Rinku Bhattacharya's Blog, page 77

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Salmon Tikka Masala and Metro North Worries

 tI made this salmon tikka masala on Monday, on a cold and snowy day as we spent the day boxed in enjoying fluffy soft snow flakes. I cooked up a nice pale golden dal, and this creamy tomato based curry to make things right through the week, to hopefully sustain us through digging, and cold and chilly evenings. At that time, unknown to me this curry really would be on our dinner table after a crazy evening on a night where all the trains would be derailed after one of the worst accidents in the history of Metro North.

I have been very shaken since last evening, taking solace in the calls of the few friends and family who linked the train, line with the fact that it could have been my train. What makes something hit home? Possibly context? In the past few months, there have been other accidents however none in my town and certainly none on the line that I travel on. A general realization that life is both precious and short, a sense of sorrow at the losses of others who like me are possibly parents who run around to make a living trying to bring in enough bread and butter for the family meal.

The train in concern was my usual train, I just happened to miss the train, an occurrence that happens at least once a week, in fact, often when stopped on my way out by my boss who gets his last minute snippets of conversation in. The rest of the week has progressed in a daze with all of us taking in the craziness of events and disruptions of life and feeling just a little grateful to be around. I had been using the White Plains Station and the county center parking lot for a couple of evenings trying to make the best of things, finally yesterday the trains began running from our little station in Valhalla.

Last evening, I went to sleep early exhausted from just the sheer stimulus of things, fortunately a good comforting meal was just what the doctor had ordered.

In my book Spices and Seasons, I have a fairly robust section called Masaladani which includes essential Spice blends and sauces, and one of the classic sauces are for this creamy fenugreek sauce that we call Tikka Masala. Making it in bulk need a few minor adaptations but overall well worth it on a busy night, if you have or are planning on getting the book, this section makes for a useful read. One of our favorite ways of using this sauce is in making fish, salmon in particular which holds out well for the robust seasoning that this dish offers. I personally find that salmon’s rich and firm texture makes for a good compliment to most North Indian style dishes, which have a preference for tomato based sauces certainly when working with fish or chicken. It also happens to be my fish loving husbands favorite dish.

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Salmon Tikka Masala - Grilled Salmon in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

A delicate and flavorful rendition of tikka masala, this salmon in a tomato, cream and fenugreek sauce will please your eyes and taste buds.

Ingredients

For the Salmon
2 pounds of wild salmon
4 tablespoons yogurt
1 tablespoon tandoori masala
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon oil

For the Tikka Masala Sauce

2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 medium sized onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped or 1/2 cup jarred diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper or to taste
4 tablespoons whole strained yogurt
1/2 cup light cream
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
extra cream and sliced almonds to garnish

Instructions

Cut the salmon to 2 inch pieces.
Mix the yogurt, tandoori masala, salt and red cayenne pepper in a bowl and add in the salmon pieces and marinate for about 15 minutes to half an hour.
Toss with the oil and broil on low for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the oven.
In the meantime, heat the oil and add in the cumin seeds and wait until they sizzle, add in the onion and cook the onions until soft and turning pale golden. Add in the ginger and the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
Stir in the tomatoes, salt and red cayenne pepper and cook until the tomatoes are soft and pulpy (about 6 to 8 minutes). Stir in the yogurt and mix well and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Cool slightly.
Place the tomato mixture in a blender with the cream and 1/2 cup water and blend until smooth.
Return to the cooking pot and gently stir in the fenugreek leaves and bring to a simmer. Stir in the salmon and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not cook this on high heat.
Stir in the butter and cilantro.
Remove from the heat and drizzle with the extra cream and sliced almonds and serve with rice or naan.

Notes

A delicate and flavorful rendition of tikka masala, this salmon in a tomato, cream and fenugreek sauce will please your eyes and taste buds.

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Asian Wave – Thornwood, NY

 

Neighborhood restaurants seem to fall into two categories, generally fickle minded rotating kinds and others that form the consistent landscape that make the neighborhood consistent. The space currently occupied by Asian Wave has housed many a restaurant that falls in the first category, and now we have Asian Wave, place that we are hoping is here to stay. With neon pink lighting, fancy mirrors the place has the appearance of a fancy dinner, the dark tables and white linen keep things more subdued.

This place is a popular Monday stop for us, usually to pick up sushi for the kids, after their piano lesson. Actually works out to be a perfect way to get them to look forward to Monday. We have tried this pace a few times and have been really pleased with the general variety and consistency that the food offers. The offerings are a little pricey, but in general the place is positioned as a nicely done up restaurant where you can go for a family celebration. The service is attentive and the roomy and spacious atmosphere offers something for everyone.

For example, there is enough space to separate their bar with TV’s so that they do not clash with the sensibilities of diners preferring a quiter experience and yes, they keep the volume muted.

High on my list are the spring rolls, light and crisp. Love the rock shrimp tempura, that is drenched in a creamy sriracha mayo sauce, served over delicate rice noodles. You will want to devour loads of these just by themselves. Their dumplings include the shumai in pork, vegetable and shrimp all of which are predictably good and their duck dumpling is an interesting addition and is my favorite. Meaty and filled with some leeks the recipe has notes of five spice and hoisin in just the right doses.

Another winner from their appetizer selection, at least for my husband is the soft shell crab with the mango salsa. Now, I will add that I find the salsa more like a chutney and am not very sure about the pairing. I would have preferred a fruitier variation. Note to self, plan on getting some soft shell crabs this year to try to dazzle the husband. For my sushi loving family, I could go on and on about their rolls ranging from my favorite eel and avocado to other busier variations. Here is my daughters tri-color sashimi assortment, made the little girl very happy.

Other items that are noteworthy, are steaming bowls of noodle soup. Despite all the fuss about ramen, sometimes it is still good to just restrict oneself to a comforting bowl of noodle soup, light broth, roasted pork or duck, light vegetables and oodles of noodles. The varied main course menu has a little bit of everything from Bento boxes to tested and tried Chinese favorites of which I have tried the chicken with cashew nuts and the chicken with broccoli, both of which suggested that there would be enough for the dinner looking for old staples done right. If you are a fried rice fanatic like me the shrimp fried rice will not disappoint. If you like lo mein like the rest of the family, they turn out a good version there too.

On a summer’s day or to make sure you eat your rainbow, there are light and lively vegetables. This one featured is a part of their Healthy options menu and comes with a side of steamed rice and heavier sauce.

Asian Wave

636 Columbus Avenue,

Thornwood, NY 10594



 

 

 

 

 

 

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One Bowl Moist and Fudgy Brownies

There comes a time in every mom’s life, when you are called on brownie duty. It is a rule, you cannot escape making brownies. Sure there are brownie mixes and but they are never available on short notice and I guess it is hard to justify using a mix for something so essential and everyday.

A couple of efforts here and there, I am pleased to report I seem to have happily nailed a one pot recipe for brownies and have been pronounced a genius by my chocolate loving son.

For a recipe to be workable in my house, it needs to be practical, this one uses eggs, cocoa, flour and butter. Nothing uncomplicated or unusual there. Along with the practicality I always need a little intrigue to keep things interesting and in this recipe the depth of flavor is created with the addition of ricotta cheese and freshly ground cinnamon. The denseness leaves the brownies complete on their own without any need additional frosting or even the obligatory dusting of powdered sugar. These babies are baked low and slow and get done in about 20 minutes, with about the same time for prepping, and once you try them chances are they will become your salvation brownie for school events, snow days and everything in between.

Today’s brownie making episode was a collective fun exercise with the kids at home for a snow day. I was working from home, when I do this I am able to stretch the hours. I start a little early as there is no commute to negotiate and take a mid-day break an hour longer than my usual lunch break which allows me to make time for lunch and a few things to entertain the kids with.

Simple interactive things like putting together these brownies, this cutting shot was taken by non other than my boy Aadi. All of this might make you ask why I do not do this more often, well, unfortunately I really cannot work from home and I am not sure if everyday would work for me. Odds are I would miss the hustle and bustle of the office, which I do indeed enjoy, more than I care to admit most days. And, then the kids are of course not home everyday. Only on these rare snow days.

That is what makes them special, and we do not treat them as business as usual. There is enough to be done by way of work, and more gets done by way of paperwork and loose ends. The kids often fit in a TV meal or a treat, depending on how much time I have on hand. Today’s version was these warm brownies fitted in with tall glasses of milk. The brownies ideally should be cut when they are cooler, however why let a few crumbs get in the way of warm chocolately satisfaction.

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One Bowl Moist and Fudgy Brownies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

A deep and moist brownie recipe with freshly ground cinnamon.

Ingredients

1 cup (8 tablespoons melted butter)
1 cup sugar (you can use light brown sugar for added depth)
2 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup good quality cocoa
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
11/2 teaspoons freshly ground cinnamon (about 1 2 inch cinnamon quill powdered)

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees, grease a small 6 by 9 baking sheet.
Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and you can cream together until pale and creamy, using an electric beater or a wooden spoon.
Beat in the eggs and mix well, and mix in the ricotta cheese until well incorporated. Do not over mix.
Sift in the cocoa, flour, ground cinnamon and baking powder in small amounts and mix well. There is plenty of moisture in the batter but adding too much of the dry ingredients all together will make it harder to mix in.
Pour the batter onto the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes until done. Test with a toothpick to ensure doneness. Turn off the heat and remove from the oven, let it cool for about 20 minutes and invert the brownie sheet.
Cool further and cut into squares and serve.
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Chili Peanut (and Carrot) Relish

  What an accronym – CPR – does that get you into action mode or what? But this is what is funny, this really tasty, full-flavored creation took me all of 15 minutes to make. I made a later variation of chicken with this, much like an Indian chimichurri chicken, believe me when I tell you, this was good.

Ironically enough, I first chanced up this relish when I had leftovers from a class, cilantro and chillies were a given the peanuts and carrots, well they are always around on short notice and who knew that collectively they would form a relish that is now my signature relish.

Pantry staples, a few minutes of blitzing in a food processor and you have something that looks super authentic and tastes ever so good! What is not to like. Over the years this has become what I call my signature relish and not surprisingly it is out there on many a occasion, I realize it just might be a tad late for game day, but the good news is that it is versatile enough for any day and any season. Other than as a condiment, I love to use it over fish simple and spicy it pairs perfectly with any kind of mild fish.

Anyhow, down to the relish.

 

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Chili Peanut (and Carrot) Relish

Prep Time: 15 minutes

A simple, nutty and lightly spiced relish that is great over grilled meats, fish or even an Indian Style crostini.

Ingredients

3/4 cup raw peanuts (shelled)
4 green finger chillies
1 small carrot, peeled
3-4 tablespoons cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 lime

Instructions

Dry roast the peanuts on a skillet for 2-4 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to turn gently aromatic and gently golden brown at edges.
Place in the bowl of a food processor.
Remove the tops of the chilies and place in the same container.
Coarsely chop the carrot and place in the food processor with the salt and blend until the mixture is coarsely blended, I pulse this once for about 30 seconds, scrape down the sides and repeat.
Remove and place in a mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the salt and squeeze in the lime juice and blitz again.
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White Bean, Hominy and Kale Soup with Cumin and Smoked Sausage

Snow and notorious ominous warnings of a blizzard called Juno, made me retreat further into the kitchen. A storm that started early in the day, threatening to overtake the driveways and train tracks, made me leave work early. I walked through the fifteen blocks, taking in the soft snow and found a middle spot in a very crowded train. All the talk of shutting down streets and railroads had made enough people nervous. Little did we know, that all of the predictions would not make their way into Westchester. The blizzard fairy wanted to be in Long Island instead. But, said the blizzard fairy, “You in Westchester will still have the benefits of a snow day, family time and an opportunity to build snowmen, if you so wish. And, if you are a foodie, you shall get your share of kitchen time!”

With the gift of an early evening at home with the kids who promptly declared it a TV dinner evening, I worked through our closets to rustle up a homey one dish meal. A meal that would satisfy, father and son, mother and daughter alike, my version of the white bean and kale soup, a concoction that seems to be quite in vogue. For good measure I throw in smoky sausage, hominy and cumin. The cumin adds a deep rich flavor which also accentuates the overall smoky notes of the soup. The rest of the soup in terms of the vegetables really varies like the proverbial stone soup – sometimes turnips, sometimes carrots and sometimes both carrots and turnips.

In this case, I used an interesting smoky duck sausage that I had picked up from the farmers market in late fall, and had frozen it. But Trader Joe’s actually has a smoked chicken sausage with apple and chardonnay that also works. Essentially you do not want something that interferes too much with the clean notes of the soup.

I will with dried not canned beans for this and most of my other recipes, and will take a minute to actually emphasize something that has been on my mind since I saw this article. I am all for simplifying things, but with legumes soaking has more uses that we realize,

1. Soaking helps break down some of the complex sugars making the beans easier to digest.

2. In some cases, the texture is impacted, take the case of these vadas you want the white lentils to actually absorb the water and swell such that they are soft and need minimal water while processing. This cannot be done by simply grinding with extra water.

3. Lastly of course, while this is not related to soaking per say, why on earth would someone opt for an open cooking method when we have something as sensible as a pressure around to slice through time and energy.

Now, that I am off my soapbox, here is my recipe, which by the way improves significantly if served with grated cheese not that it is not already pretty good.

MAKING IT VEGETARIAN : REMOVE THE SAUSAGE AND USE VEGETABLE BROTH.

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White Bean, Hominy and Kale Soup with Cumin and Smoked Sausage

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

A comforting fresh and crisp tasting white beans soup, with notes of cumin, lime and fresh mint.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
1 medium sized red onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin
½ teaspoon red cayenne
½ cup dried soaked white beans (4 to 6 hours)
½ cup dried soaked adzuki beans (4 to 6 hours)
4 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Salt to taste
11/2 cups chicken or duck sausage
¾ cup chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce
2 cups of chopped kale
¼ cup freshly chopped mint (optional)
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
To Serve
Freshly grated cheddar, parmesan or asiago cheese

Instructions

Heat the oil and add in the onion and garlic and cook until soft and wilted. This will take about 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the cumin, red cayenne pepper, white and adzuki beans and the chicken or vegetable broth with the added salt.
Bring to a simmer and mix in the sausage and tomato sauce. Cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Alternately, cook the beans in a pressure cooker for 25 minutes. Cool slightly, and mix in the sausage and the tomato sauce and cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the kale and the mint if using. Sprinkle with the lemon or lime juice and serve with grated cheese.
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Ten Game Day Ideas with a Masala Twist

If you are all dug up now and are planning something for your super-bowl menu, I have a round-up for you that might add some spark and spice to your table. After all, game day food does not always have to be greasy and processed to taste good. There is of course, my pinterest board on Indian Inspired Parties, that have quite a collection of favorites, but here is are ten handpicked recipes just for easy reference.

This collection will certainly also take care of all the assorted tastes on your table, after all it is quite like that if your table is anything like mine you will have diners with all varieties of preference.

So to start out, there is always some Guacamole, here is some with toasted cumin for crunch, and you just might not miss the bacon.

There is of course always a possibility that you like your guacamole chunky like the little young lady in our house, so for her and other who like it chunky there is Deepta’s Deconstructed Guacamole.

 

If you are a legume lover like me, you have to have your hummus, and here is a roasted red pepper variety that is colorful and flavorful all at once. My kids of course love the cilantro variation which also is just as good. One more in the the dip universe, is my slow cooker white bean dip, this one with some good crusty bread is almost a meal in itself.

There are plenty of munchies, fritters galore, to start with we can have the Dal Vada, which will keep you happy no matter what team wins, and then there are pakoras, here and there.

Pakoras done right, can also make a touchdown, there is always the pretty and colorful Scallion and Radish Pakoras, one of my favorites from the Spices and Seasons cookbook.

If you must have your wings, fret not, I have you covered. Here are a few possibilities.  If you like them spicy and sweet here are my Hoisin Wings and then there is the Lime and Poblano Wings

If kebabs are more your style, there is always a good classic chicken tikka, that is colorful, spiced and full of soul.

There is always that moment, when you want a good comforting bowl of something, for that there is my slow cooker channa masala chili, this one can cook over night and all it needs is the fixings.

Last but not the least is a tart and tangy quinoa, this one will help you balance the flavors of the other dishes in your repertoire.

 

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Spices and Seasons with Mambo 64

  As I was perusing through some pictures on this snowy day, I came across pictures of this absolutely wonderful event that I had done with my friend Arlen, the chef and owner of Mambo 64.

The idea came together spontaneously and captured both our imaginations. It was a novel concept and not one that had been explored before in Westchester.

We mixed up dishes, often showcasing them in Latin and Indian ways, such as my Chicken Tikka and Arlen’s roasted chicken with Jalapeno sauce. Possibly one of the highlights of my evening was meeting the rest of the Mambo family – the delightful Chef Annie who I could take home, the enthusiastic Pepe and Jessica – Arlen’s very committed publicist.

The class was a smaller group than some of her other classes, allowing me to chat and mingle better with the guests. Some of the other interesting observations was to see how well my pear and raisin chutney (from the Spices and Seasons, cookbook) meshed with tortilla chips, who knew. Arlen’s quinoa salad with corn and black beans has become a household staple.

As for my malpoa, they worked beautifully with an apple and pistachio topping.  To capture the spirit of the evening, here is a little video that I put together of the few scattered shots that I had taken.

 

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Stir-Fried Green Beans and The Slanted Door

  Green Beans are quite a staple in our household, especially during the summer months. This year we even had our frozen share to savor during these lean months. Tossing them with garlic and soy/tamari or fish sauce is pretty common in our house, however in this recipe that I am about to share with you, they get tossed with a touch of sugar along with the garlic and fish sauce, adding an amazing nuance and deep umami balance. What a difference a single ingredient makes! It is recipes like this, with simple and clever ingredients  that wake up your taste buds. It is a collection of these thoughtful and accessible recipes, that make up a great cookbook.

Last October, I received as a gift from my son and I enjoyed it a lot, and was looking forward to trying out The Slanted Door. I was not sure about what “modern” mean and had some reservations in that context, however this book is everything that makes spending time in the kitchen fun. Added to the extraordinary collection of recipes are the amazing pictures. These pictures make the book, just the perfect kind of book to curl up in bed with on a stormy evening. The modern touches do make the recipes more accessible and I seem to have made more recipes from this book than from its older sibling. Speaking of pictures, that might be the only reservation that I might have about this amazing book.

I feel, that on occasion in certain books, there are extra pictures thrown in just to make the book visually stunning. This is somewhat the case in The Slanted Door, and I feel that this is not needed in a book of substance. This makes the book a little heavier and more voluminous than needed, making it a little harder to work with in the kitchen, when toting it around from place to place.

On the other hand, these pictures certainly offer a stunning presence and makes the book very eye catching. The kind of book, you want displayed on your coffee table. I have thus far tried, the steamed ribs which I had served with these beans. I have bookmarked the rice flour cakes, the caramel claypot chicken, speaking of which the caramel sauce is amazing just by its self is great served over some simple steamed fish just like I did the other evening.

The Slanted Door named after Phan’s award winning restaurant in San Francisco, makes a great advertisement for the restaurant and also breaks the myth for me that restaurant based cookbooks are not personal or accessible. Being a newbie to Vietnamese Cooking at home, this book offers me the perfect introduction.

I am so thrilled to have received the review copy of this book from Blogging for Books.

So, here is the green bean recipe that charmed my family enough for them to ask for it every time I make green beans.

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Stir-Fried Green Beans and The Slanted Door

A lovely sweet and savory green bean recipe that transforms this simple vegetable in something extraordinary.

Ingredients

Kosher salt
4 cups green beans, cut into 2 -inch pieces
1/2 cup canola oil
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons tamari (I used this instead of the fish-sauce)
1/2 cup rice wine (I used sake)

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the green beans and blanch until crisp tender. (Please note if you are using frozen beans, you can simply thaw and skip this step), about 1 minute. If you're not using the beans immediately submerge them in a bowl of ice water to prevent them from overcooking.
Heat a wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates on contact. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the garlic. When the garlic is very lightly browned, after about 1minute, add the sugar by sprinkling it along the sides of the wok. Let the sugar caramelize for a minute, them add the fish sauce (in my case tamari), rice wine, and green beans and stir fry until the sauce is reduced by half. Serve warm.

Notes

Recipe closely adapted from The Slanted Door - Charles Phan

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Fruit and Nut Stuffed Baked Apples

  This morning we woke up to a winter wonderland, it was my favorite kind of snow. The soft and fluffy non icy variety, leaving everything white and beautiful without worries of things slip sliding under my feet as I walk.

I am still going through my blog indexing project, yes, a crazy exercise that I started when I changed names and domains, and wonder if all was worthwhile.

As I meander and ponder life, I was happy to learn that The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles is poised for a reprint. I realized that for most authors this really is no big event, it is business as usual, however I still do a happy dance (in my heart and mind) when I think of people discovering Bengali food through my book. That really is reward itself. What more can a girl ask for?

I celebrated the beauty of the snowy day and the gift of the afternoon to myself by making a simple dessert. It is actually a departure from my usual routine of stews and savories that fill my stove on this snowy wet days. I cannot depart too far from happy, so I did make a batch of these vadas which was duly appreciated by all at home. The apples in question were pretty good, and really simple the trick comes from soaking the raisins in rum something I do a lot in many of my recipes. I use it for a killer bread pudding in Bengali Five Spice Chronicles.

As the weekend continued, I spent another uninterrupted day in the kitchen, this time I made brownies as biscotti, yes recipes to follow soon although I must confess that I have somehow managed to tire myself and I am certainly not looking forward to the idea of a snowy start to the week. Gosh, if only I could disappear to the end of the earth during the snowstorms I would be fine, or at least snow should be restricted to weekends when we can enjoy it without cramping one’s style.

My week starts with a morning appointment with the evil one, the good news is that the rest of the week can only get better.

Back to these baked apples, while they taste pretty good as is, if you want to guild the lily by all means serve it with scoops of vanilla ice cream. I have used grape juice to add moisture to the dish, if you want you can play with the flavors by adding apple or pear juice. The grape juice is from our garden, an episode that I still need to tell you about, but we shall save that for a later day.

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Fruit and Nut Stuffed Baked Apples

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Serving Size: 1 apple

An easy and comforting recipe for baked apples, using rum soaked raisins and almonds as stuffing.

Ingredients

For the filling

1/2 cup rum
1 cup mixed large raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup brown sugar

For the apples

8 medium sized apples such as honeycrisp
3 tablespoon butter
2 cups of grape juice or cider

Instructions

Mix the ingredients for the stuffing and set aside for 1 to 2 hours.
In the meantime gently core the apples, but do not cut through. This is being done to remove the seeds as well as to create a pocket for stuffing.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, grease the baking tray with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
Fill the pocket with the filling.
Pour the grape juice over the apples and add the butter bake for about 25 minutes. The apples should be soft and golden, the raisins crisp and the baking liquid thick.
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