Skip to main content

Category: Cooking Through Covid-19

prashad veggie sandwich recipe

#CookingThroughCovid19: Mashed Potato and Chilli Sandwich

Written by news@prashad.co.uk on . Posted in Blog, Cooking Through Covid-19, Recipes. No Comments on #CookingThroughCovid19: Mashed Potato and Chilli Sandwich

Fresh lockdown recipe to spice up your lunchtime routine

Working from home? Our new social distancing lifestyle can take a toll on our mental health, particularly when things get so routine that you start to feel like you’re repeating the same day, over and over. Shake things up to keep it spicy!

Our #CookingThroughCovid19 short recipe blog series will help you stay inspired through your self-isolation, with delicious (and easy) home cooking cures for the lockdown blues.

We’ve got the perfect lunchtime treat for you today. It’s time to swap out the floppy sliced bread sandwiches and crisps for something extra special. Kaushy’s mashed potato and chilli sandwich (yes, you heard right!) is an indulgent Indian street food style dish with a twist.

Instead of the usual flatbreads or chapatis that play a big part in the Guajarati diet, we’ve opted for the soft white bread that’s much-loved across the nation. Enjoy this sandwich on its own to fully appreciate all the layers of flavour and different textures.

Why not switch up the scenery too and enjoy your lunch outdoors (if the British weather permits)? It’s surprising how much impact the small changes in our lifestyle can have. Keep well, keep cooking!

(Serves 4)

You will need:

  • 50ml sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4 medium red-skinned (or other waxy) potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed)
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1½ tsp medium red chilli powder
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp salt
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 12 finger bread buns (sliced in half and buttered)
  • 200ml imli chutney – for recipe, see our Prashad at Home cookbook
  • 25g salted peanuts (coarsely ground)
  • 1 medium red onion (cut in ½ cm dice)
  • 1 handful fresh coriander (washed and finely chopped)
  • 40g sev – or Indian chickpea vermicelli (optional)
  • melted butter (about 5g) to brush the buns

You can use your favourite plant-based butter to make this recipe vegan.

Method:

Heat the oil in a large thick-based frying pan on a high heat for 1½ minutes then add your cumin seeds. When they start to bubble, use a wooden or heatproof plastic spoon to stir in the mashed potato, ensuring it gets well coated in the cumin-infused oil.

Reduce the heat to low and add your turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, salt and lime juice. Mix these ingredients together and cook for 2½ minutes before taking the pan off the heat.

Using a griddle pan, gently toast the buttered buns on both sides before you start to assemble your sandwich. Fill the buns with imli chutney, a generous dollop of the potato mixture and a sprinkling of ground peanuts. Garnish with chopped red onion, chopped vine tomatoes and fresh coriander.

Once assembled, close your bun and brush the top with a little butter (optional: and sprinkle with sev) before tucking right in!

Share your creations to win

We’d love to see your scrumptious sandwiches! For your chance to win a £20 prize voucher for the most creatively presented sandwich, simply share your photos with us by tagging us and using #CookingThroughCovid19. Our competition judge, Kaushy, is looking forward to seeing your culinary creations.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to hear about our latest lockdown recipes.

pancakes recipe in cookbook

#CookingThroughCovid19: South Indian Mixed Vegetable Pancakes

Written by news@prashad.co.uk on . Posted in Cooking Through Covid-19, Recipes. No Comments on #CookingThroughCovid19: South Indian Mixed Vegetable Pancakes

Prashad are helping you cook through Covid-19

Life in lockdown can be tough, but good food will see you through. Prashad are here to help with our new #CookingThroughCovid19 series of short recipe blogs, adapted from our award-winning cookbooks to help you get inspired in the kitchen.

And what better way to keep lockdown blues at bay than a scrumptious stack of pancakes? Treat the kids to a fun family pancake making session – with a twist! Kaushy’s healthy mixed vegetable pancakes are super easy to prepare and packed full of flavour, so even the littlest hands can get involved. With this adaptable recipe, you can get creative and throw in some of your own favourite veggies (add a little sweetcorn perhaps?).

(Serves 4)

You will need:

Masala

  • 8 fresh green chillies (trimmed, not de-seeded)
  • 4 cloves of garlic (soaked and peeled)
  • pinch of salt

 

  • 1 medium red pepper (washed and cut)
  • 1 medium yellow pepper (washed and cut)
  • 1 medium green pepper (washed and cut)
  • 2 medium red onions (peeled and cut)
  • 2 medium vine tomatoes (washed and cut)
  • 2 handfuls of fresh coriander (washed and finely chopped)
  • 320g idli flour (sieved)
  • 200ml warm water
  • 160ml sunflower oil (for frying)

All veggies should be cut evenly in ½ cm dice.

Method:

Crush your chillies and garlic together with a pinch of salt using a pestle and mortar (or a blender) to make a fine masala paste. Only adults should do this, and you should wash your hands thoroughly after touching the chillies.

Put a quarter of the vegetables and a quarter of the fresh coriander in a large bowl with a quarter of the flour and a quarter of the masala paste. Your little helpers can get involved at this stage, mixing all these ingredients together using their clean hands. Make sure the flour is fully worked through the mixture.

Add 50ml of water and mix again, incorporating as much air as you can and gently folding the vegetables through the batter.

Adults only! Heat 10ml of sunflower oil in a small, deep frying pan on a medium heat for one minute. Then put the uttapam batter in the pan and gently spread it to the edges.

Cover and cook for six minutes, then gently ease it off the sides and shake the pan to loosen the bottom. Toss the pancake over (use a spatula if you’re feeling nervous) then drizzle 30ml of oil around the edge. Recover and cook for a further five minutes.

Remove the pancake from the pan and cut into quarters to share around. Then repeat three more times with the remaining batter. These pancakes are best served with sambar or kopru chutney – recipes in our Prashad at Home cookbook.

Share your creations

Share your cookery creations with us by tagging us or using #CookingThroughCovid19 for your chance to feature on our social media (go follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) – we’d love to see you and the family enjoying your uttapam pancakes!