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MO GO (make one get one) Thanksgiving!
This was such a crazy caper that I wasn’t even sure if I should post it as a recipe with any shred of respectability. Making 2 different dishes with the exact same veggies (& yes I mean the same, Not two portions of vegetables cut up & used differently, NOOO, that was the weird part, ended up reusing the same vegetables..But hey… it seemed the eco friendly thing to do..), but then the end result was pretty tasty & was worth repeating a second time for the Camera. & so here it is. *Drumroll*
1. A Roasted cream of pumpkin soup ,
2. A mixed vegetable dip served with Pita bread. (which can alternatively be served as a vegetable with Indian Roti or Paratha)
The take home message from this pair of dishes is that a spice can singularly & absolutely redefine the culinary origins of a dish irrespective of the chief ingredient used. The soup is, for practical purposes, the quintessential all American offering, the key herb here being Sage which is Mediterranean in origin. (For More info about Sage, check out the Wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_officinalis ). The dip is inspired by a humble North Indian vegetable dish called ‘ kaddu ki subzi’ where the primary spice used is fenugreek. And there you have it, Two dishes with flavors reminiscent of 2 different parts of the world & yet, both stem from the same starting point of vegetables. A true example of fusion!
Makes for a great healthy Fall supper.
For these dishes, you need:
2 cups of pumpkin, cubed
1 head fennel bulb sliced thin
3 leeks cut lengthwise (just the white parts)
Sea Salt as per taste,
1/2 tsp coarsely crushed black peppercorn
1 Jalapeno pepper
2 portions of (one for the soup & the other for the dip)
4 tbsp Olive oil
Apart from the common ingredients listed above you need:
For the Soup:
12-15 fresh Sage leaves,
2 garlic pods crushed
1/2 cup crushed tomato
1 cup whole milk (adjust as per preference)
1 tbsp olive oil
Suggested Garnish: A handful of deep fried potato sticks with dried rosemary
For the dip:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds,
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (Available as kasuri methi in Indian grocery stores)
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes,
1/8 tsp cayenne powder (adjust as per taste)
Salt to taste
Finely chopped Cilantro & Lime wedges for garnishing
In a large mixing bowl Combine the pumpkin, leeks & fennel with the olive oil, salt & crushed peppercorn. Marinate for about 10 minutes.
Transfer onto a baking tray & roast in an 350 F oven for ~ 20-30 minutes till the vegetables begin turning a golden brown.
On the stove top, grill the Jalapeno pepper till the skin gets charred. Allow to cool & scrub off the blackened skin using a paper towel. Cut lengthwise, remove & discard the seeds & chop roughly. Keep aside.
In a skillet, Heat 1 tbsp of oil and add the sage leaves & garlic. When they begin to soften add the crushed tomatoes & cook on medium heat till the raw smell of the tomatoes disappear.
Combine the tomatoes, chopped Jalapeno & the roast vegetables into the bowl of a a food processor.
Process till semi smooth, adding water if the mixture is too thick. Strain the mixture through a sieve, till all the puree is extracted. Reserve the vegetable residue for making the dip/subzee.
Heat the puree with desired amount of milk to make a smooth soup. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with julienned fried potatoes if desired.
For the Dip /Subzee:
Heat Oil in a skillet till smoking hot. Add the cumin & fenugreek seed. Stir till they turn a golden brown & then add the dried fenugreek leaves. Stir till combined & add the crushed tomatoes, cayenne pepper powder & salt. Cook on a medium flame till the tomatoes lose their raw smell.
Add the strained vegetable residue & cook till any residual liquid evaporates on a low flame. Garnish with chopped cilantro & serve warm with Pita bread as an appetizer. Alternatively you may serve it as a vegetable entree with Indian Roti or Paratha.
The best part of making the food.. SCARFING it down!!
happy cooking! & Bon appetit!
(Entering this recipe into Edible Entertainments Healthy Cooking Challenge)
Cabbage with Muscles: Brussels Sprouts!
Ever seen those cartoon shorts where there is this endearing looking lil baby animal with Bambi eyes looking so helpless? & the BAM!!! it suddenly lunges at you with fangs & claws bared? (Didn’t they have such a lizard in Jurassic park as well, timid chirpy thing that squirted a tarry toxin??). Every time I look at a Brussels sprout, that is what comes to mind!
The first instinctive reaction to a brussels sprout is the same as that towards any tender baby vegetable, the expectancy of a delicate & mild texture.. but make no mistake, one feel of an outer leaf from a sprout instantly reminds you of a leafy equivalent of shoe leather!
This cabbage relative packs a punch in terms of flavor & textural mouth feel. It has a more robust flavor compared to regular cabbage & does not release as much liquid when sauteed. This makes it an ideal vegetable to be roasted or stir fried.
This thanksgiving offering of Brussels sprouts is sauteed in a traditional South Indian Tam bram style. To give it an additional dimension of flavor, I’ve incorporated a toasted coconut masala (Pitlai masala)to finish the dish. Although not pictured, a handful of crushed toasted salty peanuts tossed in prior to serving kicks this side dish up another notch.
For this dish you need:.
2 cups tightly packed shredded Brussels sprouts
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1 sprig curry leaves
Salt to taste
Pitlai Masala: (Adapted from Viji Varadarajan’s recipe for Pitlai podi from her book SAMAYAL, Page 120 )
3 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp Chana dal
1.5 dried arbol chillies
pinch of Asafetida powder
2 tsp grated coconut
Toast all the ingredients to a golden brown on a hot skillet. Combine & grind to a coarse powder.
Method:
heat oil in a hot wok and add the mustard & Urad dal. When they begin to sputter, add the brussels sprouts along with the torn curry leaves. Saute for 5-7 minutes till the shredded leaves begin to go limp. Add the masala powder & combine well. Transfer into a serving bowl & serve with hot steamed rice.
Sinfully Divine: ‘Lehiyam’ Truffles
Ask any South Indian Tam Bram about the most defining aspect of Diwali goodies & chances are that the reply will be ‘Lehiyam’. Whatever the traditional offerings may be from home to home,’ lehiyam’ is a mandatory part of Diwali prep.
For those of you unfamiliar with ‘lehiyam’, the closest comparison I can think of is a ‘Chyawanprash’. If you’re unfamiliar with both these terms, Lehiyam is a spicy tonic made primarily with fresh Ginger with a blend of other spices (which vary between family recipes) in a syrup made from Gud (Jaggery).
This confection literally started out as a joke when my husband asked me what I was making for Diwali but surprisingly its turned out to be a great variation for truffles & Boy am I glad I stumble upon this at home rather than @ the Godiva parlor. That would have been such a ‘Now why didn’t I think of it’ moment.
For the Lehiyam you need:
1 tbsp Coriander seeds,
1 tsp Cumin
siddharmaruthuvam.blogspot.com
4-5 Long pepper
4-5 black peppercorns
1/4 cup of fresh ginger root ground to a fine paste
1/3 cup of gud (jaggery) OR Brown Turbinado sugar
1 tbsp ghee
Made a fine powder of the coriander, cumin & the 2 varieties of pepper. Add to the fresh ginger root paste & combine well.
In a skillet, heat the gud or sugar till it melts and forms a brown color syrup. Add the ginger paste & the ghee & mix well. cook till the moisture has evaporated & the mixture resembles a thick paste. remove from stove & set aside to cool completely. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To make the truffles you need:
1 bar semisweet chocolate,
1/4 cup heavy cream.
Lehiyam pieces, Chilled in freezer & rolled into balls.
Melt the chocolate & heavy cream in a double boiler till it forms a smooth mixture. MAKE SURE that the chocolate does not come into contact with water as this can make the chocolate ‘seize’ (looks like curdled chocolate).
Keeping the chocolate mixture warm & flowing, dip the lehiyam spheres into the chocolate to coat them evenly. Remove with a dry fork, making sure any excess chocolate drips out & place into paper cups. Cover & leave in a cool dry place to set.
Bon Appetit & a happy Diwali
Thattai Biscotti
The most well known of all savory ‘snack’ or ‘Bakshanam’ offerings in South india are indubitably the ‘Murukku’ & ‘Thattai’. The former are those ‘snake like’ coiled things that Chetan Bhagat describes in his book 2 States & the latter is christened with an unflattering moniker that literally translates as ‘Flat’ in English. But, these are staples in the South Indian pantry, savored at leisure with the afternoon tumbler of Filter ‘Kaapi’ (Coffee).
As beloved as these snacks are, the art of making them at home is going extinct. For one thing, they’re both deep fried and Murukku atleast, is notoriously labor intensive. (For a beautiful nostalgic description of the entire murukku making process, I’ll refer you to Ammini Ramachandran’s book ‘Grains Greens & Grated coconut, page 241)
For many of us in the US, we have adapted to an alternate comfort snack that we relish with our Starbucks coffee. The Biscotti. On a personal level, I miss the biscotti when I’m scarfing my Thattai & quite often, vice versa.
This Panfusine offerring has been through a number of iterations & I’d like to thank Panfusine followers Nita Ashok & Jyoti Ananth for being voluntary guinea pigs. I finally decided to go through the preparation as per standard techniques followed in baking. As in dry ingredients together, wet ingredients together & then mix the two & bake.
For the Thattai Biscotti (or as my other half calls it, a ‘thattai cotti’) You need:
1/3 cup rice flour toasted lightly
2/3 cup urad flour toasted golden
1 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
Salt to taste
~ 1 tsp Red chilli powder (adjust to your personal taste)
Sift the above ingredients into a mixing bowl & set aside.
4 tbsp melted butter
Water as needed
For the Tadka:
1 tbsp Mustard seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 sprig curry leaves torn to small pieces
1/4 tsp asafetida powder
1 tbsp sesame oil.
Heat the oil till smoking and add the mustard seeds. When they sputter add the sesame seeds & wait till they pop. At this point add the curry leaves & asafetida, taking care to avoid any spattering oil. remove from fire and add to the dry mixture.
Add the melted butter & combine till the dry ingredients are incorporated well.
Add required water and knead lightly to form a ball of dough. Shape into an elongated loaf
Bake @ 300 F for 30 minutes till the surface is slightly hard. Remove from oven & let the loaves rest for about 15 min.
Using a Sharp knife slice the loaf diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. (This can be tricky since the curry leaves tend to get caught in the grooves of the knife yanking off chunks of the loaf. Just do the best you can!)
Lay the slices flat on the baking tray & toast in the oven (@ about 200 F) till the sides are golden brown & crisp. Remove from the oven, let it cool & store in an airtight container.
Serve with Hot Filter coffee or Masala chai (or a Venti Latte!).
(& this was my lil ‘dough’ Ganesha for the good luck!!)
Iron Chef meets Iyer n’ chef !!
Ever have those moments when someone mentions something, anything & it sticks to your mind with a crazy glue like strength?.. One such thought was when my friend Shailaja Venkatasubramanyan once wrote to me about Onion Sambhar & a potato roast curry.. Well this is one such thought byte for me personally. So when I was watching a recent episode of ‘Cook like an Iron Chef’ by Chef Michael Symon, which featured a dish with potatoes & Pacific cod, It was Shailaja that came into mind & I just HAD to act on it..
Traditional (tamil brahmin) Tam Bram festival fare involves a full three course meal each with rice as its focus, accompanied by about 5-6 vegetable dishes prepared in different styles. Very different from a typical western sit down lunch or dinner. The first course is rice with Sambhar, a thick lentil gravy seasoned primarily with Tamarind and a coriander seed influenced spice blend. The chef is free to use their creative skill & include almost any vegetable of their choice. A very common combination of dishes for this first course include a potato ‘roast’ & Usli, a chick pea batter stirfry with a wide choice of greens.
My inspiration from Chef Michael Symon’s presentation from his show ‘Cook like an Iron Chef’:
(For those of you interested in the original Recipe here’s the link: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/michael-symon/potato-wrapped-pacific-cod-with-a-grilled-leek-red-bliss-and-purple-peruvian-potato-and-lobster-salad-recipe/index.html
Sambhar rice & Usli in a baked potato roulade served with a side of sweet & sour Mangai Pachadi.
The possibilities of variations are a plenty. The Usli ensures that the dish is well rounded nutritionally & not exclusively carbo loaded.
For this you need:
Any type Sambhar rice or even prepared Bisibela.
Usli (feel free to use any kind, I used a Rappini (Broccoli Rabe) usli
1 potato, peeled & sliced thinly Lengthwise.
Curry leaves.
A blend of Salt, Red Chilli powder, a pinch of turmeric & Asafetida as per taste
Oil for blanching & Sauteing.
Method:
Heat oil in a skillet & fry the potato slices till blanched (cooked till just soft). Remove from oil & drain on a paper towel
Arrange the potatoes slices on a cling wrap sheet as shown
Layer the sambhar rice & usli on the potato.
Roll the potato slices around the rice & Usli, taking care to ensure that the cling wrap does not get entangled in the roll. At this point you may refrigerate to roll to prepare later. This also ensures that the potato starch adheres between the slices to form a firm covering that will not fall apart.
Sprinkle with the salt, turmeric, chilli powder blend. Adjust the seasoning as per your personal taste
Preheat oven to 300 F
In a non stick skillet (this is one place where I prefer investing in a good non stick skillet with a metal handle that can be used in the oven) heat sesame oil and gently place the potato roulade.
Add the torn curry leaves on top of the roulade. Keep spooning the oil from the skillet onto the top to release the flavors from the spice blend & curry leaves .
Pop the skillet into the oven for ~ 20 mins until the top surface of the roulade is golden.
Cut & serve warm with a side of Mango pachadi.
Bon appetit!
Book Review.
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| Image courtesy Indianfoodrocks.com |
http://www.peppertrail.com/php/displayContent.php3?link_id=186 – 33k
I heard about this book from another Blog that I follow (indianfoodrocks.com), took my own time ordering it from Amazon.com & when it finally arrived today, I was like… ‘what was I thinking, putting off buying this book’.
I don’t believe I have ever curled up on the couch & read a recipe book from cover to cover in one sitting. but then, calling this book a recipe book would be severely shortchanging the sheer nostalgic thrill it gave me. Of course, I plan to go back to page 1 & start all over again!
This book would have been a best selling memoir had it been written by a high end celebrity chef from Food Network but the stories told by this author about her childhood in Kerala are no less in terms of captivating the imagination.
In the first 1/3rd of the book, Ms. Ramachandran talks about her idyllic childhood growing up in Kerala as a member of the Kochi royal family. Contrary to the fairytale princess stories that one would associate with such a privileged background, she focuses on the elegant simplicity that remains a hallmark of Keralans to this day irrespective of their social background. Their food is not embellished with silver leaves, nor is it served on gold platters, just because they are royalty, a point she brings out so well in talking about her grandfathers fondness for the humble ‘kanji’ (p. 90), and yet it clearly is food fit for the most royal of kings.
History in school would have been so fascinating had it been explained the way Ammini skillfully weaves the rich threads of Kerala’s spice trade alliances with Europe and the Middle East. The cross pollination of Malabar spices and new world produce such as chili peppers, potatoes & tomatoes have culminated in a culinary legacy unique to South India.
For those readers who may be daunted by the ingredients, relax, Ms. Ramachandran devotes a generous section of the book to detailed yet succinct descriptions of all the ingredients found in a typical South Indian pantry
The third dimension so well expressed in this book is the intrinsic association of food & religious/social festivals and occasions. If we were to look back at what constitutes pleasant memories from times gone by, The probability that food is somehow part of it is high. (on the contrary, how many of us have enrapturing flashbacks of food from the local McDonalds?). She stirs up memories of intimate ceremonies that many South Indians perform at home that outsiders are not privy to. One ceremony in particular that misted my vision was the ‘Ammini Kozhakattai’ ceremony that babies are initiated through when they begin crawling & become mobile. The prayer to the almighty is pure & simple.. ‘Lord, protect this child as it begins exploring the world’. I could not help recalling the time when my late mom did it for my son, & how immensely I missed her comforting presence the next time around.
The recipes are the classic dishes that you would find in traditional South Indian families that adhere to a vegetarian diet. A refreshing aspect is that she does not make it sound orthodox and stodgy, but instead she makes valuable recommendations of pairings with beer & margaritas. There are sections devoted to breakfast dishes, main courses ( if there is such a thing in traditional southie cuisine), desserts, dishes associated with festivals, religious & social.
In conclusion, this is one book that would make a lot of us pick up the phone & call our mommies, mentally making a decision to pay more attention to what she’s been telling you all along… or mentally accept selling your soul to the Devil if it bought you some more time with her..
Grains, Greens and grated coconuts is available in the us through Amazon.com (Borders and Barnes & Noble claim its a print to order.. whatever that means)
Tortellini a la Travancore
The term ‘Kerala’ to most South Indians, brings to mind a verdant pristine land lush with Coconut, Cashew, Banana & Jackfruit trees, an image of prosperity combined with a certain sense of inner calm. To the rest of the world, it is the land of spices, that indispensable cornucopia of Natures bounty that makes food palatable.
Traditional Kerala Cuisine makes use of jaggery / ‘gud'( unrefined sugar before the molasses have been removed) which has a certain ‘winey’ depth of flavor. This adds an extra dimension to the taste profile of any dish its added to. Other staple ingredients are Coconut, Plantains, Mangoes & Jackfruit.
Today’s dessert presentation is dedicated to all those of you with roots in Kerala. It consists of fried tortellinis stuffed with ‘Chakka Varatti’ (A jam like sweet primarily made with jackfruit & jaggery) to be served with a ‘Vella payasam’ made with toasted mung & coconut milk, sweetened with jaggery.
A piece of candied ginger rounds off the presentation by adding a touch of piquant spiciness.
(& the dill is just eye-candy)
Ambrosia from Gods own land!
Chakka Varatti
You need:
1 can Jackfruit,drained
1 cup Jaggery, loosely packed
5-6 pods cardamom, powdered,
1 Tsp powdered Ginger,
1 Tbsp Grated coconut (optional)
2 tbsp Ghee
In a food processor, mince the Jackfruit pieces as per taste.
Microwave the Jaggery with 2-3 tbsp water for 2 minutes, till the lumps have dissolved completely. Strain to remove any residual grit and set aside.
Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed skillet and add the Jackfruit and Jaggery syrup. Mix well and let cook on a low flame till the fruit is soft and all the water has evaporated.
Add the grated coconut, Powdered ginger and cardamom. Stir well, remove from flame and cool.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight jar.
Vella payasam
½ cup Jaggery loosely packed.
2 tbsp yellow mung dal, toasted golden
½ cup coconut milk
1 cup whole milk
½ tsp Cardamom powder
1-2 tbsp water
1 tbsp ghee
Raisins & Cashew pieces to taste.
Pressure cook the toasted mung dal till soft
Add water to the Jaggery and microwave for 2 minutes till the lumps have dissolved. Strain and set aside
In a Saucepan, combine the cooked dal and the Jaggery syrup and heat till well combined
Add the Cardamom, milk and coconut milk. Heat on a low flame till it begins to boil. Reduce the flame to a simmer for another 5 minutes.
In a separate saucepan, heat ghee and toast the Cashews & Raisins till golden.
Stir in the Cashews and raisins to the Payasam . Serve chilled.
Chakka Tortellini.
For the Dough,
1 cup all purpose flour, + additional flour for dusting
¼ cup water
1-2 tsps Sugar.
Chakka varatti, cooled.
Large Pan of boiling water, or Oil for frying.
Using a spoon and oiled palms, apportion marble sized pieces of the Varatti. Set aside
Dissolve the Sugar in the Water. Knead the flour stiff dough using the Sugar water.
Divide dough into 6 balls, Dust the rolling surface with flour and roll into a thin sheet. Using a biscuit cutter, cut out 2” circles.
Place a ball of the varatti on each circle,
fold over as shown (make sure you squeeze out any air)
to make the tortellini.
If you choose to boil the tortellini, heat water to boiling point, gently place the tortellini in the water and cook till they float up. Remove & Set aside
If deep frying, heat oil & fry till golden brown. The sugar in the dough helps caramelize the pasta.
To Serve
Place 4-6 tortellini in a serving dish alongside a small bowl of chilled vella payasam. And serve with a pair of chopsticks for dipping.
Alternatively, place the tortellini in a shallow bowl and pour Payasam over (This works especially for the deep fried version).
Avialtouille
Recall the scene from Disney Pixars movie ‘Ratatouille’. The one where Remy the rat prepares the ultimate Provencal peasant comfort food ratatouille, The sauce layer at the bottom of the pan with uniformly sliced veggies layered over & baked to perfection.. The expression on Anton Ego’s caricatured face sums up the ecstasy that many of us have felt when biting into that particular comfort food that we all grew up with.
For many of us, Avial is one such food. At its dismissive best, the term ‘Avial’ implies a hodge-podge of various veggies cooked together & bound by a coconut gravy. & yet it was the vegetable of choice for many a South Indian mother for any special occasion.
The uniqueness of Avial lies in its elegant simplicity. Cumin & Green chillies bound together with coconut & possibly a dash of soured buttermilk. That’s it! It leaves you free to add whatever combination of vegetables you prefer.
This variation of Avial has been baked casserole style rather than cooking the individual vegetables separately and then adding the paste as in done the traditional way.
For the paste, you need:
1/2-2/3 can of Coconut milk
1 tbsp grated coconut
1-2 tbsp Jeera,
2-3 Green chillies to taste
1 sprig fresh curry leaves
a pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste
Coconut oil to taste
Coriander for Garnish
Combine all these ingredients in a blender & grind into a smooth paste. Set aside.
Vegetables:
Pick any 3-5 vegetables of your choice from the list given below :
Potato
Raw banana
zucchini
carrots
Parsnip
Japanese eggplant
beetroot (Yellow ones preferred unless you want a deep crimson colored dish!)
Sweet potato,
Arbi/Taro
Bell pepper
Patty pan Squash
Mangetout peas
Slice vegetables into uniform discs preferably using a mandoline
In a an oven proof dish (brushed well with coconut oil) , Place a layer of potato over the bottom.
spoon a layer of the coconut masala.
Arrange vegetables over the masala as shown below,
Continue alternating layers of masala & vegetables as per your preference,
finishing with a layer of vegetables. Drizzle over the top with coconut oil if desired.
(Remember the ol’ mommy rules, the starchy & crisp vegetables are cooked for a longer time compared to the pumpkin/squash veggies, That rule still applies here, try to layer the crisp starchy veggies in the bottom & middle, & finish off with the zucchinis which cook faster)
Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and prick holes for steam to escape.
Bake in a 350 C oven until vegetables are cooked. (~ 20-25 min)
Cut and serve over plain rice or rice noodles or simply by itself as a gratin bake!.
Bon appetit!
Gajar (Carrot) Halwa Blondie (or redhead?) bars
With the approach of Fall, the temptation to nosh on something warm, chunky & satisfying is overwhelming! (for those of you Down Under, One last chance to indulge before the warm weather sets in!)
Winter in New Delhi means usually heralds the advent of warm comfort foods like Jalebi, Coal grilled sweet potatoes & decadent Gajar Halwa, none of which may be defined as soft & melt in your mouth, These are foods to be masticated well to extract every bit of flavor before they go down the hatch. Over on the other side of the Suez canal & the atlantic, I associate fall in NYC with warm chestnuts & those amazing honey roasted nuts that are sold in almost every street corner & decadent hot chocolate from Godiva!.
The flip side of Gajar halwa is that it isnt something that you multitask with, No leisurely stroll with a cuppa joe in one hand & a sticky brownie like treat in the other while window shopping!
This weeks offering combines the satiating feel of warm Gajar halwa with the portability of a white chocolate macadamia Blondie.
its astonishingly simple to make.
You need:
2 cups shredded carrots
1 can condensed milk
1/2 cup of evaporated milk or regular whole milk (if necessary)
5 tbsp sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
3 level tsp double acting baking powder (NOT baking soda)
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter melted.
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup almond slivers for garnishing
5-7 pods cardamom crushed
1/2 nutmeg powdered
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Sieve together the flour & baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Combine shredded carrots, condensed milk, sugar and raisins in an oven proof bowl. (rinse out the condensed milk sticking to the sides of the can with the evaporated milk and add to the carrots)
Mix well & microwave for 5-8 minutes till the carrots are soft & have lost their raw taste. Add melted butter and ground spices & combine well. ( I prefer to add the spices after the carrots are cooked to ensure that the essential oils in the spices do not dissipate)
Line a baking sheet with Aluminum foil & grease completely with butter.
Pour the carrot mixture into the centre of the mixing bowl containing the flour. Fold in gently from the sides towards the centre.
Take care not to over mix as this can cause the gluten to bind together, resulting in a tough & leathery texture.
Spread evenly onto baking tray and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Bake for ~ 20-25 minutes till the top is golden brown.
Allow to cool, cut into squares & serve. These bars freeze well & will keep for upto a month in the freezer.
Lollipop Lollipop… OOH Quinoa Quinoa pops!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KaE3q3FYZI%EF%BB%BF
Don’t you just HATE it when you wake up in the morning & have a tune singing, Nay, NAGGING inside your head?
Its been a mixed week in terms of kitchen capers, An extended lethargy, thanks to a wonderful week off with family, combined by a jumble of ideas that I needed to untangle inside my head before making anything, leave alone posting!.
During a never ending session of ‘clearing out my cupboards’, I came across an sealed, unopened box of Quinoa ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa ) prescribed as a rice substitute when I had Gestational Diabetes… (a clue to how long this had been sitting … My kid is WAAY over a year old!).
Since Quinoa was touted as a cereal with the highest proportion of protein, I decided to add it to Dosa batter: Result: Delicious with a slight floral note that I couldnt quite place…
Step 2, got a bit bolder, decided to make a pesarattu batter using equal amounts of Quinoa & moong:
BAM!! The flavor notes brought in by the quinoa was quite unlike what one associates with a traditional south indian pancake; Nutty, reminiscent of Molasses (gud), & Sesame (which works very well when using the oil to make the pancakes!).
For the Batter:
1/2 cup Quinoa
1/2 cup moong dal
Salt to taste,
Asafetida (optional)
finely minced green chillies (optional)
Soak the Quinoa & Moong dal for about 3-4 hours till they plump up, Grind until you get a smooth batter, adding the optional ingredients if desired. Add salt and mix well. leave to ferment & rise overnight in a warm place.
Potato Filling:
2 large baking potatoes boiled, peeled & mashed
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
1 green chilli finely chopped
a pinch of asafetida
a pinch of turmeric
water as needed,
1 sprig Curry leaves torn to bits.
For the tempering:
1/2 tsp each mustard, urad dal & channa dal
1 tsp oil
To prepare:
In a skillet, heat oil till smoking, add the ingredients for tempering. Stir till the mustard seeds pop & the dal have turned a golden brown. add ginger, chillies & curry leaves & stir. Add the mashed potatoes & turmeric & combine well. Use a potato masher to remove any potato lumps using water if required. combine till cooked & remove from stove. Set aside to cool.
In a hot griddle, add a tsp of sesame oil & spread with a kitchen towel. Add a ladle of the quinoa batter and spread thin like a crepe. drizzle sesame oil & cover with a lid till the top surface cooks & the underside of the crepe turns a golden brown. Spread the potato mixture evenly on the crepe and roll tightly like a swiss roll. Rremove from griddle & set aside.
To serve as an hors d’oevre, place toothpicks over the outer edge of the rolled crepe at 1/2 inch intervals. Using a serrated knife cut into discs & serve with a chutney of your choice. (Styling inspired from a food network episode featuring Chef Jose Andres from Bazaar restaurant, LA…I think!!)
This makes a great dish for diabetics who may be watching their rice intake without overtly making it evident that it is a substitute!.
Bon appetit!
Panfusine 