Spicy Paneer & Vegetable Spring Rolls

Although spring rolls are normally considered a Chinese delicacy, these Indian-inspired creations are quite different in taste. After eating some of these crispy morsels at a local cafe, I thought I'd have a go at making them myself, whilst watching the Diwali fireworks going off in my neighbourhood.

So long as you can buy ready-made spring roll pastry, they're simple enough for kids or any novice cook to prepare, but look quite impressive.

• 2 cups (around 225g/9oz) paneer, crumbled or grated
• 1 cup each of frozen or tinned petits pois and sweetcorn
• 1 tsp freshly-grated ginger
• 1 crushed clove of garlic 
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh, chopped coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp chat masala (optional, but worth using if you can find it)
• 10 sheets of spring roll pastry
• vegetable oil, for frying

First make a flour/water paste using 1 tsp flour to 1 tbsp water (this is your 'glue' for the pastry).

Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a large bowl.
Take one spring roll sheet and place a heaped tablespoon of mixture by one corner (see photos above).
Spread a little of the paste along the opposite two edges.
Fold the bottom corner of pastry over the filling and roll once.
Fold in each side of the wrapper and roll towards the far corner (like a burrito).
Repeat until all of the filling has been used up.

Heat a good glug of vegetable oil in a large frying pan, on a medium-high heat. Shallow fry the spring rolls in two batches, cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side. Drain well on kitchen roll and keep warm in the oven.
Alternatively, brush generously with vegetable oil and bake in the oven at 190C/180C Fan/Gas 5/375F for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once.

Serve hot or warm with salad and your favourite chutneys/pickles, or try my Indian restaurant style mint sauce and onion salad.
To make this into a main meal, simply serve with rice and dhal.

Vegan variation: swap the paneer for 2 cups of mashed potato.
Filling variations: to make the paneer filling go further, add two cups of mashed potato and double the spice quantities.
Swap the peas and sweetcorn for cooked chickpeas (chana) if you prefer.  

Suitable for freezing. Batch cook in advance and freeze if you are cooking for large numbers over Diwali, Eid, Christmas or any other celebrations!

I'm adding this post to the Meat Free Mondays linky at Tinned Tomatoes.

Mulled Cider with Pumpkin Pie Spiced Biscuits - Suma Bloggers Network

As I've just been given a jar of pumpkin pie spice by a friend, I though I'd better put it to good use and create an autumnal recipe for the Suma Bloggers Network. I've paired the (vegan) spiced cookies with some warming, mulled cider, both of which would be great for Bonfire Night.

For the mulled cider
Serves 2-4

• 1 litre of good quality vegan cider (I used Aspall cyder from Suma)
• 2 pouches of mulled cider spice (from Suma)
• 2 tbsp soft, brown sugar, or a little more to taste

Put the spice pouches into a pan, along with the cider and sugar.
Warm the cider gently on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the cider is just starting to simmer (don't boil it!). Turn the heat off and allow to infuse for 10 minutes.
Serve warm.

For the biscuits
Makes 20

• 200g/8oz SR flour
• 100g/4oz dairy free spread/margarine
• 100g/4oz soft brown sugar
• 3 tbsp black treacle/molasses
• 2-3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/170C Fan/Gas 4/350F
 Blend the spread and flour together using a food processor.

Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix well to form a firm, smooth dough.

Roll the dough into around 20 small balls.

Place, well spaced apart, on greased baking trays.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes, before removing onto a wire rack to cool fully.

Suitable for freezing. 

Top tips: For any North American readers, this recipe uses alcoholic (hard) cider.

Integrity Statement As a member of the Suma Blogger's Network, I will receive a selection of complimentary products from Suma every two months, to use in recipe development, and will blog an original recipe for the Network.   

Super-Quick Microwave Chocolate Traybake

My microwave mug cake recipe has always been popular with my kids. Now they're teenagers, they can whip up a pudding themselves in record time and have adapted it to their own particular tastes. As they often want to entertain friends and there's a boyfriend on the scene, I thought I'd better come up with a recipe which can me made just as quickly, but can feed several hungry teenagers!

Serves 4+

• 50g/2oz peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 50g/2oz butter or dairy-free spread
• 1 egg or equivalent vegan egg replacer
• 2 tbsp date, agave or golden syrup
• 25g/1oz unsweetened cocoa powder
• 75g/3oz SR flour
• 50g/2oz soft, brown sugar or coconut sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Toppings: your choice of chopped (dairy-free) chocolate, vegetarian sweets, dried fruit/chopped nuts, chocolate-hazelnut spread, jam, nut butter or a combination of any of these.

Put the butter and nut butter into a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high for 20-30 seconds to melt.
Stir well and mix in the sugar, syrup and vanilla.
Beat in the egg or egg equivalent and finally stir in the flour and cocoa powder.

Grease and line the base of a microwave-safe dish (around 15cm round or square).
Spoon in the mixture and spread out evenly with the back of a spoon.
Spoon or sprinkle your topping/s over the surface of the mixture.

Cook for 3-4 minutes on high in the microwave, or until the edges are cooked and firm and the middle still looks just slightly undercooked. Check after 2½-3 minutes, to ensure it doesn't over cook.

Leave in the dish and allow to cool for 10-15 mins.
Cut into 4-9 pieces.
Remove from the dish and serve warm or cold with custard or ice cream, if so desired.

Suitable for freezing.