Curried vegetable pancake

200 g pumpkin, grated

2 large potatoes, grated

1 onion, grated

½ cup sour cream

½ cup milk

1/3 cup flour

2 teaspoon curry powder

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Vegetable oil for shallow frying

Place pumpkin, potatoes and onion in a colander and set over a bowl to drain. Squeeze to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Place vegetables, sour cream, milk, flour, curry powder and eggs in a bowl and mix well to combine. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Drop tablespoons of vegetable mixture into the hot oil and coo for 2-3 minutes each side until golden. Drain on absorbent paper and serve immediately. Serves 4. 

Vegetarian chilli

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 onions cut into eighths

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 carrots, sliced

1 red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper chopped

250 g pumpkin, diced

2 teaspoons chilli paste

1 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

4 tomatoes, cut into eighths

3 tablespoons tomato paste

½ cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups vegetable stock or water

2 X 440 g canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

250 g green beans, cut into 2.5 cm lengths

25 0 g baby squash, quartered

4 zucchini (courgettes), sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

2 avocados, halved, stoned and peeled

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup sour cream or yoghurt

Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onions and garlic and coo or 5 minutes until onions are soft. Add carrots, red and green pepper and pumpkin and cook for 5 minutes longer. Stir in chilli paste, oregano, cumin, tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato sauce, stock, red kidney beans and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 5 minutes until vegetables are almost tender. Add green bean, squash and zucchini and cook for 10 minutes longer until all vegetables are tender. Season to taste with black pepper. Place avocados, lemon juice and black pepper to taste in a bowl and mash. Serve avocado mixture and sour cream with the dish. 

Tofu with curry sauce

3 tablespoon peanut oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon medium curry paste

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoon soy sauce

¼ cup vegetable stock

½ cup coconut milk

500 g tofu, cut into cubes

Heat oil in a frying pan, add garlic nd cook over a medium heat for 1 minute. Stir in curry paste, sugar, soy sauce, stock and coconut milk, bring to simmering and simmer for 5 minutes until sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Arrange tofu on a serving platter, spoon sauce over and serve immediately.

Curried onion puffs

24 pastry cases

CURRIED ONION FILLING

30 g butter

2 onions, chopped

2 teaspoons flour

2 teaspoons curry powder

½ cup cream

Freshly ground black pepper

To make filling, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add onions and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until onions are golden brown and soft. Stir in flour and curry powder and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in cream, bring to boil and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Season to taste with black pepper. Spoon filling into puffs and bake for 10 minutes until heated through at 180ºC.

Curry powder is a combination of turmeric, coriander, chilli, cumin, ginger, black pepper, fenugreek and cardamom.

Mushroom cheese strata

14 slices bread, crust removed

2 large white onions, sliced wafer thin

250 g fresh mushroom, thinly sliced

250 g cheese slices

4 eggs

1 ½ cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

Grated cheese

Chopped parsley to garnish

Grease flan and arrange half bread slices in the base. Place a layer of onions, mushrooms and cheese on top of bread. Beat the eggs, add the milk and seasonings. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the flan. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in slow oven for 60-70 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley while still hot. Stand for 10 minutes, then cut into wedges to serve.

Paneer Peshawari

Ingredients:

1 Cup Paneer cubes
2 Onions;1 finely chopped; 1 thinly sliced
3 Tomatoes,1 ½ finely chopped; remaining thinly sliced
2 Bell peppers; green, red, yellow thinly sliced
1 tsp Cumin seeds
½ tbsp Cumin powder
½ tbsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder
½ tsp Turmeric powder
2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Kasthuri methi leaves
3 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp Butter
½ cup Fresh cream
3 tbsp Cashew nut paste
Salt to taste
Water as required

Cooking Instructions: Soak a handful of cashew nuts in warm water for a few hours. Grind to a fine paste and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and when it begins to splutter add the finely chopped onions. Fry till onions are soft and light brown.  Add the chopped tomatoes, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric powder. Mix well and saute till oil floats on top around 8-10 minutes. Now add the sliced onions, tomatoes and bell peppers. Add about a cup of water and cook on medium. Let the veggies cook and come to a boil. Stir in the paneer cubes, cashew paste, cream and the kasthuri methi. Add salt to taste. Paneer Peshawari is ready.

Egg paratha

Ingredients:

4 Eggs
2 Cups wheat flour
1 Chopped capsicum
1 Chopped tomato
2 Chopped onions
Chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp Red chilli powder
2 tbsp Cooking oil
Clarified Butter or Ghee

Cooking Instructions: Pour oil into a frying pan and heat it. Add chopped onions and fry on medium heat till they become golden brown. Add the tomato and capsicum and fry it for few minutes. Now add eggs, salt, red chilli and mix it properly. Cook the mixture until eggs are well done. Put coriander leaves into the mixture. Take off from the flame and leave the mixture aside. Make the dough by adding sufficient water to the flour. Knead it to convert into soft dough. Add 2 tbsp of clarified butter to it and knead it again for some time. Make small balls out of the dough. Roll the balls to give them roti shape.Take one roti and put the egg mixture. Cover it with another roti. Roll this roti a little and fry both sides properly in butter. Egg Paratha is ready to serve.