Pear tart with cardamom caramel sauce

INGREDIENTS

Pear tarts

·         2 pears, sliced

·         1 packet puff pastry, thawed

·         1 egg beaten for egg wash

·         4 tsp brown sugar

Caramel cardamom sauce

·         2 tbsp butter

·         2 tbsp brown sugar

·         100 ml heavy cream

·         pinch of salt

·         ¼ tsp ground cardamom

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. Prepare an oven tray with baking paper.

Step 2. Cut the puff pastry sheet into 4 quarters, brush the tops of the pastry with the egg wash and place half a pear sliced on top of each pastry.

Step 3. Sprinkle 1tsp of brown sugar on top of each tart.

Step 4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the pears are soft and the pastry is golden.

Step 5. In a sauce pan, heat up the butter and add the brown sugar. Stir until everything is dissolved and add a pinch of salt and the ground cardamom.

Step 6. Slowly add the cream and whisk until you have a smooth caramel sauce.

Step 7. Drizzle on top of the tarts.

Rose cardamom lassi

INGREDIENTS

·         500g plain yogurt

·         2 tsp rose water

·         2 tbsp sugar or honey

·         ½ tsp cardamom powder

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth, serve chilled.

Step 2. Garnish with edible dried rose petals.

Masala nuts

INGREDIENTS

·         1 cup almonds

·         1 cup walnuts

·         1 cup pistachios

·         1 cup cashews

·         1 drizzle of oil

·         2 tsp salt

·         1 tsp black pepper

·         1 tsp aamchur

·         1 tsp chaat masala

·         ½ tsp chilli powder

·         ½ tsp turmeric

·         1 tsp sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1. Add all the spices to a large mixing bowl.

Step 2. Add sugar and oil and mix well.

Step 3. Add all the nuts and mix well, coating the nuts evenly with the spices.

Step 4. Spread the nuts on a baking tray with baking paper.

Step 5. Bake at 150° C for 20 minutes stirring the nuts every couple of minutes.

Aloo tikki

INGREDIENTS

·         500g potatoes

·         3 tbsp breadcrumbs

·         1 tbsp plain flour

Filling

·         Oil/Ghee

·         100g green peas

·         Small red onion

·         1 tbsp ginger

·         5 cloves of garlic

·         1 tsp cumin seeds

·         1 tsp cumin powder

·         1 tsp coriander seeds

·         ½ tsp turmeric

·         1 tbsp curry leaves

·         Coriander ¼ bunch

·         1 tsp garam masala

·         1 pinch chilli powder

·         Salt

·         20ml lemon juice

·         ½ tsp asafetida

·         ½ tsp amchur (mango powder)

·         ½ tsp anardana powder (pomegranate powder)

INSTRUCTONS

Step 1. Preheat the oven at 180°C.

Step 2. Peel and dice potatoes, place in a roasting tray.

Step 3. Drizzle some oil or ghee and roast for 20 minutes or until cooked through, then mash and leave to cool before stirring in the breadcrumbs and flour.

Step 4. On medium heat, cook in oil or ghee, the curry leaves, ginger, seeds and spices for a few minutes to obtain a sauce.

Step 5. Cook on medium heat the onion until softened, the curry leaves, seeds and spices for a few minutes to obtain a sauce.

Step 6. Add the frozen peas and chopped coriander

Step 7. Divide the potato mixture into portions. Flatten a portion into a disc with a thickness of 1cm in your palm.

Step 8. Put a teaspoon of the spiced pea filling in the centre of the disc, then gently bring the mashed potato around the filling so it's completely encased. Flatten into a patty. Repeat with the remaining potato and filling, then arrange on a baking tray.

Step 9. Heat oil or ghee in a frying pan and cook the tikkis until golden and crisp. Serve straight away with tamarind and date sauce or mango chutney.

Dhal makhani

INGREDIENTS

·         2 cans of lentils

·         1 can of kidney beans

·         1tsp cumin seeds

·         1 piece of ginger, thumb size

·         4 garlic cloves

·         1 onion

·         1 red chilli

·         2 roma tomatoes

·         ½ tsp tumeric

·         1 tbsp coriander powder

·         2-3 tsp garam masala

·         ½ tsp fennel seeds

·         1 tsp amchur (substitute lime or lemon)

·         2 tsp curry leaves

·         50 ml cream

·         100 gr butter

·         Water for consistency

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1. Chop finely (or blend to obtain a paste) onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic together.

Step 2. Heat up oil on medium heat and start cooking the mixture for 3 minutes or until golden.

Step 3. Add all spices and cook stirring continually, add a bit of water if the sauce is thickening too much.

Step 4. Add drained lentils and kidney beans to the sauce and cook until heated through.

Step 5. Cook stirring frequently to slightly crush the mixture. Add cream and brown butter.

Step 6. Serve with paratha bread.