Some quick cooking and delicious items that would do well on a high tea menu and your Eid trolley for guests. Samosas and dumplings can be prepared earlier and fried or steamed just before serving. Dum aloo and beef with peas can be served with pooris or kachoris.

Mince samosa

Ingredients

Mince 1 cup

Onion 1

Coriander as required

Green chillies 2-3

Turmeric powder ¼ tsp

Crushed red chillies ½ tsp

Coriander powder ½ tsp

Cumin ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Flour 1 cup

Ginger 1 inch piece

Garlic 2-3 tbsp

Oil 2-3 tbsp

Oil for frying

Method

In a bowl add a cup of flour, cumin, salt, oil and water and prepare the dough.

In a wok, put some oil and then ginger and garlic, and sauté. Add onion, mince, turmeric powder, crushed red chillies, coriander powder and cumin. Cook till the mince become tender. Add green chillies and coriander. Keep aside.

Cut dough into equal pieces and roll out in small rounds.

Put small amount of mixture in every piece and fold over to make a samosa shape

Deep fry in hot oil. Samosas are ready.

(The filling can also be used with store bought samosa patti.)

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

Ingredients

Potatoes ½ kg

Salt to taste

Sonth 1 tsp

Cloves 4-6

Green cardamom 4-6

Black cardamom 2

Fennel seed 1 tsp

Dry green chili 2-3

Garam masala powder ½ tsp

Yoghurt ½ cup

Curry leaves a few

Oil 3 tbsp

Oil for frying

Coriander leaves few

Mint few

Method

First cut potatoes in four pieces and deep fry them till the colour changes to golden. Blend dry red chillies, fennel seeds and sonth with a little water and make a thick paste. In a wok, heat oil. Add green cardamom, black cardamom and cloves.

After a few seconds, add the blended mixture and let it cook for two minutes.

Add yoghurt, salt and water. After a while, add curry leaves and potatoes. Cover the lid and let it cook. After 10-12 minutes, add garam masala powder in the gravy and let it dry up. Sprinkle coriander and mint, and serve.

Steamed red and white dumplings

Ingredients

Flour 1 cup

Baking powder 1 tbsp

Water as required

Salt to taste

Egg 1

Filling

Beef mince 1 cup

Chicken mince 1 cup

Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp

Soya sauce 1 tbsp

Sugar 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Black pepper ¼ tsp

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Cornflour 2 tbsp

Green onion 1

Method

Add salt to flour along with baking powder, egg and a little water to make dough, which should neither be too soft nor too hard.

Chop beef mince, chicken mince, salt, black pepper, green onion, soya sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, ginger garlic paste and chop. Add cornflour. In the remaining egg, add flour and make batter. Roll out the dough in a roti shape.

Make little pouches filled with mince. Place the dumplings in a steamer for 15-20 minutes.

When ready, serve with ketchup.

Beef with peas

Ingredients

Mince ½ kg

Cumin 1 tsp

Onion 1

Ginger garlic paste 2tbs

Oil ¼ cup

Boiled tomatoes 3

Water ½ cup

Yoghurt ½ cup

Boiled peas 1 cup

Salt to taste

Coriander 2 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp

Method

In a wok, add oil, ginger-garlic paste and mince. Cook till its colour turns brown and all water dries up. Add onion, yoghurt and water. Cover with the lid and let it cook. After eight-10 minutes, add peas, coriander and salt. Turn the flame high and cook till water dries up. Serve when ready.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, July 3rd, 2016