Green Beans Sabji & Hummus Bruschetta [Vegan]

(continued) Chapter 5: New York (2012 - 2018)

As you can tell, I am a storyteller.

And my cheffing business created endless stories. That of a couple who met over a dinner and later told me about their engagement, and that of the chef who hired me for an event but disappeared without paying me, or of the time a (jet lagged) dinner guest fell asleep on my couch…But the one that I love telling the most is about a challenge.

Around late 2014, during my 2nd year as a dining experience host, there was a particular lady guest who wrote to me continuously for a few weeks, saying she had heard a lot about my supperclubs, her friends had been and loved it, and she had been wanting to try. However, she had a problem- she hated Indian food, and wasn’t quite sure if she should book. Baffled me. But I admired her honesty and keenness to try something out of her comfort zone. I had advised her that whilst I couldn’t promise the meal won’t have predominant Indian flavours, I could guarantee that it would be nothing like a regular Indian restaurant meal. In fact, that it was a modern take on the cuisine in the form of a tasting menu, and was meant to appeal to those who were apprehensive. I also offered that I would give her a refund shall she absolutely hate it. And left it at that. Two weeks later, a lady turned up at one of my dinners, and said she had written to me a few times - oh gosh, HER! My nerves wavered a bit. If she was indeed coming, I would’ve liked a warning (most folks who booked were strangers and I rarely knew who would turn up at my table on a particular night) so I could customise the menu. The chef in me gave a cry, but the host in me stood strong. I ran my show as per normal, hoping she wouldn’t gag or run out. Instead, I was delighted that she actually enjoyed herself. She did, however, make a passing mention that she hated green beans, and glad the meal didn’t contain any. I was both relieved and proud after the dinner. It was a brimming clean up session after with a fair few glasses of wine! Those moments after a supperclub were always full of reflection, calm & gratification. I used to absolutely love that ‘dinner-after’ feeling.

A few months later, I got another message from the same lady. She wanted to come back. And this time bring along some friends including her new fiancee. She was a convert- hurrah! The accomplishment I felt cannot be expressed in words. But I had a challenge on hand - to bean or not to bean. I crafted up a menu, greeted her and her friends and set about plating. The night flew by as swiftly as the wine, and as my regular tradition, I spent the last course on the table with the guests, asking their favourite course from the menu. When it came to her, she said, “The last one! the flavour was something I’ve never eaten before and it worked so well with the sticky rice”. I laughed and stood up. I then revealed, “That was a green bean korma…..”. She bowed, as she had promised she would for anyone who could ever make her like green beans. It was a night that ended in many laughs.

I have told this story many a times during my dinners. I love it. Not because it makes me proud, but it re-asserts that what I tell everyone - don’t be afraid to try new things, because you won’t know when life and flavours surprise you.

And although I don’t have that korma recipe today, I do have another with green beans. I hope that lady, wherever she is, will come across this and give it a try. To everyone else, go try something out of your comfort zone today. And fingers crossed there won’t be a chef lurking around ready to fool your taste buds!

Ingredients

For the beans sabji

2 cups green beans, sliced thin

1 medium potato, peeled and diced (optional)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 small tomato, finely chopped

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp red chili powder

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

For the Hummus

1 can of cannelloni beans, drained

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp paprika

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Others

Crostini or a good baguette, cut into thin slices

Method

Make the sabji

Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add cumin seeds and wait for them to splutter. Add onions + a little salt, and cook till they soften and start to look translucent. Add tomatoes + all remaining dry spices. Mix well and cook covered till tomatoes are tender and oil begins to separate from the edges. Now add the beans and potatoes, and cover and cook on low-medium heat. Let the beans get a little tender and the potatoes to cook through- will depend on the quality of your potatoes, but approx 10-12 minutes. Remove cover, turn heat to high, and dry any excess liquid. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Make the hummus
Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic and cook till it browns. Now add the cannelloni beans + all spices and cook on high heat till the beans brown a bit. Cool and blend smooth in a blender. Add a little oil to make smooth if the hummus seems too dry.

Put it together

Spread a little hummus on each crostini or baguette (if serving immediately, toast the baguette a bit). Top with some green beans sabji, and garnish with crushed pistachios. A crowd pleasing vegan appetizer thats so creamy and flavourful!

Indian South African Bunny Chow

(continued) Chapter 4: Hong Kong (2009-2012)

No bunnies were hurt during the creation of this recipe. Only waistlines were expanded.

By now, you are half way through my life, and know a bit about my journey. You must have also realised that this Hong Kong chapter has little to do with local food or inspirations, and more about the adopted in-law country. In truth, I ate a ton of local food during this time, but experimented with little. Hong Kong was a mentally, professionally and personally heavy (yet lovable!) time, and I was focussed on re-creating myself after the biggest blow life had thrown me. In typical Hong Kong style, we worked late, ate out a lot, and explored the amazing hikes in and around the city. It helped me heal.

In 2011 we got married. We had - not 1, not 2, but 3 weddings. How did I survive it you ask? Well, our mantra was to worry less about the details (as the family would do that for us regardless) and more about who we surround ourselves with. We had a big fat Indian wedding, a big fat South African reception and a registration party in Hong Kong. With fewer formalities and more loved ones, they were all perfect and heaps of fun - at least for us. I told you I was the rebel in the family!

When we arrived in South Africa in March 2011 (my 2nd trip ever), I was determined to make this one a positively memorable one….and stay away from beer ;). My husbands’ cousin was taking us out for lunch the day before the reception, and he mentioned Bunny Chow. Bunny what! OMG I squealed, “I would NEVER eat a cute little bunny”. Laughter. So I learnt through my ignorance that Bunny Chow involves no bunnies, and in fact, originated as a vegetarian meal amongst the Indian community in Durban. After all the ‘shaadi ka khana (wedding cuisine) in India, I was so very happy to try something different for a change.

Back in the day, when land workers immigrated to South Africa, they needed an easy way to carry their lunch to the fields. Their wives wondered how to provide them a filling, nutritious meal that would consist of familiar Indian curry-based home food, but yet be easy to pack and eat in the open without utensils. Indians are known to be creative in times of need - ’jugaad’ as we call it - that loosely translates into ‘makeshift’. Thus came the idea to the wives club - they hollowed out big loaves of bread, and used that as a bowl to pack the curry in. When the farmers opened their lunch, not only did they not need additional bowls, but the curry soaked through the bread wonderfully and made for a delicious, satisfying lunch. Originally, this was done with vegetarian curries like beans and potatoes, but over time has been adapted to include the more of the favourites like chicken and mutton curries.

Durban definitely does Bunny Chow the best - thanks to the big Indian community. So the cousins and us headed towards a locally Indian market, made our way through the spice and fish shops, and landed up in a tiny hole in the wall that boasted the “Best Bunny in Town!”. I was skeptical at first - I mean how many eateries claim to do ‘the best’ of something worldwide! But, I was not disappointed. I ordered a chicken version and asked for it to be mild (given my experience of South African spice levels!) - it was still hot, but soooo delicious that I just couldn’t stop eating it. We laughed about having to alter my reception dress for the next day. That moment was life changing in many ways - I discovered that bread does go well with curry (something I always ridiculed the husband for!), that I could tolerate more spice in things that were too good to stop eating, and that there is yet another Indian South African foodie gem that I had to try making at home.

Several years after, I still continue to make mini versions of that Bunny Chow at home, with a variety of fillings. Our favourite veg version has been this one, with chickpeas, that I share with you today.

Also, true to its claim, that little stall in Durban’s Indian market is the best Bunny I’ve ever had… till today.

Ingredients

For the chickpeas

2 cups chickpeas, boiled

2 large plum tomatoes, finely chopped or blended to a paste

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 green chili, sliced lengthwise

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 medium courgette (zucchini), diced (optional)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp cumin powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp South African Indian masala (optional). Can be replaced with 1 tsp red chili powder

6 tbsp light olive oil (or more, let’s not get skimpy here!)

Salt to taste

For the raita (yogurt dip)

1/2 cup full fat yogurt

1/4 cup sour cream (optional)

1 small carrot, grated

1 small green chili, finely chopped

Some fresh coriander, finely chopped

1/4 tsp cumin powder

Salt to taste

Others

8-10 buns or dinner rolls

Method

Make the chickpeas: Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add green chili, cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste and cook for a few minutes till the seeds start to splutter. Add onions and sauté on medium flame till the onions turn brown. Now add the tomatoes, along with all the dry spices. Cover on medium flame and cook till tomatoes turn tender and can be crushed with the back of a spoon. If using blended tomatoes, the raw taste should disappear and oil should start to separate from the edges (around 8-10 minutes).

Stir in the chickpeas and courgette, and cover and cook on medium flame for 10-12 minutes so the chickpeas absorb the flavours and the courgette is tender. Open cover, mix well and let it simmer for a few minutes to dry any excess liquid. We want the gravy to be thick and not runny. Garnish with fresh coriander and keep aside.

(For non-veg version, replace with chicken/mutton – add instead of chickpeas and cook for a little longer)

Make the yogurt: Beat the yogurt till there are no lumps, Mix all the ingredients for the raita, and keep aside.

Put it all together: Cut the top off your bread rolls. Scoop out the centre, making sure it doesn’t become hollow at the bottom, and create a bread bowl. Add the chickpeas into the bread bowl, top with some carrot raita and serve immediately. As with most of my recipes, skip the cutlery, and simply dive in with your hands.

Red Korma with Sticky Rice (Vegan/Glutenfree)

(continued) Chapter 3: Singapore (2000-2007 / 2008 - 2009)

Life sometimes takes a full circle, and puts you right back where you started.

When I was really little - think 2 or so - we used to live in the eastern part of Indian - Assam. It is customary in that part of India to eat slightly overcooked / sticky rice. The rice is rolled up in little balls by hand, and then used to scoop up fish curry. During those days, my parents had a ‘didi’ (a young girl who works as a house help and nanny) for me and my brother - Leela. I am told that I used to refuse food unless I got to eat with Leela exactly what and how she ate. She sat on the floor, cross legged, and with unique swiftness rolled her rice and curry. A bite for her, and a tinier bite for me. I can’t quite remember those days much, but I must have loved it, as my preference for sticky rice stays till date.

Basmati (long, fluffy grain) is the more common rice in northern India, so growing up I never did enjoy rice as much, unless it was overcooked by mistake! Moving to Singapore was my full circle - Asian rice is cooked just the way I like it. When I first relocated, as any university going teenager, I relied on junk food. But, as days passed, and living there felt less exotic and more like home, I started to explore the local cuisine at the numerous canteens across campus. Boys came into the picture, and many a ‘study date’ involved a canteen meal.

My first date was in what was known as Canteen B. It was in the business wing of the school, and since both of us were engineering students, it felt right to do this away from suspecting eyes of Canteen A - the engineering common. I grew up in an all girls’ boarding school, and although I was excited, I had no idea what a date meant. As I nervously walked in holding my neatly filed book folders, looking around for the boy in question, I was hit by a smell. Not a pleasant one. Now, I love everything about Singaporean food food, but I have to admit, some of the smells took me a while to get over. I had walked past either a Fish Ball Soup or Char Siew (Bbq pork) stall, but suddenly my stomach felt more than just nerves. What a way to start a date! I swallowed in defiance, and walked towards the table he sat at. He was a second year student, also Indian, but was probably accustomed to all that the local stalls had to offer- he also loved experimenting with local food. He sensed my discomfort (perhaps it was a common element of 1st year Indians or perhaps he had just been on many dates;)), and offered to go for a walk instead. But hey, I have always been a rebel. I couldn’t ruin this, and claimed that I was fine and loved trying new things. So we began our date. I opted for some steamed chicken and rice (it was delish and a favourite till date!), and he got….well…Fish Ball Soup. Hilarious when I think about it now. Hilarious to think how naive I was with boys. And hilarious that he was my boyfriend for majority of the university days!

After that episode, rice was a staple go to meal for me in 4 years of university life. In my opinion, stickier rice absorbs flavours much better, and although I didn’t know it then, I do know now that it also tastes amazing with Indian curries. Todays’ recipe is that of a healthy, vegan Red Dal (Lentil) Korma, subtly spiced with Indian spices and vegetables, and served up with balls of sticky rice. Scoop up each bite of goodness and enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Red Korma

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 small carrot, diced

1 small beetroot, peeled and diced

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 plum tomatoes, diced (or 1/2 can of tinned tomatoes)

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup red lentils, washed and drained

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp crushed black pepper

1 red chili, seeds removed and diced (leave the seeds in if you want the heat)

4-5 tbsp light olive oil

Salt to taste

Others

1 cup Thai or Asian sticky rice

2 tsp olive oil

Method

Make the rice

Wash and rinse the rice well. Add 2 1/2 cups water, a little salt and oil and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook till all the water has been absorbed, and the rice is tender (approx 10-12 minutes). Leave covered for another 5-6 mins. Open cover, mix the rice well with a spoon, and leave aside to cool.

Make the dal korma

Heat oil in a non stick pan. Once hot, add the red chili, bay leaf, cumin seeds and wait for them to splutter. Then add the ginger garlic paste and cook for another minute. Add in the onions + some salt, and cook till the onions turn translucent. Add all the dry spices, mix well, and then add the tomato, carrot, red pepper and beets. Cover and cook till the tomatoes are tender, can be crushed with the back of a spoon, and oil begins to separate from the sides (approx 6-8 minutes, but depends on the ripeness of your tomatoes). Now stir in the lentils, along with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, and cook till the lentils, carrots and beets are tender and fully cooked. Turn off heat, discard the bay leaf, and blend the korma till smooth. You can eat it chunkier without blending as well, but I like blending so that the flavours really fuse with each other.

To serve, take 1/2 cup of the cooked rice in your hands, and firmly roll into a ball. Continue to roll it till it holds its shape. Serve on top of the delicious Red Korma with some yogurt and crisps of choice!

Butter Chicken Siu Mai

Chapter 3: Singapore (2000-2007 / 2008 - 2009)

Do you think people change?

I have never been sure. What I do know is that circumstances change, and that forces people to adapt.

In mid 2000, I headed to Singapore for university. It wasn’t my dream. I honestly didn’t know what my dream was back then. I also wasn’t the first child in our (extended) family to do so. My cousins had gone to the same university, and my parents heard about it and were impressed by what was on offer. So my brother followed, and then it was my turn. I also never quite wanted to study engineering. But I got a full scholarship, and having no idea who or what I wanted to be, I decided I may as well get a degree abroad, and embrace the adventure. You don’t think too far ahead when you’re 18.

Singapore was definitely an adventure. In more ways than one. Culinary, sensory and cultural. Having been in a boarding school most of my childhood, that amazing little island country gave me the opportunity to be free, explore and grow, in a very safe environment. No longer was there a shield of anything familiar. While intimidating at first, Singapore was easy to settle into, and I was pumped to make the most of this experience!

I started with food. Not cooking, no sir, nowhere near it! Just eating. It took a while to find the dishes, delicacies and flavours that worked for my Indian taste buds, but that repertoire of yum only grew over time. Thinking back, it’s sort of a regret now given the number of pounds I gained in my first year! But I actually never realised I was a foodie before Singapore. In boarding, we ate to live, but in Singapore, I could live to eat. I wanted to try every kopitiam (hawker center), night treats, iced treats (ice kachang), beverage (teh tarik!), chicken rice stall etc. And boy did I do so in my 9 years there!

There was a chain of small supermarkets that were a staple with Indian community of students - 7/11. Contrary to it’s name, it wasn’t only open from 7 to 11, but 24 hours, and was a haunt for late night beers, treats or random bites. I was introduced to this temple of junk during our orientation, and I was instantly fan eyed. Now you must think - seriously? impressed by a supermarket? Think of a boarding school girl, thrown in a fancy new country, with free-to-spend pocket money and all she can eat treats 24 hours. Yes, that puts things into perspective doesn’t it? It was cheap, convenient and accessible - and who was claiming to be a connoisseur anyway.

I can’t remember how many nights we might have spent near a 7/11 drinking beer, laughing, talking about boys, eating nonsense into the wee hours of the morning, but I do remember the first time I tasted a Siu Mai. A moist, juicy steamed open dumpling filled with ground pork, shrimp or chicken, usually served with a dip of chili oil and vinegar. I didn’t (and still don’t) know the technicalities of Asian food, but I knew I loved every part of it. I was addicted. No 7/11 trip was ever complete after that day without a bowl of warm Siu Mai dunked in sauce, and eaten messily with a wooden stick. Simple memories.

When my parents visited us in Singapore, amongst many things, I wanted them to try this delicious Siu Mai. Now, perhaps I had built it up too much, or it’s a bit of an acquired taste (with beer!) for someone who has predominantly eaten Indian food their whole lives , but from my mum’s look, she didn’t look too impressed when I put a bowl in front of her. She said it looked untidy. But she did give it a try. After a few moments she said “kuch missing hai”, as in it needed a little something. Swiftly, she pulled out a little container of homemade cilantro & chilli chutney, and doused the dumpling in it. She seemed to prefer it this way. My embarrassment remained no bounds, so I just shrugged it off - she had unrefined Indian taste buds.

Sometimes our parents’ innocent actions stay with us. Years later when I started by supper clubs, I used that very daring, unrefined experimentation to create a plethora of fusion plates for my clients. Some combinations worked, some didn’t. But I was never afraid to try. My mum once said my culinary likes had changed since I moved to Singapore. Had they changed, or simply adapted?

Todays’ recipe is in memory of that Siu Mai dunked in Indian chutney. I am serving these little bundles (still love them!) with the humble Indian Butter Chicken sauce (a popular north indian chicken curry sauce). Sorry for the blasphemy, but it did taste pretty phenomenal! Because hey…..butter chicken sauce ;)

Ingredients

For the Butter Chicken sauce

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

4 fresh green chilies, slit

4 green cardamoms

4 cloves

1 black cardamom

1 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds

½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 tablespoon red chili powder

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves

340 gm tomato paste

4 tablespoons melted butter

10-12 almonds, blanched, peeled and made into a paste (optional, skip if you don’t have)

½ tsp brown sugar

¾ pint heavy/ double cream

For the Siu Mai

250 gm minced chicken

1 tsp grated ginger

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 stalks of fresh coriander, finely chopped [stem included]

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp light olive oil

Black pepper to taste

15-20 round wonton wrappers (if they're square, just trim off the edges)

Method

Make the sauce

Heat butter in a non-stick pan.Add green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves and cinnamon powder. Sauté for a couple of minutes till the ingredients start to get fragrant. Now add the fenugreek seeds. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add the garlic ginger paste and the green chilies. Cook for a few minutes and then stir in the tomato paste, along with all the dry spices, sugar, almond paste and 2 cups of water. Turn to medium heat and cover and cook for 15-20 minutes - till the mixture thickens, the raw taste of the tomatoes disappears and the spices are well infused. Finally mix the fenugreek leaves, and cook for a few more minutes. Lastly, stir in the cream, simmer on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat. Leave covered and keep aside.

Make the Siu Mai

Combine all the ingredients from chicken to pepper. Mix well and refrigerate for 30 mins. Put a teaspoon of the mixture into the center of each wonton wrapper, wet slightly the sides of the wrapper, and then gently fold them inwards to create little bundles. Cover and keep aside. Repeat this till all the chicken is used up.

Grease or line your bamboo steamer (or regular steamer), and put in the siu mai. Leave a little space between the dumplings so they don’t stick. Steam for 15-20 minutes, or till the chicken is cooked through.

Serve warm, topped with a generous dollop of butter chicken sauce!