Welcome to this April edition of Bhabi’s Corner, dear readers. We are delighted to share with you, a lovely selection of recipes that are simple and delicious and which we hope will add a little extra flavor to your kitchen. We trust that you will enjoy trying out these dishes as much as we enjoyed putting them together for you. Stay tuned for more tasty inspirations in our next edition… Happy cooking!!
Pumpkin Fritters
Beat together until smooth
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup pumpkin (boiled and mashed)
1/4 cup sour milk
+-1/2 cup sugar (to your taste)
1 large egg
Add a mixture of +-1 & 1/2 cup flour & 2 teaspoons baking powder
Mix until smooth and add salt to taste
Method
A thick batter is required. Deep fry in medium to hot oil until golden brown.
If the oil is too warm the fritters will absorb oil… if too hot the outside will cook fast leaving the inside raw. Toss in cinnamon sugar and serve.
Stuffed Butternut
Boil whole butternuts until soft (±20mins)
When slightly cool to handle, cut in halves, remove seeds, then remove flesh carefully from the peels making sure not to break peels. Mash half the butternut, add 1 cup cooked rice of
your choice. Mix in 2 cups of your favourite savoury mince filling.
You can also use left- over curry, cottage pie mince, lasagne filling, kebab chutney (waste not want not)
Method
Mix in 1 cup grated cheese of your choice, season to taste & add fresh herbs of your preference. Mix well and refill the filling into the peels. Top with more grated cheese & feta and bake at 180 degrees celcius until cheese is melted and filling is warmed through. Serve immediately.
Use remainder mashed butternut to make fritters or even as a side to other meals
Butter Chicken Pasta
Marinate 1kg cubed chicken fillet in the ingredients below for a minimum of 3 hours… overnight is best.
1 cup yogurt / buttermilk / sour milk
½ cup tomato paste, Juice of half lemon
1 tbs chillie powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp dhania jeera powder
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs ginger and garlic paste
Next:
Boil pasta of your choice according to package instructions & keep some of the pasta liquid aside for the sauce (to thin out if necessary)
Fry marinated chicken pieces (don’t overcrowd the pan) on high heat until browned (2-3 mins) in a mix of equal amounts of oil & butter. Once all the chicken is fried, remove from pan & keep aside. Add more butter, 1 chopped onion, ½ tsp each of soomph & jeera seeds, curry leaves & 1 heaped tsp ginger/garlic paste. Fry until onion is cooked. Add 1 tsp each turmeric powder, garam masala & dhana/jeera powder. Cook on low for a few minutes. Add 1 can each chopped tomatoes & tomato puree + 1 chicken stock cube + 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda + 1 tsp sugar (to neutralize the acidity). Cook until butter rises to the top. Remove pan from heat and mix in 1 big can beaten & lump free Nestle cream. Mix in fried chicken. Return to heat and allow to simmer on medium heat until chicken is cooked through.
Mix butter chicken into pasta. Splash with fresh cream for extra creaminess & moisture. Enjoy!
Carrot-Coconut Cake
Beat Together:
1&1/2 cup oil, 1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Add:
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon powder
4 cups grated carrots, Half cup nuts of your choice
Method:
Mix well and then fold in grated carrots, half cup mixed walnuts & pecan nuts and half cup raisins. Pour into a prepared baking dish & bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg cel for +-30 mins or until tooth pick comes out clean when cake is pierced. Ice once completely cool.
Icing:
3-4 cups icing sugar mixed into a smooth icing with 125g butter or margarine and 2 Tbs coconut cream / full cream milk. Ice cake when cake is completely cooled. Roast 1/2 cup desiccated coconut + 1 handful of fresh coconut + 1/4 cup nuts of your choice in a hot pan until golden brown and sprinkle over icing when cooled.
Food for thought
I asked a wise man “Tell me sir, in which field could I make a great career.” He said, with a smile “Be a good human being. There is a lot opportunity in this area, and very little competition.” – Reader
Household tips & hints
Whiten clothes with lemon juice: Combine a gallon of hot water with the juice of a lemon, and let your faded whites soak for an hour or two. Afterwards, run them through the laundry machine on rinse cycle and hang them outside to dry in the sunshine—a natural whitener Grandma would love.