Lemon drizzle .....

I love lemon drizzle cake as it always turns out so moist and crunchy, a yummy combination of sweet and sharp flavours.  I tend to mix juice of a small lime to the lemon juice to give the extra tang! As we all know lemon drizzle cakes have been made by many so this recipe is a mixture of different recipe ideas and in no way my own (original). It is still enjoyable and I can guarantee you it won’t last a day!

Preparation:  10 minutes             

Cooking:  up to 45 minutes depending on whether it is cupcakes or a large cake

Tin size: 10 inch round or 12 hole muffin tray

Oven: 170* C

Ingredients

250 g self raising flour

250 g soft butter

250 g fine sugar

3 medium eggs

175 ml semi skimmed milk

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

Drizzle

Zest of 2 large lemons and one small lime plus juice

110 g sugar

Method

• Preheat the oven to 170* C . Butter and line cake tin or put muffin cases in muffin tin.
• Beat butter and sugar together with a hand mixer till light and fluffy. Then add the eggs gradually and mix well after each addition.
• Fold in the milk then beat the mix again for a couple of minutes. Fold in sifted flour and baking powder and whisk for a final 2-3 minutes. Mix in the zest then pour the batter into the prepared tin.
• Depending on tin used check the cake mix after it has been in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes. It is cooked once a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean or the cake bounces back when gently tapped on top.
• Prick the cake with a toothpick or skewer immediately after taking out of oven and spread the drizzle on top. Leave to cool in tin before transferring to a cake plate. 

Drizzle

Mix the lemon and lime juices and sugar with a spoon and pour evenly over the cake while still hot so it can absorb all the juices.

Decoration

For an extra crunch just crush some pistachios and sprinkle on top of drizzle cake.

Bridge over troubled waters ....

Guess where this was taken!

It has been too long .....

Good Evening All! I know I have been slack in putting posts in. Have been busy moving and cooking but not  putting any pictures. Well, this is about to change as starting next week there will be recipes, pictures, crosswords, conundrums and more!

Watch this space!

Summer Coolers

It is hot, hot, hot! The best way to enjoy sunny weather is to ensure you stay hydrated. Below are a few cold drink ideas which don't take time to make and will keep you feeling refreshed as you take in the glorious heat after a cold and miserable few weeks.

No measurements as you can have a play!

Lemon & Lime cooler - fill a blender with ice, lemon and lime cordial, fizzy water and blend to get a thick or thin slushie (your choice). Pour in a tall glass and serve with a sprig of mint.

Mixed Berry cooler - blend frozen mixed berries with lemonade till smooth. Pour in cocktail glasses (add rum for adults) and enjoy!

Iced Tea - mix cold tea with sugar and lemon cordial, pour in a tall glass full of ice.

You can do so much more, just get mixing and try out different flavours and share the good ones with all of us!

Sunday Dinner!

Have been away too long so to celebrate my return, here's what I made earlier and yes, the Yorkies are home made! Yum Yum!

A spicy teatime

A visit to the specialist supermarket resulted in a tea of onion bhaji, channa dal and chicken dupiaza (which had a bit of a kick). Recipes to follow.

Happy days!

All's well when there is cake!

What a last few days! Finally unpacked (apart from cookery books as I have packed the shelf plugs in a "safe place")!

What better way to unwind than to make a nice big chocolate cake. Of course once things settle down I will have more recipes to offer.

See you soon!

On the road again.....

Exciting times are ahead as we move on from Oban back to Tyne & Wear. I have an exciting challenge ahead but its all under wraps at the moment!

In the meantime, its back to packing boxes!!

Samosas – the quick and easy way

Mom taught me how to make samosas from scratch when I was a kid. That meant making the samosa dough as well. It was a family affair when all my aunts, sisters, myself and Mom would be making samosas and other delicious goodies just before Eid - normally the night the new moon was sighted. 


We live in busy times now so here is a quick and easy way of making some spicy tasty samosas that will melt in your mouth! Of course as usual I have put my stamp on it and even though its no match to Mum's cooking, it does hold its own and you can make petite ones or giant ones (best baked) based on who you want to impress!


Preparation 30 minutes                                
Cooking: 15-20 minutes oven/5 minutes frying
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Here's some I made earlier!

4 large white potatoes, peeled, boiled & mashed
½ cup boiled & drained green peas
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp mint sauce

4 spring onions finely chopped

1 packet filo pastry (you may need two)

Oil for deep frying the samosas (if not baking in oven)
1 small bowl of melted butter or flour paste (if frying)

Method

• Put the potatoes, peas, onion & spices along with tomato paste, mustard, spring onion and mint sauce in a pan and mix well.
• Now cut the filo sheets in half and put a damp cloth over to stop from drying out. They will be rectangular in shape.
• Lay each cut sheet out and place a heaped tablespoon on the long end of the sheet.
• Fold over to one end and keep folding into a triangle.
• If baking in oven - seal the ends with melted butter and keep aside on a tray. Make the rest the same way.
• Place on baking trays next to each other - give a light egg wash and bake in oven 200 C for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• If frying, seal each samosa with flour paste which is just four and water mixed till you get a wet glue like consistency.
• Heat vegetable oil in a wok. When the oil is very hot put 2 samosas in. Remove when crisp and brown.Drain on kitchen towel to take excess oil out.
• Eat while still warm with mint raita dip & tomato chutney.

Chicken Korma

Here is another recipe I have nicked from my Mom! I love the taste as it is mild but also has a sweet & sour taste when fried onions are mixed with yoghurt. As usual, I have tweaked the recipe so Mom don't panic - most of it is the way you make it!

Preparation & Cooking: 45 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup oil

5 medium onions very thinly sliced 
4 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
8 cloves
10 whole black peppers

2 tablespoon garlic/ginger paste

1 pinch nutmeg

1 kg chicken pieces (boneless breast pieces preferred)

5 tablespoon Greek yoghurt

Salt to taste
1 tablespoon rose essence 

1 teaspoon saffron (soak in rose water)

1 bunch fresh coriander roughly chopped

Method

• Heat oil in a large pan and fry onions in medium heat till golden brown. Remove the fried onion from the oil and drain on kitchen towel.
• Add all the spices (except nutmeg) and garlic/ginger paste to the oil and add a little water to prevent burning. Mix well and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and cook for a couple of minutes on high heat. This will seal the chicken and retain moisture.
• Add a cup of water, or as much as needed, and cover the pan. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
• In the meantime crush the fried onions and mix with yoghurt, add to the chicken curry. Mix well, cover and cook on low to medium heat till the chicken is done. Add a little water if the gravy is too dry. Check seasoning and add salt to taste if needed.
• Just before taking off the heat, add nutmeg and saffron soaked rose water. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rice or flat bread.

Who would have thought ....

I am now the proud owner of a book about a 1000 uses of vinegar! Not only can you consume the stuff it helps to clean, disinfect as well as be part of self medication! Enough said!

Nargisi or Shahi Kofta

Been away from the kitchen for a few days - well, it was my birthday!

These tasty treats take a little time to make however they are a real treat and worth the time and effort that goes into making the “Royal” dish, as we used to call the koftas (scotch egg curry for the non Asian eaters) due to the name.

Preparation & Cooking 2 hours + overnight soaking

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1 kg meat cut into cubes
half cup chana daal (lentil) soaked in water overnight
2 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon poppy seed
4 medium onions finely chopped
2 tablespoon peanut paste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 table spoon garlic and ginger paste
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (for curry)
enough oil to deep fry egg koftas
salt to taste
½ teaspoon saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon rose water
10 eggs hard boiled and shelled
1 egg beaten
1 large bunch coriander finely chopped
4 green chillies

Method

• First boil the meat cubes in 2 cups of water. When meat has boiled for 5 minutes, put the chana daal, pinch of salt & 1 teaspoon garam masala and mix well.
• Cook in a medium heat until the meat and chana dal is fully cooked and water has dried. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then mix 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds in the meat and grind into a mince.
• Mix the beaten egg into the ground meat. This will help to bind when you are wrapping the meat mix around the eggs.
• Chill the mince mix in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up. Mix half the chopped coriander and then divide the mix into 10 parts.
• Now comes the fun bit. Flatten each mince mix to a patty shape, wrap around an egg and then gently fold the mixture until the whole egg is covered. Press to ensure there are no air pockets. Think scotch egg!
• Deep fry the wrapped eggs until light brown. Drain on kitchen paper and when slightly cooled (do not let it become cold) halve all the egg koftas.
• Put the halved egg koftas in the curry sauce, add rest of coriander and whole chillies, then simmer for 15 minutes before serving with plain rice and raita.

Curry

• Put oil in the pan and fry the chopped onions until golden brown. Add ginger/garlic paste, turmeric, cumin & chilli powder along with 1 teaspoon garam masala & peanut paste and cook on medium heat till the powder smell disappear and you have a thick gravy.
• Add half cup water and cook until it boils, reduce heat and add the rosewater/saffron mix in the gravy and mix well. Check seasoning before adding the egg koftas.

Note

If you do not have a large pan to accommodate all 20 egg halves then once the curry is made, pour half in a large baking dish, add the eggs and pour the rest of curry on top, add coriander and whole chillies. Bake in a very slow oven for 15 to 20 minutes. You will know the dish is cooked when some oil rises to the top of the dish.

Aloo gosht

That is beef & potato curry for everyone else! One of my favourite curries especially when Mom makes it, mmmmmm!

Preparation: 20 minutes                                Cooking: 45 - 60 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 kg rump steak

3 large potatoes, peeled & chopped into 2 inch cubes

2 medium onions thinly sliced

2 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon paprika powder

2 ½ teaspoon coriander powder

1 ½ teaspoon garam masala

1 ½ tablespoon ginger paste

1 ½ tablespoon garlic paste

3 tablespoon tomato paste

1 large dollop full fat yoghurt

1 cup vegetable or beef stock

3-4 whole green chillies

1 bunch fresh coriander chopped

1 teaspoon salt (to taste)


Method

• Marinate meat in turmeric, paprika, coriander powder, garlic & ginger paste. Cover & place in fridge.
• Par boil the potatoes, drain and shallow fry in one tablespoon hot olive oil. Sear potatoes on all sides till brown. Turn out on paper towel to drain excess oil.
• Put rest of the olive oil in a pan and heat.  Add onions and cook till brown.  Add marinated beef and stir in high heat to sear all sides.
• Add any left over marinade, potatoes & stock. Put chillies in & reduce temperature, cover & simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, yoghurt & salt. Stir well & sprinkle fresh coriander on top.  Cover once more & simmer for another 15-20 minutes till oil comes to the surface of the pan.
• Serve hot with rice or naan bread & a yoghurt condiment.

Notes

• Use braising steak when you intend to cook this curry very slowly.
• Always put salt right at the end or after the meat is cooked - check flavour first and then season to taste.
• If you want a spicier version use chilli powder instead of paprika and add chopped green chilli as part of marinade.
• Onions can be chopped instead of sliced if you want a smoother finish to the curry.
• If you don’t have ginger & garlic paste handy you can get away with using powder however I feel it does not add the freshness you get when you make the paste on the day!
• I usually use stock granules as it does the same job.

Korma Sauce

This curry is dedicated to my vegetarian friends Raymond and Allison. Since I made this curry for them they have been asking me for the recipe so I have finally come around to doing it! I am just putting the basic curry mix so you can add vegetables, or chicken whatever takes your fancy.

This is a very mild and creamy curry so anyone who has a desire to have hot curries can add chilli flakes when the curry is simmering. In the vegetable curry I also added sultanas and pineapple to make it fruity!

Preparation: 20 minutes                      Cooking: 30-45 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground garlic
2 onions finely chopped (use a chopper)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup ground almonds
1 ½ cups Greek yoghurt
½ cup creamed coconut
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
handful coriander leaves roughly chopped
salt to taste

Method

• Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions, stirring till they start to getting a golden hue. Add garlic, ginger, tomato paste, garam masala, paprika and turmeric powder. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the oil comes on top.
• Add the almonds, stir in then add yoghurt & creamed coconut. Increase heat to medium and stir the mix till it starts bubbling. If the mix is beginning to dry just add a little water or the liquid from creamed coconut can. Reduce heat to low - at this point it should have a creamy texture.
• Taste the curry sauce and add a little salt (you may not need it). It is at this stage you can add the vegetables or chicken and simmer for 10-15 minutes with the lid on. Sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander just before serving.

I hope you like this version of korma. There are many ways of making a creamy mild curry so as long as you stick to gentle spices you can create your own version! If you have a particular recipe which is a family favourite (and your own recipe), I will be happy to put it up.

Gooey, fruity & nutty chocolate chip cookies!

It’s a miserable day outside so I decided to get baking. What better way to deal with the cold than to make cookies and have them with tea (or coffee) sitting in front of the fire – and this is the result – Enjoy!

Preparation: 10 minutes                    

Cooking: 15-20 minutes

Oven: 190 C (fan 170 C)                 

Equipment: 2 x greased & lined trays

Makes 12 large cookies

Ingredients

75g chopped hazelnuts

75g sultanas

100g white chocolate chips

180g plain flour

110g dark brown sugar

120g butter (soft)

1 level teaspoon baking powder

1 level teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

Method

• Put all the ingredients - apart from the nuts, sultanas & chocolate chips - in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer or a wooden spoon (I used my hands – great fun if you want to get children into baking).
• Once mixed add the rest of the ingredients and mix to combine all the items. Don’t over mix or the dough will become too wet.
• Divide the mixture into 12 balls and place on the 2 trays with ample space in between for the cookies to spread. I put 6 cookies on each tray.
• Put in the oven and after 10 minutes turn the trays around to get an even bake - check after 15 minutes and if they look golden and crisp the cookies are done. It is important to keep an eye after 15 minutes or the cookies may burn at the edges.
• Once cooked, leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before removing carefully using a spatula. Let the cookies cool down completely before putting them in a sealed container where it will keep for 3 days unless devoured by cookie monsters!

Notes

1. You can use any combination of nuts, fruits and chocolate chips so feel free to add or remove as you like.
2. Make smaller sized cookies by making teaspoon sized balls but make sure you check the cookies after 10 minutes as cooking times will reduce. You should be able to get up to 30 small cookies.

Zingy & spicy curry sauce

Preparation: 10 minutes                     

Cooking: 20 – 25 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 medium sized onions peeled and ground (use a chopper)

2 whole garlic peel and grind with the onion

2 large aubergines thick sliced lengthways (if using)

2 tablespoon oil

3 or 4 teaspoon grounded cumin

2 to 3 teaspoons red chilli powder

Juice of 2 large lemons

4 tablespoons coconut milk

3 teaspoon tomato paste

Salt to taste

Method

• Put oil in the pan and heat slightly, add the ground onion & garlic mixture, sauté till light brown.
• Add the cumin, chilli and stir till mixed well. Add a little salt to start with as you can always add more according to taste. Stir the mixture in medium heat for about 3 minutes.
• Add quarter of the lemon juice, coconut milk and tomato paste, cooking for a couple of minutes. Finally add rest of the lemon juice, put the lid on and cook in low heat for about 8 minutes or until the oil comes up.
• Add the aubergines and simmer in low heat for 15 minutes. Do not add water as the aubergine will release enough liquid to add to the curry sauce. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and green chillies right at the end.

Note

You can add meat or other vegetables if you don’t like aubergines. Cooking times will vary depending on the meat and vegetable used.

Karhi

I have finally found some time to put up a couple of curry sauces (of course nicked from my mother!). This one is quite different to most curry sauces you may have tried.

Preparation: 5 minutes                       

Cooking: 10-15 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup of yogurt

2 ½ heaped tablespoons gram flour

1 medium sized onion finely chopped

½ teaspoon chilli powder - you can put more or less according to taste

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoons cumin powder

4 curry leaves

salt to taste

1 litre water

Bunch of coriander roughly chopped

Method

• In a bowl, mix the gram flour with 2 tablespoons water (add a bit more if needed) until it is a thick paste like consistency. Add yogurt and the rest of the water – mix well. Strain the mixture through a sieve (to remove any lumps) into a medium sized pan.
• Add the onion, chilli, turmeric, cumin & salt to taste. Add more according to taste if needed.
• When you get the first boil let it cook on high heat for few minutes, then cook on low heat for up to 10 minutes, stirring all the time.
• Finally add the curry leaves then let it cook on a low heat until it thickens stirring from time to time. The thickness of the karhi is according to your taste. 
• You can make plain pakoras and add to the karhi or you can eat it without the pakora with rice.
• Add coriander once heat has been turned off so the flavours can infuse.

Note:

Plain pakoras are very easy to make. Just take 2 cups of gram flour, add ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon garam masala and enough water to make a very thick batter. Put tablespoon sized portions in very hot oil until the pakoras become brown and float on top. Drain on kitchen paper then add to the hot karhi. Add garnish on top before serving.

I have been busy!

Apologies for the long absence - I will be back with more recipes in the next few days. Some nice curries straight from my mother's kitchen!

See you soon. Naila

Tomato soup

I love tomato soup as it has the depth and warmth to stand up to any chilly day and with so many variations I can make it spicy, smoky, zesty or just plain and simple - with lots of varieties of tomatoes! This recipe is one I have "borrowed" from my mother in law and it is delicious, but nowhere near as good as hers!

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Serves up to 4 people (or 2 hungry souls)

Ingredients
2 tins peeled whole tomatoes
1 large onion chopped
4 rashers bacon chopped
1 vegetable stock cube in 1/2 pint hot water
bunch of basil leaves
salt & pepper to taste

Method

• First sweat the chopped bacon in a deep medium sized pan, add the onions and cook till they lose colour. At this point increase heat and let the mix sizzle and catch a little bit.
• Add tinned tomatoes in juice, stir for a minute on high heat then reduce temperature to low. Add the stock and let the mix bubble away gently.
• After 20 minutes or so remove from heat and blend with a hand blender till the soup has a smooth texture. Add pepper and taste as you may not need to add extra salt due to the bacon used.
• If the soup is too thick just add some more hot water or stock to get it to a consistency of your choice.
• Add the basil leaves and leave to simmer on very low heat for another 5 minutes.
• The soup can be served with a swirl of cream or some herb & garlic croutons.

Note:

You can omit the bacon if making a vegetarian version but add seasoning at the end of cooking. You can even leave out the cream, croutons or basil and just eat with crusty bread for the most satisfying flavour of tomatoes.

I have used tinned tomatoes which work as well as fresh ones. To add some more texture to the soup, add 2 medium carrots at the start with the onions.

To give the soup extra heat, add 1/2 teaspoon paprika & 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder at the start of the cooking process. Chilli flakes can be added at the end once the soup is ready.