Aloo-Chop

This is my version of a very popular snack in Bangladesh. You can peel, boil and mash 1 kg Potatoes or do what I do to make life easy. If available, use frozen Mashed Potatoes, half of the work is done for you. Defrost naturally or just microwave for 8-10 minutes depending on the power of the micro. Careful not to overcook the potatoes because it will make them too soft and sticky. Either way recipe is the same. 

1 packet Frozen Mashed potatoes (900g) > defrosted

Add:

1 tbsp. Flour or Corn Flour.
1 tsp. Jeera (Cumin powder)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
5-10 Green Chilli Chopped (adjust)
2 tbsp oil.
1/2 cup Fried onion
Mix well.

Make the Filling: Cook
2 Tins of Tuna / or Minced Meat 250g with
1 tsp salt

1 tsp fish or meat seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder.
1 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp chilli
1 tsp. Garam Masala

Make the chops:

• Make a golf ball size ball of mash, make a dip in the middle of the ball, I use a back of a measuring table spoon, put some filling inside, close it and shape it.
• Make all of them like this, will make about 10-12
• Put them in the freezer for at least 2 hours. This will firm them up and will be easy to handle.
• Beat couple of eggs in a bowl
• Have some breadcrumbs in another bowl
• Coat each of them with the beaten egg
• Then coat them with the breadcrumb.

Frying the chops

• Heat up enough oil to cover the sides of the chops
• When oil is medium hot add the chops and fry them for 2 minutes or until brown, 
• Turn over and fry the other side for another 2 minutes.   
• Lift them up and place them on paper towel. 

Serve with any sauce or salads of your choice

French Toast

French Toast can be sweet or savoury. Also called "Eggy Bread" 

When French toast is served as a sweet dish, its is soaked in a mixture of milk, sugar, vanilla or cinnamon before pan-frying. When it is a savoury dish, it is generally fried with a pinch of salt and/or pepper. Here is the sweet version. This is a decadent recipe, no cutting corners, no compromise. If you are on diet you can adapt. My American friend doesn't add any sugar and have it like pancake with Maple syrup. 

Brioche Bread is best but white bread will be fine, you will need 8-10 slices.

Ingredients for egg mixture:
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon.
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp Butter and 1/4 cup oil for frying

Frying:

• Mix all the ingredients for the egg mixture in a bowl or dish large enough to soak the slices of bread. 
• Heat up the butter and oil in a frying pan on medium heat.  
• Take 8 slices of bread, soak them one by one before frying them, both side. 
• It takes about 1 minute for each side. Once it is golden brown, transfer them on a dish with paper towel on it to soak up excess oil. 

Szechuan Chilli-Fish

It's a very tasty easy dish. Can be cooked with all kinds of fish but this one is with Basa or Pangasius fillets. Serve with Jasmine rice or noodles.

Ingredients:

2 Fillets of Fish (about 300g) – cut in small pieces
1 large Red Onion – chopped in large chunks

2 Capsicum (red & yellow) - chopped in large chunks

3 cloves of Garlic – chopped

1 green onion strand – chopped

2 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Chilli sauce

1 tbsp Tomato sauce

2 tbsp Soya sauce

1 tbsp Fish sauce

1 tbsp Vinegar

2 tbsp Corn flour

1 egg – beaten

1 tsp Sesame seeds to garnish

Cooking:

Mix the fish pieces with 1 tbsp Cornflour and 1 tbsp Soya sauce

Pour the beaten egg and mix well

Mix all the sauces and the vinegar in a cup

Fry the fish in 2 tbsp oil in a large pan until light brown, place them one by one leaving a little gap, to avoid them getting stuck together. Turn them over to brown both sides.

Remove them from the pan.

Fry garlic on the pan a little

Add the Onion and Capsicum

Add all the sauces and vinegar (mixed in a cup) 

Add ½ cup of hot water and cook for 2 minutes

Add 1 tbsp corn flour diluted in 2 tbsp water and cook for 1 minute

Add the fish and gently mix together.

Pour in a serving dish,

Sprinkle some chopped green onion and sesame seeds.

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese - also called mac n' cheese in the US and Canada. Macaroni is Italian but this is a dish of English origin. Basically, it is cooked macaroni pasta in a cheese sauce. US president Thomas Jefferson had it in Paris and liked it so much, he asked US ambassador to get the recipe and served it in state dinners. So, he can be credited to have introduced it in USA.

As always, this dish also has some variations, but here is my easy recipe of classic Mac n’ Cheese.  

Ingredients:

400g Macaroni
1 litre (4 cup) Milk
300 ml (1 cup) Crème Fraiche (or any cream)

200g shredded Mozarella cheese
2 stock pots or cubes

2 tbsp Cornflour (diluted in 1/2 cup of cold water) 

Salt 1-2 tsp (to taste)

Cook the pasta (macaroni) in salted boiling water for 15 minutes and drain.

Make the Sauce 

• Heat up the milk
• Add the cheese, crème and salt. (keep a little cheese to sprinkle over later)
• Add the diluted cornflour 
• Add the cooked pasta and mix well.

Bake: 

• Pour the mixed Macaroni in an oven-proof dish
• Sprinkle some shredded cheese over
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 10 minutes.

 Serve hot. 

Enchiladas

Enchiladas are basically rolled up tortilla with meat, fish or vegetable filling, placed on a baking dish, red, green or while sauce poured over, some shreadded cheese spread over and baked in oven, that's all. Goes with a dollop of sour cream. Here is the recipe for Meat Enchiladas, but you can replace meat with chicken, fish or vegetables (Aubergine, Courgette, Avocado will go very well). 

Ingredients:
250g Minced meat
2 jars Pesto (green or red)
3 Knorr vegetables stock pots
Crème Fraiche 300 ml
6 tortilla
200g Shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp oil
Sour cream (optional, to serve)
Green onions or coriander leaves to garnish

Steps: 

Make Stock

Mix 3 tubs of Vegetable stock in 3 cups of hot water.

Make Filling:
Fry the Mince meat with 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp salt for 5 minutes
Add 1 jar Pesto and 1 cup stock
Mix well and turn off the heat.

Make Sauce:
Mix 1 jar pesto, 300 ml crème Fraiche, 2 cup stock

Prepare the dish
Put 1/2 cup of sauce to cover the bottom of a large oven proof dish.
Spread the Mince meat on the tortillas, roll them loosely and place in the dish one by one.
Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas
Spread 1-2 cup shredded cheese over.

Bake
In preheated oven at 180c for 30 minutes, bring it out and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Serve
Sprinkle some chopped green onion or coriander leaves to garnish.
Serve with some Creme Fraiche or sour cream on the side.

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If Pesto is not available in your part of the world, you can substitute, here are some ideas, you can adapt:

For Red Sauce: 1 litre (4 cups)
2 cup tomato sauce + 1cup Stock + Onion + Garlic + Salt & Pepper > Blend

For Green Sauce: 1 litre (4 cups)
Green Onion+ Green tomato + Avocado. Garlic + Green pepper + 1 cup stock +  2 cup Water > Blend

You can use Chapati instead of Tortilla.

Use plain yogurt in place of Creme Fraiche or sour cream.

Use any kind of stock available where you live. 

Moussaka

Moussaka is a dish with layers of Aubergines (Begun or Eggplant) , Potato and Ground meat (keema) with Tomato sauce, topped with a white sauce and cheese. It is a Greek dish also popular in other Mediterranean countries, with many local and regional variations. Here is my take on this great dish, a healthier version.  

Ingredients for Layers

2 large potatoes
1 large aubergine
250 g minced meat

1 cup Tomato Sauce or Puree

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 Onion, chopped

4 cloves of Garlic, chopped
1/4 cup Olive oil
(feel free to add your regional spices like Cumin, Corriander, Garam Masala etc.)

• Thinly slice the potatoes and aubergines, coat them with some olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Cook the Mince meat with rest of the ingredients.
• Make white sauce.

Ingredients for White Sauce

2 cups milk
2 tbsp Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Nutmeg.
1 cup cheese (mix of Mozzarella and Cheddar)

Making the sauce:

• Add the Milk, Flour, Salt, Black pepper, and Nutmeg (everything except cheese) in a pot and bring to simmer on medium heat, stirring constantly until the milk thickens with a creamy consistency.

Layering

• Place one layer of sliced Potatoes at the bottom of a ovenproof dish
• Spread 1/3rd of the meat over the potato
• Place a the Aubergine slices over the meat.
• Spread 1/3rd of meat over the aubergines
• Place the remaining potatoes over the meat
• Spread the remaining meat over the potatoes
• Pour the white sauce all over the meat.
• Spread the Cheese all over the white sauce.

Cooking:

• Cover the dish with a foil and put in the preheated oven to 200 c and cook for 30 minutes.
• Take the cover off and cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve with some Parmesan cheese sprinkled over.

Crumbles

A Crumble is a classic dessert, it is basically a dish with fruits covered with a crumbly topping. You get the tangy-sweetness form the fruit and the crunchiness from the crumble, together it creates a heavenly burst of taste, flavour and texture. Apple Crumble is the most popular, but you can make it with other fruits as well as tropical fruits like Pineapple and Mango. You can also use a mix of fruits as well. It is usually served with custard, cream or Ice-cream.   

Ingredients:

6 Apples for Apple Crumble or

2 large Mangoes for Mango crumble or

1 Pineapple for Pineapple crumble

½ cup Sugar (4 0z)

1 cup Flour (6 oz)

6 tbsp melted Butter (3 oz)
2 tsp Cinnamon

Method

• Peel and slice the fruits into small chunks
• Mix them with 1 tbsp Sugar and 1 tsp Cinnamon powder. 
• Place on a baking dish (fruits should cover the bottom)
• Make the Crumble:  Add the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix them together with hand.   
• Spread the mix over the fruit and pack them down. Tighter you pack crumblier it will be. (you can add some nuts if you like)
• Put the dish in a pre-heated oven at 200c for 15 minutes, then bring it out. 

Serve hot or cold with Cream, Custard or Ice-cream. You can use store-bought custard powder to make custard following the instructions on the container or make your own home-made custard which is always better. Here is how:

Custard: (Crème Anglaise) 

Ingredients:

6 Egg yolks

600 ml Milk, single cream or double cream. (about 2½ cup) 

¼ cup Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

2 tsp corn flour (diluted in 2 tbsp cold water)

Method:

• Take 6 egg yolks in a bowl
• Add the sugar and mix with the yolks
• Bring the milk and vanilla (or cream or a mix of milk and cream depending on how rich and creamy you want) to simmering point
• Add ¼ cup of hot milk gradually in the egg yolks and sugar mix while stirring
• Then add the liquid in the milk
• Add the diluted corn flour to the milk mixture
• Turn of the heat off as soon as it starts simmering again.