Medu Vadas

Medu Vadas

"Medu Vada is a South Indian breakfast and is also a popular street snack. They are savoury lentil doughnuts and is often eaten with coconut chutney and sambar (lentil curry)."

Ingredients

2 cups Urad dal also known as Vigna Mungo in English
2 onions, chopped finely
1 tsp cumin seeds
5-6 curry leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1/3 cup chopped coconut pieces (optional)
2 green chillies, chopped finely
2 tsp rice powder (makes them crispier)
salt to taste
Cooking oil for frying

Directions
1. Wash Urad dal and soak in water for 4-5 hours or overnight. Drain through a sieve.

2. In a blender, grind the dal to a paste using very little water if necessary. You can grind this in batches. The batter should be thick or else you won't be able to shape the vadas.

3. Remove the paste into a large bowl and add the rice powder, chopped onions, ginger, herbs, spices and coconut. Add salt and check seasoning. Mix in a clockwise position for a few minutes to gather air into the batter.

4. Heat oil in a wok. Keep a bowl of water ready. Wet the palms of your hands and take a lemon size ball of the batter. Shape well and flatten. Make a hole in the center like a doughnut. Slide the vada into the hot oil carefully (the oil should not be too hot or the vadas won't cook inside). Continue making them and fry the vadas 4 at a time on both sides till golden brown. The vadas should flat on the oil. Remove and drain on a paper towel.

5. Serve with coconut chutney and sambar. See my recipe for coconut chutney here.

Coconut Chutney

Coconut Chutney 

Ingredients

To be ground to a paste

1 whole freshly scraped coconut
2 tsp yellow split lentils (channa dal)
1 tsp cumin seeds
4-5 black pepper corns
1 green chilli
2" piece ginger
1 tsp sugar
Juice of one lime
salt to taste

For tempering
1 tsp mustard seeds
6-7 curry leaves
2 tablespoon cooking oil

Directions
1. In a pan slightly roast the yellow split lentils. Grind this together with all the ingredients to a fine paste using a little water as required. Check seasoning.
2. Remove the paste in a bowl and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a ladle or small pan and add the mustard seeds, once they change colour add the curry leaves. Turn off the heat and pour this tempered oil over the ground coconut paste. Mix and serve with Dosas (rice pancakes).

Ham and Cheese Crown

Ham and Cheese Crown

“This is a recipe I have tried and liked from the show Nadiya’s Family Favourites. It makes a great breakfast dish or a quick lunch for a family of 4.”

Makes 10-12 slices.

Ingredients

2 x 320g packets of ready-rolled puff pastry

4 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp paprika

12 cooked smoked turkey or ham slices

200g Gouda cheese, grated

1 egg, lightly beaten

rock salt

1 tsp black sesame or nigella seeds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Unroll both pieces of pastry and join two of the short ends to make one long piece, pressing the two edges together. Place your long piece of pastry on a work surface, making sure to keep the pastry on the pieces of paper it comes wrapped in, as this will make manoeuvring much easier later on.

Mix the ketchup and paprika together in a small bowl and spread all over one side of the pastry, leaving just 1cm free round the edges. Lay the slices of turkey or ham on top, followed by the cheese.

Roll up the pastry like a Swiss roll, starting from the long edge. Try to roll it as tightly as possible. Once it’s rolled, bring the two ends together to create a ring and join by squashing the pastry together.

Place the pastry ring on the prepared baking tray.

Using a sharp knife, cut 2cm-width slits around the edges, making sure not to go all the way through. Gently pull and twist each section of pastry and lay the slices on their side, so the swirly bits are slightly exposed.

Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with the salt and sesame seeds. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Once out of the oven, leave to cool slightly on the tray.

Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Ingredients

400 g strong white bread flour or all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

2 tablespoons rosemary

3-4 flakes garlic, minced

1 sachet dried yeast

½ tablespoon granulated sugar

300 ml lukewarm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup olive oil, to finish

¼ cup water

Directions

Place the flour and ½ tablespoon of sea salt into a large bowl, and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water, and mix with a fork. Leave this for a few minutes and, when it starts to foam, slowly pour it into the well, mixing with a fork as you go.

As soon as all the ingredients come together, which may take a minute or so, knead vigorously for around 5 minutes until you have a smooth, springy, soft dough. I used a mixer with a dough handle attached. Add some olive oil while mixing the dough.

Lightly oil a large bowl with some olive oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Dust with a little extra flour, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 30 minutes until doubled in size.

Using a garlic presser, press the flakes of garlic and keep aside. If you don’t have one, finely mince the garlic with a knife.

When the dough has risen, pound it, then place on a baking tray and spread it out to cover the tray. Push down roughly on top of the dough like a piano to make lots of rough dips and wells. Leave it to prove for another half an hour. When the dough has risen, sprinkle rosemary all over the bread and the minced garlic. Finish with a good sprinkling of sea salt.

Preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.

In a bowl mix the ¼ cup olive oil along with the ¼ cup water, whisk well. Pour this evenly over the focaccia bread and bake for 20 minutes, until golden on top and soft in the middle. Remove from oven and let it cool. While it is still slightly warm, cut into squares and serve. You can slice it from the middle horizontally and stuff any filling of your choice. Makes a lovely sandwich.

Kachori (Potato Balls with coconut filling)

Kachori 

"Kachori's are small potato balls stuffed with a sweet and savoury coconut filling and often had with sweet yogurt. It is a snack originating from the Indian district of Maharashtra and is a popular street snack."

Ingredients

For the potato balls

4 medium sized potatoes (about 500g)

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons corn flour or more

250 ml of ghee or oil for frying or 
Non-stick cooking spray if using an airfryer 

For the filling

1 cup freshly grated coconut

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 tsp poppy seeds

2 teaspoons lime juice – around juice of one lime

A bunch of finely chopped coriander leaves

10-12 raisins, chopped

¼ cup cashew nuts, broken into bits

1 green chilli, finely chopped

¼ cup sugar

Salt to taste

Yogurt sauce

2 cups full cream yogurt

A pinch of salt

4 teaspoons or more sugar

Directions

Whisk yogurt, salt and sugar and keep aside.

Cover potatoes with water in a saucepan and bring to boil.  Boil potatoes uncovered for 20 minutes or until soft. Test with a knife. Allow to cool, peel and mash with a masher or a ricer. Don’t overcook the potatoes, because if skins break, and the potatoes absorb water, they will get soft and soggy. Add cornflour and salt to taste and knead till you get a doughy consistency. Cover and keep aside till you make the filling

For the filling, in a bowl mix the grated coconut along with the rest of the ingredients. Check seasoning, if you like it sweeter, add more sugar. Keep aside.

Make equal portions of the potato dough, about 1.5 to 2 inches each. Roll a ball in the palms of you hand and flatten. Add a tablespoon of the coconut filling and gather all the edges of the dough carefully from all sides. Seal any edges that open up with the potato. Smoothen the ball on the palm of your hands and continue making the kachoris till all the potato balls and filling is used.

In a pan heat some oil and shallow fry the kachori, only 4 at a time, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. I used an airfryer by spraying the kachoris with a non-stick cooking spray. The kachoris were soft inside and crispy on the outside. Serve warm with sweet yogurt. 

Sweet & Sour Fish

Sweet & Sour Fish

Ingredients

3 pieces Basa fish fillets, cut in bite size pieces
2 green bell peppers cubed
3 spring onions, chopped
2 flakes garlic, sliced
3-4 rings pineapple (canned), cut into pieces
1 tsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
3 tablespoons corn flour
some cooking oil
few drops of sesame oil

Directions:

Pat the fish pieces dry with a paper tower. Add some cornflour, about a tablespoon and 1 tsp soy sauce to the fish. Mix and fry lightly on both sides in a shallow frying pan. Remove and set aside. Mix the remaining corn flour with some water and set aside. In a wok heat some cooking oil and add the sliced garlic and white part of the spring onions. Add the bell pepper and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the fish, remaining soy sauce, corn flour, black pepper powder, pineapple pieces, ketchup and vinegar and stir fry gently, taking care not the break the fish. Sprinkle some sesame oil, check seasoning and top with the green onions. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Ginger Chicken with Tofu

Ginger Chicken with Tofu

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts cut into cubes or thin slices
3 spring onions, chopped
1 packet firm tofu, cut in cubes
2" piece ginger, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon corn starch
1 tsp white pepper powder
1/4 tsp ajino moto (optional)
1 tsp white vinegar
4 tablespoons cooking oil
a few drops of sesame oil

Directions:

Apply 1 tablespoon cornstarch and a few drops of soy sauce to the chicken. Mix the remaining corn starch to a small amount of water in a bowl and set aside. In a wok, heat cooking oil and stir fry the chicken pieces till light brown. Remove from heat and set aside. In the same wok add some more oil and stir fry ginger for a few minutes, then add the white part of the spring onions and stir fry quickly, add the tofu, soy sauce, ajino moto, vinegar, pepper powder and stir fry but gently, taking care not to break the tofu. Add chicken and mix gently. Add the remaining corn starch that was mixed in water. Stir fry gently for 1 minute and check seasoning. Sprinkle some sesame oil and top with the remaining spring onions. Serve hot with fried rice.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Ingredients

Peanut Filling

½ cup (125 ml) peanut butter, melted in a microwave and cooled

Muffins

1 ½ cups (375 ml) mashed ripe banana (3-4 bananas)

¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar

½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

2 cups (260 g) cake and pastry flour

2 tsp (6 g) baking powder

½ tsp (2.5 g) baking soda

½ tsp (2.5 g) salt

180 grams dark chocolate, melted in a microwave or bain marie

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 ºF (180 ºC) and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the mashed banana, sugar and melted butter and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add this to the banana mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the melted chocolate. Spoon enough batter to into each muffin cup two-thirds of the way. Spoon the cooled melted peanut mixture into each muffin cup and then top with the remaining muffin batter (don’t worry if some of the peanut paste is still exposed). Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the tin for 10 minutes and then tip out to cool completely.

Yema Chiffon Cake

Yema Chiffon Cake

"Yema Cake is a Filipino dessert cake made with a filling of egg yolks and condensed milk. I have made a Yema cake earlier using cream cheese. This time I tried a different recipe, which is a chiffon cake."

Ingredients

For the Chiffon Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp corn starch

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

6 tbsp granulated white sugar (for egg yolks)

6 tbsp granulated white sugar (for egg whites)

¼ cup vegetable oil (except olive oil)

4 eggs, separated, at room temperature

1/3 cup water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon lemon or lime extract

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Yema filling & frosting:

1 can condensed milk

6 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp lemon extract (or almond)

¼ cup butter

½ cup or more finely grated processed cheese for topping

Directions:

For the Chiffon Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F or 180 degree C and line the bottom of a 8″ x 3″ (or two 8″ x 2″) aluminium round pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan.

Combine flour and corn starch. Sift 3 times.

In a bowl, separate the eggs. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add egg yolks and the rest of the ingredients, except the sugar (6 tbsp) for egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat on high until combined. Remove the mixture and set aside in a bowl.

With your mixer turned on, mix your egg whites on low until bubbles form then add cream of tartar. Set your mixer to high and beat until frothy, gradually add sugar by tablespoon until stiff (but not dry) peaks are formed.

Gently fold in the egg whites into egg yolk mixture.

Pour the batter in the baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes for 8″ x 3″ (20 to 23 minutes for 8″ x 2″ pans) until the top springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan immediately and cool completely in wire rack.

To release the cake from pan, gently run a thin knife or spatula around the edges, then invert.

For the Yema:

In a non-stick pan, combine the milk and the egg yolks and cook over low heat while stirring constantly until it thickens enough to spread. Turn off heat and add the extracts, stir, then add butter then stir until well combined. Set aside to cool completely.

To assemble the cake:

Divide the cake into two (if using the 3″ high pan), add some filling. Cover with the remaining half. Cover the entire cake with the remaining yema then top with grated cheese.

Hungry Jack Biscuits

Hungry Jack Biscuits

“Sometimes you are craving a quick snack and you’re looking for something available in the pantry – these quick and easy biscuits made with Hungry Jack Pancake mix is the ultimate snack or a side to go with any leftover gravy or some fried chicken. I glazed it with honey and paprika which gives it a slightly sweet & spicy taste. “

Ingredients

No-Stick Cooking Spray

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon water

1 cup Hungry Jack Complete Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix (Just Add Water)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

For the glaze

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons water

Pinch of paprika

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Spray cookie sheet with no-stick cooking spray. In a small bowl mix honey and paprika with water and keep aside. Mix sour cream and water in medium bowl until well combined. Add pancake mix. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by rounded tablespoons or an ice cream scoop onto prepared cookie sheet, making 8 biscuits. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter; then spread the honey glaze with a brush.

Serve warm.

For Cheddar Garlic Biscuits: ADD 2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese and 1 teaspoon minced garlic

to dough before baking. Bake at 185°C for 8-10 minutes.

Korean Seafood Pancakes (Haemul Pajeon)

Korean Seafood Pancakes (Haemul Pajeon) 

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

Dipping Sauce:

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sweet sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chillie flakes) or regular red chillie flakes

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 spring onion or scallion, finely diced

For the batter:

1 1/3 cups (300 millilitres) cold water

2/3 cup (100 grams) rice flour (makes pancakes crispy)

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1 packet fresh or frozen prawns, cleaned, deveined and halved

1 packet crab sticks, sliced into pieces

3 spring onions or scallions, chopped finely

1 tsp black pepper powder

Salt to taste

Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

For the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the sauces, vinegar, chillie flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds and spring onions and set aside.

For the batter: In a large bowl, gently whisk together the eggs, rice flour, all-purpose flour, black pepper and salt until smooth, adding the water gradually. Add the prawns, spring onions, crab sticks, and mix to coat well and evenly. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, spoon in one-third of the batter and spread out evenly to make a small circular pancake measuring about 3-4 inches. Fry until golden brown and crispy on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over carefully and cook until the other side is golden, another 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Working in batches, make 3 more pancakes, drizzling in more oil as necessary, about 2 to 3 tablespoons per pancake, and adjusting the heat down as needed. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Biko (Rice Pudding)

Biko (Rice Pudding)

“Biko is a classic Filipino rice pudding and is deliciously sweet, creamy and chewy made of glutinous rice, coconut milk, and brown sugar. It is usually made with light brown sugar, however I have used dark brown sugar as I had it in the pantry and was craving something sweet, hence the dark brown colour.”

Serves 12

Ingredients

1 cup peanuts, roasted and crushed to a coarse powder

3 cups coconut milk

2 cups glutinous rice

1 cup water

1 cup dark brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Grease bottom and sides of a 5 x 8-inch baking dish with some butter or cooking spray. Set aside.

Wash glutinous rice a few times or until water runs almost clear. Drain well.

In a thick bottom pot, combine rice, water and salt. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and cook until liquid is absorbed. Allow to cool to touch and fluff with a fork to separate grains. I cooked this in a rice cooker.

In a wide non-stick skillet over medium heat, combine coconut milk and brown sugar. Stir until blended and bring to a boil. Lower heat and continue to cook until slightly reduced and thickened.

Add rice, gently stirring to evenly distribute. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until mixture is very thick, sticky, and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Spoon Biko into the prepared baking dish and pat down with a lightly greased spatula to even out. Let the Biko cool completely. Cut into portions, and top with coarsely crushed peanuts. *If you want to make a smaller quantity, halve the ingredients and use a smaller baking dish.

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

6-7 green chillies, large variety, medium sized

½ cup peanuts

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons coconut

2 onions, sliced

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

2-4 flakes garlic, crushed

4-5 dry red chillies

¼ tsp Nigella seeds

¼ tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

6-8 curry leaves

½ tsp coriander powder

2 tablespoons tamarind pulp or lemon juice

Salt to taste

½ cup cooking oil

Directions:

In a pan add peanuts and roast for a few minutes. Add sesame seeds, coconut and roast for a few minutest till light brown in colour. Remove and keep aside in a bowl. In the same pan, add some oil and sauté onions till light brown in colour. Remove and transfer the onions and the roasted sesame, peanut-coconut mixture to a blender and grind to a fine paste with a little water. Keep aside. Wash and wipe the green chillies dry. Slit the green chillies and remove seeds, taking care not to break them. In a deep pan or wok heat some oil and fry the chillies for 2-3 minutes. Remove and keep aside. Add some more oil and add crushed garlic, dry red chillies, nigella seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes. Add turmeric, cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste and fry for a few seconds. Add coriander powder and then the blended mixture. Add salt to taste and mix well. Add the tamarind pulp or lemon juice. Add the fried green chillies, mix and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Check seasoning and turn off the heat. Serve hot with any flatbread or rice.

Khandvi

Khandvi 

“Khandvi is an Indian savoury snack originating from the region of Gujarat. They are soft chickpea flour rolls garnished with freshly grated coconut and a tempering of curry leaves. They are a melt in the mouth snack and are easy to make once you master the technique of the consistency of the batter.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

 For the rolls:

1 cup chick pea flour (known as besan in India)

1” piece ginger

2 pinches salt

½ teaspoon powdered turmeric

1 pinch asafoetida

1 cup yogurt

2 cups buttermilk

2 green chillies

3 tablespoon refined oil

For garnishing:

2 teaspoon grated coconut

1/4 bunch coriander leaves

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

Directions:

Remove the seeds of green chillies and prepare a paste of ginger and green chillies. In a bowl sieve the chick pea flour. Add yogurt, the ginger-green chilli paste, salt, turmeric powder. Add buttermilk gradually and whisk it so that there are no lumps in the batter.

On a clean counter spread some oil. Keep a pastry cutter or a flat spatula ready. This is to spread the cooked chick pea batter once it’s ready.

In a thick bottomed saucepan, cook the mixture stirring continuously, till it becomes a smooth thick batter. It takes a few minutes to get this ready. It took me 17 minutes to get the right consistency. You can do a test by putting a teaspoon of the batter on the oiled counter top and spread it. Try to roll it. If the batter rolls, it is ready. Quickly spread portions of the mixture over the oiled surface counter top with a pastry cutter as thinly as possible, while the batter is still very hot. Allow this batter to cool for a few minutes.

When cool, cut into strips two inches wide and roll them tightly,  but gently taking care so that you don’t break them. Place the Khandvi rolls on a serving tray. Heat two tablespoons of oil and add a pinch of asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard seeds. When they crackle/ splutter, pour over the rolls. Enjoy with a cup of tea.

Cook’s note: A perfect Khandvi would be rolls of thin layers and this is achieved by getting the right consistency when cooking the batter. If you cook the batter more the consistency thickens and spreading the Khandvi mixture becomes difficult and what you get are thick layers.

Another important point is that you have to be quick in spreading the cooked Khandvi batter. If you delay, the batter thickens as it cools and becomes lumpy while spreading.

Gizzada

Gizzada

"Gizzada is a Jamaican coconut pastry tart. The tart is contained in a small, crisp pastry shell with a pinched crust and filled with a sweet and spiced coconut filling."

Ingredients

For the pastry tart:

2 cups all-purpose flour

Ice water

1 teaspoon shortening

1 tablespoon butter

½ teaspoon salt

For the filling:

1 cup water

1 ½ cups freshly grated coconut

1 ½ cups brown sugar

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 oz. butter

Directions:

To prepare the filling - Boil water and sugar together to make syrup on ow heat. Add the grated coconut and nutmeg to the syrup. Stir the ingredients so it does not thicken. Boil for 15 minutes, the add the butter. Stir ingredients for another 6 minutes. Be sure the butter is not visible in the filling. Allow the filling to cool.

To prepare the pastry: Sift flour and salt together. Cut the butter and shortening in to small pieces, add to the flour along with the cold water. Knead into a dough. Place the pastry into a cling wrap and refrigerate for ½ an hour. Remove the pastry from the fridge and using a rolling pin to roll the pastry on a cutting board or counter to a ¼ inch thickness. (Flour the board first). Cut circles in the pastry using an 8-oz cup/glass. (You can also use a cookie cutter). Cut 16 circles from it, crimping (pinching) each of the pastry circles to form a casing. It will be holder for the filling, like little baskets. Crimp in a uniform pattern as this will give the decorated effect. Place the casings on a greased tray and part-bake in the oven (at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes). Remove it from the oven and then add the filling to the baked pastry. Bake the gizzadas for another 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven allow to cool. Serve with hot tea or coffee.