For Stuffing
A handful of sultanas
1 large onion
2 tsp Mandaean spice mix (cinnamon, clove, black pepper, ginger, sweet paprika, cardamom and nutmeg)
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp salt
1 whole duck
2 tsp salt
2 tsp citric acid
5 tsp Mandaean spice mix
3 tsp turmeric
3 dried limes
Vinegar
1 bunch of radish with leaves
Preparation:
Wash the duck twice in cold water and then again with boiling water so all fat and smell is washed away. Drain thoroughly. Remove the neck and the wings of the duck and keep for later use. Coat the cavity with a mixture of salt and citric acid. This helps tenderize the duck.
Stuffing:
Dice the onion and mix with the sultanas and rinse in cold water. Drain and add 2 teaspoons Mandaean spice mix, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and salt. Mix together.
Place the duck in a large bowl and fill the cavity with the prepared stuffing.
Sew up cavity to secure the stuffing. Take the duck wings and tuck them
into the neck cavity to block any stuffing escaping from that end.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and place duck and the neck into pot with 2 teaspoons of the Mandaean spice,1 tsp turmeric and 3 washed dried limes. The duck will need to simmer for a total of 2 hours. After the first 30 minutes, turn the duck over and check water level.
After another 30 minutes, remove the duck from the pot and pierce several times with a knife to allow the spiced flavours to penetrate the flesh and cook the duck from the inside.
Skim off the fat from the surface of the broth and keep to one side in a fry pan. Remove the dried limes which should have softened and in a bowl mash them and return to the broth.
Put the duck back in the pot up the other way, cook for a further 40 mins approx.
Heat the skimmed duck fat in the fry pan. Add 1 teaspoon each of turmeric and Mandaean spice mix to the fat. Remove the duck from the pot, place in the fat and fry each side until golden brown. Remove the duck wings and it is ready to be served.
This duck is traditionally served with radishes, washed radish leaves and pickled vegetables.
Strain the broth from the duck and serve as a delicious soup
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 Teaspoon chili powder
¼ Teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ Teaspoon cardamom
½ Teaspoon water, or as needed
1 Teaspoon vegetable oil
¼ Cup rice wine vinegar
½ Cup sugar
1 Mango, peeled, seeded and chopped
¼ Teaspoon salt
½ Teaspoon cilantro
2 Teaspoons lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, minced fine
1 ½ Cups unsweetened applesauce
3 Pineapple rings, chopped
1 Pinch white pepper
1/3 Cup soy sauce
1/3 Cup rice wine vinegar
4 Center cut pork chops
Directions
1. Mix together the first five ingredients to make a paste. Add the oil to a hot skillet and add the paste mixture. Cook for 30 seconds or until it just begins to bubble. Stir in the vinegar and cook without boiling for 2 minutes. Stir in sugar until it dissolves. Mix in the mango, salt, cilantro, lime juice and jalapeno and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Stir in pineapple and applesauce and simmer on low for 10 minutes more. Season with the white pepper and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. To prepare the marinade, mix 2/3 cup of the salsa with soy sauce and 1/3 cup vinegar. Place in a zippy bag along with the pork chops and refrigerate for 10 minutes (one hour is best).
3. Preheat the grill and remove the marinade to a sauce pan. Simmer the marinade over medium heat for 3 minutes. Place the chops on the hot grill and cook for 3 minutes per side. Brush with the simmered marinade while grilling. Remove the chops when done and serve with the salsa.
Hatifa shares a recipe for Kabli Pulao handed down to her by her mother. This dish is a complete meal in and of itself - tender beef piled between layers of sugar sweetened rice and topped with a fragrant mixture of carrots and raisins. A dinner party pleaser - this well-known Afghan staple will dress up any table!
1 1/2 cream cheese
1 cup whipped cream
1/2 chopped walnuts
3 large eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
Few drops of french vanilla extract
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp ground Cardamom
Pie crust
Apricots
Apricot jam
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon - unsweetened grape juice, or "Fre" will work if you would like an alcohol free version. If you do go the alcohol free route, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to lower the PH of the sauce.
1 minced shallot
1/4 cup diced cherries - you can use any dark colored fruit such as boysenberries, raspberries, blueberries (my personal favorite) or cranberries. Frozen works.
1/4 teaspoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce (if this isn't available add 1/8 teaspoon dry chipotle powder
1 Tablespoon of butter, Ground Peppercorn to taste
There’s nothing I like better than a little mug of sweet cardamom tea to unwind after an action-packed day. Today the term ‘chai’ has become a generic term for posh frothy mugs of under-spiced and over-priced drinks available in coffee shops across the globe.This makes me sad.
The recipe for chai is one I email out a lot to readers and I think finally, it's time to officially share one with everyone. It's taken me long enough.
If you’ve never tasted a real cup of Indian chai, you won’t know that it should be spicy, not just aromatic but full of heat from ground cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns. The spice should be balanced with a generous amount of sugar, milk (or condensed milk) and of course, well-brewed tea leaves.
This is the epitome of the perfect Indian chai.
Making tea is a fine-tuned art everyone can be a dab hand at. Every family has its own recipe but the balance of flavours will always be in perfect harmony. Don’t be shy, play with flavours, and find your favourite combinations of spices. Just make sure they are balanced against the strength of tea, and quantities of milk and sugar.
Something I’ve been receiving a lot of questions about via email is how to add depth of flavour to homemade chai. The answer is simple and if you haven't been to India to it made by the super-talented chaiwalla, it’s something any Indian can reveal to you – just boil it in a saucepan.
The secret, revealed
Boiling tea leaves with milk, water and ground spices for seven to twelve minutes removes the ‘raw’ smell of milk and ensures the spices and tea are well infused into the final product. The stronger you like your tea, the longer you leave it to boil.
Finally, strain the chai through a fine-holed sieve to catch any spice sediment. Wouldn’t want to gulp that down. Having said this, excess masala settling at the bottom of the cup is completely normal – just don’t drink it.
I love the feeling of almost reaching the bottom of the cup and knowing it’s going to get a little bit spicier.
Cardamom Tea
(serves two)
Ingredients
290ml water
290ml whole milk
1 tbsp black tea leaves (I use Darjeeling)
1 tsp freshly ground green cardamom seeds
1-inch stick cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar
Method
1. Boil the water along with the tea leaves, cardamom and cinnamon for 3 minutes.
2. Add the milk and sugar and continue to boil for at least a further 5 minutes or more, up to 9 minutes. Ensure it’s on a rolling boil.
3. Strain into cups using a fine-holed sieve and serve.
This is not just a blog about cardamom recipes, this is a place dedicated to showcase the benefits, uses and history of this millenary spice and how it has spread around the globe through the centuries. we are also going to pay close attention to a cardamom farmers project that started in Colombia about eight years ago, by my grandfather Alonso in the region of Antioquia.
I hope you will find this blog interesting, please feel free to comment or share your experiences as a cardamom lover, producer, distributor. this is the place to be if you are a cardamom fan.
