The Rocket Society

August 8, 2026

 

   

 

A couple of years ago, the excellent Rumi moved to its third home, at East Brunswick Village. They also added on a neighbouring wine bar called The Rocket Society. The crowded high tables indoors and rigid furniture outdoors at the Rocket Society don't invite extensive lounging, but they're a handy spot for a fancy snack before or after a movie at FOMO, especially when the weather is good. That was precisely our purpose on this visit, before a session of The Invite.

 

   

 

This is a wine bar with a decently-sized snacks menu. Dietary features aren't marked and there's a fair bit of meat, particularly barbecued on sticks. Yet the snacks skip through flatbread and pita chips, falafels and fries, with dressed-up green beans, baby cos and sugarloaf cabbage for those determined to eat a vegetable - most people should be able to find something suitable to nibble on after consulting with the staff. 

For us, the fries ($12) were just fine and plenty filling, with the accompanying 'tahinnaisse' not making much of an impression. Labne balls were oily but good ($14), each rolled in a different spice mix, alongside also-oily-and-crisp pita chips. I became one of the vegetable seekers myself, going for the green beans braised with tomato, lemon and, yes, more olive oil ($12). This was a good time but not a balanced meal, and that's more on me than on The Rocket Society.

   

The most memorable consumable of our visit was a distinctive non-alcoholic drink, the sekanjabin ($10, pictured up top). It's a tall, ice-filled glass of soda flavoured with honey, vinegar and mint - so refreshing that we ordered a second round.  

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The Rocket Society has received positive reviews on Bureau of Eating & Drinking, and Mamma Knows North. 

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The Rocket Society

2 Village Ave, Brunswick East

9388 8255

food, drinks

https://www.therocketsociety.com.au/

 

Accessibility: There's a flat entry. Indoor tables are high with backless stools, outdoor tables are low with backed folding chairs, all are densely arranged. We ordered and paid at a high bar. We didn't visit the toilets.   

Billy van Creamy II

July 26, 2026

 

   

 

While we were in Brisbane, I was hit with a bolt of FOMO: my Brunswick favourites Billy van Creamy and Tofu Shoten announced a collaborative icecream sandwich! It was sold out before we returned home, but so popular that they made an encore batch a couple weeks later. I pounced! They also had a second icecream sandwich on offer, so I picked that up too, to share with Michael.

   

 

First, the Tofu Shoten one. Not only was it vegan, but gluten free as well! The cookie was thin, crisp and coconut-based. The icecream had a lovely creamy texture without need of dairy, but the subtlety of its vanilla-soy-yuzu flavour was lost on me. The star - the absolute clincher - for me was the sweet smear of pear jelly.  

 

   

The other more regular BVC sandwich was also vegan - a pair of more substantive chocolate cookies holding together hazelnut icecream, a layer of chocolate fudge, all rolled through chopped hazelnuts. It's a classic flavour combination done extremely well here, with the overall effect being pretty similar to their vegan Easter egg special. The flavour is full and rich, so it's one for most devoted chocolate lovers, or perhaps to share. (In my case, on this day, both.)

Billy van Creamy's icecream sandwiches and other specials aren't always super-obvious in store, but they're well worth paying attention to. I'd recommend keeping an eye on their social media and being bold enough to ask what's new when you're in for a visit.

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You can read about one of our previous visits to Billy van Creamy in Brunswick, and one in Fitzroy. 

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Billy Van Creamy

146 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

https://billyvancreamy.com.au/

 

Accessibility: There's a shallow ramp on entry. Low stools and benches line the walls and windows, and there's substantial open flat space in the centre of the room. We ordered and paid at a low counter. We didn't ask about the toilets. 

Green Refectory III

July 25, 2026

 

   

Green Refectory opened on Sydney Road in 2004 and it's been a long-running local favourite, dispensing meals, muffins, pastries and drinks at inflation-busting prices. The classic Green experience (milling around awkwardly at the crowded counter dealing with confusing throngs of people getting and waiting for takeaway, paying their bills and ordering) is happily no more - last year they expanded into the shop next door and the whole process is a lot smoother these days. 

Otherwise very little has changed - they're still doing the veggie stack I had 2008 ($9 in 2008, $16.50 in 2026), they've still got an array of gigantic muffins and the pie cabinet is still loaded up with goodies that are perfect to pick up early on your way out bird-watching (for example). We were glad to be back for our Cheap Eats 2006/2026 project, we'd not sat down for a meal together there since 2013.

 

   

The menu is up on a blackboard over the counter and you order there and then find a table. There are eggy breakfasts, a decent set of vegan options, heaps of sweet stuff and more cabinet options than you can imagine. I rehashed my 2013 order - scrambled tofu with mixed spices, pickled veggies, Mt Zero olives and mountain bread ($10 in 2013, $15 in 2026). The consistency of Green Refec is pretty incredible, this felt almost exactly the same as the dish I vaguely remembered from decades before - they've switched from green to kalamata olives, but otherwise this is the same solid vegan brekkie they've been serving forever. The mountain bread is fun to tear to pieces and pick up the warmly spiced tofu with and the pickles and olives add nice salt and tanginess to the whole arrangement.

   

Cindy couldn't go past a two course muffin meal, starting with a pumpkin, feta and sun-dried tomato option ($3.50 in 2008, $3 in 2013, $5 in 2026) and finishing with blueberry/pear ($2.80 in 2008, $4.50 in 2026). They are surely made using the same recipes they've been using since they opened. The savouries are quite eggy, while the sweet ones have a cakey texture - it's familiar, it's delicious and, if you turn up near closing time, it's incredibly cheap.

 

   

Coffees were good, service was friendly and efficient and the whole Green Refectory experience was probably as good as it's ever been for us. The expansion has really made dining in work better (plus they've finally started accepting card payments!). There's something very dated about the menu but, like The Galleon before it, there's nothing wrong with doing an old fashioned brekkie. Most weekends I'll be lured by the fancy offerings at one of Brunswick's endless trendy cafes, but it's a delight to know that the Green Refectory will always be there, offering up solid, affordable brekkies.

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You can read about one, two of our previous visits to the Green Refectory. Since 2013 there have been positive reviews from Whatever Floats Your Bloat, Mosaik Melbourne, frenchtoastandindiepop and Melbourne Vita, while Curious Charlie had a more mixed experience.

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The Green Refectory

115 Sydney Road, Brunswick

9387 1150 

menu

https://www.greenrefectory.net/

 

Accessibility: There's a small step up on entry. The interior is much more navigable than it used to be, but the dine-in side is still fairly densely packed with tables and backed chairs. You order and pay at a low counter.

Long Bánh Mi

July 18, 2026

 

   

 

Banh mi might now be the most ubiquitous lunch food available in our neighbourhood, perhaps even ahead of sushi. It's not hard to see why - it's a sandwich but probably better than what you'd make for yourself (unless...), it usually includes a tasty, marinated protein, bright pickles and herbs to keep things fresh, bursts of chilli, and a light roll. It need not leave you with post-lunch lethargy. 

 

I did not pay Long Bánh Mi a lot of attention when it opened up nearby in Brunswick - its initial distinguishing feature was boasting 10 inch rolls, and large portioning isn't my priority. I stopped in once in a pinch and found their one vegetarian option, a tofu banh mi, perfectly pleasant.

 

Then, somewhere along the line, they expanded their veg*n options! The menu now includes an explicitly vegan section, noting that vegan pate and Kewpie mayo are available, with five protein options: meat loaf, tofu/mushroom, BBQ charsiu, grilled chicken, and roasted duck. We went for chicken and duck ($15.80 each) and liked them very much - we should branch out to meat loaf and charsiu next.

 

   

 

To Michael's delight, there's also Vietnamese iced coffee ($6.50) ready to pour, though I believe it's dairy-based.

 

Long Bánh Mi seem to trial a few other dishes beyond their core menu, such as sandwiches and pho. On this visit it was a trio of bagels, including transfer of any of their banh mi fillings. These novelties aren't what will pull me back for more - I'm just hoping that the vegan menu proves to be a long-term fixture.

 

   

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Long Bánh Mi

112 Lygon St, Brunswick East

9499 2050

menu 

https://longbanhmi.com.au/

 

Accessibility: There's a shallow ramp on entry and a clear, flat passage through the centre of the shop. There are a small number of low tables with short, backless stools against the side wall and front window. We ordered, paid and picked up food at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets. 

Brisbane in winter 2026

July 16-17, 2026

 

   

 

Being in Brisbane is more about friends than food, but that doesn't mean we can't have both! Here are three meals that I pulled the camera out for this time around.

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We try to visit Alphabet Cafe for brunch whenever we're in West End. (Thanks to Tash for first sending us there!) Pretty much everything on the menu has a vegetarian option and many have vegan substitutes. Once I saw the words 'flaky cheddar buttermilk biscuit' I was hooked, arranging for pumpkin in lieu of ham ($28.10). They're teamed with scrambled eggs, avocado and pickled green tomatoes, and I spent a loooong time picking my way around this excellent plate. Michael was just as pleased and finished much faster with the chilli eggs ($27.10), a heaped plate of scrambled eggs, sprouting broccoli, roast pumpkin and grilled sourdough with house chilli oil and toasted sesame. I carefully selected a chocolate-chip cheesecake blondie to share for breakfast dessert - it tasted great but was a touch dense and dry - and we took home house-made jams for ourselves and our cat-sitter.

 

   

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We don't get to Bar Francine every year, but it's always a fun time when we do, and usually involves our friend Tash. (I will never forget the mushroom toasts from our first visit.) Somehow we ordered a lot of potatoes this time: as rosti topped with cultured cream cheese and capers (above right, $10 each), binding an artichoke croquette ($34), roasted with paprika and parmesan ($12), and then as straight-up chips ($12, all pictured below left). The staff took pity on our poor judgement and sent over a complimentary cucumber salad (usually $14, and much needed). For dessert we split an Earl grey pannacotta topped with rhubarb and honeycomb ($16), and a brulee carrot cake with cream cheese icing and brown butter ($18, both pictured below right).

 

   

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On a day that alternated with rain and bright sunshine, we did a circuit of the river by CityCat, through New Farm Park, and eventually on to the Valley. Vegan cafe Dicki's has been in New Farm for years, but this is the first time we've spotted it on Happy Cow and had the time to try it. It's small but bright and cheerful, with a menu full of the kind of wraps, toasties, salads and snacks that really appeal to me, many featuring mock meat plus both fresh ingredients and judicious condiments. (There's also a hint of Supreme Master about the place.) 

 

It takes a lot to steer me away from waffles (they had apple pie crumble and peanut butter & jelly versions!), yet what I really wanted was the Reef Burger ($24.50). This was fish of their own making - tofu with a beer batter that had great seasoning - sandwiched with tartare sauce, pickles and cos lettuce, then heaps of fries on the side. Michael happily demolished a brunch burrito ($23.50) stuffed with sausage, tofu scramble, spinach and hash brown, then helped me out with my fries. This is the kind of cafe that one need not move mountains to visit, but would easily become a regular favourite if it were in your neighbourhood.

 

   

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Though it's not been our neighbourhood for many years, these parts of Brisbane still feel a bit like home. It felt so nice to be back. 

Bundjalung Country

July 13-14, 2026

 

   

 

As we often do, we visited south-east Queensland mid-winter to catch up with family and friends (and see a bit of sun). This year we added a new adventure to the itinerary, hiring a car and heading south across Bundjalung Country for a few days. We wandered up hills, by the beach, and through towns; visited op shops, art galleries and a beach-side book fair; saw whales, elevated views across the landscape, and a pretty sunrise. And, of course, we ate - here's what we liked best. 

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Our first breakfast, at Woods, really set the tone for the 'wellness' angle on so much of the cafe food in the region. I caught myself dodging and weaving dishes containing Beauty Chef and mushroom powders but found more than enough to enjoy in the banana bread ($15, pictured below left), which was piled with miso maple butter, blueberries, and macadamia-coconut streusel. Michael was delighted by the Mexican Shakshuka ($28, pictured below right), with its base of braised black beans and poached eggs, layered with tomatillo salsa, chilli butter, fried curry leaves and a side of roti. Woods' outdoor seating was lovely, and I enjoyed browsing the surrounding Lumberyard Creative Precinct.

 

   

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As the special meal of the trip, Michael booked us a table at Byron Bay's all-vegan No Bones in advance. We visited on $20 carbonara night and were happy to work that into our meal - it was both the best savoury dish we ordered that night, and an all-time top-ranking vegan carbonara alongside Green Man's Arms' version. We ate heartily, with mushroom ragu ($38), dips, chat potatoes ($15) and Brussels sprouts on lemon cream ($17). For me, the other high point was the chocolate cremeux ($16), a scoop of chocolate ganache hollowed out to hold a gooey miso caramel, with a side of hazelnut praline. We took advantage of the original cocktail list too.

 

   

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Shelter was Michael's breakfast pick in Lennox Head, and a set of wide-open windows facing the beach established its relaxed and positive atmosphere. He loved the local avo toast ($22) covered in chilli crunch, with two poached eggs ($7), pickled onions and a herb salad. They were out of the porridge that I was eyeing off so I happily made do with crumpets and a juice.

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After hopping all along the coast, we finished the day back in Bangalow for a meal at Ciao, Mate!. The focaccia ($6, served with butter) and veg supreme pizza ($30) were on point, and the tiramisu ($17) was as big as a brick. They had their own distinct specials, too: a cute little brie custard tart ($20, pictured above left) crowned with endive, chervil and candied walnuts; and a fancy almond whey tart ($17, pictured below left) accompanied by spiced figs and Davidson plum.

 

   

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Byron Bay's Folk had a lovely, rambling garden setting but the weather kept us indoors. This menu swapped Woods' Beauty Chef powder for a house-blend nettle tea, hemp seeds and bee pollen, and held on to the reishi. Their chai-spiced buckwheat porridge special ($20+) was exactly what I needed, served with half a poached pear, labne, a generous streak of almond butter, crunchy buckwheat sprinklings, and a pink edible flower garnish to break up the brown. Michael made quick and messy work of the double egg roll ($19.50) - the standard cheddar, pickles and barbecue sauce added plenty of flavour and he wasn't inclined to add on avo, halloumi or mushies as the menu invited.

 

   

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We turned around, had a cute little moment (but no food) at the Murwillumbah Farmers' Market, and set off back towards Brisbane. Happily Izakaya Midori was right on our path and I steered Michael into the strip mall it inhabits for a vegan Japanese lunch. He was just as charmed as I was on my first visit: it's cordoned off and thoughtfully decorated to transport your senses well away from the Pacific Motorway, and the staff are just lovely. We both ordered from the slightly discounted lunch menu (a rice bowl and iced tea for $26.50): a saucy mock-chicken curry karaage for Michael, and a bright, vege-heavy mock-chicken karaage don for me.

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With that, we were refreshed and ready to return to our second home of Kurilpa/West End. This wasn't a food-first holiday, but it was definitely one of the joys of the trip. 

Galleon Cafe IV

June 27, 2026 

 

   

Well, the Galleon Cafe has endured in a way this blog can still only aspire to. Established in 1984, it's gone two decades longer, changed hands several times, escaped at least one impending closure, and most recently recovered from a neighbourhood fire... all the while being celebrated for its consistency.

I was immediately utterly charmed by it one our first visit, returned a good few times in those early Melbourne years, but trailed off as my inner-north inertia took hold. Now firmly in our middle age and with a Saturday morning free, we were up early enough to cross town for breakfast and still beat the queue! Once again, I was immediately awash with affection for the place - the laminex tables, the community pinboard, and the very vegetarian-friendly menu. (There are no dietary markings and it looks like markedly less for vegans: I spied mushrooms and avocado on pide, and scrambled tofu with mushrooms and spinach on toast.) Almost everything I noted in those early posts remained on the menu: no more bagels but, yes, three kinds of porridge, savoury scones, bubble'n'squeak ($10 in 2007, $17 in 2026), pikelets/pancakes with strawberries and lemon curd ($8.50 in 2008, $18.50 in 2026) and, of course, the dishes we returned to this day.

   

 

For Michael, it was the sweet potato, basil and feta hash ($11.50 in 2007, $18 in 2026), served with a poached egg, wilted spinach, and house made chutney. What once looked enormous on the plate was now arranged upon one side, but it still tasted good and was filling enough.

 

   

 

After umming and ahhing a good while, I went back to the rice pudding ($5.75 in 2008, $9.50 in 2026). It looked even tinier than Michael's meal (have we both grown since 2006?!) but proved to be exactly the right quantity and exactly what I'd wished for: creamy (almost custardy!), topped with plentiful toasted almonds, and concealing a sweet poached-rhubarb base. Just gorgeous.

 

   

 

While the staff remain youthful and energetic (and dressed in the Y2K retro fashions that could have me believing it really was 2006), the clientele seem to have aged along with us. Perhaps the Galleon Cafe is a nostalgia pick but this is still precisely the kind of breakfast and atmosphere I like best now in 2026.

 

   

 

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You can read about one, two, three of our previous visits to the Galleon Cafe. Here's a classic review on the breakfast blog from the same era. (Just barely) more recently, there are positive posts on Eat & Be Merry, The Chommery, KayB's Cakes, The Lazy Afternoon, Millie's Food Symposium and Tales of a Confectionist. 

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Galleon Cafe

9 Carlisle St, St Kilda  

9534 8934 

food, drinks 

instagram

 

Accessibility: There's a step up on entry. The interior is densely packed with regular-height tables and backed chairs. There is a high bench along the window with fixed backless stools. Outdoor seating is also densely arranged, of regular height with backed chairs and benches. There is one narrow unisex toilet. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter.

Patris

June 26, 2026 

 

   

 

Patris is an eastern Mediterranean restaurant that opened in Brunswick earlier this year, in a spot that we've known best as Lucy Lockett cafe, although it's been home to a few other businesses in the years we've lived close by. Patris offers just dinner, Thursday through Saturday, and it took us some months to plan ahead and book ourselves a table.

 

The indoor dining area has previously felt a little sparse and this crew have done the best job yet of creating a warm and homely atmosphere with pre-loved furniture, unique pictures on the walls, indoor plants, and a well-stocked bookcase. It's a welcome break from the white/grey/blonde wood cafe culture that pervades! 

 

   

 

The menu sets the restaurant's intentions up front - it's a celebration of the migrant and restaurant histories of its owners, drawing from sustainable, family-centred ingredients and practices, and named after the ship that transported the co-owner's mother from Lefkáda, Greece to Melbourne/Naarm in the 1960s. Dishes across the menu come in a range of sizes (including 3 meaty mains) and there are untranslated codes that I expect mark vegan and vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and pescatarian foods, with most dishes ticking off three-to-four of these features. There's a helpful glossary of ingredients tucked at the bottom, too.

 

It was a Friday and we were ready to start with a drink! Michael sampled the KEO pale lager ($12) from Cyprus, and I splashed out on a Hibiscus Sour mocktail ($18), which seemed to use aquafaba rather than egg white. 

 

   

 

To eat, we ordered broadly and enthusiastically across the menu. The Yíyantes ($20) arrived first, a vegan-friendly shallow dish of giant white runner beans cooked in tomato yiahní (slow cooked sauce). They were closely followed by zucchini and cabbage fritters ($18) with whipped féta and mint - one of Michael's highlights.

 

   

 

Later came the piláfi ($18), where the seasonal greens, sultanas and rice were barely visible beneath a cloak of flaked almonds and a sprinkling of rose petals. Another favourite was the puffy Ladénia ($16), a house-made bread topped with caramelised tomato and onion. 

 

   

 

Even richer foods were still to come! We had to have the roasted lemon potatoes ($16), and I most enjoyed alternating the grilled haloúmi and commandaría poached figs ($18) with the piláfi.

 

   

 

Honestly, we were full, but I found the dessert menu irresistible. We agreed that the tahini brownie would have to wait for another day so that we could try the completely new-to-us Ekmék Kataîfi ($16). It was impeccably piped and garnished with rose petals and crushed pistachios, and we had to dig deep beneath the cream and custard layers to reach the sweet shredded pastry. The overall effect was a bit too creamy for us both after such a feast, but we were glad we'd tried it and grateful for the care with which it was made.

   

 

As vegetarians, there was more than enough to enjoy in the Patris menu; vegans would have a pleasant but less varied time with the beans, bread and side dishes (and probably seek dessert elsewhere). The staff were welcoming, and it's just lovely to see a new local restaurant with a sense of self that runs so much deeper than social media branding.

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Patris 

140 Barkly St, Brunswick

menu 

https://www.patris.au/

 

Accessibility: Patris has a flat entry and clear corridor through the middle. Regular-height tables and backed chairs are arranged somewhat densely. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets this time, but back in Lucy Lockett days it was unisex with a big cubicle and a change table, though access required negotiating a small flight of steps.

Gujju's Cafe & Chaat House

Sadly between our visit in June and this post getting written, it seems Gujju's has permanently closed. 20+ years still a very impressive innings.

June 13, 2026

 

   

Unfortunately, since we visited in June it seems as though Gujju's has closed down. It was a real gem, offering something different and this visit had me excited to go back and try more of the menu. Alas. This post is now just a record of how they were travelling in 2026.

Our Cheap Eats 2006/2026 project has us acting like we did when we first moved to Melbourne, heading out to far-flung suburbs to visit restaurants instead of just wandering around a narrow Brunswick/Northcote radius. This week it was time to revisit Gujju's Cafe and Chaat House in Malvern. We first visited back in 2008, and Cindy revisited a few years later - both visits were huge successes, with the Gujarati menu offering something pretty different to the standard suburban Indian restaurant we were most familiar with. We invited friend-of-the-blog Hayley to join us and see how things looked a few years down the road. 

More than a decade since our last visit, Gujju's seemed to be still going strong, offering an impressive range of chaat dishes, a few Indo-Chinese dishes and the thalis that won me over so completely 18 years ago. The vibes are pretty basic - paper tablecloths and slightly harsh lighting - but we were there for food not vibes.

Cindy and Hayley split some chaat plates and left me to my thali. They started with a serve of Mumbai sev puri ($12.90), a spicy mix of chutneys, yoghurt, veggies and tiny little crispy noodles. 

 

   

They added in a gobi manchurian ($15.90) from the Indo-Chinese menu as well. This is a plate of crispy cauliflower just bursting with flavours - chilli, ginger, green onions and soy sauce combine to make the cauliflower florets basically irresistable. 

   

   

The final dish was a Hyderabadi tikki chaat ($12.90), a base of deep-fried potato, topped with yoghurt and chutneys and little chickpea flour balls (boondi). The flavour of this wasn't wildly different to the first dish, with the yoghurt and tangy chutneys doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but there was some fun textural variation. The chaats were $8-10 when Cindy visited in 2013, so prices have stayed pretty reasonable given the inflation of the past decade.

   

I had the Gujarati thali ($21.90), which comes with rice, roti, a dal soup and another beany dish (kathol), a veggie curry (undhiyu), a potato-y curry, some sort of cabbage pickle, a chilli pickle, a glass of buttermilk and a slightly disturbing looking pink dessert. 

   

The prices have gone up since 2008, but only by $5, and the range of quantity of food is still very, very impressive. None of the curries were especially spicy, but they all had their own flavours and textures and it was a lot of fun to sample them all with my breads and rice. The dessert wasn't as sickly sweet as it looked, more yoghurty than creamy, but it wasn't really a huge highlight. 

Gujju's was a pretty functional experience, the staff were efficient and the fit-out was pretty simple, but the menu was fantastic: all vegetarian, all delicious and with lots of stuff you won't get at your local Indian. It was definitely worth the trip! Fantastic that an unassuming place like this thrives for more than 20 years. 

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Read about our earlier visits to Gujju's here and here. Since we last visited, Gujju's received a rave review on UrbanDuniya.

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Gujju's Cafe & Chaat House
1/141 Waverley Road, Malvern East

9571 1188

appetisers; chaat & Indo Chinese; dessert & drinks; thali, extras & tiffins 

 

Accessibility: Gujju's had several steps down from the entry to most of the seating. Tables and backed chairs were regular height and spaced densely throughout the restaurant. We ordered at our table and paid at a high counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Ela Ada

May 23, 2026

 

   

 

When we agreed to the potluck theme of 'dumplings of the world' with friends, we were sharing pics and thinking up dishes for weeks in advance. As usual I wanted to make something sweet, and this time something especially cosy for winter. The dilemma was that for me this objective brings up puffy, cakey, flour-based recipes like custard-filled bao and European doughs stuffed with berries... yet I was mindful that there'd be at least one gluten-free guest. 

 

Mochi can be gluten-free, but I don't think of it as a winter warmer, and I could see myself getting stressed out while making it. The better alternative was the completely new-to-me ela ada. Originating around Kerala, it's also a rice-based dough, stuffed with something sweet (often jaggery-sweetened coconut) and steamed in a banana leaf. 

 

   

 

I bought frozen coconut from an Indian grocer (and probably could have just used dessicated, in the absence of fresh). The minimum quantity of jaggery available was upwards of a kilo, so I decided to make do with the palm sugar blocks I had at home. I found frozen banana leaves at Lunar Mart and spent quite some time washing them carefully.

 

Preparation took care but progressed nicely: kneading a smooth rice flour dough, frying together the coconut and sugar with a little cardamom. Then the most challenging part! Applying a little coconut oil to a banana leaf rectangle, rolling and pressing flat a circle of dough using wet hands, spooning in some filling and then firmly pressing the banana leaf in half to seal up the semi-circular dumpling. I arranged all the parcels in my steamer and hoped for the best, giving them a second steam to reheat once we were ready for dessert on the night.  

 

   

My ela ada weren't beauties but they were successful - a little chewy, with caramel sweetness, and plenty of warmth. They didn't always tear easily away from their banana leaf wrapping. I'm so glad I got to know them and could share them with friends.

 

 

 

Ela Ada 

(slightly adapted from a recipe on The Tastes of India) 

 

filling

1 teaspoon ghee, coconut oil or margarine

2/3 cup grated jaggery (I used palm sugar)

1 cup grated coconut

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

 

dough

1 cup fine rice flour  

1 cup water

1 teaspoon ghee, coconut oil or margarine

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

banana leaves, washed 

extra ghee, coconut oil or margarine 

 

 

For the dough, lightly roast the rice flour in a frypan, and transfer it to a heat-proof mixing bowl. Boil the water, stir in the ghee/oil/margarine, and pour the liquid over the rice flour. Stir it together to form a dough. When the dough is cool enough to handle, knead it until it's as smooth as possible. Set the dough aside.

 

For the filling, melt the ghee/oil/margarine in a frypan and stir through the coconut. Add the jaggery and stir until it melts. Sprinkle over the cardamom, and turn off the heat. 

 

If the banana leaves are brittle, hold them over an open flame until they become pliable. Cut the leaves into medium-sized squares and lightly grease them with ghee/coconut oil/margarine.

 

Pick up 1/4 cup of the dough and flatten it out into a circle on a banana leaf, using wet hands. Place a generous spoonful of coconut mixture in a semi-circle on the dough circle, leaving a outside border of 1 cm without filling. Use the banana leaf to fold the dough into a semi-circle and seal the edges together and encase the coconut filling. Repeat with the remaining banana leaves, dough and filling.

 

Steam the parcels for 10-12 minutes. Peel off the banana leaf and serve warm.