Spice-N-Tice Meal Kits

I came across Spice-N-Tice when one of my lovely members and friend gave me a very thoughtful gift – Chilli Rocks! Some of you may know that I absolutely love chillies and spicy food, so when the lovely Halimah (@Halimah_official on Instagram, please check her out and give her a follow) gave me this, I was just over the moon.

The chilli rocks came in a pack of 6 different types of chilli pots ranging from an earthy, sweet and mild heat from Sweet Ancho to the world’s hottest chilli on record – Carolina Reaper! Perfect gift for chilli lovers like me and those who like it hot, hot, hot!

Chilli Rocks

Chilli Rocks

The fab people at Spice-N-Tice got in touch with me and kindly sent me some of their Meal Kits to try out . I was hoping to have tried a few of the kits by now but have been super busy with the summer break and have only tried one so far and it did not disappoint!

Spice-N-Tice Meal Kits

Spice-N-Tice Meal Kits

 

I tried the shawarma style Turkish Doner Kebab and even my fussy younger children loved that. All of the spice kits came with a shopping list and a very easy to follow cooking instructions. All of the meal kits I was sent were gluten free, vegan friendly and Slimming World friendly.

Shawarma Style Doner Kebab

Shawarma Style Doner Kebab

 

Keep an eye out for more about these spice kits on my instagram page – @Rahema_m

For a 20% discount code you can use the code RM20. Let me know in the comments which of the spice kits you have tried and is your favourite. Feel free to share the code with friends x

Bassar Mix!

I realise that not everyone knows what bassar is, I didn’t either till after I got married. I am from an Indian background and growing up my mum used a mixture of different spices for curries. Cooking Indian food looked really difficult and it never interested me. Being the youngest child I guess I got away from going in the kitchen too!

When I got married that is when I came across bassar, it was widely used by the in-laws. It makes life so much easier using this ready made spice mix! My mother in law makes her own, I have bought many different brands over the years and my favourite is the one pictured.

I have recently bought some bassar mix from a lovely lady who makes it herself and that’s what I have been using lately and it is the best! I have no idea what exact spices goes in it but it tastes amazing!

So in my recipes where I state curry powder, that’s what I use – bassar. You can get this from most of your local Asian supermarkets. If you are in Birmingham you can definitely pick this up from shops in Stratford Road, Ladypool Road, Alum Rock Road etc.

If you use bassar in your cooking, comment below which one you use. Do you use a homemade mix or buy ready made? Have you come across a good ready made brand?

Pakistani Bassar

Kheema Pilau

Another extremely easy recipe to make, courtesy of Laziza spices! It makes life so much easier when you don’t have the time to measure out individual spices! You can replace the keema (mince meat) with any other type of meat or if you are vegetarian you can use chickpeas instead.

If you don’t want to use Fry Light you can use any other type of spray oil, just remember to count the number of sprays you use so you can work out the syn values. If you prefer, you can use 1 tbsp of oil (6 syns) and divide the syns by the number of portions you make. For instance, this should feed 4 people, so if you divide 6 (syns) by the number of portions, 4 you get 1.5 syns per portion which is still well within your daily allowance.

Pilau ingredients

Pilau ingredients

Serves: 4

Syns: FREE

Time Taken: 60-75 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 500g lean mince
  • 4 small onions, finely chopped
  • 2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • handful of frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoons Laziza Yakhni Pilau Spice mix
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4 tablespoons fat free natural yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 2 stock cubes
  • 2 cups rice
  • low calorie cooking spray

Method

Wash and soak the rice and keep it aside till needed.

Spray a pan with lots of Fry light and fry the onions in medium/high heat till they are a dark brown colour. Keep stirring your onions so they don’t burn and stick to the bottom of the pan! If you find they are starting to stick, you can add a little boiling water at a time. The browning of onions should take around 10-15 minutes.

Add the cumin seeds and fry for another couple of minutes before adding the meat and the potatoes. Fry for 5 minutes and then add the yogurt and the Laziza spice.

Let that cook on a low heat, covered for about 15 minutes or longer depending on the size of your potatoes.

Use double the amount of boiling water to the rice and add it to the meat and crumble your stock cubes in and add the garam masala. Check for seasoning, add chilli if needed.

Drain the water off the rice and place it in the pan. Once the water starts boiling again replace the lid and let it cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes without stirring/mixing. After that time you can pick your pan up (with oven gloves!) and give the rice a good ‘shake’ while making sure the lid stays firmly on. All the water should be evaporated and it is ready to eat!

Keema Pilau

Keema Pilau

 

Onion Bhajis – Pakoras

These are a perfect little snack. The recipe should make 12 pieces, making each only 1 syn.

Makes: 12 pieces

Syns: 1 syn each

Time Taken: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy


Ingredients

  • 200g onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
  • 60g gram flour
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
  • 1 tsp deseeded and chopped green chilli
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • Salt
  • Low calorie cooking spray

Method

Place the onions, gram flour, lemon juice, cumin, coriander seeds, green chilli, chopped coriander and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and add a few tablespoons of water to form a thick batter that coats the onion. Leave to rest for 15 minutes and then, using your fingers, mix again to combine thoroughly.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and, using your fingers or a dessert spoon, drop small mounds of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet to give you 12 bhajis.

Spray with low calorie cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and serve immediately sprinkled with the paprika.