An assortment of pineapple, shrimp, colourful vegetables and tangy, spicy chicken are spun around oriental flavours by Chef Zakir, while the entire menu gets a Hawaiian twist when spicy, grilled shrimp and zesty Kung Pao chicken are rounded off with a sweetly tropical and richly delicious, pineapple chiffon pie. The essence being on a quickly prepared, light yet complete meal.

Pineapple chiffon pie

Ingredients

Pineapple 1 cup

Gelatin powder 2 tbsp

Sugar ½ cup

Icing sugar 2 tbsp

Water 1 cup

Egg white 2

Lemon juice 4 tbsp

Fresh cream 1 cup

Method

Dissolve sugar in boiling water and add gelatin powder. Let it cool. Beat eggs to a foam in another bowl. Add the sugar syrup to this foam and beat some more. In a glass dish, make a base layer of chopped pineapples, topped by a layer of sugar syrup. Add icing sugar to fresh cream and mix well. Add a layer of this mixture on top of the sugar syrup and chopped pineapples base.

Garnish with chunks of pineapple.

Country Kung Pao chicken

Ingredients

Chicken 1 kg

Capsicum 1

Spring onion 1

Water 1 cup

Dry red chillies 4-5

Garlic 6 cloves

Ginger 1 medium-sized piece

Cornflour 1tbsp

Soya sauce 2 tbsp

Oil 3-4 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Method

Heat some oil in a pan. Add garlic cloves, ginger pieces and dry red chillies, and stir fry. Add chicken in it. When the colour of the chicken changes, add capsicum pieces, spring onions, soya sauce and one cup of water. As it comes to a boil, pour some cornflour in it and let it cook for a further five minutes.

Tasty Country Kung Pao chicken is ready.

Indonesian grilled prawns

Ingredients

Jumbo prawns 300gm

Yogurt 1 cup

Egg 1

Carom seeds 1 tsp

Garam masala powder 1 tsp

Red chilli powder 1 tbsp

Red hot pepper 1 tbsp

Turmeric 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp

Fresh cream 2 tbsp

Lemon juice 2 tbsp

Crushed coriander leaves as required

Salt as per taste

Method

In a bowl, mix together the ginger garlic paste, egg, salt, lemon juice, carom seeds, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, red pepper, some turmeric, crushed coriander powder, fresh cream and yoghurt. Marinate prawns in this paste for 15-20 minutes. Grill the prawns on a heated grill pan.

Tasty Indonesian grilled prawns are ready.

Steamed fish with ginger sauce

Ingredients

Fish ½ kg

Ginger 1

Spring onions 1

Green chillies 4

Lemon 2

Cornflour ½ cup

Black pepper as per taste

Salt as per taste

Oil 4 tbsp

Water ½ cup

Method

Marinate fish with salt and black pepper and put it in a steamer pan. Take another pan and stir-fry green chillies and ginger. Add half-a-cup of water and spring onions. Let it come to a boil and add some cornflour. Cook for a minute or two until sauce thickens to the desired consistency.

Serve the steamed fish with ginger sauce.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 17th, 2016