birthday recipes for that special birthday treat and parties!

500 grams lamb
1 large minced potato
boiled and mashed 4 garlic cloves
crushed 1 large onion
chopped 1 green pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 eggs
dried breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons cooking oil

Combine minced potato, garlic, onion, pepper, parsley, turmeric, cumin, ginger and 1 egg in a bowl. Beat the remaining 3 eggs together. Take a portion of mixture and shape into a cutlet, repeat with remaining mixture.
Dip cutlets in beaten eggs and coat with breadcrumbs. Heat oil and fry the cutlets on medium heat fro about 5 minutes each side or until meat is cooked and brown on both sides. Drain and serve.

2 large potatoes
2 slices bread 
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mango powder
red chili powder to taste or green chilies, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons fresh coriander, finely chopped
oil for frying

Put the potatoes into the pressure cooker with a cup of water. As soon as the cooker whistles, turn the heat down and keep 5 minutes. Release pressure. Carefully lift out the potatoes  after checking that they are well-boiled. Wearing oven gloves. peel the potatoes and put them onto the plate.
Put the bread into the small bowl. Pour over just enough water to cover.
As soon as you have done all the potatoes, lift out the one slice of bread at a time from the water, squeeze it hard to remove as much moisture as you can and drop in onto the hot potatoes. Add also the rest of the ingredients except the oil. Mix and mash well. Check salt and other seasonings and add whatever is needed at this point.
Divide the mixture into 6 equal bits. Shape each one into a ball. Rub a little oil on your palms so the mixture does not stick. As soon as you have a smooth ball, without any cracks, press it lightly to flatten it. Neaten the edges. Keep covered with a clean napkin, till you are ready to eat. 
When you want to fry the cutlets, heat the oil in the pan. You should have about a pinch of oil. Let it heat up. Drop in as many cutlets as will fit comfortably. Fry golden-brown on each side. Use the slotted spoon to do it. As soon a cutlet is done, drain it on the brown paper.

 

1/2 cup butter, preferably while
2 tablespoons honey
4-1/2 tablespoons cocoa
225 grams semi-sweet biscuits
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons chopped nuts - walnuts, almonds or peanuts

Put the butter, honey and cocoa into the pan. Put it onto gentle heat. You have to watch it, stir occasionally and remove as soon as the butter is melted. Stir the butter, honey and cocoa together well.
While the butter is melting, you can crush the biscuits. Do this by putting them into the plastic bag (make sure it's clean) and beating lightly with the rolling pin or you could put it into the electric grinder and whiz it for a few seconds. Similarly with the nuts, either chop them by hand or whiz them in the grinder. You will get smaller bits but that's fine. 
As soon as the butter mixture has cooled slightly, add the nuts and biscuit crumbs. Stir together well. The mixture will look crumbly yet should hold together when you press it together.
Lightly grease the cake-tin. Put half a teaspoon of butter into it and rub it all over the base of the tin. Pour in the biscuit mixture. Press it down tightly into the tin.
Leave it in the fridge to set.
To take out from the tin, dip the base of the tin into hot water for a few seconds, put a plate on top and invert it gently.
Cut into thin slices or wedges to serve, with a scoop of ice-cream, if you like.


Vermicelli Pudding 170 grams thin vermicelli
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 liter milk
30 grams shelled pistachio nuts, chopped
60 grams blanched almonds, chopped and toasted
125 grams cashew nuts, chopped and toasted
2 drops of vanilla essence (optional)
1 drop of vanilla food coloring (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
230 grams sugar
2 cups water

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Sauté cardamom and vermicelli until light brown. Add sugar, water, Bring to boil. Reduce heat to moderate, simmer for 10 minutes.
Add almonds, cashews, pistachios, vanilla color and vanilla essence. Bring to the boil and remove from heat, pour into a serving dish.

Chocolate Mint Ice 4 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa
1-1/4 cups cream
1-1/4 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint essence
4 tablespoons sugar
Put the milk and sugar into the handled pan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Don't let the milk get too hot - you can take it off the fire as soon as small bubbles start forming on the side.
While the milk is being heated up you can beat the eggs lightly in one of the bowls. Now pour the eggs into the milk in the pan. Stir gently till the mixture thickens and the bubbles start. It will look like a thick custard. Take off the fire and leave it to cool.
Whip the cream lightly with a fork till it is fluffy. When the custard cools down, fold the cream in. To do this, pour the cream over the milk-egg mix and blend well gently bringing the mixture up from the bottom, in a circular motion.
Pour half the mixture into the box or tray in which you are going to freeze it. Add peppermint essence to it and mix well. If you are, using the color, stir it in too. To the remaining mixture add cocoa, and mix in well.
Pour the chocolate mixture over the peppermint one. Draw a knife through the mixtures a few times to make pretty swirls in the mixture. Chill well before serve.