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Friday, March 30, 2007

Sun-dried or Fresh?

Tomatoes taste wonderful either way!

Tapas was on my mind when I thought of making something with fresh plump, juicy tomatoes for the Jihva for Tomatoes event hosted by RP at My Workshop.

But then, I couldn't turn my back on the versatile, aromatic, rich Sun Dried Tomatoes.

So I decided to make one dish with each: Tomate Rellenos with fresh bright tomatoes, and Thakkali Thokku with sun dried tomatoes.

Tomate Rellenos





Ingredients
2 eggs
¼ cup steamed corn kernels
¼ cup queso panela, crumbled (or queso fresco, or grated cheddar)
¼ medium onion diced finely
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
cilantro for garnish

4-6 small to medium plump and firm tomatoes

1 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 tsp Tabasco™ sauce (optional)

Preparation

cut the top off the tomatoes, scoop out the insides carefully, salt it a little, and leave it upside down on a colander or paper towel to drain for about 10 minutes while getting the stuffing ready

beat the eggs with the rest of the ingredients and keep handy

get the oven heated to 400°F, and keep a baking dish handy to arrange the tomatoes in

allow the liquid in the tomatoes to drain away as much as possible and pat dry tomatoes, and arrange them in the baking dish so they will stand up straight - slicing a very thin part of the bottom helps, taking care not to cut off too much:-)

pour the egg mixture into each tomato and bake in the 400°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, turning the baking dish around mid-way, if needed, till the eggs set well and are cooked through; off heat, allow to cool a little

add a splash of lemon juice mixed with Tabasco™ sauce and serve warm

Small to medium-small tomatoes that can be eaten in one generous bite are perfect for this.

Stuffing can be adjusted to taste - leave out the eggs, add some potatoes or wild rice as in stuffed acorn squash recipe.

Next up is my favorite spread made with sun dried tomatoes.

Thakkali Thokku: Sun dried Tomato Spread




Ingredients:
8-10 Sun dried tomatoes (preferably, not packed in oil)
3 Dried pasilla chilies
1 diced fresh tomato, a few dry thai dragon chilies for extra bite (optional), salt to taste
a few tablespoons oil



Preparation

soak the sun dried tomatoes and pasilla chilies in hot water for about 10 minutes to reconstitute them; drain and coarsely chop them

combine the reconstituted tomatoes and pasilla with the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend to a smooth paste

heat the oil in a pan, add the blended paste and sauté till well blended; adjust salt to taste

Allow to cool completely and refrigerate in an air tight container. This keeps well for up to a month in the fridge.

What to do with this Thakkali Thokku ?
  • Mix equal portions of this Thakkali Thokku with cream cheese to make a yummy spread for sandwiches and pita pockets
  • Beat equal portions of Thakkali Thokku and Yogurt to make a delicious dip for chips
  • Stir some of this Thakkali Thokku into some hot basmati rice with some ghee, and enjoy!

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Thursday, March 29, 2007

Mole Sauce


Mole (mo-lay) is a spicy, rich, dark-ish chocolate sauce that I got introduced to only a few years ago.

Mole, apparently, is derived from the Aztec word Molli, which means sauce or stew. Oaxaca (we-hä-ka), in southeastern Mexico, is where this sauce is supposed to have originated. Apparently seven distinguishable varieties of Moles are prepared in Oaxaca to this day.

The sauce has a blend of dry chilies, onion, garlic and some toasted pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds.

But, the special ingredient that makes the sauce is cocoa powder.

easy recipe mole sauce molli mexican spicy

And Cocoa is the ingredient I would like to write about in this post for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen. (Kalyn hosts only on the first Sunday of the month... Anh at Food Lover's Journey is hosting it next week Apr 2nd through Apr 8th)
Cocoa is the dried and partially fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made. "Cocoa" can often also refer to cocoa powder, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa solids. --Wikipedia
Some facts gleaned from browsing around:
  • The Aztecs apparently regarded cacao as being of divine origin ('Theobroma' means 'food of the gods'). Chocolate is derived from Theobroma cacao tree and dates back a few thousand years.
  • Cocoa ( Theobroma cacao L. ) is a native of Amazon region of South America. The bulk of it is produced in the tropical areas of the African continent. There are over 20 species in the genus but the cocoa tree Theobroma cacao is the only one cultivated widely.
  • The cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) produces over 150 different chemicals in its leaves, fruit, seeds and bark. Medicinal use of the cocoa plant dates back thousands of years to the Olmec, Mayan and Aztec civilizations: Anxiety, fever, fatigue and coughs were all treated with preparations made from parts of the cocoa plant.
  • Cocoa Pods grow on the trunk, not on branches; and each tree yields about 20-30 pods, each pod having about 25-35 beans.
  • The darker the chocolate the more anti-oxidants it contains. The saturated fats found in cocoa beans, unlike saturated animal fats, can also help lower bad blood cholesterol and actually raise 'good' cholesterol levels.

Aren't I glad I love dark chocolate!

Some good information about the plant itself - cultivating, harvesting, along with some good pictures - is available at the Directorate of Cashew nut and Cocoa Development (DCCD) website.

Mole sauce is widely used in Mexico for flavoring poultry, mainly chicken and turkey. I have used this sauce to flavor a chicken breast. But, since I am not fond of chicken or turkey, I have used it in a vegetable dish here as well.

There are many variations of this sauce, and it can be adapted to taste, the primary ingredients being cocoa powder and chilies. Any version of the commercially available unsweetened cocoa powder can be used, but, since I am partial to dark chocolate, I use Hershey's™ Special Dark.


This mole sauce can be refrigerated for up to a month, stored in an air tight container. Here is my version of the spicy chocolate sauce: Mole.

Ingredients for Mole sauce:
4-5 dry pasilla chilies, soaked & reconstituted in hot water (seeds removed)
2 Tbsp Hershey's™ Special Dark cocoa powder
2 shallots, or 1 medium red onion, diced
¼ cup diced ginger root
4-6 cloves of garlic
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
2 cloves
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
¼ cup dark raisins

Preparation

combine all the sauce ingredients (except the cocoa powder) with some water in a blender or food processor, and blend to a fine smooth paste; simmer the blended paste gently over medium low heat till rawness of onion and garlic goes away; then add the cocoa powder, stir well and continue simmering till the sauce is fairly thick; if storing in the fridge, allow the sauce to cool completely before putting away.

Serve this sauce over grilled chicken or turkey breast. Alternately, pan-cook the chicken breast smothered in mole sauce.

For a vegetarian version, I found that this sauce goes well with cauliflower and potatoes. Just sauté some onions, add the potatoes and cauliflower and some of the prepared mole sauce and cook till done. This goes well with roti or naan.

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cous cous with eggplant-squash tagine

easy recipe eggplant squash tagine with cous cous moroccan

Cous Cous accompanied by some spicy tagine (vegetable stew, no meat here) is a favorite meal at home. My wee one seems to like cous cous a lot, except she likes to call it cous cous rice, as rice happens to one of her favorites.

If handy, I sometimes add wheat-meat cut up into bite-sized chunks to the tagine.

To add to the series on Various Ways To Use Up Squash From Last Year, this tagine recipe uses eggplant, squash and tomatoes as the main vegetables. But, any other favorite vegetable combination can be used for the tagine/stew.

Ingredients

flavoring spices:
1 Tbsp cumin powder
2 Tbsp coriander powder
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp all-spice powder
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

for the tagine:
4-6 cups veggies:
eggplant, squash, tomatoes, diced
4-6 garlic cloves minced
2 Tbsp grated ginger
4 Tbsp tomato paste
cilantro for garnish


1 cup whole wheat cous cous, cooked and fluffed

Preparation

heat oil in a pan, add the onions, ginger, garlic, tomato paste and a pinch of salt, and sauté a bit; then add the spice powders and allow them to bloom

add the diced squash, eggplant, and tomatoes, cover and let it cook, adding a little water if needed; let it simmer till veggies are cooked through but not mushy; taste and adjust spices if needed

off heat, garnish with cilantro and serve warm with cous cous.

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Wednesday, March 28, 2007

javvarisi upma

easy recipe tapioca pearls vegetable upma sabu dana javvarisi
Javvarisi (aka sabu dana, sago) is tapioca pearls made from cassava/yuca roots. It was not my favorite when I was little: as tapioca pearls are very starchy and turn translucent when cooked, my young mind likened it to snot :-)

But, I have started appreciating it more these days... especially since I am eager to introduce my wee one to new foods as she is growing up.

The most common way my mom used to cook these up is a dessert/sweet dish called paisam where the tapioca pearls are cooked in milk and sugar till translucent.

Here, in this recipe, I just make a simple vegetable kichdi-style upma-of-sorts out of javvarisi, flavored by ginger, onions, turmeric and salt. I find the smell of ginger and onion sautéing with a pinch of turmeric and salt very appetizing :-)

Ingredients:

1 cup javvarisi/tapioca pearls
1 medium potato, peeled, cooked, crumbled
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup frozen corn kernels
½ medium onion, diced finely
1-2 chilies, diced finely
2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

tempering: 1 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp split urad dal, 1 tsp cumin seeds, some curry leaves (optional)

Preparation

soak the javvarisi in 6 cups of water overnight or longer; usually, i like to soak it tonight and cook it for dinner tomorrow night

drain the soaked javvarisi well and pat dry if needed, keep handy

tempering: heat oil in a pan, add the urad dal and when it turns golden brown, add the mustard seeds, and when they start to pop, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves; then add the onions, chilies, turmeric powder and ginger, with a pinch of salt and sauté till onions turn translucent

add the frozen peas, corn kernels, and the cooked-and-crumbled potatoes, sauté for a bit longer

add the soaked and drained javvarisi and cook till the tapioca pearls turn translucent (if soaked well, it only takes a few minutes for the tapioca pearls to turn translucent); also, they tend to clump up, so, try to stir it on and off to keep the pearls separate

off heat, garnish with cilantro and serve warm

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Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Karadayan Nonbu Adai

easy recipe karadayan nonbu adai
Before I morphed into a blasé teenager with what's the point of it? i don't care to celebrate festivals attitude, I used to enthusiastically participate in many small-scale festivals my mom celebrated commemorating some symbolic event, like Arudra Dharshnam, Karadayan Nonbu and such, in addition to the large-scale ones like Diwali...

Each little festival had its own prescribed menu and associated ritual, some of which differ from family to family. Yummy Thiruvadarai Kali and Koorkan Kari for Arudra Dharshanam, Nonbu Adai for Karadayan Nonbu and so on...

Many of these events happen only once a year, and so, the special menu is made just once a year to celebrate that event. But then, with about a festival a week or every fortnight, there was always something good cooking:-)

Since I like a lot of the festival foods, and since I left my blasé teenager self way behind, I have come a full circle and have started celebrating the ones I can, just to introduce them to my wee one. Plus, I love to doll her up in the wonderful Indian clothes my mom makes for her.

About a fortnight ago was one such festive event: Karadayan Nonbu. The menu for this event is very simple - just a mildly sweetened and steamed rice flour patty. I like the simplicity of this dish. It is usually served with a dab of freshly churned butter. Without further ado, here's my version of the karadayan nonbu adai recipe I learnt from my mom.

easy recipe karadayan nonbu adai

Ingredients:
1 cup fine rice flour
1½ cup brown sugar
1¼ cup water
¼ cup cooked black-eyed peas
optional: banana leaves for steaming
steaming apparatus

Preparation

combine the water, brown sugar and cooked black-eyed peas in a pan, and bring to a gentle boil

meanwhile, dry toast the rice flour in a pan till it turns light brown

add the toasted rice flour to the boiling brown sugar liquid, keep stirring and cooking till all the water is absorbed a smooth dough forms; off heat, allow the dough to cool a little

when cool enough to handle, shape the dough into small balls, about the size of a golf ball

if using banana leaves, cut small squares, one per ball of dough; place the dough ball on the leaf and flatten it into about ¼" patty, making a hole in the center of the patty (like for donut);

steam the patties in a steamer, in batches if needed; a large vessel with some boiling water and lid will work for steaming, or an idli cooker

Serve warm with butter on the side.

easy recipe karadayan nonbu adai

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Monday, March 26, 2007

strawberry banana yogurt nut muffins

easy recipe strawberry banana nut yogurt muffins
Strawberry season is not far away now. We still have a small stash of yummy frozen strawberries picked last year from local farms. And a large stash of blueberries. I am trying to use them up so we can pick some fresh ones again this year.

I am not particularly fond of muffins, but, thought it would be a nice breakfast treat for my wee tot.

Muffins are not as easy to make as they seem. At least not to me, as I love to just throw things together and see what comes up. Baking is more precise and demanding than the usual cooking I do. Not much room to play around and experiment. And, my oven seems to have a mind of its own. I have mucked around with baking recipes to end up with batches of paper-weights :-)

Thanks to ATK (America's Test Kitchen), at least I now know that sugar is considered a wet ingredient in baking and the amount of sugar matters a lot to get the end product just right. And, mixing techniques do affect the outcome. A hand-held power-whisk with speed control is better than my arm-power?!

Wanting to make low fat, low sugar goodies, I used to cut back on sugar and butter from standard recipes, but, now I know better ;-)

I wanted to use yogurt, nuts and fruits in the muffin recipe. Milk:Yogurt ratio can be adjusted to your liking, to make up 1½ cups total. I was quite skeptical about how it would turn out as I was meddling with the recipe a bit, but, it turned out all right :-)

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup 2% milk
½ cup plain non-fat yogurt
4 Tbsp melted butter or ghee
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
¼ cup dried cherries & cranberries
1 cup banana and some strawberries - mashed together to make 1 cup

Preparation

combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt, dried fruits and nuts in a large bowl

beat the eggs, milk and yogurt in a bowl

whisk in the egg+milk+yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients; add the strawberry+banana mash; fold them in gently; this muffin batter has the consistency of a thick pancake batter

pre-heat the oven to 400°F, grease a muffin pan, and maybe a small 4" cake tin, or bundt cake pan

pour the batter into muffin pan, about half full (or more, if you like it to swell up and form a mushroom-like 'top'); and if any batter is still left, pour into the greased tin; i had enough for 12 muffins, plus a small 4" bundt cake mould

bake in 400°F oven for about 20-25 mins; check part way and turn the pan around if needed; insert a toothpick - if it comes out clean, muffin is done

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Broccoli Kofta in Cilantro-Jalapeno Sauce

easy recipe broccoli kofta in jalapeño cilantro sauce

Vegetable koftas can be served up as croquettes for a snack or can be served up in a favorite sauce, to accompany rotis or rice.

Procedure is fairly simple: par-cook and chop the vegetable finely; add some spices, some chickpea flour as binder, shape into balls, and deep fry.

for the jalapeño-cilantro sauce:
2 jalapeños, chopped
2 cups chopped cilantro
2 cups water
1 Tbsp chickpea flour
salt to taste

Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli florets, no stalk/stem*
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
½ cup chickpea flour (more or less)
canola oil for frying
*save the stem/stalk for making miso pickle

Preparation

par-cook the broccoli florets in microwave;i don't usually add extra water, just the dampness from washing the florets seems enough to cook the florets

drain the florets, chop finely, mix in the spices and knead in the chickpea flour a little at a time to form a dough that can be shaped easily (not too brittle, not too soft either); shape into balls about the size of golf balls, or smaller

heat oil in a pan for frying, add the shaped broccoli balls and deep fry till brown and crisp on the outside and cooked through on the inside; drain on a paper towel lined plate, keep handy

combine the jalapeño and cilantro in a blender or food processor to make a fine smooth paste; heat a sauce pan, add the chickpea flour and toast it till it gets aromatic, (just a minute or two), then add the jalapeño-cilantro paste, some water, some salt to taste, and let it simmer gently till thickened; chickpea flour acts as a thickener in this sauce; add more water if the sauce consistency is too thick for your liking; simmer till flavors meld, till jalapeño and cilantro lose their rawness

off heat, drop the koftas in the sauce and serve immediately; kofta begins to disintegrate if it sits in the sauce for too long :-)

Serve warm with roti or peas & cumin rice.


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Sunday, March 25, 2007

annatto ghee roasted vegetables

vegetarian annatto ghee roasted vegetables easy recipe
Roasted vegetables are a treat. And, pan-roasted vegetables are quick and easy to throw together on a week night. With just a touch of flavored annatto-garlic ghee, these roasted vegetables come to life...

We had a good yield from our garden last year. Some of the hubbard, crookneck and butternut squash we harvested have been resting in the cool basement, aging gracefully. I wanted to use them up soon, so, I've been incorporating squash in my recipes lately. Perhaps over the next few weeks, I can share some of them here.

The varieties we harvested from our garden cook up in no time - just throw the chunks in a hot pan, cover and let the steam soften them - takes just a few minutes, usually.

This roasted vegetables recipe here is the first in the series I hope to do on Various Ways To Use Up The Squash From Last Year :-)

Ingredients
6-8 new baby potatoes, cut in half
3-4 cups of cut squash, cut into fairly big chunks
1-2 bell peppers (green, or red, or yellow)
10-12 asparagus spears (optional)
2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled, sliced
coriander for garnish
salt to taste
2 Tbsp annatto-garlic ghee

Preparation

par-cook the potato halves and asparagus in microwave or boiling water, drain, set aside

heat 1 Tbsp annatto-garlic ghee in a pan, add the garlic, bell peppers, a pinch of salt and sauté till pepper softens a little; remove from pan and drain

add another Tbsp annatto-garlic ghee in the same pan, add the squash, sauté a bit, cover and let the squash soften a bit; then, throw in the potatoes and asparagus, some salt to taste, adjust the heat, and pan-roast the vegetables till desired brownness, stirring as needed; toss in the garlic and peppers sautéed earlier

Serve warm with chicken breast, or, toss in with pasta, or serve with some hot basmati rice. I enjoy it as-is - a meal by itself.

vegetarian annatto ghee roasted vegetables easy recipe

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flavored ghee

flavored ghee clarified butter
Ghee is just butter, with milk solids and water removed by gentle heating and simmering.

A dab of ghee is all it takes to make fresh home-made rotis, corn bread or dinner rolls that much more irresistible:-)

Ghee, aka clarified butter, is a staple in my mom's kitchen. She usually had home-made ghee handy. She didn't use it a lot, and certainly didn't fry foods in ghee at home, but, once a fortnight or so, usually on Sundays, my mom used to just serve up ghee and rice for lunch, that's it. It felt like a cleansing meal. And we would get diluted buttermilk as a snack/drink.

These days I like to make ghee at home, with some infused flavors.

Pictured above are annatto-garlic ghee (orange-red, on the left back), mint-jalapeño ghee (greenish, in the front), and cardamom ghee (yellowish, right back).

The procedure is very simple: Gradually melt unsweetened, unsalted butter in a pan. Add any flavoring ingredients at this point, if using, and let it simmer gently. The seething bubbles will get vigorous as water is evaporating away, and then, the bubbling will die down a little. Skim off any foam that rises to the top. Try not to stir once milk solids start separating. It takes a little trial and error to gauge the smell and color when ghee is ready. Off heat, without shaking the pan, strain through a cheese cloth into a container. The clear liquid is ghee.

A box (16 oz) of butter yields about 8 or 9 oz of ghee.

Ghee remains spreadable at room temperature and doesn't need refrigeration if stored air-tight and kept moisture-proof.

Any favorite herbs/spices can be used to infuse wonderful flavor and aroma to the ghee - like rosemary, marjoram, sage, thyme, ginger, garlic, mint, chilies, cardamom and so on.

Add the flavoring to the butter at the start or at any point in the process that results in the infusion strength to your liking. I have experimented with adding it at different stages and found that I like the infusion strength when added right after the butter has melted and is just beginning to bubble. The quantities below are just a guideline, for use with 16 oz of butter.

Here are three of my favorite flavored ghee infusions.

Annatto-Garlic Ghee: 4 Tbsp annatto paste, 6-8 cloves of garlic crushed or minced finely.

Mint-Jalapeño Ghee: ½ cup mint leaves and 1 large jalapeño, broken down into a coarse paste using blender or food processor.

Cardamom Ghee: 6-8 pods of small green cardamom, crushed.

easy home made recipe flavored ghee clarified butter

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Saturday, March 24, 2007

wheat meat ground beef burrito




After the wheat meat meal of mock corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, I had enough chunks of wheat meat left and decided to make a simple mock ground beef burrito meal.

If making this from scratch, follow the procedure for making wheat meat chunks/blocks as before and keep them handy. Optionally, throw in some burro bananas whole (skin and all) into the simmering broth for the wheat meat and allow it to cook till soft but not mushy, drain and set aside




Ingredients
3-4 large flour tortillas

for the mock ground beef filling:
3-4 chunks of wheat meat (each the size pictured above - about 2½ inch diameter)
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
½ medium onion chopped
1 jalapeño diced finely
2-3 garlic cloves crushed
1 Tbsp small capers (optional)
1 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

for the salsa fresca:
1 large tomato, diced finely
½ medium onion, diced finely
1 jalapeño diced finely
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp Tabasco® sauce (or any favorite hot sauce)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
cilantro chopped
salt to taste



Preparation

combine the salsa ingredients, toss well, adjust to taste, set aside for flavors to develop

coarsely chop the wheat meat chunks and pulse them in a blender or food processor just enough to break them down to ground meat consistency

heat oil in a pan, sauté the onions, jalapeño, garlic, with a pinch of salt till onions turn translucent; add the ground wheat meat and the flavoring spices, stir well; sauté till desired brownness; garnish with cilantro

warm up the tortillas and serve them with the salsa and ground wheat meat filling

Optionally, cut up the steamed burro bananas into bite sized chunks and serve on the side. Add some refried beans, if preferred; maybe some olives...

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Friday, March 23, 2007

Idi Chakkai


Idi Chakkai is a comfort food for me, with pepper rasam and pain hot rice. Idi Chakkai feels wholesome, yet simple. It is made with young green jackfruit. My mom only made it a few times a year, around The Jackfruit Season, as it was labor-intensive to chop, clean and pound the green jackfruit.

(probably where the name of this dish comes from: Idi is to pound, and Chakkai is jackfruit => pounded jackfruit)

But now that canned young green jackfruit is readily available year-round, this recipe takes less than 10 minutes to put together, and uses just 4 ingredients in its simplest form - green jackfruit, coconut, chilies, salt.

Tempering is optional, and adds a nice touch to this simple dish.

Nendran Pazham is a variety of plantain/banana that happens to be my favorite. I haven't found it here yet. But, Burro Bananas, when ripe, get a similar texture, smell and color like nendran, even though they taste a little different and are much smaller in size compared to the nendrans I used to relish.

To add a simple dessert, boil the burro bananas (skin on), in some water mixed with brown sugar, till it is soft but not mushy; then, peel the cooked banana and enjoy as a dessert. This is basically the same procedure my mom used to cook nendran pazham and serve it up as snack or dessert for us when we were little.

Ingredients:
2 cans young green jackfruit, (comes packed in water), drained
¼ cup dry grated coconut
1 jalapeño, chopped
salt to taste
6-8 curry leaves (optional)
tempering: 1 Tbsp canola oil, 1 tsp urad dal, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds

Preparation

combine the young green jackfruit chunks and jalapeño in a blender or food processor and pulse a little - just to break them down a little, not too fine

tempering: heat oil in a pan, add the urad dal, when it turns golden brown add the mustard seeds and when they pop add the cumin seeds and let them plump up a little; turn down heat so as not to burn the urad dal; add the curry leaves

add the green jackfruit and jalapeño mixture, dry grated coconut, some salt to taste and stir well; cook over medium heat, stirring on and off till well-combined

Serve warm with simple roti, or, rice and pepper rasam.


Even though this dish leaves very little room for variations, this recipe here is just a tad different from the last time I made it about 3 months ago. This is my 'I' dish for Nupur's A to Z of Indian Vegetables event.


p.s: Following a note from Nupur, I just wanted to add that canned young green jackfruit I use is available at most Asian stores in my area - perhaps it is available in Indian stores as well, am not sure.

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Thursday, March 22, 2007

stuffed acorn squash



Stuffed vegetables are a wonderful healthy meal. They are fairly quick to put together on a weeknight with some preparation done ahead.

The wild rice stuffing for this can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for about 2-3 days.

Acorn squash seem perfect for stuffing as they are small, have a fairly thin skin, with a mild sweet flesh. And, when baked, the skin gets a slight crispness which makes it delicious. But, sweet bell pepper, or even eggplant are good candidates for stuffing:-)

Procedure is fairly simple: cut the acorn squash in half, scoop out the seeds and fibers, par-cook in microwave or boiling water, scoop out some pulp and mix it in with the stuffing, then, stuff the squash halves, and bake in the oven.

Ingredients
2 small "ripe" yet firm acorn squash, cut in half, seeds and fiber removed
½ cup grated cheddar
2 Tbsp oil

for the stuffing:
2 cups cooked wild rice
½ cup of dried cranberries, raisins, walnuts, cashew (combined)
½ medium onion diced finely
1 jalapeño chopped finely
2 garlic cloves crushed or minced
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp all-spice powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste

Preparation

par-cook the clean squash halves in microwave or boiling water till the flesh is just fork-tender but not mushy (takes just a few minutes)

scoop some of the pulp from each squash half carefully, leaving a thin layer of flesh in the squash

heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan and toast the dried cranberries, raisins and nuts, remove from pan, drain, set aside

add another Tbsp oil in the same pan, sauté the onions, garlic and jalapeño; then add the squash pulp scooped out earlier, the cooked wild rice, nutmeg, all-spice, brown sugar, coriander powder, some salt, and stir well; then add the toasted dried cranberries, raisins and nuts, stir till well-incorporated, keep handy for stuffing the acorn squash

pre-heat the oven to 350°F, and keep a baking dish handy

stuff the acorn squash halves with the wild rice stuffing, arrange them in the baking dish and bake for about 5-8 minutes, then, top each acorn squash half with the grated cheese and finish cooking till the cheese melts

Serve warm. Each half can be eaten completely - skin, stuffing, flesh and all!

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Tuesday, March 20, 2007

gulai telur

easy recipe sumatran malaysian spicy hard boiled eggs curry gulai telor telur

Gulai Telur (Telor) is a fiery, spicy SE Asian hard-boiled egg curry. Many SE Asian dishes like Pad Thai, Sambal Terong, Telor Balado were introduced to me by friends and fellow residents at the International House back in my student days over a decade ago. Friday evenings we used to meet for the Coffee Hour, where International students shared food and culture information.

I have adapted the recipes to my taste over the years, so my version is not authentic in that sense.

It seems to me that the longer the eggs steep in the gravy/curry, the tastier they get, so, I like to make this dish a day ahead and warm it up gently before serving. Dry red or fresh green chilies can be used here. Adjust the number or type of chilies to cut back on heat.



Ingredients:
for the spice paste:
½ cup coriander seeds, toasted
¼ cup dry grated coconut
6-8 thai dragon or bird's eye chilies*
2 Tbsp grated ginger
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 shallots, diced
cilantro for garnish
*reserve a couple of chilies for garnish

6-8 hard boiled eggs, shelled
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

Preparation

combine the spice paste ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend to a fine paste

heat oil in a pan, add the spice paste and sauté for a few minutes to release the aroma

add the boiled eggs, coconut milk, turmeric powder and salt to taste; bring to a gentle simmer

simmer till flavors meld, say for about 10-12 minutes on medium-low, stirring often; add water if the gravy/curry is too thick

garnish with red or green chilies and cilantro, serve warm with rice or roti

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Chili Rellenos



Years ago, when I first saw the recipe for Chili Rellenos, with a gorgeous picture, the first thing that came to mind was my mom's Mirchi Bajji (aka Molaga Bajji).

The recipes seem similar: take a large-ish, not-too-hot chili; smoke and skin it to enhance flavor and to reduce the rawness (optional); make a slit and scoop out undesirable membranes and seeds from the inside; stuff with favorite stuffing; coat in light batter; fry in oil till crisp on the outside; serve hot off the stove, with some chutney or salsa.


Traditional chili rellenos recipes call for a light egg batter which involves separating the eggs, beating the whites to a stiff peak, beating the yolks and then folding the whites in. I was not up for it, so, I decided to use a different batter.

I wanted to try the stuffing my mom used for Mirchi bajji: a mixture of dry grated coconut, tamarind, paneer (home-made bag cheese), potatoes and spices. But, omitted the tamarind and coconut, and went with a slightly different stuffing here.


Ingredients:
4 poblano chilies, fairly large
oil for frying (canola or peanut)


for the batter:
1 cup fine rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup cold water (more or less)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

for the dipping salsa:
1 cup tomato puree
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder
½ cup finely minced onions
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
salt to taste

for the stuffing:
1 cup crumbled queso panela (or, grated aged cheddar)
1 medium potato, skinned, cooked, crumbled
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
salt to taste

Preparation

over the flame or under a broiler, char the poblano chilies till the skin blisters; throw into a paper bag or plastic bag immediately and seal the bag tight; allow the chilies to sweat; after about 15 minutes in the bag, take them out and peel off the skin; make a slit lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and membranes carefully; keep handy for stuffing

combine the salsa ingredients and blend to a fine sauce consistency; simmer on low; adjust flavors; set aside to cool

combine the stuffing ingredients, adjust spices to taste; keep handy

heat the oil for deep frying to about 375°F; peanut oil can be heated to higher temperature than canola oil

meanwhile stuff the poblanos with the prepared stuffing, close the chili as best as possible so the stuffing doesn't fall out while frying

combine the dry batter ingredients, add water a little at a time to form a smooth light batter, pretty much like tempura batter; prepare this batter just when ready to fry

dip the stuffed poblanos in the batter, drain a bit, so the batter forms just a thin coating, drop it in the hot oil and deep fry till golden brown; remove and drain on paper-towel lined plate

Optionally, if there is batter leftover after using for the chilies, dip some onion slices in the batter, deep fry and serve hot with the dipping salsa.

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Monday, March 19, 2007

Wheat Meat meal


I got hooked on wheat meat about six years ago. A wonderful alternative to soy-based mock meat preparation, wheat meat, as the name suggests is made with wheat gluten and lends itself to a variety of flavoring by adjusting the broth in which it is simmered. The more popular name for this is seitan, although this usually refers to simmering in soy-sauce-based broth.

The recipes here are a great starting point. Usually, per measure of wheat gluten flour, i use about 2/3rd to 3/4th measure of water; add spices to the flour before adding water and kneading. Simmer gently for about an hour or so to desired done-ness in broth/stock with additional flavoring.

Corned beef, with cabbage and potatoes seemed like a nice meal for St.Patrick's Day. But, since we don't eat beef, i decided to make this wheat meat.

After simmering in broth, the prepared wheat meat can be refrigerated in air tight container for about 3-4 days and used in other recipes, like in stir-fry, or cut it up into coarse chunks and break it down in a blender or food processor to use as mock ground beef. It takes a bit of trial and error to get the desired texture.

Ingredients
for the wheat meat dough:
1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder
2 Tbsp coarse grain salt (rock salt)
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
3/4 cup water

8-10 new baby potatoes, whole
1 small-ish cabbage cut into wedges

for the broth:
6-8 cups water or vegetable broth
4 Tbsp coriander powder
2 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste
(any other favorite flavoring can be used for the broth)

Preparation

combine the wheat meat ingredients and knead to a fairly smooth dough; continue kneading for 2-3 minutes; let it rest for about 10 minutes and then knead again; form into log/patty/ball shapes*, wrap with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes or so
*the dough is not easy to shape, so, i simply aim for a rough block usually

start heating the broth ingredients while dough is resting; then add the wheat meat dough so it is fully immersed in the broth liquid; let it simmer on medium low for about 30 minutes or so

check water often and add more if needed; turn the wheat meat around a few times in the simmering broth

after about 20 minutes of simmering, the wheat meat will start looking bloated; add the new baby potatoes and cook for another 15 minutes till potatoes are cooked through but not mushy

slice a thin piece of wheat meat and check for done-ness; if it has the desired meat texture, add the cabbage wedges and simmer a little longer till cabbage is cooked but not mushy

Serve warm with some Irish soda bread or favorite dinner rolls.

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Sunday, March 18, 2007

huevos motuleños

easy recipe huevos motulenos eggs motul style black beans and fried bananas
Eggs, Huevos, Wyau (oo-ya, in Welsh), however we call it at home, are a favorite breakfast/brunch meal on weekends.

Every once in a while, D likes what he calls Farmer's Breakfast: eggs (fried, poached, omelette, scrambled, just any way is fine), (soy) sausages, hash brown and griddle cakes.

I like eggs, but, not when they feel "eggy" in certain dishes - like, certain cakes have the eggy smell, soufflé feels eggy (quel dommage!), custard feels eggy... however, fried or scrambled eggs seems alright - just a quirk of mine :-)

Huevos Rancheros is pretty popular and easy to do, but, this time I decided to make Huevos Motuleños for Sunday brunch, which i don't make often.

Huevos Motuleños is eggs served Motul style (of the Yucatan): tortilla, black beans, fried eggs, peas & ham, some kind of queso fresco, with fried bananas on the side.

Quite a meal in itself!

Seems deceptively elaborate and labor-intensive... But, really, it is quite simple to assemble and enjoy.

Especially, since some parallel processing can be done, the brunch comes together quite easily: i usually start the black beans in the back burner first; while it is simmering, get the egg-batter ready and pan-fry the tortillas; simultaneously, in another pan, fry the bananas, while egg is getting poached in the microwave and Violà!

easy recipe huevos motulenos eggs motul style black beans and fried bananas
Always excited about experimenting, I did a few things differently from the traditional recipe: as we don't eat ham or beef and such, omitted the peas & ham; instead of queso fresco, used queso panela made with part-skim milk; prepared poached egg instead of fried egg; and, pan-fried the tortillas in egg-batter, not much unlike French toast.

For the French-toast-style egg-battered tortillas:
2 large flour tortillas
2 eggs
2 Tbsp finely minced onions and jalapeños
salt to taste
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp canola oil

beat the eggs with onions, jalapeños, salt and cayenne pepper; pour into a shallow bowl and keep handy for dipping the tortilla

cut the tortilla into a square, saving the 4 edge pieces

heat oil in a pan, dip the tortilla pieces in the egg mixture and pan cook both sides till golden brown and done

easy recipe huevos motulenos eggs motul style black beans and fried bananas

For the black beans:
1 cup cooked black beans (if using canned, drain and rinse well)
½ medium onion chopped finely
2 jalapeños chopped finely
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp hot sauce (Frank's®, Tabasco®)
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp canola oil
cilantro
salt to taste

heat oil in a pan, sauté the onions and jalapeños, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low till flavors meld; taste & adjust flavors; off heat, stir in cilantro, reserve some for garnish

For the poached eggs and pan-fried bananas:
2 ripe bananas, slit lengthwise & 1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 eggs, for poaching with 2 Tbsp finely minced onions and jalapeños
some oil

poach the eggs in a microwave egg-poacher, adding the onions and jalapeños on top

meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, add the slit bananas, sprinkle brown sugar on top; flip and cook the bananas all over till crisp on the outside and the brown sugar caramelizes

Assembly:

lay the egg-battered pan-fried French-toast-style tortilla on a plate, top with some black beans, a poached egg, a couple of slices of fried banana, and crumble some queso panela (or feta, or any crumbly cheese of your choice); serve warm

Sig at Live To Eat is hosting this month's Weekend Breakfast Blogging (WBB#9), and this is my Egg-stra Ordinary Breakfast entry:-)

easy recipe huevos motulenos eggs motul style black beans and fried bananas

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Saturday, March 17, 2007

Gallo Pinto

south american costa rican cuisine gallo pinto black beans and rice vegetarian

Back in grad students days, I was fortunate enough to have a close-knit group of friends. A wonderful gal from Costa Rica got me interested in Central and South American foods, quite inadvertently. I am sure she doesn't know that this gallo pinto evolved over time to my taste, after watching her make it one evening.

As far as I gather, pretty much everybody in Costa Rica makes this dish and is fairly simple, nothing complicated. Of course, I just adjusted some flavors as i like to experiment.

Gallo Pinto (apparently translates to "spotted rooster"), simply put, is just spiced rice and black beans. But that doesn't do it justice. I like to cook up a large batch as they make good leftovers - wrapped in tortilla the next day for breakfast, with some eggs on the side...

Ingredients:
1 cup dry black beans, soaked overnight (or canned cooked black beans)*
1 cup raw rice
1 small yellow onion, diced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 chilies (jalapeno, bell pepper, or any mild chili), chopped
2 Tbsp coriander powder
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
water as needed
4 cups vegetable stock (optional)
salt to taste
chopped fresh cilantro leaves

*if using canned beans, drain and rinse well before using

Preparation

heat oil in a pan, add the chilies, onions, garlic, some salt and sauté a bit, then add the soaked beans and about 8 cups of water and cook the beans

cook the rice in vegetable stock or water till done

when ready to serve, combine the cooked rice, beans, coriander powder, cilantro, chili powder and brown sugar, stir well over medium heat till well-combined; adjust salt to taste

serve hot with some fresh salsa on the side

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Friday, March 16, 2007

Achiote Potatoes and Black-eyed Peas



Achiote (ah-chee-OH-tay) is a tropical flowering tree. The fruits of achiote is not usually edible, but, its seeds (annatto ) are used as a flavoring and a natural dye.

It is traditionally used as seasoning in Yucatan and Central American dishes, and makes a nice marinade when combined with a few other spices to make a rub. The rich red color and a mild earthy flavor are its main attraction for me. The achiote red rub used in this recipe works well for chicken, but, i decided to use it for simple potatoes instead.

Achiote seeds (annatto) are usually sold in the form of small bricks of thick paste.
achiote rub easy recipe potatoes annatto weekend herb blogging achiote rub easy recipe potatoes annatto weekend herb blogging

For the achiote red rub, combine the following ingredients into a fine paste:
2 Tbsp of annatto brick pictured above
1 Tbsp black pepper powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp ground corainder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp all-spice powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil

Ingredients for black-eyed peas recipe:
1 cup cooked black eyed peas
1-2 ancho pasilla dry red chilies, soaked in hot water, chopped finely
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp achiote red rub
salt to taste
some cilantro for garnish

For the potatoes:
1 large baking potato, peeled, cubed
salt to taste
oil as needed to panfry
2 Tbsp achiote red rub

Preparation

par-cook the potatoes in boiling water or microwave; drain, coat well with the achiote red rub, set aside for 15 to 20 minutes

meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the black-eyed peas recipe and simmer gently in a pan, stirring often; adjust salt to taste; off heat garnish with cilantro

heat oil in a pan, add the potatoes and pan fry till desired crispness on the outside; alternately, roast it in the oven at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned

serve the potatoes and black-eyed peas with rice or warm tortillas

The achiote red rub lasts for about 5-7 days if refrigerated in an air-tight container.

Becky at Key Lime and Coconut is hosting this week's Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB), and this is my first entry for the WHB.

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Thursday, March 15, 2007

Heart of palm Molagoottal

easy recipe milagoottal molagoottal heart of palm
Molagoottal (milagu kootal, milagoottal) is a south indian dish which my mom usually makes with bland vegetables like chayote squash or cabbage or spinach.It is pretty mild, with just a few dry red chilies bringing in some heat. Typically it is accompanied by a sweet-and-sour dish called Pachadi, usually made with pumpkin or eggplant or okra.

Vaazha Thandu is a specialty item (not sure if it classifies as a "vegetable") - a thing i haven't had in decades - roughly translates to "banana plant stem": That is really what it is :-)

After peeling away the outer fibrous layers, the inner part of the stem - the "cylindrical core" is softer and has a wonderful texture when cooked into koottu or even milagoottal or pachadi.

The main objection my mom has to making this often is the labor involved in "cleaning" it up for consumption - removing the fibers and chopping them finely.

I was craving for some vaazha thandu, but, i haven't been able to find any around here. So, i decided to try Heart of Palm, as a substitute:
When harvesting the cultivated young palm, the tree is cut down and the bark is removed leaving layers of white fibers around a center core. During processing the fibers are removed leaving the center core or heart of palm. The center core is attached to a slightly more fibrous cylindrical base with a larger diameter. The entire cylindrical center core and the attached base are edible. The center core is considered more of a delicacy because of its lower fiber content.
I found some heart of palm at the asian supermarket nearby. It comes canned, usually in water, with some citric acid for preserving. I was curious about how good a substitute it will be for vaazha thandu, and decided to find out.

Molagoottal is a simple dish with a spice paste using coconut, and some cooked toor (tuvar, split red gram/lentil) dal and a suitable vegetable. I get excited about fusion cooking and experimenting, so, instead of traditional dry red chilies, I decided to use ancho-pasilla dry red chilies - just soaked them in some hot water to reconstitute them a little before making the paste.

easy recipe milagoottal molagoottal heart of palmIngredients:
1 can heart of palm, drained, diced
1 cup cooked toor dal (split red gram/lentil), mashed
water as needed
salt to taste
2 Tbsp canola oil

for the molagoottal paste:
½ cup dry grated coconut
1-2 ancho pasilla chilies, reconstituted in hot water
2 Tbsp urad dal
1 Tbsp par-boiled rice (or jasmine rice)
1 Tbsp cumin seeds

tempering: ½ tsp mustard seeds, 1-2 curry leaves, chopped, ¼ tsp asafoetida powder, 1 tsp canola oil

Preparation

heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add urad dal, rice and cumin seeds and toast till urad dal is fragrant and light brown; remove from heat; allow to cool; combine with the rest of the molagoottal paste ingredients and grind to a fine paste

heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan, add the heart of palm and sauté a bit; then add the molagoottal paste, cooked toor dal, some salt, some water, and let it simmer gently on medium low heat till the flavors have come together, stir on and off

meanwhile, get the tempering ready:in a separate pan, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, when it pops, add the curry leaves and asafoetida and turn off heat

when molagoottal is ready, garnish with the tempering, serve warm with rice

optionally, serve with smoked eggplant pachadi

Heart of Palm is fairly new to me and this is the first time I am using it in this sort of experimental fusion cooking, instead of in tried-tested recipes. It is clearly not the same as vaazha thandu, but, it is quite interesting in this recipe nonetheless. Will I use it again? Of course! I am already searching for some Costa Rican recipes to use it in...

And, the ancho-pasilla chilies gave a beautiful smoky flavor, plus a rich deep color to the molagoottal. Not the traditional molagoottal my mom makes, but, I am sure she will like it nonetheless when i make it for her next time :-)

Nupur at OneHotStove is hosting an A to Z Indian vegetables event, which is pretty exciting and this is my experiment with 'H' for this week :-)

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Tuesday, March 13, 2007

wild rice stew

wild-rice-stew-1


Until about a decade ago, I was blissfuly unaware of Wild Rice. I was introduced to it when I lived in Eugene, OR: I found it at The Kiva store which was one of my favorite haunts :)

Wild rice is expensive as it is not abundant and not easy to harvest. I like the chewy texture, color and size of the grains. It works great for making stuffing, usually.

One of my garage sale finds is a 5-qt crock pot we bought for $5! I love to use it as best as I can...

This wild rice stew is a hearty and comforting meal - just a bowl of it fills me up. I like to throw the ingredients in a slow cooker or crock pot late tonight, leave it on low to be ready for dinner tomorrow night.

But, this recipe can be made faster if some preparation can be done ahead of time. Wild rice takes longer to cook: i like to soak wild rice for about an hour or longer before cooking it just like any other long grain rice on stove top, and use about 2 to 3 measures of water per measure of dry rice to get a smooth soft texture. (Sometimes, if i remember, i try to soak the wild rice in the morning, on my way out to work, and then come home in the evening and cook the rice.)

A good wild rice stew takes a bit of time though, that's why i like the slow cooker method when possible:)

Ingredients
1 cup wild rice, soaked for an hour or longer
1 medium potato sliced or diced
6-8 baby carrots chopped (or regular carrots
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2-3 thai chilies or jalapenos, diced
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans or chickpeas, rinsed, drained
1 Tbsp canola oil

spice mix:
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp all-spice powder
1 tsp oregano powder

water as needed
salt to taste

garnish:
chopped spring onions, chives, cilantro

Preparation

heat oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt, sauté till onions turn a little brown

add the spice mix, sauté till the spices bloom

add the wild rice, with 3 to 4 cups of water, add the vegetables and beans, cover and cook till rice is done

simmer the stew till desired thickness, adjust spices to taste, garnish with chopped spring onions and herbs, serve warm,

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Monday, March 12, 2007

Maida Halwa

easy recipe maida halva halwa sweet dessert indian
I was talking to my mom last weekend, just usual call... She doesn't get to see her little granddaughter (my wee one) much, living in another continent and all, so, she makes rather sweet requests on and off asking me to cook something special for the wee tot:
"I really want to make maida halwa for my little baby but since i can't send it all the way over, make her some today and feed her, will you?"
"Sure, amma, of course."
That's how this dish materialized yesterday:-)

My mom makes this maida halwa for Diwali usually, among a dozen other sweets and snacks. It has not been my favorite as I don't quite have the sweet tooth... but, it is very tasty nonetheless. And easy to make!

It is amazing to me that many of the indian sweets my mom makes have just a few ingredients - sugar, flour, ghee - and the various proportions/combinations/methodology bring about quite a spectrum of sweets. Wikipedia says Maida is super refined wheat flour typically, but, this recipe uses all-purpose flour.

Halwas are usually ooey-gooey and don't usually set into a solid form. I stuck this maida halwa in the freezer for a while till it set well so I can cut into squares for easier handling:-) It remains gooey at room temperature, to be enjoyed by the spoonful...

The rich chocolate brown color of this halwa just comes from toasting the flour to a golden brown before mixing it with the sugar syrup.

easy recipe maida halva halwa sweet dessert indian

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar (maybe a little more, if you like)
1 cup water
1 cup chopped cashews, walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries
2 Tbsp ghee or butter (as needed)

Preparation

grease a plate with 1 Tbsp of ghee, or more as needed, keep handy

heat 1 Tbsp ghee in a pan, fry the chopped nuts and dry fruits, drain them out of the pan and set on a plate handy

add the flour to the same pan, with residual ghee in it, and toast the flour, stirring constantly, till it turns a beautiful light brown and loses the raw smell of flour

combine water & sugar, in a separate pan, bring to a gentle simmer and allow to boil over medium-high, stirring constantly to form a thickish sugar syrup, almost a "one-string-consistency", as my mom would put it:
hold a drop of syrup between index finger and thumb, separate the fingers slowly - if the syrup forms a single string between the fingers, it is ready
the catch of course is that it is incredibly hot, so, takes a brave heart to try it:-) i simply scoop a spoonful and try to pour it back into the pan and eyeball its viscosity, just trial and error...

when sugar syrup seems "ready", add the toasted flour as well as the fried nuts & dry fruits, stir well till thickened, off heat

pour into the greased plate, allow to cool; serve warm or at room temperature

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