Forbidden Black Rice with Ginger and Coconut

January 16, 2013 2 Comments

Ironically enough, it is really when the weekend hits I am left with no doubts that the vacation is indeed over. For all its wonderful moments, the vacation left me with a bug that I am still recovering from leaving me mostly equipped for dealing with the ongoing this too barely.  So, the kitchen has been mostly relegated to anyone who chooses to cook in it through the week.

On Friday, however to shake myself out of the blues I went food shopping and came back with a bag of black rice among the essentials. I realize that this may sound strange, but it is in trying new ingredients that I feel happy and winter leaves a lot of room for all of this since the garden and its bounty does not keep me on my toes. 

Playing with colored rice is not typical in my kitchen, sure I do the occasional brown rice thing, I tend to prefer Quinoa to brown rice and for most practical purposes, the white snowy grains of Basmati is what makes the starch engine in our household run. An aged grain, it does work as a complex carbohydrate, but today is not about white basmati but about the shiny black grains of rice that I picked up.

It turns out Black rice is naturally black and of course an unpolished grain. I first cooked it up and we enjoyed it plain, it works nicely with curried slightly nutty and complex. 

Interestingly enough, a couple of days of the weekend Mommy shuttle, I was back to feeling low. I have been indulging in a little bit of extra sleep since Sunday and it has actually been great.  There are lots of good food thoughts, I want to share with you and lots of dishes that I want to cook, but, I will do it all once I feel stronger.  I have so far started the year on low key note in terms of food changes. I must be learning, my resolve for January and the rest of the months is to be very fastidious about getting in my five servings of fruits or vegetables a day and the past two weeks, I have been succeeding. Simple and attainable goal!

I did sneak in something simple but surprisingly flavorful with the black rice and that is what I will share with you today. I added a touch of ginger, hint of coconut and finished it off with lime. This dish was very simple and complimented the naturally sweet carrot stir-fry that I made with it perfectly. 

The grain cooks up slightly sticky and changes to a very deep and pretty shade of purple, so the rice is also called forbidden rice or purple rice.

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Forbidden Rice with Ginger and Coconut

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

A simple and flavorful preparation with black or forbidden rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup of black or forbidden rice
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1/2 fresh lime or lemon

Instructions

  1. Heat the coconut oil on medium heat until the oil is nice and hot.
  2. Add in the ginger and saute lightly until fragrant.
  3. Add in the salt and the rice and stir well.
  4. Add in the water and bring to a simmer and cover and cook the rice for 40 minutes on medium low heat.
  5. The water should evaporate and the rice should be soft at this point.
  6. Let the rice rest for 5 minutes, remove the cover, fluff the rice, squeeze in the lime and serve.
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Forbidden Rice with Ginger and Coconut

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

A simple and flavorful preparation with black or forbidden rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup of black or forbidden rice
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1/2 fresh lime or lemon

Instructions

  1. Heat the coconut oil on medium heat until the oil is nice and hot.
  2. Add in the ginger and saute lightly until fragrant.
  3. Add in the salt and the rice and stir well.
  4. Add in the water and bring to a simmer and cover and cook the rice for 40 minutes on medium low heat.
  5. The water should evaporate and the rice should be soft at this point.
  6. Let the rice rest for 5 minutes, remove the cover, fluff the rice, squeeze in the lime and serve.
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Filed Under Grains and Lentils, Uncategorized Tagged With Black Rice, Coconut, Ginger, Gluten Free, Lime, Rice, Vegan

Tangy Lentils tempered with Curry Leaves and Red Chilies

January 5, 2013 4 Comments

 

If you are expecting the first post of the year to be reflective, this one probably will not disappoint terribly.  These lentils were one of the last meals that I had made for all of us. Simple, nourishing and full of the citrusy fragrance of curry leaves.

I did not think that I would post before I reached back to the US, on the 7th, but I guess I missed the space and was sorting through some pictures when this recipe called my name.

Chances are I would love have a steaming bowl of these lentils waiting for me once I return, but one of the downsides of being the houses resident chef is that nothing really waits for me until it is made.

This trip to India, was interesting for me since I actually did not stop in Kolkata, but rather was in Delhi and spent a lot of time travelling. I will share my travels with you over time as I do, in my own lop-sided way.  Landing at the airport still brought with me the tightening of my chest knowing that there was no Dad waiting in anticipation for my call letting him know that I had arrived. Some glimses of emotion will not go away.

  I did not really explore much of the food scene in Delhi, but did make stops at Nirula’s where I loved their ice-cream sunday and savored their chole bhatura but was rather disappointed by their chili chicken. Not surprisingly, Indo-Chinese remains a Kolkata speciality.

A meal at Sarawana Bhavan, left me almost returning for more the next day. Those flavors rocked in their finish and clean and pure simplicity. The kids loved their dosa so much they actually had one and a half each. I enjoyed my Thali, cannot help wondering why all restaurants do not have a thali concept. For those unfamiliar with a thali, it is the India version of a plated meal where all the course are served together in small bowls on a large plate called the Thali. I did some stops at Old Delhi, this one I will cover at a later point.

Now, that I have stimulated your senses do I really expect you to get excited about a simple dal recipe, actually I do. Lentils on the Indian table have a hallowed presence. They are both the simplest and the the deepest of meals, soulful and comforting. This recipe has notes of South India, in their simple flavors. It gets done almost effortlessly in the pressure cooker. This version is made with Tuvar Dal or Pigeon Pea lentils, also known as Arhar Dal.

 

 

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Tangy Lentils tempered with Curry Leaves and Red Chilies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

A tangy creations with lentils, tomatoes and a simple South Indian style tempering.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups water
  • 1 medium sized onion, finely diced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger paste
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/3 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
  • Salt to taste
    • To temper and finish
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1/8 teaspoon asafetida
  • 10-12 curry leaves
  • 2 to 3 dried red chilies broken
  • 1 lemon or lime
  • Cilantro to garnish

Instructions

  1. Place the lentils in a pressure cooker, with the water, onion and ginger paste.
  2. Add in the tomatoes, turmeric, red cayenne pepper and salt and stir and cover and cook until pressure for 15 minutes.
  3. Cool and remove the cover and mix the lentils well.
  4. Heat the oil in a small pan for a couple of minutes.
  5. Add in the black mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle. Add in the asafetida followed by the curry leaves and dried red chilies and cook for a few seconds.
  6. Pour the oil into the lentils and mix well.
  7. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add some chopped cilantro.
  8. Serve with steamed rice.
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Filed Under Grains and Lentils, Regional Indian, Uncategorized Tagged With Dal, Gluten Free, lemon, Lentils, Pigeon Pea Lentils, Tuvar Dal, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter

Alu Posto – Bengali Potatoes in a Poppy Seed Paste

December 12, 2012 Leave a Comment

As I write to share this recipe for Alu Posto or Potatoes in a Poppy Seed Paste, which I think is perfect for the cold weather I remember and think of someone in gratitude. 

The recipe for Alu Posto or Potatoes in a Poppy Seed paste, is a fairly classic Bengali recipe and something that most of its fans like to savor anytime of the year. The soft and comforting flavors are certainly delightful during the winter months, but since poppy seeds are supposed to have cooling properties the dish is also appreciated during summer.

As I write more about this recipe, I will tell you that I am offering a variation on the recipe in my book, to make it sans onions, partly because my mother will tell you that this is right way to make and also because I want to offer Ammini a version that she can make well in her kitchen, and while I am at it this version will actually work well for my mother-in-law who also eats her vegetarian food without any onions. This variation is pretty simple, eliminate the onions and add in a pinch of asafetida with the panch phoron, this will actually also save you about five minutes since you do not have to wait for the onions to wilt and turn softly golden.

When my book project was wrapped up my editor sent the book to their group of people to comment on it, this was anonymous to me so not necessarily something that was very prominent on my radar skin. I wanted some people, whose work I liked and who were advocates of regional Indian cooking in their own right, so I wanted to reach out to them. I did this with nervous trepidation, after all, what if they did not like my work, what if they did not respond, this was not anonymous.

One of them was Ammini, and I loved her website that showcased such insightful and deep cultural insights about her home state of Kerela, located in lush and beautiful coastal South India. Ammini was so gracious and reassured me with her kind words about the books. Her feedback was the first external feedback that I received on the book and went a long way in making me feel at least the book would be palatable to some.

In one of her exchanges with me she shared her nostalgia about this recipe, this is what she told me,

“When I first came to the US many years ago it was hard to find most Indian ingredients. As graduate students my husband and I shared a small house with a Bengali couple. We lived downstairs and they were upstairs. When the fragrance of poppy seed masala wafted downstairs, practically every week, I knew Gowri Mukhopadhyay was cooking that delicious potato dish. Soon she would knock on my door with bowl of her potatoes. In Rhode Island, potatoes were easy to find and she had brought a good stock of poppy seeds with her, so it was a staple in her house.” 

So, I think of Ammini and many others as I share with you this simple recipe that we Bengalis call comfort food.  I have also included a video demo, which might have some technical glitches, but something that my husband is learning to work on.

 

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Alu Posto – Potatoes in a Poppy Seed Paste

Ingredients

  • 3 or 4 russet potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons mustard oil
  • ½ teaspoon panch phoron
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 or 3 green chilies, slit
  • 1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ cup poppy seed paste (poppy seeds soaked overnight and ground to a paste)

Instructions

  1. Place the potatoes in a pot with water to cover and boil for about 6 to 7 minutes (the potatoes should be parboiled but not completely cooked through).
  2. Cool the potatoes, peel them, and cut into wedges and set aside.
  3. Heat the mustard oil in a wok or skillet on medium heat for about 1 minute and add the panch phoron and wait until it crackles.
  4. Add the onion and sauté lightly for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
  5. Add the green chilies and cumin-coriander powder.
  6. Add the salt and the potato wedges and mix well.
  7. Cook, stirring well, until the potatoes are coated with the spices and
  8. begin to turn golden.
  9. Add the sugar, poppy seed paste, and ½ cup water and cook until the mixture is fairly dry (the moisture should dry out leaving a soft coating of the poppy seed paste over the potatoes).
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Filed Under Bengali, Bengali Five Spice, Uncategorized Tagged With Alu Posto, Ammini Ramachandran, Bengali, Bengali Five Spice, Gluten Free, Poppy Seed Paste, Posto, Potatoes, Potatoes in a Poppy Seed Paste, The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles, Vegan, Vegetarian Main Dishes, Winter

Shorshe Bata – Bengali Fresh Mustard Paste

December 10, 2012 Leave a Comment

 I have featured mustard in my spice series, but lately I have gotten some questions about this basic spice base and there are enough recipes, on this site that use this particular fresh spice mixture for me to actually go ahead a do a small pictorial really on how this mixture is made.

Black mustard seed paste or shorshe bata is a fairly essential ingredient in Bengali cooking but it is used in other variations in other regional cusines across India. When ground with garlic, you get the Besara, which is essential a staple in the culinary landscape of Orissa – also an eastern Indian state.

In eastern India, this seasoning is most notoriously used for fresh fish, but there are also some wonderful vegetarian dishes that work with this sharp and creamy spice mix. Mustard pastes are used in the cooking of Andhra Pradesh and not surprisingly here it is mellowed with coconut such as in this recipe here.

 Once you get used to it, like me you will be using this for almost anything that you can thing you. I add touches of it mixed in mayonaise for a zippy ham and cheese sandwich.

Hey, we do that with mint chutney too! So why not mustard? The one word of advise before I move on this mixture does get stronger with keeping, so you can keep the soaked seeds in the refridgerator for a while but the paste will intensify in sharpness beyond a desirable degree after a few days.

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Filed Under Masala 101, Mustard, Uncategorized Tagged With Basic Spices, Bengali, Bengali Mustard Paste, Gluten Free, Green Chilies, Indian Cooking, Masala, Mustard Paste, Shorshe Bata, Vegan

Rice and Curry and Carrots?

November 28, 2012 1 Comment

 

  I have been guilty of something! I have found yet another great cookbook and I have kept this news all to myself. 

Well, today Ihave decided to come out and confess, before you find out and tell me that I do not share. In fact, I have been cooking a lot of seasonal carrots and the excellent Carrot curry recipe in this book, tipped the balance and promted me to finally begin talking about the book.

I got a copy of Rice and Curry over this summer. Rice and Curry, is a wonderful book on the cuisine of Sri Lanka, written by fellow Hippocrene author Skiz Fernando. 

The lovely island nation of Sri Lanka has been on my list of places to visit, but it is unlikely that I shall be visiting the island anytime soon. At this time this book is the closest that I can get to experience and taste this lush tropical island. However, this book with its detailed introduction that offer you a good visual and cultural orientation to the island.

I met Skiz at the IACP blog and book fair in NYC earlier this year and loved the way he talked about his book and knew that I would definitely enjoy reading it.

It has been an integral part of my kitchen since I got it. The book is written in thoughtful prose, that is vivid without being overly sentimental. It interjects a picture of Skiz’s family thereby bringing to life the life in Sri lanka as well as family annecdotes that are narrated with a sense of humor. The cuisine is close enough to Indian cooking, for me not to have to add several additional spices to my already overflowing spice shelves, however there is enough differences for me to add diversity to out dining repetoire.

  The nicely illustrated pages show you spices, colorful scenaries and offer a personal perspective to Skiz’s take on Sri Lankan cuisine. He attributes recipes to family members, I found the story of their 80 something family maid Leela who had been with the family for over 32 years, beautifully presented and  very touching. I have marked Leela’s Chillaw Curry as something to try out sooner rather than later. 

I have tried a few of these recipes and they all work well, over time you shall see these featured on this blog.

Skiz, emphasizes the essence of the cuisine in the form of two curry powders, a lighter raw curry powder and a stronger roasted curry powder. The is an extensive use of coconut in the cuisine of the island to use up the the fruit of the coconut tree that grows in prolific abandon all around the island. Since, the cuisine is generous in its use of cayenne pepper powder the coconut offers a good balance of depth and richness to balance the heat.

This post shares, the raw curry powder recipe as well as the carrot curry recipe that I have been making a lot, recently. Yes, you guessed it, there are still a lot of carrots that we dig up as we need them from the garden. The raw curry powder, being a lighter blend has been used in this recipe.

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Sri Lankan Raw Curry Powder

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 3 tablespoons cumin seeds
  • 11/ tablespoons fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Instructions

  1. Grind all the ingredients in a coffee blender and store in a glass jar in the fridge.

Notes

Recipe Source: Rice and Curry, S.H. Fernando Jr. Pg 41 Hippocrene Books, Inc 2012

BTW, this blend can be bought pre-made by Skiz from www.foodoro.com

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Carrot Curry - Karat Kirata

Ingredients

  • 1 pound carrots
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 onion, chopped (I used a medium sized red onion)
  • 2 to 3 green chilies chopped
  • 1 sprig of curry leaves
  • 1 tablespoon of raw curry powder (see recipe)
  • 1 dried red chili chopped (I actually omitted this)
  • 1 teaspoon Maldive fish ( 1 used 1 tablespoon of fish sauce)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (1 left this out)
  • 1 cup coconut milk (1 used 1/2 cup for a drier consistency)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. 1. Wash peel and chop the carrots (he recommends doing this in 1 inch long strips)
  2. 2. Heat oil in pan, saute the onions, chilies, and curry leaves until the onions are transluscent.
  3. 3. Add carrots, curry powder, maldive fish (see my substitution), fenugreek seeds and toss for a few minutes.
  4. 4. Add in the coconut milk and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Notes

Recipe Source: Rice and Curry, S.H. Fernando Hippocrene Books, 2012

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Filed Under Local and Backyard Cooking, Uncategorized Tagged With Carrot Curry, Fall, Gluten Free, Hippocrene, Rice and Curry, Skiz Fernando, Sri Lankan Cuisine, Sri Lankan Raw Curry Powder, Vegan, Vegetarian Main Dishes

Summer Intertia – Eggplant and Purslane Pilaf

October 6, 2012 Leave a Comment

This time of year, I move into Fall, with anticipation and joy at the colorful translation of the landscapes. It is also the time of the year, when I do not want to lose sight of some of the good summer recipes that I did not have time to share with you. So, here is my Eggplant rice with Purslane. It is an adaptation of the classic Vangi Bhaat or South Indian style Eggplant Pilaf. The outside is slowing down, but we still get a steady supply of greens and enough lone vegetables to keep us going.

This week seems to have been all about the book, even though I had promised myself when the time came I would not lose focus. I guess, the book is much like a new baby that steals the show from everything else in the house. I remember how unprepared I was for the older one, anxious, nervous and hard on myself. My son Aadi, though more of a handful, had been easier just because I was more prepared and also more willing to be easier on myself.  Being a good learner most of the time, I have realized that the it is ok not to be perfect and also learnt to forgive myself for mistakes as a mom.

This has helped me make peace with the fact that I will not be great at promoting the book baby. This being said, it will be special to me.

Now, back to cooking, this time of the year I often have several residual summer dishes, that I have to decide whether to blog and share for posterity or just forget and let them meander into nothingness, this fresh and lively pilaf, a riff on the classic version called Vangi Bhat, was certainly worth bringing out and saving for next summer when both the eggplants and purslane will grow.

Purslane, grows on its own terms a colorful and nutritious weed. I was exceedingly surprised when I realized that it is quite popular in Southern India, and aparently was also liked and eaten by Gandhi. The taste of this plant varies with the time of the day, it is eaten and usually tends to be tarter in the mornings and more mellow and almost sweet in the evenings.

So, it was a happy and colorful marriage, when I paired it with eggplant and peanuts in this colorful rice dish. Given how much we all liked it, chances are this will be a long lasting late summer marriage. In that, we shall see the duo and welcome them again, next summer.

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Summer Intertia – Eggplant and Purslane Pilaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6

A brightly colored light and nutritious one dish meal.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup raw shelled peanut
  • 2 tablespoons oil (olive or mustard)
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 11/2 teaspoons ginger paste
  • 2 dried red chilies
  • 1 medium sized eggplant, diced
  • 1 cup of basmati rice, washed throughly
  • 2 cups of water
  • 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped purslane

Instructions

  1. 1. In a skillet, dry roast the peanuts until they are a few shades darker and are fragrant, this will take about 5 minutes, and needs to be watched and shaken while cooking.
  2. 2. Set the peanuts aside.
  3. 3. In a cooking pot add the oil and heat on medium heat for about 45 seconds.
  4. 4. Add in the black mustard seeds and wait unitl the mustard seeds begin to pop.
  5. 5. Add in the red onion and the red chilies and stir well and saute for about 4 minutes until the onion melts and is transluscent.
  6. 6. Add in the eggplant and stir well. Cover and lower the heat and let the eggplant cook for about 4 minutes, it should be somewhat tender at this point.
  7. 6. Add in the rice and the water and mix well.
  8. 7. Add in the turmeric and the salt and when the water is simmering, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
  9. 8. Remove the cover, at this point the water should be almost absorbed and the rice fluffy and yellow.
  10. 9. Stir in the purslane and the peanuts and mix with the light hand.
  11. 10. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes and turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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Filed Under Ginger, Grains and Lentils, Local and Backyard Cooking, Turmeric, Uncategorized Tagged With Eggplant, Mustard Seeds, One Dish meal, peanuts, Purslane, Rice, Summer, Vangi Bhaat, Vegan

Stir Fried Beetroot with Ginger, Lime and Toasted Spices – Beetroot Sabji

September 22, 2012 Leave a Comment

 Beetroots and Carrots grace our backyard almost all the year round. Since, they stay under the soil, we have them through early winter too. My usual treatment with beetroots has been to roast them, and then enjoy them usually in a salad.

One of the main reasons I have not thought of cooking them, the way I would most other vegetables is really based on a predisposed idea that I have where I am convinced that beetroots are hard and take a long time to cook. This year, mostly, inspired by several of my friends from Southern India, I took the plunge of inviting this vegetable into the mainstream.

Well, one of the things that I did find, as with other vegetables, fresh dug from the soil beetroots are different from some of their other counterparts that I have found in the stores. They tend to slice and chop up easy. I have also learnt to love and enjoy  the many colors of this vegetable. They offer a beautiful contrast of reds.

I of course, love them in stews, which actually I have been using for a long time, so stet that first sentence where I tell you I do not cook them without roasting them. I do not cook them solo, without roasting them.

What I did with them as usual, is very simple, befitting the rush and run Saturday routine. Yes, we are back to school, with a gusto! I am grateful that the kids love their soccer coaches. Aadi is enthusiastic about going to games for reasons other than just meeting his friend Brian. I am also accepting of the fact, that all of this means a very packed fall. The pace at Anshul’s work has been rather hectic, he has been good about mandated Daddy duties but pretty much left all husband niceties on the table, since outside of the kids weekday routine, he has to catch up with work. So we have not had as much family time as I would like the past couple of weekends.

If your life sounds like it could use a quick fix dish, for any reason or just because, you might want to give this colorful, antioxidant rich stir fry a try.

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Stir Fried Beetroot with Ginger, Lime and Toasted Spices – Beetroot Sabji

Ingredients

  • 6 medium sized fresh beetroots (if your beetroots are larger you can use 4)
  • 3 tablespoons walnut or olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 shallot, very finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
  • 1 lime
  • 11/2 teaspoons finely minced cilantro

Instructions

  1. Peel and cut the beetroot into sticks about 2 inches by 1/2 cm.
  2. Heat the oil on medium low heat for about 1 minute and add in the mustard and cumin seeds.
  3. When the mustard seed, begins to crackle add in the shallot and ginger paste and cook for about 4 minutes until the shallots are soft and wilted and the ginger is fragrant.
  4. Add in the chopped beets and the chili powder and sesame seeds and mix well.
  5. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes on medium low heat, until the beets are tender crisp.
  6. Cut the lime and squeeze in the juice and stir in the cilantro and mix well.
  7. Serve as a side to any meal of your choice.
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Filed Under Cilantro, Local and Backyard Cooking, Mustard, Regional Indian, Uncategorized, Weeknight Cooking Tagged With Beetroots, Fall, Ginger, Indian, Lime, Sesame Seeds, Stir fries, Vegan, Vegetarian

TGIF – Masala Mushroom Bhuna

August 25, 2012 2 Comments

If you are are looking for a friday night dish that tastes like it was cooked on a slow, relaxed sunday with loads of attention and affection, I think that you will agree my Masala Mushroom Bhuna, or flash cooked spicy mushrooms might do the trick. The term Bhuna is a reference of slow sauteeing of the spice base or masala, until it reaches a well balanced carmelized perfection. All of these conjure images of long well attended cooking, these mushrooms evoke and bring to your table all of these, except that they are cooked in a relatively short period of time.

Technically, today marks the begining of my short summer vacation. I have to confess, it has been a well earned one. I have worked extremely hard the past couple of months at work, on the book and at home (since the husband fell sick). I have not even had time to think through the visit to Yellowstone, but the kids are happy and excited.

I wrapped up most things at work with the exception of getting my out of office mail organized and came home. Made a last ditch trip to pick up a few essentials and then had to fix dinner. Friday night dinners for me are rather tricky. I am usually rather tired and ready to wrap up the week and recharge for the weekend. I have usually done away with going out on Friday’s, but then the husband usually expects something weekend like (I know, the man is spoilt and does not know it).

Ever so often however you get lucky with your kitchen exploits. What makes this dish special are the full flavored summer tomatoes, that have been cheering me with their beautiful, brightly colored beauty and filling the table with with their vivids hues. On the other hand, yes, the tomatoes help, but what really seals this dish is the fact that it is a dish that is a friday kind of dish in terms of cooking time and efforts but almost convinces you that it is a Sunday afternoon kind of flavor.

The dish is quick cooked with constant stirring (I know, constant does not sound easy, but only for aboout 15 minutes) and tastes like it has been cooked to slow perfection for hours. The general technique here is what we in Bengali call kasha and in Bangladesh or North India bhuna, or cooking without water, and it essentially yields a slow cooked rich tasting gravy. The catch here is that, since I am doing this with mushrooms, I do not actually have to wait till the dish cooks down or until the meat is down to a super tender consistency, but it still offers a nice and satisfying taste. Just the kind that you would expect from a Sunday kind of dish.

As I run through the rest of the refridgerator cleaning ritual that is typical, I am sure I shall cook up more fun. I shall brace myself before I can get ready for another season of rehersals, dance and soccer practice routines and a full and bright flavored welcome to my favorite season – Fall.

On to the recipe,

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TGIF – Masala Mushroom Bhuna

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 large red onion, peeled
  • 3 pods garlic
  • 1 inch piece of peeled ginger
  • 2 fresh green chilies
  • 4 tablespoons oil
  • ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder
  • 3 cups of cremeni (baby bella) mushrooms, halved
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 11/2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Quarter the onion, place in a food processor with the garlic, ginger and green chilies.
  2. Process until finely chopped.
  3. Heat the oil on medium heat for 1 minute.
  4. Add in the cumin seeds and wait until they begin to sizzle, this will take a few seconds.
  5. Add in the onion mixture and began cooking on high heat, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. At this point, the onion should turn dry and begin to turn translucent.
  6. Add in the tomatoes and cook on high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.
  7. Add in the cumin coriander powder and cook for another one or two minutes.
  8. Add in the mushrooms, salt and the sugar and continue cooking the mixture, stirring frequently until the mixture forms a thick fairly dry sauce that coats the mushrooms. This should take another five minutes.
  9. Stir in the cilantro and serve.
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Filed Under Uncategorized, Weeknight Cooking Tagged With Bhuna, Indian, Mushrooms, Slow Cooked, Summer, tomatoes, Vegan

Spicy Sunday – Ginger and Garlic Paste

August 19, 2012 Leave a Comment

Making a ginger and garlic paste is about cooking rituals, at least for me. It is a kitchen staple and essential and I cannot imagine buying jarred ginger and garlic paste.

The last week and a half the husband had been sick,  joined for a brief period by the daughter. So, I am glad that this weekend, they are all fixed. We had a food filled day and I am so glad to be able to cook and feed real food to the family. I guess, much as I love cook, it tends to be meaningless if there are no happy healthy people around to feed.

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Filed Under Ginger and Garlic Paste, Masala 101, Uncategorized Tagged With Basic Spice Mixes, Ginger-garlic Paste, Spicy Sunday, Vegan, Vegetarian

Baigan Bharta – Char Roasted Eggplant Puree

August 15, 2012 1 Comment

I am grateful for various reasons that I actually waited until this morning to truly formulate this post. Heading out this morning, taking in a truly beautiful day allowed me to pause for a few moments, breathe and remember what was important. Just as grateful as I am for the heady bounty of summer eggplants and tomatoes. The small expanse of the yard as I walked through was a riot of bright yellows, squash blossoms and these pretty black-eyed Susans that are hardy and a consistent harbinger of summer at its peak. I was initially drawing a blank at the name, I guess, I needed that espresso shot in this morning’s coffee.

BBmed

 

My friend Julianna’s quiet comment to me had been, not easy, I actually could not size it up better. The weekend just had not been easy. There I said it!

Baigan Bhartha

Anshul has been sick for over a week. It also coincided with a deadline for the book. Thank goodness, I never wait until the last minute, usually. It gets a little scarier for me with every step, wonder if this is a weird reaction. In fact, this weekend was so crazy I did not have the energy to open the manuscript. To add to the craziness, Deepta to coincide with the fun has a ear infection and since her doctor feels that she should not have fever with this, she just might have introduced a totally different bug to the household. So much for the rest of August!

To smooth out the weekend, I made a whole bunch of comfort meals, one of them includes this baigan bharta, or fire charred, spicy pureed eggplant. There are no set rules to these recipes, so I vary them from time to time, in summer, I tend to add more tomatoes so the dish tends to be darker in color, however one of my favorites. I actually made a stack of tandoori rotis, to go with these and was quite pleased with the results.

Ironically enough, char roasted eggplants are more of a winter specialty in India, and once upon a time I was ok with cooking them in winter, the problem is that the tender summer eggplants have spoilt me, the seedy eggplants usually found off season in the supermarkets do not cut it. Sorry, A&P, even your loyalty percentage off cannot fix this one. The husband has been also very sad that his garden has been withering, well, unfortunately, I cannot help with that one.

Too exhausted to even try, thank goodness for all these automated sprinklers. We have a fridge full of food, well, anyone who knows me does know that I cook to de-stress. I just wish it burned more than fuel, some calories, maybe?

My dear friend Dawn, has been asking me for this recipe for a while. I will say that like with all dishes such as this one there are several variations. In fact, my own kitchen has at least three. The first two are close cousins, I sometimes add the bell peppers and other times I skip that out.

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Baigan Bharta – Summer Eggplant for the Soul

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4

Char Roasted Pureed Eggplants in a Spicy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sized eggplants
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • ¾ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 tomatoes, blended into a puree
  • 2 green chilies, minced
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons minced cilantro

Instructions

  1. Place the eggplant on an open gas flame on a corner of the grill if you are grilling. If neither of these are options then place the eggplant in a 350 degree oven and bake until soft and then broil until the outer skin is charred. Back to the open flame eggplant, cook until it is soft and the outer skin is completely charred. Set aside to cool.
  2. Heat the oil on medium heat for about 1 minute, and add in the cumin seeds and when they begin to sizzle, add in the red onion and sauté lightly until the onion softens and wilts and finally gently turns pale golden in corners.
  3. Add in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté lightly until the paste is somewhat dry and begins to turn fragrant.
  4. Add in the tomatoes and the chilies and begin to cook this mixture to allow the tomatoes to turn into a thick fairly dry sauce, you should begin to see the oil leaching again from the edges.
  5. While the tomatoes are cooking, peel and discard the charred skin from the eggplant and mash lightly.
  6. Add into the tomato spice mixture and mix well.
  7. Stir in the cilantro and mix well.
  8. Enjoy with your choice of bread or rice.
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Filed Under Ginger and Garlic Paste, Local and Backyard Cooking, Regional Indian Tagged With Baigan Bhartha, cilantro, Eggplant, Summer, tomatoes, Vegan, Vegetarian
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