Just An Average Cook

Gulgula

Gulgulas are traditionally made for Fagua or Holi. They do make a wonderful treat for afternoon tea.

My mum taught me how to make gulgula and this is her recipe.

Gulgula's should not absorb oil. If this happens you have too much baking powder in your mix.
It should be springy in texture. Too much liquid will cause it to be doughy.
You have to let it rest for 10 minutes after you have mixed the batter.
It should have a slightly crispy outside shell. This comes from using ghee to fry. I use half ghee and half oil. You can use all oil or coconut oil.
If you are loosing sultanas when frying, add a little bit more water. Your batter might be a little too stiff however if you are loosing one or two sultanas in the oil then don't worry.

Seina can be made with different lentils. This my mother's recipe as she has always made it and a much requested recipe. It can be time consuming to make but you can make in big batches and freeze the steamed Seina. Make sure you slice them first before freezing.

I filmed this video with mum about 3 weeks ago. Mum calls me a couple of days ago and says we made a mistake with the dahl mixture. You are meant to finely slice/dice the onions then add to the dahl mix after it has been ground. So as you can see I too am learning as I am making these videos.

The Dalo bhaji/Elephant ears/Rourou/Dasheen that I grow in Western Australia can be a little tough because weather is very dry here. For this reason I steam my rolls for an hour and half. Generally they are steamed for an hour. Mum advised to roll each individual roll in cling wrap to keep it's shape however this is not necessary if you don't have access to any. You can steam them without wrapping.

Lastly you can use a blender to mince your dahl. Try and add as little water as possible and try not to over blend the dahl. Leave a little texture to them.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Api0Lme0MBs

These Blueberry Muffins are my favourite and with the addition of a little oil, it keeps soft for a few days. You can use all oil but you won't have the flavour that butter adds to these muffins. It would better to use margarine if butter is not an option.

You don't have to use blueberries. I like to add raspberry and white chocolate to the same base or blackberries.

I had the pleasure of my youngest child help me make these muffins. Being her mothers child, she loves to eat raw batter. Can you spot a sneaky mouse in the video.

I had the pleasure of my mum help me make this achaar. You will hear me talk to her in the video in Hindi and translate what she says.

This achaar is typically how achaar is made in Fiji. These fiery blighters are an accompaniment to any meal and is used as a flavour enhancer. The salt and mustard oil preserves this achaar however if you are thinking of keeping them long term, add more mustard oil or put in the fridge as they don't last very long outside. I am not sure if she made this in Naqali before she married but she sure did make it Tailevu.

Mum has made this achaar for years and has been the most requested recipe from my family. The masala (curry powder) you use will make a difference to the flavour. Mum of course till this day makes and grinds her own masala with the help of her grandchildren.

Youtube : https://youtu.be/vyzQVzOo0xg

Lakadrhi ke Mithai

Who doesn't love fried pastry coated in sugar. This is one of my favourite sweets. A vegan friendly option for those that don't have dairy in their diet.

Rubbing a little oil in the dough it makes a little softer and less likely to break any teeth.

6 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon oil
Approximately 2 cups of cold tap water.

For the syrup
1 & 1/2 cups raw sugar (you can use up to 2 cups if you want it sweeter)
1/2 cup water

Dough
Sift dough into a bowl. Add Salt.
Rub in oil really well.
Make dough with cold tap water. You need a hard dough. The harder the dough the better crunch it will have and faster it will cook. Try and use as less water as possible.
Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Roll out into thick roti's and cut. I have posted a video of how I cut it.

Heat a pan with oil. Fry the lakadrhi's on medium heat till they are brown and the bubbles have almost subsided. Drain and put in a large bowl.

Sugar Syrup
Put sugar and water in a pan. Bring to a boil. You want to bring up to about a hard boil on the sugar thermometer or 3 strings if you know how.

Once syrup is ready, pour over the cooked lakadrih's and keep mixing with the spoon till the sugar sets or goes dry. If you stop while the sugar is still wet it will all clump together.

Sev or Seo is a tasty snack. These are gluten free and Vegan. Have you ever tried adding this to a wrap or sandwich for a bit of crunch?

A couple of things to note;

1) My pinch of Bi Carb was rather big in the video. If you add too much bi carb it will absorb oil so go with the barest pinch you can think of. I add bi carb to keep the seo light and also keep it's shap when cooking. You can also leave out the bi carb.

2) I think 3/4 cup water is enough. Add another tablespoon of water if the mix is too dry. I felt that I added just a little too much water. They were still tasty to eat.

These tasty morsels don't last very long in my house. I have to double or treble the recipe especially around Diwali. This lot disappeared within a day despite me standing over it and smacking hands as they reached in the air tight jar I was storing them in.

As a suggestion, they make nice crackers for dips. If you are keeping it authentic, serve with some raita. Something different to take to a dinner party.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Cij78fkmQao

Naans in restaurants can be a hit and miss. I have had naans that are so chewy that it leaves you unsatisfied with your meal and a sore jaw from all the chewing. This naan recipe makes soft naans.

I don't have tandoor to make them in so I have improvised. Once you have put them on the tawa (griddle) and covered it, they don't take long to cook. I cook for 1 minute 30 (approx) on medium heat before turning them over. You are meant to dampen the dough before cooking them. The main reason is so that they stick like they would on the side of a tandoor but also to steam them ever so slightly. The naans can be chewy if your heat is not right and you cook them for too long.

Lastly I apologise for the background noise. This was made as part of our dinner while everyone was home. I tried the edit the noise out the best I could. The naans were served with kala channa (black chick pea curry) and Aloo Fry (Indian fried potatoes). They also work really well as a wrap with some grilled lamb and salad.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/sEWJGG1rSas

It is hard to find Fiji Indian sweets in the countries I have lived in. In Fiji, we lived away from the city which meant you made everything at home. When I moved to New Zealand in my teens, ingredients were hard to find so you learnt to improvise. I now live in Perth and you still don't get the authentic Fiji style sweets here, which meant I have had to learn.

Murkus are a favourite savoury snack and is gluten free. Keep them them in an air tight container however don't last very long.

You can order murku making machines on line. I found mine at the Indian Grocery store here in Perth.

I don't like the strong flavour of besan (chick pea/pea flour) in murkus however if you like the flavour, replace a little bit of uradi flour (about 2 tablespoons) with besan.

Lastly DO NOT replace the butter. I have tried making it with ghee and also oil. The crispiness is a lot softer with butter. I have however recently learnt that you can use hot oil but have yet to try. Just remember it will take a little bit of practice so have patience don't give up.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/ML894SU3n8k

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/just_an_average_cook_/

Trending Foods 😋

Yes scrolls are trending right now and so was doughnuts and macrons not so long ago.

I am not someone that can wait hours to proof dough just to make cinnamon scrolls. Yes I agree that those scrolls do taste nice but I don't need spend half a day making them.

These scrolls taste just as good and they are far simpler to make. They are a treat to have that we all enjoy once in a while.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/YgqkMYZw1rc

Banana Breads versatile and a treat to enjoy. Serve banana bread toasted in a frying pan or use a sandwich press (toasty machine) and serve with butter and beverage you prefer. You can use your toaster but be aware it may fall apart when getting it out of the toaster.

As this recipe makes two loaves, you can freeze one for later or I slice and freeze individually for school lunches.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/ssCymQ141gA

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/just_an_average_cook_/

Classic Fiji style burfi recipe.

I would say this is every child's favourite mithai and is made for many festivities.

I have a very large food processor. If you have a small food processor, prepare in batches or if you have a stand mixer it will work as well. You can also rub in with your fingers. Once you add fresh milk, you need to rub to get a fine crumb. This can take 15 to 20 minutes. Sieve your milk powder mix with a course sieve. This evens out the crumb.

I use a candy thermometer which you can find online or any kitchen store. The old fashioned way of 1 string or 2 strings does not work for me. I find the candy thermometer gives me consistency when I work with sugar and use mine quite often. It is a handy tool to have in your kitchen. Boil the sugar syrup to soft boil, 110c - 112c OR 230F - 234F. I prefer 110c or 230F.

Once you have flattened and decorated your burfi, let it sit for a few hours. I prefer to let it sit overnight before I cut it.

Ingredients
700g full cream milk powder
1/4 cup melted ghee
1/3 cup milk (liquid milk or you can use water)
1 teaspoon cardamom - elaichi
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg - Jaifar
(use elaichi and Jaifar according to taste)

Syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup water

Youtube: https://youtu.be/iC166WvOCxk

Gluten Free Lemon Yogurt Cake

When in comes to gluten free baking, I am very picky. I am not gluten intolerant but I like to experiment when challenged.

I have taken my Lemon Yogurt cake recipe and created a gluten free version. My taste tester, including myself agreed you could not tell it was a gluten free cake. On the flavour front, it could have done with a little bit more lemon zest. You can use 3 lemons (zest only) if you want a stronger lemon flavour. Alternatively you can add 1/2 tsp of lemon essence (I prefer the zest)

Ingredients

1&3/4 cup sugar
Rind of two lemons (use 3 if you want)
2 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup plain GF yogurt (I used greek yogurt)
3 Tablespoon lemon juice (save left over juice for icing/glaze)
1&1/2 cup gluten free flour
1/2 cup ground almond (almond flour)
2&1/2 teaspoon GF baking powder

See video for method

Icing/thick glaze
1&1/2 cup pure or GF icing sugar
Lemon juice (aprox 3 - 4 tablespoon)
Add lemon juice a little at a time to make a thick paste.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/aouXbSGXDRk