Ajwain

Ajwain is a spice, also known as Carom or Bishop,s seeds, mainly used In Asia for culinary purpose as well as medicinal use.

It is rich in essential oil Thymol.

It is used as a digestive tonic and carminative.

It is also used as a preservative in canned food. It possesses anti-fungal properties.

My recipes containing Ajwain:
                                         Spicy crispy Fries
                                         Instant Tandori Chicken

http://www.lifemojo.com/lifestyle/10-kitchen-spices-with-healing-power-3852125

Lamb Karahi

Karahi is a delicious traditional Pakistani dish. 

Meat is cooked in a spicy batter in a wok called"karahi"

Lamb -1/2 Kg (marinate with papaya)

Tomatoes – 4 (sliced into 4)

Green Chilies – 6

Garlic paste – 1 Tablespoon

Ginger paste – 1 Tablespoon

Red chili flakes – 1 tea spoon

Garam masala – 1 teas spoon

Salt – according to taste

Cumin – 1 teas spoon

Dry Coriander -  1 tea spoon

Ground black pepper – 1 tea spoon

Oil to cook – ½ cup

Heat oil in a wok (called Karahi in sub-continent). Fry meat, tomatoes and green chilies for 15 min. This step adds the peculiar taste to Karahi. Remove the excess oil later.

After removing the excss oil, add garlic, ginger, red chili, garam masala, salt, cumin, dry coriander, ground black pepper to the meat. Add 1 glass of water to cook thoroughly. (You can try with chicken and other meats; add water accordingly like no need for chicken)

Cook over low flame until meat is tender.

Now add some green chili, sprinkle fresh coriander and serve with Pita bread, or Naan.

Cumin

Cumin seeds apart from giving flavor to your food possess certain health benefits.

• Surprisingly, it contains remarkable amount of Calcium.
• Apart from that it possess minerals like Iron, magnesium and sodium

• It also contains Vitamins like C,E and A and anti-oxidents.
• It is a rich source of Essential oils like thymol and dietry fibre.

Instant Tandori Chicken

Chicken -1 kg

Garlic - 3 cloves

Mix the following spices in yogurt to make a batter;

CHAT MASALA - 1,2 tsp

Red chili flakes- 1tsp

Salt – According to taste

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Ajwain - 1/2 tsp

Yogurt - 200 grams

Pre-cook chicken in microwave for 8 min (add some water to chicken and cook in microwave)

Heat oil in a pan, now add chopped garlic.

Add chicken

Add the Spice batter.

Cover the pan and let meat cook in steam.

Serve with spicy crispy Fries.

Coriander

Spices not only add spice to the food, in fact each of them has its own individuality in terms of nutritional value. It is wonderful to see how a tiny spoon full of a particular spice is laden with essential nutrients.

Coriander (Raw and dried) is used as a flavoring agent or for garnishing. 

Mostly consumed in Indian subcontinent, It is used in making spices and sauces. I love the aroma of both raw and dried coriander.

• It contains essentials oils as well as vitamins including vitamin C and, vitamin A.
• It is rich in minerals including iron & phosphorous.
•  It also contains anti-oxidants, the cancer fighting agents.
• It acts as an appetizer and a carminative

Coleslaw

Mayonnaise 1 cup

Cream – 1/2cup

Salt & pepper to taste.

Sugar – 1 tablespoon

Cabbage – sliced – 1 cup

Carrots – shredded – 1/2cup

Milk (optional) 1oz

Mix mayonnaise and cream. Add cabbage & carrots. Add salt, pepper, & sugar according to taste.

• This is the basic coleslaw recipe. Show your creative abilities and experiment with different ingredients.
• You can add pineapple, apple, chickpeas, pomegranate, sliced potatoes, corn, even pasta!
• Sprinkle coriander or parsley for an oriental touch!

Potato Salad

Following are easy and simple salad recipes. Make to compliment your main course.

Potatoes

Salt & pepper to tatse

Chopped parsley

Sour cream and double cream

Chopped Green onion

• Wrap big washed potato in silver foil, put in oven, a gas mark 6, for ½ an hr.

When cooked, quart it. Sprinkle with pepper + salt + chopped parslay + sour cream

• Mix peeled baked potatoes, add chopped green onion. Add sliced olives. Sprinkle black pepper and salt. Dab with double cream .

Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Butter – 6 tablespoon

Ground sugar – 6 tablespoon

Milk – 6 tablespoonn

Cocoa powder – 2 tablespoon

Cornflour – 3 tablespoon

Mix all the ingredients and than cook on medium heat to a smooth custardy consistency.

Stir all the time.

Remove from heat and cool by keeping over cold water (stir consistently)

• You can adjust the quantity of ingredients according to your taste. This sauce has a delicious taste. Of course not like the superstore branded sauce which contains many additives and taste modifiers as well. 
• But than as I say for a healthy, organic lifestyle, some adjustments will have to made!

Homemade Cheese

Farm fresh milk – ½ a litre (2 glasses)

Yougurt- 250ml

Muslin cloth

Bring milk to boil. Add yogurt. Milk will quickly cuddle. Stir for 5-10 min.

Remove from flame until all the milk has precipitated.

Drain & squeeze in a muslin cloth. Leave it in a hanging position, to drain all the liquid.

Leave for 7—8 hrs or until well formed. Now remove from the muslin cloth. A shapely cheese block is ready!

• This homemade cheese gives a tangy, course taste, different from the superstore cheese.
• It is course in texture. Doesn’t melt like manufactured cheese, so can be used in stuffed chicken breasts (wont leak)

Plain Cake

DThis is the basic cake recipe that my mother taught and I have been using since the age of 10.

You can be creative, add chocolate, vanilla essence etc. Power into layers of chocolate and vanilla.

Plain flour – 1 cup

Sugar – 1 cup

Butter -1cup

Eggs -3

Baking powder – 1 ½ Tea Spoon

Mix butter & sugar. Give it a good mix with a beater.

Mix flour and baking powder. Use sieve for better mix. Add eggs, beat lightly. Now add the butter & sugar mixture to it. Fold the mixture using a spoon.

Bake in pre-heated oven. Check whether cooked, by inserting knife.

Butterfly Prawns

Prawns – 12

Egg -1

 Plain flour - 2tablespoon

Corn flour - 2 tablespoon

Sujji - 2 tablespoon

Rice flour - 2-table spoon (optional)

Baking powder - 1/4th teaspoon

FOR MARINATE:

Garlic – 2 cloves, chopped

Salt & white pepper according to taste.

Lemon juice -2 tablespoons

Soya sauce - 2 tablespoons

Marinate Prawns with garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, soya sauce. Leave for an hour.

Now mix all flours (corn flour, plain flour, sujji, rice flour).Add baking powder. Add egg to it. Mix to form a batter.

Now dip marinated prawns to the above batter & deep fry until golden brown.

TIP: You can also mix the marinating ingredients to the batter above. Add prawns. Leave for an hour and than deep fry.

Crispy, restaurant tasty prawns are ready.

Prawn Toast

Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped

Prawns - 5-6, cleaned and mashed

Water -2-3 tablespoon

Salt & black pepper to taste

Green onion – 1/2oz

Sandwich Bread

Mix prawns, garlic, salt, pepper &green onion.

Add 2-3 tablespoon water. Apply it over bread slice. Press a little to embed prawns.

Grill it or fry until light golden brown.

Cut transversely into 4 triangles & serve.

Chicken Pie

This is a pie recipe with oriental touch. You can experiment with different meats and vegetables.

Puff Pastry -1

Chicken - 1/2 kg. Sliced into cubes (Can use beef/Lamb slices)

Oil for cooking

Onion – 1, chopped

Turmeric powder -1 Tablespoon

Black pepper – 1 Tablespoon

Salt & Red chili according to taste

BISTO gravy sauce – Cook according to instructions -1 and a 1/2 cup

Cook chicken cubes in 3 glasses of water. (Use this chicken broth to make BISTO gravy)

In another pan, fry onion until golden brown.

Add cooked chicken cubes to it.

Add salt, pepper, red chili, turmeric powder.

Add BISTO sauce.

Cook to a thick, saucy consistency.

Pour mixture into an oven dish, Cover it with Puff Pastry.

Place in heated oven. Cook until puff pastry golden brown. Serve with Potato wedges

French Open Sandwich

Boiled and shredded chicken – ½ cup

1 boiled egg

Salt & pepper to taste

Sandwich bread -  cut into circles (insert a glass over bread slices & cut into round shapes)

Mustard – ½ tsp

Tomato ketchup

Fresh cream – 1tsp

Mix shredded chicken, boiled egg, mustard, cream, ketchup, salt and pepper.

Apply the paste over sandwich bread.

Garnish. Serve cold

TIPS: you can be as creative as you want with sandwiches.

For garnish, u can add cheese, prawns, olives, tomato slices, mint leave, and smoked chicken etc

          

Homemade White Sauce

HOMEMADE WHITE SAUCE

Plain Flour – 2 tablespoons

Butter- 2 tablespoons

Milk – 2cups

Nutmeg (crushed) (optional)

Oregano (optional)

Mix butter and plain flour in a pan and cook for 5 minutes on low flame. It gives out a nice smell.

Now add ½ cup milk to it. Mix it. Than add rest of the milk. Cook on high flame, until it is saucy in consistency.

The starch granules in flour bursts and releases starch, which gives it a thickened consistency.

Use warm milk for smooth consistency.

NOTE: This is the basic white sauce recipe. To augment taste, you can add nutmeg, oregano to it.

             It is used in various pasta recipes, sandwiches, Lasagnia etc.

Peach-Condensed Milk Drink

Peach 1, sliced

Lemon juice - 3-4 tsp

Water-  1/2 cup,

Condensed milk- 4-5 tsp

Sugar (optional)

Ice cubes or ice cream

Blend all ingredients in a blender. 

Pour into glasses and serve.

delicious!

Spicy Crispy Fries

4 Potatoes sliced into fries.

Salt & Red chili according to taste

Chat Massala – 1 Table Spoon

Corn Flour –  2 Table Spoons.

Ajwain – 1 pinch  

Mix all the ingredients. Cover potato chips with the spice mixture.

Deep fry until cooked.

Garlic Bread

French loaf- 1

Cheddar cheese- 2oz

Butter-2oz

Garlic- 2-3 cloves

Salt & pepper to taste

Oregano - 1 pinch

Mix all the ingredients. Slice French bread loaf into 1-inch slices.

Rub the mixture over the bread with a knife.

Grill for 10 min or until light golden brown

Tips: This is the Basic Garlic bread recipe. You can experiment by adding red chili flakes to make it spicy, mayonnaise or spring onion.