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an irish food blog
Monterey - Bacon, Eggs & Hash Brown
Monterey - Pancakes
Las Vegas - Hotel Room Service
Chicago - the healthiest breakfast we ate all week - pancakes with some healthy fruit!
Chicago - Poor Man’s Skillet at the Tempo Café. (Shouldn’t that be called “Fat Man’s Skillet? :))
Napa - Bacon, Toast & Granola
San Francisco - Denver Omelette with the ever-present hash brown.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the majority of Indians did not know how to make a cup of tea and were reluctant to drink one. Now that India is both the world’s major producer and consumer of tea, this seems incredible. It confounds the myth that the British acquired their love of tea from their Indian subjects. In fact, it was the British who introduced tea to the Indians. Although they barely changed the way Indians eat, the British radically altered what they eat and drink. While the introduction of a wide variety of European and American vegetables to India was an inadvertent by-product of British rule, the conversion of the population to tea-drinking was the result of what must have been the first major marketing campaign in India. The British-owned Indian Tea Association set itself the task of first creating a new habit among the Indian population, and then spreading it across the entire subcontinent.
Extract from “Curry - A Biography” by Lizzie Collingham.
If like me, you tend to “over-indulge” when you eat Indian food, chai is a great option for dessert when you’re too full, but you still want to satisfy that sweet tooth. The fragrant spices are infused in boiling water and milk before the tea is steeped. Chai is also believed to be great for tummy upsets and generally aiding digestion.
Even if you’re not accustomed to taking sugar in your tea, don’t skip on the sweetening. You need it to bring out the warmth and flavour of the spices.
Ingredients
Method
Serves 1.
Lemon rice is a South Indian dish, often served with dosa (filled lentil pancakes), sambar (a cross between a soup and a dhal), and rasam (a hot and sour soup). It’s not very traditional, but I think the zingy rice makes a fantastic accompaniment to rich, creamy curries.
In this recipe, turmeric is added to the simmering rice, giving it an attractive yellow colour. You could also use some star anise, cinnamon or sesame seeds for extra flavour. You can also add some toasted cashew nuts.
Ingredients
Method
Serves 2.
A raita is a classic yoghurt-based sauce from India. It can be used to accompany breads, poppadoms, biryanis and grilled meats. The restaurant version, made with bottled mint sauce, can be a little disappointing. This version is made with fresh mint leaves and cucumber which gives it a fantastic flavour. This recipe serves 2-4 people.
Remove the seeds from ½ of a cucumber and grate (or very finely chop) into a mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Now squeeze the water out of the cucumber. Add 225g thick Greek yoghurt along with 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves. You can also add a pinch of ground cumin and a pinch of chili powder if you wish. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and mix. Taste and add a little extra salt if necessary.
There are lots of variations on the classic raita recipe, just add the following to 225g of yoghurt and season:
