Yudhika recipes

Asian Beef Short Rib…Sugar & Spice recipes

Sugar & Spice with Yudhika - Asian Beef Short Rib served with Coconut Rice

Sugar & Spice with Yudhika – Asian Beef Short Rib served with Coconut Rice

I have a big heart for South East Asian flavors….lemongrass, coriander, coconut and chilli. On Sugar & Spice last week, I showcased these flavors dedicating an entire episode to highlight the delicious cuisine.

On the menu, a slow cooked Asian Beef Short Rib with a fragrant home-made paste, slowly simmered in coconut milk and to go with that a lightly scented coconut rice, dotted with peas. If you are short on time, the beef rib can be prepared in an AMC Speedcooker but remember to reduce the liquid to prevent the sauce turning into a soup….during the show, I used a normal pot…when I say normal I mean I use a fabulous AMC pot for this and not a pressure cooker.

Don’t forget to catch the show on Dstv’s Home Channel 176 or you can tune into Mela on Sundays on SABC 2 for a weekly dose of delicious too!

Asian Style Beef Short Rib by Yudhika Sujanani  cooked with lemongrass, chilli, garlic and coconut milk

Asian Style Beef Short Rib by Yudhika Sujanani cooked with lemongrass, chilli, garlic and coconut milk

Asian Beef Short Rib

Ingredients

1kg beef short rib

For the paste:
2 inch piece of ginger
2 stalks lemongrass, chopped (white parts only)
4 – 6 green chillies, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
5 cloves
45ml sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped

50ml sunflower oil
1 – 2 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
30ml red chilli powder
2,5ml turmeric
10ml coarse salt

8 lime leaves

500 – 600ml coconut milk
Coriander, to garnish

Place the cloves, chillies, onion, garlic, and ginger into a blender.
Process until smooth.

Heat the sunflower oil in an AMC Pan.
Add the cinnamon sticks and bay leaf.
Once the whole spices are fragrant, add the fragrant paste.
Saute until the moisture evaporates.
Add the red chilli powder and turmeric.
Stir for 3 – 5 seconds, then add the beef short rib.
Coat the rib with the fried paste, scraping the pan to prevent burning.
Add the salt and stir well.
Pour in the coconut milk, add the lime leaves and loosen the spices that are stuck to the base of the pan.
Lower the heat and simmer until the beef is tender.
Once the beef is cooked through, simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens.
Place on a serving platter and garnish with fresh coriander.

Pea and Coconut Rice by Yudhika Sujanani

Pea and Coconut Rice by Yudhika Sujanani

Pea and Coconut Rice

Ingredients

50ml sunflower oil
45ml desiccated coconut
375ml basmati rice
600ml water
150ml coconut milk
Salt to season
250ml frozen peas
Coriander, to garnish

Heat the sunflower oil in an AMC pot until warm (not hot).
Add the desiccated coconut and stir to heat.
Add the curry leaves and stir for a few seconds.
Stir the basmati rice into the fried coconut.
Add the water, coconut milk and salt.
Reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid.
Once the rice has steamed through, add the frozen peas and cover with a tight fitting lid.
Check the rice, ensuring it does not stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
Leave to stand for 2 – 3 minutes until heated through.
Garnish with fresh coriander.

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Sugar, spice and all things nice….Date Chocolate and Pecan Pie

Sugar & Spice with Yudhika Sujanani on DSTV's Home Channel 176

Sugar & Spice with Yudhika Sujanani on DSTV’s Home Channel 176

It’s been an eventful week with the first episode of a whole new season of Sugar ‘n Spice airing on The Home Channel. It’s pretty special because up until now, I have been doing short food inserts on Saffron TV, Great Expectations on Etv and appearing on SABC 2’s MELA! When the Home Channel approached me earlier this year, I was gobsmacked at their offer and thrilled to have my first very own show!

Taking it up a few notches from a food insert, it’s taken us 4 months to complete the series and it’s been a roller coaster ride with my family, team and the crew! I have once again been incredibly lucky to work with such amazing people from the Channel….big thanks to Michael Porter and Simphiwe Gamede, the crew…Africa Vezi and Sipho, who tolerated many crazy out take moments, takes and re-takes, and the awesome team at Holi Cow….for the early mornings, long nights, and my long prep sheets! And then, there are those special people who always find a moment in their day to send me a beautiful message of love and encouragement…thanks to my the people out there on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the food love and sharing my posts and links…thanks and thanks again! And my family, who I am most thankful for….what you see on telly isn’t just me, you see the team effort with me being the ‘front lady’ and that also includes the crazy make up artist/stylist…Stavroula Georgakis! Spar has once again sponsored our ingredients and AMC Cookware just keep me cooking in their fabulous pots! I just realized how big this team really is…it’s huge!

Episode one...Pecan pie with dates and chocolate by Yudhika Sujanani

Episode one…Pecan pie with dates and chocolate by Yudhika Sujanani

In the first episode, we spiced up old favourites…leftover butternut was recycled into a delicious salad with hazelnut dukkah and prawns, a french chicken casserole got a spicy makeover with saffron, chilli, cumin and coriander…and the classic pecan pie was turned into a chocolately one with dates too!

For more information and recipes from the show, check out The Home Channel’s website or follow them on Facebook and Twitter, http://www.thehomechannel.co.za/shows/food/sugar-and-spice

Yudhika's Sugar & Spice...check out the show times on DSTV's Channel 176

Yudhika’s Sugar & Spice…check out the show times on DSTV’s Channel 176

I first made this recipe for Eid last year. It’s fruity, crunchy, buttery and purely decadent! Here is the recipe for pecan pie with dates and dark chocolate.

A slice of gooey pecan nut pie with dates and chocolate...by Yudhika Sujanani for Sugar & Spice

A slice of gooey pecan nut pie with dates and chocolate…by Yudhika Sujanani for Sugar & Spice

Chocolate Date and Pecan Pie

Pastry:

120g butter
200g cake flour
65g sugar
1 egg

Rub the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the sugar and mix. Lightly beat the egg and knead gently into a soft dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Roll the pastry on a lightly dusted work surface until it is about 5mm thick and is large enough to line the bottom and sides of a 23cm loose bottomed pie tin.
Line the tin with the pastry and press down into the base and about 3,5cm up the sides.
Prick the base of the pastry with a fork and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Place a piece of baking paper over the paper, cover with dried beans and bake blind for 10 minutes.
Remove the beans and the paper and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Leave the pasty case to cool completely.

For the filling:

125g butter
175g brown sugar
75ml golden syrup
3 large eggs
1 cinnamon stick
200g pecan nuts
90g chopped dark chocolate, chopped
75g chopped dates, chopped

Whipped cream, to serve

Place the butter in a 28cm AMC Chef’s Pan, and melt on low heat.
Add the brown sugar and golden syrup.
Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Leave the mixture to cool till slightly warm.
Remove the cinnamon stick.
Lightly whisk the eggs, then add the melted ingredients.
Scatter the pecan nuts, chocolate and dates over the bake pie crust, then pour over the egg mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes at 150 degrees celsius, then reduce to 140 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.
Leave the pie to stand for a minute and then remove from the tin.
Serve slices of the pie warm with whipped cream.

Sorry is…such a sorry word!

Yudhika's Spicy Lamb Rosti Bake

Yudhika’s Spicy Lamb Rosti Bake

Is it just me or does the word sorry irritate anyone else? My thoughts and feelings percolate over time. This is not something new or a revelation of sorts and no, I haven’t had my heart-broken over the weekend…the word just irritates me! I can’t remember when it first struck me. Perhaps it was when my kids were little and bashing each other in a fight over a toy but I can still remember my son, Rushil, saying, ‘Sorry doesn’t even help!’ Over the past few years and somewhere in the midst of my latest ugly divorce, the dreadful word ‘sorry’ has been thrown carelessly into life changing conversations. Sometimes ‘Sorry’ comes only after years of someone forcing you to accept that an apology wasn’t necessary and by then, it is too late.

Sorry isn’t enough…the word has made the world a worse place to live in. People have become careless with those most dear to them. People take chances knowing that when the cracks appear all they need to do is say sorry. Think back to being a child at school and playing with your friends…if you hurt or wronged anyone on the playground, we apologized by saying, ‘Sorry’…how many times did you say it without real emotion, regret and remorse? It has always been a mindless almost insincere response.

Human beings are flawed….we all are and mistakes are a part of life and us growing emotionally. In this modern tech savvy world we live in, is it not possible that we have become emotionally unintelligent? Whether you are ill, being cheated on, just lost your job or experienced some sort of tragedy…it’s met with the same generic response, ‘I am sorry!’ How can such a small word possibly become the ‘one size fits all’ plaster for life’s wounds, whatever they might be? I was in a relationship once and my partner dated his ex girlfriend…he said, ‘It was no big deal’. If it was no big deal, why was it not mentioned when I made him dinner the next evening or when he chatted to me for hours the next day? Why did he actually do it? He took the chance and me for granted is the short answer thinking that all he had to do is say, ‘Sorry’ and that would come only if I found out, of course! Well, he didn’t anticipate that it would not be enough to fill in the cracks it left in the relationship….and the one thing about cracks is that they often expand and distort our feelings. My question is was he really sorry or sorry that I found out?

Is this me moaning about my relationship experiences….absolutely not! I have been lied to, cheated on and emotionally distraught at different stages of my life. It is wretched and the most important thing I have to share is that at no point was ‘sorry’ ever enough to take the pain away. When I have been left feeling wretched, I often heard the same thing which is, ‘Well, I said I was sorry…Didn’t I…What more do you want?’ and it simply wasn’t enough. I have been soul searching, wondering what was wrong with me and why an apology wasn’t the plaster I thought it would be. I realize that these apologies lack sincerity. Why isn’t it good enough? What do we want? More than words….once the trust is broken, it’s a long hard road back. Maybe it is a women thing…I wanted to know why and deal with the underlying issues and was met by the, ‘Sorry, can we sweep this under the rug now?’

Over the last while, I have had my share of generic sorries…but it’s taught me a lesson too. I would like to share my advice, if I may that is…I have been thinking, agonizing over the apologies I have not accepted and going forward ask you to live your life after erasing the word ‘Sorry’ from your vocabulary. Imagine making decisions and considering the people around you knowing that if you messed up, sorry would not be an option. I know that this would not erase any chance of making mistakes but we have become careless….maybe it would get us to think for a moment about everything that is precious and taken for granted.

When we are wrong, we have to work harder than just an apology…we have to work harder than ‘Sorry’ to find a remedy, support the person we are apologizing to and put the ‘no big deal’ mentality aside! ‘Sorry’ is not an apology…it’s a word and it has no magical powers!

Sorry is a sorry word….it is one of the most useless words in the dictionary. I have yet to write a blog about my carelessness and the things that I have been sorry about and apologies I’ve made….coming soon!

It’s been cold over the past few days and all I want to do is tuck into some comfort food. It could be the weather but my guess is that my thoughts have also been keeping me busy and craving the comfort of Wintery bakes…I am endlessly entertained in my own company…with some comfort food of course! Here is a recipe for a deliciously spicy lamb rosti bake! I love a traditional Cottage Pie but with the weather playing up, I spiced this recipe up along the lines of Keema Masala or Curried Mince. It is delicious, quick to prepare and comforting! I used the spices from my Curry Me Home range and at first glance it looks like there is lots of red chilli…keep in mind that lamb and beef ‘hold’ a lot more chilli and it is the base spice of the dish. Mince tends to often be flavorless and bland so you have to spice it up a fair bit!

Spicy Lamb Rosti Bake

750g lamb mince
50ml sunflower oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
5ml cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
7ml coarse salt
30ml ginger and garlic, crushed
30 – 45ml red chilli powder
10ml ground coriander
5ml garam masala
2ml turmeric
200g chopped tomatoes

700g potatoes, boiled in skins – I used Up To Date variety
Salt, to season potatoes
100g butter

Here’s how:

Heat the sunflower oil in an AMC Paella Pan.
Fry the cinnamon stick and bay leaf until fragrant, add the cumin seeds.
When the seeds start to splutter, add the onion and salt.
Salute the onion until light golden.
Add the crushed ginger and garlic and fry for a few seconds.
Add the red chilli powder and warm through for 3 – 5 seconds.
Stir the lamb mince into the red chilli and fry until it changes colour.
Add the ground coriander, garam masala and turmeric.
Stir for a few minutes and add the tomatoes.
Simmer until the tomatoes soften.
Place the lamb mince into a casserole dish.
Peel the potatoes and grate them over the mince.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Melt the butter and pour it over the potatoes.
Bake the lamb in the oven at 180 degrees celsius until the potatoes are golden brown which would take about 35 -45 minutes.

Mela: Summer Sizzler Fish Cakes

Yudhika on Mela's Summer episode on SABC 2

Yudhika on Mela’s Summer episode on SABC 2

 

Shooting with the Mela team is always a delight and I would be the first to say that all the bright ideas are not mine!  I have our lovely Mela producer who loves light summery meals and this is one of her favourites.  I am a curry and rice kind of girl so salads are not always top of mind!

 

Yudhika Sujanani - waiting for the tree fellers to leave!

Yudhika Sujanani – waiting for the tree fellers to leave!

We shot the second season of Mela in November last year.  When I watch the show, I burst into fits of giggles because shoot days can be quite stressful…Eskom’s load shedding meant that I was having my make up done at 3.30am!  And this is when our neighbor chooses to have his trees felled!  So, we sometimes just have to wait it out!  So, I play around in the Holi Cow garden while taking a break…it’s beautiful!  Here is the clip from Mela if you missed the show, 

 

On the menu for the Summer Mela Menu….spicy fish cakes, watermelon salad and a mango fool to use up those slightly over ripe luscious mangoes!

 

Spicy fish cakes

 

Ingredients

400g potatoes, boiled and mashed

2,5ml ajwain or carom seeds

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1 egg yolk

400g lightly steamed hake

Salt and black pepper, to season

Handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped

 

Plain flour to coat

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Bread crumbs, to coat

 

 

Here’s how:

 

Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl and season with ajwain.

Add the spring onion, green chilli and the egg yolk.

Flake the fish fillets and add to the mixing bowl.

Season with salt and black pepper.

Lastly add the fresh coriander.

Mix the ingredients until well combined.

Mould the mixture into patties and dust with plain flour.

Leave the cakes on a sheet lined with baking paper.

Refrigerate until firm.

Remove the cakes from the refrigerator and gently coat in the beaten egg.

Coat with bread crumbs and then place on a well greased baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the cakes for 20 – 25 minutes depending on the size. (I made 6 large cakes on Mela which took about 20 minutes to cook).

Serve with a chutney of your choice or raita.

 

 

 

Watermelon Salad

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

 

20ml olive oil

15ml lemon juice

Pinch of salt

600g watermelon chunks

1 onion, finely chopped – optional

100g feta cheese

100g flaked almonds

Chopped mint, to garnish

 

 

 

Here’s how

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice and salt.

Place the watermelon chunks on a platter and sprinkle the onion, feta cheese and flaked almonds over the top.

Drizzle the dressing over the watermelon salad and garnish with sprigs of mint.

 

 

Mango Fool

 

500g mango pieces, pureed

25ml sugar

15ml lemon juice

250ml double thick cream

100g double thick Greek yoghurt

100g whipped cream, to garnish

Mint leaves, to garnish

 

Here’s how:

Place the mango pieces into a blender with the sugar and lemon juice.

Blitz until the mangoes are pureed – if you are using stringy mangoes, pass the puree through a sieve to remove the fibres.

Pour the mango puree into a mixing bowl and fold in the double thick cream.

Spoon the yoghurt into serving bowls and top with the mango puree.

Top with whipped cream and garnish with a mint sprig.

Refrigerate until chilled and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diwali Teaser – Dry Prawn Masala

Dry Prawn Masala

Dry Prawn Masala by Yudhika Sujanani

Whether my guests fast or not on Diwali, a sure fire, dead easy prawn dish always makes an appearance on my Diwali menu. I was really annoyed last year when some hindus assumed that everyone observed a vegetarian fast on Diwali…more about that here, https://yudhikayumyum.com/2014/06/18/a-bone-to-pick-fish-and-prawn-breyani/

This prawn masala is delicious, quick and easy to make – the sauce is thick and slightly creamy and the most important thing to remember is to not overcook the prawns…I would suggest cooking them for a minute, then turn off the heat and leave aside…there is enough heat in the pan to continue cooking them to perfection!

 Diwali is a celebration…it’s a festival…it’s a family Mela…and I do find that our moms and grannies work too hard on the day to spoil us with a feast.  I have a different approach…suggest recipes that are not complicated and won’t keep you in the kitchen all day…even though I love the kitchen, I would also love to spend time with my guests.

The Post Diwali Supplement that I have been working on for the past few weeks will be published on Wednesday, 15th October…..I couldn’t keep all the recipes to myself till then so I am sharing this one with you….and hopefully keeping you keen for the bumper Post supplement.

Stay tuned to the blog….I will be posting a few more teaser recipes….I have been cooking up a storm, photographing the recipes and also feasting my little heart out!

Diwali baking classes will be held at Holi Cow on the 12 and 18th October….the classes start at 11am and finish at 2pm.  I will be demonstrating these old time favourites: Burfee, Chana Magaj, Jalebi, Ladoo, Gulab Jamun and North Indian Samosas. Cost R400 per person.  Email me if you are  keen on joining the class at hetals@iafrica.com

And if baking is your passion…you won’t want to miss this opportunity to enter the competition on my blog to win a KitchenAid stand mixer! Click here and leave a comment to enter: https://yudhikayumyum.com/competition/kitchenaid-giveaway-2014/

Dry Prawn Masala

Serves 4

1kg prawns, shelled and deveined

45ml sunflower oil, to saute prawns

40ml sunflower oil

5ml mustard seeds

5ml cumin seeds

1 onion, finely chopped

5ml coarse salt

10ml crushed garlic

10ml Curry Me Home red chilli powder

400g chopped tomatoes, fresh or tinned

5ml Curry Me Home ground cumin

5ml Curry Me Home ground coriander

Pinch of turmeric

50ml fresh cream or coconut milk, optional

Handful of chopped coriander

Here’s how

Heat the sunflower oil in an AMC pan, then add the mustard seeds.

When they begin to splutter, add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds.

Stir the onion into the oil, then add salt and saute until light golden brown.

Add the garlic and fry until fragrant.

Add the red chilli powder for 5 seconds, then stir in the tomatoes.

Stir the cumin, coriander and turneric into the sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens.

Heat a skillet on high, then add the sunflower oil.

Add the prawns to the pan.

Once the prawns start to change colour, add the thick sauce and stir fry for a minute.

Add the fresh cream or coconut milk and cook for 30 seconds.

Sprinkle the chopped coriander over the prawns and toss to coat.

Serve immediately with fresh bread, roti or puri

Raspberry Cream Cake….

Raspberry Cream Cake by Yudhika Sujanani

Raspberry Cream Cake by Yudhika

A perfect recipe to kickstart Spring….its a combination of a deliciously light, slightly buttery sponge, decked with luscious thick cream, studded with raspberries!  This recipe is dead easy and if you are like me and hates pic perfect icing…this one is for you! 

 

It’s been a crazy week at the Holi Cow, with new recipes being developed and I am celebrating the busiest week in our seven month trading life!  With no time or energy for a night on the town (and rather large cocktails), I have been feeling pretty smug!  

 

The Holi Cow cooking classes for September…

 

Holi Cow Cooking Class Update: Cooking Class Update: The Curry Trail – learn how to use your spices to make curries from around Asia….Lamb Vindaloo, Sri Lankan Chicken Curry, Thai Green Prawn, Paneer in Almond Sauce, Rotis and Coconut Creme Brulees. The duration of the class is two hours and is followed by a sit down lunch. Bookings essential.

Date: Wednesday, 10th September 2014
Time: 6 for 6.30pm
Cost: R375 per person

 

Cooking Class Update: Curry 101 Hands on Class – learn how to use spices to make delicious spicy meals in a flash….Lamb Rogan Josh, Chicken Korma, Coconut Prawn, Mushroom and Chickpea Curry, Rotis and Chocolate Ganache Cake. The duration of the class is two hours and is followed by a delicious dinner. Bookings essential.

Date: Saturday, 13th September 2014
Time: 10 for 10.30am
Cost: R375 per person

 

 

Love begins with 'LIKE' - click like or follow on facebook, twitter or the blog and leave a comment!

Love begins with ‘LIKE’ – click like or follow on facebook, twitter or the blog and leave a comment!

 

And for those of you who love cooking and baking as much as I do, take a look at our KitchenAid Giveaway…all you have to do is spread the love….share the competition details on facebook or twitter and tag me in on it…with #KitchenAid #mela

 

Mela, the all new Indian show, will air on Sunday, 7th September at 10.30am on SABC 2!  I find watching myself on TV quite strange so I will probably be in the kitchen, making up one of these delicious cakes for dessert!  

 

Raspberry Sponge:

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

85ml hot water

80ml soft butter

250ml self-raising flour

10ml maizena

4 eggs

185ml sugar

5ml vanilla essence

Zest of 1 lemon

 

 

250g Mascarpone Cheese

60ml icing sugar, sifted

50ml fresh cream

300g fresh raspberries

 

 

Here’s how:

 

Pre-heat oven to 180°C.

Grease and line 2 x 20cm cake tins.

Combine the butter and hot water in a small bowl.  

Stir until the butter melts and leave aside to cool.

Sift the self-raising flour and maizena three times.

Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.

Gradually add the sugar and continue whisking until the mixture leaves a trail visible for three seconds.

Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.

Add the cooled liquid, vanilla essence and lemon zest and fold to combine.

Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and bake for 12 – 15 minutes.

Turn the cakes onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

 

Whisk the mascarpone and icing sugar until smooth.

Pour the in the fresh cream and whisk for a few seconds.

Add a little more fresh cream if the mixture is too thick.

 

Place the cooled sponge on a serving platter.

Spread half the cream over the sponge.

Scatter half the raspberries over the cream and sandwich with the second cake.

Top the cake with the remaining cream and garnish with raspberries.

 

 

Paneer Makhani

Yudhika's Paneer Makhani...

Yudhika’s Paneer Makhani…

I am almost certain that by now, you have realized that Diwali is not a ‘Diet Friendly’ time of year. And this recipe is no different to any of the other Diwali favourites…a double whammy dish with cream and butter.

For a more sensible option try the ‘Seyal Paneer’ recipe: https://yudhikayumyum.com/sugar-n-spice-on-saffron-tv/saffron-tv-seyal-paneer/

I also use paneer as a pie filling in this Paneer Pasties recipe: https://yudhikayumyum.com/2013/10/24/paneer-and-mushroom-pasties/

This Paneer Makhani recipe will get you a gold star for Diwali!

Paneer Makhani

Ingredients

600g paneer, sliced
60ml cashew nuts
125ml boiling water
60ml sunflower oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
5ml cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
7,5ml coarse salt
15ml crushed ginger and garlic
2 green chillies, chopped
20ml red chilli powder
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
15ml ground coriander
10ml ground cumin
5ml garam masala
Pinch ground cardamom
2ml turmeric
60g cold butter, diced
30ml fresh cream
Coriander to garnish
Gold leaf to decorate

Here’s how:

Ingredients:

Slice the paneer into pieces.

Soak the cashew nuts in boiling water for 10 minutes and liquidize until smooth.
Pound the ginger, garlic and green chilli together.
Fry the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and cumin seeds in oil until fragrant.
Add onions and salt, saute until light golden brown.
Add crushed ginger, garlic and green chilli, then add the red chilli powder.
Stir the chopped tomatoes into the spices.
Sprinkle in the ground coriander, cumin, garam masala, ground cardamom and turmeric.
Simmer until the tomatoes soften completely.
Use a potato masher to break down any lumps.
Add the cashew paste and 250ml boiling water.
Simmer until the sauce thickens.
Whisk the cold butter into the sauce, then pour in the fresh cream.
Gently place the paneer into the cooked sauce and heat through.
Garnish with fresh coriander and edible gold leaf.

Pecan Chana Magaj….

Yudhika Sujanani's Chana Magaj...

Yudhika Sujanani’s Chana Magaj…

The food world is changing at an alarming rate…new trends are constantly being introduced and with so much emphasis being placed on ‘painting a picture’ on a plate, we lose the plot. I have a different approach to food and opt to keep it traditional especially with recipes like this Chana Magaj…’Why change it?’ It’s delicious, flop proof and a hit with my friends and family!

I remember paying an absolute bomb for a tray of ‘Chana Magaj’ many moons ago…much to my horror, when I sliced it, it simply crumbled. I was completely dismayed and cross (I will use a more acceptable word). I looked at the crumbled mess and tried to massage it back into a block! I eventually melted a large chunk of butter and mixed it into the chana crumble….it worked like a charm. The moral of the story is don’t scrimp on the butter!!!!

The ‘Devil is in the Detail’…As with most traditional recipes, patience is the secret ingredient. Put on some music and pour yourself a glass of wine while you are stirring the chickpea flour….taking your time makes all the difference. Use a 30cm AMC pot for cooking the chickpea flour…I know I do go on about it but ‘like seriously’…you can’t use a flimsy thin based pot for this! I get my daughters, Hetal and Tanvi, to take turns with cooking the chickpea flour. Every now and then, they bill me for their work and they do a fabulous job!

Chana Magaj keeps for ages in the refrigerator…so keep a few blocks away for ’emergencies’. I confess, I have lots of ’emergencies’ especially when I know these treats are resting in my refrigerator.

Pecan Chana Magaj

Ingredients:

500g chickpea flour
100ml milk, boiled
500g butter ghee
5ml ground cardamom
375g icing Sugar, sifted
100g Klim
100g pecan nuts

Place the chickpea flour and hot milk in a mixing bowl.
Rub the milk into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Leave the mixture to dry for an hour and then break down the large lumps using your fingertips.
Melt the butter ghee in an AMC pot on a low heat and then add the chickpea flour.
Continue stirring until the chickpea flour turns deep golden brown in colour – about an hour.
Leave aside to cool.
Grease a 25 x 25cm baking tray and line with plastic wrap.
Fold the wrap over the sides of the tray.
Stir in the ground cardamom, sifted icing sugar and full cream milk powder into the cooked mixture.
Work the icing sugar and milk powder into the chickpea flour using your fingertips.
Press the mixture into the baking tray – if the mixture is too dry, add a little melted butter.
Garnish with pecan nuts and leave aside to set.
Slice into blocks and lift the plastic wrap to loosen from the tray.

Fong Kong Breyani with Fish and Prawn

Fish and Prawn Breyani

Fish and Prawn Breyani

I don’t eat enough fish…sad but true! So this is me making an attempt…

This is my latest quick and easy breyani recipe – it’s also become known as the FONG KONG Breyani!!! The old-fashioned way was to steam the raw fish with the rice…sometimes it’s perfect and sometimes the fish turns into mush….this FONG KONG style ensures that it will be perfect…aromatic, appetizing and beautifully presented.

Most of my favourite fish choices are either on the red or orange list. Check the SASSI website for more details…you will be surprised to find some of our old favourites like Englishman, Red Roman and Mussel Cracker on the list! So buy fish on the ‘Green List’! I have opted to use fresh hake….it is seriously good, reasonably priced and always available! To ‘tart up’ the hake, I ‘shoshen’ sauteed prawns over just before serving.

Nothing beats a good pot for making breyani…a FONG KONG pot just won’t do. That would be asking for trouble. For me, I haul out a rather large AMC pot, to cook up a super large batch…we sometimes have neighbors to feed!

Here is the recipe:

Fish and Prawn Breyani

1kg linefish steaks
15ml red chilli powder
Salt to season
1kg prawn tails
Sunflower oil to fry fish and prawns
4 potatoes, sliced into rounds and fried
65ml sunflower oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
5ml cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
7ml coarse salt
20ml crushed garlic
30ml red chilli powder
400g chopped tomatoes
10ml ground cumin
10ml ground coriander
2ml turmeric
125ml fresh cream
250ml cooked lentils
900ml cooked basmati rice, cooled
100g butter, melted
250ml boiling water
Fresh coriander, to garnish

Here’s how:

Rub the red chilli and salt over the fish steaks and leave to marinate in the refrigerator.
Heat the sunflower oil, add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
When the spices are fragrant, add the cumin seeds.
Once the seeds splutter, add the onion and salt.
Saute until the onion is light golden brown.
Stir in the crushed garlic, stir for a few seconds, then add the red chilli powder.
Add the chopped tomatoes followed by ground cumin, coriander and turmeric.
Simmer until the tomatoes soften.
Add the fresh cream, layer the potatoes and halt the lentils over the tomatoes.
Next add the cold basmati rice and the remaining lentils.
Drizzle in the melted butter and pour the boiling water over the rice.
Steam on low until the rice heats through.
Heat the sunflower oil and fry the fish until golden brown.
Place the fish steaks over the rice and cover.
Lastly heat 30ml sunflower oil and saute the prawn tails for a minute just before serving.
Season the prawns with salt and scatter them over the rice.
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and leave to infuse for a minute.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve immediately.

Wanted: Yudhika Sujanani – FED or ALIVE

The Diwali Burfee Macaron!

The Diwali Burfee Macaron!

It might be paranoia but I am beginning to feel that I am ‘wanted’! I hope been posting full fat Diwali recipes for the last week and judging by my depleted ‘SPAR BUTTER STOCK’, the calories count is rising rapidly! With the whole Diwali weekend to go, my daughter’s birthday and a ‘BOLLYWOOD DIWALI PARTY’ next weekend…the calorie count shows no signs of dropping!

I am going to grin and bear it! The way I cook on-screen is the way I cook off-screen and that is the ‘Sugar n Spice’ secret of my show! A splash of butter here and a drizzle of cream there…it’s all good as long as it’s in MODERATION! I have never eaten a salad as a meal – I just can’t!

Diwali is a time where splashes and drizzles becomes chunks and large glugs! And yes, I do wish there were low-fat versions but sadly not!!! I hope that the Heart Foundation, Weightwatchers and Weighless are not looking out for me….I am beginning to think that I am public enemy No 1!

I am not a heart specialist, dietician or a nutritionist – just a happy hearty cook with a sparkle in my eye and a love for food! In other words, I plead not guilty!

Shabnum Moosa from the Daily News said I just make something to tickle her dessert loving taste buds…and this is how the Diwali Macaron was born….bright red to symbolise a happy occasion and good fortune, filled with white chocolate and leftover burfee bits and a hint of cardamom to zhoosh them up! In other words, to die for!

After I submitted this recipe to Jenny Kay from The Star Newspaper, we met for coffee at Tasha’s in Hyde Park…she explained that Macarons are a pretty ambitious dessert to make and I was quite surprised…I have always just popped into the kitchen and banged up a batch…she tested the recipe and I got a late night sms with a picture saying they worked…for those of you who don’t know….Jenny Kay is ‘Angela Day’ from the Verve section of the newspaper! I have worked with her for a few years and have to admit that she is our very own ‘recipe guru’! For more recipes from her, log onto http://www.angeladay.co.za

Here is another recipe perfect for a Diwali treat!

Macarons!

Macarons!

Diwali Burfee Macarons

Makes 18

Ingredients

100g ground almonds
180g Spar icing sugar
Pinch of salt
90g egg whites
25g sugar
Pinch of cardamom
Red gel food colouring

Filling
60ml fresh cream
100g white chocolate, chopped
60g burfee, finely chopped

Here’s how:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius.
Draw 4cm circles on silicone baking paper and turn it onto a baking sheet.
Place the almonds in a coffee grinder and process until fine.
Sift the icing sugar with the ground almonds into a bowl, then add salt.
Whisk the egg whites until foamy and gradually add the sugar.
When stiff peaks form, add the cardamom and red colouring – brighter colours work best!
Gently fold the almond mixture into the egg whites.
Pipe the mixture onto the baking paper.
Gently tap the tray to remove air bubbles.

The macarons...fingers crossed!

The macarons…fingers crossed!

Leave aside for an hour so that the macarons set.
Bake for 12 15 minutes and then leave the oven door ajar for 5 minutes.
Leave to cool and then remove from the baking paper.

For the filling:
Heat the cream and then add the chocolate.
Whisk until the mixture is smooth, then add the chopped burfee.
Stir the mixture until smooth and refrigerate for 2 – 3 hours.

...and now for the tasting....

…and now for the tasting….

Sandwich the macarons together with the filling.
Serve at room temperature once the filling has set.