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Forum Thread - Bitza curry

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Helen Bach, on 14/2/2018 05:27pm

this is about bitza dishes, that is a dish made from bitza this and bitza that. Having done the Valentines thing yesterday, and spent a lot of money on the meal (at home!) and having dreadful weather here, we decided to have a meal made of what we could. So we decided on a 'veg. curry' using mostly root veg, urad dhal (what came to hand first in my dhal box!) and chick peas. Will have plain rice with boiled eggs. Everything from an average kitchen.

What do other people have as a standby relying on stock ingredients?

Mamta, on 15/2/2018 02:17pm

Hello Helen

I also do a lot of Bitza dishes, I guess we all do. I will reply more when I have some free time :)

Mamta, on 18/2/2018 08:23am

Standby is my whole lentil shelf, freezer, vegetable drawers and tins.

Dals/beas; So it could be any dal, beans, chickpeas etc, often with added dry fenugreek leaves, which I dry every summer. I buy a whole box, wask, pick stalks off, and dry in my hot conservatory. To some dals, I will add frozen spinach.

Mixed vegetables like you did, or a mix of potatoes and peas or carrots or spinach etc. It could be potato curry, using tinned tomatoes or it could be potato bhaji on iys own or with peas/frozen spinach/dry fenugreel leaves.

Prawns are easy to defrost in tap water, so may be tandoori prawns made with a spice mix, which I keep a few of.

I always have a couple of naan packets in the freezer, so it could be a pizza (I often post photos of these on https://www.facebook.com/mamtaskitchen) made out of that, a jar of pesto, perhaps a sliced onion, a few lettuce/rocket leaves, green chilli sliced, (I usually have a few of these too), any other vegetable I have in the fridge or freezer any cheese (I usually have some cheddar, parmesan etc. cheese in my fridge).

I keep a packet or two of instant noodles. If I have those, I will use whatever bits and pieces I have in the fridge/freezer, including prawns or a tin of anchovies/smoked mackerel etc. and make a noodle stir-fry.

Alu Paratha; boil potatoes in a microwave steamer. Make dough. Cool potatoes under cold water tap. Make paratha mix and make fresh, crisp paraths, served with pickle and a glass of Lassi.

Oh yes, Mixed Vegetable Pakors, what you might call bhajies, are also easy an almost instant.

The list is endless, there is always enough stuff around if one looks properly, to feed a few unexpected friends.

Helen Bach, on 19/2/2018 10:02pm

that's great, Mamta, lots of useful suggestions.

Have you tried nasi goreng, an Indonesian dish, meaning 'fried rice'. It's great for using up left-overs, especially cooked plain rice. Whatever else goes in, it must have mushrooms and one egg omelettes, cut into strips. Other (non-veg) ingredients might include prawns, chicken and pork (or bacon); coriander leaf and spices, and fresh cut chillies, with kecap manis, a sweet, flavoured soy sauce.

On a cold winter's day (or just for comfort) I find it hard to beat a simple dhal, with garlic and spices, maybe tempered with chillies and whole spices. Love the sizzle as the hot oil hits the dhal.

Also, I notice you make pizza from naan, when last in India they were calling them naanzas! Best (veg) pizza I have ever made were with roti as a base. Cooked in one minute!

Mamta, on 20/2/2018 01:31pm

Hello Helen

I haven't made Nasi Goreng in years, but do make stir fried rice with bits and pieces, like I described in noodles.

I make egg fried rice, but don't usually add it to other fried rice. My rice could be Indian style or Chinese or Thai style.

I have been making nan pizzas since 2970s, long before pizzas appeared in India. I also make pizza like a quesadilla and call it Chapatilla 😋, for want of a better word. I have taught it to quite a few family members in India. It is quite easy and very tasty. It is on this website.

It is fun making tasty food out of leftovers/bits and pieces, isn't it?

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