Chilly pork

Pork- 500 gms, cut into cubes (equal quantity of belly pieces and shoulder or just belly is also fine)

Chinese 5 spice seasoning- 1/2 tbsp

Dark soy sauce- 1/2 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste- 1/2 tbsp

Pepper- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp

Ginger- 1 tbsp, grated

Garlic- 1 tbsp roughly chopped

Green chillies- 2, slit (adjust according to taste)

Spring onions- 3, chopped (just the white bits, keep the green aside for garnishing)

Tomato- 1 small, finely chopped

Bell pepper- a little more than 1/4 cup, cut into 1 inch squares

Onions- 1 small, petals separated and cut into 1 inch squares

Dark soy sauce- around 1/2 tbsp

Chilli sauce- 1 tsp (optional)

Mix all the ingredients from pork to salt in a pressure cooker and cook until done. I dont add any water, but if you want you can add a dash.

I cook on high till one whistle and then reduce heat to low and cook for a further 12 to 13 minutes. Wait for the pressure to release and then open the lid.

Once you open, if you find a lot of water, cook it off on high heat with just a wee bit of gravy remaining, around 1/4 cup liquid.

In a large wok, heat the oil and throw in ginger, garlic green chillies and spring onion whites till fragrant around 4 to 5 minutes on medium high heat.

Add the chopped tomato and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Add the bell pepper and onions and mix it all well. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the cooked pork along with all the juices and give a mix with all the vegetables.

Reduce heat to medium, add the dark soy sauce and chilli sauce (and salt if needed) and fry the pork.

Keep stirring in between and cook till the oil surfaces and the pork is roasted well.

Garnish with spring onion greens and serve with your favourite noodle or fried rice.

Notes: This dish is best with belly pork as the fat renders the taste.

Roasting the pork on medium heat till the oil surfaces is key.

Leave a bit of the pork in the wok and add a cup of cooked rice to it and stir fry on high for a few minutes to get an incredibly flavourful fried rice.

Brinjal fry

Adapted from here (Serves 2 as part of side dish)

Gingelly oil- 1 1/2 tbsp

Garlic- 3 large, crushed

Baby brinjal- 6, quartered or 1 small aubergine

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder- 3/4th tsp

Salt- to taste

Curry leaves- a sprig

To grind

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds- 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp

Heat the oil in  kadai and saute the garlic till slightly crisp.

Add the sliced brinjal and saute to coat the pieces in oil.

Add the turmeric powder and salt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Now add the chilli powder, mix well and cover and cook till the brinjal is 3/4th cooked. Stir in between and make sure they dont burn.

Meanwhile, dry roast everything under the 'to grind' section till fragrant.

Cool a bit and grind to a powder.

Once the brinjal is more or less cooked, open lid and add the masala powder along with a dash of water, if needed (to make sure the masalas dont burn)

Saute on medium heat for a few minutes- roast the aubergines in the masala.

Add the curry leaves, close with a lid and take off heat.

Keep aside for 10 minutes after which give a good mix and serve warm with curd rice.

Bahama Mama banana rum cake

Recipe adapted from here

For the cake

Pecans- 3/4th cup

Butter, unsalted- 1 1/2 cups, at room temperature

Caster sugar- 1 3/4 cups

Brown sugar- 3/4th cup

Eggs- 5 medium

Banana- 1 cup, mashed (very ripe)

Vanilla extract- 2 tsp

Dark rum- 3 tbsp

Plain flour- 3 cups

Baking soda- 1 tsp

Baking powder- 1 tsp

Salt- 1 tsp

Yoghurt- 3/4th cup

Rum glaze

Butter- 1/2 cup

Water- 1/4 cup

Brown sugar- 1/4 cup

Caster sugar- 1/4 cup

Dark rum- 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 175C and generously grease a large bundt pan with cooking spray or butter. Make sure you get it into the creases if its not the basic tube bundt.

Lightly toast the pecans in a pan over medium heat.  Roughly chop and sprinkle at the bottom of the bundt pan. Keep aside

In a large bowl, using a hand held mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars till light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition followed by mashed bananas, vanilla and rum. Mix well.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and using the lowest setting on the mixer mix well till no traces of flour is seen.

Finally beat in the yoghurt and pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake in the centre rack of the oven for about 60 to 80 minutes, or till a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the rum glaze.

Mix all the ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan on medium high heat and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and keep warm.

Once the cake is done, transfer to a wire rack and cool for about five minutes.

Poke holes in the cake and pour half the glaze all over as evenly as possible.

Cool for a further five minutes and then invert on to a serving plate.

Spoon the remaining glaze on to the cake, bit by bit and let it stand till all the glaze has been absorbed. 

Wait till the cake cools completely to slice and serve.

Notes: The cake has a really strong flavour of rum. Omit the rum in the glaze if you are not a rum fan.

Use good, ripe bananas and this cake will be fabulous. I used the Indian bananas as opposed to the ones you get in the supermarkets here.