Durban - Faye Pramraj runs a novelty cake and catering business.
Her passion for preparing meals stems from her belief that food unites people from different walks of life.
She loves sharing her tried and tested recipes as she feels that this empowers people and helps them to feed their families.
Crispy Tempura Prawns
NB: Use spice according to preference
INGREDIENTS
Prawns (deveined and shelled )
Season with
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
1 clove garlic
Black pepper to taste
Tempura batter
1 cup flour
2 tbs bread crumbs
2 tbs crushed corn flakes
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
Enough water to form a thick batter.
Dip the prawns in the batter.
Deep fry for at least 5 mins.
Place on grease-proof paper to drain.
This batter is enough for 12 to 15 prawns.
Serve as snack, or as a main course with rice and salad.
Roasted Potato Salad
INGREDIENTS
3 potatoes, cubed evenly
1 tbs olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Thyme
METHOD
Cube potatoes with the skin on. Season with salt and pepper. Add thyme and olive oil and bake at 180ºC for 40 mins until crisp and golden brown.
Make a sauce from:
½ cup mayonnaise or sour cream
3 tbs parsley, chopped fine
1 tbs dill, finely chopped
1 green chilli
3 cloves garlic (optional)
2 tbs olive oil
Blend and season lightly if required. Pour sauce over potatoes and add half a finely-chopped red onion. Serve warm.
Black Forest Cupcakes (eggless)
Ingredients
1 cup flour (sifted twice)
¾ cup caster sugar
½ cup cocoa
1 tsp bicarb
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cinnamon
¼ cup hot water
½ cup black cherry yoghurt (strawberry is good)
½ cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Preheat your oven to 180ºC.
Prepare a 12-hole cupcake tray. Add sifted dry ingredients into a large bowl.
In a separate bowl whisk together all the wet ingredients. Combine both and mix well (about a minute).
Fill the cups ¾ of the way.
Bake for 10-15 mins
Icing (option 1)
1½ cups sifted icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
100g white margarine
Cream the butter and add sifted icing sugar.
Pipe on to cool cupcakes
Option 2
250ml cream
1 tbs stabiliser
Ice cold bowl
Electric beater
Add the stabiliser to the cream and beat well.
Core out a little of the cupcakes and then pipe around the top.
Fill a teaspoon of black cherry topping in the centre.
Finish off with chocolate vermicelli.
Apple Donuts
Makes 9
Ingredients
3 apples
¾ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
½ tsp cinnamon
Oil for frying
Caster sugar for sprinkling
Method
Cut apples into rings about 1cm thick.
Remove seeds.
Make a batter with the above ingredients. Coat the apple.
Fry on medium heat until golden brown.
Sprinkle with sugar.
Cool a bit before eating.
Sweetcorn Fritters
INGREDIENTS
1 egg
½ cup sweetcorn
¼ onion, diced fine
¼ green pepper, diced fine
1 tbs parsley, chopped
½ tsp salt
Pepper and paprika to taste
¾ cup flour
½ cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
METHOD
Heat a non-stick pan.
Spray with Spray * Cook.
Beat egg and add veggies.
Add sifted dry ingredients and mix well.
Add milk.
Season well.
Cook by placing about three tablespoons at a time in the hot pan. As soon as bubbles appear, flip over and cook.
Serve with a dip or sweet chilli sauce.
NOTE: To make this eggless, replace the egg and milk with ½ tsp bicarb and ½ cup yoghurt or buttermilk.
Peri-peri pan-fried Prawns
INGREDIENTS
500g prawns (butterflied)
Butter to fry
Marinade
1 tsp paprika
¼ tsp black pepper
Salt
Crushed garlic (skin on)
Lemon juice
Marinate prawns for a few hours. Heat a pan and melt a few tablespoons of butter.
Place marinated prawns flat and cook on high, turning frequently.
Cook for under 10 minutes.
Cover and turn off.
Burfee Soji Cake
INGREDIENTS
Step one
250g butter
1½ cups milk
½ cup dessert cream
2 tsp rose water
Combine the above and microwave until melted but not too hot.
Stir in ¾ cup Klim
Step two
Sift together:
¾ cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup semolina
2 tsp freshly ground elachi
1 cup slightly roasted dessicated coconut
Combine the two mixtures, beat until there are no lumps. Bake at 180ºC for 40 mins.
Garnish with red and green toasted almonds and coconut.
Crepes with banana, cinnamon sugar and Hot Fudge Sauce
Makes 8
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups milk
1½ cups sifted flour
METHOD
Heat a non-stick pan. Grease lightly or spray with Spray * Cook.
Beat the eggs and sugar.
Add vanilla and beat well.
Whisk in milk and then sift in flour. Combine well and make sure there are no lumps.
Pour ¾ cup of batter into the hot pan.
Flip over once bubbles start to form.
I used a 30cm pan. You can adjust the amount of batter to suit the pan you have.
Hot Fudge Sauce
½ tin condensed milk
2 tbp butter
125ml fresh cream
Use a thick-based pan.
Melt the butter and stir in condensed milk.
Allow to cook until the colour changes.
Remove from the heat and stir in cream. Whisk until smooth.
Tip
For the cinnamon sugar, I use ½ tsp cinnamon to ½ cup or sugar.
I keep whatever I’m not using in an airtight container.
Carrot Cake
INGREDIENTS
3 grated carrots
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg (more if you like it spicier)
3 cups self-raising flour
½ tsp bicarb
½ tsp salt
½ cup chopped pecan nuts
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Grease 3 x 20cm round tins.
Beat oil and sugar.
Add carrots and eggs and beat well.
Sift in dry ingredients and nuts.
Mix well.
Put one cup of batter in each tin.
Bake for 25 to 30 mins.
Icing
1 x 250g tub medium fat cream cheese at room temperature
125g block butter
6 cups icing sugar
Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Sift in icing sugar and beat well.
Rainbow-coloured Popcorn
8 cups popcorn (already made and cooled)
¾ cup icing sugar
Enough water to make a thick paste
Food colouring
Make the popcorn and cool.
Make a thick easily spreadable paste with icing sugar and water
Divide into bowls and colour each of them.
Take about 1½ cups of popcorn in a clean bowl and rub in the icing thoroughly.
Make sure you coat well.
Dry each colour separately.
I added a final touch of glitter before packing it.
Faye Pramraj, The Post