The subdued shades of green, so dominant throughout the summer months, in our gardens and at farmer’s markets, are quickly being replaced with fantastic bursts of golden yellow and brilliant orange. Acorn, butternut, crooked neck, hubbard, and kabocha are some of the different squash varieties, which can easily be substituted for each other in your favourite squash recipes. This creamy textured squash and red lentil dal will guarantee to provide warmth as the autumn chill arrives. Toss in a generous handful of chopped spinach or bitter greens near the end of cooking to add more vegetables to the dish. It is worth searching out fragrant fresh curry leaves, whose aroma will nicely blanket your kitchen, and whose flavour, I promise, you will quickly find addictive! Serve with rice as a light meal or all on its own as a satisfying soup.
2 ½ cups squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
¾ cup split red lentils (masoor dal)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp cayenne or chile powder
4 cups of water
1 cup of canned coconut milk
1 to 1 ½ tsp salt
Tempering
2 shallots or 1 small onion, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 branch (8-10 leaves) fresh curry leaves
2 dried red chiles
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
Instructions
Put squash, red lentils, spice powders and water into a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil and skim off scum. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Add salt and check to see that both squash and lentils are cooked. If not, cook for another 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in one cup of canned coconut milk.
Prepare the tempering:
Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat in a small frying pan. Add mustard seeds. When they begin to pop add sliced shallots, curry leaves and dried red chiles. Cook for 5 minutes or until the shallots are light brown and translucent. Add the chopped garlic and cook for a minute. Spoon all of the tempering mixture into the dal. Adjust seasoning, if needed.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve.
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NOTE: This was originally posted on my blog on September 26, 2011
My weekly basket from Teamwork CSA has been overflowing with fantastic organic produce; cobs of corn, cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, onions, radishes, and the most perfect bright green coriander. Throughout the summer the following three recipes have made their way onto my plate at various separate meals. However, this past week they all finally met, introduced themselves to each other, mingled on my thali and in my mouth resulting in a flavourful, light and immediately satisfying meal. In an effort to try and keep summer from leaving us I plan to make this meal at least a couple more times in the following weeks.
The great thing about walking the streets of Delhi is happening upon a random roadside food stall. Typically it is either someone selling some variation of chaat , chai or cooking something over coals. There was one vendor I would occasionally visit who would change his simple menu with the seasons. Most memorable was his winter dish of boiled sweet potato which caramelized as it was reheated over the coals. A close second was his monsoon special of aromatic bhuna bhutta (roasted corn). He would take fresh cobs of corn and slowly roast them until the outside was a deep brown. He would then dip a wedge of lemon into a chilli/salt mixture and liberally spread it all over the cob. I loved getting the heat from the spices and the smokiness from the grilling. I always anticipated the juicy tender kernels of the sweet corn that my family would buy from the Mennonite farms in our area (when in Ontario) but would find the kernels from the street vendor slightly chewier than I would prefer (due to the variety of corn grown around Delhi).
Ingredients
1 or 2 cobs of corn per person, shucked and well cleaned
3 tbsp chaat masala
¼ wedge of lime per cob of corn
finely chopped coriander
salt, and pepper if desired
dental floss for afterwards!!
Instructions
Preheat grill/ barbeque until very hot. Place cobs of corn over medium high heat and grill for 10-15 minutes. The corn needs to be periodically rotated so that it all cooks evenly. The kernels should be nicely browned or even just lightly blackened. As the corn cooks, mix cayenne, cumin and smoky paprika in a shallow bowl. Cut limes into quarters. Remove the corn from grill and set aside. Take a lime wedge and lightly press each cut side into the spice mixture.
Quick Homemade Chaat Masala
If you do not have chaat masala you can simply make a quick spice mixture with the following spices:
Tbsp cayenne (reduce cayenne if you prefer less ‘heat’)
Tbsp ground cumin
Tbsp ground paprika
Notes
If you prefer, you can pre boil the corn and then grill, if desired. But the grilling times will be reduced to about 5-8 minutes.
The best version of this recipe that I tasted was shared with me by Aggi, the owner of The Cozy Nook Resort on Palolem beach in South Goa. I’m not sure if it was the slow burning sunset, the bottles of beer or the conversation of remaining longer on this paradise beach but the balance of flavours of Aggi’s chutney were well balanced and fantastic. The chutney is typically served with Portuguese inspired bread rolls, pau, a buttermilk-like soft roll. On occasion, I reduce the amount of coconut and increase the amount of coriander to make a somewhat looser chutney. I then spread it in the opening of a small fish, like red snapper, then broil or grill it for a simple meal.
Ingredients
2 cups coriander leaves
½ cup grated coconut, fresh or frozen (unsweetened desiccated can be used in a pinch)
2 green cayenne chillies
1 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp ginger
4 tbsp tamarind liquid or chutney
1 tsp jaggery or sugar
Juice of 2 limes
Salt, to taste
Instructions
Roughly chop the coriander. Place all ingredients in a blender. Puree for a minute. Scrape down the sides of the blender bowl with a spatula to incorporate all of the ingredients. Puree again. If you find that the mixture is not becoming a fine paste, add some water, a tablespoon each time, to get the ingredients to blend well. You may need to add up to 3-4 tbsp of water depending on your blender. The texture of the chutney should be similar to a pesto. Refrigerate for 2 days.
Kachumber (or kachoomber) salad is typically a small dice of cucumber, tomato and onion accented with some chile and ground cumin, occasionally mixed with yogurt raita style, and served as a side dish to a meal- whether a simple paratha, dal, biryani or curry. There are many regional variations all over India. I love eating salads, but slightly chunkier and perhaps more ‘Western’ in style.
Ingredients
1 cup tomatoes (preferably heirloom), cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces
¾ cup red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup bell pepper (preferably yellow, red or a mixture), cored, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces
5 radishes, thinly sliced
1 green cayenne chile, finely chopped
1tsp cumin seeds, toasted, finely ground
salt and pepper, to taste
juice of 1 lime (2-3 tbsp)
¼ cup coriander leaves, roughly torn or chopped
2 tbsp cup mint, roughly torn or chopped
Instructions
Place cut vegetables, chile and herbs in a large bowl and season with ground cumin (to your taste), salt and pepper. Sprinkle with lime juice and toss well and serve immediately.
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NOTE: This was originally posted on my blog India On My Plate September 21, 2011
In the fall of 2008 I travelled from Delhi to Turin, Italy to participate in Terra Madre, Slow Food’s conference that happens every few years and brings together food artisans, activists and many others concerned about safeguarding and promoting all aspects of food cultures from around the world. There I met some of the Slow Food Canada contingent, one of them being Lulu Cohen-Farnell of Real Food for Real Kids (check them out as they are doing great work with school lunches in Toronto). She told me about an article that she had recently read about a group of monks in India feeding schoolchildren in different states throughout India. Upon my return I found the article online and read that the foundation was called Akshaya Patra and it originated and was associated with the ISKCON temple in Bangalore. I was unable to visit any of their cooking centres until a few years later on a trip to the city of Puri, in the eastern state of Orissa. Here is an article, with a photo slideshow, I wrote about their school lunch program for the online website Zester Daily.
This week throughout the world various religious celebrations have brought family and friends together: Muslims celebrating Eid and Hindus worshipping the elephant God Lord Ganesh with the festival Ganesha Chaturthi. Although I do not practice either religion I still felt it necessary to get some old and new friends together for a celebration.
A slight chill in the air has arrived indicating soon summer will abruptly end. But there is still much work and harvesting to be done in the farmer’s fields. Ripe heirloom tomatoes, multi-coloured beets, fragrant golden apricots and an organic chicken shaped the menu with my friends: a beet, tomato, cumin salad; fenugreek chicken curry; and poached apricots scented with cardamom and saffron.
For the beet and tomato salad I decided to use golden and ruby beets. In order to preserve their colour each beet variety needs to be cooked separately. Similarly, I used a few varieties of heirloom tomatoes. It is important to try and cut them roughly the same size. Don’t worry if you cannot find fenugreek sprouts as other seedlings can easily be substituted.
Ingredients
1 lb. beets (small or medium sized are preferred)
1 lb. tomatoes
½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
3 spring onions, finely chopped
½ cup fenugreek sprouts or micro green sprouts such as radish or sunflower
¼ cup coriander, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Place beets in a large sized pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium high and cook for about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool for about 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Use your hands or paring knife to peel the beets. Cut beets into bite sized wedges or pieces. Place in bowl with cut tomatoes.
While the beets are cooking, core tomatoes and cut into bite sized pieces. Place in a large bowl.
Sprinkle cumin, salt and pepper over cut vegetables. Toss in lemon juice, spring onions and sprouts. Mix the salad well and adjust seasoning if needed.
This Punjabi chicken dish is one of my favourites. It is a great dish to serve large groups. I learned how to make it with dried fenugreek leaves, known as kasoori methi. If you are fortunate to get your hands on some fresh fenugreek leaves substitute one large bunch for the dried fenugreek. Simply wash and roughly chop the fresh leaves and proceed as normal for the remainder of the recipe (no need to soak the fresh leaves as required with the dried ones).
Ingredients
1 kg boneless chicken thighs (breast can also be used)
1 ½ cups diced onion
3 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
3 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
8 green cayenne chillies, slit lengthwise
1 box (25 grams) dried fenugreek (kasoori methi)
6 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
5 green cardamoms
1 bay leaf
½ to 1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 cup diced tomatoes (if using canned, do not add liquid from can)
1 cup yogurt
½ to 1 cup water
Salt, to taste (approx. 1 ½ tsp)
For Garnish:
A generous pinch of garam masala
2 tbsp ginger, julienned
¼ cup coriander, roughly chopped
Instructions
Place dried fenugreek in a medium bowl and cover with water. Rehydrate for 20-30 minutes. Drain, discard water and lightly squeeze out any remaining moisture.
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions and cook for 10 minutes or until they are golden brown. Lower heat to medium and stir in ginger, garlic and slit chillies. Cook for 2 minutes. Add whole and ground spices. Cook for another couple of minutes. Add rehydrated fenugreek (or fresh, if using) and tomatoes. Stir fry for a few more minutes. Add chicken, some salt, and cook for another 5 minutes or until most of the pieces have turned white and lost their raw colour.
Stir in yogurt. Add enough water to almost cover the chicken pieces. Cover the pot and bring the curry to a good simmer. Leave the cover slightly ajar, lower the heat and gently for another 15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Adjust seasoning, if needed and garnish with julienned ginger, pinch of garam masala and roughly chopped coriander. Serve with basmati rice, naan or fresh whole wheat chapattis.
This is an easy and light dessert. Scented with cardamom and saffron, it can be made with fresh or dried apricots. I like serving it with ice cream or thickened yogurt and a homemade gingersnap cookie.
Ingredients
1 pound fresh apricots (or 18-21 dried apricots)
3 cups water
¾ cup sugar
10 green cardamom pods
Pinch of saffron
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
Place sugar, water and lemon juice (if using) in a medium or large sized pot. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.
While the syrup is coming to a boil remove seeds from the cardamom pods. Discard husks. Place seeds, pinch of saffron in a mortar and pestle and pound to a fine powder. Add to the sugar syrup.
Halve and deseed the apricots. Add to the spiced sugar syrup and bring the syrup back to a boil.
When it has reached the boil, cover and turn off the heat. Set aside and let the apricots steep for about 30 minutes.
Serve warm with thickened yogurt, ice cream or rice pudding- and gingersnap cookies.
Notes
If making in advance, put apricots and syrup in a container to cool and for storage in the fridge.
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NOTE: This was originally posted on my blog India On My Plate September 02, 2011
Last Sunday strolling through the Landsdowne Farmer’s Market I happened upon a stall selling some gorgeous tiny pear-shaped organic eggplant, about 3 inches high, variegated with white and deep purple. Unfortunately the young vendor was unsure of the variety name and provenance. The day before I had just made some eggplant pickle, which these would have been perfect for, but I already had an idea of what I was going to prepare.
Tuesday night’s meal was bittersweet. My wife was happy to see this dish on our table that night as it is a favourite of hers. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about what possibly could be soon served on thalis throughout India. Earlier that day, under the chairmanship of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the BRAI bill (Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India) was approved and is expected to be tabled in the current session of Parliament. Under the proposed bill the Federal government will hold the power to override any State-level acts and regulations with respect to GMOs throughout the country. The bill can clear any GM foods, despite the concerns raised against them.
Such a bill threatens food safety, the environment and the right to choose what one eats. Just last year, when genetically modified eggplant was initially approved by the Indian parliament as part of the US-India Agricultural Knowledge Initiative farmers, State governments, GM activists, and ordinary citizens raised concerns that its introduction would lead to an increase in monoculture and a decrease in eggplant varieties. The Indian government was forced to place a temporary moratorium on the GM eggplant. However now it seems that they prefer not to listen to their citizens, the very ones who elected them.
Why should you be concerned about this, not living in India? India is the world’s largest producer of brinjal/ aubergine/ eggplant in the world growing more than 4,000 varieties. Local farmers often choose a variety that meets their regional needs and preferences and is best suited to their specific local ecosystems. Recent history has demonstrated that when governments give larger corporations such power in agriculture there is not only a decrease in plant variety but also the small farmer and consumer are the ones who directly end up feeling the negative effects. India’s infrastructure is not yet as well planned as, say China’s. But it will be. Come that day, in this globalised world, these GM eggplants will eventually make it to North American and European supermarkets. You can make your voice heard by signing a petition which asks the Indian government to stop the passing of this bill.
This recipe is Bengali influenced. Typically it is pan fried (great for the colder months) but I have decided to grill it. If you do not have mustard oil I have suggested some other types. I have also decided to use Spanish smoky paprika. I find it adds a nice spicy, smoky level to the dish. Don’t worry if you do not have it as regular paprika and cayenne powder are normally used. Lastly, although not actually done in Bengal, I have added a drizzle of browned butter. I normally use some ghee, which I let the whey get browned to give it a nutty flavor. However when I am out I simply do a quick browned butter to get the same flavor. I particularly love this dish because as people serve themselves the eggplant the spices coating it begins to mingle with the tart yogurt and not only produce some lovely colours but also some great flavours.
Ingredients
1 large eggplant or 2 Japanese eggplant (or similar amount of small eggplants)
1 tbsp mustard seed oil (or Indian sesame oil or vegetable oil)
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp smoky Spanish paprika (or ¼ tsp paprika and ¼ tsp cayenne powder)
¾ cup plain yogurt
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
1-2 tsp browned ghee or butter (optional)
pinch of cayenne powder (optional)
Instructions
Preheat grill.
Cut eggplant crosswise into rounds of about ¾ of an inch. Place in a large bowl or casserole dish.
In a small bowl, mix together oil, turmeric, and Spanish paprika. Pour over eggplant and rub spices into flesh of eggplant. Marinate for 10 minutes.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together yogurt, lemon juice, sugar, and salt to taste. Keep aside.
When the grill is hot, season each side of eggplant with salt and pepper. Place eggplant rounds onto oiled grill. Cook for about 2 minutes and then lift each piece and turn at a 45 degree angle. !Cook for 1 minute then turn each piece over. Cook for another 2 minutes and then turn each piece again at a 45 degree angle. This technique will help give you a nice cross mark look on the eggplant.
Spoon yogurt into a medium sized shallow plate of bowl. Arrange the warm eggplant over the yogurt. Drizzle browned butter over eggplant/yogurt, if using. Garnish with coriander and a pinch of cayenne powder. Serve immediately.
How to brown butter:
Heat a thick bottomed small saucepan on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of butter in the pan. Stir until melted. In a couple of minutes the butter will begin to foam and then the foam will briefly subside. !Little bits of browned whey will appear and the butter will take on a nutty aroma. Pour hot butter into a small container to cool.
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NOTE: This was originally posted on my blog India On My Plate on August 18, 2011.
The subdued shades of green, so dominant throughout the summer months, in our gardens and at farmer’s markets, are quickly being replaced with fantastic bursts of golden yellow and brilliant orange. Acorn, butternut, crooked neck, hubbard, and kabocha are some of the different squash varieties, which can easily be substituted for each other in your favourite squash recipes. This creamy textured squash and red lentil dal will guarantee to provide warmth as the autumn chill arrives. Toss in a generous handful of chopped spinach or bitter greens near the end of cooking to add more vegetables to the dish. It is worth searching out fragrant fresh curry leaves, whose aroma will nicely blanket your kitchen, and whose flavour, I promise, you will quickly find addictive! Serve with rice as a light meal or all on its own as a satisfying soup.
