Wills Cook-offs

One of the most simple, easy and basic recipe cooked as a vegetarian side dish. Val Papadi is also known as Hyacinth Beans. Papadi is a very common vegetable that's cooked in south India and requires to be well cooked. Uncooked seeds/beans may cause reactions to some individuals. There are many ways of cooking Val Papadi. Here is my recipe from Konkan region of India and the way my granny cooked. Enjoy cooking and eating Val Papadi.

This delicious dish has a myriad of flavours and is truly a feast to your mouth. The sweetness and sourness from the pineapple and jaggery cooked in an exotic spiced coconut masala would be a big temptation to try. It is one of my delicious and favourite summer dish that is generally cooked using fibrous mangoes. I took this opportunity to prepare using the Queensland Pineapple.

Yes, Banana Blossom Cutlets!!! Sounds strange to some. Right? Well, very few are aware of Banana Blossom (also known as banana heart) use. Traditionally, banana blossom is used in many southeast Asian cooking and few Indian kitchens too. To me it is one of the healthiest part of the banana plant. It’s rich in calcium and potassium, and has vitamins A, C, and E

It’s autumn in Melbourne and the weather today has been just wet and cold all night and day. How about having some nice warm creamy, buttery, thick and tasty Dal Makhani with hot bread of your choice or plain Jeera rice (Cumin rice) served with fresh plain Spanish onion rings, tomato, and lemon/lime wedges. Yum!!!

It’s autumn in Melbourne and the weather today has been just wet and cold all night and day. How about having some nice warm creamy, buttery, thick and tasty Dal Makhani with hot bread of your choice or plain Jeera rice (Cumin rice) served with fresh plain Spanish onion rings, tomato, and lemon/lime wedges. Yum!!!

Tryout my Mum's lip smacking ORIGINAL Doodhi Halwa that will keep you going until you finish. It's one of the most delicious and yummy Halwa. It's simply made with just 3 ingredients and I have so many fond memories of this dish. My family and friends crave for this Halwa during summer time. This Halwa is unique and not like any of those you tasted in a restaurant or popularly known.

Deliciously moist and smokey chicken could be your next menu over a BBQ or a family meal. You just require a smoker equipment or a hooded BBQ or similar, to transform an ordinary chicken into an extra-ordinary meal to eat. Always an impressive dish, a whole chicken compliments very well with salad, sauce, couscous or even eaten as a bread roll.

Kottu is a popular Sri Lankan street food. It can be a vegetarian and non-vegetarian dish prepared with fresh or leftover ingredients. Kottu means chopped/diced. So, it simply means chopping of roti and stir fry them with ingredients of your choice. Add spice levels to your choice. It is generally very spicy. Here is my version of KOTTU ROTI using leftover Kuboos/Khubz and meat strips along with available vegetables. Prepare my recipe and enjoy!!!

Kadamb - the most popular southwest coastal delicacy in India. Kadamb (in Konkani) is a mixture of mogge (field marrow), rice and fresh coconut; steamed in aromatic haldi paan (turmeric leaves). The steam cooked Kadamb is simple and easy to cook. When steaming, the sweetest fragrance and the divine aroma released by the turmeric leaves fills the kitchen and makes you hungry. I truly die for this dish on any hot or cold or rainy day. Just yummy and delicious!!!

Salads are everyone’s favourite dish that is prepared in many ways. There are many types of salads from around the globe. Here is one of my favourite from Middle Eastern Cuisine. You guessed it right – Tabbouleh Tabbouleh (also spelled tabouli) is a super fresh SALAD prepared with parsley and bulgur as the key ingredients. It’s combined with diced cucumber, tomato and dressed simply with olive oil and lemon juice. It’s refreshing, light and packed with healthy ingredients.

A popular summer drink to cool yourself. Something that I loved and remember drinking as a child. There are many such beverages that my granny prepared made of Ragi, Mung beans, rice milk, roasted grain drinks, wild berries and more. Muga Udhak is a natural vegan protein drink. It's quick and easy to prepare. Serve chilled, if it's your preference or drink at room temperature. It's just yum. Do try my granny's Muga Udhak!!!

Summer time veggies are interesting but Zucchini is a pretty underrated vegetable and it deserves more praise! Here is a cook-off that turns zucchini into a healthy and unresisting dish. It can be cooked as a vegetarian dish using potato or tapioca based filling. Mine is a spiced lamb mince stuffing that elevates the zucchini to a NEW LEVEL. Give it a try and enjoy my Stuffed Zucchini Rings!!!

Nanche Aambill is a healthy food made of finger millet flour. It's rich in nutrients, gluten free and has the highest amount of calcium and potassium. I love this food for many reasons and reminds me of my childhood days at my granny's place. In fact, it is quick and easy to prepare in under 10 minutes. It's also packed with calcium, good carbs, amino acids and vitamin D and supports in weight management.