MOODY FOODIE IDEAS!

Falafel is a common food eaten throughout the Middle East. The  fritters  are now found around the world as a replacement for meat  and as a form of  street food .    Ingredients 2 cups fresh green chickpeas/garbanzo beans    1 small onion, finely chopped  1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander  5 cloves garlic, minced  1 tbsp gram flour salt   2 tsp cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 2 fresh green chilies finely chopped Oil for frying For Hummus 1 cup drained well-cooked chickpeas, liquid reserved 1/4 cup sesame seeds,  lightly  toasted   1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Juice of 1/2 lemon paprika  Coarsely grind all the ingredients together Shape into small balls or into disks. Deep fry or shallow fry til golden. For hummus grind all the ingredients to get a very smooth paste. Add the  water in which the chickpeas were cooked to get desired consistency.   Serve top

Thukpa is a Tibetan noodle soup, which originated in the eastern part of Tibet. It's a substantial meal!  Ingredients 1 Onion 5 cloves of garlic 1-2 Green chilies 1 tomato 1/4 cup  chopped  Cabbage  1/4 cup chopped Carrot 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Cumin powder 1 tsp Coriander powder 2 Chicken stock cubes + water 2 Spring onions chopped Salt to taste Egg for thin omelette For pasta knead together  Wheat flour,  Salt and  Water into a chapati dough. Keep aside covered.   In a little oil fry onion and garlic for a minute.   Add rest of the vegetables except for the green leaves of spring onion and saute on high heat for a minute.   Add 3 cups of water, soup stock, salt and spice powders and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat. Roll out the wheat dough and cut into thin pasta like strips.   Add the strips to the simmering soup. Cook covered for a minute.    Season the egg with salt and pepper and make a thin omlette. Cut into

Ingredients ¾ cup flour ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup raw sugar 2 eggs ½ cup chopped dates ½ cup chopped walnuts 1 tsp cinnamon powder ¼  tsp soda bi carb ½ tsp baking powder Pinch of salt   Mix together oil and sugar and whisk in eggs one at a time.   Gently mix in flour, salt, baking soda and powder.   Fold in walnuts, dates and  cinnamon. Pour the mixture into a greased microwave safe dish and bake on low rack for 25 mins. Enjoy hot with a cup of coffee!

  Ingredients 1 cup minced chicken  4 slices stale  bread slices crumbled  1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves 1 egg  1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin  1-2 fresh green chili, finely chopped  2 tsp ginger garlic paste Salt to taste Oil for brushing   In a bowl, mix well all the ingredients   Shape as desired. place on a greased baking tray. Brush with some oil and bake in microwave on low for 25 mins. Serve hot garnished with sliced onion and lemon wedges.

  Dry figs and fresh rosemary together taste divine! Ingredients 1 cup flour ½ cup brown sugar 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup oil 3 eggs ¾ cup dry figs chopped ¾  cup almond meal 1 tsp vanilla paste Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl whisk all the wet ones in another. Mix in  the dry ingredients half at a time into the wet mixture.  Pour the batter into  heavily greased pan.   Bake for 30 mins in microwave on low rack or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.   Cool completely. Dust with icing sugar.   Enjoy at tea time or accompanied with vanilla ice cream as dessert!

Borscht is soup popular in  Eastern european and Russian cusines. Its main ingredient is beetroot which gives it the distinct colour. Ingredients 2 beets, cubed 1 potato, cubed 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic Soup stock cube 3 cups water 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger Juice of ½ lemon Parsley 1 tbsp + olive oil salt and pepper to taste Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and salt over the beetroots, potato, onion and garlic and roast wrapped in aluminium foil for 20 mins. Bring water to boil with soup stock and ginger. Add roasted and pureed beets, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Add lemon juice and serve hot topped with fresh yogurt, olive oil and chopped parsley, Enjoy hot or cold with garlic bread!

Ingredients 2oo gms baby corn 1 tbsp corn flour 2 tbsp rice flour 1 ½ tsp piri piri spice mix Salt to taste oil Lemon juice and Spring onion for garnish Cook the corn in 1/2 cup of water and some salt in microwave for 5 mins and drain.   In a bowl mix together the flours, salt  and piri piri.   coat the corn with the flour mix thoroughly. Drizzle a little oil over it.   Cook in Air fryer or microwave for 20 mins. Garnish with lemon juice and spring onion. Enjoy the crispy corn with friends.