GREEN BANANA CURRY

DID YOU KNOW... You can Cook a meal with GREEN BANANAS!  Living on the East coast of South Africa, many like Priya Pillay, will vouch on the abundance of this fruit, due to the tropical climate.  Growing up on the East Coast myself, I remember family and neighbours all having at least One banana tree in their yards.  Even if there was no banana tree in the yards, Bananas are so readily available at many stores in South Africa.  

This is what Priya Reckons about this delicious looking dish she prepared: 

"I love this so much that I could eat it nearly everyday. I've even eaten it on toast and crackers; with rice, bread, roti or on its own with salad. Simply delicious."

Well there you have it, REASON ENOUGH to give this curry a try soon. Perfect for those #Meatfree meal days 😉

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS WITH US PRIYA.

GREEN BANANA CURRY

(Kindly shared by Priya Pillay - WATALOTWEGOT)

10 green bananas
Oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 large onions sliced
6 green chillies split in half
4 fat cloves garlic sliced
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tomato diced
Salt
1 tsp tumeric
2 tsp kashmiri masala
Water

Peel and slice banana into 2mm thick rounds Heat oil in pot. Add mustard seeds. When it starts to splutter add onion, garlic, chillies and curry leaves. Fry until onions are light brown. Add salt, masala and tumeric. Fry for 30 seconds then add tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes. Add banana to pot with about quarter cup water. Mix well. Cook on medium heat until banana is soft but not mushy. May need to add slightly more water as required when cooking.

BEEF LASAGNA

WHAT TO COOK DILEMMA.... SORTED!!!, All Thanks to MELANIE KRAMAR from our WATALOTWEGOT FACEBOOK GROUP.  Here she shows us how to make a decadent meal, that is simply comforting. So if you are planning an ITALIAN INSPIRED MEAL SOON, do give this one a try.

LASAGNA
(Melanie Kramar) - Watalotwegot

Ingredients:

Lasagna sheets, soaked in hot water
750 gr lean beef mince
1 onion chopped
3 minced garlic cloves
1 punnet of mushrooms sliced (optional)
1 can Italian tomatoes
1 sachet tomato paste
Red pepper flakes
Black pepper
250 ml beef stock
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp Italian herbs
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 Bay leaf

Filling
2 tubs cottage cheese (1 garlic and herb) (Ricotta cheese can also be used)
2 eggs
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
½ cup parmesan cheese
1/8th tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp chopped parsley
(Mix together with electric hand mixer)

1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese

Method

Heat olive oil, add beef mince and fry till beef changes colour breaking up beef ensuring no clumps. Add, onion, garlic, and mushroom and fry till vegetables are cooked. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, salt, pepper, chili flakes, Italian season, thyme, oregano, bay leaf and chopped parsley. Simmer for 2 hours on low heat stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.

Preheat oven to 180 °C .

Pour a layer of meat sauce at bottom of baking dish. Layer lasagna sheets making sure they don’t overlap. Spread a 1/3 of the cottage cheese filling, Sprinkle some mozzarella over. Spoon meat sauce over. Repeat layers ending with lasagna sheets. Cover with parmesan & mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle some parsley. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes till golden. Enjoy.

STRAWBERRY DESSERT

It's almost SPRING, and Strawberries are in abundance again in many stores in South Africa.  Many a strawberry farm even have a Strawberry picking day during Spring months, when families can come out onto the farms and pick, eat, and purchase strawberries.

I love anything strawberry, DO YOU?  And look how amazing this Strawberry Dessert looks😍.  This was kindly shared on by Ayesha Randeree, on our Facebook Group, and has been made a few times by our members.  So why not give this one a try, when you need something easy, yet delightful, to spoil your family and guests.

Strawberry Dessert (Ayesha Randeree) - Watalotwegot

500 ml fresh cream

2 tubs cream cheese

3/4 cup Icing sugar or according to taste

1/2 tsp strawberry essence

Boudoir Biscuits

2 tins Canned strawberries drain and blitz till smooth. Reserve some for drizzling over

Dessert

Line loaf tin with cling film overlapping the sides

Beat together cream cheese, fresh cream, icing sugar and essence till thick 

Layer boudoir biscuits, cream cheese and strawberries

Continue layering ending off with boudoir

Leave in fridge to set overnight or few hours 

Unmould onto serving platter

Pour over reserved strawberries 

Garnish with fresh mint leaves

Tip: Leave cream cheese outside to soften for about an hour before making dessert

LUV BITES BISCUITS

OOOOH....I just want to reach through my screen and pick up one these, deliciously chocolatey biscuits😍.  How Amazing do these look??? Thank You Ruhana Ebrahim Mohamed💕, for sharing on these yummy treats.  So what are you waiting for lovelies, get out those aprons and whip up a batch of these biscuits to enjoy with your loved ones this weekend.

Remember to send us your feedbacks in comments, We love hearing from you!

Luv Bites Biscuits

Recipe credit: Hajera Ebrahim (mum)
Pic credit: Ruhana Ebrahim
@mama_taught_me_well 

Ingredients:
250g butter
1 cup icing sugar
2 extra large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla essence
1 cup maizena
2 teaspoon baking powder
+/- 2 cups Flour (as needed)
Baking Chocolate

Method:
1. Cream butter & sugar.
2. Beat in eggs, then oil and vanilla.
3. Beat in baking powder & maizena.
4. Add flour as needed to make a very soft dough.
5. Using a star tip biscuit nozzle, push the dough onto a greased biscuit tray.
6. Nozzle 3 stars/flowers next to each other forming one biscuit.
7. Bake in preheated oven at 160degC for 15min.
8. Allow to cool and harden.
9. Dip the bottom of biscuit into melted chocolate.
10. Store in airtight container.

EASY HALEEM

With Ramadaan just around the corner, many of our lovelies on the Watalotwegot group have been busy preparing an array of dishes that their family enjoy.  Shireen Is one such lady, And she has shared her picture of the EASY HALEEM that she loves whipping up for her family.  Haleem is a thick soup/broth that usually has added protein in the form of lamb/chicken, and made with a variety of lentils or a soup mix of lentils/barley.

This recipe however, does not contain the lentils/soup mix, and Shireen reckons it EASY to prepare, and most importantly, it doesn't cause indigestion, tummy burns or reflux...YAYYYY, now that's win. SHUKRAN for sharing this recipe with our readers Shireen.💕

EASY HALEEM RECIPE 
(Kindly Shared on by Shireen Sathar Suleman - WATALOTWEGOT)

1 ½ cup jungle oats (OATS)

6 Weetbix (Breakfast Cereal Biscuit)

2 ½ litres water

2 teaspoon salt

Boil together for 20-30 minutes. Remove from stove and allow to cool. Liquidize.

1 cup chicken fillet cubed

3 Tablespoon ghee

1 medium onion grated

1 ½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste

1 ½ teaspoon ground green chillies

½ teaspoon arad (Turmeric Powder)

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

Braise onions in ghee. Add chicken and rest of spices, add 1 cup water and cook till chicken is tender. Then add liquidized Weetbix/Oats mixture.

If required, add a cup or more of water.

Make a vagaar (tempering) :- 1 Tablespoon ghee, ½ onion sliced, 3 whole green chillies, 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds. Lastly add chopped up Dhania(Coriander leaves).

Enjoy!

EASY HALEEM - Perfect for anytime of the Year

BUTTER CHICKEN HALF MOON - SAVOURY

Saliema Khan, shares with us a Ramadaan Savoury idea.  She reckons that this has been her first time making this savoury, and I have to say...This looks PERFECT FOR A FIRST ATTEMPT, WELL DONE SALIEMA.  THANK YOU for sharing the recipe used and your pictures. 

Have you began your Ramadaan Preparations???, If we have got you before your preps, then this recipe is a great starting point.  Now the recipe calls for a certain brand of butter chicken spice, as my own side note, I would say, that absolutely any other brands you have available will work fine.

Drop us your feedback if you give this a try...

BUTTER CHICKEN HALF MOON - SAVOURY

(Kindly shared on by Saliema Khan - Watalotwegot)

Dough:
2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
Pinch of salt
Bring above ingredients to boil and remove
Add 2 cups flour, mix through until it forms a dough. Allow to cool off, roll out as thin but manageable, cut in rounds, with a large pie cutter.

Filling:
I used half kg chicken mince
1 sachet tomato paste
Ginger and garlic
1 sachet suhana butter chicken masala
Salt to taste
2 cups fresh cream
Maizena to thicken

Braise mince with garlic, ginger and suhana spice till dried out, add tomato paste, mix through, adding salt as needed. Add fresh cream, allow to heat up before adding Maizena and water paste to thicken. Remove from heat, allow to cool off thoroughly, then add a generous amount of dhania and chopped chilli.

Egg wash moons dough on the one side before adding the filling, add 1 teaspoon of filling, fold dough, sealing off all round, dip in egg and bread crumbs.

NOTE: this recipe makes about 80-100 moons, you will have to make 3 times the amount of dough. One batch of dough makes 35 moons. Please bare this in mind when making your fillings.

*Kindly Share as Posted*

BUTTER CHICKEN FILLING

HALF MOON SAVOURIES, READY FOR FREEZER

Milky Bar Top Deck Chocolate Slab

Who can say NO to a delicious looking chocolate cake like this😍.  I always joke with my lovely members on the WATALOTWEGOT Facebook group, saying I wished I were their neighbours, and this is one such lovely I would live being neighbours with, as long as you share a slice with me Monowara😆, SHUKRAN for sharing your recipe and pic with us.  

Go On lovelies, give this one a try, and do drop us your comments and feedbacks in our comment sections, we love hearing from you.

*Milky Bar Top Deck Chocolate Slab* 

RECIPE AND PIC CREDIT : *Monowara Mohamed Bhamjee* (WATALOTWEGOT)

*_Ingredients:_*

6 eggs (seperated)
1 &1/2 cups castor sugar
3 TABLESPOON cocoa
3/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup oil
2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1&1/2 cups cake flour
4 teaspoon baking powder

*_Method_*

* Dissolve the cocoa in the boiling water, add the oil and vanilla essence and set aside.
* sift the dry ingredients and set aside
* Beat egg whites stiff
* Add the castor and beat well
* Mix the yolks to the liquid then add everything simultaneously to the egg whites and mix it through. Do not overheat it

Pour it into a oblong baking pan and bake the cake on 180°C for 25-30 minutes

Let it cool down completely before decorating..

*_Milky bar topping_*

Melt 2 X 80g slabs of Milky bar chocolates (cool down)

Beat 500ml fresh cream until it start to thicken add the cooled chocolate then fold it in till it is just the right consistency (plz note this is a very delicate stage.. I tried and flopped a few times until I've mastered this technique), don't overbeat it then it becomes a watery mess..and it congeals..

Cut the cake in half and spread half the cream place the other half back and decorate with the balance of the cream.

Drizzle milk chocolate over and sprinkle cut up nuts..

*Kindly share as posted*

❤💛💚

BUTTERY CALABASH

Bibi Ayesha, an admin on our Watalotwegot group, Shares with us this rather simple dish.  But don't be fooled, as this simple fuss-free dish, makes for a wonderful side dish.  So Why not add it to your dinner table soon, would be perfect with grilled meats, fish or even all on it's own for a "Meat-Free" day. 

What is Calabash...for those that do not know, it is better known as "Bottle Gourd" or "White-Flowered Gourd". Next time you pass this in the Vegetable Aisle of your supermarket, grab one, so you too can give this recipe a try.

Sunnyside Classics
By Bibi Ayesha Kadwa
Buttery Plain Calabash

~ 1 large or 2 small/medium calabash
Peeled and cut into chunks

~ Put into a pot
~ Add salt..not too much 'cos the butter has salt too..rather add less and adjust later
~ Quarter teaspoon pepper
~ 4 to 5 tablespoon butter..or more if you dare..lol
~ Add quarter cup of water
~ Cook on low till calash is soft
~ Do not let all the water burn out
~ Leave some of the buttery juices
Enjoy as a side dish

Coffee Chiffon Cake

This Coffee Chiffon Cake looks so delicious, makes me want to have a Tea-Time / Coffee Time Break More Often😜.  Thanks to Sheila M, for sharing on this recipe.  Save this one, it will make a perfect baked treat for your family, over the holiday season soon😉

Coffee and Cremora Chiffon Cake 

4 eggs separated
¾ cup boiling water
3 Tablespoon Coffee
2 Tablespoon cremora (Coffee Creamer)
¾ cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence 
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flour sifted

~ Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Reserve. 
~ Dissolve the coffee and the cremora in the boiling water. Reserve until cool.
~ Beat sugar, egg yolks, vanilla until light and fluffy. 
~ Add the oil. Beat. 
~ Alternate the sifted flour with the coffee mixture to the batter, mix well. 
~ Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. 
~ Add baking powder to the batter and fold in the egg whites. 
~ Pour into a pan and bake in a moderate oven (180deg) for 30 to 45 minutes or until done. ~ Let it cool. 

Meanwhile prepare the syrup:
~ Make a caramel with 1 cup sugar. 
~ When done, add 2 tablespoon butter, 6 tablespoon milk in which you dissolved 2 teaspoon coffee, 6 tablespoon fresh cream, vanilla essence.
~ stir all well.
~ when the cake cools, unmould and pour the syrup over. 
~ Decorate with nuts
@sheilamahomedrehman

*Kindly share recipes as posted*