Latashas Kitchen

19 November 2010

Hello Spice lovers!

Running the café for the last 7 ½ years and the cooking classes for the past two years has been a rewarding journey as it's introduced us to many wonderful inspiring people from all walks of life. Some of you have walked in here with a smile just to let me know how much you like our store's concept while others have given us blessings as they leave. Many of you support us by bringing your family, friends, clients and colleagues and keep spreading the word keeping us nicely busy.

While this year has proven particularly challenging with my husband's ill health leading to a long period of hospitalisation, I simply don't know what I'd have done if I didn't have classes to teach and the cafe to run to keep me going and to keep my mind off ‘stuff'. So I have had some of the best of times at the worst of times...something a number of you out there have confessed to having faced in your lives as well. Thank you to many of you for the support and understanding of some of the erratic hours. As many of you know, I am ‘almost' a one person show doing all the cooking, teaching and bottling and managing all other aspects of running a small business.

So many of you have embraced us and our staff particularly as you have spent time in our rear kitchen learning our secret dishes and yet there always seems to be more queries about Latasha: so take this link to read more background information about Latasha and her family.

The Art of Indian Cooking - Unity in Diversity

Some of Latasha's beautiful dishes

Photos of Latasha's Dishes
In my kitchen, I'm often quizzed about the term Indian Cooking and find myself at a loss on where to begin when someone asks me to explain about it. This may seem an odd response from someone who teaches and is passionate about Indian food, but, the reason for this is fairly simple - these two words are much too broad a term for a vast range of cooking styles, techniques and recipes. There are many authors of Indian Cooking out there. Some promote traditional cuisines, home style or regional food they grew up on and others may well be new age healthy Indian food writers and philosophers. I found an article written by Rinku Bhattacharya to be fairly accurate in explaining the concepts of Indian Cooking. Read more here....

UPCOMING CLASSES AND COURSES

View our current and latest upcoming classes and courses here.

RECIPES FOR THE MONTH

FRAGRANT INDIAN HERBAL CHICKEN SOUP - FREE RECIPE

A

1 tbsp Indian sesame oil
3 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp fenugreek, pre soaked to soften
2 tsp black peppercorn

B

1 tbsp oil
3 cm ginger
15 cloves garlic
3 green chillies
2 cm fresh turmeric
100 g coriander leaves
80 g shallots
2 sprigs curry leaves
½ cup water

C

3 tbsp Indian sesame oil
2 x 2 cm cinnamon sticks
8 cardamoms
5 cloves
10 g shallots, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cm ginger, julienned

D

2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 small free range chicken, about 1.3 kg, skinned and quartered
5 cups water
1 tsp salt

Garnish

Fried shallots
Fried garlic crisps
Coriander leaves

Method

Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil from A, fry Ingredients A till aromatic. Cool, then blend to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Leave aside
Heat 1 tbsp oil from B, and sauté Ingredients B until aromatic. Leave aside to cool, then grind to a rough paste in a wet blender. Add in the blender half a cup of water and ground Ingredients A from Step 1 and blend both lots of ingredients together until very smooth. Keep aside.
Add 2 tbsp sesame oil from Ingredients C in an earthen pot. Fry cinnamon, cardamom and cloves until aromatic. Add shallots, garlic and ginger. Fry till fragrant, soft and caramelised for at least 15 minutes on low heat, adding more oil if required.
Then add in the blended Ingredients from Step 2 and fry for 5 minutes.
Next add Ingredients D. Cook covered over low heat for approximately 40 minutes or until the chicken is soft and tender and the soup a rich colour and flavour.
Garnish soup and serve with rice.

PICKLED RED SNAPPER FISH FILLETS

Ingredients

500 g filleted red snapper,
cut into chunks,
skin left on

Marinade

Salt to taste
1½ tbsp mustard oil
40 ml tamarind sauce
1 tsp red chilli powder or to taste
3 tsp finely crushed garlic
2 tsp finely grated, peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp freshly ground black & white pepper mi
1 tsp black mustard seed powder

Garnish

Fresh coriander
Red chillies
Lime/lemon wedges

Method

Sprinkle the salt evenly on the fish fillets and set aside for 10 minutes.
To prepare the marinade, put the mustard oil, tamarind sauce, red chilli powder, garlic, ginger and oil in a small bowl and mix well.
Rub the marinade evenly over the top of the fish and set aside for 1 hour.
Preheat your grill. When hot, put the fish skin side down and cook for about 8 minutes or until it is lightly browned and just done. Sprinkle with chopped fresh green coriander.

POTATO ISHTEW ..

Ingredients

2 cups diced potato
¼ cup sliced brown onions
2-3 green chillies split lengthwise
3 cups light coconut milk
Pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste
1 sprig curry leaf
½ cup thick coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp grated ginger
½ cup frozen peas
1 sprig curry leaves
A few slices of green chillies

Method

Bring to a boil diced potato, onion and chillies in the light coconut milk.
Add a pinch of turmeric, salt to taste and curry leaves.
Cook until the potatoes are soft, adding just water if there's not enough liquid.
Mash half the potatoes into the sauce. Then, add coconut cream.
Heat a dessertspoon of coconut oil, and fry the grated ginger, peas, more curry leaves and sliced green chillies and pour the whole lot into Ishtew. Good with rotis, puris and rice.