Tag: vegan

Categories
Curry Daal Gluten-free Healthy foods Indian Lentils Low carb Maharashtrian Protein salad Vegan Vegetarian

Pendpala- a dry masoor daal curry

Daal or lentils are an integral part of the Indian cuisine. Its used in many forms, with skin, without skin, powdered, roasted, raw and so much more. In parts of India where the water is scarce, not enough fresh vegetables, you will see a predominant part of region’s cuisine. If you visit Rajasthan, the western state of India, you will see so many dishes that made with Chick pea flour, like Gatte ki kadhi, Kachori etc.

Hearty Solapuri meal

Solapur, the town I come from is situated in the middle of state Maharashtra. There are no rivers or water bodies near Solapur and the summers are brutal. All of this means that the cuisine relies on shelf stable ingredients more than the fresh vegetables or fish. You will see use of Jowar and Bajra more than the wheat and rice. Jowar and Bajra and drought tolerant and need much less water than growing wheat or rice.

Millets like Jowar or Sorghum and Bajra or pearl Millet are excellent source of nutrients. They provide lots of essential nutrients not only to the human beings but it’s also gentle on the soil

Typically farmer, or those who do lot of physical labor, and come from neighboring villages for work, often pack a hearty lunch of Jowar Bhakri, peanut chutney and some dry subji. The subji is dry which prevents it from getting soiled in the hot weather of solapur. Often times it has lentils or chickpea flour

One such preparation is Pendpala. I don’t know how the name came about but I can guarantee you, it’s plain delicious. Full of protein, it’s is a a great compliment to the bhakri and completes the meal

I love that all of the ingredients needed to make this are shelf stable and easily available.

What makes it absolutely delicious is the Kala Tikhat, a special spice mix from Solapur. It’s a combination of many whole spices, along with onion and garlic. I will share that recipe soon. It’s made a few times a year and can be used in many recipes.

I learnt this from Anusaya. Anusaya is help at home but she is much more than that. She is family. She has been coming to our house for the last 45 years. I have rarely seen even family members as loyal as she is 🙂

Kala Tikhat

Some people call it Daal Kanda, which translates to Lentil Onion, and some also make it with toor daal. I make the Pendpala with Masoor daal and serve it with sorghum bhakri, peanut chutney, Green Tomato chutney and raw onion. A complete, balanced, wholesome, protein packed, gluten-free vegan meal 🙂

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Masoor Pendpala Solapur style

Spicy, delicious lip smacking daal recipe, easy to make

Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine Indian, Maharashtrian, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword daal, lentils, vegan, vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Split masoor daal
  • 1 Onion Chopped
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbsp Oil
  • 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 4 Tbsp Roasted peanut powder
  • 1 Tbsp Chopped cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp Kala Tikhat
  • 1/2 Tsp Red chili powder optional

Instructions

Prep

  1. Soak the daal for 20-30 mins

  2. Drain the water

Cook

  1. Heat the oil in a wok. Add turmeric, and chopped onion and garlic.

  2. Cook the onions and garlic till soft, ensure that its not too burnt

  3. Add the drained daal, salt and stir to mix

  4. Cover and cook till the daal is soft on low-medium flame . We dont want it to be mushy. It should be cooked but hold its shape. It takes about 8-10 mins

  5. Add kala tikhat and red chili to taste

  6. Add peanut powder , cilantro and mix well

  7. Serve with Bhakri

Categories
dessert Drinks & Coolers Fat Free Fusion Gluten-free Indian Italian Vegan Vegetarian

Kokum Granita

Summer is almost here  and I have all these amazing memories of different summer vacations I have taken.

I remember waking up to beautiful mornings with the birds were chirping, and scent of various flowers filled the air. One of the birds was called Tambat, which translates to Coppersmith. It makes a sound of a hammer beating down a sheet of copper, I guess that’s where it got its name from. After waking up we would wash up, I still remember those big copper earns filled with water.

My Mami a typical woman from Konkan, unadulterated love, simple life and always a smile on her face that’s how I remember her. She would make beautifully scented rice porridge  which would be served on a giant leaf of a Moochkund tree, which is also called ‘dinner plate’ tree. It was simply dressed with a touch of ghee and salt.

Muchkund Leaves

There were bounties of summer like Karvande, Jambhul, but best part about that vacation used to be mangoes, mangoes for breakfast ,Mangoes for lunch, mangoes for snack Mangoes for a drink, what more can one ask for. I still remember very vividly the room full of mango is layered beautifully on a bed of hay. My aunt would tell us to go look for the ones that are ripe and then the party started.

We would wander around in the village, on the paths paved with Chire, a red stone from that region, leading up to the temple. There was a small pond near the temple called Ban Ganga, we would explore around and head home when the stomach started growling.

Mami would have a drink ready for us, made from the Kokum or ratamba as its called in that region. Gorgeous garnet, ruby color, delicious taste and thirst and heat quenching, this used to the the perfect treat after a walk in the village.

Kokum Sherbat

Fast forward to 2018 when I went to Sicily with my family. I fell in love with Italy and would love to live there some day. We enjoyed some amazing foods and a few of the favorites originated in Italy. Cannoli, Arancini to name a few. One of those dishes is Granita, a refreshing icy treat that comes in all kinds of flavors. It so reminded me of the Barf Gola we get in India.

Gelato

The best part was that the granita is enjoyed at breakfast with brioche, dessert for breakfast, what more can one ask for.

So today’s recipe is my summers relived, Kokum granita showcases two of my favorites, konkan and Sicily.

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Kokum Granita

A refreshing summer dessert with tangy and sweet flavors

Servings 4

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Kokum Agal without sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups of water
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp Cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Method

  1. Bring 1 cup of water and sugar to a boil. Keep stirring till sugar dissolves.
  2. Keep aside. Stir in the rest of the water. Taste and add more sugar if needed
  3. Add cumin powder and salt and stir.
  4. Put this mixture into a baking tray, keep it in fridge for 2-3 hours. The mixture will start freezing around the edges slowly. Take the tray out and scrape the frozen part with fork, and put it back in the freezer.
  5. Keep repeating till all of the mixture is frozen into fine ice.

Serve it in a bowl.

Recipe Notes

You can make this a couple of days ahead, just make sure to scrape it with a fork right before you serve

You can also serve it with cream or ice-cream 

You can serve it at breakfast with brioche 

Categories
Appetizer Healthy foods Indian Maharashtrian Side dish Snack Vegan Vegetarian

Kairchi Daal

Gudhi padwa is celebrated in Maharashtra, India as a new year. Across India the same day is celebrated by different names but the spirit is the same. We look at nature, and you can see that spring is in the air and this day is the celebration of the new beginnings. Bengali celebrate ‘poila boishokh’ , Keralite celebrate Vishu and so much more.  Not just in India but even Zoroastrians celebrate ‘Nowrouz’ which marks the first day of the spring. On this day they have a platter newly sprouting wheat is always on the table along with other things. 

I feel you feel like celebrating if you just look around. Where I live, there are beautiful blossoms everywhere, when I go for a walk, I see beautiful wildflowers, mustard fields with yellow flower and just a sense of rejuvenation. 

We went for a beautiful hike in a state park and saw so many beautiful wild flowers, it was just breathtaking. 

I picked a few of these and decided to make a Gudhi using those. 

In India, especially in Maharashtra we celebrate Navratri which starts on Gudhi Padwa. Often there are Haldi Kunku which is a gathering for women, an informal social gathering. The celebration is for a goddess and I remember very fondly my Aai coming up with amazing ideas for decorations. One year we had recreated a famous garden from southern india, another year was a beautiful swing made with flowers and plants. As a kid I loved helping Aai with this event.

This is also the season when you start seeing Green mangoes on the tree in India. So naturally traditionally two dishes using the green mango are always made for this haldi kunku, Aam Panhe, a drink made with cooked green mango & jaggery and the second is this , Kairichi Daal.

I love both of these things very much. Today when I picked up the green mango to make this, it turned out not very sour but the kiwis I picked up from the farmers market were so sour, so voila, a new dish is born. I added some Kiwi and the results were quite delicious.

It a super easy recipe, hope you guys like it. If you have any such traditions, I would love to know about them. 🙂

I have also written the recipe in Marathi, hope thats useful to some.

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Kiwi Green Mango Lentil Salad

This is a typical dish made during the spring while the mangoes are still green and tart. Soaked lentils add a perfect crunch to this salad

Ingredients

साहित्य

  • 2 Cups Chana Daal
  • 1/2 Cup Peeled and grated Green Mango
  • 2 Kiwi Peeled and chopped
  • 3-4 Green Chili paste
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1/3 Cup Freshly grated coconut
  • 1-2 Tbsp Chopped mint leaves
  • 1 Tbsp Chopped cilantro

For tempering

  • 3 Tbsp Oil
  • 1 Tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1/4 Tsp Asafetida
  • 3 Dry red chilies
  • 1 Sprig Curry leaves

Instructions

Method

  1. Soak the lentils for 4-5 hours at the least 

  2. Drain and crush them in mortar pestle, make sure you don’t make a fine paste

  3. Mix sugar, salt, coconut, mint, cilantro in the crushed lentils. Once its completely mixed, add the kiwi and green mango. 

  4. Heat oil in a pan. Check if its hot by adding a couple of mustard seeds, if they splutter add the rest of the ingredients and saute for 30 secs. Make sure it does not burn 

  5. Add this tempering to the lentil mixture. The salad is now ready 

  6. Serve at room temperature

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Kiwi Green Mango Lentil Salad

This is a typical dish made during the spring while the mangoes are still green and tart. Soaked lentils add a perfect crunch to this salad

Ingredients

साहित्य

  • 2 Cups Chana Daal
  • 1/2 Cup Peeled and grated Green Mango
  • 2 Kiwi Peeled and chopped
  • 3-4 Green Chili paste
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 1/3 Cup Freshly grated coconut
  • 1-2 Tbsp Chopped mint leaves
  • 1 Tbsp Chopped cilantro

For tempering

  • 3 Tbsp Oil
  • 1 Tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1/4 Tsp Asafetida
  • 3 Dry red chilies
  • 1 Sprig Curry leaves

Instructions

Method

  1. Soak the lentils for 4-5 hours at the least 

  2. Drain and crush them in mortar pestle, make sure you don’t make a fine paste

  3. Mix sugar, salt, coconut, mint, cilantro in the crushed lentils. Once its completely mixed, add the kiwi and green mango. 

  4. Heat oil in a pan. Check if its hot by adding a couple of mustard seeds, if they splutter add the rest of the ingredients and saute for 30 secs. Make sure it does not burn 

  5. Add this tempering to the lentil mixture. The salad is now ready 

  6. Serve at room temperature

Categories
Bihari Drinks & Coolers Fat Free fibre Gluten-free Low GI Protein Vegan Vegetarian Whole Grains

Sattu Ka Sharbat & Banaras

Growing up in Maharashtra, India I had not heard much about this ingredient. My mom used to ask us to eat ‘Saatu’ but it did not quite register as a special thing.

Fast forward many years and I remember my first visit to Varanasi, I fell in love with this place. I know people talk about the dirt and filth but all I could see was the peaceful ghats, a tremendous sense of devotion, and one becoming aware of one’s mortality and of course the food.

Every corner you turned there was some amazing delicacy to be devoured. We feasted on Jalebis, Kachoris, Lassis and so much more. I don’t know if its the water, air or the fact that many of these places have been there for generations, but each thing tasted amazing. I don’t remember having bad food in that town.

A lot of the food eaten was Satvik, which means there was no onion and garlic in the recipe, honestly I did not miss it.

I am a Chai addict and I must say some of the best chai I have had was in Varanasi, I think its the milk thats pure and fresh which makes all the difference. I loved roaming through the lanes and exploring because I feel ‘Banaras happens in the gallis’

I just loved how chilled out people were here, taking there own time to read a news paper, chat with a friend over a plate of kachori or even get a haircut, everything had a sense of calm. I went on a boat ride every morning that I was there, just the sound of water and the oars, some bells in the background and bliss.

Ghats have a lot going on, different ghats decorated in different styles. If you just observe, you get to learn a lot.



I will never get tired of this city, its fascinating on many levels. I feel that even meditating here was very powerful and peaceful.

On our way to the airport we stopped for a cup of chai, I mean everyone knows what kind of chai you get inside the airport 🙂 . On the same stall this man was making litti chokha, and man that was some delicious preparation. He was roasting them on open fire and the best part was that the litti was stuffed with some tasty mixture called Sattu.

That was my introduction to this magical ingredient called ‘Sattu’. This is powder of sorts made with roasted whole chana in most part, however there are some variations that add barley as well as Jowar/sorghum to it. Its commonly seen in the Northern India, mainly Bihar & UP as well as Pakistan and Nepal. Simple sounding however a true superfood, Sattu can be used in multiple applications. Often times savory and sweet drinks are made using Sattu, and in Bihar you would get to taste delicious sattu stuffed litti or even parantha. I must tell you that parantha turns out amazing. I will share the recipe some day soon.

Not only does it taste good and easy to make but its a power house of health benefits. Super high in protein, fibre, gluten-free, vegan and perfect for the summer and it cools down the body.

So when I came back from Varanasi and was talking about it my driver was very happy. He is from Varanasi and an ardent Sattu follower. When he heard that I liked it, he brought two homemade sattu flours for me along with a recipe for the sattu savory drink. I made it and loved it.

I make an effort to make traditional recipes and follow whats good for you in that season, if you like that idea then try out this recipe. Its super easy

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Sattu ka namkeen sharbat

Cooling  

Naturally gluten- free & vegan 

Low GI

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cold water
  • 2 tablespoon gram sattu
  • 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice like to taste
  • 1/4 T Spoon Sendha Namak
  • 1/2 tsp spoonful of cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp finely chopped mint
  • 1 tsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 3 tbsp peeled and grated Green Mango optional
  • 1/4 Tsp finely chopped green chillies optional
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Mix the sattu with a little bit of water, enure there are no lumps left

  2. Mix the rest of the ingredients along with the remaining water & stir

  3. Serve chilled 

Recipe Notes

You can also make a sweet version, mix a little bit of honey or Gud with water and sattu powder

Categories
Condiments Goan Indian Pickles & Chutneys Vegan Vegetarian

Pineapple sasave- sasam

Summer vacations are even more focused on food in my household. We love making new dishes using abundant produce. We all look forward to elaborate meals on the patio accompanied with some jazz in the back ground. I have been meaning to blog this for a long time, but when I was planning the menu today, this just fit right in, so here it is

Last time when we visited India, we visited family in Goa. For those who dont know where Goa is, it is a western coastal state of India. Known for its beautiful vibrant beaches and amazing sea food, this state offers a great cuisine. Since Portuguese settled here, the goan cuisine is influenced by the Portuguese cuisine. There are  some recipes that are typical of the christian household and some that are more  Hindu cuisine. No matter which one you pick, it is great food for sure .

The family we visited, Didi who is the lady of the house, is amazing cook. She had made a spread that we enjoyed so much. Her home is also very beautiful, courtyard, brick walls, it is so inviting and warm. One of the recipes she made is Ananas Sasave- pineapple curry.

PIneapple
Pineapple

In summer, I love cooking with fruits and Pineapple goes so well with so many things. Tangy, sweet I love it in many dishes.

This dish has everything, a bit of sweet, a bit of sour, a bit of spice and everything nice. It is very easy to make and tastes good hot or room temperature. I love to eat it with piping hot rice and a dash of ghee. It is very easy to make, comes together in 15 mins.

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I made this as a part of the meal, prawn curry, raw banana Kaape, rice and papad.

Ingredients:

sasam ingredients
sasam ingredients

 

Paste

1 cup of fresh grated coconut

1 tsp of mustard seeds

1 small piece of tamarind

1-2 green chilies

For tempering

1 tbsp oil ( I used coconut oil)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 pinch of asafetida

1 spring of curry leaves

1 dry red chili

Other 

3 cups of cubed pineapple

1 tbsp jaggery

salt to taste

Method

Make a fine paste of all the ingredients listed under paste. The finer the better, but use as little water as possible.

You can add water later, but try to grind with a little amount.

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Heat the pan and heat coconut oil, make sure you cook on medium heat otherwise the oil can smoke.

Add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and dry red chilies. saute for a few secs, and add pineapple pieces. Add salt, stir and cook for a few minutes covered.

Add the ground paste and cook on low heat. Add jaggery and taste for salt.

Your sasave is ready.

This dish awakens all the senses, it is  a riot of flavors  in your mouth.

 

Goan Thali
Goan Thali

 

 

Categories
Condiments Indian Maharashtrian Pickles & Chutneys

Cilantro pesto-Dhaniya chutney

IMG_0637

Do you know anyone who  has the ability to just brighten up the room the minute they enter in. It is their smile, genuine nice attitude or even the way they crack jokes, they just makes the situation nicer.

I cherish such friends, very thankful to have them in my life.

If I had to relate this back to the food, I think condiments are like these special friends. Anytime if it seems like what you have cooked for dinner is just blah, a nice chutney, salsa, dip can come to the rescue and help revive the meal. 

I love condiments of all kinds. I love making yogurt based dips, spicy chutneys, fresh salsas of various kinds. My favorite of all are the spicy condiments.

When my kids were younger everything I cooked was very mild. I am lucky that my kids eat all the vegetables ever since they were babies so I wanted to make sure it stays that way. As a result I would also have to eat very mild food, that was really hard. So I started making chutneys and relishes, these were spicy and complimented the mild food well.

One such chutney is the ‘Cilantro chutney’. You can also call it Cilantro pesto.  My friend Uma taught me this one. What I love about this recipe is all the things needed are usually available easily at home. It takes only a few minutes to make and stays well in fridge for a week, although I must warn you, it is so yummy that it barely lasts a day, usually it is cleaned up quickly.

IMG_0642

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup of washed , cleaned Cilantro
  • 1 tbsp roasted peanuts
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 8-10 spicy green chilies ( I use thai chilies since I like it spicy)
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp oil

IMG_0635

Method

  • Dry roast the peanuts
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and turmeric powder
  • Add chopped green chilies and chopped garlic
  • Saute for 30 seconds, don’t let the garlic or chili burn or brown.
  • Add cilantro and turn the heat off.  Add salt. Cover and leave it to warm through.
  • Grind the peanuts to a powder.
  • Add cooled cilantro mixture and grind to a paste. I like to keep it a little coarse and not grind it super fine.

IMG_0636

It can be used in many ways. I love serving it in the pretty yellow bowl. I bought it in Nepal, we visited Bhaktapur darbar. Amongst many other beautiful carvings and handicraft we also got to see beautiful pottery. It was amazing to see the potters turn the wheel and make these beautiful art pieces. 

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1. Mix it with some sour cream, yogurt or Greek yogurt to make a quick dip. I love it with pita chips.

2. Mix it with butter to make a great sandwich spread. I love to add some sliced avocado and make an open faced sandwich. I also like to add alfalfah sprouts to this, add a nice crunch to this already tasty sandwich.

IMG_0644

 

Categories
Healthy foods Not sure salad Side dish

Roasted Cauliflower salad with lentils & dates

Many times we just keep getting different magazines and don’t even bother reading it. I get a couple of food magazines, I scanned through, plan to make a couple of recipes but very rarely get to it. It was different this time. When I got​ this issue of Food and Wine, I was in love with this recipe. I had to make it. So a friend of mine was coming over for lunch and I decided to try this recipe on her. She is not a hard-core vegan but prefers not having dairy products. This recipe was perfect. Cauliflower Salad 1 I made a few changes and the result was great. I  like making this since it  does not need me to stand over the stove and cook forever. Especially when my friends are visiting I like to make meals that are easy to make so I can spend more time with my friends.

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup raw almonds
  • 1 cup beluga or green lentils, rinsed
  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch florets
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 10 dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cups loosely packed spinach
  • 2 cups loosely packed arugula

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the almonds in a pie plate and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Increase the oven temperature to 425°.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the lentils with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until tender, 20 minutes. Drain well and let cool. These lentils are called Beluga lentils since they resemble the ‘beluga caviar’. 🙂 On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with the 1/4 cup of olive oil and the cumin, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne; season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, turning, until the cauliflower is tender and golden brown. I must warn you this cauliflower is addictive. I always make one extra since I finish half of the roasted cauliflower before it makes it to the salad. 🙂

In a large bowl, whisk the tahini with the lemon juice, honey, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of water until smooth.  If you want to make it vegan, you can use Agave in place of the honey.

Very often found in the Lebanese cuisine, tahini is a power food. It is a fine paste made from sesame seeds which are rich in protein, calcium and minerals. Sesame seeds are used very commonly in the southern and western regions of India. It has a beautiful nutty flavor. You can now mix in the lentil and cauliflower to the dressing if you want or you can leave the dressing on the side. Add the lentils and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Scrape the roasted cauliflower into the bowl and add the toasted almonds, dates, onion and spinach. Toss the salad, transfer to a platter and serve.

Cauliflower salad 2
Cauliflower salad 2

Categories
Condiments Jam & Preserves Pickles & Chutneys Rajasthani Uncategorized

Lehsun-mirch ki chutney

If you observe food from any particular region,  you can start learning a lot about the people, the weather, the produce available etc. It is very evident in the various cuisines from across India.

One such cuisine is the cuisine of Rajasthan.

I am in love with everything about this place . This land is known for its sand dunes, colorful dresses, camels and palaces. It is the western state of India, the dessert state, water is very scarce here and fresh fruits and vegetables are not readily available all the time, so a lot of the dishes from this region use ingredients that are available easily. Things like lentils, grain flours, dried chilies, dried vegetables and milk products.

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I have been to Rajasthan a few times and fell in love again with its people and food. I have learnt a few recipes on my visits and would be sharing them here.

Today’s recipe- Chili Garlic Chutney

I love spicy food. Today’s recipe is easy and can be made very easily, most of the ingredients should be available in your pantry. It is one of those dishes that can perk up any dull meal or add a bit of spice to it.2015/03/img_2445.jpg

Ingredients:

10-15 Red Chilies

6-8 fresh garlic cloves

2 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds

2 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp tamarind pulp( optional)

Method:

Some people also add onions, I feel that they make the chutney sweet so I don’t add it.
Soak dry red chilies in warm water for 1 hour.

In a blender grind the garlic & soaked chilies with little water.

Heat oil in pan, add mustard seeds. When they splatter, add the cumin seeds. Add fenugreek seeds and fry for 10 secs. Add the red chili powder. Add the chili garlic paste. cook till you see oil separating,mix salt & sugar and mix well. Add tamarind pulp to taste.

Chutney is ready, serve it with any Indian meal.

Note:

I mix it with greek yogurt and use it as a dip for fresh vegetables.

I also mix it with a little bit of butter and use it as a spread for sandwiches.

 

 

 

Categories
bread Italian

Focaccia with fennel seeds

I love this time of the year, after a long winter when you start seeing flowers blossoming on the bare tree branches, you see birds busy building nests  and the mercury starts going up. So this is the time when I am again motivated to cook a few dishes that need fermentation. In India the weather is always warm and you dont have to think if your batter will ferment or not, or if your bread will rise or not, but here one has to plan. It can be quite frustrating when you plan to make Dosa ( Indian crepe made from ground rice & lentil batter) and the batter does not ferment or when you are trying to make Yogurt and it does not set because you forgot to keep it in the oven and so on.

So as soon as I found out that it is going to be warm I decided to make my favorite Focaccia. I lvoe Focaccia especially when it is topped with sea salt and some fragrant herbs. I like it plain just out of the oven or with some nice vinegar. I love fruity vinegars like Fig Vinegar. There is a shop in the Ferry Building and they have some amazing varieties of Olive oils & Vinegars. I love their Meyer Lemon loive oil with Fig Balsamic…I could eat a whole loaf of bread with that.

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Coming back to focaccia, as you may know I like making things from scratch, I feel it makes me appreciate what I am eating more and appreciate all the efforts when someone makes it for me. I like to bake breads but it does not come naturally. Growing up in India, most of the breads are made without any yeast and don’t require any proofing, so I started baking breads when I came to California.

This is a very simple recipe but needs patience. There may be a shorter way to make this but I like the way this turns out so I don’t mind spending the time. It is funny where I got this recipe. I had gone to London for work and it was frigid cold. I still remember that I went out to grab a bite and I thought my fingers are going to fall off, it was that cold. Anyway, since it was cold I was in my hotel room watching TV. A cooking show came on and how can I forget, it was an Italian Chef. I did not understand what he was saying but he was so cute that I decided to watch the program any way. He had made this focaccia and to my surprise at the end of the show they shared the recipe in English..I have made this recipe quite a few times with variations of toppings and each time it comes out good.

Focaccia with fennel seeds & caramelized onions

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Ingredients:

2 cups of  bread flour ( I have made it with regular flour and it is not bad)

1/2 cup Semolina ( Rava/Sooji)

1tsp salt

1 packet Regular Yeast

3/4 cup water at 75F

1/4 cup olive oil

 

Method:

Mix all the dry ingredients.

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Add half of the olive oil, add water and knead a soft dough. Knead for 5 mins, this is absolutely critical for the gluten to develop.

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Before First Rise

 

 

First Rise: Oil a large bowl and out the ball of dough in it. Cover and keep in a warm place to rise for 45 mins.

First rise
After First rise

Second rise: After 45 mins, take out the dough on a board and flatten it out. Make a sort of envelope and out it back in the bowl for another 45 mins

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Before Second Rise

Second Rise
After Second Rise

 

Third Rise: After 45 mins, take the dough and place it in the skillet or baking tray you plan to bake it in. Let it rise again for 45 mins

Before Third Rise
Before Third Rise

After Third Rise
After Third Rise

Fourth Rise: You will see that the dough is again doubled. Using the fingers poke holes in eat and spread it around to the edges of the skillet. Spread a couple of tsp of olive oil to keep the dough moist. Let it rise for another 45 mins.

Forth rise
After Forth rise

Bake: Now take a toothpick and pierce the dough in a few places to release the air.  Brush more oilve oil on top. Sprinkle with sea salt & herbs, I used Fennel seeds, crushed red pepper.

Poked with Toothpick
Poked with Toothpick

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Bake it at 500F for 15-18 mins until it is golden brown

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Categories
Cakes Not sure

Apricot Almond cardamom cake

Apricot-almond cake

My daughter is always looking for something to eat after school, she is picky… But in a good way..the snack have to be healthy, no soda, no chips, not processed food, should be easy to eat…

I am happy because she is making smart and wise choices and I want to support that anyway I can. So I ensure that there are good snack options available, nuts, fruits, dehydrated vegetables, dehydrated fruits etc.

Todays post is one such recipe which is very healthy and yet tasty. Today I added a touch of cardamom to this cake and I feel it complimented the almond flavor so well. Made from whole wheat flour, no butter, no sugar and no eggs…I don’t mind if she eats an extra piece

Apricot Almond cake

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It has very delicate flavor and goes well as a desert with a dollop of whipped cream. It can be easily made vegan which I like, I can make it when I have friends who eat  dairy-free, or don’t eat processed sugars.

Ingredients:

Apricot cake ingredients

18-20 Dried apricots
1 1/4 cups  milk ( you can also use Almond milk to make a Vegan version)

Note: You may need to adjust the milk qty based on how dry the apricots are. The batter should be not runny but not overly clumpy or sticky either.

2-3 tsp sugar( optional, I do not add since the apricots here are sweet)
1 cup flour( I take 1/2 atta & 1/2 un bleached flour, all atta recipe makes it dense)
1/2 cup oil
1 tea spn baking soda
1 tbl spn almonds(or more if you are crazy about nuts like me)

1/8 tsp cardamom powder

Method:
Soak the apricots(save 2-3 to be chopped &added to the batter) in warm  milk (3-4 hours is enough for the dates we get here)

Remove the seeds if not using seedless. Blend them to a smooth paste along with the milk in which it is soaked in.

Add oil and mix.

Add cardamom powder
Sieve together flour and baking soda. Add the flour one spoon at a time and mix slowly.

Taste and if needed add sugar. Add the nuts and mix.

Preheat the oven at 350F. Bake the cake in a greased oven dish for 35-40min

You are ready to dive into guilt free treat

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Depending on the color of the apricots your cake might be orange or brown, so dont worry so much about the color as long as the cake tastes good. As you can see, two different colors I got since the apricots were of different colors.

Dark apricots:

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Light Apricots

Apricot cake

Note:

I also make a Date-Walnut cake with similar recipe and it tastes just as yummy

 

 

 

 

 

 

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