Tag Archives: dinner

Aloo dum (Nepali potatoes curry)

Posted on November 22, 2012 | 23 comments

Aloo dum is a very popular dish in Nepal. My mum used to cook it almost every day when we were little as both me and my brother were very spoiled and didn’t eat most of the other veggies except potatoes.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium potatoes
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of crushed ginger and garlic
  • 2 tomatoes diced
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin seed
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon of chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
  • 2 tablespoons of unflavoured yogurt
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoon of oil

Steps

  • Boil potatoes and cut into cubes.
  • Heat oil in a wok.

  • When oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let it fry for a few seconds.

  • Add onion in the wok and fry till they are brown.

  • Add diced tomatoes and turmeric powder and fry some more.

  • When the paste starts giving out oil that mean it is cooked so add the boiled potatoes to the wok.

  • Just toss potatoes around and add salt, cumin, chilli, coriander powder and a half cup of water and let it boil.

  • Now add the unflavoured yogurt and mix it well.

  • Take the curry out of heat and serve with rice or roti.

You may also like :

*Momo *Aloo ko achar *Chicken chili

23 Comments

Posted in Nepali food, Recipe

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Jamie’s Crackin’ Crab Briks, Couscous Salad & Salsa

Posted on November 19, 2012 | 5 comments

Here is another great recipe from my favorite chef, Jamie Oliver. This recipe from Jamie’s’ 15 minutes meals. It is really easy and yummy.

Briks 

  • 1–2 preserved lemons
  • 2 spring onions
  • ½ a bunch of fresh coriander
  • 400g crabmeat (I used tin crab)
  • 2 tsp harissa, plus extra to serve
  • 4 large sheets of filo pastry (from a 270g pack)
  • olive oil
Salad

  • ½ tsp caraway seeds
  • ½ a mug (150g) of couscous
  • 2 tsp sun-dried tomato purée
  • ½ a bulb of fennel
  • ½ a bunch of fresh mint
  • 1 lemon
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pomegranate ( I didn’t use)

Salsa

  • 1 large ripe tomato
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
  • ½ a lemon

To serve

  • fat-free natural yoghurt

Procedure

  • Finely chop the preserved lemons, trimmed spring onions and coriander (stalks and all).
  •  Mix in a bowl with the crabmeat (I used can crab meat) and harissa.

  • Lay out a sheet of filo pastry, add ¼ of the mixture and shape into the size of a packet of playing cards at the centre of the bottom of the sheet, then push your thumb into the centre of the filling to make a space for it to expand as it cooks.
 

  •  Fold in the sides, then fold them up.

  •  Repeat until you have 4 briks.
  • Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the pan, then add the briks and cook until golden and crisp on both sides.

  • Add the caraway seeds to the side of the pan and toast for a minute, then scrape into a salad bowl.
  • Put ½ a mug of couscous (I used wholemeal one ) , 1 mug of boiling water, the tomato purée and a pinch of salt into a bowl and cover.

  •  Pick and reserve the fennel tops, then roughly chop and grate the bulb in the processor.

  •  Tip into the salad bowl, then chop and add the top leafy half of the mint.

  •  Squeeze in the lemon juice and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
  •  Season to taste and toss everything together.
  • Finely grate the tomato and ginger into a little bowl.

  •  Add a pinch of salt and pepper, a good squeeze of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and mix together.

  •  Fluff up the couscous, then tip on to a platter.
  •  Pile the salad in the middle, then bash the halved pomegranate over the top so the seeds tumble out.
  •  Scatter over the reserved fennel tops, pop the crab briks on a board and serve with dollops of yoghurt and the salsa.

You may also like :

*Jamie Oliver Szechuan stir fry with chicken and brown rice *Jamie Oliver’s Chicken Tikka Masala *Jamie Oliver’s Dan Dan Noodles

5 Comments

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Gundruk Aloo Bhatmas Curry

Posted on November 2, 2012 | 13 comments

Gundruk is fermented green vegetables like mustard, turnip, radish, cauliflower leaves or any green leaves like spinach (Saag). It is one of the famous foods in Nepal. It can be made as a curry or as achar. It has a characteristic sour taste and gives an acidic and cured smell. It is Brownish Black in colour.

Gundruk is one of the most popular vegetarian dishes in Nepal. In Nepal you can buy it or you can make your own. If you are interested in making Gundruk, please click here for the steps . It is really easy.

The gundruk in this recipe was made by my cousin K didi in Sydney but we can also buy Gundruk in Nepali grocery stores these days.

It is served as a side dish but it can be made into an appetiser as a soup. Gundruk is an important source of minerals particularly during the off-season and green vegetables are not  available in rural areas when the diet consists of mostly starchy tubers and maize which tend to be low in minerals.

Today I am sharing the recipe for Gundruk with potatoes and soybean curry.

Ingredients

  • Gundruk (2 fist full)
  • 4 potatoes
  • 2 tomatoes chopped
  • 100 gm. of soybeans
  • 5 cloves of fresh garlic
  • 6 tablespoons of oil
  • 2 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon chilli powder
  • Salt to taste

Steps

  • Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes.

  • Heat 1 table spoon oil on a pan and fry the soybean.

  • When it is soft take it out of the pan and keep it aside.
  • Peel fresh garlic and use pestle and mortal to crush them. If you don’t have fresh garlic, use 1 tablespoon of garlic paste.

  • In a pan, heat 1 table spoon of oil and fry the gundruk.

  • It will take only a few seconds for it to be cooked. Take it out of pan and keep it aside.
  • In a pot, heat remaining oil. Add dried chilli.

  • Add crushed garlic and potatoes with turmeric powder and salt.

  • Fry it for a while and then add chopped tomatoes, cumin, coriander and chili powder.

  • Fry it for a while. If potatoes start sticking to the pot, add a small quantity of water and keep frying for 5 minutes.

  • Now add 2 cups of water into the pot and cover it with the lid. Let it cook for 5 more minutes.

  • Now add the fried soybeans and gundruk into the pot and mix it well.

  • Remove the pot from the stove. Take some potatoes out of the pot and smash it and put it back into the pot. This will thicken the gravy.

  • Server with rice. Yummy!

You may also like :

*Aloo dum *Aloo ko achar *Aloo chop

13 Comments

Posted in Nepali food, Recipe

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Aloo ko achar (Nepali style potato salad)

Posted on September 12, 2012 | 17 comments

Aloo ko achar is a very popular Nepali potato salad which is used in most bhoj in Nepal. There are many different ways that it can be prepared. I am sharing my recipe here.

Ingredients

  • 3 medium potatoes (200gm)
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 Spanish onion
  • 2 Teaspoon of mustard oil
  • 1 Teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 Teaspoon crushed chilli flakes
  • 1/2 Teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
  • 1/2 cup white sesame seeds (teel)
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 3 green chillies
  • A few leaves of fresh Coriander
  • Salt to taste
Fenugreek seeds (Methi)

 Steps

  • Boil potatoes, peel and chop into quarters. I use pressure cooker as it is quick and easy.

  • Cut cucumber and carrot in half moon shapes as shown in photos.

  • Finely chop Spanish onion, green chillies and coriander leaves.

  • Roast sesame seeds (Teel) on a pan until it turns light brown and starts crackling. Make sure to stir regularly so it doesn’t burn.

  • Place it in the blender with half a cup of water to make a fine paste. Alternatively grind it into a fine powder in the grinder and mix with half cup of water.

  • Put the potatoes, cumber, carrot, onion, coriander and green chilli into a big bow. Add the sesame paste, lemon juice and salt.

  • Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add mustard oil. When the oil gets heated and you start to see smoke add the fenugreek seeds. Wait till it goes dark brown and add chilli flakes, turmeric powder and take off from the heat straight away.

  • Pour this into the bowl with the potatoes.

  • Mix it well and it is ready to be served.

It tastes best if you leave the Aloo ko achar in the fridge for half an hour before serving.

You may also like :

*Aloo dum *Aloo Tama bodi *Aloo chop

17 Comments

Posted in Newari Food, Recipe

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Pan fried pork belly

Posted on September 9, 2012 | 6 comments

My husband has wanted to eat pork belly for a while but we couldn’t find pan-fried pork belly in any restaurant. Pork belly is a boneless cut of fatty meat derived from the belly of a pig. I know it is very fatty but it taste yummy as well. We did try one Taiwanese restaurant but it was a bit too sweet for his liking so I decided to make my own pan-fried pork belly. It is quite simple and I am sharing it with you all.

Ingredient

  • 250 gm. Pork belly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons grated ginger
  • 5 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon chill power (optional)
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil for frying

 Steps

  • Mix ginger, soy sauce, salt, chilli, turmeric,  cumin, coriander, pepper with pork belly and marinade in a bowl and leave for at least an hour.

  • Heat up a wok with oil enough so the pork slices are half submerged in oil. Once one side turns golden brown, turn the piece over and fry the pork slices until both sides turn golden brown.

  • Line a plate with kitchen paper towel and put the pork on it to soak excess oil.
  • Serve it hot with rice or any other dish.

I had mine with roti and potato curry and it was yummy. 🙂

6 Comments

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