Gajar (Carrot) Halwa

I like using baby carrots for this recipe because they're already peeled and since they're so small, can be cut in half before grating in the food processor. It's much easier than dealing with big carrots.

Serves: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pkg. baby carrots, cut in half
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. saffron, crushed
1 pkg. Gits Kulfi Mix
Sugar to taste
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. ghee
Chopped almonds

Method:

1. Process carrots in food processor.
2. Over medium high heat, cook carrots, salt and raisins with milk until very little milk remains.
3. Add saffron, Kulfi Mix, stir and taste for sweetness.  Add sugar according to taste.
4. Cook the halwa until sugar dissolves and liquid evaporates.
5. Stir in the ghee, garnish with almonds and serve either hot or chilled.

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Cutlets in Tomato Gravy - Turkey or Chicken Burgers

Cutlets in Tomato Gravy

The besan or chickpea flour in this recipe is used as a binding agent.  If that is not available, it can be replaced with 1/2 cup bread crumbs or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.

Cutlets or Burgers

Ingredients:   

1 lb. ground chicken or turkey or roasted turkey breast

½ cup water

3 tsp. ginger and garlic paste

1 chopped onion

4 green chillies, chopped

2 Tbsp. chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. chilli powder

1 tsp. pepper

1 beaten egg

½ cup besan (chickpea flour)

Pam olive oil spray or 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Put ground chicken, onions, green chillies, salt and water in a pan over high heat. 
3. After water evaporates, remove from heat & add rest of ingredients except oil. 
4. Mix and set aside for 1-2 hours.
5. Grease a cookie sheet with oil.
6. Make 10 cutlets from the mixture, place on cookie sheet and bake at 400°F for 10 minutes on each side.  

Tomato Gravy

Ingredients:   

2 lb. ripe tomatoes, chopped or 6 oz. can Hunt’s tomato sauce

1 cup water

1 small onion, chopped

3 green chillies, chopped

1 tsp. chilli powder

small piece of ginger, chopped

1 tsp. flour

1 Tbsp. oil

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. vinegar

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Put tomatoes, water, onion, ginger, green chillies and salt in a pan and place on high heat.
2. When tomatoes are cooked, process in a blender.  
3. Heat oil, add flour and chili powder and stir.
4. Cool slightly, add tomato juice and bring to a boil.
5. Add vinegar, sugar and salt to taste.
6. Spoon sauce over cutlets and serve.

I started with 1 lb. leftover roasted turkey breast

Chopped into bite-sized pieces

Processed in the food processor
 with a variety of ingredients and formed into patties
Baked at 400F for 10 minutes on each side

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Nepali Alu Dum

Nepali Alu Dum

Ingredients:

1 lb. baby potatoes

1 Tbsp. chilli paste, or to taste

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

½ tsp. Kalonji/Kalo Jeera

½ tsp. turmeric powder

½ tsp. red chilli powder, or to taste
2 tsp. Kashmiri Mirch or paprika

1 large onion, chopped

Chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut potatoes in half; boil for 15 minutes and drain, reserving water.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry kalonji till the seeds sputter.
3. Add chopped onion and fry until onions turn translucent.  Do not brown the onions.
4. Stir in chilli paste, salt, turmeric, chilli powder & paprika and stir-fry for a minute on low flame.
5. Add ginger paste and some of the reserved water, bring to a boil and add potato.
6. Add more of the reserved water, depending on how much gravy is desired and cook until potatoes are fork-tender.
7. Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and serve.

Notes:

To cut back on the heat, I made my own chilli paste using 2 red peppers and 2 fresh red (Thai) chillies.  First deseed and quarter the red peppers.  Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes and leave in hot water for 2 minutes.  Drain, remove the skin and puree along with the 2 fresh chillies.  I also substituted paprika for the chilli powder.

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