Punjabi Chicken & Jeera Rice 3 course meal gift pack Method Instructions
Welcome to your instructions for
The 3 Course Meal Kit Gift Bag
The 3 Course Meal Kit Gift Bag
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Your instructions
Below are your step-by-step instructions for:
- Starter: Vegetarian samosas
- Main: Punjabi chicken
- Rice: Jeera rice (cumin scented basmasti rice)
- Dessert: Suji laddu (a semolina Indian dessert)
Dishes to make in advance.
Filling for the vegetarian samosa - make this the day before. Make the pastry on the day, or can be made and the samosas assembled in advance and fried just before serving.
Punjabi chicken - Make this the day before
Suji Laddu - Make this the day before
All these dishes can be frozen, so you can make 3 or 4 sachets at one time, portion them up, and divide the dishes between your fridge and freezer. At the bottom of each set of method instructions, it tells you how to prepare each item for freezing.
Please note: The chilli quantity in each of the instructions below are a guideline. Feel free to make each of the dishes as mild or hot as you like. Do also bear in mind that the heat from every chilli can vary...it's an art not a science! So you can put in a conservative quantity at first, and taste the finished dish and add more at the end if you'd like the dish to be a bit hotter.
Please note that these method instructions are for your own personal domestic use, and are subject to copyright. They may not be shared, forwarded, copied or reproduced in any format. Any commercial use is prohibited.
To re-order any particular favourites as you cook your way through your meal kit sachets, then simply click on the image of the dish to re-order that sachet.
To re-order the gift bag, click HERE
To re-order the gift bag, click HERE
Starter
Vegetarian Samosas Mix instructions
This mix will make Vegetarian Samosas (a snack served for guests or at times of celebration) for 4 - 6 people.
Samosas are traditionally a dish made to use up leftover "vegetarian curry" (called Saabji). As such, it requires the filling to be made the day before, and refridgerated overnight, so that it is firm, and therefore, easier to handle.
We have listed the instructions for the samosa filling separately to the making & filling of the samosa pastry, as this would be done in two separate stages.
Should you wish to make these samosas for a party, and want to prep as much as possible, you can make these in advance, and freeze the uncooked samosas in advance. Simply follow the process below, right up to the stage where you have all of the samosas filled and ready to fry. For full instructions, see the bottom of the instructions.
Making the vegetable filling (the day before)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Simmer time: 20-30 minutes
1 teaspoon ghee (or sunflower oil if dairy-free or vegan)
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
25g ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 or 2 green birds eye chillis, finely chopped (if you like it very hot, add as much as you like)
1 sachet of Pure Punjabi Samosa Mix - spice sachet (the smaller one)
½ tin of chopped tomatoes (approximately 200g)
6 medium potatoes
approximately 150g frozen peas (or one large handful)
Once prepped, the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli should be small (not at all chunky)...
Method:
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Prep as you cook the onions: peel the potatoes and cut them into small bitesize pieces. Par boil the potatoes and drain them.
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1. On a low to medium heat, fry the onion in 1 teaspoon of ghee (or sunflower oil) until translucent (not brown).
2. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir. The mixture can stick at this point so stir every 30 seconds or so, or add ½ - 1 tsp of ghee (or oil). Cook for a couple of minutes on a low heat to cook the raw flavour out of the garlic and ginger.
3. Add all the spices from the Vegetarian Samosas Mix sachet (the smaller sachet). Then add 200g of tinned chopped tomatoes. Remove any remaining chopped tomatoes from the tin and store them in the fridge for another dish. Keep the empty tin to one side for later use.
Let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes on a low heat.
4. Take the empty tomato tin and fill up a quarter of the can with water & add this water to the spicy tomato mixture. Add the par-boiled potatoes and the frozen peas to the pan, and coat them in the spicy tomato mixture.
5. Put the lid on the pan and slowly bring the vegetables to the boil and then turn down to a low heat. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes (up to 40 minutes), or until the potatoes are cooked (it's ok if they are a little mushy, as this will make for a softer samosa filling). Check the pan every 10 minutes or so, as you may need to top up the water a little to stop the mixture from catching (starting to burn) as some will evaporate off and the vegetables will soak up the rest.
6. Once the potatoes are cooked (almost slightly mushy), adjust the seasoning (if needed) and cool. Refridgerate overnight, so that the filling is cold and easier to work with when making the samosas.
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Making the pastry
Prep time: 5 minutes
Rest time: 10-15 minutes
Filling & Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
1 sachet of Pure Punjabi Vegetarian Samosa Mix - the flour section
3 tablespoons melted ghee (or Vegetarian ghee or 'Crisp n Dry' if dairy-free or vegan)
3 - 4 tablespoons of water
A separate bowl of water, for brushing the pastry.
Sunflower oil, for frying
Method:
1. Tip the flour section of the Pure Punjabi In a bowl, add the melted ghee and rub it into the flour mixture, till it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add the water, a little at a time, and knead till a firm dough is formed. Cover the dough with a tea towel to rest for 10 – 15 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 6 portions. Roll each portion into a round circle. Each circle should have a diameter of approximately 21cm.
4. Heat the oil in a fryer, or wok, over a medium heat. If you have a food/cooking thermometer, the temperature should be 180 degrees celsius.
5. Cut each round into a semi-circle. Take the rounded edge of the semi-circle and line it up with the edge of the workshop (ie. with the flat edge facing away from your body).
6. Brush the edges of the semi-circle with water. Put a tablespoon full of the cold saajbi (vegetable filling) in the middle. Don't be tempted to over fill the samosas, as you'll find that the filling will squeeze out of the sides as you fold the pastry!
7. Fold the edges over each other and press them down. Repeat the process till all the samosas are ready (as seen below)...
8. Fry the samosas till they are golden.
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How to prepare the samosas for freezing...
Should you wish to make these samosas for a party, and want to prep as much as possible, you can make these in advance, and freeze the uncooked samosas in advance. Simply follow the process below, right up to the stage where you have all of the samosas filled and ready to fry.
Then, flash freeze the samosas (put them uncovered into the freezer for 30 minutes, making sure the samosas do not touch each other). Once the outside pastry has frozen, then gather the samosas together and place them in a freezer bag to continue to freeze through fully. The flash freezing stops the samosas sticking together.
On defrosting the samosas - take them out of the freezer the night before you want to cook them. Line a plate with greaseproof paper and lay out the samosas onto the plate (it's important to make sure the samosas do not touch each other so that they don't stick together once defrosted). The next day, fry the samosas just before serving.
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We love to see your culinary creations! So post your dish as ‘Pure Punjabi Vegetarian Samosas’ on social media and tag as @PurePunjabiLtd so we can see!
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How to prepare the samosas for freezing...
Should you wish to make these samosas for a party, and want to prep as much as possible, you can make these in advance, and freeze the uncooked samosas in advance. Simply follow the process below, right up to the stage where you have all of the samosas filled and ready to fry.
Then, flash freeze the samosas (put them uncovered into the freezer for 30 minutes, making sure the samosas do not touch each other). Once the outside pastry has frozen, then gather the samosas together and place them in a freezer bag to continue to freeze through fully. The flash freezing stops the samosas sticking together.
On defrosting the samosas - take them out of the freezer the night before you want to cook them. Line a plate with greaseproof paper and lay out the samosas onto the plate (it's important to make sure the samosas do not touch each other so that they don't stick together once defrosted). The next day, fry the samosas just before serving.
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We love to see your culinary creations! So post your dish as ‘Pure Punjabi Vegetarian Samosas’ on social media and tag as @PurePunjabiLtd so we can see!
Punjabi Chicken Mix instructions
This mix will make Punjabi Chicken for 4 people
Traditional saucepan method (see below for bbq method)
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 35-50 minutes
1 teaspoon ghee (or sunflower oil if dairy-free)
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
25g ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 or 2 green birds eye chillis, finely chopped (if you like it very hot, add as much as you like)
1 sachet of Pure Punjabi’s Punjabi Chicken Mix
20g tomato puree
Approximately 200ml recently boiled water
Approximately 600g of a mix of chicken breast and thigh or drumstick
300g chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces (if vegetarian or vegan you can use cubes of tofu or par-boiled butternut squash)
300g skinless meat on the bone - either drumsticks or thighs. This is because bone meat enriches the flavour and gives a depth to the gravy that isn't the same wwithout the bone. If you only want to use breast, see if you can put some bone in for the 'stock'.
2 or 3 coriander leaves, chopped (as an optional garnish, but please note this really would be a small amount)
Once prepped, the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli should be small (not at all chunky)...
Method:
- On a low to medium heat, fry the onion in 1 teaspoon of ghee (or sunflower oil) until translucent (not brown).
- Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir. The mixture can stick at this point so stir every 30 seconds or so, or add ½ - 1 tsp of ghee (or oil). Cook for a couple of minutes on a low heat to cook the raw flavour out of the garlic and ginger.
- Add all of the spices from the Punjabi Chicken Mix sachet to the pan and stir them into the onion base and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the tomato puree and incorporate it into the onions and spices.
- Add the recently boiled water a bit at a time, to loosen the base and create a sauce for the chicken. Add the chicken to the saucepan.
- Put the lid on the saucepan, leaving it at a slight angle so that it’s not completely covered. Let the chicken slowly cook through, turning it every 10 minutes or so, so that all of the chicken cooks through evenly. It will take approximately 25-40 minutes for the chicken to cook through. It is done when the chicken is cooked all the way through to the centre.
Punjabi Chicken is traditionally served with rice, and is delicious with our Jeera Chawl Mix (cumin basmati rice).
* Tip: Only want to eat 1 or 2 portions at a time? Make the entire Punjabi Chicken Mix, freeze the remaining portions as soon as they've completely cooled, so that they're ready for the next time you want to eat Punjabi Chicken. Don't forget to thoroughly defrost each portion before re-heating and serving. Ensure that food is always served piping hot.
We love to see your culinary creations! So post your dish as ‘Pure Punjabi's Punjabi chicken’ on social media and tag as @PurePunjabiLtd so we can see!
Barbecue option
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 35-50 minutes
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled
25g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 or 2 green birds eye chillis, finely chopped (if you like it very hot, add as much as you like)
1 sachet of Pure Punjabi’s Punjabi Chicken Mix
20g tomato puree
Approximately 20ml recently boiled water
500g chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces (if vegetarian or vegan you can use cubes of tofu or par-boiled butternut squash)
Bamboo or metal skewers
Method:
Cooking time: 35-50 minutes
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled
25g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 or 2 green birds eye chillis, finely chopped (if you like it very hot, add as much as you like)
1 sachet of Pure Punjabi’s Punjabi Chicken Mix
20g tomato puree
Approximately 20ml recently boiled water
500g chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces (if vegetarian or vegan you can use cubes of tofu or par-boiled butternut squash)
Bamboo or metal skewers
Method:
1. Put the onion, garlic, ginger, chillis, and sachet of Pure Punjabi's Punjabi Chicken into a food processor, and pulse till a paste it formed.
2. Add the tomato puree and recently boiled water to the paste, stir till incorporated. Cover the chicken pieces in the mixture. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, if there is any marinade left in the bowl, re-coat it over the skewers. Cover the skewers with cling film, and leave in the fridge to marinade.
3. As soon as you are ready to cook, place the chicken skewers onto a pre-heated barbecue, and cook til lightly charred on the outside and completely cooked on the inside.
Punjabi Chicken is traditionally served with rice, and is delicious with our Jeera Chawl Mix (cumin basmati rice).
We love to see your culinary creations! So post your dish as ‘Pure Punjabi's BBQ Punjabi chicken’ on social media and tag as @PurePunjabiLtd so we can see!
2. Add the tomato puree and recently boiled water to the paste, stir till incorporated. Cover the chicken pieces in the mixture. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, if there is any marinade left in the bowl, re-coat it over the skewers. Cover the skewers with cling film, and leave in the fridge to marinade.
3. As soon as you are ready to cook, place the chicken skewers onto a pre-heated barbecue, and cook til lightly charred on the outside and completely cooked on the inside.
Punjabi Chicken is traditionally served with rice, and is delicious with our Jeera Chawl Mix (cumin basmati rice).
We love to see your culinary creations! So post your dish as ‘Pure Punjabi's BBQ Punjabi chicken’ on social media and tag as @PurePunjabiLtd so we can see!
Rice
Jeera Chawl Mix instructions
This mix will make jeera chawl (cumin basmati rice) for 4 people
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
1 tablespoon ghee (or sunflower oil if dairy-free or vegan)
1 sachet of Pure Punjabi Jeera Chawl Mix ( 1 x rice sachet, 1 x spices sachet)
Method:
1. Empty rice sachet into a large bowl and wash the rice 5-6 times (or till the water runs clear. Once the water runs clear, drain the rice well. You must not skip this step.
2. Heat a saucepan over a medium to low heat. Add the ghee (or sunflower oil) to the pan. Once the ghee has melted, add in all the spices from the spice sachet. Stir and gently cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the drained rice, and dry cook the rice over the heat for 4-5 minutes. The rice will almost become sticky - this is normal. Just keep the rice constantly moving during this dry cooking process.
4. Add 500ml of tap water and stir. With the saucepan uncovered, (leave the lid off), turn the temperature to the highest setting to bring the rice to the boil. As soon as it as come to the boil, turn the temperature to the lowest setting and put the lid on the saucepan.
5. As soon as all the water has been absorbed into the rice, it is cooked *Note: this is the absorption method
6. Run a fork through the rice, this stops it from going sticky and forming a solid clump at the bottom of the saucepan and keeps it light and fluffy. Serve hot.
Jeera Chawl is served with chicken and lamb dishes, and is delicious with our Keema Mix, with which it is traditionally served.
We love to see your culinary creations! So post your dish as ‘Pure Punjabi jeera chawl’ on social media and tag as @PurePunjabiLtd so we can see!
Dessert or Alternative dish
The instructions for your 4th option are in a separate page.