Category Archives: Favourite recipes

My most flavourful recipes

Favourite recipes

Paneer and broccoli masala

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  • 2 tblsp oil or ghee
  • About 200 g paneer (made of 1 l milk and 1 dl yoghurt) in bite-size cubes
  • 20 fresh curry leaves, if available, otherwise similar dried
  • 2 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tblsp ginger peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 chilies, or to taste, in whichever way, shape or form available
  • 2 tblsp tomato purée
  • 1 tblsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tine coconut milk
  • 200 g broccoli florets
  • 1 tblsp tamarind paste or to taste
  • Salt
  • Garnish with fresh coriander if available.

Gently brown the paneer on all sides in the oil. Remove from the pan.

Crisp up the curry leaves in the same pan. Remove them from the pan to use as garnish.

Sizzle the mustard seeds and cumin seeds adding more oil if needed. Stir in turmeric and onion. Allow the onion to soften before stirring in garlic, ginger and chilies, followed by the tomato purée, garam masala and ground coriander after a further minute.

Pour in the coconut milk and tamarind, bring to a simmer, and add the paneer and broccoli. Simmer for five minutes.

Favourite recipes, Main courses

Slow-roast spiced lamb

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1 leg of lamb, about 2 kg

3 cloves garlic, two of them for the spice paste

4 rosemary sprigs

1 red chili, sliced

2 onions, finely sliced

500 ml stock or water, heated

Salt and pepper

Spice paste:

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 half tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp English mustard

4 tbsp oil or ghee

Make some deep cuts into the meet wide and deep enough for the paste and herbs and spices.

Blend all the ingredients for the spice paste.

Rub the spice paste all over the lamb and into the holes and every other nook and cranny. Fill the holes with rosemary, chili and garlic.

Place the lamb in a roasting tray, add the onions (and whole, small potatoes if you like) and the stock or water. Cover with foil and roast for five hours at 140 C. Baste every hour with the juices.

While the meat (should be almost falling off the bone) rests covered in foil, strain the stock and skim off as much fat as you can. Boil to reduce and thicken.

Favourite recipes

Aubergine and pea curry

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2 tblsp oil or ghee

1 half tsp cumin seeds

1 large onion, chopped

1 tblsp tomato paste

3 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tin tomato

1 tsp salt

Chili to taste, in whichever way, shape or form available

1 half tsp turmeric

1 large aubergine, in large cubes

75 g peas

Sizzle the cumin seeds in the oil, stirring, then add the onions and cook for about ten minutes till the onions are translucent but not brown. Add the garlic, stir-fry for a couple of minutes, then add the tomato paste and stir. Add the tin of tomatoes, chili, turmeric and salt, and cook for about five minutes.

Now add the aubergine, mix well, cover and cook for around ten minutes till the aubergines are done, stirring occasionally. Finally add the peas and cook briefly till they are heated through.

Favourite recipes

Asparagus and peas in a mustard sauce

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2 tblsp mustard

1 green chili

2 tblsp lemon juice

3 cloves garlic

2 cm ginger, peeled

150 ml Greek yoghurt

2 tblsp desiccated coconut

2 tblsp oil or ghee

1 half tsp cumin seeds

1 half tsp black mustard seeds

1 large red onion

A bundle asparagus cut into 2 cm pieces

400 g peas

1 tsp salt

Blend mustard, chili, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, yoghurt and coconut to a fine paste.

Sizzle cumin seeds and mustard seeds, add the onion and cook for about eight to ten minutes till translucent but not browned.

Reduce the heat and add the paste, stirring for a couple of minutes at low heat.

Turn heat up to medium and add the asparagus except for the tips. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the asparagus tips and peas and cook for about a minute. Season with the salt.

Favourite recipes

Beans and potatoes with toasted sesame seeds

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Note – if you want to use okra, they need to be added a bit earlier than beans.

  • 30 g sesame seeds, toasted
  • 2 tblsp ghee
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 10 curry leaves, a couple of tblsp if they are dried and crumpled
  • 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 400 g potatoes, scrubbed, each cut into six wedges
  • a packet of beans from the freezer
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 1,5 tsp tamarind paste
  • 0,5 tsp ground turmeric
  • Salt and black pepper

Sizzle the cumin and mustard seeds as well as the curry leaves in the oil, stirring until the seeds start to pop. Add the garlic.

Then add the potatoes, browning them for a couple of minutes, add a splash of water and cook for about ten minutes, covered. Add the beans, and if the potatoes stick to the bottom also another splash of water. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Add chili flakes, tamarind, turmeric, salt, black pepper and sesame seeds. Stir, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender.

Favourite recipes

Ideas for post-corona all-manner-of-pancakes-and-waffles party

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Starters

Blinis

Mains

Pfannkuchen mit Schwarzkohl-Feta-Füllung (magazine cutting)

Cheddar and chive savoury waffles https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/103512491422730944/

http://meerasodha.com/chickpea-pancakes-with-lime-pickle-paneer/

Dessert

Schoko-Buchweizen-Pancakes (magazine cutting)

Kürbiswaffeln mit Mohn und Granatapfelkerne (magazine cutting)

Pancake-Ecken mit Mango-Birnen-Kompott (magazinecutting

Favourite recipes, Miscellaneous

Glühwein 24 december 2019

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2 bottles redwine

4 organic oranges in slices

2 organic lemons in slices

2 satchels bourbon vanilla sugar

2 cinnamon (not cassia) sticks

8 cloves

2 star anise

Optional: I added a glug of leftover amaretto.

Heat till almost boiling point and let infuse, overnight if possible.

Reheat till almost boiling point, and serve.

Favourite recipes, Main courses

Lamb shanks in a spicy yoghurt curry

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8 lamb shanks

14 garlic cloves, chopped

2 large knobs of fresh ginger, chopped

4 tsp mild paprika

2 tsp coriander powder

Grind garlic and ginger to a paste and add the paprika and coriander powder. Smear all over the lamb shanks, put in a tightfitting plastic bag and marinade, turning from time to time, overnight.

 

8 tblsp olive oil (that is what I always use but others prefer a lighter vegetable oil

10 cloves

2 cassia bark (genuine cinnamon) sticks, broken in half

12 cardamom pods, slightly crushed

26 black peppercorns

4 onions, peeled and chopped

4 green chilies, coarsely sliced

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp turmeric powder

4 tsp coriander powder

3 tblsp tomato puree

8 tblsp full-fat yoghurt

Up to a half liter water

Juice of 2-3 limes

 

Heat the oil and sizzle the cloves, cassia bark sticks, black peppercorns and cardamom pods for a minute or two.

Add the onions and cook on medium heat for up to 15 minutes until the onions start to caramellise.

Add the chillies, coriander and turmeric. Add a little bit of water if the mixture gets too dry.

Mix in the tomato puree.

At this point, the mixture can be frozen till the day you are going to serve the lamb shanks.

Or you can proceed to add the lamb shanks, turning them over so they seal evenly. Add yoghurt and water and cook for a couple of hours, turning the shanks occasionally, till the meat is very tender.

Add lemon juice, test for salt, garnish with chopped fresh coriander and/or thin onion slices.

 

Favourite recipes, Main courses

Chicken and cashew nut curry

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1,2 kg chicken pieces, skin removed

250 g cashew nuts

15 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

4 cm fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 large onions

2 tblsp coriander seeds

1 tblsp cumin seeds

5 whole red chillies

10 cloves

2 cassia bark (genuine cinnamon) sticks

100 g grated coconut

1 dl olive oil (or a lighter vegetable oil if you prefer)

 

Blitz 100 g of the cashew nuts with a bit of water to a thick, smooth paste. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, dry-roast the garlic, ginger, onion, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, cloves, cinnamon, and 75 g of the cashew nuts over a low heat for five minutes.

Add the coconut and roast, stirring, till the coconut starts to brown. Leave to cool.

Blend this mixture with 2-3 dl water to a very smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a wide cooking pot, add the blended spice mixture and fry for ten minutes over a low heat.

Add the ground cashew nut paste with some salt and fry for another two to three minutes.

At this point, the mixture can be frozen till the day you are serving the chicken.

Or you can proceed to increase the heat, add water to the desired thickness, bring to the boil, add the chicken, turn to medium heat, add the rest of the cashew nuts, and simmer till the chicken meat is done.

Favourite recipes, Main courses

Black-eyed beans in a spicy tomato gravy

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250 g black-eyed peas

A good knob of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

8 garlic cloves, chopped

2 fresh chilies, e.g. jalapeño, deseeded and chopped

6 cl oil (I always use a good olive oil, but others prefer lighter vegetable oils)

3 onions, chopped

2 tblsp ground cumin

1 tblsp ground coriander

1 tsp cayenne pepper

4 dl chopped tomato

Salt

Black pepper

Juice of 1 lime (or 2, if you bought it in Denmark where the quality is most often abysmal and getting juice from a lime is much like drawing water from a stone …..).

2 tblsp chopped fresh coriander leaves and 1 small thinly sliced red onion for garnish

 

Rinse the black-eyed peas and soak them in plenty of water for about 8 hours or overnight. Discard the soaking water. Cook the peas in plenty of water for 45-50 minutes.

Grind the ginger, chili pepper and garlic to a paste.

Heat the oil and sizzle the onions at medium heat for at least ten minutes, till they start to caramellise.

Add the garlic paste and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes.

Add the cumin, coriander and cayenne, stir and cook for another minute.

Add the tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

This sauce can now be frozen until the day you need to serve it.

Or you can add the black-eyed beans straightaway and cook for another 15 minutes.

Season with salt and black pepper, add the lime juice, and garnish.