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This Valentines Day say I love you with a gift from Narandas.

Editors

Leila Ally

Eshana Suleman

Valentines, the month of Love, although we need to make our loved ones feel special everyday, tell them we love them everyday, lets make this Valentines extra special, by preparing a romantic dinner, while sipping on a cocktail or mocktail..

Happy Valentines Day!

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Ingredients

1 cup pecan nuts1 cup almonds1 cup walnuts or hazelnuts1 cup rice crispies1 cup coconut1 cup icing sugar1/2 cup Nutella chocolate spread2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter2 tablespoons soft butter1 x 500g cadbury chocolate(3 cups melted chocolate)

Method1. Chop all nuts in a food processor. Roast in oven at 140C till light brown2. When nuts are cool add icing sugar,Nutella, peanut butter and butter. Combine well.3. Add 3 cups of melted chocolate and form a dough. Refridgerate for about 10 minutes.4. Form into tiny balls and refridgerate for another 30 minutes.5. Remove from fridge, coat in melted chocolate and dip in chopped almonds or peanuts.6. Allow to set. Wrap individualy in gold wrappers, or colour of choice.

Ferrero Chocs

Ingredients

1 can Chocolate Carnation Treat250 ml fresh cream whipped1 can Nestl Cream (155g) beatenFlake or grated wholenut chocolate

Method1. Beat Carnation Treat till smooth2. Add in whipped fresh cream and mix well3. Mix in crushed biscuits4. Spoon this mixture into a pretty dessert bowl5. Spread beaten Nestl Cream over and decorate with Flake or Wholenut chocolate6. Allow to chill.

Chocolate Mouss

Ingredients

1 tin condensed milk (397g)5 tsps lemon juice250ml fresh cream whipped200g Tennis biscuits (broken into pieces)1 punnet strawberries (slightly crushed)2 chocolate Flake, roughly chopped

Method

1. Beat condensed milk and lemon juice together till well blended and creamy.2. Add 2/3 of the chopped Flake, stir in the crushed strawberries and biscuits.3. Pour into a bowl ( heartshaped if you have)4. Decorate with remaining fresh cream, Flake and strawberries.

Tip

Kiwi fruit can be used in this dessert.

Strawberry Crumble

Ingredients

1/2 cup Lime cordial1/2 cup Grenadine syrup1/2 cup fresh strawberries 2 - 3 cups ice1 cup water1/4 cup icing sugar1/2 cup cranberry/apple juice

Serves 2-3

Method

Blend above ingredients

Strawberry Daiquiri

Rose Simple Syrup

3 red roses2 cups castor sugar1 cup rose water

MethodWash and dry rose petals. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat the mixture over meduim heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to low, add rose petals, and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, ( do not boil).Remove from heat and let it cool for 3 hours to allow the flavours to develop. Strain through a mesh sieve, then bottel. Set aside.

Rose Champagne Cocktail1 bottle champagne1 cup fresh lemonade5 tbls of Rose simple syrup

Mix the rose simple syrup into the lemonadeFill a flute a fourth of the way with champagne, and slowly trickle in the lemonade and rose mixture gently from the top till the glass is full.

TipJ.C . Le Roux (non alcohol) can be used

Rose Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients

1/2 cup mint2 slices ginger chopped2 limes cut into piecesPinch of saltBruise the above with a pestle

Add1/4 cup icing sugar (optional)1/2 cup crushed iceTop with Lemonade or half Lemonade and half Sprite

Mojito Magic

Ingredients

1 kg chicken fillet1/2 teaspoon salt1 tbls oil1/2 tsp ground garlicCook all above ingredients together till done.

1/2 lettuce shredded1/2 green pepper & 1/2 red pepper thinly sliced2 bananas sliced125 tin button mushrooms (plain)2 boiled potatoes cubed

Dressing3/4 cup white vinegar1/4 cup olive oil1 tsp salt1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper1 tsp dried basilWhisk all ingredients together and halve mixture

Method1. Add half the dressing into the chicken, mix well till blended2. Mix the other half of the dressing to the mushrooms. 3. Arrange lettuce onto a platter.4. Spoon chicken over lettuce, add mushrooms, bananas & cubed potatoes.5. Decorate with with the red and green peppers.

Tip2 teaspoons of sesame seeds and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic flakes roasted in a little but-ter, can be added over the peppers.

Exotic Chicken Salad

Ingredients:2 cups Yoghurt (full cream) bunch dhunia bunch mint2 3 green chillies1 teaspoon freshly ground jeera 1 teaspoon fine salt1 clove garlic crushed (optional)

Method:Add cleaned greens, garlic and salt to a liquidiser/processor. Add 2 3 tablespoons of the yoghurt and liquidise. Pour into a gravy boat and top with the rest of the yoghurt and mix well. Serve with biryani, akhni or pilaau..

NOTE: You can add some chopped cucumber/onion/grated carrot/chopped to-mato to the yoghurt mixture for a delicious variation.

Do NOT add all the yoghurt to your processor/liquidiser as it will become too runny (watery). Your yoghurt salad must be fairly thick.

Dahi (Yoghurt Salad)

Ingredients:

Plain Rotis:2 cups white flour (sifted)1 teaspoon fine salt1 tablespoon ghee+- 1 cup boiling water

Method:Sift flour and salt into a dish. Rub in ghee and make a soft, pliable dough with the rapidly boiling water, adding a little at a time because you may not need all the water. First mix the water and flour using a fork (as it will be too hot to handle with your hands), then when the dough is easier to handle, knead it well using your hands. Dough must be soft and pliable to get perfectly soft rotis. Can be made in a food processor. If dough is too soft and sticky, add more flour. If too stiff, add more wa-ter and ghee.Divide dough into 8 to 12 pieces, kneading each piece well before rolling out into circles on a floured surface. Cook on a lightly buttered thawa or frying pan, lightly greasing each side with a little melted butter or ghee until golden brown on both sides.

Serve with any curry.

NOTE: To make brown rotis, add 1 cup white flour and 1 cup brown flour and fol-low recipe as is.

Flaky Rotis:Make the dough as above. Roll out rotis into circles and brush each circle with but-ter ghee and fold into squares. First fold sides inwards as in diagram, then tops.Now, roll out on a floured board again and cook as above.

Basic Roti

Ingredients1 chicken1 1/2 tsp salt1 tsp chilli powder1 tsp crushed chillies1 tsp (heaped) dhania powder1/4 tsp jeera powder1 tsp garlic/ginger paste1/4 tsp tumeric powder3 cloves3 peppercorns3 tbls lemon juice2 tbls vinegar 1/4 bottle peri-peri sauce of choice1 tsp Worcester sauce

Method1. Wash chicken and drain till dry2. Make a paste with all the spices 3. Make slits on the chicken and rub the paste over the whole chicken4. Marinate for about an hour,place in a deep oven pan and bake covered for half an hour5. Remove lid, place pan directly under the griller and grill till moisture evaporates and chicken is cooked.6. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter together with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and brush on the chicken. (use an egg brush)

Whole Grilled Chicken in Peri Peri Sauce

Ingredients

4 medium soles4 tbls mayonnnaise4 cloves of crushed garlic4 tbls lemon juice1/2 tsp mixed herbs1/4 tsp lemon pepper1 tsp crushed green chillies4 tbls butterSalt to taste

Method 1. Lay soles in a pyrex dish or oven pan2. Make a paste with all the spices. Brush over fish on both sides3. Add butter and grill in preheated oven at 200C until fish is cooked.

Grilled Sole

Ingredients:1 1 kgs lamb/mutton cup cooking oil2 large onions (finely sliced)1 teaspoon ginger/garlic (crushed)Salt to taste1 teaspoon turmeric powder2 teaspoons dhunia/jeera powder2 - 3 teaspoons chilli powder 1 teaspoon freshly ground green chillies1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)Salt to taste teaspoon freshly ground black pepper2 pieces cinnamon sticks3 whole cloves2 whole elachi teaspoon whole jeera1 sprig curry leaves2 cups rice2 teaspoons rough salt (for rice)6 8 small potatoesBoiled eggs (optional)

Method:Wash and chop meat. Drain.I prefer dry roasting the cinnamon sticks, elachi and cloves, and grinding them in a coffee/ma-sala grinder, but you can use them whole.Fry the onion and whole jeera seeds in the oil until softened and light golden brown. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the onion for vagaar (garnishing top of rice).Boil the rice in salted water for about 5 minutes. Rice must still be hard. If using Basmathi rice, soak this in salted boiling water for about an hour.Add the meat to the fried onion. Add the ginger/garlic, salt, turmeric, dhunia/jeera powder, ground black pepper, chilli powder and ground or whole cinnamon sticks/elachi/cloves and al-low to fry/braise for 5 8 minutes on a low heat. If using mutton rather than lamb, add a little water to the pot (after masalas have been fried) and allow to simmer until meat is softened. Now add the freshly ground green chillies, potatoes, tomato paste, curry leaves and rice. Toss well ensuring all the spices are well mixed with the rice. Now add about 4 cups of boiling water to the pot. Toss well, close pot with lid and leave to simmer over low heat, gently stirring at intervals (make sure not to break the potatoes), till rice is almost cooked and most of the water is absorbed. Spread the braised onion that you set aside over the top of the rice. If using hard boiled eggs, place them deep in the rice. Now place the pot in a preheated oven (180C) for about 30 to 40 minutes.Serve with yoghurt (dahi) salad or green leafy salad (cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes)

NOTE: Can substitute chicken for lamb.Add cup of peas or parboiled gadra or double beans for a delicious variation.

Lamb/Mutton Akhni

Ingredients1kg Crayfish tails4 tsps chillie powder1 tsp dhania powder1 tsp jeera powder250ml fresh cream4 tbls plain yoghurt1 onion chopped1 tsp garlic/ginger1/2 tsp tumeric powder1 tsp salt125g butter (melted)4 tbls tomato paste

Method1. Mix together yoghurt, garlic/ginger and spices together.2. Smear over crayfish tails and allow to marinate.3. Saut onions in melted butter and add the crayfish tails. Add the 4 tbls of tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Add the fresh cream and cook for a further 5 min-utes.

TipChicken can also be used in this recipe.

Butter Crayfish Tails

1/2 kg Rump steak1 tsp red crushed chillies1 tsp aromat1 tsp mustard powder1/2 tsp lemon pepper (Robertsons)1/2 tsp zesty lemon pepper (Robertsons)1/2 tsp ground green chillies (optional)3 tbls vinegar4 tbls Steers pepper sauce4 tbls melted butterSalt to taste

Method

1. Cube steak and marinate with all ingredients except for the pepper sauce, for 1 hour2. Cook marinated steak in butter till tender.3. Layer steak in a pyrex dish, pour over the Steers sauce. Top with mushrooms and grill for 10 mins.

Tips1 cup of grated cheese can be sprinkled over mushrooms before grilling.

Pepper Steak