Desi BBQ

This country down under is very famous for Barbecues (also called Barbie or BBQ) any time of the year and more so in the summer. Immigrants not wanting to be left behind have their own BBQs with their own set of people and I belong to the elite Indian BBQ Club! As the whole world knows India has a lot of flavours and varieties in food and extending this to the outdoor meal is another speciality.

So, come any long weekend and off we go with our mobile burners or if someone has a compact BBQ, then even better. The Ozzies normally only carry the bread and sausages, which they can cook on any BBQ in any park. But we being fussy vegetarians have to be very careful about where we cook our food, so I guess that explains the burners, but that’s not all, our packing includes a variety of vegetables – pickled and raw, sauces, cheeses, drinks and chips. Even thinking about it makes me feel full!

The munching starts once we have decided our BBQ location, starting with chips and drinks. The guys (BBQs are mainly intended for men to cook to give their wives a break from their routine, but in this generation I have hardly seen a man not share this daily chore, anyway nobody complains when the men volunteer to cook ;-) set up the burners / BBQs / stoves and mysteriously creeps in mouth watering Paneer Tikka. By the time it is grilled there is a long queue surrounding the chief chef waiting for a chance to taste the cheese cubes. It gets over in a jiffy and time comes for the Patties (We only like the Bird’s Eye – Bubble ‘n Squeak Veggie Patties, only because we have no other option) to get grilled.

Simultaneously the buns get toasted with some butter and are ready for the patties. Once the patties are cooked, we have mothers making a burger each for their children. The process of making a burger depends on individual’s taste. I usually like to taste a bit of everything, so let me explain mine. I first take the bottom side of the bun and put a lettuce leaf over it followed by some fried onions and fresh cut tomatoes. Then comes the yummy patty (which is good to eat by itself) and a slice of cheese. And then some canned veggies such as olives, jalapeños, roast capsicum. The burger is probably already overflowing. So, I take the other side of the bun and put some sauces – usually tomato and mayonnaise and unite the 2 sides before feeding my drooling mouth! Hmmm, needless to say, any effort (minimal really) that went into the preparation of the burger is well worth it for that glorious moment J