Battered Prawns, Honey BBQ chicken wings and Vegetable Cous Cous

I simply loved making this dish. It has a mixture of so many flavours, all exploding in you mouth as you take every bite.

The honey from the chicken wings, the paprika from the prawns and tangy lemon in the cous cous all compliment each other and goes down a delight.

The prawns were pretty straight forward, marinaded it with salt, pepper and paprika to give it that extra kick, then dipped in flour, egg, water and deep fry.

The chicken wings were fried on high heat til brown, then the heat was reduced in order to gently cook it with honey, coriander, chill flakes, lemon, chillies and soya sauce. The sauce eventually thickens, giving a sweet spicy STICKY texture.

The cous cous, this is pretty straight forward, you make the cous cous by adding warm water. Then fry some onions, garlic, tomato puree (this gives it that reddy colour) then add some lemon juice, the vegetables, put the heat off and mix in the cous cous. And then just watch all those colours mix through it!

Batter Recipe

Ingredients:
1 medium egg
225ml ice-cold water
100g plain flour

Method:
Beat the egg in a bowl and add the iced water. The water must be as cold as possible, as this prevents the batter from absorbing too much oil, keeping it light and crispy.
Lightly mix in the flour with a fork and beat gently. Don't worry too much about lumps.
Prepare this batter immediately before use. Tempura should be cooked in oil at 180C/350F - if the coated fish or vegetables sink to the bottom of the oil, the temperature is too high

Honey BBQ Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons
garlic powder
1/4 cup gin
2 dashes liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 pounds chicken wings separated at joints
tips discarded 1/4 cup honey

Method:
In a large bowl, mix the teriyaki sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic powder, gin, liquid smoke, and sugar.
Place the chicken wings in the bowl, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the grill for low heat.
Lightly oil the grill grate.
Arrange chicken on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken wings on one side for 20 minutes, then turn and brush with honey. Continue grilling 25 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Dont just follow these recipes, feel free to toss in anything that you think will work well, thats the only way you learn. Enjoy!!

University Cultural Event

I recently cooked 3 dishes for my University Cultural Event. Made some delicious chocolate muffins, a Sri Lankan chicken curry, and Tuna cutlets. The chocolate muffins came out better than I expected.

I couldnt make the curry and cutlets as spicy as I normally make it, as the majority of people at the event cant have spicy food. I dont know if its just me, but food taste so bland without spices.

Chocolate Muffin Recipe

Ingredients:
250 g butter
190 g caster sugar
4-5 eggs
250 g strong bread flour
20 g baking powder
60 ml milk
100 g chocolate chips
150 g drinking chocolate
20 squares of dark chocolate,

Method:
. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until white and fluffy.

2. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition, and whisk together for 5 minutes.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder, add to the butter mixture and fold together until well-blended.

4. Add in the milk and the drinking chocolate and mix for 1 minute. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Refrigerate the mixture for 2 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.

7. Line muffin trays with paper cases, making 20 muffin cases in all.

8. Place a teaspoon of the muffin mixture in each case. Top each case with a square of chocolate, then add another teaspoon and a half of the muffin mixture on top.

9. Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes until cooked through and risen. Remove and serve warm from the oven.

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry Recipe:

Ingredients:
3 lb Chicken or Chicken pieces
3-4 tbs. lemon juice
6 cloves Garlic & 1 inch Ginger root - crushed together
2 tsps Salt
1 tbs. Powdered black pepper
1 tbs. Roasted Curry powder
1/2 tbs. dry red chili powder
4 Cardamoms
2 Cloves
8 Curry leaves
4 pieces Rampe
1 inch piece Cinnamon
1 medium Onion (sliced)
3 tbs Vegetable oil
2 tbs Tomato paste or sauce
1 cup thick Coconut milk or fresh milk

Method:
Wash chicken pieces and drain water thoroughly.
Add lemon juice, crushed garlic, ginger, salt, black pepper, curry powder and red chili.
Coat the chicken pieces well with the spices and set aside for about 1/2 hour.
Heat the oil in a saucepan.
Fry curry leaves and rampe.
Add onions and fry until soft.
Add the chicken pieces and stir for sometime.
Add cinnamon, lemon grass, cardamom, cloves and stir until well mixed.
Add tomato paste (or sauce) and stir until all pieces are well coated (If the curry is too dry and tend to stick to the saucepan, add 1-2 cups water & stir).
Close with a lid and allow the chicken to cook on slow heat.
Add the thick coconut milk (or fresh milk) and bring to a boil without covering.
Taste and adjust salt.


Tuna Cutlets Recipe:

Ingredients:
2 x 170 g flaked light Tuna
1 small Onion chopped
1 green Chili chopped
1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
1 piece Rampe (Pandamus) (optional)
1 piece Cinnamon
1/2 inch Ginger root (crushed)
4 cloves Garlic (crushed)
2 tbs Vegetable oil
Salt, Pepper and Cardamom powder (optional) to taste.
4 medium Potatoes boiled, skinned and cut into pieces.

THE COATING:
Two Eggs (beaten)
Toasted bread crumbs (grounded)
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Drain the two cans of tuna.
Heat the oil in a skillet (frying pan).
Add crushed ginger and garlic, stir, add onions, green chili, curry leaves, Rampe and cinnamon.
Cook until the onions are tender light brown.
Add drained tuna, stir all together.
Allow to cook for a few minutes.
Add the drained tuna liquid.
Stir and allow to cook until the liquid is dry.
Add salt, pepper and cardamom powder.
Stir until well mixed.
Turn off heat.
Add potatoes and mix well.
Seperate the mix and shape in to small (2 inch diameter) balls or thick discs.
Coat the balls with beaten egg and then with the toasted bread crumbs.
Deep fry in hot oil until light brown.
Cutlets (made in to thick disc shapes) are great with rice & curry.

Hot Butter Cuttlefish (Sri Lankan Style)

Ok, so many of you might be like huh, wots that?

This dish is SO famous in Sri Lanka. Its similar to calamari, deep fried in a crispy batter. Its sweet because of the buttery taste, spicy because of the chillies and so deliciously bad for you.

Ingredients:

500g cuttlefish
50g Corn flour
1 Egg
Salt and pepper to taste
15g Spring onion
15g Capsicum
3tbsp Chilli paste 3tbsp
1 tsp of sugar
100g Butter or margarine
Oil to fry

Method:
1. Drain the cuttlefish well and swab them if needed.
2. Season the cuttle fish with salt, pepper and egg then mix the flour in it or coat it with flour.
3. Heat oil until clear and drop the cuttlefish into it one by one.
4. Fry till cooked and its light brown (like KFC)
5. Heat a wok. add the butter or margarine when it is fully melted add the spring onion and the capsicum.
6. Stir it twice then add the sugar, ajino moto, chili paste and in goes the flowery cuttlefish.
7. Leave it for 2 more minutes for the fried cuttle fish to absorb the hot butter and get ready to be gobbled by mouth watering species.