Pots and Pans

Stir Fried Vegetables in Scrambled Egg

2010-10-06T02:35:00.000-07:00

Ever felt too lazy to cook something but yearned from something really scrumptious? If so, Stir Fried Vegetables in Scrambled Egg is the right dish for you! It not only goes with Chappaati and Parata but also with plain bread! Heck, its even so good on its own!

Things you need:

200grams White Cabbage chopped
175grams Carrot thinly sliced
2 Thai Pepper Chillies sliced in half (or if you prefer to use Scotch Bonnet, use according to your preference)
1 small sliced or chopped Onions
1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
1/2 teaspoon Ginger Paste
2 Curry Leaves
1 Grade A Egg
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
2 tablespoon cooking oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste\

Cooking Instructions:

Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok and add Onions, Thai Pepper Chillies, Garlic Paste, Ginger Paste, Curry Leaves and stir fry for 5 minutes till the onions become soft.

Then add salt and turmeric powder and stir to mix.

Add the Cabbage and Carrots and stir and keep on heat for approximately 10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked. Keep in mind to stir once in a while.

Beat the egg before adding it next. Remember to stir well so that the egg does not form large clumps. Eventually the eggs will scramble.

Lastly add pepper to your preference.

The dish is ready to serve!

Looks scrumptious doesn't it?

Marble Cake

2010-10-06T02:10:00.000-07:00

This is definitely an all time favourite cake that goes very well with a cup of Coffee or Milk at tea time! Its quite easy to make as well.

Things you need:

2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup unsalted softened butter
1/2 cup Castor sugar
2 tablespoon Cocoa Powder
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 A grade Eggs
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
1 cup full cream milk
a pinch of salt

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat the oven at 180 Degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.

Put the flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, eggs, vanilla essence, milk and salt in a mixing bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon. Then mix the mixture using a electric mixer at medium speed for approximately 3 minutes or until soft.

Divide the batter in half and place one half in a different bowl. Add Cocoa Powder into this and mix well for 1 minute at low speed.

Take a greased 9 inch round cake tin and spread alternating layers of each of the batter beginning with the Cocoa batter and ending with the other one.

When you are done, using an icing spreader or a a table knife sparingly mix the batter in the cake tin to make a swirly pattern so that a marble effect is created.

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer or wooden tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

All ready to eat!

Pan Fried Chicken with Turmeric Cream Sauce and Sauteed Vegetables

2010-09-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

This is dish is one that you could enjoy and never feel guilty about specially if you are watching your weight or counting your calories. Or even if you aren't weight concerned but happen love Asian cuisine or the zesty taste of garlic and turmeric, you are bound to enjoy this dish. This is similar to one of those dishes you would come across at a restaurant but what better way to enjoy restaurant-quality food than make it at home by yourself!

Things you need for the Turmeric Cream Sauce:

1/2 of a Small Onion chopped or crushed to form a paste ( I personally prefer chopped because I like to be able to eat the bits of onions in my sauce)

2 Teaspoon Garlic Paste

1 Teaspoon Ground Pepper

2 Cubes of Chicken stock dissolved in 1/2 a cup of warm water

200ml Full Cream Milk

2 Teaspoon Wheat Flour

3 Tablespoon Melted Unsalted Butter

Pinch of Oregano

Things you need for the Pan Fried Chicken:

2 Cups boneless chicken diced into large cubes and marinated in 2 Teaspoon Oyster Sauce for 15 minutes

1.5 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1 Teaspoon Ground Pepper

Things you need for the Sauteed Vegetables:

2 Regular Sized carrots

250 Grams Cauliflower

150 Grams Green Beans

3 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Gound Pepper

Pinch of Oregano

Salt to taste

How to make the Turmeric Cream Sauce:

First put the melted butter into a pot at low heat and add the chopped onion and garlic paste. Let it simmer for a minute.
Then add the turmeric powder and stir well.
Dissolve the flour in the chicken stock and add this into the mixture
Stir well ensuring that all the clumps are dissolved. You can use a wire whisk if you like.
Then stir in the milk and keep stirring constantly for approximately 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture become slightly thick and saucy like a paste.
Finally add the ground pepper and oregano.
Leave aside.

How to make the Pan Fried Chicken:

Add the oil into a pan and let it heat.
Then add the chicken and toss the pieces around to prevent them from over frying.
Pan fry the chicken until they turn brown. This usually takes around 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and leave aside.

How to make the Sauteed Vegetables:

Before Sauteing the vegetables you need to chop them. Chop the carrots diagonally into 1/2 inch long bits and the beans also in the same manner. The cauliflower needs to be separated into florets.
Boil water in a large pot and add the vegetables in. Par boil for approximately 20 minutes.
When its done, take a large bowl filled with cool water and strain the vegetables and add these to it.
Leave aside for 10 minutes. This process will stop the boiling and preserve the colour of the vegetables.
Take a wok and add the butter into it. When it has heated add the vegetables and saute them in the butter for 5 minutes.
Add the salt, pepper and oregano and saute a bit more.
Remove from heat.

Serve the dish with the desired quantity (usually 3 tablespoon) of Turmeric sauce over the chicken or seperately. The sauce should be hot as to prevent it from coagulating.
Enjoy!

Choc-Biscuit Pudding

2010-09-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

Words to describe Choc-Biscuit Pudding; delicious, fun, easy, no-cooking-required and preservable! What better way to indulge in a dessert than in one that you've made all by yourself FOR yourself and you can actually rarely go wrong with!

Things you need:

1 pint of Whipping Cream
1 packet of Original Marie Biscuits
3 tablespoon condensed milk mixed with 500ml of water
2 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder

Preparation:

Place the Whipping Cream in a mixing bowl and add sugar and Cocoa Powder.

Whip the above using a wire whisk for approximately 10 to 15 minutes until the cream becomes thick. Leave aside.

Take the bowl/deep medium sized tray that you are going to make the pudding in.

Take a few Marie Biscuits, enough to layer the bottom of the bowl/tray mentioned above and dip in the milk mixture for a few seconds ensuring not to completely soak them. Layer the bottom of the bowl/tray completely.

Using a large spoon spread a layer of Whipped Cream mixture above the biscuit layer in the bowl/tray.

Make alternate layers of Whipped Cream mixture and milk soaked biscuits to your preference. 5 layers of Whipped Cream and 5 layers of Biscuit will usually produce a good sized pudding. Keep in mind that the top layer should always be a layer of Whipped Cream.

Chill the pudding for 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Bis Keemiya

2010-09-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

Bis Keemiya; one of the few Maldivian vegetarian short eats is truly a delight and sometimes makes one wonder why eat meat at all! Although you would normally buy them at your local cafe', it is undoubtedly very easy to make and you will be rewarded at the end of the day when you're sitting in front your TV with your group of friends devouring a bowl full of Bis Keemiya!

The process is similar to the process of making Bajiya - which involves making flat bread/chappaati and also the filling.

Things you need for the dough:

2 cups of fine wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup hot water

Things you need for the filling:

1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely choppes/crushed to form a paste
3 Thai Pepper Chillies chopped or if you prefer to use Scotch Bonnet use a little bit according to your needs
2 hard boiled eggs cut into small bits using an egg slicer
2 cups cabbage finely sliced
1/2 Tablespoon ground pepper
Salt to taste

Preparation of the dough and flat bread:

First put flour in a mixing bowl and make a depression in the center using a spoon and pour the vegetable oil into the depression and sprinkle salt over the flour.

With a wooden spoon mix the flour, vegetable oil and salt together.

Pour in the hot water. This is an important step as too much water can completely ruin the sheets that you are going to make and too little water will make the dough difficult to roll as it will turn out too dry and hard. Mix with the wooden spoon as you pour the hot water.

Knead the dough for approximately 5 to 7 minutes until the it becomes soft.

Then shape the dough into balls the size of a strawberry.

After you are done, using a rolling pin and board roll out each of the balls into circular sheets 3inches in diameter. This can be made easier if you dust the rolling board with flour throughout.

Place the sheets on a clean surface such that each consecutive sheet will not touch eachother.

Repeat until you are done with all the sheets.

Preparation of the filling:

Place the onion, garlic, chilli and salt in a mixing bowl and mix together using a wooden spoon or if you prefer you can use your hand too. When adding salt keep in mind that there are still ingredients to be added.

Add the cabbage and mix well.

Next add the eggs as you are mixing and keep in mind not to mix too hard because the egg bits will break and form a paste eventually.

Add pepper when you are done mixing.

Preparation of the Biskeemiya:

The preparation of the Biskeemiya involves folding the sheets with the filling inside. The steps involved are shown in the pictures below.

1) Place the sheet on a flat surface and place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the sheet as shown below.

2) Next, fold opposite ends of the sheet as shown below and secure them.

3) Then fold one of the two remaining sides as shown.

4) Finally fold the remaining side as shown and secure it.

The folding process is not very easy if you are doing this for the first time but don't worry because soon enough you'll master the skill and the process will be easy peasy!

After you are done preparing all the Bis Keemiyas, its time to deep fry them. Deep fry the Bis Keemiya's in vegetable oil in a large frying pan at medium heat until they turn golden brown. This usually takes approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Enjoy!

Mini Caramel Pudding

2010-08-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

If you plan on making a dessert just for you and your loved one, Mini Caramel Puddings are an excellent choice! Not only is it extremely delicious but its also very easy to make! Just 4 easily available ingredients and you are done.

Things you need:

1/2 Cup of Condensed Milk

1/2 Cup Water

2 Eggs

20 grams of Granulated Sugar

Preparation of pudding:

Beat the Eggs with the egg yolk in a mixing bowl for 2 minutes.

Next add the condensed milk and mix well using a spoon.

When you are done mixing the egg and condensed milk mixture add water and mix well. Leave aside.

Preparation of caramel:

Heat a small pot or a small wok and add the sugar into it.

Add 2 teaspoon of sugar and constantly stir using a spoon until the mixture turns brown.

Meanwhile take a ramekin cup or a small aluminium/steel bowl and keep ready.

Using a spoon pour the hot caramel from the wok into the ramekin cup/bowl so that it lines the bottom of the cup/bowl.

Cooking Instructions:

Pour the entire contents of the pudding into the ramekin cup/bowl.

Take pot and pour 3 cups of water into it and set to boil. You can also use a medium sized rice cooker for this part. It depends on which you prefer.

Before the water boils place a smaller steel cup filled with water in the middle of the pot. This will serve as a stand for the ramekin cup/bowl

When the water boils place the ramekin cup/bowl carefully on top of the small steep cup which is in the pot.

Cover and let it cook for approximately 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the pudding comes out clean.

When you are done, keep to chill before eating.

Enjoy!

Bajiya

2010-08-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

No. Bajiya is not Samosa. Its an authentic Maldivian short eat that doesn't quite taste the same everywhere. The recipe below is one of the variants of Bajiya that is extremely popular and extremely delicious to eat! The recipes are usually passed on through generations and this particular recipe has also been through the same. However, the recipe has been adapted to make it easier for the modern woman (or even man) to make! Enjoy!

Things you need for the dough:

2 cups of fine wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup Pastry glue made by mixing 2 parts fine wheat flour and 1 part water.

Things you need for the filling:

1 tin of tuna chunks in oil
2 regular sized onions cut into thin slices
2 garlic cloves crushed and chopped
3 Thai Pepper Chillies chopped or if you prefer to use Scotch Bonnet use a little bit according to your needs
1/4 teaspoon of Ginger Paste
10grams of Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Chilli Power
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Poweder
1/2 Tablespoon of Curry Powder
Salt to Taste

Preparation of the dough and sheets:

First put flour in a mixing bowl and make a depression in the center using a spoon and pour the vegetable oil into the depression and sprinkle salt over the flour.

With a wooden spoon mix the flour, vegetable oil and salt together.

Knead the dough for approximately 5 to 7 minutes until the it becomes soft.

Then shape the dough into balls the size of a large walnut.

After you are done, using a rolling pin and board roll out each of the balls into thin circular sheets. This can be made easier if you dust the rolling board with flour throughout.

Next, heat an empty frying pan for 5 minutes and place the circular sheet in it. Heat for approximately 1 minute each side on low heat. The purpose is not to heat the sheets until they turn out like Roti's or Chappatti's but to slightly heat them until they are not raw anymore.

Repeat until you are done with all the sheets.

Next place all the sheets that you've made on the rolling board one on top of eachother, all completely aligned. Using a knife cut the stack of sheets so that each sheet makes 4 equal quarters.

When you are done place the quarter sheets all in one plastic bag or cover them in food wrap.

Preparation of the filling:

Put the onions, chillies, garlic and ginger into a mixing bowl.

Add salt, curry powder, Chilli Powder and Turmeric Powder and mix together.

Next add the tuna chunks (oil drained) and mix well.

Finally add sugar and mix evenly.

Preparation of the Bajiya:

The preparation of a Bajiya involves you making a cone out of the quarter sheets that you made before. The steps that involve are shown in the pictures below:

1) Place the sheet on a flat surface and apply pastry glue using a cotton bud / your finger tip on the lower edge of the sheet; starting from the center towards the left as show below.

2) Next fold the right corner inwards as shown.

3) As shown stick the two sides together to form a cone

4) Fill the cone with 1 table spoon of filling and apply pastry glue on the remaining side as shown.

5) Fold the remaining side of the cone downwards and stick.

Repeat the above steps until you make your desired number of Bajiyas. After you are done deep fry the Bajiya's in vegetable oil in a large frying pan until they turn golden brown. This usually takes 5 to 7 minutes per batch.
Enjoy!

Extra Chicken Salad

2010-08-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

Definitely not your average chicken salad which usually consist of very little chicken and more of those vegetables and greens. However, this salad doesn't include any greens but it's still a healthy meal you can munch on anytime of the day for sure! Plus its super easy to make.

Things you need:

250grams of boneless chicken
85grams of cucumber/1 whole regular sized cucumber
6 baby carrots/1 whole regular sized carrot
5 button mushrooms
1 small onion
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon lime juice
salt to taste

Cooking instructions:

First boil the baby carrots until soft for approximately 10 minutes and leave aside after draining to cool. When cool, either chop them into cubes or cut them into smaller bits. Leave aside.

Next cut the chicken and button mushrooms into small cubes and saute in a frying pan with the oyster sauce until they turn brown. Leave aside.

Chop the cucumber and onions into small cubes.

Next put the cucumber and onions into a mixing bowl and add salt to taste (remember that there are still other ingredients to be added). Add the lime juice and mix it with a wooden spoon. After that, add the baby carrots, the chicken and mushroom and mix well. To finish off season with pepper.

Enjoy!

Cocktail Sausage Rollers

2010-08-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Things you need:

Cocktail Sausages

Chicken Ham

Half a cup of Garlic Paste (you can either buy a bottle of Garlic Paste or do it yourself by crushing the garlic until it forms a paste)

Ground Pepper

Half a cup of Brown Sugar

A set of toothpicks

Cooking Instructions:

If your Cocktail Sausages and Chicken Ham are frozen, make sure that they are completely thawed before you begin.

Begin by cutting strips of ham that have the same width as the sausages, so that you can roll them all the way around the Cocktail Sausages later. Usually, each slice of ham can be cut into 3 strips.

Place a strip of ham on a flat surface (I use a cutting board), and with a small pastry brush or a spoon spread half a teaspoon of garlic on the surface of the strip. If using a pastry brush or a spoon is too difficult you can use the pulp of your finger.

Next, sprinkle a pinch of ground pepper on to the ham strip over the garlic that you've just spread.

Then, take one cocktail sausage and place it on one edge of the strip of ham and roll the ham to cover the sausage.

Next use a toothpick to secure the ham to the sausage.

When you've finished rolling up all the sausages, set the oven to preheat at 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes

Then, arrange all the rolled sausages on an aluminium foil covered baking tray (or you can lightly grease the baking tray with salted or unsalted butter) ensuring that no two rolled sausages touch each other.

When you are done, sprinkle quarter teaspoon of brown sugar on the top surface of every rolled sausage.

Place the baking tray in the oven set at 180 degrees Celsius and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cocktail Sausage Rollers ready for baking

All ready to eat!