Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
450g minced lamb
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
25g plain flour or maida
300ml lamb or chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato puree
700 gm potatoes, peeled and boiled
25 gm butter
4-5 tbsp milk
50 gm cheddar cheese, grated

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan and add the bay leaves followed by the onion and fry for a couple of minutes, then add the green chillies, lamb, and carrots and continue frying for 8-10 minutes until the mince turns brown.

Add the salt, cumin and flour and stir for a minute.
Slowly blend in the stock and tomato puree.
Cook until the mixture thickens.

In the meantime, peel and boil the potatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes until soft.

Preheat the oven at 200C. Mash the potatoes with the butter and milk.

When the lamb mixture is thick, tip it into an oven proof dish.

Spread the mashed potatoes on top and sprinkle over the cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.




Courtesy: Chef Manju Malhi, 

Greek Barbecued Skewers

Ingredients:
½ cup white wine
juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp mixed dried herbs
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp salt
½ tsp peppercorns, crushed
2 onions, chopped into chunks
4 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces

Method:
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together apart from the chicken.
Then fold in the chicken into the marinade, cover the bowl and place in the fridge for two hours or overnight.

Skewer the meat, alternating each piece of meat with one of the onion pieces.
Then place the skewers under a grill or bake in a 200C/400F oven until the chicken is cooked through.



Courtesy: Chef Manju Malhi, 

Sambal Goreng Udang

Ingredient:
32 small prawns
4 tbsp onion - sliced
40 gm ginger
40 gm onion
40 gm garlic
120 gm red chilli paste
60 ml tomato puree
10 cm galangal slice
10 cm lemon grass
4 salam
60 ml tomato ketchup
40 ml oil
salt and pepper - to taste
4 green chillies - diced
4 red chillies - cut into pieces
2 onions - sliced and fried


For Sambal Ulek (paste)
25 chillies
white vinegar
2 tsp Salt


Method:
Heat 40 ml oil in a wok. Add the sliced onion and the prawns.
Saute‚ for one minute.


Add sambal sauce to the prawns and toss for five minutes or till done.
Remove from heat.


Garnish with sauteed onion, diced red chilli and green chilli.


To prepare the sambal sauce:
Heat oil in a wok.
Add the sambal paste and all the remaining ingredients.


Keep stirring for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat. When cool, store in an airtight jar in a refrigerator.


For Sambal Ulek (paste)
Wash the chillies; remove the stalks, but not the seeds. Put the whole chillies into the jar of a blender, add about 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar then blend.


If the chilli paste is too thick and chunky, add a little more vinegar, blend again: it should become a smooth paste. Then stir in the salt.



Courtesy: Chef Nikhil, 

Spanish Meat Balls

Ingredients:
2 medium onions, crushed
2 cloves garlic , crushed
2 whole cloves
1 small glass of white wine
little flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
½ cup tomato puree
Half a stock cube, dissolved in a cup of hot water
400g minced chicken
1 tsp minced fresh parsley
3 desert spoon soy sauce
1 tsp dried oregano or mixed herbs
2 desert spoon bread crumbs
5 tbsp Olive oil
2 small, ripe tomatoes, chopped
A small cup of peas


Method:
Grate one of the onion and crush one of the clove of garlic.

Add the grated onion, chopped garlic, Soy sauce, oregano or mixed herbs and the bread crumbs to the meat, and mix all ingredients together.

Make a small ball with the mixture about the size of a large marble.

Coat them lightly in the flour and put all the balls on a large plate until you are ready to fry them.

Now make the sauce. Finely chop the other onion and garlic clove.
Place both of them in a non-stick pan with 3 tbsp olive oil, fresh parsley, salt and pepper.

Fry gently until they are soft.
Add the tomatoes and continue to cook.

Pour in the white wine and the cloves, the stock cube dissolved in water, the peas,
the bay leaf and the tomato puree.

Put the remaining olive oil in a separate non-stick frying pan,
enough to cover the bottom of the pan and fry the meatballs until they are brown all over.

You will probably need to fry them in 2 or 3 batches, depending on the size of your fry pan.

As each batch is ready, put the meat balls straight into the pan with the sauce and when they are all done and in the pan, leave them to simmer in the sauce for about half an hour.

You can serve the meatballs on their own as a tapes dish or as a main course accompanied by a green leafy salad or red pepper salad.




Courtesy: Chef Manju Malhi, 

Lamb Burger

Ingredients:
2 Onions, finely chopped
500 gm minced lamb
2 green chilies, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp red chili powder
5-6 black pepper corns, crushed
4 tbsp plain flour or maida
4 tbsp vegetable oil
4 burger buns, sliced in half
2 tomatoes, sliced

Method:
In a large bowl, place the onions, lamb, chilies, garlic, salt, cumin,
chili powder, and black pepper corns and mix well.

Grab a handful of the lamb mixture and make a round patty shape about a half an inch thick.

Put the flour onto a plate and coat each meat burger or patty with the flour.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the burgers on a medium to low heat for five minutes on each side.
Toast the buns under a grill for 3-4 minutes.

Place the lamb burgers in between the buns with a slice of tomato and some tomato ketchup.

Serve hot with the tomato relish on the side.



Courtesy: Chef Manju Malhi,

Baked Paneer (Cottage Cheese) Samosa

Ingredients:
6-7 samosa bases
250 gm paneer
1 cup peas
½ cup onions
1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
½ tsp chilli powder
salt to taste

Method:
Take crushed paneer; add chopped onions, fresh peas, ginger & garlic paste,
red chilli powder, salt. Mix it well.
Squeeze the mix so that the whole mix binds together.

Make cones out of the samosa base and fill in the stuffing mix.
Seal the edges of the base.

Grease the baking tray and place the samosas on it.
Bake them for half an hour at a temperature of 250-300 C.

Keep checking and rotating the sides of the samosa.

Serve with mint chutney.



Courtesy: Chef Aditya Bal, 

Cold Tuna Salad

Ingredients:
3 cups pasta, boiled
2 tbsp celery, chopped
1 cup tuna
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
3 hard boiled eggs cut into small pieces
2 tsp olive oil
salt to taste

Method:
In a large bowl, take the pasta; add tuna, celery, olive oil and lemon juice.
Sprinkle salt and pepper and mix well.

Garnish with eggs.
Cover and refrigerate for a least one hour or overnight. Serve.




Courtesy: Chef Aditya Bal, 

Chicken Rogan Josh

Ingredients:
2-3 pieces chicken breasts
3 tbs oil
1 large sliced onion
8-10 red chillies
1 cup kokum
3 tbs desi ghee
10-12 cloves
7-8 green cardamoms
2 1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
11/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 gm saffron
Salt
Water

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add sliced onions.
Once they turn brown, cool and blend with water to form a creamy paste.

Cut chicken breasts into big equal size pieces and fry them.

Dry roast red chillies. As they turn brown, add water.
Boil, cool and blend with water to form a paste.

Boil kokum in water to extract the essence.

Heat desi ghee in a pan and roast cloves and green cardamoms.
Add garlic paste. As the garlic starts turning brown,
add the onion paste and red chilli paste.

When the fat starts separating, add the chicken pieces,
turmeric powder, salt and black pepper powder.
Saute and add the kokum essence. Stir gently and add water.

When the chicken is cooked, add saffron.
Cook for two minutes and serve hot.




Courtesy: Chef Marut Sikka, 

Tahu Telur (Indonesian bean curd omelettes)

Ingredients:

For Sauce
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 small onion - finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic - finely minced
1 ripe tomato - finely chopped
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar

For Omelette
3 square fresh bean curd
3 large eggs - beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
6 green onions - finely chopped
peanut oil - for frying

Method:

For the sauce:
Heat oil in a saucepan and fry onion and garlic over low heat, stir frequently for five minutes.

Add tomato and fry for 4 minutes or until tomato is cooked to a pulp.
Add soy sauce, water and sugar, bring to a boil. Serve warm.

For the omelettes:
Chop bean curd into small pieces or mash roughly with a fork.
Stir into the eggs, season with salt and pepper; add the green onions.

Heat a large skillet, grease the base lightly with oil and fry the egg mixture in small round omelettes no larger than saucer size.
Make a few and keep warm on a hot plate until all the mixture is cooked.

Serve immediately topped with the sauce.



Courtesy: Chef Nikhil

Thai Yellow Chicken Curry

Ingredients (Yellow Curry Paste):
12 dried Thai chillies
2 tsp sea salt (or coarse salt)
2 shallots - peeled
4 cloves garlic - peeled
1 thick slice fresh galangal (or dried galangal soaked in water until softened)
1 stalk lemon grass, sliced crosswise (discard tough outer leaves and the root end)
1 thick slice peeled ginger root
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp shrimp paste (kapee)

Ingredients (Yellow Curry with Chicken):
3 tbsp yellow curry paste
1 lb chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces
2-3 small red potatoes - scrubbed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 can (16oz) coconut milk
2 tbsp fried shallots
1 tsp fish sauce - to taste

Method (Yellow Curry Paste):
Dry roast corinder seeds and cumin seeds until fragrant over low flame,
in a heavy bottom pan (be careful not to burn).
Set aside.

Pound in a mortar and pestle or process in a small blender/food processor container,
in the following order: dried chillies, sea salt, shallots, garlic, galangal, lemon grass,
and ginger root.

Process or pound until smooth but some small pieces can still be seen.

Now add the roasted spices and curry powder.
Process or pound again until the seeds are completely broken up into powder,
and the paste is blended through.

Last add the shrimp paste and gently blend in, using the mortar or processor.

Method (Yellow Curry with Chicken):
In a small bowl mix the curry paste with 1 tbsp. of water to dilute.
Add to the coconut milk in a medium sized sauce pan.
Stir to mix.

Add the chicken and potatoes, and 1/2 tsp of sea salt.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Cook until the meat and potatoes are cooked through,
not simmering on low heat, but let the curry roll on a low boil.
At the end of cooking, taste and add fish sauce to adjust the saltiness.

Cook a minute longer.
Remove from heat.
Garnish with fried shallots (available ready made in a plastic container), if desired.

Serve with Thai jasmine rice.




Courtesy: Chef Nikhil, 

Paneer Bhurji (Scrambled Cottage Cheese)

Ingredients:

500 gm paneer
1 kg tomatoes
2 tbsp desi ghee
2 bay leaves
3 whole red chillies
1 piece mace
5 green cardamoms
4-5 cloves
2 black pepper corns
3 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp cumin seeds
Chopped green chillies
2 tsp chopped garlic & ginger
1chopped onion
Kasuri methi powder
1 cup cashew nut paste
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin seed powder
2 tbs chopped coriander leaves
Salt
little bit of lemon juice

For the marinade:
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder


Method:
Cut half the paneer into cubes and crumble the other half.
Marinate with ginger and garlic paste, salt and red chilli powder.

Slice tomatoes into quarters.Heat desi ghee in a pan, add bay leaves,
whole red chillies, mace, green cardamoms, cloves, black pepper corns,
garlic paste and ginger paste.

As the garlic turns brown, add the tomatoes, salt and cook on low heat.
Grind the tomato mixture and strain it.

Blend the cashews and add the the tomato gravy to the blended cashew.
Cook for some time in a low heat and add crumbled paneer and mix it well.

Heat desi ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, chopped green chillies,
chopped garlic and chopped ginger.
As the garlic turns brown, add the onions.
When the onions turn golden brown, add red chilli powder, cumin powder,
tomato-cashew paste, cream and little bit of lemon juice and cook for some time.

Now add the paneer cubes and cook for a minute on low heat.

Then add the crumbled paneer mix and cook for a minute.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Courtesy: Chef Marut Sikka, 

Bengali Lamb Curry

Ingredients:
4-5 drumsticks of lamb
11/2 tbs yoghurt
2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tsp castor sugar
2 tsp red chilli powder
2-3 tbs mustard oil
1 onion (chopped)
3 tsp ginger paste
3 tsp garlic paste
5-6 green chillies (chopped)
2 tsp mustard seeds
5-6 chopped almonds

Method:
Marinate the lamb with yoghurt, turmeric powder, castor sugar, salt, red chilli powder and some mustard oil.

Heat mustard oil in a pan, add onion, ginger paste, garlic paste and saute.
Once the garlic turns brown, add the marinated lamb, green chillies and water.
Allow it to simmer.

Boil mustard seeds in water and blend to a fine paste.
Add the paste to the lamb and cook till done.

Garnish with chopped almonds and serve hot.





Courtesy: Chef Marut Sikka, 

Brain Cutlet

Ingredients:
8-10 brains (Goat)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
2 green chillies
2-3 eggs
Finely ground breadcrumbs
Cooking oil
Salt
Water

Method:
Boil water with salt and turmeric and add the brains.
Boil for three to four minutes.
Once the brains are blanched, cool them by putting them in cold water.
Cut them into small pieces.

Grind garlic, chillies, ginger and salt with water to make a thick paste.
Whisk the eggs.

Coat the brains with green garlic paste, dip it in the egg batter and roll them in bread crumbs. Keep for sometime and then fry in oil.

Serve hot.




Courtesy: Chef Marut Sikka, 

Spanish Fish Fry

Ingredients:
Sole fish
1 cup sliced tomatoes
1 cup sliced onions
1/2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
3-4 chopped green chillies
2 tbs vinegar
Salt
1/2 cup water

Method:
Dice onions and tomatoes into thin slices.
Cut the sole fish into big pieces.
Marinate it with salt and lemon juice for thirty minutes.

To make the curry:
Heat some olive oil in a pan, add ginger paste and garlic paste and saute till the mixture turns brown. Add cinnamon, bay leaves, sliced onions and tomatoes.
Add salt, green chillies and then water.
Cover and simmer for sometime.

Heat olive oil in a pan, add vinegar, salt and water.
As it boils add the fish pieces.
Take them out in a dish and pour curry over it. Serve hot.



Courtesy: Chef Marut Sikka, 

Lamb Mince (Keema) Biryani

Ingredients:

500 gm rice
1 cup almonds
5-6 raisins
1 cup yoghurt
2 tbs desi ghee
1 cup sliced onions
1 tbs garlic paste
1/2 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 kg lamb keema
1 glass milk
50 gm butter
1 tbs rose water
5-6 mint leaves
1 piece finely sliced ginger

For the garam masala:
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
3-4 pods green cardamom
Black cardamom
3-4 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp mace
1 tsp black peppercorns
5-6 cloves
Water
Salt

Method:Wash and soak rice in water for some time.

Dry roast cumin seeds, coriander seeds, green cardamom, cinnamon, mace, black peppercorns and cloves. Cool and grind to a fine powder.

Blanch almonds in water, peel and cut them into small pieces. Chop raisins finely.
Heat desi ghee in a pan and add sliced onions. Cook on low heat.

Whisk yoghurt, garlic paste, ginger paste, coriander powder, black cardamom and red chilli powder and add it to the onions. Cook for two minutes. Add lamb keema and saute.
Add salt and garam masala. Cook for sometime.

Add a cup of water and allow it to simmer. Transfer the keema to another pan.
Add milk, butter, almonds and raisins.

Boil the rice. Add rose water and salt and stir.

Put half of the rice into the jhol. Add some mint leaves and ginger.
Put rest of the jhol on top and then the rice. Cover it and allow it to cook. Serve hot.

Courtesy: Chef Marut Sikka, 

Asparagus and Crab Meat Soup

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth
3 tsp of nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbs vegetable oil
6 shallots - chopped
2 garlic cloves - chopped
8 ounces lump crab meat - picked over and drained
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs cornstarch or arrowroot - mixed with 2 tbs cold water
1 egg - lightly beaten
15 oz white asparagus spears
1 tbs shredded coriander
1 scallion - thinly sliced, cut into 1 inch sections with canning liquid reserved

Method:
Combine broth, 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce, sugar and salt in a 3 quart soup pot.
Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer. Heat the oil in a skillet and dd the shallots and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.

Add the crab meat, the remaining 2 teaspoons fish sauce and black pepper to taste.

Stir fry over high heat for about 1 minute then set aside. Bring the soup to a boil.

Add the cornstarch mixture and stir gently until the soup thickens and is clear.

While the soup is boiling, add the egg and stir gently, continue to stir for about 1 minute.

Add the crab meat mixture and asparagus with its canning liquid and cook gently until heated through.

Transfer the soup to a heated tureen.

Sprinkle on the coriander, scallion and freshly ground black pepper.

Makes about 4 to 6 servings.



Courtesy: Chef Nikhil

DIM SIM (Chicken and Prawn / Vegetable Coriander Dumpling)

Ingredients (Chicken and Prawn):

150 gm chicken
150 gm prawn
5 gm sugar
5 ml sesame oil
2.5 gm white pepper
wanton skin
potato starch
salt

Ingredients (Vegetable coriander dumplings): 10 gm carrots
10 gm button mushrooms
10 gm water chestnuts
10 gm bamboo shoots
10 gm garlic
10 ml oil
10 gm brown garlic
5 gm sugar
5 gm sesame oil
wanton skin
potato starch
salt

Method (Chicken and Prawn): Mince chicken and prawns and mix with sugar, salt, sesame oil and potato starch.
Stuff the mixture in the wanton skin and steam.

Serve with Diamond & Loya Sauce

Method (Vegetable coriander dumplings):Mix all ingredients except for wanton skin. Stuff the mixture in the wanton skin and steam.

Serve with diamond sauce.

Method of Wanton Skin: Add cold water with potato and 50 gm of wheat starch, and mix with a pinch of salt.
Add hot water to the mixture and stir till it thickens. Add potato starch till it gets tight.

Make a roll and cut into small balls adding wheat starch over the ball.
Then roll the balls in a flat and round shape with a roller and add fillings.

Method of Diamond Sauce:Soak 250 gm red chilies for 3 hours. Make into paste. Fry 100 gm garlic in oil.

When garlic gets brown, add chili paste, salt, sugar and soya bean powder.

Courtesy: Chef Nikhil, 

Banh Cuon (Vietnamese Dumplings)

Ingredients:

500 gm lean pork - minced
2 tablespoons dried black fungus - soaked and finely chopped
2 small shallots - finely chopped
2 cloves - finely minced
2 garlic - finely minced
1 green chili - finely minced
25 gm coriander leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp water
20-24 wonton wrappers

For Garnishing:
1/25 cucumber - slice thinly
5 shallots - chopped and made into crispy fried shallots

Method:
Mix the pork, black fungus, shallots, garlic, chili, coriander, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the pork mixture for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Allow to cool.

Mix together the corn flour and water in a bowl, adding a little more water if needed.
With your finger, paint some of the corn flour mixture around the edge of a wonton wrapper.

Put a teaspoonful of the pork mixture on the wrapper in a sausage shape.
Roll up the wrapper, pressing the edges together. Continue until all the filling is used up.

Steam or gently boil the dumplings for 5-6 minutes and then serve.
Garnished with the shallots and cucumber stick and with the dipping sauce.

Courtesy: Chef Nikhil,