Rice noodles with stir fried vegetables

Ingredients

1 packet of dry rice noodles (200 gms)
2 onions
3 carrots
1 green capsicum
1 yellow capsicum
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece of ginger
4 spring onions
1-2 fresh red chillies
Handful of coriander springs
Salt to taste
Chilli powder to taste
1 tablespoon of molasses
Oil to cook
Lime halves to serve

I love asian food, and while at uni, i was a regular at many restaurants in Melbourne's Chinatown, that is until I moved in with two Chinese girls and learnt how simple Chinese food was to make at home and as a added bonus was so much healthier. Since then I have significantly expanded my Asian repertoire but cooking without soy and sea food has been hard. But where there is a will, there is always a way, and I am glad to say, while I have not found substitutes for soy sauce, I have managed to cook delicious meals without it with a little bit of creativity. I think the real challenge when cooking without key ingredients is to make the food look and feel the same. Soy sauce gives Asian meals saltiness and colour along with flavour. While I can't do much about the flavour (except make up for it by using other ingredients) I get the saltiness from salt and the colour from adding molasses - which also adds a touch of sweetness to a dish, similar to what kechap manis (sweet soy sauce) does.

I have opted for a vegetarian option here, using vegetables I had in the fridge. If you prefer you can add thinly sliced meat of your choice or add other vegetables like beans, mushroom or baby corn - whatever you have handy or like to eat.

With any stir fry, the key lies in the preparation, finely chop the garlic, ginger and chillies. Cut all the vegetables into thin strips, roughly the same size as this will help them to cook at the same time. Turn on the kettle or bring about 1 litre of water to the boil in a saucepan. Cover the dry rice noodles with
the boiled water and set aside for 3-4 minutes. Once the noodles are rehydrated, drain and rinse them and set aside to be added to the vegetables when ready.

Heat a large wok, add about two tablespoons of oil (I use rice bran oil because of the high smoking
point) followed by the chopped  ginger, garlic and chillies. Stir and add the rest of the vegetables,
cooking on a high heat stirring often. When the vegetables are semi cooked, but still have a bite, add the salt and chilli powder along with the molasses and stir. Add the rice noodles and toss well to
ensure they are well combined. Add the chopped coriander and serve hot with a slice of lime.

Kebab maitabi

While I don't speak Farsi, I have been told on good authority that the word maitabi (the spelling might be a bit off) means pan, so roughly translated kebab maitabi means kebabs cooked in a pan. So to make my version, you need to start with the kebabs. I make mine with lamb mince, and I always make extra and then freeze them individually in freezer bags and stow them away for a time poor day, as they can be also be barbecued, grilled, baked in the oven or cooked in a pan with or without a sauce and can be enjoyed with rice or bread. In fact, my husband loves eating them with garlic yoghurt, combination of salad (lettuce/spinach, onion, tomatoes) and pickled gherkins if available, all wrapped up in pita bread. The salad and yoghurt can be prepared while the kebabs are cooking. So if gluten or dairy are not a problem, this might be something you may want to try.

For every 500 gms of lamb mince, you will need one onion, three cloves of garlic, salt and pepper. I also add one green chilli, but that is completely optional. Finely chop or process the onion, garlic and chilli (if using) and place in a large bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, I use about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Traditionally a whole egg would also be used, but i find that the kebabs hold their shape well even without it, more so, if you refrigerate them for a bit. Add the meat and mix well/ massage with your hands. Herein lies the key to making good kebabs. Rest the mixture for 15-20 minutes and then mix again and shape into small patties. You should get about 5-6 patties/kebabs depending upon the size of the patties you make. If you are making extra freeze them in freezer bags for a later day. You won't regret it.

To start with, I seal the kebabs in a non stick fry pan. Once both sides are sealed and are slightly coloured, set them aside for later. You can use the same pan and any residual fat from the lamb to make the sauce.

To make the sauce, roughly chop one onion and 2-3 cloves of garlic. If required, add some olive oil
to the pan, allow it to heat slightly and then add the onion and garlic (though not traditional, i also add 1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger). Once the onions are translucent, add one can of chopped tomatoes and season with salt, chilli powder (to taste, keep in mind that the kebabs are already seasoned) and a pinch of turmeric. Add about 1/4 cup of water (red wine can also be used at this point, however, if you are using wine, ensure that you have cooked of the alcohol before adding the kebabs).  Mix well and then add the sealed kebabs. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes and then turn the kebabs over and cook the other side for a further 5 minutes. You can cook them a bit longer if you prefer. Once they are cooked to your liking, turn up the heat to thicken the sauce (if required) and add some chopped parsley and coriander. Serve hot, it can be enjoyed with either rice or bread.

Gluten free, vegan chocolate cake

To make this dairy, egg and gluten free cake, you need to secure some pure cocoa powder. It can be found in health food stores. However, if there is no dairy allergy you can also use good quality cocoa powder found in the super market as it often contains skim milk along with sugar etc.

To make the cake you will need the following:

1 cup of almond meal flour

3/4 cup of chick pea flour

1/4 cup of cocoa powder

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 level teaspoons of egg replacer powder

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil 

1 cup of almond milk

Raspberries and icing sugar to decorate

Mix together all the dry ingredients well in a mixing bowl with a spatula. I generally do not like my cakes very sweet, and one cup of sugar is perfect for me. But if you prefer your cakes sweeter, especially if you are using pure, unsweetened cocoa, you can add an extra 1/4 cup of sugar. Mix all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Stir to mix but be careful not to over mix.

Place the mixture in a lined 20 cm cake tin, sit it on a baking tray and place it in a preheated fan forced oven (180 C) for  40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake before taking it out of the tin. Place fresh raspberries and dust with icing sugar.

To make a chocolate sauce to accompany mix together two tablespoons of cocoa powder with 2 tablespoons of icing sugar and 1-2 tablespoons of apple juice and a few drops of oil. Add the juice slowly until you get the desired consistency. You can also use a thicker version of the sauce to ice the cake.

Zucchini and carrot fritters

I made these fritters yesterday as I thought they would make a good snack for the entire family, my toddler included. Though the word fritter may be a misnomer as I did not deep fry them, rather just cooked them in a non stick pan similar to how one would make pikelets... So I guess it is a cross between a pikelet and fritter though much healthier.

I used one zucchini and one carrot finely grated, along with two heaped serving spoons of chick pea flour and one level serving spoon of rice flour. I also added two teaspoons of olive oil,  a pinch of turmeric and about half a teaspoon of salt. I did not add any other spices as I wanted my baby to eat these as well. But if you are only cooking these for adults, you can also add other things like cumin, green chilies or red chilli powder, grated ginger, minced garlic and finely chopped coriander.

Mix with a about half a cup of water, adding the water slowly to ensure you get the right consistency - it should be a thick batter. Allow to stand for 10 minutes

To cook, heat a non stick frying pan, and drop about a table spoon of the batter to make the fritters/ pikelets. I made small ones, so was able to fit about 7-8  in each batch, but you can make big ones if you prefer. Once little holes appear in the batter( similar to when you make pancakes) turn the pikelets and cook the other side, pressing down with the back of a spatula to ensure good contact and that the fritters are cooked through.

Eat warm, and to spice up ( if you made the baby proof version) you can use condiments of your choice, we elected for hot sauce :)

Fragrant cumin rice (Zeera pulao)

Plain old rice can easily be enhanced by adding a few aromatic spices. Cumin rice is a great option if you are entertaining and want to serve something other than plain rice, without going to the hassle of chopping ingredients for a pulao. Plus, it goes well with almost all Indian curries as it has complementary ingredients and does not detract from the accompanying curries.

My preferred method of cooking rice for a pulao is a little different as I prefer to remove the starch and hence cook it like pasta. However if you prefer you can also use the absorption method.

I use good quality basmati rice for pulao as the grains are long and provide a good result.

Ingredients
2 cups of  washed and soaked basmati rice
2 teaspoons of salt
2 tablespoons of oil
2 teaspoons of black cumin seeds ( shah zeera)
4 green cardamom
2 black cardamom
1/2 teaspoon of mace
2 bay leaves
2 cloves
4-5 black pepper corns
Medium piece of cinnamon bark
Water

All the spices mentioned impart their own distinct flavour, but if you are missing a few, you can still make the rice. In fact, in many households it is made simply with the brown cumin seeds.

In a large saucepan bring about 1.5 litres of water to the boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and the washed and soaked rice. Cook until the rice is almost done and then drain in a colander and wash with cold tap water. Set aside. Return the now empty saucepan back to the heat and add the oil and all the spices except the cumin seeds. Once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds. Cook for a minute and add the cooked rice, stir gently to coat the rice with the oil and spices, taking care not to break the rice grains. Cover and cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes. If you have a diffuser, place it under the saucepan to avoid direct heat. You can also use a large fry pan or tava to place under the saucepan. This protects the bottom of the rice from overlooking.

If using the absorption method, skip the step of cooking the rice first. Add the oil and spices to the saucepan, followed by the washed rice, stir to coat the grains in the oil and spices, add 5 cups of water and bring to the boil on a high heat. Cover, reduce the heat and cook for a further 15 minutes.

Serve hot with your favourite curry...

Aloo baigan, spicy potatoes and eggplant

Brinjal, egg plant, aubergine... Call it what you may, I love them all and a very simple but delicious Indian 'sabji' or dry curry made with potatoes and eggplant is one of my favourites.

Once special ingredient that makes this dish is amchur, it is powdered green mangoes, which provide the dish a tangy flavour and transforms it from the mundane to finger licking delicious. Amchur powder can be found in Indian grocery stores. I would recommend refraining from making this dish until you have managed to secure some, as the results without it are completely different.

You will also need
Eggplant
Potatoes
Onion
Salt
Turmeric
Chilli power
Oil

The quantities of the ingredients used will depend on the size of the egg plant. I have used a large eggplant, about 10 medium sized potatoes and two large onions. I also use mustard oil ( also available at the Indian grocers) for its distinct flavour but any vegetable oil can be used.

Cut the potatoes, eggplant and onion into equal sized cubes (I halve the onions and potatoes and then cut each half into quarters and then cut the eggplant to match). Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large frypan/ skillet. If using mustard oil, get it really hot, to the point where it is just beginning to smoke, add the cubed potatoes and stir to ensure the potatoes are well coated with the oil. Cook on a high heat, turning occasionally for 2-3 minutes, add the eggplant and follow the same process. Once the edges of the eggplant and potatoes cubes have some colour, add the onions, and mix well. Lower the heat and cook covered for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and chilli powder and salt to taste. Mix well and cover. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes or unit the potatoes are cooked through. Increase the heat and add 2 teaspoons of the amchur powder. Mix well but gently to avoid breaking the eggplant pieces.

Serve hot  - it is best enjoyed with flat bread, for gluten free options, I use ready made corn tortillas or make flat bread out of chick pea flour or millet.