The Religious Cooking Menu

Do you want your cooking to be heavenly sent?

Have many of your dinner guests have been reincarnated accidently because of your cooking?

How many of your friends have used ‘fasting’ as an excuse not to come over for dinner?

Well why don’t you try some religious cooking recipes!

Each recipe derives from particular religion or religious festival.

Learn….

• How to cook • About where the recipe comes from

• Why it is used in that particular religion

How can cooking help my child's learning?

Cooking is a great activity to teach children how to follow instructions. Can they read or listen to

the instructions? Do they understand the importance of doing the steps in the right order?

Cooking is part of the National Curriculum and is taught as part of design and technology.

Teaching your child to cook can help them meet the aims for their year group.

Taking part in cooking will also help your child with maths as they weigh, measure and count

the ingredients.

1. Tip the flour into a bowl and stir in the salt, mixed spice and sugar. 2. Rub in the butter with your fingertips. Stir in the dried fruit, then sprinkle over the yeast and stir in. Gently warm the milk so it is hot, but still cool enough to put your finger in for a couple of seconds. Beat with the eggs, then pour into the dried ingredients. 3. Using a blunt knife, mix the ingredients to a moist dough, then leave to soak for 5 mins. Take out of the bowl and cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. 4. Shape the dough into buns on a floured surface. Space apart on a baking sheet, cover loosely with cling film, then leave in a warm place until half again in size. This will take 45 mins-1 hr 15 mins, depending on how warm the room is. 5. When the buns are risen, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Mix the flour with 2 tbsp water to make a paste. Pour into a plastic food bag and make a nick in one of the corners. Pipe crosses on top of each bun. 6. Bake for 12-15 mins until risen and golden. Trim the excess cross mixture from the buns, then brush all

over with honey or golden syrup. The buns will keep fresh for a day. After that they are best toasted and served with butter.

Christianity

Hot Cross Bun Recipe

What is a hot cross bun?

A hot cross bun is a sweet, spiced bun. It is made with dough and fruit and has a cross on top. The cross represents the crucifixion of Jesus and the spices signify the spices used

to embalm him at his burial. Hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday during Easter.

Ingredients

For the buns

• 500g strong white bread flour

• ½ tsp salt • 2 heaped tsp

mix spice • 50g caster • 50g butter,

chopped • 200g mixed dry

fruit • 7g easy-bled

dried yeast • 200ml milk • 2 eggs

For the cross

• 3tbsp of plain flour

• Honey or golden syryp

1. Grate potatoes and onion on the fine side of a

grater, or in a food processor; or put in a blender with

a little water.

2. Strain grated potatoes and onion through a

colander, pressing out excess water. Add eggs, flour,

and seasoning. Mix well.

3. Heat ½ cup oil in skillet. Lower flame and place 1

large tablespoon batter at a time into hot sizzling oil and fry on

one side for approximately 5 minutes until golden brown. Turnover

and fry on other side 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.

Continue with remaining batter until used up, adding more oil

when necessary.

Judaism

Potato Latke Recipe

What is a Potato Latke?

Latke is Yiddish for “pancake.” On Chanukah, it is traditional to serve latkes (most often potato) fried in oil to celebrate the Chanukah miracle, which involved the oil

of the Temple menorah lasting for eight days instead of just one.

Ingredients

• 5 large potatoes,

peeled

• 1 large onion

• 3 eggs

• 1/3 cup flour

• 1 tsp. Salt

• ¼ tsp. pepper

• ¾ cup oil for

frying

1. To a heavy bottom pan add the condensed milk, coconut, almonds and chopped dates over medium heat.

2. Stir the mixture well over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

3. On to a grease (butter) surface tip the mixture to allow it cool for about 10 minutes or until you can handle it in your hands.

4. Take a small amount about a heaped tablespoon and roll into a ball. (As you can see it's still probably too warm as my hands have gone a little red!)

5. Roll in to some additional desiccated coconut and allow to cool completely.

Hinduism

Coconut Ladoo balls Recipe

What are Coconut Ladoo balls?

Ladoo are basically a ball shaped sweet. Sweets are given to Hindu’s as presents for the festival Diwali “The festival as light”. During Diwali, one of the reasons you give

sweets is because Diwali also celebrates the new year, and you give your friends and neighbours sweets to wish them a ‘sweet’ year.

Ingredients

• ½ tin Condensed Milk

• 100g Desiccated Coconut

• 125g ground almonds

• 500g dates (chopped)

Optional

• Pinch of Saffron

• 1/2 Tsp Cardamom

Additional

• Desiccated Coconut for Rolling (25g)

Buddhism

Tomato Pizza Mushrooms Recipe

What are tomato pizza mushrooms?

Buddhist believe and follow the precept of nonviolence to all creatures which is why most Buddhists are vegetarians or vegans. Which is why most of their recipes are

vegetarian or vegan. During the festival of Vesak (Buddha’s birthday), which is the most important festival in Buddhism, Buddhists share food with friends and

neighbours, chant, meditation, reflect on Buddha’s teachings and go and bring offerings to the temple.

Ingredients

• 12 mushrooms • 3 tbsp of

tomato paste • 3 tbsp water • 1 tbsp olive oil • ½ tsp sugar • ½ tsp salt • ½ tsp dried

basil • Mozzarella or

vegan mozzarella

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C)

2. Clean mushrooms and remove stems. Using a small spoon, scoop out inside of mushrooms to allow enough room for filling.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the tomato paste, water, olive oil, sugar, salt and basil.

4. Top each mushroom with 1 tablespoon tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon vegan mozzarella.

5. Bake 18-20 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked and cheese is browned and bubbly.

6. Cool slightly before serving.

1. For the dough, sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a bowl. In another bowl, mix together the milk and oil. 2. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid mixture. Slowly mix together the dough by working from the centre and incorporating the flour from the edges of the 'well', to make a smooth, soft dough. Knead well for 8–10 minutes, adding a little flour if the dough is too sticky. 3. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea-towel and leave in a warm place for 10–15 minutes. Form the dough into five balls. 4. Preheat the grill to medium and place a heavy baking sheet on the upper shelf of the grill to heat.

5. Roll the dough balls out quite thinly, ideally in a teardrop shape, but really this is just aesthetic. Sprinkle over your chosen topping and press into the surface of the dough. Place the naans onto the hot baking sheet and grill for 1–2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Brush with butter and serve hot.

Sikhism

Naan bread Recipe

What is Naan bread?

Naan bread is a type of bread that is eaten usually with a curry during a Sikhs everyday life or at the festival of Baisakhi.

Baisakhi (or Vaisakhi) is a double celebration to mark the harvest festival and Sikh New Year. Celebrate nature's bounty with vegetable dishes and simply prepared

dals.

Ingredients

• 250g/9oz plain flour

• 2 tsp sugar • ½ tsp salt • ½ tsp baking

powder • 120ml milk • 2 tbsp

vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing

Optional

• nigella seeds, poppy seeds or sesame seeds, or chopped garlic and fresh coriander

• 1 tbsp butter, melted, to serve

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Sprinkle over the oil, and add enough water to make a soft dough (about 140ml/4½fl oz) – add a little more flour or water if needed. Knead gently until smooth. Cover and leave to rest for about 30 minutes. 2. On a floured work surface, divide the dough into six equal pieces and roll each one into a thin circle about the thickness of a 20 pence coin (about 2mm), using a rolling pin. 3. Brush the bottom third of one of the roti with oil using

a pastry brush, dust with a little extra flour and fold the oiled third towards the middle. Repeat with the top third, fold inwards again. Give the roti a quarter turn (90 degrees) and repeat the folding process – you should end up with a rough square. Leave to rest while you make the remaining five rotis.

4. Heat a little oil in a heavy-based pan. Using a rolling pin, roll out one of the roti thinly and then fry on one side until it puffs up and is speckled brown on the underside. Turn it over and fry on the other side for a few minutes, until it too is puffed and speckled brown. Remove from the pan, allowing the roti to cool for a few seconds, then fold into four. Wrap in a clean tea towel placed in a colander until ready to eat. Repeat until all the roti are cooked. Serve warm.

Ingredients

• 225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

• ½ tsp salt • 1 tbsp vegetable

oil, plus extra for brushing and frying

Islam

Roti Recipe

What is Roti?

Roti is a round flatbread that originated in South Asia. It's made from wholemeal flour and water, combined into a dough. It is unleavened bread. It is also known as chapati or

chapatti.

These flat, unleavened breads are traditionally eaten as part of Iftar during Ramadan, or as part of the feast to mark the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr.

Rotis are eaten around the world, particularly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is also enjoyed in East Africa, such as in Uganda, and in the Caribbean.

Hope you enjoyed cooking and learning about these recipes!

Who thinks they could cook this red-hot challenge?

Why don’t you research some religious recipes?

Find out what other food Christians eat at a special festival.

What other festivals do Jewish people celebrate and would I like any of that food?

What other food do Muslims eat at Eid?

What other vegetarian recipes could you eat like Buddhists?

What other food do Sikhs and Hindu’s eat in Diwali?

What festivals do you celebrate? Could you share a recipe to a friend?

You could send in your pictures to your teachers, they would love to see the food that you’ve cooked!