Sago and potato cakes (sabu dana vada)

This is a really simple recipe that can be used as a snack or appetiser or make them small and serve them as canapes.

Essentially, you need to use equal quantities of soaked sago (tapioca) and mashed potatoes and spices and flavourings of your choice.

To make 15-16 medium sized patties, I used the following:

1 cup of sago, soaked for a minimum of 2 hours
6 medium sized potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 green chili finely chopped
4-5 tablespoons of chopped coriander
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
Salt and chili powder to taste
Oil to fry

Drain the soaked sago in a colander to get rid of the excess moisture and add to a mixing bowl along with the boiled and mashed potatoes. I mix the two together and keep some aside at this point to make little patties for my baby. To the rest of the mixture I add the remainder of the ingredients. The base is very versatile, so you can add other herbs and spices if you prefer. Chives, spring onions, garlic etc. work very well as well.

Mix well and shape into medium sized patties. You can deep fry them if you prefer, but I just pan fry them in a non stick pan. I use a small quantity of rice bran oil, and cook both sides on a low heat first, pressing down on the patties with a spatula to ensure good even contact. I then increase the heat towards the end which results in a really crisp outside and soft interior. Serve hot with tamarind chutney or mint chutney or even tomato ketchup or barbeque sauce. You can also use them as fillings for wraps.

Easy chilli sambal (chilli oil)

I love Asian food, and cook it at least once a week and used to have a large supply of different varieties of soy sauce and sambals. However, ever since I have started my elimination diet, I have had to cut them out. I compensated by adding other flavours, however now that I am trying to serve the same meal to the entire family, I have had to eliminate chilli as well to make it baby friendly. That is where this sambal comes in. I have made it in the past to use up the abundance of chillies in my garden. However, now I make it at least once a month and add a little to my meal to give it the extra bite and heat.

You will need

150 gms of red chilies (I use a combination of small and long red chilies to balance the heat, you can also use dry chillies -  just rehydrate them in vinegar or water)
1 head of garlic (about 25 gms)
2-3 tablespoons of oil
3 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of vinegar
1 teaspoon of salt

Method

Peel and smash the garlic and take the stalks of the chilies and cut them in half. Mince them in a food processor or use a pestle and mortar. In a frypan, heat up the oil and add the the chilli garlic mixture. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Add the salt, vinegar and sugar (you can adjust the quantities depending on your preference and the heat of the chilies). Cook some more, stirring often (as the sugar can burn) until the oil separates from the chillies. Cool slightly and store in an air tight container in the fridge. This sambal can be added to soups and stir fries during the cooking process or as a condiment on the side. The oil is also full of flavour and can be used as a chilli oil.

Gluten free flat bread with fenugreek

This flat bread is inspired by the Thepla, which is a flavoured flat bread in Gujarati cuisine. It is traditionally made with bajra (millet flour) and methi (fenugreek leaves) and the dough is brought together with yoghurt and milk. My version is dairy free and to make it you will need the following:

1 cup of millet flour (bajra/bajri)
1/2 cup of chopped methi (fenugreek either fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 tablespoons of oil
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
2 spring onions finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 green chilli finely chopped

I have used fresh methi from my garden but you can also use frozen methi (you will need to reduce the quantity of water used). Pick the methi leaves and finely chop them along with the spring onion, chilli and garlic.

In a mixing bowl add the millet flour and salt and mix. Add the methi and other chopped ingredients. Mix the sugar in half a cup of warm water and use it to bring together the dough adding the water gradually until you get he right cinsistency. You might think it a bit odd to add sugar to a savoury bread, but it is definitely required (especially as we are not using yoghurt) as both the fenugreek leaves and millet flour have bitter undertones and the sugar helps balance it. Knead the dough briefly and shape into small balls.  Roll out each dough ball into a circular shape on a flat surface with a rolling pin. You can dust the rolling surface with the millet flour to stop the bread from sticking. Cook on a hot tava or fry pan adding a little oil while cooking each side.

Enjoy warm with dal or dry curry or on its own with a pickle or chutney of your choice.

Asian inspired vegetable and rice noodle soup

This is another one of the recipes in my repertoire that I cook when I want something quick and easy.

Ingredients (to serve 4)

1litre of vegetable or chicken stock
2 packets of rice noodles (400-450 gms)  (I have used the fresh variety which I rinsed in water to separate before adding to the soup)
1 can of sweet corn kernels drained
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped
1 red chilli finely chopped (optional)
3 carrots diced
1/2 cup of chopped beans
1/2 cup of peas
Handful of coriander springs
1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of oil

Method

In a large saucepan, heat up the oil and add the ginger, garlic and chilli (if using). cook for about 1 minute and add the fresh vegetables. In my case only the carrots were fresh and the beans and peas were frozen so I reserved them for later. Cook the carrots for 2-3 minutes and then add the stock. Continue to cook the carrots in the stock, once it comes to the boil, simmer and add the corn kernels followed by the frozen vegetables and rice noodles. Season with salt and pepper and allow the soup to come to a boil again. Simmer further for 2-3 minutes and add the chopped coriander and lemon juice. Serve hot and garnish with coriander and slices of fresh lime.

Quick and easy minestrone soup

As soon as there is a nip in the air, I start making soups for our evening meal at least 1-2 times per week. This version of the minestrone soup is one of my favourites as it is really quick and simple to prepare and is also healthy and delicious.

To serve 4, you will need the following:

1 litre of stock (I have used a good quality shop bought vegetable stock with no preservatives or additives, but you can make your own or use chicken stock if you prefer)
1 bottle (720 ml) of passata (Italian tomato puree, which is a bit runny, you can choose to use can tomatoes, or fresh, but will need to increase the cooking time)
1 cup of rice pasta
1 can of beans/ chick peas
assortment of vegetable ( about 2 cups)
3 cloves of garlic
Small bunch of basil and chives
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Method

This is more of an assembly job than cooking, and that is why it is so quick to make. I start with 1 tablespoon of oilve oil in a large saucepan, to which I add the finely chopped or minced garlic cloves. Fry for 30 seconds and add the vegetables (I used 2 carrots, 1 green and 1 yellow capsicum). Fry the vegetables in the oil for 2 minutes and then add the stock and passata. Bring the mixture to the boil and add the pasta. Once the pasta is nearly done, add the can of drained and rinsed beans of your choice. I used chick peas. Simmer, until the pasta is cooked. Season with salt and pepper and add the fresh herbs.

Ladle into large bowls, sprinkle over some more herbs and drizzle with olive oil and enjoy a hearty meal.

Chana ki dal

Dal chawal (lentils and rice) are the corner stone of Indian cuisine, and for me they are not only comfort food but a life saver as in my house they do double duty as both baby and adult food.

Ingredients (serves 4-5)

(For the dal)

2 cups of channa dal (washed and soaked for at least 30 minutes)

1onion

4 large cloves of garlic

1 inch pice of ginger

8 cups of water

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

(For the tarka)

1 onion

1 teaspoon of garam masala powder

Salt and chilli powder to taste

2 tablespoons of oil

Chopped corriander for garnish

Method

In a large saucepan or pressure cooker (if you have one) add the channa dal, along with the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, salt and turmeric powder with the water. Cook on a high heat, until the pressure cooker reaches full pressure of the contents of the saucepan come to a boil. reduce the heat and continue cooking for a further 3 whistles or until the dal is cooked through.

At this point, I set aside some dal for my little one, and blend it with some plain rice for a nutritious protein packed meal. 

For the adult version, I prepare the tarka by heating some oil in a fry pan and adding a chopped onion. Fry the onion on high heat, stirring occasionally to stop it from burning. The idea is to fry and brown the onion. Once the onion is golden brown, add the salt, chilli powder and garam masala. Turn off the heat and add the tarka to the cooked lentils. Add chopped coriander and serve hot with rice or flat bread and a simple salad of chopped onion, cucumber and tomato seasoned with salt and lime juice.

Tacos with lamb and kidney beans

I buy the normal super market variety of Tacos, making sure that no nasties or allergens have been added. In fact, the ones I buy do not even have salt added to them -  just corn flour, vegetable oil and water.

You will also need the following ingredients:

500 gms of minced lamb or lamb strips
1 cup of kidney beans (which I soaked overnight and boiled) or 1 can of kidney beans
2 medium sized onions
2 tomatoes
1 green capsicum
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno
Small bunch of salad leaves
Handful of coriander springs
1 avocado
1 lime
2 tablespoons of oil
salt and chilli powder to taste
1 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powder
a little water

Method

Finely chop the onion, jalapeno and garlic. You can also use a food processor. Add oil to a frying pan/skillet. Once the oil is warm, add the onion, ginger, garlic and jalapeno chlli, and cook until the onions turn brown. Add the lamb and cook on a high heat to seal the meat. Add the two tablespoons of tomato paste with 3-4 tablespoons of water and mix well. Add the powdered spices and continue cooking on a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the capsicum and tomato (cut in small cubes or strips, to match the type of meat used) and cooked kidney beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. If using minced lamb, you can allow to simmer on a low heat, while you prepare the other ingredients. however, if you used strips, turn the heat off as overcooking will toughen the meat. Add the fresh coriander before serving.

Heat the tacos in a 180C oven for 5 minutes. Wash and dry the salad leaves. In a bowl, mash the avocado. Season and add the juice of 1 lime.

To assemble, add some salad leaves in the bottom of each taco; fill with the lamb mixture and top with the avacado. The salad leaves add crunch and protect the tacos from getting soggy too quickly and the avocado and lime add a refreshing, creamy zing.

Sweet and sour chicken

Sweet and sour chicken is a chinese takeaway staple, but generally it is greasy, laden with msg, loads of corn flour and who knows what else. My version is a healthier, lighter and delicious version.

The ingredients below will serve 4-5.

Ingredients

600 gms of chicken thigh fillets cut into strips

2 spanish onions sliced

1 green capsicum sliced

1 yellow capsicum sliced

4 small to medium carrots sliced

1 cup of fresh pineapple or 1 small can of pineapple 

6 cloves of garlic minced

Small piece of ginger finely chopped or grated

2 red chilies finely chopped

Juice of 1 orange

Juice of 1 lemon

3 heaped tablespoons of tomato paste

2 tablespoons of black strap molasses

1 tablespoon of raw/ brown sugar

2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (or any other vinegar of your choice)

3 tablespoons of potato flour

3 tablespoons of oil

salt, chilli powder and pepper to taste

Method

Add the chicken strips in a mixing bowl and cover with the three tablespoons of potato flour. I also season the potato flour with a little salt. Once all the chicken strips are coated well, heat a non stick fry pan and add two table spoons of oil. Pan fry the chicken on high heat, cooking both sides, we are not after a lot of colour here. The idea is to seal the chicken and the potato flour helps to crisp it and then also thickens the sauce when added to the vegetable mix. Pan fry all the chicken in small batches ensuring that you never crowd the frying pan.

Once all the chicken has been pan fried, place it on kitchen towel and set aside for later.

In a wok or the same fry pan if it is big enough, add 1 tablespoon of oil. I always start with the carrots first as I like them a bit more cooked than the remaining vegetables, but you can choose to start with the other vegetables or with the ginger, garlic, chilli and onions.

Once, you have given the carrots a 3-5 minute head start, add the other vegetables (reserving the pineapple), stir fry on a high heat stirring occasionally to ensure the vegetables do not burn.

In a small mixing bowl, mix the tomato paste, molasses, vinegar, sugar, salt, chilli powder and pepper with 150 ml of water. Taste, to ensure the sauce is well balanced, if you need to add more of anything adjust it to your liking, though remember the orange and lemon juice are yet to be added. Once the vegetables have softened add the sauce and mix, add the chicken strips and pineapple chunks and ensure they are well coated. Next add the orange juice and simmer the sauce until it thickens and has the right consistency. Take off the heat and add the lemon juice and coriander. Serve immediately as the chicken will go soggy the longer it sits in the sauce.

I choose to serve it with plain rice.

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.

Gluten & egg free chicken schnitzel

When you think of chicken schnitzel, the first thing that comes to mind is the crisp coating giving away to the soft interior. Before I commenced my elimination diet, chicken schnitzel or chicken Parma were one of our family favourites . Hence, I was really keen to find a way to make them within the parameters of my diet.

The key to the success lies in the three stage crumbling, whether you use the traditional plain flour, egg or bread crumbs or as in my case, rice flour, slurry made out of egg replacer powder (I even added a pinch of turmeric to resemble the egg wash) and corn crumbs. You can also use rice crumbs. In addition to the crumbling ingredients, you will need salt, pepper, oil, and chicken breasts.

I use organic, free range chicken and cut each breast into three, first I remove the tenderloin and then slice the chicken breast from the middle ( the thickest part) into two. If you leave the ends connected, you get the trademark heart shape, which is sold in the supermarkets but I cut it all the way through as I find it easier to cook. Next, I use a meat mallet to flatten the pieces out, ensuring they are the same thickness all through, which ensures that the entire piece will cook at the same time. Once all the chicken is prepared, set up the crumbling station. You need two plates and a shallow bowl big enough to fit the chicken pieces. In the first plate add rice flour. In the shallow bowl make a slurry of the egg replacer powder ( the quantity will depend on the amount of chicken you are using). I used two chicken breasts and used two heaped teaspoons of the egg replacer powder mixed with some water and a pinch of turmeric. In the last plate,  add the corn or rice crumbs and season them with salt and white pepper.

Dust the chicken breast with the rice flour, covering both sides, dunk it in the egg replacer mixture covering both sides and finally cover with the corn crumbs, ensuring the entire breast is well coved.
Follow the process with all the chicken pieces. You can choose to deep fry the schnitzels at this point, but I prefer to pan fry them in a non stick pan. I use rice bran oil as it has a high smoking point. Get the non stick pan really hot, add enough oil to over the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Add the chicken pieces cooking each side on high heat for 1 minute and them lowering the heat. Cook for about 6-8 minutes, until the schnitzels are golden brown and the insides are cooked to your preference. I serve mine with a simple green salad and some corn cobs brushed with garlic infused oil. For my husband, I placed some chopped seasoned tomatoes and grated cheese on top of the schnitzel and place in under a hot grill, until the cheese melts.

Serve hot with your favourite condiments.

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 :)

Gluten free, vegan almond cake

I made this cake over the weekend as my husband and I were entertaining a vegan acquaintance who is also allergic to wheat.  Given that I have been doing plenty of allergen free cooking, I was not perturbed with the prospect of entertaining someone with dietary restrictions. However, this cake was more of an experiment than general as I had run out of the egg replacer powder ( I used the last of it for my vegan custard) and thus ended up using vinegar and soda water instead, an old method which I have used in the past to make eggless cakes, and the results speak for themselves.

Ingredients
1 cup chick pea flour
1 cup almond meal
1 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
1 cup of soda water
4 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method
Line the base and sides of a 20 cm round baking tin and place on a baking tray. Pre heat fan forced oven to 180 degree Celsius .

In a mixing bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients, stir to incorporate and place in the cake tin. Bake for 40 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the oven for a further 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for a further 20 minutes before removing the cake.

I prefer to decorate my cakes with fruit, rather than ice them and in this instance have used in season plums. I also served it with a vegan custard which I made with almond milk, sugar, egg replacer powder, vanilla and a pinch of saffron.

Gluten free, vegan almond meal cookies

Ingredients
1/4 cup chick pea flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 heaped teaspoon of egg replacer powder
2 tablespoons of  vegetable oil ( I have used rice bran oil)
1 tablespoon of almond milk
Few drops of vanilla extract

Mix all the dry ingredients well with a spatula in a mixing bowl. Add the oil, vanilla and almond milk and bring together into a soft dough. Place little balls of the dough onto a lined baking tray and bake in a preheated oven ( 175 degree Celsius) fan forced oven for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool, before removing them from the tray.

If you can avoid the temptation, these cookies will keep in an air tight container for 4-5 days.

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...

lobhiya, black eyed bean curry

One of my favourite bean curries is lobhiya, made with black eyed beans. Since it is traditionally served with rice, it makes a perfect meal while I am on my elimination diet. It is also a great gluten free, vegan meal option.

You will need, two cups of black eyed beans. Wash the beans and soak them (overnight if possible as  it helps break down flatulence causing compounds).

2 onions

I inch piece of ginger

1 green chilli

7 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of  Kasoorie methi ( dried fenugreek leaves) if available

1/2 can of diced tomatoes

Salt

Chilli powder

Turmeric

Garam masala powder

Oil

2 bay leaves

3 cloves

4-5 black peppercorns

1 black cardamom

1, 2 inch piece of cinnamon bark
Water

In a pressure cooker or large heavy based saucepan, add the oil along with the whole spices. Finely chop or process the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli and add to the oil. Cook on a medium heat until the mixture reduces and turns brown. Add the diced tomatoes, followed by salt, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala and fenugreek leaves. Cook for five minutes. Rinse the soaked beans and add to the pan. Stir well to ensure the beans are well coated. Add five cups of water. If using a pressure cooker, close the lid, turn up the heat and wait for it to whistle/ come to pressure. Turn down the heat and cook for a further 3 whistles and allow the pressure to dissipate. If using a saucepan, bring the curry to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered until the beans are tender and the desied consistency is achieved. You may need to add extra water. Add some chopped coriander and serve with Rice or flat bread.

Super easy gluten free, vegan choc-hazelnut cookies

Baking was something I really missed when I first started my elimination diet. I have a sweet tooth and find baking very rewarding, so it is no surprise that I found alternatives to make allergen free baking possible. As they say, necessity is the mother of all invention and last year for Christmas, I wanted to make an allergen free plum pudding...to further complicate things my oven was only working on the grill setting, so I experimented with making a steam pudding with chick pea flour as it is used in Indian cuisine for both sweet and savoury preparations and lends well to steaming. Lo and behold, it turned out pretty good, in fact, few of my friends who tried it did not even realise that it was allergen free and made out of chick pea flour. Since then besan or chick pea flour has become my new best friend in the kitchen, and I have used it to make sauces, cakes, cookies, pancakes, flat breads etc... There is so much to share and so little time...but I will get there one recipe at a time :)

I have now introduced nuts into my diet and the combination of chick pea flour with almond meal results in some very scrumptious sweet treats ( at least that's how they taste to me - having been deprived of my regular sweet treats for months, it is possible that anything resembling a cake or cookie would taste divine to me... So if you are in the same boat and craving a sweet treat or want to prepare something special for a friend or loved one who has a food intolerance, give the following choc-hazelnut cookie recipe a go and make their day!

To make 14-15 small cookies, you will need the following:

1/4 cup besan/ chick pea flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup caster or superfine sugar
2 teaspoon pure cocoa powder
2 1/2 tablespoons oil ( I have used rice bran oil)
1 tablespoon almond milk
1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
1/2  teaspoon baking soda
2 level teaspoons of egg replacer powder
Handful of hazelnuts
Few drops of vanilla extract

Mix together all the dry ingredients. Chop the hazelnuts and add them to the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla extract, oil and almond milk and bring the mixture together with a spatula.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spoon out small quantities of the cookie dough leaving enough gap to allow the cookies to spread when baking.  I use a teaspoon as a measure to ensure all the cookies are the same size. Place in a preheated 175 C fan forced oven and bake for 18- 20 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

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.