vegetarian

Kale and Cranberry Toss

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Deepa

It’s been an indulgent couple of months largely owing to a cavalcade of Hindu festivals. Starting with Ganesh Chathurthi, then Navrathri and the ultimate excuse for overeating, Diwali. Dotted between them were birthdays, dinners out, a trip to a food bloggers conference where of course there was no shortage of incredible food, and Halloween. In the middle of it all, I’ve found myself actually craving greens. The timing couldn’t be better when I was sent the latest cookbook by accomplished chef and author Annabel Langbein, titled Through the Seasons (ABC Books) after her TV series.

As the title suggests, this is a collection of fresh, delicious ways to use seasonal produce, real food at its best. It is divided by the seasons with each section progressing from starters and salads, to mains and sides, ending as all good things should, with desserts. There are also useful ‘how to’s’ such as making yoghurt and growing things from seed. After my few months of excess, I for one have my eye on the Beachside Ceviche, Cucumber Salad with Dan’s Secret Sauce and the Baked Eggplant with Kasundi. My sweet tooth won’t be able to resist trying the Chocolate Orange creams and Mexican Hot Chocolate. The recipes are complimented by stunning photography that creates the mood for each season.

For now, we have a Kale and Cranberry Toss, a simple green side dish whose recipe I halved and slightly modified according the ingredients I had on hand. What you end up with is orange scented, slightly softened kale dotted with tangy cranberries and the crunch of pepitas. Kale is insanely good for you, and for those of you who haven’t quite been able to embrace it yet, this is a good way to start. Also, I’m sure this one at least partially erases the over-indulgences of festivals gone by.

Just in time for the excesses of Christmas.

*Through the Seasons was a gift from ABC Books and Harper Collins. As always, words and opinions are my own.

Kale and Cranberry Toss

Serves 3-4 as a side dish

Slightly modified from Through the Seasons by Annabel Langbein

Get:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot or small eschalot, thinly sliced.
1 small clove garlic, finely sliced
12-16 kale leaves
Finely grated zest of 1/3-1/2 and orange
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 heaped tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp pepitas, toasted
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Make:

Heat oil in a large frypan or pot and cook shallots or eschalots and garlic until soft, about 2 mins. Tear kale leaves off stems and roughly chop. Add the chopped leaves to the pan with orange zest and water. Cook on medium heat, tossing, for 2-3 minutes. Add orange juice, vinegar and cranberries and cook covered for 1-2 minutes until kale is slightly softened and cranberries are plumped. Uncover and cook for another minute or so until all the liquid has evaporated. Turn off the heat and toss through a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Taste and add a little more seasoning if needed. Serve with toasted pepitas sprinkled over the top.

Spinach, Baby Corn and Mung Dhal Curry + Nourishing Spinach Broth

Posted on October 1, 2014October 2, 2014 by Deepa

The young man always set his stall up just outside the main gate. He would line the steel canisters up on the cheap plastic table, leaving the lids on until the first few walkers would trickle past. The gate behind him led into a paved path, which encircled a large man-made lake called Sankey Tank. Every morning, the sweetly smiling, crisp shirted young man would peddle his wares to the local residents who walked or jogged the popular Bangalore path.

Two large signs rested against the front row of vessels.

Nutritious and Healthy Hot Soups are Available Here explained the first one.

Next to it, the other sign went on to list the options: Hot Ragi (millet). Palak and Methi (Spinach and Fenugreek). Vegetable. Baby Corn. Aloe Vera and Wheat Grass.

In the earlier part of the morning, it was mainly the office-goers he served, confidently ladling hot liquids until he achieved the mixture that each customer looked forward to. They would drink quickly, blowing into their cups between sips, then rush off with a wave to begin a new day. Later in the morning came the housewives and retirees, often in pairs or threes. There was no air of urgency about this bunch and they would linger a little longer around his stall, sipping the spiced, healthful broth and exchanging news.

He wore no watch, but guessed the time according to the regulars. The old man who fed the pigeons arrived at precisely eight am, and left at nine fifteen. There was the trickle of school children that would begin at around 8.30 and trail off around nine. And the aunty who always wore a woollen beanie, regardless of the weather, usually arrived around ten.

Then, at around ten thirty, when all the walkers had walked, joggers had jogged and soup drinkers had drunk, the young man would meticulously pack away his things and head home. Every day he would take pleasure in the lightness of the canisters at the end of the morning. It made him happy that people liked his soup, so full of nourishment. And it made him even happier that the cycle home from Sankey Tank at the end of his shift was always easier than the one he had done in the wee hours of the morning.

Spinach, Baby Corn and Mung Dhal curry

Get:

2 large bunches English spinach, leaves and tender stems only, finely chopped
8-10 fresh baby corns, sliced to 2-3mm pieces
1/3 cup dried split mung dhal
Salt
Lemon juice
Boiling water
Small handful coriander, roughly chopped

For the Tempering:
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilly powder
2-3 dried red chillies, broken into large pieces

Make:

Boil the spinach in 2-3 cups salted water (enough to submerge it) for 5-7 minutes. Drain and reserve the water.

In a large non-stick saucepan, dry roast the mung dhal, stirring continuously until they have gained a little colour and are fragrant. Remove from the saucepan and set aside.

Boil the sliced baby corn in plenty of salted water until they are starting to become tender. Then add the roasted mung dhal and cook until the dhal is mostly but not completely cooked. Drain and reserve the water.

In the non-stick saucepan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds have popped (adjust the heat to prevent burning them), add the other tempering ingredients. Add the spinach and cook for a few minutes, then add the baby corn and mung dhal. If the mixture is a bit dry, add a little of the spinach water. Add salt to taste- start with 1/2 tsp. Stir through, taste and add more salt if needed. Cook, covered, until the baby corn is fairly tender and until any excess water has evaporated (you may have to cook uncovered for a few minutes at the end).

Squeeze in a generous about of lemon juice (start with a tbsp, add more according to taste) and stir through just before serving. Enjoy with your favourite Indian flatbread.

Nourishing Spinach Broth:

Get:

The spinach and baby corn water from the previous recipe
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 green chilli, split down the middle
1-2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt and lemon juice to taste

For the Tempering:
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
Make:

Boil all the ingredients (apart from the oil, cumin and lemon juice) in a pot for about 15-20 mins. Add salt only if needed after tasting. Strain the broth to remove the garlic and chilly. In a separate small non-stick pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. When they have popped, add the mixture to the broth and stir. Add lemon juice to taste.

Notes:

Mung Dhal, dry red chillies and all the spices are readily available in Indian grocery stores.

Indian Tapas: Feta Pakodas (gluten-free, vegetarian)

Posted on June 19, 2014June 19, 2014 by Deepa

This is it. This is when we bring out the big guns. I don’t do a lot of deep frying, partly because of the healthy eating angel on my shoulder, and partly because I’m secretly a little scared of the whole process.

I mean a vat of hot, spluttering oil that you drop cold, wet things into? And once you drop each one in, you snatch your hand away from the hot popping droplets, only to go back for more?

It all seems a bit terrifying to me. Like extreme sports for cooks.

As it happens, the bone-chilling, toe-freezing, stay-in-bed weather we’ve had in Sydney lately drove me towards the very thing I feared most in the kitchen. When wrapping myself in a blanket and donning my fluffy slippers didn’t quite rectify the chill factor, I craved hot, spicy, deep-fried foods with a cup of tea to wash it all down.

Pakodas are a type of Indian fritter traditionally made with vegetables such as sliced potato or onion, or even pieces of chicken, coated in a spiced batter and deep-fried. The pungent saltiness of feta cheese, and as it turns out, makes it an excellent pakoda filling. For those of us turning into icicles, a plate of these with a hot drink is just the right medicine. If you are up in the Northern Hemisphere and are lucky enough to be enjoying some warm weather, these pakodas work just as well alongside a cold bear or soft drink. Use firm feta, like Greek or Australian varieties, as the softer Danish feta doesn’t seem to hold its own and makes the batter a little soggy.

They are best served a few minutes after cooking, so that they are still hot. If you are anything like me though, the fun is in biting into them while they are still shiny with oil, cheesy innards scalding your tongue as you desperately blow at the burn on the roof of your mouth. Spitting out the ball of fire would be the sensible thing to do. You know it would be. But the crisp, spicy batter embedded with sweet tender onions and filled with the salty-tang of the feta is somehow worth enduring the intense burn. Honestly, just wait a couple of minutes, ok?

Feta Pakoda

Makes 20-25

Get:

150g firm feta cheese, cut into 1cm cubes
1 medium red onion
2cm ginger
1 green chilli
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chick pea flour (besan)
3 tbsp rice flour
Small handful coriander, finely chopped
2-3 cups vegetable, sunflower or canola oil

Special Equipment:

A deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan
A heat-proof slotted spoon
A food processor

Make:

Cut the onion in half. Cut one half into rough pieces and place in the food processor with the ginger, green chilli and 3 tbsp water. Blitz on high until you have a thin puree. Do not wash the bowl of the food processor yet.

Finely chop the other half of the onion and the coriander.

In a bowl, stir the flours, onion puree, salt and chilli powder. You should have quite a thick paste. Place 2 tablespoons of water into the unwashed food processor bowl and blitz again. Add half of this liquid into the flour mixture and stir. You should have a fairly thick batter that it is easy to move your spoon through, but it shouldn’t be runny. Add the chopped onions and coriander and stir through.

Set up another bowl or plate lined with paper towels next to the stove.

Place enough oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan so that it is at least 5-6 cm deep. Heat on medium heat until the oil is hot but not smoking. You could start this process before you mix the batter, however it should be watched closely. You can test whether the oil is hot by dropping a little of the batter into it- if it is sufficiently heater, the batter will start to fry immediately and rise to the surface. If the oil is too hot, the batter will cook and brown very quickly. In this case, turn the heat down to really low for a few mins then test again. If the oil is smoking, take it off the heat completely until it cools, then start again on low heat.

When the oil is at the right temperature, add a teaspoon of it to your batter and stir through.

Pat dry the feta cubes and drop 4 or 5 at a time into the batter. With clean fingers, toss the feta cubes through the batter, making sure they are well coated. If the batter is too thick for coating, add a little more water from the food processor. Scoop up the feta cubes with surrounding batter and drop carefully, one by one, into the hot oil. With the slotted spoon, turn over the pakodas every minute or so, until they are a darkish brown (but not black!). If they are darkening very quickly, reduce the flame and wait a few minutes before trying again. When the pakodas are done, use the slotted spoon to carefully lift them out of the oil. Allow the excess oil to drip into the saucepan before lifting them out completely and placing them in the paper lined dish.

Continue to coat and fry the feta in batches of 4 or 5, adjusting the oil temperature as needed.

Serve hot plain, with tomato sauce or this mint yoghurt sauce.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Garam Masala and Coconut

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Deepa

An airport meal is a ritual of mine every time I embark on an international trip. I look forward to that time, after all charms and pleas are unleashed on the person behind the check-in desk to let those extra three kilos through without charge. After that, toiletries in plastic snap-lock bags are placed in trays, boots and belts are removed, then awkwardly pulled on again, carry-ons are hauled onto security belts and the whole juggling act is carried out whilst waving the passport and boarding card at officials every step of the way. Finally, when documents are put away carefully and bags are reassembled, there is a simple pleasure in sitting down, catching one’s breath and either hashing out a plan for the trip to come or reflecting on the adventure that was.

I am aware that when it comes to culinary let-downs, airport food is a close second to that on the flying machines themselves. Food in that in-between land is always overpriced, limited in variety and invariably disappointing. Bread that is slightly stale after spending the day in an overly air-conditioned environment. Muffins that are similarly cold and dry. Slices of ham that are dehydrated around the edges. Scrambled eggs that can be lifted en masse from the plate. Sandwiches whose cost might feed a small African nation for a day.

I know all this, yet I always try and make time, between that madness of the security gates and the departure gates, to sit, reflect and have a meal at the airport. On the way to Florence, I sat at Sydney airport and nutted out that feeling I always have when I am starting on a trip. That niggle, like a tiny stone in a shoe, that I have forgotten something. So I sat, stared at the ascending planes, gathered my thoughts, and dissected the niggle. I sipped my medicinal coffee and chewed on my grilled (plastic) cheese sandwich, remembered what I had forgotten and realised with relief that it was something I could live without. Just like that, I tipped the stone out of my shoe.

It’s been a few days of pizza and pasta now, and this at about the point when I begin to crave something of home. To me, Italian food comes only second to Indian food. I love its simplicity- a toothsome pizza base, a well simmered sauce and a handful of basil, and it is at its best. But after a few days, I do crave a vegetable or two, preferably home-cooked in Indian spices. Green beans, stir-fried the South-Indian way or in this simple curry would do just fine. Or this ivy gourd and coconut stir fry. Or these brussel sprouts, rubbed with garam masala and coconut oil, then roasted until they are slightly sweet. Tender but still offering some resistance against eager teeth. Interspersed with chewier coconut. These sprouts would do very well against my current carb overload, but would also make an amazing side dish, or a main meal with a couple of poached eggs on top.

Roasted Garam Masala Brussel Sprouts

Feeds 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish

Based on Ina Garten’s recipe in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

Get:

600g brussel sprouts
1/2 cup shaved coconut (use shredded if you can’t find this)
4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 tsp garam masala
1/4-1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 lime

Make:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Cut the stems off the brussel sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise.

In a large roasting pan, toss all the ingredients using your (clean) hands, rubbing the spices into the cut surfaces of the sprouts.

Roast for 35-45 minutes, tossing in the pan every 10 mins, until the sprouts are crisp-edged, tender inside, but still holding together and a little chewy.

Squeeze lime juice generously over it before serving.

Dessert Wontons with Sweet Dipping Sauce

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Deepa

It’s not quite a recipe, really. More like an assembling of things to be steamed, dipped and devoured. It all started when I was invited to a Chinese themed High Tea at Four Friends, and I started to wonder what I could contribute given my very limited Asian dessert repertoire. The thought that lingered in my mind was one of dessert wontons.

You see, us Indians make a steamed rice parcel stuffed with coconut and jaggery that if done right, will fall apart in the mouth leaving behind a puddle of seductively melted brown sugar and chewy coconut. How I went from contemplating modakam, and onto deciding to stuff my wontons with peanut butter, chocolate and coconut is probably a function of my ever tangental mind.

If you don’t have a bamboo steamer, you could use a metal colander sprayed with a little oil or lined with grease-proof paper, in a large covered pot with water in the bottom of it. However you make them, they are best eaten fresh and dipped generously in the sauce.

Oh! And speaking of sweets…..if you live in Sydney and are of a sugary inclination, don’t forget to enter the giveaway to win tickets to the Cake Bake and Sweets Show March 21 – 23 here.

Nutty, Chocolatey Dessert Wontons with Coconut Dipping Sauce

Makes about 15

Get:
75 g dark chocolate
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1-2 tbsp rice syrup or honey

Wonton Wrappers

For the dipping sauce:
1/3 cup coconut cream
2 tsp rice syrup
Few strands saffron (optional)

Make:

Blitz the filling ingredients together in a food processor until a coarse paste forms. Start with 1 tbsp syrup and add more if you prefer it sweeter.

Fill the wonton wrappers. I used about a tsp of mixture per wrapper, placed it in the centre and folded the edges together. I used a little water around the edges to make them stick.

Sprinkle the wontons with water and steam them for about 20-25 mins, or until the wrappers are cooked.

Make the dipping sauce by whisking the ingredients together well.

Serve the wontons with dipping sauce for dessert.

Indian Tapas: Baked Samosa Tartlets

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Deepa

She felt his eyes on her for some time before she allowed herself to turn around. As nonchalantly as possible, her eyes scanned the crowd expecting to meet his. He was out of sight and she forced herself to turn back to the elderly lady who was giving an intricate explanation of the wedding preparations of her grand-daughter. She attempted a smile that indicated interest, but her mind bolted in a different direction entirely as she wondered where he had gone.

The champagne was going to her head now and the waitress drifted past with a tray of appetisers. Desperate for something to do with her free hand, Maya grabbed a samosa, took a bite and held it awkwardly as the lady finished her detailed description of each piece of jewellery that was given to her grand-daughter by the in-laws.

The lull in the conversation was exactly what Maya needed. She expressed the required niceties and broke away to scout the room for him once again.
And as she turned, there he was. Standing at her elbow, his dark skin luminous and his playful dimples twinkling.

“Can I get you another drink?” he smiled.

Maya tried her most alluring smile and taking that as a yes, he saw a passing waiter and reached for a fresh glass of champagne. As he turned away, Maya nervously took another bite of her samosa, wishing to make it disappear so that she could go back to elegantly sipping her bubbles and flirting with the beautiful stranger that inexplicably seemed interested in her.

To say that the triangular pastry destroyed all of Maya’s semblance of sophistication is more than fair. That second bite caused the pastry to crumble, and the spiced potato filling tumbled out of the belly of the samosa, bounced off her bosom leaving behind it a trail of yoghurt sauce as it fell to the carpet just in front of her………

To avoid similar samosa- related disasters, I have for you baked samosas that are in tart form. Two or three bites should do it and the thick, wonderfully flaky, sour-cream pastry minimises chances of such mortifying situations as poor Maya faced. Serve with the mint yoghurt sauce, as well as this tamarind and date chutney, dollops of which can be spooned into the tarts just prior to serving. I also used a combination of cauliflower and potato to reduce the carbohydrate content of the whole thing.

In other news, if you haven’t had enough of my babble in this space, or if you have somewhat let the fitness regime slip by over the holidays, head on over to Saute Magazine to read my thoughts on Exercise.

Samosa Tartlets

Pastry recipe slightly modified from Smitten Kitchen
Makes 12-15 with leftover filling

Get:

For the pastry:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ajwain (carom) seeds
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
115g chilled butter, cubed
1/4 cup chilled sour cream
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
500g cauliflower, diced
2 small potatoes, diced
3 tsp oil
2cm ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilly powder
1/2tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp amchur powder
Salt
Boiling Water

For the yoghurt sauce:
1/2 cup thick Greek youghurt
Small handful mint leaves
Small handful coriander leaves
1/2- 1 tsp salt

Make:

To make the pastry:
Roast the cumin and ajwain seeds in a small pan until fragrant.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and roasted seeds. Add the butter and use clean fingers to knead the butter into the flour until it is a smooth, crumbly mixture. A few larger chunks of butter the size of small peas are fine.
In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, lemon and iced water. Pour the mixture into the flour and butter. Uing your hands again, gently mix, then lightly knead the mixture until it is one mass. The kneading should be minimal and just enough to get the dough into a ball.
Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 20 mins. The dough can be prepared a few days early and refrigerated.
Preheat the oven to 200 C

To make the filling:
Boil the diced potatoes in salted water until they are cooked but still firm.
In a large non-stick pan, heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds and once they are popping, reduce the heat to low and add the ginger. Fry for a minute or so, then add all the spice powders except for the amchur and salt. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and 1/2 cup of water, 1 tsp salt and amchur. Stir, cover and simmer until the cauliflower is tender but firm, stirring intermittently (6-8 mins).
Drain the potatoes and add them to the pan. If the mixture is dry, add a further 1/4 cup water. Stir through and taste- add a little more salt if needed. Stir and cook uncovered until the mixture is reduced so that there is no gravy.

To make the yoghurt sauce:
Place the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times until they are well blended. Taste and add a little more salt if needed, however the mixture should be on the slightly sour side.

To assemble:
Roll out the dough to 5 mm thickness. Using a large cookie cutter (I used a bowl that was 9 cm diameter), cut out rounds in the dough. Place the rounds at the base of tiny tart pans, a muffin pan or patty cases. The edges should turn up to form a shallow tart shape.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until the pastry is cooked through, about 15 mins.
Cool and turn the cases out onto a plate. Spoon the filling into the cases. The tarts can be made in advance and warmed in a preheated oven (160 C) for 5 mins before serving.
Dollop with yoghurt sauce and tamarind date chutney just before serving.

Ricotta, Sweet Potato and Chilly spread + Happy New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Deepa

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.
-Les Brown

This year, let’s keep it simple, ok? Ok.
Instead of resolutions, let’s make a decision. One single, easy decision.

This year we will make a decision to be good to ourselves, to understand when it needs to be about us and not those outside of us. An effort will be required, yes. To keep sight of what is in the best interest of our souls often doesn’t come naturally.

Know that it is an effort worth expending.

Let’s give ourselves only the best, without hesitation. After all, life will only give us what we feel we deserve, no?

Twenty fourteen will see us treating ourselves with nothing but kindness, whilst never losing sight of our needs and goals. It will be the year when we are true to us, when we don’t allow anything, least of all ourselves, to hold us back.

It will be the year we will move forward, shoot for the moon. Because God knows we deserve it. And along the way it will finally dawn on us that we do deserve it.

You know what? Once we understand that, that we have every right to expect the best from the things we pour our hearts into, it will be so much easier to be kinder to ourselves.

And if we do shoot for the moon and land on a star? Well, no matter……the stars are luminous, and we may just find that they are enough after all.

In the interest of keeping things simple, here is a little spread I put together, on a day when the world was like an oven and spending more than ten minutes in the kitchen seemed the most unkind thing I could do to myself. I had this for lunch, spread thickly onto crostini and with some finely sliced red cabbage and good anchovies piled atop it. A few drops of white wine vinegar finished it off nicely. And on that day? Well, it was enough.

You could really use whatever toppings you wanted, but I would suggest a combination of fresh, crunchy and salty with a drizzle of something acidic.

Happy New Year dear readers. This blog has brought me so much fulfilment in 2013 and you, all of you, are instrumental in that.

Ricotta, Sweet Potato and Chilly Spread

Get:

1/2 Habanero Chilly or 1 small red chilli
1/2 cup firm ricotta
1/2 cup boiled sweet potato
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small handful fresh coriander
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt

For the Crostini:
1 or 2 baguettes, sliced into 1cm slices
Olive oil

Suggested toppings:
Thinly sliced red cabbage, watercress, alfalfa sprouts etc. Combine with anchovies, feta or olives and drizzle with a little vinegar of your choice.

Make:

If using a habanero chilly, roast it over an open flame or on a BBQ. Place half of it, or a small red chilli in the bowl of your food processor with all the other spread ingredients. Blitz until it is a paste consistency. Taste and add a little salt or olive oil if required, then blitz again.

Brush both sides of the baguette slices with olive oil and grill both sides until toasted to your preference.

Spread the crostini thickly with the ricotta mixture and top with toppings of your choice.

Get out of the kitchen quick and enjoy with something cold in front of the TV.

Mum’s Green Mango and Coconut Rice (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Deepa

My summer holidays were often spent in a way that my parents thought best combined the two elements of being an Indian family in Australia. It was a time before the teenage years descended on me with all their accompanying awkwardness. Before that phase where the parentals were mortifyingly embarrassing, no matter what they did. Anything they did that was too typically Indian would make me want to crawl under the nearest table and any attempts on their part to be more Aussie would be met with a roll of the eyes. During those teenage years, they really couldn’t win.

But this was a time before all that adolescent angst set in, when this marrying of cultures was just part of life. We would drive to caravan parks in seaside towns, often with two or three other families from our community. We stayed in a string of mobile homes that never went anywhere and splashed around in the pool while our mothers cooked and our fathers ate Bombay bhuja mix with their beers.

The smell of barbequing meat would waft past us from the Australian families with whom we were sharing the park. Our mothers would wrinkle up their vegetarian noses in disgust and set about cooking a good Indian meal using the impressive toolkit of ingredients they had packed into the cars. Lentils were cooked, rice micro-waved and spices blended, the scents mingling with that of cooking meat, chlorine and sunscreen.

There was often some sort of South Indian bread- fluffy steamed idlis with chutney, or dosas made from batter that had fermented perfectly in the warm car. Otherwise there would be the semolina based upma or some sort of flavoured rice dish such as a puliogare, lemon rice or this green mango and coconut rice.

Luckily all the teenage angst eventually gave way. Anything else would be a real pity as there is nothing remotely embarrassing about this flavourful, slightly tart rice dish that is a favourite in this Indian family.

Mangoes are in season now and although the ripe fruit are undeniably delicious, there is much you can do with the raw green version readily available in markets and ethnic grocers. For this dish, try to choose greener, less ripe mangoes as the more tart they are, the better. The crunch of the peanuts and roasted dhal adds something special. If you are allergic to peanuts but tolerant of others, try using cashews.

Mum’s Green Mango and Coconut Rice

Feeds 6-8

Get:

1 & 1/2 to 2 green mangoes, peeled and flesh finely grated (the greener the better!)
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
2 & 1/4 cups water

For the spice paste:
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
4 dry red chillies
Generous pinch asafoetida
1 cup fresh shredded coconut (I use frozen)
Any bits of mango that you could not grate
1-2 tbsp water

For the tempering:
1/4 cup cooking oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp channa dhal
1 tbsp urad dhal
1/2 tsp turmeric
Generous pinch asafoetida
10-15 curry leaves
3/4 cup small peanuts (available in Indian stores)

Salt, to taste

Make:

Cook the rice. This can be done by placing 2 cups of rice in a rice cooker with 2 1/4 cups of water and cooking according to the rice cooker instructions. Alternatively, you could place the rice and water in a large microwave dish and cook uncovered for 11 minutes, then covered for 2 minutes.

In a large non-stick saucepan, roast the fenugreek seeds until fragrant. Grind the seeds in the spice grinder or food processor, then add the other spice paste ingredients and grind to a smooth paste. Add a little more water if necessary.

In the non-stick saucepan, heat the oil and temper the mustard seeds on low heat. Once they have popped, add the dhals, turmeric and asafoetida. Fry until the dhals are a golden brown and then add the curry leaves, covering the pan immediately.

Once the curry leaves have crisped, add the peanuts. Ensure the heat is on low and fry the peanuts, stirring gently until they are a golden brown colour. This should take 5-7 minutes.

Add the spice paste and warm through for a minute or so.

In a large mixing bowl, fluff up the warm rice with a fork. Add the grated green mango, spice paste/peanut mix and about 3 tsp salt to start. Toss through gently to coat the rice in the other ingredients. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Serve on its’ own or as a side dish to curries.

Note:
Green mangoes, the spices, dhals, small peanuts and frozen shredded coconut are all available at Indian grocery stores.

Indian Tapas: Paneer Sang Choy Bau (Vegetarian)

Posted on November 23, 2013November 24, 2013 by Deepa

Continue reading Indian Tapas: Paneer Sang Choy Bau (Vegetarian)

Six Ingredient Microwave Chocolate Burfi (Indian milk sweet)

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Deepa

Yes, yes I know….it’s been a bit of a dessert overload around here, hasn’t it? I mean, there were these Pots de Crème and these feline Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. Oh OH! And this Crumble!

But let’s just think about that phrase…..dessert overload.

Is there such a thing, really?

No, no I thought not.

Certainly not at this time of the year when the air is ripe with the cheer of one festival or another. For Hindus, the one just gone by, Diwali, is a major one and surely not a time to be worrying about silly things like the waistline.

Diwali, or Deepavali is the festival of lights. Yes you read that right- a festival named after me. Or was it the other way around? I’m not keeping track.

The lighting of lamps and the setting off of firecrackers symbolises an awakening. An illumination by the light of truth to dispel the darkness of ignorance.

Diwali to us is like our Christmas and New Years rolled into one. We pray to the Goddess Lakshmi for prosperity and exchange gifts of new clothes to symbolise fresh beginnings.

And after the prayer is done, lamps are lit and gifts are given, we do what we do best…….cook up a storm and eat ourselves into a food and sugar coma.

This year, Mum and I put together several sweets in addition to the main meal. I decided to try my hand at Chocolate Burfi, which it will surprise none of you to hear is one of my favourite Indian sweets. There are two versions of this sweet that I have seen. Many like to mix cocoa powder in with the basic burfi (milk sweet) mixture. My preference is the way that the sweet shop down the road from me used to make it when I lived in London.

The base is a fudgy, milky layer and it is topped by a good thick layer of dark chocolate. I like a chocolate to milk sweet ratio of around 1:2. You could use milk chocolate, but I enjoy the way the dark chocolate cuts through the sweetness of the bottom layer.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. For those who celebrate, I hope your Diwali was filled with love and decadence, and was the fresh start you needed.

Chocolate Burfi

Makes 32

The microwave milk sweet technique is also described here

Get:

For the milk sweet layer:
120g butter, cubed
1 can condensed milk
2 cups full-cream milk powder

For the chocolate layer:
200g good quality dark chocolate (I like Plaistowe 70%)
2 tbsp thickened or double cream
1/3 cup nuts coarsely ground (I used pistachios)

Make:

Prepare a tray. I used a greased silicone 20cm x 20cm baking pan. If you are using a non-flexible pan, I suggest you grease it and line it with baking paper.

In a large microwave safe bowl, place butter and microwave until melted (about a minute). Add condensed milk and milk powder and whisk well.

Microwave on high for a minute, then whisk again till smooth.

Microwave on high for another minute and whisk again.

Microwave on high for 30 seconds, then 30 seconds again, whisking in between.

Spoon into the prepared tray and spread evenly. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

When the milk sweet layer has set, melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 20-30 second bursts, stirring in between. When the chocolate has melted, stir in the cream. If the mixture starts to seize up, microwave for a further 20 seconds.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the milk sweet layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle with coarsely ground nuts and refrigerate until the chocolate is set (at least 3 hours).

With a sharp knife, cut into shapes of your choice. I went for squares that were then cut diagonally to make triangles.

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