Witchy Kitchen

Tag: ginger

  • Ginger Steak Wraps with Ginger Tomato Chutney

    Ginger Steak Wraps with Ginger Tomato Chutney

    Ginger Snaps, the 2000 Canadian horror movie written and directed by John Fawcett, is all about transformation. It stars Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins as sisters Ginger and Brigitte, who are delightfully morbid (the opening sequence of their death-inspired school project photoshoot is fantastic), and grow up with only each other for friends and a death pact to seal their friendship and sisterhood.

    However, when Ginger is attacked by a mysterious creature, everything begins to change. There are so many themes that are well served by this werewolf narrative; adolescence and budding sexuality, sisterhood, loneliness, mortality, and how people change and relationships rarely stay the same.

    Steak is probably pretty obvious for a werewolf inspired recipe (I also cooked up Universal Classic Monster-inspired Wolf Man Steaks with Silver Bullet Lemon Butter). Well, to be fair, gingersnap cookies are probably the most obvious, but steaks are a close second. However, these were an excellent excuse to use lots and lots of ginger, which I love, for a nice spin on a classic.

    Ginger Steaks

    • 2 fillets (or cut of your choice – I did filet mignon which was appropriately popular in the 90s/early 2000s just like this film)
    • coarse salt
    • fresh ground pepper
    • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 2 inches ginger, peeled and finely chopped (reserve some matchsticks for garnish)
    • spritz of lime juice

    For a detailed steak-cooking technique, I recommend this method from The Kitchn, but I’ll give you a quick run down. Pat steaks dry, and salt and pepper well on all sides. Allow to sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.

    Heat oven to 425°. Heat coconut oil in a cast iron skillet until screaming hot, don’t be afraid. I opened the windows and warned the kids that I’d probably set the smoke alarm off, which I did. Sear steaks for 5 minutes on each side then move to the oven for 5 minutes for medium well. Remove to a plate and allow to rest.

    Return the skillet to the stove and on medium heat, add butter, ginger, and lime juice. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened and pour over steaks. Garnish with ginger matchsticks. Serve as is, or, once rested, slice steaks in strips against the grain.

    But we’re not done yet! I transformed this (eh? Ok I’m sorry that was really cheesy) into wraps with baby spinach and a ginger tomato chutney for even more gingery flavor. This also helps stretch an expensive cut of meat; two steaks fed 5 of us with leftovers (with soy and ginger marinated tempeh strips for a vegetarian version).

    Ginger Tomato Chutney

    • 2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil
    • 2 shallots, finely diced
    • 2 inches ginger, peeled and grated
    • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
    • pinch cayenne (or more to your taste!)
    • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 can diced tomatoes
    • 3/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • spritz lime juice

    In a saucepan, heat oil until shimmering. Saute shallots until they begin to turn golden, then stir in ginger, garam masala, cayenne and turmeric and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes, and cook, stirring often, until thick and jammy. Stir in brown sugar and lime juice and cook for just another minute and remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, may need a pinch more salt.

    To make wraps, arrange a layer of baby spinach on flatbreads, then strips of gingery steak, top with a dollop of ginger tomato chutney, wrap, slice and serve.

    First published on Nightmare on Film Street.

  • Gingerbread

    Gingerbread

    Bored now.

    If Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my one of my all time favorite TV shows (and it is; Buffy has gotten me through some dark times), then Willow Rosenberg is one of my all time favorite characters. Maybe because she’s the closest representations of myself I’ve ever seen in fiction: nerdy, quiet, sweet, smart, witchy – and more darkly: selfish, controlling, with an addictive personality. If this post seems a little me-centric, it is, and I will point out that that too is Willowesque.

    Gingerbread is not a great, or even that good, episode of Buffy, but it’s one that I remember fondly and think back to often. Maybe because it’s one of the first ones I ever saw, and one of the reasons I started watching the original run, but also because the combination of fairy tales, creepy kids, Willow character development, and a hilarious line by Cordelia about her mom confiscating all her black clothes and scented candles make it a really entertaining one, one close to my little black heart.

    Also it’s the one where Amy turns into a rat.

    Gingerbread

    Adapted from King Arthur Flour

    • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon Witchy Autumn Spice Mix (or a mixture of spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, etc.)
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
    • 3/4 cup molasses
    • 1/4 cup honey
    • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
    • 1 egg
    • 1 cup buttermilk (or allow 1 cup milk with a 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sit for 10 minutes)
    • 1/4 cup water

    Heat oven to 350° and prepare a 9×9 baking pan.

    Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Pour in the melted butter, molasses, and honey (you can combine the molasses and honey in a measuring cup and heat for 20 seconds in the microwave to make it pour easily) and stir gently into the flour until moistened. Add ginger, beaten egg, buttermilk and water and stir gently until evenly combined.

    Pour into baking dish and bake for about 35 minutes (start checking around 33) until cake is pulling away from the edge of the pan.

    Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

    Recipe for Fiction Kitchen Episode 23: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER in which Carrie and Diana discuss the cult TV show with various vampy concoctions – Happy Meals on legs, textured blood, yummy sushi, foamy nectar, and some really bad puns. #TeamSpike #Spiffy

  • Tough Guy Future Noodles

    As reality and dystopian fiction become closer to indistinguishable, it’s no surprise that it is #DISHTOPIA Month: Eat Like It’s the End of the World, Fandom Foodies theme hosted by the lovely Catherine at The Gluttonous Geek – check out the linkup for more foodpocalypse!

    Blade Runner (1982) gives us the most charming retro-futuristic world, where Turing Test-passing AI and flying cars exist but people are still using noir tropes and pay phones. As we learned during the Blade Runner episode of our Fiction Kitchen podcast, the future has heavy Asian undertones, food is nonperishable, and as Cracked claims: tough guys eat noodles.

    This dish inspired by the film was really an excuse to try out Momofuku Ginger Scallion Sauce which I’ve had my eye on for awhile – and it did not disappoint! – so I made a bowl of ramen to be tossed with that and other goodies.

    Blade Runner Tough Guy Future Noodles

    For the ginger scallion sauce

    • 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions (greens and whites; from 1 to 2 large bunches)
    • 1/2 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger
    • 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
    • 3/4 teaspoon sherry vinegar
    • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

    Toss all ingredients together, let sit 15 minutes.

    For the carrot kinpiri
    Recipe from Just Bento

    • 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • pinch red pepper flakes
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

    Heat oil, and saute carrots until soft, about 8 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and soy sauce, cook another few minutes until liquid evaporates. Toss with sesame seeds.

    For the mushrooms
    Clean and slice 8oz cremini mushrooms. Heat a tablespoon oil and 1 grate clove garlic, then saute mushrooms until liquid evaporates, add a 1 tablespoon splash soy sauce, cook another minute or two.

    For the cucumbers
    Peel and slice two large cucumbers, toss with 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste) and let sit 10-15 minutes.

    For the boiled eggs
    Put 6 eggs in a saucepan and just cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and sit, covered for 7 minutes (10 for fully hard eggs). Dunk eggs in an ice bath, peel and slice.

    For the noodle bowl
    Boil and drain 9oz ramen, toss with other goodies!

    This dish was first posted for Fiction Kitchen Episode 37: BLADE RUNNER in which Carrie and Diana discuss the 1982 cyberpunk neo-noir film, eat some tough guy noodles, make some edible origami, and cry into their peaches.

  • Orc Rock Mushroom Soup with Corn and Coconut Cream

    Better late than never for #BattleChefBuffet, Fandom Foodies theme of the (last) month, hosted by the awesome Victoria at Pixelated Provisions – that’s right it’s Battle Chef Brigade!

    I haven’t gotten a chance to play the Trinket Studio developed/Adult Swim published game yet, although the kids got a Switch for Christmas so we plan to in the near future – just as soon as our Zelda: Breath of the Wild obsession quells! However, the game looks delightful and innovative and full of intriguing dishes…and…oh, what’s this???

    Onion Chopping Ninja Chef has challenged me to a Quarry Cap cook off! Orc smash!! Weird orc horn!! Pew pew pew pew!!

    We both received pics of the dishes; she made Mina (the human’s) Quarry Cap dish, which you can find on her site – and full disclosure, it looks delicious and I fully plan on trying her recipe with the leftover wood ear mushrooms I have from my dish.

    Her choice to use wood ear mushrooms (or, as I got mine at the Korean market, they are labeled somewhat less charmingly as “black fungus”) was a smart choice to acheive the striking color of the dish, so I decided to use them in mine as well. My dish is Thrash (the orc’s) Quarry Cap soup. I regularly make a sherried cream of mushroom soup, Western style, but decided to try the same dish with a more Asian profile, and was happy with the kickass punch-you-in-the-mouth result!

    Orc Rock Mushroom Soup with Corn and Coconut Cream

    For the mushroom soup

    • x ounces dried wood ear mushrooms
    • 4 ounces fresh button mushrooms, sliced
    • 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
    • Vegetable oil
    • 1 small bunch green onions, whites and greens divided, sliced
    • 3 garlic cloves, grated
    • 1 inch ginger, grated
    • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1/4 cup shaoxing wine (substitute dry sherry or white wine)
    • 4 cups vegetable broth
    • Salt to taste

    To rehydrate the wood ear mushrooms, pour a cup of boiling water over them and let them steep for at least 30 minutes.

    Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil in a wok, and stir fry mushrooms until they release their water and start to color. Add the whites of the green onions, garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add white pepper and soy sauce and shoaxing wine and cook, stirring, until almost dry. Add vegetable broth.

    Drain and slice wood ear mushrooms (reserving some for garnish, optional), and add to the wok. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree in a blender and return to the hot pot to heat through. Check for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.

    For the corn and coconut cream

    • 1 can coconut milk
    • 2 ears white corn (reserve some kernels for garnish)
    • Pinch salt

    In a small sauce pan, heat coconut milk and add ears of corn. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove ears, slice of kernels and place in a blender with the coconut milk. Puree and return to the pot to heat through.

    To serve, pour soup into bowls and drizzle with a generous swirl of the coconut corn cream. Garnish with mushrooms, corn kernels, and reserved green onion.

    Check out #BattleChefBuffet or the Battle Chef linkup at Pixelated Provisions for everyone’s amazing dishes!

  • Zubat Blackberry BBQ Wings

    Zubat Blackberry BBQ Wings

    While I just missed the Pokemon craze when I was younger (#old, although the kids I babysat were into it), I’ve definitely gotten caught up in the cultural phenomena that is Pokemon Go. It’s been so fun to play with my kids – even though their aim sucks and they waste all my pokeballs! – and I fight my army of Vaporeons at the public library gym. Mostly I’ve enjoyed going on peaceful walks at night, catching dem Pidgeys and listening to Last Podcast on the Left or my The 1975 Spotify station. I had kind of a rough early part to the year, but somehow this weird little routine really contributed to clearing my mind and lifting my mood.

    zubat

    Zubat inspired this recipe; I love that creepy flappy fangy little guy! Catherine at The Gluttonous Geek joked that she was the only one so far twisted enough to make a play on actually cooking the little creatures. I laughed to myself because oh yeah, I’m going there too! These BBQ wings have the wing and drumette intact to look battier, and the Asian-inspired blackberry BBQ sauce is both sweet and spicy and zubat-tinged purple. With a garlicky buttermilk dipping sauce, they turned into a dish we could really sink our teeth into.

    🎵 I wanna be the spookiest
    Flap around, drink some blood and train,
    Sunlight is my real test
    But at night, feel my Poison Fang! 🎵

    Zubat Wings

    • 3 pounds chicken wings (wings and drumettes intact (you could of course do them split apart, just slightly lessen the cooking time)<br />)
    • salt & pepper
    • 2 cups blackberries
    • 1 cup chicken broth
    • 2 inches ginger (grated)
    • 1 cup ketchup
    • 1/4 cup honey
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 2 cloves garlic (grated)
    • fresh ground black pepper (about a teaspoon)
    • 1-2 tablespoons srirach ((I left this out until I had dipped half the wings in order to make not-spicy wings for the kids))

    1. Preheat oven to 400°. Position a rack over a baking sheet and spray or rub with oil. Wash, dry, and season the wings liberally with salt and pepper, and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes or so, flipping once, until cooked through and golden.

    2. Meanwhile, prepare the bbq sauce. In a saucepan, bring chicken broth, blackberries, ginger and a sprinkle of salt to a boil, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring/smashing occasionally, until blackberries are completely broken down.

    3. While the blackberries are simmering, in a mixing bowl whisk together ketchup, honey, soy sauce, garlic, pepper, and sriracha (if you are doing a split batch like I did, wait until after you dip half the wings to add the sriracha). Strain the blackberry mixture through a mesh strainer into the ketchup mixture, pressing to get most of the liquid out, whisk everything together and return to the sauce pan. Simmer another 15-20 minutes until thick.

    4. When the wings are cooked, dip each in the bbq sauce and return to the rack, brushing a little more over the top. You can reserve the leftover sauce for another purpose. Bake another 5 minutes or so, then let cool slightly, garnish with green onions, and serve with garlicky buttermilk dipping sauce (below).

    Garlicky Buttermilk Dipping Sauce

    • 1/2 cup buttermilk
    • 1/2 cup sour cream
    • 1 clove garlic (grated)
    • coarse salt to taste (about 1/2 a teaspoon)

    1. Whisk together all ingredients and serve!

    More batty BBQ recipes:

    Originally posted for #PokeNOM month! Catherine at The Gluttonous Geek hosted this theme for Fandom Foodies. Her awesome pick sparked so many creative and delicious-looking recipes! Head over to the linkup, or look for #PokeNOM on social media to check them out – gotta eat ’em all!

    Update, June 2019 The Cupcakedex is hosting #PokeNoms to celebrate Detective Pikachu!

  • Imperius Pears

    Imperius Pears

    These Imperius Pears, poached in red wine and bathed in chocolate, are one of the unforgivable dishes. They cast a pleasant thrall over those who eat them; there’s a darkness tinged with spices, especially the unusual black pepper, but the chocolately sweetness is so dreamy that the eater doesn’t mind losing their will.

    Only the wizard with exceptional strength is able to resist – but why would they want to?

    Harry Potter Imperius Pears

    • 4 Bosc pears, almost ripe
    • 2 1/2 cups red wine (such as cabernet)
    • 3/4 cups sugar
    • 1 vanilla bean, split
    • 12 black pepper pods
    • 1/2 inch ginger, sliced into coins
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
    • pinch salt

    Peel the pears and scoop out the core at the bottom with a spoon.

    In a small saucepan, heat wine, sugar, vanilla bean, black pepper pods, and ginger to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and submerge the pears two face up, two face down.

    Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, then flip pears and simmer another 20 minutes. Check to see that they are easily pierced by a fork but not falling apart. Remove to a plate.

    Strain the remaining wine mixture and return to the saucepan, add cocoa and salt, and bring to a boil. Lower heat slightly and simmer until mixture thickens, coating a spoon. Remove from heat and cool.

    Arrange pears on a plate and drizzle with the wine and chocolate reduction. Service with more on the side.

    potter-week-gold

    Submitted for PotterPowers day of Common Room’s PotterWeek – check out #PotterWeek around social media for tons of fun Harry Potter-related goodness!

    Mischief managed.

  • Mawmenny

    Mawmenny

    As a lover of both medieval and desi food, I get excited when they collide, as in this dish which is basically a medieval curry. Thanks, Spice Route!

    There are lots of variations, some with chicken, beef, or mutton (or a mixture), some cooked in wine, some in almond milk, some sweetened with sugar and dates, all spiced with cinnamon and cloves. (See this recipe, which sources a few olde receipts). Some were colored red with sandalwood, most garnished with nuts.

    Because of the warm spices and the almonds, I made mine similar to a Mughlai korma, and it turned out rich, fragrant, and lovely.

    As Game of Thrones fare…

    This is the upscale version of bowls of brown – that is if better ingredients were available than stale bread, meat gristle and sewer water! When the hipster noble houses start gentrifying Flea Bottom, you can look for mawmenny establishments to start popping up for sure.

    Note: if you don’t have all the spices, or if you’d rather use beef or chicken than goat, go for it! Medieval chefs are resourceful. This recipe is very versatile, use whatever meat and at least the cinnamon and cloves and you should be good.

    Mawmenny

    • 2 pounds bone-in goat cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (you can also use lamb, beef, or chicken)
    • 1 cup dry red wine
    • 6 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
    • salt & pepper
    • 2 1/2 medium onions
    • 2 inches ginger, peeled and chopped
    • ground spices: 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 4 tablespoons ghee, divided (or you can use half and half butter and oil)
    • whole spices: 1 stick cinnamon, 8 cloves, 2 black cardamoms
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1/4 cup almonds, ground
    • 1/4 cup almonds, slivered

    Marinate meat in wine, 2 cloves garlic, and generously seasoned with salt and pepper, for at least an hour and ideally over night.

    Grind together onions, 4 cloves garlic, ginger, and ground spices. On medium high, heat 3 tablespoons ghee, and cook the onion mixture, stirring frequently at first and constantly at the end, until liquid has evaporated and the mixture has darkened in color. Crank the heat up to high and add whole spices and the meat (along with the marinade), and cook, stirring, until liquid has mostly evaporated and meat is sealed, being careful not to burn. Add sugar, ground almonds and water to just cover, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is very soft, 2-2 1/2 hours (will be less for chicken, only 20-30 minutes).

    Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat a tablespoon of ghee and fry the slivered almonds, stirring gently, until golden. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

    When meat is ready, remove cover, raise heat and thicken up the sauce, stirring frequently. When it’s thick enough, garnish with almonds and serve hot with bread.

    From Game of Thrones menu Queen in the North

  • Witchy Autumn Spice Mix

    Witchy Autumn Spice Mix

    Tis the season! I’ve decked the halls with pumpkins and cobwebs, and fall baking is in full swing. Here’s a deliciously fragrant witchy spice mix for all your fall treats, everything from gingerbread to roasted veggies to pumpkin spice lattes.

    It’s nothing revolutionary, it’s like chai masala with different levels of spice (not that you couldn’t make a lovely chai with this), and like store-bought pumpkin pie spice only so much more lovely and piquant because the spices are fresh ground. I’ve made a nice batch which I’ve stored in a little jar in my spice cabinet, but it’s going so quickly I know I’ll need to make another batch before the holiday season is over – and this time make it a double!

    Also, this wouldn’t be half as witchy without some magical correspondences, so if you’re curious:

    • Allspice: money, luck healing
    • Black pepper: protection, exorcism
    • Cardamom: lust, love (so you’ve got the sweet playful version with green cardamom and the smokey sexy one with black cardamom)
    • Cinnamon: spirituality, success, healing, power, psychic powers, lust, protection, love (so, pretty much everything)
    • Clove: protection, exorcism, love, money
    • Ginger: love, money, success, power
    • Star anise: psychic powers, luck

    All the good stuff; if you’re looking for love, money, or just need a good old-fashioned exorcism, a batch of pumpkin bread may be just the thing. Happy baking!

    Witchy Autumn Spice Mix

    • 10 green cardamom pods
    • 10 allspice berries
    • 14 cloves
    • 3 star anise
    • 3 cinnamon sticks
    • 1 tablespoon black pepper pods
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (about half a pod)
    • 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

    Lightly toast all spices except the ground nutmeg and ginger in a dry pan. Grind all spices in a spice grinder until very fine. You may need to crack the cinnamon sticks first, and then sift the spices once and grind the larger pieces again.

    Stir in the ginger and nutmeg, and store in an airtight container. Will last indefinitely but spices will lose potency over time, so try to use within a month or two.

  • Jerk Marinade

    Jerk Marinade

    That spinach leaf is to mark the spicy plate!

    Grill season has arrived, and one of the first things I was excited to make was jerk chicken – fresh, flavorful, and charred to perfection.

    I have one recipe way back in the archive that I was calling Spiced Thyme Chicken because I had a fear of claiming authenticity when it’s not (here is a cool article on Serious Eats about real authentic Jamaican jerk chicken). However, I’ve come around to the opinion that it’s ok to adapt classic recipes to your kitchen, especially if that means you can make it more often! Besides, I’m always amazed at similarities between certain cuisines; it was easy to construct this Caribbean marinade from ingredients I already had in my desi spice cabinet.

    The biggest change was using ajwain (carom) seeds in place of the typical thyme. I love using fresh thyme but it’s not a staple in my kitchen, whereas ajwain seeds are just because they store easily, and it’s a similar flavor so why not? Other than that, cloves, allspice, ginger, garlic and lime are ubiquitous in both cuisines, so this really isn’t that far off. I didn’t realize green onions were a must until I read that article afterwards, so will probably incorporate next time. I used paprika and a pinch of turmeric for a little flavor and color, and the fruitiness of apple cider vinegar, and that’s totally allowed because jerk marinade is one of those things with a hundred secret house recipes.

    We used this for chicken breasts (this makes enough for 6 or so), but you could use it for all kinds and cuts of meat, fish and veggies too!

    Jerk Marinade

    • 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom) seeds (alternately, you could use a few sprigs fresh thyme or a teaspoon dried thyme)
    • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
    • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
    • 6 cloves
    • 6 allspice berries
    • 2 teaspoons paprika
    • 2 teaspoons red chili powder (because kiddies, we divided the chicken breasts 3 and 3 and added 1 teaspoon to the grown-up’s portion)
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • generous pinch black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
    • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
    • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • juice of half a lime
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil

    Heat a dry pan on medium heat. Gently toast the ajwain seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, and allspice. When they become fragrant, remove from heat and grind in a spice grinder.

    Whisk together fresh ground spices with paprika, red chili, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, salt garlic, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and lime juice. Pour olive oil in a stream while continuously whisking.

    Use as a marinade for chicken, beef, fish or veggies, ideally to grill!

    The fresh, bright flavor goes awesome with the nutty creaminess of Hara Masala Coconut Rice.

  • Hara Masala Coconut Rice

    Hara Masala Coconut Rice

    This rice dish is the perfect side for all your summer barbecues – it pairs perfectly with all kinds of grilled veggies, fish and meat, and particularly well with Caribbean, Southeast Asian, or desi menus. I would describe it as intensely pleasant. The flavors aren’t huge and bold, and it’s not exactly the star of the table, but it’s a fantastic supporting actor; for whatever reason it was the leftovers I was most excited to eat again!

    Hara Masala Coconut Rice

    For the hara masala:

    • 1/2 bunch mint
    • 1/2 bunch cilantro
    • handful basil
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
    • 2 green chilis, optional (I left out for kids)
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

    Combine mint, cilantro, basil, garlic, ginger, chilis if using and turmeric in a food processor.

    For the rice:

    • 3 cups basmati rice, rinsed well and soaked for half an hour
    • 3 tablespoons ghee, use oil to make a vegan dish
    • 1 onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 4 cloves
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • pinch black pepper
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 1/2 cups (1 can) full-fat coconut milk
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • green masala (above)
    • toasted coconut and chopped green onions or herbs for serving

    Heat ghee (I did the onion and spices in a wok then transferred to a pot, you can do that or just do everything in the pot) and fry onion, stirring, until VERY golden brown – un-goldened onion ends up as slimy strips in your rice, so make sure to cook thoroughly! Add cinnamon, cloves, cumin and black pepper and stir for a moment or two. Transfer everything to the pot (if you’re not there already), and add bayleaf, coconut milk, water and salt, and bring to a boil. Turn on another eye of the stove to low, you’ll move the pot here in a minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

    Stir in the hara masala, cover the pot with a tea towel first with the top over that. Transfer to the other eye on low, and let steam for 20 minutes.

    To serve, transfer to a serving dish and top with toasted coconut, green onions or herbs. Serve hot!

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