Lamb Stew

Stew, Ishtu....whatever you want to call it.....tastes amazing with dosas and aapams and so reminds me of home
Stew is usually a mixture of solid foods cooked in liquid and this mixture is then served as the gravy. The solid foods usually include vegetables like carrots, beans, peas, potatoes and any meat of your choice. Plain veg stew is great too.
The liquid I used to cook the stew in is stock(of lamb) but a lot of people use wine, beer, and the likes...

Stew is usually cooked on low flame in the liquid ingredient which enables the flavour to mingle with all the vegetables.
Most stews are thin, they are thickened using either corn starch, arrow root etc,....
The thickening agent I have used here is coconut milk which adds a lovely rich flavour to the stew.

This is a dish I've learned from my mum. Every time I make it, I get nostalgic and think about my days back home, when I was in school/college and this stew was a treat for me. Now of course, I have to make it myself but its still a treat for me ;) and my family.
Like most of my dishes, this one is also very easy to prepare but it does take a while to cook since it is prepared on low flame.
To make stew you will need

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji....the yummiest way to eat your veggies!!! :) This is traditionally a Maharashtrian fast food that literally means bread(pav) and vegetable curry(bhaji). The curry is a thick potato based gravy garnished with lots of onion, coriander and lime and served with a traditional soft bun. I am using normal bread here because I needed to finish it up. 
Pav bhaji is very famous in Mumbai, where you get different types like Mushroom pav bhaji, Cheese pav bhaji, Paneer pav bhaji.....
I have just made the regular pav bhaji with an addition of spinach since it was lying in my fridge. Trying to make it a little more healthy than it already is ;) 
Most people I know use the readymade pav bhaji masala to prepare this dish. I have however, used a my own mix of spices to make it.
Here's what you need to make this yummy dish 
Preparation time - 15 minutes
Cooking time - 20 minutes
Serves - 4 people
Ingredients

2 tbsps oil
2 potatoes-peeled and chopped
2 carrots-peeled and chopped
4 florets cauliflower
1/2 cup peas
1 handful spinach leaves - chopped
1 onion-chopped
2 tomatoes-peeled and chopped
2 green chillies-chopped
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
a pinch turmeric
garam masala a pinch
1 tbsp lime
salt to taste
8-12 slices of bread
butter/olive oil to apply on bread slices
Method

• Add all the chopped vegetables(potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and spinach) in a pressure cooker with 1 1/2-2 cups of water and salt to taste and pressure cook it until done. Around 5 whistles (10 minutes)
• While the vegetables are cooking, heat oil in a pan and add onions, garlic paste, green chillies and salt and sauté until the onions are a nice light brown. Add the peas to this and continue to sauté. Then add tomatoes and mix well and let it cook for 5 minutes. 

• The vegetables should be done by this time. Open the pressure cooker and drain off any excess water into a bowl. Do not throw this water as you can use it to cook the gravy.
• Now add all the vegetables to the sauted onion, tomatoes and peas in the pan. Using a vegetable masher, mash all the vegetables and mix well.

• Add all the spices and lime juice to this along with the water drained from the cooker, simmer and let it cook for 5 minutes. Your gravy is ready now.

• Apply butter/olive oil on the bread slices and heat them on a flat pan. 

Serve hot with the gravy garnished well with onions and coriander and a wedge of lemon.

Notes

1. If you dont like your pav bhaji spicy then reduce the red chilli powder and pepper powder to 1/2 tsp.
2. If you would like mushroom/paneer pav bhaji then saute them along with the onions and peas before adding the boiled vegetables.
3. For cheese pav bhaji, garnish with lots of grated cheese instead of onions.

Shabnam

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's pie is a British or Irish pie made with beef mince and a crust of mashed potatoes. This dish has been around since the early 1800's. In most cases then, the pie dish was lined with roasted leftover meat and topped with mashed potatoes to make the crust and then baked. 

My mom also made this pie exactly the same way. Any left over mince at home was made into a pie the next day. It was a delicious way of finishing a leftover. 

I have made the pie with fresh mince and vegetables and spiced it up a bit to cater to the Indian taste. This pie is also a  good way of finishing up any vegetables lying around in your fridge.

 All kids love shepherd's pie and it has their greens and proteins and carbohydrates all packed into one. That's a good enough reason to be making this at home.

Here's what you will need to make this healthy pie

Preparation time - 15 minutes

Cooking time - 30 minutes

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

500g beef mince

2 tbsps oil

1 onion chopped

3 tomatoes peeled and chopped

1 big cup vegetables of your choice(carrots, corn, mushrooms, peas, beans, peppers)

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

a pinch of turmeric

salt to taste

For potato crust

4 potatoes boiled

salt, pepper and oregano/mixed herbs for seasoning

7 tbsps milk

1 tsp butter

Method

• Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onion to this.  Once the onions have browned lightly, add the mince, ginger garlic paste and salt to taste.
• Sauté on high flame until the mince has browned. Add the vegetables to this and mix. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes.

• Add tomatoes and all the spices to this and mix well. Cover and let it cook on slow for 10-15 minutes.

• While the mince is cooking you can prepare the mash. Take the potatoes in a mixing bowl and mash with a vegetable masher/fork. Add milk and seasoning to this and mix until smooth.

• The mince will be done by this time. Transfer the mince from the pan to a pretty 'oven to table' baking dish and press down a bit.

• Add the mash on top of the mince and even it out. Make a pretty design on top with a fork and add one tsp butter.

• Pop it in a pre heated oven at 200 degrees C for 20 minutes or until the crust turns a nice golden brown. 

Serve hot with ketchup.

Notes

1. Using oregano/mixed herbs for seasoning the mash is optional.
2. You can add more butter on the mash before putting it in the oven to get a crispy golden crust. 
3. I have used tinned tomatoes here cos they give a better flavour. Normal fresh tomatoes will work just as well.

Shabnam