Khana Pakana

This is a basic pastry recipe that you need to make those delicious sweet pies and tarts and serve at picnics or parties.

1. Sift flour, icing sugar and salt into a large bowl.

2. Dice butter coarsely and toss with flour.

3. Lightly rub butter into flour with fingertips.

4. Keep lifting hands well above the bowl so that the rubbed in mixture is aerated as it falls back into bowl.

5. This will keep the pastry light and prevent the butter becoming too soft.

6. When flour mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, combine lemon juice and vanilla essence with 2 tablespoons iced water and sprinkle over the surface, mixing lightly with a fork or palette knife until pastry starts holding together in lumps.

7. In the final stages, use a cupped hand to press the pastry gently into a ball.

8. Pastry may be used immediately but will turn out better if wrapped in greaseproof paper or foil and kept refrigerated for a while.