Feeling a little overwhelmed with deadlines but I will still try to make a dent into both the Africa Challenge and the Mythopoeic Award challenge before the year is out. When I am not fighting with research or my novel, I am reading

• Not With Silver – Simi Bedford (Africa Reading Challenge)
• The Innamorati – Midori Snyder (Mythopoeic Award Challenge)

In other news, work is progressing nicely with Saltwater Orphée and I am feeling optimistic about finishing the first draft by next year.

Spiced Lamb Soup with mint, celery and fresh coriander

An improvised modification of the kind of soup that you get at various restaurants and stalls around Malaysia; there are both Indian-Muslim and Javanese variations of this particular soup. I added celery and mint because I’ve always found mint to go really well with these kinds of soup. I also squeezed in just enough lemon to balance the flavours. And of course, there has to be plenty of chopped fresh herbs to dress the soup. The lamb was juicy and tender. I had the soup with jasmine rice, and the stir-fried okra. Since I finally purchased pretty glasses, I took a picture of my rosewater essence flavoured mocktail as well.

Recipe for the paste that goes into this stir-fry may be found here.

Lime soda with a squeeze of lemon, a couple of fresh mint leaves and 2-3 drops of rosewater essence. I suspect it would be wickedly awesome with crushed ice.

I’ve never been able to decide between steamed or roasted chicken when it comes to Kai Fun (Hainanese Chicken Rice, Malaysian Style since I doubt they serve Kai Fun like this in Hainan). This seemed to be the best way to handle it. Dividing the chicken up into three styles: soup, pan-fried and seasoned w/ honey and cloves, and cooked in the oven within an aluminium foil packet to get the “pressure-cooked” effect.

This is pretty much going to be dinner, brunch, and probably dinner again (if I don’t decide to save it for Sunday brunch so I can eat out tomorrow night)

Sri Lankan fish cutlets with a semi-Brazillian twist

(Original Cutlet recipe here)

This time, I chopped up fresh coriander leaves, mint and red chillies to add to the mix, in a brief nod to Jamie Oliver’s hybridizing of the brazillian Bolinhos de Bacalhau. The fresh herbs added an extra “zing” to my cutlets; I also added some powdered coriander as well as cumin in another variation from the original Sri Lankan recipe. I was amused to note that Jamie Oliver* added the red chillies in what he called a “naughty” spirit – in doing so, he brought he so much closer to the Sri Lankan croquettes. I can’t help being speculative, imagining connections between the two dishes; Apparently the Bolinhos de Bacalhau were Portuguese in origin and there is a Portuguese connection in Sri Lanka as well. However, there are so many different variations of fish cakes in Europe that it may very well be the Anglo-Indian connection that’s the most plausible link. Someday, I may try the Brazillian croquettes, if I find salt cod, but for now, I am quite content with my comfort dish.

Grilled Kathrikkai

Another childhood favourite of mine has always been eggplant, which is either poached or grilled, then mashed up with fresh curry leaves, red onions and thinly sliced red chilli. I grilled some lebanese eggplant today but rather than mash them up, I crumbled dry curry leaves into some yogurt, added the chopped onions and chilli, then squeezed a couple of wedges of lime before adding salt. I topped the eggplant with this mixture and then sprinkled coriander ( shredded and crushed in my hand; I love the way this releases scent) on top.

The two dishes went very well with my Meen Kulambu and a generous scoop of steamed white rice.

Rose-scented Fixations

I have not got around to buying pretty glasses for the cottage, and so I can’t take pictures of the lovely drink I made today, but here’s how I made it. Ingredients: ice (crushed would be better but I am kitchen-gadget deprived here), lemonade or lime soda, half a teaspoon of rosewater essence, a wedge of lemon or lime, a couple of mint leaves. Basically, add the ice, pour in your fizzy lemonade or lime soda. Add the rosewater essence, squeeze in either your lemon or lime, and just before serving, crush the mint leaves in your (clean!) palm before adding it to the glass. Heaven!

*In an episode of Oliver’s Twist.

I’ve been wanting to make this cake since a coursemate introduced it to me a couple of months ago. It’s more savoury because I added less sugar and seasoned it with a pinch of salt. But still really yummy. I am quite pleased with the result!

My plan for tonight’s dinner was initially a chicken tajine, but while I was out grocery shopping, I found fresh mackerel! Which had me so excited because I’ve been missing mackerel pretty bad. I was rather wistful then, thinking I could make Meen Kulambu exactly the way I wanted it, if I could only find some bendi (okra). How was I to know my wish was going to be granted? By a very strange stroke of luck, a short visit to another store to grab some couscous had me discovering fresh okra! And thus, tonight’s dinner.

Casual Instructions:

Meen Kulambu: Blended powdered coriander, chilli powder, powdered cumin, turmeric, ginger, garlic, 3 red shallots, black pepper, a small green chilli (optional, I was just testing a theory) and a pinch of asafoetida powder beforehand to create a paste. Then, I heated up some oil, tossed in the mustard seed, fenugreek and curry leaves before adding the paste which I stirred till it bubbled. Some coconut milk and tamarind juice and water, and then it was time to gently slide in the mackerel, okra and sliced tomatoes. Salt was necessary too, of course

Deep-Fried Mackerel: I shook a teaspoon of coriander powder, half a teaspoon each of turmeric and chilli powder over the smaller mackerel cutlet, seasoned it with salt before gently frying it in some vegetable oil.

Stir-fried beansprouts (Indian/Fusion): With a bit of the remainder oil from the fish, I dropped in 4-5 curry leaves (crushed in my hand before dropping it into the oil), mustard seed and fenugreek, allowing the seeds to pop before adding chopped onions and one garlic. The bean sprouts were then added, seasoned with half a teaspoon of turmeric powder, some very thinly sliced red chilli and salt. Final touches: I squeezed a wedge of lime over it all and sprinkled some chopped fresh coriander.

• Note: It’s also a strangely lucky day for me since my landlady just handed me two complimentary tix to see Turandot

I need to return there sometime soon.

Carrot cake, baked from scratch. Basic cake recipe, with some low-fat milk, hazelnut meal, grated carrots, vanilla essence and nutmeg. Sprinkled with raisins and dried apricots. Drenched in low-fat vanilla custard.

I’m thinking the fierce beating and whipping required to cream the butter and sugar is a pretty good workout but all the same, I had a nice evening walk to justify the sinful treat.