Tag Archives: Starters

Guacamole


Guacamole

Avocados may have a range of health benefits, including improving digestion, decreasing the risk of depression, and protecting against cancer.  Avocados provide a substantial amount of monounsaturated fatty acids and are rich in many vitamins and minerals. Incorporating them into a varied, healthy diet can provide a number of benefits.

Avocados are a source of vitamins C, E, K, and B6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Avocados contain high levels of healthy, beneficial fats, which can help a person feel fuller between meals. Eating fat slows the breakdown of carbohydrates, which helps keep blood sugar levels stable.

Risks: Avocado has a high fat content, so adding too many to the diet might lead to unintended weight gain.

Avocados also contain vitamin K, which can affect how blood thinners work.

It is important for people taking blood thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin), to keep their vitamin K levels constant. For this reason, it is not a good idea to suddenly eat more or fewer foods containing vitamin K, which plays an important role in blood clotting.  – Source : Medical News Today

Ingredients

1 large or 2 medium Ripe Avocados

1 small tomato, deseeded & chopped

1 lemon, juice or to taste

½ tsp. salt or to taste

½ of small onion

1 green chilli, deseeded or ½ jalapeno

1 clove garlic, minced, optional

1 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves/cilantro, chopped

Cut the Avocado, remove the seed and scoop out the flesh and transfer to a mixing bowl.  Add the ingredients from tomato to garlic and mix well.  Garnish with chopped coriander.  Spread thickly on toasted Poee, Sour dough bread or with tortilla chips and serve immediately as stater or appetiser or as a snack!

Roasted Garlic and Lemon Soup


Delicious tangy soup, if you have roasted garlic handy the soup would be real easy, otherwise would take a bit longer to roast the garlic.  Check my tips for roasting garlic! Excellent for garlic lovers, great panacea for flu and colds due to the healing properties of onion and the large amount of garlic used.  The garlic flavor however does not overpower the dish.

Ingredients

  • 2 large heads garlic (one roasted)
  • 4 medium Onions
  • 3 stock cubes, any flavor
  • 1 bunch cilantro (or parsley)
  • 1 tsp. thyme (fresh if available)
  • ½ cup milk (substitute with Soy or almond milk)
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • ½ tsp. black pepper powder
  • ½ tsp. salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp. lemon zest

Prepare stock.  Add the stock cubes to 1 litre (4 cups) hot water, stir to dissolve. Peel onions and chop roughly, peel one fresh garlic head and chop, peel the roasted garlic and discard the skins.  Heat the olive oil and add the fresh and roasted garlic and the onion and saute 2 mns.  Add the chopped parsley or cilantro (reserve some for garnish) and thyme, cook 2 minutes till onion is soft and translucent.  Add the stock and stir well.  Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes stirring in between.  Take off heat and strain the soup.  Transfer the onion garlic mixture to a blender.  Add some stock to move the contents in the blender and blend to a smooth puree.  Transfer the puree to the strained soup and put it back on heat, add salt and pepper powder, stir and simmer further 5 minutes.  Add the milk and heat through, do not boil. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest.  Serve hot with bruschetta.

To Roast garlic:  Cut off 1/4 “ of the tail of the garlic head, dip in olive oil and smear oil all over.  Wrap tightly in aluminium foil and bake in an oven for one hour.

TIP: On roasting garlic –

  1. Roast several heads of garlic and store leftovers in the refrigerator for couple of weeks and use as and when required
  2. Roast the garlic when cooking other food i.e. whenever you use the oven for roasting or baking food. 
  3. For quick roasting – Peel one head of garlic and roast on a frying pan with a little oil till lightly brown and fragrant.

Stuffed Mushrooms Baked


Stuffed Mushrooms Baked

Ingredients

  • 12 to 15 medium mushrooms
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup bread crumbs
  • ½ cup grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese
  • ½ tsp. pepper powder
  • ½ tsp. salt or to taste
  • 1 tbsp. oil

Rinse the mushroom under running water.  No need to wipe as we will peel them. Remove the stems and set aside.  Peel the mushrooms and place in an oven proof baking dish.  Chop the mushroom stems finely.  Add the grated cheese to a mixing bowl.  Heat oil in a pan and saute the mushrooms stems and chopped onion for 2 to 3 minutes till it softens.  Cool the mixture and add to the cheese.  Add the bread crumbs, pepper powder and salt and mix.  Stuff the mushrooms with this mixture and bake 20 minutes in a moderate oven till tops are golden.  Serve immediately as a starter or appetizer.

Momos Dumplings


Momos – Dumplings

Momo is a type of steamed dumpling with some form of filling. Traditionally, momo is prepared with ground/minced meat filling, but in the modern era, this has changed and the fillings have become more elaborate. These days, momo is prepared with virtually any combination of ground meat, vegetables, tofu, paneer cheese, and vegetable and meat combinations. Momo are traditionally steamed but can also be deep fried or pan fried. Momo is usually served with chili garlic sauce and pickled daikon ((i.e. pickled raddish) in Tibet whereas in Nepal popular dipping sauces include tomato based chutneys or sesame based sauces – source – wikipedia

A simple white-flour-and-water dough is generally preferred to make the outer momo covering. I have used store bought pastry wrappers. You get packs of 24 wrappers.  This recipe makes 35 momos.

Chicken Momos
Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Chicken mince, drained well
  • 1 Carrot, chopped fine (or celery)
  • 2 spring onions with greens, chopped fine (shallots or normal onions can be subs)
  • 1” pc. Ginger, chopped fine or 1 tsp. ginger paste
  • ½ bunch fresh coriander leaves, chopped fine
  • 1 ½ tsp. salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp. cumin powder
  • 2 tsp. soy sauce
  • 2 tsp. olive oil

Method

  1. Mix all the above ingredients and add a little water if you feel the mixture is too dry. 
  2. Take a pastry sheet and moisten the edges.
  3. Place a tsp. of chicken mixture and crimp the edges of the pasty to form a crescent shape or a round shape. 
  4. Set aside
  5. Can be frozen at this stage

To cook:

  1. Steaming:

Grease a steamer plate or container (or use bamboo baskets) and steam the momos for 15 to 18 minutes.

I thought the below method are quicker and easier, so used these two methods.

  • Frying+ Steaming:

Place a batch of momos on a frying pan with a little oil.  When all sides are brown, add some water to the pan and cover with a lid and let seam cook till the water dries up.

  • Boiling :

Place a vessel, quarter filled with water.  When it starts boiling, put the momos and bring to a boil.  Then add cold water (room temp) and let it boil.  Once again add cold water and let it boil.  Repeat this 3 times.  Then remove with a slotted spoon.

Serve hot with dipping sauce or chutney.

To make dipping sauce:

Add ¼ cup soya sauce to a bowl and add ½ the quantity of lemon or chilli sauce in vinegar.  Mix and use to dip the momos or drizzle over the momos in individual bowls and serve.

Rissois de Camarao


Rissois de Camarao

Portuguese Shrimp Turnovers

Rissois is one snack we must have when we go to Goa. It is served at every occasion and is a mandatory snack at almost all parties and functions. Crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside, it is an instant favorite. The traditional filling is shrimp but feel free to make with chicken, minced beef, fish or a vegetarian filling using the filling recipe as a base.

Ingredients

  • Filling:
  • ½ cup cooked shrimps, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 2 green chillies (deseeded), chopped fine
  • 1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves, chopped (Optional)
  • ½ tsp. white pepper powder (if not use regular)
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 level tbs. cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp. water
  • 1 tbsp. grated cheese (optional)

Method

  1. Clean, devein and cook shrimps in boiling water for 3 minutes.  D
  2. Drain, cool and chop into pieces. 
  3. Heat the butter in a saucepan, add onion and fry till translucent, add green chillies and saute for a minute, add the milk, pepper, nutmeg and salt and heat through. 
  4. Prepare a slurry with the water and cornstarch and as the milk begins to boil, add the slurry all at once and mix thoroughly. 
  5. Cook on low flame till thick and glossy. 
  6. Add the cooked shrimp & heat through for a minute. 
  7. Switch off the flame. 
  8. Add the grated cheese and mix well.
  9. Leave aside to cool.

Pastry dough:

  • 1 cup water or milk
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 1 tsp. salt

Method

  1. Take water in a pan, add the butter and heat till the butter melts and almost begins boiling. 
  2. Add the  flour, stirring to mix well till combined and begins to leave the sides of the pan. 
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Grease a work surface and tip the dough and cool slightly while kneading to smooth and pliable. 
  5. Divide into portions and roll as thin as possible. 
  6. Using a cutter (or any cup or cover), cut rounds
  7. Place a tsp of filling in the centre, moisten the edges and fold into crescent shape pressing the edges firmly. 
  8. Dip in beaten egg, roll in bread crumbs
  9. And deep fry to golden brown and crisp. 
  10. Remove to absorbent paper and serve hot.

P.S.: This quantity makes around 35 Rissois.  You may freeze the extra Rissois, for future use.

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