Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Ingredients:

Plain flour - 280 g / 2 + 1/4 cups

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Cornflour - 1 + 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Unsalted butter - 170 g / 3/4 cups (melted & cooled for 5 minutes before use)

Light/dark brown sugar - 150 g / 3/4 cups

Granulated sugar - 100 g / 1/2 cups

Large egg - 1

Egg yolk - 1 

Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

Chocolate chips - 220 g / 1 + 1/4 cups

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe:

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cornflour, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla extract. The mixture will be thin. 
3. Pour the wet mix into dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, thick, and appear greasy. Fold in the chocolate chips. The chocolate chips may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to combine them.
4. Cover the dough tightly with cling film and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2–3 hours or up to 3 days. 
5. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow it to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
7. Take the dough and roll into a ball, making sure the shape is taller rather than wide—almost like a cylinder. This helps the cookies bake up thicker. Repeat with remaining dough. Place 8–9 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet. 
8. Bake the cookies for 12–13 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. The centers will look very soft, but the cookies will continue to set as they cool. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes of cooling on the baking sheets, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Apple Crumble

 Ingredients:

Plain flour - 150 g

Butter - 75 g

Demerara Sugar - 40 g

Demerara Sugar - 1 tbsp

Large Cooking Apples - 2 (peeled, cored and sliced into small cubes)

Ground cinnamon - 1/2 tsp

Apple Crumble

Recipe:

1. Put oven at 180°C or Gas mark 4
2. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl
3. Add the butter and rub it in using fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
4. Stir in the sugar (40g) and set aside
5. Put the apples (peeled, cored and sliced into small cubes) into an ovenproof dish with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of water and the ground cinnamon
6. Sprinkle the crumble over the fruit, making sure all the fruit is covered (do not press down otherwise a crack will form on top of the crumble when cooked)
7. Put the dish in the vine and bake for around 35 minutes until the fruit is baked (poke it with a fork, if the fork comes out clean, it is baked properly) or until the crumble is lightly browned
8. Once cooked, remove from oven and leave to cool before serving.

Black Forest Cake

 Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1 cup

Cocoa Powder - 1/2 cup

Baking Powder - 1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder

Baking Soda - 2 pinches

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Egg whites - 4

Egg yolks - 4

Caster sugar - 150 g (3/4 cup) 

Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

Sunflower oil - 3/4 cup

For the syrup:

Sugar - 6 tbsp

Water - 6 tbsp

Syrup from canned cherries (if using) - 2 + 1/2 tbsp

For the whipped cream:

Whipping cream - 600 ml

Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp

Canned cherries (for decoration)

Black Forest Cake

Recipe

1. Grease and line a 9” cake tin with parchment paper
2. Preheat oven to 180°C
3. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside
4. Beat you egg whites till they are fluffy (this may take some time, so I suggest using a stand mixer)
5. Once they start to form soft peaks, gradually add in the sugar
6. Continue beating until the egg whites are glossy
7. Add in the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat
8. Gradually add in the oil and continue beating for another 1 or 2 minutes
9. Add in the dry ingredients and lightly fold in using a spatula
10. Pour the batter into the lined cake tin
11. Tap the tin to release air bubbles and bake at 180°C for around 25 minutes (to check if the cake is cooked, insert a fork, and if it comes out clean, the cake is baked.)
12. Leave cake to cool while you prepare the sugar syrup.
13. Add the sugar and water to a pan on medium heat on the stove.
14. Let the syrup boil and let the sugar dissolve (this will take around 5 minutes). Set aside
15. Whip the cream and sugar till you have stiff peaks.
16. Remove the cake from the tin and cut horizontally into two.
17. Soak the cake layers in the sugar syrup. Spread a third of the whipped cream on the first cake layer
18. Put the next cake layer on top. Cover the scale with the rest if the whipped cream and top with cherries

Egg Curry

Ingredients

Eggs - 8 (Boiled)

Potatoes - 4 or 5 small (skin off and cut into half)

Onion - 2 large or 3 small (cut to small pieces)

Tomatoes - 3 medium (cut to small pieces)

Green Chilly - 1

Ginger Garlic - 1 table spoon (or 2 frozen cubes)

Salt

Turmeric powder

Chilly podwer

Corriander powder

Cumin powder

Whole Spices -  half tea spoon cumin seeds, 4 pepper, 2 cloves, 1 small cardamom stick, 1 Big Cardmom

Egg Curry

Recipe

1. Wash and chop 4 tomatoes and keep them aside.
2. Peel 3 onions. Wash it. Chop the onions and keep it aside.
3. Peel the skins of 4 potatoes, wash, and cut them in two. The size should look like Egg.
4. Boil 8 eggs for 20 minutes and keep them aside. (As soon as it is boiled, you should discard the water and replace it with cold water. Then peel it and keep it ready).
   Pierce the egg with a fork – this piercing will ensure that masala will get inside the egg.
   
   
5. In a kadai, pour oil and when it’s hot, put the peeled boiled egg (without water otherwise it will spill off). 
   Care to be taken, that the egg must not stick to the kadai when we drop the egg. The probability to stick is only in the beginning, as we keep moving the eggs in the kadai, after 30 or 40 seconds, they will not stick to the oil. Depending on preference fry the eggs lightly or crispier golden.
6. Optionally you may also fry potatoes in the same oil.
7. Add turmeric, this will give golden yellow colour to the boiled egg. Once its fried to preference take that egg out, and put it in a bowl.
8. In a pressure cooker, pour oil and add onion.
   The main trick is here. Spread the onion and wait until it turns yellow. Do NOT keep spreading for 1 minute. (This was a mistake I did when I was trying to cook earlier. It will leave an onion smell). After 1 minute, now periodically turn over the onion, to ensure all sides are cooked.
9. Simmer the gas. Now create an empty space (moving onions to the sides, like a concentric circle)
10. In the empty space, pour some oil (if needed), then it heats up
11. Add half teaspoon chilly powder, half teaspoon turmeric powder
12. Add 2 teaspoons Corriander Powder
13. Once the masala is ready i.e. shiny and leaves oil, add whole spices.
14. Add whole spices - half tea spoon cumin seeds, 4 pepper, 2 cloves, 1 small cardamom stick, 1 big Cardmom
15. Fry it for 20 seconds
16. Add 2 cubes of garlic paste. It should be like a paste. Fry for 20 seconds
17. Once the paste is ready, increase the gas level
18. Add chopped tomatoes kept aside and mix it
19. Add a green chilly
20. Add 1 and half tea spoon salt. Never add extra salt, if it's less you can taste and add later.
21. Cook for few minutes till tomatoes are slightly cooked.
22. Add potato, close the cooker lit and leave it for 1 whistle.
23. Wait for the curry to cool, then open the cooker.
24. Add the eggs
25. Add half teaspoon garam masala powder. 
26. Add half teaspoon cumin powder. 
27. Wait for 1 or 2 minutes to cook.
28. Add chopped green coriander leaves for garnishing, and serve.

Haandi Aloo Ghosht

 Ingredients

Lamb - 500 gram
Potato - -5-6
Onion - 2 medium
Ginger Garlic - 2 table spoon

Whole Spices
Spice powders

Mustard Oil
Salt

Haandi Ghosht

Recipe

1. Add lamb to  Haandi
2. Add onion and ginger garlic paste
3. Add whole spices
4. Add salt
5. Add turmeric poder and chilli powder
6. Cook for 30 minutes approximately till lamb is slighlty cooked
7. Add potatoes
8. Cook till potatoes and lamb is done
9. Add mustard oil
10. Add cumin podwer and Garam masala podwer
11. Cookf for few minute or two till oil separates
12. Add green corriander (optional)

Knafeh

Ingredients

Knafeh Pastry
Ghee
Food Colouring (orange)
Mozzarella Cheese
Double Cream (extra thick)

Sugar - 2 cups
Water (boiled) - 1 cup
Lemon Juice - few drops
Rose Water - 1 tablespoon

 Syrup - Recipe

Prepare the syrup first as it needs to cool down before use

1. Add 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of boiled water
2. Add drops of lemon juice (or little citric acid)
3. Boil for 3 or 4 minutes
4. Add a tablespoon of rose water

Recipe

1. Use Knafeh pastry from Mediterranean shop
2. Use food processer to cut the pastry
3. Then add gee and food colouring (orange) mix the pastry together
4. For the stuffing, add Mozzarella cheese 3 /4 and double cream, mix
5. Note that you need to drain all water from the cheese
6. Add some ghee in the tray
7. Spread half of the pastry then the stuffing in the middle
8. Then another layer of the pastry
9. Use your hand to spread the pasty and the stuffing
10. Preheat the oven then put in oven for around 15 min until you see the pastry become crispy
11. Finally, when the tray is out of oven pour the syrup over the pastry. 
12. Decorate with pistachio and enjoy!

Chocolate Cake with Ganache

 Ingredients

Butter, softened unsalted (at room temperature) - 220 gram
Golden caster sugar - 220 gram

Eggs - 4
Vanilla  extract - 1 tsp

Self-raising flour - 220 gram
Cocoa Powder - 3 tbsp
Baking powder - 1 tsp

Salt, small pinch

Milk - 2 tbsp

Double Cream - 300 gram
Dark Chocolate - 300 gram

Recipe

Cake

1. Heat oven to 160°C fan
2. Line the base of 2 x 20cm (8in) deep cake tin, scrape butter on sides
3. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
4. Add Vanilla extract
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low just until they are mixed in
6. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt fold it into the mixture
7. Add milk, and fold a bit
8. Pour batter into the tin
9. Bake for 20-25 mins
10. Check and bake for another 5-10 minutes if the cake is not done
11. Cool the cakes in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes
    

Ganache

1. Heat Double Cream in sauce pan
2. Break chocolate and place in a bowl
3. When cream is going to boil, pour it over dark chocolate, cover it all up
4. Let it stand for 2-3 mins
5. Whisk ganache until it combines and is glossy
6. Cool for 10 mins, leave in fridge for 30 mins

After sponge is cool, layer up the cake and ice with ganache mix.

Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer - 250 gram pack
Oil
Salt (to taste)

Cinnamon stick - 1
Bay leaves 2-3
Cumin seeds - One tea spoon

Onions - 2-3  large chopped
Cashew nuts - 10 - 12

Tomato - 2 large
Ginger garlic paste - 2 table spoon

Red chilly powder - 1 tea spoon
Cumin powder - 2 tea spoon
Coriander powder - 2 tea spoon
Gram masala powder - 1 tea spoon

Double cream - 2-3 table spoon
Coriander leaves (to garnish)

Recipe

1. Cut Paneer in cubes, and put in hot water with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder for few minutes, then take the paneer out of the water
   
   
2. Heat oil in a pot
3. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, fry for 30 seconds
4. Add chopped onions and fry them until light brown
5. Take onions out avoid taking spices out leave them in oil
6. Grind onions and 10-12 cashew nuts in a grinder
   
   
7. In the remaining oil add two chopped tomato and ginger garlic paste and salt
8. Once tomatoes starts softening and oil is separated, add cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder and any meat masala, mix well
9. Add grinded onion in pot and mix well then add paneer (or fried chicken) and mix well again 
10. Add water and put on low flame till paneer (or chicken) is done
11. Add double cream and cook for another 5-10 min till oil comes on top
12. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves

=======================================

Plum Cake

Self raising flour 175 gm

Unsalted butter 175 gm

Golden Caster sugar 175 gm

Eggs 3

Baking powder 1 teaspoon

Dark Chocolate 75 gm

Dry fruits (raise etc)

Kashmiri Roti

Also called Kasher Czot / Kashmiri Czot / Kandur Czot

Ingredients

Plain flour - 500 gm
Water - 260 ml
Butter - 25 gm
Milk Powder - 2 table spoon
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Yeast - 1/2 tsp

Sheermal

Ingredients

Plain Flour 500 gram
Salt - 10 gram
Butter - 65 gram

Castor Sugar - 25 gram
Milk Powder - 50 gram

Egg - 1
Cream - 20 gram
Kewra Water - 20 gram
Milk - 220 ml
Saffron (few strands in 2 tbsp Luke warm water)

Yeast - 1 tsp

Panasonic Bread maker Setting 22

Sheermal

Mutton Tikka

Kashmir style Mutton tikka (also called Seekh tuji) or Chicken barbecue

Ingredients

Mutton Boneless or Chicken quarter Legs - 1 KG

Mustard Oil
Red Chili Powder - 1 tbsp

Curd - 1 cup
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper Powder -1/2 tsp
Meat Masala - 2 tbsp
Salt

Recipe

1. Heat mustard oil, fry red chili powder
2. Add all ingredients (preferably use whole coriander, cumin and black pepper seeds, roast it and then grind it for extra flavour)
3. Leave to marinate overnight
4. Grill

Bihari Kabab

Ingredients

Chicken / Lamb / Beef - 1 kg (long strips)
(If lamb or beef then papaya for marinating, beef will take more time to marinate)

Papaya

Onion - 2
Ginger and Garlic - 2 tbsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Black Pepper - 1 tsp
Garam Masala (Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom, Clove, Nutmeg/Jayphal, Mace/Javitri, cinnamon stick) or use meat masala
Khas Khas - 1 tbsp
Red Chilli - 2

Yoghurt - 1/2 cup
Bhuna Besan - 1 tbsp
Mustard Oil
Salt


Recipe

1. Roast all Graram masala, cumin seed, black pepper in a pan for a minute and then grind
2. Grind onion, ginger, garlic, Khas Khas and Red Chilli
3. Marinate meat with the above mix, yoghurt, bhuna bean, salt and mustard oil.
4. Add papaya if it's lamb or beef.
5. Marination Time - Chicken - 1.5 hr, Lamb - 2hour, Beef - 2 hour
6. Fry on a pan, covered on one side, once done on the other side, repeat in batches or Grill in an oven or on a barbecue

Peas Pulao

Ingredients

Oil
Onion Red - 2
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Big Cardamom - 1
Clove - 3
Black Pepper - 5
Bay leaf - 2

Green peas - 1/3 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Rice - 1 cup
Salt
Water - 2 cup

Recipe

1. Heat oil in a pan
2. Add onion, sauté
3. Add whole spices, fry for a minute
4. Add green peas and ginger garlic paste, fry for 2-3 minutes
5. Add salt
6. Add rice fry it for 3-4 minutes
7. Adds and hot water
8. Cook in a rice cooker or a pressure cooker till done

Chicken Pie

Ingredients

Chicken (boneless, chopped) - 500 gram
Olive oil - 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Red Onion (chopped) - 1
Garlic clove, crushed - 1
Plain flour - 2 tbsp
Chicken style stock cubes - 2
Frozen mixed vegetables (Mediterranean) - 2 cups
Thickened cream - 1/4 cup
Hot sauce (a few drops)
Black pepper (optional)
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 2 tbs (optional)
Short crust pastry, partially thawed - 2 sheets
Egg, lightly beaten - 1
Puff pastry, partially thawed - 1 sheet
Sesame seeds - 2 tbs

Recipe

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan
2. Cook chicken, until browned, keep aside
3. Add 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan
4. Add onion, add garlic, cook stirring for 3 minutes
5. Add chicken back to the pan
6. Stir in flour, stir for a minute
7. Add stock cubes and 1 cup cold water
8. Bring to boil
9. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes
10. Add vegetables and cream
11. Add hot sauce (a few drops) some black pepper etc to taste
12. Stir for 3 minutes
13. Add coriander
14. Preheat oven to 190 C
15. Line tin with short crust pastry, layer it with parchment paper and add dried baking beans on top
16. Bake for few minutes, remove the beans and parchment paper
17. Add filling
18. Brush edges with egg
19. Put the puff pastry on top of the filling, press edges to seal
20. brush with egg
21. Top with sesame seed
22. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients​​
Granulated sugar - 100 gram (less sugar?)
Brown sugar - 165 gram (less sugar?)
Salt - 1 tsp
Unsalted butter - 115 gram (room temp)
Egg - 1
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Plain flour - 155 gram (or more?)
Baking soda - ½ tsp
Cocoa powder - 1 tsp
White Chocolate chunks - 110 gram
Dark Chocolate chunks - 110 gram

Recipe

1. Whisk sugar, salt and butter
2. Whish egg and vanilla extract
3. Add flour and baking soda, add cocoa powder, mix with a spatula
4. Fold chocolate chunks
5. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes to overnight, more the better
6. Preheat oven to 180 C
7. Scoop dough with ice cream scoop
8. Line good quality baking sheet/parchment paper so as to not burn the bottoms
9. Bake for 10 minutes, till the edges start to brown (do not overbake)

Karahi Gosht

Ingredients

Lamb meat - 1 kg
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tablespoon
Oil - 1/4 cup

Onions(finely diced) - 3
Tomatoes (chopped finely) - 6 medium
Yoghurt - 1/2 cup

Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Black pepper (whole) - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek dried (kasoori methi) - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies dried - 2
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Green chilli, slit - 1
Coriander leaves, chopped for garnish

Recipe

1. Dry roast cumin, coriander, dried chillies and black pepper in a pan.
2. Add dried fenugreek.
3. Grind spice mixture into a powder.
4. Heat the oil and butter/ghee in a pan. 
5. Add ginger and garlic pastes and stir it in for a few seconds. 
6. Add the meat and fry it over high heat in the oil until it changes colour slightly. 
7. Once browned, take the meat out and place it into a bowl. Keep it covered.
8. Add the onion slices into the pan with the residual oil and fry them until almost golden. 
9. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and all powdered spices (including the ground ones) except for the garam masala. 
10. Mix everything well, then turn the heat down and allow the tomato-onion mixture to cook and thicken up.
11. Once the oil begins to get released from the sides, whisk the yoghurt and mix it in well until fully incorporated.
12. Add the meat back into the gravy and stir it in. 
13. Add about 1 cup of warm water and turn the heat down to low. 
14. Cover the pan and allow the meat to simmer and cook until fully tender. 
15. If you have a pressure cooker, this should take about 20-30 minutes depending on the cuts of meat being used. Without a pressure cooker, this will take at least an hour or more.
16. Keep topping up with warm water as and when needed.
17. Once the meat is fully cooked, taste and adjust salt and sprinkle the garam masala, slit chilli and chopped coriander. Stir and turn the heat off.

Naan

Ingredients

Water (lukewarm) - 3/4 cup
Yeast (instant) - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp

Plain flour - 3 cup
Baking Soda - pinch

Yoghurt - 2 and 1/2 tbsp
Oil - 2 Tablespoon

(makes about 6 naans)

Naan with Nihari

Recipe

Dough

1. Add salt and sugar and yeast to lukewarm water.
2. Leave in a warm place for 5-15 minutes (depending on outside temperature), to rise.
3. Add baking powder to plain flour, mix.
4. Add oil.
5. Add Yoghurt.
6. Add water mix.
7. Mix the dough, not much.
8. Put in a big bowl, cover with a cling film,  to rise for 30 minutes to 2 hours (depending on temperature).

Baking

1. Turn oven on for 20 minutes, leave the tray in.
2. Make 6 balls from the dough.
3. Roll up, round or teardrop.
4. Add sesame seed (optional), press it in.
5. Bake in preheated oven for about 3-5 minutes or until done (turn around midway).
6. Once done, put butter on.

Cherry and Almond Cake

Cherry and Almond Cake is one of my most favourite cakes, never disappoints and always a hit with family and friends. Soft on inside and with a thin crust on the outside.


Ingredients

Butter, softened (at room temperature) - 175 gram (200?)
Golden caster sugar - 175 gram (200?)

Eggs - 4
Almond  extract - ½ tsp

Self-raising flour - 175 gram
Baking powder - ½ tsp
Ground Almonds - 125 gram

Milk - 100ml

Glace cherries - 300 gram
Flaked Almonds - 2 tbsp

Recipe

1. Heat oven to 140C fan
2. Line the base of a 20cm deep cake tin, scrape butter on sides
3. Rinse and dry the cherries thoroughly, then halve and dust with flour
4. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
5. Add Almond extract
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low just until they are mixed in
7. Fold in the flour, baking powder and ground almonds
8. Optionally add half of the cherries to batter at this stage
9. Add milk, and fold a bit
10. Pour batter into the tin
11. Add cherries on top
12. Scatter over the flaked almonds
13. Bake for 45 mins (Check after 30-35 minutes)
14. Check and bake for another 5-10 minutes if the cake is not done
15. Cool the cakes in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes

Mediterranean Chicken Casserole in Oven

It's a simple dish, but has got loads of flavour and straight forward to cook. There is something in the casserole for everyone. Mediterranean flavour add wonders, the apricot, the olives, Ras-el-hanout, Greek yogurt, its packed with oomph.

Chicken Casserole in Oven

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 medium or 8 leg pcs

Lemon - 1

Olive Oil 

Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon

Onion - 2 medium

Greek Yoghurt - 1 cup

Olive -5-7 pitted

Garlic Cloves - 5

Potatoes (small) -4

Cherry Tomato - 5

Dried Apricot - 5

Almonds - 7-8

Cinnamon stick - 1

Ras-el-Hanout - 3 teaspoon

Paprika - 1 teaspoon
Salt (to taste)

Chicken Casserole in Oven

Recipe

1. Marinate chicken in lemon juice for 5-7 hours
2. Microwave dried apricot in half a cup of water
3. Fry chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, with whole spices and ginger garlic paste
4. Rub olive oil on sides of the oven dish
5. Add chicken to the oven dish
6. Fry onion in oil, add to chicken
7. Add greek yoghurt,  garlic cloves, potatoes, cherry tomato, apricot, almond, cinnamon stick, ras el hanout, paprika and salt
8. Cover with silver foil and bake for an hour
9. Remove from oven, check if cooked else oven for another 15 minutes
10. Remove the silver foil and grill for 5-7 minutes to get the crispy look

Date Truffles

It's a Ramadan special delight, it's a date and chocolate combination, kids love it, not just eating but the helping out in preparing for Iftaar, and the added bonus is it is super quick to make.

Ingredients
Medjool dates (or any other soft date)  - 4 large
Almond powder - 200 gram (Ground Almonds)
Honey - 1 tablespoon
Coconut oil - 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon powder -  1/2 teaspoon
Vanilla - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - pinch
Cocoa powder - 2 tablespoon

Date Truffles

Recipe

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to make a paste (add a teaspoon of water if the mixture is stiff)
2. Spoon small amounts of the paste into the palm of your hands and roll into small balls
3. Leave in the fridge for 15 minutes
4. Roll in Cocoa powder before serving

Note: Don't use too much cocoa powder, I did the mistake (see picture), because too much cocoa tastes bitter.

Lamb Stew - Khushi Style

One of the best Lamb Stew recipes I've tried, courtesy my dear cousin Khushi, who learnt it from her mum. I bargained recipe from her in return for sharing a barbecue recipe !

Ingredients

Lamb shoulder - 750 gm
Onion (sliced) - 4
Ginger Garlic (paste) - 2 teaspoon
Tomato - 1
Green chilli - 2

Whole Spices
Green Cardamom (chotti elaychi) - 2
Black Cardamom (badi elaychi) - 1
Cloves (laung) - 2
Black Peeper (kali mirch) - 6
Mace (Javitri) - 1/4
Bay Leaf (tez patta) - 2

Fennel (Khadi saunf) - 1/2 teaspoon
Dry whole red chilli - 2

Ground Spices
Red Chilli Powder (to taste)
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala - 1/3 teaspoon

Green coriander leaves - 3-4 tablespoon (chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Cooking oil

Lamb Stew

Lamb Stew (garnished)

Recipe

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker
2. Add 2 onions
3. Add green and black cardamom, clove, black pepper, mace and bay leaf
4. When onion gets golden brown add lamb
5. Fry till water dries out
6. Add salt and ginger garlic paste
7. Ache se bhuno
8. Add 2 onions, tomato, khadi saunf, coriander powder, green chilli and dry red chilli 
9. Add red chilli powder (to taste, optional)
10. Add 1 cup water
11. Pressure Cook till meat is cooked
12. Steam nikalne ke baad bhuno
13. Add garam masala
14. Add green coriander

Spinach and Carrot soup with Poached egg 🍳

Ingredients

Carrots (peeled and chopped) - 3 large
Spinach - 1 large bag
Potato (peeled and chopped) - 1

Coconut Milk - 200 ml

Onion (peeled and chopped) - 1 large
Ginger (grated) - 1 teaspoon
Garlic - 2 cloves

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Fennel seed powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Egg - 4

Spinach and Carrot soup with Poached egg 🍳

Recipe

1. Heat oil in large saucepan, over medium heat. 
2. Add onion and saute gently until softened, but not browned.
3. Add carrot and potato, saute gently for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add garlic, ginger, chilli and spices, saute for a further1 minute, stirring occasionally.
5. Add spinach, cooked through for 5 minutes (wilt for 5 minutes if using fresh).
6. Add coconut milk, bring to the boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.
7. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Blend smooth with a hand whisk or in a food processor.
10. Adjust seasoning if needed.
11. Poach eggs in water, one by one, add to soup bowls, garnish with black pepper.
12. Optionally add 1/2 teaspoon of coconut milk to each bowl.

Chicken in Ras el hanout

On my trip to Morocco, I bought Ras el hanout spice mix, I've heard quite a lot about it but buying from Marrakech had its own charm. I did taste quite a few dishes made in Ras-el-Hanout at the hotel we stayed in.

Then a few weeks later after we were back from holidays our chef in office kitchen made 'poached white fish in Ras el hanout' and that's how I thought of my own Ras el hanout experiment.

Chicken in Ras el hanout

Ingredients
Chicken -  1 medium (cut in 16 pcs)
Onion - 2 medium (finely chopped)
Ginger garlic paste - 2 teaspoon
Whole Spices (Black Pepper, Green and Black Cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, and Star anise)
Greek Yogurt - 1 bowl
Ras el hanout mix - 3 teaspoon
Paprika - 1 teaspoon
Dried apricot - 5-7
Cherry Tomato - 5-6
Olives - 5-7
Olive Oil - 3 tablespoon
Salt (to taste)


Recipe

1. Microwave apricot in a bowl dipped into water for 2 minutes
2. Heat oil in a pan
3. Add whole spices and fry for a minute
4. Add chicken and ginger garlic paste, fry for 3-5 minutes, turning side by side
5. Take the chicken out of oil, and leave it in a large bowl
6. Add Ras-el-Hanout and paprika to chicken
7. Add greek yogurt to chicken, and let it marinate till onion is ready
8. Add some more oil to pan if necessary, and heat it
9. Add onion to pan, fry for few minutes
10. Add Cherry tomatoes and olives, fry for few minutes
11. Add apricot with its water
12. Add chicken marinate, add water, cover the pan
13. Cook chicken on low flame till it is well done

Pumpkin Casserole

When you grow pumpkins on your allotment and get too many of those you start searching for ideas. After I've given few to friends and another few left in hen run for chickens to feed on, I was still left with a good number.

Pumpkin Casserole

I realised that pumpkin could be used as a casserole, bake inside the pumpkin itself, stuff with meat. Voilla !!!

It's a hollowed-out pumpkin stuffed with meat, and since pumpkins come in unpredictable sizes baking times depend on how long it takes for the pumpkin to get soft enough to pierce with a knife, being precise is impossible. I choose a small one from the allotment.

Empty Pumpkin

Add meat

Add meat

Meat in pumpkin

Lid the pumpkin

Pumpkin in oven after a while

Pumpkin Casser

Ingredients

1 medium size pumpkin

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2-3 garlic cloves

1/2 kg boneless lamb or beef

Onion - 2

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tablespoon

Whole Spices (Black Pepper, Green and Black Cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon) and chili flakes - to taste

Salt

Recipe

1. Heat oil in a cooker
2. Add whole spices
3. Add onion
4. Add Meat, salt and ginger garlic paste
5. Fry
6. Remove 
7. Close the lid of Pressure cook, and leave it on medium for a while till meat is slightly cooked
8. Heat oven to 180C. Cut the top off the pumpkin and use a metal spoon to scoop out the seeds. Get rid of any pithy bits. 
9. Put the pumpkin on a baking tray, rub with 2 tbsp of the oil inside and out, and season well.
10. Fill pumpkin with meat, cloves and chili flakes.
11. Close the lid
12. Leave in Oven for an hour and a half (check after an hour)
13. Check again and leave for another 30 minutes if the meat is not done.

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

Plane flour - 250 grams (sifted)
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon 
Cocoa powder - 2 tablespoons
Unsalted butter - 113 grams (room temperature)
Granulated white sugar - 300 grams
Eggs - 2 large
Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
Buttermilk - 240 ml (1 cup)
Red food colouring - 2 tablespoons (liquid)
White distilled vinegar - 1 teaspoon
Baking soda - 1 teaspoon

(Use 2/3 or half of below quantity for icing)
Cream cheese - 227 grams
Mascarpone cheese - 227 grams
Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
Icing sugar (sifted) - 115 grams
Whipping cream (double cream, cold) - 360 ml

Recipe

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 180c. 
2. Grease two 9 inch cake tin with butter, line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
3. In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
4. Beat the butter and sugar in a mixer on medium until fluffy.
5. Add vanilla.
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low just until they are mixed in.
7. In a cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. 
8. Add the flour and the buttermilk (alternating one then the other) into the sugar/egg mixture on low speed, beginning and ending with the flour.
9. In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 
10. Pour batter into the two 9 inch cake tins, smooth the tops and bake for 25-30 minutes.
11. Quickly divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops.
12. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
13. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan.
14. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In the bowl of electric mixer beat the cream cheese and Mascarpone cheese until smooth. 
2. Add the vanilla.
3. Add icing sugar and beat until smooth. 
4. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the whipping cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread.
5. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble

1. With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers (optional).
2. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. 
3. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  
4. Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. 
5. Frost the top and sides of the cake.