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