The month of Ramadan may be a period of fasting but it’s equally synonymous with feasting. Iftar – the evening meal with which Muslims break their fast – is an occasion for eating favourite dishes and indulging in the naughtiness of moreish snacks after a day of abstaining.
In India, mealtimes are very much a family affair and everything is shared which makes these cheese-and-pastry twirls perfect for making together this half-term (they’re very tempting though so sharing may be optional). They’re incredibly easy to make plus you only need ready-made puff pastry and a handful of store-cupboard ingredients, which make them just right for keeping little hands happily occupied during the holidays. There’s also a cinnamon sugar variation so we recommend you and your budding chefs make both, to satisfy sweet and savoury tastes. Be sure to dip them into hot masala chai for extra enjoyment.
1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry (320g), about 35 x 23cm
Flour, for dusting
1 egg white, beaten
For the topping
1¼–1½ tsp chaat masala
40g mature Cheddar, finely grated
4 tsp chopped coriander leaves
Variation
Cinnamon sugar sticks: For the topping, mix 4 tsp white granulated sugar with 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Roll out the pastry and cut into strips as above. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar (there’s no need to press it in with a rolling pin), then twist and bake as above.
For other Dishoom recipes, please see Dishoom: from Bombay with love, our cookery book and highly subjective guide to Bombay.
Whether you show fondness with acts of service or with suitably thoughtful gifts, the Dishoom Store is brimful of curiosities sure to impress loved ones this Valentine’s day. Do read on for our handy gift guide below and find an ample array of gifts from make-at-home café classics to calming home fragrance. The Home Feast will soon be making its departure from the Dishoom store, (so while you still can) delight in generous servings of our most-loved dishes, to be cooked at home.
“Who wants to see some magic?” Chef Arun calls out. He flings the rolled out dough into the air, sending it soaring above the counter. It spins and twists, a graceful dancer in the air. The children watch its arc, their eyes wide with wonder, until it lands gently back in the chef's hands. The children shriek in delight.
The phone keeps ringing shrilly through the flat. Nauzer holds his head in his hands, palms clamped over his ears. “Beta, the phone!” He forgot his mother would still be here. He can’t have her answering in case it is Devia. He runs into the corridor to pick it up. It stops just before he can reach it. Breathless, he looks up and sees his mother in the kitchen.
Tucked away in a lovely corner of Wood Wharf, Dishoom Canary Wharf is now officially open and ready to welcome you all. The marble-top bar is ready to hold your drink, the textured, patterned (and extremely comforting) chairs are waiting to be kept warm and the hand-painted mural and carefully curated art – from Bombay and beyond – are waiting to be part of your conversations.