Aloo gobi (spicy potatoes and cauliflower)

Potato - Part 1.

Fire up your taste buds.

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6):
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies, sliced
5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely shredded
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
Salt to taste
300g new potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tsp garam masala
A bunch of coriander leaves

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the cumin seeds for 30 seconds. Lower heat, add the chillies and ginger, and stir-fry until fragrant.
2. Add turmeric, ground coriander and salt. Stir to mix. Add the potatoes and cauliflower and stir to coat spices evenly.
3. Add a splash of water and cook over low heat until vegetables soften, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the pan gets dry, add a splash of water at a time.
4. Turn up the heat and gently toss the vegetables in the pan to dry off excess water.
5. Stir in the garam masala and serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves.

Tips:
Leftover Aloo gobi makes for great samosa filling. Fold thawed popiah skin in half to make triangles, fill and deep-fry.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Mar 2008)

Chicken stew with tomato and chilli

A modified recipe of a traditional Italian stew.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp flour
Salt
800g chicken fillets, leg thigh
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp light soya sauce
4 stalks fresh coriander leaves, chopped
600g broccoli, cut into flowerettes

Method:
1. Place flour, a pinch of salt and a few shakes of pepper into a clean plastic bag.
2. Cut chicken into bite-size cubes and put into same bag. Holding bag closed, shake a few times.
3. Brown flour-dusted chicken in a non-stick pan with olive oil. Do in batches and put aside.
4. In same pan, saute onion, garlic and chilli flakes for 2 minutes.
5. Add tomato paste and light soya sauce, stir.
6. Add chicken and cook over a moderate heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Add a few drizzles of water if it gets too dry. Stir in chopped coriander leaves just before removing from heat.
7. Bring water in a steamer to a rolling boil. Steam broccoli for 3 minutes.
8. Serve chicken and broccoli hot with crusty bread on the side.

Recipe source: Streats newspaper