I’m on a bit of a Magnolia Flower binge at the moment – it’s understandable, they’re only buds for a short time and our weather is so changeable right now, you’ve got to ‘gather your rosebuds magnolias while you may’! Today’s foodie choice is magnolia flower pickle, which means we can enjoy them well into the year.
There are many different types of magnolia trees, and while all magnolias are considered edible, not all of them have been tested, so people can be a bit weary of trying newer species. The most common edible magnolias are Magnolia coco, grandiflora, enudata, mhypoleuca, kobus, liliflora, mexicana, pterocarpa, and oulangeana. Continue reading “Magnolia Flower Pickle”
Despite being someone who has never been a huge fan of Indian food, I’m a total convert to this biriyani. Just sitting here writing up this recipe, my mouth is watering and I’m wondering where I could pick up more fresh beetroot on my travels today. I’m sure the family won’t mind eating the same thing again either!
Cook time is quite long because the beetroot needs to be roasted first, and then rice has to boil, but the hands’ on time is pretty quick, so you have time to be doing other things in between too. Like prepare the sautéed beet greens to have on the side.
It’s a great ‘everyone tuck in meal’ and it turned out to be one of those where the pots were scraped clean!
This is a brilliant recipe – quite possibly my favourite beetroot or biriyani recipe – but if you need more beetroot recipes, click here!
Brilliant Beetroot Biriyani
Recipe Type: Dinner, Mains
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Keeper of the Kitchen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 5
Ingredients
500g raw beetroot, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 tsp grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
seeds from 4 cardamom pods
2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp garam masala
250g basmati rice
500ml veg stock
100ml plain or Greek yogurt
small bunch of coriander or parsley
Mango chutney (to serve) (optional)
Sautéed beet greens (to serve)
Instructions
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Drizzle oil over the beetroot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then tip into a roasting dish and cook for 25-30 mins or until tender.
While the beetroot is cooking, heat the remaining oil in a deep frying pan (or a wok) with a lid.
Fry the onion over a medium heat until golden.
Add the ginger and half the garlic, and cook for 1 min.
Stir through the bay, cardamom seeds, turmeric and garam masala, then cook for 2 mins.
Stir in the rice and beetroot.
Pour in the stock and place a fitting lid on the pot
Boil for 20-25 minutes, keeping an eye on to make sure it doesn’t dry out or burn to the bottom of the pan.
Put the remaining garlic in a food processor and whizz, then add the yoghurt till it’s well blended. Set aside.
For Garam Masala, I’ve discovered, there are about as many recipes as their are people making it. There isn’t one authentic, or one original recipe, but rather it seems to be a matter of personal choice.
For a long time I would say that I didn’t like curries. I think this was because every curry I ever had from a takeaway was just an overkill of hot and I didn’t find that very pleasant. It was only when a friend served me a curry she made that I realised that there was a world of flavour out there that I knew very little about. Over the recent years I’ve learned to enjoy curries – but only those I make, so that I manage the heat!
Garam Masala is the foundation for many North Indian and South Asian dishes, but I’ve also learned that it can add amazing flavour to any meat dish without specifically making it a curry. Garam Masala actually means ‘warm spices’ and that’s precisely what these spices do – they add a warm depth of flavour to the meal.
As with all spices, if you’re able to blend it fresh when you need it, the flavours are stronger and richer, but I make a small amount at a time so that I make a fresh batch every month or so. You can freeze this and take it out as you need it, or just store in an airtight container.
DIY Garam Masala
Recipe Type: Seasoning, Spicemix
Cuisine: Asian, Indian
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 200g
Since I prefer to make this mix up fresh as often as possible, I keep the quantities small, meaning the Thermomix scales aren’t useful here, so this recipe uses a 5ml teaspoon and a 15ml tablespoon.
Ingredients
1 Whole nutmeg
10 Whole cloves
1 Cassia Stick (sold as cinnamon sticks in supermarkets)
1 tsp Black Peppercorns
2 tbs Coriander seeds
1 tbs Cumin seeds
1 tbs Fennel seeds
1 tbs Cardamom pods (about 6 pods)
1 tsp Cayenne pepper (add more if you prefer a hotter spice, or substitute for dried chillies)
1 tsp Turmeric
Instructions
If you’re using a Thermomix, you can add all the ingredients to the bowl and whizz at[b] speed 10 / 20 seconds[/b]. Check inside to confirm, but everything should be a fine powder.
If you’re not using a Thermomix or similar high powered blender, add the first four ingredients, and blend for 30 seconds or until broken into pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for a further 30 – 60 seconds depending on your blender, until all the spices are crushed.
Store in an airtight container and use within a month for the best flavours.
I love this dish. It just looks summery and fresh and inviting. Serve it with rice, or if you’re sharing, add a hearty meaty dish with it.
This recipe is originally from The Essential Asian Cookbook*, but adapted for serving two children and using a Thermomix – but you can use a knife as most of the cooking is done in a wok. I do think all of this could be done in the Thermomix to some extent. You could saute the cashews and coconut in the bowl, steam the chicken in the Varoma, and then combine all the ingredients at about 90C in the bowl before serving, but if I don’t have to and do have access to the wok, I’d do it that way.
Vietnamese Cashew Pineapple Chicken
Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Vietnamese,Asian,
Author: Adapted by Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
A good stand alone, or perfect as part of a shared meal.
Ingredients
30g (2tbs) shredded coconut
80g (1/2 cup) raw cashews
30g (2tbs) oil
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
2 chopped red chillies (optional – I do it without)
350g chicken thigh fillets, diced
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 tbs fish sauce (nam plah)
1 teaspoon sugar
320g (2 cups) chopped pineapple (fresh is good, but tinned and drained is fine)
3 spring onions
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 150C (300F) and spread the coconut evenly onto a tray. Toast the coconut for 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the tray immediately to prevent burning and set aside.
Increase the heat to 180C (350F) and roast the cashews for 15 minutes until deep golden.
In a wok, pour the oil to heat up.
Drop the onion and garlic (and chillies if using) onto a running Thermomix at speed 4, about 5 seconds.
Stir fry for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan.
Meanwhile, put the peppers into the Thermomix and chop speed 4 about 10 seconds or until it’s the size you want.
Add the chicken and the peppers to the wok, and cook until the chicken is light brown. Add the onion back in to the wok, then add the fish sauce, sugar and pineapple and heat through for about 2 minutes.
Blitz the spring onion on Turbo to chop.
Toss the cashews through the food in the wok, then serve and scatter the toasted coconut and spring onion over the top.
Serve with rice or Asian vegetables.
Regular Instructions
Preheat the oven to 150C (300F) and spread the coconut evenly onto a tray. Toast the coconut for 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the tray immediately to prevent burning and set aside.
Increase the heat to 180C (350F) and roast the cashews for 15 minutes until deep golden.
In a wok, pour the oil to heat up.
Chop the onions, garlic and chillies. While you’re at it, chop the peppers roughly and spring onions finely. Make sure the chicken is evenly diced.
Add the onion, garlic and chillies if using to the wok.
Stir fry for 2 minutes, then remove from the pan.
Add the chicken and the peppers to the wok, and cook until the chicken is light brown. Add the onion back in to the wok, then add the fish sauce, sugar and pineapple and heat through for about 2 minutes.
Toss the cashews through the food in the wok, then serve and scatter the toasted coconut and spring onion over the top.
Serve with rice or Asian vegetables.
Calories: 2082
Notes
serves 4[br]521 calories per serve (doesn’t include rice)
This recipe is originally from