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Scottishstani Spiced Winter Squash and Tattie Scone Paratha
Recipe by
Sumayya Usmani
From
Tomorrow’s Kitchen – A Graphic Novel Cookbook
Sumayya says about this lovely recipe for Scottishstani Paratha: ‘This recipe I share with you now has to be the one that gives me the most comfort. As a child, I would wake up on a Sunday morning to be greeted by the smokey scent of fresh parathas being made on the tawa (flat griddle pan), my mouth watering in anticipation of breakfast. My mother made these by mixing leftover mashed potato bhujia into flour to make thick breads with generous amounts of fresh coriander, green chilli, cumin and ghee. When I moved to Glasgow, I was amazed at how similar parathas were to tattie scones – leftover mash mixed with flour and butter, best cooked on a cast iron ‘girdle’. For me, this is my go-to breakfast now.’
Ingredients
How to make your Scottishstani Paratha
Mix all the ingredients except the ghee in a large bowl. Stir in the melted ghee, a little at a time, until the mixture reaches a dough-like consistency.
Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth. Divide the dough into tennis ball-sized pieces. Cover with a damp cloth.
Heat a griddle pan, tawa or frying pan over a high heat. When hot, add a little ghee, then reduce the heat to medium.
On a floured surface, roll each dough ball into a 6mm-thick patty. Place in the hot ghee and cook gently, pressing down the corners with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper, to ensure it browns evenly. When one side is cooked – about 3-4 minutes – turn over and cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining dough and enjoy your Scottishstani Paratha!!!
Cheesy Scallops
From The Seafood Shack – Food & Tales from Ullapool
by Kirsty Scobie & Fenella Renwick
Honestly, if you love scallops and you love cheese this is a must-do recipe! It is also a great crowd pleaser so perfect if you’ve got pals over
for dinner.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the cheese sauce:
Also, 8 curved scallop shells, cleaned
How to make your Cheesy Scallops
Make your cheese sauce first. Melt your butter in a pan on a medium heat, then stir in your plain flour and the crumbled stock cube. Cook this off for a few minutes, stirring constantly so the flour doesn’t burn. Slowly pour in the milk, constantly whisking until you have a thick, smooth white sauce. There are no rules so add more or less milk depending on how thick you like your cheese sauce. Now stir in your cheese and keep on a low heat until it has melted.
Set your grill to a high heat. Dry the scallops well on kitchen roll to stop them spitting when you add them to the pan. Put the frying pan on a high heat and add the oil. When it’s good and hot, put in the scallops. You want to hear them sizzle – if they don’t, your oil isn’t hot enough. Don’t move them around in the pan, just let them fry for a minute and get a nice caramel colour. Season, then flip them over, season again and cook for a minute on the other side.
Now place two scallops in each shell and pour over some of the cheese sauce. Finish with some grated Parmesan, then put under the hot grill on a baking tray until the cheese starts to brown and caramelise. Serve with some chopped parsley and a wedge of lemon.
Buy The Seafood Shack – Food & Tales from Ullapool here
CHICKEN KORMA
From Brick Lane Cookbook
by Dina Begum
Chicken korma cooked at home is unlike any restaurant version (which I would never eat). Originating from Mughlai cuisine, a real korma is rich, decadent and very special. It’s usually made with a mixture of whole spices, yoghurt and ghee, and cooked slowly to create a depth of flavour you really can’t get in a hurry. There are none of the colourings or sugar you get when you order the curry house version. Sometimes a little nut paste is added which makes the dish even more opulent and perfect for feasting. There are many variations of korma across the Indian subcontinent and I’ve based mine on the ones I’ve grown up eating. I use Greek yoghurt for a mellow, creamy flavour, less tangy than natural yoghurt. Whole green chillies are used for fragrance instead of heat so don’t be tempted to cut them as korma is meant to be mild. I find that a mixture of thigh and breast meat gives the best result, but you can use one or the other if you prefer.
To make your chicken korma
Crush the garlic and ginger together in a mortar and pestle. Heat the oil and ghee in a large pan on medium-high heat and add the garlic, ginger and panch phoron. After a minute add the onions, salt, dried red chillies, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, black pep- percorns, cinnamon sticks and star anise and sauté until golden – around ten minutes. Add 200ml water, cover and simmer on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the onions have broken up and the oil has separated.
Keep checking regularly and if the mixture gets too dry or catches at the bottom of the pan add a dash of water and continue cooking.
At this point stir in the cumin, coriander, chilli powder and turmeric and turn up the heat to medium. Cook for two to three minutes until the spices are fragrant and have separated from the oil. If the mixture gets too dry, add a dash of water so the spices don’t burn then cover and cook for a few minutes. Now take the chicken pieces and add them to the pan. Stir this around for a couple of minutes to seal the meat, then cover and cook for ten minutes, checking now and then to make sure nothing’s burning. Towards the end of the ten minutes you’ll notice the chicken releasing moisture – which indicates that it’s almost fully cooked.
Take the pan off the heat, wait for a minute and then gradually add the yoghurt, a little at a time so it doesn’t curdle. Finally, toss in the green chillies, return the pan to a very low heat and simmer for another eight to ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and the gravy is thick and silky. Serve with my easy pilau rice with peas.
Cook’s tip – to ensure the very best chicken korma it is absolutely essential that you take your time over the onions. They should slowly soften, until they almost caramelise and disintegrate. Add a dash of water now and then if they brown too quickly and be patient!