We all love the flavours of Indian food, but why aren’t they as common in our cooking as soy sauce and tomato paste?
Welcome to Everything is Indian, a joyous and delicious journey where Justin Narayan invites you to take his family recipes and do what you want with them.
There are no rules, as long as it tastes great.
Drawing on his Fijian-Indian heritage and his multicultural upbringing, in Everything is Indian Justin shares over 90 recipes that are familiar, exciting and above all easy.
We’re talking roast potatoes taken to the next level with masala flavours, MasterChef-certified chicken curry tacos, the best pizza you could ever make at home and an insane cardamom-hit caramel slice.
Recipes include how-tos and time-saving hacks so you can get the maximum deliciousness out of your time in the kitchen.
Let’s get cooking …
OG Caramel Slice and a Barfi-Spiced Twist
Serves 6 -10
× Active time 25 minutes
× Total time 55 minutes + 4 hours setting
You go to the bakery, you get a caramel slice. You think it’s going to be good, but it rarely is. The ones that are good though – those super gooey, salty ones – they’re the best things in the bakery. Those caramel slices are what inspired this recipe.
For a few years, I made giant slabs of these and gave out little bits as Christmas gifts for friends and family. My favourite part was the extras I cut for myself. I roughly chopped them and stuck them in the freezer for future sneaky snacks. They’re absolutely ridiculous mixed through ice-cream.
BASE
200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
270 g (9½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
70 g (2½ oz) desiccated coconut
190 g (6¾ oz) soft brown sugar
CARAMEL
200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter
190 g (6¾ oz) soft brown sugar
2 × 395 g (13¾ oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
FOR OG, ADD:
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
½ teaspoon salt
FOR BARFI-SPICED, ADD:
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
¾ fresh nutmeg (3 g), finely grated
CHOCOLATE
200 g (7 oz) milk chocolate, chopped
150 g (5½ oz) dark chocolate, chopped
15 g (½ oz) unsalted butter
FOR BARFI-SPICED, ADD:
10 g (¼ oz) chopped toasted pistachio kernels
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray (I use a 24 × 34 cm/9½ × 13½ inch tray) with baking paper. (You can put a bit of butter between the paper and the tray to make sure it sticks and doesn’t move too much, if you like.) To make the base, mix the melted butter and vanilla in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients with a good pinch of salt. Mix in the butter mixture. Evenly distribute the mixture over the prepared tray (I find the back of a spoon works best) and bake until lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes.
OPTION 1: OG To make the caramel, get the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, whisk or stir constantly until it begins to bubble. Keep stirring for about 30–40 seconds, then, while continuing to whisk, add the condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Cook, still stirring, until the mixture becomes golden brown and begins to bubble. As soon as this happens, take off the heat, pour the mixture straight over the base and spread evenly. Put the tray back in the oven for a further 15 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool to room temperature.
OPTION 2: BARFI-SPICED Do the same as option 1, adding the vanilla, cardamom and nutmeg along with the condensed milk. Either use a microwave to melt all the chocolate ingredients and a pinch of salt (try 20-second bursts) or use a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and gradually heat until everything is melted. Pour on top of the caramel layer (the caramel should be cool before you do this). Sprinkle with pistachio if making the barfi-spiced version.
Let the three-layered sweet chill in the fridge until the chocolate is set, about 4 hours. Slice (see tip) and serve.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Justin Narayan’s Fijian-Indian heritage has shaped his passion for creating beautiful food and community around the table. While he grew up watching cooking shows on TV and admires Gaggan Anand and Gordon Ramsay, really it’s his mum, Sunita, who is hands down the best cook he knows.
He learned from her and his grandparents from age 13, and mealtimes with his family are among his favourite memories.
Justin won Australian MasterChef 2021, a journey which helped hone his skills and knowledge along with his love of marrying Indian flavours to modern cooking methods.
He is now making his food his career including cooking classes, takeaway tacos and upcoming restaurant ventures.
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