The Takeaway Secret Recipes

The Takeaway Secret is a paperback book that took the UK by storm in the lead up to Christmas 2010, when it became number three Bestselling Books on Amazon briefly - and the only reason it didn't rise higher is they ran out!

In the UK, the takeaway culture is strong, but the prices are high - and this brilliant book has been written by a recluse, who spent 5 years refining recipes to taste just like takeaways, so he could enjoy a takeaway at home whenever he wanted. He then decided to publish and share this amazing collection and it's like no cookery book you've read before because the food really DOES taste like takeaway food.

At roughly £5, The Takeaway Secret is a screaming success, a brilliant masterpiece of fast takeaway food you can make at home, affordably, easily and knowing what's gone into it. This isn't a junk food recipe book, you decide on the quality of the ingredients, so you're feeding yourself and your family exactly what you want, at a fraction of the price and without any guilt.

Take a Look at the Contents Page, and Buy from Amazon UK

Takeaway Secret Recipe Book Index

The Takeaway Secret Recipe book is available from Amazon and it's so cheap it can pay for itself with just the first takeaway secret recipe you cook, although it is sometimes out of stock, so ebay can be an easier place to find a copy.

It uses common ingredients, without the need for fancy equipment or skills; perfect for home cooks, both novice and professional, to recreate your favourite takeaway and fast-food restaurant dishes in your own kitchen.

Everybody has a different favourite, but most people are of the opinion that the McMuffins and the Doner Kebab recipes are their favourites, so here is the Doner Kebab Recipe from the Takeaway Secret:

• 1 teaspoon of plain flour (all purpose if you're in the US)
• 1 teasooon of dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon of dried italian herbs
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon of onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 500grams/1.1 lbs of lamb mince, as fatty or as lean as you like (but fatty works best)

Top Tip: Once you've made this kebab once, you won't be able to get enough of it, so next time, why not measure out the ingredients (except the mince) and box or bag them up so that next time you just need to add your pre-mix to the mince!  What I do is line up a bunch of paper cake cases and go along adding each of the ingredients, then pour each one into a small resealable bag!  Easy.

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas Mark 4)
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Add all the lamb mince to the bowl and mix it thoroughly with the dry ingredients for 2-3 minutes.
4. Punch and knead the mixture so it's compressed and no air pockets remain; the kebab meat should be extremely smooth and tightly packed.
5. Tip the seasoned mince out and shape it into a loaf and place it on a baking tray.
6. Bake in the centre of your oven for 40 minutes, then turn the loaf over and return it to the oven for another 40 minutes. The loaf should be evenly browned.
7. Once cooked, remove your donner kebab from the oven and cover it with foil, allowing it to rest for 10-20 minutes.
8. Slice the donner kebab as thinly as you can, just how you like it from your local takeaway!

Serve with pitta bread stuffed with salad and sauces.

One of the trickiest things with making your own donner kebab meat is slicing it very thinly. Most people struggle with this, using a knife. In a kebab shop they'll use super-sharp catering knives and will be working on a kebab the size of an elephant's leg, so it's easier for them - and I've even seen professional kebab shops now using an electric shaving knife, so even they must find it troublesome at times to have gone to such lengths.

The first few times I cut my kebab meat as thin as I could, but it was a bit fiddly to do and didn't give me the aesthetics of a shop-bought kebab, but then I had a genius idea and reached into my cupboard for my Borner V-Slicer.

I've got a Borner V-Slicer that slices and dices vegetables and makes juliennes - and I wondered if this would work on the kebab meat - and it did! My Borner V-Slicer not only sliced my meat, but also produced the rest of my kebab filling, shredding some cabbage and slicing onions, tomatoes and cucumbers in just a few seconds.

If you've got a Borner V-Slicer, dig it out now!!

If you're like me, you'll now find you've got a lot of fabulous tasting kebab meat that needs to be stored, frozen and later re-heated.

Storing Kebab Meat

You can wrap the donner meat in tin foil and pop it in the fridge, or use Lock & Lock boxes, which are my personal favourite as they stack and I can easily see what's in everything.  The meat will be fine for at least 3-4 days in the fridge like this.

Freezing Kebab Meat

You can freeze your kebab meat once it's cooked.  Personally I slice it first, which makes it easier to defrost later.

Simply slice your kebab meat, wrap in foil, or pop in a freezer container and put in the freezer.  To defrost, if you've sliced it, you can simply microwave it on defrost, a couple of minutes at a time, turning and separating it as you go.  Then, once it's defrosted, simply give it a blast of the microwave on full power for about 30 seconds.  The only thing you have to watch is that it doesn't dry out, so I tend to defrost it by wrapping it in paper kitchen towel, or in a covered dish with a couple of vents.  Just try to keep the moisture contained.

Reheating Kebab Meat

You can microwave it hot, turning it to make sure it's hot throughout.  Just 1-2 minutes should do, in 30 second blasts and turning it. 

If you've wrapped your donner meat in foil, you can pop it into a hot oven for 20 minutes.

The Takeaway Secret recipe book is filled with all of your favourite takeaway foods - and could save you hundreds of pounds, if not thousands, over the next few years. Become an instant party diva! Impress your friends and family - and save a fortune too!

This is an ideal book for families, teens, students, or hermits alike!

Other recipes you'll find in The Takeaway Secret include:

• Donner Kebab recipe
  
• Lamb Kofte recipe
• Chicken Kebab

• Vegetable Pakora recipe
• Chicken Pakora
  
• Chicken Tikka recipe
  
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Chicken Korma
• Tandoori Chicken
  
• Naan Bread

• Szechuan Chicken
• Sweet & Sour Chicken recipe
  
• Chicken Balls in Sweet & Sour Sauce
  
• Beef Chow Mein recipe
• Chilli Chicken Chow Mein
  
• Char Sui Pork
• Prawn Toast
• Chicken Noodle Soup recipe
• Chinese Egg Fried Rice
  

• Pizza
• Quick Pizza Sauce recipe
• Southern Fried Chicken recipe
• Chicken Wings recipe
  
• Chicken Nuggets recipe
  
• Chicken Burgers recipe
  
• Char Grilled Chicken Sandwich
  
• Triple-Decker Burgers
• Spiced Onions
• Kebab Sauces
• Subway Rolls
• Garlic Bread
  
• Mega Burger
• Spare Ribs
  
• Sausage & Egg Muffin
• Chip Shop Batter
• Cookies
  
• Wraps
  

... and more

Every recipe has been recreated, lovingly, to give you that real takeaway secret taste. All of the Takeaway Secret recipes are simple to make, easy to make - while using the least ingredients and easiest methods these recipes really do turn out just like your local takeaway.

But it's not just recipes, its the extra tips and named brands that make a difference. They recommend not just any American Mustard with the burgers, but specifically French's brand (NOT French mustard; the name French, not the nationality), really being specific is what makes these recipes spot on. For example, when looking for gherkins to accompany burgers, make sure dill is listed in the ingredients.... there are literally hundreds of great tips like this scattered throughout this immensely readable book. And there's a full 150 pages of top, favorite recipes to dip into too!

So, if your favourite takeaway is McDonalds, Subway, an indian, a chinese takeaway, something from Greggs the bakers, a fish and chip supper or a burger or kebab, then this is the book that'll change your life!

Invest in your cooking repertoire, invest in yourself, be more popular with family and friends .... and all at such a cheap price!

Click here to read the Takeaway Secret Recipe Book Index if you're in the UK... and don't forget to order it before they run out of stock again!