Helensburgh, NSW - Dosa, Roti and Vegetarian Curry





The Hindu Temple at Helensburgh, the Venkateswara, operates a totally vegetarian canteen on the side of the main building -and provides an opportunity to partake in a light brunch of a different sort. I am particularly fond of the crepes and pancakes, served piping hot and one dabs torn off pieces in light curries of dhall beans and other appetising concoctions. Most of the servings start at only five dollars, a far cry from prices asked at commercial outlets, and the monies collected are for charity under temple management.

The temple can be reached by taking a public bus from the centre of Helensburgh, which itself is connected to Sydney's Central Station. Breakfast and brunch are available from around 10am to 2pm on weekends. This temple has been built in the Dravidian or South Indian tradition, based on a complex in Andhra Pradesh, located in the hinterland outside the metropolis of Chennai (formerly Madras).








Helensburgh lies just outsidethe boundary between greater Sydney proper and the start of the NSW South Coast. It also lies onthe periphery of the Royal National Park and liesaround half an hour drive away on the freeway from Wollongong to its south.













Rotis, or chapatis (background in image above) are flatbreads which can be taken by themselves or stuffed with potatoes or lentils before they are cooked.

You can find a typical recipe on:



Dosas (foreground in image above) are lentil crepes. For further information on dosas, I recommend the following web link:


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vietnam - Some Souvenirs

Image
Vietnam is a prime exporter of agricultural products, like rice, rubber,coffee and pepper, but to individual visitors, what comes across remarkably are lacquered products , embroidery, pottery, silk fabrics, weaved craft, stone carvings, bamboo and rattan articles, ceramic, wooden contraptions and paintings.  This is a result of long established cultural traditions and a developing economy.  The majority of the current population is under 30 years old, laden with the enthusiasm, agility and promise of youth.  The centre of handicraft is still central Vietnam, with the hub around Hue and Hoi An. You can see many water colours offered by local artists in shops, markets and pavement stalls.  I was more fascinated by origami-like paper cuts which you can come across being sold by vendors all over the place.  Best of all are the hang lanterns, available in all sizes, which are made from varying qualities of Vietnamese silk fabric, the best of which are found in Hoi An.   Th
Read more

Aunty Gaik Lian's - Straits Chinese, Georgetown, Penang

Image
A simple but appetising egg omelette as starters. Gulai Ikan Tumis or sour and spicy fish curry. The previous long standing branch of jewellers B.P De Silva, almost at the corner of Bishop and Beach streets in the old quarter of Georgetown, has a few months ago been transformed into a hub of Straits Chinese cuisine. Straddling two shop lots, located in an evening quiet location but near to the banking district on  business days, Aunty Gaik Lian's provides a refreshing change to the Nyonya food landscape on Penang island.  I have always found that the best Straits Chinese food is found in homes in Penang, like what my Mum dishes out, and it has been exasperating to be really satisfied with commercial outlets in this cuisine.  The Penang variation of such Peranakan food tends to be more influenced by ingredients and cooking styles from Thailand and the Malayan peninsular , when compared to the Malacca version (with more of stronger Indonesian influences and the use of the
Read more

85 Degrees Bakery Cafe Hurstville NSW

Image
There are several outlets of this bakery cafe for several years now in Australia.  Did they coem from the USA? Each franchised outlet is in a busy area, often in suburbs so-called by a diverse Asian demographic.   The one in Hurstville is rather roomy and lots of baked stuff on its shelves.   The base of Sydney operations is in Chester Hill, a suburb south-west of the Sydney city centre. Some of the cake creations would be viewed as rather leaning on the East Asian dimension  - Strawberry Angel (with chocolate base and top) and Mango Cheese ( with yoghurt).   However, to counter this perspective, there are also Death by Chocolate, US Cheesecake, Coffee Brulee and Blueberry Marble options.     The pastries are definitely filled with ingredients more suited to perhaps  Anime loving fans and non-mainstream cultures - for example, garlic, pork, tuna, green tea, red bean, shallots, pork floss, coconut, Hokkaido butter cream and Boroh or pineapple buns.    Sung
Read more