you NEED masala dosa. if nothing else, the potato filling.

 

from top: cucumber salad with mint, brown rice, masala dosa potato filling, red lentil daal

i tried to make dosa once (from a packet mix), and let me put it this way: grasshopper is in need of much patience. the potato filling is almost as satisfying without the heavenly, lacey crunch of the dosa crepe. who am i kidding- the potato filling will do me only until i can get to salaam namaste dosa hut in west footscray or maya vegetarian in surry hills!!

1kg potatoes (waxy are best, such as dutch cream)
2 small onions, finely sliced
2Tbs finely grated ginger
2 fresh chillis (red or green, mild or medium heat- up to you), finely sliced
1tsp turmeric powder
pinch of salt

4Tbs oil (coconut is the best, olive or other is fine)
2Tbs mustard seeds (i use black mustard, either should be fine)
2tsp garlic powder (though the recipe calls for asafoetida- must get me some- garlic is apparently similar)

5-6 fresh curry leaves (optional)

cut potatoes into large chunks (2-3cm); boil in salted water until cooked. drain and mash coarsely; set aside.

heat oil on medium in a large frying pan for 1 minute: add mustard seeds, cook for 1 minute, then add garlic powder, followed by sliced onions, chillis and ginger. cook on medium-low until onions are soft and becoming translucent- avoid browning. add the curry leaves, if using.

add turmeric and salt, a little more oil if needed, and the potatoes. fry for about 5 minutes, mixing gently until the spices and onions are mixed through the potato.

serve with daal, chapati, and cucumber salad.

my body is a temple: fried brown rice with greens

at this time of year, kitchen slavery and the excess of rich foods assault the palate and brain: this is your incredibly delicious saviour. 

per person:

1tsp olive or other oil 

50g firm tofu, in 1cm cubes

1c cooked brown rice (preferably refrigerated overnight)

1 bok choy, sliced in 1cm sections (separate white and green)

6-8 snowpeas

1 small clove garlic, finely minced

1cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated

soy sauce and sesame oil to taste

gently fry tofu on medium-high heat for 2 minutes before adding the rice. fry for a further 2 minutes, sautéing gently then adding garlic, bok choy white stem parts. cook for two minutes before adding bok choy greens and snowpeas. reduce to medium-low heat, cover with a lid for one minute, then add ginger, soy sauce and a  touch of sesame oil before removing from heat and serving. 

ahhhhhhhh :)

paella, mi amor

this was a lot easier than i imagined; especially since it makes quite a lot (and could be easily increased). a great dinner party dish! or just eat it for lunch and dinner for a week.

extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
200g mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 red and 1 green capsicum, cut into 1cm wide strips
3 tsp smoked paprika
3 tsp turmeric (or splash out on a few threads of saffron- soak in hot water before adding)
2 tsp ground rosemary/thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1c chopped cauliflower florets
1c chopped tomatoes or a cup of passata
3-4c vegetable stock
2c Valencia or Arborio rice
lemon wedges and marinated, sliced artichoke hearts to serve
optional to serve: tofu or other sausage

large frying pan
large saucepan/stock pot

in a large frying pan, gently fry the mushrooms, a little salt and pepper in 2 tablespoons or so of oil for about 5 minutes; transfer this mixture to a large bowl for now.

put another tablespoon or two of oil in the pan you've just emptied, heat for 30 seconds on medium and cook the onion,  capsicum and smoked paprika for 3-4 minutes. add the cauliflower and tomato, cook for 2-3 minutes then add this to the mushrooms.

keep the stock warm in a small saucepan or microwave. gently heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in the large saucepan and add the rice; stir well for about a minute to coat evenly with oil. as for a risotto, add the warm stock a ladleful at a time, stirring well until each batch of liquid is absorbed. the rice should be pleasantly al dente (about 30 minutes).

if using, prepare tofu or other sausage if using. serve the rice, top with sausage and garnish with an extra sprinkle of smoked paprika, artichoke hearts and wedges of lemon.

new obsession: rice salad

i am loving rice salad right now. 2c of brown rice cooked with 4c water and a pinch of salt makes enough for 6-8 hungry people, and it's a great outdoorsy day lunch.

cook the rice, allow to cool for an hour if possible and mix in a large bowl with any combination of finely chopped or cubed yummies such as: apple, almonds, dill pickles, red cabbage, sultanas, red capsicum, parsley, toasted sesame seeds, raw onion, fresh mushrooms. add lemon juice and olive oil (plenty, as it will be absorbed by the rice), herbs and ground spices to taste. this is even better the next day, and shared with friends!

fried rice a thousand ways

i completely, utterly, unabashedly adore rice. steamed rice with spicy satay sauce or soy sauce and sesame oil... oh, so good!


this is a little more work, but so worthwhile; it can be done alone but it is best done, as it is many mornings each week, with another person: one to chop and one to fry.


anything can be used (especially little leftover veggies), but my proportions are usually 20% rice, 30% extra firm tofu, 50% veggies. i use a wok and a frying pan to speed things up.


steam the rice the night before, and allow to cool overnight in the fridge. 


cut tofu into 1cm or smaller cubes. pan fry with salt, ground pepper and garlic powder or fresh ginger, remove from heat and set aside.


chop all veggies into 1cm pieces; my favourites are carrot, cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower, enoki mushrooms (the long stringy ones found prepackaged in asian supermarkets) and snowpeas, but will use anything i have.


heat the wok and fry all the veggies at once; cook for 2 minutes, then add in a crushed clove of garlic; cook 3-4 more minutes, then tip the veggies into the frying pan on top of the tofu and set aside. 


lower the heat in the wok, add a little oil and then the rice. try to keep it moving for a minute, then add crushed garlic to taste (2 cloves might do it, though i do more); fry for another 1-2 minutes, then add the veggies and tofu back in. fry together for 1 minute, then add soy sauce and serve. drizzle with sesame oil for extra deliciousness!

sarma: serbian cabbage rolls

so delicious! the filling is lovely stuffed into green capsicums. even better the next day! the rice can be cooked and baked on it's own in ramekins or a baking dish if you don't have cabbage or capsicum.


4Tbs olive oil
finely chopped:
1 onion
3 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 small green capsicum 
2 cups white rice
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
700ml tomato sauce or passata or tinned tomatoes - reserve 0.25c
2Tbs dried herbs (oregano, basil)
2Tbs paprika
salt, pepper to taste
1 head of cabbage, approx 1.5kg, 25cm diameter


preheat oven to 190C.


on low-medium heat, saute onion until translucent. add celery, carrots, capsicum and cook for 5 minutes. add garlic, cook for 1 minute. add rice, 0.25c tomato sauce/passata, and all seasonings; cook for 5 minutes. 


meanwhile, remove the 3-4 outermost leaves, and reserve. trim the base of the cabbage and cut an X in the base. steam the whole cabbage until leaves are limp (about 7-9 minutes). gently peel off whole leaves and remove the tough spines that make rolling difficult; resteam the remaining cabbage head if leaves aren't soft enough to remove. 


fill each leaf with 3-4Tbs of filling. fold the leaf over the filling, and place in a lightly oiled baking tray (at least 35cm long). repeat with all leaves until filling is gone.


pour the remaining tomato sauce/passata over the rolls, then top up with a little stock or water until the rolls are covered two-thirds the way up.


cover with reserved cabbage leaves or foil; cook for 1 hour.

black sticky rice and coconut pudding

my favourite winter breakfast; a hearty, decadent, tropical desserty dish that makes a dreary morning special. this is rich, and makes a fairly big batch- at least a week's worth of brekkies!

rice

2c black glutinous rice
150g palm sugar (shaved or grated)- brown or raw sugar will suffice
1 orange, finely grated zest
200ml coconut cream
0.5tsp salt

custard  

800ml coconut cream
2tsp agar agar powder
2Tbs arrowroot powder
0.25c water
50g palm or other sugar
1tsp salt

if possible, soak the rice overnight in 1L water. drain half the water; bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium, stirring and adding water as needed (as for risotto). it will take approx 40 minutes to cook; be patient and stir every 5 minutes until rice begins to be purple and starting to thicken. taste rice for desired consistency (should be a little al dente but cooked).

remove from heat; stir in coconut cream, sugar, orange zest and salt. pour into individual ramekins or a 25cm round pudding basin or baking dish, smoothing top with spatula.

on low, heat the coconut cream in a small saucepan; add sugar and stir to dissolve. in a small bowl, mix arrowroot and agar agar with water to form a paste. gently whisk this into the coconut cream until it thickens into a smooth custard. remove from the heat and pour gently over the rice to form a 2cm thick custard. cool in fridge or eat warm.

half the garden risotto

it's a beautiful time of year in the garden, especially since lots of things are feeding us so plentifully!

this recipe works with anything you have at hand: silverbeet (chard), parsley, bay leaves and lemon were the main things available to me- i added a carrot for colour and texture.

1c arborio rice

3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

vegetables, cut into 1-2cm pieces

2tbs margarine

2tbs olive oil

1-1.5L stock, warmed

200ml white wine (preferably dry)

salt, pepper to taste

toasted almonds to serve (optional)

fry garlic in butter and oil on low for 2 minutes. add any hard vegetables (carrot, celery, leek) and cook for 3-5 minutes. stir in rice, coat well with oil.

add in stock about half a cup at a time; gently stir until liquid is mostly absorbed. add another half cup; stir until absorbed. 

gently stir in any vegetables that need cooking (ie not soft leaves)- mushrooms, green beans etc. 

after 3-4 measures of stock, add in half the wine, and stir until absorbed. continue doing this, tasting how cooked the rice periodically. if you have used all your liquid and the rice is not cooked to your liking, add a little water and keep stirring.

when the rice is almost done, gently fold in any soft vegetables (spinach, silverbeet leaves), fold in grated rind of one lemon, and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.