Kadchhi ke Kamaal

Cocoa Beet cake

2011-03-15T04:01:00.010-07:00

From being active on no blogs, to being active on all three is quite a change!

This is a quick recipe post, just to document the recipe for the Beet Cocoa cake I made last week, that I was talking about here.

I have tried making chocolate-beet brownies before, and they turned out OK -moist, fudgy and goodtasting, but not super good like this cake did. I figure in retrospect, that it is very important how you cook your beets, when attempting to prep them for chocolate cake/brownies. The first time around, I had simply microwaved the beets for about 8 minutes, which had softened them up considerably and made them easy to peel and blitz/blend, but made the cake have a slightly earthy beet-y undertone. So even though the nicer-half said that he couldn't taste the beets, I thought that I could get a faint whiff of them, which wasn't terribly pleasant for me. This time around, I pressure cooked the beets for about 15 minutes, let the cooker cool by itself. The peel slid off the beets very easily, and they pureed to an absolute mush, with no discrete bits discernible.

The other change was to use cocoa instead of chocolate. Ever since I tried out these brownies I've become a big fan of baking with cocoa rather than chocolate. I like the punch that cocoa packs, and it works particularly well in this cake.

There are a lot of recipes out there for chocolate-beet cake, but not so many for a cocoa-beet version. I checked out this recipe from The Kitchn for inspiration, but ended up not using it.

I have been having great success with this vintage recipe for one-egg cake, recently, and decided to use that as a starting point instead. I highly recommend the recipe, since with only a quarter cup of butter (and here you could substitute olive or coconut oil to excellent results) and one egg, it produces a nice light, moist sponge. I've been grating in rinds from two lemons to make a lemon sponge.

For the cocoa beet cake, I doubled the recipe, halved the sugar, omitted the milk, added one and a half cups of beet puree (pressure cooked the beets and ran them in the blender with no water), and substituted one cup of cocoa powder for the flour. Given my current location, the cocoa is obviously Dutch process :D

Cocoa beet cake with strawberries and whipped cream

Cocoa Beet Cake
Adapted from the One Egg cake vintage recipe at 'Joy of Desserts'

Cream together
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
Once the mix is light and fluffy, add
2 unbeaten eggs
Whip till the mixture is homogenous, and add in stirring to blend
gradually, by the tablespoon, a whole cup of cocoa powder
puree from two large beets, about 1 and 1/2 cups
1 tsp vanilla extract, or Oetker's vanillesuiker (easier to find in the netherlands)
Sift and measure
2 cups all purpose or pastry flour
Add
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
(I totally winged the measurements for the leavening. The cake did rise OK, but sank a little bit while cooling, so modify if you think it needs it)
and sift again
Spoon the flour mixture into the beet-cocoa mixture gradually and fold to incorporate each time. Do not overmix or beat. Pour into pan and bake at 190 c (375 f) for 35 minutes to begin with, and if required add five minutes at a time till toothpick comes out clean.

We had ours topped with the first strawberries of the season and some echte slagroom or real whipped cream

Back to Blogging

2009-05-15T06:39:00.002-07:00

....but not here!

check out: Peepul Tree

see you there :)

A new year of Hope

2009-01-01T04:57:00.003-07:00

And no, this has nothing to do with Brand Obama :)

I'm just struck by how much optimism a date can generate....and yes, I have finally chosen to buy into it.

I've been away from these pages for ages (how that rhymes!) and I am optimistic about finding my creative side and having a great deal of fun with it this year.

Here's wishing everyone the joy of being themselves in 2009

Sharing the image of a little birdie cake my mother and I made for a dear friend's mehndi celebration- the cake is eggless date and walnut, and the 'icing' and decorations are shrikhand, kaju katli and indian bakery toast. There is something to be said for a little impromptu fun!

(So much more than) Salad for the Gods : Payar Kosambari

2008-04-14T17:22:00.007-07:00

Today is Rama Navami, and traditionally in my family/community this festival
is celebrated with Kosambari and Paanakam.

While it is commonly, loosely described as 'Indian Salad', Kosambari is a unique and beautiful dish - in my opinion, something between a salad and a salsa.

Here is one dish where size matters greatly - the essence of kosambari, to my mind, is in the is in the the fine dice or grating of the constituent ingredients to create a cohesive, flavourful whole.

There are several recipes for kosambari, and my childhood favorite for Rama Navami has been the one with cucumber, raw mango, soaked chana dal and moong dal. Payar or moong sprouts kosambari comes in a very close second :)

So here's what I made today, as an offering to Rama and Seeta, and to nostalgia:

Payar Kosambari / Moong Sprouts Kosambari
(serves 2 for a meal, 4 as a side)

Sprouted Moong Beans -- 1 heaping cup **
Half a cucumber - diced fine
one 'cheek' (about one third) of a raw mango diced fine

To flavour:
Half a large Jalapeno chilli - seeds and pith removed (or any green chilli of your choice, I pick jalapenos for their mild heat)
Salt -- 1 tsp
Sugar -- 3/4 tsp
Juice of half a key lime (regular 'lemon' in India)
Finely minced Cilantro/Coriander Leaves -- 1 tbsp

For Vaghar/Tadka/Tempering:
Oil or Ghee -- 1 tsp
Black mustard seeds -- 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds -- 1/2 tsp
a pinch of asafetida (optional)
1 Whole red chilli broken into two pieces and seeds shaken out and discarded

If you own a mortar and pestle, it can be put to good use here. In the mortar and pestle, crush the jalapeno with the salt and sugar until it turns into a juicy paste. If you do not own a mortar and pestle (like me) , finely mince the jalapeno/green chilli, and toss it into the empty bowl/plate in which you intend to mix the Kosambari. Add the salt and sugar and pound it down with a heavy flat bottomed glass or cup until it becomes a juicy mush.

Add in the sprouts, cucumber and mango pieces and the lime juice and mix well to combine.
Add the coconut scrapings cilantro and the Tadka/Vaghar.***

Mix well again. Allow about 5 minutes for the flavours to combine (This usually happens when one is offering it to the Gods/ performing Puja)

Be thankful for the springtime, mangoes and anything else you want to be thankful for, and enjoy with Paanakam*.

Notes:
*There are several recipes for Paanakam. Raw Mango Paanakam was most popular in my parental home. This is the same thing as Panha. If Kayree (raw mango) is hard to find on the North American Continent, try pseudo-panha. I took the even lazier option and made mine by combining the juice of half a key lime (the other half left over from Kosambari-making!) and a cup of unfiltered organic apple juice.

**Sprouting moong beans is very easy. Indira of Mahanandi has a whole series on sprouts on her blog, and mentions her technique in these posts. My technique differs slightly (it is the lazy grad student way!) - in that I soak the beans in water overnight/6-8 hours until they plump up nicely. Then I drain them into a collander, and leave it by the sink (with the original pot/saucepan in which I soaked the beans underneath to catch any dripping)
I run the collander under cool water in the sink every few hours when I walk by the kitchen. If its is too hot/dry outside, I cover the collander loosely with a lid so that the beans do not loose moisture too quickly. I usually have sprouts the length of the bean within 24 hours.

***For Vaghar, heat a teaspoon of oil or ghee in a tiny saucepan/large ladle, add the mustard and cumin, when the mustard starts to pop, add asafetida and chilli. Turn off heat and pour over Kosambari.

Silly me...the notes are as long as the post :-P

The list is out: what to buy organic

2008-04-09T15:46:00.002-07:00

Buying everything organic and local is something I aspire to do, but its not always possible given budgetary constraints. I tend to use this list compiled by the Environmental Working Group to help prioritize.

The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies

RANK	FRUIT OR VEGGIE	SCORE
1 (worst)	Peaches	100 (highest pesticide load)
2	Apples	96
3	Sweet Bell Peppers	86
4	Celery	85
5	Nectarines	84
6	Strawberries	83
7	Cherries	75
8	Lettuce	69
9	Grapes - Imported	68
10	Pears	65
11	Spinach	60
12	Potatoes	58
13	Carrots	57
14	Green Beans	55
15	Hot Peppers	53
16	Cucumbers	52
17	Raspberries	47
18	Plums	46
19	Oranges	46
20	Grapes-Domestic	46
21	Cauliflower	39
22	Tangerine	38
23	Mushrooms	37
24	Cantaloupe	34
25	Lemon	31
26	Honeydew Melon	31
27	Grapefruit	31
28	Winter Squash	31
29	Tomatoes	30
30	Sweet Potatoes	30
31	Watermelon	25
32	Blueberries	24
33	Papaya	21
34	Eggplant	19
35	Broccoli	18
36	Cabbage	17
37	Bananas	16
38	Kiwi	14
39	Asparagus	11
40	Sweet Peas-Frozen	11
41	Mango	9
42	Pineapples	7
43	Sweet Corn-Frozen	2
44	Avocado	1
45 (best)	Onions	1 (lowest pesticide load)

Quick,100% whole grain, one pot meal and discovering a new tadka!

2008-03-20T18:05:00.007-07:00

This is a quick post -- not a lot of time to blog, but just *have to* share this recipe.

The goodness of whole grain is something thats been discussed a lot across several food blogs. Notably, the folks at jugalbandi have several posts and 'whole grains' are 'flavor of the month' at onehotstove.

This dish can obviously be classified as a pulao or khichadi - it could also be called a rice and lentil 'stuffing' of sorts perhaps, so I'm going to leave it nameless for a while. If you're inspired to name it -hey, feel free to do so (and let me know via the comment box) :)

Aromatic Brown rice-lentil-buckwheat pulao? Here goes:

Whats in it:

1/2 cup long grain brown rice (I used thai jasmine)
2/3 cup साबुत मसूर or whole lentils (I used the french green variety)
1/2 cup Toasted Buckwheat or Kasha
3 cups water

Veggies : I used -
Mirepoix - medium sized yellow onion, 1 large carrot diced into big chunks, 2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 a head of broccoli - seperated into inch sized florets and stalks chopped into 1/2 inch thick pieces

The awesome tadka I serendipitously discovered:
1 to 2 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1 badi elaichi/ black cardamom
2 bayleaves or 1 tejpatta
1 inch piece fresh ginger root grated
3 hot green chillies (or adjust to your desired heat level)
pinch turmeric
2 tsp oil

Spices: 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, salt to taste, 1 tsp Kitchen king masala (optional)

Since this is a 'quick' dish, it is made in the pressure cooker.
Wash the grains , drain and keep aside. You can soak the brown rice for 5-10 minutes beforehand of you desire.

Start with 2 tsp oil, add the fennel, black cardamom, bay leaves, ginger chillies and turmeric. Once the fennel seems to swell and the tadka starts to smell good (should take about 20 seconds if the oil was hot enough) -- add the onions and celery. Saute for a minute, and add the whole grains. Saute for another minute and add 2 cups water. Add the salt, chilli powder and Kitchen-king masala (you can substitute your favorite spice blend, or omit it altogether) Cover the pressure cooker and cook to two whistles on medium high heat.

Quickly release pressure by pulling up the gauge with a long spoon r spatula. Open the cooker and add the carrots and broccoli and the third cup of water**. Cover again and cook for another whistle. This time, let the pressure release on its own.

Open cooker, smell the goodness, and enjoy with cool yogurt and a hot pickle.

** Whether to add the third cup of water (you may need less or more than a cup) depends on the specific quality of rice and lentils you're using to make this dish. I added the carrots and broccoli later to prevent them from melting into mush. You could just nuke them separately and add them in the end if you want them to retain some bite.

Verdict: very hearty and filling. The tadka was a real revelation to me - I use jeera(cumin) and ajwain(carrom seed) frequently, but saunf -not so much! It's sweet flavour combines very well with the bay leaf. The ginger and black cardamom add the robust notes. It was nice to completely avoid the cloves and cinnamon in this one. The mirepoix adds another subtle layer of flavor as well.

These amounts made for four meals for a hungry grad student. It would probably serve six people as a side in a regular meal.

I did a back-of-the-envelope nutritional calculation: 1160 calories in the whole pot /4 servings = 290 calories per serving, with 12.5 g of dietary fiber and 11.6 g protein per serving. Thats good, right? :)

Naked Juice Versus Odwalla - the new avatar of Pepsi versus Coke

2008-03-19T00:55:00.006-07:00

Through Mark Bittman's blog 'Bitten' I came across this link to a chart that talks about which major food processing corporations own which organic brands. Very informative!
'Organic food' is big business, as 'eating right' becomes a priority for more and more people. I'm obviously no authority on the subject - but I try to be an interested consumer.

When my lunch ship came in....

2008-03-12T16:21:00.006-07:00

Just some post-lunch fun with photoshop :)
The wiggly blue line on my plate, and the upright stalk of spinach on my sandwich inspired this silliness....

In the picture = crisp toast, topped with lots of hummus (recipe to follow), baby spinach and grape tomatoes - plate was white with a blue line, just filled it in with a lighter blue.

Note: 'When ones ship comes in' on american idioms

Celebrating cooler weather - Lehsooni Tofu Chhole - inspired by Pelicano

2008-03-06T15:58:00.014-07:00

If spring has sprung, can summer be far behind? In these parts that means hot hot days and blazing sunshine - and foodwise, cold wraps, sandwiches, salad, lots of lassi and shikanji.

We're experiencing what is probably the last spell of cool weather, and after last week's scorching 80+ weather, a mild freeze warning is almost cause for celebration! The yo-yo-ing temperatures do challenge your immune system though -- which meant that the rich tasting and gravy-licious lunch I was craving, also had to have a healthy dose of protein, and enough ginger and garlic to make me feel like superwoman.

Pelicano's Paneer-Chhole recipe came to mind immediately. His delightful thali, and the rich goodness of his dish served as inspiration for what I eventually cooked.

My dish was thrown together with substitutions based on what I had on hand. I substituted Paneer with the fresh extra-firm Sacramento tofu that I get in bulk bins at the food conspiracy co-op here in Tucson. Tofu substitutions usually do not work for me in Paneer dishes, but this time turned out to be a delightful exception, in part because of the fresh and good quality tofu, and in part because the dish is so thoroughly spicy that the tofu contributes more in terms of texture than in terms of flavour.

Other substitutions - pomegranate molasses instead of amchur, tomato paste instead of puree, fresh cilantro instead of kasoori methi, canned chickpeas instead of dried-reconstituted ones.

Lehsooni Tofu Chhole

Drained a 14 oz can of garbanzo beans into a colander and thoroughly rinsed.
Chopped 1 medium large red onion fine, along with about 6 large cloves of garlic and about a 1/2 in thick piece of ginger
Cubed about 6 ounces of extra firm tofu

Placed a heavy bottom saucepan or pressure cooker on medium heat.
Added 2 T oil/ghee, and once it warmed tossed in 1/2 t cumin seed, 2 bay leaves, 5 cloves, 2 inch piece cinnamon, and a big pinch each -- haldi/ turmeric and hing/asafetida(as pel says in his post, these really help with flatulence)

Added the minced ginger/garlic and after about 30 seconds (enough time to cook but not burn), added in the onion and fried till translucent stirring frequently. Added in the chickpeas and the tofu, tossing to coat. Added about half a 6 oz can of tomato paste. Added 2 cups of water, scraped up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan (as the food network folks say - 'deglaze!')
Stirred ingredients to help the paste dissolve to form a sauce. Added salt (1/2 to 1 tsp) and spice powders - 1 t kashmiri red chilli powder, 2 t dhanajiru (or 1 t each cumin and coriander powders), 1 t Rajwadi garam masala, and 1 T pomogranate molasses.

Covered and let simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally (alternatively cook for 1 or 2 whistles in pressure cooker)

Added 1/4 cup of dry non-fat milk (powder) to thicken the consistency of the gravy - this added a little sweetness and richness to the gravy without packing in too many calories. Added a generous handful of chopped cilantro as garnish in the end.

Served with warmed gorditas (thick corn torlillas - to simulate makki ki roti)and plain dahi.

Verdict: Gorditas are no substitute for makki ki roti, but the sabzee was absolutely delicious! The tofu kept its shape, and soaked up the gravy beautifully. The little hint of sweetness from the pomegranate molasses and dry-milk worked beautifully with the usual haldi-mirchi-garam masala flavours. And the Garlic? well...lets just say, I feel Leh-swoony :)

I keep getting asked questions about how to integrate soy protein into Indian food. I know there are a lot of great ideas in the food blogging community, but I will be putting together a series of tofu recipes on this blog in the days to come.
Other tofu recipe from this blog: Tofu bhurji with pancakes

Spring has Sprung!

2008-03-01T00:40:00.004-07:00

The weather has taken a somewhat sharp turn towards the warm -- its getting up into the 80s (farenheit) here during the day...crisp blue skies, a little cool breeze -- summer isn't far behind....

Here's a picture of the gloriously cheerful wildflowers that have sprung up in the front yard , and Faiz's glorious nazm "Bahaar aayi.." (translation)

Watch The Story of Stuff - a great little summary of our troubles!

2007-12-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

Its Christmas! And I'm all for festivity and cheer, and the sharing of joy among family and friends -- but I'm saddened by the thought of endless rolls of wrapping paper, and tissue and cellophane that I know are a week away from the rubbish heap, and all the gifts that are being bought for people who don't need any more, and won't care for them the day after christmas. I hate it that a lot of festivity is now a celebration of 'stuff'....

From day to day, a lot of us grapple with little pieces of the the quest for sustainable and equitous living. Part of that quest is to understand and question the nature of consumption -- about how much 'stuff' we need, and how much we use/misuse/waste. Did you know that the average american creates 4.5 pounds of garbage a day? Or that of all the stuff we buy, only 1% is in use in our households 6 months after we buy it??!!

It just became easier to articulate an argument against 'stuff' - The Story of Stuff is a must watch! A well presented concise summary of our current (very problematic) materials cycle...
It is a great little educational tool - free to download and circulate -- please share it widely!

To watch the whole 20 minute-ish film at a stretch go to http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html

OR see it in bits --its available in seven chapters on youtube and I've embedded them in this post for your viewing pleasure. Do watch it, its worth the time!

~ Clicking my noodles - Food for the Grads ~~

2007-11-21T00:55:00.000-07:00

You've probably heard of lots of delicious things being referred to as 'Food for the Gods' -- but there's only one thing that can be called the 'Food for the Grads' -- the ubiquitous Instant Noodles, also known as Maggi or Ramen

The Click event at Jugalbandi called on food photography enthusiasts to click their favorite noodle, and like the quintessential grad student, I am trying to publish this entry two minutes before the deadline....just like these noodles save me and my kind two minutes before we die of hunger :op

Here are my noodles, exhausted, running away and trying to hide from the piles of work on my desk -- Just like me :)

Check out the following PHD comics by Jorge Cham:

More Bok-Choy in a Satisfying Stir-fry

2007-11-16T20:05:00.001-07:00

Bok Choy or Pak Choi first made its appearance on this blog in the "feelgood soup". Its first appearance in my kitchen was no earlier than last week....when I picked up a quart-size bagful of it at the University Farmer's Market.

Yes, the University of Arizona has its own farmer's market- friday mornings on the mall - nothing very fancy, but adequate, with the availability of fresh organic produce, fruit, fresh roasted coffee, locally made preserves and salsas...all at prices that don't make a grad student cringe (atleast not the way one could at the whole foods checkout :) )

Upon googling, I realized that there is more than one kind of Bok-choy, I've seen the white stem variety at the grocery store on occasion, and the kind I bought had tender green stems - and perhaps is the san fan hybrid

Anyhow, said bag of Bok-choy was picked up, and one stalk made its way into said soup two nights ago - the rest of the bag, and some tender asparagus needed to be used up before they lost freshness. I was inspired by this Emeril recipe from the food network website.

Since I did not have ham or chinese sausage on hand, and felt like I needed a little more spice, I altered the recipe to my liking. The result was a delicious, satisfying, and not too heavy dinner.

Asparagus Bok-Choy Stir Fry with Ground Chicken

What I used:

Ground Chicken -- 1/2 pound
Fresh Ginger, finely slivered -- 1 tsp
Fresh Garlic, finely minced -- 2 cloves
Fresh green chilli, indian/thai variety, finely chopped -- 1/2
Spring onion, white and green parts, sliced fine --1
Asparagus, snapped by hand into two inch pieces, tough ends discarded -- 1/2 pound
Bok-Choy, leaves and stalks, finely sliced -- 1 cup
Oil -- 1 tsp

for the sauce:
Chicken stock -- 1/3 cup
honey -- 1 tsp
white wine vinegar -- 2 tbsp
(the recipe called for mirin, and I did not have any)
Trader Joes Soyaki sauce -- 1 tsp
Cornstarch -- 1 tbsp
salt and pepper -- a large pinch each

Method:

In a flat pan, I warmed a teaspoon of oil, tossed in the ginger, garlic, green chilli and spring onion and sauteed until translucent and aromatic. Then, I added the ground chicken and cooked uncovered (on medium low heat) for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it was cooked through. The chicken releases a little fat, and the asparagus and bok choy tossed in with the cooked chicken absorb a little of the chicken flavour. Keep stirring until asparagus and bok choy are cooked through, about 5 minutes. The asparagus gets a bright green sheen and should be tender yet crunchy, while the bok choy stays bright green although it wilts slightly.

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, and make sure cornstarch and honey are completely dissolved. Pour into the pan. The mixture loses its opacity and starts to thicken in less than a minute. Toss the mixture around (with a pair of tongs if you like) till the vegetables and meat are evenly coated with the sauce.

Take off heat and serve hot with steamed rice.

I really enjoyed this dish. I think it it would be just as delicious with spinach or kale, as well as vegetarianised using soy granules (nutrela) or crushed extra firm tofu instead of ground chicken.

Feelgood Soup

2007-11-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

Its 9:30 pm on a weeknight. You're working on a deadline. You realize that your excuse for dinner from 5:30 pm isn't holding you past this hour....you are trying accomplish your work for the day, but all you can think of is comfort food. Something warm and nourishing, with a little bit of protein-- nothing heavy, or time consuming, or anything that requires you to dirty your hands and stop typing, or is likely to get any crumbs on the laptop or the papers around it.....

You don't want to go to the fridge, because it reminds you of all the other things you haven't paid attention to -- the little bit of rice left in the rice cooker bowl, the itty bit of coconut milk stuck to the bottom of the can, half an onion sitting in a ziplock bag trying its hardest to retain its moisture and not stink up the fridge, and that ever-so-cheerful bag of bok-choy from the farmers market that is trying to encourage you with its youthful charm :)

And so you get up, you don't want to cook....really...you don't....so you fill a small saucepan with water and put it on the stove -- maybe a cup of tea, or hot chocolate?
But no...you're hungry...so you drop an egg in it. And you remember that email you had to send, or that bill you had to pay....
You come back, the egg's been boiled. You take it out to cool, and rinse out the saucepan. Shall I eat the boiled egg by itself? With some bread and salsa? Nah...too dry...
You pull out all the sad things you've been avoiding from the fridge. And your best friends --fresh ginger, garlic and green chillies.
You swap laptop for chopping board , for a brief moment, and go at everything like a pro...mincing/dicing it fine.....the sad onion freed from its ziplock existence, the young tender bok choy, the boiled egg, the ginger, garlic and green chilli...
Saucepan back on stove, with half a teaspoon of oil, you toss in the aromatic stuff...ginger,garlic,chilli,onion....once they're translucent- the eggs and bok choy...another moment and the leftover rice, followed by the coconut milk (can rinsed out with hot water). Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to boil. Transfer to your favorite soup-bowl. Get back to the laptop and Feeeeeeeeeeeeel Goooooooood............. :)

Feel Good that:
1) You whipped up something to eat in about 10 minutes overall- no wasting time
2)You didn't waste food by letting it die in the fridge
3) You ate stuff thats good for you rather than sugar or fat laden junk
4) Its warm and comforting...whats not to feel good :)

The ingredients in a spontaneous fridge cleaner recipe like this can be varied so much, but here's what I used:

1 hard boiled egg -- white only, diced fine
1/2 cup cooked white basmati rice
2 stalks bok choy - diced fine
1/8 of a large red onion, minced fine
1 tsp finely minced ginger
2 cloves finely minced garlic
1 small finely minced green chilli (indian or thai kind - substitute with 1/3 of a serrano or 1/2 jalapeno)
2 tbsp thick coconut milk, Arroy-D brand (almost like a cream), dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
a pinch salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp sugar
water or stock to get desired 'soupy' consistency -- I used about half cup

Help! moti choor laddus

2007-11-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

Here's hoping everyone had a Happy Diwali with the warm glow of lamps, and the company of loved ones and good food!

I'm stuck on a problem and I'm enlisting the help of the brightest food minds in the world:

I just received about 2 kilos of moti choor laddus from India. I need to know how I can preserve these for a long time, and not let them go to waste. There is no way I or anyone I know can consume these anytime soon. (so the 'give them away' suggestion doesn't count :) ) I would love any pointers on if or how I can freeze these for later, and of there are any great recipes for thawed out moti choor laddus.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks :)

Myanmar /Burma wants you to read this!

2007-09-30T03:19:00.000-07:00

You will read wonderful things about India, its food and culture on scores of food blogs today. I'm hoping that you'll take a moment to read this:
http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/004750.html

The world is rallying to support the people of Burma who are peacefully protesting their military government and demanding democratic rule. India has been shamefully quiet.

Please take a moment to think about and act on this issue.
For prompt updates and to take action visit: http://www.uscampaignforburma.org/

Vege/Eggi-tarian Bolognaise

2007-08-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Two pasta posts in a row!! I guess it means that I'm becoming more open minded about pasta OR that I haven't had the time to stock up on chapatis and rice, and am digging into the pantry to feed myself :)
I found a box of rigatoni, and wondered what I could have that would satisfy my hunger for a sufficient amount of time and be sufficiently light (not heavy or greasy) to eat and not time consuming to cook. Quick search on the food network site yielded this recipe for vegetarian bolognaise.
One look at the recipe will tell you that it needed far too many ingredients for someone who was looking for a quick dish with whatever was on hand. So with the look and texture of that dish in mind, I set about creating my own:

First, I put a pot of water to boil as I scrounged about for ingredients.

Spotted in the fridge: Dying Basil, Eggs, Mushrooms, Mysterious anaheim-like mild chilli, crookneck squash. The last two ingredients were courtesy of a generous freecycler who shared some organic veggies over the weekend.

So, here's what I used:
Rigatoni -- 1/2 pound (dry)
Olive Oil -- 1 tbsp
Ajwain/Bishop's weed/Carrom seed -- 1/2 tsp
Garlic powder -- 1/2 tsp (substitute 2-3 cloves fresh minced garlic if available)
Basil -- 2 tbsp finely minced (I used leaves and stalk)
Sweet onion (or any onion) -- 1/2 medium very finely diced/minced
Pepper (use any mild variety or bell pepper) -- 1/3 cup finely diced/minced
Crookneck squash (or any summer squash) -- 3/4 cup finely minced
**I peeled these since the skins were very muddy, you could choose to keep the skin on...I used 2 small squashes, 1 medium should have the same yield
White button mushrooms-- 3/4 cup finely diced/minced (I used 5 large mushrooms)
Eggs -- 2 whole or 3 whites
Tomato Paste -- 1 6oz can
Wine -- 1/2 cup (I used cabernet, use whatever you have)
Salt -- 3/4 tsp
Black Pepper -- 1/2 tsp
Powdered Cloves -- 1/4 tsp
Red chilli flakes -- 1 little sachet or 1tsp (I used leftover from take-out pizza)
Parmesan shavings to garnish.

How I made it:

Kept an eye on the pot of water and tossed in the rigatoni when it came to a rolling boil. You can add salt to the water before you add pasta, but I prefer mine unsalted. The package said it should take 10-11 minutes for the pasta to become al-dente.

In the meantime, I finely diced all the vegetables and herbs (into 3 mm or 1/4 inch cubes) If you have a food processor you could just pulse everything a couple of times until they are crushed...I needed the release..so I did the mincing by hand :D

Warmed the olive oil in a copper bottom stainless steel pan, and then tossed in the 'vaghaar' (tempering) of ajwain, garlic powder, half the basil, the peppers and onion. Sauted until translucent, and added the remainging veggies (mushrooms and squash) ...sprinkled a pinch of salt to aid the cooking. Sauted for 2 more minutes until mushrooms started to release their brown juices. Added the wine, covered and simmered for a minute.
Took off lid, turned up heat to maximum and cracked the two eggs into the cooking vegetables..sprinkled salt, pepper and clove powder over the eggs and turned off heat for a minute..scrambled the eggs and turned heat back on. Mixed everything vigorously. Added remaining salt, pepper and basil, and the tomato paste. Mixed well and added water (I cleaned out the paste can and added about a tiny 6 oz canfull)
** You can add more water (about 2 tbsp at a time) to achieve desired thickness and to ensure mixture isn't sticking to the pan. Check taste. Add a teaspoon or so of sugar if the sauce seems too tart. Adjust taste by adding salt/ pepper/more herbs as desired

Turned off the heat and drained pasta saving about 1/3 cup of liquid. I took out half the pasta and mixed in half the sauce with cooking liquid and warmed the mixture through. Served it garnished with red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese.

Verdict: I enjoyed this meal. The addition of protein in the form of eggs made it very satisfying. The texture and thickness of the sauce filled the rigatoni tubes really well, and made this a comfortable 'working lunch' where I didn't have to worry about anything spilling onto my desk or keyboard. The goodness of the veggies came through really well. I will surely make this again!!

Since the meal took all of 20 minutes to put together...it could qualify for the 'express cooking' event at Mallugirl's Blog.

Enjoy!! :)

PS: This blog only has low-resolution photos for the time being.

!Xomatoes and Green Xalepeno Powder

2007-07-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

Nupur's OneHotStove is unquestionably one of my favorite food blogs.....
I love her dedication to preserving traditional recipes, as well as her enthusiasm in exploring and adapting elements of other cuisines. There are several times when I've been thinking about trying out a certain ingredient or technique (chard, vietnamese rice paper rolls) and she miraculously reads my mind and posts a recipe to reduce the unknowns and the apprehensions from my effort :)

I'd decided to do atleast one post in the whole series for her A-Z of Indian Vegetables series - and since the letter X is about the unusual...what better place for someone like me to step in with my solitary post!

If you were a child in India in the 80s and the 90s, you probably remember a game called 'Name-Place-Animal-Thing' (I'm serious...that's what it was called!!)
I remember playing endless rounds of this game with cousins and friends over summer vacations. Someone (X) basically repeats the alphabet in their mind over and over again, until someone else(Y, Z, A, B, C...whoever) says 'stop'...and everyone has to think of a name, place, animal and thing starting with the letter that X stopped at, and write them down in four neat columns on a sheet of paper. Then everyone compares what they wrote, and cancels out the common ones...you get points for whatever doesn't get canceled out.
Obviously X was not a favorite letter in this game...since the only words I knew were Xylophone and Xerox !! I remember long arguments about whether Xerox was a 'name' or a 'thing' (a photocopy was referred to as a 'xerox' colloquially) If I had known of vegetables whose names started with X, I'd have won those games as a kid....I didn't even know about Xacuti, until a few years ago, or I'd have used that for 'thing' ... :)

What I did figure out in later life, was that X is actually quite versatile, and takes on different sounds in different languages/cultures. That, my friends, is the loophole of choice for this entry to be eligible...
!X represents the lateral alveolar click in african languages such as Xhosa and Zulu...and so I'm taking the liberty of spelling them !Xomatoes instead of tomatoes....and in spanish they use the 'Ha' sound for both X and J anyway...so I'm taking the liberty of spelling them Xalepenos instead of Jalepenos.....I know, I know I'm cheating, but Nupur said we could...didn't she?

In any case, I'd never cooked with Xalepeno powder (Ok OK!! Jalepeno powder!!) before, having always used our beloved Laal mirchi, so it was all mysterious and X-y (pronounce exxy) to me.

Tomato-Jalepeno Sauce / !Xomato Xalapeno Xauce (I just realised X can take the 's' sound too!)

I hate store bought marinara sauce...I actually am not a fan of pasta with sauce at all...no offense meant to the comfort food of millions. I was inspired to make pasta sauce with a desi kick after checking out Indira's take on it. So here goes...

What I used:
Canned Diced Tomatoes - one 28 oz or two 14 oz cans (use regular or petite diced as desired)
Sweet Onion - 1 medium or large, finely diced
Green bell pepper- 1 medium or large, finely diced

Garlic- about 6 cloves finely minced or 1 to 1.5 tablespoons garlic powder (i didn't have fresh)
Sweet Basil - 1/3 cup fresh or 2 tbs dried
Ajwain (Bishop's weed or Carrom seed) - 1/2 tsp
Green Jalepeno powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1tsp
Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Sugar - 1 tsp (optional)
Ginger powder or crushed/minced ginger- 1/2 tsp (optional)
White Wine - 1/2 cup or more (I used chardonnay+pinot grigio)
EVOO - extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp

What I did:

In a copper bottom or any other even-heating heavy bottom pan, pour in the olive oil like you would for tadka and add the garlic, ajwain, ginger (if using) and half the basil. As the spices start to release their flavour add the sweet onion, saute for a minute and add the green bell pepper. Saute until they turn translucent but are still crunchy. Add in the tomatoes and salt. Mix well, cover and simmer for 15 mins, stirring intermittently and adding water (1/4 cup at a time) if the mixture seems to be drying out . Uncover, add half the jalepeno powder, black pepper, sugar and half the white wine ( I did not measure the wine...just splashed from the bottle). Simmer for 10 more minutes making sure that the tomatoes break down and everything comes together as a cohesive chunky sauce. Add the remaining wine, jalepeno, basil and more sugar/salt/pepper/water if desired. Simmer uncovered for 2 more minutes and turn off heat.

I served this with about Bow tie pasta (as much as you'd get by cooking 1/2 pound dry pasta). Taking a tip from Trupti, I cook my pasta in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle rather than standing around the saucepan forever. I saved about 1/4 cup pasta cooking water and added the sauce in with it to the al-dente pasta and let it simmer for about 2 minutes. Served garnished with fresh basil and/or fresh jalepeno.

The verdict: I love the flavour of green jalepeno powder!! It is more sweetly subtle, mildly smoky and not the all-out fire of red chilly powder. On first bite, the tongue thinks of it as black pepper, but once it goes down the throat, there is a sweetness, heat and smokiness that is quite unique. And this pasta sauce, I will make again and again!!

I'm sorry I have no pictures since my camera is out of commission.

Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Quinoa Khichadi

2007-06-24T21:41:00.001-07:00

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wah) is not a grain I was familiar with in any way shape or form until just a few months ago.
Getting acquainted with someone who has several food allergies (celiac, intolerences to soy, dairy, garlic, almonds) and helping her figure out that almost every kind of south Indian frozen ready-to-eat food (idli, dosa, wada, utthapam, coconut chutney, sambar) was edible for her was rewarding, but being introduced to things like gluten and dairy free baking mixes (which make the *best ever* brownies I have tasted!!...I mean the bestest...) and grains like quinoa (which is completely gluten free) was even more fun. I also realized that Quinoa is a relatively protein rich grain and has a rather 'good-for-you' type of nutritional profile.

My first outing with Quinoa was not that great: I cooked them in a saucepan on the stovetop, according to package instructions (2 cups water for every cup of quinoa, and simmer 13-15 mins) and since I didn't know how it was supposed to taste when done, I had a somewhat underdone batch which i had rather reluctantly with pickle and yogurt since I had no enthusiasm to cook more and waste what I had already prepared.

This time, the story is completely different...I made up the recipe as I went, pressure cooked the Quinoa, and absolutely loved the results!!

The name I've given the dish (everything-but-the-kitchen-sink) sounds rather unappetizing perhaps, but that is precisely how I went about making it. I was headed to the grocery store to restock, and wanted to get rid of the odds and ends I had sitting in the vegetable tray, starting to look sad.(I'm sorry that the picture is fuzzy and unclear. I shot it with a webcam for lack of other options.)

Ingredients:

1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp ajwain/ carrom seeds/ bishop's weed
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced or minced
1 tsp whole coriander seeds lightly crushed
2 whole red chillies (adjust depending on type of chilli and desired heat level)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt (adjust)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 red chilli powder OR black pepper powder or both
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried ground ginger (you could use fresh if desired)

Vegetables - any that you want to use
I used: 1 medium beetroot, 1 large carrot, 1/3 of a head of broccoli, 1/4 green pepper, 6 scallions- white and green parts. You could use peas, corn, cauliflower, onions, potatoes..anything!!

1.5 cups Quinoa
2 cups water
1 cup (about half of a 14 oz can) Coconut milk

Method:

Take the tsp of oil (more if you desire) in the pressure cooker vessel and add the ajwain, garlic, turmeric, whole red chillies, and crushed coriander seed (use mortar and pestle, or crush by running your rolling pin over them).
Once the spices start to release their flavour, add the vegetables. Saute for a minute and add Quinoa. Mix into vegetables and add water and coconut milk. Add salt, chilli powder, ground ginger, and cinnamon. Stir to mix and close pressure cooker with the pressure weight. Cook till the first whistle, and turn off the heat immediately. (If you have an electric stove, consider moving it from the stovetop) Allow to cool and open the pressure cooker. If there is any residual liquid at the bottom of the pot, turn the heat on for another minute or so to allow it to evaporate.

This was really comforting and tasty, with none of the bitterness sometimes associated with Quinoa coming through. The flavour of the cinnamon, ginger, ajwain and coconut milk and the natural flavour of the vegetables came out really well. The vegetables here were not overcooked or mushy, but had started to soften. If you like your vegetables crisp, I recommend microwaving them to your desired texture and adding them to the pressure cooked quinoa. The final dish had a rich red-orange colour that I really liked. I had my doubts about how the dish would look when I was closing the cooker, since the beet and the coconut milk together had made this ugly pepto-bismol pink shade. But it turned out fine :) and I served this with a dollop of plain yogurt/dahi and a salad of red radish, carrot and onion.

For the salad:
2 small or one medium carrot
5 red radishes
1/2 a medium sweet onion (like vidalia)
2-3 tablespoons lime juice
Salt, black pepper and sugar to taste (1 used 1/4 tsp of each)

Slice carrot, radish and onions into thin discs. (Wash once with water if you feel radish and onion are too pungent- drain well if you do so!) Add lime juice, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix well and enjoy.

I would definitely make this again. Quinoa is more filling and has more protein than rice or couscous or cracked wheat which are my other standard options for a quick dinner meal. And making a whole pot means I can have it for dinner, midnight snack and early morning snack :) (I am a night owl- who works into the wee hours....the quinoa is light on digestion, so is good for eating at odd times)

I've been really inactive on this blog, and apologies to those of you who still visit and don't find anything new here. It is going to be this way for a little longer. I do look at several of your blogs daily and enjoy all the wonderful food you bring to them.

NY Times op-ed on chinese food

2007-06-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting article about chinese food in the US. I suspect many of you may already have read it. I think some of those arguments can also be extended to the abyssmal state of Indian food in American restaurants.

Op-Ed Contributors

Eating Beyond Sichuan

By NINA ZAGAT and TIM ZAGAT

Published: June 15, 2007

TWENTY years ago, American perceptions of Asian food could be summed up in one word: “Chinese.” Since then, we have developed appetites for Korean, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese fare. Yet while the quality of the restaurants that serve these cuisines, particularly Japanese, has soared in America, Chinese restaurants have stalled. For American diners, the Chinese restaurant experience is the same tired routine — unimaginative dishes served amid dated, pseudo-imperial décor — that we’ve known for years.

Skip to next paragraph

Stephen Doyle

Chinese food in its native land is vastly superior to what’s available here. Where are the great versions of bird’s nest soup from Shandong, or Zhejiang’s beggar’s chicken, or braised Anhui-style pigeon or the crisp eel specialties of Jiangsu? Or what about the tea-flavored dishes from Hangzhou, the cult-inspiring hairy crabs of Shanghai or the fabled honeyed ham from Yunnan? Or the Fujianese soup that is so rich and sought after that it is poetically called “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall,” meaning it is so good that a Buddhist monk would be compelled to break his vegetarian vows to sample it?

Like so many other aspects of Chinese life, the culinary scene in China is thriving. As capitalism has gained ground there, restaurants have become a place for people to spend their newfound disposable incomes. Cooking methods passed down within families over the centuries have become more widely known as chefs brought the traditions to paying customers. Today, there are a number of regional cuisines known in China as the Eight Great Traditions (Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejiang cuisines). Unless you’ve visited China, they most likely have never reached your lips.

That’s because the lackluster Cantonese, Hunan and Sichuan restaurants in this country do not resemble those you can find in China. There is a historic explanation for the abysmal state of Chinese cuisine in the United States. Without access to key ingredients from their homeland, Chinese immigrants working on the Central Pacific Railroad in the 1860s improvised dishes like chow mein and chop suey that nobody back in their native land would have recognized. To please the naïve palates of 19th-century Americans, immigrant chefs used sweet, rich sauces to coat the food — a radical departure from the spicy, chili-based dishes served back home.

But today, getting ingredients is no longer an issue. Instead, the principal obstacle to improving Chinese fare here is the difficulty of getting visas for skilled workers since 9/11. Michael Tong, head of the Shun Lee restaurant group in New York, has said that opening a major Chinese restaurant in America is next to impossible because it can take years to get a team of chefs from China. Chinese restaurateur Alan Yau planned to open his first New York City restaurant last year but was derailed because he was unable to get visas for his chefs.

If Henry Kissinger could practice “Ping-Pong diplomacy,” perhaps Condoleezza Rice could try her hand at “dumpling diplomacy”? China and the United States should work together on a culinary visa program that makes it easier for Chinese chefs to come here. With more chefs who are schooled in China’s dynamic new restaurant scene, we would see a transformation of the way Chinese food is served in this country.

Imagine, if you will, what it would be like to discover for the first time Memphis-style barbecue, New York deli food, soul food and Creole, Tex-Mex, Southwestern, California and Hawaiian cuisines all at once. Eating food prepared by an influx of Chinese chefs would be like opening up a culinary time capsule.

When authentic Chinese cuisines reach our shores, we can expect a revolution in ingredients and styles that will change the way we prepare food for years to come. Look how quickly our taste for offal, sous-vide cooking and tasting menus have grown. We have a much more ambitious dining culture today than we did 150 years ago.

So, we welcome Chinese chefs to share their authentic cuisines with us. American palates, unlike those of previous generations, are ready for the real stuff.

Nina Zagat and Tim Zagat are the co-founders of the Zagat restaurant survey.

Article may be found at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/15/opinion/15zagat.html

The Elephant Song - Cool Tunes for Kids by Eric Herman

2007-06-08T14:32:00.001-07:00

This is a lovely song and a lovely video....created by a husband wife team. They've created such delight :)

Bad Blogger!!??

2006-08-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

I concede...I am one...

Nothing new has shown up on this page for ages now.....and I am not going to be ambitious and state that this is the time to remedy it...but in some time ...hopefully, it will.

The highlight of this week though was a shot at Indira's Radish Sabzee...it turned out delicious. I substituted Meat masala and Rajwadi masala instead of her powders though. And added peanuts instead of Lima Beans.

More on those masalas later. And a picture of the wonderful place that is Tucson, AZ to make it worthwhile to be on this page.

Jihva for Mangoes

2006-05-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is a (VERY...) late entry. The first of May came and went without my realizing it....and I know that Indira already has a round-up done.

Mangoes have been on the mind, and on the palate several times this past month, and I'm glad there was a celebration of Mangoes on everyone's blogs. I am only hoping that I find enough mangoes in the market this month to satiate all those cravings, and to make all the wonderful recipes I see in the round-up.

Tch...tch...I wrote that about 4-5 days ago....saved it as draft, and moved on with life...sorry blog!!

Anyhow, here's a quick recap of adventures with mangoes recently.....

The constant lament from all bloggers who aren't writing from India has been about how they cannot find both raw and ripe mangoes like home, wherever they are.....its been the same here...although one does see quite a lot of mangoes fairly frequently (probably because of the proximity to Mexico and the large hispano-american population here)....the varieties are different, and the taste isn't quite the same. I found some 'champagne' mangoes in the local supermarket fairly cheap, and bought a whole lot. They ranged from almost raw, to under-ripe. I could have tried to store them in newspaper to get them to ripen...but didnt have the patience.

Here's what happened to them...

1. MANGOES, THE CHILDHOOD WAY:

Took the not quite raw and far from being ripe mangoes......Peeled them, because the skin was a little bitter, and cut them into long slivers...and bit into them after dipping them in a mixture of 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp red chilli powder, and 1/2 tsp sugar (you can add some rasam powder if you have it too...substitute half the chilli powder with rasam powder)
These came close to the taste of 'totapuri' (kizhimooku in tamil and ginimoothi in kannada)mangoes we waited for around this time of year in India.

2. KESARI PANNA (Saffron flavoured Mango Juice)

(recipe to follow)

3. KERI KANDA NU KACHUMBAR (a sweet-spicy gujarati salad/salsa)

(recipe to follow)

Palm oil controversy

2006-04-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Browsing the aisles in grocery stores that carry organic and natural foods, I often come across the Newman's Own brand of alternatives to regular cookies, chocolate and snack products.

This interesting bit from the NY times :
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/12/dining/12palm.html

April 12, 2006

Fat Fight Becomes a Rumble in the Jungle

By KIM SEVERSON

IT all began simply enough, with the food industry exploring palm oil as an alternative to trans fat.

Now, Paul Newman is angry, orangutans are dying and sandwich cookies may never be the same.

The protagonist, if a story about dietary fat can have one, is Nell Newman, daughter of the actor Paul Newman. In 1993, she talked her father into starting a small organic line as part of his food company, Newman's Own, whose profits are funneled to charities. She did it by cooking him a Thanksgiving dinner using only organic ingredients.

Like other companies that mass-produce foods like cookies and crackers, Newman's Own Organics wanted to find a way to avoid using trans fat, an artificially created fatty acid found in what many home cooks call shortening.

Also known as partially hydrogenated oil, trans fat is considered the worst fat in the American diet. Not only does it raise bad cholesterol levels, it is also believed to reduce good cholesterol. The Agriculture Department's 2005 Dietary Guidelines suggest eating as little of it as possible, and this year the federal government forced food companies to include trans fat amounts on food labels.

Newman's Own Organics uses palm fruit oil, a dietary fat that carries its own controversy. The fruit of a palm tree is about the size of a large plum, and the flesh is pressed into an oil that is about 50 percent saturated.

The palm kernel is also used for oil, which is extracted with a chemical process. It has a much higher saturated fat content, but not quite as high as coconut oil, which is almost completely saturated.

Too much saturated fat, for people who haven't listened to their doctors lately, can lead to heart disease. Which is partly why the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition advocacy group, has waged a campaign against palm oil.

The group's executive director, Michael Jacobson, said the concern is that food processors will replace partially hydrogenated oil with palm oil, a fat that is not as bad but still contributes to heart disease.

So far, the amount of palm oil in America's food supply is trivial compared to the amount of soy and canola oil.

"I want to keep it that way," Mr. Jacobson said. But the amount of palm oil the United States is importing from Southeast Asia, where most of it comes from, continues to grow. Imports jumped to 405,000 metric tons in 2005 from 195,000 in 2003, statistics from the U.S.D.A. Foreign Agriculture Service show.

Here's where the orangutans come in. Last summer, the Center for Science in the Public Interest issued a report called Cruel Oil. In it, the group said that crucial tracts of tropical rainforest were being destroyed and turned into palm plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia, which account for more than 80 percent of the production of the world's palm oil. Orangutans live only in Sumatra and Borneo, and the campaign said they and other endangered animals, including tigers and rhinoceroses, were in danger of "dying for a cookie."

Here's where Paul Newman comes in. Mr. Jacobson and the report's other authors accuse Mr. Newman of "bragging" on his labels for cookies and microwave popcorn that palm oil is free of trans fat and is less saturated than palm kernel oil.

"These statements are literally true, but mislead people into thinking that palm oil is positively healthy," the report said. "Palm oil is not a health food."

For Ms. Newman, who contributes a large amount of time and money to sustainable farming and other environmental causes, the move against her family company seemed unfair. Her father was even angrier.

"It really upset Pops," said Ms. Newman. He became obsessed with proving that the form of palm oil the company uses is a healthier alternative to trans fats and that Newman's Own Organics isn't misleading its customers.

The company uses palm oil from trees grown organically in Colombia, which has no orangutans, said Neil Blomquist, former chief executive officer and president of Spectrum Organic Products, which sells Newman's Own its palm oil. The company's oil is harvested with practices that exceed principles set forth in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, a group whose members include growers, processors and environmentalists, Mr. Blomquist said.

Some of the plantations are planted as part of the United States government's efforts to give farmers an alternative to coca crops, he said. Mr. Blomquist, who now consults with the Hain Celestial Group, which purchased Spectrum, has visited the Colombian palm fields.

Mr. Blomquist, like a number of nutritionists and sellers of health food, thinks palm fruit oil and the form of saturated fat it contains are healthier than the kind of saturates that come from beef or pork.

"It provides a very excellent source of what I would call at a minimum health-neutral oil, but I think there are some health pluses," he said.

When it comes to the science of dietary fats, what to eat when is a moving target. Research into which fats are beneficial and which pave a quick path to a heart attack continues. And, as demonstrated by the turn-around the Center for Science in the Public Interest and others had to make on trans fats and margarine, which were once considered healthy alternatives to butter, science is sometimes wrong.

Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said he would take palm oil over trans fats any day if the recipe in question needed a little hard fat.

"If you're careful you don't need very much, then palm oil is one of the better choices," he said. "A lot of saturated fat isn't all bad. It's not as adverse as people had thought in the past."

Still, he encourages people to use liquid oil like canola or olive oil whenever possible, and to limit saturated fats overall.

Some companies trying to find a fat that will tolerate the abuse of high-volume food production while providing the texture of trans fat have turned to high-oleic canola oil or safflower oil. Others use liquid oil that has been hardened with full hydrogenation and then softened with more liquid oil. Others are working with a process called intersterification, which involves enzymes. On the palm oil front, things had calmed down around the Newman household until last month, when Mr. Jacobson's group ran a full-page ad in The New York Times that featured a photo of a baby orangutan surrounded by orangutan skulls. Palm oil production, the ad said, "is killing orangutans."

For Ms. Newman, whose work with endangered peregrine falcons got her into organics in the first place, making a connection between hurting animals and her cookies is egregious. But the Newmans didn't want to jump into the ring with Mr. Jacobson again.

"When he doesn't get what he wants, he just ups the ante," said Peter Meehan, who runs the organic arm of the food company with Ms. Newman.

And Mr. Newman, who had spent months on the issue, didn't want to talk about it either.

"He doesn't know what he could add at this point," said Mr. Meehan.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council is none too happy with Mr. Jacobson either. It took out a half-page advertisement in The New York Times yesterday objecting to his assertions that palm oil production destroys habitats and promotes heart disease.

Mr. Jacobson denies that he has a personal campaign against the Newmans and concedes that their palm oil isn't killing orangutans. But he still takes their labeling to task.

He suggested that the Newmans use labeling language that would get someone laughed out of marketing school: "They may be environmentally sound, but don't eat these cookies if you really care about your heart."

ARF 5-a-day Cous Cous 'Navratan' Salad

2006-04-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

It happens again! There are lots of veggies and fruits and nuts in this dish, and it is Tuesday- the day designated by Sweetnicks for us to cook veggies and anti-oxidant rich foods. So I guess this will be an 'ARF-5-a-day' post.

The name 'navratan' salad is probably too much for this dish...but the tiny chopped pieces of everything did look lite little jewels embedded in the pale cous cous.
The university decided to dedicate some time and effort to the 'wellness' of its students and employees yesterday, and among the things being served at the occasion was a yummy cous-cous salad, whose taste this attempts to recreate.

Google search for 'cous cous salad recipe' took me to this recipe.
And of course, some inevitable changes happened (I promised myself I was going to follow the recipe..I really did :) :)), before the final version was served up.

Original recipe in Brown. My changes in Blue :

Source: Healthy recipes - Healthyweightforum.org

Recipes Ingredients

· 1½ cups cous cous
· ¼ cup orange juice
· 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I did not have this so used 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder instead)
· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or one teaspoon dried thyme)
· 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
· 2 cups boiling water
· 1 cup chopped parsley (I reduced this to about 2 tbsp)
· ½ cup chopped spring onions (did not have these on hand...substituted 2 sticks of organic celery...not a good idea...AVOID!)
· 1 orange, peeled and sliced (I used a honey mandarin...could have used two...they were delicious!)
· 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
· freshly ground black pepper

Other additions:

half a red delicious apple diced fine

half a plum diced fine

one carrot diced fine (tip: microwave the peeled whole carrot of about 20 seconds...it makes it easier to chop)

hadful of slivered almonds

1 tbsp roasted pine nuts

1 tbsp (or more) golden raisins/sultanans/kishmish

3-4 dried turkish apricots sliced lengthwise

Salt! (the recipe had none...I used some while fluffing the cous-cous, and some on the fruit/veggie)

Recipes Instructions

In a large bowl, stir together cous cous, orange juice, mustard, thyme, and orange zest. Stir in boiling water, cover and set aside for five minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed. Fluff cous cous with a fork. Add parsley, spring onions, orange slices and lemon juice. Toss to blend. Season with black pepper, chill. Serve with grilled or BBQ fish. Serves 6-8.

I fluffed the cous-cous as instructed. The in a different bowl mixed all the fruit/veggies/nuts. Added salt, pepper, lemon juice (and even a tsp of orange juice and a tsp of brown sugar...forgot to mention that in the ingredients). Mixed well, and added fluffed cous-cous.

It did not serve 6-8. Since this was lunch by itself...it made 2.5 - 3 servings.

PS : I just realised the plums and the red delicious apples are on the list of top 20 Antioxidant rich foods

Fruit Loot

2006-03-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

There are millions of posts in the blog-o-sphere, and a billion more on the world wide web...that talk about the goodness of fruit. So saying anything about how good they are for one's health, or how yummy...is a waste of both reading and writing time :)

This post is just about two instances : one where fruit was a sweet finish to a long hard day, and another where it was a healthy start to one.

Honey Mint Fruit

Ingredients

1 tsp honey or brown sugar (or more if you want it sweeter)
1/2 tsp dried mint leaves
1 tbsp heavy cream
Fruit of your choice
I used a mix of red delicious apple, banana, honey mandarin/ blood orange (1 each).
Raisins, Apricots or other dried fruit or nuts if you like

Dice the apple. Cut the banana into rings or whatever shape you like. For the citrus, I usually slice the top part off, and make an incision along the side and peel off the skin by hand. I then use the knife to delicately cut off thicker parts of the inner white peel. Then make transverse circular slices of the orange, and cut them into semicircles or quarters when desired.
Put all of the fruit into a bowl, drizzle honey or sprinkle brown sugar. (you might like to warm the honey a little to make it more runny, so that it mixes better....5-10 seconds in the microwave should do it). Sprinkle on the dried mint leaves (crush with fingertips if you like). I've wondered what this tastes like with fresh mint, but haven't had the chance to try it yet.
Toss and serve....I like to serve this in a goblet with a tablespoon of heavy cream drizzled on top.

The fruity breakfast follows soon........

ARF/5-a-day #12 Handvo

2006-03-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

Its been a bit since I posted, and I just realised , that when I DO post something on this blog, it ends up being a post for the Antioxidant Rich Food and veggie event hosted by Sweetnicks on her blog.

Handvo, is a gujarati lentil-vegetable bake...(two gujarati dishes back-to-back ....that wasn't intentional :) )

This isn't the best handva I've eaten....I've almost always had better...Baroda is home to some wonderful cooks who have left me most gratified with their preperation of this dish. Its seems simple, and yet is somewhat complicated ...I was motivated to try it out for myself when I spotted a bag of Handwa flour (a mix of chickpea, rice and maize flours it says on the cover) at the Indian Grocery store in town.

I used this recipe from Lokpriya AND OF COURSE...I made changes to it :) :)
I've been reading about this compulsive urge on many others' blogs too...wanting to change things in a recipe without having tried the original, and knowing how THAT would turn out!!

Here's the original recipe for reference:

Handvoh (Vegetable Bake dish)
Ingredients
1 cup Rice flour 1 cup Yellow moong dal flour 1 medium Bottle gourd 2 medium Carrots 2 tablespoons Corn kernels 3 tablespoons Chopped coriander leaves 3-4 green chillies 3 cups Butter milk	3/4 teaspoon Soda bi-carb 1 teaspoon Urad dal 1 teaspoon Bengal gram dal 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds 2 tablespoons Oil Salt (As per taste)
Method Grate the carrots and bottle gourd. Boil the corn. Mix the flours, soda bicarbonate, salt and buttermilk in a large vessel. Keep aside for 5-6 hours to ferment. Add the grated bottle gourd, carrots, corn, coriander leaves and green chillies and salt as per taste. Heat oil in a small pan, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal. Fry till the seeds start spluttering. Add this seasoning into the batter. Mix well. Pour the batter into a greased oven-proof dish and bake in a pre heated oven at 280 C for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to about 180-200 C and bake for another 30 minutes. Insert a knife or skewer to check whether the handva has cooked. If the knife comes out clean, the handva is cooked.
Serves : 6	Time : 45 mins.

Now the changes:
I used Handwa flour instead of the two flours mentioned in the recipe.

I've always been confused by the term 'buttermilk' (chhaas in hindi/gujarati, Mor in Tamil, Majjige in Kannada, Taak in Marathi) I wondered if it was the liquid that remains after you've made butter (it is available bottled at some food co-ops in the US) OR if it is merely watered down plain yogurt (add water to yogurt and whisk it smooth) OR both. I'd appreciate any comments that clear this confusion.

I used the plain yogurt - a rather sour batch thinned to a watery consistency.

As indicated in the recipe I mixed the flour, buttermilk, salt and baking powder (I didnt have soda-bi-carb on hand) and left it overnight.

For the veggies, I used quite a few....
1) Zuchinni - they really gave the handvo a wonderful buttery texture!! They're much better to use than the bottle gourd (opo squash in the US, Lauki/doodhi/ghia/sorakkai in India) since the bottle gourd tends to release water when grated and that tends to water down the batter.

2) Carrot - grated, half a long one

3) Sweet corn kernels, about half a cup...I wish I had used more...the sweetness is really enjoyable

4)Petite green peas, half a cup

5) Spinach (about a cup...thawed from the chopped,frozen, bagged variety)

In addition there was:

- a good handful of chopped cilantro
- a heaped teaspoon of fresh grated ginger
- a teaspoon of crushed garlic
- one serrano chili chopped into rings
- half a teaspoon of lemon zest (not a discernable flavour in the dish...but really good when you bite into a bit of it)
- 2 tbs sunflower seeds (you could also use peanuts instead)

I followed the method on the Lokpriya recipe for the most part...was slightly confused about what temperature setting to use to bake the handvo. I ended up using 450 F for the first 10 minutes and 350 F for another 40 minutes until the handvo was done.

I also recommend oiling your baking pan liberally...otherwise it will take some effort to scrape it off the pan.

It certainly makes for healthy food...try it for breakfast, or as a snack. Tastes good by itself, or with any kind of chutney.

ARF/5-a-Day - Lots of Lycopene- God "Sev" me :)

2006-02-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

I made this dish because I had tomatoes in the fridge. I caught them at a time when they hadnt yet started to go bad...but would have done so by the next day...(don't you hate it when that happens in the fridge?? how dare they rot behind your back after all the love showed buying them!!)

Anyhow, this dish is a favourite...I hadn't heared of it, or tried it until my early 20s....in spite of a long association with Gujarat. It is familiar to most gujaratis, especially those from Kathiawad/Saurashtra (the western peninsular portion of the state of gujarat)
Anyhow, its warm tangy goodness is delightful to say the least!! The fact that tomatoes are a rich source of Lycopene, an antioxidant carotenoid, is just a BIG bonus. Here's what I came across on http://www.ynhh.org/online/nutrition/advisor/garden.html :

Tomatoes rich in lycopene
During the past few years, the tomato plant has gained new recognition in the health care field because it is a great source of lycopene. Lycopene is a member of the carotenoid family of pigments, which are natural compounds creating the color of fruits and vegetables. For example, beta-carotene is the orange pigment found in carrots.

Lycopenes are the most potent antioxidants in the carotenoid family. Antioxidants have the ability to spare body tissue from free radicals, which may damage and degrade your body cells. Research has shown that a diet rich in tomatoes and tomato products is associated with a lower risk of cancers of the lung, stomach and prostate gland.

Researchers have not established a direct link between lycopene and cancer reduction. Lycopene may interact with other compounds in the tomato that account for or contribute to these cancer-reducing benefits. One thing is certain: findings from research studies support the recommendations to increase vegetable and fruit consumption to reduce cancer risk. Increasing tomato-based foods in your diet may be particularly beneficial. Enjoying the fruits of your garden labor can help you consume the recommended 3-5 servings of vegetables per day.

So here goes...

SEV TAMETA NU SHAAK (sev tamatar ki subzee/ tomatoes with sev)

For the uninitiated, Sev is a snack staple in India...I guess the only description I can come up with is "fried chickpea flour noodle" - made different ways in different parts of the country...I guess I could do a post all about just Sev, but that will have to wait! For now, I'll just say, that it is definitely available in all Indian grocery stores.

I used this recipe from Tarla Dalal.com
It is a version that uses green tomatoes...so by all means try that if you have access to them. It states in the end that the same can be made with ripe red tomatoes.

My version uses very ripe organic cherry tomatoes, since that was what was going bad in my fridge :)

Ingredients were the same as those mentioned in the recipe...the only changes were: One dry pint Del cabo organic cherry tomatoes cut into halves or quarters plus half a beefsteak tomato diced
a teaspoon of crushed garlic paste, instead of fresh garlic cloves.

I also had some fresh organic jaggery from India...and that was real joy. Don't forget to check out the wonderful post about jaggery at the cook's cottage (if you havent already). If you don't have Jaggery, feel free to use brown sugar, or regular sugar.

This tangy dish was served with Nupur's Thalipeeth and some simple khichadi and yogurt.

ARF/5-a-day Methi Masoor Rice

2006-02-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

This is a quick post. About a quick dish.
And one, that is loaded with flavours and nutrition.

The recipe for this dish was made up as it went along. The desire was to have something warm and comforting, filling, and nutritious. It is probably the sort of dish my mother would approve :)

I have used just regular methi that was sun-dried in India, since I dont get fresh methi where I live in the US. It is different from Kasoori methi. See Barbara's post on Methi for details.

Ingredients:
Raw Basmati Rice( or any long grained rice) -- One and a half cups
Raw Whole Masoor (Whole brown lentils) -- One cup
Oil -- 1 tbsp
Water to cooko the rice and lentils.

One bunch Scallions chopped (about one cup)
Fresh Root Ginger 3/4 inch piece finely chopped or grated
Crushed Garlic 1 tsp
Green chilli -- to taste (I used a fifth of a jalapeno chilli)
A handful of dried methi leaves

Cumin seeds -- 1 tsp
Bay leaves -- 1 or 2
Cinnamon bark -- 1/2 inch piece
Cloves -- 2 or 3
Badi Elaichi/ Large Black Cardamom -- 1

Cumin-Coriander Powder -- 1/2 tsp
Everest Shahi Biryani Masala -- 1/2 tsp (I used this just because I had it...you could substitute regular garam masala instead.)
Turmeric powder -- 1/4 tsp
Salt -- to taste

Wash both the rice and the whole masoor (brown lentils) and soak while you chop up the scallions, ginger, chillies etc.

In a pressure cooker, heat the tablespoon of oil and add the dry spices (section 3 of ingredients- cumin, bayleaves. cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom), and allow them to release their flavours (about 30 seconds) Add the turmeric powder.

Add the ginger, garlic, green chillies and scallions and stir around for another 2 minutes.

Add the washed rice and lentils, and stir around for half a minute making sure you dont break the grains of rice.

Add water to cook the rice and lentils...I used about two and a half times the amount by volume of the rice and lentil mixture. You may need to adjust this according to the rice and the pressure cooker you're using. (If you do not have a pressure cooker, you could cook this on the stove-top in a covered pot - leave the lid slightly uncovered to leat the steam escape, and prevent the water from boiling over and spilling)

Add the cumin-coriander powder, the shahi biryani masala (or garam masala), salt and the dried methi leaves.

Close the pressure cooker and cook for three whistles. (or let boil on medium heat till done...add more water if the mixture seems undercooked and the water is drying out)

Serve hot, with plain yogurt or kadhi or raita.

Protein Packed Pleasures

2006-02-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

It has been a cool overcast day in Tucson...the kind where steaming hot food is a pleasure like no other.
P has told me several times, about cold misty winter mornings in India, that are warmed by Garama-garam, chatpati Ghughni. I find the term 'ghughni' to be onomotopoeic. It immediately conjures up the image of small round entities clustered together.
Ghughni is also the name of a Bengali dish (Chholar Ghughni)...a spicy/tangy way of cooking chickpeas or chhola. The ghughni we tried making this morning was of petite green peas - Matar ki Ghughni. I could not find any recipes for this dish online...not on Bawarchi, not on NDTV cooks, not on Lokpriya...nowhere! There are still some delightful secrets that lie outside the world-wide-web, safe with mothers :) :)

This recipe made about 2 medium bowlfulls, and some more (just enough for the second helping you feel tempted to get!)

Ghughni

1 lb frozen petite peas
1 medium yellow onion diced
10-12 mini pearl tomatoes quartered (you can use 1 regular tomato diced...I just didnt have any)
3/4 tsp finely chopped/grated ginger
green chillies - to taste (I used about 1/5 of a jalapeno chilli)
salt - to taste
oil - 1 or 2 tsp

Thaw green peas. We used the "thaw frozen vegetable" function on the microwave (runs 2.5 minutes)
In a pan heat the oil, add green chillies and ginger. Add Onions and saute till they are translucent and starting to brown. Add tomatoes. Saute for another minute or so, until the skins start coming off the tomato pieces. Add green peas. Toss for a few more minutes...maybe 4-5 minutes... until peas turn soft and acquire a sheen (they shouldnt cook fully and go brownish)
Serve hot. With a dash of lemon juice if desired.

Where one meal was protein packed and healthy, I didn't realise a second would follow.
For dinner, we tried Masaledar Tofu Bhurji (Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe) with Pancakes.

For the Bhurji you need:

About 300 g. Tofu (we used extra firm organic sacramento tofu from our local co-op)
1 medium-large red onion chopped fine
7-10 mini pearl tomatoes quartered OR 1 medium tomato chopped fine
1" piece fresh ginger - grated or chopped fine
2 green chillies (I used 1/5 of a jalapeno)
1 small capsicum/green bell pepper chopped to the same size as onions and tomatoes

spices:
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder - adjust to taste, and by type of chilli powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp corainder powder
1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 cup water
salt to taste
1 or 2 tsp oil to cook

Method:

Crumble the tofu into small bits.

Heat oil in pan, add cumin seeds and wait till they swell up a little, and come to the surface of the oil. Add onions, green chillies, ginger...saute till onions are translucent and start browning.
Mix the spices - turmeric, red chilli, cumin and coriander powders in half a cup of water and pour in with the onions...stir continuously on medium heat. Add tomatoes, and cook for 2 minutes on high heat stirring continuously.
Add the crumbled tofu and capsicum. Toss for 4-5 more minutes making sure the tofu doesnt stick to the bottom. Serve hot with hot pancakes. For the Pancakes, I used the older recipe with the Hodgeson Mill mix, without the veggies and fresh herbs.

Blog Hibernation

2006-02-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

My last post on this blog was at the start of the cold weather...and here I am again, when winter is almost coming to an end. My blog was in hibernation...hiding in some little burrow, fast asleep!
It is back now, hopefully for some more good food times.
The food blog-o-sphere has been bursting with activity though...Indira keeps up her great blog, Nupur is almost at the end of the alphabet in her A-Z of Marathi food series, VKN's archive keeps growing ever longer, Mika has moved from one coast to another, Meena's blog has been hosting the 'from my rasoi' event for two months now!! ...and I just realised she's moved to her own domain!!

Incidentally, there was yellow squash soup for dinner again tonight!! With some variations though...
2 large yellow squash
1 small yellow onion
1 medium red potato
9-12 mini pearl tomatoes (they were rotting in the fridge)
3 cups water
1 tsp. Trader Joe's "Better than Boullion" paste
salt to taste,
3/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper
1/2 tsp Oregano
sprigs of fresh parsley

The method was the same...boil water with boullion paste to make stock...pressure cook veggies...cool and puree in blender...add spices...bring to boil...pour out and sip for a wonderful warm feeling inside :)

Soup-er Weather

2005-11-09T02:15:00.000-07:00

The weather has turned cooler in Arizona.....its that time of the year when the usual 30 degree diurnal temperature swing gets tough to handle (83 in the afternoon and 53 at night)...
I've also begun to realise that I actually get depressed with the sun going down as early as 5:30 (and I live in one of the sunniest places on earth!!)
Nothing like a warm cup of soup to ease all those woes I guess....I came across Nupur's soup recipe today and it prompted me to finally post this one (yes...this was dinner sometime last week!)
I've also figured out an algorithm that really seems to work for my soup making....
I'm indecisive about what I will use...or I am not sure I have enough stuff to make my soup...so instead of wasting all that time thinking (and staying cold)...I set some water to boil on the stovetop with a boullion cube in it and think some more, or hunt around for ingredients...
I've been using a yummy vegan cube of late, that I picked up at the local organic food co-op.
Then add the ingredients to the boiling broth...and let them simmer or pressure cook them lightly...and blend.

The wonderful man from Dragoon,Az that sells at the Wednesday farmer's market at the main library plaza in Downtown Tucson encouraged me to try Yellow Squash. I had never tried it before...and I'm glad I did!! I never thought of myself as much of a gourd/squash person...but ever since I moved from India I have missed my lauki (bottle gourd) a lot!!

Sunshine Soup
(what a silly cliched name to pick!!...but it really did drive my autumn blues away!!)

2 each, yellow squash, cut into rings
1 medium potato (I used yukon gold)
1 inch piece fresh root ginger
1 large carrot, cut into rings
1 boullion cube (this one is flavoured with herbs and has salt...so that eliminated the need for my adding those)
about a liter/quart of water (and then some more :)...I dont remember for sure!!)
A few springs cilantro/fresh corainder
To garnish: corn kernels, finely diced bits of carrots/peppers/onions microwaved or lightly sauteed in butter (still crunchy)

Set the water to boil on the stove-top, add the boullion cube...let boil...toss in the vegetables and crushed ginger root...let boil or pressure cook to one or two whistles. Add cilantro while the mix is still steaming hot.
Let cool and blend to desired consistency. Return to the same pot or pressure cooker vessel over the stove-top and add water to achive desired consistency. You could also add milk...although I felt that would make the soup too rich. As it comes back to boil, add the corn kernels. Serve, garnished with vegetable bits. (I had some yummy foccacia to go with it too)
Enjoy!

pancakes for breakfast!

2005-11-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

So, I discovered this packet of pancake mix left over from last diwali on a morning when I had absolutely nothing to eat in the house. (I had used one part dry milk and one part pancake mix to make gulab jamuns )
So, I ended up discovering how satisfying a warm pancake breakfast can be on a chilly autumn morning :)

When I finally did go to get my groceries again...I couldnt help but pick-up a new box of pancake mix....this time with the express purpose of making pancakes!! Trying to make it somewhat healthier I chose a whole grain mix and added some fresh zuchchini and crimini mushrooms that I had picked up at the farmer's market too!

Its really unfair to pretend that this was anything great I cooked up....but just how satisfying and yummy it tasted- is what prompted me to share it with you all. I just saw the post on mahanandi's blog about her ragi dosa, which came from vkn's blog in return....definitely trying that next if I can find raagi flour at the Indian store.

1 and a half cups Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake Mix
salt, to taste
3/4 tsp dhanajiru powder (ground cumin and coriander seed powder)
1 egg (could be increased)
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp oil (and more to moisten the griddle)
1/2 cup water
6 crimini mushrooms sliced thin
about 1 inch piece of zucchini sliced thin and then into quarters
Fresh Basil chopped fine

In a large bowl add the salt and cumin-coriander powder to the pancake mix.
Break an egg, add the oil and the milk and stir up with a fork. Add water till you get the desired consistency (thicker batter makes thicker pancakes...thinner batter makes thinner ones)

Heat the griddle....moisten with oil or butter or pan spray as desired....spoon in the panckae batter into a circle. Press the sliced veggies and basil into the pancake as it starts to get done on the edges, and flip around.....remove from griddle when a light brown crust starts to form on the veggie side. You could serve this with anything that catches your fancy...indian chutneys/packile, ketchup, salsa, plain yogurt....I had mine plain :)

Bhajias without the frying :)

2005-10-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

The reason I have this title for the post, is because this dish resembles the taste of bhajias (vegetable fritters in a chickpea batter) ...but it is cooked with a minute fraction of the fat it would take for the deep frying.
This dish has been a favorite in my family. It came into my mother's repertoire quite late...around the time I was getting into my teens...but remains a firm favorite for me and my younger brother. It is delightful just by itself, or with hot phulkas (light Indian whole wheat bread) or khichadi-kadhi.

SPRING ONION /CABBAGE SABZEE WITH BESAN (chick-pea flour)
Ingredients:

Spring Onions/Scallions - 3 bunches chopped into rings about 1/4 inch thick (greens and all)
Napa Cabbage - half a head chopped into thin strips (any other kind of cabbage would be good too)
oil- 2 tsp
jeera/cumin - 1 tsp
ginger-garlic paste - t tsp
red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (adjust to desired heat level)
turmeric/haldi - 1/4 tsp
Amchur/Dry Mango Powder - 1 tsp
Salt- 1 tsp/to taste
Sugar 3/4 tsp or to taste
Besan/ Chick Pea flour - about 3-4 tbsp

In a wok or skillet, allow the oil to heat, and throw in the cumin until it crackles (should not burn). Immediately add the scallions and napa cabbage. Saute for a while until they are partially cooked (leave some water and acquire some glaze).
Now add the spices (salt,sugar, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, chilli powder, amchur) and saute for another 5 minutes or so.
Now add the chickpea flour tablespoon by tablespoon...mixing it into the vegetables. It is advisable to make sure that there are no lumps in the flour. (This could be achieved by either crushing out the lumps by hand, or dry whisking it with a fork before adding it)
Cook for a good 15 minutes more on medium heat. It would help to spread the mixture along the base of the pan, allow it to acquire a mild crust, and then mix it up and let the same happen again. (do this every one to two minutes until the chickpea tastes cooked and has a nice golden-brown appearance.
In the final product, the cabbage gives a mild crunchiness, and the besan is soft in places and crusty in others. The spices make it a salty-sweet-hot mix. Garnish with lime juice if desired.

Ir is possible to cook radish greens or any other greens the same way. Do let me know if you try it with something else :)

Happy Eating!

Balti Chilli Chicken

2005-09-10T23:14:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from the book "Indian - deliciously authentic dishes" by Shahzad Husain and Rafi Fernandez. I've come to try almost every recipe from this book over the past year and it has served me (pun intended) well !

A fresh stock of New Mexico hatch chillies came into the grocery stores recently and I purchased a batch hoping to make mirchi-ka-saalan. I never quite got around to that, but instead ended up making this dish.

Oil .. 4 tbsp.
NM hatch chillies (I used mild) .. 8-10 (any other large variety of chillies will do too)
Onion + Cumin seeds .. 1/2 tspn.
Curry Leaves .. a few
Ginger .. 1/2 in. piece
Garlic (chopped fine or crushed) .. 3 cloves
Red chillu powder .. 1 tspn.
Ground coriander .. 1 tspn.
Salt .. 1 tspn.
Onions (chopped) .. 2
Chicken (skinned, boned and cubed; I used breast filets) .. 1 lbs. or so
Lemon juice .. 1 tbsp.
Cilantro/Fresh coriander/Dhania patta .. 2 tbsp. (roughly chopped)
Cherry tomatoes .. 8-10 OR 1 medium-sized tomato chopped in large pieces.

Slit the chillies length-wise. Heat the oil in a skillet or a medium karahi. Lower the heat slightly and add the slit green chillies. Fry until the skin starts to change colour.

Drain the chillies and set aside. Add the onion and cumin seeds, curry leaves, ginger, chilli powder, ground coriander, garlic, salt and onions and fry for a few minutes, stirring continuously. Add the chicken pieces and stir fry for 7-10 minutes or until the chicken is done. Sprinkle the lemon juice and add the cilantro. If you use regular tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes, add them a couple of minutes before the lemon juice and let them soften a bit. The cherry tomatoes are added at the very end after the cilantro as garnish. Serve with naan or parathas.

Chhena Phora

2005-09-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

I mentioned this sweet/dessert in my last post (which was such a long time ago, that it isn't even funny)...and never got around to posting the recipe for it!!

I was introduced to chhena-phora by my neighbour Ishita in India...she traces some of her lineage to the eastern state of Orissa, and one night while having been invited to dinner at her place, I tasted two desserts I knew nothing about before...one was the bengali 'shor bhaja' and the other 'chhena phora' that she had carried in a clay pot from Orissa!!

Chhena-phora is extremely simple to make, and some of you may see an uncanny resemblance to a popular ras-malayi recipe. I actually set out to make ras-malayi one day and stopped at this step when I realised that I what I had with me tasted much like chhena-phora !! (I hope desperately that I am not making a mistake with the name of the sweet ; apologies if I am and would you please leave corrections as comments).

Ricotta cheese .. I used a 400 gm. tub which made an 8" x 8" tray ; adjust to desired quantity.
Sugar .. to taste
Saffron .. few strands
Nuts .. to garnish

(Disclaimer : The original chhena-phora had neither saffron nor other garnishes. These came purely from my fancy).

Empty the tub of ricotta cheese into the baking tray (oven-proof Pyrex). Add sugar. I added about 250 gm. to 400 gm. cheese. Mix thoroughly. Set to bake in an oven at 350 F for about an hour. After bubbling for a while, the contents begin to set and acquire a nice pale caramel glaze when done. Remove from oven and top with saffron. I had soaked a few strands of saffron in hot water, and spooned the starnds together with the water on top of the dish. The crimson saffron contrasts beautifully with the pale golden crust - quite a visual delight ! :)

I also topped it with roasted almond slivers which my little neice Isha dutifully picked at and munched with great satisfaction :)

long time...and lots of food

2005-08-09T23:37:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted a new recipe....and this is the time to remedy that :)
However, it isnt that my kitchen has been deprived of food odours or my stovetop has been cold....
I've been quite active culinarily (if there is such a word...LOL ) speaking

First there was apple-ji...a relative of orange-ji...a new experiment with unfiltered apple juice...it is probably the most refreshing drink ever, and beats even orange-ji by a long shot!!

Then there was the bread-moong-chaat-appetizer that went quite well with the cabernet over the weekend...

The chicken/vegetables in green masala sauce with caramelised basmati rice that I cooked on Friday night....

The 'Chhenna-Phora' I baked as dessert for the same meal...

And a napa cabbage and egg pulao that got created last night....

Will post recipes to all of these as soon as I have the patience to type them up (no pictures unfortunately :o( .....so here's a picture of the beautiful Arizona rain instead ....)

Orange-ji

2005-07-29T01:46:00.001-07:00

Today was a high of 96 degrees farenheit where I live...and I caught myself thinking that its 'cooling down' :)...after a month of 100 degree plus temperatures...sure it is cooler!!
The rest of america is seeing similar temperatures too...and is complaining about how HOT its become....so I thought of putting up something to help everyone cool off.

Shikanji or Lemonade has been a big help when it comes to cooling off and staying hydrated in the Arizona summer.....I love the cold, salty, spicy sweetness going down my throat.
This summer I tried an experiment with Orange Juice that I have come to find very very refreshing as well! Since it is OJ with an Indian (shikanJI) twist, I'd like to call it Orange-ji :)

It starts with good old OJ, any old OJ...not that OJ isnt good by itself...just that it feels Heavy in an odd sort of way...sometimes I don't like that excessive sweetness coating the insides of my mouth...know what I mean?

So to about 200 ml of OJ, add salt to taste ( a large pinch is what I use), about 1/4 tsp or another large pinch ground toasted cumin (jeera powder), a dash of fresh ground pepper, and about a quarter tsp of ground black rock salt if available (sendha namak, which is a pinkish powder)**
Add about 100 ml cold water and some crushed ice (or all crushed ice if you prefer it VERY cold)
Shake or Stir...to mix everything well...and take a cool refreshing sip. If you want to serve it up...you could garnish with a slice of orange and mint sprigs.

** this does turn out to be a tad on the salty side, I like it that way because drinking too much water in this weather makes me low on salt, you could simply use one of the two kinds of salt.

After the rain has fallen....

2005-07-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

.....for starters, the title of this post is the name of a song by Sting (from the same album that had Desert Rose), that I used to listen to a long time ago....over this weekend, it rained in Arizona, and I heard some Sting as well.

The rains in Arizona, like in India, demand celebration....and what better celebration than Bhutta (corn on the cob) and pakoras ....
I celebrated two-in-one ishtyle...Bhutte ka pakora...or Makai ka Pakora, if you want to be correct!!

I tried this recipe from ndtvcooks.com, which turned out really really well. I modified it a bit of course!

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen corn, thawed in the microwave for 2 minutes
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tsp lightly toasted cumin seeds
1 green chilli
1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
besan/chickpea flour to bind
salt to taste

Fro starters, lightly crush the corn kernels in the blender. You should end up with some kernels that are somewhat intact in a paste of the rest :)
Also crush the garlic, green chillies and cumin seeds in the blender and add to the corn mush.
Mix in the finely chopped onions and the powdered spices and salt. Add in enough besan or chickpea flour to make the mush just bind together to form pakoras....they should not be perfectly round or dense...they should just barely hold together without falling apart when you press the batter in your fist.

Now heat some oil in a karahi/wok or saucepan and when it is hot enough (a little ball of batter should rise to the surface instantly when put into the oil) start frying the pakoras in batches of 6 or so. Drain with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. Enjoy with ketchup or green chutney or sweet-sour tamarind chutney.

Play your favourite 'rain music' and enjoy looking out of the window :)

Orange and White Lunch

2005-07-15T23:44:00.000-07:00

With just 10 minutes to go for my bus, I realised that I had forgotten to pack lunch today...and that I was in no mood to eat oily frozen parathas on a 110 degree farenheit day!
So here's what I took along...That it was so good was quite a surprise even to me :)

So what is this (supposedly) pretty looking stuff you might ask...??
The square rubbermaid box consists of a concoction that could probably be classified as a salad...

I opened up a 15 oz./425 g. can of mixed salad beans [equal portions of red kidney beans /rajma, garbanzo beans/chhola and pinto beans (pinkish beans that you see often in mexican food) and drained them into a collander, and washed them thoroughly with cold water. (This makes them less flatulent)
Then I mixed in about 2/3 by volume quantity of sweet corn kernels.
That mixture went into the microwave for about 2 minutes...then I mixed in about 4 tsp Muir Glen (brand) cilantro-garlic salsa and tossed the whole mixture well.
On top went slices of Trader Joes fresh mozzarella cheese. Since I wanted to carry the baby carrots along, and did not want another container...they got lined up along the sides...the crunch was very welcome...although I would not consider them part of the dish really.
When I warmed this up at lunch...the melted mozzarella with the beans and corn was very yummy.

For desert, there was chilled vanilla yogurt with fresh apricots chopped into it, topped with a dash of thinly slivered almonds.

So, there was enough protein in my meal, and enough 'coolth' to get me happily through another scorching 110 F day!!

Bharta for those who think the Baingan is 'be-gun'

2005-07-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

This recipe actually started out wanting to be "Baingan ka Bharta", but hote hote yeh hua...ki ek toh baingan kam padaa...(I only had one large baingan in the fridge) ...doosra, khaane walon ko baingan zaraa kam pasand hai...toh zara disguise karke parosna padta hai.

If you want the pure unadulterated taste of roasted baingan, this one is not for you...but if you love the taste and texture of bharta, and would like to make it more palatable for those who are not big baingan fans...it is well worth the effort :)

Ingredients:
1 large baingan/brinjal/eggplant (big round bharta wala baingan)
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
1 small bunch (6 or so) scallions/spring onions/green onions
1 medium tomato
2 medium potatoes...boiled and mashed
1 small katori/cup frozen peas
1 small katori/cup frozen sweet corn
3 large cloves garlic finely chopped
green chilli...chopped in rounds or fine, as you like it. If in rounds you will be able to pick them out while eating...if fine...they will blend into the bharta better. The quantity is tricky...it depends on what type of chillies you have and how hot you want it to be...I used about 2/3rd of a serrano chilli. Optionally, maybe half a jalapeno, or adjust to the heat level of the chilli that is available to you.
3/4 inch piece ginger, chopped/crushed/grated fine
3 cloves/laung
1" piece cinnamon/dalchini
1 1/2 tsp Dhanajeeru powder/cumin-coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder/sriracha sauce (to be used in the end IF the green chillies did not make it hot enough)
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp amchur
salt to taste
a pinch of sugar
oil for cooking

Start by rubbing some oil over the baingan and roasting it. You may consider puncturing it baingan with a fork in a few places so that the skin does not split with a POP while you are roasting it.
I did not have a gas flame or a barbeque grill so I put it on the top shelf in an electric oven and set the dial to broil...it was done in about 10 minutes...I kept turning it. Put a foil under the rack to collect the liquid that oozes from the baingan. When done, the baingan looks deflated and the skin charred. take out and let cool. Then peel off the skin, chop of the crown and mash the pulp.

Cookthe potatoes in a pressure cooker OR peel and chop into about 1" pieces and cook with about 2 tbsp water in the microwave (making sure that they become mushy and dont dry out) When they are cool enough to handle...mash them with a fork or with your fingers.

Place a pan/wok/kadahi on heat and pour in about 1 tbsp oil. When it heats up, add the cinnamon and cloves, followed by the ginger, garlic and green chillies.
When the ginger-garlic starts to brown slightly, add the chopped yellow onion. Saute till the onion is translucent/brownish. Add the tomatoes and sautee till the skins come off and the pulp starts to disintegrate. Add the chopped scallions. Mix well.
After about a minute, mix in the baingan pulp.
Saute for another minute and add in the peas and corn. Mix well.
After aboout 2 minutes add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Add the powdered spices.
Allow to cook for about 5-7 minutes while stirring frequently. Steam pockets will form on the surface when it begins to be done.

Garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander sprigs.

Served with chapati (or Trader Joe's lavash Bread if you live in the US), rice, kadhi and roasted papad.

Chives

2005-07-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

The picture of the omlette on the previous post has these short green lines on it....these are chopped chives.
Chives are a member of the onion family, and lend a pleasant flavour to omlettes...they also have beautiful lavender coloured flowers...which you can eat as well...they look awesome sitting on top of creamy omlettes!
Did you know that omlettes will turn out fluffier if you add some milk while beating the eggs?
I didn't....but now I do :)

Pehla Post

2005-07-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

Aaj subah internet surf karte samay got introduced to the concept of food blogs.
Toh maine socha ki aaj ke din yeh blog shuru kiya jaay.
I am not sure I have much to say about anything in the world....but I most certainly have a lot to say and think about food!!

While creating this blog, I asked for the url annapoorna.blogspot.com, but got a message that it was already taken (why would it not be...meri aur aapki maa, naani, daadi...mein se kisine kahin blog karna shuru kiya hoga :) )
Also, I realised I was probably grossly over-rating myself in trying to create an 'annapoorna' blog :) :)....so here I am...an aspiring annapoorna, trying to figure out if I can weild some miracles with my kadhchhi !