Aloo Tikki...and one of the many times I procrastinated on studying.

I really should be studying. 

This is ridiculous. Maybe my desk just doesn't have the right Feng-shui for Psychology. Or Biology. Or anything academia related really.

Ah well, since I'm being horribly unproductive there I just might be able to hammer out a post here. 

Aloo Tikki! Such a cheerful name, isn't it? Try saying it without smiling. Go on. I dare you. Can't do it? 

Told you.

I love these. I first had them when I went over to Mihir's house and his mum made them for us. She has since given me the recipe and I've started making them in Scotland. So simple, yet such a huge comfort food. They are very easy to make and even easier to eat. And everyone who has tried them, have loved them as well. One of my friend's housemates is especially enamored. She once told me that she just randomly starts thinking about them at odd hours of the night!

Aloo Tikki

- 2 large potatoes

- 2 and 1/2 Tbsp bread crumbs

- Chilli flakes

- LOTS of coriander, chopped finely (fresh, please)

- Salt

- Pepper

- Veggie oil

+ Peel the potatoes and cut them into little chunks. Boil until they're tender and a fork easily pierces one of the pieces.

+ Drain out as much water as you can then return the pot to the stove with the potatoes still in it. Stir the potatoes around a bit, you're doing this to make sure as much moisture as possible is gone.

+ Tip your potatoes into a bowl, and add everything except the veggie oil.

+ This bit is key. You're going to mash the potatoes, but you don;t want the mixture to be completely smooth. No potato ricers please. I grab the nearest wooden spoon and start stabbing at the bowl. You look a wee mental at first, but soon enough things will break down and start mixing together. Just remember, you want a mixture that will clump together, but you don't want a puree.

+ When your potato mixture is ready, start forming them into patties a heaped tablespoon at a time. Continue until all the mixture is used up.

+ Refrigerate the patties for at least an hour. Alternatively you could bung them in the freezer and fry them up later.

+ When you're ready to fry, heat up a centimeter of oil in your pan. Wait for it to heat up (I test this by dropping a coriander leaf in the oil. If it starts sizzling immediately, you're good to go) Drop the patties into the hot oil. Fry till golden brown on one side then flip and repeat.

+ Drain on paper towels, then garnish with lots more chopped coriander.

And you're done!

Deepavali on the Causeway... and the time I was a good little Indian girl.

So last week the Malaysian society had a joint event with the Singaporean society! We had a very, very, VERY, belated Deepavali pot luck.

There was SO much food OMG. The tables were just groaning under the weight of all the dishes everyone brought along. To put things in perspective? My friend Siti roasted a MASSIVE chicken. I really wish I had gotten a photo of it sitting on the table in all it's roasted glory. And Siti's roast chicken is the most amazing thing you will ever have the privileged to taste. I was an EXTREMELY happy camper. :p

In between all the eating, we set out a couple of things for people to do. There was the Rangoli station, where people could come and spread some sand to colour in our Uni crest.

I think it's safe to say they got really into it.

It's a beauty, isn't it? SO proud of all the people who pitched in!

For my bit, I wanted to contribute some sweets (cause let's face it, it's not Deepavali without sweets!) so I got Aishah to come over, and she, Elisa and I spent our Friday night making these beauties:

Kesari

(sweet polenta cooked in milk and ghee with cashews and raisins)

Gulab Jamun

(Mini doughnuts deep fried in ghee then soaked in a cardamom syrup)

Badam Burfi

(Almond fudge, spiced with cardamom)

The Kesari and Gulab Jamun were made from packets I brought from home. The Burfi though? I made that from scratch. It's a sweet I started making last year when I spent my first Deepavali in Scotland, and continued to make for my family when I got home. Please try making it. It is the SIMPLEST thing. The only catch is you'll have to keep stirring for 45 minutes. Make it a bonding thing! Make your friends and family help stir too! Tell them your collective labour love will make the sweets taste better! 

And let's get real, that's probably true :)

Badam Burfi

~ 300g Ground Almonds

~ 1 and 1/2 cups Milk

~ 1 cup water

~ 1/3 cup sugar

~ 400g Condensed Milk

~ 2tsp Ground Cardamom

~ 1/2 cup ghee

~ yellow food colouring

~chopped pistachios and cashews to garnish

+ Ghee up a 9x13 inch baking pan.

+ Mix the almonds, milk, water, sugar, condensed milk and cardamom in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir continuously over a low flame. You don't have to be vigorous about this, just keep the mixture moving so it doesn't stick.

+ You'll be stirring this for a LONG time. No joke. But it'll be fun! I promise. :)

+ After about 1/2 an hour of stirring the mixture would have reduced to quite a thick paste. It may even be spitting a little. (Please be careful. No kids or pets running around the kitchen, thank you) At this point, start stirring in the ghee a dollop at a time. Allow it to incorporate into the mixture before stirring in more.

+ Keep stirring. Make pouty faces at your significant other so they'll take over stirring.

+Seriously though, that's it. Just stir over a low flame until the paste is really thick. It should be coming away from the sides of the saucepan. To test if it's ready, wet your finger and touch the surface of the paste. If it doesn't stick, it's done.

+Spread into your greased baking tray and sprinkle with the chopped nuts*. Allow to cool. Cut into bite sized pieces (as you can guess, these are very, very rich). 

*I skipped the nuts and sprayed the surface with edible silver after it had cooled.

Enjoy!