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.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Halwa suji

I have tried many halwa suji recipes, but this one is the best ever... As far as my sis and I are concerned... I am sure you will agree too :)


Ingredients:
2 ½ tablespoonfuls (4 oz.) set butter fat
4 oz. semolina
6 oz. sugar
2 oz. milk
10 oz. water
2 tablespoonfuls sultanas
2 tablespoonfuls sliced almonds
1 ½ teaspoonfuls crushed cardamom seeds or grated nuts
A pinched of saffron

For 4 people.
Mix the sugar, saffron, milk and water, and boil for a few minutes; then pour this hot syrup into a jug. Melt the butter-fat in a large saucepan or deep frying pan, mix in the semolina and fry very slowly for about 10 minutes, stirring all the time. When the butter begins to separate from the semolina, and the mixture is a golden colour it is time to pour in the syrup. Add the will-washed sultanas, and boil quickly until all superfluous liquid has dried off, stirring all the time with a large spoon; this should not take more than 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the halva into a shallow pyrex or china dish, and decorate it with thinly sliced almonds and cardamom seeds or nutmeg. Instead of all sugar, I have used 4 oz. sugar and 1 ½ tablespoonfuls honey. After it is ready, it can be kept hot in a covered dish in a very low oven for an hour or so. It can be re-heated, which should be done very slowly, so that the halva does not become too stiff.

Ginseng juice

1 red or orange (bell) pepper
200g/7oz pumpkin
Squeeze of lemon juice
5ml/1 tsp ginseng powder
Ice cubes

1. Using a sharp knife, discard the core from the pepper and roughly chop the flesh. Slice the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the pips (seeds) with a spoon and then cut away the skin. Chop the flesh. Halve and stone (pit) the apricot.

2. Push the pumpkin, pepper and the apricot pieces through the juicer. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and he ginseng powder, and stir well to mix together. Pour the juice over the ice cubes in a tall glass and serve.

CREPES

I have never missed this one! Give it a try!



100g plain flour

Pinch of salt or sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

300ml milk

1 teaspoon vegetable oil


This mixture makes 12 crepes.


Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a sell in the centre and break an egg into it with half the milk. Beat well, then when smooth add the remaining milk. Leave the mixture to stand for 40 minutes. Grease the frying pan and heat it a little. Pour the batter into the pan. Quickly tilt and rotate the pan so the batter coats the bottom of the frying pan and pour off the excess batter. Cook over a moderate heat until the underside of the crepe is gently brown. Turn the crepe over and brown the other side. Turn onto a greaseproof paper and keep warm.