Adzuki Beans with Swiss Chard

This is one of my very favourite recipes, and I love to make it on winter evenings. Once cooked, adzuki beans are very creamy and with the addition of a green almost resemble a thick hearty soup!! They absorb seasoning very well yet retain their own particular taste. This recipe will go well with Indian style flat breads, as well as any freshly baked wheat bread. We love it with Basmati rice.

Sarson Ka Saag | Mustard Greens Indian Style

Sarson ka saag is one of the great favourites in the winter months in Delhi, when mustard greens are available in abundance as is fresh spinach. Sarson ka Saag or Mustard Greens are of course an import from Haryana which borders the capital, and can be found as a staple in the many roadside dhabas that dot the state.

Phool Gobi Matar ki Sabzi | Gobhi Matar | Cauliflower Peas Stir Fry

Cauliflower or phool gobi is available in abundance at our farmer's co-operative throughout the year. Being such a versatile vegetable, I tend to buy at least 1 head of flower every week and keep it handy in the refrigerator. From gobi parathas to Thai curries to cauliflower cheese, cauliflower adds its own distinct flavour to each and every dish, while absorbing spices and sauces it is cooked in to perfection. Sweet green peas or matar are my personal favourite. I remember my childhood when we would rush off to Sarojini Nagar Sabzi (vegetable) market every saturday morning to buy fresh produce. Both phool gobi and matar would be plenty in during the winter months!! That first peas of the season would be sweet, freshly shelled, and seasoned with nothing more than butter and salt!! And the cauliflower so creamy that it would melt in minutes once seasoned!! Mmmm....

Sookhi Rajma ki Dal | Spicy Red Kidney Beans

What would Aloo Tikkis be without an accompanying sauce? Of course, every self-respecting chef does stock up on an assortment of chutneys and ketchup!! But the simplicity of the tikkis is somehow jazzed up wonderfully with a tasty legume of some kind - often spicy chickpeas. I simply adore that combination which I love to serve up with tamarind and mint chutney. Yummy:)

Saibhaji | Dilled Mixed Vegetables and Lentils

I picked up a bunch of Dill on my weekly grocery trip with the intention of making Saibhaji. Pressed for time, I ended up ignoring the refrigerator for most of the week. On Thursday, however, I could not stop myself - the urge to whip up something quick yet delicious was overwhelming. What else, but the simple but very special Saibhaji could satisfy the taste buds!!

Lavash Crackers: A Vegan & Gluten Free Challenge

A new frontier for the Daring Bakers opened up this month with a vegan and/or gluten free challenge. Two Alternative Daring Bakers : Natalie from Gluten A Go Go and Shel of Musings From the Fishbowl are hosting this challenge. And with great delight I found that the challenge this month was savory. The aim was to make Lavash Crackers from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice (pp 178 - 180).

The Challenge: From Natalie & ShelMake Lavash Crackers and create a dip/spread/salsa/relish to accompany it. This challenge allows for large helpings of creativity and personality, with the crackers, your flavor choices for the crackers, and with your dip/spread choice. You can create your own dip/spread recipe, use one of your favorites, or use one of the recipes we’ve provided at the bottom of this post. Get crazy ! Just be sure to post the recipe along with your challenge crackers so we can see what you made and how you made it (so we can try it, too!).

The Rules:
You have so much freedom! You can make the Lavash Crackers either with all purpose wheat flour or you can try making them gluten free. You may use any variety of spices/seeds/salt to top the crackers. All dips/spreads/
relishes/salsas must be vegan and gluten free.

The Definitions: Vegan - no animal products of any kind (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism); Gluten Free - No wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, and triticale, as well as the use of gluten as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent. For the purposes of this challenge, we are also excluding oats, even though there are gluten free oats available in some parts of the world. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten_free)

Heads Up :
* You can do so much to make this recipe your own – adding dried herbs or roasted garlic, etc., to the dough, using gourmet spices-salts-seasonings-seeds to sprinkle on top, etc.
* Read carefully ! The following recipe includes directions for both gluten-free crackers (à la Natalie !) and traditional AP flour crackers.
* The key to crispy crackers is rolling out the dough as thinly as possible. We noticed that the crackers turned out better if you divide the dough in half before rolling. You’ll roll out the dough as per the directions, decorate and cook the crackers in two batches.
* We’ve included some links with examples of the finished Lavash at the bottom of the post. J

RECIPE - Recipe Reference: The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread, by Peter Reinhart. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA. Copyright 2001. ISBN-10: 1-58008-268-8, ISBN-13: 978-158008-268-6.

Here's a simple formula for making snappy Armenian-style crackers, perfect for breadbaskets, company and kids...It is similar to the many other Middle Eastern and Northern African flatbreads known by different names, such as mankoush or mannaeesh (Lebanese), barbari (Iranian), khoubiz or khobz (Arabian), aiysh (Egyptian), kesret and mella (Tunisian), pide or pita (Turkish), and pideh (Armenian). The main difference between these breads is either how thick or thin the dough is rolled out, or the type of oven in which they are baked (or on which they are baked, as many of these breads are cooked on stones or red-hot pans with a convex surface)...

The key to a crisp lavash,...is to roll out the dough paper-thin. The sheet can be cut into crackers in advance or snapped into shards after baking. The shards make a nice presentation when arranged in baskets.

Ingredients:1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt
1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast
1 tbsp (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar
1 tbsp(.5 oz) vegetable oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water, at room temperature
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

Method:1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

What I Did:I chose to make the non-gluten free crackers. I prepared the dough and then divided it into 2 parts. In one I mixed some onion seeds and in the other Italian herbs. I baked the onion seeds dough in sheets and the one with the herbs I cut into circles. The crackers came out really crisp and crunchy. They were very tasty and also very light as munchies. I served mine with home-made Baba Ghanoush (recipe to follow). All in all, this recipe is a keeper.Though it really is an effort to roll the dough out to the requisite thin-ness, the results are well worth it!!

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Spicy Panner-Filled Rolls

Paneer or Indian-Style Cottage Cheese makes a delicious filling for these quick and easy bread rolls. Paneer is usually made with buffalo milk and is rich in calcium and contains upto 500mg calcium in a serving of a single cup. Quite simply, its good for you. These rolls taste delicious warm or cold. They are perfect as a snack, great for a party, but throw in a salad or soup and you get a yummy meal that's nutritious at the same time.

Khatta-Meetha Nimboo Achaar | Sweet-Sour Lemon Pickle

Lemons are a plenty in the market, and its the perfect weather to enjoy them. Lemons are tremendously versatile and just add great flavour to food. I always keep a great stock handy for all those lovely dishes that come alive with a squeeze of lemon. Amongst our favourites are chilled sweet lemonade, margaritas, salad dressing, granita, and needless to say pickle!!

A drop of lemon pickle makes a perfect accompaniment to any meal. Try this lovely home made pickle with rice, paratha, crackers, toast, you name it!! The explosive combination of tart, sweet, and hot makes it finger-licking good:)

Ingredients:
8 lemons, quartered
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 cup dry red chillies
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp asafetida
1/2 cup sugar
Salt, to taste


Method:

1. Heat the oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pan. Add the mustard seeds.
2. When they begin to pop, add the asafetida. Stir and cook for a minute. Next add the lemons.Take care not to splash the oil as it will be very hot at this point.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the lemons well, until all the water they release is evaporated and the oil begins to separate from them. Remove from the heat.
4. In a separate non-stick pan, dry roast the fenugreek seeds and the red chillies separately. Cool. Dry grind these together.
5. Now add this spice mix to the cooked lemons with the salt and sugar. Mix well. As the oil is warm, the sugar will melt.
6. Once the pickle is cool, store in clean, dry glass bottles for at least a week before serving.

This lemon pickle goes to AFAM Lemon. A monthly event, it is being hosted this month by Easycrafts at Simple Indian Food. AFAM or A Fruit A Month event was started by Maheswari of Beyond the Usual blog. This recipe also goes to Sunita at Sunita's World food blog. Sunita's food event Think Spice... carries the theme Think Spice... Think Favourite this month. This is because this fabulous event is celebrating its very first anniversary! Great going Sunita - and wishing you all the best!! Quick note on my favourite spice which is fenugreek seeds. Fenugreek seeds are a staple of Indian cooking and they add great flavour to vegetables, pickles, and chutneys alike. Fenugreek, roasted and crushed is a vital ingredient of pickles. Its flavour though initially bitter plays a significant role in the maturing of the pickle. Here's to my favourite spice - fenugreek seeds!!!!

Vegan Recipe

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2013. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Vegetarian Chilli Con Soya

Vegetarian Chilli? Sounds contradictory, huh? Well, not really. Soya Granules or what is sold in many health stores as texturised vegetable protein makes the perfect substitute for this spicy dish, the original recipe of which is Chilli Con Carne or chilli with meat and calls for minced meat.

This is a recipe that I put together after I discovered a box of soya granules in the pantry of our home on returning from my travels. My husband had seen them at our local desi (Indian) store and as he remembered them from his childhood, he purchased them on a whim! This happened a couple of years ago and since then I have discovered that vegetarian cilli is actually a very popular dish. However I have been both surprised and excited to see the number and types of ingredients that are used as a substitute for the meat. These include chilli with mixed vegetables and beans, firm tofu, lentils, potatoes, beets, and grape nuts!!

Aloo ke Samose | Potato Samosas with Phyllo

Samosas = party!! Every special occasion deserves a treat and the samosa somehow makes an appearance at birthdays, office parties, picnics, marriages, well everywhere!! I still remember a great Mithai (Indian Sweet) shop near my grandparents home in Delhi which made the most divine Shingharas or Bengali version of samosas. They were so popular that one had to make a special order to make sure you got your hands on them!!

A Protein Rich Snack: Acaraje

Acaraje or a bean fritter comes from a fusion of African and Brazilian cuisines. It is a kind of street or fast food that is served with a spicy vinegary sauce!!Typically the acaraje fritter or patty is made with black-eye beans which are then deep fried in palm oil. Delicious, but I wanted to do something different with this recipe - mainly try to make a more healthy version of it. I made this acaraje with red kidney beans, and shallow fried them with very little oil.

Creamy Cucumber Curd Rice

I usually head to the local farmer's market on Saturday mornings. This morning I lingered a little too long there as I got into a really interesting conversation with a local farmer who is growing edible flowers!!!! But more of that a post to follow. While the conversation was both fun and educative, the heat index was not!! And by the time I got home with some really beautiful sugar snaps, zucchini, and cucumber, I knew that I had caught a touch of the sun.

A Desi Take on the Danish Braid

The June Challenge from the Daring Bakers took me right back to my early days as a novice baker!! Still in high school, I had an insatiable need to experiment with all goods baked. Thumbing through an old Woman & Home magazine, courtesy my grandmother's collection, I found myself fascinated with the very flaky puff pastry. Out came the flour, butter, and rolling pin, and with a some great recipes and enduring love for the puff pastry was formed.

The Daring Bakers recipe for the Danish Braid is simply super. Yet it did set me in a bit of a quandary. I was keen on making a savoury rather than a sweet braid, and I wanted to avoid using the egg and vanilla essence combination as my olfactory sensation is not taking kindly to it!! So here's the alternative recipe I developed.


For the Pastry:
1 sachet yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp onion seeds
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 stick butter
2/3 cup milk

For the Filling:
1 large onion, sliced fine
1 garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tsp butter
A drop of olive oil


Method:
Prepare the pastry as per the original recipe. For the filling, heat the butter and olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic, and then the onions, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the onions are delicately caramelised. Now add the mushrooms, turn up the heat and fry, stirring all the time. Once the mushrooms are cooked and there is no water in the pan, add the seasonings. Mix well, remove from heat, and cool.


Prepare the braid, fill, and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven. Serve warm or cool.

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Tamatar Paneer | Indian-Style Cottage Cheese in Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes and paneer are a truly beautiful combination. Almost every Indian home has its own special way of making this dish. I love paneer with fresh tomatoes, but when I make this curry style dish with tomato puree, its just finger-licking good!! Try this with Lasun Parathas , or Zeera Rice.

Quick Microwave Upma

Upma is a great breakfast food - quick to make, filling, and very nutritious too. When I was a child, we had it every weekend for brunch amongst other goodies. But often as a treat it found its way into our school lunch boxes!! Over time I have worked to simplify the recipe so that its microwave ready for a whenever snack!!

Dry Ingredients:1 cup sooji (cream of wheat)
1 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
1 inch piece ginger, grated fine
2 large dried red chillies, crumbled
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped fine
1 tbsp ghee
1/3 cup cashews, chopped

To Make Upma:
Salt to taste
Warm water, as required

Method:

1. Heat the ghee in a large non-stick pan. Add the mustard seeds, and when they begin to pop, lower the heat.
2. Next add the chana and urad dals. when they turn golden brown, add the cashews and red chillies. Fry until the chillies are crisp and the cashews golden brown.
3. Now, add the cilantro and grated ginger and continue to fry for 30 seconds. Finally tip the sooji into the frying pan and roast with all the other ingredients on low heat until it gives off a fragrance. Remove into a heat resistant plate and let cool completely. The upma mix is ready.
4. Store in an airtight box in the refrigerator to shelf for 7-10 day until needed. Alternatively it will stay in the freeze indefinitely.
5. To make Quick Microwave Upma, remove desired amount into a microwave safe bowl (avoid using plastic), pour hot water and add salt to taste. Generally 2 parts water to 1 part upma mix should be enough.
6. Place in the microwave, and cook for 2 minutes per serving in the pan. Enjoy with your favourite chutney or plain yogurt.

 Like this recipe. Tried it. Leave me a comment:)

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2013. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

Rasedaar Aloo-Gobhi | Fragrant Potato-Cauliflower Curry

 
Aloo-Gobhi sabzi (Potato-Cauliflower Vegetable) happens to be one of my favourite vegetable combinations. There are so very many ways in which this vegetable combination is cooked and dished out. Yet it is only in winter that one gets the opportunity of enjoying it in this fragrant curry form. Primarily because this recipe uses loads of Dalchini or Cinnamon. Cinnamon which is an essential spice in Indian cooking, is regarded by Ayurveda as a warming spice. It is, in general, used in combination with other spices that complement its flavour and often in its bark form. Also it is used to flavour savoury vegetables and meats from the main course rather than sweets and desserts! Cauliflower curry with cinnamon is a perfect example of this. I find it to be a comfort food - tasty, warming, and utterly delicious once served on a bed of Basmati rice.