Vegan

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

Karina Savoury Temptations, Vegan, Vegetarian 0 Comment
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Indian food is always (wrongly) associated with some sort of curry. The truth is, we have a plethora of dishes and ingredients that vary from state to state, mostly depending on the climate and produce available.

Crazy-About-Cooking-Chickpea-CurryHowever, we do love our curries, especially during the winter months. The food is richer and if vegetarian, will usually be made of warming ingredients. This recipe, adapted from Jamie Oliver’s sweet potato, chickpea and spinach curry (I left out the spinach) is made with coconut milk and combines North and South Indian flavours. The sweet potato cuts through the spice and chickpeas add a protein packed punch to this flavoursome dish.

Serves 2-3 people

Prep time – 45 mins + additional time if you’re using fresh chickpeas

Ingredients

  • 2-3 tbsps olive oil
  • 1 large red onion (sliced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (crushed/chopped small)
  • 1 green chilli
  • 2 cm piece ginger
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp each cumin and coriander powder
  • 1 can of chickpeas (400 gms)
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut roughly
  • 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped roughly (or 400 gm can)
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • Salt and pepper, according to taste

Method

Heat a deep pan and the olive oil on a medium flame. Fry the onion till it softens and turns translucent. Tip in the garlic, chilli and ginger. Once softened, mix in the spices and fry till fragrant (you might need to add more oil).

Add the cut sweet potato and stir till coated with spices, and then stir the chopped tomatoes.

Bring to a light simmer and stir in the coconut milk (be sure the flame isn’t too high or the milk will split).

Once the potatoes are semi cooked (poke with a fork, if you can pierce the skin it’s good to go), add the can of chickpeas and stir till they are coated with the gravy.

Simmer till they soften and the potatoes are cooked. You can leave the lid open for the last few minutes if you prefer a semi-dry curry.

Crazy-About-Cooking-Chickpea-Curry-2The health benefits of the ingredients are always a consideration when it comes to cooking Indian food at home. Whether it is the addition of mint and yogurt to cool the body, fennel or cumin seeds for digestion, turmeric for immunity, and many more fragrant spices which elevate the flavours of the dish, they are all perfectly paired with a bland base of carbs (rice or roti) for balance.

Happy Cooking!

Karina

Pickled Baby Radishes with Fennel

Karina Condiments, Savoury Temptations, Vegan, Vegetarian 0 Comment
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This lovely, refreshing recipe is very different to pickles we have back in India, but is more of a condiment that can be used in salads for a mouth-puckering bite, with fried chicken, or even on top of sandwiches. Finely sliced pink radishes, paired with the umami flavours of red wine vinegar and honey, come together in a beautiful, crunchy, salty-sweet harmony. Paired with fennel seeds for an aniseed-y touch, you will always have a jar in your house, just like I do.

Prep time – 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 pink baby radishes, sliced paper thin (use a very sharp knife or a mandolin)
  • 1 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsps honey
  • 1 tsp  fennel seeds
  • salt to taste

Method

Crazy-About-Cooking-Close-Up-Pickled-RadishesPut the sliced radish in a jar and set aside.

In a small saucepan, boil the vinegar, water, honey and fennel seeds together till vinegar is reduced by half (vinegar has a very strong smell when boiled, so be sure to keep windows open)

Once reduced, pour hot liquid in jar, on top of radishes.

Leave for half an hour and serve as you prefer, or leave overnight in pickling liquid and have the next day.

Store in a cool, dry area for up to 2 weeks.

 

Crazy-About-Cooking-Pickled-Radishes-2Growing up in India, pickled vegetables were always present on the table as the perfect, spicy condiment to pair with rice/roti, a big bowl of veggies and of course, some homemade yoghurt. I have an unhealthy love for everything sour (except candy) and often ate spoonfuls of carrot, turnip (my absolute favourite), raw mango or lemon pickle.

It may sound silly, but pickles are almost a way to connect to the past. My grandmother is an expert pickle maker and uses recipes passed down from her mother and I still remember sneaking outside and picking out slices of turnips in their heady mixture of spices, jaggery and salt – doing their magic as they fermented in the sunlight. The aniseed is a homage to those flavours, but baby onions and radishes in vinegar are often a staple in many Indian households and restaurants, a thick slice of beetroot in the jar providing a delightful, pink tinge to the delicious condiment.

Happy Pickling!

Karina

Peanut Butter Banana Bliss Balls

Karina Sweet Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian 0 Comment
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Bliss balls (just a cute name for them really) are essentially healthy, rolled up versions of raw granola bars. Deceptively easy to make, they are nutritious, filling and can be made using multiple flavour combinations. For this version, I used a slightly ripe banana, a nice scoop of peanut butter and rolled it in cocoa powder for a chocolatey kick. I used almond meal for structure, however you can use crushed peanuts or a handful of oats too!

Crazy-about-cooking-peanut-butter-bliss-balls

Prep time – 15 minutes  |  Makes 8-10 bliss balls, depending on size

Ingredients

  • 1 slightly ripe banana
  • 1/2 cup almond meal (or more, depending on texture), plus extra for coating
  • 1/2 cup instant oats
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. chia seeds
  • 2 tbsps. honey (for a vegan version use maple syrup or rice malt syrup)
  • 2 tbsps. desiccated coconut (optional)
  • Cocoa powder, for coating

Method

Mash the banana with a fork and mix the honey and peanut butter in it.

Add the almond meal, oats and chia seeds in small batches and fold until incorporated.

The mixture should be like a slightly sticky dough that holds together when pressed.

Scoop out even spoonfuls and roll the mixture into balls (use a dab of coconut oil on your hands to prevent it from sticking to your palms).

Once this is done, place on a tray/plate lined with baking paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Take the bliss balls out and roll them in some cocoa powder and sprinkle with almond meal or desiccated coconut as desired.

If you’ve grown up in India, your mom probably forced you to eat almonds every morning, rain or shine. My mother maintains that these 6, vital almonds are the sole reason I have a good memory (of course we don’t mention the time’s tables I was made to memorise). In conclusion, I got to a point where I realised I looked forward to my daily dose of nutrition, and actually loved how almonds tasted. Fast forward 15 years and I’m constantly looking for creative ways to include them in my recipes.

After moving to Australia I tried proper almond milk for the first time, and it slowly became one of the staples in my fridge. It’s light, slightly sweet and nutty, and is a versatile base for milkshakes, overnight oats and chia puddings too. And of course, there’s almond meal. I call it my cheats flour because I use it while baking 90% of the time. It guarantees a fudge, softer texture and always tastes amazing. Of course you can substitute it for hazelnut, coconut or even walnut meal depending on what flavours you are going with.

Alternatively, try making your own nut butters and swap out the peanut butter as desired.


Happy Snacking!

Karina

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