Cheap and Easy Recipes

East Indian cooking recipes
Vegetables (Indian style)- 10 mins
Beans (Indian style)-10-15 mins
Rice with vegetables (Indian style)

Afghanistan Recipes
Mourgh ( Afghan Chicken)
Lamb Kababs
Samboosak (meat pies)
Boulanee
Boolawnee (Fried Leek Pastries )

For all the East Indian recipes, you need to buy the following spices:

1. Cumin powder (small bottle)
2. Turmeric (small bottle)
3. Chilli powder
4. Whole cumin seeds
5. Salt

These items can be bought at Talin World Market, which is at the crossing of Louisiana and Central. The total cost of these items should not be more than $10.

First recipe:

Vegetables (Indian style)- 10 mins

1. Choose any packet of frozen/fresh vegetables (cut carrots, peas and carrots, cut French beans, shredded cabbage, sliced potatoes) and defreeze for use.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a deep-bottomed pan and add a teaspoon of Cumin seeds.
3. When the seeds turn deep brown, add the vegetables. Cover and let simmer for two minutes.
4. Remove cover and add ¼ tsp of turmeric, ¼ tsp of chilli powder, ½ tsp of cumin powder and stir. Add salt to taste.
5. Let the vegetables simmer for 5-7 minutes.
6. For crunchier taste, cook with a little more oil or more heat. For well-done vegetables, cook till you find the vegetables soft.

Total cost: Less than $3

Second Recipe:

Beans (Indian style)-10-15 mins

1. Choose a can of beans (red beans, kidney beans, or garbanzo beans). Remove the beans and wash them thoroughly with water.
2. Finely chop one onion and 2-3 ripe tomatoes.
3. Heat a small amount of oil in a deep-bottomed pan and fry the onions till they turn golden brown.
4. Add the tomatoes. Add ¼ tsp of turmeric, ¼ tsp of chilli powder, ½ tsp of cumin powder, and salt to taste.
5. Stir till the mixture becomes a fine paste (this should take 3-4 minutes).
6. Add the beans. Check if salt is to taste. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
7. For better flavoring, you can add a tsp of butter, a bunch of finely chopped cilantro leaves.

Total cost: Less than $3

Third Recipe:

Rice with vegetables (Indian style)—

1. Wash a cup of basmati rice and set aside (Basmati rice is available at Talin. It costs about $15 for 10 pound bag).
2. In a large vessel, heat a small amount of oil and add 1 tsp of cumin seeds. (for extra flavoring, add 1-2 pods of cardamom seeds, 4-5 cloves, 1-2 small pieces of cinnamon sticks)
3. Add ¼ packet of frozen vegetables like peas or peas and carrots to the oil. Add salt to taste (note add enough salt for the washed rice and vegetables to taste good altogether). Fry for sometime.
4. Add the washed rice and stir.
5. Add 3 cups of water to the mix and let boil.
6. When water begin boiling, turn the heat down to medium and let it simmer.
7. In about 5 minutes and water quantity will decrease. Cover the vessel and turn off the heat.
8. Let it sit for 5-7 minutes.
9. Open the cover and it is ready to serve.

Total cost: Less than $3

Afghanistan Recipes

Mourgh
( Afghan Chicken)

Ingredients

• 2 lg Cloves garlic
• 1/2 ts Salt
• 2 c Plain, whole-milk yogurt
• Juice and pulp of 1 large lemon, 3 to 4 tablespoons
• 1/2 ts Cracked black pepper
• 2 lg Whole chicken breasts, about 2 pounds

Long, slow marinating in garlicky yogurt tenderizes, moistens and adds deep flavor, so you end up with skinless grilled chicken that's as delicious as it is nutritionally correct. Serve with soft pita or Arab flatbread and fresh yogurt.

Put the salt in a wide, shallow non-reactive bowl with the garlic and mash them together until you have paste. Add yogurt, lemon and pepper.
Skin the chicken breasts, remove all visible fat and separate the halves. Bend each backward to break the bones so the pieces win lie flat.
Add to the yogurt and turn so all surfaces are well-coated. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate. Allow to marinate at least overnight, up to a day and a half. Turn when you think of it.

To cook, remove breasts from marinade and wipe off all but a thin film. Broil or grill about 6 inches from the heat for 6 to 8 minutes a side, or until thoroughly cooked. Meat will brown somewhat but should not char. Serve at once.

Lamb Kababs

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless lamb steak cut into 1-in cubes
• 3 medium onions, quartered
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cuminseed
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup cognac arak, or dry red wine

1. Mix everything together & marinate for 1 to 1-1/2 hrs. This distributes flavors & tenderizes meat.

2. Put 4 pieces of lamb alternating w/onion quarters on each metal skewers. Grill over charcoal, traditional method, for 10 mins, or to taste: rare, medium, or well-done. Serve warm w/other Afghan foods.

These flaky meat pies are eaten to break the Muslim fast every evening during the month of Ramadan. To the traditional meat stuffing of the northern Arab states are added leeks, boiled eggs, and regional spices.

• 1 package spring roll skins (approximately 8 inches square), defrosted
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 1 tbsp. water
• Oil for frying

Filling

• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 leek, cleaned and chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 pound ground beef or lamb
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cumin or kebsa spices
• 2 egg whites, hard-boiled and chopped
• Oil for frying

1. Saute the onions and leek in the oil until transparent. Add the meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until done, breaking up lumps.

2. Add the cumin and the chopped egg whites and mix well.

3. Cut each spring roll skin into 3 strips of equal width (If the dough is not precisely square, use the slightly larger dimension for the length of the strip.) Lay out 3 to 4 strips on your work surface.

4. Place a rounded tsp. of the meat mixture toward the bottom right hand corner of each strip. Fold that corner diagonally over to the top left-hand corner, forming a triangle. As you fold, be certain that the side of the strip lines up perfectly with the folded portion. Continue as if folding a flag, alternately folding the bottom corners in a diagonal pattern. Seal the final flap with a bit of the flour paste.

5. Deep-fry and drain on absorbent paper.

Boulanee

Ingredients

• 1 Package square eggroll wrappers
• Corn oil
• 1 cupMashed Potatoes
• 1 or 2 large potatoes
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. coriander
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
• 4 green onions, chopped.
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. coriander

Boil potatoes on their skin until soft. Peel and mash. Add salt, coriander, cayenne pepper, cilantro and green onions and mix. Meanwhile: Brown ground beef with pepper, salt and coriander.
Mix ground beef with mashed potatoes. Let cool.
Take an eggroll wrapper and place a spoonfull of filling in the middle. Wet the edges of the wrapper and close, making a triangle. Fold the ends of the triangle into the pastry, making a small envelope. Flatten with your hand.
Heat oil and fry the boulanee until brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes.

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup cold water
  ***LEEK FILLING***
• 2 whole leeks; (2 leeks=3 cups chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon hot chili pepper
• 3 teaspoons oil
  ***TO FINISH***
• oil; for deep frying

Directions

Sift flour and salt into a bowl, make a well in the center and add water. Mix to a firm dough and knead for 5 minutes until elastic, dusting with more flour if necessary. Wrap in plastic film and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Cut most of the green tops from leeks, halve lengthwise and rinse well to remove all traces of soil between leaves. Remove roots and dry leeks with paper towels. Place flat on board, cut along lengthat 5 mm inch) intervals than across to dice. Measure in cup measure and place in bowl. Add salt and chili pepper and knead with hand to soften leeks. Stir in oil.