Vegetable Curry with Potato, Pumpkin, Carrot and Peas

You can vary the vegetables in this curry dish.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large brown onion, finely chopped

1/2 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 or 2 red chillies, finely chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 medium potatoes, cut into small uniform-sized cubes

2 large carrots, cut into small pieces

1 medium size wedge of pumpkin or 1 butternut pumpkin, cut into small uniform-sized cubes
1/2 to 1 cup peas

1 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons garam masala

Heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions, chillies and ginger.  Stir and fry 5 to 10 minutes until onions are softened.

Add the turmeric and salt.  Mix well.

Add the potatoes, pumpkin and carrots. Mix well and cover.  Simmer over medium heat until vegetables are just tender. 

Add the salt and garam masala to the vegetables.  Mix well.  cook for 1 or 2 minutes.  

Serves 4 to 6.

Dhal

Nutritious and inexpensive, Dhal is a marvellous accompaniment to meat and / or vegetable curries. 

 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

250 g (8 oz) red lentils

1 or 2 red chillies, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

4 1/2 cups boiling water

3 tomatoes, quartered

2 onions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped

Put lentils, chilli and salt into a saucepan with boiling water, and cook until tender.  Puree lentils in a blender or food processor or push through a sieve.  Fry tomatoes and onions in oil until golden.  Add to lentils with ginger and cook for 5 minutes.  The Dhal should have a thick consistency.  Serves 4 to 6.

Kofta Curry

A Kofta Curry is an Indian Meatball Curry.   One of my favourite Indian dishes, it is pictured below with some Vegetable Curry.

Meatballs

500g (1 lb) of finely minced beef

1 onion, finely chopped

1 or 2 red chillies, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons of fresh coriander leaves

1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon chilli powder

flour

oil for frying

Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Meatballs

Mix beef with onion, chillies, coriander, garlic, salt, garam masala and chilli powder.  Mix together until stiff and smooth( you can use a food processor).  Roll into medium size balls and dust lightly with flour.  Fry in shallow oil until golden on all sides. Set aside to drain.

Sauce

Fry the onion and ginger in oil until soft.  Add turmeric, salt, garam masala and chilli powder and stir for a minute, then add tomatoes.  Cook while stirring for a minute.  Stir in lemon juice and water.  Add meatballs and stir to coat with sauce.  Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce is thick.  Serves 4.

Hokkien Noodles Stir Fried with Satay Beef

600g hokkien noodles
350g rump steak, finely sliced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1 medium red capsicum, finely sliced
150g broccoli florets
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup satay sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1/3 cup thin soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketjap manis
150g snow peas, topped and tailed
1-2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

Soak the noodles in hot water for 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
Heat oil in wok, and stir fry the beef and ginger, in batches, until browned. Remove the beef and set aside.
Heat oil in wok, then stir fry the onion, capsicum and broccoli until just tender.
Return the beef to the work, add the juice and sauces, stir fry until it boils.
Add the noodles and snow peas, stir fry until hot.
Add coriander leaves, and stir fry until combined.
Serve sprinkled with the chopped peanuts.

La Ribollita - Tuscan Bean and Vegetable Soup

A month in Tuscany, and what better Italian dish to enjoy than La Ribollita, the Tuscan Bean and Vegetable Soup? On returning home, I was determined to make this for family and friends. Some of the recipes I have seen don't include the second cooking, but this seems to be a necessity. This soup is so thick you can stand a spoon up in it.

2 1/2 cups of dried haricot beans, soaked overnight and drained
2 tablesp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 leeks, finely chopped
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
small piece hot chilli pepper
1 ham bone
salt and pepper

Garnish:
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
1 sprig thyme, finely chopped
8 slices bread, toasted
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and gently fry the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, leeks, rosemary and the piece of chilli until they begin to turn brown. Add the beans and ham bone. Cover with water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 1 to 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Remove the ham bone and process half the beans in a blender or food processor, then return to the soup.
Heat 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil and gently fry the the crushed garlic cloves and thyme until golden. Strain half the oil into the soup, discard the garlic. Stir the soup well.
Arrange the slices of toast at the bottom of a wide casserole dish, sprinkle with half the parmesan cheese and pour the soup over the top. Cover with the onion slices and add the rest of the oil and grated parmesan cheese. Cook in a moderate oven (375 F, 180 C) for about half an hour.

Guavas in Syrup

My neighbour has a guava tree but does not like guavas. She gives them to me and I cook them up in this simple syrup. Don't forget the tot of rum or other liquor, it seems to round off the flavour. This is delicious with vanilla ice cream.

About 1 dozen medium guavas, peeled and sliced
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
A tot of rum or other spirits

Slowly bring the water and sugar to the boil in a pan, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Add the guavas and the rum.
Gently poach until the fruit is soft.

Baked Pears in Syrup

This is a perfect dessert: easy to make, delicious to eat. I enjoy these pears just on their own, but they are also good with ice cream.


8 to 10 firm large Bosc pears
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
juice of one lemon

Peel and core the pears, and cut them into quarters. Make the syrup by combining sugar, water and lemon juice in a pan on the stove top. Cook for about five minutes, and then pour the syrup over the peeled pears. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place pears in shallow baking dish, and pour the syrup over them. Bake for about one hour or until the pears are tender. The syrup will reduce and thicken. Turn pears when half done.

Indian Melon Curry

2 tablespoons oil
1/2 brown onion, finely chopped
2 thin slices fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/4 to one chilli pepper, minced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cardamon seeds, crushed
pinch of salt
3 cups rock melon or honeydew melon, cubed
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons honey

Heat oil. Fry onion, fresh ginger, chilli pepper until soft.
Add turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin and crushed cardamon. Stir and fry for one minute.
Add melon cubes, and stir to combine with spices.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add the lemon juice and honey. Mix well, bring to boil over medium heat.
Simmer one or two minutes to heat the melon.
Serve hot or cold.

Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 thin slices laos, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh chilli, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon blachan shrimp paste
1 cup cooked meat, finely sliced
1/2 cup cashew nuts
3 to 4 cups cooked rice
spring onions or fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Heat the oil. Add onions, garlic, fresh chilli and laos, and gently fry until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add coriander, cumin and blachan and stir for about one minute.
Add nuts and cooked meat.
Add the cooked rice, and gently heat.
Serve garnished with spring onions or fresh coriander leaves.

Note: laos, a spice much like fresh ginger, can be found in oriental shops or some vegetable shops. If you cannot obtain it, you may leave it out.

Mushroom and Onion Quiche

This beautiful recipe makes good use of the wild mushrooms I collect in the Australian autumn, usually in May. Depending on the weather, I sometimes find them as early as February. I chop them, cook them simply in olive oil, and then freeze them.

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
3/4 cup milk
1 small onion, chopped very finely
2 large eggs
250g (1/2 lb) fresh mushrooms, sliced
125g (1/4 lb) bacon, fried and drained
250g (1/2 lb) cheddar cheese, shredded
one 23 cm (9inch) pie shell, baked

Saute onion in butter 3 to 4 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat; drain and cool slightly. Sprinkle crumbled bacon into pie shell. Cover with onion-mushroom mixture. Cover with grated cheese. Lightly beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 230 degrees Celsius (450 degrees Farenheit ) f0r 12 minutes. Reduce oven to 150 C (300 F) and bake for 25 to 40 minutes until set.


This recipe comes from a website called "the Kitchen of Babsonline", but it appears to have vanished from the online world.