South Indian Style Crispy Pan Fried Potatoes

What qualifies as a good food item? It must be nutritious, fresh, enjoyable, and for most of us, it is also part of a great memory. I remember having conversations that start with "remember the delicious curry or dish you make.....?" The way a curry makes you feel and how much you enjoy it definitely depends on the memories you associate with it. This is the reason every time I go back to my home town, I go back to eat some of the things that I remember from my youth. Not because I cannot make it here, but to re-live those memories and try to capture the enjoyment again. I used to do this a lot when my mother was alive - it was always, "amma, can you please make xxx for me, again?"  

I am glad that in the hectic lifestyle that I have in Melbourne with my full time job and prescribed limited holidays, I still managed to create some memories for my children. I was pleasantly surprised when my daughter texted me for the recipe of the fried potatoes with the spices.  I thought I might as well go the whole way and put it in my blog because one day when I am not here, she can still refer back to it! Perhaps my son would want to make it too - which will be an added bonus!  

So here it is, the quick and easy way to make it and it takes less than 10 minutes from prep to service!

Beetroot and Goats Cheese Stacks

An elegant, vibrant salad that celebrates the season with a burst of color and flavor. Effortlessly prepared yet indulgently satisfying, it combines earthy undertones with fresh, crisp textures and a harmonious balance of sweet and savory notes. Perfect for elevating any occasion into a culinary experience.

Rice and Quinoa Salad

 There can never be enough salads when you are entertaining for Christmas. Here in Australia we have hot Decembers - and hence the need for cool and cold salads. Recently we met at a friend's house for a pre - Christmas get together and everyone brought something to share. I was tasked with getting a rice salad to share and I researched to get a perfect one.

I found a salad on line and added my own twist to it. Having recently returned from Turkey, I had with me a couple of bottles of precious Nar eksisi - or pomegranate molasses. Pomegranate Molasses is dark burgundy in colour and is sour with a slight hint of sweetness. It is the equivalent of tamarind in my South Indian cooking. 

It pairs well with roasts and makes a great salad dressing. You dont need to add too much of it, a tablespoon of it gives life to the flavours on your plate.

Kerala Black Pepper Beef Short Ribs

 

Melbourne's CBD features some amazing laneways that are famous for iconic artwork, cozy bars, tempting dessert lounges and an array of restaurants that feature food from all over the world. One of them is called the Daughter-in-Law and they call themselves the "unauthentic Australian Indian cuisine." When our friend visited from India, we decided to check this place out.  I was pleasantly surprised to see all the "ghenda phool" garlands - and it immediately reminded us of the time when we had been to Delhi with this same friend to purchase these garlands for our daughter's wedding. How fitting that we selected a restaurant that reminded us of those days!  

We ordered the food and one of the items in the menu was the Kerala pepper beef short ribs. This dish was easily my favorite on the night - may be because I am biased towards Kerala cuisine, but that aside, I was determined to try it out at home.

It is surprisingly easy to make and I came very close to what was served that night, so I am very pleased with myself. It can be an easy dinner when you plan to study or work in the garden. It doesn't require constant monitoring and it can be served with store bought pita bread, naans or rice.  I served it with Kerala parotta.

Qubani Ka Meetha - Dried Apricot Dessert

 The first season of Masterchef was something that I would drop all tasks to watch without fail.  Over the years, I just got tired of watching it; the thrill was no longer there.  Until - I saw Sarah Todd, and her posts on instagram. I started to follow her, mainly because she was in India and posting so many Indian dishes that I had never heard of. Qubani ka Meetha is one of those - and I know she made it look 5 star in the show, but I wanted to taste the original because I have never heard of it - leave alone taste it!  

Since the show I researched it and found out that apricots or qubani were introduced to India during the Mughal era and was enjoyed by the Royals as it was an expensive fruit. It slowly found its was to the South of India, where it became a signature dish of Hyderabadi cuisine. These days it is served in Hyderabadi weddings - and the best part is it is easy to cook. All you need is dried apricots and sugar.

Tomato Thokku - Tomato Pickle

 The 1980s - and in my dorm in University. We all look forward to the girls coming back after holidays, because each of them would be carrying jars and packets of goodies from their homes to last for a couple of months in the dreary hostel. The food in the hostel was bland and tasteless and it was these packages that helped us ford meal times.  One such item brought from Andhra Pradesh was my friend Shobha's tomato pickle or tomato thokku. Nothing would even warrant a second look until the whole jar was devoured by us for breakfast lunch and dinner. This pickle can be had with rice, dosa, idli or even roti - that is how versatile it was. Sweet, salty, tangy, spicy, hot and with an underlying umami, this pickle really had it all. May be it was the Andhra organic tomatoes or may be it was the Andhra spicy chillies - but visions of this jar still makes my mouth water.  I have long since lost touch with my room mate Shobha, but in my heart I still think of her and her loving mother who made this for our enjoyment - bless them!

Pictured: A jar of cherry tomato thokku near my almost dead tomato plant - getting ready to say goodbye for winter!

Cheese Suffed Pears Dessert

 A quick, easy and healthy dessert, if you have it on its own; or a little indulgent with icecream - or if you would like to have it with yogurt, you can have it for breakfast too. I had it on its own and I was just testing the recipe out to see if I would make it again. I would definitely make it again - it looks spectacular, and it tastes nice. When you present it, it looks like you have gone through a lot of trouble making it. This is also a recipe where you can play with the pears, cheeses and nuts to make the final outcome sweet or savoury so you can serve it as a dessert or an entree. The sweetness of the pear, along with a touch of saltiness from the feta, the honey and nuts all add to the textures and flavours of this dish.

Zucchini Chicken Stir Fry

 I had picked a fresh zucchini from the garden and wanted to put it to use immediately. I used only about 300 grams of the zucchini - I still had about 400 grams left over that I barbequed for dinner the next day.  The taste of something that you have grown - picked fresh off the plant and cooked to perfection is something you cannot really describe.  It is an emotion - a feeling of immense satisfaction and joy.

This dish pairs well with a chinese fried rice and is very quick to put together, including the prep time. 

Meen Pollichathu- Fish cooked in banana leaf

 My husband's Malayalam accent is terrible. He doesn't know most words and what he does know, he cannot pronounce right. But, if it is to do with food, then he will keep saying it - till I make it for him.  And that is the story of the meen pollichathu; he had it for the first time in Kerala and was so smitten that he wanted to have it again. In Kerala they predominantly make this dish with the Karimeen or pearl spot or green chromide fish which is found in the backwaters.  In Melbourne, I used the Spanish Mackeral - which is my go to for a lot of these types of traditional dishes.  The Karimeen is a fish that tastes divine for all Malayalis and the Spanish Mackeral can never match that; but still, the dish tasted immensely satisfying.  The one thing you need for this dish is a nice banana leaf with no tears. The fish is cooked "en papillote" style - and the banana leaf is the key to getting the flavours right.  Last year I planted some banana trees in my backyard and I was lucky to get fresh leaves for the dish.

Buddha Bowl

 Sunday night - and we are already primed to be in the "back to work tomorrow" mode.  All I wanted was something to eat and sit down to watch my current favorite show on TV.  As I was forgaing in my fridge, I was thinking of the Buddha Bowl I picked up for lunch at work last week.  Some brown rice, and a series of colourful vegetables, some bits of roast chicken - and some beautiful tahini dressing. I was lucky I had all the ingredients in my fridge and pantry.

So, Buddha Bowl it was and it was just perfect and satisfying! Pretty as a picture - who wouldn't want to eat this?

Frouta Ke Yaourti - Greek Fruit Salad

 Onions, tomatoes and green chillies - such a varied team, right?  Each of these vegetables have their own individual flavours and strengths. Too much of one or the other and your dish can turn really bad. But in the right measure, they make the perfect base for so many curries. It depends on the chef and his skills to know when to add more and what to add less of. Similarly, working in a team, we have so many different skills and strengths. If the manager doesn't recognise your skill set, then you end up feeling frustrated and the project will probably fail.  But in the right measure and with the right team members, you can turn out a dream project and get the recognition that is due.  

But we are not here to talk about work - though it is good to have an analogy and today's fruit salad is just a mix of different fruits - all with their own special qualities, coming together to create a dream dessert with the help of yoghurt. 

The original recipe used lemon rind but I happened to have oranges, so I used the rind of an orange - it reminded me of the lovely orange tree lined streets of Athens.

This dessert is healthy and tasty - healthy as there is no sugar and it is mostly fruit and if, like me, you are avoiding the temptations of the holiday season, then, it is perfect as a summer dessert.

Pantzaro Salata - Roasted Beetroot Salad

Ever since I was diagnosed as having high blood pressure, I have become a close buddy of the beetroot.  According to Dr. Michael Mosely, the humble beetroot is good for the heart, it can help reduce blood pressure and keep the brain healthy.  As I started to consume more beetroot, I realised that this vegetable is also very tasty and it is so easy to consume on a daily basis.  So I try adding beetroot in different forms and ways into my diet and this is the Greek way. I first had a taste of the Pantzaro Salata in Athens - but a very no frills salad with what seemed like just a beautiful mix of yogurt and beetroot.

After arriving in Melbourne and researching on this salad, I came across the recipe for a sexier version in this site: https://www.foodbymaria.com/ 

This recipe is adapted from Maria's, and I added a little bit of something - and took away the garlic. The garlic was omitted for a guest who was allergic to them.

Aval Vilayichathu - Candied Rice Flakes

 A popular tea time snack in Kerala, candied rice flakes or aval vilayichathu is also one of my favourite "travel" and/or hostel snacks. Long train and bus journeys often called for snacks that could be easily stored and consumed.  The same held true for the hostel - except when you took snacks back to the hostel they would last may be a maximum of two days.  Those were the days! I hardly make snacks at home these days as I am mindful of my health and my weight.  However, I have been having massive cravings for this dish so I decided to indulge myself.

Usually this snack has a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds.  I ran out of them so I used a tablespoon of cumin instead. And the sultanas are optional.

Baked Bitter Melon Crisps

 I am addicted to salty food.  Its easy for me to say no to chocolate, but give me an olive soaked in brine or a mango pickle and I cannot resist. I am now trying to cut out the sodium in my diet and consciously trying to avaid salt for health reasons. I happened to see this recipe on a reel in instagram and decided to make my own - salt and oil free. 

I made it today and though the salt is missing, the crunch factor is big and for that this will be a regular in my cuisine from now on.  Simply because it adds the interest to my bland meals of late., I guess.

Though I say it is salt free, I must admit there is a tiny bit of salt in there and also a tiny bit of oil.  But it is better than the amount of salt I normally add and definitely better than deep frying.

Idichakka Thoran - Green Jackfruit Stir Fry

 A few weeks ago, the family and I visited a "New Age" cafe where they were spruiking "pulled jackfruit" burgers as the new vegan go to food - that tasted even better than meat. The Keralite in me came out - and I decided I was going to order that, against my husband's wise advice. The pulled jackfruit was extremely disappointing leaving me craving for the real thing. I find it really annoying that people, including me, fall for such marketing ploys and then end up hating a perfectly great dish.

Of course, I could never hate the jackfruit - it is one of my favorite fruits.  And I know exactly what it could taste like if done properly.  

On that note, as I walked past my green grocer a couple of days back, I spotted green / unripe jackfruits. I immediately picked up a piece and brought it home. Finally my craving could be satiated.

On that note, let us move on to the Idichakka Thoran. Sure, it looks like pulled pork.  But this dish has been around for decades before pulled pork became fashionable. Most people in Kerala have a jackfruit tree in their back yard - and we did too. And this dish has been a staple of many households for decades.

Soy Garlic Tofu

I got addicted to this dish at a cafe in my place of work.  For the last few times, whenever we went there I would choose the tofu with garlic and soy along with fried rice. My friend Fiona is a great cook and when I asked her if she could give me the recipe for this particular dish, she pointed me to the site https://thefoodietakesflight.com/ and this recipe. I had all the ingredients in my pantry so I decided to try it out.

Making this dish at home is so much better - you can control the oil and salt that goes into it. And if you have the ingredients ready, the actual cooking takes less than 30 mintes.  You need pre cooked and chilled rice to make the fried rice - but the rest of the cooking takes a very short time.

My family loved the tofu - and I think this is one of those recipes that I will keep making over and over again. The sauce is so fresh and garlicky - it is delicious with the right blend of sweet, sour and hot.  Along with the fried rice, it was a satisfying meal 

Rizogalo - Greek Rice Pudding

 I tried my hand at making a very traditional rice pudding for my daughter's Greek family. I read a lot of recipes online, but this recipe from themediterraneandish.com rang true and authentic and I am so glad I trusted my instincts. Ruth Bardis is an Australian of Greek ethinicity and I must say that her recipe got me a lot of compliments from all the people who tasted it.

The only effort required for this recipe is to whisk the milk / rice mixture consistently and almost constantly.  It takes around 45 minutes, but the results were awesome. 

Basic Chicken Biriyani - Rajam's recipe

 For most Indians, biriyani is an emotion. There are so many different varieties of biriyani in India and the one you had growing up generally ends up being the winner. The reason is obviously it brings back so many fun memories, and secondly, it is a taste that gets embedded in the ridges and grooves of your brain. Nothing anyone makes is even remotely close to that taste that you know is possible and you strive hard to find it everywhere. I found many Indian restaurants in Melbourne cook the rice and the meat seperately and then layer it in and call it biriyani. Of course it made me mad because for me the meat and rice must be cooked together for it to have the status of biriyani.  Yes, biriyani definitely has a status, if the meat and rice are cooked together in a delicious conglomeration, then the status is definitely at the top.

The trick to getting a perfectly cooked rice and meat dish is 1) excellent quality biriyani rice, 2) infinite patience and 3) careful measuring.  I use India Gate "classic basmati rice extra long" because it never fails me. India Gate basmati rice cooks into a fine long grain, fluffy and beautiful and I know the ratio is 1 cup of rice means two cups of liquid. 

My mother used to make biriyani at home for special occassions and that is what I have tried to create today for you. This is not a very hot dish, but by all means reduce the number of green chillies if you feel it might be too hot for you.  The red chilli powder I have used is Kashmiri chilli powder  which is not hot. 

Also, my mother never used to marinate and seal the chicken when she made chicken biriyani.  However, the chicken she used were organic and small sized where as the ones I see here are huge and have very little flavour - even if they are supposedly organic.  So that is a variation that helps with increasing the flavours of this dish. 

Lets get to the recipe without further ado!  This recipe calls for marination of the chicken and I do it the day before I am planning to make the biriyani.

Lamb Shanks

 After a long hiatus of nearly 5 months, I am back again! During the 5 months I had been busy preparing for my daughter's wedding, a cruise, the actual wedding, a trip, visitors and finally back to me and my old phone taking pictures and my familiar lap top...writing up another recipe!  This recipe is dedicated to the wonderful lamb I had in New Zealand, my friends and family at the multi cultural wedding and all the rejoicing and reconnecting that happened in the last half year. It is also dedicated to the wedding and the welcoming of new members of the family and the joyous celebrations associated with it! To my friends and family who have been encouraging me to get back to blogging, this one is for you too.  I love you all.

To the butchers at Preston market and the Publique French Bakery, thank you for the produce and the best olive sour dough baguette!

Let's get down to the recipe - I wanted this to be a relaxing day so I actually put the lamb shanks on the stove and went to the local shopping centre to do my weekly shop and get a coffee before coming back to check on the meat. It was two and a half hours all up but the meat was tender and I didn't need a knife to cut it at all.

Paneer Bhurji - Scrambled Indian Cottage Cheese

 Today was a busy day at home - clearing up my son's room. Then a quick run to the green grocer to get some essentials for the week. I found some lovely yellow capsicums at a great price, so I picked up a few. I also had left over paneer from last week, so it is going to be a quick and easy Sunday night dinner with some Lebanese bread and Paneer Bhurji.

I will take the left overs for lunch tomorrow in my sandwich and toast it. Very versatile dish, and the capsicum is my own addition -which you do not normally find in Paneer Bhurji. I added it in as I have so many of them! Back to the grind tomorrow!