ArcaMax Recipes 01/04/2006

Poppadums
Raita
Onion Bhajis
Meat Curry
Basmati Rice
Tropical Fruit Salad

Indian foods have been popular in England for many years and were
introduced to the English during the time that India was part of
the British Empire. You are now just as likely to find a pub in
England that serves Indian food as the traditional "pub" cuisine.
Indian food is now becoming more popular in this country and
Indian restaurants are opening in many cities. The following
recipe presents a traditional meat curry that is the one of the
mainstays of Indian cuisine.

We know you will enjoy this menu
that serves six to eight people.
_______________________________________
Appetizers and Accompaniments
_______________________________________

Poppadums (available in the "International Foods" or "Gourmet"
sections of many supermarkets)
Mango chutney
Vegetable oil

Simply fry the poppadums in vegetable oil individually for
approximately one minute, tuning once. The poppadums will expand
greatly as they cook. Place the cooked poppadums on paper towels
to absorb any excess oil. Serve with Mango chutney. Poppadums
and Mango chutney are also traditional accompaniments with the
main meal.

If you cannot find poppadums, then you can substitute pita bread
that has been toasted in the oven. Pita bread is not the same as
poppadums, which are very light and crunchy, but do work well with
the chutney and the main course.

The Skinny: Use the paper towels to absorb as much of the oil as
possible. Also, many of the new types of poppadums you can get
now are microwavable. Even if you are not sure, try microwaving
the poppadums one at a time for about a minute to see if they
puff up like they are supposed to. They are much lighter and
more healthful if microwaved instead of fried.

Raita

8 oz. plain yogurt
1 cucumber peeled and sliced thin
1 Tbsp. mint jelly or mint sauce
Salt and sugar to taste (start off with about 1 tsp. each of salt
and sugar).
1 tsp. paprika
Fresh mint for garnish

Mix yogurt, cucumber, mint jelly or sauce, salt and sugar together
and garnish with paprika and mint leaves. Chill for one hour
before serving.

The Skinny: Use low fat or fat free yogurt.

Onion Bhajis

1 cup gram flour
1 tsp. salt
One half tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
2 onions finely chopped
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. coriander
One half cup warm water
Cilantro leaves for garnish

Sift flour, salt, chili power, and cumin together in large bowl.
Add onions, fennel seeds, coriander and water. Mix together until
smooth. Heat oil in deep fryer or deep pan until hot. Add
spoonfuls or mixture to hot oil and fry until golden brown,
usually 5 - 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot and
garnish with cilantro. These goodies are a little like hush
puppies but with a different flavor.

The Skinny: Use the paper towels to absorb as much oil as
possible.
_______________________________________
Main Course
_______________________________________

Meat Curry

2 and one half pounds good quality beef
2 mounded tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. coriander
2 and one quarter tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. white mustard
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. Garam Masala (a spice found in the Gourmet sections of
many supermarkets)
2 and one half tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
2 bouillon cubes
2 large onions
4 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
3 tsp. cornstarch

Cut meat into one-inch cubes. Mix spices (the ingredients listed
from paprika up to and including the bouillon cubes) in a bowl
with water until mixture is runny. Cut onions into quarters and
fry with butter until tender. Add garlic and cook for a few
seconds. Add spices to onion and garlic and cook for 10 minutes.
Add meat and mix well. Add salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
Pour boiling water to just below level of meat and cover and
simmer for at least four hours. Add 2 bay leaves 2 hours before
eating. Mix cornstarch with warm water and add to curry about
1/2 hour before eating to thicken sauce.

The Skinny: Use lean beef. The remaining ingredients are just
mostly spices, onion and garlic.

Basmati Rice

2 cups Basmati rice
1 Tbsp. butter
1 onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 - 4 cardomon seeds
Dash of cinnamon
Fresh ground pepper

Wash rice and let soak for 1 hour. Chop onion into one-inch
chunks and add one clove of garlic, 3 - 4 cardamom seeds, dash of
cinnamon and pepper to melted butter in pan. Cook until onion is
translucent. Add rice, stir and cover with boiling water to just
below level of rice. Cover and cook for 20 - 30 minutes until
all water is absorbed. Basmati rice is a traditional Indian rice
with a wonderful flavor. If you cannot find Basmati rice then
substitute your favorite rice in this dish.

The Skinny: Not much to do here.
_______________________________________
Dessert
_______________________________________

Tropical Fruit Salad

2 papayas
2 guavas
2 mangoes
2 bananas
1 cup green seedless grapes
2 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
1 8-oz. carton vanilla yogurt

Peel papayas, guava (remove seeds) mangoes and bananas. Cut fruit
into bite sized pieces. Place in a large bowl and add lime or
lemon juice and yogurt and stir. Chill before serving.

The Skinny: Use low fat vanilla yogurt.
_______________________________________
Grocery List
_______________________________________

Poppadums (available in the "International Foods" or "Gourmet"
sections of many supermarkets)
Mango chutney
Vegetable oil
8 oz. plain yogurt
1 cucumber peeled and sliced thin
1 Tbsp. mint jelly or mint sauce
3 tsp. paprika
Fresh mint for garnish
1 cup gram flour
One half tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
5 onions
1 tsp. fennel seeds
3 tsp. coriander
Cilantro leaves for garnish
2 and one half pounds good quality beef
2 and one quarter tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. white mustard
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. Garam Masala (a spice found in the Gourmet sections of
many supermarkets)
2 and one half tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
2 bouillon cubes
5 Tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
3 tsp. cornstarch
2 cups Basmati rice
3 - 4 cardamom seeds
Dash of cinnamon
2 papayas
2 guavas
2 mangoes
2 bananas
1 cup green seedless grapes
2 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
1 8-oz. carton vanilla yogurt

~~

MySpace URL:

http://www.myspace.com/duckie067