12 recipes that use raisins, with photos, step-by-step instructions and cook times. The quickest, Seeds, raisins and apricot salad, takes 15 minutes. It is most often cooked with lemon juice, sugar and cashew nuts.
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A golden bake of blended and whole sweetcorn with potato, carrot, beans, cauliflower and spinach, tempered with curry leaves, sesame and green chilli and finished with fried cashews and raisins. A favourite for parties; serve hot.
A golden baked dish of sweetcorn, mashed potato, peas and carrot, spiced with green chilli, ginger and lemon, and tempered with sesame, cumin, curry leaves, cashews and raisins. A ketchup and breadcrumb topping goes crisp in the oven. Serve hot as a snack or with soup.
A royal potato curry: halved potatoes are hollowed out, fried golden and filled with paneer, peas, cashews and raisins, then laid in a creamy, aromatic gravy of onion, yogurt, whole spices, tomato, cashew, nutmeg and mace. Make the gravy ahead and add the potatoes just before serving so they hold their shape. Serve hot with naan or paratha.
Oval potato koftas with a hidden filling of paneer, cashews and raisins sharpened with lemon and chilli, fried crisp and served in a smooth tomato and onion gravy finished with cream. Add the koftas to the hot gravy only at the last minute so they stay whole. Serve immediately with naan or parathas.
Crunchy energy bars of oats, rice krispies, bran flakes, pecans, raisins and apricots, baked and then topped with swirled dark and white chocolate. Great for a lunchbox or after sport.
A generous pie of firm pears, cooking apples and raisins with lemon, baked in a crisp shortcrust case under a cinnamon crumble made crunchy with cornflakes. It's fruity, tangy and buttery. Serve it warm with ice cream.
A Swedish tea ring is a sweet yeast dough rolled around butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dried fruit and nuts, shaped into a ring and snipped so the filling shows, then glazed with lemon icing. This version has no egg. It's soft, spiced and fruity; serve it warm with tea or coffee. Cuts into about 25 slices.
A soft, moist cake made without eggs: self-raising flour and brown sugar are rubbed with butter, then mixed with milk and sour cream and studded with chopped dates, raisins and pistachios, with a warm hint of nutmeg and vanilla. Lovely with tea or served warm with cream.
Um Ali is Egypt's much-loved warm bread pudding. Here toasted bread is layered with bananas, pistachios, almonds, walnuts and raisins, then covered with saffron and cardamom milk mixed with sweetened whipped cream and baked until bubbling and golden. Rich, creamy and comforting; serve warm.
A crunchy, nourishing low-calorie salad of peppery watercress, fennel and Chinese cabbage, scattered with sunflower, pumpkin, linseed and sesame seeds, flaked almonds, raisins and dried apricots, then dressed with sesame oil, balsamic vinegar and a touch of honey. Serve as a light lunch or a side.
A naturally sweet, fat-free fruit compote: dried apples, prunes, apricots, raisins and sultanas soak overnight in apple juice with cinnamon and lemon rind, then simmer gently until plump and glossy. Serve hot or cold, on its own, with yogurt or over porridge.
A creamy, chilled kheer of small sago pearls simmered in milk with sugar, pistachios, almonds, cashews, cardamom and saffron, then mixed with a separate milk of apricots, figs and raisins and fresh green grapes. It's sweet, fragrant and full of texture. A party-size dessert for fasting days or festivals. Serves 15.
