Ok lets talk about comfort food, the coming of winter, along with the excuse to put on the baggy winter wear (which tends to be a couple of sizes larger than the usual stuff). Why? Because now is the season we can get away with it!

But before we bring up this cosy subject let me tell you a little about my background.

Originally born in Sri Lanka my parents decided to migrate to this equally beautiful country Australia, a country that has the bragging rights to be the most diverse multicultural nation in the world.

What does this mean you ask?

Well for one it means we’ve got an all access pass to the best food from around the world! From the hearty British Sunday roast to Sri Lanka’s finest curries – not forgetting the famous Pan rolls – we have it all.

There are Chinatowns and other Asian food districts, delicious gourmet European inspired pizzas and where would we be without our South American sourced coffee!

Take all of the above, throw in the advent of online blogs and social media and you have an encyclopaedia of wealth and knowledge readily available at your fingertips.

You only have to look at Instagram or Facebook to discover a wealth of people educating us on various types of cuisines, giving us plenty of healthy options and, of course, the less healthy but decidedly inviting and delicious comfort foods.

My parents were exceptionally good cooks both with totally unique styles, they handed down to me their knowledge of flavour and its complexities.

With all this information, food and the way its cooked is so much easier compared to the days when you had to wait for special occasions to explore your tastebuds.

Being a confessed curry lover I’d like to introduce Sri Lanka’s equivalent to the regular Sunday roast here in Oz. It’s one of my favourite comfort foods: the delicious melt in your mouth, fall off the bone Chicken curry.

Accompanied with a soft silky potato coconut curry, some dahl (Lentils) and coconut sambal served on a plate of fluffy savoury yellow rice, now this my friends to me, is comfort food at its best.

As much as I love cooking, the enjoyment of eating tends to take priority, so having access to a great variety of spices and condiments just makes it easier and quicker to whip up your favourite meals.

Lets face it, there are a lot of recipes out there that call for roasting and blending of spices, which is fine if you have the time and patience but does it really give you greater results?

I can tell you the quality of blended spices available these days is amazing, it’s just about finding the right ones to suit your tastes and you’ll be away.

I have to confess, I love cooking!

I find it so relaxing and satisfying, throw in a glass of red and you could get used to it, right?

I like to start off with my rice. As simple as the process is using the rice cooker, I like to cook it for a couple of hours if you have the time.

Prior to the pan rolls, I used to make up and sell rice and curry packs, mainly for Sri Lankan elders who often found it difficult just cooking for one, understandably.

As much as they loved the food, the feedback I sometimes received was that the rice needed to be cooked more.

After going away scratching the head thinking to myself, ‘…but hang on I cook it in a rice cooker which switches to cooked mode once complete.’ I realised I had to rethink my method.

So what I did was double the amount of water that you would normally use, which forced the cooker to work longer before it switched to cooked mode and presto! I threw in a couple of knobs of butter and the rice came out soft and silky.

Don’t forget to wash the rice thoroughly and use salt, the amount should taste like seawater.

Below is a simple but delicious Chicken Curry recipe that you can knock up really quick.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2Tbsp choice of oil
• 1 Tbsp of cracked pepper
• 2 Kg of Chicken thigh
• 1 ½ Tbsp Salt
• 250g Diced brown onion
• 1 Tbsp of Turmeric
• 1Tbsp Diced garlic
• 3 Tbsp plain curry powder
• 1Tbsp Diced ginger
• 1 ½ Tbsp of chilli powder
• 1 Stem of fresh curry leaves
• 2 Tbsp of chilli flakes
• 2 pieces of lemon grass
• 50mm each 3 Tbsp brown vinegar
• 60mm long of cinnamon stick
• 300ml Water approximately

METHOD:

1. Heat up a large pot with oil
2. Throw in curry leaves, cinnamon stick, onions, garlic and ginger and cook until translucent
3. Place chicken in pot followed up by all other condiments and vinegar and mix well
4. Place water so a little below the tops of chicken, cover and bring to boil, lower heat and cook for half hour.