what? huh? where am I?

Whew! I spent the last couple days in a spice-induced trance, I think. So, on Friday afternoon, I decided to make some paneer. That's a fresh cheese and it's easy to make. Now, I have a bit of a history with cheese making: a very unfortunate history. When I was about 11 years old, I got it into my head that I wanted to make cheese. I persuaded my parents to get me a cheese making kit. I did all the steps (my parents memorialized this in photos, wish I could find them), and the cheese turned out - just dreadful. I wish I could have had a bit more encouragement to keep at it...I just didn't realize that cheese making is an art, and requires practice. In today's internet age, I could watch videos on how to make paneer at Manjula's Kitchen, and feel pretty confident that I could do it. I made an attempt a couple weeks ago that did not turn out very well. I discovered that I added too much lemon juice to the hot milk. So this time, I tried and added the juice a teaspoon at a time. Well, it turned out just great! You can see the soft curds in the muslin, the pressed paneer (after about an hour), the sauteed cubes and the final dish, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers with panner and some chapati. Hooray! I did it, I made paneer. It was quite good, mild, firm, and creamy delicious. That is what led to the trance. The dish I made was from Lord Krishna's Cuisine. Heavy on the fresh ginger and hot red pepper. Out of this world. No, really, I think I ended up in another universe. OK not really, but I did feel transported to new culinary heights. I made the paneer with regular whole cow's milk, but I think I might try goat milk next time. I like a stronger taste and that might be good.
Here is the recipe for the dish I made - I added eggplant, because I had eggplant.

Panir Louki Tarkari
Lord Krishna's Cuisine

1/2 T ground coriander
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t ground fennel
1/4 t tumeric
3/4 t garam masala
1/4 cup fresh or dried grated coconut
1/2 cup water
4 T ghee or mixture of veg oil and butter
6 0z fresh panir, cubed (go to Manjulaskitchen.com on my links to see how she makes it)
1 whole dried red chili (I used crushed red pepper)
1 inch peeled ginger sliced thin
7-8 small zucchini or other summer squash, cubed
2 small red or yellow bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1 1/4 t salt
1 medium tomato, diced
3 T chopped fresh cilantro or parsely

Combine the coriander, cumin, fennel, turmeric, garam masala, coconut, and water in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat ghee or oil in a large saute pan or wok. Saute panir cubes, until nicely browned. Take out of pan and drain on paper towels.
Add a bit more oil to pan if it is dry and then add chili and ginger and stir fry for a minute. Add zucchini and bell peppers (and any other firm veggie, like eggplant) and saute until tender-crisp. Add salt, spice paste, tomato, and panir cubes and saute until the spices are cooked out and smell delicious. Add fresh herbs to serve.

See, now isn't that easy? This dish is transcendent. Eat it with chapati and a beer and have a lost weekend of your own.

Review: Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape

So, I guess it's time I wrote a review of the book that was the catalyst for this little project. Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape has something for everyone. It is the culinary chronicle of his tour through India in search of authentic Indian cooking. It's no spoiler to say that he found what he was looking for. The dishes in this book are indeed authentic. Mr. Ramsay must be congratulated for not "cheffing" up the recipes. They are largely presented as he learned them from the cooks (at street stalls and restaurants, homes and train cars, slums and five star hotels). Although he does make some modifications to allow for availability of ingredients and Western cooking facilities and techniques, he notes these. Some of the recipes are his own, inspired by his travels. Throughout the book, he has stayed as true as possible to the style and taste of the food he experienced. I thank him for that. The recipes are representative of most of the major regional styles and dishes of India. Korma, biryani, kofta, pakoras, kebabs, dals, raitas, chutneys, and more make their appearance. The recipes are easy to follow and the results are spectacular. The book is organized by category: starters and snacks, fish, poultry and meat, vegetarian, breads and rice, chutneys and accompaniments, sweets and drinks - and each section has its own contents page. Makes it very easy to find a specific item, or just explore in a particular section. Each section contains about 14-15 recipes. Because Mr. Ramsay has tried to include items representative of as many regions and cultures as possible, the recipes are not repetitive. Each has its own unique flavoring, texture, and style. Each one is its own adventure!
One could love the book just for the recipes, but the lavish photographs are a treat in and of themselves. Most of the recipes include a photograph so you can compare your results. The food photography is lovely and inviting. The travel photos and portraiture connect the food to the lives of the people who brought the world this magnificent and creative cuisine. Our children love to look through the book and are drawn to the photographs of the children. Kids love to see pictures of other kids, especially when those other kids live half a world away. It's fun for our kids to imagine that the children in the book just ate the same kind of rice that we just ate.
I know this will be one of my best-used cookbooks.

Seeds that remind me of Puppies

So, I have been interacting with spices lately. New and exciting spices. New spices that I have not cooked with before include mustard seeds, nigella seeds, and ajwain seeds. The mustard seeds, as you might imagine, add a bitter, tonic note. So good with soft cooked buttery cabbage and onions. I think I might do a double-up and try them with broccoli rabe. Look Out! Nigella seeds I am still trying to figure out. The flavor is a bit elusive and just out of reach, but that just adds to the thrill. I'll get you, little friend. The ajwain seeds, however, have a life of their own. They are the seeds that remind me of puppies. They are small and kind of stripped (you may not be able to tell this from the picture) and they kind of have little tails. They have a very strong flavor, kind of like thyme, but more. But here is the oddest part: when I eat them, they feel like a bunch of puppies jumping and playing in my mouth; I actually see puppies when I eat them. I'm not sure I like the flavor, but the sensation of seeing the puppies surely is intriguing.

Today, I made a quick sambar for dinner with some chapati. The sambar was based on a recipe in GR's Great Escape, but I was in a hurry, so I adapted the recipe for a fast getaway.

Quick Sambar

Cubed hard vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, sweet potato, winter squash, carrots, etc.
1-2T olive or other oil or ghee
1t each fennel seeds, nigella seeds, and cumin seeds
1t turmuric and cayenne pepper
salt to taste
1/2 cup water mixed with 1 t tamarind concentrate

1/2 cup red lentils cooked in 1 cup water (or a bit more if it gets dry)

Chaunk
1t each fennel seeds, nigella seeds, and cumin seeds sauteed for a minute or two in 1T of butter or ghee

I cubed some eggplant, zucchini, and carrot and sauteed them in oil with fennel, nigella, and cumin seeds. I added some turmeric and cayenne pepper, and salt, then deglazed the pan with tamarind diluted with water and braised the veggies a bit. Meanwhile I had cooked up some red lentils and added them to the pan. Finished it with a chaunk (fennel, nigella, and cumin again, fried in butter). I made a couple chapati and had one with a small bowl of sambar for dinner. YUM. Go to the Manjula's Kitchen website on my links and watch her video for making chapati. She is just a delight.

Our friends Liz and Eben sent us a cookbook, Madhur Jaffrey's Ultimate Curry Bible, to further inspire us on our project. Thanks! I haven't decided what to make from it yet. But it has an extensive introduction to the history of Indian food around the world. I need to sit down when I have the time and savor it.

That's all for now.

Veuve Clicquot Rose & Self-Study

It is almost 7 p.m. on Monday night. Lisa and I are starting a pilau rice; she is teaching me. As we wait for the rice to soak I'm enjoying a nice glass of Veuve rose and a day-old garam masala paratha (which I learned to make yesterday). There is something to be said not only for learning new things, but learning them with your partner. We've been married close to nine years. The bread is better a day older, the same is true for our relationship - we have always been insanely in tune with one-another - the cooking together is just adding to that.

It's Here! It's Here

My spice box arrived on Friday!! I went shopping at New India Sweets and Spices (on Fairfax just north of Pico) and stocked up on spices and dals. When I arrived home, my spice box had been delivered. (Thanks Amazon.com). I immediately filled it with often used spices. It makes cooking so easy. I leave it on the counter and my spices are all at hand when I need them. No more having to root through my spice cabinet and open each jar and shake out the spices. It's just inspiring!
Speaking of inspiring, we had a lovely Shabbat dinner, Indian version. I made a fabulous grilled snapper from Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape, some dosas, a simple chopped salad, a dal, leftover chutney, leftover rice and sweet potatoes. Our son was wild over the fish, even our daughter was interested in all the foods (although she is a bit more of a picky eater at this stage). It was a nice dinner for all.
So, we cooked up a storm on Sunday. I tried to make a quick candy, but I made it a bit too wet, so it still tastes good, but too sticky. Then I made a lovely yellow dal and a shredded carrot salad. All so easy to do. I also made some awesome dosas with honey and cinnamon. Then, Michael made some aloo paratha. He made them with a potato and pea filling, spiced with some oil-tempered garam masala. They turned out beautifully.
So here are some of the recipes and my notes.

Grilled snapper
Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape
4 red snapper fillets
lime wedges to serve

2tsp coriander seeds
2tsp fennel seeds
1tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1tsp sea salt
2tsp caster sugar
2tsp ground paprika
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

To make the spice paste, roast the coriander, fennel, and cumin seeds in a hot frying pan until they are fragrant. put the roasted seeds in a small bowl and add the remaining dry ingredients. then wisk in the lemon and oil. Rub the spice paste all over the fish and cook under a broiler.
I made mine on the barbeque grill, wrapped in parchment then in foil. It takes about 7-8 minutes.

Dosas
Dosas are a kind of Indian crepe usually made with rice and dal. Many of the recipes call for urad dal (the white inside of lovely black lentils) and white basmati rice. But I have discovered that you can use pretty much any type of lentil and any type of rice. I'll be experimenting further. I have used regular brown supermarket lentils with brown short grain rice; beluga lentils with basmati, and split mung dal with short grain brown rice. I have varied the proportions of rice to dal (most recipes call for twice the amount of rice as dal) up to half and half. They have all turned out great. Now, my dosas at this point are not quite the elegant affairs that I assume an experienced cook would turn out. But a bit more practice will help. In any event, they seem to be almost fool proof. If I undercook them a bit, that's OK, they taste good. If I overcook them a bit, that's OK, they are super crunchy and delicious. If I cook them just right, they are yummy. If I reheat them the next day, still good. So here is my latest version. Experiment for yourself with these super healthy treats.

Awesome dosas (my own recipe)

1/3 cup split mung dal
2/3 cup brown rice
1/2 - 1 tsp salt

Honey and cinnamon to taste

Soak the dal and rice in water for at least three hours but you can soak overnight or all day. Rinse the soaked dal and rice and place in a high speed blender (I have a Vita-Mix, can't live without it) with a few tablespoons of water and the salt and grind to a paste. Then trickle in up to a cup of water while running the blender, until you have a very creamy batter that is like a thin pancake batter. It should coat a spoon. Then, pour the batter into a two cup measuring cup and cover loosely with a napkin or towel. Now here's the cool part: you can let it ferment for a few hours or 24 hours, or you can use it right away. Fermenting it gives it a lighter sourdough kind of feel, but using it right away is good, too.
So, heat up a small or large non-stick omelete pan and lightly butter it with ghee or butter or coconut butter. Pour the batter to coat the pan like a crepe, very thin. Cook until the edges turn brown and start to curl up (if you try to flip it before it is cooked thoroughly, it will tear and stick). Then flip it and cook on the other side, you can add extra fat at this point (or not, see these are sooooo forgiving) Cook them until they are slightly pliable (if you want to use them like a tortilla) or cook them longer until they are almost crisp. When they are done, put them on a plate and fold them in half, or fourths, or roll them, or mold them around a small bowl or roll them around a tube or leave them flat. Whatever you like.
You can stuff them with a spiced potato mix, or peanut butter and jelly, or eat them with a fresh herb chutney or anything you want; or you can do what I did, drizzle some honey and sprinkle with cinnamon and roll them into thirds. Really you can't go wrong with these things!

Look at me! I'm puffed up!

Look at this yummy paratha in the midst of a good puff. I filled this whole wheat paratha with garlic mashed potatoes seasoned with chopped mint and basil. I think I will add cumin seeds next time to this recipe, but I love the combo of basil and mint.
I got my new cookbook yesterday, the classic Lord Krishna's Cuisine, the Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking. I had been wondering why I never saw basil used in any of the traditional Indian recipes that I have encountered. According to Lord Krishna's Cuisine, basil is widely grown in India, but it is used for devotional purposes (on altars and the like) and not for cooking. So, that was an interesting little tidbit of information.
I also made some spiced sweet potatoes and did the vegan version of the sesame cashew cookies (see yesterday's post and the recipe page). The vegan cookies, I must say, were quite good. They retained the subtle buttery taste from the combo of the cashew butter and sesame seeds. It's the cardamom that makes these cookies POP.
So, back to Lord Krishna's Cuisine. It is encyclopedic. 500 recipes and interesting information. I don't know why I waited so long (it came out in 1987), to add this to my collection. When I started this project, I realized I needed to get this book and I'm so glad I did. It is organized basically according to the various components of an Indian meal. Rice, breads, salads,chutneys, dals, raitas, etc. It also gives recommended accompaniments to each recipe so you can put a great meal together. At some point, I will put together a whole meals with 6-10 items. I'm working my way up to that. OK, enough from Lisa, here's what Michael has to say today.

Tonight was like the classic scene in the film Big Night. So many wonderful things to eat. Every time I finished one thing and though the meal was over I was awed by what came next. One exception for me though, the pineapple chutney. I love pineapple and associate it with a bright yellow; seeing it in brown bits is disorienting. I couldn't bring myself to try it yet; but, I will before the project is over. If Louie Prima sang about Indian food it would a little something like this "Hey mambo, mambo Indian-ano... "

Garlic mashed potato paratha with basil and mint

dough
1 cup whole wheat flour
1t salt
1/2 cup water (apx)
more flour for kneading

Potato filling
1 large russet potato
2 or more cloves of garlic
fresh basil and fresh mint to taste (2T or more of each)
1t cumin seeds

Oil for brushing


To make the dough combine the flour and salt and add enough water to make a stiff dough. Knead until soft and pliable( about 5 minutes). wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge for at least 30 min. You can also make the dough ahead of time and keep in the fridge for a day or two.

To make the filling, cut the potato into quarters and boil in salted water until tender. When cool, take off most of the skin (or not, if you prefer) and place into a mixing bowl. Chop garlic and saute it in a bit of oil or ghee until fragrant but not browned. put it in the bowl with the potatoes. Fry the cumin seeds in a small bit of oil or ghee until fragrant (one minute should do it); into the bowl with the potatoes. mash the potatoes well with a masher, making sure to get out any large chunks. Do not let the potatoes get gummy, mask only until mostly smooth (Ok to have some texture). Mix in the chopped herbs.

To make the parathas, cut the dough into 8 pieces and roll each into balls. flatten each ball into a disk about 3 inches across. take some of the potato mixture and form into a ball about the same size as the dough balls. Place the potato ball into the center of the dough disc and pull up the sides of the dough around the filling to make completely surround the filling. This dough is so sturdy, that you can smoosh it together at the top to seal it. then, gently roll out the filled ball so that you have a flat circle about 6 inches across. Try not to tear the dough or it may not puff. I form all the balls first, and set them aside. While I am cooking one paratha, I roll out the next one.

To cook the parathas, heat a skillet (I use non-stick, but cast iron works nicely) until a drop of water dances on the surface. Place a filled, rolled paratha onto the skillet and cook until brown spots start to show on the bottom. Flip it. At this point it will start to puff (you can help it along by ever so gently pressing it with a spatula). brush the top with s bit of oil and flip again. Press down firmly with a spatula to ensure even cooking. Brush again with oil and flip and cook until you feel like it is done.

Repeat with the remaining parathas. Don't eat them all at once! STOP, save some for someone else! I mean it; don't eat that!

This Story Began With a Pair of Pants

Funny thing happened on the way home. I forgot to pick up the dry cleaning and was having a proverbial pants crisis which required a 7:40 run to the cleaners. The only potential upside to that was that, other than fresh pants, for some reason I was craving a mini-chocolate chip cookie. Not something I would normally eat but the Beverlywood bakery is right next to our cleaner. They were of course closed when I got there. I had my pants though. Today was hectic and I did not get the full run-down on what Lisa had made. Waiting in our kitchen was a wonderful cookie the kids had passed up; and which I'm assuming was not a reject that fell on the floor. The best cookie I ever had. And, I'm pretty as punch pleased I missed the one from the bakery. So thank you to Lisa, the kids, and my pants. Michael