Delectable Victuals

Kale and Chinese Long Green Beans with Coconut and Chilies

2012-01-26T01:41:00.000-08:00

Chinese Long Green Beans (Payathanga/Payaru, in Tamil) is usually about a foot and a half long dark green variety of beans that can be cooked up much like green string beans. My mom's standard way of cooking this as a side was Paruppusili, or in the spicy chillies and coconut flavoring.

I like the thick stems of Kale and its sturdy rich leaves. In this simple recipe, Kale and Chinese Long Green Beans are cooked together with a little bit of salt, flavored with some green chillies+coconut paste, and finally garnished with finely grated coconut.

Ingredients
For the coconut+chillies paste:
1 jalapeno (or 3 serrano) chilies, chopped
4 Tbsp grated coconut (dry, unsweetened, or fresh if available)
1 Tbsp fresh or frozen grated coconut, unsweetened

1 Tbsp coconut oil
6 cups chopped Kale
4 cups chopped Chinese long green beans

water and salt as needed

Preparation

Combine the chillies and coconut and grind to a fine paste, keep handy
Heat the coconut oil in a pan, add the chopped kale and beans, some salt and enough water, cover and cook till done
Stir in the chillies+coconut paste, garnish with coconut, serve warm

Brussel Sprouts Fete

2012-01-20T06:47:00.000-08:00

We had a bunch of Brussel Sprouts to cook up. After the usual slit-and-stuff or spicy-curry or kootu or sambar, or the few other ways I've cooked them, this time I decided to make a Brussel sprouts fete by cooking it three ways to showcase it and savor it.

For faster finish, I par-cooked the brussel sprouts in the microwave and then finished them differently for a quick spread.

I. Brussel Sprouts Pan-fried with Black Sesame Seeds, Nigella Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Black Pepper and Coconut Spice Mix

Ingredients: Black Sesame Seeds et al. Spice Mix (Ellu-Molagu Podi), coconut oil, Curry leaves (optional, for garnish), red onions diced, salt to taste

Heat coconut oil in a pan, sauté the onions, add the par-cooked brussel sprouts, some salt and some of the Black Sesame seeds et al. Spice Mix (adjust to taste).

Of course, any favorite spice mix would be good, I was leaning towards Ras al Hanout but have already shared that recipe here, so, went with the Black Sesame Seed et al. Mix instead.

The Black Sesame Seeds et al. Spice Mix (Ellu-Molagu Podi) can be made in advance and stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for about 3 months. I vary the spices a bit, change the proportions a bit each time I make it. It lends itself to a distinctive flavor for many pan-fried vegetables. On occasion, I heat coconut oil or gingelly oil in a pan, add the spice mix, some cooked rice, season with salt and enjoy the flavored rice as-is.

Ingredients
2 to 3 Tbsp dry grated coconut (unsweetened)
2 Tbsp black sesame seeds
2 Tbsp whole black pepper
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds
1-inch piece of Indian Cinnamon bark

Toast the ingredients lightly till aromatic and grind to a smooth powder. Save in an air-tight container. Refrigerate in warm places (it can go rancid).

Nigella seeds is extensively used in Indian cooking. For this recipe, it can be left out.

II. Brussel Sprouts with Asian Flavors

Ingredients: 1 tsp Kecap Manis, 1 tsp Sambal Oelek, 1 tsp Rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 cups cooked brussel sprouts; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (for garnish).

Heat the sesame oil in a pan, add all the ingredients and toss to combine, garnish and serve warm.

III. Brussel Sprouts and Manathakkali (Black Nightshade) Vatthal Kuzhambu

Vatthal Kuzhambu is a staple in many parts of South India. (One of my versions of Vatthal Kuzhambu recipe here).

The berries and leaves from Manathakkali (Black Nightshade) plant is also used widely in South India. The dried berries are primarily used to make Vatthal Kuzhambu and the leaves are used much like any other greens, say spinach or mustard greens.

Manathakkali Vatthal Kuzhambu is one of my mom's specialty. Here, I follow the recipe much like my Bittergourd Vatthal Kuzhambu, but add plenty of dried manathakkali berries and curry leaves and garlic cloves. Instead of bittergourd, I use brussel sprouts.

I like Vatthal Kuzhambu with rice, but also enjoy dipping naan or roti in it and savoring the strong flavor.

Mayocoba Beans in Acorn Squash Puree with Okra Brown Rice

2012-01-09T23:28:00.000-08:00

Pinto, Black Turtle, Red Kidney, Black-eyed, Navy, Garbanzo, Adzuki, Cannellini, Lima, Fava, Hyacinth... we've been incorporating so many bean varieties into our diet over the years, just what we are able to find at the local markets, nothing exotic.

And, for the first time, a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the Mayocoba or Peruano beans at the grocery store, and promptly bought some to try. Turns out there was some controversy over these beans regarding patents.

These yellow-tinged off-white Peruano or Mayocoba beans are as large as pinto beans. At first, I thought they might taste much like cannellini or navy beans. But, I was pleasantly surprised to taste the rich flavor and meatier feel, which makes for good refried beans.

I soaked it overnight, and cooked it on stovetop, with some salt and brown sugar, till soft and firm but not mushy - about 30-40 minutes for 1½ cups of dry beans in 4 cups water. For refried beans, I prefer to pressure cook it till mushy.

Sometimes, I find it handy to cook and puree the squashes and add them to soups/curries/stews as a base/gravy. I had some acorn squash purée handy which I used here. But, tomato purée or even roasted red bell pepper purée, or a combination of them might taste fine too.

Ingredients
For the Mayocoba beans:
1 cup acorn squash purée
1 cup cooked Mayocoba beans
1 small yellow onion diced finely
1 small carrot, shipped (optional)
1 tsp Madras Curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish
water as needed

Sauté the onions, add the beans and the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer till flavors meld, garnish and serve warm with bread or rice.

For the Okra Brown Rice:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 small red or yellow onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
6 medium okras cut on a bias to 1-inch pieces
1 small carrot chopped
Spice Mix: 1 tsp cumin powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp ground/crushed oregano, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp paprika powder, 2 tsp dried parsley
salt to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil or hazelnut oil or even coconut oil for a strong tropical flavor

Combine the spice mix, stir well and store in an airtight container. Use as much as needed for flavoring the rice.

Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onions, add the garlic, a tablespoon of spice mix, okra and stir fry till aromatic; add the cooked brown rice, stir well, adjust seasoning to taste. Garnish and serve warm.

Green Leaf Salad with Spicy Sesame Bliss Dressing

2012-01-03T21:51:00.000-08:00

A wonderful 2012 to you all!

As I look back at last year's recipes, I noticed that the frequency of posts here have lessened considerably. Not necessarily because I don't cook as much anymore, but, possibly because I fall back to the staples more in Winter - variations of soups/stews, casseroles, and such - and have pretty much shared them all a little too enthusiastically.

Salads have become such an integral part of the meals at home that I rarely think of writing about it. Just toss together available vegetables and greens, top with dried fruits and nuts as preferred, drizzle on some favorite creamy dressing or light vinaigrette... aha! it's the dressing that makes the salad for me. So, I can still write about salads here while showcasing the current favorite dressing.

And, I am rather finicky about the balance of flavors in the dressing/vinaigrette. Too much vinegar and it sets my teeth on edge; too much oil and it feels slimy; too much flavorful herbs and spices and it smothers the fresh vegetables...

For a while, the Pomegranate Red Wine Berry Chili Vinaigrette was the top favorite. It seemed like I couldn't have enough of it. The kids loved the strong flavors of it and preferred it as a dip for their hunk of sour dough bread on and off.

However, starting this year, this Spicy Sesame Bliss Dressing has become almost an obsession. I tried a few variations - cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar, garlic, herbs - before arriving upon this combination that has vaulted to the top favorite spot among salad dressings. This recipe is inspired by my mum-in-law's that I recently tasted.

Wheat germ and nutritional yeast are usually well-stocked in my kitchen and I try to incorporate them judiciously in the recipes. Packed with protein and many nutrients, wheat germ is one of the favorite ingredients in this dressing. As always, adjust flavors to taste and enjoy!

Ingredients
2 Tbsp Tahini (all natural sesame paste)
2 Tbsp wheat germ
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek

1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp ground paprika
3 to 4 Tbsp water

Blend all the ingredients except water to a smooth paste, add a little water at a time and blend to desired consistency.

Chermoula Eggplant Two Ways

2011-12-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

After the kids arrived, stealing 10 minutes alone, sipping my tea and poring over the pictures in cookbooks just for the pleasure of it, has become somewhat of a challenge (and a secret indulgence when I can manage it).

I have very few cookbooks at home despite the fact that I love to cook. Being more of an intuitive cook with a passion for experimenting with cuisines from around the world, I rarely follow a recipe to the letter, opting to be daring (or foolish) with the spice combinations and ethnic ingredients. This is a boon and a curse as Mr. Monk would say.

Baking fails miserably when I take Epicurean licences with the tried-and-tested recipes, but, many other interesting dishes have come out of this incurable urge to deviate from the prescribed that it has been worthwhile.

It is no secret that I love eggplant, and it is quite possibly the most showcased fruit here at Delectable Victuals.

Many dishes were inspired by Greg and Lucy Malouf's Moorish which I have shared here before.

Here is yet another eggplant dish with North African flavors, cooked two ways:

Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's Chermoula Aubergine (as the main course)
Inspired by Greg and Lucy Malouf's Eggplant and Feta Stir-fry (as a side dish)

As I had some preserved lemons handy, I did take liberties with the Chermoula formula.

Chermoula
1 Tbsp cumin powder
2 Tbsp coriander powder
2 Tbsp sweet paprika powder
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
4 to 6 dry red chilies (I used the dry Thai chilies from home-garden)
1 wedge of preserved lemon (optional)
4 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and grind to a smooth paste. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 months.

For the Chermoula Aubergine à la Ottolenghi

I followed the recipe as close as I can, except of course, I used the chermoula paste as above. It might be a sacrilege in some books to tamper with a master's recipe. But, as all fantastic cooks say, adapt and personalize recipes to your taste.

For the bulghur, since I am not fond of raisins/sultanas, I used dried cranberries; used walnuts along with almonds; used chopped celery leaves and dried mint for flavoring; plus finely chopped jalapenos (seeded).

For the Chermoula Eggplant Stir-fry

1 large globe or black beauty eggplant cut into even-sized chunks
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
4 to 6 tablespoons of chermoula paste
salt to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup diced feta (or crumble on top if preferred)

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a pan large enough to hold the eggplant in a single layer; add the onions and saute till soft
Add half the chermoula paste and stir-fry till aromatic; bring the onions plus chermoula to the center of the pan to make room for eggplant
Add the eggplant chunks around the sides, sprinkle some salt, add the rest of the chermoula paste, cover and cook till eggplant is done, stirring once in a while to ensure even cooking
Off heat fold in the feta, or crumble it on top; serve warm with flat breads like naan or paratha; or with fragrant rice and tzaziki on the side

Chipotle and Sun-dried Tomatoes New Mexican Flour Tortillas

2011-12-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

I grew up with various quick (unleavened) griddle-cooked non-greasy flat breads like: roti, chapathi, paratha and naan; some fried breads like puri and bathura. Some were made with whole wheat flour, some with an assortment of lentils and some even with chickpea flour. So, tortilla, when it came into my life, was not unusual at all, and was much welcomed.

Making tortillas was not so much different from making chapathis - in my mind - but, I've always shied away from the traditional tortilla recipes I found which called for a generous amount of shortening. My rotis and chapathis barely have a spoonful of ghee so they feel lighter and healthier somehow.

But, a request from D prompted me to make these New Mexican Flour Tortillas adapting a recipe I found in the Tuesday Nov 29th edition of The Oregonian, which in turn adapted a recipe from Saveur Cooks Authentic American.

We used these to make easy chicken wraps. I went rather squeeze-happy with the food color, but, between the chipotle and the sun-dried tomatoes, extra red coloring is not needed. I thought my kids might fancy this bright color for a change.

Ingredients
1¼ cup boiling hot water
4 cups all purpose flour
1¼ tsp salt
6 Tbsp vegetable shortening
4 to 6 Tbsp sun-dried tomato and chipotle chili paste
red food color (optional)

Preparation

Combine 4 Tbsp of Chipotle in Adobo sauce (more if preferred) with 4 Tbsp of Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, blend into a smooth thick paste
Combine the flour and salt and mix in the shortening, crumbling with fingers as it gets incorporated, to form a fine breadcrumb-like texture
Add in the sun-dried tomato and chipotle chili paste; add a few drops of food color (if using) to the hot water
Using a wooden spoon add one cup of the hot water first and stir well (as if to make play dough) till the dough comes together; add a bit more water as needed till the dough holds well and comes off the sides of the bowl
Turn the dough into a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes till smooth, cover with a plastic wrap and allow to sit for 30 mins
Divide the dough into 10 or 12 balls, roll out to about 3 millimeter thick rounds
Cook one at a time on a hot cast-iron skillet, both sides till done; the tortilla might puff up a little, which is a good sign
Wrap in a cotton towel as they come off the pan and serve warm with favorite sides, or as a wrap

Chipotle Sweet Potato, Taro Root, Kale, Chayote Squash, Long Green Beans Soup

2011-12-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

A simple brothy soup, best enjoyed hot and steaming on a cold wintry evening.

The not-so-creative title says it all - it is an unconventional mix of vegetables I had handy: Kale, Long Green Beans, Chayote Squash, Sweet Potato and Taro Root.

I used store-bought stock and chipotle in adobo sauce.

Ingredients
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, pureed (incorporate 1 tsp of sauce with each chili)
8 cups vegetable stock - or stock and water in any proportion adding to desired amount
Chayote Squash, Sweet Potato, Taro Root - peeled and diced or sliced
Kale, Long Green Beans - chopped
Black-eyed Peas, soaked overnight and cooked till done but not mushy
salt to taste

Preparation
Combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Adjust flavors to taste. Thicken if preferred. (I like this soup brothy). Serve hot.

Spinach, Cauliflower, Potato Soup with Pumpkin Rounds

2011-11-29T15:34:00.000-08:00

Now that wintry weather is here, the sun absconding for months at a stretch, the dinners lean towards hot casseroles, soups, and fresh-from-the-oven rustic breads/rolls/dampers... there is no set combination, really. Whatever I can throw together and we are in the mood for. One of my favorites is meatless Borscht.

Creamy Cheesy Broccoli Soup is a favorite with the kids, along with Sour Dough or Rosemary-Potato Bread. Tomato Florentine with Cheese Bread. Chunky Fusilli/Rotini/Radiatori Pasta with Vegetables Soup and Herb+Olive Dampers.

The quick breads and rolls and dampers come in handy for weeknight meals. And, of course at times, artisan bakers have done the work and I just bring one of their creations home and heat and serve. I found myself addicted to Pugliese bread for a while, along with Borscht...

The Spinach, Cauliflower, Potato Soup here is quick and simple. To cut down on cooking time, I par cook the potatoes in the microwave for about 5 minutes before adding it to the soup.

Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, peeled, diced, par-cooked
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Madras Curry powder
1 tsp coriander powder
4 cups vegetable broth/stock
2 cups water
½ cup evaporated milk (optional)
salt to taste
arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) as needed for thickening

For the Pumpkin Rounds:
2½ cups flour
3¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ tsp chopped herbs
4 Tablespoon Smart Balance Omega Butter Light (or butter)
1 egg
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin

Preparation

Soup: Combine the vegetables (except spinach), broth, water, spices and a tsp of salt in a large pot and bring to a boil; simmer at medium-low heat till cauliflower is tender; adjust seasonings to taste; add the spinach leaves, cover and simmer for a few more minutes; thicken as needed; off-heat stir in the evaporated milk, if using
Pumpkin Rounds: Pre-heat oven to 415°F; Cut in the butter into the flour+baking powder to form fine crumbs; Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and pureed pumpkin, knead the dough till smooth; Roll it out on a dusted surface to about 2-inch thick and cut small rounds; Place in a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 mins till tops are golden and insides are done

Drunken Chicken

2011-11-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

Inspired by simple staples like Biermarinierten Huhn and Beschwipster Huhn, I decided to dunk the chicken in Beer and then drown it in a Red wine + Plum Juice sauce for this dish. Beer before wine is just fine - for the chicken at least :)

The sauce is a made-up one and can be adjusted to taste. I had one last potato from the garden to use up so sliced it thin and added it to the sauce along with onions.

Marinate the chicken in any dark beer, the longer the better. I started it right after breakfast one Saturday and cooked the beer-marinated chicken for dinner that evening. Spices/flavoring is optional and flexible, as always.

Fresh baby spinach salad rounded out this meal: Toss in sautéed onions into a bowl of spinach and allow the spinach to wilt a bit; add some feta, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and serve with favorite vinaigrette.

Quick Pomegranate Red Wine Berry Chili Vinaigrette:
50ml Pomegranate Red Wine Vinegar
100ml (more or less) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 generous Tablespoon Sambal Oelek
1 teaspoon Blue Agave Nectar
1 teaspoon no sugar added Berry Jam
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
salt to taste

Taste and adjust as needed. I like the pronounced flavors of the tart vinegar and the spicy chilies from the sambal balanced by the the mild sweetness from the jam and agave nectar.

Ingredients
2 or 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

For the marinade:
12 fl. oz. dark beer (Deschutes Black Butte Porter was handy for me)
1 to 2 Tbsp Tabasco® Sauce
2 Tbsp brown mustard
4 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt

For the sauce:
1 cup red wine (any inexpensive one is fine, I used Gato Negro Cabernet/Merlot)
1½ cups Unsweetened Plum Juice
Bouquet Garni: A bunch of favorite dry herbs like Bay leaves, Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Marjoram
salt to taste
water as needed
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Optional: Thinly sliced onions, potatoes

Preparation

Marinate: If the chicken breasts are too thick, slice them to uniform thickness (helps with the cooking later) and marinate them anywhere from 2 to 12 hrs
Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a pan, drain the marinated chicken, discard the marinade, cook the chicken till done; I let one side sear and brown, then flip over and cook, checking that internal temperature reaches 170°F. Remove chicken from pan, keep warm
Make the sauce:In the same pan, add the onions and potatoes, sauté, loosening the fronds; add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer till reduced in volume by half; adjust flavors to taste
Combine: Slide the cooked chicken breasts back into the sauce, cover and simmer a few mins till fully warmed. Serve immediately with a favorite salad

Hwyl Gardd: Bye For Now Garden

2011-11-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I cooked anything new that I haven't shared here before already... So Delectable Victuals has been enjoying a quiet vacation.

We did finally get the garden to rest till next spring - got the last of the green tomatoes that won't get a chance to ripen on the vine, chilies are potted and brought back indoors, Rainbow chards are clipped down, radishes are pulled out, grapes are harvested (well, only about 6 reasonable bunches in all)...

As I looked back over the years, I seem to be taking fewer photographs of the garden - much like there are fewer photographs of my kids now that they are not infants anymore. But, here are the few that I managed to click this year.

Hyacinth Beans with Home-garden Butternut Squash

2011-10-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

Short, dark, broad, green Hyacinth beans, (Avarakkai in Tamil), used to be a favorite bean variety in my mom's kitchen. Avarakkai poduthuval simply saut ed and tossed in with dry grated coconut + green chilies paste is still one of my favorite sides, not to mention Avarakkai Paruppusili.

The dried seeds of Hyacinth green beans goes by the name of Mocha Kottai in our family. It is versatile - can be used in sambars, curries - but the most I remember it for from childhood is Mocha Kottai Chundal ('Ch' as in chair) / Sundal. It was a staple during Navarathri festival - the nine-nights ten-days long festival which incidentally is going on now, today being the 10th day, Vijayadasami.

The first of the half-dozen or so home-garden butternut squash we harvested, together with Hyacinth beans makes this wonderful side which can be served with roti, naan, paratha, rice and sambar.

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cleaned, diced
1 cup dry Hyacinth beans, soaked overnight, cooked till done but not mushy
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 green chili (optional)
tempering (optional): mustard seeds, urad dal
salt to taste

Preparation

Heat the oil in a pan; add the tempering if using and allow mustard seeds to pop and urad dal to turn golden brown
Add the squash, chilies, spices, toss well, add a few Tbsp of water, cover and cook till squash is done but not mushy
Add in the cooked Hyacinth beans, adjust salt to taste, sauté together and allow to brown a bit

Zucchini Paratha

2011-09-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

I was hanging on to the very last half of the home-garden zucchini after the Zucchini Three Ways, wondering how best to use it, and it struck me to just grate it and fold it into the paratha dough I was making the other day.

Serve with any of the favorite curries or dals/koottus, an array of chutneys, or even just pickles and thokku.

Since I don't measure exactly for roti/paratha dough, this is a rough estimate - adjust water/flour as needed to get a dough that can be rolled flat and cooked on the griddle without getting sticky or brittle.

About 4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups grated zucchini
water as needed (zucchini has quite a bit of water)
salt to taste
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
2 Tbsp Smart Balance™ Omega Butter Light with Flax Oil (or any other favorite butter substitute)

Very much like in the Flaky Paratha recipe, combine the ingredients using a little water at a time, and knead to a smooth elastic dough, pinch off balls and roll flat adding layers by folding. Pan/griddle cook.

Home-garden Zucchini Three Ways

2011-09-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

After the round of Zucchini breads and soups and curries and grated fritters/hash and what-not, we had one last home-garden Zucchini left from this season's harvest.

Not quite the fan of fried foods (and not because I don't like the taste or anything), I was trying to resist the urge to make a snack feast much like the pakora/bajji my mom used to make on rainy days... it seemed like a perfect overcast day with a hint of Autumn in the air.

Rather than deep frying, I went with shallow frying. And that's how these hot delicacies came into being in my kitchen and disappeared in a short time. I used just one half the large foot-long 4½ inches diameter home-garden zucchini for this and it was plenty.

Technically, they are not cooked up in three different ways, but, three different batters make for an interesting spread. Kids liked the Shredded Wheat one the best as it was the crunchiest for them.

Simply cut into preferred shape about 2 or 3 millimeters thick, dust with flour, keep handy. Prepare the batters and keep handy as well. Shallow fry in batches. Serve with favorite dip/sauce or chutneys. I went with a quick and easy favorite: Combine equal parts of ketchup and Sambal Oelek for a Hot+Sweet Chili Sauce. Kids preferred just the ketchup, of course.

The quick picture I took doesn't justify the taste and the satisfaction it gave us that day.

Zucchini 65: Very much like the Hong Kong Bitter Melon 65 recipe, the rich red light batter seemed like a good first way. So, I shallow fried a batch using much the same batter as before.

Zucchini Tempura: Much like my usual vegetable tempura batter, this is light and crispy and best enjoyed right away. Any standard recipe for tempura batter is fine - prepare the batter just before frying and use it up quickly.

Shredded Wheat Breaded Zucchini: Shredded wheat cereal has lent itself to a few other dishes as a breading ingredient, much like in breaded chicken recipe shared here. I use the unfrosted, plain old shredded wheat, of course. Combine it with some stale old cheese crackers to form a crunchy coating for any breaded-and-fried dish.

What should I do with the last half of the home-garden zucchini? I've been asking myself as I eye the half dozen on more butternut squashes that are ready to be picked in the garden which is getting ready to close down for this year.

Home-garden Yellow Squash, Chards, Green beans, Tomatoes

2011-09-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

Another delicious meal straight from the garden: the yellow Mexican squash was ready to be picked. Some chards, green chilies, green beans and tomatoes were ready as well. They all came together for this simple vegetable medley, with some corn kernels and onions.

Simply sauté together till vegetables are cooked but not mushy. Add favorite spices. I used one of my favorite store-bought paste: Maggi™ "Kitchen Secrets"™ Bhuna Masala Paste for Vegetables and Dal.

Bok Choy, Edamame, Opo Squash, Chana Dal Salad

2011-09-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

As with most recipes that just pop into existence in my kitchen, this Bok Choy, Edamame, Opo Squash, Chana Dal Salad also happened quite by accident where I open the fridge and stare at the few remaining things that need to be used up before my next trip to the market.

Will they go together? How should I cook them? Should I make it a side or the main course? What flavors will go well with this combination? I don't answer all these questions and plan a dish in great detail. Most simple meals at home just come together because I felt like it and threw things together for a quick meal. Work and kids don't leave me with the luxury of planning elaborate and exotic menus, but, I do manage to take a quick picture of some of the dishes I cook, so I can share it here.

The inspiration for this salad was the simple koottu my mom used to make with Kadala Paruppu, aka Chana Dal. My koottu recipes here have a slightly non-traditional edge.

I had some cooked chana dal in the fridge that needed to be used up. About half an opo squash leftover after using it for my favorite Opo-Squash Mor-Kozhambu, which I drink like a soup rather than have with rice as is done in India.

Some fresh green chilies from the garden, a few heads of baby bok choy after the Luffa, Snake Beans, Baby Bok Choy dish the other day, plus about half a bag of frozen edamame came together for this simple steamed vegetable salad.

Ingredients
Opo Squash, cut into chunks
Carrots, cut into chunks or rounds
Baby Bok Choy leaves separated and cleaned
Edamame par-cooked frozen (as it cooks faster)
1 cup cooked chana dal
2 or 3 fresh mild green chilies from the garden

Flavor with mild curry powder and salt, or simply use a favorite vinaigrette.

Preparation

Steam the vegetables (flavored with a pinch of salt) to desired doneness
Flavor as desired and serve warm or cold

Luffa, Snake Beans, Baby Bok Choy

2011-08-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

When D brought home Cee Gwa or Chinese Sponge Gourd from the Asian store nearby, I was excited about pairing it with some other favorites and cooking it.

Luffa aka Cee Gwa is much like Ridge Gourd except with no ridged skin, but just smooth greenish skin that can be bitter, and spongy insides which cook up fast.

Snake beans or Long Green Beans has been a favorite since childhood when my mom used to make paruppusili with it.

Some fresh green baby Bok Choy, Luffa, and Snake Beans came together for this simple dish, served with rice.

Ingredients
1 large Luffa/Cee Gwa, skinned and cut into chunks on a bias
20 or so Long Green Beans (more if preferred), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
a few heads of baby bok choy, cleaned and leaves separated
green bell pepper (optional)
a few cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp grated ginger

1 Tbsp Sesame oil
1 Tbsp Mongolian Hot Chili Oil
Salt to taste
Black pepper

Preparation

Heat the Sesame oil in a pan or wok, add the garlic and ginger, add the long green beans, some water or stock and salt, cover and simmer till beans are almost cooked
Add the Luffa and Baby Bok Choy, Chili oil, a few turns of black pepper from the pepper mill and allow to cook till Luffa turns translucent (which only takes a few minutes)
Adjust flavors and serve warm with jasmine or basmati rice

Home-garden Zucchini Bread

2011-08-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

It seems like among the annual staples, peas, green beans, eggplant, spinach, lettuce, chards, tomatoes, chilies, zucchini and various kinds of assorted summer and winter squashes have been the most successful in terms of minimal effort with maximum yield in our home garden.

Raised beds would be nice to have as it gives better control over the soil and growing conditions, and requires very little maintenance once established. Many of my friends here have raised beds and successfully manage perennials like blueberries and raspberries in them as easily as radishes and arugula and garlic.

As it happens we just use native soil in its own condition and battle with the vagaries of nature each year. I think the main reason for this has been just my laziness to get down and build the raised beds. Maybe next year...

We've had huge zucchinis from the garden so far. After the usual zucchini recipes like soups, fritters and curries, there was still plenty to make zucchini breads, many loaves of them.

As I look back at my early recipes, it seems like the photographs were so terrible. I always tell myself I should take a fresh picture when I make that recipe next and update it, but, end up forgetting and moving on to the latest recipe I am excited about sharing. And, at times, I forget to add a little extra item in the photograph to give a perspective - to indicate the size more intuitively. A cropped close-up of a 2-inch chilli is probably not going to tell much about its actual size.

I like these types of breads not-too-sweet, but still moist, almost cake-like. In that sense, this Zucchini Bread is not very different from Banana Blueberry Bread, Apple Walnut Bread and Lemon Fruit Bread shared here before.

Ingredients
Wet ingredients:
2 cups fresh grated Zucchini
1½ cups brown sugar (a little more if preferred)
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla essence
1 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Dry ingredients:
3 cups flour (more or less)
1 tsp sat
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup dried cranberries (optional)

Prepration

Pre-heat the oven to 325°F
Grease two 9x5x2½ inch loaf pans and keep handy
Sift the flout and rest of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl
Combine the wet ingredients in another bow, beat the eggs well
Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients till well incorporated, no lumps
Pour up to about an inch in each of the loaf pans and bake in 325°F oven for about 35-45 minutes
Check mid-way and rotate pans, bake till toothpick inserted comes out clean
Remove from oven, allow to cool a bit, gently dislodge it from the loaf pans, slice and enjoy!

Hong Kong Bitter Melon Stuffed and Braised

2011-08-16T00:59:00.000-07:00

Now that we've found an Asian market that sells Hong Kong Bitter Melon on and off, I've been favoring them to the usual Fu Gwa and Indian Bittergourd. Its milder flavor and thick flesh makes it more versatile than its other two cousins in my book.

The Braised and Stuffed Bitter Melon recipe here is based on the popular Chinese version which uses minced pork for stuffing. I went with a vegetarian stuffing of fragrant Jasmine rice cooked with rich flavors coming from onions, garlic, chilies, tamarind, mint, with a hint of brown sugar.

Ingredients
2 Hong Kong Bitter Melons, cleaned and cut as before into 2-inch rings

3 to 4 cups Tamarind Sauce as shared in the Hong Kong Bitter Melon 65 recipe

2 Tbsp canola oil

For the Stuffing:
2 cups cooked Jasmine rice
1 medium onion finely diced
4-6 cloves of garlic minced
3-6 mint leaves finely chopped
1 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)
½ cup rich Tamarind Sauce
salt to taste

Preparation

Stuffing: heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onions and garlic, add the chopped mint, cooked rice, some salt, about ½ cup water and the tamarind sauce; allow to simmer together at medium-low heat, stirring frequently; The rice gets gooey and thick, light brownish anf flavorful; taste and adjust salt; add a hint brown sugar if preferred
Bitter Melon: Blanch the 2-inch rings of cleaned bitter melon, pat dry and keep handy for stuffing
Stuffing and Braising: Heat oil in a pan; fill each blanched bitter melon ring with the stuffing; place it in the hot pan; sear the bottom and allow to sit for a few minutes; add a little of the tamarind sauce, cover, allow to cook at low heat; when most of the tamarind sauce is gone, add a little more, cover and continue cooking; repeat till bitter melon is softer but not mushy and still holds shape when lifted out of the pan
Serving: Arrange them in a plate, spoon some of the Tamarind sauce over and serve warm or cold

Marion berry + Black berry Pie

2011-08-10T23:58:00.000-07:00

After freezing most of the berries we picked recently, there was just enough Marion berries and Black berries for a week-long celebration of fresh berry smoothies, short-breads and pies.

The pie crust is the standard Double-Crust Pie pastry I've used before. The filling is simple as well. It turned out pretty delicious, needless to say. It is hard to go wrong with fresh berry pies.

With a scoop of Double Vanilla Ice Cream, the fresh warm pie just felt like heaven.

Ingredients
Double-Crust Pie pastry
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening/butter
6-7 Tbsp cold water

Filling:
1 cup sugar
½ all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 cups fresh Marion + Black berries

Preparation

Double-Crust Pie Pastry: Mix together flour and salt; cut in the shortening; sprinkle a Tbsp of water at a time, toss with fork, push aside and add another Tbsp and so on till all the flour is moistened; form the dough into 2 balls; roll one ball into a 12-inch flat circle; do not overwork the dough; save the other ball for the top crust
Place the rolled out pastry on a pie plate carefully, without stretching, allow to fall over the edge and trim around the edge
Filling: Combine the sugar, flour and salt; toss the fresh berries in. Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pie plate
Top Crust: Roll out the second ball of dough and drape it on as the top crust; brush top of pastry with some milk and sprinkle with sugar; flute the edges - i.e., pinch them into a zig-zag shape, or simply press down with tines of fork like for single-crust banana cream pie
Bake in 375°F oven for about 25 to 30 minutes till golden

Hong Kong Bitter Melon 65

2011-08-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

Studies over the years record the anti-diabetic and other wonderful properties of bitter gourd/bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and yet it remains one of the not-so-easily-incorporated foods in daily diet. Possibly its strong bitter taste and lack of versatility are the reasons, along with not-easily-available.

So far I've primarily cooked with two varieties of bitter gourd/bitter melon - the dark skinned, pronouncedly ridged, smaller Indian variety, and the larger, lighter green, smoother-skinned Chinese Fu Gwa. They each have their distinct taste and lend themselves to many dishes that I have shared here.

This time, a third variety - Hong Kong Bitter Melon - was available at the nearby Asian market, inspiring me to cook it in a not-before-cooked way - at least not-before-cooked in my kitchen.

Hong Kong Bitter Melon has beautiful light green skin, smooth with gentle ridges, thick flesh and very mild bitter flavor. Which makes it more versatile in my book.

Inspired by the Cauliflower 65 recipe shared a while back, this Hong Kong Bitter Melon 65 recipe turned out to be a delicious new way to enjoy the benefits of this fruit.

The general theory is that 'Anything tastes good when battered and deep-fried'. And, while I am not much for deep-fried foods, the light non-greasy batter-coated fried Hong Kong Bitter Melon 65 turned out to be quite a snack treat one weekend afternoon. Especially when served with the sweet-and-sour Tamarind Sauce.

Ingredients
2 Hong Kong Bitter Melon
1 tsp red chili powder
a few drops of red food color (optional)
1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 cups rice flour
salt to taste

Canola or vegetable oil for deep frying

For the Tamarind Sauce:
1 tsp Tamicon™ tamarind paste
2 Tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste
optional: finely diced home-garden pearl onions and onion sprouts, home-garden green chilies
5 cups of water

Preparation

Tamarind Sauce: Combine the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil, lower heat to medium high and continue to simmer till sauce reduces to about 1 cup; it takes quite a long time to get the most delicious flavor and texture for it so I prefer to start cooking the sauce first; taste and adjust flavors for the sweet-sour balance
Hong Kong Bitter Melon: Remove the spongy insides of the bitter melon, slice into rings, salt it an allow to sweat; then drain, pat dry and dust lightly with some rice flour and set aside
Heat the oil in a pan for deep frying

Batter: Combine the ginger-garlic paste, rice four, salt, chilli powder, food color if using, and any other preferred spices, add a little water at a time to make a smooth batter
Dunk the bitter melon rings in the batter and deep fry
Serve hot off the frying pan with the richly flavored Tamarind Sauce

Home-Garden Summer Squash, Chards, and Pearl Onions Curry

2011-08-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

It would be nice if I had the help of a gardener, somebody who knows what they are doing when it comes to growing plants. As it happens, I am an urban farmer at heart with nothing other than passion to support this fantasy. I lack the stamina or the knowledge to sustain vegetable gardening, even if the weather permits. Which it doesn't where I live. So, I make the most of the few months from April to September, knowing that a greenhouse is out of my limits for now.

Thanks to wonderful nurseries around town (one just around the corner from my house), I do get to plant some favorite vegetables and watch them grow. If harvesting the weed-like oregano and mint and fennel and rosemary and lavender from the garden gives me pleasure, it makes me ecstatic to get the squashes and green beans and eggplants and chards and lettuce and onions from the home garden.

Over the years, many simple and surprising recipes have come out of the home-garden harvest. I cannot imagine life without composting. Kids, thanks to support from their school, are well aware of organic waste and remember to dispose of it in the compost bin in the kitchen, which dutifully gets emptied into the Earth Machine in the backyard.

A big question I was asked when I was a newbie home gardener was whether it was worth it? It is hard to answer that question. Obviously depends on what we mean by "worth it". The effort vs. the cost is probably the topmost factor people like to weigh. And, home gardening is a lot of work, especially if doing it yourself.

Over the years, considering what it has offered in terms of intangible lessons and returns, I'd emphatically say it is well worth it. Knowing how plants grow, where our food comes from, how to care for the earth - composting, recycling - plant diseases, interdependence of nature's creatures, soil nutrition, harvesting, bugs and their role in the garden are at some level hands-on for the kids, allowing me to learn a lot in the process.

We still have to buy vegetables from the markets as we are not entirely sustained by our garden and we do visit the local farms for fresh produce on and off, so it is not like we are self-sufficient with a teeny patch of backyard garden.

I am rambling... back to the recipe. It came about as I went into the garden one evening and noticed the few vegetables that were more than ready to be harvested - summer squash, about 3 dozen little pearl onions and several large leaves of chards.

Mint, fennel and rosemary fresh from the garden gave the herbal base for this recipe. Some store-bought Rogan Josh Curry paste and Kashmiri Masala Paste gave the rich, spicy sauce base for the curry. Serve with brown rice, roti or naan.

Simply simmer together till vegetables are just cooked, adjust flavors to taste. Serve warm.

Easy Breaded Pan-fried Chicken Breasts

2011-08-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

So, what's special about chicken breasts, right? Marinate, then pan-cook or oven-bake or deep-fry, breaded or plain, serve with a salad and a possibly some sort of bread/starch and there you have it - a simple well-rounded delicious meal.

This recipe was inspired by a recent grocery shopping trip when I casually (and quickly) browse the packaging for meal ideas. Some old non-crispy crackers and unfrosted shredded wheat cereal came together for the breading.

The sauce is optional. Kids don't care for it. Just some rosemary and oregano leaves from the garden ground up with tomatoes, basil and garlic, cooked down to reduce a bit so the flavors meld.

And, the garden lettuce was ready to be harvested, with hopefully plenty more to come for the rest of the summer. We had gone berry-picking, our usual summer favorite. Marion berries are my favorite, next only to raspberries and blackberries. So I had picked some, while kids and D were picking blueberries and raspberries. The thorns are nasty so nobody else wanted to pick the Marion berries with me...

That's how this simple salad came about - just home garden lettuce with some ripe juicy Marion berries and almonds with a simple lemon juice and olive oil vinaigrette.

Ingredients
2 or 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced up if too thick
1 cup unfrosted shredded wheat cereal
1 cup cheddar-flavored crackers
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
2 to 3 Tbsp Olive oil

marinade: red wine vinegar, soy sauce, Patak's™ Kashmiri masala paste(optional)

Preparation

Marinate the ½ inch thick chicken breasts in enough marinade for about 2 or 3 hrs. If making on a weekend, I marinate right after brunch/lunch to cook it for dinner (refrigerate on warm days)
Grind the shredded wheat cereal and crackers to breadcrumbs texture, keep handy
Heat the oil in a pan, coat each chicken breast piece with the breading mixture, arrange on the pan, allow to cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or so till the crust is formed
Flip and cook the other side, adding more oil if needed
Check to see that the chicken is cooked through (I am happy if internal temperature is 170°F off the pan)

Bittergourd in Spicy Tamarind Sauce: Pavakkai Vatthal Kuzhambu

2011-07-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

Vatthal Kuzambu (Vatha-kozhambu as we say it at home) is a spicy Tamilian dish made with tamarind-based spicy sauce, using dehydrated (dry) vegetables. Anything sun-dried (the easiest way in India) is a vatthal.

When vegetables are in season I remember my mom sun-drying batches and batches of eggplant slices, tomatoes, citron, and of course the usual vadaams - tapioca+lime+chilies, or rice or urad dal concoctions enjoyed deep-fried once it is dried. Sounds weird, but, it was a way of life. These were 40 °C summer days when wasting all that solar energy felt criminal and families stocked up for those soggy monsoon days when not many vegetable are in season.

The popular ingredient for vatthal kozhambu used to be Chundakkai (Sundakkai - 's' becomes a 'ch' as in chair in my family lingo) - the bitterest thing I have ever tasted and to this day have not developed a taste for, despite loving bitter gourd. A favorite of mine (although my tummy would disagree) is appalam/pappadam vattha- kozhambu - made with dry, un-fried pappadam/appalam.

Anyway, after having my mom's special vattha-kozhambu during my recent visit with my family, I was craving for a bit more of that home-made goodness, so made a slightly non-traditional version of bittergourd vattha-kozhambu.

Now, the name would be misleading, in that it is not dried bitter gourd that I used, but, let's just say it is vattha-kozhambu in spirit, a sort of wanna-be, made with bitter gourd and some other things that I like.

I use Tamicon™ tamarind concentrate usually, which is a thick blackish paste that is intensely sour and can be diluted as needed. But there are liquid tamarind concentrates that are mellow and brownish. Or, if available, use fresh tamarind - just shell it, soak in hot water to extract as much tamarind juice as preferred.

I like the hot-sour-sweet combination, so, I usually add a liberal amount of brown sugar, which, according to my mom is an abomination.

Ingredients
1 large Chinese Fu Gwa bittermelon or 2 small Indian bittergourds
1 small yellow onion
1 large tomato
salt to taste
1 tsp canola oil

for the sauce:
1 Tbsp Tamicon™ tamarind paste
1 Tbsp red hot chili powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar (more or less)
6 cups water

Preparation

Clean the bittergourd by removing the spongy insides, chop into bite-sized pieces; dice the onions and tomatoes as well
Heat the oil in a pan, add the vegetables plus a pinch of salt and sauté them for a bit
Add the sauce ingredients, stir well, cover and allow to simmer till the sauce reduces in volume by half
Taste and adjust flavors; if too spicy or sour, can always add more water, simmer some more; then thicken with rice flour, or corn starch
Serve with hot basmati rice, home-made naan or simple rotis

Home Garden Chards, Zucchini, Pearl Onions Soup

2011-07-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

After a month of practically zero cooking thanks to visiting my family, it feels nice to just throw something together (as is my wont) for a quick meal back at my nest.

There is something romantic about cooking (and eating) at an odd hour late-night, especially after returning home from a long trip, and having only a few things in the cupboards/pantry - even if it is just heating up a can of beans or having fresh rice with Indian pickles.

Of course, the kitchen cupboards are usually well-stocked with spices, and the pantry has some canned essentials like beans, coconut milk etc., so, it isn't really a big deal to scrounge something up for a quick bite.

Anyway, the onion seeds we had saved from last year were thrown in a small patch in the garden and they sprouted up nicely, which I had been using before I went on the summer vacation.

Now that I am back, I see that there are a bunch of little onions all crowding together, looking like gorgeous little pearls. A bit of cleaning, no tedious skin-removing, and I have a ton of pearl onions to incorporate in my cooking. Of course, red pearl onion arachu vitta sambar is my all-time favorite South Indian dish, but these white/yellow pearl onions are great even in salads as they are not too pungent.

A large zucchini, some chards, some green chilies, mint, and pearl onions from the garden came together quickly for this coconut-milk-based soup for our first brunch after we got back.

The flavoring is simple as I went with Italian spices I had handy - just dry/ground spices like garlic powder, celery seeds, basil, oregano, marjoram. I crushed some mint leaves and green chilies to keep things green for the flavoring. It is best enjoyed chilled or at room-temperature on a warm summer day.

Cauliflower 65

2011-07-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Chicken 65 is a popular spicy deep-fried chicken dish that originated in Andhra region of South India some decades ago. This Cauliflower 65 is a vegetarian take on the Chicken 65 recipe, usually served dry with lemon, and some sauce on the side.

The bright red color characteristic of this dish usually comes from red hot chilli powder. Here, keeping the kids (and me) in mind, a few drops of red food color give the dramatic effect without the heat. The sauce is a quick sweet-and-sour sauce with tamarind and brown sugar, flavored with finely diced onions and garlic, and garnished with cilantro.

I like to blanche the cauliflower so it is still crunchy but par-cooked. The batter is a simple mix of corn starch, rice flour and all-purpose flour much like my Vegetable Tempura batter.

Serve with rice or home-made naan.

Ingredients
1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup fine rice flour
¼ cup cornstarch (separately to dredge the cauliflower)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
4 drops of red food color (adjust to desired redness)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp soy sauce
½ cup water (more or less)

oil for deep frying
lime, green chillies, curry leaves and cilantro for garnish

Preparation

Blanch the cauliflower florets, drain and set aside
Combine the rest of the batter ingredients, adding a little water at a time as needed, and beat to a fine consistency that is not too runny, not too thick
Dip the blanched cauliflower florets in the batter and deep fry in batches, drain, keep warm

Sauce: For optional sauce to serve on the side, sauté some finely diced shallots or onions, and add ½ tsp tamarind paste, 2 cups water, 1 Tbsp brown sugar and simmer till the sauce reduces and thickens to desired consistency; then add salt to taste. I prefer the sauce not to watery, but not so thick like a pudding either :)

Keerai Mor-Kozhambu, Cheppan Kezhangu fry, Vendakkai Kaara Curry

2011-07-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

Being of old school, and coming from hospitality culture, my mom likes to feed everyone. She takes it very seriously. She always has. Sometimes I think she has a masochistic streak trying to present half a dozen or so dishes for a meal. Of course, for the Shraddham (death anniversary ceremonies) of our ancestors, she used to make these strictly outlined menu that involved a 20-odd dish spread.

Despite letting her know I am not starving and don't need as much food, it has been quite a struggle to refuse the loaded plate she serves. Here's one such:

Spinach Mor-Kozhambu: Much like my other Mor-Kozhambus - a buttermilk savory dish usually served with rice.

Taro Root (Cheppan Kezhangu) pan-fried: Much like my other taro root recipe.

Okra spicy curry: Okra with onion, sautéed with salt and chili powder.

Tempering is mandatory for my mom. I leave it as optional when I am cooking.

Anyway, I know she feels the urge to make up for all the time she is not able to cook and serve us as we are living in two different continents with not as much visits as we'd like, thanks to hamster-wheel life...

So, if I break all my self-imposed eating-right rules and gorge a bit but make my mom's heart smile in the process, it will be well worth it. I can always try to lose extra lbs I've been meaning to for the last n years...

Just a quick How Do You Do for now...

2011-07-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

While not much is going on this summer - nothing fantastic, nothing too hectic - it seems like I am getting too emotional thanks to visiting my family. After my last trip to India in 2009, I am seeing my parents only now... while intellectually I can understand aging, I refuse to accept it when it comes to my parents.

Seems like I've been on a certain hiatus from this beloved blog of mine thanks to travel thereby away from my kitchen. I am getting to enjoy my mom's cooking again. I should post her recipes here. Or at least the pictures. Or maybe I should just post the hand-made things she has been churning out over the last few weeks...

I hope our home-garden is doing well despite my absence, perhaps there'll be enough to harvest when we get back...

Mole Chicken with Fragrant Brown Rice

2011-06-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

Mole Sauce (recipes shared here) is a richly flavored sauce that I sort of adapted to my tastes, so it may not be authentic.

For this meal, simply thaw the boneless skinless chicken breasts, make slits 1-inch apart and stuff mole sauce in the slits, rub some mole sauce on, add some red wine vinegar and marinate for about 30 minutes. Grill or pan-cook till chicken is done. Optionally sautée some onion, serrano or jalapeño peppers, bell peppers and tomatoes and top the chicken when done.

Soak the brown Basmati rice for about 10 minutes, drain, add a tablespoon of oil, some salt, with enough water (I prefer 1:2 raw rice:water), dry spices (parsley, lemon pepper, mint, marjoram, basil) and cook in the rice cooker as usual. When done, fluff with fork.

A portion of lean protein, some fiber+carbs, and a serving of vegetable. This seems to be a sort of default meal combination most of the dinners, with D's protein coming from meat, and mine more from beans; and sometimes, me skipping the extra carbs at dinner times opting for another helping of the Asian cabbage salad or spicy whole okra which happens to be the vegetable side.

Spinach, Quinoa, Onion Sprouts, Beet and Carrot Salad

2011-06-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

It seems like I've been making the usual staples and some of the simplest foods lately. The home-garden is just beginning to establish again. It has been a very wet Spring, too chilly and overcast, but, hopefully the plants will do all right this Summer and gift us with their bounty.

We just threw some onion seeds on the ground saved from last year and a beautiful bunch of onion sprouts have come up, which we've been topping salads with and layering in sandwiches.

I cooked the quinoa with some fresh mint leaves from the garden. The dressing is my favorite Agave Nectar + Sambal Oelek:

1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar (more if preferred sweeter)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger (less if preferred)
3 Tbsp Pomegranate red wine vinegar
8 Tbsp Olive oil (more or less)
salt to taste

Layer the spinach leaves, grated carrots and beets, quinoa, onion sprouts, cranberries, almonds or walnuts, drizzle some dressing and enjoy.

Spicy Sauteed Okra with Collard and Turnip Greens

2011-06-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

Whole okra stuffed and pan-fried is one of my favorite ways of enjoying this unique vegetable. However, sautéed okra with spices is a wonderful side I make whenever I crave it.

Fresh okras are hard to come by here and even then it costs an arm and a leg (at least for my budget), but frozen whole okras are reasonable and cook faster as they are par-cooked before freezing.

This is a simple dish open to variations in spices and greens. I like greens a lot, be it collard or mustard, turnip or radish greens, spinach or kale, they all bring their own benefits. In this recipe I used collard and turnip greens. Serve warm with rice or Indian/Ethiopian flat breads, or enjoy as-is.

Ingredients
About 20 whole okras, thawed if using frozen ones
3 to 4 cups of favorite greens cut coarsely
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 or 3 medium tomatoes, diced
spices (adjust to taste):
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek or any favorite chili paste
½ Tbsp Blue Agave Nectar or brown sugar (optional)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic and tomatoes, a pinch of salt and sauté till aromatic and onions turn translucent
Add the okra and greens, spices, some water, cover and simmer till veggies are cooked to your liking. I prefer the okra not too mushy
Taste and adjust flavors, garnish with cilantro if preferred

Mirchi ka Salan: Hot Chili Peppers in Savory Sauce

2011-05-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

Chilli (Chili) Peppers (Mirchi) are the focus of this curry (Salan) dish, popular in Hyderabad, India. Chillies are seared in hot oil and stuffed with a masala paste and simmered in rich thick creamy sauce.

I used seeded jalapeños, Anaheim peppers, Poblano chillies, Wax peppers and few others from the local market that are not terribly hot. In that sense this is a mild dish, a wonderful combination of hot-sour-sweet flavors along with the aromatic spices.

In addition to the typical sesame seeds and peanuts, I used some coconut and yogurt for this creamy sauce. Also, since most of the chillies were huge, I slit them (especially to remove the seeds on the hotter ones), rather than use them whole.

Ingredients
6-8 chillies, seeded and slit if preferred
1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp tamarind paste (or 4 Tbsp lemon juice, adjust to taste)
½ tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
water as needed
2 Tbsp sesame oil

For the masala paste:
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
2-inch piece of Indian/Chinese Cinnamon Bark
1 tsp Nigella seeds (optional)
2 Tbsp (black) sesame seeds
½ cup roasted peanuts (skinned)
2 Tbsp dry grated coconut(unsweetened)
1 Tbsp cumin powder
2 Tbsp coriander powder

1 cup yogurt (use as needed)

Preparation

Combine the masala paste ingredients and grind to a fine paste with a little bit of water as needed
Heat oil in a pan, sear the chilies, remove from pan, set aside
Add the masala paste, turmeric and saut&3233; till aromatic, add the chillies, tamarind, brown sugar, some water (the sauce is usually thick), cover and simmer till chillies are softer
Taste and balance the sour, sweet and salt; off heat fold in the yogurt; garnish with curry leaves, corainder leaves, spring onions
Serve warm with home-made flaky paratha, naan, bathura or even plain brown basmati rice

Preserved Lemons

2011-05-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Preserved vegetables, either pickled in brine/vinegar, or in spices and oil the Indian way, make a unique accompaniment to meals.

Spicy lemon pickle with chili and garlic is one of my favorites, next only to tender baby mango pickles.

Brined baby mangoes, brined citrons (narthangai) and lemons and limes, sometimes preserved in spices and oil, sometimes dried and packed in earthenware are intimately tied to some wonderful memories of my childhood. Narthangai Oorugai with plain buttermilk rice was a summer time favorite.

Anyway, those memories surfaced when I had preserved some lemons and forgot about them a couple of months ago. Now they are ripe and ready to be enjoyed.

Thin skinned lemons work well, but, I had these glossy yellow thick-skinned lemons, (and I prefer the softened preserved thick skin to the tangy mushy flesh), so, these worked out great. Spices can be varied to taste. Once opened, keep refrigerated.

Chop up and mix with rice or risotto; dice the preserved skin finely and use it to make flavored ghee or butter; or jab a fork on a chunk and enjoy it fresh as-is. The tangy saltiness, the mild sweetness balanced by the heat of the peppers, and the unique flavors of coriander, cinnamon, star anise makes this feel like quite an exotic dish.

Ingredients
6 medium to large lemons
3 or 4 Tbsp honey
2 cups salt
1 cup lemon juice
2 cups warm water (plus more for boiling water bath)
4 cinnamon sticks
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp whole black peppers
6-8 dry red chilies (optional)
6-8 cloves of garlic (optional)
2 star anise (optional)

Preparation

Cut the lemon into chunks, pack in a jar sprinkling with salt generously between layers; add crushed coriander seeds and peppers and cinnamon sticks in between layers as well
Dissolve the honey in warm water, add it into the jar, along with lemon juice, cover tightly with a canning ring lid
Set up a boiling water bath such that the jar is at least half submerged in water, bring water to a boil, leaveit in the boiling water bath for 10 minutes, remove from heat
Set the jar aside in a cool dark place for about 4 to 6 weeks
Enjoy!

Hearty Lentil Soup

2011-05-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

Brown lentils, onions, carrots, turnip greens, tomatoes and some Indian spices come together for this warm staple. As a boost, a handful of sprouted brown lentils are used for garnish in this Hearty Lentil Soup with Turnip Greens.

When possible, if I can plan ahead, I soak the lentils overnight, pressure cook in bulk and then freeze them in 1 cup portions for ease of use later. Thaw overnight in the fridge before use if preferred.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked brown lentils
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup chopped turnip leaves (or more)
1 cup diced tomatoes (canned, if not in season)
1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp hot chili powder (or cayenne pepper powder)
1 tbsp brown sugar (or agave nectar)
2 or 3 bay leaves
4 to 6 cloves, crushed or whole (if preferred, remove before serving)
1 star anise, whole
1 3-inch piece of Indian/Chinese cinnamon bark
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp canola oil
4 cups water or stock
salt to taste

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan, add the onions and spices, sauté
Add the lentils, tomatoes, carrots and greens, salt to taste, stock or water, cover and simmer till carrots are tender
Stir in lemon juice, taste and adjust flavors
If preferred, fish out the star anise, cloves, bay leaves, Indian Cinnamon before serving
Garnish with spring onions and sprouted brown lentils

Wild Rice with Mango, Bell Pepper and Sprouted Beans

2011-05-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

Some mango, curry leaves, bell peppers, onions come together for this wild rich dish garnished with sprouted beans and spring onions.

Every once in a while I sprout some beans/lentils and sprinkle a handful on salads, soups etc. Moong beans and brown lentils are the most common ones I sprout.

Sometimes I use the default cheesecloth in colander method, or use the glass jar with screen lid method.

If screen lid is not handy, a piece of mesh cut out from the mesh bag the onions came in works; place it over a Mason™/Kerr™ canning jar, and fit it with a ring lid. If mesh bag is not handy, I get away with a piece of paper towel with perforations.

Simply soak the brown lentils overnight, drain, rinse, drain well; place in a glass jar fitted with screen lid and watch in sprout in 3 or 4 days. Rinse once a day and drain well.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 medium-ripe mango (not too ripe, raw is fine)
a handful of curry leaves (optional)
1 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)
2 Tbsp home-made ras al hanout (more or less)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan, saué the onions, curry leaves, bell peppers with a pinch of salt and spices
Add the cooked wild rice, mango, brown sugar, stir well, adjust flavors to taste
Stir in lemon juice and garnish with spring onions and sprouted brown lentils before serving

Witlof in Jalapeno-Cheese Sauce

2011-04-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

Witlof (Belgium Endive) apparently just translates to "White leaf" in Dutch. It has a nice delicate flavor, crunchy and juicy. I like it lightly sautéed or baked so it retains its crunch and yet is not too raw.

I still fondly remember Witlof and Banana dish a (Dutch) friend made for us up in Winlaw B.C., and I was hoping to make it this time. But, ended up making a cheese sauce with jalapeños that tasted quite like D's favorite Ema Datsi.

The serving here is for two portions - one witlof head per person. Adjust quantities for making a larger batch.

Ingredients:
2 witlofs, cut in half length-wise with root intact
2 jalapeños, seeded, sliced
½ medium onion sliced thin (optional)
1 cup fresh grated Colby Jack cheese
½ cup fresh grated aged Cheddar
¼ cup fresh grated Bergenost cheese (optional, for garnish)
¼ cup milk
¼ cup Smart Butter™ Omega Lite (or butter, if preferred)
1 Tbsp canola oil (or butter if preferred)

Preparation

Heat the milk, butter, cheeses, Smart Butter, jalapeños in a pan over medium low heat, stirring often till cheeses melt and the sauce comes together
Heat the oil in a pan, place the witlof cut side down and allow to brown a bit
Add the cheese sauce and simmer a bit longer
Serve hot off the pan

Mushroom in Red Wine Sauce with Bean Thread Noodles

2011-04-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

Some baby bella mushrooms with pearl onions came together in a rich-flavored simple sauce for this dish, served with mung bean thread noodles.

Cook bean thread per package directions, or serve with rice sticks, or just plain jasmine rice; or with quinoa, or even brown rice.

Ingredients
pearl onions, peeled
baby bella mushrooms, chopped if to big
2 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste
water as needed

For garnish: cilantro and spring onions

For the sauce:
½ cup red wine (I used some Gato Negro Shiraz I had handy)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp smoked paprika
&frac; tsp oregano powder or 1 Tbsp crushed dried oregano (+/-)
½ tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp brown sugar or 1 Tbsp Agave nectar
1 Tbsp minced garlic

Preparation

Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the pearl onions and mushrooms a bit, remove from pan, keep aside
In the same pan, add the tomato paste and garlic, saué till tomato paste turns rich red and aromatic, add the spices, wine, and half to one cup of water, cover and allow to simmer and reduce a bit
Toss back in the mushrooms and pearl onions, simmer together to desired sauce consistency; add water as needed

Bac Ha Soup

2011-03-27T15:23:00.001-07:00

Bac Ha, the stem of Alocasia Odora (related to Colocasia), is something I had not used in my cooking until now. When D found it at a nearby Asian store, he bought some for us to try.

One of my favorites to this day is Plantain stem (Vaazha Thandu). My mom makes wonderful koottu (Koottu recipes) as well as pachadi (Pachadi recipes) with it. It takes a bit of preparation to peel the outer layers of the stem, and pull out the fibres as they emerge during the chopping process, but, the slight crunch with watery insides absorbing the flavors of the dish, not to mention the health benefits, makes it a much-treasured food for me. Something I miss a lot as I have not been able to find Plantain stems in my area.

Anyway, the starchy rhizomes of some Colocasia (or Taro) - Cheppan Kezhangu/Chaembu as I am used to calling them - was quite a staple when I was growing up. My mom didn't cook much of taro leaves though. Much like Rhubarb, some varieties of taro leaves need to be cooked with caution, as they can be toxic.

Peel the green outer skin, trim off the hard ends, and cut up the spongy insides of the stem to use Bac Ha in recipes.

My inspiration for this soup came from Wandering Chopsticks. This is a lazy-cook's version of a clear and brothy soup made with bullion cubes for stock and some other handy vegetables thrown together, just to try Bac Ha.

After the first taste, do I like Bac Ha? Hmmm... am not sure... they say it takes at least 15 tries for children's sensitive palates to accept a new taste. Or reject it categorically. I am not a child, except at heart of course. And, after nearly 50 tries in the last 3 years, cooked and presented in more ways than I can remember, my five-year-old has convinced me that she does not care for tomatoes or sweet potatoes. Bac Ha for me has a texture similar to water chestnut or even vaazha thandu, and quite a bland flavor... I guess I'll have to try it a few different ways to see if it grows on me.

Ingredients
5 or 6 foot-long stems of Bac Ha
6 cups Vegetable Stock
pearl onions, bok choy, spring onions, Napa cabbage, Long green beans
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp coconut vinegar (optional)
spices: red pepper flakes (or Vietnamese chili paste)

Preparation

Sauté the vegetables in a bit of sesame oil, add the stock, spices, cover and simmer till vegetables are cooked
Stir in mirin and coconut vinegar, garnish with cilantro/spring onions, and serve warm

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Mole Sauce

2011-03-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

Some leftover mashed potatoes and a handful of fresh spinach leaves came together for this filling. The sauce is based on my version of the Mole Sauce shared almost 4 years ago, but, just a bit different.

Ingredients
2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup thick mashed potatoes
1 cup tightly packed baby spinach leaves
1 or 2 Tbsp finely diced red onions or shallots (optional)
½ tbsp butter (optional)

for the Mole-ish sauce:
2 cup stewed diced tomatoes
½ cup full-bodied red wine* (or a favorite that you prefer to cook with)
1 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
½ medium onion diced finely
½ cup water (as needed)
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
½ tsp oregano powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste

*I use Gato Negro Shiraz for sauces as it is usually handy, but I also like to use Port (tawny) for cooking sometimes. The alcohol cooks off anyway, so, any good wine is fine.

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F
Chicken: Pound the chicken breasts flat and marinate them in red wine vinegar if preferred for about 10 or 15 minutes while assembling the rest of the ingredients
Filling: Combine the potatoes and spinach with some salt (and any additional herbs, seasoning if preferred) to make a thick mass for filling the chicken breasts
Prepare: Line a cookie sheet or baking tray with Aluminium foil, lay the chicken breasts flat, add just enough filling to be able to fold over, dot with butter, fold over the chicken breast and hold with a toothpick; dot with butter (or brush some on) on the outside
Bake: Cover with another piece of Al foil and bake in the 400°F oven for about 20-25 minutes or so till juices run clear and internal temperature is about 170°F; it is a bit tricky to check temperature when filling is in, but, as long as the thickest part of the chicken breast registers 170°F, I am satisfied; Remove foil and cook for another 10 minutes or so, remove from oven, let it rest a few minutes
Sauce: Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients in a pan and cook till reduced to 2/3rds its initial volume; purée in a blender to desired smoothness, return to pan and continue cooking till sauce is reduced to the desired thickness. (I prefer the sauce not too runny)
Serve: Optionally, heat a teaspoon or so of oil in a pan and brown the chicken breasts on the outside before serving with the sauce

Cremini Mushroom in Chili Garlic Sauce with Brown Rice

2011-03-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

Portabello/Cremini mushrooms are my all time favorites among mushrooms. Since D will not eat mushrooms of any kind (how can you voluntarily ingest fungus?!), I don't get to cook much of it. Every once in a while, I do indulge in my very own marinated grilled portabello sandwiches or Mushroom Stroganoff or spicy Mushroom-and-Bell-pepper Curry or Baked Mushroom with Walnut-Cilantro Pesto...

Anyway, nothing extraordinary about this Mushroom in Chili Garlic Sauce, except that I made it exclusively for myself and enjoyed the whole experience, including eating it as leftovers the next day when it tasted even better.

If store-bought Black Bean Chili Garlic Sauce is available, go for it. I have a self-imposed ban on many of the store-bought items, especially the ones with MSG, or are heavily processed. Just a short-term ban to manage the wicked-nasty migraines... hopefully I can reintroduce some of them later on.

A large jar of Sambal Oelek is a staple in my kitchen, but, any other favorite chili paste or home-made chili concoction is good for that extra bite.

Ingredients
3 or 4 cremini or portabello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 medium onion sliced thin
a handful of baby spinach leaves (optional)
Cilantro and Spring onions for garnish

1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 Tbsp light soy sauce

Preparation

Heat the sesame oil in a pan, add the garlic and ginger, sauté a bit, then add the onions, mushroom, spices, cover and cook till mushrooms are just done
Toss in the spinach if using, cover and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving. The slightly wilted spinach adds a nice texture and flavor to this simple dish

Help Mercy Corps Help Japan

2011-03-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Mustard Greens and Bergenost Cheese

2011-03-15T04:04:00.000-07:00

Much like classic Chicken Kiev, Chicken Cordon Bleu, this is stuffed chicken breast dish. Stuffing can be anything - like the Pesto Sun-dried Tomato Feta Chicken, or greens and cheese as in this recipe.

Any favorite cheese would work. I had a small chunk of buttery Bergenost, some (non-smoked) Gouda, and some Colby-Jack which is what I ended up using. A combination of fresh mustard greens, Swiss chards and baby spinach leaves worked well. But, any favorite greens would be fine, I'm sure.

These Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Mustard Greens and Cheese are served here with Asparagus Salad.

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (even-sized for uniform cooking)
a handful of greens - mustard, chards, spinach
Bergenost, Gouda, Colby-Jack cheeses
salt and pepper to taste
a few teaspoon olive oil, or canola oil, or butter if preferred
marinade: red wine vinegar (optional)

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F
Marinate the chicken in red wine vinegar for 15-20 minutes, if preferred
Slit the chicken breasts to make a pocket into which the stuffing can be introduced
Stuff with cheese and greens, season with salt and pepper, place in a baking sheet, brush with oil, cover with Aluminium foil and bake at 400°F for about 25 minutes
Remove the foil, brush with oil cook uncovered for another 8-10 minutes
Check for doneness - juices run clear, internal temperature is 170°F
Optional: Before serving, heat oil in a pan and brown the sides to desired richness

Asparagus Salad

2011-03-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

I still remember the sweet juicy white Spargel I had a few years ago in Germany, where Asparagus (aka Spargel) is usually white as they grow it under cover of soil.

This Asparagus Salad is very simple and open to variations. Simply blanch the asparagus, toss in some pepper strips, spring onions, onions, even sliced cooked potatoes as I do here to make it a full meal.

Dress with favorite vinaigrette - I like the Aka Miso and Blue Agave Nectar vinaigrette. Just a hint of citrus vinaigrette would be good as well.

Brown Rice and Okra Stew

2011-03-09T20:41:00.000-08:00

I love tangy sourdough bread bowls, and they are perfect for serving rich thick stews and soups. The bread bowl soaked with the goodness from the soup/stew is a filling treat.

Rather than baking my own bread bowls I left it to the master artisan bakers who supply it to my local grocery store. Simply warm per directions, slice the top, scoop out the innards and fill with stew.

Ingredients
2 cups frozen cut okra, thawed (fresh okra is hard to come by here)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 stalk celery, chopped
½ cup cut baby corn
1 small red onion or a few shallots, diced
½ can stewed diced tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes if in season)
4 - 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
optional: cooked lima beans, peas, butter beans, double beans
6 cups water or stock
1 tsp canola or vegetable oil

Spices:
cayenne pepper, cumin powder, coriander powder (1 Tbsp each, or adjust to taste)
2 or 3 bay leaves
salt to taste
1 Tbsp brown sugar

garnish: spring onions, cilantro

Preparation

Heat the oil in a pot, sauté the onions and garlic; add the celery, tomatoes, okra and any other vegetables, brown rice, some salt, spices and bay leaves, stock/water, cover and allow to simmer over medium heat till thickened
Stir in the brown sugar, adjust flavors to taste
Warm up the bread bowl per package directions and serve it filled with the stew, garnish with chopped spring onions and cilantro leaves

Chicken in Piquant Sauce with Savory Corn Cakes

2011-03-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

It seems like I've been defaulting to salads and simple sandwiches lately. The stormy freezing weather last weekend spurred me to make something warm and substantial for D.

The sauce piquant for the chicken is not really hot as I cut back on the chilies and peppers so kids can try some without complaining.

The corn cakes almost tasted like corn fritters even though they are not deep fried. The rice flour gives it the crisp crunch.

Steamed green beans and carrots rounded out this simple meal.

Ingredients
Boneless skinless chicken breasts, marinated in red wine vinegar

For Savory Corn Cakes:
1/3 cup rice flour
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup fine cornmeal
2/3 to ¾ cup water, as needed
1 tsp Cajun seasoning (or any other favorite spice mix, check label for salt)
1/3 cup steamed sweet corn kernels
a few tablespoon vegetable oil for pan frying

For the Piquant Sauce:
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
red and green bell pepper, sliced thin, as much as preferred
1/3 cup sweet corn kernels (optional)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup stewed crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dry crushed oregano
1 tsp dry crushed thyme
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder (more if preferred)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp Canola or vegetable oil
1 cup water

Preparation

Corn Fritters: Combine the ingredients to form a slightly thick batter. Heat some oil in a pan or skillet, add spoonfuls of batter and flatten it out; allow to cook till brown around the edges, flip and cook the other side till desired brownness
Piquant Sauce:heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onion and bell peppers, add the tomato paste and allow to cook a bit till rich and darkish red; add the rest of the sauce ingredients, simmer till sauce thickens
Chicken:Heat some oil in a grill pan and brown the chicken pieces and cook part way; then drop them into the simmering sauce to finish cooking

Chicken and Red Cabbage

2011-03-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

Red cabbage is packed with nutrients and dietary antioxidant, plus has a rich flavor compared to regular green cabbage. Asian Cabbage Salad and Red Cabbage with Mock Kibbeh are a couple of ways we enjoy this vegetable.

In this recipe, chicken is browned and cooked part-way first, then smothered in shredded red cabbage and cooked through with some red wine and spices. For extra rich flavor, I decided to relax my self-imposed restriction on butter, but substitute any favorite oil or butter if preferred. The chicken makes a great leftover for sandwiches and soups.

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 medium head of red cabbage, shredded (about 4 or 5 cups)
1 small red onion cut into rings (optional)
½ cup Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tsp gin (optional)
1 to 2 Tbsp butter
salt to taste

marinade: red wine vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar

spices/herbs:
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 small bay leaf, crushed
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Preparation

Cut the chicken breasts into even-sized pieces for uniform cooking, and marinate in the marinade for 30 minutes up to overnight (in the fridge)
Heat butter in a pan, sauté the onions if using, brown the chicken on both sides
Add the shredded red cabbage, wine, a light sprinkling of salt, herbs and spices, cover and cook till chicken is done; stir in gin if using
Garnish with spring onions or other fresh herbs and serve warm

Chicken Paella

2011-02-27T16:02:00.000-08:00

One pot rice dishes make a filling meal and are easy to prepare. While there are different versions of paella, the Valencian style chicken and vegetables is what I usually end up making, not the seafood paella. Some boneless skinless chicken breasts and Andouille chicken sausages, peas, carrots, bell peppers and onions, to keep it simple. Of course any other vegetable or meat is fine.

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large pieces
a few chunks of chicken sausage (optional)
vegetables - frozen peas, carrots, onions, red bell peppers, green beans, broccoli (optional)
fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, as much a preferred
a few prunes (optional)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
salt

1½ cups rice (I prefer Basmati, but any long grain rice is good)
3 cups water (more or less) or stock

spices
a few strands of saffron
finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Preparation

Heat oil in a large pan, brown the chicken pieces on both sides; add the onions sauté
Add the saffron and water, bring to a simmer, add the rice, rest of the spices, salt to taste, carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, prunes, cover and cook till water is absorbed and rice and chicken are done
Add the browned sausage, frozen peas, broccoli and red bell peppers, stir well, cover and let it rest for about 5 minutes or so
Adjust flavors to taste, garnish with parsley or spring onions, and serve warm

Brussel Sprouts in Spicy Coconut Cream Sauce

2011-02-11T23:41:00.000-08:00

Ages ago, as a grad student, I remember how surprised my dear friend was when I offered her home-made Brussels Sprouts Sambar for the first time in her life. Being used to Sambars and Brussels sprouts on their own, it was the combination that threw her off I think. She loved it. And so did I.

However, one of my favorite ways of enjoying Brussels sprouts is the slit-and-stuff and pan-cook method. Almost anything tastes good this way, even bitter gourd.

Here, the Brussels sprouts are cooked in a creamy sauce with coconut milk and Indian spices. As always, adjust spices to taste.

Ingredients
about 10-12 Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved
8 oz light coconut milk (more if preferred)
salt to taste
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil

½ tsp turmeric

for the spice mix:
3-4 dry red chilies, toasted and crushed
1 tsp toasted black sesame seed powder*
1 Tbsp black peppercorn, crushed
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp cumin powder

(* Just toast some black sesame seeds, powder it and store it in an airtight container)

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan, a add the Brussels sprouts, turmeric, some salt, sauté a bit
Add the spices, a cup of water, cover and allow to cook for a few minutes till soft but not mushy
Stir in the coconut milk and brown sugar, adjust flavors to taste, simmer a little longer; off-heat garnish with cilantro and spring onions

Oats Encrusted Chicken with Wild Rice

2011-02-06T19:37:00.000-08:00

Boneless skinless chicken breasts seem easy to cook and they make a lean yet protein-rich meal, plus it happens to be D's favorite. Along with a vegetable side and some sort of carb, this seems like a nice meal option.

Start the wild rice in the rice cooker. Marinate the chicken breast pieces for about 10-15 minutes, while assembling and cooking the side, which in this presentation happens to be cabbage. I like to cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch thick strips so they cook faster. Press into rolled oats, and bake in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes. All three items are done within 30-40 minutes if cooked in parallel.

This cabbage side is one of the staples in my kitchen: coarsely chop a variety of cabbages (I used Napa, red and green cabbage), some carrots, celery, and maybe onion if preferred. Heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a pan, throw in the chopped veggies, cover and allow the cabbage to cook a bit in its own water just for a few minutes so it is crunchy yet not too raw. Off heat sprinkle some allspice or nutmeg, add some salt or low-sodium soy sauce to taste. Stir well before serving.

Drizzle the cooked chicken pieces with a quick vinaigrette for extra moisture and flavor. Here I used my favorite Agave Nectar and Ginger Vinaigrette.

Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch thick pieces
seasoning salt
1 Tbsp oil

Marinade:
red wine vinegar, aka miso (or salt), lemon juice, agave nectar

Preparation

Marinate the chicken pieces in the marinade for about 10-15 minutes, longer if preferred
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F; In a shallow bowl mix the oats and seasoning salt; Keep a greased cookie sheet or roasting pan handy
Press the chicken pieces into the oats to coat it, and place in the greased roasting pan
Bake in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes; thicker/larger pieces will take longer, of course
Check the internal temperature of the largest piece; if it reads about 165°F to 170°F I consider it done
Remove from oven, allow to rest for a few minutes, drizzle with sauce or vinaigrette, serve warm with cooked seasoned wild rice and cabbage side

Sauerkraut or Choucroute

2011-02-04T15:44:00.000-08:00

Vegetable fermentation is not a recent phenomenon. Age-old techniques have survived, with perhaps some help from modern equipment. And the benefits of (properly) fermented vegetables is well-documented.

Some of the store-bought sauerkraut I tried for the first time a decade ago did not appeal to me and I had written off sauerkraut from my diet. Until Sandor Ellix Katz's Wild Fermentation came into my hands. (Thanks Mom!)

After making crock after crock of sauerkraut at home over the last year or so, we've hit upon a recipe we like - especially my five-year-old daughter, who sometimes asks for this "pickled cabbage" for breakfast! We just add a sprinkling of dill weed for the low salt version.

I still remember the huge 'jaadi' (large ceramic crock/container/wide-mouthed jar) full of tiny tender baby mangoes swimming in brine and fermenting, developing the characteristic sourness before some were scooped out for making "Kadugu Maangaa Oorugai" by my mom.

About 4 weeks is all it takes to get a crock of sauerkraut ready, the longer the better. And as we eat just a couple of tablespoons at a time, it lasts a while.

We don't make it back-to-back and have it every day religiously, but, between regular dose of Kimchi and Sauerkraut, it feels like the body is getting something good for absolutely no effort - Nature does the real work.

The picture doesn't do justice to its many virtues. The green bits are dill.

Low salt version is what I like - the more the salt the slower the fermentation and sourer the result. But, too much salt doesn't allow the good microorganisms to grow.

A jar that fits into the crock, filled with water, helps weight the cabbage down so it doesn't float to the top and get moldy due to exposure to air.

No strict measurements needed - simply sprinkle salt on each layer of shredded cabbage as we chop and pack it into the crock. Press down hard and add some weight - a container or zipper lock bag filled with water. If not enough water comes out of the cabbage within a day or so, add some salt water to keep the chopped cabbage immersed. Keep the weight on and leave it to ferment. Check every couple of days.

By about 4 weeks it is ready to be enjoyed. The sauerkraut "juice" is incredibly delicious and is a wonderful digestive tonic.

In winters, I leave the crock out and let the cabbage continue to ferment after the 4 weeks while we take a bit each day. It can be refrigerated if preferred.

The crunch of the cabbage thanks to the salt, the sourness due to acidity, plus the dill and salt has made this a favorite in our home.

Vegetarian Tamales: Steamed Corn-husk Wrapped Snack with Tempeh

2011-01-28T12:01:00.000-08:00

Tamales are not unfamiliar here in North America. And there probably is some version of it in different cultures around the world. Delicacies wrapped and steamed in banana leaves is quite common in India and parts of SE Asia. Not too long ago, while sharing the sweet Elai Adai recipe, I couldn't help noting its similarity with savory Tamales.

There are many standard/authentic recipes on the web and in cook books for tamales. But, experimentation and fusion cuisine being my personal slant, my recipe here is atypical, to say the least.

Since banana leaves/corn husks are not as handy or ubiquitous as they used to be when I was growing up, it is not often that I get to make these wrapped steamed dishes. However, every once in a while when I visit the Lebanese/Hispanic/Asian and other international markets, I tend to stock up.

Speaking of which, I had Olive pickle from Bangladesh recently - not the kind pickled in vinegar/brine, no, these were made in the typical Indian style with spices, packed in oil - and loved it! I am digressing...

Anyway, during one of the recent outings, I picked up some dried packaged corn husks expressly for making these tamales.

The dough uses flours and meals I usually have at home, no lard, and the filling is made with tempeh.

Sweet Boli, something I intensely disliked when I was young and seem to miss right now, brings back memories... assisting my mom reluctantly, mumbling and grumbling about how I could be doing something else rather than sit there and flatten out the elastic yellow dough, stuff it with the sweetened chana dal (kadala paruppu), ball it up neatly, pat it flat again now that it has the sweet filling, oiling my palms heavily to avoid sticking...

I never realized how much I learnt being a sous chef in my mom's kitchen! Karadayan Nonbu Adai, Modhakam/Poorna Kozhakattai, Suhiyan, Boli, not to mention Muthusaram, Thenkuzhal, Mysore Pak - I wouldn't dream of making them today were it not for all the work she put me to when I was young. And I thank her for it. (Amma, if you are reading this - I probably have called you a dozen times reminding you to - hope you realize how sincerely grateful I am!)

Ingredients
For the dough wrapper:
¼ cup fine corn meal
¼ cup all purpose flour
½ cup rice flour
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup water (plus a few Tbsp as needed)
salt and chili powder to taste

For the Tempeh Filling:
onions, bell peppers, celery finely chopped
taco seasoning -OR- cumin, coriander, oregano powder -OR- any other favorite spices
1 pkt Organic Multi-grain Tempeh
salt to taste
1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil

Preparation

Soak the dried corn husks in warm water for at least 30 minutes or per package instructions to soften it and get it ready for wrapping
Dough: Combine the dry ingredients for the dough in a bowl, make a well in the center, add the oil and a little water at a time, and knead to form a non-sticky, soft dough; set aside while the making the filling
Filling: Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, celery, bell peppers, a pinch of salt, sauté a bit; then add the tempeh, spices, adjust salt to taste and pan-fry it to desired brownness
Assembly: Drain the corn husks; make long strips out of one of the corn husks to act as ties/strings; Take one or two layers of corn husk, lay it flat and pat it dry; Pinch off a ball off the dough about 1.5 inches in diameter and pat it flat on the corn husk wrapper; spoon some filling in the center and wrap like a package, tie with the strip
Cook: Steam in the food steamer that comes with the rice cooker, or in any other handy steaming apparatus. I use my Idlee Cooker, and run it for 2 cycles - about 20-22 minutes
I typically "sacrifice" one of them to see if they are done - simply open one up and taste if the dough feels cooked enough... it turns translucent when cooked through so that the filling shows through
Enjoy warm with dipping sauce if preferred. (I like Maggi™ Hot & Sweet Tomato Chilli Sauce with these)

Ridge Gourd and Lentil Soup

2011-01-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

Ridge gourd was one of my least favorites when I was growing up. But, over the last few years, since it is available at the local Asian stores, I've come to rediscover and enjoy this strange vegetable.

Ridge gourd is usually spongy inside with not much flesh/meat, so, I use 2 or 3 large ones to make a reasonable quantity of this dish that showcases the vegetable. Much like chayote squash or opo squash and some of the summer squashes, ridge gourd doesn't have much of its own strong personality/flavor. It turns translucent when cooked even though it starts out spongy and white.

The best part about ridge gourd for me is its peel, its ridged almost thorny skin: I use it for making Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney (Peerkangai Tholi Thogayal), which is a family favorite - goes well with dosai, roti and even rice.

Ingredients:
1-2 long tender ridge gourd
1-2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cups cooked, mushy Toor (Tuvar) Dal
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp Madras Curry Powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
4-6 cloves of garlic (optional)gin
salt to taste
water as needed
some curry leaves, cilantro, spring onions for garnish

Preparation:

Skin the ridge gourd and save the skin for Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney; dice the ridge gourd, set aside
heat oil in a pan, add the onions, ginger, a pinch of salt, turmeric and sauté till onions turn translucent
add the tomatoes, spices, brown sugar, ridge gourd, cooked toor dal, a cup of water (adjust as needed)
cover and allow to cook till ridge gourd is done - usually doesn't take very long, it cooks up fast
adjust salt to taste; increase water for a runny soup (I prefer thick stew that can be scooped up in the spoon)
garnish with curry leaves and serve warm as-is or with rice or indian flat breads

Pan-fried Plantain Wedges and Plantain Chips

2011-01-11T02:58:00.000-08:00

Unlike Bananas which are enjoyed as-is ripe and sweet, Plantains are best for cooking when raw/unripe and firm. I grew up with a variety of bananas and plantains, some of which still stir happy memories - like ripe Rasthali and Nendran - and thanks to my mom, we had quite an array of dishes made with green plantains - mezhukuvaratti, podimaas, varuval and so on during my childhood which established a liking for this vegetable/fruit.

For this recipe, it is best for the plantains to be firm but almost ripe, not too raw and green, else it doesn't cook through well before the outside is crisped. To adjust for this, I par-cook the plantain wedges in the microwave, then pan-fry.

The flavoring spices can be varied - sometimes I prefer simple salt and chili powder, or black pepper; sometimes, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander; can even toss it around with some brown sugar and pan-fry to caramelize for a mildly sweet snack.

Plantain chips are just deep fried in canola oil and sprinkled with salt.

Ingredients
2 plantains, cut into wedges or rounds
salt and spices as needed
a few teaspoons of oil for pan-frying

Preparation

Toss the par-cooked plantain wedges with salt and spices and some oil
Heat a teaspoon or two of oil in a pan, add the coated wedges, allow to develop a crisp skin on each side, turning only to get all sides browned, not too often

Keys to Good Cooking

2011-01-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

Keys to Good Cooking
A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes
by Harold McGee

Does pan size influence the cooking process? How to keep wooden (or plastic) cutting boards clean? Different starches have different thickening power, which ones to use for what? Why is it that beans give people gas, how to minimize it? Does covering raw foods with oil allow botulism bacteria to grow?

Most cooks pick up a lot of information regarding food safety, cooking methods, useful tools and apparatus, in addition to recipes, good ingredients and basic methodology. This book collects a wide array of facts and tips and explanation that even an experienced cook might want to refer to on and off.

The seminal volume by the author, On food and Cooking: The science and lore of the kitchen, is a fantastic reference for the avid cook who is not all about recipes. While On food and Cooking might come across as sterile and scientific, Keys to Good Cooking distills scientific findings and presents it in an easy-to-digest form, practical and to-the-point.

I fell in love with this book as it focuses on providing an understanding of cooking, the whole cooking field. Being an intuitive cook with a chronic inability to follow recipes to the T, I look for general methodology and combination of ingredients and flavors rather than exact measures and step-by-step instructions for cooking a dish.

In that sense, the chemistry lessons from high school came in handy when I first started making dishes that use raising agents - use acid (like citric acid or lemon juice or even buttermilk) + alkali (baking soda) to release CO₂ gas for that extra fluff. When to use baking powder versus baking soda and why... cast-iron skillet versus stainless steel pan for cooking - flow of heat energy... hot-soak the beans before cooking, (add bay leaves) - bio-chemistry... I am digressing.

A recent Xmas present, this book is much-loved already and will be well-used, possibly not dog-eared as I can't stand it, but, certainly treasured over the years.

Bittergourd Paruppusili

2011-01-03T14:02:00.001-08:00

Since D and I like bitter gourd, I try to cook it up in a few different favorite ways to enjoy. Bitter gourd paruppusili is not very different from other paruppusilis, except the flavoring: tamarind paste, with some brown sugar and chilli powder. The hot-sour-sweet combination goes well with the bitterness.

Ingredients:
1 or 2 medium Foo Gwa or Bitter gourd, cleaned and diced

½ tsp tamarind paste
½ tsp hot chilli powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt, as needed
water, as needed

oil, as needed

tempering: 2 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1tsp cumin seeds (optional)

garnish: curry leaves and cilantro (optional)

steamed and pan fried lentils as in the Kovakkai Paruppisili

Preparation

Heat the oil in a pan, add the diced bitter gourd, some water, tamarind, chili powder and brown sugar, salt, cover and simmer till the bitter gourd is cooked though but not mushy
Sit in the pan fried lentils, garnish with curry leaves, serve warm with rice and sambar

Curry Leaf Kuzhambu

2010-12-24T00:08:00.000-08:00

Curry Leaf, known as Karuveppelai in Tamil, is ubiquitous in south Indian dishes either as garnish or as part of spice paste or even on its own in Curry Leaf Chutney.

Kuzhambu/Kozhambu is a south Indian thick and spicy stew served with rice. While Sambar typically has cooked mashed toor dal and vegetables in it to add some body and protein, Kozhambu is typically made when dal and seasonal vegetables are not handy, relying mostly on herbs and such for a bold flavor - garlic (Poondu Kozhambu), ginger (Inju Kozhambu), Molagu Kozhambu (Black pepper Kozhambu), Curry leaves as in this Curry Leaf Kozhambu...

I add vegetables to some of the kozhambu I make, but is usually optional... sometimes even some lentils like the Pottu Kadalai Kozhambu or Paruppu Urundai Kozhambu.

And this Curry Leaf Kozhambu features cauliflower, but can be omitted, or substituted with any other favorite vegetable.

Asafoetida is a staple in most south Indian kitchens, a pinch here with tempering, a pinch there in the simmering pot... a small jar of it lasts quite a while in my kitchen, thanks to its strong aroma and taste.

Ingredients
For the Curry Leaf Paste:
1 cup fresh curry leaves, chopped coarsely
1 Tbsp whole black pepper
2 to 4 dry red chilies (fewer if preferred)
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger (optional)
4 Tbsp dry grated (unsweetened) coconut

For the kuzhambu:
1 cup Cauliflower florets
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp tamarind paste (I like Tamicon™ paste)
Cornstarch or rice flour for thickening
salt to taste
6 cups of water

Tempering: 1 Tbsp oil, ½ tsp asafoetida powder, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp chana dal, 1 tsp urad dal

Preparation

Combine the curry leaf paste ingredients together, grind to a smooth paste, set aside
Tempering: Heat the oil in a large enough pot for making the kuzhambu, add the chana dal, then urad dal and when they turn golden brown, add the mustard seeds, and when they pop, add the asafoetida
At this point, can reserve some of this tempering for garnish or simply proceed with the kuzhambu
Add the onions, sautée till translucent, then add the kuzhambu ingredients, (except cornstarch or rice flour), cover and simmer till it is reduced in volume by one-third
Add the curry leaf paste, adjust salt to taste and simmer about 5 minutes longer
Thicken: mix a teaspoon of cornstarch or rice flour in cold water, add to the simmering kuzhambu, stirring constantly to thicken

Bittergourd Sambar

2010-12-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

Sambar is a south Indian stew-like dish typically eaten with hot rice.

Sambar can be made with any seasonal vegetable, any combination of them, although my mom would probably dislike certain combination of vegetables - like ash gourd and bitter gourd together, or for that matter pearl onion and cranberries that I like to make on and off during Fall/Winter.

Sambar Powder is the spice mix that flavors this dish. And practically every south Indian family has its own version of the best sambar powder formula which is probably tweaked a bit down the generations. For instance, my mom's traditional sambar powder recipe is a bit different from mine and yet they use pretty much the same base ingredients.

The sambar powder can be made ahead of time in a larger quantity and stored in air tight container much like any other spice powders. Typically, just a couple of tablespoons of the powder is all it takes to make a pot of sambar. Simply dry roast the ingredients till aromatic, allow to cool a bit, grind to smooth powder, and store.

Indian bitter gourd or Chinese Foo Gwa have a distinct bitterness that can be an acquired taste, but has well-documented health benefits. Thanks to my mom making bittergourd sambar and pachadi and deep-fried and pan-fried poduthuval when I was little, I ended up liking it a lot when I "grew up", despite turning up my nose on it then.

Tempering is an integral part of many south Indian dishes, my mother wouldn't dream of serving sambar without it, but, can be omitted here if preferred. Certain dishes start with the tempering first and get layered flavors built as the dish progresses, whereas certain dishes have the tempering as garnish added right at the end when the dish is ready to be served. I prefer adding tempering at the end for sambar, but start off with tempering for poduthuvals and curries.

Ingredients

Sambar Powder spices (this is a slightly non-traditional mix):
1 cup coriander seeds
½ cup dry red chilies(up to 1 cup if preferred fiery and red)
½ cup chana dal
¾ cup toor dal
½ cup fenugreek seeds
2 Tbsp whole black pepper
2 2" piece of chinese/indian cinnamon bark
2-4 dry bay leaves
1 tsp poppy seeds
½ cup dry roasted curry leaves (optional)

For the Sambar:
1 tsp tamarind concentrate (I like Tamicon™ is rich, thick and dark)
6 cups of water
1 large bitter melon, chopped (I like Foo Gwa from Asian stores)
1 large carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 3 Tbsp Sambar powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt to taste
1 cup cooked mashed toor dal
Cilantro leaves for garnish

Tempering: 1 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp urad dal, 3 or 4 fresh curry leaves

Preparation

Tempering: Heat oil in a small pan, add urad dal and allow it to turn a mild golden brown, add the mustard seeds and let them pop; cover with a perforated lid if preferred as the mustard seeds will spatter all over when they pop; add the fresh curry leaves, remove from heat and keep aside
Combine the sambar ingredients, all except cooked toor dal, cover and simmer till vegetables are cooked but not mushy; stir in the cooked mashed toor dal, adjust salt to taste and simmer for about 5 minutes more over medium low heat
Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and the tempering

Wilted Spinach Sandwich, Cabbage Paruppusili, Spicy Chicken

2010-12-14T16:37:00.000-08:00

While the combination of Wilted Spinach Sandwich, Cabbage Paruppusili, and Spicy Chicken probably sounds odd, the meal was anything but.

Sometimes leftovers make a wonderful dinner platter. Small amounts of Cabbage Paruppusili and Spicy Chicken chunks in tomato-based gravy leftover from a weekend lunch made a simple yet filling meal that night, with a quick sandwich to round it out.

Wilted Spinach Sandwich

Wilt some baby spinach in olive oil, splash some pomegranate red wine vinegar off heat, toss in some feta and capers, allow to marinate till ready to serve.
With kids around, String Cheese (Mozzarella sticks) is always handy. I like to cut up the string cheese into smaller chunks and microwave them for about 30 - 35 seconds (depending on the microwave power level) so it melts an stars browning at the edges. Makes a perfect cheese layer for sandwiches. (can use any favorite cheese or leave it out)
When ready, toast the bread slices, squeeze out excess liquid from the marinated spinach, add the melted cheese, serve right away

Cabbage Paruppusili: The recipe is the same as any other paruppusili like Green Beans Paruppusili - substitute cabbage for green beans.

Spicy Chicken:

Make a paste of onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, dry red chilies
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F
Marinate the chicken chunks in the masala paste for about 10 minutes (longer if desired)
Combine the chicken chunks and the masala paste, some salt, brown sugar, and some Frank's Red Hot™ sauce and bake in 400°F oven for about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through

Rolled Bread Sandwiches

2010-12-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

Sandwiches are sandwiches. Two pieces of bread with something in-between. While thinking of a way to make a simple meal more attractive, these rolled bread sandwiches came about.

Any favorite sandwich fillings/fixings would work, as long as it is cohesive and not too soggy. These rolled sandwiches here use feta, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini, red onions and some Monterey Jack cheese to hold them together. Any other favorite cheese that melts well would be fine - Colby Jack, Mozzarella, even Cheddar.

The sandwiches are served with hot gumbo.

Preparation

Cut out the crust from two slices of bread; slightly overlap one edge and roll the bread slices out with a rolling pin to make a larger flatter bread piece
Place some Monterey Jack along the short edges and toast in the toaster oven till cheese just starts to melt
Remove from the toaster oven, pile some filling on one end, roll as tight as possible, letting the melted Monterey Jack cheese seal the roll
Toast in the toaster oven till desired brownness on the outside

Sweet Potato and Red Cabbage Croquettes

2010-12-07T06:14:00.000-08:00

Some dishes just come into existence out of the need to use up small bits of remaining vegetables. Half a sweet potato and a small wedge of red cabbage came together for these surprisingly interesting croquettes. Some were deep-fried unbreaded, and some were breaded and pan-fried.

The croquettes, along with pan-fried polenta cakes and lightly steamed broccoli, made quite a filling dinner.

Ingredients
½ large sweet potato
½ to ¾ cup finely chopped red cabbage
2 to 3 high fiber whole wheat bread slices
1 tsp Cajun seasoning salt (more to taste)
½ tsp cumin powder (optional)
½ tsp coriander powder (optional)

Canola or vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

Microwave/Steam the sweet potato till soft, drain and pat dry; mash it along with the rest of the ingredients, adding enough bread to be able to shape the dough; shape into small logs
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a grill-pan over medium-high heat, place the shaped logs, allow to brown, turn around and brown all sides; if breadcrumbs are handy, bread the logs before shallow pan-frying
Alternately, deep fry

Sweet Potato and Green Apple with Marshmallows

2010-12-06T12:09:00.001-08:00

Sweet Potatoes or Yams along with slightly tart green apples, dusted with some brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, baked till done, dotted with marshmallows at the end so it turns gooey, hot off the oven, is certainly a late fall treat I don't make often.

While not my favorite, this casserole is certainly a nice addition to Thanksgiving or Christmas menu. I prefer the white marshmallows, but, kids liked the pastel colored ones which is what I used in this recipe.

I par-cook the yams/sweet potatoes in the microwave first to cut down on baking time.

Ingredients
1 large Sweet Potatoes or Yam, sliced
1 large Green Apples, sliced
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix -or- ½ tsp each ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
¼ cup brown sugar (more if preferred)
½ cup mini marshmallows
a few Tbsp evaporated milk (optional)

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F
Arrange the yams or sweet potato slices in a 9-inch baking dish, add about ¼ cup of water, cover and microwave till par-cooked, drain excess water
Add the apple slices, spices, brown sugar, and some evaporated milk, stir well, pack down firmly and bake in a 350°F oven for about 30-35 minutes, checking for doneness/charring
Dot with marshmallows and place under broiler for a minute or so till gooey, remove from heat, allow to sit for a few minutes, and serve warm

Pumpkin Pie

2010-11-30T12:03:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin and mildly sweet winter squashes are a few of my favorite winter vegetables - soups, poduthuvals, dals, risotto - I like to add them to dishes as often as I can. Pumpkin is a rich source of nutrients, high in fiber with an inherent mild sweet taste that goes well with most dishes, including sambar and pachadi - South Indian staples.

Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, Moo-less Chocolate Pie, Banana Cream Pie (and any sortof smooth-textured pudding-like pie filling), Strawberry Pie Glace are some of the kids' favorites, Cherry Pie being the least favored one.

I don't make pies often. Typically, something about the Holiday Season, with shorter days and colder weather inspires me to bake cookies, breads, and pies more often.

We made a Pumpkin pie during the Thanksgiving holidays recently. The recipe is the classic one found on the label of Libby's Canned Pumpkin.

The only simple changes I make to this famous recipe (as I have a chronic inability to follow a recipe exactly) are:

substitute brown sugar instead of sugar
only ½ cup of brown sugar instead of ¾ cup
use ready-made Pumpkin Spice mix

If making pie shell from scratch, I follow the standard single-crust pie pastry recipe, cook it, cool it before filling it and baking the Pumpkin pie.

Green Bean Casserole

2010-11-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

Green bean casserole is one of my favorites, especially for Thanksgiving dinner. However, this year, I have made it quite a few times in the last few months, not just on Thanksgiving Day, possibly because casseroles are a great alternative to soups for quick and easy weeknight dinners.

Nothing special about this recipe - very much like what comes on the label of Campbell's™ soup cans. I change the seasoning a bit, and prefer Cream of Asparagus soup rather than Cream of Celery.

Frozen French cut green beans and canned soup makes for a quick meal that cooks under 30-35 minutes. If in season, fresh green beans cut into 1" pieces and blanched, along with a creamy sauce from scratch is a nice alternative (adjust cooking time as needed).

While Green bean casserole is typically served as a side dish, I make it a main meal especially on cold fall and winter nights. Seasoning and flavors can be adjusted to taste - I keep it fairly simple for the kids, and add a few drops of Tabasco™ sauce or Franks™ Red Hot for myself and D.

Ingredients
16 oz of frozen French-cut beans, thawed
1 can (10¾ oz) Cream of Asparagus (or Broccoli or Potato) soup
6 oz evaporated milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp lemon thyme seasoning (optional)
1 Tbsp French Onion Dip mix
2/3 can of French fried onions (about 4 oz)

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F; reserve half of the French-fried onions to use as topping at the end
In a 9-inch square baking dish, combine all the ingredients, stir well and bake for about 25 minutes till bubbly; if preferred, use about 4oz of evaporated milk (+ a few Tbsp water) instead of 6oz, for a thick casserole
Top with the reserved French-fried onions and bake another 3 or 4 minutes to crisp the French-fried onions, taking care not to char them
Serve warm

Brown Rice Vegetable Soup

2010-11-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

The weather being chilly and wet, I've been making soups, casseroles, breads for dinners. Soups are a good way for me to use up leftover barley or quinoa or rice , along with a favorite combination of vegetables and spices.

Thai soup spices is my default flavoring, but, this recipe has a tomato base with a small amount of evaporated milk for creaminess. We had harvested the last of cherry tomatoes from the home garden a while back.

And now that cold has set in, we harvested the green tomatoes as well, which probably wouldn't turn ripe red anymore...

Ingredients
Vegetables: baby corn, snap peas, bell peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, carrots, lima beans
1½ to 2 cups cooked brown rice
6-8 cups water or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ to ½ cup evaporated milk (optional)

½ medium onion finely diced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp sambal oelek
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp brown sugar (more if preferred)
2 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste

Preparation

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic and tomato paste, stir and cook till onions are translucent and tomato paste turns darker and aromatic, then add sambal oelek and brown sugar
Add the vegetables, stock, brown rice, some salt, stir well, cover and allow to simmer till it all comes together
Stir in the lemon juice, taste and adjust flavors if preferred; off-heat stir in the evaporated milk for a creamier texture

Buckwheat Soba, Teriyaki Chicken and Blanched Green Beans

2010-11-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

This Buckwheat Soba, Teriyaki Chicken and Blanched Green Beans is a simple meal combination, another one of D's favorites.

Soba and the green beans are flavored with a dash of Ponzu sauce after cooking and draining. Teriyaki chicken is very much like the usual recipe I follow, nothing new.

Ingredients
for the Teriyaki sauce and glaze:
¼ cup shoyu, or dark soy sauce
¼ cup mirin (or, sherry, if mirin is not handy)
¼ cup sake
1 Tbsp brown sugar (or, superfine caster sugar, if handy)

2 medium frozen skinless boneless chicken breasts, thawed
1 Tbsp sesame oil, or canola oil

Garnish: strips of nori, toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Heat the teriyaki sauce ingredients gradually till sugar dissolves; off heat, let it cool
Cut the chicken breast into bite size pieces and marinate in some of the cooled teriyaki sauce, for about 15-20 minutes
Heat the oil in the pan to high heat, drain the marinated chicken pieces, toss them into the hot pan and stir them around; alternately, pre-heat grill or broiler and grill or broil the chicken; I prefer to pan-fry
Toss around, turning all sides, over medium high heat, adding teriyaki sauce a little at a time to glaze the chicken pieces; cook till chicken is done, still juicy and tender; usually close to 170°F

Oven-roasted Kale

2010-11-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

Kale koottu/dal, Kale soup, sautéed Kale (much like radish greens), marinated Kale salad, Kale pasta, Kale with Cannelloni beans (much like collard greens), Kale paruppusili, even as pizza topping, not to mention just tossing it in with other suitable recipes, this nutritious greens is a favorite, much like collard greens, spinach, mustard greens and chards.

This oven-roasted kale is quite easy to make and can be snacked on as-is, or served as a side. The spices can be adjusted to taste.

Ingredients
1 bunch kale, cleaned and chopped
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt (more if preferred)
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 350°F
Toss the ingredients together, spread on a cookie sheet to a flat thin layer
Bake in the 350°F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, checking once or twice for crispness
Top with toasted sesame seeds, or popped mustard seeds (much like in tempering

Pimientos y Pollo con Tortilla

2010-11-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

While Pimientos y Pollo con Tortilla is just a Spanish translation of the primary ingredients, it somehow sounds more exotic than Chicken and Bell Peppers with Tortilla :)

And, that's all this recipe is. Much like a wrap. We simply call it fajitas at home for convenience even if it is technically incorrect as it refers to a specific cut of beef that was originally used to create this dish.

Cooked on a cast iron skillet, with a couple of drops of Liquid Smoke (I use Wright's Hickory Seasoning) and spicy McCormick's™ Taco Seasoning, these bell peppers and chicken and onions make a wonderful filling to wrap in a tortilla and enjoy.

I like to start the chicken and onions first on the skillet and add the bell peppers when chicken is nearly cooked so they can all finish together. While corn tortillas are traditional, I like the high-fiber (low-carb) wheat tortillas for the wraps.

We've been enjoying more of the usual soups with home-made dampers and breads, South Indian rasam with Poduthuvals and home-made pizzas for the last few weeks - just quick meals - nothing elaborate, nothing new and exciting to share here...

Beans and Rice, Potatoes, and Steamed Cabbage

2010-10-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

As unimaginative as Beans and Rice, Potatoes, and Steamed Cabbage sounds, it represents a comfort meal at home. Since we don't eat out much, I like to present "dinner plates" with portioned out variety of menu items. Not only does it help me keep track of what I eat, it also provides a nice gauge for D and the kids, not to mention a nice presentation.

Food Court eateries aren't quite gourmet usually, but, certain menus there satisfy certain moods for me. One such pick I default to when I find myself in a Food Court at lunch time is this combination of Beans and Rice, Potatoes, and Steamed Cabbage+Carrots, topped with some chili sauce. This almost always turns out greasier than I like, but very filling.

The recipe here is nothing exciting: cook the favorite beans and rice together with seasoning, pan-fry some par-boiled and sliced potatoes with onions, steam some green cabbage and julienned carrots. All this can be done in parallel, leading to a quick yet sumptuous meal.

I like black beans and basmati rice for this, but, kidney beans with long grain rice would be good too. Typically, over weekends, I steam some potatoes in the steamer that comes with the rice cooker and store it in the fridge/freezer for later use so it is handy.

For this presentation, I like the rice and beans to be fairly dry, not runny like I prefer the Red Beans and Rice dish. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm.

Flaky Parathas

2010-10-20T22:15:00.001-07:00

Paratha is an unleavened Indian flatbread made with wholewheat flour. It is usually pan-fried on the griddle and served hot with a few different sides - like curries, chutneys and raita.

To get the flaky layers, it can be rolled out, folded over on itself and rolled out four or five times before pan-frying, spreading a layer of ghee in between. Home-made Ghee is traditional, but, I like to use Smart Balance Omega™ Light.

Stuffed parathas used to be my favorite when I was young. Stuffing can be any leftover vegetables like potatoes, peas, carrots which incorporate well into the dough and can be rolled out without falling apart.

Served here is a South Indian side called Ellu Pachadi, made with home-garden butternut squash and zucchini.

Ingredients
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp Smart Balance Omega™ Light
1 cup warm water, more or less
1 tsp salt (more if preferred)
Oil for pan frying

Preparation

Combine the flour, salt, and Smart Butter; add a little water at a time and knead till the dough comes together, not stiff but quite elastic; let it sit for 15-20 minutes
Divide into balls and roll out one at a time, folding over a few times to create layers, not thicker than 4 or 5 millimeters (else it takes a lot longer to cook through)
Pan fry on a medium-hot pan, with a touch of oil to crisp the sides, maybe a couple of minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the paratha and heat of the pan

Black Beans and Brown Rice Patties

2010-10-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

Leftover black beans, brown rice, plus baked or steamed potatoes come together to make these delicious patties. Simply add favorite spices, mash them together, and pan-cook to desired crispness.

Serve as bean burgers in mini buns with favorite fixings, or enjoy as-is with favorite dipping sauce or ketchup.

Ingredients
1 cup cooked black beans, drained well
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 medium potato, cooked
a few slices of bread, preferably heels :)
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp sambal oelek or Tabasco™ sauce (or any favorite chili paste or sauce)
1 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste

A few tablespoons of Olive oil for pan frying

Preparation

Mash the ingredients together, adding just enough bread slices to make a dough that can be shaped easily; taste and adjust seasoning
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a pan, shape the patties and fry both sides till firm and done

Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

2010-10-14T00:33:00.000-07:00

Smothered in sautéed onions and bell peppers, dripping with melted cheese, on a whole-wheat hoagie roll, makes this mock Philly Cheese "Steak" sandwich an incredibly tasty and simple meal.

The wheat-meat recipe is the same as my usual one in principle, but, I vary the flavors/spices a bit here. While the Tandoori paste is a great marinade, I use it here for both color and flavor.

And usually, this is a great way to use up leftover wheat-meat pot roast: simply cut into strips, and sauté with onions and bell peppers, add preferred cheese.

Sloppy Joe: Another option is to grind the cooked wheat-meat strips, add some ketchup or tomato paste (I prefer tomato paste) while sautéing with onions and peppers, and serve as Slushburgers or Wimpies on toasted buns.

Ingredients
for wheat meat:
1 cup vital wheat gluten
¾ cup warm broth
spices:
1 tsp each cumin powder, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, salt
1 Tbsp Patak's™ Tandoori masala paste
1 tsp brown sugar

onions and bell peppers, sliced thin - as much as preferred
1 Tbsp canola oil

optional: 1 or 2 drops Liquid Smoke (I use Wright's Hickory Seasoning)

for the simmering broth:
4 to 6 cups broth+water
1 cup carrots and cabbage, chopped coarsely
1 Tbsp crushed red peppers
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp thyme
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp allspice

Cheese:
1 cup low-fat part-skim Swiss cheese, shredded
1 cup low-fat part-skim Mozarella, Shredded

Preparation

Start the simmering broth in a pot large enough to hold the loaf, reserving the liquid smoke to add at the end, if using
Combine gluten and spices for the wheat meat, add warm broth and stir with a spoon right away till it comes together to form a dough. Knead a few times and shape into a flat, roughly 1-inch thick, rectangle
Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet or pan large enough to hold the loaf, sear the sides of the shaped pot roast, remove from pan and add to the simmering broth, cover and allow to simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes
Meanwhile, sauté the onions and bell peppers adding some of the same spices as used in wheat-meat or simmering broth
When wheat-meat is done (or if using leftovers), cut into strips and add to the onions and bell peppers
Sprinkle the grated cheese on top, turn off heat, cover and let it sit till cheese melts
Scoop as much as desired into a toasted hoagie roll and enjoy!

Lentil Barley Soup

2010-10-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

Lentil Barley soup is quite a sumptuous weeknight meal, especially for the rainy autumn nights we've been having lately. Any combination of vegetables and spices will work, for that matter any type of lentils - red, brown, green, even yellow split peas, which is what I use here.

Rather than stove-top, I've come to like cooking barley and split peas in the rice cooker - roughly 1 part barley+split peas to 3 parts water. This way, I can set it and forget it, or even make ahead and store it in the fridge till I am ready to make the soup.

Thaw gently and add to the stock, along with other vegetables and spices. For a chunky stew, I add whatever winter squash is handy.

Ingredients
1 cup cooked split yellow peas
1 cup cooked barley
2 cups chopped turnip greens
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion sliced
6 cups stock or water
6 to 8 ripe sweet cherry tomatoes
salt to taste

spices:
1 Tablespoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Madras curry paste (I use Patak's™)
1 Tablespoon canola oil or olive oil
chopped cilantro for garnish
1 cup evaporated milk (optional)

Preparation

Heat the oil, sauté the onions, add the barley, split peas, turnip greens, stock, cover and simmer till green are almost done, and barley and split peas are soft
Add the bell peppers and tomatoes, cook till as soft as preferred, garnish and serve warm
For a creamier texture, stir in the evaporated milk

Green Bean Salad with Marinated Feta and Roasted Red Bell Peppers

2010-10-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

Crisply blanched green beans drizzled with my favorite Aka Miso and Blue Agave Nectar Dressing makes a wholesome side for a weeknight meal. When tossed with roasted red bell peppers and marinated feta, this becomes a meal in itself.

Feta can be used without marinating, but, I like to let it sit in a mixture of pomegranate red wine vinegar and olive oil for about 10 minutes while getting the green beans ready.

Store-bought roasted red bell peppers (packed in water) sautéed with some onions can be tossed in with the blanched green beans before drizzling the dressing.

Top with sliced almonds and serve at room temperature.

Chicken Enchilada Soup with Naan Panino

2010-09-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

Chicken Enchilada Soup is a hearty flavorful meal in itself, but for a little something extra on cold nights, a grilled panino rounds it out well.

Panini, fresh from the grill, are quite an appetizing version of my kids' favorite grilled cheese sandwich. For the adults in the household, I make the panini with marinated eggplant, red onions, bell peppers and cheese, much like the marinated eggplant sandwich, only I just marinated it for the 30-40 minutes it takes soup to get ready.

Any bread roll or flat bread would do, but here, I use Kale-and-Cilantro Naan I had leftover from a previous meal. Kale-and-Cilantro Naan is made very much like my other naans, just had kale handy and wanted to use it up.

Fusion cuisine being my personal slant, for a bright color and rich flavor, I like to marinate the chicken pieces in Patak's™ Tandoori Masala Paste, then cook it in a combination of typical Mexican and Indian spices.

Instead of Tandoori paste, can substitute Achiote seeds (Annatto) which 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, much like in this Achiote Potatoes and Black-Eyed Peas recipe.

Optionally, add peas and carrots for the kids, but for an adult version, can leave it out. If preferred, mellow it out with some sour cream or yogurt when serving this spicy soup for the kids.

Ingredients
2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 medium onion, sliced thin, or chopped fine
6-8 cloves of garlic, finely minced
optional cooked veggies: peas, carrots, black beans, corn kernels
2 Tbsp Patak's™ Tandoori Masala Paste (less if preferred)
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste

for garnish:
chopped cilantro
crisp tortilla strips

spices for the chicken enchilada soup:
1 tsp oregano powder or1 Tbsp crushed dried oregano leaves
1 Tbsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp McCormick's™ Original Taco Seasoning (optional)
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Preparation

Combine the spice mix and keep it handy
Cut a tortilla into strips, spray some oil and broil in the toaster oven till crisp and keep it handy
Heat the canola oil in a pot, add the onions, garlic, some salt and stir till onions are translucent; then, add the tomato paste and sauté till it turns rich red and is aromatic
Add the chicken pieces, spices, enough water, cover and cook till chicken is done
Stir in the cooked veggies, adjust flavors if needed, garnish and serve warm

Jackfruit Pit: Chakka Kottai Molagoottal

2010-09-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

Jackfruit... evokes memories of idyllic childhood, gorging and groaning, waiting for the various forms in which this unique fruit can be consumed thanks to a mom who is a superb cook... it has always been one of my favorite fruits.

Savoring the local seasonal fruits was such a sweet childhood experience for me: Mango season, Jackfruit season, Seethapazham (Custard Apple) season, Chikku/Sapota season, Nagapazham season, Vilambazham season... had to get our fill else we have to wait a whole year before the season comes around and the fruit becomes available in plenty again.

Anyway, D had never beheld a whole jackfruit (chakkai) in its full glory, so, he bought one recently, and went through the process of cleaning it up and extracting the yellow-fleshed sweet fruit sections.

These delicious fruits have a hard pit (kottai), which are edible when cooked, and have a nutty flavor and a meaty potato-like texture that I have a weakness for. [Chakkai Kottai = Jackfruit Pit]. Because of its nutty flavor it is sometimes referred to as Jackfruit Nut or Jack Nut

Molagoottal is a rather mild south Indian dish which can be made with any seasonal vegetable and is a favorite alternative to the spicy curries, sambar and kozhambu. Molagoottal doesn't use any tamarind or spice powders like sambar, and has a delicate base of coconut, peppercorn and cumin. Vaazha Thandu (banana plant stem), white pumpkin or ash gourd, snake gourd, cabbage and carrots, as well as chakkai kottai all lend themselves to a delicious molagoottal which was my mom's specialty.

Molagoottal is usually served with rice and a pachadi. My preferred combination is chakkai kottai molagoottal with chutta kathrikkai pachadi (roasted/charred eggplant pachadi). I had harvested the last of the eggplants from our home-garden... skewered them and roasted them over open flame on my gas stove then followed the recipe as before.

Ingredients
Jackfruit Pits - as many as in picture, maybe more if available
½ cup carrots, chopped
1 cup cooked lentils (I use moong dal)
salt to taste

for the molagoottal base:
4 Tbsp dry grated coconut
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
3-6 dry red chilies (optional)
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorn

tempering:
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp mustard seeds

garnish: curry leaves, cilantro

Preparation

Pressure cook the jackfruit pits (jackfruit nut, or jack nut) or cook on stovetop till tender but not mushy, like steamed or baked potato; remove the thick jacket/skin from the pits which easily come off when cooked well enough - this layer almost feels like plastic and is not quite edible - it is the pearly white layer seen in the jackfruit pits/nuts picture; the inner thin skin is a beautiful brown and the flesh is almost ivory white
Combine the molagoottal base ingredients in a blender and grind to a smooth fine paste, adding water as needed
In a pot, combine the carrots, cooked lentils and jack nut, molagoottal base paste, some water, salt, cover and simmer till flavors meld
Tempering: heat the oil in a small pan, when close to smoking add the mustard seeds and let them pop, turn off heat so as not to burn them
Top the molagoottal with these popped mustard seeds and garnish with curry leaves or cilantro

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread

2010-09-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

Until I came across Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) a decade ago, home-made chili was plain old pinto beans cooked in spicy broth and thickened a bit by mushing some of the cooked beans in the pot,

Since that first time I made a five-alarm chili with cornbread for D's birthday, Chile and Cornbread have become a favorite at home, an inseparable pair in my kitchen. Not the five-alarm kind for me or the kids, though.

Beans and lentils, packed with nutrition, are easy to incorporate in daily diet. This chili can be cooked overnight in a slow cooker. On working days, this used to be my preferred method.

Soak and pressure cook the beans and save them in the freezer (measured into smaller portions so I don't have to thaw the whole batch) during the weekend or whenever I can work it in. Throw the beans, onions, tomatoes, spices, TVP or minced Wheat Meat, together with enough water into the slow cooker and allow to simmer overnight; or start it in the morning before heading off to work and have it ready by dinner time that evening.

There are wonderful cornbread recipes on the web. But here I add my signature flax meal and nutritional yeast. For a quicker version of chili, I sometimes use McCormick™'s Original Taco Seasoning Mix and canned pinto beans with TVP. Otherwise a blend of ground spices work well to adjust the flavors to taste.

Ingredients
For the chili:
½ cup TVP
2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 medium onion, minced
2 or 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
chopped cilantro for garnish
spices:
2 to 3 Tbsp McCormick's Original Taco Seasoning Mix
-OR-
1 tsp each of : chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin powder, coriander powder, onion powder, garlic powder (adjust to taste)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
salt to taste

Preparation

Heat the canola oil in a pot, sauté the onions, garlic, add the spices and tomatoes and stir till spices bloom a bit, throw in the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer on medium-low for about 45 minutes, stirring on and off and checking that there is enough water.

For the Cornbread
¼ cup flax meal
¼ cup fine cornmeal
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 Tbsp Smart Balance Omega™ Butter Light
¼ cup milk (plus a few tablespoons more as needed)

[The quantity makes about 6 regular size muffins or a dozen mini muffins]

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 375° F and spray or brush some oil in the muffin pan and keep handy
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, stir to mix well; cut in the butter till incorporated; then add the milk a little at a time while stirring/whisking to make a thick yet flowing pancake-like batter
Pour the batter into the muffin cups about 2/3rds full and bake in 375° F oven for about 15-20 minutes; check half-way and turn the pan around; it is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean

No Meat Pot Roast

2010-09-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Wheat Meat is a nice alternative to soy-based meatless products and I've enjoyed making mock meat dishes with it for the last eight years or so. This "Pot Roast" is prepared much like the Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Potatoes recipe, with slight variations in flavoring and shaping.

There are a few brands of vegan bullion available in the market that imitate the flavor of beef and chicken. Never having tasted beef, I can't tell how close it gets to the real thing. If preferred, can simply use vegetable broth instead of beef or chicken flavored broth, which is my choice usually - vegetable bullion cubes dissolved in water (1 cube in 2 cups water).

These make good leftovers. Squeeze to remove excess moisture, shred or mince to make mock ground beef. If dry enough, it can be breaded lightly and baked or pan-fried to make a nice protein packed filler for kids' lunch.

The directions look like a bit much, but, it is really an easy dish to make ahead. Can double the quantity if desired.

Ingredients
for the pot roast "meat":
1 cup vital wheat gluten
¾ cup warm broth
spices: 1 tsp each cumin powder, coriander powder, taco seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt

1 Tbsp canola oil

for the simmering broth:
3 to 4 cups broth+water
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 or 2 drops Liquid Smoke (I use Wright's Hickory Seasoning)
spices: celery seeds, sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, parsley (or any preferred/handy combination)
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
1 medium onion sliced
3-5 cloves of garlic

Preparation

Combine the dry ingredients for the pot roast, add warm broth and stir with a spoon right away till it comes together to form a dough. Knead a few time and shape into a rectangular loaf/log (or any preferred shape). [When simmered, the shape doesn't hold tight and looks bloated]
Start the simmering broth in a pot large enough to hold the loaf, reserving the liquid smoke to add at the end, and also reserving part of the onions for sautéeing
Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet large enough to hold the loaf, sear the sides of the shaped pot roast, remove from pan and add to the simmering broth, cover and allow to simmer
In the same hot pan, sauté the reserved onions, off heat and keep handy
Simmer on low heat rather than full boil, 30 minutes; then, turn the loaf over in the pot and simmer another 30 to 40 minutes till it feels tender and can be cut with the edge of a regular spatula
Remove the loaf, purée the simmering broth in a blender for a smooth sauce; I simply mashed with a potato masher for a coarse chunky texture, reserving some carrot chunks for presentation; return to pot and simmer till the sauce thickens to desired consistency
Slice the pot roast, drizzle some sauce, top with sautéed onions, and serve warm

Roasted Eggplant Salad

2010-09-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

It is no secret here in my little kitchen that I love eggplant - have always loved them since childhood when my mom made quite a few of my favorites that to this day get me excited - particularly the South Indian delicacies like Ennai Kathrikkai, Sauteed Eggplant, Kathrikkai Rasavangi, Chutta Kathrikkai Pachadi, Vangi Baath, and Stuffed Baby Eggplant.

We harvested the last of the eggplants and onions, along with a ton of Roma tomatoes (to be canned and put away for later use) from our garden this year, I wanted to make a simple salad that uses the main ingredients fresh from the garden.

The eggplant can be cut into cubes or long slices for this salad to make for an interesting presentation. I went with round discs here. Simply marinate in a balsamic vinaigrette for an hour or so before serving.

Ingredients
eggplant, tomatoes, onions - diced or sliced as preferred
4 to 6 pickled Jalapeño rings, (or as many as needed )
garnish: cilantro, chopped

Vinaigrette:
1 to 2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 to 4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 or 2 cloves of garlic minced or grated finely
salt to taste
optional: paprika, red sumac powders, to taste

Preparation

Pan-fry or pan-roast, or oven-roast, or grill, or if we can indulge a bit, deep fry the eggplant, remove, drain, sprinkle with some salt if preferred
Combine the eggplant with the rest of the ingredients, dress as desired, cover and allow to rest in the fridge or at room temperature so it marinates and flavors meld
Garnish with cilantro, chives, spring onions

Rajma with Opo Squash-Bok Choy Naan

2010-09-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

Rajma (raaj-maa) is a North Indian dish, which along with the Punjabi Cholay used to be my favorite side to eat with rotis and naans when I was young. Rajma is a wholesome yet simple kidney beans dish full of flavor.

Here I serve Rajma with Opo Squash and Bok Choy Naan. Now, this naan might sound a bit off-beat, but, the mild flavors of these two vegetables, with a generous portion of cilantro and mint leaves makes these quite delicious.

For the Naan:

Simply grate the Opo Squash, and finely chop the bok choy , cilantro and mint leaves, taking care to save the stems and stalks for another use as they might not sit well when rolled out for the naan.
Add these to the dry ingredients for the Naan dough recipe and knead well. Alternately, can sauté these vegetables with mild curry powder or other preferred spices, keeping it fairly dry, and then mix it in with the dry ingredients for Naan dough. I prefer the raw vegetables for this recipe.
Finish making the naan per the Mint and Fennel Naan recipe

Ingredients for Rajma
2 cups cooked kidney beans
1 red/green bell peppers sliced
1 potato, cooked (optional)
½ medium onion sliced thin
2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
4 medium Roma tomatoes cut into chunks
1 Tbsp Coriander powder
1 Tbsp Cumin Powder
1 Tbsp Garam Masala
1 -2 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
water or stock as needed
salt to taste

Preparation

Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onion garlic and bell peppers, add the tomatoes, potato, kidney beans and spices, cover and allow to simmer on medium heat till vegetables are done but not mushy and the flavors come together - say about 10 minutes.
Garnish with chopped spring onions and cilantro, serve with roti or naan

Opo Squash, Zucchini, and Pumpkin in a light sauce

2010-09-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

There is something about the combination of delicate almost watery Opo Squash with meaty semi-sweet pumpkin that I find irresistible. This probably stems from consuming a lot of Olan, a South Indian delicacy that is my mom's specialty.

We had harvested some zucchini and pumpkin from our home-garden and the combination of these reminded me of my mom's Olan very much, especially along with Opo Squash.

The kids don't enjoy it much - they'll take a bite to satisfy me and because we made it a rule to try the dish, grimaces and nose-wrinkling notwithstanding, every time I put something in front of them.

It is the simplicity of this dish that I find reflects the inherent qualities of the vegetables - no rich curry, no strong spices, just simple flavors. Of course, feel free to experiment and adjust/add flavors to taste, as always. Instead of pumpkin, can use any mildly sweet winter squash like butternut or acorn squash.

While similar to my Olan recipes, this recipe can me made into a thin soup with vegetables chopped up tinier, and using chicken stock instead of vegetable, if preferred. [Incidentally, looking back at my very old recipes, gosh! what terrible pictures! I must update them with better ones soon :)]

Ingredients
½ Opo Squash, peeled, cored, and diced
1 medium zucchini, cored and diced
As much pumpkin or winter squash as preferred, diced or cut into chunks
Additional vegetables: cauliflower, broccoli, Chinese long green beans (optional)
vegetable stock, enough to cook the veggies
¼ to ½ cup plain low-fat milk (for a richer, slightly different flavor, can use light coconut-milk)
spices: freshly ground black pepper, turmeric
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or any other preferred oil)

Preparation

Heat the coconut oil in a pan, add the turmeric, then vegetables and stock, cover and simmer till vegetables are cooked but not mushy; I like the smell and flavor of coconut oil in this dish as I use milk instead of coconut-milk to finish
When water is all but absorbed and veggies are cooked, turn off heat, stir in ground black pepper and milk, adjust flavors. The amount of milk depends on how runny we want the finished dish to be. For a soupy consistency, add more, naturally.
Garnish with cilantro and spring onions if preferred and serve warm with brown basmati rice, or plain cooked quinoa, or roti; or enjoy it as-is.

Cabbage Kofta in Creamy Chards Sauce

2010-08-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Koftas are fried balls, usually made with minced meat, but can be made with just about any vegetable as well. They are typically served in a rich creamy sauce.

I prefer vegetable or paneer koftas. And the sauce can be tomato-based, cream-based or even made with favorite greens or other vegetables. I like the cilantro-jalapeño sauce as much as this silverbeet/chards sauce.

Koftas usually don't involve bread slices - just flour like chickpea, rice, all-purpose, corn. I had some heels of bread slices to use up so they came in handy here. As I often mention, à la Owl in Tearwater Tea, the heels - the end-slices of sliced bread loaves - ignored and discarded usually, have my sympathies. Which is precisely why I like to use them for binding, even for making breadcrumbs and croutons.

Spinach would be a good alternative, but, I had harvested the rainbow chards from my home garden and wanted to use it up. This Cabbage Kofta in Creamy Chards Sauce can be served with plain hot basmati rice, or with roti or naan or bathura or even pooris.

Ingredients
For the Kofta:
1 cup packed finely chopped cabbage
2 or 3 bread slices
seasoning salt/spices/salt to taste
water as needed
oil for frying

For the Sauce:
As much chards as in picture, chopped finely (more if preferred)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 small onion, diced finely
1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
4-6 pickled jalapeno rings (or green chilies, to taste)
spices: cumin powder, coriander powder (optional, to taste)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
optional: Half-and-half -OR- Evaporated milk for a creamier texture

Preparation

Cabbage Kofta: Combine the kofta ingredients with just enough water to make a dough that can be shaped into balls; deep fry till cooked through on the inside, drain and keep warm
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions, ginger and garlic; toss in the chopped chards, some salt, spices, and a few tablespoons of water, cover and allow to simmer and wilt till mushy
Combine the cooked chards with the chilies or jalapeno rings in a blender and grind to a smooth sauce, return to pan and simmer some more, adjusting flavors with lemon juice and brown sugar; stir in evaporated milk or half-and-half for creamier texture
Toss in the koftas with the sauce before serving

Eggplant and Green Tomato Pottu Kadalai Kozhambu

2010-08-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, the hardest part about sharing a recipe here for me is to come up with a name that describes it well. Now, the traditional dishes are easy - they have recognizable names that I can readily use/alter. But since fusion cuisine is my signature, and I tend to throw things together, rather than exotic-sounding names, I try to label the dish based on the ingredients used for easy reference :)

Anyway, the title Eggplant and Green Tomato Pottu Kadalai Kuzhambu covers the primary ingredients in this recipe. Kozhambu is a spicy sauce-dish from South India which can be made with practically any of the lentils, grams and vegetables common to the region, and is typically served with plain hot rice.

Pottu Kadalai is a staple in my mom's kitchen - used for chutney, podi (powder), urundai (caramelized balls - dessert). It roughly translates to roasted Bengal gram, although am not sure this is the common English name for it. When toasted lightly and powdered, Pottu Kadalai is quite versatile as a thickener for soups and even making sandwich spread (with other ingredients).

In this recipe, I make a simple base for the sauce, cook it with water for desired consistency, and top it with pan-fried green tomatoes, onions and eggplant. Of course, any favorite vegetable combination can be used, but, I just happened to have harvested these from my home-garden and was excited to use them.

The light tang from lemon juice and sun-dried tomatoes, combined with heat from black pepper and red chilies, balanced by the hint of brown sugar makes this quite a favorite at home. But, for a hot dish, simply leave out lemon juice and brown sugar and increase the chilies :)

Ingredients
2 green tomatoes
3 small Ichiban eggplant
1 medium yellow onion
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp canola oil
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice (adjust to taste)
1 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste

for the sauce base:
4-6 Tbsp Pottu Kadalai (roasted split bengal gram)
3-4 sun-dried tomatoes, not packed in oil
2 Tbsp whole black pepper
2 Tbsp dry grated coconut
3-4 dry red chilies

Preparation

Combine the sauce-base ingredients in a blender or food processor and grind to a smooth paste, adding water as needed
Heat the oil in a pan and pan-fry the vegetables, remove from pan and keep handy
Add some turmeric powder, sauce paste, some water, some salt to the same pan and allow to simmer over medium-low heat gently till it starts to thicken, stirring constantly; if sauce is too watery, can add any favorite thickener - viz., arrowroot powder, cornstarch, rice powder or even pottu kadalai powder
Stir in lemon juice and brown sugar to taste and slide in the pan-fried vegetables
Serve warm with rice or naan or roti
Garnish with cilantro, spring onion, or even curry leaves if handy

Thai Zucchini, Bell Pepper Soup

2010-08-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

When I think of "Thai Soup", I usually think of the distinctive combination of spicy, salty, tangy, sweet flavors that come from certain ingredients extensively used in Thai cuisine, like galangal & lemongrass, sambal or nam prik pow for spiciness, tamarind for sourness, and a bit of brown sugar for sweetness. Many Thai soups use coconut milk to get the rich creamy texture. Depending on my "diet", I leave out the coconut milk.

This soup is much like my vegetarian Tom Yum Goong in that it is not quite traditional as I substitute some ingredients I have handy, rather than hunt for specific ingredients which provide the authentic taste. While I try to stock up on dried galangal, Kaffir Lime Leaves seem harder to come by - sure, it is available, but the frequency of use doesn't justify the expense in my budget, so, I tend to leave it out.

Tom Kha Gai, a wonderful Thai Chicken Soup, is a favorite at home. This soup recipe can be adjusted to make Tom Kha Gai as well - simply add chicken pieces, and coconut milk if preferred.

Ingredients
½ large home-garden zucchini, diced
carrots, cauliflower, celery, onions, bell peppers - diced (use as much as needed for the quantity of soup)
6 to 8 cups water or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp sesame or peanut oil

soup base:
1 (or 2) 1-inch piece of dry galangal, reconstituted in water
1 Tbsp lime peel, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 medium lemongrass stalk, crushed/pounded a bit -OR- 1 tbsp lemongrass powder
2 Tbsp sambal oelek, if handy, else chopped Thai bird chilies or serrano or other chilies of your choice
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp tamarind paste
½ tsp turmeric powder (optional)

Preparation

Combine the soup base ingredients and coarsely grind in a blender or crush it well in a mortal and pestle, keep handy
Heat the oil in a pan, add the soup base ingredients and onions, sauté till aromatic, add the veggies, stock/water, cover and allow to simmer till veggies are cooked through but not mushy
Taste and adjust flavors; if using coconut milk, stir it in at the end and simmer on medium-low gently for a few minutes
Garnish with spring onions and cilantro

Curried Quinoa with Vegetables

2010-08-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

Quinoa salads, quinoa as rice substitute, quinoa stew are just a few of the simple ways to incorporate this nutritional powerhouse into daily diet. If buying in bulk, and it is not pre-rinsed, then, soaking and rinsing a couple of times removes the bitter-tasting saponins. Sometimes, I don't mind the bitter flavor, so, I don't rinse as much and just cook it as usual.

Quinoa makes a great substitute for rice for me, as I love to eat rice. Plain hot basmati rice. A lot of it. Between wild rice, barley, quinoa, bulgur, brown rice and cous-cous, I have learnt not to miss plain white rice as much anymore.

Much like rice, quinoa can be cooked on stove top with 2 parts water/stock for one part quinoa. When water is all absorbed and gone, simply fluff and serve.

This recipe of Curried Quinoa with Vegetables is just one possibility: add favorite vegetables and cook them together with quinoa. Or simply cook the plain quinoa, allow to cool a bit, toss with raw salad ingredients; or add to stir-fried or sautéed vegetables.

In this recipe, I cook the veggies and quinoa together, adding a bit more water to account for cooking the veggies.

The Adzuki beans & asparagus salad recipe can be modified to replace bulgur with quinoa. Or, for that matter, the Barley Salad recipe can be adapted to use quinoa instead of barley, leaving all other ingredients the same.

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, soaked and rinsed
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
2-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 medium onion diced finely
favorite vegetables: red cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip greens, chards (or greens of any kind)
other additions: cooked adzuki beans or lima beans or chick peas or any other favorite kind of beans
3 cups water or vegetable stock (more or less, adjust to added ingredients)
1 Tbsp Madras curry powder
salt to taste
1 tsp olive oil
4 Tbsp lemon juice (more or less)

Garnish: chives, spring onions, toasted nuts

Preparation

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, ginger and garlic, sauté a bit
Add in the veggies, quinoa, water, stir well, cover and cook over medium heat till quinoa is done
Stir in the lemon juice and garnish with favorite herbs and toasted nuts if preferred

Turnip Greens and Black-Eyed Peas flavored with Cumin, Coconut, Chili

2010-07-30T00:48:00.000-07:00

Black-eyed peas, much like other legumes of its kind, is full of protein and fiber, with health benefits that make it a friendly food to incorporate. My mom used to make chundal, koottu, even simple dal with it.

The title, Turnip Greens and Black-Eyed Peas flavored with Cumin, Coconut, Chili, says it all, basically. The recipe here uses turnip greens with black-eyed peas, but any other greens, or no greens at all will still work with this cumin-coconut-chili paste.

Serve with simple roti or naan or plain hot basmati rice with home-made flavored ghee. Or, enjoy is as-is.

Ingredients
2 cups fresh chopped turnip greens
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas
½ medium onion, finely diced
1 or 2 cloves of garlic finely minced
water as needed
salt to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil
4 Tbsp lemon juice (more or less)

for the cumin-coconut-chili paste:
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
4 Tbsp dry grated coconut
4 to 6 dry red chilies (fewer, if preferred)

for the tempering:
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp urad dal

Preparation

Paste: combine the paste ingredients with a little water and blend to a smooth paste, keep handy
Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onions and garlic, add the turnip greens, some water cover and cook till it wilts a bit; then add the cooked black-eyed peas, the paste from the step above, more water if needed, some salt, and simmer till greens are done
Tempering: In a small pan, heat the oil, when it is quite hot, add the chana dal and urad dal, allow them to turn golden brown, then add the mustard seeds, let them pop, turn off heat
Taste and adjust flavors, stir in the lemon juice, top with the tempering and serve warm

Doro We't: Ethiopian Chicken Stew

2010-07-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

Doro We't (or Wat) is an Ethiopian chicken stew that makes a spicy and delicious accompaniment to soft fluffy home-made injeras.

This recipe for Doro Wat is an approximation as I make it with spices that are handy and get close to the taste I relish from the local Ethiopian restaurants. Also, usually chicken is cut into chunks, bone and all, and cooked in this gravy/sauce till done. Since D prefers only chicken breasts, I have used boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.

Here, I serve it with yeshimbra injera, cabbage and potato alicha and some simple selatta.

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into quarters
1 medium red onion, cut into slices
1 green or red bell pepper, cut into thin slices
salt to taste
1 Tbsp oil

for the spices to simulate berbere flavor:
4 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp red hot chili powder (more if preferred)
½ tsp five spice (or allspice) powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg (less if you don't like the strong flavor)
1/4 tsp fenugreek powder (sold as 'methi powder' in Indian stores- can be omitted if hard to find)
4 black cardamom in pod
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Preparation

In a large cast iron skillet, heat some oil, place the chicken breast chunks without crowding, add the onions, bell pepper, sprinkle some salt
Add the spices, enough water, cover and allow to simmer undisturbed till chicken is done

Kohlrabi and Zucchini in Creamy Cumin-Yogurt Sauce

2010-07-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

We had a home-garden zucchini that needed to be harvested. Zucchini by itself in this yogurt sauce would be good, or Kohlrabi by itself. But, to make enough to save as leftovers for the next day's lunch, I combined the zucchini and kohlrabi to make this simple dish.

Yogurt-based sauces are quite common in Indian cuisine. Typically, yogurt is added at the end so as not to curdle the sauce. I prefer beating the yogurt separately and folding it in off-heat at the end. If the sauce is made a bit thinner, it makes a delicious soup.

Serve with naan or basmati rice.

Ingredients
3-4 small kohlrabi, diced small
1 large zucchini, diced small
1 small yellow onion, diced finely (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
salt to taste
water as needed
1 tsp oil

for the sauce:
3-4 cups plain non-fat yogurt (I like Nancy's™)
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
6-8 dry red chilies (less if preferred)
4-6 Tbsp dry unsweetened grated coconut

for the tempering:
1 Tbsp coconut oil or canola oil
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal, split
1 tsp chana dal

Preparation

Heat the oil in a pan, add the turmeric, then the vegetables, some salt, stir, then add enough water to immerse the veggies, cover and allow to cook till done but not mushy
Sauce: Combine the sauce ingredients, all except the yogurt, and blend to a fine powdery paste; beat the yogurt and keep handy
When vegetables are cooked through, drain excess water for a thick sauce; add in the ground paste, stir well; then off heat, fold in the beaten yogurt to make the flavorful yogurt sauce
Tempering: heat the oil in a small pan, when hot, add the urad dal and chana dal and allow it to turn golden brown, then, add in the mustard and let it pop, turn off heat; add the tempering as garnish. Stir well before serving

Whole Wheat and Sesame Seed Baked Crackers

2010-07-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

Despite all the good foods I make for them, or because of it, the kids seem unnaturally fond of snack time compared to meal times. Be it a measly string cheese, nuts and carrots snack, or a slightly exotic one consisting of home-made muffin and fresh berry smoothie, they sit there on their little chairs, swinging their legs and yakking away, chomping and munching.

Baked goldfish and other "healthy" snack crackers can leave a big hole in my budget, the rate at which they consume them, in spite of my strict rationing. But, more than that, I was quite appalled by the labels - most standard snack crackers list High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) as the first or second ingredient. I am not too fond of HFCS in foods for my family.

Some of the vadaams - particularly the rice ones and the tapioca, lime, and chili concoctions - are a great option - especially since I microwave the vadaams rather than deep frying as is traditional. Each variety of these vadaams have their own cooking times and I "sacrifice" a couple first to determine optimal time and power setting on my microwave.

Anyway, now that I am home for summer, I've been making Indian snacks as well as experimenting with some wheat and rice flour crackers - to see if the kids like them as much or better than store-bought ones.

This batch of whole wheat crackers has become a favorite at home. It is easy to make, versatile, can adjust flavors or leave it bland, and it is baked, not fried. as always, it is nice to experiment with small batches to get it to one's taste/liking. I dust some cheese powder right after baking as they seem to like this.

Ingredients
whole wheat flour
sesame seeds
water, as needed
salt to taste
a pinch of brown sugar (optional)
spices (optional): coriander powder, garlic powder, paprika powder
Cooking Spray
Parchment paper, Cookie Sheet, Rolling Pin, Cookie Cutter Shapes (optional)

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 400°F
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, add a little water at a time to form a smooth dough, not much unlike for roti
Roll it flat with a rolling pin, to about 1 or 2 millimeter thick and cut out shapes with the cookie cutter, or simply cut squares or rectangles or diamonds with a knife
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spray some cooking spray if preferred, and place the cut dough evenly spaced, not touching each other; Spray with cooking spray on top
Bake in a 400°F oven for about 8 minutes; cooking time varies with thickness; check doneness; flip them over partway if preferred and finish baking till edges are brown and moderately crisp

Sauteed Radish Greens

2010-07-08T09:33:00.001-07:00

We finally harvested all the radish from our home garden. We let some of them flower and go to seed so we can save them for the next crop. Radish flowers we had were simply gorgeous from white to pale lilac to beautiful purple.

Seed saving is a changing/evolving field and there are many publications that provide useful information. But, a fairly comprehensive compendium of sorts that sits on our bookshelf providing valuable insights into basic techniques on saving vegetable seeds is a book called Seed To Seed by Suzanne Ashworth. (Thanks for giving it to us, Mom!)

Anyway, we had a lot of radish greens to use up. The stalks were too woody and mature, but I had plenty of tender leaves to make a simple sautéed radish greens dish that preserves the mildly bitter flavor of the greens while complementing it with a sweet and sour taste that comes together rather well.

I used the onions from our garden - both the white bulb and the green parts - but, red onion or yellow onion would be good. The onions went to flower as well and needed to be used up... which meant most of the stalks got woody and fibrous. C'est la vie.

Ingredients
6 cups of fresh radish greens, washed
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
onions, garlic, ginger, finely chopped - as much as preferred
¼ cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1 Tbsp smoke paprika powder (optional)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil
sesame seeds (optional)
½ cup water (more as needed)

Preparation

Sauté the onions, garlic and ginger in some oil, then add the greens and sun-dried tomatoes, saué a bit
Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook till greens is done to your liking; taste and adjust flavors as desired
Serve warm with plain hot basmati rice and home-made flavored ghee, or with naan, or enjoy as-is

Cous-cous Loaf, Sliced and Pan-fried

2010-06-24T13:54:00.000-07:00

Reconstituting leftovers was one of my mom's specialties. In those days, she believed in cooking a huge meal every day because we'd usually have family and friends drop in, and depending on the meal time my mom always insisted on feeding everyone, forcibly if needed. Hospitality culture that I grew up in is simply wonderful. And, as a guest, it is an affront to refuse refreshments/meals offered by the host.

Anyway, so, there were days when a pot full of upma, or a dozen idlees sat around, uneaten. Spoilt brats that we were, we refused to eat leftovers in the same form. So, my mom used to get creative about rehashing the leftovers and making something "new" for us. I am glad I picked up a few pointers from her even if inadvertently.

Cous-cous, plain white rice, noodles, upma - they all lend themselves well to reconstitute for the next day. Rice, of course, is rather easy - they can become coconut rice or lemon rice or mango rice or vangi baath or mint and spinach rice or peas-and-cumin rice... endless possibilities.

Noodle pancake is a great way to use up the extra noodles, not to mention the various noodle salads, casseroles, and noodle soups that they can become.

While not the traditional way, sometimes I make leftover upma into upma kozhakattai.

While Cous-cous patties and vada are a popular choice at home, these pan-fried slices of cous-cous loaf are enjoyed as well.

Not very different in concept from cous-cous patties, the cous-cous loaf is rather easy to make. Simply sauté any veggies we'd like to add to the plain cooked leftover cous-cous, toss them all together, allow to cool a bit; then, line a bread loaf pan with cling wrap, pack the cous-cous down in there tight, cover with the cling wrap, and leave in the fridge to set for an hour or two up to overnight. Then, slice up the loaf and pan fry them till crisp on the outside. Serve with favorite tomato sauce.

Ingredients
4 to 6 cups of leftover cooked cous cous
vegetables: onions, ginger, garlic, peas, carrots, bell peppers
spices: cumin powder, coriander powder, paprika
canola oil
cling wrap, small loaf pan or any container that could make a roughly rectangular shaped loaf

Preparation

Sauté the vegetables in a tablespoon of canola oil, add the cous-cous and a ¼ cup of water if needed, cover, and allow to cook on low heat for a few minutes till they come together in harmony
Allow to cool a bit and pack it down in a cling wrap lined loaf pan, and let it set in the fridge for a few hours
Unwrap carefully, cut into about 1-inch slices and pan-fry till the outsides are crisp and brown
Serve warm with tomato sauce, with a side of carrot salad

Carrot Salad
grated carrots
finely chopped spring onions
dried cranberries, raisins, walnuts or almond slivers

Combine the salad ingredients and toss with Blue Agave Nectar & Aka Miso Dressing.

Spinach & Napa Cabbage Croquettes

2010-06-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Vegetable croquettes with dipping sauce or chutney can be a wonderful appetizer or snack. Typically, potatoes and carrots are mashed with some spices and binding agent (usually eggs), possibly breadcrumbs for crisp crunchy skin, and deep fried.

This recipe uses home-garden veggies: spinach, spring onions, and radish; plus some Napa cabbage and carrots; no eggs, just heels of bread loaves, rice flour, and water for binding.

As I often mention, à la Owl in Tearwater Tea, the heels - the end-slices of sliced bread loaves - loathed and discarded cruelly by one and all, have a sad fate indeed. Which is precisely why I like to use them for binding, even for making breadcrumbs and croutons.

For a quick Father's Day snack, I served these vegetable croquettes with fresh home-garden mint chutney.

Ingredients
1 cup finely chopped Napa cabbage
½ cup finely grated carrots
1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves
optional: finely grated radish and chopped radish greens
2 or 3 end slices of bread loaf
¼ cup rice flour (more or less)
1 Tbsp smoked ground paprika
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp coriander powder (optional)
salt to taste
water as needed (a Tbsp at a time)

Canola oil for deep frying

Preparation

Combine the ingredients and knead to a soft dough that can be shaped into small logs
Deep fry in oil till golden brown and cooked through on the inside

Mint Chutney

2 cups fresh mint leaves
¼ cup pickled jalapeno rings (less if preferred), with a bit of the vinegar it is pickled in

Combine the ingredients and blend till smooth, adding a little water if needed. Serve fresh.

Simple Herb Focaccia

2010-06-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

I've tried many different recipes for pizza and focaccia, sometimes taking epicurean license, sometimes to the letter. Baking is an art. I am still working on it, enjoying the explorations and learning a lot.

Most of the time, I simply throw together the dough for pizza - just keeping in mind the rough proportions.

Typically, for pizza, a ratio 3:1 of flour:water, with 1 pkt active dry yeast, works well. Since we buy active dry yeast in bulk rather than individual packets, I just keep in mind that 2½ tsp = 1 pkt active dry yeast, which is easy to remember after baking for a while :) The 3 parts flour can be a combination of whole wheat, soy, spelt, rye, all purpose, gluten, with flax meal and nutritional yeast added in - must adjust for the varying gluten content of the flours - just experimenting has given me good results.

And, Focaccia is very similar, except it is more yeasty, so, reduce the flour. The ratio of flour:water is typically 2:1 by volume, with 1 pkt (2½ tsp) active dry yeast. Can use a combination of flours, but, the simplest one here uses unbleached all purpose flour. Unlike for pizza which only needs one rising, Focaccia is better after 2 risings and a final short one before baking.

Most good bakers would advice that flours and other dry ingredients for baking should be measured by weight, not volume. And they are so right. I try to follow that as best as I can, especially when I make artisan breads.

Anything from sautéed onions to various fresh herbs can be added, or Focaccia can be baked plain, with nothing on except some salt to taste.

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water (105°F to 110°F)
2½ tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
a few Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary, chives, parsley, oregano or other favorite herbs
1 Tbsp coarse salt (optional) for topping

Preparation

Add the yeast to warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes
Add rest of the ingredients to this mixture, knead well, coat with olive oil and allow to rise in a warm place till doubled in volume, about 2 hours
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, stretch it into round cake pans, cover, and allow to rise another hour or so. If the dough doesn't stretch easily and wants to spring back, allow to sit for a little longer and try again
Pre-heat oven to 475°F; Dimple the dough in several places with fingertips, cover the pan and allow to rise for another 30 minutes
Bake in a 475°F oven for about 15 minutes (or till cooked through), remove immediately, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and serve warm

They make excellent quick sandwiches: slice the focaccia and load it with favorite fillings - feta, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, pepperoncini, spring onions or other favorites. Serve with warm soup for a filling meal.