Puff Pastry

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
225 g butter
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
cold water

Doing:
1. Sieve the flour and salt together into a bowl.

2. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the lemon juice, stir with a knife adding enough water to make an elastic dough.

3. Place on to a floured surface and knead gently for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and does not stick to the fingers. Roll out the dough to form a piece large enough to cover the butter, then place the butter (straight from the fridge) in the middle of the dough. Fold over the ends over one at a time.

4. Flatten in one or two places using a rolling pin, then roll out gently and evenly into a long strip, ensure that the butter does not come through or comes from between the edges.

5. Fold one third towards the middle, then the remaining third into the middle to form three layers, pressing down gently, do not seal the edges.

6. Leave the pastry to rest in a cool place for 15 minutes.

7. Place the pastry on to a floured surface, so that the unsealed edge is towards you, roll and fold again as before. Turn and repeat three more times.

8. Leave the pastry to rest in a cool place for 10 minutes. Place the pastry on to a floured surface, so that the unsealed edge is towards you, roll and fold again as before. Turn and repeat three more times.

Basbousa

Ingredients:
2 cups fine semonlina
1 cup dried coconut threads
1/2 cup sugar
150 g butter, melted
1 cup milk

Syrup:
1 & 1/2 cupts sugar
1 & 1/2 cups water
2 Tsb lemon juice

Making:
1. Preheat oven to 175 C

2. Whisk the semolina, coconut and sugar in a bowl. Add butter and milk and combine well.

3. Pour into a buttered, shallow, medium-sized dish.

4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

Syrup:
Dissolve the sugar in the water in a saucepan over low heat. Increase the heat to moderate and boil the syrup until it reduces by about one-third. Add the lemon juice.

Serving:
Cut the cake into diamond shapes while it's still hot, and pour the hot syrup over.

Serve the next day at room temperature.

Panir from Kurma Dasa

Ingredients:
5 litres fresh milk
3-4 quarts yoghuty or 6-8 Tbsp lemon juice

Making:
1. Heat the milk to boiling point in a heavy-based saucepan

2. Gradually stir in 3/4 of the yoghurt or lemon juice, the milk should separte into chunky curds and a greenish liquid called whey. If not completely separated, add a bit more yoghurt or lemon juice.

3. Drape a double thickness of cheesecloth over a colander sitting in the sink.

4. Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon and put them on the cheesecloth. Pour the whey and remaining curds into the cheesecloth.

5. Gather the ends of the cloth together and hold the bag or curd cheese under cold running water for 30 seconds. Twist the bad tightly to squeeze out extra whey, and return to the colander.

6. Press under a heavy weight for 10 - 15 minutes. Carefully remoce from the cloth.

Kichari from Kurma Dasa

Ingredients:
1/2 cup split mung beans (lentils seemed to work fine, too)
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
finely chopped ginger
a small chilli, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp coriander powder
1 cup long grain rice
a heap (about 3 cups) of vegetables, cut into cubes
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 & 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tsb ghee
2 tsp cumin seeds
small handful of curry leaves
1/2 tsp asafetida powder
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
extras: lemon, yoghurt, ghee, chutney, etc

1. Bring mung beans, water, bay lead, ginger, chilli, turmeric and coriander to boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook partially covered for about 15 minutes

2. Add rice, vegetables, tomatoes and salt, increase heat and stir as you bring to the boil, then return to a simmer, covered. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until rice is soft.

3. Heat the ghee in a saucepan over moderate heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry until a few shades darker, then add the curry leaves. Add the asafetida powder, then stir through the big pot-o-stuff and cook for another 5 minutes.

4. Fold in the coriander and serve.