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Mel's Recipes

Quick Recipe Ideas using Mel's Gourmet Masalas

Hot Vindaloo Masala Spaghetti Bolognese Enchiladas Laksa Nachos Squid Curry		Tandoori Marinade Pizza Wraps Tandoori Fish
		Tangy Tamarind Chutney Recipes Squid Kimchi Asian Chicken Nibbles Pan fried Salmon
Madras Coconut Masala Egg Curry Prawn Curry Fish Curry		Rogan Josh Masala Lasagna Cottage Pie Lamb Biryani
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Mel's Coriander and Mint Chutney
		This delicious chutney is traditionally made on rainy days in India when the weather is cold and wet and everyone is home and hungry for hot food. It is usually served with hot snacks like samosas, pakoras or any other savories and a steaming hot cup of masala chai.
Ingredients A bunch of coriander leaves washed and roughly chopped A handful of mint leaves washed and chopped Half an onion 3 tablespoons Mel's Tangy Tamarind Chutney 3-4 cloves of fresh garlic 4 tablespoons freshly grated coconut (available in supermarkets as frozen, grated) Lemon juice to taste Salt and pepper to taste Method Grind the coriander leaves, mint leaves, onion, garlic and coconut together in a grinder till the consistency is smooth. Add the Mel's Tangy Tamarind Chutney and lemon juice and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot samosas or any other savory. Can store this delicious chutney in the fridge up to one week or freeze for up to two months.

Mel's Quick Fresh Salad
This quick and easy salad is a must with every Indian dish. It is called KACHUMBER which literally means 'all mixed up'. With it's cooling Ingredients it is the perfect accompaniment to the delicious spices - both on the pallet as well as in your tummy. Ingredients 2 medium tomatoes 1 medium onion, peeled I telegraph cucumber 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander A squeeze of Lemon juice to taste A pinch of Salt and pepper to taste (pepper is optional) Method Chop up all the ingredients and toss in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste.

Ghee
Ghee is delicious dabbed on steamed basmati rice or on hot naan or rotis. Ghee is a digestive. It helps to improve absorption and assimilation. It is good for improving memory and lubricates the connective tissue. Ghee makes the body flexible and is a catalytic agent that carries the medicinal properties of herbs into the tissues of the body. Persons who already have high cholesterol or suffer from obesity should be cautious in using ghee. Ghee can be kept on the kitchen shelf, covered. It does not need refrigeration. The medicinal properties are said to improve with age. Don't ladle out the ghee with a wet spoon or allow any water to get into the container, as this will create conditions for bacteria to grow and spoil the ghee. Method 1 Kg unsalted butter. Put the butter in a heavy, medium-sized pan. Turn the heat on to medium until the butter melts. Turn down the heat until the butter just boils and continue to cook at this heat. Do not cover the pot. The butter will foam and sputter while it cooks. Whitish curds will begin to form on the bottom of the pot. The butter will begin to smell like popcorn after a while and turn a lovely golden colour. Keep a close watch on the ghee, as it can easily burn. After a while it will become a clear, golden colour. You will have to take a clean, dry spoon to move away some of the foam on top in order to see if the ghee is clear all the way through to the bottom. When it is clear and has stopped sputtering, then it needs to be taken off the heat. Let it cool until just warm. Pour it through a fine sieve or layers of cheesecloth into a clean, dry glass container with a tight lid. Discard the curds at the bottom of the saucepan. The ghee is burned if it has a nutty smell and is slightly brown. 1 Kg of butter takes about 30 minutes of cooking time. The more butter you are using, the more time it will take.

Raita
		Raita is an Indian condiment made with yogurt (dahi) and used as a sauce or dip or eaten along side dishes like Biryani or curry. The yogurt is seasoned with coriander (cilantro), cumin, mint, chili, and other herbs and spices. Vegetables such as cucumber, tomatoes and onions are usually mixed with the yoghurt. The mixture is served chilled. Raita has a cooling effect on the palate which makes it a good accompaniment for spicy Indian dishes. It could be considered similar to the Greek Tzatziki. This raita could also be used with tandoori chicken in a wrap!
Ingredients 1 large cucumber, diced 1-2 tomatoes, diced 1 large onion, finely diced 2 cups plain yogurt 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander powder 1/4 teaspoon chili or paprika powder (optional) 1 teaspoon sugar Salt to taste Method Whisk yogurt in a bowl till the mixture is smooth. Add the mint, coriander, cumin, coriander powder, chili powder and sugar to the yoghurt. Add cucumbers, tomatoes and onion and toss to coat. Add salt to taste. Sprinkle with pinch of chili and finely chopped coriander and serve chilled with your favorite Indian dish. Serves 6 - 8.

Masala Chai
		Masala Chai is a beverage drunk in India and other parts of South East Asia and is made by boiling tea leaves in water for a long time along with other Indian spices like cardamom and cinnamon and then adding milk and sugar. This tea is served everywhere in India - at home and on the streets by ‘chai wallahs’ or tea vendors who have little stalls on the roadside. An average Indian person drinks at least three cups of chai a day if not more and it is said to keep the mind and body alert and refreshed.
Ingredients 2 cups of water ½ tspoon cardamom powder ¼ tspoon cinnamon powder ¼ tspoon clove powder 2 tspoons black tea leaves or tea bags ½ cup Milk Sugar to taste Method Bring the water to a boil. Add the tea leaves and all the other spices and boil for a few minutes. Add the milk and sugar and boil once again for a minute. Strain into a tea cup. Sit back and sip this delicious, fragrant and sweet tea in between munches of spiced samosas or pakodas.

Mel's Easy Biryani
		Biryani is a South Asian rice dish made with spices, rice (usually basmati), meat and vegetables. The more advanced versions contain could contain nuts, gold leaf and lots of rose water to give it a heady flavour. It was spread throughout the Middle East and South Asia by Muslim travelers and merchants, and is popular in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. The name Biryani is derived from the Persian word bery?(n) which means "fried" or "roasted". Biryani is savored in all parts of India and forms an integral part of Indian cuisine. Legend has it that a Nawab of Punjab wore a matching turban for each variety of biryani. The Nawab's kitchen boasted of 49 kinds, which included biryani made from fish, quail, shrimp, deer and hare. Biryani is usually had with a spiced yoghurt raita (see next recipe) and Indian pickle. It is traditionally washed down by hot, black, lemon tea, which is known as 'Suleimani chai'.
Ingredients 750 grams lean lamb 1 cup of plain yoghurt 2 cups of long grain Basmati rice washed and 4 1/2 cup water to cook rice 1 packet of Mel's Rogan Josh Masala 1 cup of water 3 tbsp of Ghee or butter Method In a large pan, brown the lamb and the entire packet of Mel's Rogan Josh Masala along with 1 cup of yoghurt and 1 cup of water. Mix well and cook slowly on a low heat so that the spices infuse the meat with their flavour. In the mean time, cook the rice in the water till it is just undercooked. See the recipe on how to make perfect rice. Take a large heavy-bottomed pot. Put a piece of tin foil to line the bottom. Now spread a layer of rice about 1 inch thick. Add a little of the cooked lamb Rogan Josh curry on top of the rice. Keep layering until all the curry and rice is used up. Sprinkle the Ghee over the top and around the inside edges of the pot and cover the pot with more tin foil. Put the pot on very low heat for about 20 minutes. Your Biryani is now ready to serve hot, with Yoghurt Raita or a fresh green salad of your choice. Biryani is often eaten with freshly made roasted or fried poppadums which add a lovely crunchy texture to the overall meal. This is a very wholesome meal. This will feed a small crowd - about 8 people. Enjoy! If you want to be really fancy you could also layer the Biryani with toasted cashew nuts or almonds, halved hard boiled eggs and lots of fried onions on top.
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