My Homemade Wholemeal Loaf.

 

My Homemade Wholemeal Loaf. 

You will need:

2lb Bread tin

Mixing bowl

2 jugs. 

INGREDIENTS

400g Wholemeal Flour

100g Strong Plain Flour

50g Softened Butter

1 Tsp Salt

1Tsp Nigella Seeds

15g Active Yeast

1Tsp Caster Sugar

300ml warm water. 

METHOD

Make up 150ml of warm water in a small jug, sprinkle over the yeast and sugar. 

Whisk well and leave until the top froths to about 5-10mm. 

Place the flour, salt & Nigella Seeds into a large mixing bowl and using a fork, mix well. 

Now add the butter, using your fingers, rub in well, until you almost have a breadcrumb mixture. 

Add the yeast mixture and the rest of the warm water. Bring together to form a dough. 

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead. 

Knead for 5 - 10mins until the dough becomes smooth but pliable. 

Return the dough to the bowl,(tip: wipe a little oil around the bowl first) cover with cling film and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size. Up to an hour. 

Turn your oven on 200c/180c fan, 

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead again for 5-10mins.

Shape dough and place into your bread tin, cover with lightly oiled cling film or a damp tea towel. Leave to rise, so that it is just above the bread tin. 

Remove the cling film, dust with a little flour and put on the middle oven shelf. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes. 

Turn the bread out onto a wire rack and allow to cool. 

Enjoy! 

Delicious Vegetable Curry!

 Vegetable Curry

This is a very tasty but simple dish that can either be a main or side. 

For this I've used courgette, green beans and carrots, but any leftover veg will do. 

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsps veg oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 Bay leaf

1 dried red chilli

2 cloves

3 green cardamom

1 large onion, sliced

½ tsp turmeric 

½ tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin 

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp salt or to taste. 

1 green chilli (optional). 

1 large tomato chopped. 

1 or 2 courgettes sliced

1 carrot sliced

Handful of green beans topped and tailed. 

1-2 teaspoons sugar. 

1 tsp Garam masala. 

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the mustard seed, along with all the whole spices. 

Cook until mustard seeds start to pop. 

Now add the onions, lower the heat and cook until golden brown, ( about 10 minutes). Add a splash of water from time to time to avoid burning the onions. 

Now add the ground spices, salt and green chilli. 

Stir and cook for a minute. Now add the tomato and a splash of water and cook on a medium, low heat until the tomato breaks down. 

Add the remaining vegetables and the sugar. Cook on a low heat, with a lid on until the vegetables are cooked. Check frequently to make sure the mixture doesn't stick, adding water if necessary. 

Finally, when the dish is ready, stir in the garam Masala and serve. Delicious! 

Lamb & Spinach Curry

Lamb with Spinach

Another Hari Ghotra inspired dish, this Lamb curry is delicious! 

A little spicy with a deep flavour and well worth the effort. 

INGREDIENTS

350g Diced Lamb

3 cloves of garlic

1" piece of ginger chopped

1 tblsp coriander seeds

½ tsp salt

2-3 tblsps oil

1 large onion sliced

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

1 red chilli chopped

1 tsp salt

3 tblsps plain yogurt 

100grs baby spinach

METHOD

Grind the Coriander seeds in a spice grinder and place in a pestle and mortar

With the garlic, ginger and salt. 

Work into a paste and add to the diced lamb, mix well and set aside. 

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions, cook until we'll browned on a medium to low heat. Remove a tblsp of onion and set aside. 

Add the lamb mixture and cook on high for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the turmeric, chilli, chilli powder and salt, stir and cook for 2 mins. 

Turn the heat down slightly and add a tblsp of yogurt, stir and cook until absorbed into the mixture, repeat until all the yogurt is used. Now add the spinach, cover the pan, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 40 - 50mins stirring from time to time until the lamb is cooked through. Add a little hot water if the sauce becomes to dry or starts to stick. You should end up with a nice creamy sauce. 

Serve with some of the saved onion sprinkled on top. Delicious!! 

A TASTE OF SPAIN!

SPANISH STYLE CHICKEN WITH CHORIZO

This is absolutely delicious and full of the flavour of Spain.

INGREDIENTS

3 TBLSPS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 SMALL ONION  CHOPPED

1 CLOVE GARLIC  FINELY SLICED

200g GOLDEN POMODORINI (Small sweet Tomatoes) TOMATOES HALVED

100g CHORIZO SLICED

4 SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS

3 SMALL TO MEDIUM PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS SLICED

1 TBSP SPANISH SHERRY VINEGAR

HANDFUL FRESH BASIL  TORN

SALT AND GROUND BLACK PEPPER

METHOD

Heat the oil on a moderate setting  in a large shallow pan, add the Onion and Garlic.Fry for five minutes until soft and add the Chorizo, cook for a further two minutes or until the Paprika from the Chorizo is released.  Add the Chicken and continue to cook until browned turning occasionally (about 6 – 10 mins).  Now add the Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Sherry Vinegar, Fresh Basil, Salt and Ground Black Pepper. Cook on a high heat for 5 minutes stirring from time to time so that the   chicken doesn't stick. Now pour in enough hot water to come half way up the chicken, bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 30mins. Stir the pan occasionally to avoid sticking. If you like it a little spicy, make sure your Chorizo is picante or even add a chopped mild red chilli. 

Uncover the pan and continue to cook until the sauce becomes a little thicker, dress with a few spare Basil leaves and Serve with Spanish Style fried potatoes. Delicious!

Creamy Saag Paneer!

 Creamy Saag Paneer! 

For all you vegetarians out there, I've recently cooked this dish following the Hari Ghotra recipe and it's delicious! 

If you like curry, but you're a vegetarian, then download the Hari Ghotra app from your app store, you will find a whole selection of delicious meals that you can cook at home! 

Hari's recipes are easy to follow and in my opinion, the best curry recipes anywhere! 

BANANA BREAD!

 Banana Bread. 

I saw this recipe on the back of a flour bag, so I thought, I'm going to have a go at this. 

I mean, it sounds perfect if you're watching your weight. It's full of sugar and butter, it's even got real bananas in it! Perfect!! 

Seriously this is a tasty treat, so why not give it a go? 

Firstly set your oven to: 190c, Fan 170c

INGREDIENTS 

200g Butter

200g Sugar

1tsp Vanilla extract

3 Medium eggs

200g Self raising white flour

2 Ripe Bananas mashed. 

METHOD

Rub some butter round a 2lb loaf tin. 

Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat until nice and creamy then stir in the vanilla extract. 

Break the eggs into the bowl one at a time beating as you go. 

Add half the flour to the bowl and beat well. 

Now add the mashed bananas and beat again. 

Mix in the rest of the flour and spoon the mixture into the loaf tin. 

Smooth over the top. 

Bake in the oven for 55 minutes. 

Allow to cool for 20 minutes before turning the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool further. 

That's it, enjoy!! 

Beef Kofta Bhuna

 Beef Kofta Bhuna

This is my own take on an Indian kofta recipe, made using beef rather than lamb and I have to say its pretty damn tasty. 

Feel free to have a go, add more chilli if you like it hot! 

This recipe serves 2-3.

INGREDIENTS 

For the Koftas

2 tblsps oil

300g mince beef

Handful fresh mint chopped finely

Handful fresh coriander chopped finely

1 garlic clove minced

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp salt

The Masala

3 tblsps oil

2" piece of cassia bark

2 Black cardamoms

4 green cardamoms

4 cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 Bay leaf

1 Dried Kashmirri chilli

1 Onion chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 fresh green chilli

1 thumb sized piece ginger finely chopped

3 large tomatoes chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp turmeric

½ tsp hot chilli powder

1 tsp salt

½ cup frozen peas

1 dsrtsp mango chutney (optional). 

Method

Place the mince in a large bowl

Along with the fresh herbs and spices including the salt. 

Mix well using a fork, mashing the mince as you go. 

Take small pieces of mince and roll into balls a little smaller than a golf ball. 

You should end up with around 20 pieces. 

Heat the oil on a medium heat in a large pan. Fry the Koftas in batches until browned and lift from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

Add the rest of the oil to the same pan

And heat all the whole dry spices until fragrant. 

Now add the onion, cook for five minutes and add garlic, ginger and green chilli. 

Cook for about ten minutes adding a splash of water to avoid sticking. 

Now stir in the ground spices and salt, stir and lower the heat. 

Add the tomatoes, a splash of water and cook down until you have a nice Masala sauce. 

Add the Koftas and enough water to almost cover them, bring to a boil, lower the heat and put a lid on. 

Cook for around twenty minutes, remove the lid, add the peas and mango chutney if using. Turn the heat up and cook until the sauce thickens to your liking. 

Taste for seasoning. That's it, enjoy!