Vanilla Sponge Cake – A classic tea time treat

by Trisha Vaz
Howdy folks! I hope everyone’s had a great Halloween. Now that Halloweens over, I figure its safe to start actively working on Christmas. And in an attempt to get a headstart, I’ve decided to post one of my favorite cake recipes. This one is a basic sponge cake recipe.



Now I know, this is not a very Christmassy recipe, but I know a few people who don’t like fruit cake and actually request for a sponge cake instead. While this recipe is basic, there’s nothing basic about the end result. It uses simple ingredients and results in a really flavorful cake. While you can use this cake as a starting point for a number of cake creations and other desserts, this cake can hold its own as a tea cake too. Infact, my husband enjoys this cake so much, that when he asks me to whip one up, he justs wants it as is, no frosting or anything.

If you’re someone who wants to learn how to bake, this is a great place to start. I’ve actually filmed the recipe too and I’ve included some of my tips and tricks to help out novice bakers. I will link the video at the end of this post.

Vanilla Sponge Cake
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Vanilla Sponge Cake

Recipe by Trisha VazCourse: Cakes, Cakes, Cookies u0026amp; Desserts, Christmas Recipes, Recipes
Servings

16

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

A beautiful, classic Vanilla sponge cake is great for a tea time treat by itself, but it also lends itself beautifully to other, more complex desserts.

Ingredients

  • 250g butter, at room temperature

  • 250g sugar (Use either a really fine grain or powder your sugar in a dry grinder before using)

  • 250 all purpose flour

  • 4 eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract / vanilla bean paste

  • 1 tsp baking powder

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 180ºC and line the base of your cake tin and grease the base and the sides and set aside.
  • Separate the eggs.
  • Whisk the egg whites to stiff peak stage and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bow, beat the butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla till light and creamy.
  • Mix the flour and baking powder.
  • Sift the flour mix into the butter and sugar mix in 3 stages, folding the flour into the batter only until just incorporated, with each addition.
  • Add a couple of scoops of the stiff egg whites to the cake batter and gently mix to loosen the batter. Gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the batter till it is well incorporated.
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30 minutes or till a cake pierced through the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Let the cake cool down in the cake tin.

    When it has reached room temperature, carefully take it out of the tin.

    You can now use this cake in any recipe that calls for a vanilla sponge cake or serve it as it is.

    Enjoy!!!

Recipe Video

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Cakes, Cakes, Cookies & Desserts, Christmas Recipes, Recipes

A Weekend Breakfast Favourite – Masala Omelette

by Trisha Vaz
For most of us, the working week always flies by. There’s little or no time for an elaborate breakfast. And in our house, its pretty much the same. But come the weekend, there’s a little more time. You can sleep in, have a lazy breakfast or brunch before you start with your activities for the day.
 
Breakfast happens to be one of my favourite meals of the day. Well, a weekend breakfast, that is. Its the perfect time to whip up a batch of pancakes or French Toast or muffins. And if you’re the mood for something savory, then eggs and toast with the optional bacon and sausages is a great option. If you’re in a slightly more adventurous mood, then only a masala omelette will do. We love a good omelette.
 
 
 
It needs to have nice bold flavors, a little spice and a little bite as well. We love it so much, that it sometimes makes an appearance as “breakfast for dinner”. Anyone else like “breakfast for dinner” as much as I do? I cannot believe that I haven’t shared this recipe with you before. It is super simple and so good. We usually serve it with some plain / buttered toast or some hot chapatis. They also make a fantastic sandwich when served between 2 slices of buttered bread. Try it out this weekend and let me know what you think of it.
A Weekend Breakfast Favourite - Masala Omelette
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A Weekend Breakfast Favourite – Masala Omelette

Recipe by Trisha VazCourse: BreakfastCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

1

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

5

minutes

A spiced omelette, easy to put together has big punchy flavours and makes a fantastic savoury breakfast.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 tbsp finely chopped onions

  • 2 tbsp finely chopped tomatoes

  • 1-2 tsp finely chopped coriander leaves and stalks

  • 1/2 birdseye chilly, finely chopped (or to taste)

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

  • A good pinch of turmeric powder

  • 1 tsp oil

Directions

  • Add the onions, tomatoes, chilly and coriander to a bowl.
    Add the salt, pepper and turmeric powder to the bowl and mix everything thoroughly.
  • Heat a pan over medium heat.
  • Drizzle the oil in the pan.
  • When the oil has heated, pour the omelette mix into the pan.
    Cook it over medium heat till the bottom side has set and turned a light brown.
  • Carefully flip over and cook on the other side as well.

    Serve hot.

    Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Breakfast, Recipes

SRC 2018 Reunion – Sweet Chili Pork

by Trisha Vaz
I feel so immensely happy as I type this post and I owe it all to our SRC Reunion event. Those of you who’ve been around here for a while, will know that I was part of this super fun group called the Secret Recipe Club. This was a lot of fun, sort of like Secret Santa for food bloggers. You were assigned a partner and you had to pick and cook a recipe from their blog and all the members would post about it on a pre-determined day called Reveal Day. I was part of the SRC right from June 2011 to November 2016, a little over 5 years. So when we wrapped that up, I knew I would missed this bunch of bloggers.

Early last month, Sarah of Fantastical Sharing of Recipes, who happens to be our SRC boss lady 😉  called out to all the club members and announced an SRC reunion event. Of course, I signed up for it and for this event, I was assigned Micha’s blog, Cooking Mimi. Micha’s blog is packed with great recipes. I had an absolute blast going through her blog and picking a recipe for today. After a lot of looking around I narrowed my choices down to this Hawaiian Pork, Potstickers (she even makes her own potsticker wrappers), Quick and Crispy Pork Cutlets and her Sweet Chili Pork. Have you spotted the trend here? I somehow happened to be zeroing in on Pork recipes. So this much was clear, I knew I was making Pork. When I saw her recipe for Sweet Chili Pork my mind was made up. This is what I was going to make.

Before we move on to the recipe, let’s talk about this Sweet Chili Pork, shall we? This dish has it all with juicy little pieces of pork tossed in a sweet sauce with mild heat from the Sweet Chili sauce and the crunch of the onion and capsicum just rounds it off beautifully. I could not believe how easy this recipe was. I wanted to try it just to see if a recipe this minimal would hit the spot. And hit the spot it did. I am so glad I tried this out. My husband is not a fussy eater but he is my biggest critic and helps me work on recipes and tweak them. He was floored by this recipe. And I agree with him 100%. This recipe is very similar to the kind of takeaway meals we got back in Bombay, albeit not with pork, but with chicken. Thank you Micha, for an absolute stunner.

I only made a couple of minor additions to the original recipe. I added some finely chopped ginger and garlic and some pieces of capsicum (green peppers) to the recipe. We served this up with some fried rice, but this would work very well with some noodles too.

 



Don’t forget to see what the others have whipped up for our 2018 reunion –

SRC 2018 Reunion - Sweet Chili Pork
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SRC 2018 Reunion – Sweet Chili Pork

Recipe by Trisha VazCourse: MainsCuisine: American – ChineseDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes

Juicy little pieces of pork tossed in a sweet sauce with mild heat from the Sweet Chili sauce and the crunch of the onion and capsicum.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 kg boneless pork

  • 1 egg

  • 1/3 cup flour

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 large onion, cut into cubes

  • 1 /2 green capsicum, cut into cubes (similar in size to the onion cubes)

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 1/2″ ginger, finely chopped

  • 1/2 cup sweet chilli sauce

  • Salt, to taste

  • 1 tbsp lime juice

Directions

  • Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a skillet over moderate heat.
  • Crack the egg into a small bowl, whisk it and set it aside.
  • In another bowl, mix the flour and cornstarch.
  • Cut the pork into bite sized pieces.
  • Toss the pieces in a little salt and lime juice. Toss the pork pieces in the flour mix. Then dip them in the egg and in the flour mix again .
  • Fry the pieces of pork in batches for about 3-4 minutes a side or until golden brown and crispy. Drain and set aside.
  • Heat 1 tbsp of oil in another pan.
  • When the oil is hot, add the onion and capsicum and stir fry till the pieces have just started to soften. I like mine a little crunchy. Cook it to your desired level of doneness.
  • Add the finely chopped ginger and garlic and stir it around.
  • Add the sweet chilly sauce and the fried pork pieces. Stir to coat everything in the sweet chili sauce. At this point, if you want a little more sauce in the dish, add some more. Toss well.

    Serve hot.

    Enjoy!!!
     

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Mains, Pork, Recipes

Spinach, Feta and Ricotta Rolls

by Trisha Vaz
Back when I was working at my last job, a colleague, who happened to be my work bestie, introduced me to this treat. We’d take our breaks together whenever we could and hop over to Muffin Break. Our Muffin Break outlet made the best Spinach and Feta Rolls (sidenote – their Bran muffins were to die for). But I’d never noticed these little beauties before this. I was on a first name basis with its Non-vegetarian counterpart – the sausage roll. I’ve had quite a few of those. But on this particular day, when we went over to Muffin Break, she ordered a Spinach and Feta Roll to go with her coffee. Needless, to say, I was intrigued. So I ordered one for myself too. And the rest, as they say, is history.
 
From that day on, if I ever need to grab a bite and am in the mood for something savoury, I pick up one of their Spinach and Feta Rolls. They are seriously good. And, I like to think that I’m getting a little extra Spinach in my diet that day.
 
 

So getting back to yesterday. When I found myself with a big basket of Ricotta cheese and a bag of Spinach I needed to use up, I decided to see if I could use the two together and come up with something delicious. After a little looking around, I found just the thing. I’ve based my rolls on a similar recipe I found online and I just switched it up to my liking. This time around, I used store bought Puff pastry. I had a packet in the freezer that I wanted to use up too. This recipe has just 2 basic components – the pastry and the filling. The filling is really easy to put together. You just mix up all the ingredients and your ready to go. The verdict – These rolls are really good. They’re not exactly like the Muffin Break ones. I am now convinced that there is some flour added to their filling, possibly to bulk it up. But these homemade rolls can give them a serious run for their money. And this time, I know for sure that there’s a heap of spinach in there. And everyone knows that Spinach with Ricotta and Feta is a match made in heaven. So let’s have a look at these Spinach Rolls, shall we?

 

Spinach, Feta and Ricotta Rolls
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Spinach, Feta and Ricotta Rolls

Recipe by Trisha VazCourse: SnacksDifficulty: Easy
Servings

18

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Full of the goodness of spinach and two different types of cheese, these rolls are a great lunchbox snack and also work pretty well as a tea-time snack.

Ingredients

  • 3 sheets Pampas all butter Puff pastry

  • 200g Feta Cheese

  • 300g Ricotta Cheese

  • 150g Baby Spinach, finely chopped

  • Red Chilli Flakes, to taste

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

  • 1 egg

  • Black sesame seeds, to sprinkle over

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Place the baking tray in the oven.
  • Thaw 3 sheets of puff pastry. The pastry should be soft enough to work with but still cold. If it warms up too much, it gets sticky and difficult to work with.
  • Crumble the feta into a bowl.
  • Now add the Ricotta and crumble that in as well.
  • Add crushed black pepper to taste.
  • Taste the mix and add more salt if you want. I didn’t need to add any salt at this stage.
  • Add the spinach and red chili flakes. Mix well.
  • Crack the egg into a small bowl. Whisk and keep aside.
  • Working with one sheet at a time, cut the sheet in half.
  • Spoon the mix to form a long log in the center of each half of the pastry (lengthwise).
  • Brush one side (along the length) of each half of the sheet with the whisked egg.
  • Roll the other side of pastry over the spinach into a tight log. The egg will help seal the pastry.
  • Cut each roll into 3 pieces. (Alternatively, you can cut the pieces into the size you’d like.)
  • Place the rolls on greaseproof paper, seam side down. Repeat with the rest of the pastry.
  • Carefully place the paper onto the heated tray.
  • Brush the tops of the rolls with the whisked egg (egg wash).
  • Crack some black pepper on the top of each roll and sprinkle some black sesame seeds on the rolls.
  • Bake for about 30 minutes or till golden brown in colour.

    Serve hot.

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Recipes, Snacks, Starters / Appetizers

Nonya Chicken Curry

by Trisha Vaz
Growing up in Bombay and spending most of my summer breaks in Goa, I have had more than my fair share of curries. My Mum and my Aunt were great cooks and both could whip up a mean curry with great ease. So whether it was a meat (Chicken, mutton, beef or pork), seafood (fish, prawn or crab), lentil or vegetable curry, they were all really good. The best part is, they could do a lot of this without looking at a recipe. Now I haven’t reached the ‘no recipe’ stage for some of the more intricate curries, but I do know a thing or two about them.



So, a while ago, when I saw this episode of Poh & Co, where Poh (one of my favourite TV chefs) whipped up a Nonya (a type of Malaysian) Chicken Curry, both, my husband and I knew we had to try the recipe out. The recipe does call for a few specialty ingredients, but the first time I made this curry, I didn’t have them and so I left them out. Even then the curry was a great one. But I knew I wanted to try the recipe with all of the ingredients. So I picked up the Pandan leaves and the Shrimp Belachan at a local Asian grocery store and made the curry again. This time with all the ingredients. The result was a mind-blowing curry. Now I don’t often refer to a curry as mind-blowing. A cake, maybe, but never a curry. But this curry is all that, and then some. It is one of my favorite chicken curries. And today I’m going to show you how I make mine. I have altered the method a tiny bit, to make the recipe more convenient and I hope you try this out the next time you want to make a chicken curry.

I tried to serve it up like a Nasi Lemak, but with plain rice instead of coconut rice. I added some fried baby anchovies, peanuts, boiled egg and some cucumber slices.

This curry also goes really well with roti or even bread. If you can get on hands on some Roti Canai, even better.

If you’ve never made a curry before, don’t let the idea scare you. It is easier than you think. I’ve put together a video to walk you through the process.

Let’s move on the the detailed recipe for this Nonya Chicken Curry.

 

Nonya Chicken Curry
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Nonya Chicken Curry

Recipe by Trisha VazCourse: MainsDifficulty: Medium
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

A few special ingredients, a spice-blend thats made from scratch, makes a truly well balanced curry comes together quite easily and is so very delicious.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Coriander seeds

  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds

  • 1 tsp Fennel seeds

  • 15 dried red chillies

  • 2 onions, roughly chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 20g toasted Belachan

  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

  • 8-10 curry leaves

  • 2 tbsp oil (I use olive oil for all my cooking. You can use whatever oil you normally cook with.)

  • 1 star anise

  • 3 cloves

  • 1 inch cinnamon

  • 1 1/2 kilo chicken pieces

  • 2 potatoes, cut into large cubes

  • 2 birdseye chillies, slit lengthways

  • 1 can coconut cream (400 ml can)

  • 2 pandan leaves

Directions

  • Deseed the dried chillies and soak them in hot water till they’ve rehydrated and softened.
  • In a dry pan, on medium heat, roast the coriander, cumin and fennel seeds till fragrant. Take them off the pan and set aside to cool.
  • Take the skin off the chicken, cut into pieces, trim the fat off and set aside.
  • Using a blender or food processor (you can also use a mortar and pestle if you dont have one), grind the roasted coriander-fennel-cumin seeds mix, drained red chillies, onion, garlic, belachan and turmeric to a fine paste, adding a little water as needed.
  • Heat oil in a large pot / pan over medium heat.
  • Add the star anise, cinnamon and cloves and let them fry till fragrant about 20-30 seconds.
  • Add the spice paste (rempah) to the pan and saute for 6-8 minutes till the sauce is very fragrant.
  • Tear the pandan leaves into 3 strips lengthways and knot them together. Add the pandan and curry leaves to the spice mix.
  • Add the chicken to the pan and stir to coat with the spice paste. Saute for 1-2 minutes or till the chicken pieces start to look opaque.
  • Add the coconut cream and stir well.
  • Add the potatoes, salt and sugar. Add a little water to thin down the sauce a little to reach the desired consistency. Let it come to a boil.
  • Add the slit birdseye chillies, lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer till tender.
     
  • Check after 5-7 minutes, add more water if needed, stir to make sure the curry doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Cover the pot and continue cooking till the chicken and potatoes are cooked.

    Serve hot with rice.

    Enjoy!!!

Recipe Video

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Chicken, Mains, Recipes

Quick and Easy Cole Slaw Salad

by Trisha Vaz
So what’s all the fuss about making things from scratch? you ask?
 
I, for one, like knowing what I’m eating and feeding my family. Now, from time to time I do buy ready to eat food, but those instances are very few and far between. We enjoy eating out and that’s not what I’m referring to here. I’m talking about frozen meals, ready sauces, spice pastes from a jar, canned pie filling, that kind of stuff. There are a few things that I will use, like tomato ketchup, mustard, wasabi / horseradish and that kind of stuff. I have found that for a little effort, you can make all of these things at home. They may take a little experimenting but almost always, the home made versions turn out so much better than the store bought ones. And once you try it out for yourself, you’ll know what all the fuss is about. 
 
Making your own food from scratch is a good habit to get into. And once you try your hand at it, you’ll want to learn more. It is addictive. I hate to come across as a snob, but I recently realized that in a pinch, I’d rather do a breakfast for dinner (fry up some eggs with toast) kinda thing rather than buying ready meals. If ready meals are your ‘go to’ option, try and keep an open mind to ‘made from scratch’. You can control the sugar and salt in your food. And it is so much easier on your budget too. 
 
Where am I going with all of this? A while ago, I’d shared my recipe for Homemade Mayonnaise. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make a batch. Okay, so you’ve made a batch of it. Now what? One of the ways, I use my homemade Mayo, is as a dressing in a Cole Slaw Salad. This salad couldn’t be simpler. A few ingredients get thrown in a bowl and tossed together and you have yourself a yummy salad perfect for a barbecue or to serve with batter fried fish or fried chicken or even in a sandwich.
 
 
 
I have posted a recipe for Cole Slaw before, but this one is a step up from that version with the addition of horseradish and mustard.

And if I’ve piqued your interest about food made from scratch, take a look around my blog. You’re sure to find recipes to try out.  

Quick and Easy Cole Slaw Salad
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Quick and Easy Cole Slaw Salad

Recipe by Trisha VazCourse: SaladsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes

An easy and delicious Salad that makes a perfect side at a Barbeque.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Homemade Mayonnaise

  • 1/2 tsp grated Horseradish, or to taste

  • 1/2 tsp Wholegrain or Dijon mustard, or to taste

  • 1 carrot, grated

  • 1 cup cabbage, finely sliced cabbage

  • A few slices of onion (finely sliced) or 1 spring onion, sliced

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

  • Lime juice / lemon juice, to taste

Directions

  • In a bowl, mix the mayo, horseradish, mustard and freshly cracked black pepper. 
     
  • Add the carrots, cabbage and onion and mix well. 
  • Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
     
    Your Cole Slaw is ready to serve. 
     
    Enjoy!!!

Recipe Video

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Recipes, Salads

Goan Beef Cutlets

by Trisha Vaz
I have always had a love affair with food. Even as a kid, both my brother and I, were never picky about food. I guess we had Mum to thank for that. She was, and to this day is a fantastic cook. Given, now because of her health, she cannot do as much as she used to, back in the day. But when we were growing up, every meal was home cooked. I don’t remember eating out till much later, when I was in college. Right from breakfast, through to lunch and dinner, snacks and desserts, she made everything. And a great variety of it too. I’m happy that now, I can proudly say, I try to do the same. I still have a lot to learn and experiment with, but I owe my love for cooking and good food to my Mother.

These Beef cutlets have got to be one of my favorite recipes. When we were kids, my brother and I would wait for Mum to make a batch of these cutlets at home. It wasn’t made very often, but when it was, it was a real treat. I have, for the most part, stuck to my Mum’s recipe, with just a few tweaks.

These cutlets are very versatile. Make them smaller in size and serve them up with some tomato ketchup or Barbecue Sauce as starters or Finger food, make them larger and use them as patties in Burgers or make a medium size and serve it up with some Mashed potatoes / Roasted potatoes / Fries and a salad .

I have posted a beef cutlet recipe before, but that was a really long time ago. This recipe is the same, with just the addition of some Worcestershire sauce. I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to take some new pictures. After all, its been a long journey from ‘My Hobbie Lobbie’ to ‘The Aspiring Home Cook’. I’ve also filmed a little video with some handy dandy tips too. I will link the video at the end of this post.

Goan Beef Cutlets
(Makes about 14-15)


500g ground beef (beef mince)
1 large or 2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 birdseye chillies, finely chopped (optional)
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2″ ginger, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 egg
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1/4-1/3 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt, to taste
2 slices of bread
Bread crumbs, to coat the cutlets
Olive oil, for frying (You can use whatever cooking oil you have on hand)






Soak the slices of bread in water for a few seconds, drain out all the liquid and crumble. Mix together all the ingredients except the bread crumbs and vegetable oil.


Make sure all the ingredients are well mixed and evenly distributed.


Shape into cutlets.


Coat with bread crumbs.


Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Carefully place the cutlets in the pan and let it cook on a medium heat till its done to your liking. Turn over and cook the other side as well.





Repeat till you’re done with the meat mix, adding more oil to the pan as and when you need to.


Serve hot.



Enjoy!!!

Here’s the video –

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Beef, Goan Recipes, Mains, Recipes, Sides, Snacks, Starters / Appetizers

Quick and Easy Treat for Easter – Chocolate Nests

by Trisha Vaz
I have kept my Easter prep for too late this year. I’m usually a lot more prepared than this. However, a minor accident had reduced my mobility this past week. I am on the mend but still not back to 100%. So I wanted to keep my treats quick and easy.

With that in mind I whipped up some Chocolate Nests. I love this recipe. It takes 3 ingredients and half and hour to make a batch. This is a very versatile recipe so you can make as big or small a batch, as you’d like. It is also a flexible recipe, so you can use the chocolate of your choice and mini eggs of your choosing too. So, if like me, you’ve left Easter prep for the last minute, try out this recipe. It is very popular with the little kids … and the big ones too.

Wish you and your loved ones a Happy and Holy Easter!

Chocolate Nests
Makes 8 Nests

100 grams Chocolate (I used Dark chocolate)
100 grams ready to serve Noodles
Mini Speckled Eggs

Chop up the chocolate roughly and melt using a double boiler. If you haven’t worked with a double boiler, watch the video linked below to see how you can use a simple saucepan and bowl to make one. (You can also melt the chocolate in a micowave using a microwave safe bowl and in 30 second increments.)

Toss the noodles into the chocolate and mix gently to coat the noodles in the chocolate completely.

Using a spoon and either a spatula or a butter knife, scoop out portions of the noodles onto a tray lined with baking paper. Shape to form rough circular shapes and make a little dip in the center of each nest.

Place the mini eggs in the dents created.

Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Serve.

You can watch the video recipe here –

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Cakes, Cookies & Desserts, Dessert, Recipes

Tava Style Aloo Bhindi – Indian Potato and Okra Stir Fry

by Trisha Vaz
This recipe takes me way back to when I’d first enjoyed some Tava vegetables. It was at a party that had a huge buffet offering, both non-vegetarian and vegetarian. While the non-vegetarian spread was really impressive, I was intrigued by a live stall happening over on the veggie side of the table. There was a massive tava (cast iron griddle) and it had a variety of vegetables on it. The aroma was deliciously intoxicating and I knew I had to try some. I helped myself to a small assortment, some salads and took some naan bread to go along with it. Little did I know that this dish would have me hooked for a long time to come. This was about 7 years ago, I think. To this day, the thought of those tava vegetables has me yearning for some.

After a lot of searching, high and low, I found a recipe, that I tweaked to try and replicate the flavors I so vividly remember. Since I cook for just my husband and I, this recipe is scaled down. I also just use my favorite veggies from that day – okra (bhindi) and potatoes (aloo). I found that these are also some of the easy ones to work with. I don’t make this recipe very often, because the veggies start off by getting deep fried and are then tossed with a spice mix (tava masala), and the deep frying tips this to the slightly indulgent side.

The spice mix, or my version of the tava masala is hot a very hot mix. The spices used are warm and flavorful. The chaat masala is an integral part of this recipe. If you haven’t tried it before, it is a blend of a few spices like cumin, pepper and a few others with some powdered mango. So it has a unique flavor profile, you get a slight hit of salt, tang from the mango and delicious flavor from the blend of other spices. You can easily find this at any Indian grocery store. (This chaat masala also works well with other chaat recipes you find on my blog.)

So try this easy stir fry recipe. This is best enjoyed served hot with some chapatis, rotis, naan or other flatbread of your choice. It would also work well as a side dish to some hearty Dal & Rice.

Tava Style Aloo Bhindi


3 medium potatoes
20-25 okra
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 – 1 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder (or any other mild chilly powder)
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp chaat masala
Salt, to taste
1 1/2 – 2 tbsp oil, plus oil for deep frying

Place a pan with the oil for deep frying on medium high heat.

Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into evenly sized fries / chips.

Wash the okra and pat dry. Chop the stalks off the okra and discard. Try and use okra that is similar in size, if not, cut them down to about the same size as the potato pieces.

By now, the oil should be hot. Carefully, and in batches, add the potatoes to the oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan or the oil will froth over and spill.

Deep fry the potatoes on medium heat till they’ve cooked through. Drain using a slotted spoon and set aside on some kitchen paper to get rid of any excess oil.

Deep fry the okra on medium heat till they have start getting a little darker in color and have started crisping up.

Drain using a slotted spoon and set aside on some kitchen paper to get rid of any excess oil, like you did the potatoes.

Take the oil for deep frying off the heat.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan on medium heat. When the oil is warm, NOT hot, add in the turmeric powder first and then add the rest of the spice powders.

Stir that through for about 20-30 seconds or  till the spices get aromatic.

Add the okra to the pan and toss well. Lastly add the potatoes and toss to coat the veggies with the spices evenly.

Check for seasoning and add salt, to taste. Toss well.

Serve hot.

You can watch the video recipe here –

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Mains, Recipes, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

by Trisha Vaz
Veggies – Love Em or Hate Em?

In my house, we love veggies. Whether it is steamed, in a curry, stir fried or straight up in a salad, we love it all. We are trying to include more veggies in diet as much as we can, because it is healthier for you. And when you eat what’s in season, it tends to be a lot easier on the pocket too. I try to eat local produce as much as I can and always go for what’s in season.

When I came across a recipe for a vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie, I knew I had to try it. It calls for a bunch of veggies, which most of us usually have on hand, and lentils. We eat a lot of lentils, pulses, legumes, so I knew this would be an interesting way to switch things up. There are a few processes involved in the recipe, but they are all really simple and I loved that there were leftovers.

This Veggie Shepherd’s Pie is chock full of veggies and lentils and is the perfect meal for a cold, wet day. And my secret ingredient is a little Vegemite. This adds amazing depth of flavour and that umami quality that most recipes reach for. The veggies and lentils are full of flavor and are topped with mashed potatoes.And who doesn’t love mashed potatoes?

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

1 cup cooked lentils
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots
2 stalks celery
Handful of button mushrooms, sliced
Salt, to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp vegemite
1 tbsp flour
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup frozen peas
6-8 potatoes, depending on size (You need enough to make about 4 cups worth of mashed potatoes)
A small splash of milk, if needed
A knob of butter (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the onions and garlic and saute till the onions have softened.

While the onions are cooking, dice the carrots and celery to ‘more or less’ resemble the size of the peas and lentils.

Once the onions have softened, add the diced carrots and celery to the pan and cook till the celery has started to soften.

Now add the sliced mushrooms, salt, thyme, mixed herbs, smoked paprika and pepper to the pan. Stir well to let the spices incorporate. Continue cooking till the mushrooms have fully softened.

Add the vegemite, tomato paste and the flour to the pot. Stir and continue to cook the veggies till they’re coated and the pasty mix starts to coat the bottom of the pan. This should take about 2 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth to the pan. Stir to dissolve the flour and tomato paste that has coated the bottom of the pan.

Bring the broth to a simmer. It will have started thickening. Add in the cooked lentils and peas and let them all heat through.

Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed, stir through and take the pot of the heat.

Preheat your oven to 200ºC.

Wash and peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes to cut down on cooking time.

Boil them in salted water till tender. Drain and mash the potatoes with the milk and butter (if you are using) till no lumps are left. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

Add the vegetables to a large casserole dish (I used my 9 inch ceramic pie dish). Top with the mashed potatoes. It is easier to handle the mashed potato when it is still warm. I used the back of a spoon to flatten the mashed potatoes. You can choose to use a fork or a spoon to create a decorative pattern if you’d like.

Bake for around 15 minutes till everything has heated through. If you want the mashed potatoes to brown some more, place it closer to the top heating element of your oven, or turn your broiler on (if your oven has that function) and bake for a few more minutes. Watch closely and when it has browned to your liking, take it out of the oven.

Sprinkle some more freshly cracked black pepper over the top and serve hot.

Enjoy your veggies!!!

Pin this now for later –

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Mains, Recipes, Vegetarian