Drinking Barley | Barley Water and Roasted Barley Coffee

Barley is so good for you, yet it is not very popular. It is great in winter in soups, being filling and nourishing. Yet it also has a cooling property, so works well in drinks for hot weather or for heat producing disease such as fevers.

Here are two barley drinks. I have to be honest – Barley Water is not for me. I find it rather bland. But a “coffee” made from deeply roasting barley, coarsely grinding it and making plunger “coffee” produces a great drink. Despite reports from others, it does not taste like coffee, but it does have a lovely roasted taste that is very pleasant.

Are you looking for similar recipes? Try Cardamom Spiced Coffee, and Unusual Coffees.

You might like to check other Barley recipes. Or browse our teas and infusions. Or spend some time and explore our easy Late Summer recipes.

Lightly Pickled Jicama and Citrus Salad | Yam Bean and Citrus Salad

This recipe is a salad that is tangy and juicy. It is refreshing and clean tasting with the crispy, apple flavoured jicama (yam bean) marinated in a variety of citrus juices.

Marinate the jicama for at least an hour, and you can leave it overnight in the fridge if you like, ready to be made the next day.

When you find a good supplier, jicama is available for a most of the year, and it is a versatile ingredient, useful both raw and cooked. We find it readily available in our local Asian grocery.

Are you looking for more Jicama recipes? Try Pickled Jicama, Vegetable Sticks with Spices, and Spicy Radish and Jicama Salad with Coconut Milk.

Browse all of our Jicama dishes, and all of our Salads. Or explore our Late Autumn collection of recipes.

Avocado Smash with Radishes | Spread, Dip or Salad

Sometimes you don’t quite want a guacamole, you want a bit more than smashed avo, and you want to use that ripe avocado, mashed and tasty, to pile onto sourdough toast. Or to use as a salad. Well, here we have that recipe for you.

Are you looking for other Avocado dishes? Try Avocado Salad with Pomelo, Cucumber and Avocado Salad, and Roasted Sweetcorn and Avocado Salad.

Or Radish Salads? Try Wombok and Radish Salad with Peanut Dressing, Radish Salad with Coconut Milk, and Cucumber and Radish Slightly Pickled Salad.

Or perhaps you are looking for other Dips and Spreads? Try Fava Bean Spread with Dill, Zhug – Coriander Chilli Spread, and Babaganoush.

Browse all of our Avocado dishes and all of our Dips. Or explore all of our Late Autumn collection of recipes.

Pineapple Pulissery | Pineapple in a Spicy Yoghurt Sauce from Kerala

This is another recipe from my cooking session in Kovalam in Kerala. My scribbled notes have recently come to light again – Chef cooked and I helped and observed and tried desperately to copy down the recipes.

This recipe can be made with okra, Indian cucumber, green mango and plantain (green banana), but today we use pineapple. It is easy to make, and so very delicious – I am sure that you will love it.

Pineapple Pulissery is a delicate dish with aromatic flavours of mustard seed, cumin seed and curry leaves with chilli and black pepper. It is from Kerala, that beautiful tropical state on the West Coast of India.  Pineapple curry is also a traditional dish from the Sri Lankan cuisine, and there it is also a delightful sweet and spicy curry.

Are you looking for other Pineapple dishes? We don’t cook with it very often so don’t have anything to offer you right now. But check back here in the future – I am sure there will be more.

Would you like more Pulissery dishes? Try Mambazha Pulissery – a sweet and sour Mango dish.

Our other Kerala dishes include Green Mango in Coconut Milk, Simple Cabbage Thoran, Olan and Avial.

Browse all of our Pineapple dishes, Pulissery recipes, Kerala dishes and all of our Indian recipes. Or if you would rather, explore our Late Autumn dishes.

Green Tahini Sauce | Dip | Dressing | Spread

Tahini, aah, such a wondrous ingredient, made from sesame seeds and not understood or used enough in this country. One of its properties is that it thickens in the presence of acid, so you can add lemon juice to it to thicken it as well as flavour it, and gradually thin it with water or milk until you get to the right conistency (depending on what you are using it for).

This classic green sauce includes garlic and parsley as well, for a great dip, spread, sauce or dressing. It is Middle Eastern in flavours, so pair it with pita bread, falafel, herby salads, or any flatbread. It is great in salad sandwiches and wraps. Dress vegetable salads with it, pair it with some steamed beetroot. Dip crackers and crudites into it. Spread tiny toasts and top with chopped cucumber or chopped tomato and chilli. You are going to love it.

You might like to try some other Tahini recipes. We have Crushed Du Puy Lentils with Tahini and Cumin, Yoghurt Tahina Dip with Herbs or Tahina Tarator | Tahini Spread, Dip or Dressing.

Try these spreads too: Avocado Mash, and Broad Bean and Butter Bean Spread.

All of our recipes featuring Tahini are here. Feel free to browse our Middle Eastern recipes, or our Salad recipes. Or all of our easy Mid Summer Recipes.

Sundakkai Sambar | Fresh Turkey Berry Sambar

Who isn’t a fan of Sundakkai, those little bursts of crunch and flavour, also known as the Pea Eggplant. Pea-sized they are, but pack a punch in the flavour department. They are also called Turkey Berry, Devil’s Fig, Prickly Nightshade, Shoo-shoo Bush, and Wild Eggplant.

Fresh Sundakkai are used in dishes such as Sambar, Kuzhambu, Poritha Kuzhambu and Kootu. They are also sun-dried, a salty, slightly bitter vathal that can be used in Rasam, Sambar and Kuzhambu. I also like to powder the dried ones, after sauteing, and use quite untraditionally as a sprinkle over non-Indian salads and other dishes.

This dish is a Sambar made with the sundakkai. You will find it delicious with wonderful flavours. The Turkey Berries first need to be picked from their stems. This is the sort of job that is similar to shelling peas or peeling broad beans – best done while watching your favourite show on TV or sitting outside in the sunshine. Then rinse them well in cold water.

Are you after other Sundakkai dishes? We are planning others, so check back here when you get a chance.

Would you like other Sambar dishes? Try Seasoned Sambar, another version of Seasoned Sambar, and Moru Sambar.

Browse all of our Sundakkai dishes, all of our Sambar recipes and all of our Indian recipes. Or take some relaxing time to explore all of our Late Autumn dishes.

Bistecche di Melanzane | Eggplant Steaks

Leftover eggplant in the fridge? Don’t quite know what to do with it? No matter what you are serving tonight, this Italian dish from Bugialli will blend. In no time at all you will be enjoying the wonderful soft texture of well cooked eggplant contrasted with the crunch of breadcrumbs. It makes a great starter with a green leaf or two, it can accompany any other dish for a a multi dish meal, or it can take centre place with a salad and chickpeas.

Eggplant will soak up whatever you soak it in. This recipe utilises this property well by marinating the eggplant before baking. Yummy! This is so good, I do hope that you try it.

Are you looking for other Eggplant dishes? Try Eggplants in a Creamy Peanut Gravy, Roasted Eggplant with a Garlic Sauce, and Eggplant, Sultanas and Pinenuts.

All of our Eggplant recipes can be browsed here, and have a look at other Bugialli recipes. Or explore our wonderful collection of Late Autumn dishes.

Also, feel free to browse other vegetarian recipes from our first blog in existence from 1995 – 2006, in our Retro Recipes series.

Sri Lankan Okra Curry

Oh the joy of Okra, and in this dish they are quickly cooked so remain crisp and crunchy. They say that okra is good for your brain cells, so eat as many as you can! We have focused on okra recently, so there will be an ever increasing set of recipes for you to choose from.

You can also make this dish with asparagus or broccoli.

Look for okra in your local Asian and Indian shops, even Asian-owned green grocers. You will get them more cost-effectively there – about 25% of the price you might pay elsewhere.

Are you looking for other Okra dishes? Try Warm Salad of Charred Okra, Moar Kuzhambu and Seasoned Sambar.

What about other Sri Lankan dishes? Try Mung Dal with Coconut Milk, Crunchy Crackers, and Sakkarai Pongal.

Why not browse all of our Okra recipes, and all of our Sri Lankan dishes. Or explore our Indian recipes. Alternatively, explore our Mid Autumn collection of dishes.

Roasted Sweetcorn and Avocado Salad

We are in the middle of a run of very simple salads, easy to throw together, many of them traditional combinations, simple ingredients, but none the less flavoursome. It is really nice to go back to basics and have, say, a cucumber salad that is dressed with a little oil and the vinegar from the jar of jicama pickles. It is really very lovely.

This relatively simple salad is perhaps a slightly Mexican combination. It mixes roasted sweet corn, avocado and tomatoes. Simple. Fresh. Tangy with lime juice. I have tarted it up this time, with some pomegranate, feta and greens. Some pickles too, for variety, jicama and cumquat. Each time we make it, its a little different. That is the good thing about salads. Some Pickled Lemon Rind would be good too.

Are you after more Salads? We have so many. Try these Avocado Salads: Cucumbers and Avocado Salad.  and Pomelo Salad with Avocado.

Or these Tomato Salads: My Mother’s Tomato and Cucumber Salad, Du Puy Lentils with Feta and Tomatoes, and Tomato and Peach Salad.

You can browse all of our Salads here. All of our Sweetcorn recipes are here, all of our Avocado recipes here, and all of our Tomato recipes here. Or simply explore our Late Autumn dishes.

Cucumber and Tomato Sunday Salad

Brunch, that late breakfast or early lunch, really a replacement for both, so that its identity is that it has elements of both. Whether you are doing more lunchy elements for your brunch, or more breakfasty elements, a salad always goes down a treat. Think Avo on Toast with a Brunch Salad. Perfect.

Are you looking for Salads? Try Quick Tomato Salad with Mustardy Mayo, Tofu and Chilli Salad, and Fennel Salad with Fresh Prunes.

Are you after just Tomato Salads? Try Salad of Marinated Zucchini and Tomatoes, Tomato and Pomegranate Salad, and Bok Choy with Capers and Tomatoes.

Or try some Cucumber Salads – Spicy Cucumber Salad with Herbs and Poppy Seeds, Cucumber Salad with Sesame Seeds, and Smashed Garlic and Cucumber Salad.

You can browse all of our Tomato Salads and all of our Cucumber Salads. All Salads are here. Or simply explore our Late Summer dishes.

Mung Dal with Ghee and Spices

There are many variations of mung dal, ghee and spices. Mung and Ghee are like a match made in heaven. It can be as simple yet heavenly as Neiyyum Parippum, as complex as a Dal Tadka, or even more complex. Each, although very different dishes, are divine. The simplest variation of spices can make all the difference.

This Mung Dal with Ghee adds cumin, fenugreek (optional), green chilli and garlic to a simple Neiyyum Parippum. Now it must be said that Cumin is the third partner in a trinity that is amazing – Mung Dal, Ghee and Cumin. The fenugreek, which can be left out, adds a slight bitterness. The chilli adds flavour and texture without bite, and the garlic a little groundedness.

This recipe comes from Kerala where it was shown to me by a local chef. This comes from my quickly scribbled notes. I hope you enjoy it.

Are you looking for similar Mung Dal dishes? Try Simple Monk’s Dal, Neiyyum Parippum, Mung Dal with Cumin and Spinach, and Simple and Gentle Mung Dal.

Feel free to browse our other Mung recipes and our Kerala recipes are here. Or have a look at our Indian Collection of recipes. Finally, explore our Mid Autumn recipes.

Celery Yoghurt Salad

India knows the secrets of yoghurt used in dishes that are used as a salad might be used outside of India. Yoghurt is mixed with vegetables and spices and the dish accompanies the meal to add nutrition, cool the heat of spices and add a creamy texture to the meal.

Here we take the idea and create a Western salad with a yoghurt base. I am sure that you will enjoy it. The salad makes a great addition to BBQs.

It is quite a tart salad, and so goes well with dishes that look for something tart to cut through their flavours – fried dishes, perhaps. But most of all, I love it with a rice dish, a pulao for example. Or for a simple lunch, just with some hot rice mixed with ghee.

Are you looking for Yoghurt dishes? Try Beetroot with Yoghurt Tahini Dressing, Sweet and Sour Mango Yoghurt Curry, and How to Make Thick Thick Yoghurt.

Or perhaps you are after Celery dishes. Try Spicy Celery Salad, Simple Celery Salads, and Pear, Celery and Fennel Salad.

You can also browse all of our Yoghurt dishes, and all of our Celery dishes. All of our Salads are here. Or simply explore our Mid Autumn dishes.

Brinjal Tamarind Kothsu | Eggplant Tamarind Kothsu | Roasted Eggplant in a Spicy Tamarind Sauce

This Kothsu (Gothsu, Kosthu) is a tamarind based South Indian (Tambrahm) curry that is made by roasting and mashing eggplant and popping it into a spicy tamarind gravy.

Some people get this dish confused with Chidambaram Brinjal Kothsu, but it is different. Chidambaram Brinjal Kothsu is made with toor dal and without tamarind. This Brinjal Kothsu is made without any dal, and includes tamarind. There is only a little gravy which is thickened with some rice flour, so it just coats the eggplant. You can see that the two dishes are quite different.

It is a quick dish to make once the eggplant is roasted. The aroma of the roasting is a wonderful smell. I do it outside on the BBQ grill, and I am sure that all neighbours must suddenly become hungry, due to the aroma.

Are you after other Kothsu recipes? Try Chidambaram Brinjal Kothsu. Others will be posted shortly, and you might like to check back.

Or would you like other Eggplant dishes? Try Baingan ka Salan – Eggplant in a Creamy Gravy, Sampangi Pitlai, and Eggplant Makhani.

Or browse all of the Kothsu dishes, and all of the Eggplant dishes. Meenakshi Ammal’s recipes are available here, and all of our Indian recipes are here. Or simply explore our Late Autumn dishes.

Fettuccine con Cacio e Pepe | Fettuccine with Cheese and Pepper

Simple is great, yes? Less is more. In this pasta dish, as with many others, it is the simplicity that shines and makes for a spectacular dish.

I have made it here with some home made eggless pasta that combines flour, semolina flour and chickpea flour and uses ground sesame seeds as a binding agent. It is pretty good, but of course this recipe can be made with any fettuccine or spaghetti.

Are you looking for Pasta dishes? Try Pasta with Zucchini and Parsley Pesto, Simple Pasta with Chilli and Olive Oil, and Pasta with a Cauliflower Sauce. Don’t forget that home made eggless pasta.

Or perhaps you are after Italian fare? Try Risotto with Mushrooms, White Bean Soup and Grilled Fennel with Mozzarella.

You can browse all of our pasta dishes here, and all of our Italian recipes here. Or simply take some time to explore our Mid Autumn collection of recipes.

Stir Fried Okra with Sesame Seed | Okra Fry with Sesame | Vendaikkai Nuvala Podi

This is an Andhra style dish, a poriyal that is deliciously sesame flavoured using powdered sesame seeds (Nuvala Podi). The dish is also called Bendaikaya Nuvvala Podi, and Lady Fingers Fry. You may also see it under different names.

Firstly, the Sesame Seed Podi is made by toasting and powdering sesame seeds with spices. Then the okra is fried with more spices and optionally onions, and finally the sesame podi is added to the dish. It is served hot as a side dish. It goes well with sambar, rasam and dal. It is also good as a tiffin brunch or lunch.

Are you after Okra recipes? Try Rustic Greek Okra with Tomatoes, Kukuri Bhindi (Crispy Fried Okra), Sri Lankan Okra Curry, and Cooking Okra for Sambar.

Or you can browse all of the Okra dishes here, or all of the recipes from Andhra Pradesh. All of our Indian recipes are here. Or simply take some time to browse all of our Mid Autumn dishes.