catering

Hey guys, I am available to cater for parties. I also cook in your kitchen while you have guests, and serve plated food- up to 6 courses. Email me on: Shivani.shivani.reddy75@gmail.com

tandoori chicken

Ingredients 1kg chicken Juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp fine black pepper 2 tbsp oil 2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter 2 tsp group green chillies 1,5 tsp ginger garlic ¾ tsp salt 2 tsp jeera 1 tsp rough grounded coriander seeds 2 tbsp cream Method Make a paste then add the chicken- allow to marinade over night. Grill over an open fire and baste with butter.

the chocolate shot!

This recipe is sure to get you wobbling and those hips rolling! I am a diehard chocolate fan, so why not mix chocolate and alcohol and maybe a little bit of ice cream... Chocolate shot! 250ml double cream A good knob of butter Four big handfuls of rich dark chocolate- if you can’t afford all that lindt, buy a small slab of lindt 80% and some other dark chocolate in the sweet isle (not the baking isle) and mix them in. A shot or two of brandy- for a little warmth ¼ tsp of coffee Whisky to taste- even if it means half the bottle (I’m not judging) Method In a double boiler pop in your butter and cream let it heat up and add in your coffee. Once your coffee is dissolved add in the chocolate and take it off the heat. Stir gently and add in the brandy. Give it a taste then add in the whisky. You can pour these in glasses and top it with cream. You could even drown your ice cream in it or even better- make a milkshake! Enjoy

10 minute Burfee

10 minute burfee This here recipe is dedicated to my friend Erwin James Ingredients 500g Klim or powdered milk 2tsp elachi or cardamom 1 cup milk Rose essence 360g icing sugar 3tbsp sugar 60g butter 3/4 cup of water Method Mix milk and klim together till it resembles bread crumbs. In a pot add butter, water and icing sugar and bring to a boil. Add klim and stir for 5 minutes. Add flavouring and let cool. Once cooled mould your burfee and decorate with tinted almonds

Molecular gastronomy- deconstructed beetroot salad

Deconstructed beetroot, watercress salad with goats cheese This recipe falls under molecular gastronomy, which I show cased at Oyster Box last year. Ingredients 250ml beetroot juice Watercress Creamy vinaigrette of your choice 30ml of agar agar (or china grass or falooda) Seasoning A little lime juice and a pinch of sugar A roll of goats’ cheese, if you like go with gorgonzola- it’s more to my liking. Flour for dredging 2 Eggs Panko or breadcrumbs Method In a pan heat the beetroot juice and add sugar, two drops of lime juice and season to taste. Once this has heated through add the agar-agar and stir in. Pour the mixture in to a pan and allow cooling and setting in the fridge. Slice half the cheese and dust it with flour then dip in the beaten eggs and then the crumbs, dip it in the eggs and crumbs once more and set it in the fridge to cool. Remove the beetroot once set and cut out the jellies to desired shape. One a plate one can lay out the watercress and crumbled cheese with the vinaigrette. Heat up some oil and fry the cheese till the coating is golden brown- then stick in a skewer and there you have a goats cheese lollipop. Heat the beetroot jellies in the oven for a few seconds and place them on the plate and then add the cheese lollipop. You can add a side to the dish like I have; I used an oyster as it was Oyster Box.

perfect caramel sauce

Ever wondered how to make that perfect caramel sauce? Its super easy and here is how All you need is a heavy based pot with water and a can of condensed milk. Pop the can of condensed milk in the pot and add cold water till it just covers the can, turn on the heat to medium-low. After 3 hours or so put you’re stove off and allow the can to cool before removing. Open the cool can. With a can opener. And there you have it! The best caramel you ever had!

deep fried lindt

Deep fried lindt! If there is no heaven, there is deep fried chocolate! If you don’t have lindt balls use something else! (Normal chocolate white dark or milk) Ingredients 500ml water 300g flour (sift twice) 250g butter 5 eggs 3tbsp condensed milk Oil to fry. Method In a pot boil water, butter for 2minutes. Add the condensed milk, then add the sifted flour on low heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, until it sticks to the bottom of the pot. Beat the mixture with a hand blender with a dough hook or a mixer with a paddle. Add the eggs in one at a time until the mixture comes together. Once the mixture is cooled, wrap a thin layer over your chocolate and place it in the fridge to cool. When you’re ready to serve them- heat the oil and pop them in, cook them until golden brown and sprinkle with coco or you can serve with vanilla ice cream and a caramel sauce! Tip: I prefer to freeze my lindt balls, then cover them and fry them after ten minutes so the inside of my ball does not turn to caramel but a rich white or dark chocolate goo.

Molecular gastronomy

I am busy with molecular gastronomy at the moment! Awesome stuff so I will be posting up some cool recipes next week, and letting you know where you can get these awesome ingredients from. Ever wanted to try a hot crème brule with popcorn brittle and vanilla bean ice cream that just melts on? Well due to molecular gastronomy we can make that happen! You can have both hot and cold sensations in your pallet or you can have what’s normally cold, hot!

cooking with salt

I had the privilege of working with a chef from Morgentser in Cape Town; his hobby is collecting salts from around the world, repacking, branding them and selling them. I never thought salt would be of any interest until I saw him heat up a slab of Himalayan rock salt to 250 degrees centigrade, pop a steak on it and serve it! He did not apply any seasoning; the steak just sizzled on the salt and drew in the natural flavours! He has salt that naturally forms itself into tiny white soft pearls and the sulphur salt that smells like off eggs, but they all impart their own distinct flavour and work with different dishes. May chefs and food critics alike are aware that salt tends to break down the flavour of wine and hence this is a rather touchy subject as food and wine are meant to be paired and without salt food would have no taste. But there are wines that work well with these salts – mainly the white whites. So give salt a try. A tip: My dad is hypertensive (has high blood pressure) and so it’s essential to cut down the salt in his diet. When you add flavourings such as herbs and spices you tend to use less salt, but I never remember to add all these things or I am always short on time. Go out buy yourself a packet of natural salt, some garlic flakes, a lemon, a lime and dill. Zest your lemon and lime and allow it to dry with your chopped dill (if it’s fresh) or pop it in the oven for 5 min on low. In a bottle mix in your salt, garlic flakes and dried lemon, lime zest and dill. That’s how you make a flavoured salt that you can use for any dish! Enjoy

what is the difference between sea, table and kosher salt

what is the difference between sea, table and kosher salt For the cook's purposes, the main difference between salts is in their texture. Table salt's fine granules dissolve quickly, making it the preferred salt of bakers. Sea salt and kosher salt possess larger, irregular grains that add a delightful crunch and hit of briny flavor when sprinkled on food at the last minute. Generally, savvy cooks prefer kosher salt when cooking, since its coarse texture is easier to take a pinch of when seasoning savory dishes. Chemically there is little difference between kitchen salts. All are at least 97 1/2 percent sodium chloride. But there are significant differences in the provenance and processing of these salts. Table salt is mined from underground salt deposits, and includes a small portion of calcium silicate, an anti-caking agent added to prevent clumping. It possesses very fine crystals and a sharp taste. Because of its fine grain a single teaspoon of table salt contains more salt than a tablespoon of kosher or sea salt. Sea salt is harvested from evaporated seawater and receives little or no processing, leaving intact the minerals from the water it came from. These minerals flavor and color the salt slightly. However, because these salts are usually expensive, it is worth keeping in mind that they lose their unique flavor when cooked or dissolved. Kosher salt takes its name from its use in the koshering process. It contains no preservatives and can be derived from either seawater or underground sources. Aside from being a great salt to keep within arm's reach when you are cooking, it is particularly useful in preserving, because its large crystals draw moisture out of meats and other foods more effectively than other salts Health shops seem to be cheaper with salt prices then manjor retailers, have a look at your regular health shop for different salts and try one.