Tuesday 23 / April / 2024
From savoury dishes like chicken curry to delicious desserts like cakes, juices and chilled soups for summers, there are many ways to use cherries in our food.
Chicken Curry with Cherries
Take 2 cups of dried cherries and pour boiling water over them. Take 500g of boneless chicken thigh and brown them in 1tbsp oil. Keep it aside. Drain the blanched dried cherries and reserve the water. In the reserved water add 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves, and boil for a while. Add 1 diced onion with a pinch of salt and stir. Add 1tbsp oil, 1tbsp ginger, 1tbsp garlic, and 1tbsp tomato paste, and cook for while. Add 1tsp cumin, 1tsp coriander, and 1tsp garam masala powder. Cook for a while and then add 2 cups boiling chicken stock, the blanched cherries, and continue to cook for about 5 to 6 minutes. Once the curry gets a thicker consistency add the chicken thigh pieces. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked throughly, about 20 minutes. Add 1tsp lemon juice before serving. Serve with rice.
Cherry Fruit Snacks
Take 1 cup of cherry juice, 3tbsp gelatin, 11/2 cup raw honey, and a pinch of seasalt. Sprinkle gelatin over the 1/2 cup cherry juice and keep it aside. Heat the remaining 1/2 cup over medium heat for a minute and add honey and salt. Mix well and pour
over the gelatin mixture. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour into moulds and freeze it for 3-4 hours until they are set.
Read: The Mighty Mix Grill Challenge in Muscat
Cherry Juice
Rinse a handful of cherries and remove the seed. Blanch 4 plums in hot water for 2 minutes and remove its skin. Cut the plums into halves and remove stones. Blend the blanched cherries and plum in a blender until you get a smooth puree. Strain the puree through sieve. Add ice cubes in tall glasses and fill them up with the cherry juice. You can also blend watermelon with cherries and plum for sweetness.
Cherry Cake
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Sift together 11/2 cup flour, 11/2 tsp baking powder, and 1tsp salt. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup shortening and 2/3 cup sugar and beat for a while till its fluffy. Beat 1 egg and add 1tsp vanilla essence. Add the flour mixture and 1/2 cup milk. Add 1 cup cherries and 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Pour the batter in a greased pan. Bake for approximately 50 minutes. Once cool cut into slices and serve.
Cherry Soup
Take 1 can (250g) of pitted cherries, 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch, 1/2 cup cold water, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 cup sour cream. Drain the canned cherries. Combine cornstarch and cold water in a bowl. Boil it for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add sugar and lemon juice. Stir and remove from heat and chill. Add the sour cream and the drained cherries. Keep it in the refrigerator for an hour and serve it chill. This soup is ideal for the hot summer [email protected]
