Its winter here in South Africa and not all of us want to go off  to the doctor when we pick up a cold, flu or our sinuses start playing up. There are natural alternatives that we can pursue to ward off the winter bugs and sniffles.

Cumin seeds, also known as jeera is used in most curry recipes but did you know that there are alternate uses? There are many health benefits to sipping on a tea of cumin seeds and water. By boiling a handful of cumin seeds along with water and drinking this tea can help keep away colds and keep the digestive system on track.

• It’s a rich source of iron so cumin is particularly helpful if you happen to be anemic. Pregnant or mothers that are still breast feeding need additional iron.
• If you are suffering from indigestion, flatulence, diarrhoea, nausea or morning sickness.
• If you are suffering from acidity then drink some of tea or chew a pinch of raw cumin seeds.
• Cumin seeds have antiseptic properties and aid in curing common colds.
• It prevents cough formation, which collects in the respiratory system. Since it is supposed to be hot, it dries up all the mucous.

Although Cumin seeds are a naturally available spice, please consult your health practitioner  to understand any risks that you may have.

Soaking Time: 10 Minutes
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
15 to 20 almonds (badam)
4 cups white stock
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp plain flour (maida)
3/4 cup hot milk
3 to 4 drops almond essence
salt and to taste
2 tbsp cream

Method

Soak the almonds in hot water for 10 minutes, drain and remove the skin.

Keep 2 to 3 almonds aside and blend the remaining in a mixer till smooth using a little stock.

Cut the remaining almonds into slivers and bake them in an oven until crisp. Keep aside.

Add the prepared almond paste to the white stock and mix well. Keep aside.

Heat the butter in a deep non-stick pan, add the flour and sauté over a slow flame for 5 minutes, while stirring continuously, taking care the flour does not discolour.

Add the almond paste and remaining white stock, mix well and bring to boil, while stirring continuously.

Add the milk, almond essence, salt and pepper, mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the cream and mix well. Serve immediately garnished with almond slivers.

Handy tip:

Combine 2 cups of chopped mixed vegetables (potatoes, onions, pumpkin and cabbage) with 5 cups of water and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles, blend till smooth and strain. You will get 4 cups of white stock, use as required.

Almond Soup

Ingredients

Method

Holi is a joyous celebration of colour and mirth. It celebrates the end of Winter, the arrival of Spring, the end of the darkness of winter and the light of spring.

It is celebrated with dancing, tomfoolery, music and splashes of colour. This is a day that people can get away with mischievous acts of dousing passers by with coloured powders, water cannons (pitchkaris), pranks and general playful mischief. Any if anyone gets upset, the rousing retort is, “Don’t mind, it’s Holi!” (Hindi = Bura na mano, Holi hai.)

Here are sites with more information:

http://www.holifestival.org/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/holydays/holi_1.shtml

Holi and Hinduism

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Makes 4 tikkis
Show me for  tikkis

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1 tsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lehsun) paste
1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp finely chopped broccoli
salt to taste
1/2 cup boiled and grated potatoes
2 tbsp grated mozzrella cheese
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs for coating
2 tsp olive oil for cooking
Method

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the onions, ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and sauté for 2 minutes while stirring continuously.
2. Add the broccoli and salt and sauté on a slow flame for another 5 to 7 minutes or till the broccoli is almost cooked.
3. Remove from the flame, add the potatoes and cheese and mix well. Keep aside to cool.
4. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape each portion into flat tikkis. Alternatively make tikkis of desired shapes using different moulds as shown in the picture.
5. Roll each tikki in the bread crumbs and keep aside.
6. Heat a non-stick pan and cook each tikki using ½ tsp of oil till it turns golden brown on both the sides.
7. Serve hot.

http://www.tarladalal.com/Cheese-and-Broccoli-Tikkis-30833r

The result was quick, easy and delicious homemade breakfast which we topped with Garlic Mushrooms. You can see for yourself our result at the bottom.

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 100 gms grated paneer (Indian cottage cheese available in most Indian stores. If you cannot get your hands on any you could try Ricotta cheese as a substitute.)
• 3 potatoes , par-boiled (we microwaved it instead)
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 1 green chilli , finely chopped
• 150 gms grated cheese
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt to taste

Method

1. Peel the potatoes. Grate coarsely or slice. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook for 1 minute.
3. Sprinkle the green chilli, cheese and paneer and cook on a slow flame for a few seconds.
4. Spread the potatoes in the pan.
5. Cook until crisp and brown on the underside.
6. Loosen around the edges with a knife.
7. Invert and take out in one piece. Cut into desired pieces.
8. Serve hot.

We served this with Garlic button Mushrooms on top and it was fantastic.

On the frying pan:

About to be topped up with the Garlic Mushrooms:

The final product

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Makes 4 plates

Ingredients
To Be Blended Into Garlic Green Chutney
(makes approx. 3/4 cups)
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped coriander (dhania)
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
1 tbsp chopped spinach
1 tbsp roughly chopped garlic
6 to 7 green chillies
salt to taste
a few drops of lemon juice
2 to 3 tbsp water

For The Aloo Masala (Spicy Potato Stuffing)
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
6 to 8 curry leaves
1 cup boiled, peeled and roughly mashed potatoes
1 tbsp soaked and boiled dried green peas or boiled fresh green peas
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
salt to taste

Other Ingredients
8 slices bread
8 tsp butter
4 tsp green chutney
1 medium sized cucumber , peeled and cut
1 cup shredded cabbage (optional)
2 tsp sandwich masala (a blend of cumin, black salt, black pepper, fennel, cinnamon, clove, mango powder and other spices mix – dont worry if you dont have it though)
1 medium sized onion , peeled
and cut into thin slices
1 medium sized tomato , cut into thin slices
1 small pepper , deseeded and thinly sliced
4 1/2 tsp butter for greasing and cooking

For Serving
2 tsp butter
4 tbsp nylon sev
tomato ketchup
garlic green chutney

Method
For the aloo masala

1. Heat the oil in a small pot and add the mustard seeds
2. When the seeds crackle, add the curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
3. Add the potatoes, curry leaves, turmeric powder, ginger-green chilli paste, coriander and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for another minute. Remove from the flame and keep aside to cool.

How to proceed

Trim off the edges of each slice of bread, apply 1 tsp of butter and ½ tsp of green chutney on each slice and keep aside.
Place a slice of bread, with the buttered side facing upwards, on a clean flat surface.
Arrange a few cucumber slices (approx. 6 to 7) or ¼ cup of shredded cabbage and sprinkle ¼ tsp of sandwich masala evenly over it.
Place 1/4th of the stuffing and spread it evenly over it.
Arrange 2 onion slices, 2 tomato slices and 2 capsicum slices over the stuffing and sprinkle ¼ tsp of sandwich masala evenly over it.
Place another slice of bread, with the buttered side facing downwards and press it lightly.
Place it in a greased sandwich toaster and cook using 1 tsp of butter, till it turns brown and crisp on both the sides. (refer handy tip).
Cut into 6 equal pieces, place it on a plate and apply ½ tsp of butter evenly over it.
Sprinkle 1 tbsp of sev evenly over it and serve immediately with tomato ketchup and garlic green chutney.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more plates.

Handy tip:

Vendors use a hand toaster to toast the sandwich over the stove on the roadside. While using a hand toaster, pre-heat the toaster over the flame, apply some butter and then place the sandwich inside. Cook it on one side till it turns brown. Turn the toaster and cook till the sandwich turns brown on

Variation:

Cheese masala toast: place a generous amount of grated cheese over the capsicum slices (after step 5 in above recipe), top with another slice of bread. Cook in a sandwich toaster and cut into 6 equal pieces. Sprinkle some grated cheese over the pieces and serve immediately.

We wish our Muslim customers well over this auspicious month

Below is a link to a print and keep Ramadaan timetable.

Ramadaan Timetable 2011

Dahi kachori, although rooted in the north, this filling snack has found its own place in the good old streets of mumbai! it’s a challenge to deftly bite into this king-sized snack. However well you do it, you will have a spot of chutney ooze out onto your face… be a sport, it is part of the roadside eating experience!

Soaking Time:  30 Minutes
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Makes 4 plates

Ingredients

For The Dough

• 3/4 cup plain flour (maida)

• 1 tbsp melted ghee

• salt to taste

For The Filling

• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)

• 1 to 2 cloves (laung / lavang)

• 2 tsp oil

• 3/4 tbsp besan (Bengal gram flour)

• a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

• 3 tbsp yellow moong dal (split yellow gram) , soaked , boiled and drained

• 3/4 tsp ginger-green chilli paste

• 1/4 tsp chilli powder

• 1/2 tsp garam masala

• 1 1/2 tsp dried mango powder (amchur)

• a pinch of sugar (optional)

• salt to taste

Other Ingredients

• 1/4 tsp oil for kneading

• oil for deep-frying

For Serving

• 4 tbsp boiled moong (whole green gram) sprouts

• 1 1/2 cups chilled fresh curds (dahi) , beaten

• 4 tbsp meetha chutney

• 2 tbsp teekha phudina chutney

• 4 tbsp nylon sev

• 1 tsp dry masala powder

• 4 tsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

Method

For the dough

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, add enough warm water and knead into a semi-soft dough.
2. Keep covered under a wet muslin cloth for 5 minutes and keep aside.
3. Knead again using oil till smooth and elastic and divide it into 4 equal portions. Keep aside covered with a wet muslin cloth.

For the filling

1. Dry roast the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and cloves in a kadhai on a medium flame for a few seconds. Remove and keep aside to cool.
2. Blend in a mixer to a coarse powder and keep aside.
3. Heat the oil in the same kadhai, add the besan and sauté on a slow flame for a few seconds.
4. Add the asafoetida, moong dal, ginger-green chilli paste, chilli powder, garam masala, dry mango powder, sugar and salt, mix well and sauté on a medium flame for a minute.
5. Divide it into 4 equal portions and keep aside.

How to proceed

1. Roll out a portion of the dough into a 62 mm. (2½”) diameter circle.
2. Place a portion of the filling mixture in the centre of the rolled dough circle.
3. Bring in the edges of the dough by slowly stretching over the filling and seal the ends tightly.
4. Roll again into a 75 mm. (3”) diameter circle taking care to ensure that the filling does not spill out.
5. Gently press the centre of the kachori with your thumb.
6. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 5 more kachoris.
7. Heat the oil in a kadhai and deep-fry the kachoris on a slow flame till they turn crisp and golden brown in colour from all the sides. (the kachoris should puff up like puris. It will take time to fry on a slow flame as the crust is thick and needs to be cooked) keep aside to cool.

How to serve

1. Crack a small hole in the centre of a kachori and arrange on a plate.
2. Stuff each kachori with 1 tbsp of moong sprouts and top with ¼ cup of curds, 1 tbsp of meetha chutney and 1½ tsp of teekha phudina chutney.
3. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of sev, ¼ tsp of dry masala powder and 1 tsp of coriander evenly over it and serve immediately.
4. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more plates.

http://tarladalal.com/Dahi-Kachori-%28-Mumbai-Roadside-Recipes-%29-33412r

Ingredients