To celebrate the new episode of The City Magazine Show, we share some much-loved recipes guaranteed to get your tastebuds singing
It’s the Easter holidays, and while we know you are going to stuff yourself with chocolate eggs and hot cross buns, in between you’ll be meeting up with friends and family for feasting. And to celebrate the latest episode of The City Magazine Show, ‘Food’, we’ve gathered together some of our favourite crowd-pleasing recipes from around the world. There’s North Indian curry, Greek yemista, Italian tagliatelle al ragù and some classic American sweet zucchini loaf. Enjoy!
Manav’s Chicken Curry
If I ever had a tough day at school or work, my grandma would make her signature chicken curry recipe, which immediately lifted my spirits. Her vast knowledge of North Indian cuisine was eventually passed down to me. Soon enough, I was able to create my own chicken curry recipe.
So here it is, my take on a North Indian staple. A hearty, aromatic curry that balances spice and comfort – perfect with fluffy basmati rice and crispy poppadums.
Ingredients
- 400g diced chicken thigh
- 50ml vegetable oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp tandoori masala
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1–2 tsp deggi mirch (you’ll usually find this in the world foods section at your local supermarket – if not, chilli powder works too)
- 300ml tomato purée (or any tomato-based pasta sauce)
- 50g chopped coriander
- Salt to taste
Prep time: 1 hour (for marination, optional)
Cook time: 1 hour approximately
Serves 2-3
1. Optional marination. If time allows, marinate the diced chicken thighs with half of the spices mixed together, and 25ml of the oil. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few hours to deepen the flavour. No time? No worries – you can add the spices during cooking.
2. Infuse the oil. Heat the remaining 25ml vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat for about a minute. Add the cumin seeds and fry until fragrant – a warm, popcorn-like aroma and slight colour change means they’re ready. Don’t let them burn.
3. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger. Add the diced red onion and cook until golden brown. Stir in the minced garlic and ginger, and cook until just starting to brown.
4. Build the sauce. Add the tomato purée and let it sizzle for 2–3 minutes to deepen the flavour.
5. Add chicken and spices. If using marinated chicken, add it now along with the remaining spices and salt. If you didn’t have time to marinate it, add the diced chicken, all the spices, and salt at this stage. Mix everything well.
6. Simmer. Let the sauce bubble gently for around 5 minutes to bring everything together.
7. Add water. Pour in 300ml warm water – adjust to your preferred curry consistency.
8. Cook until tender. Simmer until the chicken is juicy, tender, and fully cooked through.
9. Finish and serve. Stir in the chopped coriander to garnish. Serve hot with basmati rice and poppadums – and enjoy every bite.
Vegetarian option: swap the chicken for paneer for a rich and satisfying meat-free version.
Sara’s Family Tagliatelle al Ragù
Ragù sauce is by far my all-time fave, and it’s true that each family has its own recipe – here is mine. It’s the perfect example of food that is not just food, but a taste of ‘feeling at home’. Serve with fresh egg tagliatelle, not spaghetti, to be truly Italian!
Ingredients
- olive oil
- half an onion, diced
- half a carrot, diced
- 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- 500g minced beef
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- Salt and pepper
- fresh egg tagliatelle, or dried if you prefer
- Parmesan for grating
Prep time: a few minutes
Cook time: 3 hours, plus a few minutes for resting
Serves 4
1. Make the soffritto. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide pan, then add the diced onion, carrot and rosemary sprigs. Stir a little over a medium heat to soften for a few minutes.
2. Brown the meat. Add the mince, break it up and turn so it colours evenly.
3. Build the sauce. Mix up the tomato purée in a cup of water, then pour into the pan. Cook this for 5 minutes, then add another half-cup of water. Add a little salt and black pepper to taste.
4. Simmer. Turn down the hob to low, so it can simmer for at least 3 hours. By then the ragù should be rich, aromatic and tender. Give it a stir from time to tome and top up the water if it’s getting a little too thick.
5. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pan of salted water to boil then add your pasta. Cook according to the packet’s instructions. Drain, but keep a little of the water in the pan.
6. Combine. Add the cooked pasta to the ragù and toss until it’s all coated with the delicious sauce. If you need to, you can add a bit of the pasta cooking water to help loosen it. Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil or grated Parmesan.
Yiayia’s Yemista (Greek stuffed vegetables)
Lucy says: Yemista, which means ‘stuffed’ in Greek, reminds me of long hot summers in Kefalonia with Yiayia and Mary, sitting on the veranda looking over at Mount Enos.
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers
- 4 large beef tomatoes
- 6 large yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, sliced into wedges
- 255g basmati rice
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tbsp of pinenuts
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- Bunches of fresh mint and parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp of dried oregano
- 1 tsp of dried thyme
- ½ tsp of paprika
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- ½ tin of chopped tomatoes
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 and a half hours
Serves 4-6
1. Prep the vegetables. Turn your oven to 190°C and oil a large, high-sided baking dish. Cut off the tops of your peppers and tomatoes about a centimetre down. Remove the peppers’ seeds. Scoop out the insides of the tomatoes to form little cups. Place these along with the potato wedges into the oiled dish.
2. Make the rice filling. Chop up the tomato flesh and place into a mixing bowl. Add the rice, diced onion, pinenuts, half of the garlic, parsley, mint, and half of the oregano and thyme, paprika, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix this up.
3. Stuff the vegetables. Spoon the rice mixture into the hollowed-out vegetables, but don’t fill right to the top! Put the tops of the peppers and tomatoes back on top as lids.
4. Make the sauce. Mix the chopped tinned tomatoes, 120ml water, garlic and the rest of the oregano and thyme in a bowl, then pour all over the vegetables in the dish. Season and drizzle some olive oil over the top.
5. Bake. Wrap the whole dish with foil and place on the middle shelf of the over for an hour. Then remove the foil and bake for 30 more minutes, until everything is nice and browned, the vegetables are soft, and the rice is cooked.
Elly’s Zucchini Bread
This sweet treat holds such sentimental value to me. I’ve been enjoying it since I was a little girl, when tagged along to my mom’s coffee dates with friends. The only way to get me to sit still was a slice of this bread! Made with freshly grated zucchini, or ‘courgette’, it is a fan-favourite amongst my friends and family. So much so, I tend to make a minimum of one loaf per week! Make sure to have extra as everyone will be wanting to take some to go.
You can enjoy this lightly toasted with butter, some cream cheese and berry jam, with some small slices of cheese, or simply plain and warm!
Ingredients
- 220g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 125ml vegetable oil
- 90g brown sugar
- 90g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 60g Greek yoghurt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large zucchini (courgette), shredded
- chopped walnuts (optional, but borderline needed!)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Bake time: 1 hour, plus another hour for cooling
Serves 6-8
1. Prep. Preheat a fan oven to 180°C (200°C for conventional ovens). Line a loaf cake tin with baking paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, sugars, eggs, yoghurt, vanilla extract and shredded zucchini.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry, then add walnuts if using. Be careful not to over-mix.
5. Bake. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for one hour. Check the top at the 30-minute mark. If the top has started to get too brown, cover with foil. After an hour, poke a skewer or wooden stick into the centre to see if it comes out clean. If not, bake for another 10-15 minutes. When baked, leave it in the tin for an hour to cool.
If you’ve got a recipe perfect for sharing with friends and family this Easter, or you’ve tried one of these, get in touch with us in the comments below, or on our socials.
Words and recipes: Chloe Sackur, Manav Pallan, Sara Farolfi, Lucy Antonatos & Elly Young
