Recipe: Chicken Paratha 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

1. 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).

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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!)

5. 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

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

1. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, pumpkin seeds, salt and cinnamon.

2. Add the coconut oil and half of the maple syrup and mix thoroughly.

3. Add the remaining maple syrup and mix thoroughly again.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Remove from the oven and transfer to a large bowl.

7. Add the coca powder whilst the granola is still warm and mix through.

8. Add half the chocolate and mix thoroughly. Then add the other half and mix again.

9. Keep mixing to allow the chocolate to melt and coat the granola with the residual heat of the oats.

10. Let it cool and transfer to an airtight container.

Recipe: Fudgy Vegan Brownies

I’ve said before that I’m not a particularly good baker by myself, so I tend to spend my time re-creating others’ recipes and figuring out how to make them work for me. This recipe for fudgy vegan brownies is the best one I have ever found.

I did make some slight tweaks and re-arranged the order of instructions below to make them flow better for me. The original recipe has the step with the melted butter first but I found it worked better to do this step second. My oven also runs extremely hot and as I’m in the UK, I find 12 mins at 150 degrees Celsius is the perfect amount of baking time. However, I let them cool for a couple of hours to really become solid and fudgy, rather than 30 mins.

Try this recipe, I promise you won’t regret it! The original recipe is here.

Ingredients

• ½ cup melted vegan butter - hot

• ¾ cup granulated cane sugar

• ⅓ cup non-dairy milk

• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup cocoa powder

• ¾ teaspoon baking powder (not baking soda!)

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

First, line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. Refer to the notes below for the best way to do this. Then rub some softened butter on top of the parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the hot melted butter and sugar. Then, whisk in the milk and vanilla.

Mix the dry ingredients into the bowl with the butter and sugar mixture until well combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter evenly into the baking pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a fork comes out relatively clean. (Keep in mind that if you hit a chocolate chip, the fork won't be clean - just make sure there is no wet brownie batter on it. Some crumbs are okay.)

Let cool for about 30 minutes in the pan. Then grab the parchment paper handles and pull the brownies out. Set on a wire rack to finish cooling completely before cutting.

For clean-cut brownies, run a clean knife under hot water in between each slice.

Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

To line the baking pan, cut two sheets of parchment to fit the width of the baking pan with some paper left hanging over the edges for "handles". Rub a little vegan butter or oil on the bare baking pan, then press one sheet of parchment paper into the pan. The butter/oil helps the paper stick. Rub more butter on the paper, then lay the second sheet down the opposite way. One last time, grease the paper but make sure to also get the sides. Now, you'll be able to easily remove the brownies from the pan when they're done baking!

This recipe calls for baking powder - not baking soda.

Recipe: Nutella Stuffed Skillet Cookie

I tend to think of Sundays as the perfect baking day.

I don’t usually have much else happening on a Sunday, so the thought of having something sweet and freshly baked coming out of the oven genuinely fills me with joy. Discovering Pinterest recipes is the way to feed my sweet tooth, and as someone who is well aware that she is not a talented baker in her own stead, appreciating and re-creating others’ recipes is something I like to do instead.

But as someone who lacks patience when it comes to being able to eat deliciousness, I focus on easy and simple baking. I do not have the energy or temperament to mix and bake for hours, but thankfully, this recipe provides all of the goodness and none of the hassle.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and the original recipe I found can be viewed here.

Ingredients

1 Egg, large
150 g Nutella
1/2 tsp Baking soda
90 g Brown sugar
75 g Chocolate chips
100 g Granulated or caster sugar
210 g Plain flour
1 tsp Vanilla extract
115 g Butter, unsalted

Instructions

Lightly grease an 8 inch skillet with a little butter. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars using an electric mixer for a minute or two until pale and creamy. Add the egg and the vanilla and beat until combined. Add the sifted flour and baking soda and gently fold using a spatula or wooden spoon. Then stir through the chocolate chips.

Divide the cookie dough into two and place half of the dough into your prepared skillet. Press down to form one even layer. Then, spread out the Nutella on top using a small spatula, ensuring you leave a small gap around the edges.

Grab small pieces of your remaining cookie dough, flatten them in your hand, and place them on top of the Nutella. Ensure all the cookie dough pieces join together and the layer of Nutella is completely covered.

Place the skillet in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookie cool for a 10-15 minutes before diving in.

Recipe: Easy-Peasy Pecan Pie Bars

If the Covid-19 lockdown has taught me anything, it’s that most of us seem to have a desire to learn how to bake. Does anyone else remember the supermarket baking aisles being empty because everyone decided to make banana bread at the same time? Definitely a hint of March 2020 vibes.

I am no exception.

Having said that, I am fully aware that my talents lie in cooking rather baking, and I am better off following recipes from others far more talented than I. Baking that requires minimal ingredients and a couple of simple steps is preferred; I do not have the patience nor skill for anything more complex.

Thankfully, the internet is awash with baking recipes galore for those of us with minimal skill in this area, and this recipe delivers on simplicity and deliciousness in one bite.

Pecan Pie Bars

Servings: 15

Crust

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour - I used gluten free plain flour)

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature (I used vegan butter)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Filling

1 1/2 cups golden corn syrup (I used regular golden syrup)

4 large eggs

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

6 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. Set it aside.

Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, combine the flour, butter, and sugar until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press the mixture into the baking pan. (Make sure you press this in using your fingers - the pressing will help the crumb layer stick together when it’s baked, otherwise it will fall apart).

Bake until the crust becomes lightly golden around the edges, about 15 to 18 minutes. (I baked mine for 10 mins until it was very slightly brown at the edges as my oven runs hot and anything more would burn the final result).

While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer or stand mixer, combine the corn syrup, eggs, brown sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

Fold in the pecans.

Pour the filling over the crust and return it to the oven until the filling is completely set, about 30 to 35 minutes. (I took the pie out when it was halfway set - anything longer would have burned in my oven. The pie sets as it cools so it will be set completely within a couple of hours).

Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting and serving.

Recipe: Chocolate Cake

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

1. 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).

2. 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).

3. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together and set aside.

4. 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).

5. 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).

6. 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

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.

Recipe: The DoubleTree Cookie by Hilton

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If you've ever stayed the night at a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, you won't be a stranger to the perfectly warm, ooey gooey, chocolate chip and walnut cookie that welcomes you as you begin your stay. 

This cookie is without a doubt, easily the best thing about staying at a DoubleTree and it's the reason that everyone from colleagues in my workplace to friends and family who have stayed there, have told me, 'if you stay at the DoubleTree, ALWAYS ask if you can get an extra cookie.'

The outstanding staff will usually oblige ;) 

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In fact, the cookies are so popular, that if you're in the US, you can buy them directly from www.doubletreecookies.com - either as ready made cookies, or dough to bake at home. Unfortunately for those of us outside the US, the company doesn't ship internationally, so if you do want to get your hands on this delight, here's a recipe for the ultimate DoubleTree cookie. 

Enjoy!

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Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats (or oat flour)
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 large eggs
3 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons sea salt flakes, optional

Directions

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To start, pulse oats in a food processor until it resembles flour.

In small mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and both sugars, 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, lemon juice and eggs.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients; mix with a spatula, being careful not to overmix. Add chocolate chips and walnuts; stir to combine.

Using cookie scoop, portion cookie dough onto lined baking sheet. Refrigerate cookie dough for at least 2 to 4 hours.

To bake: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until slightly golden.

Credit

Together: Our Community Cookbook

When I heard Meghan Markle was working with a local community project in London to put together a cook book, I had a ping moment.

Or should I say: a Tig moment. (Meghan will understand that reference even if no-one else does!)

And that’s because food, and community, and bringing people together is exactly what Meghan loves, so of course she would start somewhere familiar for her first project. For those of us who followed The Tig, this comes as no surprise.

Having pre-ordered the book, I was so excited to see it arrive yesterday morning, and needless to say, for someone who is as passionate a foodie as I am, I’ve already pored over every recipe, every hint of global culture, and every tip and trick put forward by the ladies of the Hubb Community Kitchen in Grenfell. Their stories, and the very essence of bringing a traumatised community together, echoes in these pages.

The Middle Eastern and Asian recipes are a familiar sight to me; some have been put together in ways that are new to me, and different to the methods I learnt from my mum and my grandmother, in our kitchen. Others are exactly the same.

Those little differences have already helped to open up the world a little more to me, to introduce a fresh way of thinking about my time honoured favourite dishes, and provided a little insight into someone else’s kitchen and their family table.

The other recipes, which are exactly how I’d make them at home, offer a sense of comfort in knowing that women so far away, with such different life stories, have grown up with or learnt the same ways of putting these beautiful, simple, ingredients together to create feasts for anyone who drops by.

Reading through these pages, I almost feel as though I could just wander in and grab a plate of lamb pilao and jeera chicken with a little raita on the side, and feel right at home….

The best part of any cookbook however, is the newness. The dishes I haven’t come across, the flavours I haven’t yet discovered. And as for that, the recipe I’m most excited about has got to be the beef and aubergine casserole from Intlak Al-Saiegh… a Persian dish of meatballs in tomato sauce with aubergine…frankly, it sounds like the stuff that dreams are made of and I can’t wait to try it for myself. Dee-licious! (Thank you Intlak for adding this one to the book).

The philosophy behind the Hubb Community Kitchen and bringing people together will be familiar to anyone who was raised in a South Asian home. Pakistani families like mine, as well as our Indian and Bangladeshi neighbours, have always centred around food as a focal point in our culture.

Even for second-generation immigrants like me, the kitchen is at the heart of our home, and large family gatherings with vats of samosas, pakoras and kebabs, accompanied by biryani’s and chicken, mutton or lamb dishes, vegetable handi’s and dhaals, together make for feasts fit for royals.

I have so many fond memories of watching my mum, grandmother and aunts all pitching in at Eid in my grandmother’s kitchen to make dishes that I love to this day, and feed a horde of hungry kids and adults; the kids tired from running around all day after their sugar-high’s from being fed endless morsels of mithai and jalebi’s, and the adults finally resting with cups of hot masala chai having been on their feet all day.

I own many cookbooks and I love a huge variety of cuisines, but the difference about Together is that, it’s not just a book with recipes; as Meghan says in her introduction to the book, it’s about the melting pot of so many women, from so many different walks of life, connecting through the one thing that brings all people together.

You don’t need to speak the same language as someone else to hand them a plate that will feed the body and nourish the soul; you just…do. People say that music bridges cultures; personally, I think it will always be about the food.

You can purchase Together here and here for £9.99.