Lentil & Rice Pilau

Ingredients
1 cup long grain rice
200g lentils (I used brown) (they need to be ‘nearly cooked’ before starting)
3 tblsp vegetable oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
 
Directions
1) Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add rice & lentils, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until they’re tender. Drain and set aside.
2) Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add garam masala, cumin & coriander and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes
3) Add rice & Lentil mixture and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes longer.
4) Eat & Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Croquettes with Tangy Salsa

Ingredients

The Croquettes
1.5kg of sweet potato
1.5 cups basmati rice
0.5 cup wild rice
6-8 spring onions, finely chopped
2 Tblsn grated fresh ginger
8 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup cashews, lightly toasted and finely chopped (using a food processor is fine)
Polenta
Olive oil
Good salt & Freshly ground pepper
Good pinch chili powder

Tangy Salsa
Grated rind and juice of 4 lemons
½ bunch chopped coriander leaves
4 Tbsp desiccated coconut
2 green chillis, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tomatos, very finely diced

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2) Peel and chop sweet potatos into even sized chunks approx 4-5 cms
3) Toss through with some olive oil, sat, pepper and chili powder.
4) Lay out in a baking pan and bake for 45 minutes till soft and just starting to caramelise at the edges.
5) Remove from oven and allow to cool
6) Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add 1/5 tsp salt and the rice and return to the boil
7) Leave to simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is tender. Drain in a colander, rince with cold water, and put aside in a large bowl
8) Mix salsa ingredients together and set aside
9) Mash the cooked potato
10) Add the potato to the rice along with the spring onions, ginger, garlic and cashews. Season with salt and pepper. Mix together well.
11) Form the mixture into flat croquettes and coat with the polenta
12) When ready to cook, heat a frypan and add enough oil to coat the bottom lightly and heat till the oil is hot
13) Add a couple of croquettes. Fry on one side till crisp and brown the repeat on other side.
14) Serve with tangy salsa
15) Eat & Enjoy!

NOTE: This mixture makes a lot of croquettes, but can be frozen either cooked or uncooked.

Sushi

Ingredients
Sushi Rice
225g sushi rice
250ml water
2Tbspn sushi vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 Tbspn sugar
¾ Tbspn mirin or dry sherry
Fillings
2 or 3 fillings to taste, options include avocado, cucumber, capsicum, tofu, pickled ginger, egg etc
 
Directions
Sushi Rice
1) Put rice into a pan, cover with plenty of water and stir till water becomes cloudy. Drain & repeat 4 or 5 times until water is clear. (this is cleaning the rice)
2) Put washed rice into saucepan with water on high heat and bring to the boil
3) Cover the pan and reduce to very low heat and continue cooking for exactly 15 minutes more (no need to stir).
4) Leave lid on and remove from heat for another 10 minutes
5) Mix the sushi vinegar, sugar, salt and mirin until the sugar has dissolved.
6) Put the rice into a large bowl and stir through vinegar mixture.
Note: To cool the rice quickly “cut” the rice by folding a spoon through until it cools to body temperature - it should be sticky in texture. Use immediately
Making the Sushi
1) Toast nori sheet by heating in a dry fryong pan a few seconds on each side
2) Place nori sheet on sushi mat, rough side up, long side facing you
3) With damp hands spread approx ¼ of the rice over the nori approx 1cm away from the front edge. Nori should be approx 5cm wide and approx 1 cm thick
4) Make a groove along the middle for the filling to sit in
5) Put fillings in but don’t overfill
6) Using the mat as a guide, lift the edge closest to you and roll firmly away from you into a neat cylinder.
7) Repeat until all rice is used
8) Let rolls rest for approx 10 minutes then cut into desired sizes with a sharp wet knife
9) Eat & Enjoy!