Wimbledon is here, so could strawberries be far behind?

It feels only right to celebrate the English summer and what better way to do it than with strawberries and bubbles!
The month of July means Strawberries which are plentiful at your local farmers market. These British Gems are a great source of fiber and vitamin C. At Cinnamon Club, we love cooking by the seasons and absolutely love strawberries. Waiting for the English strawberry season to begin, for us, is a bit like the feeling children  waiting for their Christmas presents!

 It’s the time to create yet another delicious recipe using strawberries… only this time, with a twist! Ever tried strawberries with coriander?

 

Shrikhand Cheesecake with fennel, coriander and strawberries 

Cheesecake 

250 g – Greek yoghurt (hung in muslin overnight)

100 g – Mascarpone cheese

100 ml – double cream, whipped to soft peaks

50 g – Sugar

½ tsp – Cardamom powder

For the crumble

250 g – Flour

250 g – Sugar

180 g – Ground Almonds

250 g – salted butter, diced

Method:

For the crumble base, mix all the ingredients till a homogenous mixture is achieved. Spread on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool and ‘crumble’.

For the cheesecake, fold all the ingredients together gently and chill.

To make up the cheesecake, place the crumble at the bottom of a dish or ring 2-3 cm thick. Fill the rest of the mould with the cheesecake mix and chill for a few hours before serving.

To macerate the berries

250 g Strawberries or any other berries as in season

Juice of half a lime

Rind of half a lime

2 mint leaves shredded

1tsp fennel seeds, roasted and crushed

1 tsp coriander seeds roasted and crushed

Pinch salt

Pinch sugar

To serve, cut a few strawberries, mix together the rest of the ingredients and toss .Let macerate for 10-15 minutes and serve with the cheesecake.

Wine tip

Strawberry cheesecake accompanied with our decadent Rose Champagne is a must. Our wine expert Laurent Chaniac is proud to be working with such a revolutionary champagne house such as “Ayala Rose Majeur”. Rose is a firm favourite of many on a sunny day with friends and family. It does exactly what it should do, energizing your senses and make you feel happy!

Tags: best cheese cake, champagnes, easy recipe, recipes, wimbledon 
Author: Priyanka

If you haven’t been to see us for breakfast yet, you can try this recipe out at home which is a popular dish at The Cinnamon Club. It was the Southern Indians who first popularised this simple dish and as with pizza, you can chop and change toppings to suit the occasion.

Serves 4
Ingredients
200g packet of dosa mix (available at Asian shops)
a little vegetable oil
1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
1/3 red pepper, finely diced
1/3 yellow pepper, finely diced
1 tomato, skinned, deseeded and finely diced
2 tbsps finely chopped coriander
Green Coconut Chutney to serve

Make up the dosa mix according to the instructions on the packet. Spread a little oil over a large pan or flat griddle and place over a medium heat. Pour about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the batter into the centre of the pan and, using the back of a ladle, spread it out quickly to form a pancake about 10cm in diameter.

Dot the edges of the pancake with a little oil and sprinkle with some of the chopped vegetables and coriander to form a colourful topping. Cook over a low heat for about 4 minutes, until golden underneath. Turn over and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 8 panckaes altogether. Serve with the green coconut chutney.

Tags: Breakfast, The Cinnamon Club Cook Books, Uttapam 
Author: Alison

One of the comments we frequently hear is about the depth of flavours in Executive Chef Vivek Singh’s food. How you we manage to keep the flavour of one ingredient when it’s surrounded by other strong flavours? Well in this week’s recipe, by cooking the lamb separately to the corn sauce, and combining the elements of the dish at the end, you too can succeed!

Serves 4
4 x 200g lamb chops
1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the marinade:
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the corn sauce:
100g ghee or clarified butter
8 cloves
2 black cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
2 onions, finely chopped
3 green chillies, chopped
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
tbsp garlic paste
100g lamb, finely diced
200g sweetcorn
4 tbsps plain yoghurt
150ml lamb stock
6cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
50g fresh coriander, chopped
juice of 1 lemon

Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade and rub them over the lamb. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the ghee or clarified butter in a heavy-based pan and add the cloves, cardamom and bay leaf. When they start to crackle, add the onions and cook of a medium heat until golden. Add the chillies and cook for 1-2 minutes. The add the turmeric and salt and saute briskly for a minute taking care that the dry spices do not start to burn. Add the garlic paste and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes. Ass soon as the fat starts to separate out at the side of the mixture, stir in the diced lamb. Cook for 4-5 minutes until browned, then add 3/4 of the corn and all of the yoghurt. Cook gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is nearly mashed and the sauce is becoming very thick. Add the lamb stock and bring back to the boil, then add the ginger, coriander and remaining corn. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Check seasoning and add lemon juice.

Now on to the meat. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof frying pan over a medium heat, add the lamb and sear for 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a preheated oven at 180˚C and roast for 6-7 minutes. Leave the meat to rest for 3-4 minutes, then cut into slices. Divide the sauce onto 4 plates and place the lamb on top to serve.

Tags: flavour, lamb, marinade, rajasthani, sweetcorn 
Author: Alison

For a Christmas drinks party canapes are perfect. This is quite a long recipe but these kebabs are so cute when cut into 4cm bites and will definitely wow your guests – far better than cheese on a stick! You can make your own bread for these wraps but alternatively (as in this blog) you can use tortilla wraps, and let’s face it who has time to make bread – we’ll leave that till January.

Lamb Kebab Wraps
Serves 6

For the seekh kebabs:
500g lamb mince
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies
8 sprigs of fresh coriander, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsps of grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt

1 red onion sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
mango chutney
4 tortilla wraps
butter for brushing
2 eggs, lightly beaten
oil for brushing

For the seekh kebabs, mix all the ingredients together and divide into 4 portions. Shape each one round a skewer, squeezing the meat gently with wet hands so it adheres to the skewer. Place under a medium-hot grill for 8 minutes, turning regularly, until the kebabs are dark brown all over. Mix the red onion and lemon juice and set aside.

Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan or a flat griddle over a high heat and place one of the breads in it . Cook for 2 minutes on each side until just starting to colour. Brush the top with a little oil, turn the bread over and cook for 1 minute, then brush with oil again and turn again. As the bread starts to colour underneath, reduce the heat, flip the bread over and pour a quarter of the beated egg on to it. Let the egg congeal for a minute or so, then turn the bread over again to cook the side with the egg on it. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the remaining breads.

Once the breads are all cooked, lay them out egg-side upwards, spread them with butter and top with the red onoin mixture. Remove the lamb kebabs from the skewers, place a kebab in the centre of each bread and drizzle with mango chutney. Roll up the bread so the kebab is completely covered. Secure with toothpicks to prevent the bread opening, trim off the ends and cut into small chunks. Voila! The perfect canape. And to make them even more dazzling, garnish with a couple of pomegranate seeds. Yummy!

Tags: canapes, lamb, party, pomegranate, seekh kebab, The Cinnamon Club Cook Books, tortilla wraps 
Author: Alison

You may have seen ‘paneer’ appear on our menus on a regular basis but what is it? Paneer is the Indian version of set cottage cheese, made by separating  the whey from the milk by the addition of lemon juice to curdle it. When the whey is separated the solids are collected in a muslin cloth and tied and pressed under a heavy weight for a few hours until the solids set. It is widely available in supermarkets.
On its own, paneer can be quite bland but it is widely used in Indian cooking a vegetarian dish and when carefully spiced can be a fabulous alternative to meat

Tags: cheese, chilli, ingredients, paneer, vegetarian 
Author: Alison

This recipe is wonderful for a laid-back Saturday brunch with friends and never fails to impress. Taken from Executive Chef Vivek Singh’s The Cinnamon Club Cookbook, this classic Raj dish is derived from the popular kichri – rice and lentils cooked with ginger and onions. The British adapted the dish by adding eggs and smoked fish. It then made its way back to Britain as a breakfast dish, championed by, amongst others, Queen Victoria.  

Kedgeree with Smoked Haddock

Serves 4

200g smoked haddock
a little milk
1 tbsp vegetable oil
25g butter
1 onion, chopped
4cm of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp of ground turmeric
2 tbsps hot fish stock or water
175g cooked basmati rice
1 tsp salt
whites from 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 tbsp of chopped frsh coriander

For the poached eggs
1 litre of water
2 tbsps white vinegar
4 eggs

Put half the smoked haddock in a pan, add enough milk to cover and bring slowly to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Heat the oil and butter in a pan, add the onion and saute until golden brown. Add the ginger and turmeric and cook for 1 minute, then add the fish stock or water. Toss in the boiled rice, then fold in the salt and chopped egg whites. Flake the cooked haddock, removing any skin and bones, and add it to the pan with the coriander. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Cut the remaining smoked haddock into 4 portions and heat it under a grill (or in a frying pan with very little oil) for 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the poached eggs, pour the water into a shallow pan, add the vinegar and salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Carefully break in the eggs and poach until the whites coagulate and a thin film is formed over the yolk. You must take care that the water does not boil or the eggs will be ruined. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
To serve, put the rice in a bowl, the haddock on top and the poached eggs on top of that.

Tags: kedgeree, poached eggs, Raj, smoked haddock, Vivek Singh 
Author: Alison

Mash must be the best thing ever to happen to potatoes. Perhaps it’s some subconscious reminder of childhood, but I cannot think of anything else that brings so much warmth to my heart. On a drizzly day like today, a big dollop of mash makes it all seem better. If you can face the rain, come and see us for some homemade pork and date sausages with coriander mash. If not try this recipe out – guaranteed to make you fall in love staying in.

Masala Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4
500g of floury potatoes such as Desiree
2 tbsps of ghee or clarified butter
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 red onion finely chopped
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1cm finely chopped ginger
2 green chillies finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp of chopped fresh coriander
1  diced tomato
20g butter

Cook the potaotes in boiling salted water until tender, then drain. Mash thoroughly and set aside.
Heat the ghee or butter in a large saucepan, then add the cumin seeds. When they start to crackle, add the onion and cook until it colours slightly. Now add the turmetric, ginger and chillies and saute for 30 seconds. Add the salt and potatoes and mix over a low heat until the potatoes are heated through and coloured evenly by the turmeric. Add the coriander and tomato and mix well for a couple more minutes. Stir in the butter to give extra shine and richness, then serve immediately in a big bowl wearing pyjamas and snuggled up on the sofa. Delicious.
(You can find this recipe in Vivek Singh’s first book The Cinnamon Club Cookbook).

Tags: comfort food, masala mashed potatoes, The Cinnamon Club Cook Books 
Author: Alison

The name of this dish means’red meat’ in Hindi, indicating the liberal use of dried red chillies that make this dish intensely hot, with robust, smoky flavours. You could use lamb or goat – they are interchangeable here.

This curry is one of those dishes that contains heat in every sense – it’s both ‘chilli hot’ and ’spice hot’. Cloves and cardamom are effective heat-inducing spices, perfect for cold winter evenings.

Serves 4

5 tbsp of ghee or vegetable oil
1 tsp of cloves
25 dried red chillies, stalks removed, broken into 2-3 pieces each and soaked in warm water for 30 mins
2 bay leaves
6 green cardamom pods
4 black cardamom pods
6 1/2 tbsps finely chopped garlic
2 large onions, finely chopped
750g lamb diced (1 12 inch pieces)
600ml of water or lamb stock
30g fresh corriander, chopped
juice of 1 lemon

For yoghurt mixture
250g yoghurt, whisked until smooth
2 tsps cumin seeds roasted in deep frying pan
4 tsps ground coriander
2 tsps red chilli powder
2 tsps salt

Mix yoghurt with cumin seeds, ground coriander, chilli powder and salt, then set aside. Heat 3 tbsps of ghee or oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the cloves, setting 4-6 aside for later, then add 3-4 soaked chillies, saving the rest for later. Add the bay leaves and the green and black cardamom. When they begin to crackle and change colour, add the garlic and saute until it starts to turn golden. Add the onions, stirring constantly, until light brown. Now add the meat and cook, stirring over a high heat for 3-5 minutes. Again, save 3-4 red chillies for later and add the rest to the pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the meat starts to brown. Add the yoghurt mixture and cook over a medium heat for 15-18 minutes, until the yoghurt has dried up. Pour in the water or lamb stock, then cover the pan and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. Check the seasoning, remove from the heat and keep warm.
To finish, heat the remaining ghee or oil in a small pan, add the remaining cloves and red chillies and, as they change colour and release their flavours into the fat, pour the mixture over the lamb. Finish with chopped coriander and lemon juice.

This recipe was taken from Vivek Singh’s Curry, Classic and Contemporary cook book and you can try this dish now in the restaurant as it’s on our set menu (better be quick though, the set menu will change again on 30th November).

Tags: curry, fiery, indian recipe, ingredients, lamb, rajasthani 
Author: Alison