A change of setting Autumn is upon us. Or at least for me. You see I recently gave away everything not too dear to be packed away or shipped overseas before my family and I got on a plane and struggled through long, Twighlight Zone hours of semi-lockdown travel to settle ourselves in my…
Category: British
Curried Shrimp Toast
How curried shrimp toast came to be… As is the case with most recipes on this blog, I must say that my husband, or rather his incessant requests, is again responsible for this recipe. To be honest, I had never even heard of shrimp toast (or prawn toast as the Brits like to say) until…
Chicken Tikka Masala
The Chicken Tikka Masala Origin Story Chicken Tikka Masala was supposedly born in Glasgow when a customer complained about his chicken curry being dry. To remedy this situation, the restaurant chef added some tomato soup to the mix and VOILA! This British-Indian dish was born. Many people speculate on whether or not this is actually…
Cranachan
Release the Cranachan…. This Scottish dessert of Cranachan (pronounced CRA-NA-HCHAN) is not a sea-dwelling monster from Norse mythology but instead a delicious concoction of oats, cream or yogurt and raspberries. It is also one of my family’s favorite desserts which I only make on special occasions like Christmas or anniversaries. Over the years…
Andy’s Chicken Balti
A curry here, another curry there… Compare a local mamak (eatery) here in Malaysia with an Indian restaurant back home and you will be puzzled. Granted, a mamak serves a wide range of different Malaysian foods from three (or more) different ethnic groups, not just food from the subcontinent, but if you fancy a curry…
Andy’s Balti Base Gravy
Why do we need a base gravy for this dish? It’s tough to pick a “biggest difference” between British Indian food and “real” Indian cooking – beyond the fact that one has come through the lens of the restaurant industry rather than the homes and street stalls of the subcontinent. At home, most curries are…
Kedgeree
What is kedgeree? Kedgeree is a British breakfast dish inspired by the Indian rice and lentil dish of khichdi. To anglicize to fit to British tastes, the lentils were swapped out for the beloved breakfast fish that is the kipper (smoked herring). When it came upon my turn to make this dish, I…
Salmon en Croute
It may have a fancy French name, but this dish is all British. Salmon en croute dates back to the 18th century when everywhere in Europe it was all the rage to cover things in dough and speak French. Considering how much the British love things delivered in pastry, this makes perfect…
Spicepaw’s Spag Bol
Spaghetti Bolognese, aka spag bol, is not just pasta with meat sauce but is actually the ultimate comfort food in the UK. For a Brit, a plate of spag bol tastes like childhood and a mother’s love and the comfort of coming in from the cold on a rainy day to sit in a…
Mulligatawny
For a long time, I didn’t know what Mulligatawny was. What was this soup that my husband kept asking me to make? So, I did a little research and found that this dish is yet another British hybrid of an Indian recipe only this time made with added beef, thickeners…
Steak and Ale Pie
Steak and ale pie might seem like one of those dishes that you can only get in a pub somewhere in Yorkshire with a side of mashed potatoes, green peas and a decent mug of lager or two. Where else could people master such a flaky crust, luscious gravy and tender…
Sausage Rolls by Spicepaw
Sausage rolls are edible love What are sausage rolls? Only a way to a Brit’s heart! Nothing says love more than a little pastry of homemade sausage spiced with sage onions wrapped around a buttery crust. I should know because I have been buying people’s love…
Foolproof Minted Peas
Mint and Peas? I don’t know about that… Although it may not seem appetizing at first, fresh peas sauteed in mint, butter and garlic is quite a heavenly vegetable dish. I’m quite a fan of minted peas myself and can not fathom a plate of fish and chips without them. How this recipe…