Chilli paneer and Chapati

Chilli paneer
Originally uploaded by chowen

Chapati
Wholewheat flour 250g
Salt 1 tsp
Oil/Butter 1 tbsp
Water (as needed)

1. Sieve flour and add salt/oil/water to make it into a stiff dough
2. Divide into 10-15 balls and roll out flat
3. Fry in a pan (without oil), turning on either side occasionally. Alternatively place under the grill for approx. 2 mins

Chilli paneer
Paneer cheese (alternatively solid cottage cheese) 250g
3 Onions, chopped
1 Tomato, chopped
Ginger/Garlic paste: blend 1 inch Ginger piece with 4 Garlic cloves
Coriander leaves (1 bunch)
pinch of Tumeric powder (optional)
Chilli powder
1 Cinnamon
2 Cardamon pods
Cumin seeds - some
Oil/salt

1. Boil paneer in salted water for 1 min, drain
2. Shallow fry the paneer till golden
3. In the meantime, blend ginger and garlic together
4. Fry onions in oil till it turns transparent, add chopped tomatos till cooked. Blend with the ginger/garlic paste and coriander leaves. Mix well.
5. Fry cinnamon, cardamon and cumin seeds in a little oil, add the above, chilli powder, tumeric and salt. Cook for a further few minutes
6. Add water and simmer
7. Mix in the Paneer, cook for a further few minutes
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapati

Diamant sablé biscuits

60g unsalted butter
35g icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
10ml double cream
85g flour (or 75g flour and 10g cocoa powder)
egg white
granular sugar

1. Mix the room temperature butter into a cream like consistency. Add the icing sugar, salt and double cream and mix with electric mixer again until everything is evenly blended.

2. Sift the flour and add to the butter-sugar mixture. Blend with mixer then use hands to bring the dough together into a ball.

3. On a floured surface, shape the dough into a rod with length 25-30cm and diameter of 3cm. Wrap in clingfilm and place in freezer for at least 1 hour to fix the shape.

4. Once completely frozen, remove the dough from freezer and brush with egg white. Put a thin layer of granular sugar in a plastic box, place the dough in the box and roll around to coat with sugar.

5. Cut to 1cm thickness discs and bake in a preheated oven at 170C for 20min.

roasted chicken with wild rice

roasted chicken with wild rice
Originally uploaded by chowen

1. Snuggly fit 6 drumsticks on a baking tray, scatter chopped onion, carrot, sweet pepper, 6 halved pomodorino tomatos

2. Drizzle with olive oil overall, add salt and pepper, some chopped parsley (reserve some for garnish), tiny bit of soya sauce - give it a good toss

3. Place in a pre-heated oven for 60 mins - checking half way and toss

4. Cook wild rice according to packet instruction

5. Place on a bed of rice, garnish with parsley and pepper

Beef Okonomiyaki

Beef Okonomiyaki
Originally uploaded by chowen

- 1 piece of steak
- finely chopped vegetables: half pointed cabbage, spring onion, garlic
- 1 egg
- flour or special okonomiyaki mix
- mayonnaise

1. mix vegetables, egg and flour together until it turns into a thickened mixture
2. pour and shape on a shallow pan
3. cook on medium heat until the mixture becomes firm, flip and cook the other side
4. in the meantime, cook the steak - 4 mins on either side for rare-medium, rest it on the chopping board, add sea salt/pepper, cut into small squares
5. place the cooked pancake on a plate - to check, insert a stick to check, it should come out clean
6. place beef cubs on top

Teriyaki chicken with wild rice and fresh vegetables

Teriyaki chicken with wild rice and fresh vegetables
Originally uploaded by chowen

- Marinate 3-4 chicken thigh in teriyaki sauce
- slice 2 spring onion
- prepare fresh vegetables: broccoli and soya beans
- cook rice according to packet

1. pan fry chicken on high heat until browned (2-3 mins on either side), then turn low heat till cooked through, keep a lid on (5-8 mins)
2. place vegetables in salted boiling water, mix lightly in goose fat
3. sprinkle spring onion and/or toasted sesame seeds
4. left over sauce can be used to mix in the rice for added flavour!

Crab pasta

Crab pasta
Originally uploaded by chowen

- shredded crab (cooked) using fresh or crab stick
- crush 1 boiled egg
- olive oil
- salt & pepper

1. cook pasta according to packet instructions
2. once cooked, mix in the crab meat and egg
3. drizzle olive oil on top and season with salt & pepper

Sri Lankan Chicken curry

- 4-6 chicken leg part, de-boned

- 1/2 chopped onion

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 2 cardamon pods

- 2 tsp fennel seeds

- 1/2 chili powder

- 1/2 lime juice

For the paste (blend in a food processor):

- 8 garlic

- 1 onion

- handful coriander

- 2 tomatos

- 1 piece of ginger

- 1 chili

Marinate chicken in

- 2 tsp tumeric

- ground pepper & salt

1. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil and fry 1/2 chopped onion

2. Add 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamon pods, 2 tsp fennel seeds

3. Add chicken pieces and brown them on medium heat

4. Add paste and continue stirring 

5. Simmer for 20 mins until sauce thickens

6. Squeeze 1/2 lime juice, 1 tsp chili powder

Serve with plain basmati rice