Celebrating Harmony Week with Flavour!

Celebrating Harmony Week with Flavour!

19 March, 2021

Celebrating Harmony Week with Flavour!

Expect A Star is celebrating Harmony Week by sharing some delicious recipes our diverse multicultural workforce love to cook at home. Whip out your oven gloves and try your hand at creating these wonderful dishes! 
 

Marilena’s Baleadas (Honduras)

Ingredients

  • Fried beans (goya or del paso)
  • White flour tortillas (wraps)
  • Sour cream
  • Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Warm the fried bean on a little pot, then warm the tortillas in a hot pan or for 10 seconds in a microwave.
  2. Spread the fried bean paste over one side of the tortilla, spoon some sour cream and at the end sprinkle the cheese over it.
  3. Fold the tortilla and enjoy it.

Frances’ Jollof Rice

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 14.5 oz canned hunts tomato unsalted
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 6 oz canned tomato paste
  • 3 large whole red onion
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup blended crayfish
  • 4 Habanero peppers (based on how spicy you want)
  • 4 1/2 cups long grain parboiled rice
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp Maggi or knorr cubes
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper and black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 3 single bay leaves
  • 1/2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic/onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/4 tsp ginger

Instructions

  1. Blend tomatoes, red bell peppers, habanero peppers, large red onions until the consistency is smooth and set aside
  2. Wash the rice thoroughly to rid of the starch and set it aside
  3. To a medium-sized pot on medium heat, heat canola oil and butter 
  4. Throw in chopped onions and allow to fry for about 5 mins or until redness starts to fade
  5. Pour in tomato paste and allow to fry for about 10-15 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid burning
  6. Add in your blended mixture, crayfish, Maggi, cayenne & black pepper, white pepper, bay leaves, curry powder, garlic, thyme. Mix and fry for about 30 minutes, continuously stirring to avoid burning
  7. Add chicken stock and salt. Mix and allow cook for an additional 10 mins
  8. Add in washed rice and a bit of water (if necessary), and reduce heat to low
  9. Cover pot with aluminum foil, to avoid heat from escaping through the lid
  10. Cook rice on low heat for about 30 mins 
  11. Once cooked, mix thoroughly to combine ingredients 
  12. Cover and let cook for an additional 10 mins
  13. To get the party Jollof flavor, turn up the heat and let the rice burn for about 3 mins. (Be careful with this step, so you don't burn the whole rice) 

Anita’s Samosas

Samosa is an Indian deep-fried appetizer with spiced potatoes. The filling is made of potatoes, green peas, onions, and spices. The best filling has the perfect balance of flavour and texture. The potatoes shouldn’t be too mushy or chunky. It should be aromatic with the spices used, however, the filling shouldn’t be too spicy.

  1. Traditional samosa dough is made with Maida flour, which is a type of flour available in India. You can use all-purpose flour as a substitute. Other ingredients of the dough include butter, salt, water and carom seeds or ajwain.
  2. To fold a Samosa into a triangle shape using spring roll wrappers, you want to start by scooping a teaspoon of the filling and place it at the top center part of a piece of wrapper.
  3. And deep-fry in oil

Ishita’s Chicken Curry

Ingredients 

  • One skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • One teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup cooking oil
  • One and a half cups chopped onion
  • 1 table minced garlic
  • 1and a teaspoon minced fresh ginger root 
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder 
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 (15 ounces) can of crushed tomatoes 
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala 

Instructions 

  1. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with 2 teaspoons of salt.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat; partially cook the chicken in the hot oil in batches until completely browned. Transfer the browned chicken breasts to a plate and set them aside.
  3. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-high; add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the oil remaining in the skillet and cook and stir until the onion turns translucent about 8 minutes. Stir the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon of water into the onion mixture; allow to heat together for about 1 minute while stirring. Mix the tomatoes, yogurt, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, and 1 teaspoon salt into the mixture. Return the chicken breast to the skillet along with any juices on the plate. Pour 1/2 cup water into the mixture; bring to a boil, turning the chicken to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle the garam masala and tablespoon cilantro over the chicken.
  4. Cover the skillet and simmer until the chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear for about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Sprinkle with lemon juice to serve.

Vanita’s Jalebi

I love cooking and create so many recipes at home! Enjoy my all-time favourite sweet. 

Ingredients

  • For The Sugar Syrup
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp rose water
  • 3/4 cup self-rising flour
  • a pinch baking powder
  • 1/3 cup fresh curd
  • ghee for deep-frying
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

Instructions

For the sugar syrup
1. Combine the sugar with 1/3rd cup of water together in a deep pan and cook on a medium flame till the sugar dissolves and is of 1 thread consistency while stirring continuously. Keep the syrup warm.
2. Add the rose water and cardamom powder. Mix well. Keep aside.

For Jalebi

  1. To make instant jalebi, sieve the flour with baking powder and keep it aside.
  2. Combine the curds with 1/3 cup of water in a bowl and whisk well.
  3. Add the flour and make a thick batter, making sure that no lumps remain. Keep aside.
  4. Heat the ghee in a broad and deep saucepan.
  5. Fill the jalebi batter into a piping bag or squeeze bottle with a single hole nozzle. 
  6. Press out round whirls of the batter into the hot ghee working closely from outside to the centre of the whirl.
  7. Deep-fry the jalebis till golden brown from both sides and transfer immediately into the warm sugar syrup.
  8. Drain after 2 to 3 minutes and serve the instant jalebis hot sprinkled with cardamom powder. Yummy Jalebi is ready.

Michelle’s Swiss Bircher Muesli

Ingredients

  • 2 small sachets of oats (I like caramel)
  • 1 1/2 cups of vanilla yogurt or natural yogurt
  • One tin of pie apples 385grams juice added also
  • Dried Strawberry & Blueberry (or fresh)
  • Cinnamon
  • Malt extract drizzled (as much as you like)
  • Half cup of apple juice or milk

Instructions

  1. Combine all dry ingredients & mix
  2. Add yogurt & milk
  3. Drizzle with malt extract or honey
  4. Sprinkle with cinnamon
  5. Add dried coconut optional
  6. Cover overnight in fridge


Bon appetit!