Punjabi Chana Masala Powder

This delicate masala is used for chickpea curry or for spicing up other dhal or lentil dishes.

Ingredients:
30ml Cumin Seeds
15ml Caraway Seeds
5 Dry Red Chilli
5ml Turmeric powder
15ml Coriander Seeds
7.5ml Ground Black Pepper
5ml Ground Cloves
15ml White Sesame Seeds
10 Green Cardamom

4 Black Cardamom
7.5ml Dry ground Ginger
15ml Dry Mango Powder - Amchur

10ml Ground Cinnamon
2 Bay Leaves
1 Star Anise
2.5ml Ground Nutmeg
15ml Rock Salt


Method:
Dry roast all the whole spices one by one and allow to cool.

Cool all the ingredients and grind into smooth powder using spice mill. Cool powdered masala, and store in air tight container.

Spicy Butternut and Chickpea Soup with Coconut Cream

This is such a typical African soup. 

To make it even more Southern African you could use butter pumpkin instead of butternut, peanuts instead of chickpeas, and Morogo or Imifino (African wild spinach) instead of baby spinach leaves.

Ingredients:
30ml olive oil
1 red onion, roughly chopped
5ml chopped garlic
5ml grated fresh ginger
5ml dried chilli flakes
5ml curry powder
5ml ground cumin
1 can chopped tomatoes
10ml sugar
500ml chicken stock
750ml peeled butternut cubes
1 can chickpeas, washed and drained
150-200ml coconut cream
a couple of handfuls of baby spinach leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Steam the butternut for 15-20 minutes minutes until it begins to soften.

Meanwhile, over med-high heat, add the olive oil to a large pot. When it is hot, add the onion and cook gently for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down if it starts to burn. Add in the garlic, ginger and all the spices and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Add in the tinned tomatoes and sugar, stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Add in the cooked butternut, the chickpeas and the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, and then turn down to a simmer for a further 15 minutes. Stir through the coconut cream, check for seasoning, and then add in the spinach leaves just before serving.

Serve in warmed soup bowls with fresh crusty bread on the side.

Turkish Yoghurt Soup with Chicken, Chickpeas and Rice

Ingredients:
250ml water
125ml basmati rice
1 L chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
250ml full-fat plain yogurt
1 large egg yolk
30ml all-purpose flour
One 410g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
15ml extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
30gunsalted butter
10ml minced garlic
10ml sweet paprika
2.5ml ground cumin
1ml cayenne pepper
50ml finely chopped mint
Lemon wedges, for serving

Method:

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice, cover and cook over low heat until barely tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer over moderately high heat. Add the chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Skim any fat from the surface of the stock.

In a large saucepan, whisk the yoghurt with the egg yolk and flour. Whisk in the stock and bring to a simmer over low heat, whisking occasionally. 

Using a stick blender, purée some of the chickpeas, rice and chicken. Stir this purée into the stock and yoghurt mixture until thoroughly blended, then stir in the rest of the chickpeas, rice and reserved chicken. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm over low heat. Do not boil!

Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add the garlic, paprika, ground cumin and cayenne and cook for about 2 minutes over moderate heat until fragrant. Ladle the soup into bowls and swirl in the garlic spice butter. Sprinkle with chopped mint and serve with lemon wedges.

Moroccan Braised Brinjal and Chickpea Salad

I LOVE EXPERIMENTING!

On Sunday evening we smoked some chicken on the Weber Kettle Braai. 

Needing a vegetable dish to compliment the chicken I looked for something to do with chickpeas,

Something Mediterranean that would be a bit spicy and warm for a winter evening.

I came up with this idea with finger brinjals (small long aubergines) and carrots with Moroccan spicing,

Not too hot but with a bit of a kick...

It's a meal on it's own, but if you prefer a vegetarian option,

 then use vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock I have used.

Normally I'd have used apricots, which are commonly used in Moroccan cuisine, but didn't have any, so I left them out and just used raisins. 

It was absolutely delicious and definitely worth repeating!

Give it a try.

As for the chicken, we will have to make that again also;

when we do I'll take photos and share the way to do it with you all.

Ingredients:

30ml olive oil

2 onions, each cut into 8 wedges

6-8 finger brinjals, cut in 1cm thick slices

5ml ground cumin

2.5ml turmeric

2.5ml cayenne pepper or ground chillies

7.5ml ground coriander

5ml ground cinnamon

300ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegetarian option) 

2 carrots, sliced

125ml raisins

125ml dried apricots, chunky chopped (optional)

60ml flaked almonds

I x 410g can chickpeas, drained

60ml couscous

60ml chopped fresh coriander

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onions and brinjals and fry over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are softened and the brinjal has taken a bit of colour. 

Add the spices and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Stir in the stock, carrots, apricots (if using), raisins and almonds and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Wash and drain the chickpeas and add them to the vegetables, stirring to mix the chickpeas through. Cover and return the pot to the boil and allow to cook for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle in the couscous, fold it in and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Season with salt and pepper and fold in half the coriander. Serve sprinkled with the remainder of the coriander.

Jalapeno Lime Hummus

Ingredients:
425g Can Chickpeas (drained)
15ml Coriander, roughly chopped
2 cloves Garlic, peeled
30ml Jalapeno, roughly chopped
7.5ml Fresh lemon juice
15ml Fresh lime juice
1 pinch Salt And Pepper
20-30ml Olive Oil
15ml Water

Preparation:

Place all ingredients except olive oil and water in a food processor and blend until smooth.

With the machine running, stream in the olive oil and water and continue processing until super creamy and smooth.


Spread on savoury biscuits, corn chips, toast or what ever takes your fancy.

Chicken, Chickpea and Red Pepper Curry

Chicken, Chickpea and Red Pepper Curry

Ingredients:

500g chicken thigh fillets, deboned and diced

15ml sunflower oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped

30ml curry paste

410g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

50g creamed coconut, grated

250ml boiling water

Basmati rice and green beans to serve

Method:

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Season the chicken and fry in the oil for 4-5 minutes, turning, until browned.

Add the red pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 30 seconds, then add the chickpeas, coconut and boiling water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Serve with rice and green beans.

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Smoky Chicken Hotpot

Smoky Chicken Hotpot

Ingredients:

2 skinless chicken breasts, chopped

4 rashers rindless streaky bacon, each cut into 3 pieces

15ml olive oil

100g chorizo sausage, sliced into thick rings

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips

400g tin chopped tomatoes

300ml hot chicken stock

15ml dark brown sugar

410g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained

60ml fresh chopped parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Heat a flameproof casserole dish, add the bacon and dry-fry for a few minutes. When the bacon begins to sizzle, add the oil, chicken and chorizo. Cook, stirring occasionaly, until the chicken is sealed and the pimento oil is drawn from the chorizo.

Add the onion and red pepper, put the lid on the pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, stock, sugar, chickpeas and half of the parsley. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then take the lid off and simmer for another 15-20 minutes to let the sauce thicken. Season to taste.

Serve immediately, sprinled with the rest of the parsley.

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Falafel with Garlic Tahini Sauce

Tahini is a Middle Eastern sesame seed paste you can find
in most grocery stores.
Ingredients: 

For the tahini sauce:225 g tahini 
(seasame seed paste)1/2 a tin of chickpeas, 
drained and rinsedjuice  of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, chopped
5ml sea salt
2.5ml cayenne pepper

For the falafel:
1/2 a tin of chickpeas, drained350g lamb mince
50ml spring onions, white and light-green parts only, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander
60 g finely chopped parsley
5ml sea salt
5ml ground coriander
5ml ground cumin
2.5ml ground black pepper
A large pinch cayenne
125 ml olive oil

Method:

To make the sauce, combine ingredients in a food processor.
As you purée, add chickpeas and 170ml of water through feed tube until mixture is smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Sauce should be thinner than hummus.
For the balls, in a large ball, mash chickpeas with a potato masher or fork.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well with your hands until well blended.
Form into 2 cm balls.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Cook balls in batches for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally until golden-brown and just cooked.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
Drizzle with sauce and serve immediately.

Hummus Dip or Spread

This easy dip recipe is great to make sandwiches for your lunchbox, or simply to serve with breadsticks or pitta bread. If you want to make a spread to use instead of butter or margerine, include all the chickpeas and leave out the cumin, water and paprika.

Ingredients:
200g canned chickpeas
30ml lemon juice or more
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5ml ground cumin
Salt
100ml tahini (sesame seed paste) optional
60ml water
10-15ml extra virgin olive oil
5ml paprika

Method:
Drain the chickpeas and rinse. Reserve a few whole chick peas for serving.

Combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, tahini, water and extra virgin olive oil in a food processor, and blend to a creamy purée.

Add more lemon juice, garlic, cumin or salt to taste. Turn out into a dinner plate, and make smooth with the back of a spoon. Scatter with the reserved chickpeas.

Sprinkle with paprika and serve with pita bread, warmed in a moderate oven for three minutes, and cut into quarters.

Kabli Chana - Chick Pea Curry

For many people in the Indian subcontinent, especially those who are vegetarians, chick peas are a staple in the diet. Being rather bland in flavour they need spicing up. Kabli Chana is a standard recipe for serving this legume.

Ingredients:
225g chick peas
water for soaking
600ml water for cooking
5ml salt
50ml vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch root ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
5ml turmeric
5ml ground cumin
10ml ground coriander
4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1 large tomato or 2 small tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
juice and zest of 1 lemon
5ml garam masala
30ml chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method:
Soak the chick peas in water overnight. Drain the chick peas and put into a saucepan with 600ml water and 1ml salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over low heat for an hour and a half, or until the peas are tender. Drain, reserving 300ml of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the onions and fry over medium heat until the onions are golden brown. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for about a minute before adding the turmeric, cumin and coriander mixed with 30ml water. Continue to fry for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chillies, tomato and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in the chick peas and cook for 5-10 minutes, then add the reserved cooking liquid, the remaining salt and the lemon juice and zest. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Now remove the lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes to reduce the liquid.

Mix in the garam masala and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander before serving.

Rosemary Braised Cabbage

This is cabbage to die for doll!

I'm not that fond of cabbage -

I went to boarding school, LOL -

But this is something else!

Using a mixture of cabbage and cauliflower or broccoli

makes colour, texture and taste more interesting.

Ingredients:
1 savoy cabbage, tough stalk removed and roughly chopped
30ml olive oil
6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, cut across into 1 inch strips
15ml chopped fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
150ml chicken stock
1 small can chick peas
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
90g butter

Method:
Add the olive oil to a thick-based pan and fry off the bacon.
After a minute add the rosemary and garlic and mix to combine the flavours.
When the bacon is golden brown, add the cabbage and a little stock, put the lid on the pan and steam the cabbage for a minute or two.
Add the rest of your stock, season with salt and pepper and stir.
Replace the lid and simmer for 10-12 minutes, adding the chick peas after about 7 minutes.
When the cabbage is tender enough to eat but still holds its colour, take the pan off the heat. Drain off the vegetables and transfer to a hot serving dish.
Return the remaining stock in the pan to the heat and heat for about 5 minutes to reduce.
Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the butter.
Pour over the cabbage in the serving dish.
Leave for about 5 minutes before serving.

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