INDIAN COOKING

65. SATAY SAUCE

This recipe can be prepared in a few minutes if you have the ingredients on hand. Depending on how seriously you take vegetarianism, you might have to reject most brands of peanut butter because the emulsifying agent 471 in almost all cases except nuttelex margarine is derived from animal.

500 gm roasted peanuts or a jar of peanut butter

1 medium onion finely diced

1 t/s fenugreek seeds

1 t/s fenugreek pdr.

1 t/s hing

2 d/s lemon juice.

fresh chilli or chilli powder to taste

3 medium tomato cubed, or 3 d/s tomato paste

2 d/s palm sugar

1 can coconut cream

1 t/s salt or to taste

3-4 d/s vegetable oil for frying

Heat oil in saucepan with fenugreek seeds. When they begin to brown add the onion and chilli Fry gently for a few minutes and when soft add the hing. Mix well then add the fenugreek powder. Add the tomato, coconut cream, salt and palm sugar, then add about 500 ml of water and stir well. Bring this to the boil and simmer for about 5 - 10 minutes. Mince the roasted peanuts and add them or the jar of peanut butter to the saucepan. Add more water according to how thick you want the sauce. Adjust the salt. Stir regularly on low heat until simmering begins then transfer to clean jars. It is best to use small jars so that the bulk of the sauce can remain un-opened and refrigerated until it is all used.

Serve with tofu / tempeh kebabs, rice or as a dip for spring rolls, celery sticks, steamed vegetables, and marinated tofu (#68).

Tara pic

66. PAPPADAMS & SATAY

It is possible to buy packets of pappadams from most supermarkets. They keep for years if you keep them in a closed container. Unless you have a big wok choose the smaller variety of pappadam because they usually swell to 2 or 3 times their size when cooked and are difficult to manipulate in a small oil fryer.

The recommended oil for cooking pappadams is coconut oil but this is difficult to obtain in small quantities so it is usually good enough to use any vegetable cooking oil. Sunflower is probably one of best

Simply heat the oil to when it sizzles water droplets. Immerse the pappadams one by one into the oil with a pair of kitchen tongs. If the oil is hot enough they will swell immediately. Remove from oil as soon as this happens and place in something like a toast rack to drain excess oil. If you are preparing for the next day, the pappadams will stay fresh if you seal them from the moisture in the air inside a plastic bag like a supermarket bag. They are very fragile once cooked.

Serve with satay sauce and with curries.

67 SCRAMBLED TOFU

If you want something for toast, crumble a few tofu or tempeh cubes into a lightly oiled pan and fry for a few minutes. Add soy sauce to your taste. If you have capers in the fridge, sprinkle a few of these in then spread over toast.

For a stronger flavour fry a little onion and/or garlic in the pan first. Crumble in some tofu or tempeh then add a little curry powder, salt or soy and fresh coriander. Spread on toast or savoury crackers.

You need not use marinated tofu. Plain tofu or tempeh can be prepared in the same way. Have a look at the tofu / tempeh Kofta recipe on # 70 for some more ideas about this range of food.

68 MARINATED TOFU

There are numerous marinades that can be made up for tofu and tempeh. This one has been a standard in the restaurant. It is usually enough to marinate for about 24 hours although you can leave the tofu or tempeh in it for weeks.

500 ml orange juice

50 ml soy sauce

20 ml sesame oil

Cut the tofu or tempeh into 2 cm cubes of smaller slices and immerse them in the marinade and return the container to the refrigerator. This marinade may also be used to mix with crushed tofu and used as a layer in casseroles.

You can deep fry or pan fry the tofu or tempeh. If you are going to deep fry the cubes, place them on absorbent paper for a moment so the marinade doesn't splatter in the hot oil.

When they are brown. remove from oil, drain and arrange them on some hot cooked rice and cover them with satay sauce or cashew sauce (# 71). Serve this with a side salad such as lightly boiled and cooled broccoli flowerets dressed with sprouts and the soy-wine sauce (# 46). If you have roasted pine nuts or roasted sesame seeds, sprinkle some of these as garnish.

Marinated tofu and tempeh can be used in a variety of ways. Kebabs are easy. Just intersperse cubes of tofu or tempeh with mushroom, onion, capsicum, tomato etc. on a skewer. Fry or grill then cover with sauce, such as satay.

69. GINGER SAUCE

One sauce to have in the back of your mind for any time you feel like having tofu or tempeh is finely grated fresh ginger mixed with a little soy sauce. You can make a small jar of this sauce and refrigerate it. Grate some ginger through a nail-hole grater and mix with about equal proportions of soy or tamari

You can make more exotic sauces with this as a base. For example, add a little sesame oil and / or a little white wine to this sauce. A little vinegar will give it sharpness. Add a little sweetener such as a syrup. There are unique (according to traditional Western diets) culinary experiences to have if you experiment in these areas.

Use any combination of this sauce with tofu, tempeh or as a salad dressing. Add some olive oil and shake well before using on salads.

70. TOFU / TEMPEH KOFTA

These suggestions area few examples of an appetising presentation of tofu and or tempeh. Solid or silken tofu can be used , or a combination of both. Some stores carry a brand of tofu-tempeh combined. This is a good way to make kofta.

750 gm tofu (solid or combined silken)

250 gm tempeh or tofu-tempeh combined

1 d/s salt

1 d/s poppy seeds or other seed like caraway

1 d/s mustard powder or paste

1 d/s sesame oil (optional)

1 hot chilli (optional)

100 gm cornflour or arrowroot or potato starch

Mash or process the tofu and tempeh until pasty. Mix in all the other ingredients leaving the cornflour until last. Take one walnut size portion , form into a ball and place in a pre-heated deep fryer or a saucepan of hot oil. If it begins to disintegrate, remove from oil and re-mix with the remainder, adding a little more cornflour. Once you are confident the balls will fry without breaking up, cook as many as you need. Fry for only a few minutes. The croquettes should have a golden crust but be soft inside.

Serve with satay, cashew (see next recipe) or ginger sauce on a bed of ong choy (# 19) or spinach mixture (# 20).

71. CASHEW SAUCE

This is an excellent white sauce or dip. It can be served with almost anything. It can be served in place of satay sauce on tofu kofta or tempeh dishes. Try it on steamed broccoli.

200 gm cashews or cashew pieces

1/2 garlic knob (crushed or chopped)

1 d/s ginger (grated)

1 hot chilli (optional or to taste)

2 d/s poppy seeds

1 d/s aniseed (if unavailable try fennel seeds

1 can coconut cream

4 d/s olive or other vegetable oil

3/4 d/s salt

Pre soak about half of the cashews or pieces for a few hours before cooking. Mince or mash the remainder of the nuts into small pieces. When the soaked nuts are soft blend them to a creamy sauce adding more water if necessary.

Gently fry the garlic, ginger and chilli in the oil. When beginning to brown add the poppy seeds and the aniseed. Fry for a about 30 seconds. Add the crushed cashew pieces and stir well for a few minutes. Add the cashew milk and the coconut cream and salt and bring to the boil slowly with regular stirring. Simmer for one or two minutes and then transfer to the storage container. You can make the sauce more liquid by adding more water or more coconut cream.

This sauce can also be made with a mixture of cashew and raw pistachio nuts.

72. ALU KOFTA

This is another variation of potato dumplings (# 72) but they are deep fried instead of boiled.

3 or 4 medium potato

1 d/s nuttelex margarine or olive oil

1 d/s salt

1/2 t/s turmeric (optional)

1 t/s fennel or aniseed (optional)

1/2 cup chopped shallots, dill or coriander

100 gm cornflour or (preferably) potato flour

Cut the potato into quarters (peel them only if you want to) add water to 3/4 the depth of potatoes and bring to simmer with the salt, turmeric, seeds and margarine.When soft, mash the potatoes to a fine mix in the cooking, water. Add the shallots or coriander or dill and mix in well while still hot.

Allow to cool enough to touch and then mix in the cornflour or the potato flour. Mix well

Take a walnut size piece, form a ball and drop into a saucepan of hot oil to check that it does not disintegrate. Fry until a golden crust has formed. If the first ball begins to break up remove it from the oil and add it back to the main mixture. Add more cornflour and try again.

Serve alone or with sauce like tahini (# 10) cashew (# 71). They are excellent on the green dhal sauce (# 56).

73. CHANNA KARI

This is a very satisfying and nutritious curry and very simple to make. It can be made from chic peas or from lima beans, or a mixture of both.

250 gm chic peas soaked 12 - 24 hours

1 d/s salt or to taste

1/4 d/s bi-carb soda

2 - 3 d/s vegetable oil for frying

2 d/s cumin seeds

2 medium onion, chopped

2 d/s fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped

4 - 6 cloves of garlic " " " "

2 -3 hot chilli cut into rings or powder to taste

1/4 d/s hing

1/4 d/s cumin powder

1/4 d/s turmeric

1/8 d/s garam masala

250 gm cubed tomato or can of peeled tomato

50 gm grated or desiccated coconut or a can of

coconut cream

1/4 bunch fresh coriander (optional)

Pressure cook the soaked peas in 500 ml of their soaking water the bi-carb and the salt, for 5 minutes or simmer until they are very soft adding enough water to keep the same level as 500 ml.

Have the onion and ginger ready to cool the oil. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or a large fry pan then add the cumin seeds. Stir constantly until they begin to pop and turn brown. Once this begins to happen quickly add the onion and ginger to lower the temperature and prevent burning the seeds.

Reduce the heat and continue to fry until the onion and ginger are soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and the chilli and fry slowly until soft. Add the dry ingredients, mix in well, fry for about 30 seconds an then remove from heat.

Add the fried mixture to the peas when they are cooked, otherwise add the cooked peas to the fried mixture. Mix in the tomato and the coconut and gently bring the mixture to the boil. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes on a heat disperser and adjust the salt and chilli. Take care to prevent burning at the base.

Cut off the coriander roots, wash the stems and leaves and chop into about 2 cm lengths. Add this to the curry mixture and when it begins to evenly simmer again remove from heat and transfer to storage jars.

SERVING: Heat and serve alone as a dip with bread or on rice or corn chips. Top with fresh chopped tomato and green onion or fresh chopped coriander.

CONTINUE

The recommended oil for cooking pappadams is coconut oil but this is difficult to obtain in small quantities so it is usually good enough to use any vegetable cooking oil. Sunflower is probably one of best

Simply heat the oil to when it sizzles water droplets. Immerse the pappadams one by one into the oil with a pair of kitchen tongs. If the oil is hot enough they will swell immediately. Remove from oil as soon as this happens and place in something like a toast rack to drain excess oil. If you are preparing for the next day, the pappadams will stay fresh if you seal them from the moisture in the air inside a plastic bag like a supermarket bag. They are very fragile once cooked.

Serve with satay sauce and with curries.

67 SCRAMBLED TOFU

If you want something for toast, crumble a few tofu or tempeh cubes into a lightly oiled pan and fry for a few minutes. Add soy sauce to your taste. If you have capers in the fridge, sprinkle a few of these in then spread over toast.

For a stronger flavour fry a little onion and/or garlic in the pan first. Crumble in some tofu or tempeh then add a little curry powder, salt or soy and fresh coriander. Spread on toast or savoury crackers.

You need not use marinated tofu. Plain tofu or tempeh can be prepared in the same way. Have a look at the tofu / tempeh Kofta recipe on # 70 for some more ideas about this range of food.

68 MARINATED TOFU

There are numerous marinades that can be made up for tofu and tempeh. This one has been a standard in the restaurant. It is usually enough to marinate for about 24 hours although you can leave the tofu or tempeh in it for weeks.

500 ml orange juice

50 ml soy sauce

20 ml sesame oil

Cut the tofu or tempeh into 2 cm cubes of smaller slices and immerse them in the marinade and return the container to the refrigerator. This marinade may also be used to mix with crushed tofu and used as a layer in casseroles.

You can deep fry or pan fry the tofu or tempeh. If you are going to deep fry the cubes, place them on absorbent paper for a moment so the marinade doesn't splatter in the hot oil.

When they are brown. remove from oil, drain and arrange them on some hot cooked rice and cover them with satay sauce or cashew sauce (# 71). Serve this with a side salad such as lightly boiled and cooled broccoli flowerets dressed with sprouts and the soy-wine sauce (# 46). If you have roasted pine nuts or roasted sesame seeds, sprinkle some of these as garnish.

Marinated tofu and tempeh can be used in a variety of ways. Kebabs are easy. Just intersperse cubes of tofu or tempeh with mushroom, onion, capsicum, tomato etc. on a skewer. Fry or grill then cover with sauce, such as satay.

69. GINGER SAUCE

One sauce to have in the back of your mind for any time you feel like having tofu or tempeh is finely grated fresh ginger mixed with a little soy sauce. You can make a small jar of this sauce and refrigerate it. Grate some ginger through a nail-hole grater and mix with about equal proportions of soy or tamari

You can make more exotic sauces with this as a base. For example, add a little sesame oil and / or a little white wine to this sauce. A little vinegar will give it sharpness. Add a little sweetener such as a syrup. There are unique (according to traditional Western diets) culinary experiences to have if you experiment in these areas.

Use any combination of this sauce with tofu, tempeh or as a salad dressing. Add some olive oil and shake well before using on salads.

70. TOFU / TEMPEH KOFTA

These suggestions area few examples of an appetising presentation of tofu and or tempeh. Solid or silken tofu can be used , or a combination of both. Some stores carry a brand of tofu-tempeh combined. This is a good way to make kofta.

750 gm tofu (solid or combined silken)

250 gm tempeh or tofu-tempeh combined

1 d/s salt

1 d/s poppy seeds or other seed like caraway

1 d/s mustard powder or paste

1 d/s sesame oil (optional)

1 hot chilli (optional)

100 gm cornflour or arrowroot or potato starch

Mash or process the tofu and tempeh until pasty. Mix in all the other ingredients leaving the cornflour until last. Take one walnut size portion , form into a ball and place in a pre-heated deep fryer or a saucepan of hot oil. If it begins to disintegrate, remove from oil and re-mix with the remainder, adding a little more cornflour. Once you are confident the balls will fry without breaking up, cook as many as you need. Fry for only a few minutes. The croquettes should have a golden crust but be soft inside.

Serve with satay, cashew (see next recipe) or ginger sauce on a bed of ong choy (# 19) or spinach mixture (# 20).

71. CASHEW SAUCE

This is an excellent white sauce or dip. It can be served with almost anything. It can be served in place of satay sauce on tofu kofta or tempeh dishes. Try it on steamed broccoli.

200 gm cashews or cashew pieces

1/2 garlic knob (crushed or chopped)

1 d/s ginger (grated)

1 hot chilli (optional or to taste)

2 d/s poppy seeds

1 d/s aniseed (if unavailable try fennel seeds

1 can coconut cream

4 d/s olive or other vegetable oil

3/4 d/s salt

Pre soak about half of the cashews or pieces for a few hours before cooking. Mince or mash the remainder of the nuts into small pieces. When the soaked nuts are soft blend them to a creamy sauce adding more water if necessary.

Gently fry the garlic, ginger and chilli in the oil. When beginning to brown add the poppy seeds and the aniseed. Fry for a about 30 seconds. Add the crushed cashew pieces and stir well for a few minutes. Add the cashew milk and the coconut cream and salt and bring to the boil slowly with regular stirring. Simmer for one or two minutes and then transfer to the storage container. You can make the sauce more liquid by adding more water or more coconut cream.

This sauce can also be made with a mixture of cashew and raw pistachio nuts.

72. ALU KOFTA

This is another variation of potato dumplings (# 72) but they are deep fried instead of boiled.

3 or 4 medium potato

1 d/s nuttelex margarine or olive oil

1 d/s salt

1/2 t/s turmeric (optional)

1 t/s fennel or aniseed (optional)

1/2 cup chopped shallots, dill or coriander

100 gm cornflour or (preferably) potato flour

Cut the potato into quarters (peel them only if you want to) add water to 3/4 the depth of potatoes and bring to simmer with the salt, turmeric, seeds and margarine.When soft, mash the potatoes to a fine mix in the cooking, water. Add the shallots or coriander or dill and mix in well while still hot.

Allow to cool enough to touch and then mix in the cornflour or the potato flour. Mix well

Take a walnut size piece, form a ball and drop into a saucepan of hot oil to check that it does not disintegrate. Fry until a golden crust has formed. If the first ball begins to break up remove it from the oil and add it back to the main mixture. Add more cornflour and try again.

Serve alone or with sauce like tahini (# 10) cashew (# 71). They are excellent on the green dhal sauce (# 56).

73. CHANNA KARI

This is a very satisfying and nutritious curry and very simple to make. It can be made from chic peas or from lima beans, or a mixture of both.

250 gm chic peas soaked 12 - 24 hours

1 d/s salt or to taste

1/4 d/s bi-carb soda

2 - 3 d/s vegetable oil for frying

2 d/s cumin seeds

2 medium onion, chopped

2 d/s fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped

4 - 6 cloves of garlic " " " "

2 -3 hot chilli cut into rings or powder to taste

1/4 d/s hing

1/4 d/s cumin powder

1/4 d/s turmeric

1/8 d/s garam masala

250 gm cubed tomato or can of peeled tomato

50 gm grated or desiccated coconut or a can of

coconut cream

1/4 bunch fresh coriander (optional)

Pressure cook the soaked peas in 500 ml of their soaking water the bi-carb and the salt, for 5 minutes or simmer until they are very soft adding enough water to keep the same level as 500 ml.

Have the onion and ginger ready to cool the oil. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or a large fry pan then add the cumin seeds. Stir constantly until they begin to pop and turn brown. Once this begins to happen quickly add the onion and ginger to lower the temperature and prevent burning the seeds.

Reduce the heat and continue to fry until the onion and ginger are soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and the chilli and fry slowly until soft. Add the dry ingredients, mix in well, fry for about 30 seconds an then remove from heat.

Add the fried mixture to the peas when they are cooked, otherwise add the cooked peas to the fried mixture. Mix in the tomato and the coconut and gently bring the mixture to the boil. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes on a heat disperser and adjust the salt and chilli. Take care to prevent burning at the base.

Cut off the coriander roots, wash the stems and leaves and chop into about 2 cm lengths. Add this to the curry mixture and when it begins to evenly simmer again remove from heat and transfer to storage jars.

SERVING: Heat and serve alone as a dip with bread or on rice or corn chips. Top with fresh chopped tomato and green onion or fresh chopped coriander.

CONTINUE