Category Archives: recipes

rice is love, three ways

recipes

rice is love, three ways

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It’s valentines and the poc fam knows we don’t say I love you but feed rice to show our love. 

The hardest part, or actually the fun bit, is that it was so hard to find one recipe – because every poc mum has her own spin on their traditional rice dish. 

We did adaptations of various recipes to create this rice is love series, inspired by Persia, West Africa and Somalia. And these are feasts to create when you have friends and family over, guaranteed love!

rice three ways
tahchin

tahchin

persian-inspired

This is a crispy layered rice dish, typically filled with chicken but we decided to go vegetarian and made mushrooms instead. 

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jollof rice

west africa-inspired

We did a pescatarian spin on jollof rice, in an attempt to end the ghanian and nigerian flavour feud with this famous West African rice dish. 

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jollof rice
bariis iskularis

bariis iskularis

somalian inspired

This is Somalian mixed rice – a mix of spice and sweetness – Somalians love their sweet. We didn’t have the traditional Xawaash (pronounced hawaaj) spice blend, so we re-created it with a couple of Amma’s spices.

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tahchin

the stuff

the rice:
1 cup rice, washed and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter

the yoghurt mix:
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 egg yolk
2 tsp oil
1 tbsp saffron water

the filling:
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin powder

water, as needed

garnish: 
barberries 
pistachios
2 tsp saffron water

the method

  1. Stir fry mushrooms, onions and spices 
  2. Mix all the ingredients for the yoghurt mix
  3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil
  4. Parboil the rice in the pot for 7-10 minutes
  5. Drain the parboiled rice and divide into two portions
  6. Mix one portion with yoghurt mix
  7. Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in a non stick saucepan, just until sizzling
  8. Remove from the heat and prepare the layers
  9. Layer 1: the rice and yoghurt mix
  10. Layer 2: the filling
  11. Layer 3: the plain rice
  12. Drizzle the saffron water 
  13. Tightly cover the saucepan with a lid, wrapped in a tea towel
  14. Cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes until the bottom is crispy and golden brown
  15. Top with pistachios and more barberries
  16. Cut into this delicious rice cake and enjoy!

jollof rice

the stuff

the rice:
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed well
1 1/2 cups water (or stock)

the filling:
2 small red onions, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
3 bell peppers, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch ginger, sliced
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp chilli powder
3 tbsp vegetable oil
salt, to taste 

topping: 
500g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt, pepper

 

the method

  1. Blend the onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, and spices until smooth
  2. Heat oil in pan over medium high
  3. Add tomato paste and stir to combine
  4. Stir in onion-tomato mixture
  5. Cook, whisking occassionally, until it reduces 
  6. Add rice to tomato mixture and stir to coat
  7. Stir in water or stock to mixture and reduce heat to medium low
  8. Simmer until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender
  9. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over medium high
  10. Grill the shrimp with some black pepper, salt and spices as you like
  11. Fluff the rice into a bowl and serve with shrimp, mm!

bariis iskularis

the stuff

the rice:
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed well
2 1/2 cup chicken stock

the meat:
2 chicken breasts

the bariis:
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 green chili
1 tomato, diced
250ml tomato paste
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp cumin and coriander powder
1 tbsp curry powder
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
3 cardamom pods
1 tsp saffron water
3/4 cup raisins

the method

  1. Boil the chicken breasts until cooked in a pot of salted water
  2. Keep the stock 
  3. Add olive oil to a large pot and stir in the spices over medium-heat
  4. Add the meat and coat in spice mix until it sears well
  5. Remove meat from the pan 
  6. Add olive oil, onion, garlic and fry for a few minutes
  7. Stir in the chilli and tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and raisins
  8. Stir in rice and mix well
  9. Add the chicken stock and combine well 
  10. Bring to a boil on high heat
  11. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan
  12. Cook until the rice absorbs all the liquid, stirring occassionally (about 10 minutes)
  13. Serve the bariis with the meat and extra raisins to garnish 

© 2022 homieats

pizza, three ways

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pizza, three ways

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It’s National Pizza Day – we turned it into a week, ventured out out of Italy and bring you three new types of pizza from Turkey, Hungary and Chicago. 

We had a very cheesy but also veggie week with these pizzas. Try them all and let us know!

pide
chicago deep dish pizza

deep dish pizza

chicago-inspired

We’ve never been to Chicago but this deep dish pizza, a chicago staple, looked like something to die for with its layers of cheese and filling. Of course, we had to make it. If you’re London, you can try them at Japes.

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langos

hungarian-inspired

We first had these in Budapest from the cutest food truck and they looked so good it was hard to resist! Topped with sour cream and some shredded gouda and you’ve got yourself the best snack for any time of the day!

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langos
pide

pide

turkish-inspired

This is probably closest to the Italian pizza – the dough is largely similar. But it’s shaped into a perfect arm length sized food baby to cradle, filled with anything you like. It’s easy to make and personalise for everyone!

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chicago deep dish pizza

the stuff

the dough:
240g flour
17g semolina
1 tsp salt
1 pack yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp vegetable oil
127.5ml lukewarm water

the filling:
butter
1 onion, chopped
1 eggplant, diced
1 courgette, diced
2 garlic cloves
crushed tomatoes
olives
mozzarella, sliced
salt, pepper, chilli flakes, to taste

the method

  1. Mix all the dough ingredients and knead
  2. Let it rise for an hour
  3. Heat butter in a pan and fry the onions, garlic, eggplant, courgette
  4. Add crushed tomatoes, olives, salt, pepper and chilli flakes
  5.  When the dough is ready, stretch to cover the bottom of a deep dish casserole
  6. Gently push it up the sides of the pan
  7. Let the crust rest for 15 minutes
  8. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until it’s set and barely  beginning to brown
  9. Cover the bottom of the crust with sliced mozzarella, fanning into the crust
  10. Add the sautéed vegetables and tomato mixture
  11. Sprinkle with more mozzarella and drizzle with olive oil
  12. Bake the pizza for 25 minutes or until the filling is bubbly
  13. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes
  14. Cut a slice and see how far that mozzarella can stretch!

langos

the stuff

the dough:
10g instant yeast
175ml lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
250g flour, sifted
1/2 tbsp salt
50ml vegetable oil

the toppings:
garlic-infused oil
a dollop of sour cream
a handful of shredded gouda

the method

  1. Mix the dough ingredients and knead for a good 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, i.e. not sticky
  2. Cover and let the dough rise in bowl for 20 minutes
  3. Lift the risen dough and coat the bottom of the bowl with oil
  4. Put back the dough and pour more oil over
  5. Cover and rest for 5-8 minutes
  6. Divide the dough into 4 balls and rest for 10 minutes
  7. In the meantime, heat oil in a shallow pan on medium high
  8. Stretch out each ball (in in the middle, thick around the edges)
  9. Fry for 1 minute on each side or until puffy and golden brown
  10. Drizzle some garlic-infused oil
  11. Add a dollop of sour cream
  12. Sprinkle some shredded gouda
  13.  Bite into all that goodness

pide

the stuff

the dough:
300g plain flour
2 tsp salt
14g dried yeast
pinch of sugar
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil 

the toppings:

kaşar cheese, grated
feta, crumbled
500g baby spinach
2-3 bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
lemon juice, to taste
1 egg (optional)

 

the method

  1. Stir in the dried yeast and sugar and pour in 1/2 cup warm water and allow it get frothy
  2. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl
  3. Make a well in the middle and pour in olive oil and yeast mixture
  4. Pour in the remaining water to the flour mixture
  5. Knead until you reach a soft, smooth dough
  6. Place the dough in large bowl and cover with a cling film and rest for an hour
  7. In the mean time prep the filling
  8. Sauté the onions, garlic and peppers with olive oil
  9. Add salt and pepper to taste
  10. Add the spinach and fry till spinach wilts
  11. Turn off the heat and squeeze some lemon juice 
  12. Once the dough is risen, divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece into oval shapes
  13. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and place the flat oval dough on the tray
  14. Spread the filling leaving a border around the edges. We layered with kasar cheese first, then the fried vegetables and crumbled some feta on top
  15.  Fold in the sides to keep the filling intact and squeeze the end to make it pointy
  16. Brush the edges with a olive oil and egg mixture 
  17. Bake for 25-30 minutes until its brown and crispy. If you want an egg – bake for 15 minutes, take out the tray, crack the egg and put it in the oven for another 30 minutes
  18. Once it cools, cut into slices and serve

© 2022 homieats

dumplings, three ways

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dumplings, three ways

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Lunar New Year is a 15-day festival so to wrap the festivities, we bring you much loved pockets of well wishes – dumplings!

Dumplings come in different shapes, forms, fillings across East Asia and we thought we’ll give it ago, taking inspiration from homies across the North Pacific Ocean – China, South Korea and Mongolia.

dumplings three ways
money bag dumplings

money bag dumplings

chinese-inspired

What better way to wish wealth and health than some money bag dumplings,  adapted from Woks of Life. The colourful variety of 5 ingredients signifies good fortune, radiance and abundance. Here’s to manifesting prosperity!

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kimchi mandu

korean inspired

We’re big fans of Maangchi and we created vegetarian spin-offs of these pan-fried korean dumplings typically filled with meat. Happy Seollal to all Korean homies!

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kimchi mandu

buuz

mongolian-inspired

Pronounced “buzz”, these monogolian cuties are often made in batches of thousands by the entire family. These are prepped weeks ahead of Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New Year) and are frozen in the backyards as it’s so cold out in Mongolia. Happy New Year! Шинэ жилийн баярын мэнд хvргэе (Shine jiliin bayariin mend hurgeye!)

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money bag dumplings

the stuff

the wrapper:
yellow wanton wrappers (or any yellow coloured wrappers)

the filling:
100g shitake mushrooms
2 tsp ginger, minced
cabbage, chopped
1-2 carrots, finely diced
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp Shaoxing wine
4 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp scallions
16 cilantro stems

the method

  1. Stir fry the shitake mushrooms in sesame oil until it wilts
  2. Add the ginger, carrots and cabbage into the pan
  3. Stir in the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce and oyster sauce until they are all well mixed
  4. Stir in the scallions and remove from the wok and let it cool completely
  5. Now prep the money bag ties heh. Bring a pot of water to boil and prepare a bowl of cold water.
  6. Blanch the cilantro stems for 5-10s in boiling water, shock them with cold water and pat them dry
  7. Fill the middle of a wrapper with some veggies
  8. Pinch the bundle together leaving the top to fan out and use one of the cilantro stems to tie it to gether
  9. Steam them in a bamboo steamer for 3 minutes
  10. Indulge with a soy, vinegar and ginger dipping sauce. 

kimchi mandu

the stuff

the wrapper:
dumpling wrappers

the filling:
1 cup shitake mushrooms, diced
1-inch ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp soy sauce
55g dangmyeon (glass noodles), cooked and chopped
1/2 large onion, diced
8-10 chives, diced
250g kimchi, chopped
100g tofu, water squeezed out
1 tsp salt

the method

  1. Stir fry the mushrooms with ginger and garlic in some sesame oil.
  2. Season with soy sauce and black pepper
  3. Cook the dangmyeon according to instructions in the packaging
  4. Mix the stir fried mushrooms with the cooked and chopped noodles and all the other vegetables
  5. Put some of the filling mixture into the centre of a dumpling wrapper
  6. Apply some cold water to one edge of the wrapper – to seal the dumpling when you fold over
  7. Fold wrapper in half over filling and press edges together to make a ripple shape
  8. Pan fry the mandu with some vegetable oil at low-medium heat
  9. Cover the pan with a lid
  10. Turn over each mandu a few minutes later. 
  11. Add 2-3 tbsp water and put the lid back on
  12. When the mandu is golden brown and crispy transfer to a plate 
  13. Serve with a dipping sauce of vinegar and soy sauce. 

buuz

the stuff

the wrapper:
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup boiling water

the filling:
200g minced beef
1 onion, minced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tsp caraway seeds
salt and pepper, to taste

the method

  1. Add water to flour slowly and knead until it turns into a rough dough
  2. Allow the dough to rest for 30 min to 1 hour
  3. Prep the filling – mix the minced beef, onion, garlic, caraway seeds, salt and pepper and roll them into tiny balls
  4. When the dough is  nice and rested, roll into a long snake and then cut it into 12 pieces. 
  5. Roll each piece into a circle
  6. Place a tiny ball in the middle and pinch the wrapper in the middle to create a flower-like shape (it’s really up to you!)
  7. Steam in a steamer basket for 20 minutes
  8. Enjoy with some milk tea!

© 2022 homieats

lunar new year cookies, three ways

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lunar new year cookies, three ways

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Happy Lunar New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai! Saehae bok mani badeusipsio!

and it’s a month away but Losar Bey Tashi Delek!

This week we bring you sweets or cookies inspired by lunar new year traditions inspired from Singapore, Korea and Tibet. 

lunar new year cookies
yakgwa honey cookies

yakgwa honey cookies

korean-inspired

These are Korean fried cookies dipped in a honey ginger syrup made to celebrate Seollal, the first day of the Korean calendar. These are also used in ancestral rituals.

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pineapple cookies

singapore-inspired

When it’s Chinese New year, pineapple tarts are the first thing that come to mind for every Singaporean. You’ll see varieties of these in every shop in plastic bottles with red lids. They are called “Ong Lai” in Hokkien, meaning prosperity. The pastry is so crumbly and pineapple filling just perfectly sweet – an all time fave treat from Singapore!

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pineapple cookies
khapse tibetan pastry cookies

khapse

tibet-inspired

These are Tibetan pastry cookies typically made during Losar, the Tibetan new year. Losar falls on the first day of the Tibetan lunisolar calendar. It occurs near the Chinese New Year but the traditions of Losar are unique to Tibet and predate both Chinese and Indian influences. These are so simple to make and creating the pretty leaf shapes is such a lovely thing to get people around!

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yakgwa

the stuff

the dough:
250 g flour
27ml sesame oil
27g soju
27ml honey
20g pine nuts

the syrup:
80g rice syrup
80g honey
160g water
1/3 ginger, chopped

the method

  1. Make the syrup by heating all the ingredients and stirring until it simmers.
  2. Carefully pour into a dish large enough to hold the cookies and set aside.
  3. Rub the flour and sesame oil together.
  4. Add the soju and honey – knead to form a dough.
  5. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
  6. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/2-inch thick.
  7. Cut the dough into 1-inch strips to make diamond shapes.
  8. Use a fork or toothpick to pierce a small hole in the centre of each cookie.
  9. Fry the yakgwa until they puff, float and turn golden brown.
  10. Use a slotted spoon to remove the yakgwa and place them into the syrup.
  11. Let it soak for a good 20 mins.
  12. Sprinkle over some chopped pine nuts, enjoy!

pineapple cookies

the stuff

the dough:
175g butter
50g condensed milk
1 egg yolk
250g flour

the filling:
1 pineapple (1250g)
2-3 cloves
125g sugar
1/2 tbsp lemon juice

the method

  1. Cream the butter and condensed milk until light and fluffy.
  2. Add and combine the egg yolk.
  3. Mix in the flour until it makes a dough that is not sticky.
  4. Cut the pineapple into little pieces and puree them.
  5. Add the pineapple puree and cloves to a pot and cook on medium heat, until almost dry.
  6. Reduce heat and add sugar and lemon juice until it turns golden and sticky.
  7. Divide the pineapple filling and dough into portions.
  8. Roll them into balls.
  9. Roll each dough and then flatten it.
  10. Add a pinieapple ball int he middle and fold the edges to cover the filling and roll into a round ball.
  11. Place on a baking tray lined with baking sheet.
  12. Cut the criss cross hape on the cook and brush the top with egg wash.
  13. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 165°C for 20-22 minutes unti they turn golden brown.
  14. Let them cool before you get a bite of that crumbly pastry, mmm!

khapse

the stuff

the dough:
250g flour
32g oil
20g sugar
62.5g milk
62.5g water

the method

  1. Dissolve the sugar, milk and water
  2. Mix the remaining ingredients and knead until it forms a dough
  3. Roll out the dough and cut the dough in strips and hten cut those strips into diagonal pieces
  4. Slice a slot int he middle of each piece of dough
  5. Pull one corner of the piece of dough through the slot in the middle, creating a twist
  6. Fry the khapse on high heat in a frying pot until golden brown
  7. Enjoy it with some tea!

© 2022 homieats

hot and spicy noodles, three ways

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hot and spicy noodles, three ways

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It was International Hot and Spicy Food Day on Jan 16th and we extended it to a week, bringing you the spiciest noodles from the spiciest part of the world, Asia.

Asian cuisine is known for its spice and its incredible flavour. But all these spices have incredible health benefits as well – the likes of turmeric, cumin, garlic, ginger all have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects.

We thought noodles were the best to embody the spice and flavour profiles of different parts of Asia, so here goes, enjoy!

hot and spicy noodles, three ways
pad thai

pad thai

thai-inspired

A classic thai dish we all adore and you can’t deny the pure bliss you get from the feeling the peanut crunch as you bite into it, the tangy sourness from the sauce and lime and the after heat from the chilli. A fully body experience really.

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"hakka" noodles

indo chinese-inspired

While Hakka cuisine often refers to a style of cuisine of those who settled in the harbour and port areas of Hong Kong, for many in South Asia, “Hakka cuisine” is often your childhood interpretation of Chinese cuisine. Hakka noodles is actually an Indian/Pakistani version of North Eastern Chinese cuisine – nothing representative of the authentic hakka cuisine. But either ways, here’s a tribute to childhood, street style indo-chinese food!

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hakka noodles
biang biang noodles

cumin paneer biang biang noodles

chinese-inspired

This has been the most fun because we got to bang (or biang) noodles with our hands, paired with a spicy sauce from Xi’an. We took a homieats twist and used paneer instead pork or lamb to replace the protein in this dish!

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pad thai

the stuff

thai rice stick noodles

the sauce:
3 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
45 ml water
4 tbsp tamarind (the hero!)

the protein:
15 shrimps
2-3 eggs
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, sliced
scallions, chopped
(bean sprouts if you like)

the garnish:
roasted peanuts, chopped
more scallions
dry chilli flakes
lime wedges

the method

  1. Soak the noodles in water for an hour.
  2. Prep the sauce. Melt the sugar in medium heat until it turns dark brown.
  3. Immediately add the water, tamarind and soy sauce. (don’t worry if the sugar hardens!)
  4. Let it simmer and turn off the heat to let the sugar dissolve.
  5. While the sugar dissolves, time to get the stir fry in. 
  6. In a pan, sear the shrimps.
  7. Take them off the pan, and add garlic, onion and scallions until they wilt.
  8. Now, check if the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is all smooooth.
  9. Turn the heat up and drain and add the noodles in the pan and pour the sauce into the pan.
  10. Stir until the sauce is all soaked up and cooked. add a little water if the noodles are undercooked.
  11. Shove the noodles to the side, add oil and crack a couple of eggs.
  12. Break the yolks and let it cook for a bit before you stir up the noodles.
  13. Add the shrimps back in and stir.
  14. Pop onto a plate. Sprinkle some chilli flakes, peanuts and scallions.
  15. Squeeze some lime, twirl on a chopstick and enjoy!

hakka noodles

the stuff

egg noodles

the veggies
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 inch ginger, minced
1 red onion, diced
1 green chilli, diced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
leeks (or scallions… or both), thinly sliced

the spice & sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp siracha
1 tbsp rice vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp chilli oil, to serve

the method

  1. Boil and drain your noodles (follow the instructions on your packet!).
  2. Coat the drained noodles in some oil to prevent them from sticking.
  3. Heat up some oil in a wok then dump in your ginger, garlic, and green chillies. 
  4. Next up, onions. Then the rest of your veggies.
  5. Saute until slightly soft but still a bit crunchy. 
  6. Push them to the sides and make a well in the middle.
  7. Pour in the soy sauce, siracha, and rice vinegar in the middle. stir to coat the veggies well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Dump in your noodles and give it a bigggg stir.
  9. Final touch – some chilli oil for that extra spice and voila!

cumin paneer biang biang noodles

the stuff

the noodles:
400g flour
220 ml water
1/2 tsp salt

Side note: the instructions from Omnivore’s Cookbook is probably better, follow that!

the spice:
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp sichuan peppercorns (or just normal)
1 tsp coriander seeds

the sauce:
1/2 cup chilli oil
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup rice wine
8 tsp soy sauce

the veggies: 
a block of paneer
1 red onion, sliced
1 chilli, sliced
garlic and ginger, minced
coriander, to serve

the method

  1. First, prep the noodle dough. Stir water and salt until it dissolves.
  2. Add flour into a large bowl and splash water, little by little, mixing it with chopsticks or a spatula.
  3. Once all the water is added, the dough looks like shaggy threads.
  4. Knead the dough into a rough ball. (doesn’t have to be smooth!)
  5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 min.
  6. Once the dough is rested, knead it for 1-2 min until it’s smooth.
  7. Divide the dough in half and roll each dough into a 1/2cm thick oval.
  8. Lather it up in oil and let it rest for 2 hours.
  9. Meanwhile, prep the spice. Add cumin, peppercorns and coriander to a dry pan and roast over medium heat for 5 min, until you hear them pop.
  10. Take the spices off the heat and grind them – manual pound on a mortar and pestle like we did (great arm workout) or a quick 1 min press on an electric grinder.
  11. In a bowl, marinate the cubed paneer with half the fresh spice, salt and oil for 15 minutes.
  12. Prep the sauce. Mix the chilli oil, vinegar, wine and soy sauce.
  13. Add oil to the pan and add garlic, ginger and the paneer until its brown.
  14. Add onions and chillies and fry until they’re soft.
  15. Add the remaining spice mix to coat everything.
  16. Pour the sauce and stir fry for another 30 sec and turn the heat off.
  17. By now, the noodle dough should be all stretchy, so boil a pot of water.
  18. Take your prepared dough and cut them lengthwise, we embrace difference and diversity so we had different lengths and widths (or really just amateurs).
  19. Now the fun bit, stretch each piece as much as possible by banging or bianging it against the table.
  20. Throw it into the boiled water and cook for 1-2 min.
  21. Drain the noodles and toss it in the spicy sauce in medium heat.
  22. Drop in some coriander and YUM.

© 2022 homieats

stuffed shells, two ways

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stuffed shells, two ways

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This week we bring you stuffed shells – stuffed onions and stuffed conchiglione, taking inspiration from Persia, Italy, India and leftovers from the fridge.

You can eat the fillings on their own but its a different vibe when you stuff them and take a quick and easy bite – it’s creates a burst of flavours in your mouth which is refreshing.

stuffed shells
lemon rice stuffed onions

lemon rice
stuffed onion

persian-indian-inspired

We first saw this on NYT Cooking and always wanted to try it. So, we bring a South Indian twist on the Persian rice-stuffed onions with the quintessential lemon rice or elumicha saatham. 

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cheese ball
stuffed conchiglione

italian leftover-inspired

Plucked some basil from our kitchen pots and mixed up leftover cheeses in the fridge to create this yummmyness. 

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cheese stuffed conchiglione

lemon rice stuffed onion

the stuff

the shell:
1-2 large onion

the stuffing:
1 cup rice, cooked
1 onion, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
mustard seeds
fennel seeds
ginger, grated
ghee 
turmeric 
salt 
green chilis (optional)
nuts (optional)
coriander (optional)

the method

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. 
  2. Cut a large onion lengthwise until the middle. 
  3. When the water is boiling, lower the heat until its just simmering and drop the cut onions in for 25 minutes until soft.
  4. Scoop the onions out of the simmering water.
  5. Cut the roots and squeeze out the onion layers and let it cool.
  6. While it cools, prep the lemon rice filing.
  7. In a frying pan, melt some ghee.
  8. Add mustard and fennel seeds and let them sizzle and pop.
  9. Add the grated ginger and chopped onion and fry till they turn soft.
  10. Add a bit of turmeric and salt and mix.
  11. Stir the cooked rice in and mix until every grain is nice and yellow.
  12. Squeeze a lemon and mix all that tanginess up.
  13. Add some chopped coriander on top for some  colour.
  14. Oil a frying pan.
  15. Now scoop a tablespoon full of lemon rice onto an onion shell and lay them on the frying pan.
  16. Heat the frying pan on a low medium heat to  caramelise the onion shells.
  17. Add little water so the onions don’t burn.
  18. Drop in a stick of butter to give the onion shells a nice buttery taste and a caramel brown shade.
  19. Pick up a shell, stuff it in your mouth and enjoy that bite.

cheese ball stuffed conchiglione

the stuff

the shell:
9-10 conchiglione pasta

the stuffing:
ricotta
mozzarella
parmesan
basil leaves
salt & pepper

the method

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil – salt it and drizzle some olive oil.
  2. Drop them conchiglione pasta to cook.
  3. While it cooks, prep the cheese balls.
  4. In a bowl, add ricotta, crumble mozzarella and grate some parmesan – season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Roll them up into small cheese balls.
  6. Drain the pasta when its cooked.
  7. In a baking tray, drizzle some passata.
  8. In each shell, layer one basil and drop a cheese ball into a shell.
  9. Layer the shells on the baking tray and pop them up into the oven for about 20 minutes.
  10. Time to savour all that cheesy goodness mmmmm.

© 2022 homieats

cannelloni, three ways

recipes

cannelloni, three ways

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Every time we search cannelloni fillings you end up with the same old – spinach and ricotta or a beef bolognese – even on Pinterest.

Don’t get us wrong, they’re classic but our creative juices be flowing and we bring you a Christmas colours inspired veggie cannelloni series (wholesomely cheesy as well).

You can do them separately or create a colourful Christmas tray like we did, either way, recipes below!

cannelloni
spinach and ricotta

spinach & ricotta

pine tree-inspired

We can’t do cannelloni without the classic filling. But also, it reminds us of the evergreen pine trees that bring us into that christmas mood.

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beetroot béchamel

rudolph the red nose-inspired

It’s Christmas, and Rudolph needs a shout out. What’s redder than beetroot. We’ve used this as a filling here but mix this in pasta with some dill, hmmmm, chef’s kiss. 

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beetroot bechamel
sweet potato blue cheese

sweet potato & blue cheese

"gold" shining star-inspired

Representing the light and warmth in the dark winter when Jesus was born, we bring a sweet potato and blue cheese combo (mainly because we were over having pumpkin in the fall).

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spinach and ricotta

the stuff

the stuff:
6 cannelloni
passata
mozzarella

the filling:
spinach, chopped
onion, chopped
garlic, chopped
butter
ricotta
salt & pepper
lemon juice

the method

  1. Preheat oven at 180-200°C.
  2. Melt some butter on a pan and add the chopped onions, garlic and spinach.
  3. Add salt and pepper.
  4. Cook till the spinach wilts and the spinach juices evaporate.
  5. In a bowl, mix the spinach mixture with ricotta.
  6. Squeeze some lemon if you like for a bit of tanginess to reduce spinach bitterness.
  7. Parboil the cannelloni and add passata on a baking tray.
  8. Scoop a spoonful of spinach ricotta mix into a freezer bag. 
  9. Cut a small hole in a corner of the bag and squeeze that baby into a tube and line them up on  the tray.
  10. Brush some water on the cannelloni and scoop more passata sauce on the cannelloni.
  11. Crumble some mozzarella on top.
  12. Bake till that mozzarella melts.

beetroot béchamel 

the stuff

the stuff:
6 cannelloni
passata or béchamel  
mozzarella 

the filling:
2 beetroot, grated
1 brown onion, chopped 
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
milk
salt & pepper

the method

  1. Preheat oven at 180-200°C.
  2. In a pan, bubble some butter.
  3. Drop them chopped onions and sprinkle some salt.
  4. When they turn slightly brown, slowly add water to caramelise.
  5. Add the grated beetroot and sauté until soft.
  6. While it softens, prepare the béchamel.
  7. Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour until it forms a thick paste.
  8. Add milk and stir until it forms a thick sauce.
  9. Add salt and pepper as needed.
  10. Mix the béchamel sauce into the pan with beetroot and caramelised onions until it forms a thick, dark pink paste.
  11. Parboil the cannelloni and add passata or béchamel on a baking tray.
  12. Scoop a spoonful of beetroot béchamel mix into a freezer bag.
  13. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and squeeze that beautiful red paste into a cannelloni.
  14. Line them up on  the tray.
  15. Brush some water on the cannelloni and scoop more passata or béchamel sauce on the cannelloni.
  16. Crumble some mozzarella on top and bake until the mozzarella is slightly brown, stretchy and sizzling.

sweet potato and blue cheese

the stuff

the stuff:
6 cannelloni
passata 
mozzarella

the filling:
1 sweet potato
1 brown onion, chopped 
blue cheese
salt & pepper

the method

  1. Preheat oven at 180-200°C.
  2. Boil the sweet potato till soft.
  3. Meanwhile caramelise them onions. 
  4. Add butter or olive oil to a frying pan on low to medium heat.
  5. Add chopped brown onion and sprinkle some salt.
  6. When they turn slightly brown, slowly add water to caramelise. Let the onion juices seep out.
  7. Once the sweet potato is completely cooked, let it cool.
  8. Peel the skin and mash it in a bowl.
  9. Add the caramelised onion and crumble the blue cheese to form a thick paste.
  10. You should know the drill by now. Parboil the cannelloni and add passata on a baking tray.
  11.  Scoop a spoonful of sweet potato and blue cheese mix into a freezer bag.
  12. Cut a small hole in a corner of the bag and squeeze that baby into a tube and line them up on  the tray.
  13. Brush some water on the cannelloni and scoop more passata sauce on the cannelloni.
  14. Crumble some mozzarella on top and bake till its sizzling.

© 2022 homieats

thethanni & shaah

recipes

thethanni & shaah

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Bringing you another winter necessity, tea. For all those cold days, you need a cuppa to make you warm. But before that, a little (linguistic) history, fun fact? 

Did you know that the words we use in modern English (or any language today) to describe this drink “tea” or “chai” originated from China? 

The Chinese character for tea, 茶, is pronounced different across different Chinese languages. In Mandarin and Cantonese, it is pronounced as cha and in Min dialects along the Southern coast of China and in Southeast Asia pronounce it like teh. These two pronunciations have made their separate ways into other languages around the world.

Teh is from Hokkien in southern Fujian. The ports of Xiamen (Amoy) and Quanzhou were points of contact with Western European traders like the Dutch. The Dutch may have taken this from Fujian or indirectly via Malay traders in Java.

In fact, in Sri Lanka, or rather in Tamil, tea is called thethanni – meaning thee (tea in dutch) + thanni (water in tamil). Similarly in Singapore, we call it teh tarik (pulled tea) in Malay (which explains the trick to great tea!). (and a little shoutout to all the dutch colonies!) Teh gave rise to English “tea” and similar words in other languages.

Cha is from Cantonese and the ports of Hong Kong and Macau which had major points of contact with the Portuguese who spread it to India in the 16th century. Chai is likely to have come from Persian where the Chinese pronunciation of cha was passed overland to Central Asia and Asia and Persia before passing on to Russian, Arabic, Turkish.

We were very shocked to see “tea” spelt as “čaj” in menus in  Montenegro and Czech, now it all makes sense!

tea
thethanni teh tarik

thethanni / teh tarik

ceylon/southeast asia-inspired

This is how tea is made at home, how amma and ammamma make it, and how we’ve always known. But only when we grew older we realised it’s actually the same as Teh Tahrik – the drink you get in plastic bags and a straw in Singapore hawkers. At home, amma serves it in a huge mug because, amma.

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shaah / chai

somalia-inspired

Our sweet-toothed homie, Asiyo, made this shaah, similar to masala chai, but with her own spice spin, at our first ever social event and it was a crowd pleaser. So, here’s the lowdown on how to make it!

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shaah (chai)

thethani / teh tarik

the stuff

3 tbsp tea leaves
1 cup water
2-3 tsp condensed milk

the method

  1. In a milk pan, add tea leaves and water and wait till it boils and the tea juices soak in .
  2. Add condensed milk as per your taste and stir till the spoon is clean.
  3. Now for the “tarik”, heh. Pour the tea into a stainless steel jug or pot, then pour into a mug or tea glass. The trick is to pour it from as tall a height as possible. 
  4. Repeat pouring from pot to mug until tea is frothy (this is what they mean by pulling tea heh).
  5. Enjoy on its own or your favourite tea time snack. 

shaah / chai

the stuff

3 tbsp tea leaves
mint leaves
2-3 cardamom
ginger, grated
1 cup  water
1/2 cup milk
sugar (as you like)

the method

  1. Grind the cardamom in a mortar and pestle (or you can drop them in whole).
  2. In a milk pan, add tea leaves, ground or whole cardamom, mint leaves and grated ginger.
  3. Add a cup of water and bring to boil.
  4. When its boiling, pour in a cup of milk and let it boil.
  5. Stir as it boils and add sugar (as you like).
  6. Continue stirring and boiling , until you get a nice caramel brown colour.
  7. Pour the tea into a stainless steel jug or pot and into a mug. 
  8. Feel the heat from the spice as you sip on that.

© 2022 homieats

fall-inspired soups, three ways

recipes

fall palette soups, three ways

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It’s fall and it’s getting colder so here’s some warmth in bowls for you.

The trick to killing two (or three) birds with one stone is to roast all your veggies ahead then its just mix and match!

What’s better, roasting your veggies actually brings out the flavour much more than does boiling them.

soups three ways
tomato soup

tomato soup

fall-inspired

We accidentally jumped on this when we had more tomatoes than carrots in the fridge. This has been our go to soup whenever we needed to feel warm during these cold fall-winter months.

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beetroot soup

fall-inspired

We tried this out because, you know, we had beetroot in the fridge, and needed to add a bit of red to our fall palette. Tastes amazing, really!

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beetroot soup
carrot soup

carrot soup

amma-inspired

This is amma’s go-to soup at home. If she can’t think of anything on a saturday eve, we’ll get a bowl of carrot soup and buttered bread, simple but so good. 

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fall palette soups, three ways

the stuff

tomato soup:
5 tomatoes
2 carrots
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
passata (if you like)

beetroot soup:

3 beetroot
3-4 garlic cloves
1 onion
1 carrot

carrot soup:

3 carrots
1 potato
1 tomato
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
a small piece of ginger

for all:

milk
water

the method

  1. On a tray lay your carrots  and sprinkle salt. 
  2. Roast carrots first  because they are thicc.
  3. Cut the other veggies up – potatoes, tomatoes, beetroots, onions – and roast them too.
  4. In a pot, add some butter.
  5. Drop in the main veggies with garlic and ginger and let them absorb the butter for a while.
  6. Add boiling water so they can soak in all the juices.
  7. Now, BLEND. Add in a little milk.
  8. Cut up some warm bread and drizzle some olive oil on top and dip them in the soup and enjoy a warm hug! (from a bowl but still a hug)

© 2022 homieats

stuffed rotis, three ways

recipes

stuffed roti, three ways​

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This week, we bring you stuffed rotis!

Roti is a staple in a Tamil household – whether you stuff with different potato or meat filling or with a side of curry, not forgetting the famous kothu roti. 

It’s funny how across the oceans, we have similar roti (pancake) variations but with different textures  and fillings.

From chewy to flaky and fluffy textures to spicy and creamy fillings. Hope you enjoy making them!

stuffed rotis three ways
pol roti

pol roti

ceylon-inspired

Our traditional chewy pol roti is stuffed with, obviously, coconut, and onions and chillis. Ammamma (our grandma) used to tell us how she made this as an after school snack for her kids and used to make it for us when we be hungry after school – its just so quick to make!

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potato and feta stuffed gözleme

turkish-inspired

We first devoured these fluffy turkish gözlemes in Istanbul during our holiday. We tried a variety of fillings over the few days but potato and feta was just undeniable, so here it is.

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Gözleme
scallion pancakes

scallion pancakes

chinese-inspired

Flaky chinese pancakes – Cong You Bing – which we discovered during our long quarantine stay in Singapore and was surprised by how much it tastes alot like our roti but filled with chinese five spices and scallions!

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pol roti

the stuff

the dough:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup water
salt

the filling:
grated coconut
red onion, chopped
green chillies, chopped

the method

  1. Add the flour, salt, grated coconut, onions and chillies into a bowl.
  2. Add the water and milk and knead until it forms a dough ball.
  3. If mixture is dry, add in a tbsp of water as needed.
  4. Separate ball into five smaller ones and set aside to rest for about 15 minutes.
  5. Set a frying pan over a medium flame and grease with oil.
  6. Grease your hands with oil and roll each little ball out using a rolling pin.
  7. Place roti in warm pan and let cook about 4-5 minutes.
  8. Flip them over making sure they have golden brown spots on them.
  9. Flip onto a pan and enjoy with some coconut sambal or curry! 

potato and feta stuffed gözleme

the stuff

the dough:
2 cups plain flour
3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup warm water

the filling:
boiled potatoes
feta
dried chillies
lemon juice (to taste)
salt & pepper (to taste)

the method

  1. Mix the flour, salt, yoghurt, yeast, baking powder and water (NOT OIL!) in a large bowl.
  2. Turn rough dough onto a flour dusted surface and knead until smooth and squishy.
  3. Cover with a town and set in a warm place for 30 minutes to double in size.
  4. Knead in the olive oil to get a smooth dough ball and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
  5. While you wait, prep the filling – mix the mashed potatoes, feta, dried chilli, salt, pepper and lemon in a bowl.
  6. Divide dough into 6 balls.
  7. Roll each dough ball into a large rectangle as thin as possible so you can see through it.
  8. Dust with extra flour as needed to avoid sticking.
  9. Add in your potato and feta filling in the middle.
  10. Fold the ends like an envelope and seal it with some water.
  11. Roll out the folded pastry again until its double or triple the folded size.
  12. Grease pan with olive oil and pan fry both sides.
  13. Flip it onto a plate, cut them into triangles and serve hot with mint yoghurt.

scallion pancakes

the stuff

the dough (inspired by China Sichuan Food):
2 cups flour
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup cold water)
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp salt

the filling:
2 cup chopped scallion (use green parts only)
1 tbsp Chinese five spice powder

the method

  1. Mix salt with all purpose flour in a mixing bowl.
  2. Dig a hole in the centre and pour hot water in.
  3. After 10 minutes, add cold water and oil.
  4. Mix them into a ball and knead until smooth.
  5. Cover and rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
  6. After resting, divide the large dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece into a large around circle.
  7. Brush some oil, sprinkle Chinese five spice power and chopped scallions in the middle.
  8. Roll up the circle into a cylinder.
  9. And then roll the cylinder into the shape of a snail.
  10. Cover with wet cloth and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
  11. Then roll out the snails into a large circle.
  12. On a pan, brush some oil and place the rolled scallion pancakes.
  13. Use medium flame to pan fry until the surface becomes brown and flip and fry the other side.
  14. Flip onto a pan and enjoy with some spicy sauce.

© 2022 homieats