Seriously addictive and a perfect addition to any meal or our original pan rolls.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 kg ripe tomatoes, quartered, or good quality chunky canned tomatoes
• 100g Mustard oil
• 100g Ginger / Garlic paste
• 100g Green chillies diced
• 1 Tbsp Chilli powder
• 1 Tbsp Chilli flakes
• 1Tbsp Garam masala
• 1 Tbsp Fenugreek powder
• 1 Tbsp Cumin powder
• 1 Brown large onion diced
• 1 Tsp brown mustard seed
• 100g Mustard seed powder
• 100g Brown vinegar
• 3-4 stems of fresh curry leaves
• ½ Tbsp brown sugar
• Salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Heat the mustard oil in a reasonable size pot
2. Add diced onions and curry leaves and lightly brown
3. Add mustard seeds till they start to pop be careful not to burn as they will make it too acidic
4. Add tomatoes, green chillies along with garlic/ginger paste
5. Once the juice of the tomatoes have come out, add all other condiments
6. Bring to boil and then let simmer for around 30 minutes
7. Blend with stand mixer still keeping some chunkiness, adding sugar
8. Once cool, store in sterilized jars and refrigerate.

This one is perfect for a weeknight. It’s a simple but delicious chicken curry recipe that you can knock up really quick. Feel free to use different cuts of chicken or add your favourite vegetables, but don’t forget to wash the rice thoroughly and use salt!

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.

The humble lentil dahl is nothing to be scoffed at! Cooked with care and love, this curry is always a crowd favourite and staple of the curry tradition. Now I get to share with you how my family made it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup of toor dhal
• 1Tbsp veg oil
• 1 small onion diced fine
• ½ stem of fresh curry leaves
• 3 dried red chillies
• ¼ tsp of ground turmeric powder
• 2 Tbsp coconut powder

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in pan and throw in diced onions and curry leaves
2. When onions start to become translucent, throw in the dried chillies until they become dark but not burnt.
3. Remove from pan and put aside.
4. Poor the Dhal into a pot and rinse under cold water until clean
5. Create a level bed of dhal and sit your middle finger on top, fill up with water to the level of the first line on your finger, approximately 20mm.
6. Stir in turmeric and bring to boil and stay close as it may quickly burn.
7. Cook until soft, then add the tempered onions, chilies and curry leaves.
8. Heat up the kettle for a half a cup of hot water and stir in coconut powder.
9. Add to cooked dhal
10. Add salt to taste.

This midweek winner is easy to prepare and perfect in the depths of winter. Serve with rice or flatbread, substitute ingredients for your local produce and of course, pour a glass of red to compliment.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Large desiree potato diced into small chuks ( Not to small )
• 1 Green Chilli diced
• ½ Medium brown onion dices fine
• ½ stem fresh green curry leaves
• 3 x 3inches long – Pandanus leaf ( Rampe ) Any Asian grocery
• 3-4 Tbsp Coconut powder
• 1 Tbsp Maldive Fish ( Any Sri Lankan or Indian Grocer )
• ½ Tsp Turmeric
• ¾ Tsp salt

METHOD:

1. Place potatoes in medium size pan and add water exposing tops of potato.
2. Add diced onions, curry leaves, Rampe, maldive fish and salt and bring to boil
3. Once boiling add turmeric and cook until potato is softening then add coconut milk powder, stir blend in lightly until potato is soft and silky, add more salt if needed.

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.