Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups oil
2 cups grated carrots
½ cup chopped pecans
2 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon powder
1 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs
250g tinned pineapple drained
½ cup sultanas

Method:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line large ring pan.
- Beat sugar, oil and eggs until well blended. Add carrots, nuts, pineapples and sultanas. Mix well.
- Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Gradually add this flour mixture.
- Batter will be thin. Pour into a prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. Turn out and cool.
- Ice with whipped cream and decorate with chopped nuts

Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 large red peppers
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1tsp dried oregano
4tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, peeled and chopped
6 large tomatoes, peeled
850ml (1½ pt) vegetable stock
1tsp sugar
Half a packet fresh basil leaves
2 small ciabatta loaves, baked according to packet instructions

Method:
1, Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Place the peppers and garlic on a baking tray, sprinkle with oregano and 1tbsp olive oil. Roast for 30-35 mins until the pepper skins are blistered. Place the hot peppers in a plastic bag. When cold, peel and chop the flesh, discarding the seeds.

2, Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large pan and fry the onion for 10 mins until softened. Chop the tomatoes, discarding the seeds and add to the pan with the peppers, stock, sugar and a few basil leaves. Squeeze the soft cooked garlic from the cloves and add to the pan. Simmer for 30 mins.

3, Slice the ciabatta into four and brush with the remaining olive oil. Chop the basil (keeping a few leaves for garnish) and sprinkle over the bread. Season and lightly grill. Whizz the soup in a food processor then reheat. Garnish with basil leaves and black pepper and serve with the toasts.

Lamb Boti Kebab

Ingredients:

1kg deboned leg of lamb

1 tsp ginger garlic

1 tsp garlic paste

1 ½ ground green chillies

1 tsp cardamom powder

1 tsp crushed cumin

1 tsp crushed coriander

4 Tbsp fresh green pawpaw, grated

3 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp oil

Method:

Wash and drain meat

Liquidized all the ingredients and marinate the meat onto skewers, alternating with the red and green peppers.

Cook on a braai, or in a non stick pan or on an electric braai.

Serve with yoghurt raita.

Leek and Potatoe Soup

Ingredients:
4 leeks, chopped
4 large potatoes, cubed
1tbsp vegetable oil
800ml chicken or vegetable stock
300ml single cream
Pinch of grated nutmeg

To serve:
Croutons
Grated nutmeg
Parsley, chopped

Method:
1, Sweat 4 chopped leeks and 4 large cubed potatoes in 1tbsp vegetable oil for 10 mins, stirring occasionally until softened but not browned.

2, Add 800ml chicken or vegetable stock, cover and simmer for 15 mins. Season to taste and leave to cool slightly.

3, Liquidise soup until smooth. Return to pan, stir through 300ml single cream and pinch of grated nutmeg. Reheat gently.

4 Garnish with a swirl of natural yogurt, chopped parsley and some crunchy croutons.

Chicken Manchurian

Ingredients:

1/4 kg boneless chicken, cut into fine pieces
6-7 tbsps spring onion whites
3-4 tbsps spring onion greens
1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 tbsp chopped ginger
2 tsps soya sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
2 tsps vinegar
1 tbsp corn flour + 5 tbsps chicken stock or water
1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsps tomato sauce
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd (preferably Kashmiri)
salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsps sesame oil
oil for deep frying

For marinade: (marinate chicken with below ingredients for at least 15 mts or 1 hr)

1/4 tsp pepper pwd
1 egg white
salt to taste
1 1/2 tsps ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp maida/all purpose flour
2-3 tbsps corn flour
1-2 tbsps of water, if required


Method:
1 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, make small balls of the marinated chicken and carefully drop into the hot oil. Cook on low medium flame and towards the end of the cooking process increase flame to high and deep fry to a golden brown shade. Drain with a slotted spoon and place on absorbent paper. Keep aside.

2 Heat a heavy bottomed vessel, add oil, add the chopped garlic and saute on high flame for about 30 secs. Add the chopped ginger and green chillis and saute for a few more secs. Add the spring onion whites and saute for 3 mts on high flame.

3 Reduce to medium heat and add the brown sugar, soya sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and vinegar. Combine well and cook for 2 mts. Add 1/4 cup chicken stock or water and cook for a mt. Add the deep fried chicken balls and cook for 4 mts. Adjust salt, if necessary.

4 Add the cornflour water and cook, tossing the contents, for 4-5 mts. You will find that it becomes thick due to cornflour.

5 Add the chopped spring onion greens and combine. Garnish with more spring onion greens. Serve hot as a starter/appetizer.

Onion Bhajis

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion , sliced
• 200 g chickpea flour
• 1 tsp baking powder ,
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• some salt
• 100 ml water
• 750 ml vegetable oil
• 1 saucepan
• 1 bowl
• 1 whisk
• 1 spoon
• 1 slotted spoon
• tray lined with paper towels

Method:

Put the oil into the pan and place it on a medium-high heat.

In a bowl, combine the chickpea flour, rice flour, baking powder, chilli, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt and the water. Mix it together well and add the sliced onion.

Check the temperature of the oil by dropping a little batter into it. If it fries slowly, it is at the right temperature.

Carefully drop spoons of batter into the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, which will make them stick together. Fry them for about 1-2 minutes or until the batter becomes a lovely golden brown. Remove them, place them to drain on the paper-lined tray, and repeat until all the bhaji are cooked.

Sprinkle over a little salt and your onion bhaji are ready to serve. They make a perfect appetiser and go well with coriander chutney or cucumber raita, both of which can be found on our website. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 kg boneless and skinless chicken cut into small cubes
1 green bell pepper remove seeds, cut into cubes
1 red bell pepper remove seeds, cut into cubes
1 onion cut into cubes
2 clove garlic chopped finely

Ingredients to Fried Chicken:

8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients:

6 tablespoons ketchup
6 tablespoons Lingam chili sauce (you may use any brand but has to be hot )
2 teaspoon plum sauce
1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
7 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
4 dashes white pepper powder
3 tablespoons oil

Method:

Cut the boneless chicken into small cubes and mix the ingredients to fried chicken in a bowl.

Mix well the sweet and sour sauce in a small bowl and keep aside.

Deep fry the chicken cubes. Transfer the chicken out on a plate lined with paper towels to dry the excess oil. Remove the cooking oil and leave only 2 tablespoons oil in the wok.

Add garlic and saute the garlic until light brown and then follow by the chopped onion, green and red bell peppers. Stir-fry until you smell the aroma. and add the prepared sweet and sour sauce into the wok and bring it to boil. Toss in the chicken, do just a few quick stirs, dish out and good to serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Strawberry Sundae

Ingredients:
18 strawberries , hulled
3 tbsp golden caster sugar
4 tbsp orange juice
284ml pot double cream
strawberry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream
6 small bananas
50g pecans , toasted and chopped

Method:
Put 12 of the strawberries in a food processor with 2 tbsp of the sugar and the orange juice. Pulse until coarsely chopped and chill. Softly whip the cream with the remaining sugar. Put a scoop of each flavour of ice cream into 6 bowls and freeze.

When ready to serve, chop the remaining strawberries and add to the bowls. Cut the bananas in half lengthways and add these, too. Pour some strawberry sauce over each sundae and finish with a dollop of cream and some nuts.

Chicken Spring Roll

Ingredients:

• 4 cups oil for frying
• 20 ounces canned chicken chunks (shredded and drained)
• 1 onion
• 1/2 cup cabbage (shredded)
• 1 carrot
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce
• 1 dash hot sauce, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce
• 20 spring roll wraps

Instructions:

1. Prepare onion and carrot by shredding with a cheese grater.
2. Bring oil to 375 F (190 C) in an appropriate saucepan for deep frying.
3. Combine together the chicken with the veggies, and sauces in a bowl. Increasing spice to taste by using additional sauce.
4. Portion mixture by the tablespoon full into center of spring roll wraps. Dip fingertips in water and moisten edges of wraps, then roll mixture and seal the edges.
5. Deep fry in preheated oil for five minutes, or until golden, about three or four rolls at a time. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup of long grain rice
1 cup of frozen peas
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 small red pepper , chopped
2 garlic cloves , thinly sliced
2 large eggs
1 heaped tsp Chinese five-spice powder

Method:

1. Fill a saucepan with water, bring to the boil and tip in a heaped teaspoon of salt - the water will bubble furiously. Pour in the rice, stir once and return to the boil, then turn the heat down a little so that the water is boiling steadily, but not vigorously.
2. Boil uncovered, without stirring (this makes for sticky rice) for 10 minutes. After 8 minutes, throw in the frozen peas, boil for 2 minutes and drain (don't rinse).
3. Heat the sunflower oil in a wok and stir fry the red pepper and the garlic cloves for 2 minutes.
4. Beat the eggs, pour into the pan and stir fry until the egg just sets. Toss in the Chinese 5-spice.
5. Serve the rice and the egg together after mixing in well.

Fish Tikka

Ingredients:

• 500 gms fish pieces of any type
• 20 gms flour (beasn)
• 45 ml cream
• 1 onion, chopped in circles.
• 60 gms curd / plain yogurt
• Salt To Taste
• 150 gms vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp ajwain
• 2 tsp cumin seeds powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 30 ml lemon juice
• chili powder to taste
• 5 tbsp mint or coriander chutney
• 1/2 tsp white pepper powder

How To Prepare Fish Tikka:

1. Put yogurt in a bowl. Add garlic paste, ajwain, garam masala, cream, chili powder, lemon juice, salt, cumin seeds powder, mint or coriander chutney and basan flour in it. Mix them well.

2. Marinate the fish pieces in the mixture for 3 hours.

3. Heat oil in a pan and fry fish pieces from both sides till they become crisp and golden brown.

4. Fish tikka is ready to serve. Serve with chopped onions.

Sweet and Sour Lamb

Serves 4

Ingredients :
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter or margarine
8 lamb cutlets
1 onion, chopped
25 g/1 oz/0.25 cup comflour (cornstarch)
30 ml/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
5 ml/1 tsp soy sauce
400 g/14 oz/1 large can of pineapple rings
150 ml/0.25 pt Chicken Stock
15 ml/1 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Boiled rice, to serve

Method :
Melt the butter or margarine and fry (saute) the lamb for 10 minutes on each side until crisp and brown. Transfer to a warm serving dish and keep warm. Fry the onion until soft but not brown, then drain off any excess fat. Mix together the cornflour, wine vinegar and soy sauce and add it to the pan with the juice from the pineapple and the stock. Bring to the boil, stirring, and boil for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Add the cutlets and parsley, season to taste and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with the pineapple rings and serve with boiled rice.

Chicken Chowmein

Ingredients:
* 1 whole cabbage
* 2 red bell peppers
* 2 green bell peppers
* 10-15 medium sized mushrooms
* 1 onion
* 4 cloves of garlic
* 3 cups of bean sprouts
* 1 packet of Mandarin Noodles steamed noodle chowmein (packeted)
* Soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, any other oriental sauce of your choice (honey garlic/sweet and sour)
* 12 Table spoons of olive oil (more or less)
* 2 pinches of salt and pepper

Method:
In a frying pan or wok heat about 2 table spoons of oil and fry your noodles in it until they are golden brown. If you have a lot of noodles, half the package and repeat this process. After your noodles are browned place them in a large turkey pan with a lid.

Cut up your chicken breasts into bite size peices. Heat a wok with 4 tablespoons of oil and fry your chicken. Add 1 chopped up onion, your garlic, salt and pepper and any other flavorings of your choice. Then give it a hearty splash of soy sauce and fish sauce and anyother oriental sauce you desire. Then add 2 cups of water, close the lid and allow the chicken to cook on medium heat for half an hour.

After your chicken is done cooking, add your vegetables to the same wok. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. If you like your veggies crispier, take it out sooner. Just before you are done, add your bean sprouts.

Once your chicken and veggies are done, pour it over the noodles in your pot. Its ok if it has liquids to it because that will help soften the noodles. Then with a spatula or tongs mix your veggies/chicken and noodles so everything blends. Do this carefully, you dont want to mash anything, just MIX.

Put your baking pan into the oven on medium heat, about 365 degrees for 25 minutes.
Taste it to see if it is to your liking, add more soysauce or keep it in longer if you want it a bit softer.

Note: When you are pouring the veggies and chicken on the noodles, first add the solids then later add the liquid from the pan. That way if you have a lot of water it wont drench the noodles.

Add different types of vegetables like baby corns, peas, broccoli and zuchinni. To make things easier for yourself on busy nights, add frozen stir fry vegetables instead of fresh!

This meal serves 6-7 people.

Stir Fry Rice

Ingredients:
2 Cups Cooked Rice
1 Cup Grated Carrots
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Red Pepper Chopped
3 Green Chillies Chopped
1 Cup Chopped Cabbage
2 Tbls Grated Ginger
1 Tbls Garlic
Soya Light to taste
1 Tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbls Peanut Oil (optional)

Method:
Keep the above ready before you start cooking.
1 Cup Cubed Chicken / Lamb / Shrimps / Headless prawns
1 Egg
Heat the wok with 2 tbls of oil.
Stir fry onion, ginger & garlic
Add the chicken or your choice of meat
Lastly add the vegetables & stir
Add soya, sugar, sesame oil & cooked rice
Cover wok with loose lid to settle flavor

Before you serve this dish …Beat egg and make an omelette
Remove from heat, cut into small strips and mix into the rice dish

Spicy Couscous Salad

Ingredients:
410g can plum tomatoes drained
3-4 spring onions thinly sliced
5ml sun flower oil
62ml seedless raisins
300ml water
5ml ground jeeru
1ml ground turmeric (arad)
1ml ground taj
300ml couscous
30ml chopped mint
45ml parsley finely chopped

Method:
chopped tomato and leave to drain through a fine sieve. Sauté spring onions heated oil, stirring for 1 minute over medium heat.

stir in tomatoes, raisins water and spices and bring to boil. Stir in couscous will have absorbed the liquid. Leave to cool.

fold in mint and parsley.

King Prawns

Step 1: You will need
360g large prawns , peeled and de-veined with tails left on
60 ml olive oil
3 garlic cloves , peeled and chopped finely
1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
3 tbsp fresh coriander , chopped
1 lime , to garnish
salt and pepper , to taste
1 chopping board
1 small knife
1 wooden spoon
1 medium cooking pot with lid
Serves:
4
Preparation Time:
10 minutes
Cooking Time:
5 minutes


Step 2: Heat the oil and garlic
Place the medium pot on the hob and turn to a high heat. Add the oil and garlic and leave to cook for one minute.

Step 3: Cook the prawns
Before the garlic browns, add in the prawns and stir. Cook for one minute and add the chilli flakes. Allow it to bubble, cover, and leave for a few minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. When the prawns are cooked remove form the heat.

Step 4: Garnish and serve
Cut the lime into wedges. Transfer the prawns onto a serving plate and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the coriander leaves and add a drizzle of lime juice and oil. Garnish with the lime wedges and serve.