“I miss my mother’s rajma” one of our regular customers lamented a while back while scooping kidney beans into a bag. We nodded sagely for a second then dropped the pretence that we knew what he was talking about. We realised there was a very good chance that he was talking about a delicious dish made by his Northern Indian mum, and that if we played our cards right he might share the recipe with us.
“Rajma” he said dreamily. “It’s a curry made with kidney beans . But it’s so much more than that. It can’t be explained. You just have to taste it”. He didn’t know his mother’s exact recipe but he pointed us in the right direction. Suzanne was on the case, and by the end of the week had produced a pot of Rajma. Not wanting to be left out, I made it the following day and we had a rajma-off. Suzanne won! How to explain rajma… it’s rich, bright, creamy sauce is reminiscent of butter chicken, and the kidney beans give it a comforting, velvety texture. It’s delicious, and we couldn’t wait to share it with you.
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Confession time: I don't think I've ever managed to leave a country town or weekend market without buying a jar of preserve. Chutney, mustard, jam, I am powerless to resist.
The undisputed Australian champion of all jarred preserves has to be lemon curd, aka lemon butter. And as it's peak lemon season right now, I need no further excuse to make a batch of curd myself. I'm sharing my trusty old reliable recipe that I've been using for lemon and passionfruit butter for decades. Its exact provenance is lost but I can tell you it's a combination of recipes from the CWA, my time in the Ritz Carlton pastry kitchen, and personal tweaks I've made over the years. When our Tapioca Pearls arrived in store before Christmas, I set myself the challenge of making Boba, aka Bubble Tea from scratch. Why was it going to be a challenge? Because traditionally the bubble tea you buy already made uses the larger tapioca pearls, whereas we stock the tiny ones. I wasn't sure it would work. I'm pleased to report back that it does indeed work. The process was straightforward and fast. So I encourage you to give this deceptively simple drink a go. Prep Time: 5 min, Cook Time: 10 min, Chill time: 1 hour Servings: 2 Ingredients: ½ cup uncooked tapioca pearls 4 cups water (for cooking tapioca pearls) 4 teaspoons dried hibiscus flowers 1-2 tablespoons sugar of choice 1 cup hot water (for steeping tea) milk of choice ice Method: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly add the tapioca pearls. Bring water back up to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so pearls don't clump together. Scoop a few pearls out with a slotted spoon to test for softness - they should be soft but with a little chew, a bit like pasta. Tip the cooked pearls into a colander in the sink and run plenty of cold tap water over them straight away so they don't cling together, and also so they stop cooking. Set aside. Meanwhile, pour 1 cup boiling water over dried hibiscus flowers and sugar; stir well then let steep for 10 minutes. Strain, stir again then allow liquid to completely cool in the fridge before making your drink. To assemble your Bubble Tea: Divide tapioca pearls between two tall glasses. Add ice and sweet hibiscus tea mixture evenly into both glasses. Add a splash of coconut milk or any other milk you fancy. Add a parfait spoon to help scoop up those plump tapioca pearls. Stir and enjoy! Pimp My Recipe Whilst I used hibiscus tea for this recipe, Bubble Tea is traditionally made with a base of black tea and fruit syrup. If you want to try the black tea version, use black tea in place of hibiscus leaves, and add fruit flavoured syrup or cordial instead of the sugar. Adapt the separate components of this recipe to your taste. The strength of the tea, the sweetness, and amount of milk and pearls. Milk: I tested this recipe with regular full cream milk, oat milk and coconut milk, and they all passed the taste test. However if you want to turn the authenticity up a notch, try using canned evaporated milk. It's what's traditionally used in a lot of commercial bubble tea shops. Springtime is rushing past & summer is right on our doorstep! So stock your fridge with wholesome, filling, delicious chia puddings. When you're too hot to even contemplate toast for breakfast or you get a craving for an afternoon or late night sweet treat, chia pudding has got your back.
The humble chia pudding is a good reminder that sometimes mixing 2 or 3 simple ingredients together produces something far grander than the sum of its parts. The soluble fibre in chia seeds makes it turn jelly-like when it's left to soak in liquid. Simply adding chia to milk and adding some flavourings produces the most delicious breakfast, dessert or snack with only a few minutes preparation. I've provided a recipe for a basic chia pudding, plus 2 variations. Play around with different add-ins and toppings to come up with some more variations! Note that the recipe makes one single serve, so just double or quadruple the recipe if needed. I like to make 3 or 4 at a time so I have a few days worth of yummy breakfast or snack. We love this dish at Halloween because of the rich, vibrant orange of the roasted pumpkin nestled alongside the deep purple of the rice. (Black rice is purple when cooked!)
This recipe works just as well as a cold salad as it does when eaten warm, so leave it up to the weather and mood as to how you choose to enjoy it. Something to note about black rice: it's rather sticky in nature, so don't expect your usual rice salad consistency, where the grains are separate and dry. Black rice, with its glorious clumpy stickiness, is a different eating experience altogether, and it's what makes it so yummy. |
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