Millet Meal Polenta Patties

Pearl millet ground up to a coarse meal is something I keep handy. It works great as a substitute for rice meal in some of the Indian dishes. This time, equal parts millet meal and corn meal came together with a dollop of ground lentils to make this polenta.

In case this is sounding complicated, the recipe is very close to Arisi Upma Kozhakattai, only, instead of 2 cups of rice idlee rava as called for in that recipe, I substituted 1 cup millet meal, plus 1 cup corn meal.

Once the thick porridge-like Upma/Polenta is made, roll into a log and pack it in foil, refrigerate it till it sets. I left it in the fridge the previous night, then cooked it for dinner the following evening.

Simply slice up this log when ready, pan cook both sides till brown and the insides are warm. Dust the slices with some chickpea flour before pan-frying to get the extra crispness and brownness, if preferred.

Saute some onions, peppers, tomatoes, and any other favorite veggies. Serve these Millet Meal Polenta Patties topped with the veggies, some feta, plus chopped kale, chopped celery leaves, and chopped spring onions.

Since some yellow pear tomatoes, red cherry tomatoes, kale, and spring onions are still alive in my home garden, now in mid-Autumn, I went with these, but, any combination of veggies would work just as well.

Stuffed Kohlrabi Greens Dolma Bites

Seasonal blueberry-picking and jam-making happened last weekend. I was all set to pay for the berries we picked and head back home when a gorgeous crisp bunch of cheerful kohlrabi jumped up at me. I couldn't resist. I brought it home with much gung-ho, only to get caught up in a million household tasks that couldn't wait any longer. So, the kohlrabi bunch sat there and waited patiently.

I had mentally made some Stuffed Kohlrabi in Coconut Cream Sauce and some Kohlrabi Naan and Kohlrabi Greens Koottu and was thrilled to have used up this new bunch of kohlrabi in fitting ways. Of course, mental-cooking is not the same as actual-cooking. So the kohlrabi sat there, sporting a pout and threatening to wilt. I had to act fast.

That's how the kohlrabi greens got made into these grape-leaf-dolma-like steamed rolls filled with spiced and fragrant rice and vegetables. Much like Swiss Chard Dolma and Collard Green Bites and Cabbage Rolls, these Kohlrabi Greens Dolma Bites were much relished by adults. Kids, not so much.

The filling is a favorite: rice sautéed with vegetables and flavored with aromatic spices, some walnuts and dried cranberries. Since the filling is a favorite side for dinners, I made quite a big batch and saved some. About a dozen large kohlrabi leaves got trimmed and washed and patted dry, ready to be stuffed and steamed.

After steaming for about 12 minutes, I sautéed them in olive oil and garnished with fresh cranberries and blueberries and some sesame seeds. The tartness of the cranberries plus the juicy sweetness of the blueberries complement the spice filling and the savory leaves.

As to the kohlrabi bulbs, they are getting pickled in vinegar - some of them at least. The rest might become fritters or stuffing when I find a pocket of time next.

Ingredients
12 to 14 kohlrabi leaves of uniform size
1 Tablespoon olive oil for sauteing
Favorite garnishes

Filling:
1 cup cooked rice
2 cups finely chopped mixed vegetables - onions, colorful bell peppers, tomatoes, Serrano chilies, cauliflower, cabbage
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Seasoning spices to taste - salt, chili powder, curry powder, paprika, turmeric, cumin powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Preparation

1. Filling: Heat the oil in a pan; add the veggies, saute a bit; then add the spices and saute some more; cover a cook till tender; then add in the rice and adjust seasoning
2. Spoon enough filling onto each kohlrabi leaf and wrap it tight like a burrito and place it in the steaming basket, free side down
3. Steam fro about 12 minutes; remove from steam
4. Heat oil in a pan, place the steamed rolled leaves gently on the pan; turn them over to gently saute all sides
5. Serve warm, garnished with favorite berries and nuts

Spargel with Cheese Sauce

I had these dreamy white spears for the first time about 6 years ago during a visit to Germany where they enjoy an exalted status. It was boiled in water and served with a simple cheese sauce. It was best when eaten steaming warm and fresh off the stove, tender enough to cut with a fork, and not at all chewy and woody.

Asparagus, a favorite, often just roasted and eaten right away, is usually green when grown above ground thanks to photosynthesis. White asparagus (Spargel) is cultivated underground/covered to prevent the green coloration. They tend to be less woody when mature than their green cousins.

Every once in a while we come across white asparagus here in the local markets and can't resist buying them. This time, I boiled it for a good 20-25 minutes in salted water to get it fork tender. (Gently peel the skin before boiling.) And served it with a quick cheese sauce, sprinkled with parsley and ground black pepper.

For the cheese sauce:  (recipe from BBC)
flour
butter
milk
cheese

I usually don't measure precisely for this type of sauce. Sometimes, I make a roux of sorts by heating butter in the pan and adding the flour and cooking to make a paste; then, slowly add in some milk while stirring constantly. Then, add in grated cheese - like Colby Jack, Cheddar, even a bit of Parmesan mixed in...

Vegetarian Tamales: Steamed Corn-husk Wrapped Snack with Tempeh

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

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. Enjoy warm with dipping sauce if preferred. (I like Maggi™ Hot & Sweet Tomato Chilli Sauce with these)