Meals of memory
ROASTED CHICKEN WITH CHICKPEA RICE
Ingredients
3 cups basmati rice, cooked
200gm vermicelli
2 tbsp olive oil
400gm can chickpeas, drained
1 tsp cumin powder
¾ tsp cinnamon powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 medium onions, thickly sliced
Method
Rub a whole chicken with a mixture of salt, olive oil and curry powder. Roast in a preheated oven at 180° C for an hour.
For rice, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan and sauté onions until browned and caramelised. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the chickpeas and cumin in the same pan. In another pan, fry the vermicelli in a little oil until lightly brown. Add a little water and cook until soft. Drain and add a little salt, pepper and cinnamon powder, and mix well. Next, add the cooked rice and chickpeas, and mix well. Transfer to a large platter, top with caramelised onions and toasted nuts of your choice. Now place the roasted chicken on the top of the rice and serve.
THAI BEEF SALAD
Ingredients
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 garlic clove crushed
Vegetable oil for brushing
800gm beef stir fry strips or tenderloin steak
2 carrot finely sliced
1 cucumber (outer part only) finely sliced
Small bunch coriander, chopped
2 red chilli, finely sliced
Mint leaves and coriander, for garnish
Method
In a bowl, mix the sesame oil, brown sugar, fish sauce, soya sauce, and garlic with 3 tbsp water and set aside. Brush the grill pan with oil and heat under a medium high heat. Season the meat strips with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes; if using steak, cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the meat and set aside. Divide the carrot and cucumber into four plates. Arrange the meat strips or steak sliced into thin strips on top. Add the dressing, followed by the chopped coriander and sliced chillies. Garnish with mint and coriander and serve. Noodles are the idea accompaniment.
LAMB KOFTAS WITH MINT YOGHURT
Ingredients
500gm minced lamb
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp smoked paprika
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
60 ml olive oil
For Mint yoghurt—
250ml yoghurt
1 lemon juice and rind
Handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Mix together all ingredients for koftas, except olive oil. Season, then divide into ten portions. Shape each portion around a wooden kebab skewer into a 5cm sausage. Press meat mixture together tightly and refrigerate for an hour. Heat olive oil in a frying pan then fry kebabs for 3-5 minutes each side or until golden brown and cooked. Mix all yoghurt ingredients together and season. Serve with kebabs.
FISH CAKES
Ingredients
400 gm tinned pilchards in water, drained
2 slices white bread, crumbed
1 lemon, juice and rind
50ml parsley chopped
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
15ml mayonnaise
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Flour for dusting
Oil for shallow frying
For potato salad, mix together—
300g baby potatoes, boiled
200gm green beans, boiled
4-5 pieces cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
Mix the first eight ingredients and season. Reserve a tablespoon of spring onions for garnishing. Shape the mixture into patties with floured hands and set aside. Heat oil in a pan and shallow-fry a couple of fishcakes at a time until golden brown on both sides. Serve fishcakes with the potato salad.
SPICY CHICKEN WINGS
Ingredients
1 Egg
1 cup oil
2 cups cider vinegar
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp each, garlic powder, nutmeg, ground cloves and celery salt
Chopped coriander, as desired
1kg chicken wings, cut at joints, wing tips removed
Celery stick, to garnish
Cream cheese dipping sauce, to serve
Method
To make sauce, beat the egg in a medium bowl, add oil and beat again. Add vinegar, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, nutmeg, cloves, celery salt and coriander. Stir well. Dip wing pieces in this sauce and place in shallow roasting tin. Bake for 10 mins at 180° C, turning and basting with sauce several times until wings reach desired crispness. Remove from oven, drain and place on a warm plate, garnished with celery sticks. Serve with cream cheese dipping sauce.
FRIED SHRIMP WONTONS
Ingredients
1 tbsp oil, plus more for frying
4 tbsp finely chopped water chestnuts
2 tbsp finely chopped green onions
2 tbsp soy sauce, plus extra for dipping
1 tbsp minced ginger
250gm raw shrimp, shelled and finely chopped
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp chili oil
1 tbsp corn flour mixed with 1 tbsp water
12 wonton wrappers
Method
Sauté the ginger and green onions in a tablespoon of oil in a wok over moderate heat for a minute, then add the shrimp and water chestnuts and cook for another minute. Add the sugar, sesame oil, chilli oil and soy sauce, and stir. Combine the corn starch and water in a small bowl, then add this to the shrimp mixture. Transfer the mixture to a plate and let it cool. Spoon a tablespoon of the filling into the centre of each wonton wrapper and fold the corner over the filling, tucking the point underneath to make triangle shapes. Pinch the wrapper around the shrimp filling to enclose it. Pull the side corners under the filling and use a little water to seal the edges. Put the wontons on a baking sheet and cover them with a damp cloth as you prepare the remaining ones. You can freeze them at this point for up to 2 months if you want. Heat a pot of oil to 190°C and fry the wontons in batches for about 2 minutes or until they are golden brown. Drain them on paper towels and serve with soy sauce for dipping.
Photo: Collected