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Food painting artwork

30 x 30cm acrylic and oil on paper. The paper is no ordinary paper, it is textured Hahnemuhle 300 gsm 100% alpha cellulose which is acid-free fibre of vegetable origin. 

This design is known as a kolam. These are drawn fresh every morning in front of each house in southern parts of India with a handheld stream of rice flour. Special events call for really elaborate designs. The designs are learned, usually based around a grid of dots, and handed down in families. There are variations galore.

By the way, all the food painting artwork is available to own in the Official Art Store.

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Aviyal - the vegetarian dinner recipe

Although this is a South Indian style curry, it could easily pass for a Thai green curry. Bizarre but true.

3 tablespoons desiccated coconut

3 cups stock

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 cloves garlic

1-2 green chillies, deseeded

1 cup coconut milk

6 curry leaves
6 1/2 cups mixed vegetables such as pumpkin, carrots, beans, capsicum, zucchini, cucumber, eggplant, all julienned

salt to taste

Put the cumin, garlic, chilli and desiccated coconut in a blender with a little of the stock and whizz until nice and smooth.
Put this paste along with the rest of the stock, coconut milk and curry leaves in a pot.
Add the veges one type at a time, beginning with those that take the longest to cook.
When all the veges are in the pot and cooked, simmer uncovered for five minutes.
Serve with rice.

Makes 4-6 serves.