Afghani Baingan

Ingredients
500 Grams               Aubergine / Eggplant / Brinjal / Baingan
200 Grams               Curd / Yogurt
10                           Garlic cloves
3                             Green Chillies
1                             Big onion, ground to paste
1⁄2 Teaspoon          Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method

    1    Whisk the yogurt with salt, garlic and green chillies. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
    2    Slice eggplants into thin slices (about 1/6 inch thick) and leave in salt water for 5 minutes.
    3    Drain. And deep fry.
    4    Saute onion paste with a pinch of turmeric.
    5    Add the fried egg plants and smush them together.
    6    Just before serving, heat the egg plant mixture. And once transfered to the serving bowl, pour over the cold yogurt mixture.
    7    Serve with chappathis. Or any of the breads (nan, roti, phulka).

Keema walay Nan

Ingredients- 6cups Maida (white flour)
- 6tsp Milk powder
- 1cup Evaporated milk
- 6-7tsp Sugar
- 200gm. Oil (You can also use margarine)
- 2tsp Baking powder
- 3tsp Yeast
- 1 Egg
Mince stuffing:
- 1 kg. mince meat
- 1 tbsp. ginger paste
- 2 tsp. red chili powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1\2 tsp. garam masala powder
- 2 tbsp. anardanna, ground
- 1 tsp. coriander seeds, ground
- 2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 4-6 green chili
- 1\2 cup coriander leaves, chopped

Method
1. Mix all the ingredients and knead well until the dough is very smooth about 5-10 minutes.
2. With oily hands put the dough in a bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or polythene bag and leave in a warm place to rise for about 3 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
3. Mean while prepared the stuffing. Put the mince and all the ingredients for the stuffing in a bowl and knead the mixture really well for a few minutes with you hands.
4. Knead the dough for another minute or two then divide the dough into 8-10 equal parts. Shape each potion into a smooth ball.
5. Lightly grease several baking sheets.
6. On a floured surface, roll out the ball to about 3 inches in diameter and place it on the palm of you hand. Place good amount of mince mixture in the centre and carefully fold up the edges to completely cove the filling. Press the edges taught together to seal. Dip the stuff ball in dry flour and roll out into a round about 6 – 7 inches in diameter.
7. Bush the nan with a little cold milk and place in a hot oven at 200C (400F) for 10- 15 minutes until the top is golden in color.
8. Remove the nan from the baking sheet and serve at once.
9. serve with yogurt and mint chutney
10. Roll out into flat round shape and make sure it is as thick as a pizza’s crust.
11. Bake in oven at 350′ and take it out when it is light brownish color.

Kolcha

Ingredients
2 cups plain white flour
2 cups caster sugar
200 grams butter
1/3 cup ground pistachio

Method
Heat oven to 150c degrees. Grind your sugar in an electric grinder so that it is as fine as icing sugar.
Place sifted flour and sugar in a food processor. Add room temperature butter. Blend together until you get a crumbling dough.
Remove the dough from the food processor into a big bowl. Kneed the dough for a few minutes. You are now ready to roll out little cookies.
Line an oven tray with baking paper and spray with olive oil spray. Set aside.
Take approx. 1 TBSP of mixture and press with the palms of your hands into a ball. Hold the ball in one palm and flatten by pressing with the other palm of your hand. You should have a disk shaped cookie in your hand.
Feel free to experiment but be gentle as the dough crumbles easily.
One you have the disk shaped cookie, take your thumb and slowly press it into the middle of your cookie. Place cookie onto the baking tray.
Sprinkle ground pistachio on top where you made your thumb marking.
Bake for 10 mins. Watch the cookies closely to avoid them browning on top. When you take them out of the oven, they will be very fragile. Leave them to cool before you taste your first one!

Bolani vegetable Roti

Ingredients
Aard (Flour)      3 cups
Khameer Tursh (Yeast)     1 tablespoon
Namak (Salt)     1 tablespoon
Aabb (Water)     2.5 cups

Method
In a mixing bowl add the 1 cup of water (warm water) add the salt and yeast to it. Mix it very well. Then slowly keep adding the flour and mixing in at the same time. As you are mixing this keep adding water to it once it is all mixed keep kneading the dough until it is all soft and firm. Remember the dough for bulani should be much more firm and easy to handle. After you are done cover it, and let it set for at least an hour.

Note: remember to use lukewarm water; if your water is very warm it will kill yeast.

Stuffings
Kachaaloo (Potatoes)     1 lb
Piaaz (Onions)      2 large
Roomi (Tomatoes)     3 large
Gashneez (Coriander)     one bunch
Salt      1 tablespoon
Pepper      to taste

Boil the potatoes until they are firm inside. Peel them and mash them using your hands or a mixer. In a frying pan add some oil and fry your onion until it is golden brown. Add it to your mashed potatoes. Chop tomatoes and coriander and add it to the mixture. Add the salt and pepper to it and mix it all very well.

Make little round balls (zughala’s) wa hamwaar mekonin. Then you fill each one with a spoon full of our potatoes mix and close all around it. In a frying pan add some oil and fry (not deep fry) your bulanies at each side. This will take a little of your precious time but it will all be worth it once you are done and ready to eat.

Enjoy bulani with some yogurt or just Tea

Mantu

Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil or clarified butter (ghee)
500 g lean minced lamb
4 onions, finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp salt
40 Shanghai (square white) wonton wrappers
natural yoghurt
chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method
Heat the oil or ghee in a wok or frying pan and add the lamb.
Fry over low heat until lightly browned, stirring to separate the meat.
Add the onion and stir-fry until it is translucent.
Add the garlic, spices and salt and stir-fry for another 3 minutes or until fragrant.
Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Place a heaped teaspoon of lamb filling in the middle of a wonton wrapper.
Brush the edges with a little water and draw two opposite corners together to meet in the middle.
Draw in the other two corners and seal the edges.
You should have a square pouch.
Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
Place the mantu in a steamer, making sure they don’t touch, and steam for 10 minutes.
Top each mantu with a spoonful of yoghurt and a sprinkling of parsley.

Noni

Ingredients
    350ml warm water
    1 (7g) sachet yeast
    1 tablespoon caster sugar
    500g plain flour
    1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
    60ml corn oil
    1 egg
    1 tablespoon water
    1 tablespoon caraway seed (optional)




Method
In a small bowl, stir together 125ml of the warm water and sugar.
Sprinkle the yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
Place flour in a large bowl, and stir in salt.
Make a well in the centre, and pour in the corn oil and yeast mixture.
Add the remaining water in small amounts until you have a soft moist dough that can be handled.
Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for at least 5 minutes. Return to the bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4. Deflate the risen dough, and divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball with a rolling pin so it is oval shaped, about 15cm long, and 1cm thick.
Use a fork or dull knife to draw three lines on the top of each loaf. Place the loaves on a baking tray.
Mix together the egg and remaining tablespoon of water; brush the tops of the loaves with the mixture. Sprinkle caraway seeds over the tops, if using.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the loaves are shiny and golden brown.

Singara Bangali Samosa

 Ingredients:
All purpose flour – 1 cup
Oil – 4 teaspoons + oil for deep fry
Water (warm)– to make dough
Salt – to taste
Potato – 1 medium (peel and cut in small cubes)
Cauliflower – 2 florets (cut into small pieces)
Green peas – 1 tablespoon
Peanut – 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Sugar – 1/2teaspoon
Cumin powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Garam masala – 1/8 teaspoon
Panch phoron – 1/8 teaspoon
Bay leaf – 1
Dried red chili – 1
Asafetida (hing) – a pinch

Method:
Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a pan.
Add bay leaf, dried red chili, asafetida and panch phoron.
When panch phoron starts to splatter add potato and cauliflower. Stir for few minutes.
Then add salt, turmeric powder, sugar, cumin powder and coriander powder. Mix well.
Now add peanuts and green peas and cook covering it until potatoes are tender. If required add very little water. The curry should be dry but not like fry.
Now add garam masala powder and turn off the heat. Let the curry be cool.
Mix flour and salt into a bowl.
Add 1 teaspoon oil and enough warm water to make firm dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and roll into a ball.
Divide the pastry into equal lime-sized balls (around 8 balls) and roll out into a thin oval shape.
Divide this into two equal pieces with a knife.
Brush each edge with a little water and form a cone shape around your fingers, sealing the dampened edge.
Fill the cases with the cool potato-cauliflower curry and press the two dampened edges together to seal the top of the cone.
Deep fry the singaras in hot oil (medium heat) until crisp and brown.
Take out and drain on a paper towel.
Serve hot with your favorite chutney or tomato ketchup.