Gonglu gosht

Gonglu gosht or lamb & turnip curry is a curry that takes me straight to my childhood as it's something my mum would make often as I loved any kind of vegetable with lamb curry.

I had a random craving for it a few days ago so just had to make it.

To serve 4- 6 people you will need:

1kg lamb - ideally on the bone
4 medium onions sliced
1 bay leaf
1 level tsp curry powder (hot)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 black cardamom
3 cloves
1 tin chopped tomato
3 green chillies
1 whole bulb of garlic
1 inch peice of ginger crushed
1 small turnip par boiled & cut into chunks

• Start by placing all the ingredients ( except for the turnip ) into a heavy based pan

• Add enough water so that it just comes above the lamb. Give it a good stir then place on a medium heat and leave to simmer

• Simmer everything together until the onions & tomatoes have broken down, the garlic cloves are nice & soft & the lamb has no pinkness  - you may need to top the water up a couple of times until everything has broken down and mixed together.

• Once you have what looks like a curry sauce, add in the oil and on a medium to high heat, cook the lamb to brown all over & for the moisture to evaporate - stirring intermittently ensuring it doesn't catch & burn.

• Once the moisture has evaporated add in the turnip and cook together- again stirring intermittently- until the turnip is soft & cooked completely & the oil begins to separate

• Once the oil has separated add in enough freshly boiled water to cover the lamb & on a medium heat let it reduce & thicken up to your desired consistency.

• Alternatively you can add just a splash of water to slightly loosen the consistency & leave as a dry curry/ a bhuna.

• Garnish with fresh coriander & Serve with chappatis or naan

Easy peasy Naan

These are the easiest naans ever I promise you ... 5 ingredients, no waiting around for the dough to prove & you don't even need your oven... 

To make my super easy naan you'll need:

5 cups of self raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tub natural yogurt

Water 

• Mix together  The flour and baking powder in a bowl. Then add the 3/4 tub of yoghurt mix together until it begins to stick together slightly 

• Slowly add a little bit of water at a time until you have a soft dough.  Knead the dough for a couple of minutes until smooth & leave to rest for a minimum of an hour in the fridge covered with cling film - this can be made the night before - or at room temp until you are ready to use it. 

• This amount of dough will make 4-6 naan depending on how big your dough portions are. 

• I take a ball of dough, roll out to about 1- 1/2 an inch thick then place on a non stick pan meduim heat and let the underside cook until the surface starts to bubble. 

• I then flip the naan over to let the top side cook until there are little brown bubbles all over the surface & serve as desired. 

• To make garlic naan, add a couple of tsp of garlic granules to the flour. Once the naan are cooked, brush with garlic butter & serve.

Any left over dough can be stored innan air tight container for a couple of days.

Meat & potato pie

Those winter nights are drawing in and whatever you call your evening meal depending on whereabouts you're from in the UK, the one thing we all want when its cold & gloomy is something warm, comforting & taste bud tingling delicious 

Well my recipe for a meat and potato pie is just that. Delicious slow cooked beef, paired with potatoes & encased in a rich short crust pastry.

The perfect centre peice for a family winter evening dinner. To serve 4-6 people you will need :

800g boneless beef or lamb

2 medium onions chopped

3 tbsps plain flour

300ml veg stock

2 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp onion salt

2 tsp marmite/veg extract

4/5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

1 tbsp tyme leaves ( fresh or dried ) 

2 tsp tomato puree

A good handful of steamed baby potatoes 

2 blocks of short crust pastry/2 sheets of ready rolled short crust

• Start by coating the meat peices in the flour in a bowl

• Seal the meat by cooking on a meduim to high heat until browned all over. You may find it easier to do it in batches. 

• Once the meat is browned all over, add in the chopped onion and cook until the onions are soft and beginning to colour. 

• Add in all the other ingredients except for the potatoes and leave to simmer on a low heat until the meat is nice and tender and the stock has reduced to a nice thick gravy. 

• Add in the steamed potatoes and stir through. Check the seasoning & adjust if required. Leave to completely cool 

• If you're using the pastry block, roll one block out to an inch thick and use this to line a 23cm round pie dish. For the sheet,  no need to roll - you can line your dish without rolling 

• Pour the cooled filling into the lined dish then roll out the 2nd block to the same thickness and place over the filling. Seal the edges by pressing them together with a fork or tip of a butter knife. 

• Brush the top of the pie with egg wash .. make a hole in the middle for the steam to escape. You can decorate the pie with the left over pastry trimmings - i used my leaf cookie cutter

• Bake for 25-35 mins at 210 fan or until golden brown all over & serve with whichever sides you like 

Tomato soup

The recipe for this came about simply down to the fact that I had tomatoes lying around in the fridge and they were creeping close to their use by date.

I really didnt want them to end up in the bin, knew they wouldnt get used in a salad anytime soon and as I hadn't decided what we were having for lunch I thought soup would be perfect.

With the batch I made up, I had plenty leftt over after the 4 of us had 2 helpings each so the whole batch would easily serve 6-8 people or would be perfect for freezing for another day.


To make my  tomato soup you will need

6-8 large tomatoes
2 medium red onions
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 stock cubes - I used knorr vegetable stock pots
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp caster sugar
5/6 garlic cloves
Olive oil

• Preheat your fan to 200c fan
• Roughly chop the tomatoes and red onions. Place onto a baking tray with the garlic cloves, drizzle olive  oil all over the veg
•  Roast for 35-40 minutes until the veg is golden brown and beginning to char all over
• Place the roasted veg in a pan, cover with freshly boiled water,  add in the stock cube, paprika and cayenne pepper, bring to boiling point then lower the heat
• Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes on a low heat, by this time the veg will have started to become very soft and fall apart
• Use  hand blender to blend everything together until completley smooth
• Leave to simmer again on a low heat for a couple of minutes until it is at your desired thickness.
• Check the seasoning and adjust if need be, serve with some buttered Bread rolls
  

Stuffed bell peppers

This is a recipe that i love for its simplicity, versatility of the choice of fillings and the fact that despite a few short cuts using pre cooked rice, it is scrumptious.

I know it's a winner for sure since both my kids say that they love it.

With the fillings you could use tuna, minced beef, lamb, rice, or even tofu for all you vegans out there. For this recipe I decided to use Quorn mince in a smoky passata sauce.


To up the veg content I served it with corn on the cob and just because we absolutely love it, a side of mexican rice since it compliments the flavours of the stuffed pepper really well


For 4 people you will need

4 large bell peppers*
240-250g meat free mince
2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp garlic granules
1 medium onion chopped
1 stock cube ( any flavor)
500ml passata/pasta sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
4 corn cobs
3-4 tbsp cream cheese
Handful grated cheddar cheese
Handful grated mozzerella
Mexican rice packs x 4**

• Preheat your oven to 200c (fan) Mix all the cheeses together to make a thick cheese topping and set aside
•  Give the bell peppers a quick rinse, pat dry and slice the top of the peppers off, keeping the stalk in tact as this will be used as a lid
• Stand the peppers up to make sure they stay balanced. If they're a little wobbly, slice a very little bit off the bottom so that they sit straight. Be careful not to cut too much off that you end up making a hole in the bottom
• Carfeully remove any seeds or pith from the inside. Brush all over with olive oil - inside and out not forgetting the lids 
• Place on a baking tray or dish along with the corn cobs, the 'lids' &  pop straight into the oven for about 15-20 minutes
• Whilst the peppers and cobs are cooking,  make a start on the filling
• In a frying pan, saute the chopped onions in a little olive oil until softened. Add in the garlic and cook until both are begining to lighlty brown.
• Add in the mince, stir through fpr a couple of minutes, add in the paprika and cayenne pepper
• Make up your stock by dissolving the cube in 100ml of water. Pour this straight into the mince, along with the pasta sauce 
• Leave to simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes until the stock has reduced and the mixture has thickened 
• Take the partially cooked peppers, divide the filling equally between the peppers
• Top each of the peppers with the cheese mixture, turn the cobs over, place the lids on the pepppers, place back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until the peppers and corn begin to char, and the cheese topping has melted and is all golden and bubbly 
• When the peppers have about 5 minutes cooking time, make up the rice follwing the instructions on the packet, plate up and serve

*I went for red since they have the nicest flavour I think when roasted

simple bread rolls

I absolutely love that after years of dreading the thought of attempting to bake bread, I've finally faced my fears and got the hang of it

These bread rolls are a great way to start off with if you want to ease your way into bread making. 

The amount below makes up either 12 small bread rolls, perfect for soup or as sandwiches for little children or 10 slightly larger rolls for burger style sandwiches.

You will need 

500g bread flour

1 tsp active dried yeast 

1 1/2 tsp caster sugar

1 tbsp soft butter

1 tsp salt

280-300ml lukewarm water

•In a bowl mix together the sugar, salt & yeast. Add the butter rub into the flour

•Slowly add the water in mixing continuously to form a soft, slighty sticky dough

•Knead in your electric mixer with the dough hook for about 6 minutes or by hand on a lightly floured work surface for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic

•Place into a clean lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled.

•Once doubled, take the dough out and on a lightlt floured suface gently knead it to knock the air out for a couple of minutes

Divide into 12 equal portions and form into round balls  - perfect size for eating with soup or smaller sandwiches for kids

•For larger bread rolls ( more suited for burgers ) divide into 10 rounds... place the balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper, cover and leave to prove until doubled in size .. the balls should just be touching each other

Place in the oven at 200c for 20 mins for the small rolls .. 30-40 minutes for the bigger rolls or till risen, doubled  and golden all over. The base of the rolls should sound hollow when they are ready. Use as desired 

Roasted red pepper & butternut sqaush soup

I'm quite a newbie to making my own soup, but thanks to a good friend who gave me a few good pointers I think it's safe to say I can add it to my list of things i genuinely love to make from scratch.

Today's offering is a favourite of mine as well as the husband and kids.. We love it with my Simple bloomer loaf

To easily serve 4-6 people you will need:

1 butternut squash peeled and chopped
1 large red bell pepper
2 medium onions roughly chopped
1 veg stock cube
1/2 -1 tsp  cayenne pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic granules
2 tsp onion salt

• Preheat your oven to 200c fan
• Place all the chopped veg onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 25-30 minutes or until the veg just begins to soften and char all over
• Place the roasted veg into a pan, with a drizzle of olive oil, cook for a couple of minutes so the veg softens further.
• Add in all the spices and stock cube, stir together, then pour in enough freshly boiled water to cover the veg and leave to simmer till all the veg begins to mush
• Use a hand blender to blend everything together till it's nice and smooth 
• Leave to simmer on a low heat unti, its at your preffered consistency 

Sticky toffee pudding

Now this is one of my all time favourite classic puddings..  Warm, fluffy, sticky sponge with lashings of toffee sauce and delicious nuggets of caramelised dates.

Thanks to being stuck indoors due to the nasty virus that's floating around, I have a lot more time on my hands as of now for the forseeable future so I thought I would not only blog my recipe but share a  video tutorial on Instagram. If you're on instagram you can find me at misbi_makes and you'll find the recipe in my highlights


To make my version of sticky pudding you will need

For the sponge :

200g dates chopped
200ml fresh kettle boiled water
1 level tsp bicarbonate soda
75g unsalted butter
2 tsp black treacle
25g soft light brown sugar
25g soft dark brown sugar
3 medium eggs
150g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder

For the sauce:

150g butter
300g dark brown sugar
1 tbsp treacle
200ml double cream

• Start by preheating your oven to 160c fan. Grease and line a 9x9 inch square baking tin
• Place the chopped dates into a bowl, with the boiled water and bicarbonate soda and set aside
• Cream both sugars and the butter till light and fluffy, add in the treacle and whisk until smooth
• Add in the eggs, flour, baking powder , gently whisking on a slow speed till you end up with a smooth  thick batter
• Gently mash the soaked dates, then pour them into the batter along with the water they've been soaking in.
• Pour the batter into the baking tin, bake for 30-40 minutes .. you'll know the cake is done if a skewer inserted comes out clean or the edges of the cake have slightly come away from the tin.
• Whilst the cake is baking, make the toffee sauce by melting the butter, sugar and treacle on a meduim heat. Turn up the heat once everything has melted and pour in all the cream, whisking ( quickly but carefully ) as you pour and take off the heat as it comes to boil
• As soon as you take the cake out the oven, poke small holes all over the top of the cake using a tooth pick. 
• Pour enough sauce to cover the top of the cake, using a spatula to spread it all the way to the edges
• Cover the remaining sauce and let the cake cool for about 15-20 minutes,  then serve the cake with the reserved sauce drizzled on top. Serve with ice cream for an even naughtier treat

Twisted banana loaf

Twisted banana loaf ... It's my version of banana loaf with a little twist from a simple banana loaf .. Every baker has their own little take on this and I genuinely love this version that I've experimented with & hope you'll love it just as much 

To make a loaf that will give 8-10 slices you will need:

6oz soft light brown sugar

3 medium eggs

6oz self raising flour
1 level tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

2 medium bananas mashed

1 medium banana cut in half lengthways
50g chopped  pecan nuts

50g tbsp porridge oats 

2 tbsp soft brown sugar

2 tbsp softened salted butter 

4 tbsps double cream

2 tbsp salted caramel ( optional )

• On a low heat melt the butter in a frying pan and stir in the sugar, then the double cream.
• Mix together on a low heat, add in the pecans, ( reserve a tbsp) stir again then carefully place the sliced banana into the pan.. let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.. use a spoon to drizzle the sauce over the banana.. take off the heat after 2-3 minutes and set aside Into a bowl, add the margarine, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon & vanilla bean paste and whisk until combined, light and fluffy
• Gently mix in the 2 mashed bananas and porridge oats
• Pour into a  greaseproof lined 1 litre loaf tin. Sprinkle over a few more oats, drizzle the caramelized pecans with any caramel over the top then place the sliced  banana on top
• Bake at 160c (fan) for 45-50 mins until well risen and the cake just about starts to come away from the tin. Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin to serve 
• Once its completely cooled, drizzle over the salted caramel and serve

Fruited tea cakes

Since buliding my confidence in tackling the basics of bread, I've been working my way through different forms of bread to keep building on my experience and fruited teacakes are beginning  to make a regular appearance since they are one of the few breads that my husband genuinely enjoys & loves them for a quick breakfast, and the kids love them as well

So after a couple of attempts making them, and being happy with how they've turned out , I thought I would share my recipe.

To make 6 teacakes you will need:

100 milk
100ml cold water
30g unsalted butter
350g bread flour
7g fast action yeast
2tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
65g dried mixed fruit ( sultana raisins fruit peel )
1 medium egg beaten

• Warm the milk with the butter until the butter melts. Add in the water and stir together. Set aside
• Place the flour into a bowl and on opposite sides, add the sugar, salt , cinnamon, mixed spice and yeast.
• Make  well in the middle and slowly begin to add the milk, mix togther with your hand to form a soft dough. If you find the dough is too sticky, add in a couple of tbsp of flour.
• Knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic. If you prefer to use a freestansing mixer with the dough hook you can do so.
• Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with cling film ajd leave to rise until doubled in size
• Once the dough has risen, lightly flour your work surface, remove the dough from the bowl, and gently knock out the air from the dough. 
• Tip the fruit into the dough and knead for a couple of minutes until the fruit is evenly dispersed. 
• Divide the dough into 6 equal sized balls, roll into smooth rounds and then flatten each round - I flattened each round out to the size of my palm.
• Place onto a greaseproof lined tray, and leave to prove for about 35 -40 minutes. And preheat your oven to 200c/180c fan
• Brush the tops with the beaten egg, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown all on top and well risen
• Serve cut in half with butter or toast them the next day again with butter and jam for brekfast. They will keep for 2-4 days in an airtight container or well sealed food bag

Masar daal

I have always from being little, absolutely loved daal -lentil curry. I was the child in the family that would eat all her veg & wouldn't complain if there wasn't any chicken or meat for dinner.

Thankfully I still love it just as much now as an adult, although my husband and I always debate what is a better accompaniment..  Are you team rice or chappati ? I love my rice with daal but to be fair whenever I do cook daal i will alternate between rice and chappatis. This time round it was the turn for rice.

I made my husband's favourite daal which is masar daal - brown lentils. 

So for my masar daal to serve 4-6 people you will need 

500g brown lentils
Knob of butter - leave this out if you're wanting it for a vegan diet
1 medium onion chopped
2 frozen cubes garlic/ 5 fresh cloves crushed
2 frozen cubes of ginger/ thumb size peice crushed
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 green chillies chopped
1 tsp hot curry powder
2 tsp cumin seeds 
1 bay leaf
Fresh coriander chopped to garnish. 

• Start by giving the lentils a quick rinse and leave them to soak whilst you cook the masala.
• On a hight heat add a little olive oil to your pan with the knob of butter. Add in the chopped onion. You want the onion to brown and crisp up but watch they don't burn as the heat is high
• Once they have turned a nice dark brown, add a splash of water to soften them. Lower the heat to medium, add in the salt , garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook through for a couple of minutes so the ginger and garlic brown and the chillies soften.
• Add in the bay leaf, cumin seeds and curry powder, stir through and add in all the lentills
• Pour enough water over the lentils to cover them. And leave to simmer on a medium heat for 45 minutes. Stir them intermittently to stop them catching or burning,  and top up the water if need be.
• After 45 minutes the lentils should be fully cooked and the daal should be the perfect consistency 
• If you prefer a drier consistency, leave it to simmer a little further - I make my daal slightly drier if im serving it with chappatis .. Garnish with coriander just before serving

Rasmalai cake

Every now and then in the cake world just as with food and fashion a craze of some sort begins and before you know it that one particular thing seems to be trending all over.

For my latest recipe post this is excatly one of those things - rasmalai cake. For those that don't know, rasmalai is a classic Asian/ Indian dessert of little milk dough balls served in rose water scented & lightly spiced cardamom milk. Then garnished with pistachios and occasionally saffron

Now this in cake form in it's various versions combines all those elements in a light fluffy sponge with the addition of delicate edible rose petals and. 

Being a British  Muslim of Pakistani heritage and a lover of cake and rasmalai cake I knew I had to make my own version. 

To make my rasmalai cake you will need: 

For the sponge:

2 x 7" loose bottom sandwich tins - lightly greased 

& lined with greaseproof paper 

225 g self raising flour

20g milk powder

4medium eggs

Pinch of saffron 

3 tbsp warm milk 

250g caster sugar 

250g margarine - at room temp

2tsp ground cardamom

For the filling & decorating :

250g salted butter - at room temp

250g pistachio flavour icing sugar

250g icing sugar

4tbsp rose water

2tbsp rose syrup

50g chopped pistachios 

10-12g edible rose petals

Milk powder paste - made up of 3 tbsp milk powder & 1/4 tsp ground cardamom with 3 tbsp hot water mixed to make a speadable paste

• Start by preheat your oven to 160c fan. Mix the saffron with the warm milk and set aside.
• Cream the margarine and sugar in a freestanding mixer until light, fluffy and paler in colour.
• Add in the eggs, flour, milk powder and ground cardamom. Whisk together until fully combined, but take care not to overmix
• Whisk in the saffron milk, then pour the batter evenly into the 2 tins, bake for 25-30 mins.
• Remove the cake from the oven, whilst the sponges are slightly warm, poke holes all over the top of the both of them. Remove from the tin once completely cool
• Take one of the sponges and set onto your desired serving plate/dish
• Spread enough of the milk paste to cover the top of the sponge that you've set onto your serving plate - leave a half inch plain border all round the cake as you dont want the milk paste to drip down the sides.
• Make the buttercream by placing the butter, both icing sugars and the rose syrup and whisking together on a slow speed to incorporate it all together. 
• Once it's all mixed together,  turn up the speed slightly, pour in the rose water and beat the buttercream till light and fluffy - it should be a thick but spreadable consistency. If it is too thick, add a couple of tablespoons of milk or room temp water and beat together for a couple of minutes.
• Transfer some of the prepared buttercream to a piping bag, then pipe enough buttercream over the milk paste topped sponge. Use a spatula or breakfast knife to spread the buttercream out evenly- remembering to leave a plain edge border all the way round the cake.
• Carefully stack the second sponge on top ensuring both sponges are level.
• Use the piping bag again to pipe the buttercream all around the sides and top of the cake.
• Take your spatula/breakfast knife and smooth the buttercream all over and gently scrape off any excess. Place the covered cake in the fridge for about 20 minutes to set
• Apply a second coat of buttercream once the first layer has set. As before use a spatula to smooth and remove any excess.
• Press the edible rose petals into the bottom edge of cake using your fingers
• Sprinkle the top of the cake with the chopped pistachios, and with any left over buttercream, pipe a pattern all the way round the edge and finish off with a few petals all over the top,

chick pea & potato curry

A delicious vegetarian & vegan curry that is so simple to make but is still full of flavour.

You can serve this with naan, chappatis or even simple boiled rice 

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

3-4 curry leaves

3 medium onions chopped

2tbsp garlic puree/4 cloves crushed

2tbsp ginger puree/3 inch peice crushed

1 1/2 tsp salt 

3 green chillies 

1 tsp hot curry powder 

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 x tin chopped tomatoes 

3 x tin chickpeas -water drained

3-4 medium potatoes chopped into chunks par boiled
Fresh coriander chopped for garnishing

• Start by heating a little oil in a large pan on a meduim heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds & curry leaves. Cook the spices together until the mustard seeds begin to pop.
• Add in the ginger, garlic and chopped onions. Cook the onions until they are completley soft, and lightly golden. If the mixture begins to catch, add a splash of water.
• Add in the green chillies and salt, continue to cook on a 9medium heat until the chillies begin to soften 
• Stir in the tomato puree, curry powder and chopped tomatoes. Lower the heat, stirring occasionally until the oil begins to separate from the curry masala and the tomatoes begin to mush a little. You can speed this up slightly by mashing evverthing together with a potato masher.
• Turn the heat up a little, add in the chickpeas stirring intermittently.
•  Cook until the chick peas slightly darken in colour & the masala sticks to the chickpeas. The oil should start to separate and appear more visble, any moisture in the pan should have completely evaporated and you should be left with quite a dry mixture.
• Carefully add in the par boiled potaotes and again stir intermittently until the potatoes are completely cooked through.
• Pour in 150-200ml of water and leave to simmer on a low heat for a couple of minutes until the curry has thicked up a little. If you prefer it to be the consistency of a bhuna & slighty hotter, add just a splash of water to loosen and do not simmer
• Garnish with coriander just before serving