• Garlicky Field Beans Rice

    November 7, 2022peppercook
    • Prep time: 30 minutes
    • Cook time: 30 minutes

      This rice dish – garlicky field beans and coconut rice- from my Mom’s old 1952 cookbook, is perfect for evening meal. Flavoured with onions, coconut, chilies, garlic (not browned) and cumin, it’s unusual and filling. Served with yoghurt or kadhi (tempered yoghurt), and a side of mango pickle, its perfect for a weekday meal or even weekend guests! Ingredients: 1 ½ cups sprouted field beans 2 cups rice 2 onions ¼ teaspoon asafoetida ½ teaspoon cumin 4 dry red chilies 1 lime 4 garlic cloves 1 piece of coconut ½ fresh coconut 2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons oil Instructions:   Wash and soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Clean the sprouted field beans. Take out the thick and thin…

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  • Fragrant Pineapple Rice

    November 7, 2022peppercook
    • Prep time: 30 minutes
    • Cook time: 30 minutes

      I had started posting my Mom’s recipes from what is now termed “Mom’s Golden Recipe Book.” It’s actually a notebook from her college days when she had taken home science classes at the age of 16. It’s fun because the terms are so outdated and lots of ingredients or steps are missing in recipes. Mom says the teacher worked too fast! Well here is one more of my favorites- fragrant pineapple rice. A bit sweet, but an aromatic, rich, and unusual rice dish for dinner. I like to caramelise my pineapple first for more flavour, and I personally love fruit in my savoury dishes!    Ingredients: 150g ripe pineapple (about ½ cup) 2 ½ teaspoons sugar, divided ½ cup rice 1 cassia leaf 1…

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  • Kerala-inspired Chicken with Coconut

    July 15, 2021peppercook
    • Prep time: 5 minutes
    • Cook time: 20 minutes

      A delicious, fragrant chicken peppered with aromatic South Indian spices and browned notes of roasted coconut. Easy to make, and impressive to serve, this is a must-try for lunch or dinner. Ingredients:  2 medium-sized chicken breast halves (300gm), cut into 1-1½” cubes ¾ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon turmeric Click here to buy our favourite turmeric powder ¼ teaspoon red chilli, ground Click here to buy our favourite red chilli powder ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ground (optional) Click here to buy our favourite Sri Lankan Cinnamon Powder  8-10 curry leaves 3 tablespoons coconut oil Click here to buy cold-pressed virgin coconut oil   For paste: 1” ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled 6-8 shallots, roughly chopped   For masala mix: 1 teaspoon cumin,…

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  • Prawns in Tamarind Coconut Curry

    June 23, 2021peppercook
    • Prep time: 10 minutes
    • Cook time: 12 minutes

      Cooking doesn’t get any easier. A simple, Goa-inspired prawn curry flavoured with garlic, onions and coriander. Prawns are easy and quick to make, and always impress guests. This curry, cooked with tamarind and coconut milk, is ready in a jiffy. Light, not too spicy, tart and creamy, it’s lovely for brunch or dinner! Ingredients: 15 pieces large prawns (250g), cleaned and deveined ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli, ground or smoked paprika Click here to buy Kashmiri chili powder 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 onion (about 3” diameter), thinly sliced 1 green chili, topped and sliced along the centre 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground 2 tablespoons tamarind paste Click here to buy thick & tangy tamarind pulp 200…

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  • Goan-Inspired Eggplant with Vinegar

    June 1, 2021peppercook
    • Prep time: 10 minutes
    • Cook time: 20 minutes

      A simple, yet delicious Indian eggplant recipe with Goan roots. This mildly spiced makes a great vegan lunch or dinner dish with rice. The cubes of eggplant readily soak up a spicy tomato paste marinade and soften, making them an ideal vegetable for any kind of Indian bread, or a topping on crusty bread! Ingredients: 1 large eggplant, about 300-400g, peeled and cut into 1” cubes 1 teaspoon salt, divided 2 medium tomatoes, chopped fine ½ teaspoon turmeric Click here to buy our favourite turmeric 1 teaspoon cumin, ground ½ teaspoon red chilli, ground Click here to buy our favourite red chilli powder 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (optional) 3 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon plain or palm vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar Click here to buy…

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  • Mangalorean Chicken with Coconut

    May 14, 2021peppercook
    • Prep time: 7 minutes
    • Cook time: 25 minutes

      Roasted coconut, roasted coriander, and roasted chilies are the triad that give this Mangalorean-inspired chicken its delicious smoky flavour. Simple and easy, this tropical dish is great for an Indian -themed brunch or dinner. Ingredients: 3 chicken breast halves (250g), cut into 1.5” cubes salt – ¾ teaspoon or to taste ⅓ cup coconut, freshly grated 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, whole ½ teaspoon cumin, whole Click here to buy aromatic whole cumin seeds 2 Kashmiri chilies, whole (or 2 teaspoons paprika) Click here to buy organically cultivated chilies 8-12 black peppercorns, whole Click here to buy our favourite black peppercorns ½ teaspoon turmeric Click here to buy our favourite turmeric 6 cloves of garlic, peeled 1 onion, finely chopped 3 tablespoons water, plus ¼ th cup ¼…

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  • Indian Cauliflower with Five Spices (Panch Phoran)

    May 7, 2021peppercook
    • Prep time: 15 minutes
    • Cook time: 18 minutes

      An easy and tasty Bengali-inspired cauliflower that gets its flavour from the five unique spices and their aromas that make Panch Phoran. You don’t need a lot of this 5-mixed-spice to enhance the lovely taste of cauliflower! These motley spices when added together create a super-seasoning punch that gets further leveraged by the mustard oil! Light and easy without too much heat, this is a great healthy vegan addition to any meal! Ingredients: 1 medium cauliflower (about 400g), cut into florets 1-inch ginger, cleaned and coarsely cut 1 green chili, cut into large pieces 2 teaspoons panch phoran (recipe below) A pinch of asafoetida Click here to buy  aromatic asafoetida 1 teaspoon turmeric Click here to buy our favourite turmeric ¼ teaspoon red chili,…

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  • Long Beans with Coconut

    April 29, 2021peppercook
    • Prep time: 10 minutes
    • Cook time: 18 minutes

      I’m trying to add more greens to #hotnspicyhusband’s diet and mine as well. Whenever I write a recipe, I always try to make it easy so my adult children can make it too.  This is a typical Kerala Thoran – or a dry spiced vegetable made with a paste of coconut, chilies, and cumin. Indian food doesn’t get any easier! If you don’t like hot and spicy, just leave out the chilies, and you still have a delicious lunch or dinner dish! Ingredients: 300g long beans, finely chopped   For paste: ¼ cup coconut, grated 1 teaspoon whole cumin 1 green chili, coarsely chopped 8-10 curry leaves 4 cloves garlic a cup of water   For tempering: 1 teaspoon black mustard seed 1 dried…

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  • Minty Greek Tzatziki

    April 23, 2021peppercook
    • Prep time: 3 minutes
    • Cook time: 5 minutes

      A creamy, Greek version of the Indian raita, tzatziki is the perfect summer accompaniment to falafel and pita. Mint, pepper and garlic give this creamy side or sauce a great punch! Ingredients: 1 cucumber, peeled ½ teaspoon salt 4-6 cloves garlic, minced finely 1½ cup sour cream (if using plain or greek yoghurt, hang 2 cups yoghurt for 4-6 hours and add 8 tablespoons fresh cream) ¼ teaspoon white pepper powder click here to buy (or coarsely ground black pepper) 4-6 tablespoons freshly chopped mint   Instructions: Slice cucumber in half lengthwise. Remove seeds from the center. Slice into paper-thin half-moon slices. Rub salt on slices and put in a colander for water to drain from cucumbers. Using a whisk, blend garlic, salt, sour cream and…

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  • Garlicky Green Rice

    February 18, 2021peppercook
    • Prep time: 10 minutes
    • Cook time: 25 minutes

      A healthy green addition to lunch or dinner, which is no effort at all! This rice is gently flavoured with garlic greens and spinach, and is a great way to get the family to eat more vegetable! Ingredients: ½ cup short-grain white rice click here to buy the rice we use 2 cups spinach (about 125g), washed and coarsely chopped ½ green chili or jalapeño click here to buy our favorite jalapeños small bunch of cilantro/ fresh coriander 6 tablespoons garlic chives (garlic greens), coarsely chopped or 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 green onion, sliced 10 green peppercorns in brine, roughly chopped click here to buy ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper click here to buy our favorite black pepper 1 cups water (plus two…

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