STUFFED BELL PEPPER WITH EGG AND COATED IN CHICKPEA FLOUR

These are tempting spicy stuffed bell pepper fritters. The bell peppers were in the Mlango farm basket this week. They were really tiny and there was not much I could with them so I decided to stuff them with boiled eggs and then dip in spicy chickpea flour batter and fry them. They tasted good with a fresh salad on the side. It was a light meal for afternoon lunch.

Stuffed bell pepper

Serves 1 or 2

Time: 30 minutes

2 medium bell peppers

2 hard-boiled eggs sliced into halves

2 tsp hot sauce/sauce/chutney of your choice

Chickpea batter

1/2 cup chickpea flour

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 + cup water enough to make batter like pancake mixture

Oil for frying

Method

Cut the tops and core the inside of the bell peppers. ( my peppers were smaller than the eggs as you see in the picture below, that's why I had difficulty in closing the lids while dipping in the batter)

 

Apply the hot sauce on the each half of the eggs and close them. Then insert them in each bell pepper.

 

Put the tops back, here you can either use a toothpick and seal the edges if the tops don't stay on. Dip the one pepper at a time in the batter. The batter should be a bit thick so that it coats the skin as the pepper skins are very slippery. Spoon the batter on the top and slowly tip it in the hot oil. Don't worry if some parts of the pepper are not coated. 

 

Using a spoon, drizzle the hot oil on the top of the pepper so that the batter doesn't slip downwards anymore. Turn it and fry until golden in colour and crisp.

 

Remove the peppers on to the kitchen towel and let it rest for few seconds.

Serve the peppers on a bed fresh salad.

STICKY HOT AND SWEET WINGS

This is my easiest wings recipe which I make for my son a lot. He loves the sticky sauce with a bit of kick from hot Maggie sauce. Basically, the wings are baked or fried and then tossed in the sauce. I prefer baking them as the heat in the oven caramelises the fat on the chicken wings evenly.

Serves 2

Time: 30 minutes

10 chicken wings, tips removed and halved

1-2 garlic minced

1 tsp minced ginger

2 tbs soy sauce ( dark)

2 tbs honey

2 tbs tomato ketchup

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp maggie hot sauce

1 tsp sesame seeds toasted

Salt 

2 tsp cornflour mixed in 1/2 cup water

Method

First, the bake the chicken wings in a preheated oven at 200'C for 20 minutes turning twice or simply fry them in hot oil until cooked. 

 

 Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Add all the remaining ingredients in a pan and bring it to a boil.  Then add the cornflour and water mixture. Bring it to a boil to thicken it. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce. 

 

Then tip in the cooked wings into the sauce. mix or toss well to coat the wings with the sticky sauce.

 

Dish the wings on a plate and garnish with the roasted sesame seeds.

HAM CROQUETTES

Making croquettes is easy, it's not difficult as it sounds. These Spanish snacks made with ham. If one does not eat ham, cooked shredded chicken, minced lamb, beef or seafood can be used instead. I used ham as my neighbour had sent me a couple of slices of smoked ham which they brought from France. I used a few in sandwiches and the remaining in this recipe. 

Ham croquettes 

Makes 12

Time: 30-40 minutes

Roux

3 tbs plain flour

2 tbs butter

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper

Ham mix

200-250 grams cooked ham chopped 

1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika

1 tbs chopped parsley

A good amount of black pepper

2 tbs parmesan cheese

Oil for frying

Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

1 tsp hot mustard

Method

To make the roux, for the croquettes, cook the plain flour with butter for 2 minutes o medium heat.Then add the milk and stir into a thick gloopy paste. This will be used to bind the ham mixture.

 

In a food processor, add the ingredients for the ham mix and process it until it forms a crumbled or minced meat texture. Season it well.

 

Add the gloopy roux mix into the ham mixture and mix it well. 

Take the ham mixture and roll into small cylinders or balls. Toss them into the breadcrumbs and refrigerate for few minutes.

 

In the meanwhile, beat an egg with mustard sauce and dip the breaded croquettes into it and then again into the bread crumbs. ( the final time)

 

 

Heat the oil, and slowly add the croquettes into it and fry them until golden brown and crisp. Slot them out on to a kitchen paper.

 

Serve these with sauce on the side. To make the sauce mix its ingredients. They served best when hot and fresh. I do sometimes use the leftovers in my crusty baguettes as a sandwich. 

KEEMA AND EGG BAIDA ROTI ( MUTTON MINCE AND EGG STUFFED BREAD )

Baida roti is a type of paratha made with plain flour and stuffed with minced mutton/beef or chicken combined with eggs and then shallow fried. The dough can be made with wheat and plain flour or just the plain flour. It is served with coriander yoghurt chutney and tamarind chutney and some sliced onions. 

keema and egg baida roti

Makes 4

Time: 1 hour

Minced meat stuffing

500 gram minced meat

2 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

1 -2 tsp green chilli paste

1 tsp roasted cumin powder

1 tsp garam masala

Salt and pepper

1 cup chopped spring onions ( white and green part )

1 cup freshly chopped coriander

1 cup finely chopped onions

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 eggs beaten

Dough

3 1/2 cup plain flour

Salt

Enough water to knead the dough

2 tsp oil

Oil for shallow frying

Method

First, make the dough by mixing flour, salt, oil and water. The dough should be not very stiff. Brush little oil on the kneaded dough and keep it aside covered to rest. In the meantime prepare the stuffing.

 

To prepare the stuffing, tip the minced meat in a pan over a medium heat, to this add the garlic, ginger and the chillies.

 

Cook this mixture for about 10 minutes until the meat is browned and much of the water from the meat has evaporated (do not use oil ). Now add the dry spices. Give it a good stir. When the mixture is cooled, add the chopped onions, coriander, spring onions and the lemon juice. Mix this well. Mix the beaten eggs to this mixture just before stuffing the bread. 

 

 

By this time, the dough has rested. Heat a flat pan with oil to shallow fry the bread.

 Knead it one time and make 4 balls. Roll these ball into a 6-inch diameter. Spoon a good amount of the minced meat in the centre. Brush the edges with little water and fold it as shown in the picture below. 

 

Slowly place the stuffed bread in hot oil and fry until its golden colour on both sides. Slot it out on a kitchen towel.

Serve this keema and egg baida roti with fresh onions sliced, coriander and yoghurt sauce. They serve well when hot. 

TIP: These keema rotis can be frozen also. You can cook them and after cooling pack individually in cling/foil paper and freeze up to 2 weeks. To heat them, either toast them on low setting in a toaster or in the oven at 180'C till warm enough.

MUSHROOMS CHICKEN AND CARROT PIES

These pies are a great way to finish the leftovers of chicken roast or roast vegetables. I have used chicken breast finely chopped with carrots sand mushrooms. They make a great on the go lunch or easy weekend meals. For the vegetarian's, chicken can be substituted with grated paneer or tofu or more of mushrooms with leeks etc. 

Makes 2 big or 4 small pies

Time; 40-50 minutes

1 big boneless chicken chopped finely / leftover cooked chicken meat

2 puff pastry sheets 

1 tbs olive oil

1 small onion chopped

1 green chilli chopped

1 medium carrot chopped

1/2 cup button mushrooms chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 egg beaten with water for egg wash

Method

First, prepare the filling by cooking the onions, garlic and carrots. Then add the chopped mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and then cook the chicken till well browned and season it again. Tip it in the plate with the mushroom mix. Fold in the chopped chillies and let it cool completely. While the mix is being cooled, preheat the oven at 200-220'C temperature. 

Now open the puff pastry sheets, roll it thin to a chapatti's thickness. Cut 2 rounds of 5-6 diameters and 2 rounds of 4 diameters. Arrange the big rounds of puff pastry on a greaseproof paper. Brush it with egg wash and spoon the chicken and mushroom mix in the middle.

 

Take the small rounds and cover the puff pastry with it. Tug the small size pastry well on the larger one. Then fold the larger pastry on the smaller one as seen in the picture below. Brush the whole top with the egg wash.

 

Bake them in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes till well browned and the bottoms are cooked too. Remove and cool slightly before serving.

Serve with fruit chutney or simply tomato ketchup. These pies can be assembled in advance and frozen before baking. All you need is to remove from the freezer and thaw it and bake at 200'C. They'll just taste fresh and crisp.