sujatanz, Author at Homecooked Tales

05/08/201905/08/2019

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Years ago, on our way to Hanmer Springs, we stopped by at Pegasus Bay Winery for lunch and I ordered the cauliflower soup with Pernod. I have substituted vodka and the end result is a decadent rich tasting soup.

1 medium cauliflower (600 -700 grams) washed and cut into small florets

1 large potato (150 grams)

1 large onion (150 grams), peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

50 grams butter

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

30ml vodka (optional)

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon hot English mustard

Chopped Italian Parsley for garnish

Salt to taste

METHOD

Heat butter in a deep sauce pan. When the butter starts to melt and froth, add the onion and fry for three minutes until soft. Add the garlic and ground white pepper and fry for a minute. Next add the cauliflower florets along with the potato. When you feel everything is heated through, add the vodka. I immediately flambé the vodka – I light a match and do this. Then add three cups of water and one cup of milk. Let it come up to the boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are all soft. Remove from heat, stir in the mustard and add salt. Set aside a few pieces of the cooked cauliflower for garnishing the soup and using a hand held blender, blitz the vegetables until you get a glossy soup. Taste and adjust seasoning according to your preference.

Place the reserved cauliflower florets onto a soup bowl and ladle soup into the bowl. Garnish with the Italian Parsley. Serve with grilled cheese toast for a hearty lunch. Serves 6.

02/08/201904/08/2019

MOOLI MASALA (RADISH MASALA)

I have adapted this recipe from Atul Kochhar’s “Simple Indian” cookbook. He made this dish with baby turnips but I feel the pink table radish we get here are succulent prepared this way.

400 grams radish, cleaned and trimmed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon nigella seeds

1 green chilli, chopped

2 centimetre piece of ginger finely chopped

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

5 grams root ginger julienned

Salt to taste

METHOD

Cut the radish into quarters. Heat the oil in a sauté pan, add the nigella seeds, green chilli and ginger, and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the seeds crackle.

Add the radish and powdered spices, and sauté over a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped tomato and salt. Cover and cook until the radish are soft.

Sprinkle chopped coriander and ginger julienne over the radish and serve hot as an accompaniment.

Serves 4

02/08/201904/08/2019

SPICY COUSCOUS

Until I started making couscous this way, I did not have a very favourable impression. It always felt dry and stodgy and lacked any real taste. I guarantee this recipe will definitely change your mind like it did mine.

250 grams of wholemeal couscous

1 x 400 grams tin of chick peas drained and rinsed

1 medium sized onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped very fine

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon allspice powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

1 x 400 grams tinned tomatoes

1 green chilli finely chopped

12 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1 tablespoon finely chopped mint and parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a heavy based fry pan that has a lid. Add onion and cook on a low heat until soft. Then add the garlic, coriander, cumin, all spice, chilli powder and paprika, and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes, add tomatoes, green chilli and honey. Cook for a few minutes, add a cup of water and let it come up to the boil. Now add the couscous, chick peas and olives. Cover and cook over a low heat until the couscous swells up and is soft. This will take about 5 -10 minutes. Just before serving stir the parsley and mint through. Serves 4 -6.

02/08/201905/08/2019

ZHOUG

A fiery hot chilli relish originally from Yemen but now popular in Israel. It is eaten as an accompaniment to just about everything. I served it up with roast Maryland chicken. This recipe is courtesy of Greg and Lucy Malouf from their Moorish cook book.

4 cardamom pods

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

2 cups fresh coriander, roots removed

4 – 6 red chillies – I did not remove the seeds but you can if you don’t like super-hot relish

6 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

A splash of water

Crush the cardamom pods, peppercorns and caraway seeds in a mortar and pestle, then sift to remove the husks. I used a tea strainer.

Wash and thoroughly dry the coriander. Put the chillies, coriander, garlic, salt and water in a blender, add the spices and mix well. Tip into a jar and seal with 1 tablespoon olive oil. It will keep for around a week in the refrigerator.

Makes 100 ml

TRAY BAKED CHICKEN MARYLAND

A chicken Maryland is a cut of chicken which contains both the drumstick and thigh. It is a great budget-friendly cut to use for a quick roast chicken or in a one-pot wonder meal.

4 pieces chicken maryland cut legs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Maldon sea salt

Preheat oven to 210^oC or 190^oC fan bake. Rub the vegetable oil on the legs and sprinkle Maldon sea salt liberally. Place legs on a wire rack over an oven tray. Bake in oven for 30 to 35 minutes until done. Serve with couscous and Zhoug. Serves 4.

Schmaltz is the rendered chicken fat which collects in the tray. You can spoon into a small bowl and use it to flavour rice or couscous.

02/08/201905/08/2019

BEETROOT & CARROT VEPUDU

In Andhra Pradesh, the state where I was born vepudu is a common method of cooking vegetables. It literally means fry but the vegetables are not deep fried and the dish is dryish to look as it is eaten with liquid accompaniments like rasam or sambar.

There is sweetness from the carrots and beetroot and a hint of chilli coming through. The vegetables are lovely and juicy and I think it is a colourful accompaniment.

3 large carrots (450 grams) evenly diced to 1 centimetre pieces

3 medium sized beetroots (250 grams) evenly diced to 1 centimetre pieces

1 dried red chilli

1 green chilli finely chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon channa dhal (split chick pea)

3 tablespoons peanut or other vegetable oil

3 tablespoons roasted peanuts

3 tablespoons desiccated coconut

Salt to taste

METHOD

Heat the oil in a heavy based fry pan with a lid. When hot add the channa dhal if using, followed by the red chilli. Allow them to fry slightly for about thirty seconds and then add the green chilli and cumin seeds. When you can smell the cumin seeds, add the beetroot and fry for a minute before adding the carrots. Put the burner to high heat and cover the pan with lid and do not touch for a minute. Then remove the lid, stir to mix and do the same again that is cover with a lid and do not touch for a minute. Then reduce heat to low, add salt and stir to mix. Cover with lid and allow to cook for ten minutes. Fry once more this time remove the lid and allow the moisture to evaporate. Turn off the heat, add the desiccated coconut and the peanuts, mix and serve. Serves 6.

02/08/201905/08/2019

AMMAMMA’S CABBAGE SALAD

My maternal grandmother (Ammamma) passed away when I was very young and I did not have the privilege to know her better. My mother talks of the food she used to prepare very fondly and this is one of my grandmother’s recipe. You need tender baby cabbage the one that has almost soft, buttery leaves.

1 small tender, baby cabbage, washed and dried

100 grams grated coconut (I used frozen coconut)

1 thumb ginger finely chopped

2 green chillies (seeded and finely chopped)

1 shallot finely chopped

Juice from one lemon (about 30 ml)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil like canola

50 grams peanuts (handful)

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon channa dhal (split chick pea)

1 dried red chilli

Pinch of asafoetida (optional)

Salt to taste Using a box grater, grate the cabbage. In a large bowl, mix the cabbage with the green chilli, ginger and shallot. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a small fry pan and fry the peanuts until golden brown. This needs to be done on low heat otherwise they burn and taste bitter without the crunch. Once fried, remove and set aside. Put the fry pan on heat again and add the remaining oil to prepare popu (seasoning). Add the channa dhal, followed by mustard seeds. When the channa dhal turns slightly brown, you can also hear the mustard seeds popping, add the red chilli and asafoetida if using. Remove heat as the residual heat is sufficient to fry off the asafoetida and chilli. Just before serving, add the popu (seasoning) along with peanuts to the cabbage mixture. Add salt, lemon juice and adjust seasoning to your taste. Serve immediately. Serves 8 -10.

01/08/2019

WARANGAL 18.0 N 79.58 E

Warangal is a city in the South Indian state of Telengana. It can be easily accessed by road from Hyderabad and while it makes for a long day, like me you can do it as a day trip. We started about 7am and returned home about 10pm. It is about 150 kilometres but can take three hours to get there because of traffic congestion within Hyderabad. It is settled in the Eastern part of the Deccan Plateau made up of granite rocks and hill formations. Summer is very hot and temperature can go as high as 42^oCelsius and so my recommendation is to go in winter where the day is pleasant at 22 to 24^o.

Intricate detail in the thousand pillar temple, Warangal

Visiting Warangal is a lesson in history. Warangal which is a version of Orugallu or Ekshila Nagaram means a “single stone” referring to a huge granite boulder in the Warangal Fort. The city itself was the capital for the Kakatiya rulers who ruled between 12^th to 14^th century AD. When I visited the temples, I was in awe and wondered how it was humanly possible to have the vision to carve, chisel and create exquisite temples with one of the hardest and heaviest materials on earth. Remember there was no automation and nothing to assist the artisan – if the king commissioned you got the inspiration and just did it. They are very inspiring and you are left wonder struck not only at the enormity of the edifices but the detail as well. There are several legends being told about the benevolent rulers. Our guide demonstrated the space between petals by passing a thin coconut fibre through the gap!

Did you know that the Kakatiya’s were the original owners of the Kohinoor diamond? The city of Warangal was captured and looted by the Delhi Sultanate. They destroyed some of the art work within the temples and the broken or defaced elephants are a reminder of this.

Nandi in one of the Shiva temples in Warangal

Warangal is a city of more than million people but it appears most of the business seems to happen in Hyderabad. There are a few decent places to have lunch and we paid about $4 per person including tip for a vegetarian meal.

31/07/201904/08/2019

ORANGE and ALMOND CAKE

It was my son’s birthday over the weekend and I baked this cake. This is my go to cake for any occasion. A friend of mine Trish, gave this recipe about 20 years ago and we love it. It is so moist, easy to prepare and uncomplicated and gluten free. The whole house has a beautiful orange aroma when the cake is in the oven.

6 Eggs

250 grams caster sugar

250 grams ground almonds

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 oranges

Put the oranges and 2 cups of water into a saucepan that has a tight fitting lid. Cover and boil for 2 hours. Check that the oranges don’t boil dry. Once cool, discard the water and cut oranges open. Remove pips and core and purée.

Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Fold in oranges and ground almonds then add baking powder.

Pour into a lined cake tin, preferably with a removable base. I used a 26 centimetres tin. Bake for about 60 minutes at 180°C. Cool in the tin before turning out.

Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

31/07/201901/08/2019

SINGAPORE

I know countless people before me have written at great lengths about Singapore and what to do on holiday. I have spent many hours in transit many a time and wanted to dedicate this to what to do in Singapore when you arrive at 0600 and your flight is not until 2100 hours. I have done some or all of these activities in the fifteen hours.

Singapore never fails to amaze me as I feel it is a city that is always on the go and improving each and every day. I would have transited through Singapore at least 20 times and I must say not once have I cursed the layover. The city goes to bed late and rises late – so nothing is open till about 11am.

0600 – Once you disembark and in the terminal go to the registration desk and book your free Singapore Heritage Tour for a 9am departure. No need to clear immigration.

After registration, walk around and have a look at the arrival gardens and displays. Depending on the terminal, you can either explore the canopy walk, butterfly garden or sunflower garden.

After exploring enjoy a cup of coffee or kapi, freshen up and deposit your cabin bag at the left luggage centre. (Only a small day pack back pack is permitted on the tour)

0900 – Check in for your heritage tour

1130 – Arrive back at your terminal and clear immigration now.

1130 – Walk down to the MRT station (they will accept only cash or MasterCard) and purchase a day pass. You will need to change lines but it is straight forward and head to Gardens by the Bay. The gardens are inspiring and spectacular – you can easily immerse yourself and spend a few hours even if you are not a gardener. You may stop for a spot of lunch at one of the train stations.

1130 to 1700 Travelling to Gardens by the Bay, lunch and viewing the gardens. If the idea of gardens and being out in the heat and humidity does not interest you, then head down to Orchard Road and get lost in the mall maze. Traffic at peak times can be a nightmare and you will not find a taxi between the hours of 5 to 7pm. Best to head back to the airport on the MRT.

1700 to 1800 – Pick up your cabin bag and head to the transit lounge where for $16 you can have a nice shower.

1800 to 1900 – Head to the food halls to have some good Singapore food

1900 to 1930 – Finish any last minute duty free shopping. Great place to buy cosmetics, skin care and perfumes

1930 – Head to your gate for security check and Bon Voyage!

31/07/2019

HOW TO LOOK AFTER YOUR HOUSE PLANTS

House plants have become a topic of conversation lately as people are reconnecting with all things nature and organic. They have always been a design feature and for me it makes my house look fresh and stylish. If you choose the right plant, they can be relatively low maintenance and the plant sings out your green fingers. I believe nurturing house plants is a win / win situation – if you have enough large house plants, they remove volatile organic compounds from an indoor environment. Indoor plants offer the joy of taking care of something and seeing it respond and connecting to the plant that way helps in our own personal growth.

10 Hardy Indoor plants

ZZ plant/ Zamioculcas

Heart leaf Philodendron vine/Philodendron hederaceum

Peace Lily / Spathiphyllum

Devil’s ivy / Pothos

Mother-in-law’s tongue or snake plant/ Sansevieria trifasciata

Swiss cheese plant / Monstera deliciosa

Rubber tree / Ficus Elastica

Fiddle leaf fig / Ficus lyrata

Radiator Plants /Peperomia

Cactus / Cactaceae

Some such as fiddle leaf fig, Swiss cheese plant, Rubber tree and Philodendron can get very big. If you are a novice at growing, you are better to get a full sized one or if you have a bit of experience, you can get a smaller one in spring and nurture it to full size.

Now that I have my plants what next…

Get yourself off to a good start by buying the right plant for your space and lifestyle.

I like to place a used kitchen sponge or kitchen cloth between the pot and the saucer. I believe this retains some of the moisture and prevents the roots drying out.

The plants mentioned above like to dry out between waterings which is why they are user friendly. They will thrive best with bright, indirect light. You can group two or three plants together and make a living sculpture.

Tips to take care of your plants

Make yourself a routine of inspecting the health of your plant and watering on a regular basis. Perhaps in the initial stages you can make a time on your calendar until it becomes a routine.

Do the “finger test” to avoid over watering – pop a finger in the soil. If it’s still wet, don’t water it. Over watering is a common mistake and the reason why house plants die.

When I go away on holiday, I fill my bath tub with about an inch of water and I lay old towels in the bath tub. I place all my house plants minus the saucers in the bath tub. I have left my house plants this way for up to five weeks over summer and they all survived.