ANZAC Biscuits

Anzac biscuits are associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) which was established during World War I. It is believed that these biscuits were sent by wives and women's groups to soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and so the biscuits remained good to eat after time it took to transport them.

While there is evidence that soldiers on the Western Front in France and Belgium received oats-based biscuits there is little information regarding their consumption by the ANZACs troops.

However, these biscuits became popular and named ANZAC biscuits becasue they were sold at fetes, galas, parades in Australia and New Zealand to raise funds for the war effort. At that time, they were referred to as “soldier’s biscuits” and later called ANZAC biscuits.

We discovered these when we moved to Australia. It was only a few years ago we tried making them and since we enjoyed the taste and the thought behind making these biscuits it has become a regular bake for ANZAC Day in our house.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup of plain flour
• ¾ cup of desiccated coconut
• 2/3 cup of sugar
• 1/3 cup of golden syrup / honey
• 125 gm of unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 table spoons of water

Method

• Put all dry ingredients in to a bowl.
• Put the golden syrup and butter in a small pan and heat gently till the butter melts and mises with the syrup.
• Then mix pout the wet warm mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients.
• Mix well with a spatula first and then with your hands.
• Preheat your oven to 160 C.
• With your hands shape the mix into palm size biscuits or you can use any mould to shape your biscuits. Try and keep the thickness of the biscuit between 1 and 1 ½ centimetre to ensure even and quick cooking.
• Place the biscuits on a tray lined with grease proof paper.
• Cook in middle of the oven for 10 mins till golden brown.
• Allow them to cool a little before removing them from the tray and leaving on a rack to completely cool.
• The store in a closed container.

Thavala Dosa

Right… back to my love for dosas. I saw a new recipe put up by my friend on Facebook for thavala dosa. I was happy to see it was a quick one where I did not have to do any soaking or prepping the day before. Generally, this is what stops me from making dosas from scratch as I think I want one and of course since I do not have the batter ready I cannot. If I buy the readymade batter then it is possible to make it immediately or else, I have to go out to eat. This recipe did turn out all right even for an amateur like me. The recipe makes dosas for 4 people and since we are only 2, I saved half the ground mixture for another day. In fact, the second time I added a teaspoon of cumin seeds in the batter and it tasted lovely. The sourness to the dosa comes from the yogurt and there is no need to ferment the batter. I also found that making the batter a little thinner than the original recipe was better as you got lacy dosa. The texture is similar to oats dosa.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• ½ cup tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentil)
• 2 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour yogurt
• A few curry leaves

Method

• Mix the rice, tuvar dal and peppercorns in one bowl. These ingredients have to be ground in the dry grinder of the food processor. The flour should be ground to the consistency of coarse suji / rava. (A tip – I tried to do the grinding in the bigger mixer which I use for wet grinding in the hope that I could do the lot in 2 halves. Not a wise idea as it was not getting anywhere near the consistency I wanted. So, had to change to smaller portions being ground in the dry grinder. Also, it requires a fair old whizz to get to the right texture.)
• Put the flour in a big bowl. Add cumin seeds and salt.
• The curry leaves can be added whole or chopped finely (I prefer to chop them).
• Add the yogurt and stir to mix the ingredients.
• If necessary add water to get the consistency required.
• Let the batter rest for 15 – 30 mins.
• When ready to make preheat the non-stick frying pan or tawa.
• Add a few drops of oil and since the pan is warm you should be able to spread the oil drops by just moving the pan.
• Ladle the batter on to the hot frying pan. You can spread it with the back of the ladle or just pour the batter in circular motion from centre to outwards.
• Drizzle a few drops of oil on top and cover the frying pan with a lid.
• You will see the edges lift off the pan as the dosa gets cooked. Flip the dosa and cook on the other side for a few minutes.
• Then serve it with coconut chutney or idli podi or with potato sabji like I did.

Adai Dosa

           

One of my all-time favourite food is dosa, dosa in any form, plain or masala, regular or rava. For many years in UK going out for a dosa was a rare treat. As more Indian places to eat opened there were a few which served some of the basic dosas. You could be the readymade mix in which you added water to make the batter and make at home which was too time consuming as I found out once. I was so tried after making so many dosas which disappeared faster than I could make. These were just masala dosa where I am not sure I got the potato filling right either. If this was such a chore where the batter is more or less ready-made, I could not even contemplate doing it from scratch.

Now that I do not work, I have been trying out recipes and making them from scratch. Yes, my blog has many of these and in the last couple of years I have tried new stuff but not updated my blog. The other day I needed to do one for Rice Peas and my spark to blog got reignited. I have a number of friends who are expert in making dosas of all kinds and the most basic one is made with rice and urad dal (black gram lentil without the husk). The proportion of rice to the dal is 1: ½. Take one cup of rice and half cup urad dal in a bowl. Add a few fenugreek seeds and soak all over night. Then grind the rice and dal mix without adding water to a fine paste. Remove to a bowl and add water to make a batter. The consistency should be such that you are able to pour and spread with a spoon. Add some salt according to taste and set aside for a few hours to ferment. I generally grind and prepare the batter in the morning if I wish to make dosas for dinner.

Having learnt to do this and finding it was not too onerous as doing things a bit at a time suits my working style now, I thought I would like to try something new. Hence the venture into the unknown with adai dosa.

Ingredients

• Half cup Tuvar dal (pigeon peas lentils)
• Half cup Moong dal (green bean lentils without the husk)
• Half cup Urad dal (black bean lentils without the husk)
• Half cup Masoor dal (red lentils)
• Half cup Chana dal (Bengal gram lentils)
• 1 cup of Rice
• 2 teaspoons Fenugreek seeds
• 1 table spoon of chopped coriander leaves (optional as I have friends who do not like it)
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder (optional as one of my friends puts it)
• Salt to taste
• Oil to cook and I use it sparingly so about a table spoon is enough.

Method

• Put all the lentils, rice and fenugreek in a bowl and wash with cold water to remove any dust or extra starch. Drain the water and then fill the bowl with fresh water till it covers the contents plus another centimetre.  Cover the bowl and leave to soak overnight.
• In the morning drain and leave the water to one side. Grind the soaked dals, rice and fenugreek seeds mixture in a food processor. The batter should feel smooth to touch.
• Remove the batter in a bowl and add that left over water a little at a time to get the batter to single cream consistency so you can use a ladle to pour in the pan and also use the back of the ladle to spread it in the pan.
• Cover the bowl and leave to the side in a warm space so that the batter can ferment. As stated earlier I leave the batter for 4 hours at least.
• When you are ready to cook add salt and coriander leaves.
• Stir the batter to check the consistency. If the batter feels thicker you can add a little more water to loosen it.
• Get the oil out in a small bowl and a spoon.
• Heat the frying pan on your hob. Usually cast iron flat pan is used for making dosa and I do not have one. For one thing I cannot lift it as its too heavy for my wrists. Instead I use a good quality non-stick frying pan and it works just as well.
• Once the pan is hot put a few drops of oil and rotate the pan to let the oil cover the surface. Since the pan is non-stick this is enough.
• Take a ladle full of batter and put it in the middle of the pan. Using the back of the ladle and circular movement from the centre outwards spread the batter into a nice circle. Its ok if it is not all evenly spread. The thinner bits give the dosa its crispy bits.
• Put a few drops of oil on top and cover the frying pan with a lid so the steam created helps the cooking.
• When you see the edges getting crisp coming off the pan you can turn the dosa over. Often people find cooking one side is enough however since I am a novice at this, I prefer to turn it over and make sure it is cooked all the way through.
• Once cooked flip it back and fold it over and serve.

Serving tips

I sometimes make the potato filling and or sambhar (thick lentil soup is the best way I can explain to people who are not familiar with Indian foods) or coconut chutney or all of them. You can also have it with savoury pickles like gongura or ginger pickle or tomato chutney.

Left over batter can be put in the fridge and saved for another day. It can be kept for 2-4 days. Just make sure you leave it out of the fridge for a few hours to bring it back to room temperature and get the fermentation going again.

Rice Peas

My all-time favourite Jamaican dish first encountered when I visited Jamaica years ago. Of course, it is part of the meal where you can have fish and veggies along with it. But I love it on its own and yes some of my Jamaican friend will say its is not totally authentic but one makes do with what ingredients one can get and cooking skills. And as long as you enjoy the dish what else matters? This makes enough for 4 – 6 people. If you are like me and eat it just as a complete meal then it will serve 4 but if it is an accompaniment it will stretch to 6.

Ingredients

• 2 tins of red beans (you can go for dry beans which then you have to soak overnight and cook)
• 1 can of coconut cream (you can have milk it you want to make it less creamy) plus same amount of water.
• 1 cup basmati rice washed and kept aside (I use a 225 ml cup)
• 1 medium onion or a couple of large shallots finely chopped
• 4 medium chopped green chillies or if you can get it and are adventurous 1 scotch bonnet pepper – this should just be added whole)
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (half teaspoon of dried thyme if you cannot get fresh)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil or vegetable oil)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Method

•   Open the beans tins and wash the beans of preservative juices and set aside.
•   In a pan put the oil, onions and chillies to sauté on medium heat.
•  Once the onions begin to soften add the thyme in too.
•   Then add coconut cream and the water to the pan and bring it to a simmer.
•  Add the red beans in and bring it to the boil. Boil for a 10 mins. 
• Add the washed rice and stir to make sure all the beans and rice and onions are mixed.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring to boil, then cover the pan with a tight lid and lower the heat to minimum.
•  Leave to cook till you see all the liquid just about absorbed. Turn off the heat and keep the lid closed for another 5 mins so the liquid is completely absorbed.
• Then serve it as a side to any veggies or fish or meat.

Where is Home?

“Never make your home in a place. Make a home for yourself inside your own head. You'll find what you need to furnish it - memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other such things. That way it will go with you wherever you journey.” (Tad Williams)

I found this quote in the memories of my Facebook page and I stopped to reflect on it as just a few days ago I had a conversation with my friends – yes separate conversations with a couple of different friends about the concept of ‘home’. A number of my friends from school and college have been reunited with me due to the social media. Indeed, as one would expect a fair number have moved abroad over the time. We have formed lives and social circle in the new country while keeping alive ties to our country of birth. Some of us have changed nationalities while others have kept it. Most of my friends have partners from their own country. I however did not do so and by now am living on a third continent. I spent many years in India and then UK and now moved to Australia.

The reflection started with one friend saying that she missed home, for friends and sights and sounds and customs and so on. She says she feel restless and keeps wanting to return ‘home’. She asked if I feel the same since I have moved too. And strangely enough I could answer right away no I am happy as home is where I live with my husband, therefore where my heart is. I have lived in different cultures from the start as even living in India one is confronted by cultures of different states and I have moved a few states. While I can understand that she feels that her friends are now far away, it is not like when I left home as with only snail mail available and phones calls being extremely expensive none of us to afford to keep in touch across the world. I worked hard and had friends but limited social life for new friends were not as close bar an odd one or two. But I had family near by and spent a lot of time with them and therefore it was my ‘home’. This also included my husband’s family. So, I guess where my family was, was my home. There were times in the first couple of years of moving countries that I missed the sights, sounds and smells familiar to me from childhood but slowly I adapted to my new home.

Then I got ill. Chronic illness meant a lot of change and adapting of my lifestyle to achieve an acceptable quality of life. One adaptation was to move to Australia for a slower pace and better quality of life. I need to live in a warm place as cold is hard on my bones and muscles. Here we did not know anyone except one acquaintance and then found one distant relative. Moreover, over the first 3 years of my illness my social life as online specially since those who are close to me live all over the world. I am grateful for the social media and technology as it keeps me connected to people I love and care about. So now where is home? Considering we rent a place and have moved about 4 times I cannot call the bricks and mortar home.

Where is home - people ask

I am surprised they should ask

For me home is where my heart is

Very cliched response that is

But let me explain

How this concept I maintain

Home is where the country I was born?

But it has been decades since I was gone.

Home is where my family resides?

But that changes when death in family decides

Moving countries widens the world

Exposed to varied customs and cultures of the world

It all gets assimilated into who I am

An amalgamation of cultures I am

Changing houses has taught me that

Bricks and mortar are not where it’s at

Where I am happy is where its home

Where my husband is where its home

My social life is over the net

I have a very good one, you bet

I travel the world now from my sofa

Chatting with friends over a cuppa

So what culture do I miss

As every festival and holiday is shared as well as the crisis

Following the news of all the places where a friend is

Makes me think that’s where also home is

The usual labels of nationality, origins, caste, class are hard to apply

Having moved countries and cultures an amalgamation is what I can supply

I start categorising homes from where I was born

Its such a long story that you will have to bring popcorn

I am happy where I live with my husband

My physical world is complete with my husband

My definition of home has changed over time

Maybe earth is my home at this time

So how can I say where is home

Home is within me and I am home

Broccolini and Snake Bean Stir Fry

I got some good broccolini as it is in season. I also had some snake beans that I had bought to cook with potato for a dry curry as usual. Some days I just need to take it easy and working hard over a hot hob is not welcome specially when the outside temperature is pretty high. I ran over the list of veggies I had in my fridge and freezer and decided that I would use the broccolini and the beans. If this was not enough, I would take out some of the mixed frozen vegetables to add into it. Once everything was chopped, I did not need to add the other vegetables. But just for those interested the vegetable mix I have is French beans, broccoli, snow peas. Just as I started out flexibly with the vegetables, I also made up the other ingredients as I went along.  I would add a half inch of fresh ginger cut into matchsticks the next time. The end result could not have been better. I had this stir fry with a pile of creamy mashed potatoes. Some left over stir fry was reheated and had as a filling of a sandwich the next day. It is nice to have found a different veggie dish that I like. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Ingredients

• 2 bunches of broccolini (generally about 8 stalks per bunch)
• 1 bunch of snake beans (generally about 10 – 12 beans per bunch)
• 1 medium onion
• 3 – 4 cloves of garlic (you can have more of less according to your taste or indeed omit it as well)
• 1 table spoon of pine nuts
• 1 teaspoon of crushed wattle seeds (I used the wattle seed tea which is coarse rather than powder)
• 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds
• 1 ½ tablespoons of green chillies sauce (I used Byron Bay Jalapeno Chilli Sauce which is tangy and not very hot. You can adjust this to your taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of Olive oil for frying

Method

• Chop the broccolini and the beans at an angle to about 2 inches long pieces. I kept the tender tops of the broccolini separately from the stalks.
• Finely slice the onion and garlic cloves.
• In a wok or large heavy frying pan heat up the olive oil.
• Once the oil is really hot, add the onion and garlic and stir.
• As it gets semi cooked add the pine nuts.
• Stir the nuts and onions a couple of times and ad the beans and the broccolini stalk first.
• Add the salt at this time.
• Once they begin to soften add the broccolini tops and continue to stir.
• Add the chilli sauce and pepper
• Stop cooking when there is still a little crunch left in the vegetables.
• Put it out in a serving dish and sprinkle the wattle seed and the hemp seeds as garnish.

Papaya Salad

I often see green papayas in the fruit and veg shop and think one day I should try some. When I was a kid, I used to visit family friends and grandma there used to make papaya salad…… I dimly remember. However, I am not sure how exactly she made it. I have friends who make it and also seen some recipes but really needed to get over the inertia and buy some. One day while chatting to a friend online we got to talking about what was cooked for dinner and papaya salad was one of the dishes. I got a quick rundown on the ingredients and the method. Of course, not having written in down I had to rely on memory and these days it is not as good as it used to be. Did another recon of the food websites and got a better idea of what basics were and created my own from the ingredients that I had at home. Also, I cannot use the soy sauce that was identified in some recipes as I am allergic to it. Neither do I use palm sugar or fish sauce hence the adaptation of dressing ingredients. I must say it turned out nice, tangy and crunchy with a hint of heat.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of shredded green papaya
• 1 medium carrot shredded
• 1 medium onion finely sliced
• ¼ cup finely sliced long beans
• 1 ripe tomato (I used the roma one) again finely sliced
• 1 table spoon of roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar (you can use honey as well. I tried using that as well once)
• 2 – 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. (again, I tend to taste and see if it is right as people can tolerate different levels of sourness.)

Method

• Shred and slice all the vegetables and put in a bowl.
• Put the sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small jar and shake to mix well and dissolve the sugar completely.
• Then pour the dressing over the papaya, carrots, onions and tomato.
• Stir well and garnish with the coriander.

When served immediately the salad is nice and crunchy and dressing light on it. You can keep it for a few hours in the fridge and the dressing has a pickling effect and acquires a different dimension. I had some left over and sat it in the fridge for later and found this delightful change.