Wait, Indian Stirfry?! Say what?
OK, I know I sound like I’m crossing my cuisines here, but stay with me… This is a riff on a traditional Indian side dish called Karahi Broccoli, which gets its name from the pot it’s cooked in, a Karahi (or Karhai)… pretty much an Indian version of a wok. Don’t happen to have a traditional Indian cooking vessel lying around the house? A normal wok or fry pan will do just fine (I prefer non-stick so you can use less oil).
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We’ve all been there. You’ve bought a hard avocado. Every day you squeeze it gently, hoping that this, surely this would be the day it’s ripe enough to eat. Finally, you feel the flesh give under your greedy fingertips. At last! You cut through the black skin, anticipating the creamy deliciousness on the inside, and… ew. Bruised, browned, and downright bleurgh.
Let’s face it: there are few things more culinarily disappointing than a dud avo. How are you meant to enjoy your smashed avo toast in your overpriced Sydney property without it?! So I was very excited – nay, exhilarated – to learn the following life hack, which I’m going to share with you now.
Checking your avocado? YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG. That’s right, if you want to know if it’s ready to eat, you need to be feeling for softness at the top of the avo near the stem, not squeezing the lower cheeks. Hold the avocado upright, and use one finger to press down – if you feel it give, it’s ripe and ready to rock. Still hard, and you’ll need a few days. Trust me, even if the cheeks still feel firm to the touch, if the top is soft, you’re in business. By the time the cheeks soften, the avocado can be past it’s prime, getting brown – or those weird dark stringy veins they can get (yuck).
Don’t thank me – just try it. It’ll change your life.
Orecchiette with Broccoli
Over summer we were lucky enough to have a friend stay with us who is a) Italian, and b) a professionally trained cook. Best houseguest ever, right?! Although this definitely put the pressure on my own culinary abilities (let’s just say that compared to a pro, my knife skills resemble a toddler painting with an eel), we were treated to several beautiful home cooked meals (and home cooking is always better when it’s someone else cooking).
We had a variety of dishes over the three weeks he was with us, but through all emerged some common themes, which we agreed were the reason Italian food is just so damn good.
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If my Facebook feed is to be believed, half of Sydney is currently enjoying a European summer. Italy, the Greek Islands… it’s like the social media world has conspired to make me jealous as hell, and guess what Mark Zuckerberg? It’s WORKED! While everyone else is knocking back Aperol spritzes and partying till dawn, I’m wearing 25 layers of clothing and the only reason I’m up at 3am is to feed my newborn. Yep, J-E-A-L-O-U-S.
So while Instagram has left me summer lovin’, I thought I’d try and eat my emotions – literally. Caprese Salad – the next best thing to being in Capri!*
(*Yeah, I don’t really believe it either)
GO FOR GOLD
Like so much of Italian cuisine, a Caprese Salad works because it’s a simple mix of flavours that all play off each other beautifully. But when you’re only using a few ingredients, you need to make sure they’re the absolute best you can possibly obtain and afford – think quality extra virgin olive oil, real bufala mozzarella (not the hard balls you buy at the supermarket), super ripe tomatoes and lots of fresh herbs. So yeah, I’m probably pushing my luck making this in the dead of winter – not exactly tomato season, is it? But my basil plant at home is still going gangbusters (it clearly thinks it’s in southern Italy, too) and I managed to get a beautiful array of heirloom tomatoes, so away we go!
PIMP IT UP
A traditional Caprese should resemble the Italian flag: red tomatoes, green basil and white mozzarella. However, I’m a sucker for a colourful dish, so love the effect you get with a variety of tomatoes (red, orange, green and yellow). The traditional version would also only feature basil (which is frankly all you need), but if you’re feeling a bit crafty, what’s really beautiful is to add a few finely chopped fresh mint and oregano leaves. Any Italians reading this are probably screaming, ‘No, no!’ reading that, but what’s a tradition without someone breaking it, right?! What’s also delicious is adding one teaspoon of chopped fresh red chilli (no seeds) for a bit of zing. If you want to make something a bit more substantial (say if you’re serving the dish alone for a light lunch), try scattering a handful of rocket leaves on top.
FAST FACTS
Caprese Salad (Insalata Caprese)
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
Ingredients
Method
