Lemonade

A refreshing summery drink. Delicious served ice cold, topped up with soda water and fresh slices of lemon.

Ingredients

• 10 lemons, preferably organic, well scrubbed, thinly sliced, pips removed
• 100g/3½oz citric acid
• 2.25kg/5lb caster sugar
• 1.2litres/2 pints boiling water

Preparation method

1. Put the lemon slices in a large heatproof jug or bowl, and add the citric acid. Tip in the caster sugar, then pour in the boiling water. Stir to combine and dissolve the sugar. Leave to cool, then sieve and chill.
2. To serve, pour some of the lemonade into a large jug with ice and some slices of fresh lemon, dilute with cold water or soda water to taste.

Chicken ( Madras Style )

 Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• ½ lemon, juice only
• 1 tsp garam masala
• salt

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• ready-made madras curry paste, 1-2 tbsp for mild, 3 tbsp for medium-hot, and 4-5 tbsp for hot
• 1x400g can chopped tomatoes
• 50g/2oz desiccated coconut
• small handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Preparation method

1. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and mix with the lemon juice, and garam masala and season with salt.
2. Heat the oil or ghee in a deep frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onion for 6-7 minutes until softened and becoming golden. Add the chicken and fry for 3-4 minutes until it has become opaque in colour. Stir in the Madras paste and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the chopped tomatoes and coconut. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped coriander and serve straight away with naan bread.

Pancakes

Ingredients

For the pancake mixture

• 110g/4oz plain flour, sifted
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 200ml/7fl oz milk mixed with 75ml/3fl oz water
• 50g/2oz butter

 

Preparation method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs - any sort of whisk or even a fork will do - incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.
2. Next gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don't worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the 50g/2oz of butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.
3. Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you're using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tbsp is about right for an 18cm/7in pan. It's also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it's tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife - the other side will need a few seconds only - then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate.
4. Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.
5. To serve, sprinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or else simply roll them up. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and lemon juice and extra sections of lemon.

Choux pastry

Ingredients

For the choux pastry

• 4 tbsp water
• 4 tbsp whole milk
• 50g/2oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• pinch sea salt
• 100g/4oz plain flour
• 4 medium free-range eggs, beaten

For the filling

• 20g/¾oz unsweetened chocolate, 100% cocoa solids
• 450g/1lb pastry cream (crème patissière), at room temperature (see Top recipe tip below)
• 1 tbsp strong cocoa powder, sifted

For the glaze

• 200g/7oz white fondant icing
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1-2 tsp water

method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
2. For the choux pastry, place the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over a high heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
   
   Watch technique1:11 mins
4. Remove the pan from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, quickly beat in the flour until the mixture is completely smooth.
5. Turn the heat down to medium, return the pan to the hob and cook for about one minute, beating all the time, or until the mixture comes away from the edge of the pan.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually beat in the eggs until you have a smooth, dropping consistency. (You are looking for the mixture to just drop from the spoon, not run off it; you may not need all of the egg to reach this stage. )
7. Transfer the paste to a large piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm/½in fluted nozzle and let the mixture to cool for about five minutes in the bag to stiffen slightly before you begin the piping.
   
   Technique: Using piping bags
   Watch technique1:15 mins
8. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper and pipe on 12 éclairs, each about 15cm/6in long. Alternatively, for a more professional and uniform finish, pipe four rows of pastry, each about 36cm/14in long, onto a non-stick tray and freeze. Cut the frozen strips into three and either defrost and cook as below, or bake from frozen and add five minutes to the cooking time.
9. Bake the éclairs in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden-brown, then transfer to a rack and leave to cool.
10. For the filling, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water or the chocolate will burn.
    
    Watch technique1:07 mins
11. Pour the melted chocolate into the pastry cream, mix in the cocoa powder and whisk together to a smooth consistency. You could chill the mixture at this point for 30 minutes, then whisk again before you fill the éclairs, to give a creamier mouth-feel to the filling.
12. When you are ready to fill the éclairs, transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a 0.5cm/¼in nozzle. Pierce the underside of each éclair four times with the tip of the nozzle, gently squirting a little of the filling into the éclair as you do so.
13. For the glaze, gently warm the fondant in a small pan over a low heat until it reaches body temperature.
14. Stir in the cocoa powder and enough of the water to make a smooth paste, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm/½in nozzle.
15. Pipe the glaze onto the top of each éclair, removing any excess with the back of your finger, then place in the fridge for the glaze to set before serving.

Vanilla ice cream

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 vanilla pods
• 500ml/16fl oz double cream (see tip)
• 70g/3oz sugar
• 3 egg yolks

Method

1. Halve the vanilla pods lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add the pods to the cream and bring to the boil, then add the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
   
   Watch technique0:17 mins
2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl then slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture.
3. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into another bowl and whisk in the vanilla seeds. Pour the mixture into a freezer-proof container and freeze for 2-3 hours, or until set.

Puttu (steamed coconut rice powder)

Ingredients

• 500g/17oz rice flour
• pinch salt
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• water, as necessary
• 250g/8½oz freshly grated coconut, or desiccated coconut
• sliced banana or ripe plantains, to serve (optional)

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the rice flour, salt and cumin seeds until well combined. Add enough water to bring the flour mixture together as a coarse paste.
2. Fill the bottom section of the puttu maker with water.
3. Spread a layer of the rice flour paste evenly into the top section of the puttu maker, then sprinkle over a layer of the grated coconut. Repeat the process until all of the paste and the coconut has been used up.
4. Bring the water in the puttu maker to the boil. Steam the puttu for 2-3 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
5. 
   
    
   To serve, turn out the puttu onto a serving plate and serve with sliced banana or ripe plantains.

Masala Tea

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 350ml/12fl oz water
• 100ml/3½fl oz milk
• 4 black peppercorns
• 10 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• good pinch green fennel seeds
• small piece cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and roughly sliced
• 1 tea bag
• sugar, to taste
• salt, to taste (optional)
 

 Method

1. Heat the water and milk in a pan with the spices and ginger until it comes to the boil. Turn the heat down and cook over a low to medium heat for 15 minutes. Be careful as the milk can easily rise and boil over.
2. Once the volume is reduced to a large cupful, add the teabag and let it brew for one minute, or longer if you like strong tea.
3. To serve, strain into a cup and add sugar or salt if using, to taste.