Brixham Ladies Forum at Manna from Devon

We had a fab day last week hosting the Brixham Ladies Forum at Manna from Devon. 25 of them arrived for a very jovial morning and cookery dem followed by lunch of what we made. Here’s what we did –

Manna from Devon Carrot Cake

250g caster sugar

250ml sunflower oil

3 medium free range eggs

300g self-raising flour

2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

200g coarsely grated carrots

1tsp ground cinnamon

1tsp baking powder

50g pumpkin seeds

50g raisins

1. Heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Line a 25cm loose bottomed cake tine with baking parchment.
2. Beat together the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, banana and carrots in a large bowl.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon together and stir in the pumpkin seeds and raisins.
4. Pour the carrot mixture into the flour mixture and fold together until any floury bits have disappeared.
5. Turn the mixture into the loaf tin and put in the oven for 50-60 minutes until the cake is golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
6. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then turn the cake on to a cooling rack, gently taking off the baking parchment.

After coffee and cake we told tales of our trip to India and cooked some of our favourite dishes

Pan Pakora

Pakora would normally be deep fried but these work well and make a great nibble or vegetable accompaniment to spicy chicken.

• 150g gram flour, sieved
• 100ml cold water
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1tsp ground turmeric
• 100g frozen peas, defrosted
• 1 medium red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
• Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 egg white
• 2tbsp sunflower oil

1. Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
2. Mix the gram flour with the spices and 1tsp salt. Add the water and whisk to make a batter the consistency of single cream.
3. Mix in the peas, onion and fresh coriander.
4. Whisk the egg white until it’s at the soft peak stage and fold into the batter.
5. Wipe a 12 space jam tart tin with the oil on a piece of kitchen paper and heat the tin in a hot oven.
6. Spoon the batter into the patty tin and top each pakora with some of the chopped chilli.
7. Bake in the hot oven until the pakora are risen and firm – about 10-12 minutes.

Serve with a squeeze of lime and some plain yoghurt for dipping

Prawn and Coconut Curry

Serves 6

 

For the masala: ·         3 cloves ·         1tbsp coriander seeds ·         1tsp cumin seeds ·         8 dried red Kashmiri chillies ·         2 star anise ·         ½tsp ground turmeric ·         1tbsp granulated sugar ·         1tsp salt ·         5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed ·         3cm root ginger, peeled and grated ·         1½ tbsp white wine vinegar

For the Curry: ·         1 onion, peeled and finely chopped ·         1 large tomato, grated ·         400ml tin of coconut milk ·         2 fresh green chillies, slit lengthwise ·         300g raw tiger prawns .         300g salmon fillet, skinned and chopped ·         4tbsp sunflower oil   For the Tadka: ·         ½ tsp mustard seeds ·         10 dried curry leaves ·         Fresh coriander, to garnish

 

1. To make the masala, toast the spices in a dry pan in the oven until aromatic. Grind to a powder in a food processor or pestle and mortar, and then mix in the remaining ingredients.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of the sunflower oil in a large pan on the hob and add the onion.
3. Fry until soft and lightly golden stirring to make sure it doesn’t brown too quickly and then stir in the masala mix. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until you can really smell the spices, stir in the tomato and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Mix in the coconut milk and add the chillies and bring to the boil. Simmer the sauce for about 8-10 minutes until it has thickened slightly.
5. Taste for seasoning. Add the salmon and prawns and cook for about 5 minutes until cooked through.
6. Meanwhile, make the tadka. Heat the oil in a frying pan in the oven, then add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cook for 30 seconds, until they begin to pop and stir into the curry.
7. Serve with rice and coriander to garnish.

Lentil Dhal

Serves 6 as a side dish.

Pulses are a staple source of protein to the Hindu population of Northern India. On their own they are the dullest food on the planet. Jazzed up they become ‘dhal’. Dhal is awesome! Do not, under any circumstances be bound by a recipe, just think to yourself, ‘How am I going to jazz up these lentils today?’

• 1tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1tbsp ground coriander
• 1tsp ground turmeric
• 100g red lentils
• Water, vegetable stock or chicken stock.
• 1tsp salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2tbsp chopped fresh coriander.

1. Heat the oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook gently until soft.
2. Stir in the dried spices and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the lentils and cover with twice their volume of water. Add the salt and bring to the boil. Simmer gently until the lentils are tender.

Stir in the lime juice and fresh coriander and serve with roti/chapatti

Stuffed Paratha

 

•  200g chapatti flour (or 160g white bread flour and 40g wholemeal bread flour mixed)
• 30ml sunflower oil
• Around 100ml hot water
• Extra ghee or butter and oil to cook the paratha
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 100g floury potatoes, peeled, boiled, cooled and mashed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• Handful fresh coriander, chopped very finely

 

1. To make the filling, heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the chilli and onion. Cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until very soft. Add the ground coriander and cumin. Fry for a few minutes.  Mix into the potato and season with salt.
2. To make the dough, take a bowl and add the chapatti flour. Add the oil. Stirring with a spoon, slowly mix in enough warm water for you to be able to form a fairly firm dough. When cool enough to handle, knead until you get a soft and smooth, non-sticky dough. If it’s sticky, add a little bit more oil and a dusting of flour and continue to bind.
3. Take a ball of dough, slightly larger than a golf ball and another of the cooled potato filling. The potato ball should be larger than the dough. Roll the dough to about 3-4″ in diameter and place the potato ball on top.
4. Using your thumbs and forefingers, pinch the dough closed around the filling, starting in the middle and working your way outwards. The filling wrapped in dough should be fully enclosed with no gaps or holes. Flatten the ball using the palm of your hand. Dust with flour on both sides and flip over. You will need to roll the smooth side.
5. Roll the dough again or flatten out using your hand. The paratha should be 3 – 4 mm thick.
6. Heat some oil or ghee in a non-stick frying pan and carefully slide in the paratha.
7. Cook on a medium heat on both sides until golden brown all over, adding more ghee or oil to the pan for added indulgence.

 

Hope you enjoy the recipes – come and see us soon!

David and Holly

 

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