Indian Curry Caserole with Pumpkin

Indian Curry Caserole with Pumpkin

Ingredients

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 red chili, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh ginger finely chopped

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

500 g crushed tomatoes

400 ml coconut milk

2 dl of water

1 dl dates, roughly cut

300 g pumpkin, peeled and diced into cubes

3 potatoes, peeled and diced into cubes

250 g cauliflower, divided into small bouquets

Seasoning mix

5 whole cloves

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cardamom kernels

1, 5 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

0, 5 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For serving:

3 dl rice, jasmine rice, rye rice or bulgur, roasted cashew nuts or pumpkin seeds (I used roasted pumpkin seeds from my pumpkins).

Directions:

Boil the rice or bulgur as instructed on the package. 

Mortar spices, cardamom and mustard seeds for the spice mixture and mix with the rest of the dry spices.

Fry the onions, garlic, chili, ginger and spices in oil while stirring until the onion is soft. Add the tomato paste and fry for 1 minute.

Add crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, water and dates to the pan. Let it simmer about 30 min. Add the pumpkin and potatoes and boil until the potatoes are soft (pour in a little more water if needed).

Add the cauliflower at the end and boil 4-5 min. Taste the pan with salt. Serve with rice and spices with cashew nuts and coriander.

Serve the curry with rice or bulgur and top with fresh coriander (if you don´t like coriander, take some other green like parsley or anything of your liking). Sprinkle some roasted cashew nuts or pumpkin seeds over.

Ghanaian Jollof Rice

Ghanaian Jollof Rice

The main ingredients of the dish are rice, tomatoes, and onions. The rest of the ingredients can vary greatly according to everyone’s taste. For example, vegetarians prefer to have the dish with mixed vegetables and without any meat products, while many other people prefer to have the dish with meat, chicken, turkey, or fish. For this recipe I have chosen to make it vegetarian with mixed vegetables and beans.

Ingredients:

3 large tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic (you can add more according to your choice)

2 large onions

A bit of fresh ginger, (like 2 cm long)

2 cups (800 grams) of basmati rice (long grain rice)

1 chilie (optional, you can add more according to your choice)

1 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 spoons of vegetable oil

Salt and ground black pepper (according to taste)

7 dl of water or stock (you can also add one or two stock cubes for a better seasoning)

300 gr mixed vegetables of soybeans, red beans, corn and carrots

Directions:

Rince the uncooked rice with cold water until the water is clear. Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Sift the rice and pour in a pan with water. Cook for 10 minutes in boiling water. The rice should be half cooked. Sift the rice again and rince under cold water.

Cut the tomatoes into big cubes and blend then using a blender, cut the garlic cloves into halves and press them, and then slice the rest of the onions into medium pieces. Cut the ginger in small pieces. In a non-stick pot, add the vegetable oil and heat it for 1-2 minutes. Add the onions to the pot and fry them until they become soft. Add the garlic cloves and ginger and fry all together with the onions for one more minute while stirring continuously, and then add the blended tomatoes, the water, the stock cube, salt, black pepper, the chilies, the tomato paste, and stir them all together. You should pay attention to the seasoning, as the rice will be cooked later in this mix. Cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the mix starts boiling. After boiling I mix the sauce with a mixer/blender to get a smooth sauce.

You could continue to cook the rice in the pot but I do the rest in the oven. So place the rice in a baking tray. Add the mixed vegetables and beans and stir. Then add the sauce and stir so all mixes. Cover the baking tray with foil and then bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes on 200 degrees Celsius.

Take it out and stir all the rice around to see how far the cooking process has come. If it is still a bit moist and not cooked cover again and put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

Take it out again and see if it is ready. The rice should be soft and dry and not sticky.

Spicy Chickpea curry with vegetables and fetacheese

 Spicy Chickpea curry with vegetables and fetacheese

Ingredients:

Aubergine

Cauliflower

Peas

Mix of cashewnuts, dried cocos, dried ginger

Yellow onion

Fresh ginger

Chickpeas

Crushed tomatoes

Mint

Red chili

Spring onion

Double cream

Garlic

Curry

Cube of vegetable stock

Honey

Grinded cardemum

Grinded cilantro

Olivoil

Salt, Cumin

Directions:

Cut ¾ aubergine into 2x2 cm cubes. Sprinkle olive oil and 1 tsp salt all over. Put in a frying pan. Fry on high heat until a little golden. You can also roast them in the oven at 250 celsius degrees for 18-20 minutes if you rather prefer that.

Boil 1 ¾ del rice according to directions on package. I use jasmin rice and equal part of water. I let it boil under a lid without touching until the water is totally absorbed. This gives a really fluffy rice. Any rice you prefer can be used though.

Chop 1 yellow onion, 1 clove of garlic, fresh ginger and 1 red chili. Fry onion, chili, garlic and ½ dl finely chopped ginger in a little olive oil. Add the spices, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp curry, 1 tsp grinded coriander and 1 tsp grinded cardemum.

Add 1 can of crushed tomatoes, ¾ dl double cream, ½ dl water, 1 tsp honey, ¾ cube vegetable stock, 2 dl canned or preboiled chickpeas.

Chop a handful mint, 2 springonions. a handful peas and about half a cauliflower.

Add the vegetables and the aubergine into the curry and season to your liking with salt.

Top with a bag of dried cashewnuts, cocos and finger, some presh peas or springonion and fetacheese if you like.

If you want this recipe to be vegan use cream made from soybeans and vegan fetacheese or just leave both out. It will still be delicious.

Halloumiburgers with salsa romesco, red onions and fries

Halloumiburgers with salsa romesco, red onions and fries

Ingredients:

 

2 Halloumiburgers

2 Hamburgerbuns

50 gr Almond flakes

500 gr Potatoes

100 gr Ruccola

Red pepper

1 Red onion

1 Tomatoe

2 Cloves of garlic

Chili flakes

Oil

Salt

Black pepper

White wine vinegar

Directions:

Heat the oven to 250 degrees Celsius

Salsa romesco: Chop 1 red pepper, ½ tomato, ½ red onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Place all in an oventray and mix with oil and a pinch of salt. Roast in the oven for 18-20 minutes. 

Cut 500 gr potatoes into french fry like sticks. Rinse in water. Dry and place on a oven tray and mix with salt, oil and black pepper. Roast in the middle of the oven for 20-22 minutes. 

Roast 50 gr almond flakes in a dry frying pan until golden. 

Put the roasted vegetables in a mixerbowl. Add half of the roasted almonds, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 3 tsp chili flakes, 1 tsp salt. Mix to a sauce with a mixer. 

Slice thin rings of ½ a red onion and slice ½ a tomatoe into slices. 

Fry 2 halloumiburgers on both sides in a frying pan with a little oil for 2-3 minutes. 

Fill two hamburgerbuns with a little salsa romesco, halloumiburgers, red onions, tomatoes, ruccola and roasted almonds. Serve with fries and the rest of the salsa romesco. 

Ginger Rice with Chili, Black Beans and Cashewnuts

Ginger Rice with Chili and Cashewnuts

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati Rice
3 ½ cups Broth (chicken or vegetable)
½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil
½ cup diced onions

1 green chili

1 red chili

½ cup black beans

½ cup cashewnuts



Directions:

Wash and drain the rice. In a pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add rice and stir a minute, add broth/water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts boiling, immediately cover and turn to low heat. Let the rice cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Let sit for another 5 minutes covered to finish steaming. Use a fork to fluff up the rice.

In a frying pan add olive oil. When oil is shimmering add onions and fry for 3 minutes, until softened and light brown. Stir in chilis, beans and cashewnuts.

Add  the turmeric powder to the rice. Add the fried onion, chilis, beans and nuts to the rice. Mix thoroughly.

Plate and serve.

Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice

Ingredients

4 cups cooked rice

1.5 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Rock salt or regular salt as required

Directions

Heat the rice and stir the ingredients together. Plate and serve.

Coconut Rice

Coconut Rice

 Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 1/2 cups jasmine or long-grain rice

1 rounded teaspoon finely grated ginger

1⁄2 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup water

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk (not coconut cream)

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup toasted coconut to garnish

In a pot: all ingredients except toasted coconut- Bring to a simmer, cover, cook on low for 18 minutes. Turn off heat, leave covered 5 more minutes, then fluff ; plate and garnish with toasted coconut and serve.

Saffron Rice

Saffron Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati Rice
3 ½ cups Broth (chicken or vegetable)
½ tsp saffron soaked in 2tbs hot water for 10 minutes
chili flakes
1 onion
1 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil
 

Directions:
Wash and drain the rice. In a pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add rice and stir a minute, add broth/water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts boiling, immediately cover and turn to low heat. Let the rice cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Let sit for another 5 minutes covered to finish steaming. Use a fork to fluff up the rice.

Slice onion to small pieces, fry until softened in a little olive oil. Add  the onion, chiliflakes and  saffron to the rice. Stir and plate to serve. 

Indian fried Vegetable balls

Indian fried Vegetable balls

Ingredients:

4 medium sized potatoes
Cooking oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped green chilies
1 finely grated carrot
½ cup green peas
½ cup corn
1 cup finely chopped onion
Sea salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 small handful finely chopped coriander leaves
1 tablespoon corn flour
Bread crumbs

Directions:
Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Cook in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 20 minutes or until very tender but not falling apart. Using your hands or potato masher, mash potatoes to a fine paste and keep it aside.

Heat the pan and add cooking oil.

Add to the pan garlic, ginger and onion and cook till its golden brown.

Then add carrot and sea salt and cook till the raw smell disappears.

Now add chili powder, garam masala, green peas and corn and cook for further 3 minutes.

Now add to a bowl corn flour, masala and mashed potato and combine well.

Take a small portion of the mixture and roll it into a ball.

Now roll this ball over the breadcrumbs making sure the breadcrumbs are evenly coated.

Repeat above two steps for remaining mixture.

Now heat the pan and fill it with cooking oil enough for deep-frying.

Drop the balls one by one slowly into the oil and cook till its golden brown.

Vegetable fried balls are now ready to be served.

Serve with a green salad.

Vegan Chocolate Balls, Chocolate Muffins and Chocolate Cake with Dates, Avacado, Banana and Black Beans

Chocolate Bean Balls 

70 grams of black beans
15 grams of coconut oil
35 grams of sweet almonds
50 grams of fresh dates (nuclei removed)
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 ½ tablespoon agave syrup
½ tablespoon vanilla powder

 You can use canned beans. If you use dried beans like me they have to been soaked at least 8 hours in water. Rinse off the water and pour beans in a pan covered with water. Boil for 1 hour. Rinse the beans. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a hand blender until everything becomes a smooth dough. Roll into round balls and roll in shredded coconut.

Chocolate muffins with avocado and banana

Chocolate muffins:

35 grams butter
60 grams of dark chocolate (sugar please)
50 grams of avocado
50 grams of banana
1 tsp baking powder
4 tablespoons soybean whipping cream
½ cup hazelnut flour
1/3 - ½ dl sweetener
1 tsp vanilla powder

Chocolate frosting:

50 grams vegan cream cheese

35 grams of dark chocolate (milk free)

1 teaspoon hot water

1 tsp instant coffee powder

1 tsp sweetener

1 tsp vanilla powder

Chocolate muffins:

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Melt the butter together with small pieces of chocolate (I do this in the microwave). Add all ingredients to the chocolate base in a bowl and mix (with a hand blender) until blended. Line a small muffin cups and spread the batter in this. Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes (muffins should still be a bit sticky in the middle). Let the muffins cool.

Chocolate cream: 

Mix hot water with the coffee powder to the chocolate cream. Melt the chocolate and mix with remaining ingredients. Top the muffins with chocolate cream.

Chocolate Bean Cake with Dates

50 grams of black beans

40 grams of fresh dates

1 egg (skip the egg if totally vegan and add 1 tsp baking powder 

instead with 2 tbs water)

½ cup almond flour

2 tablespoons grated coconut

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 tablespoon sweetener

½ tsp of vanilla powder

1 tablespoon soymilk or soycream

10 grams of hazelnuts

10 grams light unsweetened chocolate, milkfree

20 grams milkfree butter

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.

Add beans, dates (and egg if you choose) in a bowl and mix everything together (I use a hand blender). 

Coarsely chop the chocolate and hazelnuts and add them together with all other ingredients and mix well. If you want to, melt butter and mix in this. Pour batter into a greased and floured spring form of about (12 centimeters diameter). Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Use vegan soycream for whipping.