I am fast acquiring a chutney habit. Chutney is a thin or thick sauce of fruit or vegetables, mild or spicy, sweet or savory, cooked or raw, that is eaten in the morning or afternoon or evening. That seems perfectly clear doesn't it? Chutney is varied and versatile. All are yummy and easy to make. I like to make one raw and one cooked chutney at the beginning of the week. The cooked chutney will last about a week in the fridge. The raw chutney, depending on the ingredients will only last a couple of days. So, for example, a fresh coconut and mint chutney is delicate (the coconut and mint still have their active enzymes intact and will soon spoil) and is best eaten soon after it is made. A hearty cooked plum chutney is like a jam (with heat killing any molds on the surface and deactivating the plant enzymes and sugar acting as a preservative) can be eaten up to a week after it is made.
OK enough with the chemistry lesson. Last week I made a Roasted Toovar Dal and Coconut Chutney from Lord Krishna's Cuisine. OH BOY. You can see a picture of the split peas and coconut dry roasting. The smell of this was scrumptious. It filled the house with nutty, rich, spicy fragrance. The roasted ingredients were then blended with water, chilis, yoghurt and a bit of salt. The final product was like a rich, smooth, cream. Nice with dosas. It came in handy when I was looking to make a quick fish dinner. I spread it over and under tilapia filets and wrapped them up in parchment and foil (or you could bake in a baking dish) and popped them on the grill for 10 minutes. The result was gourmet.
I also made a Spicy Plum Chutney (also from LKC) and have been eating that all week. This morning, I had dosas with a raita made from yoghurt mixed with the plum chutney. I love that chutney + yoghurt = instant raita!
So, let's review: chutney is good. chutney can be used as a baking sauce for fish or chicken or tofu or whatever. chutney can be used to make instant raita.
Michael and I were talking yesterday about why it is that people continue to do things or live in ways that are not healthy (physically, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, or financially). It started as a conversation about footwear. Michael likes to wear comfortable footwear and had recently bought some new sneakers. The conversation wandered to why people continue to wear shoes that, quite literally, injure and deform their feet, cause back and knee pain, and are just plain dangerous. I noted that it was difficult, particularly for women, in the 1980's (when I was starting my career) to find footwear that was comfortable and stylish. Even the so-called "comfort pumps" resulted in corns, callouses, and overall pain. To say nothing of the issues with women's hosiery. After spending my days squirming in uncomfortable skirts, hose, and pumps, I adopted the habit of wearing stylish pants suits with oxford-type or loafer shoes. This was nearly unheard of for women attorneys at that time. I may have been one of the first women attorneys for the government, if not the first, to go to Tax Court in a pants suit. I was actually told that I was rejected for a promotion because I had worn a pants suit to the interview. That was the only reason given. Can you believe it?
Anyway, since this is a food blog, we also wonder why folks continue to eat what is referred to among us "healthy eating types" as the Standard American Diet (SAD)? You know, lots of meat, high gylcemic carbs, low fiber, overcooked veggies, tons of processed items and mass market cakes, cookies, candy, and ice cream. Whether it is habits acquired in youth (eating what your parents eat); marketing (commercials, ads, and in-store display and shelving techniques); community pressure; or perceived convenience, people seem unable to let go of old ways and even acknowledge that there might be something that is more appropriate to their own health or that is even just tastier!
Seems that folks don't like to go out of bounds. Sixteen years ago, when I announced to my friends and colleagues in Philly that I would be moving to California, the universal reaction was something like: "You'll fit in just fine with all the fruits and nuts." You see, I was known for my strange ways: eating tofu, eschewing animal foods that were harvested or raised in inhumane or environmentally damaging ways, boycotting certain foods in support of farm workers, etc.
Some people have commented that this project must be really hard to do. After all, eating an exotic food every day, all that cooking, how do you know what the ingredients are, etc. Well, that's the whole point isn't it. What I am discovering is that Indian restaurants by and large offer mostly the same sort of fare and do not go out of bounds in offering dishes that represent the kind of everyday fare (or even banquet fare) that is enjoyed by Southeast Asian families. (See review of Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape). Accordingly, if the only exposure one has to Indian food is from restaurants, one is missing out on 90% of the experience. Check out the recipes on this blog; you would be hard pressed to find anything like them in a typical Indian restaurant catering to "American" tastes. As for the cooking, I cook anyway, so, as I have said in other posts, it is not a big change in lifestyle and in some ways is easier.
Discovering something different is what this project is all about.
We hope that this project will takes not just out of our culinary bounds, but that we will discover what other bounds we are living in and break out of those as well.
Recipes
Roasted Yellow Split Pea and Coconut Chutney
Lord Krishna's Cuisine
2 T ghee, nut or vegetable oil
1/2 t black mustard seeds
1/4 cup yellow split peas or toovar dal
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
2/3 cup warm water
2-3 hot jalepeno chilies, chopped
1/3 yoghurt
1t salt
1/4 t yellow asafetida powder (hing)
Heat ghee or oil is a large frying pan. Drop in the black mustard seeds and fry until they begin to pop. Add the toovar dal and dry roast until the color darkens two shades. Add the coconut and stir fry 2-3 more minutes.
Place dal-coconut mixture in a blender and process to a powder. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.
Spicy Plum Chutney
Lord Krishna's Cuisine
3 T ghee or mixture of butter and corn oil
1/2 t fennel seeds
1/4 t nigella seeds (kalonji)
1/2 t black mustard seeds
2 hot green chilies chopped
1 1/2 pounds Italian plums, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
1/4 t salt
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 cup fresh or dried ribbon coconut (I used dried grated)
2 T minced ginger
Heat the ghee or oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Fry the seeds and chilies until the seeds start to pop. Add the plums, raisins, sugar, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally for 30-40 minutes until thick. Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts, coconut and ginger.
