Sorshe Chana

Sorshe Chana (yogurt tart chickpeas with mustard greens)

1 red onion
6-8 thai, cayenne, or serrano chilis, stemmed
6 cloves garlic
3 slices fresh ginger, each 2x1x1/8"
2 tbsp ghee or canola oil
2 bay leaves

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

2 tbsp Bengali garam masala (or just whatever garam masala)

2 tsp salt

1 lb mustard greens or 1/2 lb spinach

4 cups cooked chickpeas (~2 15oz cans)

1 cup yogurt

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp cumin-coriander blend (or 1/2 tbsp each)

Food process the onion, chilis, garlic, and ginger.

Saute the onion blend plus bay leaves in the ghee, 3-5 minutes until browning.

Add tomatoes, garam masala, and salt, stir.

Add mustard greens bit by bit until they wilt.

Add chickpeas, simmer 12-15 minutes.

Mix the yogurt and cream together, then add them to the pot.

Add the cumin-coriander blend, discard bay leaves, and serve.

Source: 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Tzatziki

Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce)
Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

Ingredients:
3 cups Greek Yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, strained)
juice of one lemon (about 3 T)
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
about 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
1 T finely chopped fresh dill (can substitute mint leaves for a slightly different version)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.) Slice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.

In food processor with steel blade, blend everything but the yogurt. Then stir this into the yogurt. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)

This will keep for a few days or more in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.

Source: Georgette at http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2007/07/worlds-best-tzatziki-sauce-recipe-greek.html

Fish Tikka

1 lb boneless white fish pieces (Trevally/Jack/Parai meen/Pomfret (Sauvik's favorite)/whatever)
Oil for pan frying

Marinade:
Curd / Thick Yogurt - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1 tsp or to taste
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp finely chopped
Mint leaves - 3 tbsp finely chopped
Corn Starch - 3 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

Mix the marinade ingredients, add fish, marinate at least 30 minutes.

Put the fish pieces on skewers, pan fry, rotating until cooked, about 15 minutes. Or oven cook at 450F in a foil lined baking tray for 10-15 minutes, flipping skewers halfway through. Skewering isn't really even necessary.

Remove from the heat and serve hot with some lemon wedges.

Source: http://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2012/11/fish-tikka-made-on-stove-top-tikka-made.html

Gobi Manchurian

for pan frying the florets:
1 medium cauliflower/phool gobi
1 cup all purpose flour/maida
4 tbsp corn starch
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ to ½ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder/lal mirch powder or deghi mirch (add about 1 tsp to get a good color, but this will also increase the heat a bit)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 cup + 1 tbsp water or as required
5 to 6 tbsp oil for pan frying
for the sauce:
¾ cup chopped spring onion/scallion whites, reserve the greens for garnish
½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1.5 inch ginger, finely chopped or 3 tsp finely chopped ginger
8 to 10 medium garlic, finely chopped or 3 tsp finely chopped garlic
2 green chilies, finely chopped or 1 tsp finely chopped green chilies
½ tbsp finely chopped celery, optional
1.5 tbsp light soy sauce or ½ to 1 tbsp soy sauce, you can also add as per your taste
1 tbsp tomato sauce or add as required
1 tsp rice vinegar or ½ tsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
¼ to ½ tsp black pepper powder
salt as required

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop or break the gobi/cauliflower in medium size florets, boil for 15-20 minutes, drain.

In a bowl mix together the ingredients for making the batter - flour, corn starch, soy sauce, black pepper, kashmiri red chili powder and salt. Add water and whisk to make a smooth batter without any lumps.
Dip each gobi floret in the batter, fry in ~ 1/2 inch hot oil. Or just pan fry them until light golden. Drain on a kitchen paper towel.

Preparing the sauce:
Drain oil if there's a bunch still. In the same pan, add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilies. saute for a half a minute.
Then add the chopped spring onions, green pepper, and chopped celery if using. Increase the flame and stir fry till the capsicum is half cooked or almost cooked.
Add soy sauce, tomato sauce, black pepper and salt. stir.
Add the pan fried cauliflower florets.
Stir fry for two to three minutes ensuring the spiced sauce coats the cauliflower florets well.
lastly add vinegar and stir well. check the taste and add more of soy sauce or tomato sauce as per your taste. switch off the fire. mix in the chopped spring onions greens or garnish with them while serving.

Source: Dassana Amit, http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/gobi-manchurian-dry-recipe/

Palachinka

Palachinka

for 5-6 palachinka:
2 eggs
2 cups milk
4 heaping tbsp flour
1/2 cup olive oil

Blend/whisk eggs and milk, then add flour.
Heat oil. Pour 1/2 cup mixture. Flip when it has golden brown spots on top.

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers

1 head of garlic, pressed, and soaked in 2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch parsley, washed, stems removed, chopped fine.
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground veal
1 tbsp vegeta or 1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Oregano leaves (optional)
4 onions, diced
5 slices smoked bacon, 1 inch thick
4-5 tomatoes, chopped into little pieces
1 1/4 cup white italian-style rice
15-16 large peppers

Mix the garlic, parsley, meat, vegeta/salt, pepper, oregano, and 4 tbsp olive oil.
Fry bacon, then add the onions, then after they're golden add the meat mixture. Cook for about 15 minutes until it all looks more loose, then add the chopped tomatoes.
Preheat oven to 450.
Cut the top off each pepper, remove the seeds, and fill with the mixture. Pour about 1oz water into each pepper, and a little extra in the pan. Bake at 450 for about 1.5 hours. Put foil over the peppers to prevent burning.

Pita (spinach pie)

Pita (spinach pie)
8-10 bunches green onions (5/6 per bunch)
3 bags - 9oz spinach (I think this means 3 * 9oz)
2 stick butter
3 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp milk + 1 cup
4-5 tbsp flour
16oz cottage cheese
16oz feta cheese
one egg per person
16oz phyllo dough sheets

Grease baking pan (for later). Preheat oven to 400.
Melt a stick of butter and 5 tbsp milk in another pan until it melts. Leave on the side.
Steam spinach until it shrinks, set aside.
Cut roots off onions and cut into 1cm pieces. Melt a stick of butter and the olive oil, and fry the green onions in the pan, stirring frequently. After 10-15 minutes, add the spinach. Stir 2-3 minutes, take off burner, add 1 cup milk, and mix; then add flour and mix very well- you want a paste-like consistency. This paste can be made the day before if necessary, but same-day is better.
Mix cottage and feta cheese and eggs, make into another paste.
Layer greased baking pan with two sheets, then grease with butter/milk mix. I think it's sheets, grease, sheets, then make it like a package around the outside, folding in over the couple of sheets in the middle to cover up the gaps. Do that with half of the the spinach/onions mix, then with the egg/cheese mix, then with the other half of the spinach/onion mix. Then the last ones, you grease and layer until the top. But don't grease the top sheets yet; cut into 8 pieces. Then grease it, making sure the corners are greased and tucked in.
Bake at 400 for 45 minutes.
Serve with yogurt. You can also make it with just the egg mix, or just the spinach mix.