indian spiced potato cutlets (aloo tikki)

 indian spiced potato cutlets (aloo tikki)

I am pretty sure that I love snacking more than anything else. (My shame, sorry!)  Most of my favourite snacks are probably Asian. However, my mother used to make these potato cutlets or patties as a way of using up leftover mash and veggies. I suspect she learned some of this when we were living in the Far East. In those days, it never occured to me that they were snacks. It is no wonder that they are a few of my favourite things.

ash-e-reshteh - persian bean and noodle soup

 ash-e-reshteh - persian bean and noodle soup

It is Nowruz, a time to celebrate the Persian New Year and the first day of spring. Ashe-reshteh is a traditional celebratory soup, which is both comforting on a cold blustery day and packed full of fresh green herbs to feel like spring.

vietnamese lemongrass and chilli tofu

 Vietnamese lemongrass and chilli tofu (uncooked)

Think you don't like tofu? I beg you to reconsider. This recipe for Vietnamese lemongrass and chilli tofu could change your mind and have you begging for more.

sambal belacan

sambal belacan

I have mentioned before my love of sambal, a spicy chilli condiment hailing from Malaysia and Indonesia. In the past year or so I seem to have got into the habit of making up large quantities of this, to stick in the fridge, on the basis that firstly, you just never know when you might need it and secondly, that it seems to go with everything. Well everything in my household that is, from curries, noodles and stir-fried vegetables, from burgers and sausages, to salad dressings, scrambled eggs and cheese toasties. Admittedly I would draw the line with say ice cream or cupcakes, but then that's the beauty of lines ... sometimes you just can't help wanting to cross one.

indonesian seafood sate lilit

Indonesian seafood sate lilit

A fabulous sate (satay) from Bali which can be made with a variety of different meats; I love the minced seafood version. What makes it different from the myriad of other sates from Indonesia (and satays from Malaysia) is that firstly it contains coconut and secondly it is not typically served with a peanut sauce.

a fabulous tangy malaysian curry: kari kapitan

kari kapitan

Kari Kapitan (or Captain's Curry or Ayam Kapitan) is a classic Nyonya recipe from Penang in Malaysia and is the perfect combination of Malay and Chinese influences; every family has its own version, passed down across the generations and often served at big family gatherings and celebrations.

what's in season: march

spring garlic and the green shoots of recovery!

Helloooooo. I'm back!

Which might be a strange thing to say if you hadn't noticed I'd gone. Well, I won't bore you with my tales of woe. I had  bit of an accident and I've been recovering. Frankly, I hadn't been doing much cooking either, but now I want to get back in the food saddle and start blogging again. Yippeeaiyay!