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.
Also known as tamarind chutney or saunth this tart, spicy and slightly sweet sauce is an essential ingredient to spoon over various street chaats or to serve as a dipping sauce for pakoras or samosas. The tamarind sauce will keep refrigerated for several weeks in a well sealed glass jar.
Carefully cut the tamarind block into eight equal pieces. Place the tamarind into a deep medium-sized bowl and cover with the hot water. Let soften for five minutes and then use a potato masher, back of the spoon or even your hands to break and mash the pulp pieces. The tamarind pulp will begin to dissolve into the water and separate from the fibrous husk and seeds. Soak the tamarind for 20 more minutes. Strain the pulpy water through a fine meshed strainer, using the back of a spoon (or your hands) to extract as much pulp as possible. Discard the fibrous husk remaining in the strainer.
Finishing the Tamariand Chutney
Place the strained tamarind pulp, jaggery, roasted and ground spices, and salt into a saucepan. !Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes. The mixture should be slightly thickened and shiny. If the mixture becomes too thick, add water as necessary. If it's too thin, bring the mixture back to a boil for a couple of minutes to let some of the water evaporate.
Notes
Jaggery is dehyrdated sugar cane juice primarily made by small cultivators in rural villages. It has a smoky caramel flavour which is hard to substitute, although brown or dermera sugar is the closest equivalent.
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NOTE: This was originally posted on my blog India On My Plate on August 12, 2011
Variations of this refreshing chutney are ubiquitous among street food vendors in all corners of India. Although its bright colour and flavour are best when freshly made it can be refrigerated for up to a day.
Ingredients
2 cups coriander leaves
1 cup mint leaves
½ cup medium onion, diced
½ cup tomatoes or 1 Roma tomato, diced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons sugar
3 green chillies, seeded chopped
Salt to taste
4-6 tablespoons water
½-1 teaspoon chaat masala (optional)
Instructions
Pick the mint and coriander leaves from the stems. Roughly chop the leaves to make the blending process easier.
Place the tomatoes, onions, chillies, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and chopped herbs into a blender. !Blend and add the water gradually until the ingredients start to puree. You may need to turn the blender off and scrape the sides down with a spatula a couple of times to ensure all of the ingredients are pureed.
Notes
In order to get a well pureed chutney I prefer using a blender. If you do not have one you could use a small food processor but the result may be slightly more coarse and chunky. Make sure that you finely chop the onions and chillies before placing into the food processor so as to minimize having large pieces in the finished chutney.
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NOTE: This was originally posted on my blog India On My Plate on August 12, 2011
