Recipe: Chicken Paratha Roll
A delicious homemade recipe bringing together spicy tangy chicken and a luxurious paratha in one supreme filling roll.
If you're craving a delicious, street-style spicy chicken paratha roll, this homemade version brings together juicy, flavour-packed chicken, crispy paratha, and a spicy, sweet and tangy chutney—all wrapped up in a handheld delight. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or a satisfying snack!
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:
500g boneless chicken (thighs or breast), cut into strips
2 tbsp yoghurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil (for frying)
For the Paratha:
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour (optional, for a flakier texture)
1 tbsp oil
½ tsp salt
Water, as needed (to knead the dough)
Oil or ghee, for cooking
For the Chutney:
½ cup fresh coriander leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp yoghurt
1 green chilli (adjust for spice preference)
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
For Assembling:
½ cup sliced onions
½ cup sliced cucumbers
½ cup shredded cabbage (optional)
2 tbsp mayonnaise or yoghurt (optional)
Tamarind sauce (optional but highly recommended for that tangy yet slightly sweet kick)
Chaat masala (for sprinkling
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the chicken and coat well.
Cover and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight for better flavour).
Cook the Chicken:
Heat oil in a pan, add marinated chicken, and cook on medium-high heat until browned and fully cooked (about 8-10 minutes).
Set aside.
Prepare the Parathas:
Mix the flours, salt, and oil in a bowl. Add water gradually to form a soft dough.
Let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
Divide into equal portions, roll out thin parathas, and cook on a hot pan with oil/ghee until golden brown.
Make the Chutney:
Blend all chutney ingredients into a smooth paste. Add a little water if needed. If you prefer chutney with a runnier consistency, add a litter water. (Be careful not to add too much or you’ll have chutney dripping everywhere when you eat!)
Assemble the Rolls:
Spread green chutney and mayonnaise/yoghurt on the paratha.
Add cooked chicken, sliced onions, cucumbers, and cabbage.
Sprinkle chaat masala for extra flavour.
Squeeze some tamarind sauce on top.
Roll tightly and wrap in foil or butter paper for easy eating.
These spicy chicken paratha rolls are a burst of flavours—spicy, tangy, and slightly creamy. Serve with extra chutney or ketchup and a chilled drink. Perfect for a quick meal or even a picnic snack!
Recipe: Chocolatey Granola
A recipe for the most snack-worthy chocolatey granola.
I absolutely love granola.
It is without a doubt, one of my most favourite breakfast and snack foods. It’s crunchy and a bit crispy, and sweet with a little bit of salty (sometimes), and the perfect amount of soft with milk or yoghurt added.
I love experimenting with flavours and combinations once I’ve perfected the basic recipe, and this one beat all my expectations considering I just started adding random things until it worked.
Ingredients
3 cups of gluten free (or regular) oats
3/4 cup of maple syrup (or other syrup that you like. Golden or butterscotch would work nicely)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup of mixed chopped nuts
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt (you can leave this out if you like)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder (you can leave this out if you like)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
100g dairy free chocolate chips (or break a bar of chocolate into smaller pieces; use regular dairy chocolate if you prefer)
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, pumpkin seeds, salt and cinnamon.
Add the coconut oil and half of the maple syrup and mix thoroughly.
Add the remaining maple syrup and mix thoroughly again.
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and spread out the granola, compacting it a little so it forms clumps when baking. Keep the height of the granola no higher than 1cm.
Bake for 15 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius until the oats are slightly golden brown. Mix the granola at least once so the oats underneath have a chance to bake too.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the coca powder whilst the granola is still warm and mix through.
Add half the chocolate and mix thoroughly. Then add the other half and mix again.
Keep mixing to allow the chocolate to melt and coat the granola with the residual heat of the oats.
Let it cool and transfer to an airtight container.
Recipe: Chocolate Cake
A simple chocolate cake recipe from the Hubb Community Kitchen (with my annotations!)
This Ramadan turned out to be prime time for me to experiment with new recipes and try my hand at baking. As much as I love cooking, baking has never really been my thing so I thought I’d try a new recipe as it promised to be simple. (I swear, it even said it in the title). The recipe is from the ‘Together’ cookbook by the Hubb Community Kitchen and available here.
Or if you’d just like the recipe, along with my (hopefully) helpful comments, read on!
Ingredients
125g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
3 tbsp milk
125g self raising flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
150g butter, room temperature (plus extra for greasing)
150g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
Method
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Butter and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper. (My oven runs hot so I heated it to 140 degrees Celsius, and you definitely need baking paper to lift the cake out properly afterwards).
Place the chocolate and milk in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Once melted, leave to cool slightly. (I used a glass bowl and took the chocolate off the heat when it was almost fully melted, as the residual heat did the work for the remaining few bits).
Sift the flour and cocoa powder together and set aside.
Using a handheld electric whisk, beat the butter until soft. Add the caster sugar and whisk again until creamy and light. Add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition. (Definitely use an electric whisk for this, I made the mistake of doing it by hand and it takes far too much effort. My butter also wasn’t at room temperature so I melted it in the microwave instead about halfway).
Using a metal spoon, fold in the melted chocolate and then the flour and cocoa mixture, until just combined, without over mixing the batter. Add the milk at this point and give it a quick mix again. (I’m not sure why it has to be a metal spoon specifically but that’s what I used and it worked well).
Pour into the prepared tin, smooth the top and bake for 35-40 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake tin comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin, before turning out. (As I mentioned above, my oven runs hot so I checked mine at 30 mins and it was fully cooked so I took it out early. I also got far too excited and decided to take it out of the tin early and almost dropped it - I’d recommend actually letting it cool down first!)
Recipe: Salmon Nicoise Salad
If you’re still feeling bloated from Christmas dinner, try this healthy take on a salmon nicoise salad to see you through to the New Year.
I for one, am ready to eat something healthy and light and utterly delightful so I thought I’d share a recipe I found recently for a salmon nicoise salad. It’s easy to make, tastes delicious if you have leftovers and works great as a snack as well as lunch or dinner. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 x 120 g salmon fillets , skin on, scaled, pin-boned, from sustainable sources
300 g green beans
2 large free-range eggs
8 black olives , (stone in)
2 heaped tablespoons Greek yoghurt
Method
Place the salmon skin side down in a colander over a pan of boiling salted water, covered, to steam for 8 minutes. Line up the beans, trim off just the stalk end, then boil in the water under the salmon for 6 minutes, or until just cooked but not squeaky. Gently lower in the eggs to cook for exactly 5½ minutes, alongside. Meanwhile, squash the olives and remove the stones, then finely chop the flesh. Mix half of the olives through the yoghurt with a splash of red wine vinegar, taste and season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper.
Remove the salmon to a board, then drain the eggs and beans in the colander. Toss the beans in the dressing and divide between your plates. Refresh the eggs under cold water until cool enough to handle, then peel and cut into quarters. Flake over the salmon, discarding the skin, arrange the eggs on top and dot over the remaining chopped olives. Finish with 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and a good pinch of pepper, from a height.
Dining: Comptoir Libanais
Discover one of the best dressed Lebanese imports in the UK.
Comptoir Libanais has grown steadily since opening its first set of doors in 2008 to bring delicious, light and casual Lebanese dining to the UK. The feel of a Comptoir is unlike anywhere else; casual elegance paired with a home cooking and relaxed vibe, the interior is awash with brilliant red and brushed-chrome industrial stools, bold-patterned turquoise tables and monochrome geometric flooring. Decorative ceramic tiles, a popular decor feature in traditional Middle Eastern homes, are everywhere.
When you walk into a Comptoir, you'll find the face of Sirine Jamal al Dine everywhere. An Arabic actress, her likeness has been used across the restaurant's branding from the walls to the menus, and it embodies the feel of something different, a little traditional and 100% authentic.
With locations all over the UK, there'll definitely be one close to you. Here at the Comptoir in Leeds, I've picked out a couple of my favourites from the menu for you to try the next time you're visiting.
TOP PICKS
Cheese Samboussek
Pastry parcels filled with halloumi & feta cheese topped with sesame seeds served with mint yoghurt sauce.
Spinach Fatayer
Baked pastry pie filled with spinach, feta cheese, sumac, pine nuts & olive oil served with a village salad.
Aubergine Tagine
Aubergines in a tomato, peppers, onion & chickpea stew served with mint yoghurt sauce.
Lamb Kofta Wrap
Spiced minced lamb, hommos, pickled cucumber & tomato. Served with hommos, and Comptoir salad.
Recipe: Aubergine Shakshuka
A deliciously hearty Lebanese inspired aubergine shakshuka.
One of my favourite cuisines has got to be Lebanese food. Every Lebanese dish I've ever eaten has left me delighted, satisfied and wondering when I can go back again to get seconds. I adore everything from falafel to shawarma to tabbouleh and shakshuka and today I'm sharing one of my favourite ways to prepare this delicious aubergine based shaksuka.
Ingredients
olive oil, for frying
2 large aubergines, sliced into rounds
½ red onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
8 large tomatoes on the vine, chopped
125ml tomato juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cumin (optional)
6 large eggs
100g feta cheese, roughly chopped
To serve
a few parsley sprigs and a large mint sprig
warm pitta bread
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Season the aubergine slices and fry them in batches for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden and tender, adding more oil as necessary. Transfer the slices to a plate as they are cooked.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium frying pan and sauté the onion gently over a low-to-medium heat for about 8 minutes, stirring every now and then, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute.
4. Tip the tomatoes into the pan along with any juice and stir into the onion. Cook for 8 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and softened – they should be a pulp. Pour in the tomato juice and cook, again over a low heat, for 5 minutes. The sauce will be quite thick by this stage. Season with salt, black pepper and the cumin, if using. Spread a layer of aubergine slices over a large, ovenproof dish, then spoon over half the tomato sauce. Repeat to make two layers.
5. Make a hole in the sauce with the back of a large spoon and crack an egg into it. Do the same all round the dish until you’ve positioned all the eggs. Scatter over the feta. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Pick the leaves off the parsley and mint sprigs, and chop roughly. Scatter over the shakshuka and serve with the warm pitta bread.
TIP:
You must make the sauce in an ovenproof frying pan, as the eggs are baked right at the end. Just 5 minutes in a hot oven is all it takes for the whites to set and the yolks to still be soft and runny.
Recipe: Turkey and Courgette Burgers
Throw this burger on the barbeque this summer and you’re done!
You know how every year some people start preparing for summer by getting "their summer bod" sorted? It tends to involve juice cleanses, fasts, copious amounts of tanning and possibly a spot of colonic irrigation if you're feeling particularly adventurous. And kale. Lots and lots of kale.
Yeah...that's not me.
Instead, every year, my nod to the summer involves my inner hippy being set free to go crazy in maxi dresses, gypsy skirts, oversized sunglasses and a casual bag. And food. Plenty of food. For me, the summer is all about fresh, light flavours mixed in with some barbeques, sweet, juicy watermelon and ripe mangoes and lots of iced drinks.
This recipe is a favourite of mine and as well as being gooey and delicious from the cheese, is also lean enough for weekday lunches or dinners. If you're having a cookout, throw the patties on the grill and you're good to go!
Ingredients
500g/1lb 2oz turkey mince
500g/1lb 2oz grated courgette
2 tsp dried Italian herbs
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
2 tbsp drained capers, roughly chopped
olive oil spray
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the coleslaw
100g/3½oz red cabbage, finely shredded
200g/7oz white cabbage, finely shredded
1 tsp salt
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 tsp toasted fennel seeds, ground
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
60g/2¼oz 0% fat Greek-style yoghurt
2 tbsp half-fat mayonnaise
To serve
4 slices half-fat mozzarella (30g/1oz each)
4 large wholemeal burger buns, toasted (optional)
4 thick slices beef tomato
50g/1¾oz rocket leaves
Method
1. Put the turkey mince into a large bowl. Take the grated courgette in handfuls and squeeze well to remove excess water, before adding to the bowl. Toss in the dried herbs, bicarbonate of soda, chilli flakes and capers, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
2. Divide the mixture into four equal portions and shape into burgers. Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, cover and refrigerate while you make the slaw.
3. Put all the cabbage into a bowl, sprinkle with the salt and mix well. Leave to stand for 20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and drain well. Mix in the other coleslaw ingredients.
4. Preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 7 Fan. Remove the burgers from the fridge and spray each one with a couple of sprays of oil. Cook on the top shelf of the oven for about 12 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through.
5. Lay a slice of mozzarella on each burger and cook for a further 4–5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
6. Place a turkey burger inside each bun, if serving. Top with a slice of tomato and a handful of rocket leaves, then close the bun lids. Serve with the coleslaw on the side.
Anthony Bourdain: The Chef Who Brought the World to Our Door
He taught us the goodness of food, to adventure into the world and expand our minds. Thank you.
The world found out on June 8th, 2018 that Anthony Bourdain had died due to suicide, just days after we had learned of the same fate for fashion designer Kate Spade. Already reeling with the loss of Spade, the world was shocked to find that such a fun loving, warm, and successful chef and foodie such as Bourdain had lost his battle with his demons. While his absence will certainly be felt for years to come, what he left behind is a legacy that has influenced people and food around the globe.
“Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.”
Bourdain fell in love with the world of food on a family vacation to France when he was a child and enjoyed his first oyster aboard a fishing boat. That simple oyster sparked a career that would take Bourdain all over the world, and in turn bring that world right to the doorsteps of foodies and those with wanderlust. Once he decided to pursue cooking as a career, he dropped out of school and began his work in seafood restaurants in Massachusetts.
“Your body is not a temple. It’s an amusement park, enjoy the ride.”
Bourdain’s love of people and his love of food spurred him to an education at the Culinary Institute of America which led him to the helm of numerous successful restaurants in New York City; Sullivan’s and Supper Club among them. His passion for good food spilled over into his beginnings as a writer and media presence. He truly felt that food is to be enjoyed, no matter what it is, and that people could live their lives to the fullest only by putting good food into their mouths and experiencing the joy that it brings.
“The journey is part of the experience - an expression of the seriousness of one’s intent. One doesn’t take the A train to Mecca.”
And journey he did. After publishing several top selling cookbooks, including “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” and “Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook,” he began to appear on television, which is how much of the world was lucky enough to get to know him. Bourdain also published two non-fiction books, “A Cook’s Tour,” and “The Nasty Bits,” and was featured in Maxim, Esquire and the LA Times talking about food.
“Travel is not reward for working. It’s education for living.”
It was through his many televisions series that Bourdain really made a name for himself, showcasing his personable talent for interacting with the people he met all over the world. Through shows like A Cooks’ Tour, No Reservations and Parts Unknown, Bourdain demonstrated how willing he was to learn about the communities and people he visited and put the spotlight on them instead of making the show all about himself. He wanted his viewers to see less of him and more of the food and culture he was getting to see and experience. That was one of Bourdain’s great talents - making you feel like you were right there with him, wherever the wind happened to blow him on that episode.
“You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.”
Bourdain was also well known for the strange things he was always willing to eat on his travels. While filming his programs, he ate, among other things, sheep’s testicles in Morocco, an entire cobra in Vietnam, ant eggs in Mexico and a warthog rectum in Namibia. Despite having eaten fermented shark in Iceland and raw seal eyeball with the Inuits, he stills calls the Chicken McNugget the most disgusting thing he ever ate. Though he was a proponent of using the whole animal and gained his glory from proving that you can eat just about anything, his personal connections with people and his drive to keep commercialism out of the cooking industry was one of his great claims to fame.
“Meals make the society, hold the fabric together in lots of ways that were charming and interesting and intoxicating to me.”
Always frank in his opinions, Bourdain didn’t hold back on his criticism of other big names in the American food industry, including Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay and Rachael Ray, calling them out for a lack of authenticity and driving the commercialism of celebrity cooking. However, he was human enough to recognize the irony in that as he also became a celebrity chef and foodie. He wasn’t always well-liked as evidenced by his outspoken feelings about the vegan and vegetarian lifestyle - calling it rude to the people who lived in the many places he visited. However, he did also say that Americans eat too much meat, but that he admires those who can put aside their aversion to it as respect when visiting other countries.
“And in that unforgettably sweet moment in my personal history, that the one moment still more alive for me than so many on the other ‘firsts’ that followed, I attained glory.”
Bourdain has been called a bad boy and a rebel, something that he may have proved with his known drug use, his heavy smoking and his statement that “hardly a decision was made without drugs,” during his time as a chef in New York City in the early 1980s. Bourdain was married twice and had one daughter who was born in 2007 and who is the reason he finally gave up cigarettes for good.
"I’ll be right here until they drag me off the line. I’m not going anywhere. I hope. It’s been an adventure. We took some casualties over the years. Things got broken. Things got lost. But I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
Anthony Bourdain changed the world one plate of food at a time. Whether he was the chef, or he was sampling the delicacies prepared for him in parts unknown, he touched the lives of many. His untimely death was gut wrenching for so many who had lived a foodie life vicariously through him. The tragic end to his life doesn’t negate his influence on so many. Thank you, Anthony Bourdain - your fearless love of food will live on in us forever.
Recipe: Smoked Fish Sandwich
Taste the best smoked fish sandwich directly from the sunshine state!
I've been a passionate foodie and ardent blog reader and follower for years, and in the last few years, one of the blogs I've loved the most is The Tig. Unfortunately, it's no longer available because it was Meghan Markle's website (before she married a Prince and lived happily ever after), but I picked up plenty from Meghan that I'll definitely be sharing with you guys.
One of the last food items she shared has been a favourite lunch of mine for almost three years now, but in so many ways, it's really nothing extraordinary at all. It is, at heart, what the best dishes are made of - quality ingredients prepared just so, layered in just the right way, and combined to create something that delights your tastebuds with every single bite.
Say hello to the smoked fish sandwich from Gjusta. Based in Venice, California, this a delightful little eatery with a serious bakery/deli vibe. However, if like me, you're too far from CA to pop in, make your own sandwich at home, Gjusta style, with the recipe below. This recipe will get you very close to the deli's iteration but to be honest, as with all things in food and life, adjust whatever you like to your taste. You do you boo.
Ingredients
Freshly baked everything bagel or zataar bialy
Premium smoked salmon
Smoked cream cheese
Sprouts
Rocket
Shaved radish
Sliced heirloom tomato
Directions
Slice your bagel or bialy in half, then spread cream cheese evenly on both sides.
Layer sprouts, arugula, smoked salmon, shaved radish, and tomato from top to bottom.
Add the bottom half of your bagel, smush together (but not too hard), and start eating!