The Wayfarer
Culinary Edition 2018
A publication for the SSA Global Community January 2018
Hello everyone!!! The Wayfarer is back! Thanks to Pia (Middle East Area Coordinator) who found inspiration in photos from a Venezuelan cooking class from SSA Abu Dhabi we now have our first Wayfarer of the year dedicated to one the best things in life and one of my favorite things: FOOD! Thank you to all the members that sent their recipes! We have a very good variety of savory and sweet dishes, some are quick and easy and others are more elaborate but each one has the personal touch of the person who submitted it! I’m sure this Wayfarer will inspire many to get cooking! Enjoy! Evelyn Bicelis M. ebicelis.ssagcc@gmail.com
In this edition‌ Message from our Global Coordinator Keeping in touch: Global Community and the new SSAFARA SSA Global Board & Call for Applications Recipes from our members Drinks Savory recipes Sweet recipes
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Cover photo by Ashima Goyal Siraj & Artwork on Pages 2-3 by Nabanita Nag Pal
Message from our Global Coordinator: Elsa Scheffler Dear SSA friends, I’m so happy that The Wayfarer is back after a short hiatus. And what better topic than food? I don’t know about you, but a lot of my best memories come from being around a table with great food and great friends or loving family around it. A lot of our beloved SSA’s activities also revolve around food. The coffee mornings that we hold at our homes usually involve some delicious cooking by the host. If we go out to a restaurant, the Local Board usually takes care in choosing a nice place where we can share a great time and eat great food. And what about the International Day that is celebrated by all SSA Chapters around the world? I remember locations where Mexican ingredients were scarce, but I always packed a few crucial ones to be able to cook for the SSA’s International Day (although the best part of International Days might be sampling other countries dishes, also prepared with love and pride). I want to thank all of those who contributed with their recipes and pictures. I am tempted to prepare them all! I am fortunate enough to know some of the contributors. I attended cooking lessons with one of them (the lovely Afsheen Khan), and remember that the first person I ever met when arriving in Al Khobar was the always cheerful Ayse Zeybek. I see some award winning (hello, Mark!) and published authors (the sweet Samar Kanawati Badri), bloggers like Basti Ismayilbayli and Ashima Goyal Siraj, as well as lovely art from SSA Kuwait (Nabanita Nag Pal). So I hope you enjoy this issue and prepare the recipes! And thanks to Evelyn for putting it all together in such a lovely way.
Continued on next page… 5
This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the SSA. It is undoubtedly a special occasion. The SSA Global Board is planning to meet this year in Mexico City to discuss the projects that we are working on with SLB Management. We have sent out a survey for all Local Coordinators to answer so we can have fresh data to be able to share with SLB on this meeting. It is very important that all Chapters respond the survey because this will give us a clear idea of where we are now and where we need to go next. We will be sure to share with you all the results of the Survey and, of course, of our meeting as well. It has been 6 years since the SSA Global Board has had a chance to meet in person. We conduct most of our jobs via email, phone or video calls, and sometimes via chat to alert when we’ve sent an email that needs a prompt response. But nothing compares to being able to sit together in one room and talk, work, laugh, eat, share our thoughts and ideas… We are thankful to our host, Jesus Lamas, MCA Geomarket Manager, who is a great SSA supporter and who proposed that we meet here in Mexico City this year. We jumped at the opportunity and we’re very excited. We hope it will be a wonderful productive week! Those who live in Africa, Europe/Russia, and North America, please take the time to read the Call for Applications for SSA Area Coordinators. We would love to have a complete Global Board on this very important year! I hope that all Chapters have a chance to celebrate the SSA’s 30th Anniversary all year long and share your celebrations with us via Facebook or in the new website. We all love knowing what everyone is doing around the world.
Have fun cooking! Cheers, Elsa
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Keeping in touch SSA Global Community If you haven’t yet, please remember to join the official SSA Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SSAGlobalCommunity/ It’s a great tool to keep in touch, share photos of current events and get information from SSA members all over the world! You can also invite other SSA friends to join!
The new SSAFARA is live! As many of you know, the new SSA Website is available for all members to join! This is page is the best place to get updated contact information of your next location, many Chapters have already updated their pages, we also have General information and post all communications there. To request access, your spouse (SLB employee) needs to go to https://slb001.sharepoint.com/sites/ssafara/Lists/PrimaryInfoCollection/N ewForm.aspx?Source=https://slb001.sharepoint.com/sites/ssafara/SiteAss ets/coeapp-1.1.0/pages/ThankYouPage.aspx and enter your name and email, we will guide you from there!
Email us if you have any questions! SSA-communications@slb.com
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The SSA Global Board Global Coordinator
Elsa Scheffler
Mexico City, Mexico Feb 2017 - Feb 2019
ssa-global-coord@slb.com Global Communications Coord.
Global Webmaster
Global Secretary
Ex Officio Global Coord.
Beijing, China Mar 2017 - Mar 2019
Oslo, Norway Mar 2017 - Mar 2019
Mumbai, India Feb 2017 - Feb 2019
Kuwait City, Kuwait Jul 2015 - Jul 2017
Evelyn Bicelis
Erna Farizan
ssa-communications@slb.com
Shilpa Zacharia
ssa-webmaster@slb.com
ssa-secretary@slb.com
Africa Area Coordinator
Latin America Area Coordinator
(Acting Elsa Scheffler)
Mexico City, Mexico Mar 2017 – Mar 2019
VACANT
Anisa Haddad
ssa-exofficio@slb.com
Zamira Pólito
ssa-africa-coord@slb.com
ssa-lam-coord@slb.com
Asia/Australia Area Coordinator
Middle East Area Coordinator
Perth, Australia May 2016 – May 2018
Kuwait City, Kuwait Jun 2017 – Jun 2019
Asma Fiyaz
Pia Dey Verma
ssa-asia-coord@slb.com
ssa-mideast-coord@slb.com
Europe/Russia Area Coordinator
North America Area Coordinator
VACANT
VACANT
(Acting Evelyn Bicelis)
ssa-eur-slr-coord@slb.com
ssa-nam-coord@slb.com
Thank you Basti! I’d love to thank Basti Ismayilbayli for her hard work as SSA Europe/Russia Area Coordinator for the past two years. Basti has done a great job supporting the 20 active Chapters in the Area. Coordinating an Area takes a very organized person to be able to keep everything running smoothly, which Basti did very well. She had to navigate the muddy oil crisis waters, trying to keep her Area’s Chapters morale high when everyone was facing a tough reality, and she did so with grace and strength. Her term has come to an end, and now she will be focusing on her studies. I wish you good luck, Basti, and I hope to be able to work alongside you again in the future! Elsa Scheffler 8 4
We still have a few positions to fill!
SSA Global Board Call for Applications - Jan 2018 The SSA Global Board is announcing Calls for Applications for the following positions: • SSA Africa Area Coordinator • SSA Europe/Russia Area Coordinator • SSA North America Area Coordinator All Global Board positions are for a two-year term. Global Board Members may reapply for a further two-year term and will be considered along with other applicants. All SSA Members, with the exception of Schlumberger employees (including dual career), are entitled to hold any position on the SSA Global Board. Applicants to any Global Board position must be active members with experience on a Local Board. Global Board applicants should be dynamic, energetic and enthusiastic with excellent organizational, management and communication skills; diplomatic and compassionate team players with the ability to meet deadlines. All SSA positions, including positions on the SSA Global Board, are volunteer positions for SSA members. SSA members serving as Area Coordinators must live in the Area. In order to apply to any of these positions, candidates must submit a letter of interest and a CV to Elsa Scheffler, SSA Global Coordinator (SSA-global-coord@slb.com) and Evelyn Bicelis, SSA Global Communications Coord. (SSA-communications@slb.com) before Monday, February 19th, 2018. Please note that the language used within the SSA and the Global Board is English. It is a requirement for all Global Board applicants to be fluent in English (written and spoken). We're looking forward to receiving from wonderful, enthusiastic SSA members. We need you to keep our Association alive and thriving! The SSA Global Board 9 4
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Drinks
Masala Chai (Indian spiced tea with milk) Pallavi Vaid (India) from SSA Pointe Noire
Ingredients
1 cup Water 1.5 cups Milk 1 inch piece Ginger 1 inch long Cinnamon 2-3 Green cardamom 2-3 Cloves Indian tea leaves Sugar as per taste
Instructions
Heat water. Add crushed ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Once it starts boiling, add the tea leaves and milk. Bring it to a boil. Add sugar. Lower the flame and let it simmer until you see your preferred color of tea.
Tizana (Venezuelan fruit punch) Evelyn Bicelis M. (Venezuela) from SSA Beijing
Ingredients
Orange juice Lots of different fruits (Depending on what you have and what you like): Watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, papaya, banana, pineapple, mango, apples, etc.
Instructions
Peel and cut the fruits in small pieces (cut the grapes in half or leave them whole), make sure to remove any seeds. Add the orange juice (you can also liquefy some watermelon and add the juice!) Refrigerate before serving. Some people like to mix it up with guava juice or even add grenadine to the orange juice. Tizana is very typical, super simple, healthy and delicious! 11
Savory Recipes 12
Achaari paneer Artichoke and parmesan dip Balloon potatoes Beef rice Bhatura Biryani Carrot and parsnip soup Cauliflower mushroom egg casserole Chick chick chicken Chicken and lemon preserve tagine Chicken enchiladas Chicken rendang Chickpeas cooked village style (Chhole) Coconut garlic turkey sauce Cucumber-yogurt salad (Cacik) Daal (Lentil curry) Daal makhani (Shahi daal) Dumpling soup (Dushbere) Fish masala (Meen pollichadh)
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Fried flatbread with potato stuffing (Aloo parantha) Hunkarbegendi (Sultan’s delight) Kisir Mint Chutney Moutabal Pakistani Chicken Ginger Pan de Jamón Paneer Maharajah Pomegranate bracelet Poori Potato and beef pie (Pastel de papa y carne) Potatoes with asafoetida (Hing wale a loo) Red salsa (Salsa Roja) Sago patties Spicy fish croquettes (Maacher Chop) Stuffed Aubergines (Bagharay Baingan) Tarragon chicken salad Thoran Wheat meatballs (Oruk)
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Achaari Paneer Shilpa Zacharia ! India SSA Mumbai
Ingredients
Juice of ¼ lemon 1 tsp achaari masala (pickle masala) Salt to taste
100 g paneer cubes 1 tsp butter 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 1 tsp yogurt
Instructions
• Put paneer in a bowl. Add yogurt, ginger garlic paste, salt, lemon juice and masala. • Mix it up to coat the paneer. • Add butter in a non-stick pan. Once it heats up, add the coated paneer. • Cook for 10 to 12 min. • Garnish with coriander leaves 14
Artichoke and Parmesan Dip Elsa Scheffler ! Mexico SSA Mexico City
Ingredients
1 can Artichoke hearts, save the brine 1 cup Parmesan cheese (preferably fresh, grated) ¼ cup Mayonnaise
Instructions
• Mix everything in a blender. • Use the artichoke brine until reaching the consistency you prefer. • Place in an oven dish and bake for about 20 min. or until lightly browned. • Serve warm with bread or pita chips.
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Balloon Potatoes Birgit Lupfer ! Germany SSA Aberdeen
Ingredients
Potatoes Salt Ground Pepper Butter or Olive oil Herbs to taste
Instructions • • • •
•
Rub potatoes well under water. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Place the potatoes with the cut surface upwards on a baking tray. Apply a thin layer of salt, and sure to cover until the edges (best way you use a small table salt shaker). Bake the potatoes in a preheated oven by 200°C for approx. 25-35 min. After the salt dissolves, it will form a thin skin like layer that inflates later. When the skin starts becoming brown and begin inflating, it means the potatoes will be done in approx. 5 min. Brush the potatoes olive oil or butter. Sprinkle marjoram or rosemary or similar to taste. They taste great also with just fresh ground pepper and a little bit of butter.
Simple but tasty side dish to accompanied barbecued meat, steaks or roast. You can also serve the potatoes with a nice yogurt dip (tzatziki) or what you like. 16
Beef Rice
Erna Farizan Binti Hamdan ! Malaysia SSA Oslo
Ingredients Beef
Rice
500 g Beef 1 cup Brown Rice 1 inch Ginger - smashed 1 tbsp Butter 1 tsp White Peppercorns ½ Onion - sliced ½ tsp Fennel Seeds 2 garlic cloves - finely ½ tsp Cumin minced 3 Cardamoms 2 Cardamoms 2 inch Cinnamon 1 Cinnamon stick 2 Star Anise 1 tbsp Kurma mix 3 Cloves (Kurma powder) 2.5 liter Water Tomato 1 tsp Salt Sour Gravy 1 tbsp Tomato Paste ½ cup coconut milk
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Tomato Sour Gravy
1 Red Onion - sliced 1 Bird’s Eye Chili - finely sliced Juice of 2 Calamansi Limes 1 tbsp Sugar ½ tsp Salt 3 Tomatoes - diced
Beef Rice (cont.)
Erna Farizan Binti Hamdan ! Malaysia SSA Oslo
Instructions Beef
• Bring water to boil and add all the spices and beef. • Simmer for over 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. • Take the beef out and let cool. Strain the beef broth. You’ll need it for the rice. • Once the beef is cool enough to handle, cut into slices. • Extra soup can be seasoned and served as soup. Keep the rest for future use.
Rice
• Wash rice and drip dry in colander. • Heat saucepan on medium heat. Add butter and when it has melted add garlic, onion, cinnamon stick and cardamom. Sauté until very fragrant. Add curry spice and stir. Add rice, salt and tomato paste and mix well. • Pour in 1 cup of the beef broth and let the rice cook until bubbling subsides. • Pour cream evenly over the rice, lightly stir it and let it cook until done. • Let the rice sit for at least half an hour (best is 1 hour) after turning off the heat before serving.
Tomato Sour Gravy
• Mix Onion, chili, lime juice, sugar & salt together and let it sit for 30 min. Add in tomatoes before serving. 18
Bhatura
Pallavi Vaid ! India SSA Pointe Noire
Ingredients
Refined flour 1 tbsp powdered Milk 2 tbsp Semolina 1 tbsp Ghee 3 tbsp Yogurt
Instructions • • • • • • • •
Mix flour, milk, semolina, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add ghee and yogurt to the mixture and add water with sugar. Mix properly. Add more water if required to make a soft dough. Knead this dough for 7-10 min. to form the gluten. Grease the top of the dough with little oil and cover it with damp cloth. Keep it in a warm place for at least 2 hours. Heat the oil. Make small balls out of the dough and cover these for another 5 to 10 min.
A bowl of lukewarm Water mixed with 1 tsp Sugar 1 tsp Baking soda 1 tsp Baking powder 1 tsp Salt • • •
• • •
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Test the oil by putting a little bit from the dough and if it comes up, the oil is ready. Take one ball of dough at a time and flatten it on your palm. Dip one side of the flattened ball in oil and the with the help of a rolling pin roll it into thin discs. Put them very carefully in hot oil. Put pressure on it in the middle and it will start rising. Keep pressing and rotating it in the oil. Turn it and let it cook in the other side. It takes just a minute or so to get your bhatura ready.
Biryani
Afsheen Khan ! Pakistan SSA Al Khobar
Ingredients
500 g Chicken/Lamb/Beef cut in medium size pieces 500 g Basmati Rice ½ cup Oil 2 medium Onions - finely chopped 2 medium Tomatoes 2 medium Potatoes ¾ cup Yogurt 2 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste ½ tsp Red chili powder ¼ tsp Turmeric
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1 tbsp Coriander Powder Whole Spices (4-5 each): Cumin, Coriander, Cloves, Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom, Cinnamon, Star Aniseed, Dried Plums, Bay leaves 1 Lemon 2-3 Green Chilies Fresh Herbs: Coriander, Mint Pinch of Saffron Salt to taste
Instructions
• Wash and soak the rice and keep aside. • In a pan, heat oil and add finely chopped onions. Fry until golden brown. Drain all the onion from the oil and spread it on paper towel. • Fry the potatoes until tender and keep aside. For low fat option you can boil the potatoes and add to the biryani sauce later • In the pan, add the whole spices (half of them) and sauté a few seconds, then add ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, meat, red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder and cook on high heat for few min. Add yogurt and mix well to avoid curdling. • Cook until most of the liquid has dried up, then add at least half the fried onions. • Continue cooking until the mixture is dry and oil is floating on top. Add Green chilies, mint and coriander and fried potatoes & cover the lid and leave on really low heat for a few minutes. • In a separate pan, boil rice in water and add few of each of the whole spices. Add salt and some lemon juice to boiling rice. The rice must be boiled until it’s ¾ done. Drain all the water from the rice in a colander. Add some salt to rice if needed. • In the pan used for boiling, add the biryani sauce, layer it with rice, on top layer with fried onions, coriander, green chili and mint. • Soak some saffron in warm milk and keep aside. When layering the rice add on top for vibrant color. • Cover it tightly with the lid and steam on high heat for 3-4 min., until the top of the pot is full of steam. Set the heat to low and steam for another 10 min. • Use a slotted spoon to turn over the biryani. Serve with raita.
If the sauce is dry you can add milk when layering the rice. You can use the same recipe for vegetables: Eliminate step 3. Add all the vegetables in step 4 instead of meat. The cooking time will also be reduced. 21
Carrot and Parsnip Soup Ashima Goyal Siraj ! India SSA Bucharest
This carrot and parsnip soup is warm, comforting and full of delicious cinnamon, bay leaf and fresh thyme flavors. A perfect warm soup for cold wintery evenings and also as a cold soup during summers.
Ingredients
2 cups Carrot, peeled and chopped 2 cups Parsnip, peeled and chopped 3 Garlic cloves, crushed 1 cup Onion, chopped 2 tbsp Olive oil 4 cups low salt Vegetable stock (you can also use water)
Spices
1 Bay leaf 2 inch Cinnamon stick 5-6 sprigs of Fresh thyme 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar Divided rock salt, to taste Ground black pepper , to taste 22
Instructions
• Heat oil in a thick-bottomed large pot. When the oil is hot, add garlic, onion, cinnamon and bay leaf. Sauté and cook until the onions turn soft and translucent. • Add the carrots, parsnip, salt, 3 sprigs of thyme and 4 cups of vegetable stock (or water). • Bring the soup to a boil and then cook covered for about 15 min. until the vegetables are tender. • Remove from heat. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks, bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the soup. I use a slotted spoon to get all of them out. • Using a hand blender, blend the carrot and parsnip soup to smooth. You shouldn't need to, but add more water if required. • Season with the remaining fresh thyme (removed from its stalk), freshly ground pepper and some balsamic vinegar. • Serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold during summers.
Ashima’s Notes:
• The soup stays well in fridge for next day. So you can make it ahead for a party. • Don't throw away the peels of all the vegetables. Wash them thoroughly and freeze or store in fridge for up to 2 days. Use to make vegetable stock! For more awesome recipes from Ashima visit her blog!
https://www.myweekendkitchen.in 23
Cauliflower Mushroom Egg Casserole Nabanita Nag Pal ! India SSA Kuwait
Any food item grilled with cheese and black pepper is always yummy. And if it is cooked with easily available ingredients then life is easy in the evening. I have replaced the sour cream with milk which is commonly used in making casserole. Too many vegetables can also subside the flavor of steamed cauliflower so to me mushroom goes well with cauliflower. This low carbohydrate and high protein grilled meal can satisfy your greed for pizza too.
Ingredients
A medium Cauliflower (cut into medium size florets) 1 cup Button mushrooms (washed but uncut) 2 medium Onions (cut into medium cubes) 2 Hard boiled eggs (cut into small pieces) 1 tsp Curry powder [roast 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, ½ tsp fennel seed, ¼ tsp fenugreek; 1 small red chili. Crush using rolling pin or mixer grinder. Add ½ tsp turmeric] 1 tsp Thyme or oregano ¾ cup Grated Cheddar cheese ¾ cup Grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup Milk Salt 2 tsp Unsalted butter ½ tsp Garlic, crushed ¼ cup Croutons (hard toasted bread cubes can be used) 24
Instructions • • •
• •
Boil cauliflower and onion in water with plenty of salt for 3-4 min. Add button mushrooms and close the flame and lid too. (You can also steam the vegetables in a steamer for 10 min). The cauliflower will be tender but not over cooked. Drain the water and keep the vegetables in a collard to make them as dry as possible. (This can be refrigerated for 1-2 days). Keep the boiled egg ready. Take 1 tsp butter in a thick bottom saucepan. Melt it and add the flour, crushed garlic, 1 tsp curry powder & 1 tsp black pepper to it. Add another spoon of soft butter. Stir it for 1 min and add ½ cup milk. Stir continuously, there should not be any lumps. Add ½ cup of lukewarm water and let it simmer. Add rest of milk, ½ cup of both the grated cheeses and mix thoroughly. Add salt after checking let it boil for another 2-3 min. The temperature should not be high to avoid burning and clumping but the sauce should be kept warm until spreading. Butter an oven safe bowl. Arrange the steamed vegetables and egg pieces. Then pour the sauce on it. Sprinkle thyme, bread croutons and rest of the cheese and grill for 15-20 min until it is golden brown. Enjoy after it cools down.
Nabanita’s Tips: •
•
• •
You can add loads of veggies but make sure after grilling all the water is gone. Doesn’t taste good if it is soggy inside. The sauce should not be allowed to get cold after making. Once cold and solidified it will be difficult to make it non-lumpy liquid. Grilling at 200 C for 30-35 min rather than 225 C for 15-20 min gives crispier result. If using curry powder add a pinch of fennel while making the sauce. 25
Chick Chick Chicken
Nabanita Nag Pal ! India SSA Kuwait When you are left with only a small portion of chicken and have some soaked & boiled chickpeas in stock and feel too lazy to even use your mixer n grinder thinking of the pain of washing it or the sound may wake up your baby please go ahead with this recipe. Perfectly go with simple cucumber salad or rice or both. This recipe has an Indian twist yet not spicy enough to make you feel acidic. ‘Chick Chick Chicken’ has been thoroughly enjoyed and named by my 19 mo. little daughter.
Ingredients
500 g Chicken (with or without bone, cut into small pieces). 1 cup Chickpeas (washed and soaked overnight in 2 cups of water, boiled with little salt; can be stored mixing with a spoon of oil in freezer for months) 2 medium Onions, chopped lazily 2 tsp Garlic, crushed 1 tsp Ginger, grated A handful Coriander, chopped ½ cup Tomato purée or 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped. 1 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Garam masala 1 tsp Olive oil/ sunflower oil 1 tsp Clarified butter (ghee) ½ tsp Cumin 1 inch Cinnamon stick 1-2 Dry red chili Salt Nabanita’s little girl 26
Instructions • •
• •
• • • •
Take dry chili and cumin in a thick bottom frying pan. Roast a bit just to get the aroma. (Can be done in high flame but make sure the ingredients are not burnt). Add oil to the pan. After 30-40 sec lower the flame (If you don’t like to make it spicy, the chili can be taken out at this point and can be stored for decoration), add minced garlic and grated ginger. When the garlic turns golden add the chopped onion and fry until soft. Add chicken pieces and half the amount of salt you are going to use. (Don’t add all the salt at this moment otherwise the chicken becomes fibrous). When the chicken becomes whitish add the pureed tomato & turmeric and mix thoroughly. If needed little water can be added to dislodge the stuck ingredients from the frying pan. And cover the pan keeping the flame simmer. Cook for 4-5 min (Cook a little longer to let the raw smell go if raw tomato is used) add boiled chickpeas and rest of the salt and mix thoroughly and cover the pan. (A spoon of water can be sprinkled if needed). After 4-5 min, open the lid, add chopped coriander and let it boil to become dry, yellowish oily liquid gets separated at this point. (chopped fresh basil leaves can also be used instead of coriander leaves). Add 1 tsp of clarified butter (In absence of ghee, table butter can be also used). Sprinkle ½ tsp of garam masala (instead, cinnamon powder and cumin powder can also be used). Mix thoroughly and close the flame. Enjoy with rice, diced cucumber salad or pita bread or Indian bread.
Nabanita’s Tips: • Make sure chicken and chickpeas are room temperature before adding. • I prefer low temperature cooking to keep the oil/butter as healthy as possible. • Cover the pan after adding the spices to keep the aroma as much as possible. 27
Chicken and Lemon Preserve Tagine Chau Nguyen ! USA SSA Port of Spain
Ingredients
1 whole Chicken, chopped - I cut the breast in half 1 tbsp Olive oil 1 - 2 pinches Saffron threads 1 tsp Garlic, minced ½ cup Lemon juice ½ Onion, diced 1 jar Green olives (~250 g) 2 Preserved lemon*, sliced – I think it is prettier this way 1 stick Cinnamon ½ cup Parsley, chopped *I make my own preserved lemons 2 cups Water and use the recipe from Sur La Salt and pepper to taste Table/Emile Henry: Take 2 pounds washed lemons. Rub them with salt and cover them with 2 pounds salt for 12 hours. Put them in a container with salt, cover them with water, add 10 tablespoons vinegar to stop them from turning black, and some bay leaves. Add 10 tablespoons groundnut peanut oil (leave at room temperature for one week) 28
Instructions
• Season the chicken with salt (about 1 tbsp), minced ginger, and a pinch of saffron and let marinate for 30 min. It can marinate longer if you so desire up to 24 hours. I do this especially if I know the following day will be busy and I just want to cook and not prep. • Add the olive oil to the tagine and brown the chicken at medium to high heat. • Add the onions to the pan and cook for 1 minute. • Add 2 cups of water, water, lemon juice, preserved lemons, cinnamon stick and olives. Cook for approximately 1 to 1-½ hours. I cook it until I feel that the there is a nice balance of acidity and bitterness. Do taste it! • Add parsley and serve with couscous.
This recipe yields a good amount of liquid which I love to eat with couscous but it technically could be cooked with less liquid. You could even sop up the sauce with some good French baguettes. If you’d like a little more acidity, add a little more lemon juice. 29
Chicken Enchiladas Elsa Scheffler ! Mexico SSA Mexico City
Ingredients
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded Flour or corn tortillas Salsa (red or green, see ”Red salsa” recipe) Cheese (can be any type of cheese that melts, in Mexico we use Chihuahua or Manchego, but it can be white cheddar or mozzarella) Fresh cream Chopped cilantro
Instructions
• Preheat oven to 280 F. Preheat the tortillas for ease of use, either on the stovetop or in the microwave. • Place enough chicken in the middle of the tortilla and roll tightly. Continue with the rest of the tortillas and place them in a rectangular baking dish side by side tightly so they won’t unroll. • Cover with salsa and then cheese. • Bake for about 20 min. or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. To serve, “cut” as many enchiladas as you want to serve and garnish with fresh cream and a bit of chopped cilantro. Variation: You can use cheese, vegetables, cottage cheese, meat, etc. instead of chicken to stuff the tortillas. 30
Chicken Rendang
Erna Farizan Binti Hamdan ! Malaysia SSA Oslo
Ingredients
2 kg Chicken, cut into bite size pieces 4 cups thick Coconut milk 250g grated Coconut to make Kerisik* 3 Turmeric leaves, sliced finely 3 Kaffir lime leaves, sliced finely Salt to taste Spice Blend 30 Dried chilies (soak in hot water and discard seeds) 300g Shallots 4 Garlic cloves 5 cm Ginger 4 stalks Lemongrass 2 cm Galangal 2 cm Turmeric root Caster sugar to taste
Instructions
*To make the kerisik, toast the grated coconut in a dry pan over low heat. Stir constantly until the coconut becomes golden brown and set aside.
• Blend the spice ingredients until fine. • Put the chicken, spice blend, and coconut milk in a pot and stir over medium heat and bring to a boil. • Reduce heat and cook until the gravy thickens. Add kerisik, turmeric leaves, kaffir lime leaves, salt and sugar to taste. • Cook until the meat becomes tender and the gravy is thick. 31
Chickpeas cooked Village-style (Chhole - pindi chana)
Pallavi Vaid ! India - SSA Pointe Noire
Ingredients
Chickpeas soaked overnight 2 Lipton tea bags 2 Bay leaves 1 inch Cinnamon 2 big Cardamom 4 small Green cardamom 1 tsp Pepper corn 7-8 Cloves 2 tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Cumin powder 2 tsp Crushed pomegranate seeds
1 tbsp Chhole Masala Pinch Asafoetida 1 tbsp Crushed ginger and garlic 1 tsp Cumin 1 tsp Carrom seeds 1 tsp Garam Masala Salt to taste 1 tsp Turmeric and chili powder 1 tbsp Tamarind pulp 1 tbsp Dried mango powder
Instructions • • • • • • • • •
In a muslin cloth or towel, put all the dried spices (bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, and tea bags) and make a small bag. Put chickpeas in a pressure cooker, add water, salt and dried spices bag. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles (You can also cook it in a normal pot). Separate the water from cooked chickpeas. Save the water for later. Add the rest of the spices to the chickpeas: turmeric, chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, chhole Masala, dried mango powder, pomegranate seeds. Keep this aside. Heat ghee in a pan. Once hot add cumin, carrom seeds, asafoetida. Add ginger garlic and let it cook for 30 seconds. Put this over the chickpeas. All the spices will cook with this ghee tempering. Mix it well and cook it on a slow flame. Add the chickpea water and tamarind pulp. Cover and let it cook for 5-10 min. Add garam Masala. Add chopped coriander. Serve with chopped onions on top. 32
Coconut Garlic Turkey Sauce Omobolanle Madu ! Nigeria SSA Lagos
Ingredients
1 can of Coconut Cream Garlic, crushed (As much as you like, personally, I love lots of garlic. Since its garlic Sauce, you need enough of it). 3 medium Carrots 3 medium Potatoes 2 medium Yellow Bell Peppers 2 medium Green Bell Peppers Turkey (either the wings or thigh d-boned and cut into cubes) Broth (preferably turkey broth) Maggi (naija bottom pot) Curry Nutmeg Cameroon pepper Onion Salt to taste
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Coconut Garlic Turkey Sauce (cont.) Omobolanle Madu ! Nigeria SSA Lagos
Instructions
• Wash and put your d-boned turkey into a pot. • Season with some curry, maggi, nutmeg, Cameroon pepper, onions and salt. Or you could just use any seasoning you have. • While that is boiling, cube your carrots, onions, potatoes and peppers into medium size. Set aside. • When your turkey is done, add very little oil into your pan. • Add the cubed turkey. Toss until its golden brown. • Add the onions and crushed garlic into the pan. Continue stirring. • Add other vegetables into the pan. Toss together and add broth, just enough to cook the vegetables. • When the quantity of the broth has reduced, gradually add the coconut cream into the pan constantly stirring until you get your desired thickness. Add you Maggi and salt to taste. • Let it simmer for a few minutes. • Presto, sauce is served! Omobolanle’s Tips: • This sauce can be served with any kind of rice. • If you don’t have coconut cream you can use coconut milk with a little bit of corn starch flour or plain flour to thicken the sauce. 34
Cucumber-Yogurt Salad (Cacik) Ayse Zeybek ! Turkey SSA Al Khobar
Ingredients
3 medium Cucumbers 10 g Fresh dill 3 ½ cups Yogurt 3 Garlic cloves, crushed Water Salt Olive oil (optional)
Instructions
• Wash, peel and coarsely grate the cucumbers. • Wash the dill and chop finely. • Whisk the yogurt, add salt, water, garlic and the cucumbers and mix well. • Pour the mixture into individual dishes and sprinkle with olive oil and dill. Cacik is a frequently served dish in every region of Turkey. It is served at lunch and dinner as a third course particularly after rice or börek (pastry). 35
Daal (Lentil curry) Afsheen Khan ! Pakistan SSA Al Khobar
Ingredients
1 cup Moong Daal (Yellow Lentil) 1 cup Masoor Daal (Red Lentils) 1 Garlic cloves ½ tsp Red Chili Powder ¼ tsp Turmeric Salt to taste Tarka (Tempering) Cumin Seeds, Dried Chili, Onions, Mustard Seeds, Oil/Ghee Garnish Coriander & Green Chili Curry Leaves
Instructions
Wash both the lentils. Put them in a pan and add enough water to cook them. Add 1 clove of garlic finely chopped, red chili and turmeric. Cook the lentils until they are done. Add salt to taste. Mix it all up with a whisk to give a creamy texture to the curry. The lentils should be of runny consistency, add water if required. • In a frying pan heat oil/ghee and add the spices for tempering. You can choose any combination of spices in the list (My choice is Sliced Garlic, Cumin, Curry Leaves and Dried Chilies) • Serve with boiled rice. • • • • •
36
Daal Makhani (Shahi Daal) Ingredients
Afsheen Khan ! Pakistan SSA Al Khobar
1 cup Brown Lentils 1 medium Onion 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste ½ tsp Red Chili powder ¼ tsp Turmeric powder ¼ tsp Cumin Powder 2 tbsp Yogurt 2 cloves Garlic ½ tsp Cumin seeds
½ tsp Fine Juliennes of Ginger 2-4 Dried Red Chilies 2 tbsp Butter 2 tbsp Fresh Cream Salt to taste Pinch of Garam Masalah Garnish Green Chilies & coriander leaves
Instructions
• Wash and soak lentils in warm water for 30 min. • In a pan, put lentils and cover them with enough water to cook them through. Add chopped onion (save a little bit for tempering), ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder. Use a wooden spoon to mix. Cover and cook for 30 min. or until the lentils are tender. • Once the lentils are cooked, add yogurt, whisk them well for a creamy consistency. Season with salt and add water if required to get the desired consistency. Add a pinch of garam masalah. • For tempering: heat butter in a pan, add chopped onions, ginger juliennes, chopped garlic, cumin seeds , dried chilies. • Fry them until garlic and onions are golden brown. Add it to the lentils. • Add fresh cream on top and garnish. • Serve with boiled rice. 37
Dumpling Soup (Dushbere) Sabina Aliyeva ! Azerbaijan SSA Kuwait City
Ingredients Filling
Dough
300 g Mince (preferably a mix of lamb and beef mince) 150 g onions, finely chopped 1 medium bunch of Coriander 1 medium Tomato 2-3 Garlic cloves 7-8 tbsp White wine vinegar 1 tsp dry or fresh Mint Salt and pepper to taste
250-270 g Flour (white) 1 Egg 100 ml Water 1 tsp Salt
Instructions • • •
Mix the mince with the onion, add salt and pepper to taste. Then add finely dry mint. Add water, salt, egg to flour and make dough. The consistency of the dough shall be elastic, but not sticking to the hands. The quantity of flour above is approximate. Start with 200 g and then add as needed. There should be enough salt in the dough, as it is important that, the dough is not unleavened. 38
Instructions •
•
Divide the dough into 3 parts. Put them on a towel and cover with a damp towel (so that it does not dry out). Leave for 5-10 min. to rest/prove. Take one part and, with the help of a rolling pin, roll out a very thin flatbread. You can add as much flour as you wish as it is not going to spoil the taste. However, only use it, when dough starts to stick to hands, rolling pin or surface on which you roll out the dough. The thickness of the flatbread shall be about 2 mm. One part can be rolled out into a flatbread with diameter of 50 cm. Cut the flatbread into small squares of 2.5×2.5 cm.
•
•
Put a small amount of the prepared mince on each small square. In Baku, they like to make their food not only tasty, but also aesthetically good looking. That’s why the smaller the size of dushbara the prettier is the final result.
39
Dumpling Soup (Dushbere) (cont.) Sabina Aliyeva ! Azerbaijan SSA Kuwait City
Instructions
• Fry chopped onion and a carrot with butter, then pour water into a pot (2 to 2-½ liters), add salt to taste. • Bring to boil. • Add dushbara: lift them with the palms of your hands and carefully add into the water and stir. Do it again and stir. And so on. • Don’t leave the pot unattended. Regularly stir the soup. Check seasoning. The soup must not be bland. It must not have too much salt either. Cook for 15-20 min. • Check on dushbara to make sure that the mince is cooked. Put some chopped coriander into the serving dish (tureen), pour in the soup and then add more coriander. • Serve with chopped garlic with vinegar.
Bonnie Appetite! 40
Fish Masala (Meen pollichadh) Aysha Jasmitha ! India SSA Al Khobar
This is a village traditional fish recipe from Kerala (South India)
Ingredients
1 kg Fish (any kind: pomfret, hamour, etc.) Marination 1 tbsp Chili powder ½ tsp Turmeric powder ¼ tsp Pepper powder Salt Masala/Gravy 1 big Onion 1 big Tomato 4 tbsp Coconut oil 4 pods fresh Garlic paste 2 tsp Mustard seed 1 tsp Fenugreek 1 tbsp Red Chili powder ½ tbsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Turmeric powder ¼ cup Tamarind water (after soaking 1 large tbsp of tamarind) 2 strands Curry leaves Salt
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Fish Masala (Meen pollichadh) (cont.) Aysha Jasmitha ! India SSA Al Khobar
Instructions
• Marinate fish with the Marination ingredients and keep for minimum of half an hour. • Heat a pan, add coconut oil and shallow fry it. Keep aside. • In the same pan, add some more coconut oil. Sputter mustard seed, add fenugreek seed, onion and stir it until onion is translucent. • Add garlic and tomato. Cover and cook for some time. • Once cooked, add all powders and mix well. Oil will start to separate. • Add tamarind water along with ½ cup of water and salt according to your taste and cook until thick. • Garnish with curry leaves.
Assembling
• Take banana leaf or foil. • Spread some of the above prepared gravy, put fish on top and cover it again with some gravy. • Fold the banana leaf or foil from the 4 sides and tie it with a thread. • Bake at 180 C for around 10 min. on a preheated oven. You can also steam it • Fish is ready!
42
Fried Flatbread with Potato Stuffing (Aloo parantha) Pallavi Vaid ! India SSA Pointe Noire
Ingredients
Dough Whole wheat flour 1 tsp Refined oil/ghee 1 tsp Salt Water to knead the dough.
Instructions
Stuffing Boiled and mashed potatoes Chopped onions Chopped coriander Carrom seeds Garam Masala Chili powder Dry mango powder 1 tsp Ghee
• Add salt to flour and mix it well. Add oil/ghee. Mix it well. Add water little by little to make soft but firm dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 to 20 min. • Take a ball of dough. Dust the floor with wheat flour. Roll the dough ball in a small disc. • Mix the potatoes with rest of the ingredients for stuffing. Take a handful of the stuffing, keep it in the middle of the rolled disc. • Cover and close from the sides. Make a ball again and press gently with your palms to flatten it. Dust it with flour and with the help of a rolling pin flatten it in the form of a thin disc. • Heat a flat pan on the stove. Once hot, put the stuffed flat bread on the flat pan. Once you see the color changing, flip it and apply ghee. Flip again and apply ghee on the other side as well. Pan fry both sides until well done. • Serve it hot with curries or pickles. 43
Hunkarbegendi (Sultan’s delight) Ingredients
Ayse Zeybek ! Turkey SSA Al Khobar
¼ cup Unsalted butter 2 lb Boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into cubes 1 medium Onion, diced 1 tbsp Tomato paste ½ tsp Dried thyme or oregano Salt
Begendi (Creamed Eggplant) 3 large Eggplants 2 tbsp Lemon juice Salt 1 cup Milk ¼ cup Unsalted butter ¼ cup All purpose flour Kashkaval cheese
Instructions •
•
•
• • •
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Brown the lamb and onion and cook gently. Add the tomato paste (or diced tomatoes optional), thyme or oregano. Cook it until the lamb is tender (if it absorbs all water before cooked, you can add hot water). While the lamb is cooking, prepare the creamed eggplant. Grill the eggplants, turning occasionally, until the eggplants are soft. Blend the lemon juice, water and salt in a large bowl and set it aside. When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, peel them, cut into small pieces and place it in the bowl of lemon water for 10-15 min. (this is to help prevent discoloration). Then drain the eggplants. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour stirring with a wooden spoon, for about 1 min. Add the eggplants. Add the cold milk slowly until you get a thick creamy puree of the eggplants. Spoon the creamy eggplant onto the plates and arrange the lamb around or on top of the eggplants. 44
Kisir
Ayse Zeybek ! Turkey SSA Al Khobar Kisir is a traditional Turkish side dish made from fine bulgur, parsley, and tomato and/or pepper paste. It is a vegetarian dish. For kisir, a finely grounded bulgur, unlike the coarse bulgur used for pilav, is used. Common additional ingredients include parsley, tomato and/or pepper paste, onion, garlic (in some regions), sour pomegranate molasses or lemon, lettuce leaves, cucumber. It has a reddish color due to tomato and/or pepper paste. It can be eaten cold and used as a salad or meze.
Ingredients
2 cups Cracked wheat (fine bulgur) 2 cups Hot water (bulgur/kisir ratio is 1, if you use 1 cup of bulgur use 1 cup of hot water) 1 tbsp Tomato paste 1 tbsp Pepper paste (sweet or hot) ½ cup Olive oil ½ bunch Green onions, finely chopped 1 small Red onion, finely chopped 1 bunch Flat leaf parsley, dill, finely chopped 2-3 Leaves of lettuce, finely chopped Peppers, finely chopped 2 tbsp Pomegranate molasses Juice of 1 or ½ lemon (you have to taste and check) 1 tsp Dried mint or 1 bunch of finely chopped fresh mint Romaine lettuce leaves Tomatoes Cucumber (optional) 45
Kisir (cont.)
Ayse Zeybek ! Turkey SSA Al Khobar
Instructions
• First put the bulgur in a large • bowl and pour hot water on it (it should stay like this for 20 min. until it absorbs all water). • Meanwhile in a medium sized pot, place the onion and olive oil. Cook until the onions turn • light brown. • Add the salt, tomato and/or pepper paste. Add this mixture to the bulgur, and add in the vegetables and mix them all.
Mix the lemon juice, olive oil and pomegranate molasses in a cup. Add three quarters to the bulgur, then taste to see whether you need more. Check the seasoning. The kisir will sit happily until you want to serve it, or you can keep it in the fridge (covered), though it should be brought to room temperature before serving.
You can serve kisir with lettuce leaves. This recipe goes well with Ayran. 46
Mint Chutney Neeraja Ambati ! India SSA Rio de Janeiro
Mint chutney is delicious and easy recipe. It’s not only delicious but also super healthy. It can be used as a spread for toast, wraps or can be used as sauce. Lemon when added to cilantro gives additional flavor. Ingredients are also easily available in normal grocery store. So try making this with the following recipe.
Ingredients
½ cup Mint leaves ¼ cup Cilantro leaves (tender stems can be added) ½ tbsp Cumin 3 tbsp Roasted peanuts/fresh coconut 2 Green chilies 1 tbsp Lemon juice Salt to taste
Instructions
• Put all the ingredients except the lemon juice in blender. • Add little bit of water to the ingredients in the blender to make it a coarse paste. • Add lemon juice and now the yummy Mint chutney is ready. • Pour it into a serving cup.
47
Moutabal
Samar Kanawati Badri ! Syria SSA Al Khobar
Ingredients
½ kg Zucchini 1 cup Plain yogurt 3 tbsp Tahineh 1 Garlic clove 1 tsp Salt Bunch of parsley (chopped) 3 tbsp Olive oil Oil for frying 1 tsp Red pepper
Instructions
• Cut the zucchini into slices and fry in a pan. • Mix the tahineh with the yogurt, crushed garlic and salt. • Evenly lay the fried zucchini pieces in a plate and top it with the mix • Garnish with parsley, olive oil and some red pepper powder.
48
Pakistani Chicken Ginger Alia Nasreen ! Pakistan SSA Islamabad
A traditional Pakistani chicken based main dish
Ingredients
500 g Boneless chicken 2 tbsp Ginger, crushed 1 tsp Garlic, crushed 1 tsp Red pepper 1 tsp Black pepper 4 Green chilies, chopped 8 Tomatoes, chopped 1 tbsp Yogurt 1 tbsp Tomato ketchup 1-2 tbsp Ghee 1 tsp Mixed spices Coriander, chopped Salt
Instructions
• Add chicken, ginger, garlic, tomato into a cooking pan on medium heat. Cook until dry. • Add red and black paper alongside ghee. Salt to taste. • Cook for a few min. and then add yogurt, letting it cook and incorporate. • Add ketchup and green chilies. Remove from fire. • Add mixed spices and coriander on the top. Serve with boiled rice or naan bread. 49
Pan de Jamón
Evelyn Bicelis M. ! Venezuela SSA Beijing This bread is an important part of the traditional Venezuelan Christmas dinner. It has a wonderful mix of sweet and savory which I love and I hope you do too!
Ingredients
Leavening 1-½ tsp Dry yeast ½ cup Warm water 1 tsp All purpose flour 3 tsp Sugar
Instructions
Dough Filling 4-½ cups All purpose 800 g Ham, sliced flour ½ cup Green olives 4 Eggs stuffed with red 2 tbsp Unsalted butter peppers, cut in half. ½ cup Warm milk ½ cup Raisins 1 tsp Salt
Leavening • In a mug, dissolve the yeast, sugar and flour in the warm water. Cover with a cloth and leave for 15min. This mix will increase in volume and will foam. Dough • Dissolve the salt and butter in the warm milk. • In a bowl: Mix 4 cups of flour with the milk. Add the eggs and yeast mix. Knead until compact. Add extra flour if it’s too sticky. • Cover the bowl with a cloth and put it in a dark place (I put it in the microwave). Let it rest 30 min. • After the 30 min, roll out the dough on a table. This recipe is enough for two breads, so you can either roll out the dough and cut it later or cut it before and roll the halves out individually (This is what I do, see the photo in the next page). Take in account the size of your oven trays when spreading the dough! 50
• Once the dough is rolled out, put the slices of ham on it, spread the olives and the raisins. I like to put the olives in two rows so each slice of the bread gets at least a couple of olives. Some people spread them randomly, it’s up to you! • Carefully, roll up the dough to make the breads and put them in an oven tray. Use a bit of water to help close the ends. • Prick the breads with a fork, cover them with cling wrap and a cloth and let them rest for 1½ hours. • Mix the remaining of the egg and use it to paint the breads, this will give them them a nice golden color. • Pre-heat the oven at 350400 F and bake the breads for 35 min or until they are golden.
The amounts of ham, olives and raisins are up to taste!
Buen provecho! 51
Paneer Maharajah Swetha Kaulwar ! India SSA Paris
Ingredients
400 g Paneer (Cottage cheese) cut into cubes 2 tbsp Oil 2 medium Onions, finely chopped 15-20 Cashew nuts 10 Almonds 10 Pistachios 10 Raisins 5 medium Tomatoes, finely chopped 1 tsp Red chili powder 1 tbsp Coriander powder Salt to taste 2 tbsp Butter ½ cup Cream + extra for garnishing 1 tsp Kasoori methi powder 1 tsp Garam masala powder Ÿ tsp Green cardamom powder 1 Dry Red Chili 2 tbsp Coconut Paste 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp Finely chopped Coriander or Parsley for garnishing
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Instructions
• Nuts Paste: Soak Cashew nuts, Almonds, Pistachios, Raisins, Dry red Chili all together in a bowl for an hour. • Make a smooth paste of this in a blender. • Heat oil in a non stick kadai (you can also use a wok or similar). Add onions and sauté lightly. • Add tomatoes and cook for 10-12 min. or tomatoes are pulpy. • Add red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and sauté. • Transfer this mixture into a mixer jar, cool and grind to a paste with a little water. Transfer the mixture into the same kadai. • Add butter, nuts paste and coconut paste into the gravy, cover and cook on low heat for 10 min. • Add cream and mix well. Add paneer, kasoori methi powder, garam masala powder, green cardamom powder and mix well. • Transfer into a serving bowl, garnish with some cream (Optional) and Coriander/Parsley and serve hot.
53
Pomegranate Bracelet Sabina Aliyeva ! Azerbaijan SSA Kuwait City
This salad is a very famous in Azerbaijan, because pomegranate is our traditional fruit! The pomegranate trees spread across the globe, but Azerbaijan is the only country in the world where all sorts of this "paradise apple" are cultivated. The history of Azerbaijan is inseparably connected with cultivating pomegranates, extending deep into the centuries. Under the sunny Azerbaijan amazing and diverse climatic conditions contribute to cultivating of almost all species of pomegranate. Pomegranate is the national symbol of Azerbaijan, that’s why a special holiday is held every autumn devoted to this king of fruits. It is called the Pomegranate Festival.
Ingredients
3 medium Carrots, boiled in water until tender, and peeled. 4 medium Potatoes, boiled in water until tender, and peeled 3-4 medium Beets, boiled in water until tender and peeled (boil separately from carrots and potatoes) 3 hard-boiled Eggs, shelled 1 cup Walnuts, coarsely ground Salt and pepper to taste Pomegranate seeds (1 large or 2 small pomegranates) 300 g Mayonnaise or mixed mayo and sour cream, for dressing 54
Instructions
• Using a coarse side of a box grater, grate the carrots, potatoes, beets, and eggs. • Put a tall cup in the middle of a large flat serving platter. • Arrange the ingredients in layers on the plate around the cup. • Sprinkle the layers with some salt and pepper, but take care not to over salt as mayonnaise is salty already • The sequence to follow is: Potatoes, Dressing (about 2 tbsp, spread evenly), Carrots, Dressing, Eggs, Walnuts, Dressing, Beets, Dressing. • The final touch is the Pomegranate: Generously sprinkle the salad with pomegranate seeds all around. Slightly press to adhere. • Carefully remove the cup from the plate. • Chill the salad in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving, to allow the flavors to blend.
Bon Appetit!
55
Poori
Pallavi Vaid ! India SSA Pointe Noire
Ingredients
Whole wheat flour 1 tsp Refined oil/ghee 1 tsp Salt Water to knead the dough.
Instructions • • • • • • • • • • •
Add salt to flour and mix it well. Add oil/ghee. Mix it well. Add water little by little to make soft but firm dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 to 20 min. Heat the oil. Make small balls out of the dough and cover these for another 5 to 10 min. Test the oil by putting little bit from the dough and if it comes up, the oil is ready for frying your pooris. Take one ball of dough at a time and flatten it on your palm. Dip one side of the flattened ball in oil and the with the help of a rolling pin roll it into thin discs. Put these very carefully in hot oil. Put pressure on it in the middle and it will start rising. Keep pressing and rotating the poor in oil. Turn the poori and let it cook in the other side. It takes just a minute or so to get you poori ready.
56
Potato and Beef Pie (Pastel de papa y carne) Maria Elina Olascoaga ! Argentina SSA Rio de Janeiro
Ingredients
700 g Ground beef 1 Yellow onion, diced 1 bunch Green scallions, minced 3 boiled Eggs, sliced 1 kg Potatoes, mashed
Green olives, sliced Milk Pie dough Salt Paprika Cumin
Nutmeg Olive oil
Instructions For the beef •
In a cooking pot sauté the onions and scallions with the olive oil. Add the ground beef and stir. Add salt, paprika and cumin to taste.
For the mashed potatoes • •
Prepare the mashed potatoes with butter, salt, milk and nutmeg to taste. Make sure the mashed potatoes are of a firm consistency. Preheat the oven to 250 C. Spray the pan (27 cm diam. x 5 cm height) with a non-stick product. Cover the bottom and sides of the pan with the pie dough.
Filling the pie • •
The first layer is the beef, then the sliced eggs and olives and finally cover to the top with the mashed potatoes. Bake for 30-45 min until the crust is golden!
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Potatoes with Asafoetida (Hing wale a loo) Pallavi Vaid ! India SSA Pointe Noire
Ingredients
Boiled & peeled potatoes cut in cubes 5 big Tomatoes An inch piece of Ginger 2-3 Green chilies 2 tbsp Fennel powder 1 tsp Asafoetida (hing) Dried fenugreek leaves
Instructions
1 tsp Turmeric Salt to taste Red chili powder/paprika 1 tsp Garam masala 1 tsp Sugar Chopped coriander 2 tbsp Ghee
• Puree 3 big tomatoes with green chilies and ginger. • Heat ghee in a wok. Once hot, add the pureed mixture. Let it cook for 3 min. • Finely chop 2 tomatoes. Add to the wok. Cover and let it cook for 10 min., until the chopped tomatoes are cooked. • Add turmeric, asafoetida, fennel powder, salt and chili powder. Mix well. Let it cook for 5 min. • Add potatoes and mix it. Add in some water according to your desired consistency. • Add chopped coriander and mix well. • Add dried fenugreek leaves and garam Masala. • Give it final mix and cook it for another 2 to 5 min. uncovered.
58
Red Salsa (Salsa roja)
Elsa Scheffler ! Mexico SSA Mexico City
Ingredients
1 kg Tomato 2-3 Serrano chilies (depends on how spicy you want the salsa) 1 Onion 1 Garlic clove A handful of Cilantro Salt and pepper 1 tsp Vegetable oil Optional: Heavy cream
Instructions
• In enough water, boil the tomatoes with the chili. • Once cooked, discard the water and blend it along with the onion, garlic and cilantro. • If it is too thick, add a little bit of fresh water. • Heat the oil in a pan, and pour the salsa into it, add salt and pepper and let it boil. • If you wish the salsa to be richer, add a cup of heavy cream until well blended. To make green salsa, use green tomatillo instead of tomatoes. This salsa can be used for any number of Mexican dishes, like chilaquiles, and to add spice to anything! 59
Sago Patties Neeraja Ambati ! India SSA Rio de Janeiro
Sago patties are crispy fried patties made with tapioca pearls, potato and peanuts. It has come from Mumbai, India. People use to eat it on days of fasting. Over a period of time it has become favorite snack for all regardless of age, time or region. I am very happy to share this delicious recipe with you all. Hope you try this and like it.
Ingredients
½ cup Sago (240ml cup) 2 medium Potatoes ¼ Peanuts 1 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped ½ tsp Cumin 1 to 2 Green chilies Powdered rock salt as needed 1-½ tsp Lemon juice
Instructions • • • • • • • •
Wash and soak sago completely for 3 to 4 hours. Drain them. Please make sure sago is soaked completely otherwise it may burst while frying. Powder the roasted peanuts coarsely. Boil potatoes and mash them. Mix well sago, potatoes, salt, cumin, green chilies, coriander leaves and lemon juice. Make 10 to 12 balls and flatten them to make the patties. Keep it in refrigerator for an hour for setting the patties firmly. Heat the oil to high and deep fry the patties on medium flame until golden brown. Serve the hot patties with mint chutney. 60
Spicy Fish Croquettes (Maacher Chop) Pia Dey Verma ! India SSA Kuwait City
Though I was born in Calcutta, India (or Kolkata, as it is known now); I hadn’t lived there till I turned 17. I packed my bags, headed ‘home’ and started my life as a college student. In between lectures, lab hours and making new friends, I got to know my city. It was vibrant, bustling, warm – a kaleidoscope of technicolored emotions. And food. From traditional dishes whipped up by loving aunts and friends’ mothers to the robust delights of street food – it was a whole new world. The recipe I am about to share is of a dish that reminds me of my time in Calcutta. It is the one thing I ate more than my fair share of during those days. Over the years I tried to recreate these spicy fish croquettes at home in vain using tips from people I know, to recipes found on food blogs and cook books. This is what I finally realized worked the best. Don’t let the length of the ingredients intimidate you! Its simpler than it looks J
Ingredients The fish
500 g White fish fillet (eg: bassa, hammour) 1 Small red onion – cut in quarters 1 Garlic clove ½ inch piece Ginger 1 inch stick Cinnamon 2 pods – Green cardamom 4 Cloves 1 tsp Whole black peppercorns 2 Bay leaves
The croquette
1 Large red onion – finely chopped 1 tbsp – Garlic paste 2 tsp – Ginger paste 2 tsp – Cumin powder 1 tsp – ‘Garam masala’ 1 tsp – Red chili powder (or more if you like it hot. You can use finely chopped green chilies if like it hotter still!) 350 g – Boiled and mashed potatoes 61
1 cup Coriander leaves (cilantro) – finely chopped Salt to taste 1 tsp Sugar (trust me – this brings out the flavor!) 2 tbsp Oil
The crumbing
2 Eggs, beaten Breadcrumbs (seasoned with salt and pepper) Oil to fry (any vegetable oil)
Spicy Fish Croquettes (cont.) (Maacher Chop)
Instructions
Pia Dey Verma ! India SSA Kuwait City
Place the washed and cleaned • Add the chopped coriander fish fillets in a saucepan with all /cilantro leaves and mix in well. the ingredients listed under “the • Turn off the heat and let the fishfish” with water. Bring to a boil. potato mixture cool down. Skim off and discard any scum • Once cool, make flat and round that rises to the top. Once patties from the mixture (1 ½ cooked, drain, cool the fish, inches diameter and 1 cm thick is remove any remaining bones an ideal size). and mash it with a fork. Keep • Dip the patties in the beaten egg aside. and coat with breadcrumbs. • In a non-stick pan, heat 2 tbsp oil Repeat process to get a thick, and fry the chopped onions until crisp and even crumb on the they start turning brown. croquettes. • Add the ginger and garlic pastes • Deep fry (courage, dear and keep stirring for 5 min. member) these croquettes in hot • Add the fish to the pan and cook oil until golden brown and drain for 5 min. on medium heat. on a kitchen towel. • Add the potatoes, salt and sugar • Serve hot with tomato ketchup and cook for another 3 or 4 min. and mustard. It is traditionally • Add all the spice powders – the served with a mustard sauce cumin, the “garam masala” called ‘kashundi’ in my part of powder, the red chili powder and the world. mix well. I have found that these croquettes freeze well for up to a week. Just make sure that you line your freezer-safe box with aluminum foil to prevent the croquettes from sticking to each other. You can make these smaller in size and serve as an appetizer or make them bigger and use it to build a spicy fish burger! •
62
Stuffed Aubergines (Bagharay Baingan) Afsheen Khan ! Pakistan SSA Al Khobar
Ingredients
½ kg Small Round Aubergines/Eggplants 2 medium Onions 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste ½ tsp Red Chili powder ¼ tsp Turmeric powder 2 tbsp Peanuts 2 tbsp Sesame Seed 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds 6-8 Curry Leaves ½ tsp Mustard Seed 2-4 Dried Red Chilies ½ cup Tamarind Pulp ½ cup Oil Salt to taste Garnish Green Chilies & coriander leaves
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Stuffed Aubergines
(Bagharay Baingan) (cont.) Afsheen Khan ! Pakistan SSA Al Khobar
Instructions
• Dry Roast Peanuts, Sesame Seeds, Cumin, Coriander until it releases nice aroma and peanuts are turning a bit brown. Add coconut and stir a few seconds on very low heat. Keep it aside to cool. • In the same pan, add chopped onions and roast them without oil on medium heat, until it’s nice golden brown. • Make a fine paste with roasted spices and onions and keep aside. • Slit the aubergines lengthwise and keep them intact from the top. Stuff them with the paste, prepared earlier. • In a pan heat oil, add curry leaves, mustard leaves and dried whole chilies. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the ginger garlic paste, red chili powder and turmeric. • Lower the heat and stir constantly. Add stuffed aubergines and fry evenly from all sides. • Add the remaining paste, salt and cook for few min. or until the liquid starts to dry. • Add tamarind pulp and cover the pan. Cook for a further 10 min. on low heat or until the aubergines are done. • Garnish with Green chili and coriander leaves, serve with rice or chapattis
64
Tarragon Chicken Salad Lindsey Garner ! USA SSA Dubai
Ingredients
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast Seasoning salt Olive oil ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
1 celery stalk, diced Mayonnaise to taste Small bunch of tarragon Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions • • •
• • • • • • •
Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking dish with foil. Brush both sides of each chicken breast with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 min. (depending upon the size of your chicken breasts), until internal temperature is 160 to 165 F and juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Transfer chicken to a plate and allow to rest for 5 to 10 min. before chopping. Toast walnuts in a pan on your stovetop and then chop once cooled. Dice celery stalk. Chop a small bunch of tarragon (use to your taste) Combine chopped chicken, chopped walnuts, diced celery and chopped tarragon in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise to the mixture until desired consistency Add salt and pepper to taste.
To save time, buy a grocery store rotisserie chicken, strip the meat from the bone and chop it. If you'd like to add some sweetness to the chicken salad, add chopped dried cranberries or quartered grapes. Serve on your favorite sandwich bread - croissants work really well - with lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Or, serve on top of your favorite salad greens with crackers on the side. 65
Thoran
Shilpa Zacharia ! India SSA Mumbai Thoran is a local recipe of Kerala, a coastal state in the South of India where lots & lots of coconut trees grow. Hence, this dish uses shredded or finely chopped vegetables and stir fried with grated coconut.
Ingredients
3 cups finely chopped or grated vegetables (Choose any vegetables that can be finely chopped & cooked like cabbage, capsicum and string beans, cauliflower, bitter gourd, green peas or snake gourd, mushroom, beet root, carrot etc.) 6-7 Shallots, crushed 2 Green chilies, finely chopped ¼ cup Coconut, grated 1 sprig Curry leaves
Instructions • • • • • •
Salt per taste ½ tsp Mustard seeds ½ tsp Cumin seeds 1 pinch Asafoetida 1 Whole red chili, halved 4 Garlic cloves, crushed 1 pinch Turmeric powder ¼ tsp Chili powder ¼ tsp Cumin powder 2 tbsp Coconut oil
Heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add cumin seeds. Sauté. Add green chilies, garlic, curry leaves, asafoetida and sauté for a minute. Add crushed shallots and sauté again. Add grated coconut and red chili flakes. Cook for a couple of min. Add the vegetables, turmeric powder, chili powder, salt and mix well. Close and cook until the vegetables are done. Note that the vegetables should not be overcooked. Serve hot. 66
Wheat Meatballs (Oruk)
Ayse Zeybek ! Turkey SSA Al Khobar The recipe comes from Gaziantep province, Turkey. It is served with bread and salad for lunch or dinner. The mixture may be shaped into oval patties and pan-broiled, pan-fried or baked.
Ingredients
500 g Lamb ground meat 1 cup Fine bulgur 1 Egg 1 Onion, grated 1-2 tbsp Dried mint 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Black pepper (optional) ½ cup Water
Instructions
• Mix ground meat, bulgur, egg, grated onion, mint, salt and black pepper and knead while occasionally adding water. • Divide mixture into egg-sized pieces and shape into long meatballs. • Cook on a flameless coal fire or electric grill until cooked. • Serve with salad and pickles.
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Sweet Recipes
Alfajores Brownie dessert Carrot cake Corn cake Eggnog pound cake Fruit crisp Lemon pie Malaysian peanut pancake turnover No bake cheesecake Onde Onde Plum jam Pumpkin espresso cake Pumpkin spice cake Rasmalai Raspberry shortbread Sour cream coconut pound cake Stuffed plantains
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Alfajores
Ingredients
Laura Vergara ! Argentina SSA Rio de Janeiro
200 g Flour 300 g Corn starch ½ tsp Baking powder 2 tsp Baking soda 200 g Butter (room temperature) 150 g Sugar 1 tsp Lemon zest 1 tsp Vanilla essence 3 Egg yolks 1 tsp Cognac (optional) Dulce de leche Dry grated coconut
Instructions
• Sift flour, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well. • In a bowl beat butter with sugar, add egg yolks one at a time, mixing well each time. Add the cognac. Gradually add the dry ingredients, add the vanilla essence and lemon zest. Mix well. • Form the dough with your hands without kneading too much, roll it in ½ cm thickness. • Cut round cookies the size you want. Place them on a greased oven tray and cook them in at moderate heat 12 - 15 min. Let them cool down. • Build the alfajores putting two cookies together with Dulce de leche in the middle and cover the edges with grated coconut. Alfajores can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap for several days. 70
Brownie Dessert Izzah Ayesha ! Pakistan SSA Doha
These brownies are made in the microwave. You don’t have to be a baking expert or have an oven to make it. It’s a foolproof recipe, works every time and always impresses the guests!
Ingredients Brownie
2 Eggs 1 cup Oil ½ cup Milk 1 cup Sugar
Instructions •
•
•
1 cup All purpose flour Chocolate sauce ½ cup Cocoa powder 200ml Cream 1-½ tsp Baking powder 2 tbsp Cocoa powder 3 tbsp Sugar 1 Fruit cocktail tin 200ml Cream
To make brownie: In a bowl whisk eggs and sugar together, then add oil and milk and mix. Add flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and mix. Pour in an microwave safe dish and bake in the microwave for 6-7 min. Insert skewer in the middle to check if it is done. Don't over bake it or it with turn rock hard. Cool the brownie. To make chocolate sauce: In a saucepan add 200ml cream, add cocoa powder and sugar and whisk everything together. Quantity of cocoa powder and sugar can be adjusted to liking. Simmer over low flame for 3-5 min. To assemble: Pour cocktail tin liquid to moisten the brownie. Add a layer of cocktail. Whip up 200ml of cream and layer it over the cocktail layer. Top it off with chocolate sauce. Decorate with cherries. Chill in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Enjoy!
The brownie can be enjoyed on its own warm from the microwave with a scoop of ice cream and chocolate/caramel sauce. Topped with nuts of your choice. But the dessert takes it up another notch for any dinner! 71
Carrot Cake Etur Castellot ! Mexico SSA Rio de Janeiro
Ingredients
Carrot Cake 2 cups All-purpose flour 2 cups Sugar 1 tsp Baking powder 1 tsp Baking soda 1 cup Cooking oil 4 Eggs 1 tsp Ground cinnamon 3 cups finely shredded Carrot
Cream cheese frosting 3 oz. Cream cheese ½ cup Margarine or butter 2 tsp Vanilla 4 cups Powdered sugar
Instructions
• Carrot cake: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add carrots, oil and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until combined. Pour into greased and floured baking pan. Bake at 350F for 30 min. Cool and frost. • Cream cheese frosting: Beat cream cheese, margarine or butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add 4 cups of powdered sugar, beating well.
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Corn Cake
Basti Ismayilbayli ! Azerbaijan SSA Aberdeen As my kids are gluten intolerant we bake all gluten free. This cake is our favorite because it is yummy, full of flavor and the main thing is EASY! :)
Ingredients
4 Eggs 150 g Sugar 100 g Butter (room temperature) Vanilla Baking Soda (or baking powder) 1 tsp Honey 250 g Corn flour
Instructions
• Separate the egg yolks from the whites. • Mix butter, sugar, egg yolks and flour together. • Water bath the honey and add the baking soda soda, it will get fluffy (water bath is a plate to put on boiling water to keep it hot). • Mix egg white separately for 5-7 min., add vanilla. • Mix all together. • Bake at 180 C for 30-35 min.
For more recipes and parenting tips visit Basti’s blog:
http://ibastis.blogspot.co.uk 73
Eggnog Pound Cake Ingredients
¼ cup Dried blueberries ¼ cup Chopped dried cherries ¼ cup Dried cranberries 2 tsp Brandy 3 cups All-purpose flour 2 tsp Baking powder
Mark Redmon ! USA SSA Anchorage ¼ tsp Salt 1/8 tsp Freshly grated nutmeg 1 cup Unsalted butter, softened 2 cups White sugar 3 Eggs
Instructions • •
•
•
•
1 tsp Vanilla extract 1 cup Eggnog Glaze 1 tsp Brandy extract 3 cups Powdered sugar 2-3 tbsp Eggnog
In a small bowl, combine blueberries, cherries, cranberries, and the brandy. Soak for 15 min. Preheat oven to 325 F (165 C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan or Bundt pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the eggnog, mixing just until incorporated. Fold in soaked fruit mixture. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 min., or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let it cool in pan for 10 min., then turn out onto a wire rack. In a mixing bowl, mix together brandy extract, 2 - 3 tbsp eggnog, and the powdered sugar. Add water or milk until desired consistency is achieved. Drizzle over cake. 74
Fruit Crisp
Rebecca Pirie ! Canada SSA Oklahoma City / El Reno
Ingredients
4 to 6 Apples, or 2 to 3 cups pitted Cherries, or 3 to 4 cups sliced Peaches 1 cup Oatmeal (quick oats or rolled oats) 1/3 cup Flour ½ cup Brown sugar ½ tsp Salt 1 tsp Cinnamon 1/3 cup Melted butter
Instructions
• Put one of the above fruits in an oven-safe dish and sweeten to taste with sugar, if desired. • Mix oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and melted butter with a fork or pastry blender. • Sprinkle crumb mixture over fruit. • Bake for 30-35 min. at 375 F. • Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Rebecca’s tips: •
•
I like a blueberry apple blend (3-4 apples with 1-¼ cups blueberries). I also only use ¼ cup brown sugar, and increase the cinnamon to 1-½ tsp. To make this Gluten Free, simply substitute the flour with a GF all purpose blend flour. 75
Lemon Pie
Zamira Pólito ! Mexico SSA Villahermosa
Ingredients
Pie crust 140 g crushed Graham crackers 90 g melted Butter Pie filling 1 can Condensed milk 190 g Cream cheese ¼ cup Lemon juice (6 lemons) Decoration 2 Kiwis 10 Strawberries
Instructions
• Crush the graham crackers. • Put in the pan (20 cm diameter), combine crushed graham crackers and melted butter. • Press into the prepared pie plate. • For the filling: Mix the condensed milk, cream cheese and lemon juice. • Pour into the pie crust and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. • Decorate with fruit. • Enjoy!!!!!
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Malaysian Peanut Pancake Turnover (Apam Balik)
Erna Farizan Binti Hamdan ! Malaysia SSA Oslo
Ingredients
160 g Wheat flour ½ tsp Salt 3 tsp Baking powder 45 g Sugar 60 ml Oil 200 ml Milk 2 Eggs 3 tbsp Peanuts 25 g Butter 3 tbsp Creamed corn
Instructions
Mix milk, oil and egg together. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into the mixture. Ladle batter into pan and smoothen it out. Cover the pan for 30-60 seconds, until small air bubbles appear. • Add butter, cream corn, crushed peanuts and sugar onto the pancake. • Fold the pancake in half once the bottom surface is browned. • Cut into wedges and best eaten when warm. • • • •
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No bake Cheesecake Ingredients
Izzah Ayesha ! Pakistan SSA Doha
400 g Digestive biscuits / Graham crackers (you might need more depending on the dish you use) 4 tbsp Melted butter 600 ml Cream 1 tin Sweetened Condensed milk (400g) 90 g Cream cheese 1 tbsp Lemon juice 4 tsp Gelatin powder Hot water to dissolve the gelatin
Instructions • •
• • • •
Put graham crackers / digestive biscuits in a Ziploc bag and crush them using a rolling pin. Put it in a 22cm spring form tin pan along with melted butter. Mix, and press down to form the base, about half an inch thick. Keep in the refrigerator for 30 min. For the filling put room temperature cream cheese in a bowl and beat it to smoothen the texture; add cream, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice and beat. Mix 4 tsp of gelatin powder in hot water until it dissolves. Add this to the mixture and give a light beat to mix it evenly. Pour the filling over the base and keep in refrigerator for 4-6 hours or overnight. Decorate with strawberries. Hassle free and easy cheesecake it ready!!
It is an easy make ahead dessert. You can even make it a strawberry cheesecake, adding strawberry puree or mango cheesecake by adding mango puree. But I best like it plain! 78
Onde Onde Sue Yee ! Malaysia SSA Labuan
Onde-Onde (on-day-on-day) is one of the popular traditional kuih in Malaysia (kuih is the Malay term for Malaysian pastries). They are either made from sweet potato, glutinous rice flour or both together. The cute little onde-onde are infused with pandan (screwpine leaf) juice and filled with “Gula Melaka” (palm sugar) and then rolled in with some fresh grated coconut. Not only the texture is chewy, the palm sugar that filled in it literally will burst in your mouth when you take a bite. This kuih that is sweet and delicious definitely will bring a joy at any occasions at home.
Ingredients
250 g Glutinous Rice Flour 200 ml Pandan Juice (Blend about 10 – 12 Pandan leaves with 220 ml water) 150 g Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar), finely chopped 100 g Grated Coconut A Pinch Of Sea Salt
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Onde Onde (cont.) Sue Yee ! Malaysia SSA Labuan
Instructions
• In a large bowl, combine the • Bring a pot of water to boil. glutinous rice flour with Pinch a small piece of dough Pandan juice and knead (about 15 g each) and flatten lightly. lightly. Fill the center of the • Pinch a small piece of the dough with palm sugar. Roll dough (about 40 g) and drop them in your palm to form a it into boiling water. When smooth ball and cook the the dough rises up the glutinous rice balls in the surface, remove it with a boiling water. slotted spoon and shake off • When the rice balls float to the excess water. the surface, remove them • Mix it back into the main with a slotted spoon and dough and knead well to shake off the excess water. form smooth dough. • Coat the rice balls with • Cover the dough and set grated coconut and serve aside for about 15 min. immediately. • Mix the grated coconut with a pinch of salt and steam for about 2 – 3 min. and let it cool completely.
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Plum Jam
Heind Attia ! Egypt SSA Kuwait This recipe is yummy with brown toast and light cream cheese, or on top of yogurt.
Ingredients
250g Fresh plum, cut and seeds removed. You can leave the skin it will turn soft by cooking. 3-4 tbsp Fructose sugar ¼ cup Water 1 tsp Cornstarch
Instructions • • • • •
In a sauce pan over medium heat add the plums and sugar. Stir gently until the juice comes out, and the sugar is dissolved (about 3 min.). Bring the mix to a boil, then turn the heat to low until the plum is cooked (about 12 to 15 min.). In a separate cup, mix the water and cornstarch until it’s smooth without lumps. Add it to your boiling sauce pan add stir until the mix gets thicker (about 1 min). Remove from the heat and let it cool. Reserve in a glass jar, and chill. It can last for weeks in the fridge.
Heind’s tips:
You can: • Flavor it with ¼ tsp vanilla or a pitch of cinnamon. • Add ½ tsp lemon juice. • Shorten the cooking time as you like. • Make the jam thicker or thinner, by increasing or reducing the watercornstarch mix. 81
Pumpkin Espresso Cake Mark Redmon ! USA SSA Anchorage
Ingredients
Cake 1-½ cups Pumpkin 4 Eggs ¾ cups Vegetable oil 1 cup Brown sugar, packed ¾ cup Granulated sugar 1 tsp Vanilla extract 2 cups Flour 2 tsp Baking powder 1 tsp Baking soda 1-½ tsp Pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp Ground cinnamon 1 tsp Salt
Coffee Rum Icing 4 cups Powdered sugar 1 tbsp Dark rum 1 tbsp Espresso powder 4 tbsp Coffee
Have you noticed all of Mark’s cakes have won 1st place in competitions?
Espresso Filling 1/3 cup Brown sugar, packed 1 tbsp Espresso powder ½ tsp Ground cinnamon Maple Rum Reduction 1 tbsp Butter 2 tbsp Dark rum 2 tbsp Maple syrup
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Instructions
Spoon another 1/3 of the pumpkin cake batter into the pan and sprinkle with the remaining espresso filling. Layer the remaining cake batter on top and smooth with an off-set spatula. Bake for 50-60 min., or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 min. before transferring to a cooling rack. In a small pan, combine ingredients for maple rum reduction and simmer until it is a syrupy consistency. To make the icing, mix the powdered sugar, rum, espresso powder, 1 tbsp of the maple rum reduction and coffee in a bowl and add more coffee or maple rum reduction as needed to achieve desired consistency and flavor. Drizzle over cake.
• Preheat oven to 350 F (180 • C). Heavily grease a 10-cup Bundt pan. Set aside. • For the pumpkin cake, beat together the pumpkin, eggs, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until well • blended. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, • pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and uniform in • appearance. Set aside. • For the espresso filling, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and espresso • powder in a small mixing bowl. Set aside. • In the prepared baking pan, spoon in 1/3 of the pumpkin cake batter evenly into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle half of the espresso filling over the top.
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Pumpkin Spice Cake Ingredients
Mark Redmon ! USA SSA Anchorage
Cake 2 cups Flour 1 tsp Baking Soda 2 tsp Baking Powder ½ tsp Salt 2 tsp Cinnamon ½ tsp powdered Ginger ½ tsp powdered Cloves ½ tsp ground Nutmeg 4 Eggs 1 cup Vegetable oil 2 cups Sugar 1 can solid packed Pumpkin (15 oz.)
Instructions
Cream Cheese Frosting 8 oz. Cream cheese ½ cup Butter, softened 1 tsp Vanilla 1 tbsp Milk 4 cups Powdered sugar
Cake • Preheat oven to 350 F. • Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. • In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oils, sugar, and pumpkin. • Gradually add dry ingredients and blend well. • Pour into ungreased jelly roll pan and bake 15 – 20 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Or, you can use two 9”x 9”pans and cook for 20 – 25 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean. • Cool & frost. Frosting • Beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and milk. • Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, blending between additions. Add more milk if necessary. • Frost cake. Dust with sprinkling of nutmeg if desired. 84
Rasmalai
Alia Nasreen ! Pakistan SSA Islamabad A milk based traditional Pakistani desert
Ingredients
1 cup Powdered milk 1 tsp Butter 1 tsp Baking powder 1 Egg 1-½ liters Whole milk 4-5 tbsp Sugar 4 Cardamoms 1 tbsp Pistachios or almonds, ground
Instructions
• Place sugar, milk, and cardamom in a pot for boiling to reduce milk. • In a bowl, take milk, baking powder, butter, and egg, and mix into a dough. • Shape dough into 1 inch balls for a total of 15-20 balls. • Place these balls into reduced milk. Keep fire on mediumlow. • Cook for 10 min., and then cover the pot. • Leave to cool, serve and place pistachios or almonds on top.
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Raspberry Shortbread Elsa Scheffler ! Mexico SSA Mexico City
Ingredients
3 Butter sticks (90 g each) ¾ cup Brown sugar ¾ cup chopped Pecan nuts 3 cups Flour 1 cup Fresh raspberries, roughly mashed (can be substituted with canned or frozen raspberries) ¾ cup Chocolate chips
Instructions
• Preheat oven to 350 F. • In a mixer, cream the butter and mix with the sugar. • Add nuts and flour until well blended. It will be a thick batter. • In a greased rectangular pan press half of the batter in the bottom of the pan, then add the mashed raspberries and chocolate chips. • Crumble the rest of the batter on top. • Bake for 30 min. • Wait until it is cold to cut into squares.
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Sour Cream Coconut Pound Cake Mark Redmon ! USA SSA Anchorage
Ingredients
3 sticks Butter, softened ¼ tsp Baking soda 3 cups Sugar ¼ tsp Salt 6 Eggs 1 cup Sour cream 3 cups Flour 2 tsp Vanilla, rum or coconut flavoring 1 cup Coconut
Glaze 3 cups Powdered sugar 1 tsp Rum extract (optional) or 1 tsp coconut flavoring (opt.) Milk
Instructions
• Cream together, butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each, add the vanilla (you can substitute coconut flavor or rum flavor), add sour cream. • Sift together dry ingredients and add with sour cream to butter mixture. Add coconut. Pour into a large tube pan that is greased and floured (or 2 large loaf pans) • Bake at 325 F for about 1 hour and 20 min. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. • Remove from pan(s) while cake is still warm. • For the Glaze: Mix together the powdered sugar, rum extract (optional) or coconut flavoring (optional). Add milk to desired texture. 87
Stuffed Plantains Aswathy Thulaseedharan ! India SSA Abu Dhabi
Its prepared by stuffing ripe plantain with coconut – nut mixture and then dipped in a batter and fried
Ingredients
4 Ripened Plantains Filling 8 tbsp Grated Coconut 8 – 10 Cashew nuts or Almonds (chopped) 1 tbsp Raisins 50 g Sugar 1 tsp Cardamom Powder 2 tbsp Ghee or Butter Oil for pan frying
Covering 25 g All Purpose Flour 2 tbsp Sugar Salt Water
Instructions • • • • • • •
Peel the plantains and cut a slit • on one side of each one. Heat ghee in a pan and sauté • the cashews and keep it aside. In the same ghee sauté the raisins and keep it aside. • Toss in the grated coconut and • mix well. Add the sugar and mix well. Remove from the flame. Sprinkle cardamom powder and • mix well. Mix in the cashews and raisins. Keep it aside. 88
Stuff the slit of the bananas with the coconut mixture. In a bowl, mix all purpose flour, sugar, water and a pinch of salt to make a thick batter. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Dip the plantains in the batter. Fry it in oil on low flame until it becomes cooked and brown in color. Drain them into a kitchen tissue and serve hot.