Chicken & Vegetable Spring Rolls – Lunar New Year Recipe


Celebrate lunar new year around the world with the full gamut of special treats and auspicious foods in a banquet for friends and family.

Crisp, hot spring rolls dipped in sweet and spicy sauce – there’s nothing like it for Chinese New Year.

Spring Rolls

Who doesn’t love a hot, fried spring roll dipped in sweet spicy sauce? Making them yourself ensures a maximum freshness of flavor.

This recipe requires less than 30 mins Preparation time, less than 10 mins Cooking time, Serves Makes 8

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil, plus extra for deep-frying
  • 200g/7oz skinless chicken breast fillets, chopped into small pea-sized pieces
  • 4 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, drained and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp five-spice powder
  • 1 tsp grated fresh root ginger
  • 75g/3oz beansprouts
  • 2 large spring onions, finely sliced lengthways
  • 1 small carrot, julienned
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • ½ tbsp light soy sauce
  • sea salt and ground white pepper
  • 16 ready-made large spring roll wrappers, thawed if frozen (available from Asian supermarkets)
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten

 

Directions:

  • Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the chicken and mushrooms and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Season with soy sauce and five-spice powder, then remove from the wok and set aside to cool for ten minutes. Wipe the wok clean with kitchen paper.
  • Place the grated ginger, beansprouts, spring onions and carrot into a bowl, then add the chicken and mushrooms and season with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sea salt and ground white pepper. Stir well to combine.
  • Lay two spring roll wrappers one on top of the other (the extra thickness will prevent the skin from breaking) and position so that the corners are pointing upwards, downwards and to the sides.
  • Spoon two tablespoons of the filling into the centre of the wrapper. Brush each corner of the wrapper with the cornflour paste, then bring the two opposite corners on the sides together and, keeping your finger on those edges, bring the bottom corner towards the middle and then roll the pastry up tightly towards the top corner. Tuck the top edge in and seal it with a little of the beaten egg yolk. Repeat with the remaining spring roll wrappers and filling.
  • Heat the wok over a high heat and fill the wok to a quarter of its depth with groundnut oil. Heat until a cube of bread dropped in sizzles and turns golden-brown in 15 seconds. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Carefully lower the spring rolls in small batches into the oil and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
  • Transfer the spring rolls onto a plate and serve immediately.

 

Spelt Pancakes with Whipped Goats Cheese

Spelt, also known as dinkel wheat or hulled wheat, is a species of wheat that has been cultivated since ancient times. And was an important staple food in parts of Europe till medieval times.

This is delicious pancake recipe, whether you enjoy them on Pancake Day or you are a regular on Saturday morning.

Spelt adds a lovely nuttiness to pancakes – and complements the whipped goats’ cheese and beetroot in this recipe perfectly.

This recipe requires less than 30 mins Preparation time, less than 10 mins Cooking time, Serves 2 -4.

 

Ingredients:

For the pancakes

  • 150ml/5fl oz full-fat milk#ad
  • 260g/9½oz wholemeal spelt flour
  • 4 large free-range eggs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder

To assemble

  • 100g/3½oz soft goats’ cheese #ad
  • 100g/3½oz Greek yoghurt
  • 2 cooked baby beetroots, finely sliced
  • 4 radishes, finely sliced
  • handful watercress
  • drizzle runny honey

 

Directions:

  • To make the pancakes, put the flour, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Beat together the eggs and milk, then pour into the dry ingredients, whisking constantly, until you have a smooth, thick batter.
  • Heat a large frying pan over a medium–high heat. Once the pan is hot, wipe it with a little of the oil on a piece of kitchen paper. Add dollops of the batter to form pancakes about 6cm/2½in in diameter – you will need to do this in batches. Fry for a minute or so, until bubbles form, then flip and fry for just 30 seconds more. Stack the cooked pancakes on a plate or chopping board whilst you cook the rest.
  • Whisk together the goats’ cheese and Greek yoghurt in a mixing bowl until softened.
  • Serve the pancakes topped with the beetroot, radishes and watercress, with the whipped goats’ cheese on the side. Finish with a drizzle of honey.
  • Enjoy your meal!

 

How to Make Gulab Jamun – Popular Traditional and Easy Dessert Recipes

Gulab jamun

Happy Diwali!

Recipe to celebrate the vibrant Hindu festival of lights.

Gulab jamun are a popular classic Indian sweet originally made of milk solids, sugar, water rose and cardamom powder.

These sticky-sweet deep-fried dough balls aren’t for those on a diet, but are an authentic Indian sweet.

This recipe requires 1-2 hours Preparation time, less than 10 mins Cooking time, and Serves 2.

 

Ingredients:

For the dough balls

  • 350ml/12fl oz #CommissionsEarned goat milk
  • 225g/8oz #CommissionsEarned powdered milk
  • 25g/1oz  butter, #CommissionsEarned  melted
  • 110g/4oz plain flour
  • 1¼ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • vegetable oil, for deep frying

For the sugar syrup

  • 200g/7oz caster sugar
  • 100ml/3½fl oz water
  • few strands saffron

To serve

  • 1 tbsp chopped pistachio nuts
  • 1 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted in a pan

 

Directions:

  • For the dough balls, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, adding enough extra water to form a soft, sticky dough. Cover with cling film and set aside for 10 minutes. Shape the dough into small round balls.
  • Heat the oil in a deep heavy-bottomed frying pan. It is ready when a breadcrumb dropped in will sizzle gently in it. (*Caution: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Deep fry the balls until golden brown, then remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and set aside on kitchen papper to drain.
  • Make a sugar syrup by heating the sugar and water together with the saffron until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is syrupy.
  • When the dough balls are cool, add to the syrup and leave to soak for about 1 hour.
  • Garnish with chopped pistachio nuts and flaked almonds and serve.