Prawn & Okra Gumbo, New Orleans Rice And Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes by Zarnak Sidhwa

Ingredients For Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes:

• Flour 2
• Cocoa powder a few
• Baking soda 1 cup
• Salt a few
• Sugar 1/2 tsp
• Oil 200 gm
• White vinegar 1 tbsp
• Milk 3
• Vanilla/ chocolate essence 1 tsp

Method:

1. In a bowl, add oil, vinegar, sugar, vanilla essence, lukewarm milk and beat until sugar dissolves.
2. Add the dry ingredients and fold it gently.
3. Spoon cupcake batter into cupcake tin.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Cool on a wire rack.
   

Ingredients For Prawn & Okra Gumbo:

• Oil 3 tbsp
  
• Flour 3 tbsp
  
• Onion chopped 1
  
• Garlic chopped 5-6 cloves
  
• Capsicum chopped 1 cup
  
• Tomatoes chopped 1 cup
  
• Tomato puree 1/4 cup
  
• Green chilies 4-5
• Ladyfingers 1/2 kg
  
• Prawns 1 kg
  
• Salt & pepper to taste
  
• Sugar 1 tsp
  
• Parsley Chopped 1 tbsp
  
• Bay leaf 1

Method:

1. Heat oil.
2. Slowly stir in the flour.
3. Continue to stir until the flour is dark brown.
4. Add onions, garlic and capsicum, stir until onions are clear.
5. Add tomato puree and chopped tomatoes cook until dry.
6. Add salt and pepper, green chilies, parsley and sugar.
7. Add the prawns and the bay leaf.
8. Lightly fold in the fried ladyfingers.
9. Serve with New Orleans rice
   

Ingredients For New Orleans Rice:

• Rice soaked 1 cup
  
• Oil 2 tbsp
  
• Garlic 1 tbsp
  
• Celery 1 stalk
  
• Onions 2 medium
  
• Red capsicum 1
  
• Green capsicum 1
  
• Red kidney beans 1/4 cup
• Green peas 2 tbsp
  
• Corn  2 tbsp
  
• Chicken sausages 2-3
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Paprika 1/4 tsp
  
• Black peppercorns 1 tsp
  
• Dried thyme  1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Heat oil.
   
2. Add garlic, celery and onions and saute.
3. Blend red and green capsicums.
4. Add to the pan, mix well and saute for 2 minutes.
5. Add kidney beans, peas and corn kernels.
6. Add sausages and water, salt, paprika, crushed peppercorns, thyme and rice.
7. Mix and cook till almost done.
8. Cover and simmer till completely done.