
If you are using rohu fish it will usually be frozen. Soak it in cold water for 30-45 minutes to defrost and while still a little firm, descale and cut each steak into quarters and wash in cold saltwater a few times. Drain and set aside. If using an alternative such as cod, cut into 2 ½ inch chunks then rinse, drain and set aside 2 Top and tail the daikon and peel using a potato peeler. Cut in half widthways then cut each half down the middle, lengthways. Now slice into 2cm-thick half-moon pieces. Rinse and set aside 3 Place a large, shallow saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot add the crushed garlic and stir for a minute until pale golden 4 Add the onion paste and salt and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the onion softens and becomes translucent, stirring occasionally 5 Pour in 200ml of water then cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice 6 After 10 minutes add the ground spices and stir for a couple of minutes so that the spices cook through. Cover and cook for 5 minutes over a low heat then stir in the daikon. After a minute or so add 200ml of water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat 7 Add the fish pieces to the pan and mix thoroughly so that the fish is coated in the spices. Gently shake the pan and cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. It is very important not to stir the pot after this stage 8 Meanwhile, boil some water. After the 5 minutes are over carefully pour 500ml hot water into the pan. When doing this pour into the sides of the pan so that you don’t pour boiling water directly onto the fish 9 Give the pan a gentle shake then cover and simmer over high heat for 15 minutes. Add the chopped coriander and chillies and continue cooking for another 5 minutes then turn off the heat. Serve immediately with rice and the lime wedges

step 1 Make the filling by placing the onion, ginger, garlic, chilli, and some salt into food processor. Purée until smooth. Heat the oil in a frying pan and pour the purée into it. Fry for 5 mins or until cooked through. Add the prawns, tomatoes and chopped coriander. Squeeze in the lime and add salt to taste. Cook for 3 mins, or until the prawns have cooked through. Remove from the heat. step 2 Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas. Pour into a food processor with the garlic and chili. Purée until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and add the onion, flour, salt, chilli powder and baking powder. Mix and roll into 16 balls. step 3 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Heat 8cm of the palm or vegetable oil in a wok or small heavy pan. When a small piece of bread sizzles, drop 4-5 balls into the oil. Fry until golden and crisp, about 4-5 mins. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat until they are all finished. You can keep them warm in the oven while you finish. Slice the fritters open down the centre and spoon the prawn filling in. Serve with hot sauce.

Conch Stew Cooking Directions Clean conch meat and pound to tenderize. Boil conch for 2 - 3 hours or until tender. Make Sea Pie while conch cooks (instructions below). Once cool, cut conch in bite size pieces and season. Add all ingredients, except flour, to pan and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Mix flour with 1 cup water and pour into pan to thicken. Add Sea Pie pieces and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes. Sea Pie Cooking Directions Make dough with flour, pinch of salt and water so that you can roll out as thin as possible, then cut into 2 ½” x 2 ½” squares. Let set for 30 minutes then stretch squares to thin them out and add to conch stew mixture. Serve with white rice, plantain, breadfruit or your choice of vegetables.

Wash crabs and boil in large pot of water for 15 minutes, remove from boiling water and cool. Crack legs and open backs to remove all meat, set aside. Remove seeds from scotch bonnet pepper and dice pepper and onions. Sauté onions and scotch bonnet peppers in oil over medium heat until onions begin to get transparent. Add crab meat, black pepper and salt, stirring occasionally. Cook over medium heat for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with “bread kind”, a local dish that consists of a variety of starchy vegetables including pumpkin, squash, plantain, potato, cassava and breadfruit. Optional: Seasoned crab meat may also be stuffed in cleaned crab backs and baked. Cover stuffed backs with foil paper and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks, put them in a medium pot and cover with water and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until fork tender about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and mash with a fork or masher and set aside. Filling: In a large sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and add the onion, tomato, scallions, garlic, cumin, azafran, pepper and salt. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent, add the beef and cook stirring occasionally about 10 – 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. To make the batter: In a medium bowl place all the batter ingredients and whisk until smooth and set aside. To Form the Stuffed Potatoes Divide the potato mash into 10 equal sized portions, about ⅓ cup each, and form each portion into a ball by rolling between the palms of your hands. Flatten into patties and place 1 ½ tablespoons of the filling in the center of each one. Shape the potato mixture with the filling into balls to enclose the filling completely. Fill a large heavy pot with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat to 360° F. Dip the stuffed potato into the batter and carefully place them in the hot oil and fry for about 4 minutes or until golden, turning over halfway through. Remove the potatoes from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain in a plate with paper towels. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with Ají. Notes For a vegetarian version:Use the same ingredients in the meat filling except the beef and add 1 cup frozen carrots and peas

1. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, and broth, whisking until smooth—this ensures no lumps in the sauce. 2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat (about 350°F) for 30 seconds until shimmering. 3. Pour the coconut milk mixture into the skillet and bring it to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, which should take about 3-4 minutes. 4. Add the fish cubes and kaffir lime leaves to the skillet, submerging them fully in the sauce. 5. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let it cook for 10 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork—avoid overcooking to keep it tender. 6. Stir in the beaten egg slowly, cooking for 2 more minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, which adds a rich, custard-like texture. 7. While the curry simmers, prepare the banana leaves by briefly passing them over a gas flame for 10 seconds to make them pliable, or use parchment paper as a handy alternative. 8. Spoon the curry into the center of each banana leaf square, folding the edges to form a tight packet to trap steam. 9. Place the packets in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 10 minutes until heated through and fragrant. 10. Carefully unwrap the packets and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges before serving

1 Cooking Fry the leeks in a small dash of olive oil for a few minutes until they start to brown. 2 Add the onions and mince and fry until everything is browned. Ensure you keep stirring to prevent the leeks catching and burning. 3 Add the rice and stir together for a few minutes ensuring the rice is well blended and coated in any juices. 4 Add the lamb stock, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir and leave it to come to the boil. Leave to boil for 2 minutes. 5 Baking Pour the mixture into a large baking tray, place on the bottom self of a preheated oven at 180 degrees. Leave to bake for up to 1 hour. The dish is ready when all the liquid is evaporated and the rice is soft. 6 Serving Once cooked turn off the oven and keeping the door open leave the leek and rice bake to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

step 1 Mix together the hearts of palm, tomatoes and spring onions. Whisk together the sherry vinegar and olive oil. Drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle with the parsley, toss everything together and serve.

Fry the ginger in plenty of oil until golden and slightly crispy. Set aside for later. Cut the fish into strips. Dredge the fish in a very thin layer of tempura flour. Fry the fish in plenty of oil until golden brown and crispy. You can use the same oil as you were using to fry the ginger. Crush the garlic and chop it into small pieces. Chop the spring onion. Drain the fermented soybeans using a colander. If you are using salted beans (soybeans in a very salty brine), you need to wash the beans in water before you add them to the dish. Add a tablespoon of oil to a deep pan or a large pot, and sauté the garlic until slightly golden. Add the soybeans and stir fry for a few minutes. If the soybeans are very salty, add ¼- ½ tablespoon sugar to balance the flavor. Add water and fry for a minute. Just before serving, stir in the fried ginger, the spring onion, and the crispy fish. Serve with steamed rice.

Clean mushrooms – I usually wash them under cold water, dry them and remove the stems. Cut mushrooms into thin strips. Melt butter in a small pot. Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes, until the mushrooms release liquid. Combine the flour and water, whisk to remove any lumps and add to the pot. Add the salt and milk. Cook for 10 more minutes. In a small bowl or jar combine the garlic and vinegar. Serve the soup with 1-2 tablespoons (or more) of the garlic and vinegar mixture and hot red pepper.

These delectable fish balls can also be made with salmon or fish fillets. Substitute one large can of salmon or one pound of any white fish for the cod. Soak for twenty-four hours: 1 salted cod, or bakijow Discard the water. Place cod in saucepan with fresh water to cover. Simmer gently until the fish flakes easily when tested with the tines of a fork. Strain, reserving a bit of the broth. De bone the cod and set it aside for later use. In a saucepan, bring to boil in water to cover: 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced When the potatoes are tender, drain them well. Add the cod and mash the two ingredients thoroughly together. Place in the container of an electric blender: 1 tomato, peeled and chopped 1/2 green pepper, chopped 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 1 clove garlic, slivered 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce, or minced hot pepper Dash of nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste Blend for a few seconds and pour the sauce over the mashed fish mixture. Combine these ingredients well and add 1 egg, beaten Mixture should be stiff enough to mold into balls about one and a half inches in diameter, If it's too dry, add the fish stock a tablespoon at a time. Fry the balls in hot, deep fat until golden brown.

1 Baking the Lamb In a large pan (with a lid) melt the butter and olive oil together then add the diced lamb. Brown the lamb on a medium heat, this will take around 5 minutes. 2 Add the garlic, oregano, 300ml of water and season with salt and pepper. Mix well before covering with the lid. Leave to simmer for 50 minutes mixing a couple of times ensuring the lamb doesn’t start to burn. 3 The juices should have nearly all boiled away so another 150ml of water should be added along with the rice. Mix altogether, bring to the boil, place the lid on and leave for just 10 minutes. It’s advised to check at around 8 minutes – you want the liquid to be evaporated with just moist coating of oily water left over the lamb and rice. 4 Place the lamb and rice into a casserole dish, the mixture should fully cover the base and have at least 2 inches spare for the yogurt. Alternatively you can split into four ceramic bowls. 5 Making a Roux In a small saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat and then add two tablespoons of flour while continuously stirring for two minutes (add a little extra flour if needed). The roux should not be thick but not too runny, the colour will darken slightly. Pour the roux into a bowl and keep to one side. 6 Making the Yogurt Mixture In a mixing bowl add the yogurt, eggs and season with salt and pepper. Mix together then add the roux continuing to mix fast for a minute to ensure the roux and yogurt are thoroughly combined. 7 Pour the yogurt mixture over the baked lamb and rice and sprinkle on a little oregano. 8 Cooking Place on the bottom shelf of the oven on 180 degrees for 35 minutes then move it up to the middle for a further 10 minutes. The Tavë kosi is ready when the yogurt has risen up high and a golden crust formed. 9 Leave to cool for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

Place all of the above ingredients into your roaster pan at least two days before you want to eat. Stir occasionally throughout the days to distribute marinade evenly. Bake at a 350-degree oven for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours or until meat is not red when sliced. You can also make these on skewers if you wish to go through the process of spearing the meat with other veggies to grill. Freezes well.

1. Place the meat cut into pieces, in a large pan with the onions. Add the turmeric and enough water to cover. Bring to the boil then cook gently until the meat is very tender and can easily be removed from the bones. 2. While the meat is cooking, cut the orange peel into thin match style pieces, removing as much pith as possible. Leave to soak in a bowl of water. 3. When the meat is tender, remove from the pan and when cool enough, remove the meat from the bones and shred the meat into strips with your hands. Return the meat to the pan. 4. Wash the short grain rice and then add to the pan with salt according to taste. The juices should cover the rice by about 2cm, add more water if necessary. Bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook with the lid off, stirring from time to time until the rice is "al dente" and the liquid is absorbed. 5. Add the natural yoghurt, and stir in well but carefully. Fry the crushed cloves of garlic in the oil and add to the dish along with the dill, black pepper, the chickpeas and extra salt to taste. 6. Mix in well, then cover the top of the pan with a clean thick cloth and the lid. Leave on a low heat for about half an hour to allow the flavours to absorb. Enjoy with some warm nan bread for extra comfort.

1 In a large heavy saucepan, combine the peanuts, sugar and water. Bring to a boil; cook until syrup has evaporated, about 10 minutes. 2 Spread peanuts in a single layer in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan; sprinkle with salt. 3 Bake at 300° for 30-35 minutes or until dry and lightly browned. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

1. To prepare the dough, sift the flour with 1tsp of salt into a mixing bowl. Slowly mix in as much of the water is required, until a stiff dough is formed. Knead on a clean work surface for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is elastic and shiny. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for about an hour. 2. Put the chopped lamb, onions, chilli, 1 tsp salt, ground pepper and spices in a bowl and mix thoroughly. 3. Divide the dough into 4 small balls, and roll out to a thickness of 1.5mm, cutting into 10cm squares. Into each square, place 1 heaped teaspoon of the lamb mixture. 4. Take two opposite corners and bring them to join in the centre by nipping together firmly between your fingers, and then bring together to other two corners in the same manner. Note that the mantu should not be entirely closed, as the steam has to be penetrate and cook the filling! 5. Using fat to grease the shelves of the steamer, place your mantu so that there is a small space between each one. Steam for 30-45 minutes over a medium heat. 6. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a pan, add tomato puree, and bring to the boil. Stir and simmer on a low heat until the mantu are ready. 7. Remove the mantu carefully from the steamer and place on a large, warm dish. Spoon the tomato sauce over the top, followed by the strained yoghurt, and sprinkle with chopped coriander to garnish.

Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients and grinding them into a paste. Put the prawns on the skewers and brush with sauce. Grill until done (they should lose their translucent color), about 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

First boil the rice for eight minutes. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion. Then chop the herbs. The recipe didn't really say what to do with the chickpeas (also known of course as garbanzo beans), beyond soaking them overnight and rinsing them. I used canned chickpeas, since I've never actually seen them dried. I decided to chop/mash them slightly so they would better incorporate into the filling. Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) roughly chopped Now mince the lamb (I used my mini food processor). Here's where I ran into another problem: what to do with the lamb fat this recipe calls for? Mince it? Melt it? Does lamb fat even melt? I decided to mince mine. Thankfully, my husband doesn't actually read this blog because he'd be horrified if he knew I put fat in the dolma on purpose. Minced lamb and its good friend, minced fat. Ew. The ingredients for the dolma stuffing include onion, cilantro, chickpeas and turmeric. Anyway, now get your hands into all that slimy raw meat and mix in the onion, spices, chickpeas, rice, chopped herbs and fat. Add a little salt and pepper for good measure. In fact, based on my results I would say to err on the side of a little extra salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands until the stuffing looks something like this. Fill the biggest saucepan you own with salted water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Now pull the outer leaves off of the cabbage (save them) and drop the rest of it, whole, into the water. Let it boil for three or four minutes, turning it if the water level isn't quite high enough to completely cover it. The reason you are doing this is because it's difficult to get whole cabbage leaves off of an American cabbage. The cabbages you typically buy in our supermarkets come in very tight round balls, and because the leaves are crispy they will snap and crack when you try to pull them off in an un-blanched state. Blanching them for a few minutes makes it so they will come righ

step 1 Put the sugar in a large shallow pan, along with a small splash of water. Heat gently, swirling the pan, until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and bubble the syrup until it turns a dark amber colour. Add the fish sauce, most of the chilli and ginger, then splash in 1 tbsp water to dilute. Boil again until syrupy, then add the fish fillets, skin-side down, and the bok choi, cut-side down. step 2 Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 4-5 mins until the fish is cooked and the bok choi has wilted. Turn off the heat, squeeze over the lemon and scatter with the remaining chilli, ginger and the coriander sprigs. Serve with rice.

STEP 1 To make the dough, rub the butter into the flour and then add the egg white and half the yolk (keep the rest), vinegar, a pinch of salt and enough cold water to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and then wrap and rest for 30 minutes. STEP 2 Heat the oven to 180c/fan 160c/gas 4. Trim the green ends of the spring onions and then finely slice the rest. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry them gently until soft but not browned. Add the chilli and garlic, stir and then add the prawns and cook until they are opaque. Season well. Scoop out the prawns and bubble the juices until they thicken, then add back the prawns. STEP 3 Divide the empanada dough into eight balls and roll out to thin circles on a floured surface. Put some filling on one half of the dough, sprinkle the feta on top and fold the other half over. Trim the edge and then fold and crimp the dough together so the empanada is tightly sealed, put it on an oiled baking sheet either on its side or sitting on its un-crimped edge like a cornish pasty. Repeat with the remaining dough and mixture. Mix the leftover egg yolk with a splash of water and brush the top of the empanadas. STEP 4 Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and slightly crisp around the edges.

step 1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook the curry paste for 1 min before adding the stir-fry veg and prawns. Cook for 3 mins until the prawns are mostly pink, then add the coconut milk, veg stock and noodles. step 2 Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 mins until the noodles are cooked through and the veg is tender but still has a bite. Divide between two bowls and sprinkle over the herbs, chilli and spring onion.

You can also use sugar snap peas for this recipe. Save prep time by prepping the peas, ginger, and garlic while the shrimp is marinating. Marinate the shrimp: Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl, then add the shrimp. Toss to coat. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes while you prep the peas, ginger, and garlic. Stir-fry the ginger and garlic: Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat for 1 minute. Add the peanut oil and let it get hot, about 30 seconds. Add the ginger and garlic and toss to combine. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp, snow peas, soy sauce, stock: Add the shrimp and all the marinade to the pan (scrape out all the marinade with a rubber spatula). Add the snow peas, soy sauce and chicken stock. Stir-fry until the shrimp turns pink, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and finish with sesame oil: Add the scallions and stir-fry 1 more minute. Turn off the heat and add the sesame oil. Toss to combine once more and serve with steamed rice.

step 1 Cook the noodles following the pack instructions, drain and set aside for later. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and pour in the beaten egg. Swirl around the pan to make a thin omelette, cook for 1-2 mins, then flip over and cook the other side for 1 min. Tip out and slice into thin strips. step 2 Add the chilli and ginger to the pan, fry for 1-2 mins then tip in the noodles, prawns and egg. Splash in the soy sauce and stir-fry for 1 min more. Throw in the chopped herbs and pour over the lime juice and zest, then sprinkle over the chopped peanuts and serve.

step 1 Season 6 sea bass fillets with salt and pepper, then slash the skin 3 times. step 2 Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add 1 tbsp sunflower oil. step 3 Once hot, fry the sea bass fillets, skin-side down, for 5 mins or until the skin is very crisp and golden. The fish will be almost cooked through. step 4 Turn over, cook for another 30 seconds - 1 minute, then transfer to a serving plate and keep warm. You’ll need to fry the sea bass fillets in 2 batches. step 5 Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil, then fry the large knob of peeled ginger, cut into matchsticks, 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 3 thinly shredded red chillies for about 2 mins until golden. step 6 Take off the heat and toss in the bunch of shredded spring onions. Splash the fish with 1 tbsp soy sauce and spoon over the contents of the pan.