With the aim of making cooking at home easier and tastier without compromising on flavour, Manchester’s well-loved Zouk Tea Bar & Grill has launched its first range of blended spices, to give people a taste of Zouk at home.
With a choice of Garam Masala, Chaat Masala, Tandoori Masala and Biryani Masala, Zouk’s spices are made using premium ingredients and are blended in small batches in the UK. They’re vegan friendly and available to purchase both online via Zouk’s website and in the restaurant, at £6 per 60g tin and £3 for 60g refillable pouches.
As well as launching their own spice range, Zouk has also provided lots of meal inspiration – with QR codes on each tin taking you through to some delicious and easy recipes to try at home.
Spicy Prawn Pakoras
The perfect snack or starter, our Spicy Pakoras will go down a treat with the family. Not only are they easy to make, within 30 minutes you’ll be ready to sit down and eat!
Serves 4 | Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
350g raw king prawns (shell on)
2 green chillies, deseeded and very finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed
Vegetable oil – for deep frying
Batter mix
150g gram flour (or plain)
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp garam masala
100-250ml warm water
Method:
1. Shell and devein the prawns leaving the tails intact.
2. Place the prawns in a large bowl with the chopped chillies and garlic and mix thoroughly.
3. Next up is the batter – mix the flour, salt and spices together in a bowl. In your batter bowl, create a well in the middle and add just enough water to make a thick, smooth paste and leave to stand.
4. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting and heat 6cm of oil in a deep saucepan to around 180 degrees.
5. One at a time, holding the prawn by their tails, dip them into the batter mix, coating them entirely. Drop them into the hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown, turning once.
6. Drain on a tray lined with a kitchen towel and place in the oven to keep warm until you’re ready to serve.
7. Serve hot with a fresh lemon wedge and enjoy!
Lamb Biryani
A classic Indian dish, our Lamb Biryani is a real crowd-pleaser. With rich aromas and succulent pieces of lamb, this dish will be a family favourite in no time.
Serves 4 | Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 55-60 minutes
Ingredients:
250g basmati rice
500g diced lamb
1 onion – finely sliced
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of mint, freshly chopped
100g ghee
3 slices of fresh lemon
Spices
6 cardamom pods
6 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
2 tsp biryani masala
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Method:
1. Dice the lamb, put it in a large pan of water and bring to the boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Heat up another large pan, add the ghee and melt.
2. Add and sauté the bay leaves, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick for a couple of minutes.
3. Add onions and stir, after 5 minutes add in the ginger garlic paste. Continue to stir until onions are nicely browned, for around 5-10 more minutes.
4. Add all the remaining spices to the pan and stir.
5. Add partially cooked lamb pieces, tomatoes and 100ml boiling water to the spices and cook for a further 5 minutes.
6. Add the rice and cook for a further 5 minutes.
7. Once the rice is half cooked, add fresh mint, coriander and lemon, then steam, with the cooker on a low heat, for around 15 minutes until it’s fully cooked. If the rice is a little dry at this stage, a bit more hot water can be added.
8. Serve and enjoy!
