How to Make Your Favourite Takeaways at Home

Craving a curry? Fancy fish and chips for tea? If you’re up for a takeaway without the price tag or the calories, consider creating your own delicious fakeaways at home.

Most of us enjoy munching on a takeaway, particularly at the weekend, but it’s not so good for our waistlines.

Here’s how to whip up your favourite takeaways at home, from Chinese and pizza to fish and chips. You’ll be eating your favourite meals from the comfort of your kitchen in no time!

Crispy Veggie Spring Rolls

You can’t have a Chinese takeaway without spring rolls. This recipe creates beautifully crisp spring rolls with a succulent vegetable filling, much fresher than anything you can buy in the shops.

INGREDIENTS

• 400g pack mixed stir-fry vegetables
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 3 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped
• sprinkling of chopped mint
• sprinkling of chopped coriander
• 4 sheets filo pastry
• knob of melted butter

METHOD

• Fire up the oven to 200˚C. In a bowl, mix together the vegetables, sauces, peanuts and herbs. Slice the pastry sheets in half and rub over a little of the melted butter.
• Stick two pastry halves together, then lay out a quarter of the filling in the centre. Coat with a little extra butter and roll up. Transfer to a baking sheet. Use the same process for the rest of the sheets, and brush with a little butter. Bake for 15 minutes until crispy and golden.

Chicken Fried-Rice

Check out this cheater’s chicken-fried rice dish – perfect if you’re in the mood for a Chinese but don’t want all the salt, fat and additives.

INGREDIENTS

• olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• red pepper, chopped
• chicken (leftovers), chopped
• 2 packs microwave rice (or cook your own rice)
• 340g tinned sweetcorn
• spring onion, chopped

METHOD

• Fry the onions and red pepper in a pan using a splash of oil.
• Cut up the chicken pieces and throw into the frying pan.
• Pop the rice in the microwave and cook as per the packet instructions.
• Pour the rice in the pan, together with the sweetcorn. Cook for a further five minutes.

Takeaway-Style Fish and Chips 

Fish and chips on a Friday night are the stuff culinary dreams are made of. Us Brits love this quintessentially British dish. But it’s easy to make yourself, and it’ll be healthier, too. If you don’t have time to make your own chips, new jacket wedges by McCain are a brilliant choice, as they’re already prepared for you. All you need to do is pop the wedges in the oven for 20 minutes or so.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 eggs
• 150g cornflakes
• 750g frozen white fish fillets
• 750g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm strips
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 400g frozen peas
• 50g half-fat crème fraîche
• handful of chopped chives
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

• Warm up the oven to 220˚C. Use baking paper to line two large baking trays.
• In a bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Place the fish into the egg mixture and coat, making sure it’s completely covered.
• Crush the cornflakes by pouring into a big food bag. Seal and smash with a rolling pin until mashed.
• Open the bag and pop in the frozen fish pieces, individually, to the mashed cornflakes, swirling them around so the pieces are totally covered. Remove and arrange on one of the prepared baking trays. Lay out the chips on the second baking tray and drizzle with oil and season with plenty of salt and black pepper.
• Bake the chips in the oven for roughly 15 minutes. Take out the chip tray and roll the chips over. Place back into the oven until the fish is cooked through and golden (another 15 minutes or so).
• While the chips are cooking, fill a pan with salted water and bring to the boil. Tip in the peas and boil for a couple of minutes, until warmed through. Drain and return to the saucepan. Combine the crème fraîche and pound with a masher. Mix in the chives.
• Serve the fish and chips with a generous serving of peas.

Chicken Korma

Craving a korma? Mild and creamy with just a little spice, this delicious curry is great for little ones or those who prefer their curries less spicy. It takes under half-an-hour to make, so it’s perfect for hectic weeknights. And don’t worry if you’re watching your weight – this korma recipe is a much healthier alternative.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 750g skinless chicken breast chopped into 2cm chunks
• 2cm piece grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 400ml tin coconut milk
• 3 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander (plus extra for garnish)

METHOD

• Pour the olive oil in a deep saucepan, heat up then add the sliced onions. Cook on a low heat, covered with a lid, until onions have softened for about five minutes.
• Remove the lid and pour in the chunks of chicken. Fire up the heat and fry for a few minutes until golden brown, stirring intermittently.
• Reduce the heat and add the grated ginger and garlic as well as the turmeric and garam masala. Fry for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Next, pour in the coconut milk. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the ground almonds and chopped coriander and cook for an extra minute or so, then plate up with rice. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Margarita Pizza

We’re a pizza-loving nation, and while it’s easy to head down to your local takeaway, why not have fun making your own? Even an amateur cook can master the art of pizza-making with our foolproof recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

For the base

• 300g strong bread flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for

For the tomato sauce

• 100ml passata
• handful fresh basil, or 1 tsp dried
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

For the topping

• 125g mozzarella, sliced
• handful grated or shaved Parmesan
• handful cherry tomatoes, halved

To finish

• handful basil leaves

METHOD

• The base: in a big bowl, tip in the flour. Mix in the salt and yeast. Create a well, then pour in the 200ml warm water and the olive oil, stirring with a wooden spoon until the texture is doughy, wet and soft.
• Dust a surface with flour then knead with your hands for a few minutes until velvety-smooth. Pop a tea towel over the top and leave to one side.
• The sauce: combine the passata, basil and crushed garlic, and season to your liking. Put to one side.
• The dough: create two balls out of the dough. Dust the surface with flour, then roll out the dough with a rolling pin into 25cm rounds (make sure the dough is thin, as it will rise in the oven). Pop the rounds onto two floured baking sheets.
• Top and bake: preheat oven to 240˚C. Place another baking tray (lined with baking paper) on the top shelf of the oven. Spread the sauce over bases using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with cheese and tomatoes, add a drizzle of olive oil and season well. Bake until crisp. Plate up with a little more olive oil, and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Next time you crave a takeaway, don’t bother reaching for the menu and the phone – try one of these recipes and enjoy a homemade feast instead!

Have you ever had a fakeaway before?
Be sure to let me know in the comments below.
Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram | Pinterest

Collaborative Post

Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2019 Louise Smith