Tomato dolmas

Ingredients

* 8 vine-ripened tomatoes

* 1 tbs olive oil

* 1 brown onion, halved, thinly sliced

* 2 tbs pine nuts

* 150g (3/4 cup) long-grain rice

* 310ml (1 1/4) cup water

* 1 tsp ground cumin

* 1/2 tsp ground allspice

* Salt & freshly ground black pepper

* 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Use a sharp knife to slice the top off each tomato. Reserve tops. Use a teaspoon to scoop out seeds and flesh, leaving a 1cm border. Place tomato shells in a shallow roasting pan. Strain tomato pulp through a fine sieve and discard the juice. Coarsely chop tomato pulp and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and pine nuts and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes or until onion softens and pine nuts are golden brown. Add the rice and water, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 12 minutes or until rice is tender.
3. Add the cumin, allspice and reserved tomato pulp, and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the rice mixture among tomato shells and top with the reserved tops. Pour over stock and cover tightly with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until tomato is tender and filling is hot. Remove from oven.
5. Transfer to a platter to serve.

Seekh Kebab

Ingredients

450 gm (1lb): Lamb mince

2 medium size: Onions

5 cloves: Garlic

1.5cm: (0.5 inch) of ginger

1-2: Green chilli (de-seeded)

2-4 sprigs: Fresh coriander

* Dry Masala:

2-3: Cardamoms (small, green, ground)

-2: Cardamom (Black, ground large)

pinch to 1/2 a tbs: Chilli powder

1/2 a tbs: Salt

1/2 a tbs: Garam masala

1/2 a tbs: Cumin seeds (whole)

1 tbs: Dry coriander

Method

1. Put all the mince lamb in a large bowl and add chopped onions, garlic, ginger, chillies and coriander. Then add whole of the ground masala and mix thoroughly with either your hand or a wooden spoon.
2. Take a large hand-full and make into a long kebab using the handle of a wooden spoon.
3. Put foil on to your grill and put your kebabs under a hot grill. Cook on all sides until brown.
4. Serve on a bed of lettuce. Garnish with tomatoes, onion rings, chillies and coriander.

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients

8 no: Large Chicken pieces

11/4 cup: Yogurt

2 tbs: Lime Juice

½ quantity: Chopped Onion

3-4: Dried Red Chillies

2 tsp: Coriander Seeds

2 cloves: Crushed Garlic

1" piece: Grated Ginger

1-2: Clove

2 tsp: Garam Masala

2 tsp: Chilli powder

Salt to taste

Method

1. Make slits in the flesh of the chicken pieces and rub lime juice and salt over them. Keep aside for half an hour.
2. Grind dried chillies, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic and clove together. Mix the paste with garam masala and chilli powder.
3. Heat a pan and saute the masala. Add onions and fry. Pour yogurt and stir well. Remove the pan from fire.
4. Arrange chicken pieces in a dish and pour over the yogurt mixture. Refrigerate the marinade overnight or at least for 4-6 hours.
5. Arrange the chicken on a broiler tray cook it in a pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes or brush oil over the chicken pieces and cook in a gas stove turning over till both sides are done.
6. Keep pouring oil and masala over the chicken pieces in between.

Afghani Chicken

Ingredient:

1/2 kg chicken breast

5 garlic cloves made into a paste

2 c curd

1 tsp black pepper, crushed (kali mirch)

Salt to taste

2 tsp juice lemon.

Method:

Mix all the ingredients of the marinate together very well in a bowl.
Clean the chicken and remove it of any fat that is seen.
Now with a sharp knife, make random slits all over it.
Cover the chicken very well with the marinate mixture and keep in a tightly covered bowl to refrigerate.
You must refrigerate the chicken overnight before cooking.
Once this is done, you should remove the chicken from the marinate and grill for ten minutes on each side or till it cooked well.
Remember not to let the chicken char.
Sprinkle chat masala powder, lemon juice and serve hot.

Chicken Sandwich

Ingredient

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 tbs salt

1/2 tbs pepper

1 1/14 cup mayonnaise

1 1/4 cup sour cream

6 cups celery (usually 4 stocks-just unit it looks like enough)

3-4 cups green onion (about 1 small bunch)

Cooked chicken (6 half skinless/boneless breasts. Bake, shredded)

Method:

*Mix vinegar, salt, pepper, mayonnaise and sour cream together.

*Mix celery, green onion and chicken in separate bowl. Mix all ingredients together and taste. Let set overnight for best flavor

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 lb cut into medium sized pieces

Onions - 2 big (sliced)

Tomatoes - 2 big (sliced)

Green Chillies - 3 - cut slanted

Ginger garlic paste - 2 to 3 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 2 to 2 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seed powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Garam masala items - 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 cardamom, 2 medium sized cinnamon sticks, a pinch of saunf (if not available, substitute with 1 tsp garam masala)

Salt - to taste

Oil - 5 tbsp (with a little butter or ghee)

Food coloring/Saffron - a pinch

Basmatic rice - 3 cups

Mint leaves (pudina) -1/4 cup

Method:

In a large pan, heat oil and add the garam masala items and onions. Saute the onions for a while. Then, add the mint leaves, ginger garlic paste and saute for a few minutes. Then, add the tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin seed powder and salt. Fry this mixture for a while maybe adding a little bit of water. Then, add the chicken pieces and saute for 10-15 min. Pour some water, close with a lid and allow the chicken to cook. This should be in a sort of a gravy consistency (the oil would have come out on top).

Separately cook the basmati rice (for 3 cups rice, add 4-4 1/2 cups water) ensuring that the rice is not sticky (Make sure not to overcook the rice). Soak the pinch of saffron in a little water. Roast cashews and raisins separately and keep aside. In a large dish, put in a layer of rice. Sprinkle a little saffron water. Add some chicken masala to this and mix. Then again add another layer of rice, saffron water, and chicken masala. Continue this until all of the rice and masala is exhausted. (Note: The biryani would have a mix of colors - orange (from the food coloring), partially plain white (from the rice), orangish brown (from the masala)). Toss in the cashews, and raisins, mint and coriander leaves and serve hot with onion raita or cucumber raita or plain sliced onions.