Saicho has teamed up with celebrated chef, Romy Gill MBE

Saicho has teamed up with celebrated chef, Romy Gill MBE to create a selection of simple, yet delicious recipes to partner with Saicho's range of sparkling teas. In the current climate,where home cooking inspiration can be wearing thin, Saicho hopes to elevate mealtimes at home,and transform the way we pair non-alcoholic drinks with food. Romy's recipes will guide at home cooks through the techniques, ingredients and flavours which marry these dishes and the teas together. 

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Drawing from her Indian heritage and her passion for global cuisines, Chef Romy has devised recipes which evoke the subtle and sophisticated flavours of each Saicho tea. Recipes include fresh and delicious king prawns, marinated with tamarind and honey. The sticky sweet flavours are perfectly balanced with the toasted, nutty flavours of a glass of Saicho Hojicha. The floral and fruity combination of the chilled jasmine tea are partnered with the treacly rich, slow cooked lamb with pomegranate molasses and figs served with rice. For a light snack, the paneer and spinach puff pastry parcels are spiced with excitement when served with a Saicho Darjeeling, drawing out the woody spice and a subtle astringency of the tea. 

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Created by husband and wife team, Charlie and Natalie Winkworth-Smith, food pairing has always been at the heart of the Saicho brand. Hailing originally from Hong Kong, Natalie can't drink alcohol, and turns as red as a tomato with even the smallest sip,so she always missed being able to fully enjoy the experience of food and wine pairing. As a solution, they turned to to tea with its rich history and wide variety of flavours,to create sparkling teas which can be enjoyed as an alternative to wine, champagne or prosecco. For all those choosing not to drink alcohol, Saicho sparkling cold brewed teas will transform a good meal into an amazing one - a timely reminder that during lockdown you can still enjoy restaurant quality experiences from the comfort of your home. 

Paneer and spinach filled puff pastry parcels

Served with Saicho Darjeeling 

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Ingredients

250g paneer grated

150 spinach washed and chopped

10g grated ginger

1 green birds eye chilli chopped with seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground turmeric

1tsp salt

4tsp oil

1 pack puff party

1 egg for greasing the pastry

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds once it starts popping add grated ginger and cook for a minute.

Add grated paneer, chopped spinach and rest of the ingredients,and stir it well and cook for 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and leave to it to cool before making into parcels.

Next heat oven at 180C fan oven

While the oven is heating up add roll the pastry and cut into 10 squares and then put 1 tbsp of the paneer mixture into the middle of the puff pastry and then fold into a triangle, press done the edges with your fingers and then seal with a fork. Continue with remaining batch and arrange on large parchment–lined trays, spaced well apart.

Brush the top with the egg wash and bake for 25 minutes.Serve with ketchup and a refreshing glass of Darjeeling Saicho.

Lamb cooked in pomegranate molasses and figs

Served with Saicho Jasmine

Ingredients

1kg diced lamb

170g white onion roughly chopped

10g ginger peeled and chopped

3 cloves of garlic chopped

1tsp red chilli flakes or powder

1tsp salt

1tsp ground turmeric

2tsp ground coriander

3tsp pomegranate molasses

2tsp tomato puree

3tsp ground almonds

6tsp vegetable oil

40ml cream

6 dried figs chopped

500ml water

For decoration, some fresh chopped coriander and pomegranate seeds.

Method

In a blender or food processor add all the ingredients except lamb, oil, figs and water. Blend them into a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add the paste to the pan and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring continuously so the paste does not stick to the pan. Next add meat to the paste and fry on high heat for 5 minutes.

Add water the meat and bring it to boil, once the it starts boiling lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 1 hour until meat cooks and occasionally checking the meat and stirring.

Once cooked leave it to rest for an hour before serving with plain basmati rice and a glass of Saicho Jasmine.

King prawns cooked in tamarind, honey and soya sauce

Served with Saicho Hojicha

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Ingredients

150g King Prawns

1tsp grated ginger

1tsp rice vinegar

4tsp soya sauce

1tsp tamarind paste or 2tsp tamarind chutney

1tsp honey

1tsp corn flour

2tsp oil

Method

Except the oil add all the ingredients into a bowl and marinate and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and add the marinated prawns and cook for 5 minutes and serve hot with a glass of delicious Saicho Hojicha.

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