Kulfi

My dear old friend Ken has an exciting new venture in the Philippines. He is opening an Indian restaurant on the idyllic Bohol Island, so if you are passing through be sure to visit the Bohol Curry House & Bar. To mark this auspicious event I thought I would post my version of the classic Indian ice cream.

Ingredients 

1 1/2 pints whole milk
1 tbsp rice flour
14 fl oz sweetened, condensed milk
4 oz sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1 tbsp ground almonds
1 tbsp chopped pistachios

Method

Pour milk into a heavy-bottomed pan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon and scraping milk solids that form on the sides back into the pan. When the volume has reduced by almost half add the rice flour and sugar, and cook, stirring, until incorporated and smooth..

Cool the mixture slightly, stirring to prevent a skin forming. Add the can of sweetened condensed milk and mix it in thoroughly, along with the ground and chopped nuts.

Allow the mixture to cool completely then churn it in an ice-cream maker. After 20 minutes but before the kulfi is quite solid, divide it among 6 small, freezer-proof moulds (in India conical metal molds are used), seal and place in freezer.

To serve, remove the molds from the freezer and tap them or warm them slightly with your hands. The kulfi should be eaten immediately as it melts more quickly than other types of ice cream.

Vegetable Samosas

OK, so I know I promised you recipes that would not tax the beginner, and you're taking one look at these instructions and calling me a liar. Can I just ask you to trust me, especially as the results are so delicious (washed down with an ice cold beer as a reward for your labors, perhaps) that you may just want to give this one a try anyhow.

Pastry

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup bessan (garbanzo flour)
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
Groundnut oil for deep frying

Filling

1 pound potatoes, boiled in their skins, peeled and chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cups frozen peas
1 bunch flat-leaved parsley, minced
4 cloves garlic
2 fresh green chiles, chopped
2 limes, juiced
4 tbs sunflower oil
salt to taste
4 tsp cardamom pod seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp each cumin, black mustard seed, turmeric, paprika, garma masala
2 bay leaves

Method: Pastry

Sift flours, spices and salt in bowl. Make a well in the center and add sunflower oil and enough chilled water to mix into a stiff dough. Knead until smooth. Divide into walnut-sized pieces. Form each piece into a ball, flatten and roll on a floured surface into a thin, circular pancake. Cut each circle in two.

Method: Filling

Grind or blend whole aromatics, and fry all spices (except garam masala) in sunflower oil for a few minutes. Add onion and fry gently until soft and translucent. Add potato, peas, garlic, chiles, bay leaves, salt and lime juice. Cover tightly and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover for last few minutes to thicken. Stir garam masala and parsley into mixture.

Assembly

Have a bowl of iced water ready. Dampen edges of a dough semi circle with water. Take one corner (A) and draw it over to a point 2/3 of the way along the round edge (B), then take the second corner (C) and fold over to form a triangle. Fill with a spoonful of stuffing. Press edges and seams carefully, dampening again if needed. Deep fry samosas in small batches in groundnut oil until dark golden. Drain and keep warm while frying the rest.


Serve hot with mango chutney and yogurt flavored with fresh mint - and a glass of ice cold beer.