Penang Fish Curry

½ kg fish, cut into small pieces

¼ cup oil
3 sprig of curry leaves
½ onion (slice)
3 shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tbsp mix halba seeds (mustard seeds, fenugreek (halba), kalonji)

Garam masala
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
Tamarind juice to taste

Bland
8 cloves garlic
½ cup chopped onion
1 tsp chopped ginger

½ cup coconut milk
2 cups of water
Salt To Taste

Garnish
2 tomatoes (half)
4 green chillies (half)
1 onion (half)
5 lady’s finger

Method to make this recipe:
• Clean and wash fish pieces well.
• Heat oil. Add halba.
• When the halba splutters, add the bland ingredients and cook until it golden
• Add the garam masala and salt. Cook it well
• Add 2 cups of water for the gravy and stir well. Simmer till the gravy becomes thick
• Add the fish. Lastly add the fish and coconut milk. Cook until the fish fully cooked.
• Garnish with tomato, lady’s finger, onion and green chillies.

Lebanese Garlic Sauce, Toomeh

This sauce goes well with any type of grilled meat: chicken, kafta and lamb. The classical recipe requires a substantial amount of garlic; it gives it a wonderful taste which complements any grilled meat. However, if you find that garlic is too strong reduce the amount.
Another thing, I find it better to prepare an hour or two in advance so the flavour develops, having said that, Toomeh is better consumed the same day or within 48 hrs. Originally this is a Lebanese mayonnaise like garlic sauce made with egg yolk, breadcrumbs, olive oil and lots of crushed garlic. Sometimes this is tricky to make, so I came up with my own simplified version.
Ingredients
• 1 medium to small potato peeled, cut into chunks. Put in a small pan covered with water
• 8-10 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed to a smooth paste
• 2tbsp organic mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or to taste
• Salt & freshly milled black pepper

Method
• Add a pinch of salt to the potato and bring to boil, simmer until ready to mash
• Meanwhile, crush the garlic to a paste.
• Once the potato is cooked, drain from water, leave it for about 30 sec uncovered to make sure it is dry; you don’t want any excess of water. Add the potato to the garlic paste; mash them together until you have the consistency of creamed potato. Grind some freshly milled black pepper.
• Add mayonnaise followed by yoghurt and lemon juice. Mix with the spoon until all the ingredients are well combined. Taste and adjust if necessary.
• Cover and keep in the fridge if you are not using it immediately, but always serve at room temperature.

Serves 4 people

Hyderabadi Biryani

Biryani, biriani, or beriani is a set of rice-based foods made with spices, rice (usually basmati) and meat/chicken/vegetables. The name is derived from the Persian word beryā(n) (بریان) which means "fried" or "roasted". Biryani was brought to the Indian Subcontinent by Muslim travellers and merchants. Local variants of this dish are not only popular in South Asia but also in the Middle East.

Lamb Marinate
• 1kg Spring Lamb (cleaned and cut into medium size pieces)
• 150gm Yogurt
• 30gm Almonds (ground)
• 2-3 Green Chillies (chopped)
• 30gm Ginger (crushed)
• 30gm Garlic (crushed)
• Garam Masala (all ½ tsp Shazeera, Nutmeg, Cardamoms & Cinnamon sticks, with half amount of cloves and bland)
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste

• 150gm Ghee (Fry the onion until golden brown)
• 100gm Onions (sliced finely)

Rice
• 500gm Basmati Rice (washed)
• salt water (mix with a bit of sugar)
• 1 stick Cinnamon
• 3 Cardamom
• ½ tsp Shazeera
• 3 Clove
• 2 Green chilli cut into length wise
• 50gm Ghee

Garnishing
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Bay leaf
• 150gm Ghee
• 30gm Milk
• ¼ tsp Saffron
• 2-3 Green Chillies
• 100gm Cashew nuts 100 gram
• 100gm Yellow raisins
• 1 tin Green peas
• 2 Green chilli (chopped)
• ½ bunch Mint leaves
• ½ bunch Coriander
• Fried Onions

Method
1. In a large bowl mix the meat, yoghurt, almonds, chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic, salt, chilli powder, turmeric and ground garam masala. Marinate for at least 4-6 hours in the fridge.
2. Fry the onions in ghee until golden brown and crisp. Drain away any excess ghee and then remove the onions and spread over a large plate. This should keep the onions crispy. Once they have cooled crush the onions with your fingers and add this to the marinated meat mixture.
3. After one hour take basmati rice, washed, add in salt water, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Shazeera, Clove, Coriander leave, mint leave, Green chilli 2 cut into length wise into the rice as you cook until the rice becomes half cooked. Drain out the water completely. Mix the rice with ghee
4. Grease the saucepan generously with ghee and transfer the meat mixture.
5. Level the surface and now spread the rice evenly over the meat.
6. Squeeze the lemon and pour the juice over the rice.
7. Warm the milk and crush the saffron into it.
8. Pour the milk/saffron mixture over the rice. Dot generously with ghee.
9. To garnish spread the fried onions, green chillies, green peas, bay leaves, mint leaves and coriander leaves over the rice.
10. Cover the saucepan tightly. Allow to steam on high heat for about 10 minutes and then lower the heat and cook for another 1 and a half to 2 hours.
11. Before removing the pan from the cooker make sure that there is no moisture left in the meat. This can be checked by simply listening for a sizzling sound. If there is no sizzling then the Biryani is ready.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

500gm Macaroni (Boiled and toss)
50ml Olive oil
2 Spanish onion (Chopped)
5 Garlic (Chopped)
2 Bay leaves
1tablespoon Mixed herbs
500gm Minced chicken
100gm Hotdog/Chicken ham (Cube)
5 tins Campbell Cream of Chicken & Mushroom
1liter HL milk
250ml Plain water
1 tin Button mushroom (Cube)
1 tin Cube pineapple (Cube)
1 Capsicum (Cube)
500gm Grated Parmesan & Mozzarella Cheese

Method

1. First boiled the macaroni, drain the water and leave it to cool down.
2. For the cream sauce, sauté onion, garlic, mixed herbs, and bay leaves with olive oil.
3. Then add in minced chicken and hotdog cook for 5mins
4. Then add in the cream soup, milk and water and boiled it.
5. After that add the remaining ingredients mushroom, pineapple and capsicum.
6. Tastes the sauce, if not enough seasoning, please do add some.
7. Now it’s baking time. It’s better to use 2 medium rectangle moulds, first you put in the macaroni until ¾ of the mould. Then add in the sauce and finally the grated cheese.
8. The oven temperature is 180 bake for 30mins.
9. Serve hot. Serving for 10pax.