Smoky Eggplant with Coriander

I found a new way of making a smoky eggplant. Well, really, I rediscovered a common method that I had relinquished for convenience. Charring eggplants in the covered gas BBQ gives eggplants that are so very easy to peel, and so that is the way that I have been roasting them for years. Recently I ran out of gas for the BBQ just as I needed to roast eggplants, so I roasted them on the gas stove.

The difference is enormous. First, it is more difficult to peel than those roasted on the BBQ, sigh. But the smoky flavour is so enhanced that the trouble is worth it when only 1 or 2 eggplants need to be char-roasted.

This recipe is for a mash of eggplant, onion and coriander leaves. You can call it a salad, but it works just as well as a dip with corn chips, a spread, and in wraps. You will love it. It is even good on toast!

Similar recipes include Smoky Aubergine with Tahini and Pomegranate, Smoky Eggplant and Asparagus,  and Smoky Eggplant and Tomatoes.

Browse all of our Eggplant dishes and all of our Eggplant Salads. Or explore our Mid Summer recipes.

Collection: Delicious Pachadi Recipes from South India

What is a pachadi? For many people, it is equivalent to a raita, and indeed there are curd or yoghurt based pachadi dishes that have similarities with the raitas of the North of India. They are both yoghurt based dishes that contain mashed, pounded or diced vegetables, less often fruit, and seasoned with spices. Pachadis vary from raitas in the flavourings and spices used. Typically a yoghurt based pachadi will contain coconut and be seasoned with mustard seeds, ginger, curry leaves and chillies. Raita is typically seasoned with coriander leaves, roasted cumin seeds, mint, chillies, chaat masala and/or other herbs and spices.

It is these yoghurt based pachadis that are the most well known variety of pachadi throughout India. Even Wikipedia believes these are the only pachadi varieties in some regions like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

But my goodness, there are quite a few variations of Pachadi, from the ground vegetable and green ones of Andhra Pradesh, to the mashed vegetables of the South, to ones that contain cooked vegetables or fruits in a white, non-dairy sauce, to the sweet pachadis of Kerala (also without yoghurt). Then there are pachadis with sago, bhoondi or poha. North Karnataka cuisine has some Koshambari varieties without yoghurt or curd which are also called Pachadis.

You can read more about different Pachadi types here. Today we bring you a collection of Pachadi recipes for your enjoyment.

Similar articles include Hearty Dishes for Early Winter, What to Do with Daikon Radish, and A Collection of Kitchdi Recipes.

Browse all of our Pachadi Recipes, and all of our Collections.  You can browse our Indian recipes, and our Indian Essentials series. Or explore our Mid Autumn recipes.

Black Onions – Onions Slow Roasted

Black onions sound intriguing, don’t they? Well they are. Onions, sauteed then cooked with vinegar and sugar until brown and crispy in a low oven. Sweet with a touch of sour and deep oniony flavours, they are the perfect topping for soups, salads and dals. They go well in sandwiches, rolls and wraps. Mix with chopped herbs and top rice with them. Mix into pasta dishes. Use them for lunches, snacks and dinner dishes.

The black onions keep well so they can be made and will last a week in the fridge. They are not burnt but rather are deeply caramelised.

Similar recipes include Lentils and Pasta with Caramelised Onions, Broad Bean Dip with Roasted Onions, and Urad Dal with Onions Four Ways.

Browse all of our Onion recipes or explore our Early Autumn dishes.

Poritha Rasam

Poritha Rasam is a rasam without any souring agent – no tamarind, lime juice or kokum, for example. Many recipes do contain tomatoes (considered a souring agent in India) and of course coconut (a defining feature of Poritha Sambar and Rasam).

The Queen of Tamil Food, Meenakshi Ammal, has a Poritha Rasam that contains no tamarind, lime, coconut, tomatoes, mustard seeds or chillies. It is indeed a simple rasam, but is still very very tasty. It has a toor dal base which helps. It is similar to her Lime Rasams, but without the lime juice.

We are working through the Rasams Chapter in Meenakshi Ammal’s books Cook and See as they are traditional Tamil recipes. Although we are not afraid to step away from the tree, going back to very traditional recipes (that can still be made in the modern kitchen) is an important way to get the hang of traditional as well as modern methods and flavour combinations. I hope you feel the same. There was a really lovely article on her and her books published recently.

See all of the Lime Rasam dishes here. Similar recipes include Mysore Rasam, Tulsi Rasam, and Pepper Rasam.

You might also be interested in the following article:

• The difference between Rasam and Sambar

Our simply explore all of our Rasam recipes. Our Indian recipes are here and our Indian Essentials here. Or take some time to browse our Late Summer recipes.

Kootu with Coconut

Kootu (or Koottu) is a simple, yet delicious dish that’s made in most Tamil homes in Tamil Nadu in South India.  While it can be made at any time, it is especially important during some festivals, such as Pongal.

This kootu is different from the traditional Aviyal as the mix of ingredients is different. Each Tamil home has their own style of making this kootu and the vegetables chosen also differ from home to home. Kootu usually includes lentils and is similar to sambar and kuzhambu, but there is a variation that is similar to Aviyal in that lentils are not used but a variety of vegetables are included. Most kootus are spiced with a coconut, cumin and red or green chillies in a paste – sometimes spices are kept to a minimum and just a coconut paste is used.

The recipe is one of Meenakshi Ammal’s from her cook books Cook and See. One of our very special projects in the kitchen is to cook through these books, as they are very traditional Tamil recipes. You can find all of Ammal’s dishes that we have made here. Most of them are from Vol 1 so far.

Similar dishes include Aviyal.

Browse all of our Kootu recipes and all of our Aviyal dishes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Early Autumn dishes.

Simmered Daikon Radish with Miso and Sesame Sauce

Daikon is popular in Japan and Korea (and each have a slightly different type of daikon), so flavours from these countries pair well with this long white radish. It is also used quite commonly in India, BTW, but here we are focusing in on some Japanese flavours.

The daikon is simmered with kombu, my favourite seaweed, and then served with a tahini-miso sauce. It is so delightful, and I serve it as a small starter. If I am eating alone, I dip the slices into the sauce, but for company, it is easier to place a spoonful of the sauce on top of each slice.

Sometimes I sprinkle some Korean chilli flakes or Japanese Shichimi Togarashi, (seven spice pepper) over the slices of daikon, and love the slight spice hit they give.

You might like to read What to Do with Daikon Radish.

Similar recipes include Mustard Greens with Daikon,  Daikon Salad with Coconut, and Daikon Dal.

Browse all of our Daikon recipes, and all of our Japanese recipes. Or explore our Early Autumn dishes.

Grilled Eggplant with Pomegranate and Walnuts

A really easy way to serve eggplant is to grill slices then serve them drizzled with  white wine vinegar and a paste of walnuts and pomegranate. It is wonderful! And simple and easy. It is the sort of dish that can be made easily for large groups.

Similar recipes include Roasted Eggplant Chutney, Marinated Eggplant with Tahini, and Smoky Aubergine and Asparagus.

Browse all of our Eggplant recipes. Or explore our Late Autumn dishes.

Walnut and Pomegranate Dip

This is a particularly great dip or spread for Autumn. You know that we love our dips and spreads, and this one makes use of our home made pomegranate molasses and the unshelled walnuts that are commonly available in the local area. Pomegranate Molasses makes great dips and spreads when mixed with any nut butter, tahini or miso.

This paste is simple to make using the food processor and easy to pull together when unexpected guests arrive. We love those sorts of recipes.

Similar recipes include Grilled Eggplant with Walnuts and Pomegranate, Broad Bean Dip, Orange and Pecan Cream Cheese, and Green Olive Tapenade.

Browse all of our Dips and Spreads, and our Pomegranate recipes. Or explore our Early Autumn dishes.

Collection: Incredible Slaw Recipes

Coleslaw is part of the Australian vernacular – a ubiquitous dish that appears at every buffet, BBQ and feast. Thinly sliced cabbage with grated vegetables in a delicious creamy dressing. I admit a good coleslaw is worth hovering over.

But slaw, without the cole, can come in many forms. The word comes from the Dutch sla, a shredded or chopped salad of raw vegetables, coated in a dressing (and cole comes from kool which means cabbage).

Crisp vegetables that can be shredded easily are best for slaw.  What comes to mind, in addition to cabbage (green, red, savoy and Chinese or Napa), are carrots, parsnips, cucumbers, radishes (especially long white daikon), celery, celeriac, kohlrabi, onions, zucchini, fennel, turnips, capsicum, snow peas, asparagus, jicama, radicchio, witlof, beetroot, green mango, green papaya and even apples and Asian pears. A true farmer’s market collection.

We have some exciting slaw recipes for you, and only three of them contain cabbage! They are salads for all seasons – don’t restrict yourself to Summer slaws.

Similar articles include What to Do with Daikon Radish, A Collection of Kitchdi Recipes, and Delicious Recipes with Green Tomatoes.

Browse all of our Slaw Recipes, and all of our Collections. Or explore our Late Autumn recipes.

Zucchini Carpaccio with Parmesan

Today we bring you another beautiful yet simple salad, Italian in style, featuring zucchini and parmesan. The zucchini is marinated in oil and lemon juice then placed on a bed of rocket with slivers of parmesan. The salad is then scattered with a toasted breadcrumb mixture of onion, olives and feta. Perfect. Easy. Delicious.

Similar recipes include Grilled Zucchini and Fennel, Zucchini, Lemon and Dill Salad, and Salad of Zucchini and Tomatoes.

Browse all of our Zucchini Salads and all of our hundreds of Salads. Or explore our Early Autumn dishes.