Beef Plov (Beef Rice Pilaf)

Ingredients

• 1½ lbs Beef chuck or beef sirloin
• ⅓ cup canola oil, or extra light olive oil (not extra virgin)
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks or grated
• 1 tsp salt for the meat and veggies + 1½ tsp salt for the rice
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 1¾ cups hot water for braising meat
• 3 cups long grain rice (Basmati or Jasmin rice work great!)
• 4 cups hot water when cooking rice
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 head of garlic

directions

1. Trim beef of excess fat and sinews (aka the chewy stuff), pat the meat dry with a paper towel and chop into ½" to ¾" pieces.
2. Preheat your dutch oven (or your large soup pot with a heavy bottom), to high heat. Once it's hot, stir in your ⅓ cup canola oil. Once oil is hot, add chopped meat and saute uncovered 7 min over high heat until meat is browned, stirring every minute or so so it doesn't scorch to the bottom of the pan.
3. Note: it's important to preheat the dutch oven first for the meat to sear over very high heat, otherwise it will juice out and become dry.
4. Reduce heat to medium and Add chopped onion, stirring often until onion is softened (5 minutes). Stir in sliced carrots, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 3-4 bay leaves and continue to cook over medium heat 5 minutes until carrots are softened.
5. Add 1¾ cups hot water, cover and simmer over medium/low heat 45 min or until meat is tender.
6. Meanwhile, rinse rice until water runs clear, then drain and set aside (this gets rid of the starch so you won't end up with a sticky rice).
7. Spread rice over the meat and add 4 cups hot water. Sprinkle the rice with 1½ tsp salt (DO NOT STIR), bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and Let cook
8. uncovered until most of the water is absorbed (10 min).
9. Cut off the head of your garlic to expose the cloves. Put your head of garlic, cut side down into the center of the rice and sprinkle the top of the rice with 1 tsp ground coriander.
10. Poke 7-10 holes through the rice to allow steam to escape to the surface, reduce the heat to low then cover and cook an additional 15 minutes or until rice is cooked through. Remove the garlic head and bay leaves and stir everything gently to combine and you're done.

Super Sinus Juice Super Sinus Juice
makes about 12 ounces, 2 servings

1 large orange or minola, peeled
1/2 lemon, de-seeded and peeled
1 medium sweet or tart apple, chopped
*Fuji, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith are my faves
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, skin removed
cayenne spice
Directions:

1. Wash all your ingredients.

2. Peel your orange and 1/2 lemon - and remove the lemon seeds. Orange seeds are OK, since they aren't as bitter. Chop your apple into chunks that will fit in your juicer. You can juice the entire apple - core and all. Chop ginger into small chunks.

3. Before you start juicing, be aware that there are two procedures for this juice. You can use just your electric juicer. Or you can use both an electric juicer and a citrus juicer: 1) Add the citrus directly to your juicer and juice it pulp/skin and all. This will result in a 'thicker' juice since some of the pulp/skin juice will be extracted and is a bit thicker than pure citrus juice. 2) Juice the citrus in a citrus juicer/squeezer separately and add it to the apple/ginger juice. This will result in a thinner, less pulpy juice. Your choice.

4. Start juicing all your ingredients. Stir gently to swirl the flavors.

5. Pour into serving glasses and top with cayenne. One tiny pinch to a few bold dashes will work. You can always add more later.

Beef rendang curry with lemongrass rice

• Ingredients

• 2 red onions, coarsely chopped
• 3 large red chillies, seeded, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1kg gravy beef, cut into 3cm pieces
• 2 x 400ml cans coconut milk
• 2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, halved lengthways, bruised
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 500g butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 4cm pieces
• 1 cup (200g) SunRice Basmati Rice
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) water
• Toasted shredded coconut, to serve
• • Method
  1. Step 1
     Place the onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.
  2. Step 2
     Heat a large saucepan or wok over high heat. Add the paste and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic. Add the beef, coconut milk, half the lemongrass, half the lime leaves and cinnamon stick. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours or until beef is very tender. Add the pumpkin and cook for a further 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
  3. Step 3
     Meanwhile, combine the rice, water and remaining lemongrass in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water evaporates. Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the lemongrass.
  4. Step 4
     Spoon the rice among serving bowls. Finely shred the remaining kaffir lime leaves. Spoon the beef among serving bowls. Top with shredded lime leaves and toasted coconut. Serve immediately.

Malbari Paratha

Ingredients

• Flour 4 cups
• Soda by carb pinch
• Eggs 2
• Milk ½ cup
• Salt 1 tsp
• Sugar 2 tsp (heaped)
• Oil 4 tbsp
• Ghee to shallow fry
• Ghee as required for filling

• Directions

  1. In a bowl mix together beaten eggs, milk, sugar, salt and oil.
  2. In another bowl sieve flour with pinch of soda by carb.
  3. Make a bay in the sieve flour pour the egg and milk mixture and mix gradually.
  4. Knead to make a soft dough, cover with a wet cloth and keep aside for 1 hour.
  5. Divide dough into 8 equal portions and make balls.
  6. Flatten each with a rolling pin into a round disc very thin.
  7. Apply with melted ghee over entire surface, dust with flour, hole from 2 ends and gather to make pleats.
  8. Place the dough on the table and roll to make a ball, flatten slightly, keep aside for 5 minutes.
  9. Now roll each ball into dinner plate size, dusting with flour while rolling, place paratha on a heated tawa.
  10. Adding ghee all around, shallow fry from both sides till light golden.
  11. Remove and serve immediately.

Soya Chunks Fry

Ingredients
Soya Chunks (Nutrella or some other brand) - 1 packet, soaked in hot water for 1-2 hours
Onion - 1 big, finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2 roma, finely chopped
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Haldi (Turmeric Powder) - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Spice Powder (Freshly Ground)
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 4-5
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Green Cardamom - 2
Pepper - 5-6 (increase if you want it spicier)
Preparation

• Take oil in a non stick pan and fry the onions till translucent
• Add tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy.
• Add salt, ginger-garlic paste and litttle turmeric.
• Now, add soaked and drained soya chunks and mix it well.
• Add 1 cup of water and close the lid and cook on medium flame till all water is evaporated and soy chunks are tender (not mushy or rubbery).
• Lastly, add spice powder in the end. Feel free to use store bought spice powder if you cannot make this.

Peach Pleasure

Ingredients

• Fresh or tinned peach 2 tin
• Chilled milk 1 cup
• Vanilla ice cream 4 scoops
• Crushed ice 1 cup
• Orange juice powder 2 tbsp
• Castor sugar 1 tbsp

                                

Directions

• 1. Blend peaches, chilled milk, vanilla ice cream, crushed ice, orange juice powder and castor sugar in the blender till they are finely blended.
  2. Serve in decorated glasses with peach.

RECIPE FOR BESAN KI ROTI

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups besan ata
• 1½ cup wheat flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds (Zeera)
• ¼ tsp. chili (Lal Mirch) powder
• 2 tbs. oil
• 1 pinch asafetida (Heeng)
• 2 cups ghee

DIRECTIONS

Mix besan and wheat flour. Add salt and mix. Add a little water and mix. The consistency should be soft and putty-like. It helps if you kneed it with a wet hand. Keep the dough in the fridge for 5 minutes. Divide this dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion into a ball and flatten it into a chapati shape (round). Spread a little oil or ghee on it. Make a cut in it from the center to the edge. Pick up the cut edge and start rolling it so that you end up with a cone. With the palm of your hand flatten it while twisting it so that it once again forms a ball type thing. Flatten it again in chapati shape and fry it on medium to low heat with three tbs. oil or more depending on the size of the frying pan. Turn it over once the bottom is golden brown. When both sides are golden brown it ’s done. Serve with garlic chutney, achar or raita. Serving: 5 to 6DIRECTIONSS