LAMB KOFTA CURRY

I've spoken before about my love for hot, spicy food and this lamb kofta is one of my favourite midweek curries. 

The kofta mixture is very versatile - make small meatballs, shallow fry them in oil and serve with chutney or a yoghurt dip as an appetiser, mould them on to skewers and char-grill and serve as a starter or cook them in this curry sauce for a more substantial meal. 

 I always make this quantity and then freeze any surplus meatballs and sauce separately, ready for a quick home made meal when I don't feel like going to too much trouble.

When served with the curry sauce, they are quite spicy but it is easy enough to tone down the chilli if you prefer.

 

For the printable version - click here
 

 

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

 

Yield: 6

 

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 5 cm piece of ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 green chillies, seeds removed
• 15 g coriander (cilantro) leaves
• 2 tblsps plain yoghurt
• 500 g minced lamb
• 2½ tsps ground cumin
• 1½ tsps ground coriander
• 2 tsps garam masala
• ¼ tsp chilli powder
• 2½ tsps salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

 

•  For the sauce
• 3 tblsp ghee or sunflower oil
• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 10 cm piece of ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 3 tsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp asafoetida
• 4 ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
• 1 tblsp tomato puree
• 500 ml lamb stock
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 curry leaves
• 200 ml water

Cooking Directions

1. To make the kofta, blend the onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies and the coriander leaves together in a food processor until they form a paste.
2. Put the lamb mince in a bowl, add the paste, yoghurt, spices, salt & pepper and mix well with your hands until thoroughly combined.
3. Cover and put in the freezer to rest while you make the sauce. (You just want it super chilled - not frozen).
4. To make the sauce, heat the ghee in a large saucepan and gently fry the onions, garlic and ginger until softened and lightly browned.
5. Add the chilli powder, garam masala, and asafoetida and stir well.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes to release some of the juice.
7. Add the stock and tomato puree and season with black pepper.
8. Add the cinnamon stick and curry leaves and bring to a simmer.
9. Partially cover with a lid and cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
10. Remove the sauce from the heat and discard the cinnamon and curry leaves.
11. Blend the sauce until as smooth as possible.
12. Return to the heat, add 200 ml water and bring back to a simmer.
13. Remove meat mixture from the freezer.
14. Using wet hands, shape the mixture into meatballs about the size of a walnut. you should get between 25 and 30.
15. Drop all the meatballs gently into the sauce mixture and return to a simmer.
16. Cook, uncovered for a further 30 mins, stirring regularly.
17. Serve the meatballs with rice and topped with yoghurt and fresh coriander leaves      

 

Written by Angela Darroch  

 

The sauce is adapted from BBC Food

TOFFEE CUPCAKES

The latest theme for the Bake Along challenge is Celebration Cupcakes. 

 The girls have been baking together for two years now and I wish them well for the next year and look forward to joining in many more bake along events.

 

I wanted to make something that was a little bit indulgent as that is what I associate with a celebration.  The cupcakes themselves are standard vanilla cupcakes so feel free to use your own tried and tested recipe if you have one.  The toffee cream is super indulgent and once you add a bit of caramel sauce over the top you have something worthy of any celebration.

 

We had nothing in particular to celebrate but it didn't stop us from enjoying every little morsel.

 

For the printable version - click here

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 40 mins

 

Yield: 8 large or 12 small cupcakes

 

Ingredients

• 225 g plain flour
• 110 g caster sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg, beaten
• 150 ml milk
• 50 ml sunflower oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

 

• Caramel sauce see here for recipe

 

•  For the toffee cream
• 110 g sugar
• 2 tblsp water
• 400 ml cream

 

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas 6.
2. Arrange 8 - 12 paper cases in baking tin.
3. Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
4. Whisk together the egg, milk, oil and vanilla.
5. Stir in the dry ingredients until combined.
6. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 20 mins until golden brown.
7. Cool in the tin for 5 mins.
8. To make the toffee cream, heat the sugar and water in a pan over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. You should not need to stir.
9. Continue cooking, and again do not stir, until the sugar turns a golden amber.
10. Remove from the heat.
11. Slowly pour the cream into the pan. It will bubble up but not enough to spill over the edge of the pan.
12. Stir until well combined.
13. Chill well, stirring occasionally.
14. Whisk the toffee cream until soft peaks form.
15. Arrange the toffee cream over the top of the cupcakes.
16. Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve.

 

       

A happy 2nd birthday to the Bake Along girls,
Zoe, of  Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and Lena of Frozen Wings
 

 
 
Written by : Angela Darroch
 
 

TRES LECHES CAKE

If I had to name my top guilty pleasure it would have to be dairy products.  From a simple cheese sandwich accompanied with a cold glass of milk to a fresh scone topped with jam and clotted cream and then of course there is hot toast dripping with salted butter.  I could go on and on...  I'm very much aware that these all have to be eaten in moderation but that is what a guilty pleasure is all about - you know it's bad for you but you just can't help yourself.  Well you can imagine my delight when I saw that the latest theme for Bake Along is Tres Leches cake. 

 

 

I had never heard of it before and on further reading discovered it to be a light sponge cake soaked in not one, not two but three different kinds of milk. I am not a fan of soggy desserts and couldn't imagine that this cake would not have a 'soggy bottom' and was intrigued enough to give it a go. You definitely have to leave it soaking overnight to avoid the soggy texture and even after that the ends were still a little wet BUT it was delicious. The final result is more sticky than wet and you will find yourself seeking out the wet bits because they are so moreish. As a family we very seldom finish off a whole cake but this one disappeared in a flash. I even discovered my hubby had had a sneaky slice and that is very unusual as he does not have a sweet tooth. Most of the recipes I had seen suggested serving with cream and fresh fruit and it was good this way but I think I preferred it just on its own.

 

 

A very delicious, sticky and surprisingly light Latin American treat.

 

For the printable version - click here 

TRES LECHES CAKE

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 35 mins plus resting time

Total time: 1 hour plus resting time

Yield: 6 - 12 depending on size of slices

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs, separated
• 200g caster sugar
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100ml milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 200g (½ standard tin) sweetened condensed milk
• 200g (½ standard tin) evaporated milk
• 200ml single cream

 

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
2. Grease and line a 23cm/9in square cake tin.
3. Beat the egg yolks with 2/3 of the sugar on high speed until the yolks are pale and creamy.
4. Add the milk and vanilla extract and combine well.
5. Add the flour and baking powder to your mixture and stir very gently until combined.
6. Beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff.
7. Fold the egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined.
8. Pour into prepared tin and bake for 35 - 40 mins until a skewer comes out clean.        
9. While the cake is baking - combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream in a small bowl.
10. As soon as the cake comes out the oven, prick all over with a skewer and slowly pour over your milk mixture. (I left my cake in the tin).
11. Leave the cake overnight (in the fridge) to absorb all the liquid. (I turned my cake over once during this time so that any excess liquid drained back down into the cake).
12. Decorate with whipped cream and fresh fruit or just serve as is.      

Adapted from BBC Food

I am very happy to finally be able to submit a post to Bake Along which is hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce of My Kitchen Flavours and Lena of Frozen Wings.