Elite life |
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Seychelles (Seychelles Recipes) |
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The Seychelles are almost unique amongst African countries for using breadfruit in their cuisine. With their position in the Indian Ocean Seychellois recipes have been influenced by Indian, Chinese, African, French and British cuisine. Seychellois specialities include coconut curries, kat-kat banane, chatini requin, soupe de tectec, bourgeois grille, bouillon brede, chauve-souris or fruitbat, cari bernique and salade de palmiste that consists of coconut palm. Daube (made from breadfruit, bananas or plantains, yams and cassava) is a staple of Seychellois cooking. The use of fish and shellfish is common, but all forms of meat are also employed. Tamarind, lemongrass, ginger and coriander are also important components of this cuisine. Curry is also an important dish and is generally accompanied by rice, though it may also be accompanied by fresh vegetables. | ||
Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk Ingredients: 1 medium-sized chicken cut into small pieces 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp Quatre Epices 1 tbsp saffron 2 tbsp curry powder salt and black pepper to taste 200g potatoes, peeled and quartered cinnamon leaves, roughly chopped 250ml coconut milk 2 tbsp oil 1 tsp crushed ginger Cooking Instructions: Boil the chicken in water spiced with quatre epices, salt and black pepper for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the water and place in a pan with 2 tbsp oil. Add the crushed spices, cinnamon leaves and curry powder and fry over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and potatoes and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Cook for a further 20 minutes, until fairly dry. Adjust the seasonings and serve with rice. |
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Chicken Seychelles Ingredients: 1 x 2 kg chicken cut into serving pieces 350 g mandarin orange segments 120 ml mandarin orange juice 120 ml chicken broth 2 tbsp sliced almonds 1 tbsp raisins 1 tbsp tamarind paste 1 tbsp Seychelles curry paste 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp thyme leaves 3 tbsp mango chutney Salt and black pepper to taste Cooking Instructions: Arrange the chicken pieces (except the breast) in a baking pan, mix the chicken stock and orange juice together and mix with the chutney (chop this if the mango pieces are large). Add the almonds, raisins, curry, tamarind paste, cinnamon and thyme and pour over the chicken. Place in an oven pre-heated to 200°C and bake for 25 minutes. Take out the pan, add the breasts and orange segments then bake for about a further 40 minutes. Baste often with the pan juices a this stage and add a little water if the mix becomes too dry. Season with salt and pepper and serve on a bed of rice. |
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Coconut Curry Ingredients: 120 g butter 1 tbsp sunflower oil 2 large onions, diced 5 garlic cloves, crushed 3 cm root ginger, grated 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed (the orange variety) 4 carrots, cubed 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed 400 g chinese leaf, shredded Handful of flat-leaf parsley, shredded Small handful of thyme, chopped 400 ml can coconut milk Salt and black pepper, to taste 1 tbsp Seychelles curry paste 2 plantains Cooking Instructions: Melt the butter in a large pan and add the oil. Fry the onion, ginger and garlic until soft then add the curry paste and stir. Now add the sweet potato, carrot and butternut squash. Stir the vegetables until well coated with the spice mix. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables just begin to soften. Add the chinese leaf, parsley, thyme and coconut milk. Cook gently for a further 10 minutes, ensuring that the coconut milk does not boil and split. Whilst the curry is simmering peel and slice the plantains then fry in hot oil until just crunchy on the outside. Sprinkle with salt and serve with the curry. |
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Daube de Banane Ingredients: 1 vanilla pod, split 1 tsp ground nutmeg 600ml coconut milk 6 cinnamon leaves or 3 cinnamon sticks 3 large, ripe, plantains 3 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt Cooking Instructions: Peel the plantains, cut in half and then half again lengthwise. Place the cinnamon leaves or sticks in the bottom of a pan. Place the cut plantains on top (with the cut side uppermost) then sprinkle the sugr, salt and nutmeg powder on top. Add the split vanilla pod then cover with the coconut milk. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for a further 35 minutes. Arrange on a plate and serve. |
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Seychelles Curry Paste Ingredients: 10 curry leaves 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp finely-chopped chillies 1 tsp ground allspice 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 tsp ground coriander 1 chilli 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp grated nutmeg Cooking Instructions: Add all the ingredients to a pestle and mortar and pound together. Add a little water to form a paste an store in an air-tight jar in the fridge. |
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Seychelles Fish Curry Ingredients: 900 g snapper 2 tbsp sunflower oil 2 onions, chopped 2 tbsp Seychelles curry paste 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 cm piece ginger, chopped 3 tbsp tamarind water leaves from 2 sprigs thyme 1/2 tsp star anise 450 ml fish stock Salt and black pepper Cooking Instructions: Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces and season generously with salt and black pepper. Meanwhile heat the oil in a heavy pan and fry the onion until golden. Stir-in the curry paste and turmeric and fry gently. Add the fish and all the remaining ingredients. Bring the mix to a simmer and cook for abut 10 minutes or until the fish is ready. Serve on a bed of rice. |
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Tuna with Safran and Coconut Milk Ingredients: 1.5 kg fresh tuna steaks 3 tbsp sunflower oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 tsp freshly-grated ginger 3 chillies, sliced 1 tsp ground cumin (safran) 1/2 tsp ground cardamom seeds 400 ml coconut milk A few curry leaves Cooking Instructions: Cube the fish and fry gently in the oil until browned. Take off the heat and reserve. In another pan add the garlic, ginger, chilli and cumin and fry briefly. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer than add the tuna and season with salt and black pepper. Add the cardamom seeds and curry leaves then allow to simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a few more minutes, until the sauce thickens. Return the fish to the pan and allow to heat through then serve immediately with rice. |
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