Cottage Cheese, Mushroom, Chilli and Garlic Pasta

• 500g spiral pasta
• 300g cottage cheese (preferably creamed variety)
• 1 can sliced mushrooms (400g)
• 2 green chillies (sweet or hot depending on taste)
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch parsley
• salt and pepper

1. Cook pasta and drain.
2. In a large saucepan heat oil.
3. Add garlic and chillies.
4. Pour in the mushrooms.
5. Add cottage cheese.
6. Stir well so all ingredients are combined evenly.
7. Add salt and pepper if desired.
8. Place pasta over ingredients and stir through.
9. Garnish with chopped parsley

Sesame-glazed Prawn Yakitori

Serves 4

• 24 large prawns, peeled, deveined
• 3 spring onions, cut into 2cm lengths
• 8 x 12cm bamboo skewers
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp white wine
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 small red chilli, seeds removed, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Thread 3 prawns and 2 pieces of spring onion onto each skewer.

2. Combine soy sauce, wine, honey, chilli and vinegar in a shallow dish. Put sesame seeds on a plate. Dip each prawn skewer into the soy mixture then coat with the seeds.

3. In a large frying pan, heat oil over a medium-high heat. Cook skewers until prawns are opaque, approximately 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

4. Transfer skewers to a plate. Pour the remaining soy mixture into the hot pan, and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 15 seconds. Pour sauce over the prawns to serve.

Cook’s tip: Serve with fresh lime halves for a little extra zing.

Rista

• 750 gms mutton kheema
• 300 mutton fat
• ½ tablespoon turmeric powder
• 6 tablespoon soaked Kashmiri red chilies
• 3 cloves
• 1 piece of cinnamon
• 400 grams sugar4 big pieces of cardamom
• 1 tablespoon roasted onion paste
• 1 tablspoon saffron water
• 4 tablspoon ghee
• Salt according to your taste
• Fennel seeds powder for garnishing

1. Add fat and big cardamom pieces with kheema. Now blend it all together in mixer grinder. Make small balls of it.
2. Boil the above preparation in enough water. Cook it for 10 minute till kheema balls get floated in the pan.
3. Now mix saffron water with turmeric powder, chili paste, clove, cinnamon, green cardamom and roasted onion paste together.
4. Cook gravy till it gets thicker and add salt to it. Now heat ghee in a different pan and cook gravy with kheema balls with covered lid for 2 minute.
5. Your tasty Rista is ready to eat. Serve it hot with fennel seed powder.

Tabakh Maaz

• 1 kg mutton chaap (lamb ribs)
• ½ cup of milk
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed powder
• 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
• 1 pinch of asaphoetida
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 2 cloves
• 250 gms ghee
• Salt according to taste

1. First of all clean all lamb rib pieces with fresh water and slice in equal rectangular shapes.
2. Be careful that the flesh on ribs does not get off while cutting. Each piece should be 5 inch long and 2 inch broad.
3. Add ½ lt. water and milk in a pan. Now mix dry ginger powder, fennel seed powder, turmeric, clove, salt, asaphoetida and cinnamon. Stir thoroughly.
4. Add lamb rib pieces in it and cook till the meat gets soft and dry. Take it out from the pan and keep aside.
5. Now heat ghee in a pan and put lamb rib pieces one by one. Fry on medium flame till the lamb pieces get golden brown and crispy. Before serving, cook the lamb pieces for 5 minutes in a pre-heated oven. Serve hot.

Thai Prawn Curry

Serves 2-4

• 150 g French beans
• 125 g prawns
• 6 button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red pepper, cut into slivers
• 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 200 ml chicken stock or 200 ml vegetable stock
• 200 ml coconut milk
• dried basil, coriander
• 1 lime, juiced
• olive oil (for cooking)
• basmati rice, cooked

1. Boil water in a saucepan and cook enough rice for 2 people.
2. Heat some oil in a frying pan and throw in the beans, cooking for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the peppers and mushrooms, fry for another minute and then add the prawn, chicken stock, fish sauce, curry paste and herbs.
4. Cook until the beans are tender.
5. Add the coconut milk and lime juice, cooking for a further 2 minutes over a medium heat and taking care not to scald the coconut milk.
6. Serve over basmati rice, preferrably in a shallow bowl

Murg Kali Mirch

Serves 4

• 1 kg chicken
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 25 - 30 peppercorns
• 3/4 cup tomatoes chopped
• 1/2 cup onions sliced
• 1 tblsp coriander powder
• 6 - 8 cloves
• 8 - 10 curry leaves
• 2 tsp garlic chopped
• 3 tblsp oil
• salt to taste

1. Clean, wash and skin the chicken.Cut it into twelve pieces.
2. Pound peppercorns to a coarse powder.
3. Mix salt, crushed peppercorns and turmeric powder with the chicken pieces.
4. Keep aside for half an hour.
5. Heat up oil in a kadhai.
6. Mix in cut onions and cloves.
7. Stir fry on medium heat up till onions are light brown.
8. Mix in cut garlic and stir fry for a minute.
9. Mix in coriander powder and cut tomatoes.
10. Stir fry till oil leaves the sides.
11. Mix in marinated chicken, curry leaves and half cup water.
12. Stir fry covered, stirring occasionally, till chicken is cooked.
13. Correct flavor and serve hot.

Salad Nicoise

Serves 4

• 1/2 pound new potatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup pitted nicoise olives
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 (6 ounce) can tuna
• 1/3 pound fresh green beans - rinsed, trimmed and blanched
• 1/2 pound mixed salad greens
• 1 cup lemon vinaigrette
• 3 hard-cooked eggs, quartered
• 3 roma (plum) tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 4 anchovy filets

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, parsley, olives, onion, tuna and green beans. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
3. In large bowl, toss greens with vinaigrette and top with chilled potato mixture. Garnish with eggs, tomatoes, capers and anchovies.