Lentils are sold in many varieties and colours: split, whole, brown, green, black, red, white, French. For the most tender, toothsome lentil, one that won’t fall apart in soup, stick with the brown, green, or French (also called “puy”) variety.

Make this delicious – and healthy – chickpea puree in a matter of minutes.
Can also be spelled humus, hummus, hommos & hoummos.

Hummus example:

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
• 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).

Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

Turn mealtime odds and ends into a hearty—and tasty—soup.

Raita or pachadi is a South Asian/Indian condiment based on yogurt (dahi) and used as a sauce or dip.
The yogurt is seasoned with coriander (cilantro), cumin, mint, cayenne pepper, and other herbs and spices.
Vegetables such as cucumber and onions are mixed in. The mixture is served chilled.

Raita has a cooling effect on the palate which makes it a good foil for spicy Indian dishes.

Southern Indian cuisine, such as that found in the Bangalore region, often uses finely chopped or diced carrots mixed with dahi yogurt.

Cucumber is not included in authentic versions of the dish, because Ayurvedic tradition considers a mixture of cucumber and yoghurt to be harmful to the body.

It could be considered similar to the Greek tzatziki.

How to make Raita, a series of videos.

Cucumber & Mint Raita Recipe (not from the video)

• 1 large unpeeled cucumber, halved, seeded, coarsely grated
• 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon plus pinch of cayenne pepper
  
  

Preparation

 

Wrap grated cucumber in kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Whisk yogurt, mint, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in medium bowl to blend. Add cucumbers and toss to coat. Season raita to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Sprinkle raita with pinch of cayenne pepper and serve.

 

 

In our Italian Recipe Section we present a series of videos on how to make Pizzelle Cookies.

From central southern Italy the cookies are traditionally made at Cristmas and Easter.

Two types of batter are made in the videos, regular and Amaretto.

A traditional Pizelle Cookie recipe (not from video)

Batter

• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (I have used 3/4 to 1 1/4 cups sugar..they come crispier with the larger amount)
• 3/4 cup salad oil (canola oil)
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons anise flavoring or anise oil

Directions

1. Beat eggs until thick.
2. Add in, beating well the sugar and beat until thick, beat in the oil and continue beating.
3. Add in the flour.
4. Add in the flavour.
5. Heat the pizzelle maker on stove top, or if electric plug in unit.
6. Drop tablespoon of batter onto iron and bake until golden light brown in colour.
7. Remove and cool on wire rack.

If you are using anise oil, then use less amount than you would the flavour, as oil is stronger.

Better to add less - try a cookie and add more to taste.

Split your batter and try different flavoured additives.
You can add chocolate extract and cocoa powder and/or orange extract and orange zest to make chocolate-orange pizzelles.
Vanilla and Lemon flavors are a treat in addition to the anise, giving you a nice assortment of pizzelles.

 

Pizzelle Cookies

 

 

Sweet & Sour Chicken

This is a very popular and easy to cook recipe.
Most of the ingredients can easily be found or substituted.

The sweet and sour sauce made with brown sugar has a distinctive taste better than found in 'cook in sauce' jars.

The sauce is worth trying as it can also be used with pork and beef cuts of meat.

The dish is American in origin.
Traditional Chinese (Asian) sweet & sour dishes would use pork.

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsps Peanut oil, divided
• 500g chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 1 stick of celery, sliced
• 1 Chinese cabbage, chopped / alt 250g green/savoy cabbage
  
• 1 med. onion, diced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 red, yellow or green pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp. dried ginger
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
  

Sauce:

• 1/3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• Salt, pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. dried ginger
• 1/2 tbsp ketchup
• Pinch of garlic powder
• 1 c. chicken stock
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
  
  

Directions:

1. Have all ingredients chopped and prepared.
2. In a wok or deep pan, heat 2 tbsps. oil over high heat.
3. Add all the chopped & sliced vegetables. Stir-fry quickly until onion is cooked and translucent. Remove and place in a bowl.
4. Add 2 more tbsps of oil to the wok; heat. Add the chicken and stir fry until no longer pink on outside (5-7 minutes).
5. Mix in separate bowl sauce ingredients, making sure you mix cornstarch thoroughly.
6. To chicken in wok, add the vegetables and sauce mix. Cook over a very low heat until cornstarch is cooked, about 6-8 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened.
7. Serve hot on a bed of cooked white rice.

Indian Cookery

Indian cookery has become very popular throughout the world, but especially in the UK due to links with India during the last century. The UK also has the good fortune of having a large ethnic Indian population. Indian culture and cuisine are both complex and fascinating.
Luckily, Gibraltar too can proudly boast of having an ethnic Indian population, who's talents and lifestyle add to the rich mix of Gibraltar's culture.

Equipment

A wok (left above) or a karahi (right above) helps in Indian cookery as the shape of the base means that you use less oil than if you use a flat fryingpan. The high sides also help in stirring and tossing.

A pestle and mortar and pestle is necessary for grinding seeds, pods and spices. I use a coffee grinder too, an old one that you won't use for coffee again!

Root Ginger can be frozen and a (cheese) grater used to shave off pieces.

Spices

Spices are of course essential and are what gives Indian cookery it's warmth, (sometimes heat), aromas (pungencies), colour and above all taste.

The skill of blending seeds, powders and pastes is what makes a good Indian cook.
Some dishes use only a few spices where other more complex dishes may use over a dozen.
Don't be put off by a long ingredients list as often spices are mixed together and added at the same time.

Essential commonly used Spices

A tricky one but here are a few very commonly used spices. You'll need all of these.

• Cardamom pods
• Dried red chillis
• Mustard seeds
• Turmeric Powder
• Black Peppercorns
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Coriander Seeds
• Fennel seeds
• Fenugreek Seeds
• Black Poppy Seeds
  

Buying and storing spices

You can buy ground spices, however for example, you can buy coriander seeds and grind them yourself when needed, the flavour is far better than using bought coriander powder.
Powders start losing flavour after around three months. How long ago was your Coriander powder ground?
Spices should be stored in air-tight containers or sealed bags.

Cooking with spices

Temperature is a key factor in Indian cooking.
Whole spices can be toasted in a dry pan to enhance flavours.
Spices shouldn't be allowed to overcook (burn) in highly heated fats. A quick thirty seconds of heat should release flavours into the oils then temperatures should be reduced to avoid burning. It is an art.
That's why when you do get it right, it is such a satisfying style of cooking.

We hope to add a number of our favourite Indian recipes very shortly.
We'll also be talking to and visiting the kitchens of some excellent Indian chefs.

If you're looking to start trying a few Indian recipes, or if you already have an interest. You can help encourage others to try and experiment with this fascinating style of cooking by contributing recipes, hints and tips. Where to buy spices in Gibraltar etc.
Please contact us and help with this section.

The 'West' still has a lot to learn from India.
Indians are as a rule, excellent business men, family orientated, well educated, well mannered, without drug and alcohol problems, kind, tolerant and respectful.
Respect is important in Indian culture. Respect of elders, parents, teachers, peers and most of all strangers. Animals are too are rightly awarded respect. (A stranger or animal  may be a God in disguise).

As well as recipes and cookery tips we'll be exploring religion and other aspects of 'Indian' culture on this website.

 

 

If you'd like to suggest additions to this list please add a comment.

• Oyster Sauce - Made from boiled oysters and seasonings, this rich savory sauce is used in meat and vegetables dishes, and is one of the key ingredients in Cantonese cooking. Unless you're a purist vegetarian varieties made from mushrooms and without monosodium glutamate are better. Traditional Oyster sauce is very salty, so for healthy eating best used sparingly as a condiment rather than for cooking or marinating.
  
  
• Rice - Long grain for meals; short grain or "sticky" rice for desserts or snacks. Feel free to use scented Jasmine rice.
  
  
• Rice Vinegar - Shao hsing rice wine is low in alcohol . Made from rice, millet and yeast and aged for three to five years. It has a delicate flavour that is much less harsh than regular white vinegar. Dry sherry is a substitute.
  
  
• Soy Sauce - both light and dark. The bottles are not always clearly labeled, but you can tell by holding it up to the light - dark soy sauce is thicker and darker. Light soy sauce tastes saltier, unless you choose a low-sodium version. Made from fermented soya beans and wheat. Wheat-free soy sauce is called tamari.
  
  
• Chili Paste - Made with chilies, salt, garlic, ginger and oil. A small amount of this spicy seasoning adds heat to stir-fries, marinades and sauces.
  
  
• Oil for Deep-frying and Stir-frying - Traditionally, the Chinese use peanut oil. However, you can use a high quality vegetable oil, such as canola ("Canadian oil, low acid"). Vegetable oil is healthier; also, peanut oil goes rancid quite quickly, if you don't cook Chinese food very often, it may be best to try an alternative.
  
  
• Ground nut oil. Best in the wok because it can be heated to high temperatures; the higher the heat, the quicker food is sealed and stops absorbing oil.
  
  
• Asian Sesame Oil - Used as a flavouring in stir-fries and soups. Toasted sesame oil is a nutty-tasting oil. A little goes a long way.
  
  
• Chinkiang black rice vinegar Vinegar is widely used in Chinese cooking and this strong but smoky mellow-tasting fermented rice vinegar is a favourite. You can use balsamic vinegar instead.
  
  
• Clear rice vinegar Sweet and subtle clear vinegar made from fermented rice, relatively low in acidity. More commonly used than black rice vinegar. Cider vinegar works instead.
  
  
• Sichuan peppercorns Widely used in China, the dried reddish berries from a type of ash tree are used whole or ground to a powder. Pungent, peppery and quite citrus, they can be seriously hot. One of the components of Chinese five spice powder.

Important flavourings: Fresh root ginger, garlic, chilies, salt. Other specialist ingredients: dried Chinese mushrooms; dried baby shrimps; dried tangerine peel; dried Sichuan chilies; cinnamon stick/bark; fennel; cloves; star anise; jasmine rice.

• Chinese Dried Black Mushrooms - Cheaper brands work fine in soups and stir-fries.
  
  
• Cornstarch - Used in marinades, and as a thickener. Can substitute for tapioca starch in recipes.
  
  
• Spring Onions (Green Onions, Scallions) - Often used as as garnish, or added to stir-fries in the wok.

Where to buy: Look for Asian brands such as Wing Yip, Blue Dragon, Clearspring and Sanchi in larger supermarkets and health food stores or shop online at wingyipstore.co.uk and waiyeehong.com

With the exception of rice wine and dried black mushrooms, these ingredients can usually be found in the ethnic or international section of many supermarkets. Rice wine and dried black mushrooms are available at Chinese/Asian markets.