What's for dinner?

This dish is a delicious idea for a quick and easy meal for the family or with friends. It can be a simple vegetarian option or if you prefer you could cook some chicken or prawns and add to the dish at the last stage of cooking.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 – 25 minutes

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

250g    basmati rice
½    yellow pepper, thinly sliced
½    green pepper, thinly sliced
½    red pepper, thinly sliced
100g    potatoes, cut into small cubes
100g    frozen sweetcorn
100g    cauliflower, cut into florets
100g    courgette, cut into cubes
100g    natural yoghurt
120g    tomatoes, chopped
1.5 tbs    whole cumin seeds
6    small dry red chillies, whole
20g    garlic, chopped
20g    ginger, chopped
4tbs    coriander, chopped
2    green chillies, chopped
2    small onions, sliced
6 tbs    oil
Salt to taste

Whole spices:
1tsp    black pepper corns
4    green cardamoms
2    black cardamoms
4    bay leaves
1/2    cinnamon stick

Method

1.    Boil the rice with all the whole spices and a little salt
2.    Once the rice is cooked but still firm, drain the water (set to one side)
3.    Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok, add the cumin seeds, chopped ginger, garlic and chilli and sauté for 1 minute
4.    Add the sliced onion and sauté for a further 2-3 minutes
5.    Put the cauliflower and courgette in a microwavable dish and cover with water. Cook in the microwave on a high heat for 4 minutes to soften the vegetables.
6.    Now put the diced potatoes in a microwavable dish and cover with water. Microwave on a high heat for 4 minutes
7.    Add all vegetables (peppers, potatoes, sweetcorn, cauliflower, courgette, tomatoes) to the pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes
8.    Add the yoghurt, season to taste, and cook for another 2 minutes. Finally add the rice and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
9.    Garnish with coriander and serve with raita, salad, chutneys and poppadoms

Kheer is very different to the rice pudding you might have eaten from a tin.  Cooked with basmati rice, this wonderfully comforting sweet dessert is laced with the delicate flavour of cardomoms and finished with crushed pistachios.

Ingredients:

2lt milk
200g rice (basmati, thai jasmiine rice or sticky rice)
1/2 – 1 tin of condensed milk
3-4 cardamoms
1/2 tsp rose water or kewra
2 tbsp sugar
pistachios/almonds to garnish

Method:

1. Wash the rice to rinse out the starch
2. In a deep, heavy pan pour in the milk, add the rice, sugar and cardamoms
3. Bring to the boil on a low to medium heat, reduce the heat and add the condensed milk
4. Simmer until the milk has reduced and the rice is almost cooked
5. Bring back to the boil for 2-4 minutes if you want to thicken the consistency
6. Add a few drops of the rose water/kewra and cover for a minute to cool
7. Garnish with chopped pistachios or flaked, peeled almonds and serve

Personally, I love fish and especially oily fish simply because it’s a rich source of Omega 3.

Fish such as salmon, sea bass, trout or mackerel is best enjoyed when it’s just about cooked through, so it still has moisture and flavour. Here’s a beautiful recipe for salmon.

Ingredients

250g -  salmon steak with skin on (per person)

2 tbs – oil for frying fish

For the marinade:

1/2 tsp – chilli paste (red or green)

1 tsp – garlic puree

1 tbs – lemon juice

1 tbs – fresh finely chopped coriander

1 tbs – olive oil

Salt, to taste

1/4 tsp – sugar

1/2 tsp – cumin powder

1/2 tsp – coriander powder

1/4 tsp – turmeric powder

Method

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, adding seasoning to taste
2. Tumble the fish evenly in the marinade, so the salmon is fully covered
3. Heat oil in a pan, place the fish skin side down on to the hot oil for two minutes (if steaks are particularly thick, give them a little longer)
4. After two minutes turn the fish and cook for another two minutes
5. When the fish is firm to touch, remove from the heat. The fish is now ready to be served.

Serve with chapattis, rice, salad or roasted vegetables.