Smoked Aubergine, kofta and potato curry

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

500g minced lamb or beef

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp white pepper

3 cloves of garlic

fresh breadcrumbs (1 slice of bread)

1 egg

2 aubergines

For the curry:

  4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 large onions

1 tsp whole jeera (cumin)

3-4 small whole green chillies

3 cloves of garlic

2 cm piece of fresh ginger

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp bassar (Pakistani curry powder or mild curry powder)

5 whole cloves

2 tsp salt

2 large potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks)

1/2 tsp garam masala

small bunch of fresh green coriander

Method

 Mix together the meat, spices, egg and breadcrumbs and crushed garlic. 

(Make the breadcrumbs either in a food processor or by chopping it)

Set the mixture aside.

 Roast the aubergines by placing them straight on the flame of the gas cooker one at the time. Let them char all over and keep turning them until they are black and burned on all sides. This is a little messy and can look slightly mad and scary. Place the charred aubergines in a colander to cool. 

 If you haven't a gas cooker, the aubergines can be roasted under a grill in the oven.

In a large pan, heat the oil, then add sliced onions and fry until golden. Add jeera and fry for a minute then add crushed garlic and finely sliced ginger, whole green chillies and fry for a few more minutes. Add tinned tomatoes and a little water. Stir and cook until the oil starts to separate then add the spices and salt. Leave to cook on a low heat while you make the meatballs. Add some more water if the sauce becomes dry or starts to stick at the bottom of the pan. 

In a frying pan heat a little oil.

  With wet hands form the meatball mixture into little oval shaped balls and fry turning once until brown. Add the meatballs and peeled cut potatoes into the curry sauce.

Peel the charred aubergines under cold water until clean. Cut off the stalk, chop roughly and add to the curry. Top with water and simmer on low heat until the potatoes are cooked. 

Add garam masala and chopped green coriander.
 Check the seasoning, might need to add some more salt as the potatoes soak it up.

Serve with chapattis or rice and plain yogurt. 

 

Spicy Steak and Onion Pie

This is my take on a British classic: Steak and Onion Pie.
Just with few more spices and a little chilli.
The ultimate comfort food, especially on a cold winter's night.

Ingredients

1,5kg  Beef/Lamb Steak

2 tbsp Plain flour

   Vegetable oil

2-3 large onions

2 stock cubes (beef or chicken)

10 black peppercorns

1 black cardamom

5 green cardamoms

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 bay leaves

5 cloves

   fresh thyme

3 cloves of garlic

500g ready made puff pastry

1 egg (for the eggwash)

Method

Cut the steak into cubes. Heat a little oil in frying pan. 

Toss the meat cubes in the plain flour then fry until nicely brown. 

Chuck in the chopped onions and fry for a few more minutes. 

Place the fried meat and onions into a large pan, top-up with water.

Stir in all the whole spices, chili powder and stock cubes. 

Stew the meat on a low heat until tender
This can take anywhere between 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the meat.
Beef steak takes much longer than lamb. 

Stir every now and then and keep topping up the water when needed. 

Towards the end of the cooking stir in washed chopped thyme and crushed garlic.

Preheat oven to 190ºc

Season according to taste.
Transfer the meat gravy into a ovenproof dish.

Roll out the puff pastry slightly larger than your oven dish. 

Eggwash the edges of your dish and place the pastry over it crimping it lightly. 

Cut off the excess pastry and use it for making few decorations if you wish. Bake for 35-45 minutes until risen and golden brown. 

Serve with green beans or peas and mashed potato.

Mokka Palat (Mocha Squares)

A Finnish housewives' favourite. 

Loved by grown ups and children alike.

Ingredients

For the cake:

500 ml (450g) sugar

500 ml (300g) plain flour

(Vanilla sugar, optional)

1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1tsp salt

250 ml water

200g butter

3-4 tbsp cocoa powder

100 ml plain yoghurt or buttermilk

2 eggs

Chocolate icing:

100g butter

2 tbsp milk

(1 tsp instant coffee powder, optional)

1 tbsp cocoa powder

icing sugar

Method

In a pan, bring to boil the water, butter, cocoa powder and salt. 

When all melted and smooth take off the heat.

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, bicarb).

Stir the wet mix (cocoa, butter, water) into the dry ingredients.
Mix in the plain yoghurt.
Make sure the mixture is cool and then stir in the eggs.
Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Pour in the cake mix and smooth it out evenly.
Bake at 200ºc for 20 minutes. Let it cool down.

In a pan melt together the butter, cocoa and milk. 

If you wish to use instant coffee, mix it first with the milk. 

Keep adding icing sugar until you get nice thick easily spreadable consistency. 

Spread over the cake and cool. 

You can sprinkle over grated chocolate, white chocolate pieces or hundreds of thousands.

Cut into squares.