Satya Prasad - Satyas Vegetarian Kitchen : A Fusion of Fijian, Indian, and World Cuisine.

SATYAS Vegetarian Kitchen A Fusion of Fijian, Indian, and
World Cuisine SATYA PRASAD Copyright 2020 by Satya Prasad. 802560 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. date: 01/07/2020 I would like to dedicate this cookbook to my late great-grandfather Mr Achu Nair; to my late maternal grandmother, Mrs Devani Vella; and to my mum, Mrs Panjali Nair, who now resides in Canada. date: 01/07/2020 I would like to dedicate this cookbook to my late great-grandfather Mr Achu Nair; to my late maternal grandmother, Mrs Devani Vella; and to my mum, Mrs Panjali Nair, who now resides in Canada.

Being the eldest of all cousins in my maternal family, I have been extremely fortunate to have received lots of love, attention, and care from both my grandparents and great-grandparents. They inspired me to cook from an early age. Their cooking was tedious and time-consuming; they cooked in African pots on a mud stove. The food was prepared using traditional cooking equipment, such as a stone slab or a mortar and pestle for grinding spices, and using fresh vegetables and herbs from their own farm. I am also grateful to my late grandfather Mr Vella, for the love and care he bestowed on me at my tender age. Mum, Panjali Nair Foreword Mum, Dad, my younger brother Aveen, and I were born in Fiji; and we lived there until 1990.

During our Fiji years, Mum mainly cooked delicious Indian food. The food was influenced by our heritage, recipes passed down from her mum/grandparents/ancestors that evolved over decades, and a mix of South and North Indian food, with some island influences from native Fijians. Her cooking revolved around what was available seasonally, often from the local village, be it vegetables from neighbours or clams from the river behind our land. Even in Fiji, Mum was quite the experimenter, with a willingness to try different cuisines or dabble with food fusion. She would collect recipes from a variety of sources, such as magazines, books, and newspaper, and give things a go. One of my earliest memories about Mums cooking was as a four-year-old standing in the kitchen next to my mum while she cooked pikelets.

As quickly as she was cooking them, I was eating them. The family moved to Australia in 1991. Mum gradually transitioned to a vegetarian over twenty years ago and stopped eating seafood as well. Being in Australia brought access to a variety of vegetables we had never come across, like mushroom and kale, and an opportunity to eat a variety of different cuisine that the melting pot that is Australia avails. Lets just say Mums experimenting and food fusion went into overdrive. Creations like mushroom curry (published in the book Australias Favourite Recipes , edited by Leila McKinnon, 2012) became popular amongst friends and family.

This vegetarian recipe book is a labour of love for Mum and, from idea to publication, has been a decade in the making. In it you will find easy-to-follow recipes, drawing on the diversity of foods in Australia to create food fusion that is delicious. Of course, it has Indian cuisine as well. The recipes are tried and tested, with many cooking lessons offered to family and friends in my mums kitchen. Even a mediocre cook like me has been able to follow the recipes! Well done, Mum, for being passionate about good food, in finding creative ways to make delicious vegetarian food, and being tenacious in getting this book published. Im very proud of you.

Love, Rita Prasad Acknowledgements I would like to thank my husband, Dhirendra; daughter, Rita; and son, Aveen, and his wife, Ellie, for their moral support, proofreading, and ideas for the recipes. Thank you, Revathi Nair, for helping me prepare the first draft of the book. I would also like to thank my colleagues from Fairfield and Liverpool offices, who encouraged me to keep experimenting. I would like to acknowledge Aunty Swatantra Hill for sharing historical anecdotes about my grandparents and great-grandparents. Thank you, Roshni Swamy from Sydney, for lending me pictures of my great-grandmother; Yvonne Anshu Govindan from New Zealand, for providing grandmothers photographs; and Evette Campbell (ne Govindan) from New Zealand, for the recipe of pumpkin curry mentioned in this book. Sister Demi Pal, Satya Prasad, Mum Panjali Nair, Youngest brother Prabhakaran Nair, Sister Kusum Krishna, Sister Mala Kumar Sister Mala Kumar, Youngest brother Prabhakaran Nair, Dad Gopalan Nair, Mum Panjali Nair Satya Prasad with her grandchildren Millie and Ethan Whats in This Book Spices and Herbs Soups Chutneys, Pickles, and Salads Breads and Others Rice Curries Side Dishes Snacks Desserts

Notes for the Reader The times and serving size given are an approximate guide only. Preparation time will vary according to individual cooking techniques or types of oven and stove. Similarly, serving size is based on what an average adult might intake, along with suggested accompaniments. The recipes do not consider for any allergies. Individuals with allergies can make substitutions where required. There are some replacements suggested at the end of most recipes. Some ingredients (and some recipes) mentioned in the book are an acquired taste. Feel free to use substitutions where required. There is no right or wrong method of cooking something. Feel free to experiment and do what suits you, your palate, and your family. A pinch of asafoetida in regular curries aids digestion. One cup of liquid is 250 millilitres; 1 cup of flour is 132.09 grams.

Introduction Curry with a Twist Through this book, I will share secrets of cooking simple curries using whatever is available in the fridge and pantrydelicious curries that are spicy but not hot.

This book also showcases the art of cooking curries for quick weeknight meals and shares some authentic curry recipes that have been passed down from generations and the technique to make homemade masalas. I was born in the Fiji Islands, third generation from maternal side and second from paternal. My great-grandparents and grandfather were originally from the Malabar region of South India. My grandfather was lured away by a British merchant on the way back from school. He travelled on a boat to the Fiji Islands to work at the plantations. Five years later, the Fiji government gave him the choice to return.

Next page