Pan roasted sweet potato subzi

I used to love sweet potato as a child. Mum bought this very infrequently, so it always felt like a special treat to have it. She used to steam them whole in a pressure cooker and I liked to have them plain - their natural sweetness needing no other additions.

The sweet potatoes we get back in India are the ones with the pink skin and white flesh with a delicate flavour. The ones we get here have brown skin and orange flesh and taste different from the ones I have had growing up. I didn't relate to this and wasn't even willing to try them for a number or years. It is only recently that I have started having them again.

This is the first time I have tried this particular recipe with sweet potato. I usually make it with squash. Either way it makes a nice accompaniment for rice or rotis. One thing to note is  that you may need to add a little extra spice and salt to balance their natural sweetness.

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes ( approx. 2 - 21/2 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped finely
3 garlic pods, chopped finely
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

• Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium flame. Add the cumin followed by mustard seeds to the hot oil and let them splutter
• Add the chopped onion and sauté till they are softened
• Add the garlic and  continue to sauté for another minute to remove their raw flavour.
• Turn the flame to high. Add the sweet potatoes and stir fry them for 3-4 minutes. 
• Add turmeric, chilli, cumin and coriander powders along with salt and continue to toss them for another 2-3 minutes.
• Reduce the flame back to medium. Spread the sweet potatoes evenly in the skillet, cover and let them roast slowly till they are just cooked. Do not add any water. Stir them every few minutes so they cook evenly on all sides and don't burn or catch at the bottom. 
• Sprinkle the garam masala and lemon juice and mix well. Finish off with the chopped coriander leaves.

Prawns (or Shrimp) in coconut gravy

Prawns (or shrimp - I honestly don't know the difference) are the only seafood I have attempted making. I only take a crack at it occasionally as I hate the time it takes to clean them properly. Even if I buy them shelled and deveined, I still put in that effort as my husband reacts to it badly otherwise. Aside from this, the recipe actually needs very little time and effort to prepare.

250g king prawns or shrimp (shelled and deveined)
1/3 cup freshly grated coconut
1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp whole peppercorns
2-4 whole dried red chillies
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 tsp tamarind pulp
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1tbsp oil (coconut oil if you have it)

Tempering
5-6 curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds

• Toast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorn, red chilli and fenugreek in a dry pan for a few minutes till they release their natural oils and become fragrant. Allow them to cool and then grind them along with the fresh coconut to a fine paste. You can remove the seeds from the chillies to control the heat.
• Meanwhile heat oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves to the hot oil and let them splutter.
• Add the chopped onions and turmeric. Fry in the oil till the onions soften and turn translucent.
• Add the ground coconut paste and fry till the oil starts to separate. This may take about 3-5 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent the paste from catching at the bottom.
• Add the prawns and toss them in the paste for a couple of minutes. 
• Add salt to taste and enough water to form a gravy. Bring to a boil first and then cover and cook on a low heat for 4-5 minutes. The prawns will turn opaque when they are fully cooked.
• Add enough tamarind pulp at this stage to give the gravy some sourness and boil for a few more minutes before turning off the heat.
• Serve with hot rice.

Pineapple fruit loaf

It's been a while since my last post. Following a busy phase at work and a mind numbing bout of cold, it was hard to dig up motivation to do anything. This weekend however perked things up a lot. Good weather and time spent with close friends - it's the best way to wipe away the blues. Taking advantage of this shift in the mood, I spent a few hours baking this afternoon. The attempt was to bake a cake, but the recipe seemed more suited for a fruit loaf. I experimented with both and given the density of the batter, the loaf turned out to be the better result. The makes a moist - for lack of a better word - cake. You can make it even more moist by feeding the cake with a few tablespoons of warmed pineapple juice while it is cooling down.

2 large eggs
2 cups plain flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups crushed pineapple( I used tinned, but fresh is fine as well)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla essence

• Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Prepare a loaf tin by spraying it with cooking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
• Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and keep aside.
• Beat the eggs in a bowl for 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer till they are pale and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating for a few more minutes till the sugar dissolves. 
• Add the flour in batches to the above mixture and combine everything using a metal spoon using a folding action.
• Combine the melted butter and crushed pineapple. Mix it into the batter. This is a very loose batter.
• Pour it into the prepared tin and bake in the oven at 180C for 50 minutes or until a skewer or knife comes out clean.