Pancake and fillings

Makes 12-14 large, flat pancakes

• 110g plain flour , sifted
• A pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 200ml milk mixed with 75ml water
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil

Instructions

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour exposing the bottom of the bowl.
2. Break the eggs into it and add a little milk. Using a wooden spoon or whisk, mix the egg and milk and then gradually draw in the flour from the sides as you mix. Add more milk to the central well little by little as required to prevent it becoming too thick and dough like.
3. When the mixture reaches the consistency of thick cream, add the remaining milk and stir in the oil. # Cover the bowl and chill for 30 minutes, to allow the starch cells to swell, giving a light result.
4. For speed you can whizz the flour, sugar, eggs and milk in a blender or food processor until smooth. It takes a matter of seconds.
5. Lubricate a pancake pan or frying pan by heating it up and wiping with oil. Pancakes are not fried in fat; the purpose of the oil is to simply prevent them from sticking.
6. Pour enough batter from a jug into the hot pan to coat the base of the pan thinly. As soon as it hits the pan swirl the pan to help the batter spread across the base, tip out any excess batter into the jug.
7. Place over a medium heat, it should only take half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it’s tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife – the other side will need a few seconds only – then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate.

To prepare ahead Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest. They can be frozen like this, well wrapped, then defrosted as needed.

Fillings

Pesto, Ham and Leftover Vegetables

Add a little pesto to the pancake batter. Make a white sauce or use a bought cheese sauce. Mix in leftover cooked chopped ham, sweetcorn and any leftover cooked vegetables roughly chopped. Spread the mixture over 2/3 of the pancake, roll up and place seam side down in a greased dish. Sprinkle with cheese and heat in the oven until piping hot. Serve with a crisp green salad.

Chicken Stir Fry

For an oriental twist, add chopped coriander to the pancake mix and use coconut milk in place of the regular milk. Fill the pancakes with leftover cooked chicken and stir fried vegetables. A great way to use up any stray vegetables from the fridge.

Spanish Pancakes

Add a pinch of chilli to the pancake batter. Heat a jar of spicy arrabiata pasta sauce in a pan, add any leftover chopped vegetables that you have hiding in the fridge. Bring to the boil and cook until reduced a little. Fry an egg in a non-stick frying pan. Place a chilli pancake on a warmed plate, spread with the arrabiata sauce and top with an egg. Sprinkle over grated cheese and chopped coriander.

Green Pancakes

Fold in leftover cooked spinach to the batter. This gives a lovely speckled pancake and tastes great filled with a mixture of leftover vegetables such as sauteed chopped leeks, mushrooms and grated leftover cheese.

Mince Pancakes

Spread any leftover Bolognese sauce or chilli over 2/3 of a pancake.Roll up and place seam side down in a greased oven proof dish, top with a cheese sauce and grated cheese and bake until golden and hot through.

Savoury Veggie Pancake(Cheela)

Ingredients

2 Cups Suji (Semolina)

2 Cups Plain Yogurt

Salt

Kid Friendly:

1 finely grated yellow squash

1 finely grated carrot

OR

Traditional:

Half a chopped onion

2 finely chopped medium tomatoes

Handful of chopped cilantro

Green Chilis

Directions

- Combine the Suji (semolina) and yogurt and let it sit for 20 minutes
- While the Suji mixture is settling together chop or grate your veggies. By the time you are done with chopping and perhaps even some of the clean up if you are quick your mixture will be ready. If you are making the kid friendly version please use a very fine grater since these don't take long to cook and you want the veggies to be thin otherwise theY will taste raw.
- Add water to the batter because the mixture will have thickened and you want the consistency to be spreadable. The amount of water will depend on how thick the batter has gotten.
- Add salt and the veggies to the batter and mix
- Heat a pan and coat with oil
- Once the pan is hot add a scoop full of the batter and spread it around so that it's not too thick
- Do not flip until the bottom is cooked and most of the batter is dried up (2-3 minutes - exact time will depend on how powerful your stove is)
- Flip your pancake and cook for a couple more minutes
- It's ready to serve - eat it plain, with chutney, or ketchup

If you are making the Kid Friendly version once you have cooked theirs add some chilies and cilantro to the batter and it will add a little spice and be great for you to eat too!

Popcorn chicken

Ingredients for marination
Boneless chicken – 250g (cut in 1 inch cubes)
Paprika powder – ½ tsp
Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
Mustard powder – ½ tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Mix all above ingredients in chicken and leave for 10 to 15 minutes.

Ingredients for the batter
Self raising flour – ½ cup
Salt – ½ tsp
Egg – 1
Oil – 1 tbsp
Milk – as required
Self raising flour – for rolling (as required)

Method:
In a bowl add flour, egg, salt, oil and make smooth batter with milk. Now add marinated chicken in this mixture and mix well. Then roll chicken pieces in dry flour then deep fry until golden brown. Serve with fries and ketchup.
If any one could not find self raising flour, then add ½ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt in ½ cup plain flour.

Aloo Tikki

Ingredients for filling:
Boiled chana daal – 1 cup
Thinly chopped onion – 1
Coriander powder – 1 ½ tbsp
Red chilli powder – 1 ½ tbsp
Garlic – 1 tbsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Green chilli – 4 to 5
Oil – 4 tbsp
Thinly chopped fresh coriander – 4 tbsp

In pan put oil along with onion, daal, red chilli powder, salt, coriander powder, garlic and freshcoriander, mix well and fry for 2 minutes. Coarsely ground in chopper. Mixture is ready to fill potatoes cutlets.

Ingredients for aloo tikki:
Boiled and mashed potatoes – ½ kg
Bread slices – 2(soaked in water)
Salt – to taste
Fried ground cumin seeds – 1 tbsp

Mix salt, cumin seeds and bread slices (squeeze water with hands) in mashed potatoes. Fill potato with daal mixture and make cutlets. Now dip in lightly beaten egg, then in dry flour and fry from both sides. For serving need to make three kinds of sauces, date and tamarind sauce, yogurt and mint sauce and chilli garlic sauce.

Date and tamarind sauce:
Tamarind pulp – 1 cup
Dates – 4 to 6
Cumin seeds – 1 tbsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 3 tbsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Strain tamarind pulp, add dates with 1 ½ cup of water and cook till dates soft. then add salt, cumin seeds, red chilli powder and lemon juice mix and cook for 1 to 2 minutes and blend.

Yogurt and mint sauce:
Yogurt – 1 cup
Mint – 1 bunch
Salt – ½ tsp
Green chillies – 4 to 6
Put all above ingredients in blender and blend.

Chilli garlic sauce:
Whole red chillies – 5
Red chilli powder – 2 tbsp
Garlic paste – 2 tbsp (fried in little bit of oil)
Sugar – 1 tbsp
First cook whole red chillies in some water until soft, then add sugar, red chilli powder and garlic. Cook another 5 minutes and blend.

Pani Puri-2

Pani puris are a great snack, served as chat and found on roadside food carts all over India. They are served filled with spicy water, chickpeas and potatoes.
Makes about 60 puris.

Ingredients:

• Pani (Spicy Water):
• 1 cup mint leaves (Pudina)
• 2 to 4 green chilies (adjust to taste)
• 3 tablespoons tamarind paste (Imli)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon black salt
• 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/8 teaspoon asafetida (Hing)
• 1 tablespoon roasted cumin seed powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups water (adjust to taste)
• Puris:
• 1/4 cup All Purpose flour (Maida or Plain Flour)
• 3/4 cup fine Sooji (Semolina Flour)
• 1/2 cup water (as needed)

Method:

1. Pani (Spicy Water):Blend everything except the water together to make a fine paste. While blending, add water as needed to blend.
2. Taste to adjust the green chilies as they can be mild or hot. Add more lemon juice, sugar, and salt as needed to your desired taste.Remember you will be adding more water to dilute so paste should be spicier. Strain the paste using water as needed.
3. After straining mix the paste with remaining water or adjusting to the taste.
4. The pani (water) will taste best if refrigerated for a day.

Puris:

1. Mix the flour and sooji. Add water as needed to make firm dough. Knead the dough until it is pliable. Cover the dough with a damp cloth for about ten minutes.
2. Damp two kitchen towels, spread one damp towel over a cookie sheet or plain surface, close to where you are going to fry the puris.
3. Divide the dough into about 60 small balls. Keep them under a damp cloth.
4. Start rolling each ball to about a 2-inch diameter circle. Place over a damp towel and cover with another damp towel. Do this for all 60 puris. TIP: Placing the puris between damp cloths helps the puris to puff evenly on all sides.
5. Heat the oil on medium high heat. Oil should be about 1 1/2 inch high in frying pan. To test the oil, put a little piece of dough in the oil. The oil is ready if the dough comes up right away and does not change color.
6. Start frying the puris, starting first with the puri you first rolled.
7. Put one puri in the oil and press lightly. When it puffs turn over and put another puri in the oil. Keep adding six to eight puris at a time. Fry the puris until they are golden-brown all around by turning a few times.You may adjust the heat as needed while frying.
8. Take the puris out and place over paper towel, so the excess oil is absorbed. TIP: When taking the puris out of the frying pan, make sure to tilt the skimmer so that the excess oil is drained before placing on the paper towel.
9. Fry all the puris. They should be crisp and puff like a ball.

How to Serve:
Pani puris are served by making a small hole in each puri. Fill the puris with boiled and chopped potatoes, or boiled chickpeas. Finish by filling each puri with the spicy pani (water). Enjoy!

Gol Gappay ( Pani Puri)

Ingredients:

For making Gol Gappe:
1. Sooji (Semolina) 1/2 cup
2. Maida (Plain Refined Flour) 1/2 tbsp.
3. Soda – ½ tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Oil for Frying
6. Oil – 2 tbsp
Instructions:
For Gol Gappe or Gol Gappa :
1. Mix semolina, plain flour, Cooking Soda salt, 2 tablespoons of oil and knead well to make dough, leave it bit stiffer than normal.
2. Cover it with a wet towel and let it stand for 20 minutes.
3. Now make very small balls and roll them into small circles.
4. Remember not to make the circles bigger as they have to be eaten whole.
5. Remember to put the circles under a damp cloth as soon as you roll them.
6. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and then fry them.
7. The idea is to puff them like a sphere and fry them till golden brown.
8. Take them out and put them on kitchen paper towel, to get rid of the extra oil.
9. Let them completely cool down (otherwise they will become soggy) before you put them into an airtight container.
Ingredients for Spicy Pani or Spicy Water:
1. Chopped Mint Leaves 1 1/2 cups
2. Chopped Coriander Leaves 1 tbsp.
3. Tamarind – 1/3 cup
4. Ginger 1″
5. Green chillies – 4 to 5
6. Ground Cumin Seed (roasted) 1 tsp.
7. Kala Namak (Black Salt) 1 1/2 tsp.
8. Salt to taste
Method for making spicy water or Pani:
1. Soak the tamarind pulp in one cup of warm water for one hour.
2. Strain the tamarind residue out to get thick tamarind water. While straining in the strainer mash the tamarind with the help of a spoon.
3. Put mint leaves, chopped coriander, ginger, chillies and dry roasted cumin seed.
4. Add a little water and mix to a smooth consistency using a blender.
5. Put this thick paste into a jug and add fill the jug with water. (Add the water slowly and taste the mixture and if you want to dilute more then add water.)
6. Add salt and black rock salt to taste. (Black Salt or Kala Namak is an important ingredient in this)
7. Put it in the fridge to cool down.

Ingredients for Red Tamarind Chutney:
1. Tamarind 1 cup
2. Jaggery – ½ cup
3. Sugar 2 tbsp.
4. Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
5. Black pepper powder – ¼ tsp
6. Dry Roasted cumin powder 1 tsp
7. Cloves – 2
8. Warm water – 2 cups
9. Vegetable oil 1 tsp
10. Salt to taste
Method for Red Tamarind Chutney:
1. Remove the seeds from tamarind and soak it in warm water for one hour.
2. Meanwhile dry roast the cumin seeds and the cloves.
3. Pound them into coarse powder.
4. Now take the Tamarind pulp mixture, strain it and add jaggery, sugar, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, roasted cumin powder, cloves and salt.
4. Put the mixture in a pan and heat for 5 minutes on medium heat.
5. Remove from heat and let it cool down.
Note that on cooling down it will thicken up a bit, consistency like thick cream is ok. Otherwise you may want to add some warm water.
6. On cooling, blend the contents in a blender
For Filling: 
1. Boiled Potato finely chopped /mashed and mixed with salt and red chilli.
2. Boiled chick peas.
How to Serve: 
1. Poke a small hole in the centre of the Gol Gappa (or Puri).
2. Add some mashed boiled potato small quantity of mashed potatoes as filling. Add a little Red Tamarind Chutney. Dip it in the spicy water (or pour some spicy water in it)

Crustless Quiche -2

sautéed veggies
1 cup of milk
½ to ¾ lb. of grated cheese
4 to 5 eggs, beaten
salt, pepper, dried or fresh herbs
two garlic cloves pressed or chopped

I use a combination of finely chopped zucchini, broccoli, onion, mushrooms, green pepper, salt, pepper, herbs and garlic sautéed in olive oil. But any combination of veggies will work. Use your favorite.

Arrange the veggies in the bottom of a quiche pan. There should be enough to cover the entire bottom.

Mix other ingredients together and pour over the veggies, spreading the mix evenly with a fork.

Place on a cookie sheet because it makes it easier to handle.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the center is firm and the top is golden brown.

Quiche Recipe

Quiche recipe originates from France. Quiche can be served for breakfast or lunch, whatever you please.
It's easy to make and the bacon bits and ham makes it very tasty! Mainly out of eggs, quiche has many variations! You can switch or add ingredients if you like but have a try with my own version of it (and crustless.


Ingredients (4 servings):
3 long pieces of bacon
6 eggs
100 mL milk
1 and 1/2 cups smoked ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
margarine

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Method:
Part 1 (60 min)
(1) Fry bacon with oil on the pan until crispy. (2) Let it cool and dice them. Leave them aside for now. At this point, pre-heat the oven to 350-375°F. (3) Grease ceramic (or glass) pan with margarine. (4) Whisk eggs in a bowl and pour into ceramic pan. (5) Add milk and mix. (6) Add smoked ham to bowl and mix.

Part 2 (60 min)
(1) Mix cheese to bowl. (2) Mix chopped green onions into bowl. (3) Finally, place bacons bits on top and bake in 350-375°F for roughly 50 mins. You know it’s ready when you insert the toothpick in the center of the pan and no mushy stuff sticks to the toothpick when you pull it out.

Your guests will be amazed at the colourful and attractive quiche! ;-)

Cut out a piece and enjoy.

Empanadas

Empanada recipe makes a pastry that is stuffed usually with chicken or beef. It originates from Spain, Portugal, Latin America and the Philippines.
What's nice about this empanada recipe is that you can get creative with the stuffing. I am showing you an example of ground beef stuffing but you can essentially create your own using either chicken or if you're vegetarian, some eggs and tofu.

The empanada's can either be deep fried or baked. In this recipe I am baking. If you want to deep fry, set the deep fryer for 375 F and cook each side of for 2 min.

Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients (2 servings):
Empanada shell:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold water
1 egg
2 teaspoon vinegar
2 tablespoons margarine
Filling:
ground beef (extra lean, about 150 g)
1/2 potato
1/8 onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon cajun spice
3/4 to 1 cup mozzarella cheese

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Method:
Part 1 (10 min)
Add the margarine in a large bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds so it becomes soft (1). To that same bowl, beat the egg, salt, vinegar and water together (2). Add the flour and mix well (3). Refrigerate for 30 min.

Part 2 (30 min)
In the meantime, we're going to make the filling. Defrost the ground beef (1). Pour some olive oil in a frying pan (2). Finely chop the onions, garlic and peeled potato (3). Once the beef is done defrosting, spread it out on the frying pan (4) and add the potatoes, pepper and cajun spice (5). Turn on the medium heat (6) and cook it for 10 min (7). When the beef is well cooked, add in the onions and garlic and cook for 5 min (8). Grate the cheese and place it in a small bowl (9).

Part 3 (35 min)
Preheat the oven to 375 F (1). Roll the dough into 1/8 inch thick layer (2). Cut out a large circle using either a cookie cutter or put a clean plate on the dough (3) and cut out a circle with a knife (4). Remove the excess dough from the cut out circle. Place the filling, and the cheese in the center (5). Carefully fold over the circle with contents into a semicircle (6). Crimp down the edges with a fork (7). Put the empanada's on a baking tray (8). Bake in oven for 20 min (9).

Serve.