HBTSR has been in existence for 10 years having started in September 2015. It seemed a great plan to try to make a space to collect some of the lovely recipes that have been used in creating food for welcome days over this time.
Food crosses all barriers and languages. Sitting together and sharing food forges connections and says ‘welcome’ louder than words. Food stimulates memories and sharing foods helps to create communities. Thanks to Bwyd Powys Food for helping us to make this possible in 2025.
In this section will we collect recipes passed to us by supporters and friends. Some may be recipes used by volunteers making food for Welcome days and some are favourite recipes from some of the many people we meet.
Gayan’s recipe. Sri Lanka
How to cook the Dhal Curry
1 cup Dhal (lentils, parippu)
1/2 a cup of water (increase to 1 cup if you find that the amount of water suggested is not adequate to cook the dhal at this stage)
A few of the other ingredients mentioned for tempering above (turmeric, curry leaves, garlic, onions)
1 or 2 green chillies sliced.
1 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 a cup of thick coconut milk
Tempering ingredients for dhal curry
3 tablespoons of oil
A sprig of curry leaves (a few to be used for tempering and half while cooking the dhal)
4 pods of garlic (a few to be used for tempering, add half while cooking the dhal)
1 large onion (a few to be used for tempering and half to be used while cooking the dhal)
A teaspoon of turmeric powder (half to be used for tempering and half while cooking the dhal)
1 teaspoon of red chilli flakes or two whole dry red chillies
1/2 a teaspoon of mustard seeds
How to Cook the Dhal Curry
Wash the lentils thoroughly.
Turn in the washed lentils/dhal (1 cup) to the pan you used for tempering (saves washing).
Pour in the water (1/2 cup, increase to 1 cup if you find that the amount of water suggested is not adequate to cook the dhal at this stage).
Add a pinch of turmeric and a few slices of onions, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves.
Over medium heat, let the lentils/dhal cook until the water evaporates, which takes 10-15 minutes.
When the lentils are cooked, gradually add the coconut milk (1/2 cup) and let it simmer on low fire for 10-15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Finally, add the tempered onions to the curry and mix. If you are serving guests, keep a bit of the tempering.
Once you add the dhal curry to a serving bowl and top the lentils/dhal with the remaining temper, for a true, Sri Lankan presentation.
Serve warm with rice and curry.
Why are Lentils/ Dhal important?
Often overlooked by Western society, lentils are an extremely nutritious food. Extremely high in fibre and protein, with little fat and salt, lentils can be a substantial part of a healthy diet. Low in calories, they also have many essential vitamins and minerals for our well-being.
Suitable for vegetarians and vegans as well as meat eaters, they are extremely versatile and can be added to many dishes.
Lentils have a great shelf life, both uncooked in the cupboard (up to twelve months) and cooked in the fridge (up to seven days). Once cooked, they can be easily frozen.
They are also very economical, a major reason they are often eaten at least twice a day on average.
Lentils are quick and easy to cook and can just be thrown into a range of dishes.
Tamil’s Recipe from Malaysia
(A) Coconut milk rice
1 cup brown rice (measured with the usual kitchen measuring cup, not the rice cup)
4 pandan (screwpine) leaves, rinsed and tied into a knot
4 thick slices of ginger
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
*1¼ cup water
2-3 pinches of salt
• Please do adjust the amount of water as needed according to the type or rice you choose to use.
Rinse the rice in the rice cooker with water thoroughly and drain.
2. Add in the ginger slices, pandan leaves and a couple pinches of salt.
3. Pour in the coconut milk slowly followed by enough amount water to make up to the usual volume needed to cook the rice.
4. 4. Using a spatula, stir the content to mix everything well. Cover and leave to marinate for about 20 minutes.
5. Cook the pot of rice as usual. Once done, fluff the rice using the spatula to let excess moisture escape. The grains should hold together ever so lightly. Cover, and let rest for at least another 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
B Sambal
Ingredients
For Sambal:
▢ Small onion – 10
▢ Onion – 1 chopped
▢ Dry Red Chillies – 10 to 15
▢ Ginger – 1 small pieces
▢ Garlic – 6
▢ Lemon Grass – 1
▢ Salt to taste
▢ Palm Sugar – 4 tblsp
▢ Tamarind paste – 2 tblsp
▢ Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
▢ Oil – ¼ cup
For Chicken Sambal:
Spicy Sambal Chicken has succulent pieces of chicken cooked in a spicy aromatic sauce which is filled with lemon grass, coconut and chillies.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
▢ Sambal – 1 cup
▢ Boneless chicken – ½ kg
▢ Coconut Milk – 1 cup
▢ Coconut – ¼ cup toasted
▢ Cinnamon / Pattai – 1 piece
▢ Cardamom / Yelakai – 4
▢ Cloves / Krambu – 4
▢ Star anise – 1
▢ Lemon grass – 2
▢ Kaffir lime leaves – 2
Instructions
Grind all ingredients given for sambal except tamarind and jaggery to a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a kadai. Add in the ground masala and cook for 5 mins or so.
Now add in jaggery and tamarind and mix well.
Cover and cook till oil separates and the sambal is thick.
You can remove the sambal to a jar and store in fridge till needed.
Now let’s make sambal chicken.
Take one cup sambal in a kadai. Add in whole spices and stir well.
Now add in chicken and stir fry for a min.
Now cover and cook for 5 mins.
Add in kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk and cook for 10 mins.
Add in toasted coconut and mix well.
Cook for few more mins.
Serve.
Nasi Lemak.
is a platter which consists of coconut milk, pandan flavoured rice which is served along side with a spicy sambal which has chillies, garlic, onions. This nasi lemak is also served with an additional sides like cucumber, fried anchovies, boiled eggs and peanuts.Nasi lemak recipe is a Malay cuisine dish consisting of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. It is commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the national dish. Nasi Lemak is often served for breakfast.
Marian”s Jamaican Rice, Peas and Stew Chicken
How To make JAMAICAN rice and peas and stew chicken.
This is one of my favourite traditional dishes that we eat on Sundays. Jamaicans traditionally cook rice and beans (or rice and peas, as it’s often called) onSundays, a practice rooted in their history, as it was often the only day off for slaves, and they would prepare their best foods, including this dish, on that day.
How to cook the stew chicken
Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
How to make the chicken stew
Step 1.Prep the chicken: In a large bowl or ziplock bag, add in the onion, bell pepper, scallions,
garlic, brown sugar, paprika, allspice, ginger, and salt/pepper- to taste. Use your hands or a utensil
to stir the ingredients together. Then add in the chicken pieces and browning sauce. Massage all the
aromatics and spices into the chicken.
Step 2.Marinate the chicken: Cover the bowl with a lid/plastic wrap or seal ziplock bag and transfer
to refrigerator to allow flavors to marinate for at least 2 hours or- more preferably, overnight (for best
results!).
Step 3.Brown chicken pieces: Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade mixture, shaking off
excess onion/bell pepper/scallion bits. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium-high
heat. Add a few chicken pieces into the pot, working in batches. Sear the chicken on all sides until a
deep brown crust appears, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Then set the browned chicken aside
and reduce the heat to medium.
Step 4.Add the flavor agents & assemble the stew: Add the reserved marinade mixture into the
same pot and use a wooden utensil to sauté until lightly tender. Then add all browned chicken
pieces back into pot, nestling them right on top of the marinade mixture. Add the carrots, tomato
sauce, fresh thyme, bay leaves, scotch bonnet pepper, and chicken stock. Gently stir all the
ingredients together until well combined.
Step 5.Stew the chicken: Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot with a lid. Allow the
chicken to stew for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, covered- until the chicken pieces are meltingly tender and falling
off the bone.
Step 6.Adjust stew gravy, if needed: Discard the herb stems, bay leaves, and scotch bonnet pepper
from the pot. If you’d like to thicken the stew liquid in the pot, place over medium-high heat. Cook,
gently stirring, for a bit until the liquid reaches your desired consistency.
How to make Jamaican rice and peas
- Sauté the garlic, onion, thyme, all spice, bay leaves, scotch bonnet habanero chilli
until the onion is translucent – about 3 minutes. - Liquids – Add coconut, water, kidney beans and salt. Allow It to come to a boil.
- Once it comes to a simmer, add rice then give it a quick stir. …
- Allow to cook for 40 minutes
Fruity flapjacks for Cían
Busy young people need energy. These flapjacks provide this.
300 g Porridge Oats,▢ 150 g Soft Brown Sugar▢ 170 g Unsalted Butter▢ 130 g Golden Syrup▢ 40 g Dried Cherries or Dates▢ 40 g Dried Cranberries▢ 40 g Raisins▢ 40 g Pumpkin Seeds and sunflower seeds ▢ 120 g Dried Apricots
Preheat your oven to 180*C .
In a saucepan, melt the sugar, butter, and syrup together over low heat while stirring continuously.
Roughly chop the apricots into small pieces with the oats, mixed fruit and seeds into a bowl or any other fruits and seeds of your choice . Mix everything together.
Pour the melted mixture into the bowl and mix everything together.
Line a 20x25cm (8×10 inch) baking tin with baking paper, and press the mixture down firmly. Put the baking tin in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Once baked, take the tin out of the oven and let the mixture cool in the tin. It will harden as it cools. Cut into slices and squares with a sharp knife before it completely cools. Can be put in fridge to encourage proper set.
Ailsa’s Lemon cake.
This recipe is based upon one called a French Grandmothers lemon cake and is so easy to make as the cake can be made in one bowl . I put the bowl onto a set of digital scales and just add the ingredients one at a time and stir in. It’s very popular with my children and friends. Somehow its lighter than the usual lemon drizzle cake and can be served as it is or with some creme fraiche and raspberries or strawberries.
For the cake: INGREDIENTS
- 120 g plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 187.5 g all-purpose flour
- 9.86 g baking powder
- 2.46 g salt
- grated lemon zest, from 1 medium-sized lemon
- 120ml vegetable oil [ about 110 gms]
For the drizzle.
- 60ml fresh lemon juice [ but can be the juice of 1 lemon]
- 90 g of icing sugar or caster sugar
- METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Use a 9″ round cake tin and line it with baking parchment or use a 9 by 12 square tin and give a slightly shorter cooking time.
- Put a large bowl onto a set of scales to measure the ingredients. Mix the yogurt, sugar, and eggs together with a whisk .
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and Lemon zest, and mix together gently.
- Add the oil and stir well. Don’t worry, at first it will seem to separate, but keep stirring till smooth.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cake feels springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. .
- Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a small bowl and stir until smooth. If using caster sugar about 1 minute in the microwave will dissolve the sugar pour the drizzle over eth cake trying to ensure the who;le top gets some. Allow cake to cool completely and serve.
Sort of Moroccan Vegetable Tagine by Ailsa
This is quite an easy recipe to make but harder to write down as I usually make it with a handful of this and that. The fixed ingredients are onions , garlic, red pepper, chickpeas, a tin of chopped tomatoes [400g] and a container of passata [ [ about 400 g] , some sundried tomatoes, some pomegranate molasses and Ras al Hanout and maybe some extra paprika. The variable ones are whatever veg is to hand. I usually serve this with cous cous or rice.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 45 ml
- 1- 2 medium red onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 or 2 red peppers
- 2 carrots
- 1 large potato
- 1 sweet potato or some vegetable squash
- can roast these before adding to a pan.
- 1 tsp Ground coriander .
- 1/2 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger or grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon – I often omit this.
- Or about 3 teaspoons of Ras al Hanout
- 1 can chopped tomatoes 425 grams
- 1 container of Passata
- some chopped sundried tomatoes
- 1 can drained chickpeas (15.5 oz / 440 grams
- a handful of chopped dried apricots or dates.
- about 500ml of veg stock
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or some Pomegranate molasses.
- sea salt & black pepper
- chopped coriander and parsley to garnish.
Method
Chop the onion and the garlic, chop the red bell pepper, the carrots , potato and any other veg that you want into small bite-sized pieces. These can all be roasted in a hot oven for about 20 minutes after tossing them in the spice or fried in a large saucepan in the olive oil .
If cooking in the Sauce pan cook the onion and garlic first and add the other veg gradually together with the spices. As they combine and take on a little colour, or when they have been roasted put into the saucepan add in the canned tomatoes,, the passata, the sundried tomatoes and season with sea salt & black pepper. mix together well and simmer for about 3 minutes
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and then add the chickpeas ,the chopped dried apricot, and the vegetable stock. mix together, well and when it comes to a boil place a lid on the pan and lower to a low-medium heat.
Once the potatoes carrots, and sweet potatoes/ squash are cooked through, about 20 minutes, turn off the heat, add in the lemon juice, and stir well. If adding Pomegranate Molasses then do so now too.
Serve with either cous cous or rice and and garnish with chopped coriander or parsley. .
SRIYANI”S SECRET CARROT CAKE recipe
175gms of soft dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
150ml sunflower oil
200gm of SR wholemeal flour
3 level teaspoons mixed spice
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
200gms grated carrot
110 gms sultana or mixed vine fruits
50 gm dessicated coconut
50 gms chopped walnuts but could use pecans if desired.
can add some grated orange or lemon peel
for Syrup will need the juice of an orange, about 1 Tbspn lemon juice and 85 grams of brown sugar.
Method
put oven on at gas mark 3 or 170* C
Whisk sugar eggs and oil together.
Sift the flour ,spice and Bicarb together and
Mix sultanas, walnuts and coconut together with the grated carrots
Then stir in the egg mix.
put into a lined cake tray or round tin for about 40 minutes but check after 30 – should be spring y to touch and a skewer comes out clean.
Make a syrup with Juice of an orange, 1 Tablespoon of Lemon juice and 85 grams Brown sugar.
stab the cake all over and spoon the syrup onto the hot cake.
cool in tin overnight .
if you want to then you can put a cream cheese icing on top-
170 gms of cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
mix together and put on top of the carrot cake.