Taro Chips

• Taro Corms (whole and unpeeled)
• Vegetable Oil (we recommend coconut oil)
• Salt
  

Boil the whole unpeeled taro untill cooked. Chill . Slice as thin as possible. Deep Fry in hot oil until crisp (about 10 mins).  Drain on absorbent paper and sprinkle with salt.
 

Grilled Aubergine in Lolo

     

 

Serves 4   

 

Ingredients

4 Small Aubergines (eggplant), sliced

Vegetable Oil

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

240ml/8fl.oz. Coconut Cream (lolo)

4 Spring Onions, finely chopped

1 Green Chili, very finely chopped

2 Tomatoes, finely chopped

Salt

 

Instructions

 

1. Preheat the grill to very hot.

 

2. Place the aubergine slices on the grill rack, brush with oil then grill on one side for 4-5 minutes.

 

3. Turn the slices, brush with more oil and continue to cook for a further 4-5 minutes.

 

4. Meanwhile, place the lemon juice, coconut cream, onions, tomatoes, chili and salt in a small mixing bowl and blend well.

 

5. To serve – quickly cut the cooked aubergine slices into strips, place in a serving dish and pour the coconut cream mixture over the top. Serve immediately.

 

 

Fijian Corgettes

Ingredients

675g/1-½ lb Courgettes (zucchini), cut into 6mm/¼ -inch slices

225g/8oz Mushrooms, sliced vertically

60ml/2fl.oz. Vegetable Oil

Salt

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

120ml/4fl.oz. Chicken Stock

2 teasp Cornflour

3 tbsp Water

 

Instructions

 

1. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and saute the mushrooms for  3-4 minutes.

 

2. Add the courgettes and stir fry for 3 minutes until well coated with the oil.

 

3. Add the salt, soy sauce and chicken stock, bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 minute or until zucchini is tender crisp.

 

4. Mix the cornflour with the water in a small bowl or cup then add to the pan, stirring constantly and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Serve immediately.

 

Fried Garlic Okra

-Fijian Food Safari

500gm       Okra (Bindi), sliced thinly
1 tsp           Fresh ginger, finely chopped
5 cloves     Fresh garlic, finely chopped
4 tsp           Soy sauce
1 tsp           Brown or raw sugar
2 Tbsp       Vegetable oil or ghee
Pinch         White pepper

Mix the soy sauce and sugar in a dish and set aside.
In a fry pan, heat oil and fry ginger and garlic until the garlic starts turning golden.
Add okra and fry for about one minute
Pour in soy sauce mixture and keep stir frying for 2-3 minutes.
The sauce will evaporate and the okra will start to caramelise. If you like your okra soft, stir fry for another minute before serving. Season with white pepper.
Serve with cassava, roti or steamed rice

Navratan Korma Curry

Navratan Korma (“nine gems”) with nine different vegetables, fruit and nuts, from the ancient Mughlai Empire, that will change your mind about boring vegetable curries.  Don’t overcook the vegetables like in many of the Fijian curries I have seen.  Losing its texture and crunchiness also loses its nutritional value and much needed dietary fibre, soft vegetables aren’t as healthy.
 --Fijian Food Safari

Serves 4

Ingredients: 1 tbsp   Butter (or ghee)
1          Large onion, fine chopped
1”        Piece of ginger
4          Garlic cloves (or use 1 tsp ginger garlic paste)
1           Tomato, quartered and pureed (or tinned)
3          Green chillies 10        Cashew nuts, grind to paste
10        Raisins, soaked in warm water, drained and ground to a paste
1 tsp     Tomato paste (or use another pureed tomato)
1 cup   Milk or Cream or Yoghurt
2 cups  Mixed fresh vegetables, chopped different shapes, precooked 50%
Toasted almonds or nuts for garnish

Salt to taste

The Spice Powder
2 tsp     Ground cloves, cardamom + cinnamon, equal amounts
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder (Haldi)
1 tsp     Coriander powder (dhaniya)
1/2 tsp Cumin (Jeera)

Method
Fry the onion, ginger & garlic, until translucent but don’t brown
Add the chilli, cashew nut paste & raisin paste, continue to fry for 2 mins
Add the spice powder and continue frying into a thick paste, add a little water if necessary
Add the tomato paste, milk/cream/yoghurt – combine well, bring to simmering boil
Add cooked vegetables, cook until just tender – not overcooked!
Serve with rice & roti

Vegetable Timbales

1 cup carrots- shredded
1 cup peas - boiled and mashed
1 cup red capsicum - chopped finely
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 egg yolks
pinch of nutmeg
salt and black pepper - to taste

1. Steam the carrots or boil them so they are fully cooked. Wash and boil the peas too and mash them. Chop the capsicums and keep aside. Now take a sauce pan and put 1 tsp olive oil and saute all the 3 vegetables separately. Saute them one after the other until fully cooked and stop when they start giving out a grilled-like aroma.

2. Now Puree each vegetable separately in a blender. For carrots, add 1/3 of the cream to make a smooth paste. Divide the remaining cream into 2 parts and add each portion to the capsicums and peas separately while blending.

3. Keep in 3 separate bowls.
4. Beat the egg yolks and add individually to each paste. Season each batch with salt, pepper and nutmeg powder.

5. Grease 2 muffin moulds; layer each mould with the 3 purees starting with the carrot, then peas and finally capsicum at the top. Cook these moulds in a double boiler with water coming half way up the sides of the moulds. Cook for a little more than an hour. You can also use a steam coooker without the whistle, but be careful not to overcook the timbales.

6. To serve, put a plate over each mould; turn it upside down and gently tap the mould to release the timbales.

Beetroot with marjoram, garlic and balsamic vinegar

Serves 4

455g/1 pound fresh beetroots, scrubbed
10 cloves garlic, unpeeled and squashed
1 handful fresh marjoram or oregano, leaves picked
salt and pepper
10 tbs balsamic vinegar
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Tear off a metre/5 foot kitchen foil and fold it in half to give you double thickness. If beets are large, half them. Place them in the middle of the foil with the garlic and marjoram, season generously then fold the sides in to the middle. Before you seal the foil, add the vinegar and olive oil. Scrunch or fold the foil together to seal at the top. Place in the preheated oven and cook for around 1 hour until tender.