There are perhaps 50,000 capsicum varieties grown worldwide and they have been classified under 5 major species of cultivated capsicums:

• Capsicum annuum, which includes bell peppers, sweet/Italian peppers, serrano, cayenne, paprika and jalapeños
• Capsicum baccatum, which includes the South American varieties, such as ají amarillo, ají limon and criolla sella
• Capsicum chinense, which includes all of the Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets, Trinidad Scorpions, the Bhut Jolokia and the Carolina Reaper.
• Capsicum frutescens, which includes the Tabascos and many of the peppers grown in India; sometimes not distinguished as a species separate from C. annuum.
• Capsicum pubescens, which includes the Rocoto and Manzano pepper, and are distinctive plants in having violet flowers, black seeds and hairy dark green leaves and grows as a large, multi-stemmed vine up to 5 meters long.

Dangjo Peppers comes under the main species Capsicum Annuum and they originate from Korea. They are light green or bright yellow chilli peppers with mild heat.   

Have I bored you enough? :) So, I came across these peppers while grocery shopping at NTUC Finest in the east of Singapore last weekend. A young lady of perhaps 20 was dressed in a beautiful traditional Korean Hanbok and I was curious to see what she was promoting. At first sight, I was horrified at these chilli peppers! They were huge and looked quite menacing. But she laid my concerns to rest and claimed they were only mildly hot and that they taste very much like our regular capsicums. She had these lettle plastic cups with samples of these cut Dangjo peppers in a mild tomato gravy. I tried a small piece with a tissue on hand in case I needed to spit it out immediately.

​Contrary to what I thought, it actually tasted yum! I was bought! The packet of around 15 of these premium peppers costed around $7.50 Singapore dollars but they are truly worth it. Plus, I wondered how long she must have been standing there the whole day and wondered if anyone had bought her pretty expensive bell peppers. I just wanted to help her out in her promotion.

Who says we can't mix Korean and Indian cuisine? 
Today I tried making an Indian version of these peppers. It turned out quite delicious. The tomatoes added a sour taste to the peppers and it complemented their mild heat.  My husband thought so as well. No way I could introduce peppers to my teen daughters! These Dangjo peppers are so versatile - because they are quite large, you could stuff them with tofu brown rice mix and bake them or you could even make a simple Chinese version by frying ginger and adding light soy sauce and serve them topped with toasted sesame seeds.  

Ingredients (serves 4 as a side dish)
300gm Dango Peppers cut at an angle
1 medium sized red onion, sliced
1 ginger garlic paste
1 to 2 tsp turmeric powder
1 to 2 tsp cumin powder
1 large ripe tomato sliced
Salt per preference
A  sprig of coriender leaves, chopped roughly 

This is a relatively easy recipe so I didn't take photos of the actual method. 
​
Method
1. Take a medium sized cooking pot and fry the sliced onion.
2. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a while.
3. Add the spices and salt and stir well.
4. The sliced tomatoes go in next.
5. After a few minutes when the tomatoes get pulpy, add in the sliced Danjo peppers and coriander leaves.
6. Stir, add half a cup of water and cover.
7. Cook till the Dangjo peppers are soft.
8. Serve it at your next gathering - I'm sure it will be a conversation starter!!  

In Singapore, I usually frequent a restaurant called The Soup Spoon for its delicious soups but today I decided to try a different dish..the Flatbread with falafel and hummus. I like flatbreads with fillings or wraps. I don't know why but there is something quite delicious and satisfying about them. Its light on the tummy, full of good for you vegetables like lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, avocadoes, beetroot, pumpkin and we can add any plant protein to make it wholesome. You don't leave the restaurant feeling guilty for loading yourself with carbs and worrying where its going to go - tummy, arms, thighs??

​Plant protein comes in various ways - grilled tofu slices, scrambled tofu, soy patties or even chickpea patties or falafel. Falafels are one of my favourite middle eastern dishes and I'm embarassed to say till today I haven't attempted to make them! I just realised oh how long I have deprived my family of this delicious protein packed patties.

So, after gobbling down the flatbread with hummus and falafel, I headed home with a conviction to make them for dinner tonight and I'm proud to say I stuck to my conviction. The recipe below is adapted from a website called Cookie + Kate. I have shallow fried the falafels here but you can even bake them to be extra healthy. The falafels should be golden brown and crispy on the outside and soft inside. One bite will tell you if you have a winning recipe.

Did I mention that these patties are gluten free and vegan? They make great party appetizers as well. You can even make them as large patties for a vegetarian burger treat!

Ingredients (yields around 35-40 small falafels)
2 tins of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic, peeled and sliced
1 cup of coriander leaves
1/4 cup red onion, cut into big pieces
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 tbsps olive oil
Salt
1-2 cups Chickpea flour or Besan flour to thicken the batter should it become too wet while processing

Method
​1. Assemble all the ingredients except the Gram flour into a food processor.  

2) Process the ingredients into a half crumbly paste. You may need to add bits of water. Don't add too much lest it becomes too wet.

3) Place the uncooked falafel paste into a bowl. Check for salt and add more if needed. If the paste is too wet, add gram flour to thicken so that its the right consistency to make the patties.

4) Take a flat pan and heat 2-3 tbsps of canola oil. Using your hands, take a tablespoon size paste and roll it into a ball, flatten it and place it on to the heated oil on the pan. Do the same for a few more and shallow fry the falafel patties in batches.

5) When brown, turn and cook the other side. Remove from fire and drain the oil on kitchen paper towels. Serve warm with a fresh garden salad and piping hot vegetable soup. That's what I served my family for dinner tonight. Needless to say, it was a winning dish with my family!!  

Now that my girls are vegans, I have to replace their favourite egg scramble with an alternative for their breakfast. My younger daughter Riya found a recipe online for tofu scrambled with just turmeric powder and salt. Just turmeric and salt? Wouldn't that be so bland and boring?

So, I added my own ingredients to make it tastier. I must say it did turn out quite delicious. Serve this tofu scramble with baked beans and vegan toast and you have a complete protein packed belly filling start to the day! Now, I make this quite often as it turned out to be a favourite with my family.

Ingredients (For 4)
2 blocks of firm tofu, mashed
2 tbsps of canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped small
1/4 of each red and green bell peppers, sliced thin
1 medium sized tomato, chopped small
1 sprig coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Chilli powder
Salt 

Method
1) Heat the canola oil in a large pot and fry the chopped onions for 3 mins on medium heat.
2) Add the sliced bell peppers and fry for another 3 minutes on medium to high heat. Its important the bell peppers are cooked before you add in the tomatoes.
3) Add in the turmeric, chilli powders and salt per your preference.
4) Add in the chopped tomato pieces and cook till it turns pulpy.
5) Finally add in the mashed tofu and mix well.
6) Cook till the mix is well incorporated, roughly 5-10mins on medium to low heat. Watch out for the mix sticking to the pot.
7) Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve warm.

Kachumber is a salad dish which basically consists of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, fruits like pineapples all chopped and tossed with a lemon juice dressing. Its a good side dish which goes well with almost any main meal. I especially find that it pairs well with Vegetable Briyani. The simple light Kachumber balances the complex spice rich briyani well. The Kachumber salad can be made in advance and served just before the dinner/lunch begins. I'm not a fan of raw onions in salad because of the bad breath after. So, I have excluded it here. But, do go ahead to include a chopped onion if you would like.  

Ingredients
1 pineapple, peeled and with the eyes removed
1 cucumber, peeled and deseeded
2 medium sized tomatoes, pulp removed
1/2 cup lemon juice mixed with a pinch of salt
​1 red chilli, deseeded and cut into thin strips
A few mint leaves, chopped small


Method
Chop all the ingredients into very small cubes and toss with the lemon juice.
Garnish with the chopped mint leaves and the chilli strips and serve with any main meal.   

What do you do when you have a gluten free husband and vegan daughters at home? Go mad? No not really :) You improvise and tweak your recipes.  Thank god for Indian food which is basically vegan and gluten free (if you do not consider the cream, ghee). Over the Easter weekend, while memorising my script for the presentation for my docent training at the Malay Heritage Centre here in Singapore, my husband requested me to do a gluten free vegan banana bread.

Now, there are many varieties of gluten free flour available today. That's wonderful to hear isn't it? I can't imagine saying this 10 years ago. But, my husband especially requested for besan flour which is the Hindi word for chickpea flour, having tasted besan nut bread during recent his trip to Bangalore, India.   So, I tried it today. It came out quite alright. Not my standard banana cake but he was thrilled and even took photos of it to show to his dad in Pune, India. That's all that matters. I made it for him and he was satisfied with the end results.

​I have posted the recipe here but let me warn you that there is no added sugar (you can add half a cup of brown sugar) and it carries the besan lentil taste, if you don't mind. 

Yields 1 loaf
Wet Ingredients
4 small baby bananas or 2 medium bananas, peeled and mashed
6 dates pitted and chopped roughly
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla essence

Dry Ingredients
1 cup besan flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup mixed nuts 

Top : 2 tbsps oats and 2 dates, pitted and chopped roughly

Method
1) Preheat oven to 180 deg C.
2) Mix all the wet ingredients in a bowl and the dry ingredients in another bowl.  
3) Mix them both together lightly.
4) Spray a loaf tin with olive oil/ canola oil cooking spray.
5) Pour the batter in and top with the oats and chopped dates.
6) Cook in the middle shelf of the oven for 20 mins. Remove and serve warm with a light tea. 

My younger daughter has recently turned vegan. She is all of 14 years and as a mother I was and am still worried about her nutrition and her development.

Riya started her vegan quest a month ago avoiding eggs, claiming that the chickens are packed tighly in cages without any space to move around and they are stacked in levels so that the poo of the chickens above falls on the chickens below. She felt so sad for the chickens being caged this way just so that they can produce eggs for us.  Of course that jolted me. Here is my daughter who loves eggs in any form. Without much of a choice, I agreed and persuaded her to go egg free but still have milk products. She was fine with that for a month.

​Last week, she read that cows are impregnated purposely with sperms so that they get pregnant to produce milk. The cows are always pregnant! Imagine being always pregnant throughout your childbearing years? That got her all riled up. Her fight for these poor animals who are being managed inhumanely skyrocketed. The many videos and posts in Instagram supporting vegan lifestyle didn't help as it only made her more wilful. She couldn't stand to watch us having milk and eggs and started trying to convince us to go vegan too. She even went on to say that she will not date a guy who eats meat! 'Imagine kissing him after he eats beef or pork? Ew!!' She has stopped all makeup that tests on animals and is now against all leather products as well. She wants to become a vegan activist when she grows up. That's my spirited younger daughter! My thoughts are why wait till you grow up? Why not start a vegan group for teens in Singapore? I hv pitched my ideas to her. Let's see where she takes them.

I was against her veganism at the beginning as I was worried about her development but now after seeing how passionate she was about these poor animals, I only can support her and ensure her growing body's nutritional demands are met in other ways. She has become more conscious of what she is eating and ensuring that there is enough protein through nuts and tofu. I supplement her diet with multi vitamins which she now takes without complaining.  Her junk food bingeing has stopped as well because she discovered there is milk in all cookies and snacks.. My chips packets remain untouched  and unopened for so long. She claims she has lost all taste for junk food.  She is so mature and serious about this whole issue that I'm surprised how could she be only 14?

I have scouted around for special vegan  bread for her ( did you know that all baguettes are vegan?!), special vegan ice cream etc.  I also found out there are special supplements for vegans. Fish Oil from algae and flax seeds. Thanks to my docent friend and also a vegan advocate Christine Zeng.

But there is always the nagging worry at the back of my mind about her health. Will she recover quickly when she falls ill? What about when she reaches child bearing age? Only time will tell.

My first vegan recipe I'm featuring, after this development at home, is vegan pancakes. They don't taste like the usual with butter and eggs but it passed. Riya appreciated the fact that I'm making special dishes for her to support her vegan diet.  Should I ask for more?

Ingredients (6-8 large pancakes)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
2 tbsps fine sugar
3/4 cups canola oil
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup blueberries, rinsed

Method
1. Mix the dry ingredients, followed by all the wet ingredients. Whisk well.
2. If the batter is too thick, add more soy milk to thin it.
3. Add the blueberries.
4. Heat a small frying pan, drop a few drops of canola oil and swirl them around the pan.
5. Once the pan is hot pour enough batter to coat the base of the pan. Drop a few drops of canola oil on top, cover and cook on medium heat till you see the sides cooked with holes all around. 
6. Flip and cook the other side, this time uncovered. It should turn golden brown on both sides.
7. Serve warm with maple syrup.

'Revihosoupa' or 'Revithia'  is a traditional Greek vegan soup that has origins, well from Greece. Usually served during cold wintery evenings to warm our soul and body. With winter fast approaching in other parts of the world and Singapore having wet I-don't- want-to-step-out rainy evenings, this soup could not have been introduced at a better time.

​Traditionally, this soup is made using dried chickpeas soaked overnight and boiled the next day in vegetable stock. This process takes a little longer but it will definitely taste better. So go for it if you have the time on hand. Canned chickpeas make a suitable substitute if you are pressed for time. This recipe requires very few ingredients and most of them will be readily available in your kitchen. I have not used any potato but you could add it (cubed) as well to further thicken the soup.  

It serves as a wholesome meal on its own with sufficient protein and because its thick and creamy, it rests quite snugly in our belly soothing us into deep hibernating sleep. Serve with a couple of crusty bread on the sides. You may need some chilli flakes for heat, if you are an Asian! 

Ingredients (Serves 4)
4 tbps olive oil
1 medium onion (yellow or red), chopped finely
1-2 sprigs thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 litre veg broth
1 tbsp lemon juice 
2 cans of chickpeas (400gm each)
Salt & Pepper
Extra Olive oil, sprig of thyme for garnish

Method
1) Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, and fry the bay leaf and thyme leaves. This will be followed by the chopped onion. 

2) Add the veg stock and season with salt & freshly ground pepper. Also add the 1 tbsp lemon juice at this point and let it come to a boil. 

3) Add the drained canned chickpeas and simmer for 10 mins. 

4) Take half the soup, blend it to a smooth batter and pour it back into the pot where the other half is still simmering.

5) Serve hot with a swirl of olive oil, extra ground pepper, chilli flakes (if using) and  thyme leaves for garnish.

Chervil is a delicate herb related to parsley. Sometimes called French parsley or garden chevril, it is commonly used to season mild flavoured dishes and is one of the essential ingredients in the French cuisine along with other herbs like chives, parsley and terragon. This easy warm potato salad is light and tastes different from our usual mayonnaise potato salads we are used to. 

​Ingredients (serves 4 as a side)
10 small new potatoes
3 tbsps olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt & Pepper

2 tbps chopped chervil leaves
1 tbsps chives, chopped
1 tbsps terragon, chopped

Method
Make sure you get the potatoes with very thin skin so you don't have to peel them. Wash and boil the potatoes in salt for 10-15 mins till they are just cooked. Not overcooked. We aren't making mashed potatoes.

2) Meanwhile, make the vinegrette by first whisking the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper till they are well emulsified. Then, add in the chopped herbs.

3) Drain the potatoes when they are cooked. Mix the vinegrette with boiled potatoes, check for seasonings and serve immediately.

What a brilliant way to incorporate a guacamole and tomato salsa? And to serve this as starters to your guests will be a great way to get your guests go wow at your culinary skills and your ingenuity. I love avocados. Its green creamy flesh sits very well with me. And its so good for us too. Avocadoes offers nearly 20 vitamins in every serving, including potassium, lutein and folate. I'm not going too much into details here. I'm sure you can do your own research :). My fav way to have avocados? Topped with lime juice, salt and pepper on the side of egg white onion capsicum omelette and a toast of walnut bread.

These petite avaocado hills is a an easy recipe to follow. Especially if you have an overload of avocados and you want a quick way to use them up.

Ingredients (for 5 hills topped with salsa)
Tomato Cilantro Salsa
1 large tomatoe, seeds removed and chopped finely
1 small red onion, chopped finely
Juice of 1/2 lemon juice
2 sprigs of coriander leaves, chopped finely
Salt
Pepper

Avocado Hills
3 ripe avocados
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt
Pepper

Method
1. Place all the ingredients for the salsa in a bowl and mix them up.

2) Next, peel and pit the ripe avacodoes and mash the flesh with lime juice, salt and pepper.

3) Get a  long serving plate and start assembling the avocado hills with salsa.Take spoons of the mashed avocado mix and place into a small ramekin bowl and press it tight. Then use a small knife to go around the sides and quickly place it upside down onto the serving plate. Do for the other hills similarly. 

4) Top with the already prepared salsa and also decorate the entire plate with additional salsa.

5) Serve individually to your guests to avoid the mess of lifting up the avocado hills. Enjoy your guilt-free so good for you snack.

My girls and I enjoy watching Vah Reh Vah cooking videos on YouTube. Its not so much for the recipes but its more for the laughter they beget. The chef Mr Sanjay Thumma popularly known as Vah Chef is an Indian chef and founder of the his cooking website vahrehvah.com. What we enjoy most about his videos is the quantity of the ingredients he understates. He'll say 2 tbsps oil and pour in a cup of oil! Or he'll say a tsp of salt and he'll add like a whole lot of it. Everytime we see him doing that and the way he relishes his own dishes at the end makes us roll over with laughter. Its one of our bonding times on Friday nights. 

While enjoying a particular bonding time last Friday, we chanced upon a delicious Simple Egg Curry which Riya was drooling over and requested me to cook that weekend. Using pressure cooker and cooking on high steam, the tomato curry base looked super delicious. So I attempted this Easy Indian Egg Curry over the weekend. It turned out quite yummy, I must say. My recipe below is adjusted for a smaller quantity.  

Ingredients (for 4 eggs)
2 tbsps canola oil
2 large onions, chopped finely
2 tsps ginger garlic paste
1 green chilli, sliced thinly
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsps coriander powder
Salt per your preference
2 extra large or 4 medium tomatoes, chopped small
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup water 

4 eggs

1 stalk of curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal

2 sprigs of coriander leaves, chopped roughly for garnish

Method
1) In a small pressure cooker, fry the onion, chilli slices and then the ginger garlic paste.
2) Then add in the spices and salt.
3) Continue cooking for a few minutes then add in the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Mix well and cook for a few more mins.
4) Cover the pressure cooker, put on the weight and let the cooker whistle. 5-6 whistles over a span of 10-15 mins on medium heat.
5) Boil the eggs in the meantime.
6) Switch off fire and let the pressure cooker cool. After 10 mins, open the pressure cooker. You will have a yummy tomato curry now. Taste for salt and season accordingly.
7) Make the tempering mix by frying the mustard seeds, urad dal and the curry leaves and pour this mix without the oil onto the curry. 
8) Add the eggs, mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.