Nadiya’s Simple Spices episode 6

Nadiya’s Simple Spices episode 6 – Nadiya, an esteemed chef with an uncanny ability to fuse flavors, takes immense pride in introducing four of her top-tier, fuss-free recipes, ideal for any social gathering or festive occasion. Each creation is masterfully crafted, drawing inspiration from her curated selection of eight unique spices that bridge the gap between age-old traditions and modern culinary artistry.

 

 

First on the list is an exquisite one-plate pie, characterized by its crust which is adorned with specks of fiery chilli. Inside, one discovers a rich filling of masala-seasoned mince harmoniously paired with the creamy texture of butter beans. Then there are the impeccable roast potatoes. These aren’t your everyday roasties; they come wrapped in a tangy tamarind glaze and hide a secret within – a luscious turmeric-infused core.

For those who have a penchant for poultry, the art masala chicken stands out. Drenched in a vibrant yoghurt marinade, each bite offers a zesty explosion that is sure to be memorable. And as every grand meal deserves a grand finale, the coconut and fennel bundt cake emerges as the perfect dessert, striking a balance between sweetness and a hint of aromatic spice.

In a delightful culinary twist, Gurdeep Loyal, a respected food writer with a rich heritage, has gone all out to prepare a distinctive shoofly pie. This isn’t just any pie; it’s a tribute to his beloved mother on her birthday. Infused with ajwain, a spice that narrates tales of his family’s gastronomic history, this pie is not only a treat to the palate but also a heartwarming homage to familial bonds and traditions.

Nadiya’s Simple Spices episode 6 – Nadiya’s Simple Spices Bring Fabulous Flavors to Get-Together Fare

Get-togethers with friends and family are all about sharing laughter, stories, and of course, delicious food. But hosting shouldn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. That’s where Nadiya Hussain’s simple spices come in. Her flavor-packed spice mixes and no-fuss recipes turn everyday ingredients into extraordinary fare fit for any festive gathering.

In this latest episode, Nadiya shares four of her favorite hassle-free recipes that are made fabulous by just eight of her signature spices. These dishes run the gamut from hearty comfort to fresh and light so that everyone can find something tempting on the table. Best of all, they come together with ease so the host gets to enjoy the party too!

One-Plate Pie with Chilli Speckled Crust for Savory Comfort

There’s nothing more comforting and crowd-pleasing than a hearty pie. Nadiya’s innovative one-plate version takes this homey classic to new heights. She wraps a masala spiced minced meat and bean filling in a blanket of puff pastry that’s artfully chilli speckled for visual flair and a touch of heat.

A Pastry Crust That Pops

Nadiya reinvents traditional pie dough by embellishing store-bought puff pastry with a confetti of dried chilli flakes. Their vibrant crimson hue contrasts beautifully with the golden pastry, creating a striking swirled effect when baked. The chillies infuse the crust with a subtle fiery zing to balance the rich filling.

To achieve the eye-catching design, she simply brushes water over a sheet of thawed puff pastry and sprinkles on red pepper flakes. A roll with a pin presses them in place before folding the pastry into a neat parcel. Leaving the edges exposed allows the pastry layers to rise into dramatic flakes during baking for an extra-flaky crust with height and dimension.

Savory Spiced Filling with Satisfying Texture

Within that impressive shell lies a satisfyingly hearty filling chock-full of flavor. Its base is a protein-packed combo of ground beef and butter beans blended with Nadiya’s signature spice mix. Onion, garlic, and fresh ginger provide aromatic backbone while cinnamon, cumin, and coriander add warmth and earthiness.

The ground almonds deliver nutty richness and absorbent texture to complement the soft beans and crumbly meat. Tomatoes and spinach balance the heartiness with brightness. Slow simmering marries all the components into a cohesive, fragrant filling ready to be tucked into the awaiting crust.

Assemble and Bake for a Showstopper Comfort Pie

Constructing the full pie is simple. Nadiya portions the filling into four ramekins before draping the squared pastry over each, pleating it attractively at the edges. A quick egg wash and sprinkle of sesame seeds finishes the pastry shell before heading into the oven.

Just 40 minutes of baking yields four personal pot pies brimming with spice-infused flavor. Crackling, chilli-dotted crust rising high over the stewy filling makes a presentation sure to impress. But the real delight is in the harmony of tastes and textures in each cozy bite.

Coconut bundt cake

‘If my grandfather were still with us today, I truly believe he would have been utterly enamored by this delightful creation. The flavors harmoniously blend together, featuring the rich, caramel-golden touch of coconut and the tender allure of a zesty lime cake, all intricately presented in a stunning Bundt form.”

Nadiya 

Ingredients:

• For the coconut
• butter, for greasing
• 2–3 tbsp plain flour, for dusting
• 150g/5½oz desiccated coconut
• 397g tin condensed milk
• For the cake
• 1½ tsp fennel seeds
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 8 medium eggs
• 250g/9oz soft brown sugar
• 4 limes, zest only
• 250g/9oz self-raising flour, sifted

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Method:

1. Start by greasing the inside of a 2.8-litre bundt tin. Grease all the nooks well – more is more where this greasing is concerned. Add a few tablespoons of flour into the tin and turn the tin around so the butter catches the flour and coats the tin.
2. Pop the coconut into a non-stick frying pan and toast until lightly golden. Put the coconut into a bowl, pour in the condensed milk and mix. Pour the mixture into an even layer in the base of the bundt tin.
3. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½.
4. In a saucepan, toast the fennel seeds. When aromatic, put them in a pestle and mortar and roughly grind.
5. To make the cake, put the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ground fennel seeds and lime zest into a large bowl. Mix using an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Fold in the flour until you have a smooth batter.
6. Pour the batter over the coconut mixture and bake for 45–50 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7. When you take the cake out of the oven, leave it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then tip out onto a serving plate. It is best served while still warm.

Keema plate pie

The flavorful spiced keema blend is traditionally savored as a filling in samosas or spring rolls. However, it’s equally delectable when used as a filling in a pie, offering a delightful twist to classic pastry dishes.

Ingredients:

For the filling

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 450g/1lb lamb mince
• 3 tbsp art masala mix (see recipe here), alternatively you can use garam masala
• 400g tin butter beans, drained
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• small handful fresh coriander

For the pastry

• 2 x 320g packs ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• pinch rock salt

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Method:

1. Begin by making the filling to ensure it has enough time to cool after cooking.
2. Pour the oil into a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook gently until golden. Add the onion, salt, mince and the art masala mix and cook until the mince is cooked through and any moisture has dried out completely.
3. Take the drained butter beans, pour into a bowl and squash the beans using the back of a fork until completely mushed up. Add to the mince and mix well until you have a mixture that kind of comes together. Leave to cool completely.
4. Now, onto the pastry. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and put a baking tray in the oven to heat up.
5. Lightly grease a 23cm/9in plate pie dish or a deep oven-safe dinner plate. Take one sheet of pastry and roll out until a little thinner and large enough to cover the base of the dish with some overhang. Trim off any excess overhang, leaving a 1cm/½in rim around the edge.
6. Mix the spring onion and coriander through the filling. Add the filling to the dish and level off the top.
7. Take the second pastry sheet and again roll out until thinner and cut into a circle large enough to fit the pie top with an overhang of about 1cm/½in. Brush the edges of the pastry in the dish very lightly with the beaten egg and add your pastry lid on top. Press along the seam so the pastry base and lid meet and stick. Tuck the pastry inwards and under itself all the way around and pinch (using your fingers or a fork) all along the edges.
8. Brush all over with beaten egg, sprinkle over the chilli powder and rock salt and then brush again. Bake on the preheated tray for 45–50 minutes until golden on top and the pastry cooked through.
9. Take out and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then serve straight out of the plate in big wedges.

Roast Potatoes with Tamarind and Turmeric for Tangy Crunch

For a side dish that adds fun flair alongside the main event, Nadiya shares her recipe for zesty roast potatoes punched up with tamarind and turmeric. Starting with plain tubers, she whips up not one but two instant spice mixes to coat and season as they cook. The result is crisp, golden spuds swathed in distinct layers of flavor.

Tantalizing Tamarind Coating

Tamarind paste mixed with garlic, onion, tomato, coriander, cumin, and chilli makes a sticky glaze to slather on raw potato chunks. Baking renders the tamarind mixture into a tangy, savory crust amplifying the caramelized potato goodness within. A sprinkling of chili flakes provides final punctuation with tiny bursts of heat.

Turmeric Infusion for Vibrant Color and Flavor

In tandem, Nadiya tosses peeled potato cubes in a sunny turmeric mixture. Tomato paste, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and coriander permeate the potatoes during roasting to create an intensely aromatic, golden interior. The turmeric also adds its anti-inflammatory superpowers to make this side dish as healthy as it is delicious.

Crisp Outside, Flavor-Packed Inside

Thanks to the double coating, these roast potatoes deliver crunch and bursting flavor in every bite. The tamarind glaze develops irresistible crispness and complex flavor on the exterior. Inside, the turmeric blend infuses each morsel with its vibrant hue and warm, earthy notes.

When served up alongside the rich pie, the potatoes make an ideal palate-cleanser with their tart, crunchy contrast. Their dynamic spices and colors invigorate the spread, underscoring how just a sprinkle of Nadiya’s special mixes can transform ordinary vegetables into extraordinary.

Zingy Art Masala Chicken for a Fresh, Flavorful Main

For gatherings in warmer months, Nadiya provides a lighter yet totally lively main in her recipe for Zingy Art Masala Chicken. Boneless chicken breast simmered in a yogurt-based marinade emerges tender and infused with the spices’ succulent savor. Served over a cooling cucumber salad, it’s a fresh and fruity foil to heartier options.

Zesty Yogurt Marinade Does Double Duty

The marinade pulling double duty as a sauce makes this chicken dish a cinch. Nadiya blends yogurt with tomato paste, lemon juice, ginger, and garam masala for a marinade that clings to the meat during its bath. Garam masala’s warming blend of cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and black pepper flavors the chicken from the inside out.

After marinating for maximum infusion, the chicken is simmered just until cooked through. The yogurt mixture releases to form a bright, creamy sauce ready to drizzle over the chicken or use as a dressing for the salad base.

A Salad Foundation for Cool Contrast

While the chicken grillls, Nadiya tosses up an easy salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion. Their cool crispness and tangy-fresh flavors contrast the savory warmth of the curry-spiced chicken. Scraped carrot ribbons add color and natural sweetness to tie everything together.

To assemble, she arranges the grilled chicken over the dressed salad for a feast that pops with varied tastes, textures, temperatures, and colors. It’s light yet completely satisfying thanks to the bounty of spices in each bite.

Made for Laid-back Get-Togethers in the Round

This fresh and fruity chicken dish is ideal for informal gatherings on balmy days. It can be served family-style on large platters for a communal vibe. The zesty, summery flavors paired with cooling salads invite lingering around the table with friends.

As a lighter main, it allows guests to sample multiple options without getting overly weighed down. It also satisfies on nutritional fronts with lean protein, veggies, and yogurt’s gut-healthy probiotics. Spice-rubbed meats always add excitement to a spread, but this recipe skips lengthy marinating so can be pulled together just before guests arrive.

Bundt Cake Perfected with Coconut and Fennel

No get-together is complete without something sweet. For a dessert that’s fit for a special occasion yet easy as can be, Nadiya shares her Coconut and Fennel Bundt Cake recipe. With just a quick blend of spices elevating a cake mix, it’s fancy enough for a birthday or holiday but simple to whip up anytime.

Toasting the Spices Unlocks Maximum Magic

Like her other mixes, Nadiya’s secret to coaxing extraordinary flavor out of this basic cake lies in first toasting the spices. She heats coriander and fennel seeds, drawing out their natural oils for intensified aroma and taste. Their inherent sweetness counterbalances the savory onion and garlic.

Once cooled, the spices get pulsed in a blender to break them down into fine flecks. Their tiny size allows them to infuse throughout the buttery cake batter rather than overpower in large pieces. But their mighty flavors still shine through boldly in each bite.

Coconut Flakes for Texture and Tropical Taste

Shredded coconut folded into the batter enhances the transportive flavors. The coconut’s inherent oils make the crumb incredibly moist while providing chewy texture and toasted nuttiness. Its subtle tropical vibe pairs perfectly with the warm spice notes.

Bundt’s Beauty on Display

Baking this festive cake in a Bundt pan gives it visual allure to match the enticing aromas. The shapely cyclindrical design allows the spice-laced batter to cling and caramelize in crevices and curves as it bakes. Icing isn’t even needed for this stunner.

Dusted with just a pinch more toasted fennel seeds, the dramatic patterns and toothsome texture beg to be admired before slicing. The eye-catching shape also lends itself beautifully to decorating for whatever occasion is being feted.

Satisfying Simplicity to Cap Off the Meal

Though fancy enough for grand finales, this Bundt cake couldn’t be easier to assemble. With the spices pre-toasted and mixed, it comes together by simply throwing everything in a bowl. That simplicity is part of its charm for casual hosting when time and dishes need to be minimal.

Yet the symphony of flavors transports palates, evoking the exotic spices’ distant origins. With its universal crowd appeal and simple prep, this cake becomes the celebration for any get-together.

Shoofly Pie for Time-Honored Nostalgia

While Nadiya’s recipes deliver contemporary twists, no get-together is complete without at least one traditional dish. Food writer Gurdeep Loyal honors his family’s roots by baking his mother’s favorite Shoofly Pie from Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. This molasses-rich custard in a crumb topping is nostalgia in pie form.

Ajwain Adds Savory Smack Among Sweet Spices

Pennsylvania Dutch desserts highlight molasses and warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. But Gurdeep adds a surprise to the crumb topping – ajwain seeds. Ajwain has an anise-like aroma despite being unrelated botanically.

In Shoofly pie, its addition lends subtle savory notes that play beautifully with the treacly filling. Almost unknown outside Indian cuisine, ajwain shows how incorporating new-to-you spices can enhance even well-loved classics.

A Custard Core Rich with Molasses

Molasses gives Shoofly pie its signature flavor and fudgy texture. Dark brown sugar adds caramel tones while vinegar and baking soda react as leaveners to make the filling puff up when baked. Mixed into an egg custard, it bakes into a pudding-like consistency – thick, sticky, and extra decadent.

The Best Part is Getting Crummy

What makes Shoofly pie even more unique is the crumb topping that covers the molasses custard. A mix of flour, butter, and brown sugar bakes into sweet crispness reminiscent of streusel. The crumbs add complementary flavor notes and welcome crunch to offset the dense custard.

A Nostalgic Taste of Amish Tradition

For Pennsylvania Dutch communities, this pie represented ingenious frugality. When molasses became widely available in America as a canning byproduct, thrifty cooks mixed it into egg puddings to create delicious desserts. The crumb topping stretched costly flour further.

Today, Shoofly pie remains a staple at Amish gatherings and community meals. Gurdeep’s mother has Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry, so the pie taps into fond family memories. Bringing an ancestral recipe to share is like gifting everyone a taste of personal tradition.

Simplicity with Sociability Built In

Like Nadiya’s easygoing recipes, Shoofly pie comes together by simply dumping ingredients in a bowl. But its cherished place in Americana gives it meaning that transcends the sum of its parts. Bringing it to a gathering is an invitation for friends to linger over seconds and trade stories just as families have for generations.

Conclusion

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