Puliyodarai - Tamarind Rice - Iyengar style

Dry Powder ingredients

Dried Red Chillies --- 15 

Coriander seeds---- 2 tbsp

Methi (fenugreek) seeds----1 tsp

Wet ingredients

Tamarind - One large lemon size (pulp extracted as per directions)

Dried Red Chillies --- 5 cut into half

Asafoetida – A pinch or two

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Urad Dal - 1 tbsp

Chana Dal (bengal gram) - 2 tbsp

Peanuts - 1/4 cup

Cashew nuts - 10 or so(optional)

Jaggery - 1 tbsp

curry leaves - 2 sprigs

1/4 cup gingelly oil (sesame oil).

Salt to taste

• This dish is most flavorful if enough time is given. It is not as tasty if prepared in a rush. Give the ingredients enough time to come together and develop flavor.
• Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water; leave it for 15 mins and then use your hands to mash the tamarind into pulp. It doesnt take much effort. Leave for another 30 mins or so and then use your hands to squeeze the fruit matter to extract out the pulp and throw the fiber and seeds away. 
• Heat 1/4 cup of Sesame oil aka Gingelly Oil aka  Nallennai in a heavy pan. Add mustard Chana Dal, Urad Dall and after a few mins Peanuts and mustard and Asafoetida. After muster seeds start popping add cashew nuts and then curry leaves; Finally add jaggery and the chilies
• Finally add the tamarind pulp and turmeric; Cover and leave for 10-15 mins on low flame to reduce and to lose the raw tamarind flavor after cooking
• Dry roast the dry powder ingredients and then powder them in a coffee grinder/ Mixie
• After the tamarind pulp mixture reduces after the water evaporates, add the powder and then take off the heat. Add salt to taste. This is Pulikaichal, which will make the Tamarind Rice or Puliyodarai
• 
  
• To prepare rice: Cook 2 cups of rice in a rice cooker with about 5 cups of water.
• Once the rice is done open the lid, add 2 tbsp of sesame oil and spread the rice on a mixing bowl or plate
• After the rice cools add Pulikaichal to the rice and mix using your hands. Add salt as needed. Thee ingredients should be cool at that point. Leave the mixed rice for about 2-3 hours to develop the flavor. 
• This tastes much like the Perumal Kovil Puliyodarai.

Vegetarian Pho

Adapted from here and Mark Bittman's recipe.

For the Broth:

1 small unpeeled onion, quartered

2 unpeeled shallots, halved

8 garlic cloves, halved

a 1-inch piece of ginger, coarsely sliced

two 3-inch cinnamon sticks

2 pods of star anise

4 cloves

2 bay leaves

1 carton vegetable stock/ broth

3 tablespoons soy sauce

salt

o Add onion, shallots, garlic, ginger, spices and dry roast for a few mins

o Once they begin to char (gets a smoky flavor this way) add stock and soy sauce and bring to a boil over high heat

o Turn heat to low and simmer for 30 mins

o Strain into a clean pot, discard the solids and keep warm over low heat

o You can then serve the broth ladling it over rice noodles and add garnish as desired such as:

Tofu, peas, carrots, bean sprouts, green onions, basil leaves, cilantro, diced chilies, etc. etc.

Mac 'n' Cheese

I adapted this from Mark Bittman's cookbook and from Aarti Sequira's show.

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• Cheese Sauce
• 4 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp white flour
• 1 cup cream
• 2 cups milk (or you could have 3 cups low fat milk instead as well for less richness)
• 1/2 lb sharp cheddar (grated)
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Bread Crumb mixture:
• 1-2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
• 2 tbsp butter
• Heat butter and add crumbs mix well and set aside

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Boil enough water for the macaroni;
2. Simultaneously, boil the milk and cream with 2 bay leaves
3. Cook macaroni for about 5 mins and take off the heat while still not fully cooked. Pour cold water to stop cooking and set aside
4. Heat butter and when it is melted, add flour and keep whisking in low heat until the flour mixture turns mildly brown
5. Take bayleaves off the milk and add the milk slowly while whisking vigorously. Flour is going to absorb milk and bulk up so you want to make sure there are no lumps forming when that happens.
6. Increase heat, add all of the milk and keep stirring to make a sauce of thick consistency
7. Add cheddar cheese to the sauce, lower the heat and stir well
8. Add sauce to the macaroni; Mix well; Add parmesan cheese
9. You can use 9x13 baking dish or 2 casserole dishes for this after greasing the dishes. Bake at 400 F for about 15 mins or until the it bubbles and the crumbs turn brown.

I am trying variations like the several ones suggested by Mark in his How To Cook Everything Vegetarian book and Aarti.

Tiramisu

This is very simple to make and a very customizable recipe, doesn't need eggs, etc.

24 lady fingers (or savoiardi)

5 tbsp instant coffee powder (or espresso shots)

1 1/2 cup hot water

3 tbsp rum (or equivalent rum flavor) (optional; you can substitute with vanilla or other favorite flavoring. it wont be tasting like authentic tiramisu though)

1 1/4 cup cream (heavy or whipping)

250 g or 1 cup mascarpone cheese

1/3rd cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

5 ameretto cookies (optional)

1. Heat water to boiling and add coffee powder or espresso; Add 3 tbsp of sugar ( and if the coffee is too bitter you can moderate it with 1/2 pinch of salt (really!)); Add rum or other flavor to the coffee
2. Whip the cream in a mixing bowl; stir in the cheese and then the sugar; mix all into a nice and smooth topping consistency
3. Take a serving dish (9x13 would work for this)
4. Dunk the lady-fingers in coffee and lay out in a row to cover the length of the dish; pour some coffee on it to make all of them moist.
5. Spoon half of the topping and spread on the sponge layer; Dust 1 tbsp of cocoa powder on the topping and crumple 2-3 amaretto cookies.
6. Repeat step 4 and 5 for another layer
7. Chill for 3-4 hours before serving

Honey Mustard Dressing

From Alton Brown's Recipe, seems to work fine. Very simple to make and a very tasty dressing, especially if you want something tangy and not oily.

• 5 tablespoons medium body honey (sourwood is nice)
• 3 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Serve as a dressing or a dip.

Chocolate Souffle Cake

I made Chocolate Souffle Cake following the recipe from Martha Stewart as here.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-souffle-cake

It came out well. The cake had a good lift as a Souflle cake should be and it was very light as expected. I think I could have left it in the oven for 10 more mins to caramelize it further.

I made vanilla cream sauce following this recipe:

http://www.nickstellino.com/recipes_display.asp?ind=244

I served it A La Mode with Vanilla Icecream or Coffee Icecream.

I think it was overall a very successful cake.

Trip to Buenos Aires

Just returned from a business trip to Buenos Aires. Its pretty tough for vegetarians to survive if you do not know atleast some spanish. Most dishes have Ham (jamon) or seafood or chicken in them. The only safe bet often is spaghetti with tomato sauce.

One of my colleague asked me for Masala Dosa recipe. I searched for indian grocery stores in BA but im not getting any good references from googling. There seems to be popular spice store: El Gato Negro . There are a few indian restaurants in BA, but there doesn't seem to be any indian or south asian grocery stores. I am working on an MD recipe that would work for people at BA.

Pesto Is Not Just About Basil Any More - WSJ.com

Pesto Is Not Just About Basil Any More - WSJ.com

Swiss Chard and Chikpea soup

I adapted this recipe from: http://talesfromaveggiekitchen.blogspot.com/2006/10/chickpea-and-swiss-chard-soup.html

I had this soup at Oracle's Bon Appetitt restaurant and it was very earthy and tasty. I bought Swiss Chard from the Fremont farmer's market today. Here is the recipe for a big pot full of soup.

o 1 big bunch of swiss chard

o 2 large onions - diced

o 4 carrots cubed for soup

o 3 stalks of celery - diced

o 1 carton of veg stock

o 1 can of tomato paste (small can)

o 2 cans of garbanzo beans

o Clean the chard, trim the root end of the stem; then cut the whole stems into small pieces and the leaves into ribbons

o Saute the onions, carrots and celery along with the chard stems in EVOO for 10 mins in the soup pot with the cover on the pot.

o Add the chard ribbons and saute for 5 mins

o Add the stock and a lot of water in the pot and bring to boil.

o Add the whole can of paste to the pot and the garbanzo beans and boil for 10 mins

o Optionally take about 3 cups of the soups with veggies and beans and puree in blender gently. Then return puree to pot.

o Reduce the heat, add seasoning (oregano, thyme, parsley etc.) and simmer for 30 mins or more.

o Add pepper and salt to taste before serving.

Recipes — Cooking Ideas — Italian Farro & Beans— SFGate Food & Wine

Recipes — Cooking Ideas — Italian Farro & Beans— SFGate Food & Wine

Bitter Gourd ( Karela ) Curry

I adapted this recipe from a funny show from the Vahchef on youtube

o Bitter Gourd 1/2 pound

o Chilly Powder: 2 tsp

o Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp

o 1 inch ginger diced or grated

o 1 med onion diced

o 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 sprig curry leaves, 1 pinch Hing

o Cut Bitter Gourd into half, scoop out the inside white pith, but you can keep the seeds as they come out crunchy in this dish. Dice into small pieces

o Soak in hot water with salt and 1 tsp turmeric for 15 mins; then squeeze out the liquid and set aside.

o Fry mustard, cumin seeds, curry leaves, Hing in oil. When mustard seeds pop, add onions and sauté. Add Ginger to onions.

o Add coriander powder and chili powder

o Add bitter gourd; cover for about 10 mins until it is cooked

o Then uncover and cook in high until the veggies caramelize and become crispy

o When it is almost done, add Jaggery or Sugar and some lemon juice

o You can also substitute 1 tbsp of tamarind instead of the lemon juice at the time you cook the vegetable.

This curry is bitter, spicy, tangy and sweet at the same time. This is a fine accompaniment to rice dishes.

Bitter Gourd aka Karela that you can get from Indian markets is a spiky green vegetable. This link shows the differences between the various varieties of this vegetable.

Vegan Cupcake Recipe wins Cupcake war!

Vegan Chef: Chloe Coscarelli Won the recent Cupcake War with Vegan Cupcake recipes!

Here is the link from nytimes article

Her Mango Masala Panini Recipe which won award in another competition is here

Bitter Gourd Kootu

Adapted from: http://www.asvadha.com/2008/04/bitter-gourd-kootu.html

5 or 6 bitter gourds - diced into rings after removing pith
1/2 - 1 cup - cooked Toor dal,
1 1/2 tsp - Salt or to taste
1/2 tsp - Turmeric
1 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tsp - Oil

For Coconut-masala paste:
1/4 cup - Coconut , grated
1 tbsp - Coriander seeds
1 tbsp - Channa dal
1/2 tbsp - Urad dal (
1/2 tsp - Fenugreek/Menthia seeds
3-4 - Red chillies
pinch of asafoetida

For Tempering :
1 tsp - Mustard seeds
1 tsp - Urad dal
1/2 tsp - Fenugreek seeds
Few curry leaves
2 tbsp - Peanuts, roasted

o Cut Bitter Gourd into half circles

o Add salt and turmeric and soak in water for 20 mins; Then squeeze out water and set veggies aside.

o Fry ingredients for masala paste (minus coconut) in oil; Then grind to a smooth paste

o Fry tempering ingredients, then add peanuts then add Bitter Gourd and fry for 5 mins

o Add 1 1/2 cups water and Tamarind and cook for 10 mins

o Add cooked Dal and cook for 5 mins

o Add masala paste and cook for 5 mins

o Add 1 tbsp jaggery to sweeten the dish

o Serve hot with rice.

Cabbage Rice

I built this recipe from several web sites and it came out quite well. It can be had with a Channa masala or some other curry or with Raita.

• 1/2 head cabbage
• 1/4 cup onion
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp channa dal (soaked for 10 mins in hot water)
• 1/2 tea spn mustard seeds

Spice paste :

• 1 tsp chana dal
• 1/4 cup dry peeled peanuts
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tbl spn coconut
• 4-5 green/red chillies
• 1 tea spn chopped ginger (opt)

o Cook rice and set aside to cook (you can put it in freezer optionally)
o Grind spice paste and set aside
o Heat oil, add mustard seeds, onion and then cabbage and curry leaves; finally add soaked channa dal and fry
o Once the cabbage is somewhat done (still crisp), add the paste and cook for 5 mins
o Then add the rice, mix well and serve

Simplest Raita Ever

Raita cools the palette and hence is often paired with spicy dishes like Biryani or Pulao.
It is mostly yogurt or cultured milk (Kefir) with some vegetables or herbs or just chaat masala.

I made it in the following way and it was very tasty and so simple to make:
o 1 Tomato diced
o about 5 - 10 mint leaves
o 1/4 cup of cilantro
o 1-2 cups of yogurt or kefir
o salt as needed

Mix these. Thats it!

Mushroom Pulao

I made this recipe adapted from:
http://valar-myblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/mushroom-pulao.html
and it came out well. It is quick and easy to make.

Ingredients
Mushrooms - 1 packet of sliced mushrooms from the megamart
Basamti Rice - 2 cups
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Cloves - 3

Onion , chopped - 1
Salt to taste
Ghee or oil - little

For the Ground masala
Garlic - 6 pods (optional)
Ginger - 1" piece
Green chillies - 3 (5 if you want it spicy)
Fennel seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Black Pepper Corns - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cardamom - 4
Mint leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few

o Soak Basmati Rice for 10 mins
o Grind the above masala ingredients. Set aside
o Cook Rice with cinnamon and cloves and a tsp of butter in rice cooker with 4 cups of water.
o Saute onions with 1 tbsp oil or butter. When it caramelizes add ground masala and leave for 2 mins until the water in masala evaporates. Then add mushrooms and cook for 5 mins.
o Then add cooked basmati rice and gently mix all ingredients.
o Garnish with cashews fried in butter or ghee.

Cooking Basmati Rice in Rice Cooker

Good tips that worked for me are in this link.
More tips :

1. link1
2. link2 talks about cooking in zorijushi. This calls for the same method as below but for soaking in salted water.
   

• Rice to Water Ratio is 2 cup water for 1 cup rice
• Rinse/Wash rice gently and Soak rice for 10 mins and not more than 10 mins
• Optionally add a bit of spices (like 2 cardamom, 1-2 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick, etc.) and 1 tsp butter
  
• Cook in the regular rice cooking mode of your rice cooker
• Once cooking is done, switch cooker off and Leave closed for 10 mins
• Open after 10 mins and fluff gently with a fork. If you fluff too long after cooking it could get clumpy.
• Keep rice covered. Do not keep it in warm setting of rice cooker as it could get hard and clumpy.
  

All about Biryani

Here are some links about a popular dish in India: Biryani
This is a complete meal with protein, carbs and fat. This is a dish of Mughlai cuisine, basically developed with the persian cooks who belonged to the court of the persian Mughal kings of India.

This article talks a lot about the method of cooking Biryani and the difference between Biryani and Pulao both of which are rice dishes: link
Dum Pukht is the traditional method where an earthern pot called Handi is filled with ingredients (rice, meat or veg, spices, etc.) and sealed with dough. It is then kept on hot coals which turn the pot into an oven. The ingredients cook with their own steam which forms inside the pot and remains trapped in it due to the dough seal. Pretty neat!

More links:
wikipedia link
History of Biryani

By authentic standards my recipe for Vegetable Biryani is not a Biryani but a Pulao.
Biryani making process is a bit complex as described here

Armed with all these good information, i cannot wait to craft my own easy to make version of Biryani. I will post the recipe and the method once i figure this out.

Butternut Squash And Apple soup with Cream

I adapted this recipe from multiple sources:
Ina Garten's recipe,
Another one
Williams Sonoma recipe

The idea is somewhat simple and you can adapt it as you like it. Aromatics (diced onions, mire poix or leeks any of these will work) provide the base notes and heat. Stock provides the body. Butternut Squash (pumpkin will also do; Canned squash or pumpkin works just fine) provide the flavor and the sweetness. It is balanced by the tartness of Apples. Tart varieties like Pink Lady and Green Apple are better suited. The soup is ideal for cold months can be served with Sweet French Bread.

• Aromatics - 2 cups
  
• 1 can of butternut squash (or you can roast the squash in the oven and take the meat of the vegetable).
• 3 or 4 apples, peeled, cored, diced
• 1 carton of veg stock or broth
• 2-3 cups of water as needed to adjust the soup's consistency
• 2 cups of cream
  
• 1 tsp dried or fresh thyme
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1 pinch saffron (optional)
• Salt and Pepper

o In a stock/soup pot, heat tbsp olive oil and add the aromatics
o when the onions/leeks are well done, add the diced apples and cook for 5 mins
o Add the stock, turn to high heat bringing to a boil and keep for 10 mins
o Add thyme, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper
o Add the squash and cook for another 5 mins
o Take off the heat, puree using immersion blender or blender, return to pot
o Add the cream (or milk) and saffron and leave in the med for 5 mins
o Add salt and simmer until you serve the soup

Ghee Rice / Simple Pulao

Another receipe from my mother.
This is a great dish to have with Vegetable Kurma

• Rice 1 cup
• Ghee 3 tbsp (Use butter if you dont have Ghee)
  
• Cashews - 6
• Raisins - 15 (optionally)
• Green Chilies - 2
• Cilantro - 1/2 cup
• Spices: 1/2 inch cinnamon bark; 2 cloves; 2 cardamoms

o Soak rice for 10 mins
o Dry heat and grind the spices
o In a wide pan heat the ghee, add spices and then the cashews and raisins
o Add chilies and then add rice and fry for 5 mins
o Add cilantro and salt and add 1 1/2 cup water and cook in pressure cooker
o If you want to cook in the wide pan, you need more water ( I will update the recipe with the rice/water ratio after testing this method)

Tomato Rice

This recipe is from my mom. This comes out much like the biryani or a spicy pulao.

• 1 lb tomatoes; diced well
  
• 1 large or 2 med onions; diced
  
• 3 green chilies (or more if you need this to be more spicy) slit into two
  
• Cilantro and Mint 1/4 cup each
• Garam masala powder 1 tsp
  
• Rice 1 cup
• Spice powder:
• 2 cloves; 2 cardamoms; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1/2 inch cinnamon bark
• Dry Heat the spices and powder them
  

o Soak rice for 10 mins
o Add 2 tbsp oil to a wide pan and add spice powder
o And add onions and fry until onions are translucent
o Then add tomatoes and chilies and for 10 mins
o Add Rice and salt and fry for 5 mins
o Add the herbs and garam masala powder and mix well
o Add 1 cup water and cook in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles
o After the cooker cools, open and mix the rice well and leave to cook in the remaining heat for 10 more mins
o If you are cooking in a wide pan instead of the cooker you need to add more water
o The key is to find the right water/rice/cooktime ratio for your cooking method so that the rice doesn't lose its texture.

Vegetable Biryani

This is made South Indian Style and the masala is much like in this korma recipe.
The spicing is "Sweet" and "Green" meaning that it doesn't use tomatoes or red chilies.

• Vegetables:
• 1 large Onion (or 2 med) diced well
• 1 cup beans cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1-2 large potatoes cut into 4 each
• 2 carrots cubed
• 1 Chayote squash cubed
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• The veggies should not be cut too small or they will dissolve when making biryani
  
• Spices:
  
• 2 tsp soonf (fennel seeds)
  
• 8 cloves
• 1/2 inch cinnamon bark (lavang pattai in indian terms)
• 5 cardamom pods
• Heat the above spices in a pan in mild heat to bring out the flavors
• 
  
• Masala to grind:
  
• Use the above spices
• 4-5 green chilies - adjust heat depending on the heat of the chilly
• 1/2 cup coconut (frozen is fine)
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
  
• 8-10 raw cashews
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves optionally
• 1/2 inch ginger
  
• 2 garlic cloves (optionally)
• 1/2 cup of yogurt or sour cream or kefir optionally for tangy flavor

o Soak 2 cups of Basmati or other long grained rice for 30 mins or so; drain and set aside
o In a wide pan add 2 tbsp butter or ghee
o Add 1 tsp soonf seeds and fry the drained rice; set aside
o Add 2 tbsp butter or ghee and fry the onions
o Add Veggies and fry for 5 mins
o Add masala and fry for 5 mins; Add Salt as needed.
o Add rice and 7 cups of water, cover and cook until biryani is done. Cook in mild heat otherwise the dish will burn in the bottom of the vessel. Dont overcook it. Rice continues to cook after the direct heat is turned off.
o Serve with Raita

Tomato Leek Carrot Soup

• 2 Leeks (keep only the white part; split in the middle and washed very well)
• 2 stalks of celery
• 3 carrots
• 2 cans of plum tomatoes (diced)
  
• 1 pkg of vegetable broth (16 oz)
• 2 tbsp rice
  
• 3-4 cups of water
• Dried Thyme of powdered thyme for seasoning

o Dice all vegetables and saute in 2 tbsp olive oil
o Add tomatoes cook for 5 mins
o Add broth; Add 1 tsp of pepper flakes and 1 tsp of pepper for heat
o Add rice to the soup (it will give some body to the soup);
o Add water and seasoning
o Bring to boil and then cook in med heat for 30 mins
o Use a hand blender or blender to puree the soup
o Adjust seasoning and salt
o Serve with garnish (basil, chives, parsley etc. will work)
o Optionally add a dollop of sour cream during the serving

This is a great winter soup, especially if you add heat and spiciness it is very comforting for the cold winter nights.

Cauliflower Korma

This Korma is made with "green" spices, in the sense it doesn't use red pepper or tomato.
So it results in sort of a green curry. This is great to eat with Roti or other flat bread and with Basmati rice

• 1 large Onion (or 2 med) diced well
• Spices: 2 tsp soonf (fennel seeds)
  
• 8 cloves
• 1/2 inch cinnamon bark (lavang pattai in indian terms)
• 5 cardamom pods
• Heat the above spices in a pan in mild heat to bring out the flavors
• Masala to grind:
  
• 4-5 green chilies - adjust heat depending on the heat of the chilly
• 1/2 cup coconut (frozen is fine)
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
  
• 8-10 raw cashews
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves optionally
• 1/2 inch ginger
  
• 2 garlic cloves (optionally)
• Veggies: 1 head cauli flower cut to small pieces and steamed
  
• 4 small potatoes boiled and cut to 4 pieces each
• 1/2 cup of yogurt or sour cream or kefir optionally for tangy flavor
  

o You can steam cauliflower and boil potatoes at the same time and set aside
o Grind the masala ingredients and spices together
o Sautee Onions with a 1/2 inch of cinnamon bark in oil or butter
o Add masala to onions and cover and cook for 5-10 mins in mild heat
o Add veggies to masala and cook for 5-10 mins in low heat; add salt to taste
o Add yogurt/kefir/sour cream optionally for the tangy flavor and creaminess
o garnish with cilantro

Thanksgiving Dinner - 2009

Menu:

Hot And Sour Soup
Hara Kabab (basically spinach cutlets)
Polenta with Tomato Sauce
Pasta Bake with Eggplant
Pad Thai
Baked Potato
Fruit Salad with Custard and Vanilla Icecream

Yum!

Vegetarian Hot And Sour Soup

I adapted this from: Vegetarian Chinese Cooking by Wendy Lee

4 Mushrooms (reconstituted from Dried Shitake mushroom or similar kind)
1/4 tub of Firm tofu, diced into thin strips
1 cup canned bamboo shoots (optional) cut into thin strips
2 cups of veg stock and 1 cup of water
1/4 cup peas (optional)
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vinegar (rice or white wine)
2 tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper
sesame oil to garnish (optional)

o Boil 1 cup of water; take off heat and put mushrooms in it; soak for 25 mins
o Later take mushrooms off and cut to thin strips, removing the stems in the center
o reserve the mushroom liquid; Reconstituted mushrooms give out huge amount of umami in the liquid
o Bring stock and water to boil
o Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu and peas; simmer for 5 mins
o Mix soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch and add 2 tbsp mushroom liquid
o Stir into soup with mushroom liquid; bring to a boil
o Add plenty of pepper and salt to taste; optionally add 1 tbsp sugar; taste the soup as you season; simmer for 2 mins
o Serve in bowls with drops of sesame oil in each

The soup comes out quite good comparable to the soup from chinese takeouts. Mushroom's umami makes it very tasty. You can also make it without mushrooms but the taste will be different. Similarly you can also omit the stock. But these steps remove flavor from the soup. This spicy soup is very good for cold wintery evenings. Good amount of pepper can clear sinus. Tanginess of the vinegar can invigorate the palette.

Vegetarian Tamales

I made tamales after learning enough about making them from Alton Brown's show.

Filling: This can be made before and kept aside. You can be creative in choosing the ingredients for filling. Any good curry will work actually as long as it is somewhat dry. I made my filling using carrots, potatoes, kidney beans which give a sweet flavor.

Filling

* 1 or 2 potatoes diced
* 2-3 carrots diced
* 2 tbsp oil
* 1 large onion, finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
* 1 tsp chili powder
* 1 tsp oregano
* 2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 2 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
* 2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 can kidney beans
* 1 cup veg stock
* 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno pepper (1 pepper seeded and diced)
* 2-3 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
o Heat oil and saute onions and garlic;
o Add cumin powder and cayenne pepper and chili powder and oregano
o Add carrots and potatoes and cook well
o Add Kidney beans and salt and tomato paste
o Add veg stock and cook until veggies are well done

Masa

* 3 1/2 cups Masa Harina Flour
* 1 tablespoon kosher salt
* 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 cup veg shortening (or you can freeze olive oil and use it instead)
* 2 to 4 cups vegetable stock
* You can mix these with hand in a mixing bowl

Tamale:
* Soak corn husks in hot water for 1/2 hour or so
* Take one husk, scoop 1/2 icecream scoop of masa and flatten masa with your palm
* place 2 tbsp of filling in the center of masa and roll up the husk
* Tie 3 tamales into a bundle using cotton twine
* place them on a steamer and steam for atleast 1 hour
* You can look at the tamale rolling instructions in the web or in alton brown's episode on Tamales.

It came out pretty good. I am plannning to use a curry based filling next time and also try out sweet versions of Tamale.

Enjoy!

Cream of Corn Soup

I made this today after tweaking Tyler's Corn Chowder recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/corn-chowder-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:

o 5 ears of corn removed from the cob (fresh corn is better)
o 1 medium onion, diced
o 1 medium potatoes, diced
o 1/2 tsp powdered thyme (or dry thyme or fresh thyme)
o 1/4 cup flour
o 2 tbsp butter
o 1 1/2 cup cream
o 2 cups water
o 6 cups vegetable stock
o Salt and pepper to taste

o Heat butter in a soup pan; Add onions (and optionally diced garlic) and sautee for 5 mins
o Add diced potatoes and sautee for another 3 mins
o Add flour to coat the veggies and leave in med heat for 2 mins until flour turns slightly brown. Add thyme at this point.
o Add 6 cups of vegetable stock and boil at high heat for 5 mins
o Meanwhile in another vessel boil water and then add cream and corn to it and boil for 10 mins until the corn is soft.
o Now mix the two and boil for 2 mins
o Use a hand blender to puree the soup. You dont have to cool the soup for this. You can put the soup pot in the sink and use blender.
o Return soup pot to medium heat. Add some water to dilute.

This soup came out very delicious.

Things i am planning to try further
o Try the same recipe with milk instead of cream
o Try to simply the steps to make it a one pot recipe.
o Find a way to make it a bit more spicier.
I will paste the results once my experiments succeed.

Chana Masala Recipe

This recipe from recipezaar is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's recipe. I tried this and came out very well and it is also very easy to make. This makes quick and easy vegetarian curry dinner. This is very delicious with bread or sourdough bread. Just toast the bread with some butter and scoop channa masala on top of it. Ofcourse it goes very well with chapati/roti, naan and you can also have it with pita or middle eastern flatbreads. This is also an excellent accompaniment to Basmati Rice. Just make some quick raita (or just plain yogurt) to balance the heat of the dish. With the protein of channa and the carbs from the bread/rice it makes a well balanced meal.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Channa-Masala-17471

This is how i make it:

The key ingredient is chana. I use canned Garbanzo beans. I like the garbanzo well cooked meaning, they should have a soft texture, so they almost break down if you press them. Some of the organic varieties come with firmer texture and dont soften even after long cooking. You can also make your own garbanzo by soaking the beans in water overnight and then cooking them either in pressure cooker or in water for 1 hour. If you have the right ingredients handy, this recipe is so simple to make and can be made in about 15 mins.
I also use canned tomatoes for this as the canned varieties develop the sauce with a very deep flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions (peeled and minced)
• 1 clove garlic (peeled and minced) (optional if you dont like garlicy flavor)
  
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 cup diced canned tomatoes
  
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups cooked chickpeas or

  1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 tablespoon amchoor powder (optional)
• 2 teaspoons paprika (or 1/2 tsp red chili powder)
  
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 lemon (juiced, optional)
• 1 fresh, hot green chili pepper (minced)
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• Cilantro for garnish.
  

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet.

2. Add onions and garlic and sauté over a medium heat until browned (3-5 minutes).

3. Turn heat to medium-low.

4. Add the coriander, cumin (not the roasted cumin), cayenne and turmeric. Stir for a few seconds.

5. Add the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes until browned lightly.
   

6. Add a cup of water. Use a hand blender to blend the tomatoes.
   

7. Add chickpeas, add amchoor, paprika, garam masala, salt and lemon juice.

8. Cook covered for 10 minutes.

9. Remove the cover add the minced chili and ginger. Cook for 30 secs

10. Add Cilantro for garnish.

(For a larger portion, i made the recipe using
1 large canned tomatoes
3 cans of garbanzon beans
and adjusting the spices accordingly. No lemon necessary
)

Good Article about Aromatics in Soups

Good details about cooking techniques for soups

http://www.timesoftheinternet.com/absolutely-scrumptious/what-are-aromatics/

Tomato Leek Basil Soup

This is so simple to make and has simple and clear flavor. Using Leeks instead of Onions keeps the flavor without the pungency.

o 2 or 3 cans of canned tomatoes (or fresh ones)
o 2 or 3 dried chilies, chopped very well
o Salt and pepper as needed
o 2 tbsp olive oil
o 1/2 cup of chopped basil; 1/4 cup chopped parseley
o 1-2 cups of vegetable stock or broth optionally
o 3 cups water

o Dice the tomatoes very well as they have to release all of their flavor to the soup.
o Clean and dice the leeks
o Add oil to a hot soup pan and add chopped garlic optionally
o Add leeks, sautee for a few minutes and then add the diced tomatoes and then the chopped chilies
o Cook for 5-7 minutes; Then add broth or water
o Then add basil and parseley reserving some for garnishing the soup.
o Cook for 15 mins. Then take off the heat and use hand blender to puree the soup
o Then add water to desired consistency. The key is to taste the soup and add water so that the soup is not too thick but it is not too diluted to lose it's tomato flavor.

o You can garnish with herbs and sour cream, avocados, as needed
o If you serve this with toasted crusty bread, even day old bread, this becomes a hearty meal by itself.

Saag Paneer

Recipe from Milk - Surprising story of milk through the ages by Anne Mendelson

12 oz chhenna (made with 3 qts of milk + 1/3 cup lemon juice)
6 tbsp ghee (or veg oil)
2 lb fresh spinach or leafy greens (or two 10 oz frozen leaf spinach, thawed)
2 inch ginger, chopped
1 green chile, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds
1 med onion, chopped
1 ripe med tomato, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
3/4 cup well drained, creamy plain yogurt
3/4 cup heavy cream

o Press Chhenna firmly and cut into cubes and fry in ghee or oil
o Cook greens for 3-4 mins
o Drain and dry by squeezing water away and chop or puree in blender
o Mince garlic, chile, ginger into a paste
o Heat ghee or oil (3 tbsp), add cumin and mustard and when they pop add the above paste
o Add onion and cook for 10 mins
o Add tomato and cook for few more mins and then add spinach
o Add garam masala and cook uncovered for 20 - 25 mins
o Add Paneer to the sauce and cook 5 mins
o Finally add Yogurt and heavy cream

Serve with Naan or Basmati Rice

Malai Kofta

Recipe from Milk - Surprising story of milk through the ages by Anne Mendelson


Sauce:
masala:
Seeds from 15 cardamom pods or 5 black cardamom pods
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp black peppercorn
3 whole cloves
(heat the above spices in a skillet and grind in spice grinder)
1 tbsp each: raw cashews, pista, almonds
(separately heat the nuts, grind along with spices and set aside)

1 inch ginger minced
2 green chilies minced
3 - 4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
3 med onions chopped
3 plum tomatoes; peeled, seeded and chopped finely

o Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a skillet; add cumin and mustard seeds
o After they start popping, add ginger, chillies, garlic; leave for 2 mins
o Add onions turn to med heat and fry for 10 mins; Then take away and let it cool
o Add onions, nut masala and plum tomatoes in a blender and puree
o Add 2 tbsp ghee in a skillet over med heat and when it sizzles add puree
o At this point you can start making kofta balls
o cook for 20-25 mins


For the croquettes(kofta)
12 oz chhenna (made with 3 qts milk)
1 tbsp each of cashew, pista, almonds
1 tbsp raisins
1 or 2 dried apricots
1 lg potato, boiled and grated
1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1 tsp cumin and 1tsp coriander powder sifted into besan

o Chop nuts, raisins and apricots in a coffee grinder
o Mix potato, 1 tsp salt and chhenna into a soft dough
o Oil your hands, Pat dough in your palm and spoon nut/fruit mixture in the center, then roll it into a ball or into bullet shape
o Mix besan, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp veg. oil with water to make a batter
o Dip kofta ball into batter and Fry in oil
o Lift and dry on paper towels
o Drop it into the sauce

Serve with Naan or over basmati rice

Chhenna / Paneer - Indian Cottage Cheese

I found instructions for making Chhenna and Paneer from the book: Milk - The surprising story of Milk through the ages by Anne Mendelson.

2 Quarts milk (whole milk works the best. Non-homogenized aka creamtop milk is the best option).
1/4 cups freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (strained)

o Pour the milk into a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat while keeping the milk stirred.
o When it starts boiling, remove from heat and add lemon/lime juice
o The milk should rapidly separate into clouds of white curd and greenish/yellow whey.
o Let stand for 8 to 10 mins;
o Line a strainer or colander with tight-woven cheesecloth or cotton cloth and put curds and whey into the cloth
o Tie the cloth and let it drain for a few mins
o Then put some weight (like can of soup/bean) on top of it and let drain for some more time
o This keeps for 3-4 days

Paneer
o If you press chhenna for 1-2 hours it becomes more densely packed.
o Then cube it and fry in ghee for a few mins; this is paneer

Brownies

Recipe from my friend Nogah Shmeltzer who credits this to her friend Bob Carroll

I have not tried this myself yet, but the Brownies that Nogah made using this recipe tasted very good.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg F
2. grease and flour 9x12 pan
3. Melt butter and chocolate; set aside
4. mix well eggs and sugar; add vanilla extract
5. combine melted chocolate and eggs mixture
6. add flour and mix well; add walnuts and chocolate chips
7. bake for 25 minutes
   

Lentil Dal recipes from nytimes

I found these lentil dal recipes: dal and soup from nytimes. I haven't tried them yet though.

Homemade Tomato Soup

Adapted from:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/homemade-tomato-soup-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups vegetable stock
  
• 1 yellow onion or 3 shallots, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, veg stock, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add basil and cream, if using. Take the bay leaf away. Puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth.

Okra Curry / Okra Raita

Okra Curry / Okra Raita

Okra Curry is a regular fixture in South Indian Vegetarian households, almost like cheese sandwiches in American households. This is a recipe that i sent to my son's class for a multi-ethnic recipe collection activity.


Ingredients

• 1/2 lb okra (full okra is preferable instead of the frozen ones. You can get them in Indian or Asian grocery stores at a lesser price and better quality than in supermarkets)
  
• 1 1/2 cups yogurt (non flavored variety). (optional)
  
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil (veg oil will do)
  
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (you can get them in indian grocery store. They are black in color)
  
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 dried red chilli crumpled or 1 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust according to desired spice level)
• 1 pinch asafoetida. (optionally)
  

Cooking method

• Wash okra before cutting (or it becomes gooey).
• Remove the stem part of the okra, the one that looks like a knob. Cut to 1/2 inch pieces
• Heat Oil in a sautee pan just until it starts smoking.
  
• Add mustard seeds. It will soon start cracking up in oil. Add Cumin seeds and chili pepper.
• Add okra pieces and start frying. The heat will caramelize the sugars in okra and make the vegetable nicely fried. Take off the heat when it is done and slightly crispy.
• You can add salt at the end.
• At this point , you can serve this as a side dish. It goes well with steamed rice or flatbreads like pita, tortilla, naan, roti etc.
• Raita:
  
• Optionally you can add yogurt to the okra and make raita which is a condiment or sauce that is similar to the greek tzatziki sauce. Raita should be served cold ideally and room temperature serving also works.
• Okra Raita can be used as a dip or you can use it in wraps or as a side dish. It goes well with a spicy dish as the yogurt balances the heat of the spicy dish.
  

Cooking Time - 10 minutes
Preparation Time - 15 minutes
Serves 4.

Thanksgiving Dinner: 2008

It was a very vegetarian and eclecting Thanksgiving Dinner this year. Here is the menu:

Appetizer

Breaded eggplant with Thai Chili Aioli
Wontons with Piquant Dip

Soup
Hot and Sour Soup

En tree
Stuffed Bell pepper and tomatoes
Gemili Pasta with Chili pepper and Tomatoes
Rice noodles with coconut curry sauce
Baked Potatoes
Fried Rice

Dessert
Fruits
Madagascar Vanilla Ice cream
Cardamom Ice cream

I will post the recipes of some of these items shortly.

Interesting vegan cooking blog

I found this interesting vegan blog.

Za'atar recipe

Adapted From Mark Bittman's book.

2 tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp ground sumac
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds (toast in a pan for 5-10 mins)
salt and pepper to taste
optionally add red chilies for heat (perhaps 10 of them)

Grind all in a coffee grinder, put in a covered cup and keep in fridge. Otherwise sesame could get rancid.

Use it for spicing soups, adding to humus, on top of toasted pita, adding to yogurt to make a quick dip, etc.

North African Couscous Soup

Adapted from Mark Bittman's book

The soup is very comforting and spicy for the winter months. The basic idea is veg stock + tomato paste providing the base with cumin or zataar and couscous providing the comforting texture. it is very simple and takes only around 20 mins to make

o 3 tbsp olive oil
o 1 small red onion minced
o 1/2 cup chopped celery or fennel (or use other veggies if these are not at hand)
o 2 quarts veg stock (or water)
o 1 cup couscous
o 3 tbsp tomato paste
o spice: 1tbsp zataar or 2 tsp powdered cumin (if using cumin also use 1 tsp thyme if avail)
o heat: 5 red chilies minced or pepper according to taste
o Put olive oil in saucepan, add onions and celery and cook until soft covered.
o put chilies or pepper and then add spices and leave for 2 mins
o then add couscous and toast the grains for 2 mins
o then add tomato paste mixing it with couscous
o finally add stock and bring to boil
o then simmer and leave for 10-15 mins

The soup can be made watery by reducing couscous. But it makes a good meal with 1 cup couscous.

Pad Thai - No Garlic, No Eggs, Vegetarian Version

This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's book.
Basic idea of Pad Thai is this:
o It is a dish made with flat rice noodles.
o When made with eggs it has eggs scrambled and cut into thin strips added to it. But this can be optional.
o It has tangy flavor that come from Thai sauces (like fish sauce). But the tanginess can be added through other means.
o It has beansprouts stir fried as well as added as garnish, which can provide the protein in lieu of eggs. Additionally Firm Tofu can also provide the protein.
o It has lime juice added to give the acid and the zing.
o The crumpled peanuts give the characteristic peanutty flavor for the dish.
Despite the long list, this is a very simple dish to make.

Recipe:
o 1 box (12 oz) dried flat rice noodles (wide cut)
o 2-5 tbsp oil
o 2 scallions minced
o 1 tbsp ginger (opt)
o 3 thai chilies, deseeded
o 1 cup bean sprouts
o 1/2 tub firm (or extra firm) tofu cut into cubes
o Seasoning Sauce: 2tbsp Soy sauce + 2 limes squeezed + lime zests + 2 tbsp brown sugar or jaggery
o 2 tbsp tamarind paste + 1 tbsp ketchup
o 2 tsp brown sugar
o 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
o 1/4 cup cilantro
o 1 lime cut to wedges

o Put noodles in boiling water until they are covered. soak for 15 mins and then drain them
o put oil in the wok, add scallions, tofu, ginger, chilies and 1/2 beansprouts and cook for 5 mins. transfer to a plate.
o heat oil again, add tamarind paste (+ ketchup), add noodles. After it is coated well, add seasoning sauce and cook for 2 mins.
o finally add tofu scallions, etc. to this noodles.
o mix well. garnish with rest of bean sprouts, cilantro, peanuts, etc. and serve.

Curried Coconut Soup with Lemongrass

I made several Thai dishes using recipes adapted from Mark Bittman's How to cook Everything Vegetarian book. I am happy to report that all of them came very well.

2 tbsp oil
1 large chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic (opt)
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
3-4 thai chilies, deseeded (dont mince it or it could get too spicy)
3 stalks lemon grass, peeled trimmed and minced
1 tbsp curry powder (MTR all purpose curry powder worked great for me)
1 quart veg stock (from store or homemade)
2 cups coconut milk (from 3/4 can of canned coconut milk)
2 tbsp soy sauce
Fresh Squeezed lime juice
Cilantro for garnish

o Peel skin, chop woody parts of lemongrass and mince the soft parts
o Put oil, add ginger, garlic, chilies, onion and sautee until soft; Then add lemongrass cook 2 mins, finally add curry powder and cook for 3 mins
o Then add stock and boil until raw flavor goes away
o Finally add coconut milk cook atleast 5 mins and until raw coconut flavor goes away
o You can strain the lemongrass stuff to get a smooth soup
o Before serving add soy sauce, lime juice, salt, pepper etc. and garnish with cilantro

This can be made quite spicy to clear your sinus. It is a great soup for the winter days. You can use low cholesterol coconut milk to make it healthy. This is quite easy to make and comes out flawless.

Quick Stir-Fried Snow Peas or Sugar Snap Peas - From Mark Bittman

Quick Stir-Fried Snow Peas or Sugar Snap Peas

There's nothing to this, but if your peas are fesh, it's sensational.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons peanut, canola, or other oil
• About 1 1/2 pounds snow or sugar snap peas, washed and trimmed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil (optional)

Method:

1. Place the oil in a large in a large, deep skillet or wok and turn the heat to high. When the oil begins to smoke, toss in the peas and cook, stirring almost constantly, until they are glossy, bright green and begin to show a few brown spots, about 5 minutes.

2. Turn off the heat and remove to a platter. Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil, if you like, and serve.

Lentil Soup

Makes 4 servings, takes 1 hour

1 cup dried lentils, washed and picked (Lentils = Masoori Dal in Indian Grocery Stores)
1 bay leaf
several sprigs fresh thyme or a few pinches dried
1 carrot (dice to 1/2 inches)
1 celery stalk (dice to 1/2 inches)
6 cups vegetable stock or water
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp EV Olive Oil
1 onion chopped
1 tsp minced garlic

o put lentils, bay leaf, thyme carrot, celery and stock in sauce/stock pan; sprinkle salt pepper, etc. Bring to boil then cook at low heat for 30 mins until lentils are tender; later fish out bay and thyme leaves
o put olive oil in a small skillet, add onions cook until soft for 5 mins then add garlic
o add the sauteed onions to soup

Pureed Lentil Soup can be made by using immersion blender after the soup cools; then the soup can be gently reheated

Italian Lentil Soup can be made by adding 1/2 cup short grain rice (arborio if avail) while the soup is cooking for 15 mins. then add 1 cup chopped tomatoes while sauteing onion

Vegetable Stock Recipes - From Mark Bittman's book

Here is a summary of the different stock recipes in the wonderful book from Mark Bittman

Simple and Easy Stock - 40 mins
2 carrots (chunks)
1 onion (quartered)
1 potato (chunks)
1 celery stalk chopped
2 or 3 garlic cloves
10 or 20 parsley stems
2 tbsp EV olive oil
6 cup water

o put everything into water and boil for 30 mins; then strain

1 Hour stock
o Ingredients same as above but you can add 5 to 10 sliced mushrooms
o first heat oil, put veggies (except parsley) for 5 mins then add water, parsley and boil for 1 hour
o finally add soy sauce (2 tbsp or more) and other seasonings like pepper, salt etc. as needed

Mushroom Stock
2 tbsp oil (grapeseed, corn, etc)
1 small onion, 2 shallots or 1 leek
2 carrots chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
salt, pepper
1 lb white mushrooms chopped
1 oz dried shiitake, porcini or chinese mushrooms or combo
10 - 20 parsley stems
2 bay leaves (opt)
o cook onions until soft then veggies for 10 mins or so in oil
o then sautee mushroom for 10 mins
o put water (2 quarts) with parsley and bay leaves, bring to boil then med heat cook for 30 mins

Semia pulao

Adapted from the above link.

Ingredients:

Vermicelli – 1 ½ cup

Veggies:

Green beans- ½ cup

Med size carrot- 1

Peas and lima beans – ½ cup together

Small potatoe-1

Masala:

Ginger and Optionally Garlic

Med green chilies- 4 to 5

Large onion-1

Bay leaves -3

spices to dry grind:

Cinnamon sticks-2

Cloves-5

Cardamom-3

Cilantro

Lemon

Few cashews (optional)

3 cup stock or water to cook

Procedure:

o Fry vermicelli in oil and set aside

o Fry onions, chilies, ginger, bay leaves

o Add spices, veggies, fry and cook for 10 mins till veggies are crisp

o Add 1 cup water and cook veggies for 5 mins

o add vermicelli and stock or water and cook for another 5-10 mins

o you can modify the recipe using pulao masala or adjusting spices.

Sodium content of foods

This link
(pdf version) has a good food list with their sodium content

recipes from hare krishna website

This site has a number of clean recipes. Im going to try them out and post comments.
http://www.harekrsna.com/practice/prasadam/recipes/rice15.htm

Hearty Homemade Ministrone Soup

Key to making a hearty ministrone soup is:

• lots of veggies
• tomato base (you can make it or buy pasta tomato sauce/ marinara sauce)
• little pasta or rice for carbs
• beans (cannelini or other beans) for protein

Recipe:
You can really adjust this based on your needs and taste but here is the general outline

• Cut your veggies, whatever you have in the fridge frozen or otherwise. you could use for example: 1 potato, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 cup spinach, 1 head brocolli, 1 cup beans, red or green peppers, etc.
  
• Make Miropoix, [50% onions, 25% Carrots, 25% Celery] first, may be with 1 large onion, 1 celery, 4 carrots all chopped in a chunky way and sauted in EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) after adding some garlic for flavoring
• Then sautee the veggies adding a batch at a time as the veggies cook. Put hard veggies first (like beans, potato etc.) and then the softer ones (spinach, corn).
• Add seasoning (italian seasoning 2-3 tsp or oregano or parsley etc.). it is good to have oregano in the mix so you get a punchy souplike flavor
• Add some water (1-2 cups) and then the pasta. Pasta needs about 5-10 mins to cook. Other carbs could take less time. But they are cooking with the veggies and later with tomatos when the sauce is added.
• Then add tomato sauce. You could use marinara sauce like the one above or any other tomato or tomato basil sauce. You can use up leftover sauces in the fridge as well. Add as needed, for example 1 jar full of sauce will be good. You could also make yours with tomato paste and raw tomatos.
  
• Leave it to set in and cook for about 20 minutes in medium to high heat. Stir occasionally so it doesnt burn.
  
• You could top it with some fresh tomatoes and fresh herbs like basil.
  

You get a hearty soup that will be a meal in itself. You can have it with toasted and crusty bread like sourdough, ciabatta, pugliese, etc.

Making Indian Filter Coffee in the US

If you go about making authentic Indian Filter coffee in the US, you are sure to stumble into some roadblocks. I have searched the net many times to get practical and specific advice but with no luck. So far, i have tried the Coffee Makers, French Press, etc. None of them come with the same flavor as making coffee with the Filter brought from India.


I was told that the nearest approximation can be achieved by using Columbian coffee (Columbian Supremo from Costco or Columbian Narino Supremo from Starbucks, etc.) and grinding the beans to "Turkish" setting. There are also blends available from Wholefoods (Cauveri, Mysore, etc.)

The problem as i found out is not so much in the beans. The columbian coffees are darker roasts than the ones you find in south india. I grew up drinking Narasu's coffee, specifically the Peaberry blend (PB) as in here: (narasu's coffee website)


Narasu's PB blend is made from Peaberry's which are much more expensive (as only a fraction of the coffee plant output apparently yields pea sized berries and the rest are bigger berries). But the Columbian beans will do reasonably well. Kumud Groceries in Cupertino was actually selling this same coffee for $5.99 for about 1/2 a pound, which is actually a bargain.

The only problem is they often run out of stock and if you are a coffee lover you will know that once coffee is roasted it starts losing flavor from then on, even if the coffee is sealed airtight. Powdered coffee loses flavor even faster.

So as i was saying, the problem is not in the beans, it is in the grind.
Rule #1: do not use the coffee grinder in the store if you expect any reasonable drink out of the coffee you are buying.

The store grinders often are used for flavored coffees despite having separate grinders. The actual grind almost always do not match the setting in the grinder. So if you use them, and you will have one of the 2 results:
o Decoction doesn't percolate. All the water stays up in the top compartment.
o Docoction runs through very quickly resulting in watery coffee with no strength.

The following procedure worked for me:
o Buy columbian beans or something else with a lighter roast.
o In Peet's coffee grind it in the 3 setting (1 point finer than the grind they use for espresso which is 4)
o In Starbucks grind it in the same setting as espresso or ask them 1 level finer than that.

Turkish grind makes the coffee into superpowder. This will not work well in the Filter.

I am continuing to experiment with the coffees and the grinds. I am planning to buy a Burr grinder and will blog my future Indian Coffee experience.

Thanksgiving Dinner!

Today Thanksgiving Dinner menu was:

• Fried Tomatos with Chipotle Aioli


• Veggie Kebobs with spicy honey-cumin glaze


• Mint Pulao


• Fruit Custard Dessert

Fried Tomatoes

• 3-4 large tomatoes (beef stake tomatoes will do good as they are fleshy and large)


• All purpose flour


• Panko Bread Crumbs


• Yogurt or Kefir


• Oil to Fry

This is a fairly simple dish.

Cut tomatoes to about 2 inch thick slices. Sprinkle some salt on tomatos to draw out water. Pat tomatoes with paper towel to make them dry. Water in the frying ingredients will lead to a greasy food as water draws oil during frying rendering the dish very oily. 30 mins of leaving aside will make the tomatoes fairly dry.

Keep flour, kefir, breadcrumbs in 3 separate plates.

Put tomatoes in the plate of flour, then in the kefir/yogurt plate then in the bread crumb plate, coating the veggie very well.

Put it in a shallow fry pan with some oil and fry both sides.

Immediately transfer to paper towel or newspaper to draw out excess oil. You can also pat the slice in paper towel to get an oil free dish.

Serve with Chipotle Aioli.

Chipotle Aioli

Although the cookbooks recommend Aioli to be made with egg yolks etc. For me, the egg free Mayonaisse from Trader Joe's works wonderfully with the same taste. This is a very simple dish to make and you can use it as a dip for fried foods, chips and for sandwiches.

• 1-2 tbsp of chipotle peppers (you can get these in grocery stores as canned food, comes along with Adobo sauce, which is a tomato sauce. Choose the brand with less sodium)


• 3 tbsp mayonnaise


• 1-2 tbsp lime/lemon juice


• 2 tbsp oil


• 2 tbsp panko bread crumbs

Just put all these ingredients in the blender and blend. adjust texture, heat and lemon juice to taste. Add salt if needed. This should not come out runny but should be like somewhat of a thick dip.

Vegetable Kabobs with Honey Cumin Glaze

• about 7-10 Bamboo skewers. You can get them in grocery stores, they are cheap. Soak them for 20 mins or more so they wont burn.


• Veggies:


• Various peppers (orange, red, yellow, green, etc.) cut into 2 inch triangular slices


• Cauliflower: cut them rather large as it is somewhat tricky to put them on to the skewer if they are small.


• Onions: cut them into 2-3 inch long slices suitable for skewering


• Pineapple cubes 2-3 inch


• Paneer optionally


• You can also include other veggies like potatoes, brocolli, etc.


• Glaze:


• 2 tbsp lime/lemon juice


• 1 tbsp veg. oil


• 1-2 tbsp honey


• 3-5 red chile peppers


• 1 tsp cumin


• 1 tsp pepper

o Prepare glaze by powdering cumin, pepper and peppers. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them adding salt as needed.

o Build skewers by stringing veggies into the sticks.

o use a brush to coat veggies with glaze

o Grill the skewers on the gas burner set at medium. You can put a steel wire rack on the gas burner to help with the grilling. Keep turning the skewers occasionally. You can put 2 skewers on the burner at a time. Apply glaze occasionally.

About making Pasta in NYTimes

This article says pasta must be made with lots and lots of vegetables or lots of sauce
and less pasta. that way we get less carbs and more of veggies, etc.

I agree very much with this. I made this pasta recipe today:

Farfale (bowtie) with lots of veggies

o 1 diced onion
o 2 or 3 med size tomatoes chopped coarsely
o 2 zucchinis julienned and cut to 2 inches
o 1 cup baby spinach
o 1 cup boiled chick peas
o 1 cup broccolis and cauliflower florets
o 3 carrots diced
o 1 bell pepper diced

o 2 cups of basil chopped
o 1 tsp oregano
o 1 tsp pasta seasoning (trader joes. contains no salt with lime rinds, basil, soonf etc.)
o 2 tsp chili flakes
o 1 tsp pepper


o boil chick peas in 2 cups of water and set aside
o Cook farfale and set aside
o saute onions in 1 tbsp olive oil, pepper and chili flakes
o add carrots and saute, then add bell pepper then add zucchinis then add broccolis then spinach progressively as the veggies are done. cover for 10 mins.
o Then add seasonings and 1 cup of basil.
o Finally add chickpeas
o Then add chopped tomatoes
o Finally add farfale, mix well cook for 5 mins.
o Salt can be added as pasta cooks, as veggies cook etc.
o For low salt cooking, salt can also be added finally to the finished dish.

This is a hearty dish with good mix of carbs and protein and veggies.

Namaste

meaning of namaste, probably taken from some upanishad verse from:
http://www.californiayoga.com/new_to_yoga.php

I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides, I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace.

I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.

Kadalai Masal

This is a receipe for a snack that i used to have at Erode in a roadside cart( i believe at valaiyakara st). The cart had a lot of customers usually lining up well before the vendor started business. And the preparation time included cutting onions and tomotoes in front of you. It took a long time, atleast 45 minutes, there was no seating, except for the bicycles ofcourse. But the taste of the Kadalai Masal made it all well worth it.

There are 2 variants: Kadalai Masal and Thayir Masal. Thayir masal is cooler but the heat can be adjusted by adding hot chutney on top. You start by making 3 chutneys: coriander chutney, red chili chutney, coconut spice chutney.

coriander chutney:
o 1 cup of coriander leaves
o 2 green chilies for heat
o you can add 2 jalapeno peppers after deseeding and removing veins. deseeding completely removes heat from the peppers and adding only the flavor.
o blend these with very little water with 1 tsp salt

red chili chutney:
o 6 red dried chilies
o 1 tbsp coriander seeds
o 1 tsp salt
o optionally 4 tbsp cut onion
o blend them to a paste in a blender adding very little water

coconut chutney:
o 1/2 cup frozen or fresh coconut
o 1 tbsp soonf seeds
o 2 green chilies
o blend them to a past with 1 tsp salt

Kadalai Masal:
o 1/2 cup of finely diced onions
0 1/2 cup of finely diced tomatoes
o 2 tbsp coriander and coconut chutneys; 1 tbsp chili chutney
o toss all these together and then toss in 1 cup masala peanuts (or bonda kadalai)
and 1 cup of crumpled indian snacks like ribbon pakoda or thattai or murukku etc.

Thayir Masal:
Same as above but add 2 tbsp yogurt. and 1 tbsp red chili chutney for extra heat.

The amount of chutneys can be adjusted to get the desired effect of heat or spice or creaminess.
Peanuts and snacks should be fresh to deliver the best taste. I buy my snacks at Saravana Bhavan at Sunnyvale.

This will be a guaranteed party hit if done well.

Potato masala

This can be made chunky, pasty or watery depending on the application. It can be
accompaniment to poori, chapathi, dosa etc. Or you can make sandwiches out of the masala.

• 4 large potatoes (boiled)
• 2 large onions (chopped medium size)
• 4-5 green chilies (slit long strips..)
• 2 tsps channa dhal, mustard, hing
  
• 1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
  
• 1 tsp chana dal flour
  
• optional: curry leaves, cilantro leaves
  
• salt to taste..

1. Cut potatoes into 4 pieces, boil them and peel the skins
2. Cut 1 or 2 potatoes into small chunks and mash the rest
3. Sprinkle turmeric on potatoes and set aside
   
4. Heat oil, fry channa dhal until golden brown. add dash of hing and crackle mustard and add ginger and green chilies
   
5. Add onions and saute
6. add curry leaves optionally
   
7. Finally add potatoes and cook
8. When it is about to be done, add chana dal flour to 1/2 cup of water (upto 4 cups depending on the texture you need)

This can be made chunky or watery depending on application. YOu can use it for chapati, dosa, poori etc. You can use it as a sandwich filling as well or make wraps out of it.

spinach kootu

(slightly modified from the above recipe from bawarchi)

Spinach Kootu
Ingredients
Moong Daal -- 1/2 cup
chana dal - 1/2 cup
Baby spinach (or normal spinach)--- 0.75 Oz (340 gm)/1 bag
Cumin seeds (jeera) -- 3 teaspoons
Grated coconut -- 6 teaspoons
Pepper -- 1 teaspoon
Green chillis -- 4 (or less if u want it less spicy)

For Seasoning :Red chillis -- 2 , Mustard -- 1 teaspoon , and cooking oil -- 1 teaspoona teaspoon of salt & Asafoetida (Hing--in hindi , Inguaa--in telugu, Perungayam -- in tamil)
Method :
Boil Moong Dal and chana dal spinach in the cooker and allow 2 whistles. (can be put in the same vessel)
Grind the green chillis, pepper , coconut gratings , cumin seeds.
In a wide mouthed vessel (kadai) pour 2 t-spoons of cooking oil and season with mustard and red chillis.
Now add the cooked Dal-spinach mixture and put salt and the above paste.
Let it cook for 5 mins....stirring in regular intervals.----IMP
Now add a pinch of Asafoetida.

aloo gobi masala

Aloo Gobi Masala

This recipe is from bawarchi.com

Ingredients

4 Nos.- Medium sized potatoes
1/4 kg- Gobi
1No- Tomato
2 tsp.- curd.
1 tsp.- chilli powder
1 tsp.- dhania powder
1/2 tsp.- Jeera powder
1/2 tsp.- haldi
Hing.
3 tsp.- cooking oil
Salt and Coriander leaves.
( if you require the dish to be spicy you can added chillipowder as per your taste.)

Method:

1. Peel the Aloo and cut in cubes of 1 inch.
2. Cut the Gobi into small sizes.
3. Put the oil in a kadai and add the chilli powder, Jeera powder, dhania powder, Hing, and haldi.
4. Immediately add the Aloo cubes. When all the Aloo pieces are nicely coated with the mixture, add the Gobi.
5. Stir well, add salt and little water and cover the kadia and allow to in low flame
6. When cooked, add tomato ( cut into wedges) and the curds and stir well for about 1 min.
7. Remove from flame and nicely decorate with finely chopped coriander leaves.

crouton recipe

i looked it up in joy of cooking. it is:
cut bread into small pieces. sprinkle olive oil or butter (salt if needed).
spread on a baking sheet and bake for 374 deg F. for 12-15 mins until the croutons turn golden brown.

pav bhaji, bread peas masala recipes

bread peas masala recipe is at: http://www.hemant-trivedis-cookery-corner.com/curry/spicy-peas-masala-curry.html

from bawarchi:

http://www.bawarchi.com/cookbook/mealsnack2.html

http://www.bawarchi.com/contribution/contrib3843.html

from wikipedia:
pav bhaji recipe

i adapted recipe from wikipedia and it came out well.

3 red tomatoes; large and chopped roughly

2 med size red onions; large and chopped roughly

1/2 pound or 3 potatoes; boiled, peeled and mashed

1 cup cauliflower florets, boiled and mashed

1 cup carrots, boiled and mashed

1/2 cup green peas

6 green chillies, deseeded and chopped

1/2 inch ginger chopped 2 garlic chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon cumin (powder coriander and cumin)

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons pav bhaji masala [optional]

2 tbsp oil

50g butter

a handful of chopped coriander leaves

salt to taste

Heat oil in a huge wok/saucepan. Puree tomatoes, onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic in a blender. Add the puree to the wok alongwith the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, salt and garam masala. Sautee the mixture for 10 mins till it acquires a rich, roasted colour. Add all the vegetables, stir well and simmer on low heat for 50 mins. You may add water if you desire a thinner consistency.

Viewing Tamil web pages

Im still researching this topic and i will update this post as i find out more on this.

There are 2 things to consider when viewing Non-English content like Tamil:

a) Encoding
b) Font

There are various encoding schemes. For example, in Firefox, i have seen Tamil web pages requiring one of the following:
o user defined
o Unicode - UTF 8
o Western - Windows-1252

The webpages and content are at the end of the day stored as a stream of bytes.
Encoding is the format which which the language is represented in these bytes. For example,
ASCII is the standard encoding for english and in that: A is represented using number 65.

User defined, Western etc. are not standard encodings. They are whatever the web page writer chose for representing their content. Unicode UTF 8 on the other hand is standard.

Font:
Given an encoding, a font is used to map a byte in the webpage to a letter symbol drawn on the screen. The font and the encoding are related. When you say unicode font for example, you mean a font that can render content encoded in Unicode format.

Im going to document the fonts that i know of for rendering Tamil in this post.

Vikatan.com: This uses a true type font: http://www.vikatan.com/vikat_tm.ttf
It uses "Western - Windows-1252" encoding. Font config for vikatan is documented at:
http://www.vikatan.com/trouble.asp

kumudam:

dinamani:

FONTS:

Latha: This is a unicode font. I do not like this font. This doesnt show tamil in its natural written form. This is new fangled and confusing.


OS:
Windows XP: Unicode Support for Tamil is not installed by Default in XP. you need to add it by using the procedure described here:

For Windows XP, getting additional languages installed is as follows:

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Regional Options and Language Options.

Vista: Vista supposedly comes with out of the box support for Tamil.

Browsers:

Firefox: Firefox falls back to the operating system for Unicode fonts.

IE: IE has built in support for Unicode and do not have to fall back to the OS.



References:
this site: http://www.alanwood.net/unicode/index.html
has very good information on unicode settings, browser configs, etc.

WALTT: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/plc/tamilweb/

Best Unicode Tamil Webpage to view and test: Tamil Wikipedia