Baked bananas with coconut

I can't say this is a typical Asian dessert. I just wanted to make baked bananas with a twist and hey why not dish them up in cute Chinese spoons. That's it. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The recipe is lovely and simple:                                                                                Peel the bananas and slice them up. Bake them carefully in some oil in a pan (be careful, because the pieces break up easily). While you're baking them, sprinkle some lime juice, cane sugar and shredded coconut on them. Bake only until golden (not until brown). Serve warm with some extra coconut sprinkled on top.   

a few tips:

1. The bananas should not be ripe yet, it's best if they're somewhere between green and yellow. They must be firm and not too sweet. 
2. I totally love this with rhum. It transforms the taste and brings the dessert to a higher level, from average to sulblime. However I did not dare add the alcohol on the stove, in case I would have to face flames. I never made anything singed and God help me, I'll probably never try.  
3. There are many variations on 'baked bananas' you can try Vietnamese (baked bananas + coconut milk), Jamaïcan (baked bananas + rum + brown sugar + butter + orange juice), Carïbbean (baked bananas + raisins welled in rum, brown sugar, butter) or African (baked bananas + coconut + sugar + orange juice + lemon juice). Africans even have it for breakfast. 
4. Are you trying to cut down on calories? Make this dish in the oven, without adding any oil. 10 minutes on 200°C/400F will do. 

Lili

Savoury lassi (India)

Lassi is the most popular yoghurt drink in India. Back here in Belgium, most people have hardly ever heard of lassi, except maybe mango-lassi (which is even to be found in some supermarkets). That lassi can be drunk sweet as well as savoury, is something even mango-lassi-drinkers don't know. The truth is: a savoury lassi is as refreshing and delicious as surprising.

Salty drinks are not common at all in the west. It takes a bit of getting used to. In eastern countries however it's more known. In Iran for example, a savoury yoghurt drink with mint is served along any dish. Once you've put your western ideas of  yoghurt drinks out of your mind, and give it a fair try, you can experience how delicious and refreshing it truely is.

This lassi recipe consists simply of diluted yoghurt, spiced up with some toasted cumin and a pinch of salt. Toast the cumin in a pan without any oil on low heat until they turn a darker colour (see picture below) and start to 'jump up' in the pan. It gives them a slightly stronger and intresting taste and smell.

now the recipe is as follows: (serves 4)

grind the toasted cumin in a mortar (or between 2 spoons) into powder. Mix with 600 ml full-fat yoghurt and 300 ml water (or roughly 2/3 of a glass milk and 1/3 water if you make a glass just for yourself). Add a tiny pinch of salt (to taste) and mix well. Serve chilled in tall glasses.

I think this savoury lassi goes well with any Indian dish. I was once served a spicy dish by an Indian lady and when she saw I had hard time swallowing it, she advised me to add lots of salt to counterbalance the heat. Sooo I guess this lassi is the perfect compagnion for fiery dishes. In addition it's really good for digestion, that's why in India it's often drunk for medicenal purposes. Rear here what yoghurt can do for you.

Lili 

(P.S. Next time I'll post a sweet version because there are many

heavenly combination like honey and rosewater, vanilla and cinnamon)

Vegetable Biryani from Dinesh

I'm excited to have my first guest-writing sharing an authentic Indian recipe with me!!

Dinesh Kumar is an ingeneer from Kanpur (North-India, state of Uttar Pradesh), who lives since 2 years in Brussels for his Phd-research. He has also lived a few years in Bangalore (South-India) and one year in South-Korea.

                                        

this is what he has to say about his Vegetable Biryani : 

"I always use this basic and simple recipe to make various kind of dishes. I just learnt cooking from my experiments: variation in spices and ingredients.

Here is what I follow and cook awesome dishes. Its very simple, after 2-3 experiments you can also cook nice and tasty food. "

Ingredients: Basmati rice, mixed vegetables, onion, tomato, garam masala*, coriander powder, turmeric powder. * (garam masala is a mixure of indian spices you can find easily at nearest Indian grocery store.)

1.      Cook rice nicely

2.      Chop 2 onions

3.      Heat the oil, add cumin seeds (1 tea spoon), or mustard seeds (half spoon).

4.      Fry nicely chopped onion until golden brown. Add salt according to taste.

5.      Add the finely chopped mixed vegetables and fry for 6-8 minutes.

6.      Add garam masala powder 1 tea spoon.

7.       Add chopped tomato and fry it for 2-3 minutes.

8.       Add the cooked rice and stir well to combine

9.       Heat it for 4-5 minutes. Add a tea spoon of lemon juice or ghee.

Enjoy your meal!!!!!

Variations: Keep doing different experiments to make something new:

- Instead of rice you can use boil noodles .  It will become a new dish! Try vegetable noodles. 

- You can use macaroni or pasta  instead of rice.

- You can add boiled eggs  also after step 5.

- You can make omelette and can add after step 6.

- You can add the ½ teaspoon ginger powder, garlic or  black peperwith garam masala at step 6 to vary the taste.

Dinesh Kumar