Rajma

Winter has finally arrived and along with it the need for extra socks and hot, hot comfort food.  Rajma is a red kidney bean curry, that can be served hot with rice or traditional flat breads such as rotis and chapattis. Spelt rotis is a nice alternative and is better for wheat sensitive foodies. The dish is also served with homemade dahi or yogurt. 

You can used canned kidney beans but I prefer soaking my own as the taste and texture is far superior to canned. Presoak one cup of kidney beans and then discard the soaking water. Add them to a pressure cooker with one thumb of ginger root chopped and 1 tbsp of oil. Cook under medium to high pressure for 20 minutes. Set aside.

In a large saucepan fry two yellow onions chopped julienne style. Cook on medium heat until they begin to turn golden brown, then add:
2 heaping tbsp of ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp of cumin seed
2 red chilies
1 heaping tablespoon of Garam Masala 
1-2 tsp salt

Stir until well blended and continue frying until aromas are released and oil begins to separate. Then add: 
1 tbsp of tumeric powder
4 chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp of jaggery or demerara sugar 

Add a some water to produce a thick gravy and continue to simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes. To this add the cooked Rajma in its water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Add chopped fresh coriander and serve hot with Jeera Rice or Rotis.

Aloo Jeera Mung Dal

October blew in today, assertively announcing Summer's final surrender. Time to pull out wooly socks and turtlenecks; masalas and crock pots. Time for spicy stews and dals to stave off Autumn's imminent chill.

Having gained some confidence in cooking Indian fare I decided to combine a few of my favourite dishes to make this hearty and flavourful fusion. Here I have blended a chunky Aloo Jeera (potatoes and cumin) with a highly nutricious Mung Dal to achieve a spicy comfort food the consistency of thick stew. Served with homemade rotis and sliced cucumbers, this delicious blend of north and south Indian flavours is bound to warm the chilliest of bones.

In a three quart pressure cooker add one cup of dried mung dal, 5 cups of water, 1/2 tsp of salt, a dash of oil, and 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste. Set to cook approximately 15 minutes or until the dal is soft to the bite.

In a small pot, peel and dice two medium sized russet potatoes. Set to boil in lightly salted water until medium firm. Don't let the potatoes become mushy or lose their form. Set aside and reserve the cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a fry pan add the following to three tablespoons of cooking oil and set to medium high heat:
1 tbsp of whole jeera (cumin)
1 tbsp of black mustard seed
4 green chilies chopped
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 thumb of ginger root finely sliced
5-10 chopped curry leaves
1 pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Stir until the mustard seeds begin popping and garlic is lightly brown but don't allow the garlic to burn.

Add a tablespoon of haldi (tumeric), 1 cup of frozen green peas and three diced tomatoes. Stir well and allow the flavours to blend over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, water and all and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, while adding 1 tsp of jaggery (or brown sugar), and the juice of one lime. Add the mung dal in water and stir. Add salt to taste and simmer on low until ready to serve. Add fresh cut coriander leaf for garnish if desired.

Serve hot with fresh rotis
http://hautedomestic.blogspot.ca/2011/03/spelt-rotis-chapatis.html

Lamb Biriyani

Tonight I pulled off my first Biriyani. I admit it was a leap of faith to serve this dish to friends without any previous practice, however with a bit of enthusiastic guidance from one of my favourite chefs and online personality Sanjay Thumma of VahRehVah, I felt up for the task. 

The recipe can be found at http://www.vahrehvah.com/Hyderabadi+Mutton+Biryani:456

 Thank you Cara for providing fresh cuts of organic lamb. Other ingredients you will need are.......

Fresh dahi or yogurt raita, cut cucumber, red onion and green chilies sprinkled with Chunky Chat Masala; and various Namkeen

 Fine wine and wit

  
Good Friends

  

Candle light....an elemental ingredient.

and good music

Hakka Style Chili Chicken

Recently my Goan friend, and fellow foodie Neil came out for a visit. He arrived clutching a giant bag of fresh and robust green chilies, which are hard to find in any quantity during the winter and thus; are carefully transported from city to city and kept in the freezer ready for such occasions. Neil is an avid cook and proficient in not only Goan fare, but a variety of regional specialties as well. One of them is Hakka or Indo-Chinese food which can be readily found in Bombay and the surrounding Maharashtrian state. I shared with my good friend how I enjoyed a most deliciously spicy Chili Chicken while I was in India, and longed to taste it again. Without further delay we were off to the supermarket to purchase fresh chicken, green onions and Chinese noodles. The green chilies were ready to be put to good use.

I watched as Neil took command of my kitchen, producing mouthwatering textures and aromas. To the best of my observation, this is what he did:

First; break off dried Chinese noodles into a pot of boiling water, cook, drain and set aside. 

Finely chop an entire clove of garlic, a large thumb of fresh ginger,  4-5 green onions and a handful of fresh coriander leaf (cilantro). Set aside.

Wash and cube two large chicken breasts or 4-5 chicken thighs.

Laterally cut 5 green chilies, (3 if you're a lightweight. We did six and it was pretty hot!)

Here is Neil explaining something to me about the difference between using all-purpose flour versus corn flour or sooji for deep frying. In the case of veg-cutlets I use sooji because it doesn't soak up the oil, however Neil explained that all-purpose flour produces a coating on the chicken that better soaks up the flavours of the gravy.

Neil created a thick batter out of two eggs and flour. Here he is dipping the chicken pieces into

the batter and prefrying them in oil over medium heat. 

  While the chicken pieces are frying, mix approximately two tablespoons of cornstarch in two cups of hot water, add 1/8 cup of soy sauce and mix well.  When chicken is cooked and a good coating has formed on the exterior, place drained pieces into a bowl and set aside.

If needed add additional oil to your pan and fry the ginger and garlic. Do not let it burn. Add the chopped green chilies and saute. As aromas are released, add the chicken pieces and stir well. Slowly add corn starch mixture and stir as it thickens. If it becomes too thick add more water. Stir in chopped green onions, remove from heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaf. This delicious dish can be served on a bed of Chinese noodles, or in our case, stir-fried veg noodles, (which I will post later).   Enjoy!

Rasam Dal

While visiting friends in the South of India, we gained an eager palate for spicy and tangy soups such as Sambhar and Rasam or pepper water. Eaten lavishly with savoury cakes and crepes made from rice called Idlis and Dosas, these delicious preparations not only generate a good sweat to cool you in the Indian heat, they'll warm you in the coldest of Canadian winters too.

In a small pressure cooker (I use a 3.5 litre one), add to 4 cups of water: 

1 cup of toor dal

1 tbsp tumeric powder

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

5 peppercorns

1 tsp salt

3 tomatoes chopped

Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes and turn off.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium fry pan and add the following:

1 tbsp black mustard seed

1 tbsp cumin seed

1 tbsp urad dal

2 dried red chilies

5 peppercorns

Stir until mustard seed begins to pop, then add:

pinch of asafoetida powder

8-10 curry leaves chopped

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

Stir for about 1-2 minutes then add 2 or 3 tomatoes chopped and continue stirring until it becomes a thick paste. Add to this paste the contents of the pressure cooker, 1 tbsp of jaggery (or brown sugar), 1-2 tbsp of imli or tamarind paste, top it up with two more cups of water and add salt to taste. 

For extra spice add 3 tbsp of Rasam Masala available in most Asian food markets.

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander. Best served with Idlis or Dosas (will post soon).

Serves 4-6 

Traditional breakfast with our favourite South Indian

Dizzy Gillespie Quiche

What do you get when you blow two dozen eggs for an Easter art activity????

Dizzy Gillespie cheeks and the main ingredient for quiche. Now you won't need two dozen for this recipe, nor do you need blown eggs, however, should you find yourself with 10-12 eggs and a large baking pan, here's what to do next:

Make a simple whole wheat crust pastry and refrigerate for one hour (see pastry recipe below)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chop two medium yellow onions julienne style and carmelize slowly in butter or cooking oil for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally. While onions are cooking prepare the following:

2 cups of broccoli chopped into 2 cm. chunks

2 cups of fresh mushrooms chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 tbsp of Herbes de Provence
 (or mixed herbs of choice)

2 cups of grated old cheddar cheese

1 cup of plain Balkan style yogurt

Once onions are deep golden brown, add the broccoli, mushrooms garlic and herbs. Saute until slightly tender and the heat releases the aromas of the herbs.

Into a large bowl, beat 10-12 free-range eggs. Add yogurt and continue to beat. Fold onion and vegetable medley into the egg mixture and stir well. Add some ground pepper and salt.

Pour into chilled pie shell and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until it sets firm and slightly browned on the top.

Serve hot with a mixed greens salad. Serves 8-10.

Simple Whole Wheat Pastry

2 cups of whole wheat flour 

2 cups of Atta or unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup of chilled butter or vegetable shortening

1 egg beaten

2 tbsp of rice or white vinegar

salt

1/4 cup of water

Mix water, vinegar and egg together in a measuring cup and let stand. In a generous sized bowl mix the flours and salt. Cut butter or shortening into flour mixture until it becomes like coarse meal. Slowly add egg and water mixture until it begins to form a ball. Press together into a ball but do not knead. Chill for 30 minutes. Once chilled, roll out onto a floured surface until thin enough

to hold its shape. Turn into a large pie or casserole pan and fringe the edges with forefingers and thumbs.

Chana Masala

If you've never tasted chole, otherwise known as chickpeas or garbanzo beans, then you're missing out on a wonderfully exquisite taste and texture experience; not to mention nutritional benefit. Chole is the main ingredient in this quintessential Pakistani and Punjabi dish. Served hot with jeera rice or roti, this sweetly aromatic dish will keep you warm on the chilliest Canadian winter day.

You may use one large can of cooked garbanzo beans, or pre-soak one cup of beans in warm water the night before. I place pre-soaked  beans in a pressure cooker covered by an additional inch of water, one cinnamon stick, salt and a tsp of oil. Pressure cook on high for 10-15 minutes, or until they are medium firmness to soft.

In a separate pan fry two medium yellow onions chopped julienne style. 

Cook on medium heat and be sure not to let them burn. 
To this add: 
two dried red chilies 
1 tbsp of jeera or cumin
two black cardamoms
8 black peppercorns
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
a pinch of hing or asafoetida
Stir occasionally

When onions become transparent add 2 tbsp of ginger garlic paste and continue stirring. 

When onions become browned and soft add:
3 chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp of garam masala
2 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of brown sugar or jaggery

Continue stirring until it becomes a paste. To this add the cooked garbanzo beans and enough water to cover the beans. Simmer covered on medium to low heat for about 20 minutes. Simmer for another 5- 10 minutes without the lid until the mixture thickens. 

Add chopped coriander leaf for garnish and serve hot with jeera rice or roti.

P.S. Thank you Margo for the gorgeous serving plates. I think they go quite well with this dish...don't you??

Aloo Gobi

Aloo Gobi is a dry Indian potato (aloo) and cauliflower (gobi) dish. When visiting the Okanagan Hindu Temple in Summerland, B.C. during the regular Sunday service, the lunches served afterward are often accompanied by this typical Punjabi dish. With a bit of practice and careful observation of my sweet Didis in the temple kitchen, I have learned to make this family favourite with authenticity.

To make Aloo Gobi, you will need the following:

2-3 russet potatoes peeled and cubed

1/2 cauliflower washed and broken into 1 inch pieces.

1 large yellow onion diced

2-3 small green chilies chopped

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp ground and/or whole cumin seed (jeera)

2 tsp black mustard seed

2 tsp tumeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

3-4 fresh tomatoes chopped or 1 small can of whole tomatoes

oil or ghee for frying

1 bunch of coriander leaf (cilantro) chopped

salt to taste

Add oil to a deep pan and begin frying jeera, mustard seed and green chilies. Fry until seeds begin to pop, then add onions. Fry onions until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add ginger garlic paste and stir until well blended. Add tumeric, chili powder and half of coriander leaf. Let fry for about three minutes. Add tomatoes, stirring until it begins to form a paste, frying until paste becomes thick and well blended. Add potatoes, stirring until they become well coated, add a little water, cover and let simmer until potatoes are 60% cooked. Add cauliflower, stirring well and cover once again. Once potatoes and cauliflower are cooked, add salt to taste, remaining coriander and serve.

If you prefer a less spicy dish, omit the red chili powder.

This is a portrait of Shiva that I painted for my friends at the Okanagan Hindu Temple on the occasion of Shivratri in 2009

Sunday Morning Biscuits

There's something to be said for comfort food on a chilly January morning. My mom used to make this deliciously simple baking powder biscuit recipe, often accompanying home cooked soup or spicy chili. Often I will serve these for Sunday brunch with home made jam, fruit salad and coffee. You can make countless variations of this recipe, depending on your preference, simply by adding mixed dried herbs, caraway seeds or parmesan cheese for a savory palate; blueberries or currents for the sweeter tooth.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 cup of atta or whole wheat flour

2 tbsp of baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

5 tablespoons cold butter

3/4 cup milk

In a bowl sift together all the dry ingredients. Add embellishments such as parmesan cheese or dried herbs. Cut in cold butter with a knife and work into the dried ingredients until coarse. Do not overmix.

Add milk and stir with a fork until a ball forms. Turn the resulting dough onto a well floured surface and press flat with fingers or rolling pin. The dough should be approximately 3/4 to 1 inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter or cut to desired shape and size with a butter knife. Lay onto parchment paper and sprinkle tops with a light grating of your favourite cheese. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until risen and lightly browned. 

Serve hot with butter or jam, your favourite blend of coffee and CBC radio 2.

Nina Paley's Effing Delicious Herb Bread

Nina Paley, American cartoonist and gifted, (should I add controversial?) animator; recently posted a recipe for a @*%&ing delicious herb bread. I tried it and being that this is a G rated blog, it WAS effing delicious! With Nina's permission I am posting her recipe exactly as she did.

2.5 cups warm water
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 package dry yeast
1/4 c olive oil
2 c bread flour
2 c whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup Trader Joe's "21 Seasonings Salute" herb mix 
(I used Victorian Epicure's Sundried Tomato and Herb Dip Mix)

 
dissolve sugar in water, add yeast and oil, let sit 5-10 minutes. Mix herbs, salt, and 1-2 c flour; add to yeast water. Stir, keep adding flour until you have to knead it. Knead, knead, add more flour, etc. Let rise in oiled bowl covered w/ damp cloth for 2 hours, while you buy some amazing Assyrian art books Strand Bookstore and pick up your Brompton from Bfold. Knead again, roll into oblong, place on parchment paper on baking pan, let rise 45 minutes to an hour. Brush top with water, slash some diagonals on top, shake on more herb mix and sesame seeds. Bake 30-40 minutes in upstairs neighbor's preheated 350-degree oven, which is much better than yours because he just remodeled his kitchen, whereas your oven is decades old and burns everything, until golden/done.

Awesome bread rising....(I added 1/2 cup of flax seed to the above recipe)

Braided loaf rising by the warmth of the oven light

For more awesomeness from Nina....visit her blog at http://blog.ninapaley.com/

Also be sure to catch her animated film Sita Sings the Blues, adapted from the Ramayana

http://sitasingstheblues.com/

Thanks Nina!!

Nuttin' Honey Granola

Want to add a wholesome twist to your morning routine? How about some sweet and crunchy granola complete with all your favourite trimmings? I have never enjoyed cereal and find commercial granola to be too sweet and expensive. Plus, this recipe can be easily customized depending upon preferences and ingredients on hand.  Today I made two batches; Apple Cinnamon and Almonds, and Maple Walnut and Blueberry.
 

Basic recipe:

1/2 cup of un-homogenized, local, organic honey

1/2 cup of grapeseed or walnut oil

1 1/2 cups of whole rolled oats
1 1/2 cups of kamut flakes

3 cups of chopped, mix of raw seeds, nuts, grains and/or dried fruits

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.  Mix oil and honey and warm slightly.  Pour over dry ingredients, mix well then bake at 250  degrees for approximately 3/4 - 1 an hour – until your ingredients are starting to look toasted.  Stir about every15 minutes. Cook for less time for chunkier granola, and longer for a drier blend. Do not overcook. Be sure to add pre-dried fruits in the last 15 minutes so it doesn't become too dried.

Store in clean glass jars and use within a month to ensure freshness.