Nadiya says: Samsa is a traditional dish often made during Ramadan. They are not like the samosas you frequently find, filled with spiced savoury meat. These are stuffed with a mixture of ground down nuts, sweet potato, orange and cinnamon. Doused in sweet syrup, they are then coated again with nuts. I like to serve mind with a simple strawberry coulis. 

Makes: 7 samsas

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 orange, zest only (reserving the juice for later)
• 100g walnuts, finely chopped

For the pastry

• 150g butter
• 270g pack of filo pastry, ready rolled (7 sheets)
• 100g pistachios, finely chopped

For the syrup

• Juice of an orange (see above)
• 100ml water
• 150g caster sugar

For the strawberry coulis

• 227g punnet of strawberries
• 100g icing sugar
• squeeze of lemon juice 

Method

Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, place directly on to a microwave plate and cook for 10 minutes till very soft.  You can also do this in the oven. 

Take out and leave to cool enough so they can be handled and then scoop out all the flesh and pop into a bowl. Mash to a smooth paste with the cinnamon, orange zest and walnuts. Set aside. 

For the pastry, pop the butter into a pan and melt till brown. As soon as it starts to bubble and brown flecks appear, you have browned the butter. Take off the heat. 

Preheat the oven to 190°C and have a baking tray at the ready. 

Cut the filo sheets down the length and create 14 strips of filo, leaving the sheets you’re not working with under a damp tea towel. Butter two sheets together. Take a dollop of the filling and place at the bottom of the end of the strip. Fold a corner over to create a visible triangle, encasing the filling. Now take the filled triangle and fold over again and keep going till you have a fully encased triangle. Make the other six and butter them all over with any leftover butter. 

Pop on to the tray and bake for 20 minutes. 

Make the syrup by pouring the orange juice into a pan with the water and caster sugar. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer till the syrup is thick and golden. 

Take the triangles out of the oven and dip straight into the syrup till completely coated, then coat with pistachios and set aside.  

For the strawberry coulis, put the fresh strawberries, icing sugar and lemon juice in a food processor and blend. Serve alongside the samsas as a dip or a drizzle.

Nadiya says: Since discovering that my family ancestry links to Thailand, it is the cuisine that sits right beside my Bangladeshi cooking. I am always learning and experimenting with Thai recipes. Of all the curries, this vibrant peanut vegetable curry is one of my favourites to make and share with my family, especially during the Ramadan. 

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the sticky rice

• 600g Thai sticky rice (found in most supermarkets)

For the paste

• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 lemongrass stalk, roughly chopped
• 3 Thai red chillies
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 5cm piece of peeled ginger, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 lime, juice only
• 2 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp palm or brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp shrimp paste

For the vegetables 

• oil, for frying
• 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 1 whole squash, peeled and chopped into chunks (700g)
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 2 red peppers, chopped into chunks
• 2 x 400ml tins of coconut milk
• 400ml cold water
• 100g spinach, roughly chopped

To serve

• 200ml oil
• 150g peanuts
• handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
• salt

Method

Before we do anything, let’s start by sorting out the sticky rice. By the time that is cooked, we will have this curry made. 

For the sticky rice, you need to make sure you wash it really well till the water runs clear. You can use the hot tap water to remove the starch. When it runs clear, drain the rice in a colander that has very small holes so the rice grains don’t escape. 

Leave the rice to drain, then pop a pan on the hob that is big enough to suspend the colander at its rim. Pour some hot water into the base, bring the water to the boil and leave to simmer. 

Put the colander in the pan, making sure the water doesn’t touch the rice grains. Pop on a lid that fits the top of the colander and leave the whole thing to steam for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Occasionally check that there is still hot water simmering in the base. If it is lacking, just top it up with water from the kettle. 

Now let’s make the paste by putting the onion, lemongrass, red chillies, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, lime juice, chilli powder, palm or brown sugar, ground cumin, coriander and shrimp paste in a food processor. Blend the whole thing till you have a smooth, even mixture. If you find it isn’t shifting at all, add a small splash of water. Once that is done, set it aside. 

On to the vegetables. Pour some oil into a frying pan and get the oil lovely and hot. Add the paste into the pan and cook for 5 minutes till it looks dry and it much darker in colour. Now add the smooth peanut butter and mix through. 

Lower the heat, get the squash, potato and red pepper in and give everything a good mix. Pour in the coconut milk and cold water and bring the mixture to the boil. As soon as it comes up to the boil, leave to simmer over a medium heat with the lid off for 30 minutes. As soon as the potatoes are tender, add the spinach in and mix through so it can wilt for 5 minutes. 

To make the peanuts, pour the oil into a pan and get the oil hot. Add the peanuts and fry till golden brown. Drain on to a plate with kitchen paper and sprinkle over some salt. Be sure to use your leftover home-made peanut oil for other recipes when it has cooled down. 

Now it’s time to serve. Take your sticky rice and serve some curry alongside, sprinkling over the salted fried peanuts and chopped coriander. 

Nadiya says: I tried this a long time ago and could not believe that there was mozzarella in a dessert, but we better believe it! Crunchy, shredded pastry with a stringy, oozy cheesy filling, all doused in a sweet syrup. It is mind-blowingly good. 

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the kunefe

• 300g kataif pastry
• 200g salted butter, melted and browned
• 250g shredded mozzarella

For the syrup

• 400g caster sugar
• 400ml water
• 4 tbsp orange blossom water
• 50g pistachios, roasted and chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Start by putting the kataif pastry in a bowl. Break it up and take it apart, tearing the shredded pastry with your hands. Sprinkle over the melted browned butter and make sure the pastry is coated. 

Take a small 20cm round shallow cake tin and arrange half the pastry in the base in an even layer. Sprinkle in your shredded cheese right on top. 

Take the rest of the pastry and place on top of the cheese, covering it completely. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, make the syrup by putting the sugar, water and orange blossom water in a pan and bringing to a boil. As soon as it has boiled, reduce and let the syrup simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes. 

Take the kunefe out of the oven. Sprinkle over the pistachios and while it’s still hot, drizzle the syrup all over. Leave to sit for a few minutes before cutting into eight pieces and serving.