pistahs!
COOKBOOK!!

To Eat With Rice

  1. Rajma
  2. Channa/Chhole
  3. Shrimp Curry
  4. Vindaloo

Not Too Sweet Baking

  1. Banana Bread
  2. Sponge Cake
  3. Milka Cookies
  4. Brownie
rajma

Step 1 : Prepare beans

  • Canned red/dark red kidney beans : drain liquid
  • OR : Dry red/dark red kidney beans : soak for few hours + boil until soft and drain liquid.

Step 2 : Prepare gravy

  • Onions + Tomatoes : finely dice. More onion for sharper curry, more tomatoes for sweeter/tangier curry.
  • Oil (odorless vegetable/seed) OR Ghee : heat few ml in a pot on low/medium heat
  • Powdered Spices : add to pot and fry until aromatic
    • jeera/cumin powder + coriander powder + haldi/turmeric powder + red chilli powder
    • OR : smoked paprika powder + Badia Jamaican curry powder
  • Add onion and fry until browning. Then, add tomato. Fry until tomato starts disintegrating.
  • Optional : take off the heat and blend onion/tomato paste.

Step 3 : Finish

  • Simmer beans + onion/tomato paste + water as needed on low/medium heat until curry is thickening and beans are disintegrating.
  • Salt to taste.
channa/chhole

Step 1 : Prepare beans

  • Canned white chickpeas/garbanzo beans : drain liquid
  • OR : Dry white chickpeas/garbanzo beans : soak for few hours + boil until soft and drain liquid.

Step 2 : Prepare gravy

  • Onions + Tomatoes : finely dice. More onion for sharper curry, more tomatoes for sweeter/tangier curry.
  • Oil (odorless vegetable/seed) OR Ghee : heat few ml in a pot on low/medium heat
  • Spices Part 1 : add to pot and fry until aromatic
    • Ginger garlic paste + jeera/cumin powder + coriander powder + haldi/turmeric powder + red chilli powder
  • Add onion and fry until browning. Then, add tomato and fry until tomato start disintegrating.
  • Optional : take off the heat and blend onion/tomato paste.

Step 3 : Finish

  • Simmer chickpeas + onion/tomato paste + water as needed on low/medium heat.
  • Spices Part 2 : add to pot and simmer until curry thickens (optional)
    • Bay leaf + 1 inch cinnamon + star anise + kasuri methi
  • Salt to taste.
  • Fresh coriander/cilantro : finely chopped for garnish (optional)
Shrimp Curry

Step 1 : Prepare gravy

  • Tamarind OR tamarind paste : soak tamarind in water to make a tamarind paste.
  • Onions + Tomatoes : finely dice. More onion for sharper curry, more tomatoes for sweeter/tangier curry.
  • Oil (odorless vegetable/seed) OR Ghee : heat few ml in a pot on low/medium heat
  • Spices part 1 : add to oil and fry until aromatic
    • jeera/cumin powder + coriander powder + haldi/turmeric powder + red chilli powder
  • Add onion and fry until browning. Then, add tomato and tamarind water. Fry until tomato starts disintegrating.
  • Take off the heat and blend the onion/tomato paste. Add back to the pot.
  • Shrimp (peeled) : add to pot and cook.

Step 2 : Final Tadka/tempering

  • Oil (odorless vegetable/seed) OR Ghee : heat few ml in a small pot on low/medium heat
  • Spices part 2 : In order of adding to oil
    • Mustard seeds + jeera/cumin seeds : fry until mustard pops
    • Red/green chilli + curry leaves + hing/asafoetida + red chilli powder + haldi/turmeric powder + coriander powder : fry until aromatic.
  • Add spice oil to curry and mix.
  • Salt to taste
Vindaloo

Step 1 : Prepare meat

  • Beef/pork : cubed
  • Marinate : crush spices and massage into meat
    • Spices Part 1 : Ginger garlic paste + jeera/cumin powder + coriander powder + haldi/turmeric powder + red chilli powder + cinnamon + elaichi/green cardamom + black pepper powder
    • Vinegar
    • Salt to taste
  • Let rest for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Step 2 : Prepare gravy

  • Onions + (optional) tomatoes : Long thin slices, finely diced tomatoes if using. More onion than tomato.
  • Oil (odorless vegetable/seed) : heat few ml in a pot on low/medium heat
  • Spices Part 2 : In order of addition to oil -
    • Mustard seeds + jeera/cumin seeds : fry until mustard seeds start popping
    • Red or green chilli + curry leaves + hing/asafoetida powder + ginger garlic paste
    • Haldi/turmeric powder + chilli powder + black pepper powder + coriander powder + elaichi/green cardamom + cinnamon + bay leaf (optional)
  • Add onion and fry until browning. Then, add tomato. Fry until tomato starts disintegrating.
  • Water : enough to make liquidy, not too much.
  • Do not blend the gravy.

Step 3 : Cook meat

  • Add meat to pot and cook on low heat. Simmer until gravy reduces.
  • Salt to taste.
  • Fresh coriander/cilantro : finely chopped to garnish
Banana bread

Makes 1 loaf

Wet ingredients

  • Butter : melted, salted or unsalted, 1/2 cup = 1 stick = 115 g
  • Eggs : 2. Crack into butter and whisk.
  • Vanilla extract : to taste.
  • Cinnamon powder : to taste.
  • Banana (large, ripe to overripe) : 2, mashed.
  • Sugar : granulated, 1/2 cup = 100 g.
  • Whisk until combined

Dry ingredients

  • Wheat Flour : 2 cups = 250 g. Sift if lumpy.

  • Baking powder : 1 teaspoon, more if using whole wheat flour.

  • Walnut pieces : a handful. Coat in flour.
  • Salt : only if using unsalted butter. To taste.
  • Mix dry ingredients until combined. Add wet ingredients and mix until homogeneous and lump-free.

Bake

  • Bake at 350F/175C for 40-60 minutes
  • Let cool before cutting.
Sponge Cake

Makes 1 9x13 inch pan

Wet Ingredients

  • Oil (odorless, seed/vegetable) : 1/4 cup = 50 g
  • Eggs : 4. Crack into oil and whisk.
  • Milk : 1 cup = 125 g
  • Vinegar OR Lemon Juice : few drops, add to milk and mix until curdled.
  • Vanilla extract : to taste
  • Rosewater : Optional, to taste
  • Sugar : granulated, 1 cup : 200 g
  • Whisk until combined.

Dry Ingredients

  • Wheat flour : 2 cups = 250 g. Sift if lumpy.
  • Baking powder : 1 teaspoon, more if using whole wheat flour.
  • Salt : A pinch.
  • Mix dry ingredients until combined. Add wet ingredients and mix until homogeneous and lump-free.

Bake

  • Bake at 350F/175C for 25-30 minutes.

Makes ~15 large cookies, 20 small cookies

Wet ingredients

  • Butter : melted, salted or unsalted, 1 cup = 2 sticks = 225 g
  • Eggs : 2. Crack into butter and whisk.
  • Vanilla extract : to taste
  • Sugar : granulated, 3/4 cup = 150 g
  • Whisk until combined.

Dry ingredients

  • Wheat Flour : 2.5 cups = 320 g. Sift if lumpy
  • Baking powder : 2 teaspoon, more if using whole wheat flour
  • Salt : only if using unsalted butter. To taste.
  • Mix dry ingredients until combined. Add wet ingredients and mix until homogeneous and lump-free.

Bake

  • Shape dough into balls on greased/lined baking pan.
  • Bake at 350F/175C for 10 minutes or until edges start turning brown.
  • Let cool for 2 minutes.
    • Chocolate bar (preferably Milka noisette or milk) : while cookie is still warm, break into rectangles and place one rectangle into the gooey center of each cookie.
  • Let cool fully and let chocolate solidify before eating/packing.
Brownie

Makes 1 8x8 inch tin or ~10 brownie bites in a muffin tin

Wet ingredients

  • Oil (odorless, seed/vegetable) : 1/2 cup = 100 g
  • Eggs : 2. Crack into oil and whisk.
  • Vanilla extract : to taste.
  • Sugar : granulated, 1 cup = 200 g
  • Water : 2 tablespoons (a splash)
  • Whisk until combined

Dry ingredients

  • Flour (all purpose/maida) : 3/4 cup = 95 g. Sift if lumpy
  • Cocoa powder : 2/3 cup = 55 g. Sift if lumpy.
  • Salt : a pinch
  • Chocolate chips (dark or semisweet) : 1/2 cups = 85 g. Coat in flour.
  • Mix dry ingredients until combined. Add wet ingredients and mix until homogeneous and lump-free.

Bake

  • Bake at 350F/175C for 30-40 minutes for 8x8 inch tin and 15-25 minutes for brownie bites.
  • Center should still be gooey when done. Let cool slightly before removing from tin.