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| INGREDIENTS 4 to 5 small or medium size beetroots, washed ½ cup chopped walnuts or almonds 1 cup fresh mint or coriander 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbs juice of lemon 2 tsp pomegranate paste (optional) 1 small chilli, deseeded (optional) or use a pinch of chilli flakes for zing (optional) 1 Tbs olive oil 1/2 cup feta cheese (crumbly cow’s feta or goat’s feta) 1 Tbs feta cheese for garnish a pinch of coriander powder a pinch of sea saltblack pepper | DIRECTIONS 2. Prick beetroots and roast them drizzled with a little olive oil in the oven for 20 minutes. Let cool and peel. 3. Dry roast walnuts in the oven for 8 minutes. 4. Blend roasted beetroots, roasted walnuts, feta cheese, spices, mint, chilli, lemon juice, pomegranate paste, and olive oil in a food processor. Add more olive oil if it needs more moisture. 5. Garnish with crumbled feta. This dip can be frozen without feta cheese. |
IRAN - Yogurt and Spinach Dip - Persian Borani-e Esfenaj
| INGREDIENTS 4 cups fresh spinach, washed 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 1/2cups unsweetened Greek style yogurt ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Serves four | DIRECTIONS minutes. Drain. Squeeze the spinach to remove excess water. 2. In a serving bowl mix yogurt, spinach and garlic and season with salt and pepper. 3. Refrigerate for several hours. 4. Serve as an appetizer with Persian bread or crispy Lavash or pita breads. Nush-e Jan! |
BURMA - Burmese Fish Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Marinade:
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
4 firm white fish fillets
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tspn crushed dried chillies
6 T oil1 tspn paprika
5 ripe tomatoes, blanched in hot water then peeled & chopped (or tinned tomatoes)
handful of fresh coriander, chopped
fish sauce to taste
DIRECTIONS
To make the marinade, mix the turmeric and fish sauce in a bowl then rub it all over the fish fillets. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Chop the onion and put into a pestle and mortar. Pound to a paste, then add the crushed garlic and dried chillies. Mix them all well.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and caramelise the onion mixture over moderate heat for 15-20 minutes until they have turned a reddish brown.
Add paprika, stir and cook for a few minutes, then add chopped tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until it has reduced to a thick sauce.
Add the fish including the marinade and cook on a moderate heat for a few minutes. Turn the fillets carefully and simmer until the fish is cooked.
Check seasoning; add more fish sauce if necessary. Sprinkle chopped coriander and serve with rice.
Serves four
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups rice
1L milk
100ml cream
2 C sugar
1T cardamom
100g almonds
Pistachio powder
• T = tablespoon
This is very common after lunch or dinner in Afghanistan. We eat it with tea mixed with cardamom.
DIRECTIONS
First soak rice in water 3 to 4 hours prior to starting the cooking. Add milk and cook on low heat and keep mixing it. Then put sugar, cream and cardamom and cook it till the mixture thickens. At the end add almonds. Turn heat to very low and leave it for one hour.
You can serve it hot or cold with pistachio powder on top it.
AFGHANISTAN - Chapli Kabab
| INGREDIENTS Marinade: 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 Tablespoon fish sauce 4 firm white fish fillets 1 large onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tspn crushed dried chillies 6 T oil1 tspn paprika 5 ripe tomatoes, blanched in hot water then peeled & chopped (or tinned tomatoes) handful of fresh coriander, chopped fish sauce to taste | DIRECTIONS Chop the onion and put into a pestle and mortar. Pound to a paste, then add the crushed garlic and dried chillies. Mix them all well. Heat the oil in a saucepan and caramelise the onion mixture over moderate heat for 15-20 minutes until they have turned a reddish brown. Add paprika, stir and cook for a few minutes, then add chopped tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until it has reduced to a thick sauce. Add the fish including the marinade and cook on a moderate heat for a few minutes. Turn the fillets carefully and simmer until the fish is cooked. Check seasoning; add more fish sauce if necessary. Sprinkle chopped coriander and serve with rice. Serves four |
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups rice
1L milk
100ml cream
2 C sugar
1T cardamom
100g almonds
Pistachio powder
• T = tablespoon
This is very common after lunch or dinner in Afghanistan. We eat it with tea mixed with cardamom.
DIRECTIONS
First soak rice in water 3 to 4 hours prior to starting the cooking. Add milk and cook on low heat and keep mixing it. Then put sugar, cream and cardamom and cook it till the mixture thickens. At the end add almonds. Turn heat to very low and leave it for one hour.
You can serve it hot or cold with pistachio powder on top it.
| INGREDIENTS 2 Cups rice 1L milk 100ml cream 2 C sugar 1T cardamom 100g almonds Pistachio powder • T = tablespoon | This is very common after lunch or dinner in Afghanistan. We eat it with tea mixed with cardamom. DIRECTIONS First soak rice in water 3 to 4 hours prior to starting the cooking. Add milk and cook on low heat and keep mixing it. Then put sugar, cream and cardamom and cook it till the mixture thickens. At the end add almonds. Turn heat to very low and leave it for one hour. You can serve it hot or cold with pistachio powder on top it. |
AFGHANISTAN - Chapli Kabab
| INGREDIENTS 1kg Mince (beef or lamb) 1 onion chopped 1 clove of garlic crushed 2 T coriander 2 T cumin 1 T salt & ½ T pepper 1 T Red chilli pepper 1 egg 2 T flour Bunch of washed fresh coriander Vegetable oil for cooking • T = tablespoon | DIRECTIONS In a frying pan add 1 cup of vegetable oil and put on medium heat. To make the kabobs uniform, take enough mixture to make a ball - about the size of a large golf ball and roll it into a round ball in the palms of your hands. Next, flatten out the ball by pressing from the centre. You do not want them too thick because the outside will cook and the inside will not. Once the oil is hot, carefully lay the kabob into the pan away from you in case of splatter. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes each side, or until the colour getting golden brown. Now Chapli Kabab is ready, serve it with chips, salad and pita bread. Enjoy Chapli Kabab! |
| INGREDIENTS • 1 kg of minced lamb • 6 large onions (finely chopped) • 2 cloves of garlic (grated or minced) • 2 red chillies (finely chopped) • 1tsp. ground black pepper • 1tsp. coriander powder • Salt • Readymade wonton wrappers • 500g of plain yogurt • 2 more cloves of garlic (grated or minced) • A bunch of fresh or dry mint (podina) • Cooking oil |  DIRECTIONS Heat cooking oil in a frypan, add the garlic and meat and mix thoroughly to break into finely minced texture, and cook until the meat is brown. Add the seasonings, coriander and chilli and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Add only enough water, if any, to prevent the meat from sticking. Add 2 tsp. oil to chopped onion and fry for 5 minutes. Allow the meat mixture to cool. Mix the onion with meat mixture. Take a wonton wrapper and place a teaspoon of meat mixture into the centre. Fold the wonton wrapper to create a dumpling by taking the two opposite corners and sealing them with wet fingers. Then repeat with the other corners, creating a neat parcel. Place the mantu into a steamer and cook for 30 minutes. Create a sauce by mixing the plain yogurt and garlic together. Assemble the dish by covering the base of a large platter with the yogurt sauce, cover with the meat parcels, piling them on top of each other to create a mound. A little sauce can be spooned over the lot, then some minced lamb, topped with mint. |
| INGREDIENTS 180g butter 4 eggs 200g caster sugar 225g flour Lemon zest |  DIRECTIONS Melt the butter. Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Then add zest, flour and then the butter. Rest the mixture for one hour in the fridge. Put in pans and bake at 190 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.. |
FRENCH - Oeufs à la Neige avec une Crème Anglaise
| INGREDIENTS Crème Anglaise 1 cup cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar  Pierre Bugaud | DIRECTIONS Heat the cream and vanilla in a heavy saucepan until bubbles form at the edges. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Then slowly pour half cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Gradually add this egg yolk mixture back into the remaining milk, stirring constantly. Continue to cook slowly while stirring, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Pour into serving dishes and add the snowy meringues Les oeuf a la neige Beat 4 egg whites Add ½ cup of sugar Pinch of salt Scoop mixture and poach meringues in low-sided pan of simmering water for about five minutes. Add fluffy meringues to crème Anglaise. Decorate with nuts or toffee. |
More to come. Watch this space!