Thai Curry and a Stunning Dessert

As the sun sets and the hustle of the day winds down, the age-old question arises: What’s for dinner?

With the wild pace of modern life, many find themselves standing in the kitchen, staring blankly at the fridge and longing for something delectable yet simple to prepare.

Fear not as we bring you two standout recipes that promise a delightful dinner experience without too much stress and fuss.

Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a casual home cook, these recipes from the team at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa provide delicious flavours.

Vegan Thai Massaman Curry With Jasmine Rice

Ingredients

4 cups of water

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 ½ cups jasmine rice

100g massaman curry paste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 white onion, sliced

4g curry leaves

1 fresh bay leaf

20g fresh basil

1 whole carrot, peeled and sliced

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

15g cashew nuts

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tin of coconut milk

1 cup veg stock

50g broccoli, cut into florets and blanched

50g cauliflower, cut into florets and blanched

30g yellow pepper, sliced

30g red pepper, sliced

Zest of 1 lemon

Method

Boil water in a medium pot, add salt and rice, and cook for about 15 minutes until tender but not too soft. Strain and rinse with cold water, then set aside.

In another pot on medium heat, cook massaman curry paste, olive oil, onions, curry leaves, bay leaf and basil until onions are translucent. Add carrots and sweet potatoes, stirring until caramelised.

Add cashews, season, then mix in soy sauce, coconut milk and veg stock. Simmer until thickened.

Once carrots are cooked, add remaining veg and lemon zest.

Serve the curry over jasmine rice.

Mocha peanut butter baked Alaska

Ingredients

For the sponge

3 eggs; yolks and whites separated

150g castor sugar

2 whole eggs

60g corn flour

80g cake flour

1x double shot of espresso (instant coffee if you do not have a coffee machine)

For the ice cream

½ cup of liquid glucose

10g of gelatine, bloomed

2x double shot espresso

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 litre of cream

1 tin of condensed milk

50g chocolate pieces or shavings

For the peanut butter meringue

5 egg whites

200g castor sugar

2 tbsp peanut butter

Method

For the sponge

In a mixer, add in your three egg whites together with 75g of castor sugar and whisk until a stiff meringue mixture is formed.

In another bowl, combine eggs, yolks and sugar. Add corn meal and cake flour and mix until incorporated. Lastly, add in espresso and mix well.

Once the meringue is stiff, add it to the batter, using the folding method.

Add to a lined baking tray and bake at 180°C for 15-17 minutes.

Once baked, set aside to cool and then using a cutter, cut out your desired shapes.

For the ice cream

In a pan, melt together the base for your ice cream, which is the liquid glucose, bloomed gelatine sheets and the espresso. Once melted, add in cocoa powder and set aside.

To a bowl, add cream and condensed milk and mix until incorporated.

Combine the base mixture with the sweetened cream mix and churn in your ice cream machine.

Should you not have an ice cream machine, stress not as you can still make this ice cream recipe at home by simply adding in one extra step. Instead of mixing the cream and condensed milk together, whip the cream and add that into your base for a nice light scoopable ice cream.

Once the ice cream is ready, layer and sprinkle chocolate chips. Freeze until needed.

For the peanut butter meringue

Add all your ingredients to a bowl and whisk on high, until stiff.

Presentation and plating: Place your cut-up shapes of sponge, preferably round, onto a plate. Scoop a generous helping of ice cream and place it on the sponge.

Place meringue mix into a piping bag and pipe all over the dessert, starting from the bottom and working your way up as fast as possible. The last step is to torch the meringue.

Enjoy!

– IOL Lifestyle