Cucumber Dal

This is a modified Andhra recipe, we found at http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2006/10/09/lemon-cucumber-dal-budamkaya-pappu/.
We made it without the onion and garlic so as to let the flavour of the cucumber stand out.

3 yellow round cucumbers
1/2 cup toor dal
4 green chillies, finely chopped
Juice of a 2 inch piece tamarind
Curry leaves

Seasoning
1 tsp jeera

1. Peel, de-seed and cut the cucumber into approximately one inch pieces.
2. Cook cucumber with a little water and the tamarind juice. You can microwave it for 5 minutes.
3. Cook the dal with a pinch of turmeric, a drop of oil and the green chillies.
4. Once the dal is cooked, add the cooked cucumber, curry leaves, seasoning of jeera, salt and simmer.
   

Vegetarian Bastilla

Vegetarian version of the Moroccan pigeon pie.

Filling:
3 Potatoes (diced)
1 Onion (finely chopped, or cut into commas)
3 Cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Inch piece Ginger (finely chopped)
2 Tomatoes (diced)
1 Bay leaf
3 Cloves
2 tsp Jeera powder
1 tsp Chilli powder
2 tsp Harissa

1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Almonds
1 Stick Cinnamon

1. Fry the bay leaf and cloves in oil.
2. Add the onions, garlic and fry.
3. Add the jeera powder, chilli powder and harissa.
4. Add the tomatoes and potatoes.
5. Continue to cook until potatoes are soft.
6. Grind the sugar, almonds and cinnamon together until the almonds are crushed.

Pie:
6-10 Sheets of Phyllo Dough
Ghee or Olive oil to brush the phyllo dough

1. Brush the base of the pie dish with olive oil or ghee. Arrange 3 layers of phyllo dough at the base of a pie dish. Brush each layer with olive oil or ghee.
2. Spread the almond-sugar mixture over the base.
3. Add the potato filling.
4. Arrange 3 more layers of phyllo dough over the filling. Brush each layer with olive oil or ghee.
5. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown

Links to the recipe we used to come up with this recipe.

http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/appetizers/apfowl/bastilla/bastilla.html