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SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

SAMBALS TO SERVE WITH INDIAN FOOD

SAMBALS

SAMBAL 1:
Papaya and banana coated with coconut
Makes about 2 cups/500 ml
1 small papaya, cut into 2 cm/0.7 in pieces
1 banana, cut into 2 cm/0.7 in pieces
4 tablespoons/60 ml cup lemon juice
desiccated coconut

Sprinkle the lemon juice over the banana and papaya and toss in enough desiccated coconut to coat each piece. Serve immediately at room temperature.

SAMBAL 2:
Tomato and onion salsa
Makes about 2 cups/500 ml
4 ripe tomatoes, unpeeled, seeded and cut into 1 cm/0.4 in pieces
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons/45 ml coriander leaves, finely chopped
1-2/15-30 ml tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon/5 ml soft brown sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients and gently mix together.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Chef’s note: The reason for not peeling the tomato, is simply to keep the tomato pieces intact and not losing too much juice.

 SAMBAL 3:
Cucumber and yogurt mix (Raita)
Makes about 2 cups
1 teaspoon/5 ml each of ground cumin  and mustard seeds, toasted
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
1 cup/250 ml plain yoghurt
½ teaspoon/3 ml ginger, freshly grated
3 sprigs of mint, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fry spices in a dry pan for 1 minute until fragrant and set aside.  In a separate bowl, put the cut cucumber and sprinkle salt over.  Set aside to draw out all the water.   Just before serving the meal, drain the cucumber and mix with the cucumber and yogurt and add the toasted spices, ginger and mint.  Mix gently to combine well.  Serve chilled.

STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

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