Biscoff Cheesecake

Christmas 2024 was the first one for my daughter and son in law after their wedding.  So it was a special one, and she wanted me to make a Biscoff Cheesecake for the ocassion. I looked at a bunch of recipes and pictures on the internet and this recipe by Nagi was the one I got attracted to.  It was supposedly easy, it looked absolutely marvellous and it was something I could make the previous day and put in the fridge.

So, even though I didn't know much about Biscoff biscuits and cheese cakes, I decided to make this. The last week before Christmas is always hectic in our home with last minute grocery shopping and getting ingredients sorted for the main items.

I had my list ready - and when I walked into the biscuit aisle and spotted Biscoff biscuits, I immediately picked them up with an extra pack for the "just in case" errors and didn't think much of it.

When I started on the cake that night, I realised immediately that I had made a mistake. Nagi says in her blog DO NOT use sandwich cookies that have cream in them, as the cake may not set - and this is exactly what I had. It was too late to go back to the shops and I kept my fingers and toes crossed for two days until the actual unmoulding on Christmas day.

Nan Khattai - Indian Shortbread

 A trip to Supreme Bakery in Kollam, my hometown, was always a much looked forward to treat. Amma got us delicious treats from there right through to the time her grand children came along. In my youth I remember amma cooking and baking a lot. But after appa's death, she didn't make so many treats at home - as it was just her at home a lot of the time. But when we came home for holidays, she got us all our favourites from the bakery.  This practice continued till the grand children came along.

One of the best things you can buy at Supreme is their nan khattai. Crumbly white biscuits shaped like a tiny bun with a few crushed nuts on top and smelling of cardamom with every bite. Delicious! Amma used to bake them at home in her round electric oven - slightly bigger than an air fryer but much smaller than what is commonly seen as a "regular" size oven in Australia.

So apparently, the nan khattais were brought to India by the Dutch in the 16th century - and then updated to suit Indian tastes.  It is essentially a shortbread made of plain flour, semolina and chickpea flour - some ghee and flavoured with cardamom. This recipe makes about 30 nan khattais.

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.