My Childhood Diwali Feast

Chicken Curry with Potatoes

1. Add ghee/oil to a large cooking pot over a medium high heat. When hot add two sprigs of the curry leaves and the whole spices, stir for a minute to release aroma. Now add the diced onions and stir for a few minutes to lightly brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook this mixture by stirring for roughly 5 minutes. Now add all of the spice powders, lower the heat and stir for roughly 2 more minutes. Add the water, salt and lemon grass stalks, stir well, cover and bring to boil. Now add the chicken and the potatoes, cover and simmer for roughly 30 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked stirring once or twice.
2. Finally add all of the coconut cream/milk or only half if you’d prefer a thicker curry sauce. The ‘sauce’ in Malaysia is also called gravy to mop it up using roti, in this case add all the coconut milk because it would be so good to have the left-over gravy dunked with bread! Before serving check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. If preferred deep-fry the remaining sprig of curry leaves and sprinkle on top of the curry before serving. Remove any whole spices and lemon grass if your guests aren’t familiar with removing it before eating.

Eggplant and Cherry Tomatoes

1. In a large fry pan on medium to high heat add half the cooking oil and when hot fry the eggplants until golden, if required add more oil so that the eggplants coat well. Stir-fry for roughly 10 minutes or until the eggplants are nice and golden in colour. Then remove the eggplants to a colander to drain any excess oil.
2. In the same pan, if needed add a little more cooking oil, then add the whole spices and cook, stirring, for roughly 30 seconds to a minute or until the spices start popping. Add the ginger and garlic paste and stir to cook for roughly a minute more. Now add all of the ground spices and cook for another minute. Add salt and seasoning, cherry tomatoes and vinegar and cook for another minute. Return the drained eggplants to the spice mix, cook covered for roughly 5 minutes. Check for seasoning and serve topped with chopped coriander if desired.

Prawns and Pineapple Sambal

1. Add the cooking oil to a large fry pan on medium/hot heat and when hot add the onions, ginger paste and capsicum and stir-fry quickly for roughly a minute. Now add the tomato, paprika and tomato paste plus the store-bought sambal. Stir and cook for roughly two minutes, then add the sugar, salt and the syrup/juice and let the sauce simmer for roughly 5 minutes. Add the prawns and pineapple and cook for 3 minutes or until the prawns are cooked. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. Corn flour can be used if the sauce needs thickening.
2. If time permits, a sambal can be made by simply blending some onion, garlic, ginger, fresh chillies, lemongrass stalks, galangal (optional) and candle nuts if available. This paste then gets fried in lots of oil until fragrant, then seasoned with salt and sugar. A staple condiment and add-on to Malaysian cuisine.

Vegetable Achar

1. In a medium size fry pan add oil on medium high heat. Cook the ginger and garlic paste in the oil for roughly a minute. Add the turmeric and stir for a few seconds to prevent it burning. Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, water or juice and cook until it boils. Add the carrots and beans first and cook for a minute or two, followed by the cauliflower, and cook for another minute. Add the cucumber last, then taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve sprinkled with the sesame seeds and crushed peanuts if used.

Turmeric Cabbage

1. In a large fry pan add the oil over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and the curry leaves until the seeds begin to pop, then add the onions and the garlic and ginger paste. Stir-fry for roughly 3 minutes until the onion takes on a golden colour. Now add the turmeric and curry powder and cook for about 30 seconds, then add salt, some pepper and the cabbage and stir-fry until everything is well combined, then add the water. Cover the pan and let it wilt for roughly 5 minutes. Stir and check the seasoning and the texture of the cabbage, cooking it for a few minutes longer if you’d like it softer.

Yellow Rice with Carrots and Whole Spices

1. In a large fry pan over a medium heat add the ghee followed by the whole spices and the chopped onions and stir-fry until the onions turn golden, about 5 minutes. Now add the turmeric and cook for another minute. Add the washed rice and stir to coat the grains in the pan mixture, and dry-fry the rice for roughly 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the rice into the rice cooker and add the carrots and sultanas. Add the stock or water to the fry pan in which the onion mixture was cooked, and stir to release all of the remaining turmeric and flavour that had settled at the bottom of the pan. Add this to the rice cooker and set to cook. If time allows, fry some extra sliced onions in oil until crispy to top the rice alongside flaked almonds or cashews before serving, with fresh coriander if desired.

Sago Pudding with Fruit Topping

1. In a large saucepan bring the 3 cups of water to the boil. When it starts to boil, add the sago pearls and stir constantly to stop the sago sticking to the base. Add the pandan knots too, and keep cooking for roughly 10 minutes or until the pearls turn translucent. Add the salt and the sugar and cook until the sugar dissolves. Now add the coconut cream, stir and cook until it comes to the boil, then remove from the heat.
2. Remove the pandan leaves and serve hot, cold or lukewarm in a large bowl or individual bowls, topped with your favourite tinned or fresh fruit.

The hint of turmeric is throughout this feast menu. Turmeric is used in many ceremonial Hindu rituals including at weddings. Yellow colour is classed auspicious for many reasons and I am truly thankful to share my childhood and my fusion recipes with you! Enjoy my DIWALI FEAST!