Spicy Rice flour pancake

Think pancakes - think sweet. Maple syrup, fruit, maybe some whipped cream. Savoury pancakes - yeah, we all have heard of them, few have had it, and then some make it as well. Indian food offers some wonderful pancakes, my favourite one being dosa. Although simple, it needs a bit of pre-planning as you need to allow for some fermentation time. This one - called 'Sarva Pindi' is made with rice flour. Hence, is easy peasy! Just bring together a couple of ingredients, and cook it like any other pancake.
Apparently, this dish is losing the following it once had and is dying out. All this information, and the recipe come from a very famous Indian chef on YouTube - Sanjay Thumma - also known as VahChef for the Netaholics. You can check out his recipe here --> VahChef's Sarva Pindi
Usually had as an evening snack, I wanted to make something that's not sweet, and is easy to make in the morning. Ofcourse I am talking a weekend morning, cooking an actual breakfast on a weekday doesn't even strike as an option to me. I am lucky if I can manage to run and catch my train on time :-)
Someday I would probably do a post on the many different varieties of bread I pick up sometimes for a breakfast-to-go. But for now enjoy this rice flour pancake.
This entry goes to the Rice Feast being hosted by Aathidhyam Share

Fish and chips

I should mention at the very start that this is not the traditional 'fish-n-chips' that you find at the friendly neighbourhood take-away of every street in Britain. Those are fried and then usually fried again in a batter of flour, spices and beer for best texture, colour and flavour. I love those, but when I'm cooking at home, deep frying is first of all not the best way I would like to cook, and of course it leaves the kitchen quite messy. So mine are the oven baked 'chips'. And fish was cooked on an electric raclette grill. The recipe is as easy as it gets.

Take some russet potatoes. 4 large ones work well. Cut them into wedges of a thickness you like. In a seperate bowl, add about
2 tablespoons of olive oil,
some very finely chopped garlic - I used 2 cloves,
a teaspoon full of cumin seeds
freshly cracked pepper and salt.
If you like it spicy, add some cayenne pepper. I also added some de-seeded green chilli finely chopped. (Now that I am thinking how I had prepared it, some ready-fried onions would have done much good too!).
And as I do in a lot of my recipes with starchy potatoes, a generous teaspoon full of 'Herbs de Provence' - a mix of dried Italian herbs. Mix it all and rub the potatoes with this mixture.
Bake them in a 350 oven for about 15-20 minutes.



For the fish, take some fresh filleted fish. They are usually made with cod but any dense fish works fine. Make a rub using a tablespoon of olive oil, 1 clove of garlic very finely chopped, salt, pepper, a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon, and again some de-seeded green chilli.
Rub this mix on both sides of the fish, and cook it on medium - each side for about 5 minutes.
Plate it up, and have it as is or with a slice or 2 of some bread. Share

Hash browns

Potatoes. Fried, baked ,boiled or mashed. Need I say more? Who doesn't love them. There are a few things that are quite as life saviours sometimes as potatoes, eggs and pasta! Always handy, easy and never disappoint even the most novice cook. You can't possibly go wrong in a recipe that uses nothing but potatoes. With a dash of butter! (Why am I hungry again?).
So a quick and easy dish that you could have for breakfast, or sometimes as a side, or just a snack is a Hash brown. The crispier the better. A nice starchy potato like a russet works best in a dish like this. So here is the recipe.

Peel about half a kilo (1 lb) of potatoes. Grate them, and press out the moisture either using paper towels, or a potato ricer or just squeeze between your palms. This is important as it will give you a hash brown that is crispy, not mushy. Although mushy hashbrowns are also yummy!



Heat up some oil in a pan. Now you can either layer some of the grated potato directly, or add some spice/flavour if you like. I put some cumin seeds, and then added the potatoes. Press them a bit so it all comes together. Make a thin layer so it cooks evenly. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. When it is slightly golden brown - turn and cook the other side. I sprinked some dried oregano, which is entirely optional. They go great with eggs - specially a half fry/sunny side up/bulls eye..whatever you like to call it. And a strip or two of bacon. Yum yum yum! Share