Editors

Leila Ally Eshana Suleman

Wishing all our members a Happy Diwali and a Joyous Eid. Gods richest blessings upon you.

Ingredients:

I kg chicken fillets (cut into 3 cm cubes)1 tsp ground ginger/garlic1 - 2 teaspoons chilli powder teaspoon crushed black pepper1 teaspoon crushed jeera (freshly crushed preferable)2 tablespoons oil/ghee1 teaspoon fine salt or salt to taste3 tablespoons full cream yoghurt1 tablespoon lemon juice1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons sesame seeds1 onion cut into large 3 cm cubesGreen/yellow/red peppers cut into 3cm cubes

Method:

Wash and drain chicken cubes. Add all the ingredients except onion and peppers. Marinate 2 3 hours. Skewer meat alternately with onion and peppers onto kebab skewers. Place on a tray and pour the rest of the marinade over the kebabs. Grill over hot coals (braai) basting evenly as it cooks or alternately place on a wire rack and grill in the oven (200C) serve with garlic naan, roti, savoury rice or bread rolls with a summer salad.If using wooden skewers dont forget to soak them in water at least 1 hour before using to pre-vent them burning

Variation: Use tomato or pineapple cubes instead of or together with onion and peppers.Use crushed almonds in the marinade instead of sesame seeds.

Can substitute chicken for steak cubes. But this must be marinated 1 - 2 days in advance and left to marinate in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 days.

Chicken Tikka KebabsMy family love this in both chicken and steak! So quick and easy to make!

Ingredients

2 - 3 kgs Mutton (cut into large pieces)2 teaspoons ginger garlic (crushed)1 cup yoghurt (full cream sour milk)2 medium onions (sliced finely)1 tin tomato puree (425g)2 tablespoons vinegar1 teaspoon whole jeera seeds teaspoon whole soomph seeds4 5 green chillies slit teaspoon crushed saffron (optional)1 teaspoon turmeric powder3 4 teaspoons chilli powder (depending on how hot you want it)2 teaspoons dhunia/jeera powder (prefer freshly ground roast and grind in coffee grinder)2 teaspoons salt (or salt to taste)1 teaspoon sugar cup ghee/oil6 8 potatoes 6 boiled eggs3 sticks cinnamon, 5 cloves, 6 peppercorns, 4 elachiCurry leavesChopped dhunia

Method:

THIS CAN BE DONE THE NIGHT BEFORE AND LEFT TO MARINATE IN THE REFRIGERATOR.Wash and drain meat and place in a dish together with ginger/garlic. Fry the onion in (deep pan) oil until it is slightly darker than golden brown. Press through a wire sieve until all oil drains off. Spread this on a paper towel and leave to cool. When cool crush with your finger tips and add to meat.Your cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and elachi can be added whole to the dish, but I prefer grinding it as it can be unpleasant if you end up chewing on it whilst eating. Before grinding it, roast it in a frying pan, leave to cool and then grind in a coffee grinder. Add to meat.Now add the sour milk, tomato puree, salt, sugar, green chillies, chillie powder, dhunia/jeera powder, saf-fron and turmeric powder. Toss well and leave to marinate 1 2 hours or overnight in refrigerator.Your potatoes can be fried in ghee/oil to keep firm. I prefer stabbing my potatoes through with a knife, frying them and then I place them in a covered casserole dish and bake in the microwave for 8 10 minutes (parboiled)Add ghee/oil to a heavy based pot and add the whole jeera and soomph seeds. Let them fry for 1 - 2 minutes then add the marinated meat and when this starts to simmer, add the parboiled potatoes (carefully arrange them over the meat) and gently spoon the curry (sauce) from the meat over the potatoes. Allow to simmer over a low heat until potatoes done and curry thickened. Place the peeled boiled eggs over. Simmer a fur-ther 5 8 minutes. Garnish with greens. Serve with naan bread or roti.NOTE: If you would prefer using the oven, add the oil/ghee, whole jeera and soomph seeds to your cas-serole. Top with the marinated meat, potatoes and eggs. Close lid tightly and cook at 180C for 1 to 1 hours, until potatoes cooked through and curry thickened. Garnish and serve as above.Variation: Substitute chicken for mutton but use half the sour milk and cook for a shorter time.Garnish with cashew nuts and whole dried prunes for a really exotic kalya.Add 1 tablespoon ground almonds or desiccated coconut to the meat when marinating for a truly unique taste.

Traditional Mutton KalyaThis recipe has been tried, tested and tweaked to perfection!

1 kgs chicken or lamb (cut into large pieces)2 onions (finely sliced)1 cups masoor dhall (parboiled in salted water) 3 cups rice1 cup Yoghurt for chicken (1 cups for lamb) (FULL CREAM)1 tablespoon lemon juice1 teaspoon vinegar1 tin tomato puree2 tablespoons butter ghee cup oil (to fry onions)1 tablespoon ginger/garlic3 4 teaspoons chilli powder (depending on how hot you want it)2 3 teaspoons dhunia/jheera powder teaspoon turmeric powder1 2 teaspoons freshly ground green chillies3 whole green chilliesSalt to taste6 to 8 potatoes (cut into quarters)4 5 hard boiled eggs (peeled)3 elachi, 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, 4 whole peppercorns, 2 bay leaves teaspoon crushed saffron (place in bowl of hot water)A little egg yellow food colour1 2 sprigs curry leaves1 medium onion (chopped finely for vagaar)

Method:

Meat should be marinated and refrigerated overnight as follows:Dry roast elachi, cinnamon sticks, cloves, peppercorns and bay leaves in a frying pan and when cool, grind in a coffee grinder.Fry the finely slices (or grated) onion in oil until golden brown. Press through a sieve or slotted spoon to remove all excess oil. Place on a paper towel and leave to drain. When cool, crush with your fingertips.Add the ground spices, crushed onion, ginger/garlic, all the other spices, salt, lemon juice and vin-egar, yoghurt, tomato puree, curry leaves, ground and whole green chillies, saffron water and mix well. Add the left over oil (from frying onions). Toss well and leave to marinate overnight in refrig-erator or 2 3 hours before cooking.Par cook rice with a few cinnamon sticks. Make sure rice is not overcooked. It must still have a slightly hard centre when pressed between your fingers. Drain and set aside.If using Basmati rice (boil about 5 to 6 minutes), take care as it cooks really fast and should only be partially cooked. Must still feel hard when pressed between fingers.Toss your potatoes in a little egg yellow food colouring and deep fry until a thin skin forms around it. Put in a casserole and par cook in the microwave. Set aside.Fry medium sliced onion in a little ghee until softened and lightly golden brown.Arrange your marinated meat and spices at the bottom of a large flat bottomed pot. Cover the meat with a thin layer of par cooked masoor dhall. Place the partially cooked potatoes over the masoor. Cover with half the rice. Then arrange the eggs over this. Now cover with the rest of the rice. Toss the top layer of rice with the fried onion/ghee. Gently pour 1 cup water over the rice. Cover this rice with a layer of foil. Cover tightly with pot lid. Bake in oven at 180C for approximately 1 1 hours or until water dried up and potatoes cooked through.If using a stove place pot on high heat until you hear it sizzling, then drop the heat to lowest and let it simmer until done.

Traditional Biryani (Layered Masala)

Ingredients

2 kg prawns ( devein but retain the shell )250 g butter1 kg tomatoes1 cup tomato sauce4 teaspoons HP sauce2 teaspoons worcester sauce3 tablespoons chilli sauce3 tablespoons braai sauce12 pods of garlic1/2 cup lemon juice2 teaspoons peri peri powder2 teaspoons red chilli powder2 teaspoons crushed chilli powder1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder1 tin (410g) tomato puree

Method

1. Liquidize tomatoes and garlic together until well blended and smooth, place this mixture in a pot and add tomato puree, allow to boil for 10 minutes.2. Remove pot from heat and add spices, sauces, and lemon juice.3. Place prawns in a dish and pour a few ladles of sauce marinade over it, mix well and allow prawns to marinate for 2 hours.4. In a large frying pan,heat some oil and fry a few prawns at at time. Place each batch of fried prawns in an oven tray. When all prawns are fried, pour rest of marinade over, dot with butter and grill for 5 - 10 minutes.

Note:Fried prawns can be refrigerate and grilled just before serving.

Serving suggestion:Serve with savoury rice or garlic naan and salads.

Peri Peri Prawns

Ingredients

1 small leg ( washed & dried)1/4 cup oil2 teaspoons ginger/garlic1 teaspoon Robertsons steak & chops spice1 teaspoon Robertsons barbeque spice1 tsp ground dhania powder2 cups vinegar1/2 cup lemon juice1 teaspoon black pepper1 tablespoon brown onion soup1/2 cup water12 cloves

Method

Poke cloves into leg and soak overnight in vinegar.Remove leg from vinegar and marinate in all spices exceptfor the ghee and brown onion soup. Heat ghee in a large pot.Place the marinated leg in and let it roast.Add a little water as required. When leg tenderises, remove from pot.Mix brown onion soup with 1/4 cup of water, add to pot and boil once.Pour this gravy over roast before serving.

Pot Roast Leg

Ingredients

1 chicken butterflied1 teaspoon ginger/garlic masala1 teaspoon aromat1 teaspoon lemon pepper1 teaspoon jeera powder2 teaspoons red chilli powder1 teaspoon garlic salt1 tablespoon crushed garlic2 tablespoons tomato sauce2 tablespoons tomato puree2 tablespoons lemon juice1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron

Method

Marinate chicken with all the above spices for about an hour. Steam cook with gheefor 45 minutes. Grill roast for about 10 minutes before serving.Serve with chunky veggies.

(This is a must on Eid day at my home)

Saffron Garlic Chicken

8 - 10 green bananas - These must be boiled in water with a teaspoon of turmeric powder. When it is cooked through (test with a knife), drain and leave to cool. When cool, remove the skins and chop into 2 3mm circles. Set aside.Ingredients:2- 3 large tomatoes (chopped or roughly blended)2 medium to large onions (sliced into thin slivers)1 tablespoon crushed garlicOil ( a little extra about cup)Salt to taste2 3 teaspoons chilli powder teaspoon turmeric powder3 4 green chillies (slit)1 sprig curry leaves2 3 tablespoons chopped shallot (spring onions)Chopped dhunia

METHOD:

Fry onion until lightly golden brown. Add garlic and green chillies. Then add tomatoes and spices. Cook until it forms a thick sauce (tomato chutney), then add banana and allow to simmer for +- 20 minutes. If it starts to catch, add a little water. Garnish with chopped dhunia, shallot and curry leaves. Serve with rice or roti.This is a personal favourite. I love it!

NOTE: You can cook green Paw Paw exactly like this, but peel and chop your paw paw into cubes. Add to the browned onion, then add a little water and allow the Paw Paw to soften before adding the tomatoes and spices

Banana Curry (Tomato Chutney Based)

Ingredients:

1 tin baked beans cup grated cheddar cheese cup grated Mozarella cheese1 teaspoons chilli powder teaspoon turmeric powderSalt to taste teaspoon fresh crushed black pepper1 teaspoon sugar1 medium onion (finely sliced)1 large tomato chopped into small cubes2 green chillies (slit)1 green pepper sliced into finger length strips1 cups macaroni (boiled in salted water until done)2 3 tablespoons oilA little chopped dhuniaCurry leaves

Method:

Fry Onions in oil until light golden brown. Add chopped tomatoes, green peppers, salt, sugar and spices. Simmer until tomatoes completely softened. Now add baked beans. Stir well and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Garnish with greens.In a casserole place1/3 of the cooked macaroni, then top with half the baked beans. Sprinkle with a little cheese. Repeat layers and end with macaroni on the top. Cover with cheese and a few slices (circles) of tomato and green peppers. Bake at 180C for 10 15 minutes or until cheese melted and golden brown.

NOTE: I usually add 2 3 tablespoons of mango pickle masala to my baked beans after it is cooked. Gives an absolutely delicious flavour. When my mango pickle is finished, I always bot-tle the leftover pickle masala and oil and refrigerate for later use

Macaroni and Baked Bean Casserole

The KebaabsIngredients

3 green bananas1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper1 teaspoon crushed green chilli1/2 teaspoon gram flour1 teaspoon flour1 teaspoon crushed garlic1 teaspoon roasted cumin (jeera)1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

The Gravy2 large tomatoes(grated) or 1/2 cup tomato puree

2 green chillies1 cup fresh or frozen green peas1 tsp sugar2 tablespoons oil1/2 teaspoon ginger/garlic1 teaspoon gharum masala1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder1/4 cup fresh coriander for garnishing.Salt to taste

MethodBoil unpeeled bananas in salted water till tender. Peel and mash. Add flour and spices and form intosmall balls (ping pong sized). Roll in flour. Fry inoil till light brown.Drain and set aside.Heat oil. Add tomatoes or tomato puree, salt and spices.When mixture is blended, add peas and simmer slowlytill almost done. Add kebaabs and simmer till done. Garnish with green coriander.

TipsThis dish can be served with rice or roti.

Banana Kebaabs in Gravy

1 kg Madumbis (peeled)4 large tomatoes 2 medium onions2 green chillies2 sprigs curry leaves3 cloves garlicOilSalt to taste3 4 tablespoons of solid tamarind (mix in half cup of hot/boiling water)1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds teaspoon Jeera seeds teaspoon methi seeds2 - 3 teaspoons chilli powder1 teaspoons dhunia/jeera powder teaspoon turmeric powder teaspoon sugarChopped dhunia

METHOD:

In a liquidiser or food processor, add the tomatoes, 1 onion, green chillies, garlic, 1 sprig curry leaves and blend.Parboil the peeled madumbis in salted water and set aside (until almost cooked through). Chop the remaining onion into thin slivers and fry in a fish pot until softened and almost golden brown together with the whole jeera, the whole mustard and the whole methi seeds. Drop the heat to its lowest point and add the spices (Chilli powder, Dhunia/Jeera powder, turmeric powder) Leave the spices to fry on a gentle heat for +- 5 minutes Alternatively, you could add the spices to the blended tomato mix, but I prefer frying my spices to prevent a raw masala flavour and only add the tomatoes when I get the aroma of gently friend spices. Care must be taken not to scorch your spicesNow add the blended tomatoes, sugar and salt. Allow to simmer until it is thick. Add the tamarind juice and the madumbis and allow to simmer for 10 15 minutes or until thick (not too thick). If it is too thick you can add a little water.Garnish with curry leaves and chopped dhunia Serve with roti

Madumbi (Yam) Curry

Ingredients

500g Sugar Beans (boiled until soft and mushy)1 large tomato (grated or chopped into small cubes)1 large onion (finely sliced)2 3 cloves garlic crushed4 5 tablespoons cooking oil3 - 4 green chillies (slit)3 teaspoons Chilli Powder2 - 3 teaspoons curry powder teaspoon turmeric powderSalt to taste1 tablespoon sugar2 tablespoons tomato sauce3 4 potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)Chopped dhuniaCurry leaves

METHOD:

Braise onion until golden brown. Add crushed garlic and green chillies. Toss and simmer for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and all the spices (excluding sugar and tomato sauce). Allow to simmer (on a low heat) until tomatoes softened and cooked through. At this stage the tomato and spices must start to catch a little at the bottom of the pot. Take care not to burn it. Now add the boiled beans and potatoes. Add 1 1 cups boiling water and allow to cook until potatoes cooked through and curry slightly thickened. Now add the sugar and tomato sauce. Stir gently or shake the pot, ensuring you do not break the potatoes. Garnish with the greens.

NOTE: Adding the sugar and tomato sauce gives an absolutely delicious flavour.You can use gem squash or madumbis (yams) instead of potatoes (or both) for a delicious variation.Serve with Roti, puri or rice or as a Bunny Chow!

Sugar Beans Curry

Ingredients:

6 8 green bananas (boiled, peeled and chopped into circles)2 - 3 large tomatoes1 large onion3 4 cloves garlic2 3 green chillies2 3 teaspoons chilli powder1 teaspoons dhunia/jeera powder teaspoon turmeric powderSalt to taste teaspoon sugar cup tamarind juice1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds teaspoon whole jeera seeds teaspoon whole methi seedsOilChopped dhuniaChopped shallot1 sprig curry leaves

Method:

Blend together the tomatoes, onion, garlic and green chillies. Add oil to a flat fish pot and add the whole seeds. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, drop in the blended to-mato mix. Add the spices, sugar and salt and simmer until thick. Now add the bananas together with the tamarind juice and simmer for a further 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped shallot, dhunia and curry leaves Serve with roti or rice.

Banana Curry (Tamarind Based)

Ingredients:

3 cups of chopped cabbage1 large potato (peeled and cut into 2 3cm cubes)1 medium onion (finely sliced)3 4 tablespoons of cooking oil1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds teaspoon whole jeera seeds teaspoon methi seeds2 -3 green chillies (slit) 3 fresh red chillies (slit) or 4 5 dry chillies (split)3 cloves garlic crushed1 teaspoon sugarCooking oilFine salt to tasteChopped dhuniaCurry leaves

METHOD:

Braise onion until softened. Add crushed garlic and the whole seeds. Fry 1 2 minutes. Add chopped cabbage, chillies, salt, sugar and potato cubes. Simmer until water evapo-rated, cabbage cooked and potatoes done. Allow to fry until catching at the bottom of the pot. Garnish with greens.

Serve with roti or puri.

White Cabbage and Potato

Ingredients

500g klim milk powder (sifted)1 small tin nestles cream cup ground almonds1 tablespoon elachi powder (freshly ground)500g icing sugar cup milkA few drops rose essence6 tablespoons butter ghee1 tablespoon condensed milkSlivered almonds or pistachios to decorate

Method:

Add sifted klim powder to a large bowl. Add the ground almonds and elachi powder. Shake the tin of nestles cream well so that it is evenly mixed. USE ONLY TIN NESTLES CREAM (and NOT the whole tin). Add a little at a time to the klim mixture and rub in well with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Set aside for a few hours or preferably overnight, tossing every now and then to allow it to dry. Put this mixture a little at a time through a cof-fee grinder or a food processor, though the coffee grinder is preferable as it gives a smoother texture. Set aside in a bowl.Now add the milk, rose essence, ghee and icing sugar together in a pot and bring to boil, then let simmer for 3 4 minutes until all the sugar is melted through. Now add this hot syrup to the ground klim mixture a little at a time, using a spoon to mix it to form a soft, pliable, sticky dough (or very thick batter). Be careful not to pour all the syrup in as you may not require all the syrup to make a dough. If you add all the syrup your burfee will be ruined as it will become runny and will not set. Now add the condensed milk and mix well. Grease a casserole bowl with some butter ghee and press the burfee mixture flat into the casserole. Top with almonds or pistachios and leave to set overnight. Slice into squares and serve. The burfee can also be scooped out into disposable paper cups (as for cup cakes) and deco-rated accordingly.

NOTE: Burfee freezes very well. Just wrap in glad wrap and place in a sealed Tupperware container and freeze. Allow to thaw at room temperature when needed.

BurfeeI got this recipe from my mum-in-law and have used it over 30 years. I have to admit, I had tried other burfee recipes as well, but none compare! Though it may seem complex, it is relatively simple and as long as you follow the recipe carefully, you will get perfect burfee

Ingredients:

1 tin condensed milk4 tablespoons soji (Taystee Wheat) teaspoon ground elachi teaspoon nutmeg powder2 cups cake flour3 teaspoons baking powder teaspoon bicarbonate of soda2 tablespoons gheeCooking oil for deep frying

Syrup:

2 cups sugar2 cups water2 drops rose essence

Method:

Put the condensed milk into a bowl and add the soji, nutmeg and elachi powder to it. Mix well.Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarb together. Rub in the ghee. Now add this a little at a time to the condensed milk mixture to form a soft, sticky dough. If too sticky add a little more flour.To make the syrup: add the sugar, water and rose essence to a small pot and bring to boil, then allow to simmer on very low heat. A thin syrup is required.Shape the dough into finger length pieces, tapering the ends and deep fry until golden brown (on medium heat). Dip immediately in the hot syrup. Allow to steep at least 30 40 seconds. Remove and drain on a wire rack. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container

NOTE: They can be rolled in sugar or coconut. Using butter ghee rather than oil to fry, gives a delicious variation. After 2 days, they must be refrigerated and can be warmed when required.

Gulab JamunThis is my mums recipe and in my opinion foolproof

Ingredients

2 cups flour (sifted twice)Pinch salt teaspoon baking powder60 g butterFew drops lemon juice1 cup sugar1 cup waterRose water1 cup gheeMaizena (corn flour) for sprinkling Syrup:Make syrup with water, rose water and sugar. You can colour this syrup in colour of your choice.

Method:

Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Rub in butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add 3 or 4 drops of lemon juice into a jug of iced water. Add a little at a time to flour to form a stiff dough. Wrap the dough in some glad wrap and set aside for an hour or 2.Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece out into a paper thin roti. Brush each roti with ghee and sprinkle corn flour over this. Place the next roti over this and brush again with ghee and sprinkle corn flour again until all piled one on top of the other. Now roll this out slightly to remove all air bubbles and flatten evenly. Now brush the top of the last roti with ghee and sprinkle with corn flour. Roll up tightly like a swiss roll and cut into 1cm pieces. Pull each piece a little to make them elongated. Now use your rolling pin to slightly flatten each piece ensuring that the layers are visible. Slightly pinch the tips.Heat your oil and test with a little piece of dough to see if oil is ready. The dough must rise to the surface as soon as it hits the oil. Now drop the heat to a low temperature and fry each piece until crisp but still off white in colour. As they are eggless they must not brown.Drain on wire rack and leave to cool. Pour a few tablespoons syrup over the cooled khajas and serve.

NOTE: you can use rose or elachi syrup instead of home-made syrup .The thinner the roti, the flakier your khaja

Khajas (Banana Puri Eggless)

This recipe is tried and tested and makes perfect Khajas!

Ingredients:

500g Cake flour5 ml fine salt60ml (60g) butter ghee50 ml (25g) milk powder10 ml (2 teaspoons) soomph (fennel seeds)10g instant yeast powder (sachet)60 ml sugar (1/4 cup)1 egg (beaten)250 ml tepid (luke warm) milk water mix Top Coating:1 egg beaten with a tablespoon of waterSesame seeds

Method:

Cream the sugar and ghee until light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg and whisk. Now add the soomph seeds (fennel) and mix.In a separate bowl sift the dry ingredients and sprinkle the yeast over. Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk/water to the egg mixture to form a soft dough.Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 15 minutes. If using a kenwood or electric mixer, knead 3 5 minutes.Pour a teaspoon of melted ghee on the palm of your hand and smear over the dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to rise until double its size 1 to 1 hours.Knead the dough again divide in two equal pieces. Roll these into a smooth, round, slightly flat-tened bun and place on a greased oven tray.Cover and leave to rise until double its size.Preheat oven to 180C.Brush the top with the egg/water mixture and sprinkle sesame seeds over.Bake for +- 15 to 20 minutes.Delicious served with Kalya or Haleem.

Naan Bread (makes 2)

Double or triple the ingredients according to the number of naan you require

Ingredients:

1 cup butter ghee cup castor sugar2 tablespoons soji (Taystee Wheat)1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda2 cups of flour2 teaspoons elachi powder (preferably freshly ground)Almonds or pistachios

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C.Use electric beater to whisk ghee and castor sugar until fluffy. Add soji and elachi powder. Sift together flour, baking powder and bicarb. Add a little at a time to form a dry, crumbly dough. If too soft and not crumbly, add a little more flour (3 - 4 tablespoons)Cover a baking tray with grease proof paper and grease with spray and cook. Press the dough in the palm of your hand to form circles (depending on the sizes you require) and flatten slightly. Place on grease proof paper. Top each with a whole almond or pistachio and bake for +- 20 minutes. It is eggless and should not turn brown. You will know when it is done when the sides turn off white. This recipe is fool proof as long as you use proper baking measurements.

NOTE: Using freshly ground elachi powder makes a huge difference to the taste. Simply peel the whole elachi, roast the seeds in a pan and grind on a flat surface with a rolling pin or use a coffee grinder.For perfect results use butter ghee and not butter

Naan Khatais (Eggless)

After trying and testing many Naan Khatai recipes, I chopped and changed ingredients until I came up with this recipe 26 years ago, which my family and friends swear by! Delicious!

Ingredients:

cup castor sugar120g Butter2 cups cake flour1 teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon ground cloves teaspoon nutmeg teaspoon salt cup sour milk cup milk2 large eggs cup brown sugar1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method:

Sift flour and spices. Mix the milk and sour milk together to form butter milk and add bicarb to this mixture.Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time alter-nately with flour and buttermilk liquid.Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 2 x 20cm cake pans with spray and cook. Sprinkle with a little flour, pour in the batter equally in both pans and bake for +-20 minutes.Turn out and leave to cool on rack.

Icing:Basic Butter Icing250g Butter or Wooden Spoon White Margarine (which I prefer)500g Icing sugar (sifted)1 tablespoon milk1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:Beat all well together with electric beater. Sandwich the cake together with the icing, then cover top and sides with icing. Mix a little cinnamon powder and castor sugar together and sprinkle over the icing together with some chopped pecan or walnuts

Spice CakeThis cake has an amazingly soft and delicate texture and is equally delicious!

Ingredients

125g butter or margarine1 cup sugar2 ripe bananas2 tablespoons lemon juice1/4 teaspoon salt2 cups self raising flour1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda1/2 cup luke warm water

Method

1. Cream butter/margarine and sugar till light and fluffy2. Add bananas, lemon juice and salt, beat well3. Fold in flour4. Mix bicarb into water and stir into batter5. Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan, and level the surface6. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180C for about one hour Glace icing can be used to decorate

Glace Icing250ml (130g ) icing sugar30 ml boiling water2 ml banana essence

Method1. Sift icing sugar and add enough water to make a smooth consistency2. Add essence. 3. Pour over cooled cake

TipIcing is more than just a decoration on cakes. It prevents dryingout and adds flavour to bland cakes and biscuits. Colour and flavourthe icing according to your personal taste.

Eggless Banana Loaf ( Eggless)

Ingredients

125ml butter or margarine250ml self raising flour (140g)125ml chopped pecan nuts (50g)3ml vanilla essence50ml icing sugarIcing sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Mix together all ingredients, except the icing sugar for dusting.2. Shape into small balls and place on a greased baking tray. Press down lightly with a fork.3. Bake in preheated oven at 160 C (325F) for 25 mins. Remove from oven and, while still hot, dust with icing sugar. Makes 20.

TipsBake biscuits in a baking tray to ensure even browning, which is not alwayspossible in a deeper baking tin.Undecorated biscuits that are starting to go soft, can be crisped up in a hot oven.Place biscuits on a baking tray and bake at 190C (375F) for 5 minutes.

TipFor freshly baked biscuits at a moments notice.Freeze uncooked biscuits on trays. Once frozen place in plastic bags,and seal. These biscuits can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Pecan Nut Biscuits (Eggless)