Rinku Bhattacharya's Blog, page 74

Egg Bhujri or Akuri – Indian Scrambled Eggs

This morning was the beginning of a rather crazy weekend, week two of soccer season, brother visiting and Deepta being a little under weather. However, there was about 40 minutes of peaceful uninterrupted time, as I had somehow woken up earlier than usual this morning.

I savored the peace of the quite but full house, opened the curtains and proceeded to work undisturbed in the kitchen.

I happily whipped up some scrambled eggs Indian style or what we call bhujri and on a whim I took a few pictures. It is such a simple dish, I make it often but have never thought of taking pictures. Such is life, sometimes we overlook the simple delights in favor of things that might be less meaningful but fancier in concept.

The bhujri like a lot of my cooking takes me back to a place far away, in memory land. My mother had an uncle called Aseemmama, a cousin of my grandmother’s who for some reason had never married or had a family of his own. We had adopted him, and he was an integral part of our family and in particular was a strong influence in my life. He lived in Mumbai (then known as Bombay) and was a great resource to my parents when they spent their early years in the city. For whatever reason, I never called him Dadu (grandfather), just called him Aseemmama like I had heard my mother and her sibblings do.

I was then a baby, and he developed a deep affection for me. Quite often, my parents left me with him on Sunday mornings while they did whatever it is that they did without me. I guess, possibly just catch up on some errands and time together. One of the things that he fed me were this scrambled eggs that he called Bhujri. These Indian style scrambled eggs are also called Akuri, usually in Parsee homes. They are moist and filled with rich and deep flavors form cumin, ginger, onions and tomatoes and of course green chilies. BTW, speaking of green chilies, the markets seem to suddenly be experiencing a shortage of the finger green chilies that we use in Indian cooking. However, Serrano peppers while not as slender have the same level of heat that we are looking for. In fact, that is what I recommend for easy availability and have an entire section talking chili peppers and their interchangeability in Spices and Seasons, Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors.

Now, the best part of making the Bhurji with Aseemmama was the production he made out of it, and also the fact that he enlisted me to help in the kitchen. As I was finishing up, my son Aadi came in and joined the fun, by helping me sprinkle the cilantro and of course get the plates all organized. Thereby, a recipe moved on to another generation, I am sure Aseemmama, wherever you are you will be looking down and smiling to see that even your creation has a happy place in my kitchen where nostalgia is a very important albeit invisible part of my culinary arsenal.

Here is to a wonderful week ahead and the recipe.

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Egg Bhujri or Akuri – Indian Scrambled Eggs

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

An Indian spiced recipe for scrambled eggs, that makes for a perfect breakfast for a cool spring morning.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil, such as olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium sized red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of ginger, minced
2 green chilies, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
5 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
1 medium sized tomato, diced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Crushed red pepper flakes for serving (optional)

Instructions

Heat the oil and add in the cumin seeds and wait until the seeds begin to sizzle. Add in the red onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions are softer.
Add in the garlic and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes. Add in the peppers and the chilies and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Mix the eggs with the salt and the turmeric (if using) and add into the onion and pepper mixture. Reduce the heat to low and add in the tomatoes and gradually allow the eggs to set stirring occasionally.
Cook for a few minutes, until the eggs are just set but still soft. Sprinkle with the cilantro and the crushed red pepper flakes if using and serve hot.

Notes

If you want a richer dish, you can add a tablespoon of butter along with the oil.

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Appam – Lace Rimmed Rice and Coconut Pancakes

I had first tasted these steaming spongy coconut rice pancakes almost two decades ago, at that time I had no idea that these were called Appams.I just savored their magical slightly sweet delicate goodness, relishing every bite in simple satisfaction promising myself that someday I would learn to make them myself.

I had found myself locked out of my apartment and was waiting outside for the landlord to come and rescue me, cursing my stupidity. As I waited, to my surprise I saw an older Indian woman looking out of the window from the corner apartment, on the same floor. She looked at me and went away and peeked out again after about 15 minutes on seeing me still stranded outside, asked me if everything was OK. I explained my situation to her upon which she asked me if I wanted to wait in her apartment, I hesitantly agreed.

I had no idea who lived around me at that time, this was my first post graduate school apartment. As I sat in the impeccably neat living room, I learnt that my rescuer Mrs. Chacko was visiting her son who had lived in the complex for well over a year. She was making dinner for the family, sighing at their late and hectic hours. Something I can well relate to today, less so back then. Today, between work, picking up children by the time we get home and settled it can sometimes be late, and I know my mother and mother-in-law have the same complaints when they visit. She had placed a cup of steaming coffee and two of these spongy pancakes with a simple and very flavorful stew, that she laughingly referred to as her fridge scraping stew. The food was unfamiliar but absolutely delicious; I greedily finished her offering and chatted with her briefly until the landlord finally came in to let me in.

The hours at my first job were long, however without any other attachments I had a fair amount of time to do other things that are not always possible today. Over time, I learned more about appams (here is a wonderful history on these beautiful pancakes and their relatives from food historian Aminiji), and several other tips and tricks including a few words in Malayalam picked up while listening to Mrs. Chacko chatting with her grandson. Working with her, I learned about different kinds of rice, that were unfamiliar to me, and also learned to create a basic

There are variations of these enjoyed across South India, and actually even Sri Lanka where they are called hoppers. I actually have saved this recipe for well over 15 years, her recipe seems to be an interesting variation of traditional fermenting and using a touch of yeast later in the game. She told me it offered the right amount of sponginess without too much of a prominent yeast taste. Anyhow, finally a few days back I guess the time to try out these absolutely amazing pancakes had come. As I write this up on this rainy quite evening I am filled with nostalgia and myriad thoughts. One of the interesting things that I have done is to spend time in transplanted regional kitchens wherever I can, as I really feel it takes many grandmothers to teach you regional Indian cooking. I am still learning, and always fascinated at the sheer diversity this cuisine offers. That is a post for another day, for tonight here are the appams. I serve this with anything ranging from a light vegetable curry to eggs, they are the perfect accompaniment for anything that needs a gently soft accompaniment.

This batter keeps well in the refrigerator for four days, I have not tried keeping it longer because of the fresh coconut. If refrigerating, bring it out for about 30 to 40 minutes before using allowing the mixture to begin frothing. Traditionally these creations are cooked in a special appam pan, that is essentially a shallow wok, since I do not have one I have done the best I can here on a regular pan. They tasted just fine.

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Appam – Lace Rimmed Rice and Coconut Pancakes

Prep Time: 22 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 23 hours

Yield: Makes 14 to 15 6 inch pancakes

A fermented spongy rice and coconut pancake called Appam.

Ingredients

2 cups of rice
¾ cup freshly grated coconut
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
1 to 2 tablespoons of oil for occasional lining of the pan

Instructions

Soak the rice for 6 to 8 hours.
Place the rice with the coconut and salt in a blender with about 3/4 cup of water and grind to a relatively smooth and thick batter (about the consistency of a thick batter.
In a small pan, take about ¾ cup of this prepared batter and cook on low heat stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and turns almost translucent. This is essentially forming a starter that helps with fermentation.
Cool this mixture and add into the remaining batter mixing very well.
Cover and set aside in a warm place for about 12 hours or longer.
Add in the sugar into the warm water and the yeast, set aside for 10 minutes until frothy and stir into the batter and leave aside for 40 minutes until the batter is a mass of bubbles.
Heat a heavy skillet (preferably one with an indentation, I use my chapatti skillet).
Add a little oil just to moisten the surface, and pour a ladleful of the batter swirling to spread the edges leaving the center thicker. Cook gently cover the pancake for about 3 to 4 minutes, the edges should be turning crisp and the center should be just set.
Remove from the skillet, this should come off very easily and set aside keeping it warm as you continue.
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Comfort Shells with Red Beans, Tomatoes and Eggplant

Most of the kid recipes on this blog, tend to be dominated by my son’s influences and preferences. Much like me, my boy is quite taken with food. He also loves cheese, eggs, and will of course enjoy a good bowl of veggies. Hearing about something made just for him makes his eyes shine and he will sit and discuss menus for the week, for lunch or a special party for hours on end.

My daughter does enjoy food, but does not share our obsession and in general has simple and healthy tastes. This pasta dish, that has evolved through various trials and errors is one of her favorite meals. She calls it her, Comfort Foody Pasta. The word word foody was something she used as a toddler but still clings on to for favorite dishes, such as this pasta which we have named Comfort Shells with Red Beans, Eggplant and Tomatoes. She has complained that I have not written about it like other meals, yes, my blog does have at least two visitors – my boy and my girl. So, today I made it again and decided to take a few pictures with a promise to do it again when I make it in summer.

It had its beginnings on a day when I was loaded with tomatoes, hot peppers and loads of fresh herbs from the farmer’s market. I had stopped by, taken a few pictures and decided to whip together something with everything on hand. And this dish evolved. We had initially topped this with cheese, but have over time felt that it really is not necessary, so I have bumped up the olive oil content and left out the cheese, making this a vegan and relatively healthy creation perfect for the meatless monday posts that I have been featuring.

 

There is not a lot needed for this dish, I usually have cooked red beans handy, and if you want to add a different level of flavor to the dish, you are welcome to add in a cup of cooked rajmah instead of the beans in this recipe.

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Shells with Tomatoes, Fresh Herbs and Beans

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

A simple improvised recipe for pasta that makes a great quick summer meal, this is a medley of red beans, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and herbs almost like a ratatouille with pasta.

Ingredients

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 pods of garlic, minced
1 cup of tender eggplant (such as a Japanese eggplant), cubed
4 to 6 fresh tomatoes
Salt to taste
1 medium sized bell pepper diced or slivered
1/2 cup cooked red kidney beans
11/2 cups of cooked small shells (about 3 ounces, cooked per package directions)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped basil

Instructions

Heat 1/2 the oil and add in the cumin seeds and in a few seconds add in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant and aromatic. Add in the eggplant and toss well to lightly brown the eggplant. Reduce the heat and continue cooking the eggplant until quite tender, this will take about 10 minutes.
In a food processor puree the tomatoes. Add into the eggplant mixture with the salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture is saucy and slightly thick.
In a separate skillet heat about 1 tablespoon of the oil and saute the bell pepper for 3 to 4 minutes. Add to the tomato eggplant mixture with the red kidney beans and the remaining olive oil.
Stir in the shells and the crushed red pepper flakes if using.
Sprinkle with the cilantro and basil and serve hot.
Serve this recipe, with your favorite wine, while I tend to be partial to reds I think that this will work well with both red and white wines.
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Smoked Salmon Frittata – Cookbook Review – A Perfect Egg

One of the fun things about blogging is being offered the opportunity to check out new things that I otherwise might not know hang around in the marketplace. This also is the case of cookbooks. I do hear about cookbooks through word of mouth, however, something like The Perfect Egg, just might slip my attention and what a loss that would have been. I received the Perfect Egg from blogging for books, and have been having fun with it since I received it. I have made three of the recipes already, and am offering up our smoked salmon frittata, which has been closely adapted from the original presented in the book. The others well also show up in various forms as the days go by.

We love eggs! Aadi has been going through this bookmarking all the cheese dessert recipes, with the diligence of a gourmet proofreader. However, the real fun thing about the book is that it gets you into the kitchen cooking from it without any challenges and issues. A hardbound, beautifully illustrated volume the cookbook is inviting, easy to read and filled with recipes that use eggs, and use them so well! The clear well written recipes are made with practical everyday ingredients that will not be a stretch to procure, another hallmark of a good cookbook (at least in my opinion).

The recipes, are by the type of meal such as breakfast, afternoon, dessert and in cases of recipes such as the frittata that I am offering up today, the authors have given a base recipe with plenty of variations, this is also the case with the quiche recipe. The other recipe that we enjoyed from the book was a recipe for Dimer Shoap, an Asamese variation of chop. I guess, if anything here we can see that there are a few adaptations such as adding thyme and leaving out chilies, it might serve the readers well if the authors mentioned that. But, again, what we see here are clean recipes and an amazingly diverse collection for a volume with just 70 recipes.

The authors Jenny Park and Terry Lynn Fisher keep a beautiful blog, Fork, Spoon, Bacon filled with with stunning photography and amazing comfort dishes. Actually so indulgent, I dare not bookmark it. Now, for the smoked salmon frittata, I did make a few adjustments – the original recipe lists sour cream, I used Greek Yogurt and a little cheese, we had no capers, so I made do with cilantro and dill. However, the authors are pretty clear about the fact that their recipes are just a good guideline, not an absolute. I did tell you I loved their approach, right. With a new week creeping up on us, you might want to give this recipe a try.

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Smoked Salmon Frittata

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: Serves 6 to 7

A simple frittata meshing smoked salmon, with some pantry staples like Greek yogurt, red onions and cilantro.

Ingredients

5 eggs
1/4 cup Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup chopped red onions
1/2 cup chopped smoked salmon (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro
4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

Begin heating a 8 inch cast iron skillet on medium to low heat.
In a mixing bowl beat the eggs, red onions, smoked salmon, cheese and chopped cilantro until well mixed.
Add the olive oil and gently swirl to coat the pan.
Add in the egg mixture and cook the mixture for about 5 to 6 minutes, gently mixing during the first one or two mixtures to all the egg to cook.
While still soft and moist, place under a boiler and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the egg is almost set and has the palest hints of gold on the sides.
Set aside for 10 to 12 minutes.
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Phulkopir Shingara (Bengali Samosa)

  The pull of nostalgia is what makes a dish greater than the sum of its parts, or shall we say ingredients. Indeed, while the crisp and flaky crust, the gentle cauliflower and potato filling accented with bits of crushed peanuts make this an absolutely sublime and sensational creation, the fact that this is something that reminds me of relaxed Sunday mornings as I was growing up is really what clinches the recipe for me.

Not all samosas are made equal, while done right they are all pretty good, the Bengali variation is called a Shingara and in winter is filled with cauliflower along with the potato and bits of crunchy peanuts. The nigella seeds in the dough is my mother’s accent and I love the appearance as well as the taste that it gives the pastry.   On the eve of Bengali New Year, or nababarsha, this recipe is both timely and fitting. Odds are if you are like me in the US, tomorrow is a working day, filled with some degree of the mundane. The thought of a New Year somewhere, should hopefully give you some cause to pause and maybe smell the hyacinths and catch up or brush up your New Year resolutions, hey it is never to late to start something that you might have been putting on a back burner.

My mom noted half jokingly the other day, that I end up giving all my culinary credits to Dida (my grandmother) and she might just have to wait until Deepta (my daughter) starts cooking to get some credit. The truth of the matter is, mom is such a purist and indeed such a formidable cook, I hesitate to call a recipe her’s lest I do not do justice to it. A purely intuitive cook, her recipes are the heritage that I tried to share with readers in my first cookbook. In fact, if you have stumbled my way and are wondering about Bengali cuisine, on this auspicious eve, maybe you might be persuaded to pick up your copy.

Back in the day, this actually used to be a breakfast treat that Ma would piece together with lots of love and care. Her shaping used to be more delicate and she had the patience to make these smaller. My version here is still much smaller that what you will find commercially. I used to make these with students in classes pretty frequently, and decided to actually document these upon recent requests from friends and cousins.

I personally enjoy these without any condiments, just with a good cup of tea. I find the filling and seasonings well nuanced and balanced and anything else complicated the taste.I will offer you a disclaimer, this recipe is more complicated than my usual quick fix cooking, but it is well worth the effort.

So, here is to a Happy Bengali New Year, Shubo Nabarsha and Happy Spring!

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Phulkopir Shingara (Bengali Samosa)

Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 20 medium sized shingaras

This is my mother's recipe for Bengali cauliflower shingaras or samosas.

Ingredients

For the Pastry
1 and 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon nigella seeds
2 tablespoons oil or shortening
3/4 cup water (more or less to form a pliable but not too soft dough)

For the filling
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon panchphoron
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup green peas (can be frozen)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
1 or 2 dried red chilies
1/4 cup dry toasted blanched unsalted raw peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Oil for Frying

Instructions

Place the flour, salt, nigella seeds in a mixing bowl. Gently work in the oil or shortening until well mixed and the mixture is crumbly.
Gradually add in the water and mix well into a pliable and still firm dough, not unlike any other pastry dough. Cover and let it rest while you prepare the filling.
Heat the oil and add in the panchphoron and wait until the spices crackle. Add in the ginger and stir well. Add in the red onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions are translucent.
Add in the potatoes and mix well. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until the potatoes are almost soft.
Add in the cauliflower and the peas if fresh, if using frozen peas add in with the cumin mixture. Stir in the turmeric and salt and mix well. Add in about 1/4 cup water and cover and cook the mixture allowing the vegetables to soften. This will take about 10 minutes.
In the mean time place the cumin, fennel (if using) and the 1 or 2 dried red chilies in a small skillet and gently toast the spices until fragrant. Grind to a powder and gently mix into the vegetable mixture.
Cook the mixture until fair dry, The texture should be soft enough to squish with a spoon. Coarsely grind the peanuts and stir in with the cilantro.
Cool the mixture until it can be comfortably handled.
Break lime sized pieces of the dough, roll out to a circle about 1/4 cm thick, Cut into half and fold to shape like a cone. Fill with about 11/2 teaspoons of the filling. Carefully seal the cone, to form a pyramid. You want the shingara to be well filled, but not overstuffed. It is very important to effectively seal the base. Complete all the shingaras in this manner.
Place on parchment paper as you make them. Chill for 30 minutes.
In a large wok, heat 2 cups or more of oil. Test for the right temperature with a small bit of dough or bread crumb.
Add 3 to 4 of the shingaras at a time and carefully fry them until golden brown. They need to be fried at an even medium low temperature to allow them to be nice and crisp.
Remove and drain on paper towels and serve hot,
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Cauliflower with Purple Sweet Potatoes – Ranga Alu Diye Phulkopi

  Cauliflower is a such a staple in my repertoire, it helps that we do not grow a lot of it. It breaks our rut a little during these months when I am left to my own devices. This is however, a colorful variation of the classic alu gobi, or in Bengali alu phulkopi. This is a very simple creation, that my mom calls chorchori or a medley of sorts. So, purple sweet potatoes are the new potatoes in our house and I love the fact that they tend to retain their color. Also, these purple varieties seem to be organic by default, I have never found a non-organic variety so that makes life easier.

Over the years, mom had descended to very simple and usually vegetarian fare and she would be very apologetic about the simplicity.

The funny thing is that such fare is actually so nutritious and of course, it is the delicate seasonings that make a world of difference. In my opinion, it is these simple delights that make the Bengali table unique and is really the true Bengali food, far away from the Biryani’s and Chaanp’s of the world, sure they have their place but I think most representative of the Bengali table are the nostalgic dishes, like red lentils or mixed vegetable medleys.

I am very committed to showcasing the delicate and simple nature of homey vegetarian Bengali cuisine and have had a lot of success with people so far, with Bengali New Year coming up, I want to try and showcase some more of these.

It has been a long weekend of sorts, actually I always feel that way if I do not get my sleep quota and unfortunately this weekend that is going to come down a little short. It is for such long days and short evenings that simple fare like this is made. If you can do serve this with freshly puffed chapatis, makes all the difference in the world.

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Cauliflower with Purple Sweet Potatoes – Ranga Alu Diye Phulkopi

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A colorful Bengali medley of purple sweet potatoes and caulflower.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil (mustard oil works well)
1 teaspoon panch phoron (Bengali Five Spice)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 medium sized purple sweet potatoes (or any color of your choice), cut into a dice
1 medium sized head of cauliflower (about 3/4 pound, cut into pieces)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
1 or 2 tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Instructions

Heat the oil and add in the panch phoron and wait until the mixture begins to crackle add in the ginger and stir lightly.
Add in the diced sweet potatoes and cover and cook on low for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add in the cauliflower, turmeric, salt and cayenne pepper and the tomatoes and stir lightly and well mixed. Cover and cook on medium low heat for about 10 minutes. We are essentially steam cooking the vegetables, so it is essential to have a good lid and make sure that this is being done on low heat.
Remove the cover and give the vegetables a good stir, at this point they should be very soft. Add in the peas and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
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Chicken Chaap – Whole Chicken Legs in a Fragrant Creamy Sauce

The chicken or moorgir chaamp or chaap (pronounced with a nasal sound) is a Bengali celebratory specialty especially when indulging in moghlai style food.

Interestingly, as many people in my generation will attest to eating out if bitten by an ethnic yen, would be reserved for moghlai delicacies such as birayani and chaap or it was stuff like Chinese or Continental fare.

Essentially, the home style fare that we try and savor and preserve was still the domain of the home cook. Now, dishes such as dish would not usually be made at home, at least not really by mom. Last time my brother was visiting I was tempted to try this and since then we have tried this a couple of times more, and I offer this with a couple of caveats. The traditional cut for this dish is the whole leg, essentially the thigh and leg combined however I will warn you if it is not an organic chicken we are looking at some really large pieces of meat, so just the chicken drumstick might suffice.

While some people will eat this with birayani, I feel that simple parathas or even rotis with a peaceful salad would work with this. What can I say, there is just not all that much royalty in me to savor this with more meat. Now, I have seen a couple of variations of this dish, and this recipe came from my friends mother and I have doctored this with a few variations. It uses saffron for color and mace for fragrance.These spices coupled with the marinating of the meat are indicative of the dishes royal origins. But, seriously the Mughal or Nawabi cuisine, really found its way to Bengal towards the end of the glory period, during the Raj era. A lot of this cooking is predominant in Bangladeshi cuisine, and the Bangladeshi table also has their version of this recipe.

The mace and nutmeg also tend to be spices used specifically for such dishes and infuse the chicken with a very delicate fragrance. They key to a good chicken chaap really is good marinating, I do not use a lot of oil but do use a mixture of oil and clarified butter.

The spice or the heat level in this recipe is relatively mild, so I actually serve this with sliced chilies as a garnish but no cilantro. That is generally considered to mundane for this dish. With Nababarsha or Bengali New Year on the way, you should check out a dish like this.

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Chicken Chaap – Whole Chicken Legs in a Fragrant Creamy Sauce

Prep Time: 6 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour

Yield: Serves 4

A regal Bengali chicken dish that is typically reserved for good friends and special occasions.

Ingredients

3 pounds of whole chicken legs, skinned and thoroughly cleaned
1 tablespoon freshly ground ginger paste
1/2 tablespoon garlic paste
1 cup Greek style yogurt
11/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 dried red chilies
1/2 teaspoon powdered mace
1/2 teaspoon powdered cardamoms
11/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon saffron strands
1/4 cup poppy seeds (soaked overnight)
1/8 cup shelled blanched almonds
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
2 medium sized onions, thinly sliced
Sliced green chilies (lengthwise) to garnish

Instructions

Clean and place the chicken in a large bowl.
Blend the ginger, garlic, yogurt, salt, sugar dried red chilies into a smooth paste. Stir in the mace, cardamoms, black pepper, cumin and saffron strands and marinate the chicken in this mixture overnight in the refrigerator.
Grind the poppy seeds and almonds to a smooth paste and set aside.
Heat the oil and add in the onions and cook the onions, low and slow for 25 to 30 minutes until golden. Set about 2 tablespoons aside for garnishing.
In the same pan, add the chicken pieces shaking off the marinade and cook on medium low heat allowing the chicken to turn pale golden, but not darker.
Add in the marinade and with 1/2 cup water and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally for about 25 minutes. At this point the chicken should be fork tender and the mixture clingy and evaporated with the oil glistening through the edges of the sauce.
Stir in the poppy seed paste and the reserved onions heat through stirring well to form a clingy comforting sauce.
Let it rest for about 10 minutes and serve garnished with the green chilies with your favorite Indian bread.

Notes

Most of the prep time is for marinating the chicken.

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Some other variations of this dish are,

Scratching Canvas version

Sandeepa’s Variation

Minie’s Version

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Khoresh Bademjan -Persian Eggplant Stew from Silk Road Vegetarian

  Today, happens to be Easter Sunday and the third day of passover. While neither of the holidays have a religious symbolism in our house, we usually do themed family Sunday dinners. These themes vary from picking a country to talking about a holiday, and of course today we had both the kids look up the holidays so that we could discuss them. With the rest of the meal, I was looking for a good vegetarian dish and this recipe from Silk Road Vegetarian fit the bill perfectly. This stew will be hearty enough for tomorrow’s meatless Monday and will allow me to do something that I have wanted to do forever – write about Silk Road Vegetarian – Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Recipes for the Mindful Cook. I came to know of this book by way of my friend Stephanie at Recipe Renovator. When Stephanie was writing the foreword, she reached out to me for a back of the book quotation.

So, I have been very familiar with the book, but as with all my reviews I do like to post a review with a recipe. I have to confess the long winter has made it difficult for us seasonal eaters to find variety in our diets. In fact, this eggplant is obviously not seasonal but happened to be a good one. It works beautifully in this recipe. The great news for someone like me in in this book, I do not really need to re-work or find new spices.

The book is written well, with lots of user friendly recipes that are great for those on a vegetarian diet, and offers options for others who eat meat along with the vegetables in their diet. Dahlia, the author of the book has a lovely, interesting and varied life. Over the course of her book and mine, we have become virtual friends and her warm personality shines through the book. The book is well designed, very homey and the recipes are clear and easy to follow. Loaded with practical dishes, this is a great book for everyday dinner. The index could be a little more detailed, but is certainly a serviceable one.

Now, without much ado, let me offer you today’s recipe which I think you will find is a keeper.

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Khoresh Bademjan from Silk Road Vegetarian

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

A hearty Persian eggplant stew called Khoresh Bademjan.

Ingredients

1 large eggplant (was not sure of the weight so I used 11/2 pounds)
11/2 tablespoons salt (I cut this down considerably)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped (this was about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Chopped chives or mint to garnish (my addition)

Instructions

Place the eggplant in a colander set over a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt, this will tame and bitterness. Let this rest for half and hour, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
In the meantime, heat the oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, stirring and shaking the pan for 7 to 8 minutes or until translucent. Add in the garlic, stirring to ensure that it does not burn.
Stir in the eggplant and stir and cook for 10 minutes, until the eggplant softens and sweats.
Add in the tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, black pepper and mix well. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, until the eggplants are nice and soft and sauce.
Garnish with the chives and serve of Basmati rice if desired

Notes

Recipe from Silk Road Vegetarian Tuttlepublishing (2014)

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Posto Shorshe Begun – Baby Bengali Eggplants (with an attempt on Sexy)

This recipe for Posto Shorshe Begun is at base a very simple attempt to make a very preferred marriage of two much loved combinations just a little more glamor than home style, dare I use the word sexy?… Thank goodness, mom does not read this blog, or she would tell me, “erokom odbhut language use korar kono mae hoi na” essentially translated to, It makes no sense to use such weird descriptions.

To explain, the first is a core Bengali seasoning base, a combination of zesty mustard and creamy poppy seed … that which I have referred to as the Yin and Yang of Bengali cooking, in my cookbook the The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles married with a touch of tempered Green Yogurt. Both these combinations work well with eggplants and together we also enjoyed them, really enjoyed them. I had made them earlier this week, and realize it is a little tricky and out of sequence for passover or Easter but plan on posting them anyway.

So, that takes care of the seasoning, I have paired it with one of my favorite vegetables – the eggplant or begun in Bengali. The sexy factor is added in by my use of tender baby eggplants. These to my best knowledge are not very common on the Bengali table, but I did have peer pressure from some North Indian recipes. But, jokes aside, we love our eggplant on the Bengali table, and I wanted something that could look party like without playing a lot with flavors and this just might be it.

Among other things, this was another spring break spent at home. We celebrated the daughter’s birthday, they did a Japanese themed part and she invited a whole bunch of other friends over to stay and then do dinner. Some of these young people I have known as kindergarteners and so it really is a lot of fun to see them reach there almost teen years! Yikes, the baby is almost a teenager! OK! I will really do the freak attack next year, for now let us focus on the Baby Bengali Eggplants in a Creamy Zesty Sauce.

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Posto Shorshe Begun – Baby Bengali Eggplants (with an attempt on Sexy)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

A take on a classic Bengali recipe, these eggplants are a great dish for any eggplant lover.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon panchphoron (Bengali Five Spice Blend)
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
15 baby eggplants, halved
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons poppy mustard paste (see note)
1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
Cilantro to Garnish

Instructions

Heat the oil and add in the the Bengali Five Spice blend and wait until the spices crackle.
Add in the grated ginger and the minced garlic and stir well. Add in the eggplants and the salt and turmeric and mix well.
Turn the temperature to low and cook the eggplants for about 25 minutes, until fairly soft. Stir in the poppy and mustard seed paste. red cayenne pepper and gently mix in the yogurt. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with the roasted cumin powder and garnish with cilantro and serve with steamed white rice.

Notes

Most of the cooking time is unattended.
To prepare the poppy and mustard seed paste, soak 3 tablespoons poppy seeds and 1 tablespoon mustard seeds for 3 hours and grind to a paste.
To prepare the roasted cumin powder lightly roast the cumin seeds until fragrant and grind to a powder.

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In her kitchen – Cookbook Review

  This cookbook review is unusual as I am not posting a recipe, having said that. I did LOVE going though this amazing cookbook – In her kitchen- Stories and Recipes from Grandma’s Around the world. Actually there is an unrelated blog with the same name – Go Figure!!!

Here is another review and like this reviewer I did indeed receive this cookbook as a review copy.

So, the lowdown, I actually did not find this a cookbook, I wanted to dig into cooking from, not sure why? Part of it is that as a seasonal cook, we have had very sparse ingredients in NYC.

I however, loved the idea of this author traveling to so many different places and kitchens. Loved the different portraits of so many women all over the world. It really is not surprising that this cookbook has received accolades for its photography as the author does indeed bring a different dimension by photographing the grandmother’s in their home environment. The stories were beautiful and simple and full of heart!

I have had this by my bedside for several month’s as I have read through the essays and have bookmarked some of the recipes, for interest and possibly one of these days I shall actually end of cooking some of them. High on my list shall be – Vegetarian Tamales on Page 35 by Laura Ronson Herrera from Mexico and the Cholent by a Westchester Grandmother on page 95. But here is what makes this book fascinating, it takes you around the world from a very understated perspective.

 

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