Fragrantapricotrice Recipes

Steps:

• In a hot heavy bottom pan heat butter and oil
• Saute onion, garlic and ginger till translucent add coriander seeds, basil, rice and apricots stir to coat with onion mixture adding wine and cook till wine is absorbed
• Add zest and water simmering covered over low heat for 20-25 minutes
• Fluff with fork and season with salt and pepper
• Top with cashews and garnish with fresh basil

Steps:

• Leaving the skin on, cut the eggplants in half lengthways. Then cut them into 3-4 cm (1¼-1½ inch) chunks, to end up with approx. 12-16 pieces (depending on the size of your eggplants).
• Finely chop the garlic, chile, ginger, and cilantro, taking care to keep the chile and coriander separate. Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Tip the minced pork into a separate bowl, then add the marinade ingredients and mix well.
• Now build your wok clock: place your eggplant pieces at 12 o'clock, then arrange the garlic, ginger, marinated minced pork, chile, the sauce bowl and lastly the cilantro clockwise around the plate.
• If deep-frying, put the vegetable oil into a wok and heat to 350°F, or use a wooden skewer or wooden chopstick to test by placing the tip in the oil: if the wood starts to fizz after a second or two, the oil is hot enough. Carefully add the eggplant pieces and fry for 3 minutes, to immediately seal in their moisture and flavor. Have a metal or ceramic bowl ready with a metal sieve placed on top. Pour the eggplant and oil into the sieve to drain the excess oil, setting the aubergine aside for later.
• If you prefer to pan-fry rather than deep-fry, place the eggplant pieces in a mixing bowl and massage well with 1½ Tbsp. of oil. Heat a frying pan on a medium heat and cook the eggplant, flesh side down, for 3-4 minutes per side, until both sides are browned. Put into a bowl and set aside for later.
• Return the wok to the hob on a medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic, immediately followed by the minced pork, and begin to stir-fry, breaking up the meat and browning it well. Bring the wok to a high heat and, once smoking hot, add the sauce and bring to a vigorous boil. Put the aubergine back into the wok and reduce the heat to medium-low, allowing the sauce to simmer and caramelize around the eggplant pieces. Cover with a lid and boil for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Scatter over the chopped cilantro and serve.

Steps:

• Cook the rice in a pan of boiling water for about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until golden. Stir in the garlic and red pepper and cook for 4 minutes, then add the mince and chilli powder and cook for 2-3 minutes until well browned. Stir in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Blend the cornflour with 1 Tbsp of water and the soy sauce until smooth, add to the pan and stir until slightly thickened; season and stir in the basil leaves. Drain the rice and spoon onto plates, top with the thai mince and serve with a scattering of fresh basil leaves.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the onions, oil and ginger in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add 100ml water then cover, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 mins. Take off the lid, add the chillies and 1 tsp bouillon, then cook for 10 mins more - the water should evaporate.
• Meanwhile, tip the rice into a saucepan, cover with 500ml cold water and stir in 1 tsp of the cumin seeds, the cinnamon, ground cardamom and the remaining 1 tsp bouillon. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20-25 mins until the rice is cooked and the water absorbed.
• Tip the onion mixture into a bowl and set aside. Put the spinach in the frying pan with the remaining ½ tsp cumin seeds and cook until the spinach has just wilted. Tip 1 tbsp of the onion mixture into a bowl with 1 tbsp of the yogurt and set aside. Tip half the cooked rice into an ovenproof pan that has a lid. Top with the wilted spinach, then half the remaining onion mixture. Next, stir the peas into the remaining rice, then spread this over in a layer, followed by the rest of the onion mixture, then the rest of the yogurt. Cover and bake for 15 mins.
• Meanwhile, stir the coriander into the onion and yogurt mixture that was set aside in step 3 along with the lemon juice and 1 tbsp water. Blitz until smooth with a hand blender, then use this to coat the cod. After the biryani has been cooking for 15 mins, lay the cod on top along with the marinade. Cover and bake for another 15-18 mins until the fish flakes. Serve half topped with more coriander and chill the rest for another day. Will keep chilled for up to two days. Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.