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Smoky and Spicy Lamb Burgers

June 16, 2014 by manjirichitnis 27 Comments

Come Summer and I am one happy bunny,more so because I really miss the omnipresent sunshine from back home in Mumbai city! But the one thing I love the most about the British Summer is the amazing BBQ’s we have ! Last years most fun barbie was at our friends place , we OD’ed  on grilled seafood and Pimms – hoping to have a repeat of that this year !

Some friends have a BBQ planned for later this month but I couldn’t wait so got myself some lamb mince and decided to use some fresh mushrooms and add my own twist to the burgers with a bright red smoked sweet red pepper! My trusty old griddle pan at hand , I turned my tiny urban open plan kitchen into a tiny BBQ party venue!

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Perfect time to use up some of the wonderful La Chinata smoked paprika powder.

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Ingredients:

  • 500 gm Lamb Mince
  • 1 bunch of spring onion
  • 1 big sweet red pepper
  • 250 gm button mushrooms
  • 150 gm cherry tomatoes
  • 3  tsp sweet paprika powder La Chinata
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 2 tsp garlic paste
  •  4 tsp coriander powder
  • a large sprig of fresh rosemary
  • 1 1/2 tbsp chilli oil
  • Salt to taste

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Method:

  • Flame roast the sweet red pepper on a gas flame, if you’re doing a BBQ ,first rub some oil and garlic paste onto it.
  • After it has been roasted and cooled down a bit,peel off the skin and chop fine
  • Chop the mushrooms to tiny bite sized pieces
  • Finely chop the spring onions and cherry tomatoes
  • Wash the lamb mince under a running tap by placing it inside a sieve.
  •  Mix the chopped smoked sweet red pepper, mushrooms,spring onions ,cherry tomatoes,rosemary,chilli flakes,sweet smoked paprika powder from La Chinata and coriander powder,paprika and salt.

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  • Knead all the ingredients into the mixture.
  • Make mini burger patties by taking palm sized portions of this mixture and ty and pat them into roughly round shape.
  • On a griddle pan add some chilli oil and place a few burgers on it. Cook them for a few minutes on one side and them flip and repeat.
  • Serve the cooked lamb burgers inside wholegrain soft burger buns generously lined with butter , a thick slice of cheese, pickles,crunchy salad leaves and doused with ketchup. Or if you’d rather not then eat them plain – I did , served with some grilled button mushrooms and tender shoots of asparagus on which I slathered generous amounts of smoked paprika sweet chilli powder mixed with some oil and garlic paste – pure heaven!

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The sweet smoked paprika powder gives the lamb burgers a definite sweet hot flavour and the others spices combine well with the vegetables.Its also a great way to get fussy eaters to eat veggies hidden in layers of delicious meat and spices. I would have loved to add some boiled green peas too, they would add more bulk and taste too.

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*With thanks to La Chinata for sending samples  for review.No monetary compensation was provided for this post.All views expressed are my own.

 

Filed Under: Food, Meat, Product Reviews, Quick and Easy, Recipe Index Tagged With: Barbeque recipe ideas, barbeque vegetables recipe, big sweet red pepper, button mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, chilli oil, coriander powder, garlic paste, great BRITISH summer, grilled seafood, lamb burger patty recipe, lamb mince, Manjiris barbeque lamb burgers with a twist, original recipe idea, Pimm's, recipe development, Red chilli flakes, rosemary, salt, sliceoffme, Smoky and Spicy Lamb Burgers, spring onion, Summer BBQ recipes, sweet paprika powder La Chinata, tender shoots of asparagus, travelsfortaste

Tomato and Lentil Soup

March 8, 2014 by manjirichitnis 61 Comments

Sometimes the guilt of eating too many wrong things just gets to me and I need to balance the scales internally. This calls for a comforting and filling soupy treat with a pinch of something yum thrown in. Also, all those gorgeous cherry tomatoes and vine tomatoes sitting in my fridge were begging to used -asap or risk being dumped into my green food recycle bag. Thrifty that I am, I will not allow that to happen in my kitchen! And I always turn to my stored lentils for something comforting and homely.

This recipe is perfect for making ahead in a larger batch and freeze some for later.

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Manjiri Chitnis

Tomato and Lentil Soup

5 from 7 votes
Wholesome and delicious, this vegetarian and vegan friendly recipe is as easy on the tummy as it is on the pocket
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Servings: 2 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Fusion Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup Red Lentils/Masoor split without skin
  • 1/4 cup Yellow Lentil/Moong – split without skin
  • 4 – 5 medium-sized Tomatoes
  • 1 pinch Asafoetida
  • 2 Red Onions
  • 5 – 6 Garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 2 tsp Cumin Powder
  • ½ Thum-sized Fresh Ginger – peeled
  • 2-3 Cloves
  • 1 tsp Pepper powder
  • Red chilli flakes – optional
  • 3 large tbsp Oil for frying
  • 1 tbsp oil for the tadka
  • Salt to taste

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker / Heavy-bottomed pan
  • Knife and chopping board
  • Kadhai or any pan
  • Potato masher or a large ladle
  • Blender / Mixer

Method
 

  1. Wash the lentil through a sieve and pressure cook – 3 whistles
  2. Let the steam escape and then loosen cooker lid
  3. Remove cooked lentils and allow to cool completely
  4. If you are not a pressure cooker lover then cook the lentils in a big saucepan with exactly two times the water than the quantity of the lentils
  5. Lentils cook quickly in a pan, cover and cook and keep an eye as water may boil over
  6. Finely chop red onions chopped into long slivers
  7. Chop the tomatoes into 4 pieces – just for ease of blending
  8. In a kadhai or wok heat the 3 tbsp oil and deep fry the garlic chopped into fine strips
  9. Add the red onions and sauté are absolutely crisp, the aroma is delicious
  10. Puree the washed tomatoes with the deep-fried red onion and garlic (leave some for garnishing)
  11. Use a potato masher ( or the back of a large ladle) and roughly squash the cooked and cooled lentils and mix them with the tomatoes puree
  12. In the same kadhai/wok or pan used to fry the onions and garlic – heat about 1 to 1.5 tsp oil
  13. Add asafoetida, whole cumin, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, cloves
  14. Sauté the spices in the oil for under a minute
  15. Add the cooked lentils and tomato puree
  16. Add water if the mixture is too thick
  17. Cover and cook on a low flame for 5 -8 minutes
  18. Season with salt as per taste
  19. Garnished with the remaining crispy fried onion and garlic bits
  20. Sprinkle some freshly cracked pepper
  21. Serve hot
  22. Best accompanied by hot buttered toast

Wholemeal bread, a crusty baguette, or a soft cheesy loaf – all make for great accompaniments with this soup. Indulge yourself by adding a blob of butter on top of the soup before serving.

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Tomato and Lentil soupy broth

Filed Under: Food, Healthy, Recipe Index, Soups Tagged With: A pinch of, asafoetida, cloves, coriander powder, cumin powder, deep fried garlic, deep fried onion, freshly crushed ginger, Masoor split and without skin, moong, original recipe from sliceoffme, pepper powder, recipe development, red chilli powder, Red Lentils, split and without skin, Tomato & Lentil Soupy broth

Chapali Kebab Recipe

March 3, 2014 by manjirichitnis 26 Comments

Succulent, melt-in-your-mouth meat that is a rich mix of flavours and a popular starter – Kebabs – I love sheekh kebabs the most, and close on their heels are Chapali Kebabs. I decided to do a taste experiment and used 500gm of lamb mince or kheema to make Chapali Kebabs using a packet shop bought ready to cook masala mixture and used the remaining 500gm of lamb mince to make the very same kebabs using a mixture of my own spices and homemade garam masala – oh yes I finally got around to making my own Garam Masala (recipe coming up this week with a huge surprise!)

But before I let you in on my easy peasy recipe, let us familiarise ourselves  with a slice of history behind the dish (oh yes – every great recipe has a story!)

The word Chapli derives from the Pashto word Chaprikh which means flat. It is prepared as a flat and round mini pancake but fried like a fritter and is served with Naan.

Kebab (also kebap or kabab) is a Middle Eastern dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted or grilled on a skewer or spit originating in the Eastern Mediterranean and later adopted in Central Asia and by the regions of the former Mongol Empire and later Ottoman Empire, before spreading worldwide. Indian cuisine is widely influenced by the various rulers and dynasties that ruled and colonised India at various periods including the British Raj. The Mughal Empire has left a heavy influence on the food, culture, and tradition and is deeply woven into the fabric of society to create a new, beautiful, and modern-day cuisine that has been adapted, modified to the local taste, and is now our own. 

In American English, kebab refers to shish kebab (Turkish: kebap) cooked on a skewer, whereas in Europe it refers to doner kebab, sliced meat served in a slice of pita bread. In the Middle East, however, kebab refers to meat that is cooked over or next to flames; large or small cuts of meat, or even ground meat; it may be served on plates, in sandwiches, or in bowls. The traditional meat for kebab is lamb, but depending on local tastes and religious prohibitions, other meats may include beef, goat, chicken, pork, or fish. Like other ethnic foods brought by travellers, the kebab has remained a part of everyday cuisine in most of the Eastern Mediterranean and South Asia.

Though traditionally these kebabs are large and very flat – almost as large as the palm of your hand, I wanted to make a smaller patty, easy to fry and serve as a starter and easy to pop in the mouth while wielding a chilled glass of wine don’t you think?

Chapali Kebab Recipe

Easy recipe for succulent, melt-in-your-mouth kebabes
Print Recipe
Servings: 2
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Pakistani
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 500 gms Lamb mince or ground lamb or kheema/Keema
  • 1 tsp Dried Pomeogranate seeds
  • 2 tsp Freshly Ginger – crushed
  • 1 tsp freshly squeezed Lemon juice 
  • 1.5 tsp Red Chilli powder
  • 1.5 tsp Coriander Seed Powder
  • 1.5 tsp Cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp freshcoriander leaves – finely chopped
  • 1 small-size redonion finely chopped
  • 1 medium-sized juicy red tomato finely chopped
  • 2 greenchillies – finely chopped
  • 3 small Eggs
  • Salt to taste
  • 3.5 tbsp Riceflour or Cornmeal

Equipment

  • 1 Frying Pan
  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Spatula

Method
 

  1. In a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs and beat lightly, add all the spices and mix with a fork
  2. Then work in the corn followed by the meat
  3. Ensureany excess water is drained out and then add the finely chopped tomatoes andred onions
  4. Spread a large sheet of kitchen plastic foil or beeswax paper n a flat table or the kitchen platform and place the flatted patties on it, cover it with another sheet, and refrigerate
  5. In a kadhai or wok take enough oil for frying and fry them, and serve hot with lots of chopped tomato and red onions on the side. Tastes great dipped into a freshly made mint coriander chutney or any dip of your choice

Recipe Notes:

  • If like me you live in a tiny but expensive urban flat with an open plan kitchen – read tiny as a bird’s nest, then probably best to leave the entire mixture in the bowl, cover and refrigerate for about half an hour. Helps save on safe if you are using a smaller fridge.
  • Delicious with a fresh green coriander mint chutney or the life-saving ketchup 🙂
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References:Wikipedia

Am submitting this recipe to Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior on his blog Cookinwluv

Made with Love Mondays Resized Badge
Chapali Kebab

Filed Under: Food, Indian, Meat, Recipe Index Tagged With: American English, beef, Chapali Kebab Recipe, chicken, coriander powder, cumin powder, doner kebab, dried pomegranate seeds, fish, fresh coriander leaves finely chopped, freshly crushed ginger, goat, green chilli, kabab, Kacche gosht ke chapli kebab, kebab, kebap, medium juicy red tomato finely chopped, Middle Eastern, Mongol Empire, Ottoman Empire, pita, pork, red chilli powder, red onion finely chopped, skewer, sliced meat, spit, Turkish

C.K.P Valache Birdhe (वालाचे बिरडे) – Field bean curry

September 22, 2013 by manjirichitnis 19 Comments

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry – a Regional delicacy from the state of Maharashtra, West coast of India

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry, is an extremely popular bean gravy and has helped soothe many aching hearts and settle ruffled feathers after long gruelling work days.I managed to procure a few packets of these beautiful field beans with brown skin after a lot of searching!Hubs goes completely mental at the mere mention of this dish and insisted on me uploading the recipe and help all the other hungry hubbies out there..ahem ..so without further ado ladies and gents I present to you yummyscrummy recipe.

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

वालाचे बिरडे

ThisValache Birdhe or field beans curry recipe is a typical C.K.P way of making a rather traditional legume curry. Vaal or kadve vaal (kadve meaning bitter in Marathi) are generically referred to as Field Beans in English.

Traditional regional cuisine and a beautiful heirloom C.K.P recipe

Manjiri Chitnis

Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

5 from 1 vote
Hieloom recipe from the CKP community from the western coast of Maharashtra, India
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 days d
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Servings: 2 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 Cup Vaal/ Field Beans – soaked, sprouted and skin removed – takes a few days
  • 3 -4 Cloves Lasun/Garlic with skin
  • 1 pinch Hing/Asafoetida
  • 1 Kanda/Red onion – one small finely chopped for the pan
  • 2 -3 tsp Dried Kokum 2 pieces or Tamarind (Chinch/ Imli) -tamarind paste OR dried tamarind soaked in water -remove the pips and use the gooey thick bits
  • 1/2 tsp Jaggery
  • 1 tiny pinch Mohri/Mustard Seeds
  • 1 Pinch Cumin/Jeera
  • 1.5 tbsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Laal Mirchi / Red Chilli Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Halad / Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Coriander powder
  • 1 tsp Jeere/Cumin powder
  • 1/2 fistful Fresh Coriander finely chopped to garnish
  • 3 – 4 tbsp Grated coconut paste * see notes
  • Salt as per taste

Equipment

  • Pan to cook the curry
  • Blender to make a paste from the garted coconut
  • Kitchen cloth to tie up beans for sporuting

Method
 

  1. Soak the Vaal overnight, change the water in the morning and by evening if they appear puffed then wrap them in a damp cloth and set aside in a vessel with a lid to create an environment warm enough to allow them to sprout
  2. Remove sprouted vaal into a bowl and pour like warm water on them, stir with your palms to loosen the skin and many will float to the top, decant the water and remove all the rest of the skins and discard
  3. Heat the oil in a saucepan and dust some asafoetida and throw in the mustard and cumin.
  4. When the cumin seeds begin to pop, throw in the garlic with their skin on and smashed to flatten them and as they turn colour and release their aroma, add the chopped onion.
  5. When the onion turns a delicate pink add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and then add the vaal/field beans.
  6. Now add the turmeric, red chilli, coriander and cumin powders and quickly stir in enough water to cover the beans
  7. On a low flame cook with lid
  8. When the vaal is almost done, add the jiggery, coconut paste and the tamarind paste or the water from the dried tamarind which has been soaked or dried kokum soaked in water and when the vaal are done add salt and garnish with finely chopped coriander.
  9. Valache Birdhe or field beans curry is best enjoyed with steaming hot rice
Vaalache Birdhe with text resized
Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

Food pairing

This Valache Birdhe or field beans curry is a delicacy pairs best with a portion of pressure-cooked rice of the Ambemohar variety, Basmati will do too. Always remember, a generous dollop of home-made sajuk tup or pure ghee is a must.

Stages of Vaal sprouting in photos

Sprouting of Vaal or field beans
Sprouted Vaal / Field Beans
Close-up – Sprouted Vaal or Field Beans

Notes:

  • Grated coconut paste: made by running fresh grated coconut or frozen grated coconut through a mixer/blender. Add 1 green chilli and 1 clove of garlic. My Aai (mum in Marathi) also prefers to also add 1/2 a finely chopped red onion which has been tossed on a pan with the coconut and green chilli – must admit it lends a toasty warmth to the gravy but I skip this step simply because the I compensate for it by using the onion in the pan!
  • Making Chinche cha kool ( usually, a block of tamarind is available packaged in any well-stocked Indian grocery store here in London, if not major spice brands now do tamarind paste in a bottle, find these online or any leading supermarket) – remove some in a bowl – add lukewarm water and gently ease the flesh of the tamarind loose from the seed. Use this thick mix to add to the curry. If you have fussy eater then maybe you want to strain this before adding into the curry. I would avoid straining as the gara – the thick flesh of the tamarind – is flavour packed so embrace it – fibres and all. 🙂
Valache Birdhe or field beans curry

I do know this process for cooking Valache Birdhe or field beans curry, sounds rather labor-intensive and complex but believe you me, its easy-peasy, and the main bit of hard work is only getting rid of the field bean skins.

Do leave me a comment of you make this dish and also any variations to the recipe that you may have heard of, any anecdotes, happy memories are always welcome. And if you do cook to my recipe do snap a picture of your creations and use the hashtag #travelsfortasteblogrecipe and share it to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and I will re-post it.

Bon Appe’tit !

P.S: coming soon a Valachi Khichadi ( Field Beans Pulav) recipe that’s another firm family fav!

Learn how to cook western coastal Indian cuisine from the C.K.P community with my easy to follow recipes.

Find below a list of Indian recipes on my blog, some traditional, some fusion, and many regional favourites!

  • Fresh dill and yellow moong daal recipe
  • Goda sheera/ sooji ka halwa/ Indian dessert
  • CKP Surmai curry
  • Pompfret fry
  • Konbichi khichadi – Prawn khichadi
  • Vaangayche Bharit/ Smoked stuffed Aubergine ( Eggplant/Brinjal) in a thick gravy/ Baingan ka bharta
  • Valache Birdhe – (वालाचे बिरडे) – MADE IN A TYPICAL C.K.P WAY
  • Kairi Panhe/ Aam ka panha – Raw mango summer drink
  • Cauliflower- vatana bhaji – cauliflower and green peas vegetarian side dish
  • Podhnichi khichadi
  • Akkha masoor aamti CKP style / Whole red lentils with skin curry recipe
  • Achari Mutton curry
  • Spicy Chicken curry
  • Egg curry
  • Kadhi – fusion of Punjabi and Gujrati kadhi recipes with vadi’s
  • Upma
  • Gujrati Kadhi
  • Shahi Khichadi
  • Sweetcorn and paneer bhaji/sabzi (vegetable side dish)
  • Tomato and coconut chutney
  • Steamed Idli batter
  • Ragi (Finger Millet) and blueberry pancakes
  • Masala egg omlette
  • Chicken tikka masala
  • Tikka masala curry paste
  • Tawa chicken Frankie roll
  • Chai concentrate
  • Grated carrot salad
  • Strawberry flavoured shrikhand
A typical C.K.P meal

Filed Under: C.K.P recipes, Curry - Vegetarian, Food, Indian, Recipe Index, Vegetarian Tagged With: asfoetida, C.K.P kitchen recipes, C.K.P recipes, coconut, coriander powder, cumin, eat, field beans, fresh, fresh coriander, grated, green chilli, Indian Food, Indian recipes, jeera, kokum, konkani food, Maharastrian food, Marathi, mohri, mustard, oil, pan, red chilli powder, saucepan, sautee, season, seeds, tamarind, traditional marathi recipes, turmeric powder, vaal, vaalache birdhe, yum

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