My Vegetarian Shepheard’s Pie

My Vegetarian Shepheard’s Pie is as good as the original. Nuterla soya granules and vegetables, spiced with meat masala, topped with spinach and chilli mashed potatoes. If you are not in India, you can substitute the soya granules for 2 cups of frozen soya mince and omit the steps 2.3 & 4.

For meat eaters: use 2 cups of fresh mince beef or minced chicken.

Vegetarian Shepheard’s Pie Serves 4

You will need: 500g potatoes    1tsp turmeric    salt    1 cup soya mince granules   3 cups water   1 onion chopped   1/2tsp garlic and ginger paste   1 ½ cups veg stock   1tsp meat masala    150g chopped carrot   1 green pepper chopped    50g sweetcorn    100g mushrooms sliced   100g pumpkin chopped    300g tomatoes skinned and chopped   1tbsp Worcester sauce   1/2tbsp soy sauce 1tbsp oil    1 onion chopped green chilli to taste   1tsp mustard seeds   100g spinach washed and chopped salt and pepper

Add salt and turmeric to a pan of water and boil the potatoes.

Add 3 cups of water to soya granules and bring to the boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes.

Drain the soya granules well.

Dry fry the soya, until all the water has evaporated.

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil and fry the onion, garlic and ginger paste for 2-3 minutes.

Add the meat masala and 2tbsps of water to make a paste. Fry for a few minutes.

Add the soya mince.

Add all of the vegetables except for the potatoes and spinach.

Add tomatoes

Add stock

Add Worcester and soy sauce.

Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer while you prepare the mashed potatoes.

Mash the potatoes until smooth.

Heat ½ tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the onion, chilli and mustard seeds.

Add the spinach and fry until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix the spinach mixture into the mashed potatoes.

Transfer the soya mince mixture to an ovenproof dish.

Top with the mashed potatoes.

Cook in oven 200c/400f/gas 6 for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are browned.

Serve with spring greens or any cabbage.

Follow the video to make this yummy Veggie Shepheard’s Pie

Jo’s Homemade Tandoori Chicken

If you have been reading my restaurant reviews, then you know MR R is a big Tandoori chicken fan.

As it is monsoon here in Goa, his favourite restaurant, for what he claims the best tandoori @ Ryan’z Bar, Candolim, Goa, has closed for a while, why the boys take a well-earned break. Consequently he is craving a tandoori fix.

Therefore, today I pulled out my homemade recipe and he was one happy little bunny.

Jo’s Homemade Tandoori Chicken.

Serves 2

GET WHAT YOU NEED

2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

FOR THE MARINADE

3 cloves     

1 Tsp coriander seeds     

1 Tsp cumin seeds    

Seeds from 3 cardamom pods     

1 small onion     

¼ Tsp ginger & garlic paste         

 ¾ Tsp turmeric      

½ green chilli seeded     

½ Tsp Garam Masala      

1 Tsp Kashmiri paprika     

 Salt & pepper

4 Tbsp. plain yoghurt

NOW MARINATE!

1.     Firstly, score each breast, several times with a sharp knife.

2.     Put the chicken into a freezer/food bag, add the lemon juice. Seal the bag and shake well, so all of the chicken is coated in the juice.

3.     Put the bag into a bowl, and pop into the fridge for 1/2hr.

While you are waiting, now make the spice mix.

1.     Roughly chop onion and put into a processor/grinder with the all the spices, ginger & garlic paste, green chilli, salt and pepper. Blitz for a little while then add the yoghurt. Grind until smooth.

2.     When the ½ hr is up, tip the spiced yoghurt into the bag with the chicken. Seal and shake well.

3.     Put bag back into bowl and into the fridge for a few hours min (You can even leave it in the fridge for 24 hours, if you want to prepare it the day before.)

Why do I keep stressing, about putting the bag back in the bowl? Cross contamination of raw chicken is dangerous.

A.    This means never use anything that has come into contact with raw chicken on cooked foods without washing them thoroughly first. This includes your hands, chopping boards, knives, kitchen cloths, dishes and plates, barbecue tongs, basting brush. 

B.    Never wash chicken. Water or spray-back from the tap is one of the easiest ways of spreading the bacteria.

C.     Cover raw chicken well and store it on the bottom shelf of the fridge to lower the risk of any raw juices potentially dripping on other items in your fridge.

D.    Use an antibacterial sanitiser on any kitchen surface or fridge space that happens to come into contact with raw chicken.

                     Better to be safe than sorry!

NOW COOK

1.     Preheat oven, 200/400/gas 6

2.     Transfer the marinated chicken to a roasting tin, or oven proof dish. Make sure you get all that marinate out of the bag.

3.     Cook for 25-30 minutes. However check the chicken is cooked right through first.

4.      Preheat the grill and place the chicken still in the tin or dish and grill until crispy.

5.     Serve with a cucumber Rita and salad.  You can also serve on a bed of rice or noodles.  Chips, and/or Indian bread.

For the Rita, you can make as much as you want. It’s just yoghurt and shredded cucumber.  I tend to use 6 Tbsps. yoghurt and ½ a shredded cucumber for 2.

Salad: I prefer to shred: cabbage, white radish, carrot, beetroot and chopped spring onions mixed together with apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.  

MOREISH MONSOON TREATS- Jo’s Cumin and Coriander Cheese Scones.

I was actually going to make a batch of herb scones for tea today, when I realised I’d forgotten to buy mixed herbs. It was then inspiration struck. At Christmas I bought some cumin biscuits to accompany the other crackers for my cheese board. The combination worked well, so I thought what the heck, let’s try it. The addition of the fresh coriander, came while I was weighing out my ingredients.

Jo’s Cumin, Coriander and Cheese Scones

Makes 8

Get what you need

225g plain flour      ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda      ½ tsp salt      40g margarine      2tsp cumin seeds      2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander      75g grated cheese      150ml milk      ½ tsp lemon juice      1tbsp tomato puree      milk for brushing

NOW COOK!

1.     Preheat oven to 200 C/gas 6/400 F

2.     Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl, and rub in the margarine until it resembles breadcrumbs.

3.     Mix in the cumin seeds and fresh coriander, and half the cheese.

4.     In a jug or bowl, combine the milk, lemon juice and tomato puree.

5.     Pour over the flour mixture and mix to form a firm dough.

6.     Roll out to approx. 2cm thickness, and with a 5cm pastry cutter cut out round in the dough. Repeat with left over dough.

7.     Place scones on a baking sheet, lightly brush with milk, and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of each.

8.     Bake for 20 minutes, or until well risen and springy.

I served these with peppery cream cheese and a sprinkling of dried chilli flakes. 

MOREISH MONSOON MEALS

So many people ask me, “What is the monsoon like in Goa?” Well believe it or not it’s actually summer here. The temperatures remain the same and still some nice sunny days.  However, maybe it’s my frame of mind that when the rain is beating on the windows, and the wind is gusting through the palm trees, I get an urge to eat comfort food. Good for the soul, but not for the waistline.

So, without further ado, let’s kick off my Monsoon Moreish Meals with a pungent Beef Pepper Pot Stew.

BEEF PEPPER POT STEW – SERVES 4

Get what you need

1 ½ Tbsp. plain flour        salt & pepper      450g Stewing beef- cut into chunks      2 Tbsp. olive oil     1 large onion chopped     4 crushed garlic cloves      1 fresh green chili deseed and chopped      3 sticks of celery sliced    4 cloves    2-3 Tsp. hot pepper sauce (Or to taste. I tend to use 2 and then place the bottle on the table if people want it more spicy J ) 1Tsp. mixed spice     600ml beef stock     225g pumpkin cut into chunks    1 large carrot cut in chunks    1 large Red or green pepper chopped     4 tomatoes roughly chopped

NOW COOK!

·         Put the flour, salt and pepper into a bowl or ideally a freezer bag J and toss the beef in the flour.

·         Heat the oil in a heavy based pan or frying pan and fry on a medium heat the onion, garlic, and chili, celery, also adding the cloves and mixed spice.  Stir frequently until soft. Turn the heat up to high and add the beef, browning on all sides and sealed. Add any remaining flour, and stir constantly for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

·         Add the hot pepper sauce, and steadily add the beef stock, then return to the heat and bring to the boil, keep stirring, don’t let that sauce stick!

·         Add the pumpkin, carrot and pepper. Cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the beef is tender.

·         Serve with flat rice noodles

ALTERNATIVE SLOW COOKER METHOD J

Do steps 1-3 THEN PUT THE BEEF MIXTURE INTO SLOW COOKER, WITH THE PUMPKIN, CARROT, PEPPERS AND TOMATOES. GIVE A LITTLE MIX AROUND AND THEN COVER AND COOK ON LOW FOR 4-5 HOURS. BOY IS THE MEAT NICE AND TENDER!

Jo’s Aubergine Tofu tomato and basil Toasties

You will need 2 slices of aubergine already fried for each bread roll/burger bun or poee (Goan Bread)

A slice of lightly fried tofu per bun.

A slice of tomato, basil leaf salt and black pepper per bun.

Cut bun in half and on the bottom layer as follows:

Slice of aubergine, slice of tofu, slice of tomato, basil leaf, salt and pepper. Top with another slice of aubergine. 

Put into a toasty machine until crisp and brown.

Serve with tortilla chips and salsa.

If you want to be really naughty! Then on top of the last slice of aubergine grate some cheese.

I also swap the tofu for paneer cheese.