Our mummy and muma have Indian and Goa/Portuguese origins. These two recipes include

Chorizo which is one of our favourite things and Roti’s which you can have for any meal!

PORTUGUESE STEW - FEIJOADA

INGREDIENTS 

 ▢1 large onion, chopped

 ▢ 6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

 ▢400 grams of diced pork

 ▢red wine – enough to coat the meat when marinading (drink the rest with the

meal!) Optional if do not drink alcohol

 ▢2 tins of red kidney beans

 ▢1 tins of red kidney bean with chilli sauce (optional and if prefer just add

another tine of regular red kidney beans

 ▢2 tins of chopped tomatoes

 ▢1 packet of chorizo – sliced (400grams)

 ▢1 tube of tomato paste

 ▢1 tablespoon ground coriander

 ▢2 bay leaves

 ▢Black pepper and chopped parsley to garnish

 ▢Salt

INSTRUCTIONS 

 Chop the onion and garlic and put in a glass bowl with the diced pork with some

pepper and enough red wine to cover the contents. Marinade for at least 6 hours or

overnight. Go straight to next step if not marinading.

 Scoop out the pork and brown it in a large casserole dish in a little oil. (Keep the

rest of the marinade mixture!)

 Add the sliced chorizo and fry until browned/changed colour.

 Add the ground coriander and fry for a further 1-2 minutes.

 Add the marinade (including onions and garlic), bay leaves, chopped tomatoes and

two of the three tins of kidney beans. With the 3 rd tin, crush the beans so that

they form more of a pulp (this helps thicken the stew). Add the tube of tomato

puree and a little more wine and season.

 Simmer with the lid on for approx. 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened – if it

is not thickening then simmer without the lid on.

 Serve with rice or crusty bread (preferably warmed)

INDIAN ROTI’S

INGREDIENTS 

 225g plain flour – white, wholemeal or half and half

 1/2tsp salt

 1tbsp vegetable oil or ghee, plus extra for oiling the pan

INSTRUCTIONS 

 Place the flour, salt and 1tbsp oil in a bowl. Add 150ml warm water and mix to a soft

dough. If the mixture feels too dry add a little more water, if too wet add a little flour.

 Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Cover with

cling film and leave to rest for 10 mins.

 Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and roll each one out to an 18cm diameter circle.

 Heat a heavy-based frying pan until hot. Grease the pan lightly with a little oil and place

one roti in the pan. Cook for 1-2 mins until the roti starts to puff up and the underneath

is brown in places. Flip the roti over and cook on the other side for 1 minute. Keep the

roti warm in a clean tea towel while cooking the remainder.

 Serve with butter which makes them even more yummy!

Please find below one recipe from Portugal where my hubby is from and one from Singapore where my Mum is from.  My mum is Eurasian and their food tends to be Peranakan. 

Pastel de Nata

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 145g/5¼oz plain flour

• pinch of salt

• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened

For the custard

• 30g/1oz plain flour

• 300ml/10fl oz full-fat milk

• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

• half a lemon, peel only, grated

• 220g/ 7½oz caster sugar

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 6 free-range egg yolks

To serve

• ground cinnamon, to dust (optional)

Method

1. To make the pastry, mix the flour, salt and 105ml/3½fl oz water in a bowl, until it starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle some more flour on the dough, wrap it in cling film and set it aside for 15 minutes, to let any gluten that may have been activated to rest.

2. Dust a clean surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough into a 25cm/10in square. Brush off any excess flour from the top of dough. Evenly spread a third of the butter on to the first two thirds of the dough, leaving an unbuttered 2cm/¾in border, to stop the butter from overflowing. Fold the unbuttered third of dough over the middle third. Brush off excess flour and fold the remaining third on top of the rest of the dough, as though you were folding a letter to go in an envelope. Rotate the dough 90 degrees to the left, so the last fold is facing you. Roll it out into another 25cm square and repeat the same process.

3. Turn the dough 90 degrees to the left and roll out the dough into a 30x35cm rectangle, with the shorter side facing you. Spread the remaining butter over the entire surface of the dough. Roll up the rectangle into a log starting from the shorter side, brushing off loose flour as you go. Trim the ends, wrap it in cling film and chill it for at least 3 hours or ideally, overnight.

4. To make the custard, whisk together the flour and 50ml/2fl oz milk in a bowl until smooth. Bring the remaining 250ml/9fl oz milk to the boil in a small saucepan. Remove it from the heat, add the vanilla and lemon zest and cover with a lid to infuse for 2 minutes. Pour it into the flour and milk mixture.

5. Place the caster sugar, cinnamon and 160ml/5½fl oz water in another small saucepan and bring to 100C. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer, dip a spoon into your syrup and lift it; a large drop should form and as it falls it should leave a short thin string behind. Do not stir the solution, as this will start to crystallise the syrup. Very slowly, pour the sugar syrup into the infused milk mixture. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir until slightly cooled. Whisk in the egg yolks and strain the mixture into a jug, cover it and set aside.

6. Pre-heat the oven to its hottest temperature.

7. Slice the refrigerated pastry log into 12 even slices. Place the slices into a non-stick muffin tin. Set aside for 10 minutes to soften. With wet thumbs, press the dough against the bottom of the tin and then smooth the dough up to the sides, creating a raised lip above the pan. Be careful not to leave the bottom too thin.

8. Fill each pastry three-quarters full of custard and bake for 15–17 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. If your oven has a grill mode, turn it on for the final few minutes to achieve the distinctive caramelisation effect of a typical pastel de nata. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. The Portuguese favourite way of eating them is while they’re still warm and with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

Nyona-style Chicken and Coconut Curry Laska

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chicken thighs, skin on, sprinkled with salt

• ½ lemongrass stalk

• ¼ tsp salt

• 200g sustainable shelled raw tiger prawns

• 1 chicken stock cube

• 250ml coconut milk

• 6 bean curd puffs, cut in half (optional)

• 200g dried rice vermicelli (noodles)

• 50g fresh beansprouts

• About 250g pack fresh egg noodles

• Bunch fresh mint leaves

• 2 free-range medium eggs, boiled for 6-8 minutes (for soft/hard boiled), shelled and halved

For the laksa paste

• 8 whole dried red chillies (or use 1-2 tsp chilli flakes)

• 25g dried shrimps

• 3 fresh red chillies, roughly chopped

• 4 shallots, roughly chopped

• 4 lemongrass stalks, bottom part only, roughly chopped

• 30g fresh galangal, peeled and roughly chopped

• 30g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1 tbsp ground turmeric

• 2 tbsp shrimp paste

•  6 candlenuts (from sous-chef.co.uk – or use macadamia nuts instead)

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus 100ml for frying the finished paste

To garnish

• Lime wedges

• 4 tsp chilli oil with shrimp (optional)

• Crispy shallots or onions (shop-bought are fine)

Method

• For the laksa paste put the dried chillies in a small pan, cover with water, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat, then remove from the heat and leave to soak for 10 minutes (no need to soak chilli flakes – add them in step 2). Drain, halve the chillies and deseed. Put the dried shrimps in a bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Leave for 5 minutes, then drain.

• Whizz the soaked chillies and shrimps in a food processor with the other laksa paste ingredients to make a rough paste.

• Heat the 100ml vegetable oil in a wok or heavy based frying/sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the laksa paste and fry on a low heat for at least 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. When the mixture darkens slightly and oil appears at the bottom of the pan after you push a spatula through it, the paste is ready.

• Put the chicken in a pan with 350ml cold water, the lemongrass and salt, then poach over a gentle heat for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool, then cut into strips. Add the raw prawns to the poaching liquid and cook for 2-3 minutes until pink and opaque. Remove with a slotted spoon to the plate with the chicken. Skim off any scum from the surface of the poaching liquid and discard the lemongrass; top up with water to make 1.2 litres.

• Put the poaching water in a large pan and add the laksa paste, chicken stock cube and coconut milk. Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, add the bean curd puffs (if using) and simmer for 5 minutes. Season if necessary. Strain the laksa broth through a fine sieve into another pan. Remove the bean curd; slice it into 4 pieces and set aside with the chicken and prawns.

• When ready to serve, soak the dried vermicelli noodles and beansprouts in 2 separate bowls for 5 minutes in freshy boiled water. Scoop out with tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside in separate serving bowls, then add the fresh egg noodles to the hot water to soak for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside with the rice noodles. Put large handfuls of both types of noodles into 4 bowls (you might have more than you need).

• Arrange the chicken, prawns, bean curd (if using), beansprouts, a few mint leaves and ½ egg on top of each bowl of noodles. Make sure the laksa broth is piping hot (bring back to the boil if not or if you’ve made it ahead), then ladle the hot broth over the noodles. Serve the laksa with wedges of lime for squeezing over and sprinkled with a few drops of chilli oil with shrimp (if using) and a scattering of crispy shallots/onions.

Vada Pav

Vada Pav is a savoury and spicy soft dinner rolls or fluffy buns, referred to

as Pav, stuffed with a fried batter coated potato dumpling fritter

called Batata Vada and laced with spicy and sweet chutneys. It is a

popular vegan street food snack eaten in Mumbai and rest of the

Maharashtra state in Western India. This dish is filling, delish, full of

flavours and has various textures!

To make vada pav you need five elements:

1. Pav – Fluffy dinner rolls or buns. Buy from your favourite bakery.

2. Batata vada – Fried potato stuffed fritter. I share detailed recipe below.

3. Green Chutney – A piquant and spicy condiment made with coriander (cilantro)

or mint and coriander leaves.

4. Tamarind Chutney – This is a sweet and tangy chutney made with tamarind,

jaggery and spices.

5. Garlic Chutney – A spicy dry chutney made with garlic cloves and coconut. 

How to Make Vada Pav

Make Potato Stuffing

1. Boil 2 large potatoes that weigh about 350 grams. Peel and then mash them with a

fork in a bowl.

You can boil or steam the potatoes in a pan, Instant pot or stovetop pressure cooker

adding water as needed.

Remember to drain the water very well from the boiled potatoes before you mash them.

Set aside the potatoes to cool. When they become warm, peel and mash them with a

fork or a potato masher.

Also crush 6 to 7 small/medium-sized garlic cloves and 1 to 2 green chilies in a mortar

pestle.

2. Heat 2 to 3 teaspoons of oil in a small pan. Add ½ a teaspoon of mustard seeds and

crackle them.

Then add 7 to 8 curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida (hing). Stir and sauté for about 5

seconds on low heat.

3.  Add the crushed garlic cloves and green chilies mixture to the pan. Add ⅛ teaspoon

of turmeric powder (about 2 to 3 pinches).

4. Stir on a low heat for some seconds or until the raw aroma of garlic goes away.

5. Pour this tempering mixture together with the oil to the mashed potatoes.

6. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and salt as required.

7. Mix everything well with a spoon. Do a taste test and if needed, add more salt.

Then make small to medium balls from the mashed potato mixture. Flatten these balls a

bit. Cover and keep aside.

Make Batter

8. In another bowl, make a smooth batter from 1 to 1.25 cups besan (gram flour), ⅛

teaspoon turmeric powder (about 2 to 3 pinches), a pinch of asafoetida (hing), a pinch

of baking soda (optional), salt and ½ cup water or as needed.

The batter should have a medium-thick flowing consistency. It should not be too thick or

thin.

If the batter becomes thin, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of gram flour. If the batter becomes

thick, then add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.

9. Dip the slightly flattened potato balls in the batter and coat it evenly with the batter.

Fry Batata Vada

10. Before you dip the batata vada in the batter, heat oil in a pan or wok (kadai). When

the oil becomes hot then dip the batata vada in the batter to coat as shown in the above

steps.

Carefully and gently drop these batter coated potato balls in medium hot oil.

11. Depending on the size of the kadai or pan, you can add more or less of the vada

while frying. But don’t overcrowd the pan

12. When one side firms up, becomes slightly crisp and golden then only turn over

gently with a slotted spoon

Fry the other side. This way deep fry them till golden, turning a couple of times as

needed.

13. Place them on kitchen paper towels to absorb extra oil. Make all batata vada this

way in batches and set aside.

If required, regulate the stovetop heat when frying the vadas.

Assemble Vada Pav

14. Serve them when they are still hot or warm. Put all the chutneys and pav on your

work surface. Slice the pav without breaking it into two parts and set aside.

If you don’t have sweet chutney, then make the vada pav with green chutney. The green

chutney and sweet chutney recipes are mentioned in the recipe card below.

You can make these two chutney recipes some hours ahead or a day before and

refrigerate

15. Spread both the green chutney and sweet chutney on the sliced pav. You can also

spread green chutney on one side and sweet chutney on the other side.

16. Sprinkle the dry garlic chutney on the pav. This step is optional and you can skip it if

you don’t have garlic chutney.

17. Place the hot batata vada in the bread slices.

18. Serve vada pav immediately or else the pav becomes soggy. You can also serve

some salted fried green chilies and both of the chutneys with it.

It makes for a good filling evening snack high on carbs. A cup of hot tea or coffee can

also be served as a side beverage.

Peppermint Crisp fridge tart (South African recipe)

Prep time

4 hours 30 mins

Total time

4 hours 30 mins

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: South African

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 250ml double cream / whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

• 2 packets of Tennis biscuits / any coconut biscuit available (although you will probably use less)

• 375g tin of caramelised condensed milk or dulce du leche

• 3 Peppermint Crisp chocolate bars / peppermint choc bar (crushed)

Instructions

1. Whip the cream and then add the caramelized condensed milk. Beat until well mixed and then stir in ⅔ of the crushed Peppermint Crisp.

2. Place a layer of whole tennis biscuits in a buttered 29x19x5cm dish. Spoon ⅓ of the caramel mix over the biscuits and spread evenly. Continue in layers, finishing with a layer of filling on top.

3. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Decorate by sprinkling the remainder of crushed peppermint crisp on top. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS:

You can substitute double or whipping cream for Orley Whip, but the outcome may be even richer than this pudding already is. I used Elmlea, a half-dairy cream available in the UK. 

For caramelised condensed milk, you can use tinned Carnation Caramel; dulce du leche; or you can make your own by boiling a tin of normal sweetened condensed milk for 3 hours (warning: may be hazardous!!). 

The Tennis biscuits may prove problematic. Best suggestions I have seen are Nice biscuits, McVitie's coconut rings, Shirley Coconut Biscuits - or digestive biscuits or enev ginger nuts at a push.

Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients: 

1.boneless chicken

2.boiled eggs

3.cabbage

4.capsicum

5.mayonnaise

6.black pepper

7.slices of bread

Mint Margarita recipe

Ingredients:

1. Lemon

2. Fresh mint leaves

3.plain water

4.salt

Thank you to everyone for all your yummy recipes, please feel free to send anymore recipes and we will update this site with them.