Quality Living Styles

Mouth-Watering Easy Recipes

[Photographer:Nirmala Pather]

Yes you do have the time to cook! Success with these easy to follow recipes will make your day a good one.

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Roti

Roti, a type of Indian bread similar to the Mexican tortilla is an excellent accompaniment to the curries described here. For those who feel adventurous, do try this recipe. It takes about half hour to make approximately 8 rotis.

It is a simple recipe that I learned from my mother. She was adept at making delicious curries, and Indian breads. My version is fairly close to the delicious rotis made by my mother.

I have mentioned the word Ghee which is used in the making of rotis. For those not familiar with Indian cooking, ghee is clarified butter. A description of how ghee is made is included, once again taught to me by my mother. If you do not want to make ghee, you may use regular butter.

Rotis last for several days if kept in the refrigerator. They can be frozen as well. Apart from eating it with curries, my family also enjoy it with tea, spread with butter and jam. As children we also ate it with condensed milk!!

Ghee can be made ahead of time and used when you want to make roti. Many cooks use spoonfuls of ghee to add to the rich flavor of curries. Because of health reasons this is not promoted on a regular basis, but using 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter or ghee occasionally does enhance the taste of dishes, without adding too much to your waistline.

Ghee does not have to be refrigerated but if you have not used it in over a month you should refrigerate it as it can get rancid

Basic utensils you will need are a bread board, rolling pin, a tava (a kind of pan) or a thick bottomed pan / griddle, pastry brush or just a spoon. You may wonder why the melted ghee is put into the fridge. This was a clever tip from my mother. When the butter is a melted mass it is hard to separate the water and the think white creamy stuff. But when it is hard it is so easy to separate all of this from the block of ghee.

Ghee

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Cauliflower with Peas

Cauliflower can be cooked in many styles, but the recipe below is quick, easy and very delicious. No water is added, the cauliflower cooks in it own juices.

When you have sauteéd the cauliflower put on the pot lid and cook it on a low temperature for about 12 minutes. Stir to ensure the contents do not stick to the pot. When there is liquid in the pot (juices from the vegetables) remove the lid, add frozen peas and now cook on a high heat. Scoop the mixture of spices onto the florets and turn them over occasionally.

At this point stir, & watch the pot to ensure the contents do not burn. The liquid will bubble, as it decreases See picture below. Lower the temperature. When the liquid is very low turn off the heat. Set aside and garnish with cilantro. See recipe below for details.

Okra also knowns as Bhinda or Bhindi

This is another popular dish with many friends and family. As a child it was often served at the dinner table as we had Okra growing in the yard. My mother grew all kinds of vegetables and this was a firm favorite with her. Okra is best served when it is young and soft. But my mother had ways to use even the hard stalks. She often put them into a pot of dhall which enhanced the flavor.

There are several ways to cook Okra, including stuffing them, cooking them without the ground chili and using dry chilies instead. Those recipes will follow. I will give you just a simple recipe here. Okra tastes really nice with a lot of onions. So if you do not like a lot of onion use less than the amount that I have mentioned below.

Most often I use the frozen variety as it is time saving. If using the frozen variety, please be careful when you add the okra into the hot oil as it will splutter. I would suggest using a spoon with a long handle to to transport the Okra to the pan thus avoiding hot oil spluttering on you. It also helps if you remove it from the freezer at least half hour before you cook. This will allow time for any ice in the pack to thaw.

Once you add the Okra into the hot oil, put on the lid of the pot until you hear the spluttering stop. Then remove the lid as you will have to closely watch this process to see that the Okra does not burn. You will also need to swirl the Okra to ensure even cooking.

In the summer when Okra is so fresh and plentiful in the farmers markets I do purchase it. Please note that cooking Okra by itself in a pan of hot oil will remove the stickiness. After this process you can then proceed to cook it in the regular way.

Naju's Spaghetti

This dish is one of my family's favorite. I learned about it from my neighbor and good friend, Naju Firfiree. We used to live next door to each other in Cape Town, South Africa when our children were very young. One afternoon Naju did me a favor and baby sat my son, Shyam, who was about 6 years old at that time.

When we fetched Shyam from Naju's home he was enjoying dinner. He had not quite finished, so he brought it home with him. The dish smelled so good and looked very appetizing. We all stole small bites and found it so delicious. It was tasty and spicy and really, really yummy. At that time I felt embarrassed to tell Naju that we had all sampled the dinner she had given Shyam so I never asked her for the recipe.

However I tried imitating it and I think I was quite successful as my family liked my version of it as well. We always called it Naju's Spaghetti. Very recently I told Naju about all of this and she has kindly given me her recipe as well. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do. It is very easy to do and yet satisfying and filling. You can also serve it with a salad, garlic bread, sauteéd olives or any side dish that you prefer.

The pictures show the vegetables being cooked, the vegetable mixed with spaghetti and then a plate of spaghetti with a side of salad and sauteéd olives

Although I have used the vegetables described below, any vegetable can be used and in proportions that you prefer. You can use just one as well. Vegetables of varying colors add to the splendor of the dish

Portabello Mushrooms

You will really enjoy this version of Portabello Mushrooms with Fresh Orange Sauce. It is really good and makes an excellent entreé accompaned with fresh bread or rolls and a salad. It is very easy as there is not much preparation. When cleaning mushrooms, rinse over running water and let water flow through the gills. Then take a paper towel and remove any bruised bits.

Mung or Moong Bean Curry

This variety of lentils can be cooked in a variety of ways, all very tasty. If allowed to sprout it can be included in a salad. Pick the lentils and discard any debris. Rinse a few times before adding it to the pot.

The recipe below is easy to make into a delicious curry. After preparation it tends to thicken so if you like it with more liquid, just add some water. Serve it with rice, or any Indian or regular bread. You may also serve it along side any of the curries described here.

You can use a pressure cooker to soften the lentils or the regular method of boiling it in a pot with 6 cups of water. If using a pressure cooker please follow the directions on how to use it.

Green Beans Curry

This is really easy if you use frozen Green Beans. Use the fresh variety if your prefer, the cooking time will be longer. It is a good idea to lower the heat to a low temperature with the lid on. When it looks soft, remove the lid and allow the excess water to dry. The images show some of the ingredients that are used and the dish, when it is cooked and ready to be served. This dish may be made within half an hour, including preparation time.

Fettucine with Vegetables

Once again a tasty dish that is easy to prepare and very satisfying. Use whatever vegetables you have available. I used mushrooms, olives, sun-dried tomatoes & pepper. This dish should be served with garlic bread & a salad.

Fettucine Alfredo

A very rich dish that has cream amp; butter in addition to olive oil. If you are watching your weight substitute the whipping cream with milk and use olive oil instead of butter to saute the mushrooms. This dish should be accompanied with a citrus salad as it helps to neutralize the richness of the fettucine dish. Garlic bread or just fresh rolls makes a nice addition.

Pinto Beans Curry

Pinto Beans are very much like the Sugar Beans in South Africa. Beans have a very high protein value, an excellent source of fibre and happens to be a favorite family dish. Using the canned Pinto Beans instead of the dried pinto beans that have to be boiled, saves time. The recipe below creates a tasty dish that is nourishing and delicious. Serve with rice, any Indian bread or regular bread.

Potato Curry

Here is a simple recipe for Potato Curry. The pictures illustrate the potatoes and onions in the whole form as well as sliced and diced for cooking. The second picture is the completed potato curry, which can be made within half an hour. This includes preparation time.

White Potato Curry

This is one of my favorite style of cooking potatoes. I call it white as masala is not used, just dry red chilies so it retains much of it's original color. My earliest memory of this dish was when I was about 6 years old. I used to attend the same school where my father was the school principal. As I was in the first year of school my day finished much earlier than my father's and I had to wait for him before we we could travel home together. As there was no such thing as an after school program my father arranged for me to go to the home of a family who lived very close to the school and he would fetch me from there.

This family often had lunch around the time that I arrived at their home. One day I knew they were cooking white potatoes as the smell was so tantalizing. I began to feel hungry and I longed to eat some of that curry, but I was not offered any. When we got home I asked my mother to cook this for me and I really enjoyed eating it with fresh white bread. I still have memories of my longing for this dish as a little girl. My sister-in-law, Simi, makes a delicious version version of this recipe whenever I visit her.

I like it quite spicy but if you prefer a mild version just reduce the number of chilies that you use. Eat it with sliced French bread or any bread that you prefer. I have modified the recipe to cook it in the microwave so it is really quick and easy. Very little oil is used compared to the original version.

Potato Curry with Cumin

This is another tasty dish that makes a lovely addition to any meal. Many years ago a friend's family served this dish with tasty freshly made roti for breakfast. Every time I make this curry, I remember the warm hospitality of these friends who offered us a place to stay as well as delicious food while our car was being repaired in the workshop.

Eat it at any time of the day with rice, roti or bread. The only spices used are cumin, turmeric, ginger and dry chilies. Adding more chilies will spice up the dish, so go with the amount that you are comfortable with.

Vegetarian Baked Beans

This is so easy to do, yet nutritious and tasty. My son at college cooks this very successfully. It is a good side dish for a barbeque. Eat it with rolls or bread.

Baked Beans can be prepared in a variety of ways including as a salad. This dish can also be microwaved in under 10 minutes. Just add all the ingredients together in a microwave proof container and set on high for 5 minutes. (Be sure to cover the container as the beans may splutter and mess the oven.) Remove, stir contents and microwave for another 3 minutes or when the contents are piping hot. Make sure you wear oven gloves when removing hot items from the microwave.

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