ALOO BHAJJI AND MANGO LASSI FOR A LAZY SUMMER WEEKEND

Recipes for 70 iconic Indian dishes such as bhajjis and butter chicken, tarka dal and kheer. Twelve dedicated menu plans help you combine recipes to create delicious meals. Find them all in Easy Indian Cookbook by Manju Malhi, published by Nourish, $21.95

Aloo Bhajji from Easy Indian Cookbook by Manju Malhi.

ALOO BHAJJIS (POTATO AND CORIANDER FRITTERS)

250 gms fluffy potatoes, peeled

½ cup gram flour

2 green chillies, finely chopped

½ tsp salt

A handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

Oil for deep frying

Grate the potatoes coarsely into a large bowl. Sift the flour into the same bowl, then add the chillies, salt and coriander leaves. Stir together with a fork until the mixture forms a thick, coarse batter.

Heat enough oil for deep frying in a heavy-based saucepan over high heat or in a deep fryer at 375°F or until a small drop of the batter sizzles fiercely in the oil.

Drop 1 tbsp of the batter into the oil and fry for about 1 minute or until it turns golden brown.

Remove the fritter with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Taste the fritter and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.

Fry the remaining fritters, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Remove any pieces of fried batter from the oil and return the oil to the correct temperature before adding each new batch. These can be fried in advance and reheated in an oven at 350°F for 10 mins before serving. Serve with tomato chutney.

TOMATO CHUTNEY

2 tbsp tamarind pulp

1 lb tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp turmeric

1 tsp groundnut oil

6 curry leaves

¼ tsp brown mustard seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

Put the tamarind pulp in a bowl, pour enough boiling water to cover and let stand for 20 minutes. With a wooden spoon, press the pulp and release the fibres and seeds, then strain through a nylon sieve into a bowl, using the back of the spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the pulp and set aside the juice.

Put the tomatoes in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, sugar, chilli powder, salt, turmeric and tamarind juice and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until it thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Spoon the chutney into a glass jar with a tight-fitting, non-metallic lid, but do not close.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the curry leaves, mustard seeds and asafoetida and fry, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds, or until the seeds splutter. Watch carefully so they do not burn.

Tip the spice mixture into the chutney and mix well. The chutney is now ready to use, or it can be left to cool in the glass jar, then sealed and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

CHICKEN JALFREZI

3 tbsp sunflower oil

2 onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, sliced

2 green chillies, chopped

4 tsp Manju’s Quick Curry Paste

1 tsp tomato purée

¼ tsp salt

500 gm boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces

5 cm piece root ginger, peeled and grated

2 green (bell) peppers, seeded and diced

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and chillies and fry, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes until the onions are golden brown. Add the curry paste, tomato purée and salt and stir for 1 min. Stir in the chicken pieces and continue stirring for 7-8 mins. until they change colour and the spices blend with the chicken.

Bring one cup of water to the boil and pour it into the pan. Stir the ginger and green peppers into the pan and simmer, uncovered, for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.

Check by cutting a piece of chicken in half – the juices should run clear. Serve hot with naans.

MANJU’S QUICK CURRY PASTE

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp tomato purée

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp garam masala

¼ tsp chilli powder

¼ tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl to form a thick, reddish-brown paste. Use at once, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 9 days.

AAM KI LASSI

Seeds from 2 green cardamom pods, crushed

4 large ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped

2 cups natural yoghurt

2 cups milk

4 tsp caster (superfine sugar)

Ice to serve

Grind the cardamom seeds to a powder with a pestle and mortar.

Put the chopped mangoes in a blender and blend until smooth. This should yield about 2 cups mango pulp. Add ground cardamom seeds, yoghurt, milk and sugar and blend until smooth.

Serve over ice in tall glasses.

Easy Indian Cookbook by Manj Malhi is published by Nourish, $21.95. — *Easy Indian Cookbook* by Manj Malhi is published by Nourish, $21.95.

KITCHEN TABLE