Carrot & Olive Salad

With all the hot weather we’ve been having here in Sydney, I have become a bit of a fan of cold salads recently. Something fresh and light. This one I served with some beef steak done on the BBQ naturally. The sweetness of the carrot worked perfectly with the saltiness of the olives and meatiness [...]

Apple & Fennel Salad

I made this to accompany some spiced pork cutlets that had been rubbed in an Ethiopian spice mix called Berbere. The sweetness of the apple and slightly aniseed taste of fennel worked perfectly with pork. This zingy, refreshing salad could also accompany fish or chicken. It’s perfect for a summer’s evening. RECIPE:

Moroccan Tomato Ketchup

I do like a bit of tomato ketchup from the bottle once in a while, but I must say it’s way too sweet and strangely doesn’t really taste of tomatoes anymore. This is a simple, homespun sauce which takes a Moroccan character. Lovely and rich, and spicy too. It’s great served just as you would [...]

Chickpea Patties

These little patties were the star of the show! The delicious aromatic Berbere spice mix brings a fragrance and taste to these that is just glorious. The crunch of the crumbed crust works perfectly with the soft, creamy texture inside. All it needs is a little yoghurt on the side to finish it (and me) [...]

Cauliflower, Dill & Cumin Fritters

I love cauliflower, and I love finding new, interesting ways to cook it. Here’s a simple recipe for cauliflower fritters. It takes its influence from Indian vegetable pakora’s but gives the little fritters more of a middle eastern slant with the use of my favourite spice, cumin and one of my favourite herbs, dill. They’re [...]

Figs with Cinnamon Crumble, Pomegranate Molasses and Honey Yoghurt

This is utterly delicious. I devised this after being given some figs and some pomegranates by Brendan as he asked to make something special. I was amazed just how successful it was. I’m pretty sure you’ll agree. The sharpness of the pomegranate and sweetness of the yoghurt together with the mellow cinnamon are a trio [...]

Fish with Spicy Lentil Dal

Who can fail to like dal!? It’s one of those simple foods that just keeps on giving. It’s perfect as a sauce, like in this dish with flaky white fish fillets. A lovely earthy spicy finish to the succulent fish. Very refreshing and pretty healthy too! RECIPE:

Indian Crisp Breads with Nigella Seeds

Now, I’ll confess these were not intended to be how they turned out. I had intended to make pooris, which are delicious deep fried Indian breads which puff out into amazing little balloons when dropped into oil. Now I’ve made them before and they worked a treat, but for whatever reason, tonight they were not [...]

Indonesian Vegetable Fried Rice

I love fried rice. It’s such a great way to use leftovers. I ALWAYS make too much rice with our dinner, so am often looking for ways to use it. This is perfect. I have eaten this all times of the day, including breakfast – it’s surprisingly delicate enough to eat at that hour. It’s [...]

Chettinad Pakoda Curry

This is a bit of an epic. It’s a vegetarian dumpling (pakoda) curry from the South Indian region of Chettinad. I must say, there’s a mountain of grinding, blending and general faffery going on with this dish, but bear in mind it’s something you’re unlikely to see in most Indian restaurants so it’s worth the [...]