Sindhi Curry

If you're craving some nice hot and wholesome Indian vegetable curry, but without the overwhelming onion and garlic, then you should go for Sindhi Curry.  As the name suggests, this is a very popular dish of the Sindhi community.  The main base ingredient to thicken the curry is gram flour ('besan'), while tamarind provides a nice tangy flavour.  Besides the basic vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beans and peas, this curry is incomplete without okra (ladyfingers) and 'drumsticks' (moringa pods).  However, if these are not available, you can still go ahead with the curry.  The Sindhi curry is usually made in a large quantity, and the below ingredients would serve at least 5-6 people.  Feel free to halve the measurements.

Ingredients:

Vegetables:
 - Potatoes, 2 large
 - Carrot, 1 large
 - Green beans & long beans
 - Peas, half cup
 - Tomatoes, 2-3 large
 - Okra, 1 large cup
 - Drumsticks, 2 long pods

Spices/Herbs:
 - Ginger, 2 inch piece
 - Green chilies, 4 to 6
 - Curry leaves, a few
 - Cumin seeds, 2 tsp
 - Fenugreek seeks, 1 tsp
 - Asafoetida powder, a pinch
 - Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
 - Coriander powder, 1 tsp
 - Red chilli powder, 1 tsp
 - Salt to taste

Others:
 - Tamarind pulp, about 2 pods
 - Gram flour, 1 cup
 - Cooking oil
 - Water

Preparation:
 - Dice the potatoes and carrots into large pieces
 - String and cut the beans and drumsticks into 3 inch pieces. 
 - Peel and chop the tomatoes
 - Grate the ginger, and chop the green chillies
 - Cut the tops and bottoms of the okra and make a single long slit along the side.

Method:
 - Heat 5 tbsp oil in a large pot and temper the cumin, fenugreek and asafoetida.  When they crackle, add ginger, curry leaves, green chillies, turmeric powder, and stir.
 - Add gram flour and keep stirring on low to medium heat until light brown in colour, and until there is no 'raw' smell of the flour.  If the mixture seems dry, some more oil can be added.
 - Pour five cups of water into the flour mixture and keep stirring until it comes to a boil.
 - Add all vegetables, except the okra, to the boiling curry and let them cook.
 - Meanwhile, deep fry the okra in hot oil until they are almost cooked, and add them to the curry.
 - Season the boiling curry with red chilli power, coriander powder and salt to taste.
 - Extract tamarind water from the pulp and add to the curry; let cook until all vegetables are cooked.
 - Check the consistency of the curry - it shouldn't be too thick or watery.  More water can be added if the curry is thin.
 - If the curry is too tangy or sour, you can add some jaggery or sugar to balance out the tastes.
 - Serve with white rice.

Vegetarian Cake

This is a very simple egg-less cake, but not a vegan.  Due to the lack of egg, the texture of this sponge cake is different from a basic sponge - and hence may not please everyone's palate.  Butter being one of the main flavours, the cake is quite tasty and fulfilling even without any icing.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups white flour
- 115 gm butter
- 1 tin condensed milk (sweet)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder (level)
- 1/2 (half) teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 cup orange juice 
- a pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)

Directions:
- Sieve flour, baking powder and baking soda (and salt).
- Melt butter, and mix with condensed milk in a large bowl.
- Gradually add flour and keep folding the mixture; when thick, add orange juice little by little.
- When mixed well into a smooth batter, add vanilla essence and stir.
- Grease and flour a baking tin, and pour the cake batter into it.
- Preheat the oven at around 170 degrees C, and bake the cake for at least 45 minutes till done.

Tips:
- To melt butter, you can microwave it at the lowest power for 2 minutes.
- When mixing the batter, stick to a single direction, either clockwise or anti-clockwise.
- After removing tin from oven, let it 'sit' for 10 to 15 minutes, before removing the cake from the tin.
- Another baking variation is to let the cake bake at a higher 200 C for about 15-20 minutes, and then lowering the temp to 150 C till done.
- Use toothpick in the center of the cake to check if done (clean toothpick means cooked, while a wet battered one means raw).

Veggie Spaghetti Casserole

This is one of my favourite baked casserole dishes and though it does require time and hard work, you will find that it is worthwile in the end. The vegetables are interchangeable with any of your other favourite veggies; the corn, for example, can safely be opted out; and you can also add a tin of baked beans, if you need more protein :)

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, french beans, green peas, mushrooms, etc)

2 cups spaghetti

1 kg ripe red tomatoes

1 onion / shallot

1 green bell pepper (capsicum)

1/2 cup cubed cottage cheese (optional)

ground red chili (chilli powder)

2 cups white sauce (see below for instruction)

fresh cream

grated cheese

Directions:

Wash the tomatoes and roughly cut into quarters. Cook without adding any water in a saucepan, stirring occasionally (should take around 30 mins). In the meantime, you can put the spaghetti to boil; and then chop all the 'mixed' vegees into small pieces and boil in a separate pan.

When the tomatoes are cooked, cool and blend them in a liquidiser, and strain in a sieve. You should get a thick soup. Put it back into the saucepan, add some chilli powder, salt and sugar - all according to your required taste, and simmer the soup for 10-15 minutes. When done, add 2-3 tablespoons of fresh cream, mix well and keep aside. (well, if you are on a diet, better leave out the cream).

Now chop the onion and the green pepper. Heat some cooking oil in a pan, add the chopped onion, saute for 2 minutes and then add the chopped pepper. Stir fry for another 2 mins and then add the boiled vegees and cottage cheese (optional). Mix well and add the boiled spaghetti, chilli powder, salt. Cook for about 2 more mins, letting the flavours blend.

Now add the prepared tomato sauce to this vegee-spaghetti mix. Pour this mixture into a greased casserole or baking tin. Pour the thick seasoned white sauce on top and sprinkle grated cheese generously. Place the dish into a hot oven at 240 degrees C or 450 F and bake for 20 mins or till the cheese has melted and lightly browned.

For the white sauce,

2 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon white flour

2 cups milk

Melt butter, add flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes without browning. Add warmed milk and immediately stir to prevent lumps from forming. Stir thoughout till you feel the sauce thickening. Lower the heat when it starts boiling, add salt, pepper, and simmer for 2 mins. (If there are still little lumps, don't get disheartened - you can use a colander to strain and then mash the lumps into the sauce.)

Vegetarian Tacos

This is my simplified veggie recipe for the famous Mexican tacos. If you get the taco shells readymade, then go for it – you can omit Step 1 and it will save you a lot of time and energy!! In the same way, for the bean stuffing, you can use the tinned baked beans instead of cooking the beans from scratch - to save time.


Step 1 – Preparing the Tacos
1 ½ cups maize flour
1 cup plain white flour
4 tsp oil,
¾ tsp salt
Oil for deep frying
- Mix the flours. Add oil and salt, and knead into a soft dough by adding water.
- Make small balls and roll them out into thin rounds of around 4 inches in diameter with the help of plain flour. You can also roll the dough by placing it between 2 transparent plastic sheets. Prick lightly with fork.
- Deep fry in hot oil on both sides and then bend into a U shape just before or while removing from the hot oil. If you find this difficult, you can also just take them out of the hot oil as plain flat rounds. Who said that tacos have to be shell-shaped? Try them as flat tacos – they taste just as good!
- Store the tacos in an air-tight container. (It is good to prepare these well in advance)

Step 2 – Preparing the Red Bean Stuffing
For the traditional stuffing –
1 cup red kidney beans
1 chopped onion
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
red chili powder & salt to taste.
- Soak the beans overnight.
- Cook the beans in a pressure cooker and drain.
- Heat oil and fry the chopped onion for a minute or two.
- Add the beans, butter, chilli powder and salt. Mix well and cook for at least 5 minutes till done, mashing the beans slightly along.

For a simplified stuffing -
1 large can (450 gm) baked beans
chilli powder and salt to taste
- Drain the beans and mash them a little.
- Add the chilli powder and salt and warm a little.

Step 3 – Preparing the Sauce
1 kg red tomatoes
1 chopped onion
2 to 4 dried whole red chili peppers (jalapeno, cayenne, poblano or pasilla)
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
little sugar
oregano.
- Soak the chilies in ½ cup water for 20 minutes.
- Cut the tomatoes into big pieces.
- Take a pan, heat oil and add the chopped onion. Stir for a minute or two and add the soaked red chillies together with the water soaked in. Stir and add the tomatoes. Cover and cook (stirring occasionally) till the tomatoes are soft and done. If it becomes too dry, add half cup of water while cooking.
- Cool, blend in a liquidizer and strain.
- Add some oregano, sugar and salt (all to taste) to the sauce and heat for another 10 minutes.
(If you like it more spicy or sour, then add some chili powder or vinegar accordingly.)

Step 4 – Final Step – Serving
Vegetable toppings of your choice, such as spring onions, onions, red cabbage, white cabbage, carrots (grated), lettuce leaves, etc – all chopped or grated, salt to taste, and most importantly, grated cheese.
- Mix the chopped vegetable toppings and salt.
- In the fold of each taco, fill a little mashed red beans, sprinkle the prepared sauce and fill with the chopped vegetables. Again sprinkle a little sauce, and top with grated cheese. Serve immediately.

Alternatively, you can also serve the tacos, bean stuffing, sauces and chopped vegetables in separate dishes - and let your guests make their own fillings to taste.