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Manti

Manti

Manti are dumplings, popular in Kazakhstan, Central Asia and South Caucasus, usually made with lamb or beef.

Ingredients:
– 2 cups flour
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 2 eggs
– 1 large onion
– 300g ground beef
– Salt and pepper, to taste
– 3 tbsp vegetable oil
– 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
– 1 tbsp minced garlic
– Plain yogurt or sour cream, for serving

Cooking Instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl, add water to the flour. Add salt and eggs, mixing well with your hands. Form a soft dough. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
2. Combine chopped onion, ground beef, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
3. Divide the dough into two portions and roll it very thin. Cut the rectangle into 2-inch squares.
4. Place about 2 tsp of the meat filling in the center of each square. Seal the dumplings by gathering the edges of the dough and pinching them together at the top.
5. Transfer the finished manti to a floured plate, and sprinkle more flour over the manti to prevent sticking.
6. Heat the oil and red pepper flakes in a small skillet over low heat for a minute. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
7. Stir the minced garlic into the yogurt and set aside.
8. Cook the manti in a boiling salted water over medium-high heat for 20-25 minutes. Drain well.
9. Divide the manti among plates. Spoon the yogurt sauce over the manti and drizzle each serving with the hot pepper oil.

Banana Fritters

Banana Fritters

Beignets bananes, also known as banana fritters, are very popular among French Caribbeans as a sweet snack.

Ingredients:
– 4 bananas
– 60g sugar
– 2 eggs
– 125g flour
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 1 vanilla pod
– 1 lime, zested
– 1/4 tsp cinnamon
– 1/4 tsp nutmeg
– 1 tbsp white rum
– sunflower oil
– icing sugar 1 tbsp

Cooking Instructions:
1. Peel the bananas, mash them with a fork in a bowl.
2. Whisk in the sugar and eggs, flour and baking powder.
3. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod with a small knife. Add them to the mixture.
4. Stir in the lime zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and rum.
5. Full a deep pan up to 1/3 with an oil.
6. Gently drop tbsps of the batter into the oil and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until dark golden all over.
7. Scoop the fritters out of the oil and drain on paper towels.
8. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve hot.

Shrimps à la Spetsiota

Shrimps à la Spetsiota

Shrimps à la spetsiota is a Greek dish, made with shrimps braised in tomato sauce, feta and oregano.

Ingredients:
– 1 onion
– 3 tomatoes
– 5 tbsp olive oil
– 1 cup dry white wine
– 2 tbsp dried oregano
– 700g large peeled raw shrimps
– 200g feta
– 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
– Bead, to serve
– Lemon wedges, to serve

Cooking Instructions:
1. Fry thinly sliced onions in a pan with olive oil over a low heat until soft.
2. Add grated tomatoes and cook over medium-high heat.
3. Add wine and oregano, season with white pepper and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add shrimps and cook until they’re pink and just done.
5. Add most of the feta, stir it into the sauce, and cook for 2 more minutes, or until the feta is just starting to melt.
6. Sprinkle over the rest of the feta, along with the chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread and some lemon wedges.

Barbecued Plantains

Barbecued Plantains

Plantain, a Latin American relative of the banana, is barbecued wrapped in foil.

Ingredients:
– 2 ripe plantains
– 2 tbsp butter
– 2 tbsp demerara sugar
– 8 tbsp orange juice

Cooking Instructions:
1. Peel the plantains and cut them crossways.
2. Keeping slices together, lay each plantain on a large sheet of foil.
3. Smear each plaintain with the butter and sprinkle with the sugar.
4. Pour over the orange juice and grind salt and pepper on top.
5. Wrap the foil completely around the plantains so they’re securely sealed inside.
6. Barbecue for 30 minutes until the plantains are soft.