Rinku Bhattacharya's Blog, page 79

Paniyaram – Crisp Savory Breakfast Dumplings

Weekends, for my son are perfect with a combination of chicken and dosas, not necessarily together, but somewhere in the grand scheme of things. I am often leftover with small amounts of the batter, but, have never ventured to make these savory dumpling like treats called paniyaram, but this weekend it was time.

Three days away from the weekend, it will be difficult to capture the spirit of tranquility that prevailed in our house, in rhythm with the cool and rainy weather. The spirit of the air reflecting the mood of a Sherlock Holmes mystery, even, as I write this I am tempted to brew a cup of Earl Grey and curl up on the couch to read. Well, all of the mood and spirit screamed for a snack and this is where that leftover batter came in handy. It was fun to engage my kids in an exercise to say the name correctly, well, this is an exercise that is shared irrespective of the name of the dish and sometimes even the country of origin. They enjoy tongue twisters, it makes the dish more interesting for them.

My dad loved saying, there is a time for everything, and I guess it was time for Paniyarams in our household. I had inherited this rather beaten up Paniyaram chatti, a traditional skillet for making these crisp dumpling like creations. This skillet is very similar if not identical to an abelskiver pan. My paniyaran pan has all the trappings of a well used family classic, I am not even sure how it got this way, because ironically enough I am the only member on my family who has attempted to use this, in fact, I am also the only one who makes dosa and idlies and now it’s time for paniyarans.I had

In fact, as I compose this post on a chilly night, I long for the warmth of the morning when I had made them. They will be made again and again, once I get with the program of fermenting dosa batter in winter.

Weekends, for my son are perfect with a combination of chicken and dosas, not necessarily together, but somewhere in the grand scheme of things. I am often leftover with small amounts of the batter, but, have never ventured to make these savory dumpling like treats called paniyaram, but this weekend it was time.

Three days away from the weekend, it will be difficult to capture the spirit of tranquility that prevailed in our house, in rhythm with the cool and rainy weather. The spirit of the air reflecting the mood of a Sherlock Holmes mystery, even, as I write this I am tempted to brew a cup of Earl Grey and curl up on the couch to read. Well, all of the mood and spirit screamed for a snack and this is where that leftover batter came in handy. It was fun to engage my kids in an exercise to say the name correctly, well, this is an exercise that is shared irrespective of the name of the dish and sometimes even the country of origin. They enjoy tongue twisters, it makes the dish more interesting for them.

Southern India, has a culinary heritage that is loosely shared, with the emphasis on the word loosely between the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. A lot of the core ingredients particularly the essential tiffin of dosa is shared but then there are variations to the theme and what is created depending on the region and of course the cooks preference. And, these paniyarams are no different. At core, they are however a way to use up the batter on hand, these small little crisp pillars of goodness are crisp on the outside and soft and spongy inside with the characteristic tang of well fermented batter. They are usually happily served up with chutney, and in my case I served them with the apple and cranberry relish that I made up in minutes.

This is the time for nesting, fun and frolic, I encourage you to plan a little and try your hand at these savory treats.

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Paniyaram – Crisp Savory Breakfast Dumplings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

A crisp savory breakfast dumpling called paniyaran, made with leftover dosa batter.

Ingredients

Oil for greasing and crisping the paniyaran pan
1 cup leftover dosa batter
Very finely chopped onions
Finely chopped green chilies
Chopped cilantro

Instructions

Grease the wells in the pan well with the grease and place on the fire. You will need to be fairly generous (approx ½ teaspoon of oil per well) with the oil.
Mix in the dosa batter with the chopped onion, green chilies and cilantro. You will want to add enough to have nice flavor, but not overwhelm the batter with its presence.
Pour enough of the batter into the wells to fill the wells and let them cook and turn crisp. By the time they are ready to be turned they are fairly crisp and can be turned easily, I find it convenient to use a fork to loosen the sides.
Turn them over and press lightly down to cook the second side.
Remove and continue this process until all the batter is used up and serve hot with your favorite condiment.
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Little Mumbai Market – Pleasantville, NY

All my wishes for finding a decent spot where I can pick up a decent cup of tea on the go has been answered. We now have Little Mumbai Market plus Litter Crepe House right here in Pleasantville. Brought to us by the owners of Little Kabab Station, this charming little place is full of character and walls of vibrant color and fun impressions of recapturing the street vibes of the western city of Mumbai, in India.

Some fun examples, are the tire puncture repair simulation. The streets of India are for the tough and the cars are no exception – running over a nail often leaves you with a flat, aptly termed a puncture in India. However, where there is a puncture there are plenty of of people happy to repair your punctures in very ingenious ways. The source of the leak or tear is very deftly identifies and it is often sealed with a neat piece of rubber and the air is replenished and the driver is on his or her way.

The restaurant attempts to blend street foods of India with some French offerings. On the French side of the equation the menu brings in crepes and coffee a fairly decent selection of flavors to work with.

When I am out of steam, what fixes my flat is a good cup of tea. While they had a couple of options it was the masala chai and I have to say that their version hit all the right notes. By way of drinks they have hot and cold coffee and a hand full of smoothies that offer a small microcosm of a good smoothie bar.

Selecting from the chaat category on two different occasions, I have tried the Bhel Puri and the Papri Chaat, both were seriously delicious options. I am almost ready to do a happy dance as I write this. I mean, seriously, our own chaat place, what more can I ask for!

Yes, I also dried their desi omelet, essentially this dish that I featured on the blog a few weeks ago. It is my weekend creation, however, it is always good to have a place to go to once in a while. Their version has amul cheese an Indian style cheese and is severed on these small sliders that are a Mumbai classic. With the soft bread, butter and bits of sharp serrano peppers, every bite will feel like a party in your mouth. Rich, spicy and satisfying.

The waitstaff were knowledgeable, pleasant and very attentive.  I loved their white teashirts, some of which they actually had for sale. Most of the dishes I tried were from the Chowpatty segment of the menu, named after the classic beach area with street foods. They do have a small and  serviceable selection of entrees and sandwiches.

Then were the crepes, which I tried with my brother who was visiting last weekend. Yes, we tried they about 3 times before I posted the review. Now, this was the one downer. The flavors and presentation was great however the crepes themselves were thicker than I would like. Not the light and thin varieties that oh so hit the spot.

Not surprisingly however, this little place is wonderful and is a very welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Little Mumbai Market

475 Bedford Rd,

Pleasantville, NY 10570

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Peepali – New York City

  I have been cooking up some very interesting fare, but, more importantly I have been sampling some very good fare, beginning with a visit to Peepali in well, the Curry Hill area of New York, yes, one of my favorite spots to shop and eat Indian. There are the old favorites and then there are newcomers that beckon. I have heard many interesting things about Peepali, so I felt it was time to visit and I am writing based on two lunchtime visits.

The restaurant is set up is contemporary muted shades, festive and Indian enough without completely taking your senses on a walk down an Indian roadside market.  The service was pleasant and attentive. On both occasions, I ordered the Thali, mixing up the entree. Now, their food had everything that you want want in a good well cooked Indian meal, and I loved their sense of portion control. A small fritter really well done with the mini papadum while normally might seem as small, it worked as the perfect foil to the rest of the meal. And the saag, I cannot remember when I last had saag that was so well cooked to perfection, soft well spiced bites without any offending dollops of excess cream, just the way it is supposed to be.

Their dal (and anyone who knows me, knows that I have quite the thing for dal!), could have been something I would have cooked up for the kids, and the alu gobi was also the homey version with a nice layering of light gravy. In fact, these dishes made me long for some hot puffy chappati on the side rather than the well made smokey naan. Much as I enjoy naan, I guess enough meals with my north Indian in-laws make me realize the value of a well made chapati, not that mom did not like it but it was never exalted to celebrity status the way it tends to be on the north Indian table. Peepali’s menu actually brings many Maharastrian or western Indian offerings, which is not always found in most places. In some cases the differences are prominent and in other cases subtle, but certainly distinct from standard hackneyed North Indian fare.

With all of this, the non-vegetarian offerings actually had a difficult time keeping and matching the competition. I found the fish and the mutton a little to rich with more of the thick saucy gravy in comparison to the protein itself. When going through the menu, it might seem we have yet another restaurant that offers a collection of  Indian staples, however, what Peepali does well is to bring these to light with a deft touch that makes the dishes warm inviting and homey.

It is the perfect place to go, when you are looking for something predictably good and satisfying.

Peepali

129 E 29th Street

New York, New York 10016

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Cranberry and Clementine Chutney

Well, some weeks will not be that great, at least in the beginning… We are not yet at hump day, yet, so I am optimistic. Of course, as I began my efforts on consciously shaking away my blues, I began to realize there had been a big high to my day. Someone just emailed me, that my khichuri recipe had inspired her to try it out with her 10 year old!!!

Here is the genesis of the twitter conversation.

@Wchestermasala I’m trying it as I Tweet, and it’s awesome. The 10-year-old will soon be having it for dinner. I’ll keep you posted.:)

— Karen Branch-Brioso (@branchbrioso) November 4, 2014

            @Wchestermasala An absolute thumbs up from Daniel. He ate every bite. pic.twitter.com/BmwT6R642Y — Karen Branch-Brioso (@branchbrioso) November 4, 2014

Gosh, I could write poems on khichuri…which made me think of beguni and of course chutney! After all, what is a Bengali table without chutney, and this time of the year, I have been thinking of Cranberry Chutney.

Earlier this week, I took the recipe for Cranberry and Tomato Chutney from the Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and lightened it, and what will end up with is a light and lively rendition. If you are a fan of nuts and dried fruits, you might actually like the recipe that I have in the Spices and Seasons cookbook. This year, I have finally embraced what my husband has been pushing for all these years, the concept of an open masala Thanksgiving. There is plenty of inspiration in the Indian for the holidays segment of the Spices and Seasons, but all of this calls for a pinterest board. If you would like to join the fun, and add to this just let me know.

So, spices are in, but turkey is not going to be out… and with any good turkey, you will need cranberries. Speaking of turkey, there seems to he a huge movement underway, to replace the turkey with, well pork.

Now back to the cranberry chutney, how else will you brighten up that rather pale looking bird. This chutney fits in very well, on a variety of tables, it certainly works well with that bright yellow bowl or plate of khichuri, or your Thanksgiving turkey. I love making chutneys, Bengali style chutneys, there are so quick and easy and I feel the cranberry with its bright and vivid hues was born to be a chutney. As for leftover chutney, if there is any, you will enjoy tranforming these into lovely gently spiced cranberry muffins. The cranberry offers me a brighter option for tomatoes, which is a popular table favorite for chutneys in India, where they are plentiful and available all year round.

 

 

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Cranberry and Clementine Chutney

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

A delicately seasoned chutney with apple cider, cranberries and clementines that will add a lovely touch of color and flavor to your table.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

3/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 cup apple cider

1/2 cup sugar

2 clementines zested and juiced

11/2 cups about 12 ounces cranberries

1 -2 star anise (optional)

Instructions

Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds and wait until the mustard seeds begin to crackle. Add in the ginger and stir well.
Add in the cider and the sugar and the clementine zest and cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture has thickened.
Add in the clementine juice and the cranberries and the star anise if using. Cook for about 5 minutes, just until the cranberries begin to pop.
Turn off the heat and cool and use as needed.
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Beguni – Crisp Batter Coated Eggplant Wedges

This is the official weekend, when we brace for winter, with the clocks turning and all that, it definitely is the real deal. The weather gods certainly got the memo, or maybe they wrote the memo, for baby it’s cold outside! I had a frozen bag of pakora batter, (I know, mom’s idea and it works!) and this weekend, we have migrated to fritter central, and I made some Beguni to savor with hot khichuri and we were all happy! Beguni, is the Bengali word for this, delightful eggplant fritter, derived from the Bengali word for eggplant called Begun.

We love to fry our aubergines or eggplants, after all, soft rich melt in your mouth eggplants is a sensual experience. Coating them with crisp batter, not only translates this experience to a different level, you actually experience that lush soft flesh without any apparent grease. Simple, and just the kind of stuff a chilly evening was made for.

Especially an evening, that has left me a little frustrated! I have to confess, most days, I am happy with my lot! I have two very motivated children, who are well adjusted and brighten my day. However, they are both prone to multiple allergies and also suffer from asthma. This afternoon, was the last game of the season, I know, it was also a very, very chilly evening. Despite, my better judgement and of course the requests from the kids, I took them to their soccer games. While, all was well with my son, my daughter ended up with a predictable attack! Ok, so there you have it, I feel frustrated and have the feeling of bad mommy all over me. I decided to lick my wounds, and cook everyone an ultimate comfort meal.

Well, if you are through and through Bengali like me, there are two ways you will savor your Beguni, you will enjoy them for a meal with Khichuri, or the Bengali risotto, which is what we did tonight or enjoy them for a tea-time snack with puffed rice or muri, maybe with just a smidge of mustard oil. This makes a great after school snack as well.

Speaking of which, recently, the wonderful folks at Indus ladies have compiled a free e-book of lunchbox recipes, that can be downloaded here. It is full of several interesting ideas, and includes my recipe for chickpea kathi rolls.

My version, is slighter thicker than some and the batter is a tad thinner, but, this can be varied. However, next week bring yourself and eggplant and enjoy this humble and indulgent creation.

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Beguni – Crisp Batter Coated Eggplant Wedges

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: Makes about 15 eggplant wedges

A classic nigella speckled eggplant fritter, that is a popular Bengali snack.

Ingredients

2 pounds (about 2 medium sized) Italian eggplants
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper

For the Batter

1 cup of chickpea flour or besan
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
11/2 teaspoons nigella seeds
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper or more if you like it spicy
1 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup water or enough to make a coating consistency batter
Oil for frying

Instructions

Cut the eggplant into 3 parts lengthwise, and then into 3 inch wedges about 3/4 inch in thickness. The skin needs to be left on. Sprinkle with the turmeric, salt and the red cayenne pepper and set aside.
In the meantime, place the chickpea flour, cornstarch and baking soda in a mixing bowl and beat well with a whisk to remove all lumps. Mix in the nigella seeds and the salt and red cayenne pepper and turmeric and mix well. Add in enough water to form a batter or coating consistency. It should not be too thick, about the consistency of good pancake batter.
Heat the oil in a heavy bottom wok or skillet. Test for heat by dropping a little batter, it should sizzle and rise to the top. Coat the wedges evenly and add to the wok or skillet about 3 to 4 at a time. Cook on medium heat, until each side is crisp and well done, this would be about 3 minutes per side.
Remove from the oil and place on paper towels to blot out any excess oil and serve hot.Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin2.6http://www.spicechronicles.com/beguni-crisp-batter-coated-eggplant-wedges/

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Thai Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup

  In the next few weeks, some of the intensity of things will wind down to a close. I will be done with all the farmer’s markets. In fact, the two that I have around are flukes and late rescheduling because as we all know it is time to wind-down.  However, with enough of the plenty busy still out and about, I am thrilled to have come up with a Slow Cooker recipe just by chance, a recipe for a Thai Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup.

A couple of tries, and I think I have the taste and texture down to where we all are happy with it as a wonderful slow cooker option and god knows we need loads of those with the cold months ahead. So, without much fuss and fanfare I will present you my version of a Thai Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup.

In fact, I stumbled onto this via this site, when I was scrambling for a perfect care package for my friend Julianna who had some surgery. I was toying through options and came across this recipe by foodie crush, I made this a couple of times. Actually, all the times with my modifications (well you know, I cannot help that!). However, I have to confess, I was pleased as punch to end up with this recipe, that seems to cater to about 1 weeknight dinner and then some for lunchtime. I even had some red curry paste that I have been wanting to use up forever. Speaking of tested and tried, while this curry paste recipe has many layers of adaptation, it seems to fit in just fine.

This week, I was also excited to join the talented team of Zester Daily, I love the general focus of food and culture that this online magazine offers and I hope that hanging out with the team will stimulate some deep and soulful thinking (ha, ha!).  Now, all said and done, this soup does some wonderful justice to carrots we have around and the best things is that I can notch it up or down in terms of heat with a splash of Sriracha, making it just perfect for both kids and us. Really, all of this ends up being a cross between Thai flavors and the more indegenous varieties of Indian style noodle soup such as Thupka or Khao Swey a Burmese soup that has found its ways to some sophisticated Bengali kitchens.

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Thai Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours, 40 minutes

A soothing creamy slow cooker chicken noodle soup with Thai Seasonings!

Ingredients

Ingredients
11/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
3 pods of minced garlic
¾ cup of coconut milk
11/2 cups of chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
11/2 tablespoon Thai Red Curry paste (homemade or store bought)
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into pieces
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
11/2 tablespoons peanut butter
to finish
3 ounces thin dry rice noodles
1 cup frozen peas
Thinly sliced scallions
To garnish
Chopped cilantro
Freshly squeezed lime juice
Sriracha to taste
Freshly grated carrots

Instructions

Place the ginger, garlic, coconut milk, broth or water, brown sugar, red curry paste and chicken thighs into the slow cooker.
Add in the carrots, fish sauce and peanut butter and cook for 3 hours on high.
Stir well. Add in the noodles , frozen peas and the scallions and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve in soup bowls with chopped cilantro, squeezed lime juice and sriracha to taste. Top with freshly grated carrots to taste.
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Suviving my first Spices and Seasons Pop-Up

 

  There were two promises that I had made to myself (ok, myself and the Spice Chronicles household!) – 1. I would not let the cookbooks interfere with the household routine and

2. En Route to promoting the cookbooks, I would not take a hackneyed and jaded journey!

Ok, I am faltering on number one, it does take some time and energy to come up with interesting ways to promote things, and while I am having fun, it certainly has meant some time that has come out of the broader family kitty of time.

Now, onto to the second, I have had a lot of fun working through interesting and unusual collaborations! This has certainly let the way to my first pop-up event, a five course tasting with our very own and local Broken Bow Brewery. Our first set of meetings led through our tasting menus, you can find the details here. Well, this one took, some persuasion and thought to cross the line between a full blown cooking class and well, a pop-up.

On the menu, was a collection of dishes from the Spices and Seasons, cookbook paired perfectly with an assortment of beers from the Broken Bow collection. This is hardly a surprise, as Indian food pairs perfectly with beer. The few pictures here are, this one of the Split Pea and Red Onion fritters or the masala vada. The earthy flavors of this one, worked oh so well, with the neutral IPA!

Perfectly done, Baigan Bhartha, with just a dollop of sour cream. This was paired with a delicate stinger! Gentle and delicate, everyone love this one. I also, moved on to my roasted cauliflower and vindaloo, which was actually simmered in lager and yes, served with the lager.

By then, we had all hands on deck, lots and lots of action. I would have loved more pictures of the action, but I will save that for a different event. With just Kristen and me, manning the people this got a little crazy.

Wrapping up with my saffron and cardamom rice pudding, this one was paired with a seasonal and specialty brew, their white chocolate ale. This was probably the highlight of the evening, we had a boutique and customized pairing and very fresh and clean home make Indian food. I left with the same tired euphoria, that I feel after my cooking classes. And yes, I will be doing some soon.

Some of you have been inquiring, we will do something again, possibly next year, or maybe a Holi pop-up. I would not have survived without the amazing team of Danielle (social media), Kristen, (everything you can think of and more), Brian and Kasey for the pairings and the lovely Sophia who worked me be the whole evening. I am sure there were others. But for today, this was it.

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Masala Omelet (to Sir with Love)

I will begin the post with my first and hopefully only disclaimer, the masala omelet or the Indian style omelet posted here does not have much to do with the narrative, but then again, the masala style omelet is ageless, Indian and very integral to the fabric of my life, not unlike the story I am about tell… If you have not, thus far in life, you need to amend this oversight immediately!

It took me some pressing, back and forth. With everything going on, I gave myself a much earned rest. I actually had the day of today, and slept in until 10am, on a weekday!

That was my version of diwali, the rest of the evening went on, in a calm and well planned manner. On such an auspicious day, I am glad to tell you about Dr. Stanley Brush, someone who had been an integral part of my life, a surrogate father of sorts during my early years on campus. As a tribute my father, it was fitting that I had him write the introduction to my book, The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles. Dr. Brush, the son of missionary parents, was in Bengal before anyone I knew and has memories and visions of the place that complement and complete my knowledge of the city of my birth. A beautiful update of their lives can be found in the memoir, Farewell the Winterline. I met him at a campus picnic, over two decades ago, an event welcoming new students like me into the community. On hearing about me, he introduced himself as a fellow son of Bengal, and the rest as they say is history.

Over the years, until about seven years ago, they remained an important part of my life. They still remain important, and irreplaceable after all, how can you forget the person who introduces you to opera and red wine. Yes, indeed, I learned so many nuanced of adult life and did so much of real growing up with them. Oh! and photography, that too was a path refined by Dr. Brush.

We went to visit them at the retirement community where they live. Even in their small home, I found all the familiar things of the CT home, that I had visited and found solace on so many afternoons. The cactus, the beautiful photographs, all felt like home. They still have in them so much love and positive zest, this post and many moments of my life are dedicated to you. Thank you so much of touching and being a part of my life.

Back to the masala omelet, in life’s unplanned and yet, predictable ways it brings you back full circle. I had started this post with lots of other ideas and now I am hitting the post button on a Saturday eve, right when I am ready to make me and the brood some masala omelets. After all, what pray is the weekend without the masala omelet.

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Masala Omelete - Indian Style Vegetable Omelet

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: Serves 1

A nostalgic and classic recipe for an Indian style vegetable omelet, commonly known as masala omelet. Perfect for a cool fall or winter morning.

Ingredients

For each omelet

11/2 teaspoons oil
1 egg
2 tablespoons very finely chopped red onion (my grandmother used to say, think cumin)
2 tablespoon chopped tomato
1 green chili such as Serrano, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh tomato chutney or ketchup to serve

Optional

Whole grain toast with lots of butter

Instructions

Place a heavy bottom pan on the fire and drizzle with oil and turn on the heat.
Beat the egg with the onion, tomato, green chili and salt.
Pour the egg onto the hot oil. The oil should be hot enough to have the egg puff around the edges. Cover and let the egg cook for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro.
Gently fold the egg in half and cook for a little longer. The egg should be puffy and flecked with golden brown spots.
Serve with tomato chutney or ketchup and hot buttered toast.
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Blue Smoke – NYC

  I am a huge fan of restaurant weeks, not just because you get a good deal, but often you are able to get out and sample some places that you would otherwise not notice or check out. In particular, I enjoy New York City, because of the sheer diversity of place to check out. It is of course true, I am usually confined to the Chelsea and Flatiron area, but well over four year and counting I am still finding new dining experiences, often away from the beaten path (which of course is a relative term).

I stumbled upon Blue Smoke, which seriously considering Sarabeth’s, I decided to give Blue Smoke a try. It was different from my usual Little Korea or Curry Hill joint. Of course, then there is Les Halles, another one of my favorites but today it was Blue Smoke that had my number.

Blue Smoke in simple terms can be described as an upscale barbecue spot, and they have at first glance done a good job of creating the ambience and decor. Up front, if you are are fan of cocktails, this place will certainly have your number. I can certainly see myself coming up with the gang, possibly after work. If you have concerns about where your meat comes from Blue Smoke has you covered, they are fairly clear about where they get there meat, they tend to mention source and location where-ever possible.

Once settled into the aged tables, and comforting decor, I took in their selection of hot sauces. This is something about these sauces that still leaves me bemused. I still have mixed feelings about the role of chilies as a condiments. However, I guess, we can always say that they take the place of pickles and chutneys on a table.

The first course consisted of a pimento cheese spread, andoule sausage and sliced jalapenos served with saltines. I was not sure how all of this work together, I found the hot sausage a great improvement on cooler chacuterie. One of the things that I would like to mention is that it is important to notice that the portions were adequate but not excessive. The space was busy but service was prompt and comfortable.

The wildcard and highlight of my experince was the roasted chicken with the Alabama white sauce. Interestingly enough when chatting with the folks on twitter, I realized that they had actually picked up the recipe from Kansas. Nonetheless, all good!The chicken was certainly lean and had the perfect taste of a free range bird.

Dessert was with pecan, pralines and and salted caramel ice-cream. Now, I am no barbecue expert, but I certainly do get good food. This was certainly an experience well worth remembering.

Blue Smoke

116 E 27th St, New York, NY 10016

(212) 447-7733

 

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Festive Saffron Lamb Yakhni Pilaf

  Making a festive lamb pilaf, needs one key factor, lots of patience and low and slow cooking, and not really the kind that can be delegated to the slow cooker.

I did a slight experiment with this dish and was very pleased with results.  So, with the experiment that I shall talk about with happiness as we go through the rest of the post.

What I have done here is slow cooked the meat, a large and moist lamb shank, low and slow for a long time to create a broth and base that has all the flavor acquired from hours of slow cooking. At this point, I remove chunks of meat from the lamb shank, discard the bone and keep aside until I am ready to cook the rice and the rice gets tossed in when I am ready and gets done in less than 30 minutes. Essentially cooking the rice in a slow flavored stock or Yakni is a tradition that comes to us from the beautiful highland state of Kashmir. A lamb yakhni pilaf is all about the broth or the yakhi.

The key is that the lamb is quite forgiving, so once put together it can cook by itself without much fuss. It is not a super simple dish, however by breaking up the steps it does make it doable for a special meal on a weeknight without much fuss or ado. Often, that is the key to making the special meal workable on a weeknight, breaking apart the recipe. With Diwali, round the corner, if your table includes meat this might be a meal to consider.

I recently visited my brother-in-laws new house at the outskirts of Albany, and my concept of space might never be the same. Ah! the debate between space and inching towards Manhattan. Much as I love the vibe and pace of the city, I realize I cannot possibly afford anything remotely close to child rearing space in the city. Frankly granted our home is smaller by most Westchester standards and possibly on some days more chaotic that the standard New York City home, it is most likely for keeps. What shall really haunt is is the oodles of natural light streaming into the kitchen, I wistfully think of how amazing the food pictures would have looked here. Unfortunately, none of that will be happening explaining why the house shall remain free of all the prop clutter.

Well, back to the dish of hand, it can certainly is a regal dish originating in the Kashmiri tradition of cooking. I have added more yogurt in this version as I feel that it takes away a little of gamey taste of lamb, if you cook with goat meat or want to leave it out, it is fine, you will have a lighter tasting pilaf.

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Festive Saffron Lamb Yakhni Pilaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

An rich and elegant dish of slow cooked lamb pilaf, cooked in its own seasoned broth. This is a variation of the Kashmiri recipe for Yakhni pulao.

Ingredients

For the Lamb
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced into half moons
1/3 cup oil
1 tablespoon freshly ground ginger
1 tablespoon freshly ground garlic
11/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup Greek Yogurt, well beaten
11/2 teaspoons red cayenne pepper
1 cup water
11/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 to 2 lambs shanks (about 3 pounds)

For the Rice

2 blades mace
1 stick cinnamon
3 pods cardamom
3 cloves
1 tablespoon oil
4 to 6 small potatoes, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and dried
3 to 4 bay leaves
11/2 teaspoons whole peppercorns bruised
1 cup water
1 tablespoon rosewater (optional)
Sliced Almonds to garnish

Instructions

Heat the oil and add the onions and cook the onions slowly, stirring frequently for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are golden. Remove about half the onions and set aside.
Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Add in the salt and the lamb shank and mix well. Stir in the yogurt, cayenne pepper and the water and garam masala. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat and cover the pot tightly and let the lamb simmer for about 11/2 hours, until the sauce is fragrant and the lamb is very tender.
At this point, remove the lamb shanks and break off the meat in chunks. You can set this aside to use when needed. I actually skim off the extra fat before I am ready to cook the rice.
Grind the mace, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves into a powder.
Heat the oil and add in the bay leaves and the whole peppercorns and the potatoes and mix well. Stir in the salt and the ground spices. Add in the reserved lamb and the skimmed cooking liquid and cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
Add in the rice and water and saffron. Please note, if you have less than 1 and ½ cups of cooking liquid, add in more water. You should have 2 and half cups of liquid for the rice.
Cover and cook the rice on low for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest for about 5 minutes.
Remove the lid, add in the rosewater if using, fluff the rice and garnish with the almonds before serving.
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