PRAWN AND CARDAMON BIRYANI WITH CUCUMBER & MINT RAITA
Serving Size- 2-4
OVERVIEW
This traditional Biryani recipe layers together an aromatic curry with rice in the casserole. Quick to prepare and easily baked in the oven this can be brought to the table straight from the oven.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Cooked in our 29cm Oval Casserole. Serves four.
INGREDIENTS
Prawns
- 500g (1lb 2oz) peeled raw prawns
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- 3 garlic cloves- crushed
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
Rice
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, ghee, or sunflower oil
- 1 large onion- finely chopped
- 5cm (2 inch) piece peeled fresh ginger- finely grated
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 5cm (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
- 8 cloves
- 3 tablespoon coconut-based curry paste
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 400g (14oz) white basmati rice
- 700ml (1 pint 3 ½ floz) chicken stock
- 4 fresh bay leaves or 12 fresh curry leaves
- 400g (14oz) vine tomatoes- skinned, seeded and diced
- 100g (4oz) roasted salted cashew nuts
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 200 degree C/ 400 degree F/ Gas Mark 6.
- Mix the prawns in a bowl with the spices, garlic, salt and pepper and set to one side.
- For the rice: heat the oil in the casserole over a medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, cardamom seeds, mustard seeds, cinnamon sticks and cloves and fry for 5 minutes until the onion is soft. Stir in the curry paste and turmeric and fry for 2-3 minutes more. Add the rice, stock, bay leaves and ½ teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Stir once to make sure none of the rice is stuck to the base of the casserole, cover with the lid and cook for 1 minute over a high heat to build up a head of stem. Transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for the raita, peel the cucumber, halve it lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Finely dice the flesh, toss it together with ½ teaspoon of salt and set it aside in a sieve to drain for 10 minutes. Dry it well on kitchen paper and mix with the remaining ingredients and a little more salt to taste.
- Remove the rice from the oven, uncover the casserole and fluff up the rice into separate grains with a fork. Stir through the diced tomatoes, cover with the lid and set aside to warm them through while you cook the prawns.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the marinated prawns and stir-fry for 3 minutes until just cooked through. Uncover the rice and gently stir through the prawns, three- quarters of the chopped mint, coriander, and the cashew nuts. Scatter the rest of the mint leaves and cashew nuts over the top of the biryani and serve with the cucumber and mint raita.
COOK’S NOTES
- To de-vein peeled prawns, run a small, sharp knife down the back of each one, only just cutting through the skin. Lift up and peel away the thin black vein.
- A spice grinder is simply a coffee bean grinder, reserved for spices. Freshly grinding spices will give you a better flavour but you can use ready-ground if you wish.
- There are many good curry pastes on the market today. Choose one which is not too chilli-hot and which has lots of coconut in the mix.
2.STICKY CHICKEN SKEWERS
Main Ingredient – Poultry
Serving Size – 2-4
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small onion – finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic – minced
- 3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
- 125ml (4floz) tomato sauce
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
- 500g (1lb 2oz) skinless chicken breast fillets – cut into strips
- Bamboo skewers
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Reserve half of the sauce for basting and dipping.
- Place the chicken in a zip-lock and pour in the remaining sauce. Close the bag and knead to ensure the chicken strips are entirely coated in the sauce. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
- Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes. This will prevent them from burning on the grill.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and remove the excess before threading onto the skewers. Discard the marinade.
- Place the empty Grillit over a low to medium heat on the hob and allow it to progressively heat for several minutes. When the grill pan is ready, lightly oil the grill ribs and place on the skewers, cook until well browned on one side, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the chicken and baste with some of the reserved sauce. Grill for a further 5 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the grill and serve with the reserved sauce.
COOK’S NOTES
- Ensure the cooking surface is sufficiently hot but not smoking before cooking begins, if too cool, the sear lines will not develop.
- Test the grill’s temperature before cooking by splashing a few drops of cold water over the hot surface. If it sizzles and the water evaporates almost immediately, it is hot and ready for use. If the water produces steam but has no sizzle, heat the pan for a little longer and repeat the test again. Use an oven mitt, handle glove or a thick cloth for gripping the cast iron handle at all times.
3.CELEBRATION FRUIT CAKE
Serving Size- 10+
OVERVIEW
A rich, moist fruit cake perfect for Christmas, birthdays and other seasonal celebrations. Cover with marzipan, icing and decorate for the special occasion or for a more simple finish, decorate before baking with some almonds.
Baked in our 24cm Springform Round Cake Tin.
Serves 20+
INGREDIENTS
- 400g raisins
- 300g sultanas
- 300g currants
- 175g glace cherries
- 115g candied peel
- Zest of 1 lemon and 1 large orange
- Juice of 1 large orange
- 125ml fortified wine (port or sherry)
- 280g butter, softened
- 280g dark muscovado sugar
- 5 eggs
- 280g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 85g ground almonds
INSTRUCTIONS
- Line the base and sides of the cake tin with baking parchment and set to one side. Mix the fruit and peel in a bowl, stir in the citrus zest, juice and fortified wine. Cover and leave to soak overnight. Pre- heat the oven to 170 degree C/ 150 degree C fan/ Gas Mark 3.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl; beat in the eggs one at a time. To prevent curdling add 1 – 2 tablespoons of the flour after the addition of the first 2 eggs.
- Stir in the flour with the spices, add the ground almonds and mix well. Stir the soaked fruit into the mixture and combine.
- Pour the cake mixture into the tin, smooth over the top and make a small well in the centre. The well will ensure a flat top to the cake.
- Cook for 30 minutes at 170 degree C/ 150 degree fan/ Gas Mark 3. Reduce the oven temperature to 140 degree C/ 120 degree fan/ Gas Mark 1. Continue cooking for 3 to 3 ½ hours. Cover the cake lightly with a piece of aluminium foil for the last hour of cooking to prevent over browning.
- Turn the cake tin two or three during cooking to ensure even baking. Test to see if the cake is done by inserting a skewer into the centre, it should come away clean.
- Cool the cake in the tin. Release the springform clip and lift the side of the tin away then remove the cake from the base. Wrap in baking paper and foil, store in a cool dry place to mature.
COOK’S NOTES
- For a marzipan and iced cake you will need 2 x 500g blocks of ready-made marzipan and 2 x 500g blocks of ready-made fondant icing to cover the whole cake .
- To cover the top only reduce the amounts by half.
- Brush the whole cake with apricot jam before coating in marzipan and brush the marzipan in a little water before applying the icing.
- For a simple non-iced finish decorate the top of the cake with blanched almonds before baking.
