The Food We Eat

Gulab Jamun

 

Gulab Jamun is one of the most popular sweets (dessert) in East India. I can honestly say this -- I have yet to meet a single person who does not like this dessert. Sometimes East Indian sweets can be cloyingly sweet, and I myself don't care for many of them. But this, dear friends, is a classic, timeless, and scrumptious dish.

For those of you unfamiliar with East Indian food, think of this as donut balls (except the dough here is mostly milk solids) soaked in a simple syrup flavored with saffron and rose water (gulab literally means 'Rose'). Hooked? Read on...

Gulab Jamuns are very commonly made as part of a celebratory event, be it a birthday, a festival, or a family get-together. However, you can always find a slight variation of gulab jamuns, called Kala (black) jamuns in sweet shops at all times. I personally like Gulab jamuns more. They are lighter and more pillowy in texture. Think of it as the difference between a traditional glazed donut vs. a cake donut. Hope that helps.

In any case, I made a batch of Gulab Jamun today in honor of Diwali. R, my little boy with a ridiculously sweet tooth was so excited when I told him Mommy was making Gulab jamun today. I think he practically lived on Indian sweets while we were in India this Summer. Well, I am happy to tell you these met his seal of approval. He took one humongous mouthful and exclaimed "Mom, I knew these would be just as good as I thought". That's high praise from this little man. A on the other hand told me that they were so yummy, he wouldn't mind having a tummy ache if he ate a whole bunch. But, we're taking them over to a friends' place for a Diwali party tomorrow, so all they scored was Uno each...

 

Gulab Jamun

Makes 20

8 tbsp full-cream milk powder (I used Organic Valley)

3 tbsp all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp ghee (or melted butter)

1/4 cup milk (plus a few more tablespoons as needed)

Vegetable oil for frying

Syrup:

2 cups granulated white sugar

2 cups water

A pinch of saffron threads

1 tbsp rose water

Method:

1. Whisk together the milk powder, flour, and baking soda. Rub in butter or ghee, then add enough milk to give a firm but pliable dough.

2. Pinch off small chunks of dough and roll into smooth balls, approx. 3/4 inch in diameter. Make sure to roll the balls well, you do not want cracks in the surface.

3. Heat oil until hot, but not smoking (I am guessing 350F, but I didn't measure). The goal here is to have the balls fry a bit slowly, otherwise the center remains doughy. Not good.

4. While the oil is heating, make the syrup. Add the sugar, water, and saffron, and heat till sugar is dissolved completely. Then simmer for 5 minutes longer. You want the syrup to be thin and runny. Turn off the heat.

5. Fry the dough balls in small batches (I do 6 at a time), turning often to make sure they brown evenly. Drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

6. Once all the balls are fried, gently lower them into the hot syrup. Let soak until they almost double in size, and turn soft and spongy. Add the rose water. Allow to cool completely and serve warm or chilled in a dessert bowl, with some syrup.

Mine are resting in the refrigerator right now, for an overnight stay. When we eat them tomorrow, I for sure will give mine a quick nuke in the microwave. I like them warm. YUM!

Roasted/Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

It's that time of the year again! We are surrounded by pumpkins and squashes. I love it! The stunning and vivid colors of the various members of the squash and gourd family, their incredibly luscious texture, the warmth of the food made using them, ahhhh! Just makes you feel all warm and snuggly.

But first, Halloween. I'm pretty sure I'm not entirely alone when I say that I dreaded Halloween before kids. I hate dressing up (makes me feel stupid) and we were always invited to these Halloween parties with the cruel 'costumes required' line on the invitations. Great! Oh how I detested the pressure tactic...but on a happy note, now that we have kids, I actually love Halloween. Kids are a whole another beast. No matter what you put them in, they look adorable. And the neighborhood we live in goes gangbusters at Halloween. It really is a lot of fun. So see, here is another perk to having kids :-) Oh! and for the record. I still hate wearing a costume....

So, anyway, we began the pumpkin carving process yesterday. The boys went and picked out a pumpkin each and went about hollowing them with great gusto! They must be growing up, because once I had the top off, they took care of it almost totally by themselves (and had a blast doing it!).

 

We ended up with just over 2 cups of pumpkin seeds. In the past years I have washed the seeds before roasting. I used to also boil them for 5 minutes to soften the shells, but honestly, I think that is a waste unless you used some humongous pumpkins (and thus the seeds are very tough). Ours were around 10 lbs and incredibly fresh, so I roasted them just as is, no washing, no boiling. And I think this is my best effort yet. The little bits of pumpkin-y goodness on the seeds adds such wonderful color and flavor to the seeds. And it saves you time.

So please, take 10 extra minutes after you hollow out your jack-o-lanterns and stick the seeds in the oven. In an hour, you'll be rewarded with a special treat.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp butter

1tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Clean any large bits of pumpkin flesh that is sticking to the seeds. Some pumpkin will stick to the seeds and that is perfect.

2. Melt butter in a large bowl. Add oil, salt, and garlic powder. Toss in the seeds and stir well to coat.

3. Line  a rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Spread the seeds evenly across the pan. Roast for approx. 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring the seeds every 20 minutes or so. Keep a close watch once you reach the 1 hour mark, as the seeds can go from roasted to burnt pretty quick. Your nose should guide you when they are done -- the aroma is irresistible.

4. Cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to a week (if they last that long).

Yeasted Waffles

Life has been very busy this Fall. Work, volunteering at A's school, soccer-mom duties, etc. It is all good and quite fun, but busy nonetheless. The good news is that it makes the weekends all that more special and worth looking forward to. Saturday mornings are usually tied up around various activities, so we have kinda made it a Sunday morning ritual to have a nice family breakfast/brunch together. Doesn't have to be someting extra fancy, just something different from the usual oatmeal, eggs, and pancake routine.

This Sunday we had breakfast with some dear friends, and A and R were super excited when I told them they'd have waffles. I mean, what's not to like? I decided to try out a yeasted waffle recipe from Cooks Illustrated. And let me tell you, they were spectacular. Amazingly fluffy, spongy, and so wonderfully yeasty. They are quite luxurious all by themselves, so all you need is some real maple syrup and a bit of powdered sugar on top for effect. We had some fruit salad with maple yogurt on the side, a good cup of coffee, and ah! A sunday morning worth waiting for.

What makes this recipe even more attractive is the fact that you make the batter the day before. In fact, you must. Batter needs to rest at least 12 hours, and up to 24 hours. So, just 5 minutes of advance planning, a waffle maker, and you're set to go. Enjoy!

Yeasted Waffles

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Makes 8 Belgian Waffles

1 3/4 cup milk (you can use any, I used skim milk)

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp table salt

1 1/2 tsp instant yeast (I used SAF)

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Heat 1 cup milk and butter in small saucepan over med-low heat until butter is melted, 3 - 5 minutes. Add cold milk to the saucepan and make sure the milk-butter mixture is just warm to touch.

2. Whisk flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl to combine. Gradually whisk the warm milk-butter mixture into flour mixture. Continue to whisk just until batter is smooth.

3. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until combined. Add egg mixture to batter and whisk just until incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl, cover with pastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 24 hours.

4. Following manufacturer's instructions, heat waffle iron. Remove batter from refrigerator. The batter will be foamy and doubled in size. Whisk batter to recombine (the batter will defate. Don't panic). Add batter to waffle iron and bake.

5. Serve waffles immediately if possible, but if you need to hold them, do so on a wire rack in a 200F oven.

Peach Hand Pies

 

 

This post is about a month overdue. Sorry, just somehow fell through the cracks (not really sure how, given what a stunner this recipe is). Oh well, better late than never. 

 

It all started when I bought a whole box of luscious, organic, local peaches from Tonnemakers Farm via my CSA. These peaches were at their peak - ooh! I'm salivating at the mere thought of them. Anyway, we gobbled up about a dozen of them right away, but still had plenty left. It was then that I was inspired to bake something with them. I searched my cookbooks obsessively but wasn't too excited about anything in particular. I mean c'mon, peach coffeecake, peach pie, peach upside-down cake, etc. Sure all these would taste absolutely divine, but I''ve made these before, and wanted something new. It was then that I came across a recipe for Bourbon peach hand pies from Smitten Kitchen. I mean, this is genius. Kinda like a pie version of an empanada. Awesome!

Of course, I am a bit obsessed with whole grains and whole grain flours, so I had to tweak the recipe a bit. It is also funny how your tastes change over time. I actually prefer breads and most baked goods with at least part whole grain flour. Sure, they might not be as fluffy as their white flour counterparts, but I personally like the complexity of taste and texture that whole grains impart. If you'd like the original recipe, please click the link above and see Deb's.

Also, I didn't have any Bourbon on hand (WHAT?), so I used peach schnapps instead. One booze for another. Fair Swap? My older kiddo 'A', who's only 6 by the way, smelled the peach schnapps and asked me if I could add some in his steamer next time :-) What a kid, huh? Shhhh. Don't tell.

 

Peach Hand Pies

From Smitten Kitchen

For the pastry:

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
16 tablespoons (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut intopieces
1/2 cup sour cream
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup ice water

For the filling:
2 pounds of peaches
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon peach schnapps
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

One egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons water (for egg wash)
Turbinado sugar, for decoration

 

Follow the link above to see the method. Lest you curse me for not warning you, this recipe is quite tedious and fussy. If you don't like baking, and rolling out pastry doesn't quite do it for you, then stop right here. Maybe you should attempt a quick bread instead. Why? I am sure you *can* do it, but the question is, will you enjoy it? I love to mess around in the kitchen, so this is fun for me.

Fair warning aside, do give it a try! These are truly delicious. Added bonus? Your family and friends will love you even more :-)

Turnip and Potato Curry (Aloo Shalgam)

 

 

A lot of folks at my CSA farm have asked me what I do with all the turnips we have been getting. Well, lets see. I use them in soups, stews, roast them alongwith other root vegetables, and many times, I just toss them into whichever 'kitchen sink' Indian curry I have cooking on the stove. I like them all, but, I really love this particular recipe, especially on a cold, blustery, autumn day.

Turnips and potatoes are a marriage made in heaven. What I love about this combination in this dish is that in one bite you get the sweet-crunchiness of a turnip, and the next bite, you get the sweet-soft-earthiness of the potato. They kinda look the same once the turmeric casts its beautiful hue, so when you fork some, you never know what you're going to get. And the green peas help break up the visual monotony and heck! taste great too.

This is the type of curry (sabzi) eaten in north-indian households on a daily basis. No extra grease, no artery-clogging cream, no nut pastes. This is humble home-cookin' at its best. Pair this with a simple dal, some rotis and/or rice, and you have a scrumptious, healhy, naturally vegan meal on your hands.

Now for some details. I don't bother peeling the turnips, especially when they are as fresh and tender as the ones from the farm. As go the potatoes, I am very very partial to Yukon Golds, especially when cooked this way. I love the rich, buttery taste of this varietal, and I really like the fact that the waxiness helps them hold on to some integrity when cooked. I guess red bliss would work too. And, no, I don't bother peeling them, but you could if you preferred.

And you know the best part? This is an easy weeknight recipe. Start to finish? 30 minutes. Max. How does that sound? And it tastes even better the next day :-)

Turnip and Potato Curry (Aloo Shalgam)

Serves 4

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 medium to large turnips, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup frozen green peas

1 onion, chopped into slivers

2 tbsp peanut oil (or any vegetable oil)

2-3 thai green chilis (or serrano), chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 inch piece ginger, grated or finely minced

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp red chili powder (optional)

1 tbsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tomato, chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 to 3/4 cup water

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (including stems)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them brown. Add the onions and green chilis. Saute till golden brown. Saute a few minutes. Now add the turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, and salt. Add the tomatoes and ginger and cook till the tomatoes cook a bit and turn pulpy.

2. Now add the potatoes, turnips, and green peas. Stir well. Now add the water, tomato paste, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add the cilantro, cover and cook 15-20 minutes till the turnips and potatoes are cooked.

3. Uncover, and cook a few minutes on med-high to let any excess water evaporate (if needed). Check seasonings. Add more salt to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve.

German Plum Cake

 

  

 

We were at Costco over the weekend and my kids were busy gorging themselves on the free samples a.k.a the 'Costco lunch buffet' when they came upon the table giving out samples of Italian prune plums. Of course, in the spirit of Costco, the product was a 5 lb tub of plums. Now, usually I'm very picky about buying only organic stone fruit, since stone fruits have a very high pesticide content, but the kids implored, and I gave in. What the heck! It's not like they asked for a ginormous tub of Twinkies. In any case, we ate a bunch and then I guess the novelty wore off, or our guts could not quite handle consuming several pounds of plums in addition to our usual fruit share from the CSA. But the fact of the matter is some of the fruit was threatening to go down the path of certain demise, so I decided we'd better bake something with it.

 

I surfed the web thoroughly to see what I could come up with. I saw a  whole bunch of entries for Dorie Greenspan's Plum Cake (which I am sure is absolutely divine), but I quite wasn't in the mood for that. And then, a-ha! German Plum cake it was to be! Now, I am no expert in the culinary history of this cake, but from what I gather there are two types of plum cakes - one made with a yeast dough, and one made with a buttery, baking powder dough. I tend to favor yeasty breads, so I decided that is the path I'd follow.

Verdict, you ask? Well, I think J, the boys, and I can certainly attest to the fact that it was absolutely delicious. But I'm not sure I'd call it a cake. It was more like a delectable, soft, chewy, sweet, yeast bread, with the most  succulent plums on top. But who cares? Bread, or cake, you decide. What I care about is that I can promise you that the smell is heavenly and the taste is simply sublime. We had a huge slice each, warm from the oven, with some powdered sugar on top. A cup of coffee on the side, and that is it! The simple pleasures in life....

If you don't have Italian plums, you could go ahead and use regular plums, but these little Italian plums are just fantastic and I'd say, quite essential for ensured success in this recipe! They hold their own when baked, and instead of getting all mushy and oozing juice all over the cake, these little guys bake up into intensely sweet-tart little jewels, with a texture that is oh so velvety and chewy.

Hungry? What are you waiting for? Get in the kitchen.....

Oh, and if you're like me and have a Bread Machine, go ahead and use it to make the dough. I *hate* baking breads in my bread machine (they taste steamed - yuck!), but it sure does a good job making doughs.

German Plum Cake

Adapted from an article on SFGate.com

Cake:

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour (I used King Arthur flour)

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup water

2/3 cup granulated sugar

6 tbsp butter, softened, cut into slices

1 tbsp canola oil

3/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp instant yeast (I use SAF yeast)

Fruit:

2 1/2 lbs Italian Prune Plums

1/2 tsp cinnamon (plus more for dusting)

1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Method:

1. If you use a bread machine, combine all the cake ingredients in the order suggested by your bread machine manual. Process using the 'dough' setting. Note: I was not satisfied with the proofing in the bread machine, so I turned the dough out into an oiled bowl and proofed in a warm place for an additional hour.

If you would like, you can make the dough in a stand mixer, or by hand. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise till doubled in size. Allow 1 -2 hours for proofing.

2. While dough is rising, wash plums, cut in half and remove the pits. Place the oven rack in the lower third position and preheat  oven to 375F (350F if using a convection oven. I do).

3. Punch the risen dough down and roll into a 10 x 15 rectangle (that is the size of my jelly roll pan). Lighlty grease the pan, and place te dough in. The dough is very elastic, and will resist conforming to the shape of the pan. Don't be afraid to stretch the dough with your hands to fit the pan. Yeast doughs are very resilient.

4. Place the plums, cut side up, and shingle them in rows. Sprinkle the cinnamon, if using, and the turbinado sugar evenly over the fruit.

5. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the fruit has drawn juices. If your crust browns too fast, loosely cover with foil and let finish baking.

6. Cut into generous slices and serve warm or at room temperature. I bet this would be great at any temperature though :-)

Chicken Makhani/ Chicken Tikka Masala

OK, so let me start by saying that if you happen to go to India and order 'Chicken Tikka Masala' (CTM) and the waitstaff says 'huh? come again?' don't start bawling. No, it is not a prank. No, you don't have to book your tickets back. It is just that there is no such thing as CTM in India. What you do have is a dish called Murgh (Chicken) Makhani, or Butter Chicken. Are they exactly the same? Well, that depends. CTM in most decent curry houses in the UK tastes very much like the Chicken Makhani you get in India. What we typically get in the US is an inferior rendition of the CTM they make in the UK. Sorry folks! Didn't mean to break your heart. If you want to get really good CTM, get on a plane to the UK or India, or better yet, just make it yourself at home. Want to know more about the history of CTM? Check it out here.

I have played around with many different recipes for CTM over the years. Some I have liked, some I have just not liked, and some I have been so-so about. But dear friends, I think I hit the jackpot with this one. Myself and J think this is the best recipe yet for CTM. If you have a better one, please do share. I'd love to try it out. Maybe there is room in the CTM world for more than one 'best' recipe...

Now, for all the talk of authenticity, I am guessing that some of you probably like the americanized version of CTM. I guess that's ok (not really, though :-)). In any case, if you fall under that category (please don't confirm my fears), my suggestion is to add more cream and leave out the fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi). There you go! Now that should taste like the crap stuff you are used to in most Indian restaurants in the US of A. But I implore you. Just give this version a try and tell me -- do you really really miss all that extra cream in there?

One more thing. How do you get that lovely red color? Nope, it is not food coloring. Run to your local Indian grocery store and buy some Kashmiri chili powder or Deggi Mirch. If you don't have access to these, go ahead use regular chili powder. Your curry will look a bit orange-yellow instead of a brilliant red, but no sweat.

Chicken Makhani/ Chicken Tikka Masala

Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (preferably organic)

2 tbsp butter (for basting)

For Marinade:

1/2 cup full-fat yogurt

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste*

1/4 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp kashmiri (or deggi) chili powder

1 tbsp mustard oil (you can use any vegetable oil instead)

For Gravy:

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp chopped green chilis

1 1/2 tsp kashmiri (or deggi) chili powder

1 tbsp salt

1 large black cardamom pod (bada elaichi)

2 cinnamon sticks

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)

1/2 cup half and half (you can use cream too)

Chopped cilantro (for garnish)

* I use fresh ginger and garlic (1:1 proportion). Make a fine paste and freeze flat in a ziploc bag. Use as needed. If you make this fresh, make sure you make a nice paste, you don't want chunks here.

Method:

1. Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks. Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Apply to chicken pieces. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.

2. Grill the chicken (I did mine indoors in my trusted ridged grill pan) for 2  minutes on one side till you see nice grill marks. Turn onto other side and grill 2 minutes longer. You might need to do this in two batches. Baste the chicken with the butter and set aside. You don't need to worry if the chicken is cooked all the way through, as it will simmer in the gravy later.

3. Making the gravy/masala: Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan. Add the elaichi (cardamom) and cinnamon sticks. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chilis. Cook 2 minutes. Add the garam masala, chili powder, and salt. Cook another minute. Then add the tomato paste and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 - 15 minutes. The liquid should reduce and you should be left with a thick gravy. If yours is still watery, increase the heat and let some liquid evaporate.

4. Add the sugar and the kasoori methi (fenugreek). Cook 2 - 3 minutes more. Add the cooked chicken pieces. Simmer on low heat for 5 - 10 minutes. Add the half and half or cream (be careful. do not boil after adding the cream, or it will curdle).

5. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with naan or paratha.