Indian lamb cutlets with coriander and coconut rice

Cooking Time

30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
• 1 small bunch coriander
• 2 long green chillies, deseeded, chopped
• 1 cup plain natural yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
• 2 tablespoons Indian curry powder
• 12 (100g each) French trimmed lamb cutlets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

 

Method

1. Place rice in a medium saucepan. Cover with 1 1/2 cups of cold water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 12 minutes or until rice is tender.
2. Meanwhile, place coriander and chillies in a food processor. Process until coarsely chopped. Combine yoghurt and 2 tablespoons of coriander mixture in a small bowl. Combine remaining coriander mixture and coconut in a small bowl.
3. Spoon curry powder over a plate. Press cutlets into powder to coat. Shake off excess. Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook lamb, in batches, for 3 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking.
4. Stir coconut mixture through rice. Serve chops with rice and a dollop of yoghurt mixture.

Giant Anzac biscuits

Simply put, you won't be able to stop at just one of these giant Anzac biscuits. 

Makes

8

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 125g butter, chopped
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Sift flour into a large bowl. Stir in oats, coconut and sugar.
2. Place butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until melted. Remove from heat. Combine bicarbonate of soda and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Stir into golden syrup mixture (mixture might become frothy). Add immediately to flour mixture and stir until well combined.
3. Roll mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, into balls. Place 4 biscuits on each baking tray. Flatten to about 12cm (diameter) round, allowing room for biscuits to spread. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, swapping trays after 10 minutes, or until biscuits are golden. Allow biscuits to cool completely on trays. Serve.

 

Notes

You can store Anzac biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 days. These are crisp Anzac biscuits. If you prefer them chewy, flatten biscuits to 10cm (diameter) rounds and reduce cooking time by 1 to 2 minutes.

Anzac biscuits with macadamia nuts

Preparation Time

15 minutes

Cooking Time

22 minutes

Makes

30

Ingredients

• 75g (1/2 cup) whole macadamia nuts
• 115g (3/4 cup) plain flour
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 165g (1 1/2 cups) rolled oats (Home Brand brand)
• 165g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
• 45g (1/2 cup) desiccated coconut
• 2 tbs boiling water
• 1 tbs golden syrup
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 125g butter, cubed, melted

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Spread the macadamia nuts over 1 tray and cook in preheated oven for 6 minutes or until lightly toasted. Transfer to a chopping board to cool slightly, then coarsely chop.
2. Sift the flour and ginger into a large bowl. Add the macadamia nuts, rolled oats, sugar and coconut, and stir to combine.
3. Combine the boiling water, golden syrup and bicarbonate of soda in a small jug. Once the mixture froths up, stir in the butter. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Add the cooled butter mixture to the flour mixture and use a wooden spoon to combine.
4. Place 2 heaped teaspoons of mixture onto 1 of the lined trays and use the back of a spoon to flatten slightly. Repeat with the remaining mixture, leaving about 3cm between each. Bake in preheated oven for 13 minutes for chewy biscuits or 16 minutes for crunchy biscuits, swapping trays around halfway through cooking. Set aside for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool.

 

Notes

These biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Step-by-step steamed banana and coconut cakes

 

 These coconut cakes with surprise banana filling is the perfect way to end to an Asian inspired meal. 

Makes

18

Ingredients

• 240g sticky rice flour (see note)
• 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
• 200ml hot water
• 2 large (about 230g each) ripe bananas, cut widthways into 2cm pieces
• 2 cups (130g) shredded fresh dry coconut

 

Method

1. Sift flour into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup (50g) sugar and stir to combine. Add water and stir to combine. Turn on to a floured work surface and knead until smooth. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls.
2. Half fill a wok with water and bring to the boil over high heat. Line the base of a large bamboo steamer with baking paper. Use your thumb and forefinger to flatten one dough ball into a disc slightly bigger than the width of a banana slice. Place over the banana and gently press down to cover the top and sides. Repeat with remaining dough and bananas.
3. Place half the cakes in the steamer, then place over wok. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove steamer from wok and sprinkle cakes with half the remaining sugar. Spread coconut over a plate. Use a spatula to transfer cakes, one at a time, to coconut and roll to coat. Repeat with remaining cakes, sugar and coconut.

 

Notes

Sticky rice flour or glutinous rice flour is flour milled from sticky rice. Available from the Asian section of most supermarkets. Packaged dry shredded and desiccated coconut can be used as a substitute for fresh dried coconut - simply soak in cold water for 10 minutes before using to rehydrate. These cakes should be eaten warm, but you can make them in advance and reheat in the steamer just before serving.