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Category: Vegetarian

Area: Indian

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Toor dal
• 2-1/2 cups Water
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric
• 3 tbs Ghee
• 1 cup Chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 2 Bay Leaf
• 1 tbs chopped Green Chilli
• 2 tsp shredded Ginger
• 2 tbs Cilantro
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Garam Masala

Instructions:

Wash and soak toor dal in approx. 3 cups of water, for at least one hours. Dal will be double in volume after soaking. Drain the water.
Cook dal with 2-1/2 cups water and add salt, turmeric, on medium high heat, until soft in texture (approximately 30 mins) it should be like thick soup.
In a frying pan, heat the ghee. Add cumin seeds, and mustard seeds. After the seeds crack, add bay leaves, green chili, ginger and chili powder. Stir for a few seconds.
Add tomatoes, salt and sugar stir and cook until tomatoes are tender and mushy.
Add cilantro and garam masala cook for about one minute.
Pour the seasoning over dal mix it well and cook for another minute.
Serve with Naan.

Category: Vegan

Area: Spanish

Ingredients:

• 6 small Baby Aubergine
• 4 small Fennel
• 1 thinly sliced Red Pepper
• 1 medium Courgettes
• 1 finely chopped Onion
• 300g Paella Rice
• 1 tsp Paprika
• pinch Saffron
• 200ml White Wine
• 700ml Vegetable Stock
• 100g Frozen Peas
• 1 chopped Lemon
• Handful Parsley
• pinch Salt
• pinch Black Pepper

Instructions:

1 Put the fennel, aubergine, pepper and courgette in a roasting tray. Add a glug of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss around to coat the veggies in the oil. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, turning a couple of times until the veg are pretty much cooked through and turning golden.

2 Meanwhile, heat a paella pan or large frying pan over a low– medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Sauté the onion for 8–10 minutes until softened. Increase the heat to medium and stir in the rice, paprika and saffron. Cook for around 1 minute to start toasting the rice, then add the white wine. Reduce by about half before stirring in two-thirds of the stock. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes without a lid, stirring a couple of times.

3 Stir in the peas, add some seasoning, then gently mix in the roasted veg. Pour over the remaining stock, arrange the lemon wedges on top and cover with a lid or some aluminium foil. Cook for a further 10 minutes.

4 To ensure you get the classic layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the pan, increase the heat to high until you hear a slight crackle. Remove from the heat and sit for 5 minutes before sprinkling over the parsley and serving.

Category: Dessert

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 120g Plain Flour
• 60g Caster Sugar
• 60g Butter
• 300g Braeburn Apples
• 30g Butter
• 30g Demerara Sugar
• 120g Blackberries
• ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
• to serve Ice Cream

Instructions:

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Tip the flour and sugar into a large bowl. Add the butter, then rub into the flour using your fingertips to make a light breadcrumb texture. Do not overwork it or the crumble will become heavy. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until lightly coloured.
Meanwhile, for the compote, peel, core and cut the apples into 2cm dice. Put the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan and melt together over a medium heat. Cook for 3 mins until the mixture turns to a light caramel. Stir in the apples and cook for 3 mins. Add the blackberries and cinnamon, and cook for 3 mins more. Cover, remove from the heat, then leave for 2-3 mins to continue cooking in the warmth of the pan.
To serve, spoon the warm fruit into an ovenproof gratin dish, top with the crumble mix, then reheat in the oven for 5-10 mins. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Category: Dessert

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 1 large Banana
• 2 medium Eggs
• pinch Baking Powder
• spinkling Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Oil
• 25g Pecan Nuts
• 125g Raspberries

Instructions:

In a bowl, mash the banana with a fork until it resembles a thick purée. Stir in the eggs, baking powder and vanilla.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan or pancake pan over a medium heat and brush with half the oil. Using half the batter, spoon two pancakes into the pan, cook for 1-2 mins each side, then tip onto a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining oil and batter. Top the pancakes with the pecans and raspberries.

Category: Pork

Area: Japanese

Ingredients:

• 4 Pork Chops
• 100g Flour
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 100g Breadcrumbs
• Fry Vegetable Oil
• 2 tbs Tomato Ketchup
• 2 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tbs Oyster Sauce
• 2 tblsp Caster Sugar

Instructions:

STEP 1
Remove the large piece of fat on the edge of each pork loin, then bash each of the loins between two pieces of baking parchment until around 1cm in thickness – you can do this using a meat tenderiser or a rolling pin. Once bashed, use your hands to reshape the meat to its original shape and thickness – this step will ensure the meat is as succulent as possible.

STEP 2
Put the flour, eggs and panko breadcrumbs into three separate wide-rimmed bowls. Season the meat, then dip first in the flour, followed by the eggs, then the breadcrumbs.

STEP 3
In a large frying or sauté pan, add enough oil to come 2cm up the side of the pan. Heat the oil to 180C – if you don’t have a thermometer, drop a bit of panko into the oil and if it sinks a little then starts to fry, the oil is ready. Add two pork chops and cook for 1 min 30 secs on each side, then remove and leave to rest on a wire rack for 5 mins. Repeat with the remaining pork chops.

STEP 4
While the pork is resting, make the sauce by whisking the ingredients together, adding a splash of water if it’s particularly thick. Slice the tonkatsu and serve drizzled with the sauce.

Category: Beef

Area: Dutch

Ingredients:

• 100g Butter
• 150g Flour
• 700ml Beef Stock
• 30g Onion
• 1 tbs Parsley
• 400g Beef
• Pinch Salt
• Pinch Pepper
• Pinch Nutmeg
• 50g Flour
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 50g Breadcrumbs

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a skillet or pan. When melted, add the flour little by little and stir into a thick paste. Slowly stir in the stock, making sure the roux absorbs the liquid. Simmer for a couple of minutes on a low heat while you stir in the onion, parsley and the shredded meat. The mixture should thicken and turn into a heavy, thick sauce.

Pour the mixture into a shallow container, cover and refrigerate for several hours, or until the sauce has solidified.

Take a heaping tablespoon of the cold, thick sauce and quickly roll it into a small ball. Roll lightly through the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Make sure that the egg covers the whole surface of the bitterbal. When done, refrigerate the snacks while the oil in your fryer heats up to 190C (375F). Fry four bitterballen at a time, until golden.

Serve on a plate with a nice grainy or spicy mustard.

Category: Chicken

Area: Chinese

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs Sake
• 2 tbs Soy Sauce
• 2 tbs Sesame Seed Oil
• 2 tbs Corn Flour
• 2 tbs Water
• 500g Chicken
• 1 tbs Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 tbs Brown Sugar
• 4 Chopped Spring Onions
• 6 cloves Garlic Clove
• 220g Water Chestnut
• 100g Peanuts

Instructions:

Combine the sake or rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornflour dissolved in water. Divide mixture in half.
In a glass dish or bowl, combine half of the sake mixture with the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
In a medium frying pan, combine remaining sake mixture, chillies, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add spring onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. Heat sauce slowly over medium heat until aromatic.
Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and sauté in a large frying pan until juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sautéed chicken and let simmer together until sauce thickens.

Category: Beef

Area: Irish

Ingredients:

• 3 Lbs Potatoes
• 3 Lbs Small Potatoes
• 1/2 cup Salted Butter
• 1 oz Mushrooms
• 3/4 cup Brown Lentils
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 3 cups Onion
• 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
• Bay Leaves
• Olive Oil
• 2 cups Dry White Wine
• 8 cups Vegetable Stock
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch
• 2 tsp Soy Sauce
• 2 sprigs Rosemary
• Parsley
• Sage
• Chives

Instructions:

Add Ingredients:

12 cups chopped mixed vegetables
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 cup pearl onions

TOPPING:

Preheat oven to 450°. Bake potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly, then peel. Press potatoes through a ricer, food mill, or colander into a large bowl. Add butter; stir until well blended. Stir in milk. Season to taste with salt.

FILLING:

Soak dried porcini in 3 cups hot water; set aside. Combine lentils, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp. salt, and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender but not mushy, 15–20 minutes. Drain lentils and discard garlic.

Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste is caramelized, 2–3 minutes.

Add bay leaves and wine; stir, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in porcini, slowly pouring porcini soaking liquid into pan but leaving any sediment behind. Bring to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Stir in broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 45 minutes.

Strain mixture into a large saucepan and bring to a boil; discard solids in strainer. Stir cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to dissolve. Add cornstarch mixture; simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in miso. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450°. Toss vegetables and pearl onions with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, 5 garlic cloves, and rosemary sprigs in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Roast, stirring once, until tender, 20–25 minutes. Transfer garlic cloves to a small bowl; mash well with a fork and stir into sauce. Discard rosemary. DO AHEAD: Lentils, sauce, and vegetables can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.
Arrange lentils in an even layer in a 3-qt. baking dish; set dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Toss roasted vegetables with fresh mushrooms and chopped herbs; layer on top of lentils. Pour sauce over vegetables. Spoon potato mixture evenly over.

Bake until browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Category: Lamb

Area: Indian

Ingredients:

• 2 quartered Onion
• 4 tbsp Sunflower Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic
• Thumb sized peeled and very finely grated Ginger
• 2 tbsp Madras Paste
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 bashed to break shells Cardamom
• 4 Cloves
• 2 Bay Leaf
• 1 tbsp Tomato Purée
• 1kg cubed Lamb
• 150ml Greek yogurt
• Garnish chopped Coriander

Instructions:

Put the onions in a food processor and whizz until very finely chopped. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan, then fry the onion with the lid on, stirring every now and then, until it is really golden and soft. Add the garlic and ginger, then fry for 5 mins more.
Tip the curry paste, all the spices and the bay leaves into the pan, with the tomato purée. Stir well over the heat for about 30 secs, then add the meat and 300ml water. Stir to mix, turn down the heat, then add the yogurt.
Cover the pan, then gently simmer for 40-60 mins until the meat is tender and the sauce nice and thick. Serve scattered with coriander, with plain basmati or pilau rice.

Category: Dessert

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 100g Flour
• 2 large Eggs
• 300ml Milk
• 1 tbls Sunflower Oil
• to serve Sugar
• to serve Raspberries
• to serve Blueberries

Instructions:

Put the flour, eggs, milk, 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt into a bowl or large jug, then whisk to a smooth batter. Set aside for 30 mins to rest if you have time, or start cooking straight away.
Set a medium frying pan or crêpe pan over a medium heat and carefully wipe it with some oiled kitchen paper. When hot, cook your pancakes for 1 min on each side until golden, keeping them warm in a low oven as you go.
Serve with lemon wedges and sugar, or your favourite filling. Once cold, you can layer the pancakes between baking parchment, then wrap in cling film and freeze for up to 2 months.