Carrot Halwa

Recipe Ingredients:

55 gm butter/ghee

25 gm flaked almonds

25 gm cashew nuts

25 gm seedless raisins

450 gm grated carrot

600 ml full-fat milk

125 gm sugar

1/2 tbsp freshly grounded cardamom seeds

1/2 tbsp freshly grated nutmeg

50 ml double cream

How to Prepare:

Melt ghee/butter in heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Add almonds and cashew nuts and cook stirring, untill lightly browned. Remove a dessert spoon of nuts and reserve.

Add raisins, grated carrot, milk and sugar to the saucepan, increase the heat to medium and bring the milk to boiling point. Continue to cook over a low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes, untill the milk evaporates completely, stirring frequently, and scraping the sides of the saucepan.

Stir in cardamom powder, nutmeg and cream. Remove from heat and leave to cool slightly. Serve with whipped double cream or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle over the reserved nuts to decorate.

Balti Prawns

Recipe Ingredients:

700 gm prawns

4 tbsp ghee

2 large onions sliced

3 tomatoes sliced

1/2 tbsp kalonji seeds

4 black peppercorns

3 green cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp garam masala

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tbsp natural yogurt

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

2 fresh green chillies

2 tbsp lime juice

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Heat ghee in a large heavy-based frying pan. Add the onions and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or untill golden. Add the tomatoes, kalonji seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, chilli powder, garam masala, ginger garlic paste and salt. Cook stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Add prawns and cook, stirring constantly, or untill well coated in the spice paste. Stir in the yogurt. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add some water if required.

Stir in the chopped coriander, chillies and lime juice. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with rice/roti.

Bhel Poori

Recipe Ingredients:

For Chat:

300gm new potatoes

200gm chickpeas, soaked and cooked

100 gm sev noodles

55 gm puffed rice

4 tbsp raisins

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

1 tbsp fennel seeds toasted and cooled

pooris crushed

salt

For Chat Masala:

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp black peppercorns

2 dried red chillies

For Serving:

natural yogurt

tamarind chutney

green chutney

How to Prepare:

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil and cook the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, untill tender. Drain and run under cold water to cool, then peel and mash them. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make chat masala, heat a dry fry pan over a high heat. Add the coriander and cumin seeds, peppercorns and dry chillies and stir around untill they give of their aroma. Immediately tip them out of the pan to stop the cooking, watching closely because the cumin seeds burn quickly. Grind the toasted spice mixture in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar.

Use your hand to toss together the potatoes, chickpeas, sev noodles, puffed rice, raisins, coriander, fennel seeds and crushed pooris. Sprinkle with chat masala and toss again.

Divide the mixture in serving plates and drizzle with yogurt, tamarind chutney and green chutney according to taste. Garnish with puffed rice, corn flakes, raisins and sev noodles.