Farhana Khandoker shares some great and easy to follow flavourful recipes of decadent savory and sweet dishes. She wants to introduce new creative ways to cook and show how one can have a blast in the kitchen. Hope you will enjoy the recipes, try them at home and see how they came out for you!
MOMO
Ingredients
For the Dough
120 gms refined flour
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt water (for kneading)
For the Chicken Filling
1 cup chicken (minced)
½ cup onions, finely chopped
¼ tsp black pepper powder
1 tbsp oil
½ tsp garlic paste
½ tsp soya sauce
Salt, to taste
¼ tsp vinegar
For the Vegetarian Filling
1 cup cabbage and carrots, grated
2 tbsp onions, finely chopped
½ tsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp oil
¼ tsp vinegar
½ tsp soya sauce
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 tbsp cornflour
For Chilli Sauce
25 gram garlic, peeled
6 gms whole red chilies
3 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste
Sugar to taste
Instructions
Cut the red chilies and soak them in water for about two hours. Cut up into small pieces and soak in the vinegar for one to two hours. Put all the ingredients in a mixie and grind to a smooth paste.
Now, in a bowl mix all the ingredients of the chicken or vegetable filling (according to your choice) and keep aside.
Knead the refined flour, baking powder and salt together into firm dough. Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into very thin 4-5 inch rounds. Take each round piece and place some filling in the center. Bring the edges together and twist to seal it.
Steam in a steamer for about 10 minutes and serve hot with chili sauce.
MASALA EGG CHOPS
Ingredients
4 large potatoes, peeled and finely cubed
1 tsp (5 ml) salt (for boiling potatoes)
¼ cup (60 ml) cilantro, finely chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp salt, to taste
4 large hard boiled eggs, peeled
1 egg, beaten
½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 cups oil, for deep-frying
For making tangy-sweet tamarind chutney
½ cup raisins, soaked in 1/3 cup of hot water
1 tbsp tamarind paste
½ tsp salt, to taste
½ tsp garam masala
¼ tsp chili powder
Instructions
Tangy-sweet tamarind chutney :
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Masala Eggs :
Boil potatoes for 10-15 minutes with 1 tsp salt until softened and well-cooked. Drain water and mash well with a fork (or potato masher) until you reach a smooth consistency. Mix in cilantro, coriander, cumin, chili, paprika, garam masala and salt to taste. Set aside to cool.
Take ¼ cup of potato mixture in palm of your hand and make a patty. Make a second patty. Take two patties and cover hardboiled eggs. Pinch the two patties together to create a seal and create a ball. Dip potato ball into beaten egg, then coat well with breadcrumbs. Set aside and continue with remaining potato mixture and eggs.
Heat oil on medium-high. Drop a small piece of potato mixture into oil. If floats to top, oil is ready. Deep-fry each egg chop for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Serve with tangy-sweet tamarind chutney.
CHICKEN VEGETABLE ROLL
Ingredients
For making Chicken Keema
Oil 2 tbsp, Onion sliced 1 cup, Garlic 1 tsp, Ginger paste 1 tsp, Cinnamon stick 1 Cardamom, 2 pcs Cloves, 3 pcs Bay Leaf, 1 Red chili powder, 1 tsp Turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp Cumin powder, 1/2 tsp Potato chopped, 1/2 cup Ground chicken, 1 lb Salt, to taste Black Pepper 1/2 tsp, Green peas 1/4 cup.
For making Pancake Crepe Batter
1 cup White All-purpose flour, 1 Egg Salt to taste, 2 cup Water (room temperature)
Instructions
On a heated pan, add slices onion, garlic, ginger paste, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, red chili, cumin and turmeric powder. Sauté all the ingredients well for a couple of minutes.
Add chopped potato and keep stirring with the spices, add water as required. Add ground meat (chicken/mutton) with salt, black pepper and green peas, mix all ingredients well.
Cover with lid and cook for 10 minutes at medium-high flame, occasionally stirring. Once keema is cooked, turn off heat and set it aside.
In a bowl, add flour, egg, salt and water. Whisk all ingredients together making sure there are no lumps in the batter.
Check the consistency using a spoon, the batter must not be too thick. You can rest the batter for 5-10 minutes, mix it with a spoon again before starting to make the crepes.
Heat a nonstick pan at medium-high heat. Make sure the pan is hot before starting to make crepes.
Grease the pan and pour a spoonful of batter. Slightly move/twist the pan so the batter reaches all sides making a round shape.
Allow for one side to cook well (roughly 2 mins), the crepe should slide off the pan. Grease the pan once again and start making the next crepe. Once the crepe is made, transfer to a plate and add a teaspoon of keema stuffing.
Fold the sides of crepes first, then fold the top and roll all the way till the end. Complete making all keema rolls before frying them all together.
Take the rolls, dip into blended eggs, roll on bread crumbs. Deep fry them at medium-high heat oil until they are brown in color. Remove and drain excess oil in towel.
Serve hot with dipping sauce!
HONEY CHILLI CHICKEN
Ingredients
250 gms Chicken, boneless
½ tsp Garlic, minced
½ tsp Ginger, minced
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper powder
2 tbsp Corn flour
2 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp Red Chili sauce
1 tbsp Honey
½ tsp Red Chili powder
1 tsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp Water
1 tsp Oil
1 tsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Ginger
Minced Spring Onions, white Green Capsicum chopped
1 tbsp Salt
Water + 1 tbsp Corn flour, Vinegar Spring Onion, greens Sesame seeds
Instructions
In a bowl, add chicken, garlic, ginger, salt, black pepper powder and mix it well. Let the chicken marinate for ½ an hour. Add corn flour and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken in batches. In a bowl, add red chili sauce, honey, red chili powder, soy sauce and give it a good mix. Add water, mix well and keep it aside.
In a wok, add water, garlic, ginger, spring onion white, capsicum, sautéed chicken, prepared sauce and mix well.
Add corn flour slurry and mix well. Turn off the flame and add vinegar. Garnish it with spring onion greens and sesame seeds. Our Honey Chili Chicken is ready to serve.
CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE
Ingredients
For Pudding
Caramel
4 tbsp Granulated Sugar, 1 tbsp Water, 1 ½ -2 tbsp Hot Water
Egg Mixture
2 Eggs, 250 ml Milk, 5 tbsp Granulated Sugar, Unsalted Butter
Chocolate Cake
¾ cups butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups milk
Instructions
Let’s make the caramel sauce for custard pudding. Coat the inner surface of the saucepan with unsalted butter. This will make it easy to remove the pudding from the saucepan.
Put the sugar and water in the pot. Heat the pot at medium heat. Let it sit until the surface becomes lightly-colored. Swirl the pot and even out the sugar liquid.
Caramelize the sugar like shown in the video and remove the pot from the heat. Quickly add the hot water in 2 to 3 steps with a long-handled ladle. Tilt the pot away from you to avoid hot caramel sauce splashing and burning your hand. Swirl the pot and even out the hot caramel.
Pour the caramel evenly into the saucepan. Let’s make the egg mixture for pudding. Crack the two eggs into a bowl. Lightly beat the egg with a balloon whisk. Don’t let the tip of the whisk leave the bottom of the bowl to avoid creating too much foam.
Add the milk and sugar in a pot. Turn on the burner. Stir with a spatula until all the sugar is dissolved.
Add the milk to the beaten egg while whisking the mixture. Sieve the egg mixture with a fine mesh strainer. Scrape off the bottom of the strainer with a spatula. Remove any foam on the surface with a spoon. Pour the egg mixture into saucepan.
Chocolate Cake
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter, eggs and vanilla. Gradually add sugar. Beat on medium to high speed for about 3-4 minutes until well mixed
Alternately combine in flour mixture and milk to batter while beating. Continue to beat until batter is smooth. Pour equal amounts of batter into pudding mixture.
Cover saucepan with aluminum foil. The foil will prevent the surface from getting dry. It will also help steam the pudding evenly.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if it is done. Bake a few minutes more, if needed.
Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool in pans for a few minutes. Place cakes on a wire rack, to them allow to completely cool.
To make in a Stove:
Cover saucepan with aluminum foil. The foil will prevent the surface from getting dry. It will also help steam the pudding evenly.
Heat water in a pan and gently place the saucepan in it. The kitchen towel will soften
the heat at the bottom. There should be enough hot water to cover the bottom half
of the saucepan. Put the lid on.
Keep the water temperature just below the boiling point and steam the pudding cake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Do not bring the water to boil otherwise the smooth texture of the cake pudding will be lost. Put kitchen gloves on and remove the saucepan. When they become cool, store them in the fridge.
Let’s serve the cake pudding. Scrape the side of the cup with the tip of a knife. Tap the cup on a kitchen towel and make a space around the pudding.
Serve the chocolate cake pudding on a plate.
NAWABI SEMAI WITH JELLY LAYER
Ingredients
400gm Lucha
1 cup Condense milk
1 litre Milk
200ml fresh cream
½ cup milk powder
4 tbsp Sugar
Few Cashew, Raisins, Pista
1tsp Kesar pista essance
Foster clark cherry jelly
For making the Jelly
Boil two cups water and mix the whole packet jelly powder. Boil until the powder dissolved. After boil take whole liquid into a bowl or serving dish where we will keep the Nawabi semai. Keep it cool and then refrigerate until this turn into jelly.
For making Nawabi lucha semai
Boil milk and reduce its volume upto half. Add condense milk, kesar pista essence in the milk.
Add fresh cream and all the dry fruits in the milk and make it cool and keep aside. In a separate pan put ghee then put the lucha in it.
Add milk powder and sugar in the lucha and fry it and keep aside. Now add half of the lucha in the milk and switch off the flame.
In the rest of the lucha add little orange food colour. In a serving dish where we prepare jelly, pour the lucha and milk mix. Then put the colour lucha on it.
Photo: Farhana Khandoker/Collected