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HungreeLee, Toronto, ON (2025)

04/21/2025

Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Easter!

1. Easter Plate 🐣✨️
2. Made Goan Pulao for the first time! Just look at those fluffy grains 😍
3. Delicious Sorpotel from .toronto🌶
4. Honey Garlic Pork Ribs, sticky and melt in your mouth 🤤
5. Beef Chaplee Kebabs 🥩
6. Goan Cucumber Salad, the perfect refreshing addition to an indulgent meal.
7. Some non-alcoholic sparkling juices 🥂
8. Fresh Chocolate Chip Cookies baked by my sister for Dessert 🍪
9. And our favourite Rasmalai 🥛

Hoping you all had a fabulous long weekend ❤️✨️

✝️

04/13/2025

HungreeLee, the Action figure!🔥

She comes with essential accessories including a plate of Chicken Biriyani, Baby Mango Tree, a Map of Goa and ofcourse a Guitar!

This is such an adorable and fun trend, so I had to have Chatgpt make a couple of different options.

Vote for your favourite one below!

04/09/2025

In celebration of , has some themed Happy Meals and Combos, so ofcourse the Gomes siblings had to sample everything 🤣

The happy meals were as fun and satisfying as usual (the last slide being proof), with 4 Chicken McNuggets, a small pack of Fries, Yoghurt Tube, bottle of Chocolate Milk and a Toy.

And I got a 10-piece of the McNuggets which were crispy and addictive as usual.

Now, for the Flame Sauce...

I'm always skeptical when brands advertise fast food items as being 'spicy', because it's typically underwhelming.

However, this Flame sauce did not come to play! With a good amount of heat, and base notes of vinegar and chilli, the Flame sauce is a great sour-spicy accompaniment to the savoury and crisp nuggets.

Pleasantly surprised🌶🌶🌶

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04/07/2025

Goan Style Fried Eggplant 🍆💥

I love sharing with you all, the delicious and comforting new and old recipes that I whip up in the kitchen. However, not every single one is a hit!

This was my first time making these Goan Style Fried Eggplants and unfortunately I found the entire process to be mildly tedious, messy and the final result underwhelming.

So here is the recipe and my reflections on ways I will be making it differently next time:

1. Wash the Eggplant well and slice into thin discs (use a sharp knife to keep them uniform, and don't cut them too thick or too thin).

2. In a bowl mix together water and salt, and toss the Eggplant rings into the bowl. This is to avoid discoloration/browning.

3. Next, season some All Purpose Flour with Salt and Pepper.

4. In a separate bowl whisk together 2-3 Eggs and season with Salt, Pepper and a little Turmeric powder.

5. Dredge the Eggplants in the dry flour first, then egg mixture and finally in the flour again to create a thin even coating.

6. Shallow Fry in oil on Medium-Low heat until the outside is golden brown and crispy.

Things I would change for next time:

- After the salting process, dry the Eggplant rings and marinate them in Salt, Pepper, Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder and some Tamarind Paste/Juice.

- Season the Flour and Eggs more generously.

- Dip the Eggplant discs into the flour, eggs and then just place the disc into the flour again and shake the bowl around to coat. Flip and repeat. This ensures a more even coating, and stops all the flour and egg from clumping onto your fingers.

- I tried airfrying one batch, and the end result was crispy but dry, and with a very floury texture and flavour- So I do NOT recommend.

Overall, it was a decent veggie side dish that I hope will taste much more exciting the next time I make it!

04/03/2025

Leeanne's Spaghetti and Meatballs 🍝

1: Dice 2 small onions finely & fry in a generous glug of olive oil on low heat. Then add in 6 finely chopped cloves of garlic. When everything browns, add in your preferred amount of red chilli flakes. Cool down this mixture.

2: Take 3 slices of white/leftover bread (with the crust on) & cut into cubes. Pour in enough milk so that all the bread is just submerged. This will act as a binder & tenderizer for the meatballs.

3: To a packet of medium ground beef add in salt, pepper, a little red chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, a handful of freshly chopped parsley, the cooled onion-garlic mixture, your soggy milk soaked bread, & a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Mix everything together until well combined.

4: Fry a small amount of the meat mixture. Taste this to make sure everything is seasoned to your liking. If it's lacking, add more garlic, spices, salt & parmesan to the meatball mix.

5: Shape the meatballs evenly in your hands & place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

6: Bake at 370°F. Halfway through cooking, drain all the meat juices/oil into a bowl (we will use this for the sauce). Bake until the meatballs brown in their own oil. Be sure not to overcook them since they will also get simmered in the sauce.

7: In a large pot use the oil from the collected meatball liquid to fry some sliced onions, a diced green pepper & 2 green chilies (adjust to your spice preference). Once everything browns, add in salt, pepper, a bayleaf, italian seasoning, dried oregano, garlic powder, paprika, ketchup & Maggi hot and sweet sauce.

8: Once the spices are fragrant, add in two whole jars of your favourite pasta sauce. I used the Italian Sausage, Peppers and Onions Pasta Sauce. Add in a few cups of water & the meat liquid. Let it all boil for a while.

9: Add your cooked meatballs to the sauce & simmer on low.

10: Boil an entire box of spaghetti until al dente/80% cooked. Salt your water!

11: Add your boiled pasta to the sauce and meatballs.

12: Serve and Garnish with parmesan cheese and some parsley!

03/27/2025

MYMY Chicken 🐔

Anyone that's ever met me can attest to my love for going to the mall. But Scarborough Town Centre is truly one of my happy places. Therefore, when my family and I spotted the brand new addition of .canada to the STC foodcourt, we had to sample the menu!

Serving delicious Korean flavours at great prices here's my review of some of their offerings:

2. Korean-Style Corn Dogs (Half Mozzarella and Half Beef Sausage): At $7 each, these corndogs are crispy, light and so delicious.

3. Bulgogi Cup Bap- $15: The rice, perfectly seasoned beef, glass noodles, kimchi and veggies were delicious and so filling. 3 of us shared this portion and were quite content!

4.Korean Style Chicken Wings in Honey Garlic Sauce with Fries- $15: The chicken wings were delicious, with a perfectly light and crispy batter. But most importantly the fries were fresh, and the honey garlic sauce was yummy! I will definitely be trying the other flavours of Korean Fried Chicken and Wings soon!

5. Rose Ttoekbokki- $11: Althought comforting and a good portion size, the Rose Ttoekbokki sauce tasted too much like watered down KD Mac and Cheese sauce for my liking. They also offer a regular spicy version which I would love to try.

6. My little brother having a go at the selfserve sauce station. Being able to customize your own desired flavours is awesome. We went with Spicy Mayo and Teriyaki Sauce for both corn dogs and it was delicious!

Final Rating: 8/10 🔥

Wonderful service, delicious food and great prices!

03/09/2025

Happy Birthday Papa 🥳👨🏽🎊

The first birthday of the year in our family, yesterday was filled with music, tears, laughter and delicious food!

The highlight of the night was getting to see the at . We truly got to experience the performance of a lifetime. The cast are undoubtedly some of the finest performers in the world with stratosphere level talent. The last performance in the city is next Sunday so if you can, I would 1000% recommend getting your tickets ASAP!

We ended the night at our comfort spot for a 12am steak dinner 🤣

Drop a Happy Birthday for my Papa in the comments and have a restful Sunday ❤️❤️

03/07/2025

A Realistic Friday Lunch Plate🔥

It's a suprise that this food page hasn't become a shrine to my favourite foods in the world: Mutton Biriyani and Tandoori Chicken. Also pictured is some yummy Paneer Tikka Masala, Mint Yoghurt Chutney and fresh red onion. I washed this perfect meal down with some homemade limbu soda🍹

Not pictured are the classic accompaniments of Butter Garlic Naan and Raita.

This perfect Friday afternoon lunch is my family's usual takeout order from . Fluffy spiced rice, moist and fatty chunks of mutton, spicy juicy chicken, slightly sweet tomato gravy with pillowy paneer, and ofcourse the freshness of the chutney and onions. Just heavenly!

Signing off to slip into a post-feast siesta.
Have a fantastic weekend ❤️

03/06/2025

Spicy Stir-Fried Shrimp Udon 🍤 🍜

For a quick afterschool lunch today on Ash Wednesday, my siblings were craving noodles. So instead of going to a local takeout spot, we headed straight to our and picked up two packs of frozen shrimp, frozen veggie medley, stir-fry sauce, and a 5-pack of frozen udon noodles all for $30. This recipe made about 6 servings in total, meaning that the meal costed about $5 per person!!!

1. Final Plate (Isn't she gorgeous?!)
2. De-shell shrimp and marinate with salt, white pepper, garlic powder, ginger powder, kashmiri chili powder, white vinegar and chili-garlic sauce/paste.
3. Boil the Udon noodles for 2-3 minutes.
4. Drain the noodles and rinse thoroughly under cold water (this stops them from overcooking and clumping).
5. Fry the marinated shrimp in olive oil.
6. Take out the 80% cooked shrimp, and continue frying/cooking down the marinade.
7. Cut Green Chillies and Garlic.
8. Add to the pan.
9. I chose the Asian Style vegetable blend for the stir-fry (mostly because I love baby corn).
10. Rinse these veggies and add to the pan.
11. Kikkoman Stir-Fry Sauce.
12. Add the Shrimp and Stir-Fry sauce to the pan.
13. Add in some Sweet Chili Pepper Sauce (the bottle is empty because we love this one). During this step I tasted the sauce and added in some salt, brown sugar and honey.
14. Add in the semi-cooked udon noodles.
15. Cook everything together on low heat (don't overcook it or the veggies won't stay slightly crisp).
16. Cook to your desired noodle done-ness and enjoy!

02/15/2025

Valentine's Day 2025 💜💙💚💛🧡❤️💖

Sweet Treats, Galentine's with my loveliest girls, and a holiday where giving and receiving flowers is key!

Hope you all had a lovely and warm Valentine's Day 🫶🏼

02/10/2025

100th Instagram Post and 250+ Followers Milestone! 🎉🎉🎉

A nod to my roots and comfort on a plate, it's only fitting that this celebration post be a photo of one of my favourite Goan comfort meals cooked by my Mama!

Basmati Rice, Goan Prawn and Mango Curry, Fried Fish, Feijoada, and Bhindi Bhaji.

While continental/international recipes are often at the forefront of this page, at the end of the day, it's these recipes that Goan parents and grandparents have whipped up for generations that I aspire to learn and master. Indeed, it is a work in progress.

Thank you all for your love, support, and encouragement on this outlet for my creativity, passion for storytelling, and love for all things food.

With all my Love,
Leeanne (Hungreelee)❤️

01/28/2025

Jack Astors 🍻🌮

Sometimes, my perfect Saturday night looks like a table full of appetizers, drinks, and a long conversation with a beloved friend.

Although an essential part of the Scarborough teenager existence, the last time I went to Jack Astors was probably 5 years ago! So, the electric atmosphere, cozy lighting, and bumping DJ music made the restaurant the perfect place to share a meal over loads of laughs.

Since bistro food is what's offered, the fish tacos and nachos were nothing to write home about. But the Lobster Crab Dip was delicious! Cheesy, creamy, and accompanied by nacho chips and pita triangles, this was comfort on a plate, especially on a cold wintery evening. The Chocolate Malted Brownies with ice cream was the perfect serving size for sharing, and the crushed malted chocolates added a lovely crunch.

My friend 'Jacked up' her fishbowl cocktail and thoroughly enjoyed it. And I found the Strawberry Passion Soda so refreshing and delicious that I had 2!

Overall, although the meal was on the pricey side, at about $50 per person, the excellent service, lively atmosphere, and shareable food with something to satisfy everyone's palate is a Scarborough favourite for good reason 🤌🏽🎉

Overall Rating: 7.9/10

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01/21/2025

Midnight Cookie 🍪💗

After a fantastic dinner with a friend, we headed around the corner to grab some dessert from .to 🙌🏽

Now, my expectations for a great cookie are specific, so whenever anyone I know suggests a place, I'm often skeptical. They need to be fresh, warm, chewy in the center, crisp at the edges, not too sweet, not too buttery/oily (to the point where my finger are glistening 🤣) and have a good cookie to topping/filling ratio.

So, having had too many a cakey or mediocre cookie, these looked super promising just by their size, shape, and gorgeous colour. I got a box of 8 to taste most of the flavours, and they were super delicious! Albeit a little pricey at $29 for a box of 8 (which comes to $3.60 each), my family and I agree that these were definitely worth it!

The flavours we tried were Cookies N Cream, Blueberry Crumble, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, 2 Kinder, Toffee, Chocolate Chunk, and White Chocolate Sprinkle. They were the perfect texture, pretty large and, most importantly, wonderfully sweet. I practically ate 2 and didn't feel like my teeth were going to fall out!

The employee was also so patient and helpful, and from the moment you walk in to when you leave, the intoxicating smell of fresh cookies is to die for. I'll definitely be back to try their chocolate soft serve and other seasonal flavours.

Overall Rating: 8.8/10 🔥💪🏽

01/19/2025

BIRIYANI BUILDING- EPISODE 2
Homemade Biriyani Masala 🙌🏽🤌🏽

Biriyani is undoubtedly my favourite food in the entire world and has been in this top spot since I was very young. Spiced Meat, Rice, and Potatoes with smoky and complex flavours from Birista (Fried Onions) and fresh herbs like Corriander and Mint, what's not to love?! It's hearty, laden with masala and an explosion of flavours and textures. Safe to say, I've eaten hundreds of biriyanis in my lifetime from across the globe and have made it innumerable times as well.

However, every restaurant, family, and region makes this dish differently. So, I'm going to chronicle my experiences with different biriyani making or 'building' techniques and methods to continue to learn, evolve, and tweak my recipes and passion for all things Biriyani!

Last night I used .kitchen recipe for Homemade Biriyani Masala since my family no longer enjoys the boxed/pre-made masalas. Although I was missing a couple of whole spices, it still came out awesomely fragrant and delicious. For next time, though, I'll probably add a little less cardamom and cloves.

Additionally, although always deep/shallow fried, I made my birista (fried onions) in the airfryer yesterday 🤣🤣 They were crispy in a more dehydrated way, and lacked the more even browning and sweetness that is essential to a biriyani. It was a fun experiment, but it likely isn't a technique I'd use again.

Overall Rating: 7.8/10

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01/13/2025

First Time 🐟🛒🇵🇭

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to have lunch with my darling friend and her family at one of their favourite Filipino Foodcourt, which doubles as a massive supermarket.

I had such a brilliant time that I barely took any photos or videos, but a future Reel is imminent.

This lunch had many firsts, including trying Pancit, refreshing Calamansi Juice, Turon, and Grilled Bangus (Milkfish, which my friend told me was also the national fish of the Philippines). But also, enjoying some familiar favourites like Chicken Adobo, Pork BBQ Skewers, and piping hot and pillowy soft Pandesal right out of the oven.

My friend also got me this beautiful and delicious Ube Loaf. With ribbons of Ube Halaya running throughout, this sweet, light, and fluffy loaf is perfect for breakfast or just snacking.

So excited to head back and try more delicious dishes 🎉🔥🫶🏼

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01/02/2025

Wing Night! And my first time using the new Airfryer! 🔥🍗

For Christmas, my sister gifted me a airfryer. After hearing family, friends and loads of you, my internet family, rave about how much y'all love your Airfryers, I'll be honest that I was skeptical of whether it would live up to the hype.

But we finally broke it in yesterday since my siblings requested Wings with Carrots and Celery to celebrate the first day of the new year.

So I made Soy-Garlic Chicken Wings, Harissa-Honey Chicken Wings (the obvious winner flavourwise), Crispy Green Beans (I accidentally oversalted them 🥴) and Homemade Ranch with Carrots and Celery.

Each airfried batch of wings took between 15-18 minutes, and they were cooked perfectly, with the skin and fat perfectly rendered and crisp, boasting a delightful crunch overall!

✨

12/25/2024

Wishing you and your family a Christmas as sweet as ours!🍬🎄✨️

Goans are famed for Christmas tables laden with Kuswar each year. And the best part, their main purpose is to be shared and exchanged! We bought all our beautiful sweets from local Goan businesswomen here in Toronto who toil annually to make tantalizing confectionaries.

Pictured are:

2. Bolinhas- Cookies made with Semolina and Coconut.

3. Neureos- Sweet crispy dumplings stuffed with coconut, sugar, poppy seeds, cardamom, and almonds.

4. Marzipan- Sweetened and cooked Cashew/Almond Dough.

5. Walnut Fudge

6. Assorted Chocolate Platter- Ouro Branco (Brazilian Chocolate), Turtles, Merci, and Ferrero Rocher.

7. Kulkuls- Deepfried and crunchy pastry bites.

8. Marzipan (because they are both beautiful and so delicious!)

Sending you and your family all of my love this holiday season ❤️

12/23/2024

Quick Deconstructed Biriyani🌶🍚🍗

Although this may be a mildly controversial post, stick with me.
Making homemade Biriyani is a labour of love. Accounting for the time it takes for the meat to marinate and all the additional prep and cooking, it takes a solid 4-6 hours to make a fragrant and delicious large batch of biriyani.
So for Sunday dinner last night, I had 2 hours to cook something wholesome and delicious and decided to try something new.

I whipped up the biriyani Marinade in my glass baking tray (Yoghurt, Ginger Garlic Paste, Salt, Lemon Juice, Shan Bombay Biriyani Masala, Pepper, Garlic Powder and Kasuri Methi). Then I added in my skinned Chicken Drumsticks and largely cubed potatoes. This went into the oven at 370°F for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

For the rice, I wanted that classic Biriyani smell and flavour without any additional oil. So I threw in 3 whole green chilies, cumin seeds, half a star Anise, 1 inch of cinammon, a teaspoon of dried mint, a bay leaf, salt and 3 Cardamom pods to flavour the boiling water for the Long Grain Basmati Rice.

I also made some cooling Raita and voila! Avoiding the layering process didn't compromise on the flavour, thankfully. And you could go the extra mile and make some fried onions (birista), but I skipped it this time.

Give me your thoughts in the comment section. And if you have any great Biriyani making tips, I'd love to hear them 🥰🙏🏽

HungreeLee