively frequently at the start as lentils LOVE to burn themselves on the bottom of my pots!

My cheats way of rinsing lentils and chickpeas

2.  Wash the parsley and coriander.  Drain and rinse the chickpeas (I find until they stop being 'foamy' is good).  Throw these in a large bowl. 

3.  Peel garlic, throw in bowl.  Chop onion finely, throw in the bowl.

4.  Add salt, pepper, curry powder, lemon juice and a slosh of olive oil to the bowl. 

5.  Drain the lentils.  Add half to the bowl.  Using a hand-blender, blitz it all until it is smooth.  It will be rather liquidy.

6.  Add the other half of the lentils, and the breadcrumbs.  Stir.

7.  Sprinkle flour on the bench.  Roll mixture into balls, and then into nice pattie shapes, dusted in flour.  I find as long as they are about 1 1/2 cm's thick, they hold their shape well.  I tend to make burger sized ones, as well as mini-bagel sizes, and ones for wraps.

8.  Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days before frying or BBQing.  Cook on a griddle or fry in a little oil until golden brown.

9.  Serve as either a burger patty or with yogurt dipping sauce.