Recipes!

It's always an exhilarating experience to treat your taste buds to a completely new culinary sensation. A unique combination of spices can create such a mouthwatering complexity to a dish. That's exactly what Design A Cuisine's dear friend, Umaima Khumushi has so kindly offered to share in this post through two of her personal recipes.

CORN KOFTA IN GREEN GRAVY

Umaima presents the ultimate Indian comfort food: dumplings made from corn and Indian cheese than smothered in a flavoursome green gravy that's spiked with an array of spices.

Serves: 4-5 persons

Cooking time: 30 min

INGREDIENTS:

For Green Gravy

• 2cups boiled spinach(minced)
• ½ cup curd
• 2 green chilies(chopped)
• ½ inch ginger
•  ½ tsp each of coriander powder
•  chili powder
• cumin seeds
•  garam masala powder
• turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 2tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• few sprigs of mint leaves(for garnish)
• 3tbsp oil
• 1-2 tbsp butter

For the Corn Koftas

• 1 cup chopped corn
• 50 gm cottage cheese(paneer)
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
•  ¼ tsp red chili powder
• 2 green chilies
•  1tbsp coriander leaves
•  oil for frying

Method for koftas:

Mash cottage cheese and breadcrumbs.

Mix the chopped corn, green chilies, coriander leaves and chili powder.

Mix well and keep aside for 10 min.

Heat oil and fry koftas till golden brown.

Method:

Grind the boiled spinach.

Take a pan and heat the oil.

 Add cumin seeds and then add all the spices except the garam masala.

Then add the curd.

Stir well and add the spinach paste and mix well followed by green chili, ginger and coriander leaves.

Add garam masala.

Remove from heat.

Put corn koftas in a Pyrex baking dish.

 Pour the prepared spinach gravy into the dish.

 Dot it with butter and bake the dish for at least 15-20 minutes so that the koftas are coated well with the gravy. 

 Garnish with mint leaves. Serve hot.

STUFFED LETTUCE TREASURE

Stuffed Lettuce make tasty appetisers and will steal the show at any party! It's any carb conscious dieter's dream! It's a blend of stir fried vegetables are tucked within lettuce leaves.

INGREDIENTS:

For Filling:

• 8-10 big lettuce leaves
• 1 clove garlic(crushed)
• 100 gm mushroom(chopped)
• 2 spring onions(chopped)
•  2 cups cabbage(shredded)
• ½ cup grated carrot
• 2tsp soy sauce
• 1tbsp corn flour
• salt n pepper to taste
• 1 -2tbsp butter
• 8-10 spring rolls

METHOD:

Remove whole lettuce leaves and blanch in boiling water for ½ a min.

Plunge in cold water and drain.

Heat oil, add garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 1 min.

Add onions, cabbage, carrot and cook for another 2 minutes.

Mix together water and corn flour, then add to the vegetables together with soy sauce, salt n pepper. Remove from fire and divide the mixture between pancakes, fold sides in and roll up.

Place each rolled pancake on a lettuce leaf and roll up lettuce leaf keeping seam side down.

Brush lightly with butter and place on a baking dish.

 Bake till heated through for about 20 minutes.

 Cut length wise and serve with sauce of your choice.

PS: Can substitute cabbage leaf in place of lettuce leaf.