Pizza

Not the best picture in the world,
it tasted better than it looked!

Well it's been a while since I posted here so I thought that I should post another recipe. Today it is going to be pizza from scratch. This is actually very easy, the dough can take a while but there is a very quick version that I will post in the next few days if you don't have the time.

For the dough:

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of warm water (roughly, you may need more)
• 2 teaspoons of dried yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

Put the flour in a large bowl and add the yeast to one side. Add the salt and the sugar to the other side.

Make a well in the middle and start adding the water. Mix the water in with the flour yeast and salt, bringing a little in from the edges a bit by bit.

Once you have added enough water to the flour to create a soft dough, remove from the bowl and start kneading on a well floured work surface. Knead for at least ten minutes until the dough is springy and smooth in texture.

Chinese Five Spice

Chinese five spice is dead easy to make but tastes fantastic. It's easy to make and will really make a difference to your Chinese dishes.

You need: 

• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1 whole star anise
• roughly 10 cloves
• 2 tablespoons of fennel seed
• 2-3 tablespoons of whole black peppercorns

Just grind all these spices in a spice grinder or a blender until they are a fine powder and then transfer the mix in to an airtight jar.

Store in a dark place and use up within a month or two for the best flavour. Add to stir-fried vegetables with noodles or rice for a quick and tasty meal.  

Bengali Potato Curry

This sweet potato curry is dead easy to make and tastes amazing. You can use the panch phoran that was in my last post. Quick, nutritious and delicious, this is ideal for a quick dinner or lunch.

Should serve two people (or one very hungry person). 

You will need: 

• A few tablespoons of oil
• 1 teaspoon of panch phoran
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 2 cloves of garlic
• About 400g of sweet potatoes, chopped
• A pinch of coriander
• A squeeze of lemon or lime
• Salt

Bengali Five Spice (Panch Phoron)

Panch Poron (literally 'five spices') is another Indian spice mix which is easy to make and makes a real difference to curries. Try it in place of garam masala, it tastes lovely!

There is no need to grind this mix but I'm sure it would be just as nice if you wanted to, it would save you getting a big taste of one of the spices when you bite in to one.

You need:

• 2 tablespoons of fenugreek
• 2 tablespoons of nigella seeds
• 2 tablespoons of mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons of fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds