Vegetarian | Crazy About Cooking

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

Karina Savoury Temptations, Vegan, Vegetarian 14/06/201924/07/2019 0 Comment

Crazy-About-Cooking-Chickpea-Curry-Featured-Image

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.

However, 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.

The 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 06/06/201906/06/2019 0 Comment

Crazy-About-Cooking-Pickled-Radishes-Featured-Image

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

Put 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.

Growing 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

Veggie Black Bean Burgers

Karina Jamie Oliver Recipe Roadtest, Recipe Roadtest, Savoury Temptations, Uncategorized, Vegetarian 31/05/201906/06/2019 0 Comment

Crazy-About-Cooking-Black-Bean-Burgers-featured-image

Black beans are my new favourite ingredient. Packed with protein, inexpensive and easy to cook, black beans are versatile and can be used for both sweet and savoury recipes (I tried black bean brownies and my world has changed).

I adapted the Jamie Oliver Black Bean Burger recipe and put my own twist on it by ditching the tomato and caramelising the onions instead of lightly pickling them. Topped with kale, melty cheese and buttery toasted buns, this recipe is a perfect spin on a healthy burger.

Makes 6 burgers | Prep time – 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 small onions, sliced
1 red chilli
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsps red wine/ balsamic vinegar
3 tbsps barbecue sauce
2 x 400 gm tinned black beans
2 spring onions, chopped finely
150 gms bread crumbs (or almond meal if you’re gluten free)
2 tsps lemon juice
100 gms kale
olive oil
sour cream to serve (optional)
6 cheese slices
6 burger buns, cut in half

Method

Heat a frying pan with some olive oil and fry onions till softened. Add in the garlic and chilli. Fry till fragrant and pour vinegar into pan.

Allow the vinegar to evaporate and mix in the barbecue sauce. Cover the pan and leave on a low flame, allowing the onions to caramelise for 15 minutes. Stir the onions so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan – season according to taste.

Drain the beans and put them in a food processor with salt to season. Blitz till the mixture the beans are crushed. Combine with breadcrumbs, crushed garlic, lemon juice and spring onions. The beans may look dry, but once you start combining the other ingredients, you will notice the mixture is quite wet. Add breadcrumbs till the mix holds together.

Shape into 6 patties, and fry in a shallow pan on either side till brown. Top with cheese and turn off the heat. Cover the pan and allow the cheese to melt while the buns are toasted.

Toast the burger buns and layer with kale, the burger patty, caramelised onions and sour cream if desired. Serve hot with chips on the side.

I used canned black beans because they cut half the cooking time, especially on a long day after work or classes. You can use fresh/dried black beans, but be sure to soak them overnight so they cook faster. Boil/pressure cook with salt for 45- 50 minutes.

The great thing with this recipe is that it can be adapted to suit different tastebuds and choices. You can go the classic route and add plain sliced onions, tomatoes and lettuce, or even top with some garlicky yoghurt and use cumin in your patty for a Mediterranean twist.

Happy Cooking!

Karina

Best Ever Peach Kuchen

Kerrin Beginners Baking, Sweet Treats, Vegetarian 30/05/201930/05/2019 0 Comment

Fast and easy to make, this not-too-sweet tart is sure to become a family favourite. You can substitute almost any soft fruit for the peaches if you prefer – stone fruits and berries work particularly well.

And yes, it is made using a packet cake mix! I usually get the cheapest 79-cent home brand one.

Ingredients

Base

1 x 340g packet vanilla or butter cake mix
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
120gm butter

Filling

250ml carton sour cream
1 large egg
3 tbsp caster sugar
Tinned peaches (or other soft fruit)
Cinnamon to dust

Method

Combine the cake mix, coconut and butter in a food processor and mix until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you can rub the butter in by hand if you prefer.

Press into a lined slice tin or a flan tin with a removable base if you have one. Cover the base and the sides of the tin.

Bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes. The mix will puff up a bit – don’t worry about that, just press it back down with the back of a spoon or a spatula. You can also blind bake it if you have baking paper and beans or rice, I’ve tried both ways and it doesn’t seem to make too much difference.

After the base has turned pale gold, remove from the oven and let cool slightly. It’s important that the base has started to turn golden otherwise the filling will seep though too much.

Open your carton of sour cream and crack the egg right into it. You can use a bowl if you’re a big fan of washing up, but you can mix it just fine in the carton if you’re lazy like me.

Whisk the egg and the sour cream together and add in the caster sugar. Let sit for a couple of minutes while you arrange the peaches on the base.

Depending on how deep your tin is you may want to cut the peach slices in half again to make them thinner. Arrange them as prettily as you want or just lob them in over the cooled base.

Pour the wet mix over the top of the peaches, sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and pop the kuchen back in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the filling is set and slightly golden on top.

If you’re using a tin with a removable base, you may want to sit it on a baking sheet to stop any liquid dripping onto the bottom of your oven (I speak from experience here – is there anything more disappointing than having to spend an hour cleaning the bottom of the oven after you’ve finished baking??).

Let cool in the tin, then slice as desired. Can be served with ice cream or cream or all by itself.

Kuchen stores well in the fridge and is great for lunchboxes. You can also freeze individual serves pretty successfully and it’s actually kind of nice frozen as well – like a custardy ice cream slice.

Sometimes I wind up with some extra base and filling, so I make mini individual kuchens in foil pie tins. Follow exactly the same process but keep a closer eye on them because they tend to cook faster.

Zuggets (AKA Zucchini Nuggets)

Kerrin Air Fryer, Brunch Favourites, Savoury Temptations, Vegetarian 03/05/201903/05/2019 0 Comment

Crazy-About-Cooking-Zuggets-Featured-Image

You know how sometimes there are recipes that you just can believe taste as good as they do? This is one of them. Even if you’re not a zucchini fan, you’re pretty much guaranteed to like these zuggets. Is ‘zuggets’ a word? It is now. But maybe not if you’re trying to get a triple word score in Scrabble 🙂

Ingredients

2.5 cups grated zucchini
1 medium onion, finely minced
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup dehydrated mashed potato mix ( I like the Aldi one)
1/2 cup grated sharp cheese (something with a good strong flavour, like cheddar)
2 eggs, beaten
Herbs – you can use fresh or dried, Italian mix or Greek mix or any other kind of herb seasoning you want
Salt & pepper

Method

Grate the zucchini and then squeeze as much liquid as you can from it – smooshing it in a colander is probably the easiest way to do this.

Mince the onion finely. Try not to cry. Cry a lot.

Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine.

Form tablespoons of the mix into nuggets and leave for about 10 minutes to ‘set’.

Cooking

“Can we air fry it?”

Yes, we can!

Air fry for about 15 minutes at 190 degrees or until golden and crispy on the outside. Depending on your air fryer you may need to spray the basket with oil to prevent them from sticking.

Alternatively, if you haven’t enriched your life by purchasing an air fryer yet, you can put them on an oven tray covered in baking paper and bake them for about 15 minutes in a moderate oven.

Or, if you want some extra crunchy golden goodness, you can shallow fry them for a few minutes or even deep fry them.

My preference is the air fryer because:

a) I LOVE my air fryer

b) It delivers a crunchy golden outer with soft fluffy filling using virtually no oil

Serve with dipping sauces if you like, but honestly, they are pretty amazing on their own.

Makes about 24, depending on how large you make the nuggets.

Peanut Butter Banana Bliss Balls

Karina Sweet Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian 26/04/201906/06/2019 0 Comment

crazy-about-cooking-peanut-butter-bliss-balls-featured-image

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!

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