Multi Grain Bread from a Packet

Hi and salaams everyone,
Here is some bread I made a few days ago to go with a mixed vegetable soup. It is home baked although it was a ready packet bread mix, so I can't claim it as my very own doings. However, I just thought I would show you the results. It turned out quite nice, with a lovely nutty taste and texture. However I have yet to make a homemade loaf of bread that isn't Heavy!
Funnily enough I have become quite notorious for all the HEAVY breads I've experimented with and made and now there always seem to be a common joke about the 'door stop' of a loaves I make. The joke wears thin after about the 20th time round.. haha!

South African Biryani

 Before I continue with the recipe, I would first like to thank everyone who has been visiting my blog and sending me their lovely compliments (all of which have been via email).  I really do appreciate all your kind thought and gestures. I really hope that I have been able to inspire you to try making something from the list of recipes I put up, and even if you don't, I hope you have been able to enjoy the photos of all that I make.

Anyway, moving on to the recipe..here is the recipe as requested by a number of friends which I put up on my Eid Day Menu. It is a very traditional South African Biryani, consisting of bright and exciting layers of fragrant white rice, brown lentils (whole red lentils, also called masoor dhal), marinated chicken, large pieces of fried potatoes, peas, then decorated with crispy fried onions. Sound good?

Again this is yet another dish that can be prepared the day before (which is what I prefer to do before a special day like Eid). All the separate components can be prepared and left separately in the fridge to be assembled the next day, or if you have the fridge space, you can have it all assembled in the pot it is to be cooked in to be put straight into the oven and cooked nice and early the next day. There is nothing like having a dish as grand as this, already prepared. It saves heaps of time, allowing you to remain composed, and enjoy your day calmly.

SERVES 8 (at the least)

Ingredients:

Marinate the Chicken as below:
(Mix the chicken pieces with everything in this list below. Cover & leave in the fridge before preparing the rest of the ingredients)
3 1/4 lb chicken portions (medium sized chicken), skinned and cleaned
3-4 medium onions, sliced: 1/4 cup oil**, till browned and crispy (reserve 1tbls of the fried onions) (**reserve the oil used)
1 tbls ginger, crushed/grated
6 cloves garlic, crushed/grated
2 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbls cumin seeds
1 tbls coriander seeds, ground, (or coriander powder)
1 tsp saffron threads 
1 stick cinnamon
8 whole cloves
6 cardamon pods (split slightly)
1 tbls salt
4 tsp lemon juice
1 tbls oil
1 pot or 350 ml natural yoghurt, whisked

Ingredients continued..
~ 4 cups rice
~ 1 1/2 cups Masoor dhal (brown lentils)
~ 4-5 medium potatoes, peeled, halved or quartered
~ 2 cups frozen peas, (parboiled for 2mins)
~ 4 tbls oil (from fried potatoes)
~ 2 tbls butter

Prepare remaining Ingredients:
Prepare the remaining ingredient like so:
1. Par-boil the rice in salted boiling water with a few cardamon pods & whole cloves and a cinnamon stick, for 5-10 minutes till rice has turned white but still the grains are firm. Drain and set aside.
2.  Boil Masoor dhal in salted water till tender (it should be soft enough to mash between the fingers, but not mushy) Drain and set aside.
3.  Sprinkle 1/4 tsp turmeric & 1/4 tsp salt over potatoes, then deep fry till golden and tender
4. Boil peas for 2 minutes


Arrange all layers:

How to layer the Biryani

1. In a large deep casserole pot, and pour the oil used for the onions spreading it around.
2. Lay one third of the masoor over the bottom of the pot.
3. Next layer one third peas
4. Next arrange the marinated chicken evenly, reserving any excess yoghurt marinade for later.
5. Layer the remaining masoor over the chicken
6. Layers remaining peas
7. Tuck potatoes in
8. Layer all of the rice apart from a little, which you can now mix with the remaining yoghurt marinade. Now add this last bit of rice to the top.
9. with the reserved fried onions, sprinkle these over the top.
10. Sprinkle the rice with 1/4 cup of water.

Cook 
Cover the pot with foil and fix the lid on firmly. Place the pot into the oven, set at Gas Mark 4 (180 'C/350 F)  and leave for 1 to 1 1 1/2 hours. Once cooked, the Biryani will stay hot if left in the oven which has been turned off, for 1 hour.

** ENJOY **

(p.s. Please excuse the funny pic of my pot or Biryani!)

Octobers Recipes in Pics

This is a brief overview of all the recipes that where made over the month of October, when I began this blog. A total of 14 recipes to look back on.

There was the Date & walnut Loaf

Date & Walnut Loaf

 

 

 

 

Then came the healthy and reviving Green Soup

 Then the best ever sausage rolls

Then it was the aromatic Vanilla Sugar

Then came a good old quick Fruit Pie

Then Chickpea Curry with naan

Then the popular comfort food, Cheesy filled Jacket Potato

Then my first daring attempt at making Wontons

Then a family favourite, Macaroni Cheese

Quick & Easy Mushroom soup

I am a huge lover of mushrooms. This mushroom soup is lovely when its cold, and I feel like something quick, warming yet light. This can be easily whipped up in 10 minutes.
I use tinned mushrooms for this. Sounds gross? Well, thats what I thought before I opened a tin up. But to my surprise, they work really well in anything that calls for a mushroom base, including this soup and even a good, quick chicken pie! (I will promise to do a chicken pie in the future)

Serves 4, as light lunch or starter.

Whats needed:
1 tbls garlic butter (or normal)
1 tin (small) Mushroom
1/2 or 1 stock cube (use half or less if using mushroom soup packet)
2 cups of milk
salt & pepper
few drops of lemon juice
1 tbls cornflour mixed with 2 tbls cold water OR
an extra cheat 1 packet of Mushroom soup ('Batchelors' or the like)
Optional:
1 tbls of Natural Yoghurt, sour cream or Double Cream per bowl to serve.


How to make:
1. Begin by melting the garlic butter in a pan over a low heat.
2. Add the tin of mushrooms, milk, salt & pepper, then cover and gently bring to the boil. (You can add the stock cube if not using mushroom packet). As soon as it starts to bubble, lower the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Next add the cornflour or the packet of mushroom soup and stir till thickened. Add the lemon juice, and serve in deep bowls with a dollop of yoghurt or cream. (I like natural yoghurt as it gives the soup a richer taste, and creamy texture)

Serve this soup with crackers or bread, whichever you fancy and have available.

Fish & Potato Curry

This is my own recipe for a Fish & Potato curry. As you may have gathered by now, I love cooking and eating spicey food. This is probably similar to a Bengali curry, as they are well known for their love of fish.

Serves 6-8 
Ingredients:
4 large fillets of white fish (cod, pollack, haddock etc) cleaned, washed and cut into generous portions
2 large onions, finely diced
2/3 cloves of Garlic, crushed or grated
1/2 inch peice of ginger, grated or crushed
1 tin tomatoes (chopped)
salt
1-2 fresh Green Chillis (more or less upon your taste)
1 tsp Chilli powder (more or less upon your taste)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp coriander
1/2 - 1 tsp Garam Masala (I prefer to make my own)
2-3 large waxy potatoes, washed peeled and cut into quarters (about 2" pieces)

To Cook:
1. Begin by heating about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of oil in a heavy based pan. Add the onions and cook on medium high for 5 minutes
2. Add the garlic and ginger and stir through, and allow to cook for 2 more minutes
3. Add the spices, salt and tin of tomatoes to the pot and cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat till reduced and thickened slightly.
4. Add potatoes to pot and cook on a moderate heat till partly cooked through (a knife should just about pierce the potato easily, with just the slightest of resistance)
5. Add the fish to the pot along with about 1/2 a glass of water. Ensure all the fish is in contact with the spiced tomatoes. Now, leave the pot for 20 minutes on a very low heat and do not be tempted to stir. (The fish will begin to cook and become very tender and break easily. By leaving it to cook thoroughly the fish will toughen slightly and become easier to manage without too much damage.)
6. Check to see that potatoes have cooked through. If you prefer a thinner gravy you can add more water, although the water from the fish and potato will already make the gravy thin, ideal for serving with freshly cooked white rice.

Our Eid Menu

South African Chicken Biryani

This is a brief summary of the Food we made on Eid. Funnily enough, we didn't make loads and loads as we usually would have. As with all the cooking I had been doing recently, I stuck to just a few things. For dessert our family went out for a drive and picked up take-away desserts as a treat.

I prepared a South African style Chicken Biryani the night before frying off things and marinating the chicken in richly spiced yoghurt. What makes the South African Biryani different to other biryanis is the layers of masoor dhal, fragrant bright white rice, fried potatoes, marinated chicken and the final touches of fried crisp onions and saffron. A true masterpiece in a pot!
Below are all the accompinaments that were prepared fresh before serving. Only one thing missing, was the papadoms, or papads..the crispy rice crisps, BIG...which go perfectly with the whole meal.
 

 

 

Fried Potatoes

Homemade Carrot Pickle - (South African)

Mint Yoghurt Chutney

Fresh crispy salad

All the accompaniments

Chewy Chic is now on Facebook

Chewy Chic is now on Facebook. You are all invited to travel on down to my new Facebook page  (user name 'Chewy Chic') to see all the lovely photos of the food I have made till now, or click on the link below to fly right over to it now. 

See you there...!

****   Chewy Chic  ****