Monday, January 26, 2009

Poulet Roussi/ Fried chicken with herbs

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts
1 tsp ginger/garlic
3 tblsp oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp thyme (dried)
2 grated onions
3 tblsp fried onions
pinch of chilli powder


Preparation:

Wash chicken breasts after deboning and splitting open. Divide in halves.
Put the oil in pressure cooker, add the grated onions and just as they turn into a
lovely pink colour add all the other ingredients.

Add a little water, close lid and simmer over low heat for 10 mins or till chicken is done.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Kitchree

1 cup rice
1 cup dal moong or red lentils
5 to 6 cups water
2 ½ teaspoonfuls salt
1 tablespoonful ghee
1 ½ teaspoonfuls garam-masala
1 cup chicken kheema



POR 4 OR 5 PEOPLE. Sort, wash and soak the rice for a few minutes. Put the
water on to boil in a large, heavy aluminium saucepan. Put in the drained
rice, and salt bring to the boil and then turn heat very low. Cook for 20
minutes, then add the well-washed and drained pulses. Mix slightly. and
keep cooking (covered) on a very low heat for another 15 minutes. By then
the rice and pulses should be quite tender, but not overcooked. If the rice is
inclined to stick, put the saucepan (covered) in the oven (Regular 3-4) to
finish off the cooking. If, however, the kitchree has too much fluid, let
it remain on the heat (uncovered) with the heat slightly higher.
When cooked, the kitchree should have the consistency of thick porridge,
but the rice and pulses should not be crushed.
Heat the ghee in a small frying pan, add garam-masala and the onions, pour this onto the kitchree. It can be kept hot in a very low oven.

Kheer

2 ½ pints of milk (preferably fullcream)
½ teacupful (2 ½ oz.) rice
I teacupful (7 oz.) Sugar
2 dozen almonds
I tablespoonful sultanas.
I teaspoonful crushed cardamom seeds or grated nutmeg
I tablespoonfuls rosewater

FOR 5 OR 6 PEOPLE. Pour the milk into a large, thick aluminum saucepan, and
bring to the boil. Then add the well-washed rice, mix with a large spoon,
and keep boiling on medium heat _ an hour, stirring frequently and scraping
from sides and bottom to prevent sticking. Then add sugar, well-washed
sultanas, blanched and thinly-sliced almonds, and the crushed cardamom seeds
or grated nutmeg. At this stage, the kheer may be put in a moderate oven for
about 30 minutes to become brown on the top; but in Mauritius, after adding the
sugar, sultanas, etc., we keep boiling gently until the right consistency is
obtained. This does not take more than 15 minutes. Then the kheer is
transferred into a dish, and when slightly cold add the rosewater and mix!

Jarda

I teacupful basmati rice
I teacupful sugar
2 teacupful hot water
I tablespoonful set butter-fat
2 tablespoonfuls sultanas
2 tablespoonfuls finely sliced mixed nuts
I teaspoonful cardamom seeds or nutmeg

FOR 4 PEOPLE. Sort, wash and soak the rice for at least 10 minutes. Mix
sugar and water together, and keep this thin syrup in a jug. Heat the
butter-fat in a heavy aluminium saucepan, and fry the well-drained rice in
it very gently for a few minutes. Warm the syrup, and add this and the
well-washed sultanas, together with the peeled and sliced nuts and the
cardamom seeds (whole) or the grated nutmeg. Bring to the boil, then turn
heat very low. At this stage it is better to put the saucepan (covered) in
the oven for I hour IS minutes, on Regula 4. When ready, the rice should be
well cooked, but not broken or sticking together.

As its quality often varies, some rice may take a little. less water in the
syrup, and the cooking time may also be slightly varied. Many people mix a
teaspoonful of diluted saffron while the rice is cooking, to colour it and
give it fragrance.