Welcome back to our weekly cooking series, where we feature two talented home cooks in Qatar. This week, meet our first home cook - Dr. Princy Moli George with her recipe inspired by the vibrant flavours of India and the Middle East plus our second home cook, Hasna Abdul Hameed, with a spiced up savoury crepe packed full of flavour.
Our cooking series features Qatar’s diverse and talented home chefs with a passion for food. If you’d like to be featured in our series please share your food photo on Instagram and tag @ilqlive and @mama_baba_ganoush plus the hashtag #qatarhomecooks.
Has COVID-19 changed the way you cook at home? Though COVID-19 has the ramifications of being cooped up at home, one positive aspect has been spending more time with family and having fresh home-cooked meals. Now is the time to experiment and recreate recipes in our kitchen. Some dishes are a family team effort. We appreciate the effort it takes to prepare a meal.
What is your dish? Saffron milk cake - a dessert that combines a simple vanilla cake with the flavours of Rasmalai – an Indian dessert. It is similar to the Tres Leche as the cake is baked and left to soak in saffron and cardamom flavoured milk with nuts added as a packed treat. I use white chocolate ganache, nuts and saffron to decorate the cake.
Why have you chosen this particular dish? If COVID-19 has taught me one thing - it is never to take for granted the smallest of things. Celebrate and savour the little moments of happiness. Cakes are a favourite at home in India where the food is quite colourful and dramatic. Fusion food represents a mix of both worlds - just as we enjoy life here in Qatar.
Social media: Instagram @thewayfaredontist
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 35 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Step 1: Vanilla cake preparation
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk (whole milk/ evaporated)
2 eggs (large)
Method:
Step 2: Saffron Milk Preparation
Please note: The saffron milk can be prepared while the cake is in the oven (see Step 1 above)
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 Lt full-fat milk
4 tbsp sugar (adjust according to taste)
8 to 10 strands saffron
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 tsp rose water
10 almonds (crushed or slivered)
10 pistachio (crushed or slivered)
Optional: condensed milk
Method:
Has COVID-19 changed the way you cook at home? Yes, it has changed my way of cooking. We started growing microgreens and it was a great success. Now, we have microgreens in our diet. We have started using the ingredients available at home, avoid unnecessary shopping and enjoy a healthier way of living by including dried fruits, nuts, fresh fruit and vegetables.
What is your dish? Malabar Style Layered Crepe – a savoury dish with chicken and spices.
Why have you chosen this dish? I have chosen this recipe as it is a family favourite - healthy and tasty with readily available ingredients. It can easily be served as a snack or dinner.
Social media: Instagram @Hasna_abdul_hameed and Facebook @Hasna Abdulhameed
Ingredients:
200g chicken
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp chillies powder
¼ tsp salt
Oil
For the filling:
3 onion (medium size) - chopped
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 Green chillies
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp pepper powder
½ tsp salt
Oil
For soaking:
7 eggs
½ cup milk
¼ tsp pepper powder
Pinch of salt
For the dough:
¾ cup flour
Salt and water – as required
Method:
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