Goat Cheese & Cilantro Spread (Kothamali Chutney)(East meets West)

This is a true fusion recipe which brings together the best of the west and the east - Cheese (all kinds) has pervaded the Indian cuisine for a long time now - With this recipe, I bring to you a traditional south Indian chutney made with cilantro and red chilies and other flavors (see recipe below). With adequate spicing, this chutney can easily be blended into a creamy goat cheese to make a fine spread for veggies or crusty warm bread.

Another post for Avant Garde Cookies, this is a spread which can be whipped up at short notice

Cilantro Chutney

Ingredients

4 bunches of fresh cilantro, pre-washed and stems removed

2 green chilies

2 red chilies

1 tbsp urad dal

A pinch of asafetida

¼ tsp of tamarind paste (optional)

2- 3 tsp of sesame oil

2 tbsp of water

Method
Sautee the urad, chilies, asafetida in the oil.
Add the cilantro leaves and cook for a few minutes until the water has evaporated.
Add the tamarind paste and mix it in well to the leaves.
Cool and grind, using very little water

For the Spread
1 Ounce of goat cheese
2tbsp of chutney

Method
Whisk the cheese into the chutney and keep refrigerated until use. Enjoy with raw veggies or over toasted bread or pita or as a spread for a sandwich

Apple-Cauliflower Soup

Listlessness. Exhaustion. Insomnia. Hence Inertia. This pretty much sums up the way I've been feeling for the past several weeks. I am not able to get myself to blog as often as I'd like to even if have made numerous delicacies and photographed some if not all of them. Give me some motivation guys - tell me something in your comments that makes me want to come back. I thank all the wonderful souls who have stopped by to comment on my blog - you are the reason I feel responsible to be consistent (to the best possible) with my recipes. 

Did I tell you that we got snowed in like the dickens and had no electricity or water (yes primitive living conditions in the most advanced nation - simply because we are on a well)  - Cold frigid nights, melting snow for water - need I say more - We have resolved to invest in a genie this year. 

Getting to recipe, this soup was conceived of a cauliflower waiting to be cooked and an apple, the last of the lot. I decided I would put them together and make this delicious soup (for the soul) and that's exactly what I did - My littlest one LOVES soups and she devoured it verily!

Ingredients

• 1 medium cauliflower hear 
• 1/2 onion (optional)
• 1stalk of celery
• 1 apple (I only buy Pink Lady apples)
• 1 can of evaporated milk (optional can be subbed with water)
• 1pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
• 1tsp of freshly ground all spice
• 1-2 tsp of olive oil

For garnishing since this is a rather mild soup

• 1 jalapeño (optional) or freshly ground pepper kernels, cilantro
• roasted almonds or cashews or freshly grated parmesan

Method

1. Cut cauliflower into florets
2. dice onions and apples and cook in olive oil.
3. Add the evaporated milk and let it all cook together
4. Add salt and remove from flame
5. Grind into a smooth soup 
6. Add the spices 
7. Pour back into pan and let it cook some more

Serve hot with recommended garnish

Chestnut Hummus

OK – I know that is a grammatically wrong way to start a sentence, but here is my narrative about how this hummus came to be. Enjoying a beautiful pre-fall day with good friends who had brought along some chestnuts to roast in the oven and serve.

Dinner was done and we decided it was time to roast these babies – I was really excited since this would be the first time I am tasting chestnuts – We have heard the Christmas song “chestnut roasting on an open fire..” crooned by several greats like Bing Crosby,  Nat King Cole and more recently, Michale Buble. But that was simply a song and in all my 19 years in North America, never once did I think to try it – Two years ago I may not have, but since I started the blog, my mind suddenly opened up like a never-ending avenue or better, promenade and I am enjoying so many new experiences.

Right… So here we are sitting on the carpet with a bowl of HOT chestnuts waiting to be cracked open fully (more labor than peeling boiled unshelled peanuts). Popped the first one in my mouth…. I was told my face was expressive enough to convey that I doubted my feelings for this and the best I could come up with was that these were a cultivated taste – I got some grief about that and our friend even jokingly mocked me – “now you will add some chili and other stuff to it and make it into something to submerge the taste of the nut.”

Not one bit true! Most of what I cook I take care does NOT lose itself and blend into the spices –

For starters, I just dipped them in Nutella and already it was tasting better. We do challenge ourselves to like certain things after a certain point in our lives, correct. I knew plain old chestnuts would not do it for me. We had a few nuts left behind from that night and this is what came out of it – A fabulously healthy and delicious hummus, where the taste of the nut prevails above all else, thank you very much!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of roasted and shelled chestnuts (about 20 nuts)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1tsp of brown roasted sesame
• 1red chili
• salt a pinch
• 2tsp olive oil
• ¼ cup of water
• 2tsp lemon juice
•  

Method

1. In a pan, add the oil and the chili first followed by all the ingredients
2. Cook for a couple of minutes only until the chili turns brown
3. Grind to a fine paste
4. Garnish with Basil or mint (optional)
5. Serve with warm bread or with a veggie platter

Chestnut Facts:

Gluten free

Complex Carbohydrates

Low to no fat

Low Cholesterol Food

Good protein albeit not very high

Rich in Vitamin C

In short, one of the best nuts to eat :)

This is a perfect post for my blog event FAST FOOD not FAT FOOD guest-hosted this time by my sweet friend, Archana of The Mad Scientist's Kitchen - Do send you entries to her if you have a healthy recipe you've made - 

Kadi-Pakora with Spinach

 Clearly there are two parts to this dish. And by themselves, each can be a stand alone dish. The pakora and the Kadi -Pakoras are fried/baked fritters usually made with besan/chickpea flour and veggies like onions and chilies. They can also be made with spinach as this recipe explains. The second part of this recipe is the Kadi, which is also called Mor Kozhambu in the south with a few differences. Kadi is essentially a yogurt based sauce to which you add some chickpea flour, herbs and condiments for spicing it up. I present to you both recipes, both extremely simple and I hope the pictures I present make you salivate enough to want to make this right away :)

This can be had by itself as a HOT snack :)

Ingredients

For the Pakoras

• 1lb of frozen fresh spinach
• 2tbsp chickpea flour
• 2 spicy green chilies
• 1tsp caraway seeds
• salt
• grated ginger (optional)
• oil to fry

For the Kadi

• 2cups of plain yogurt
• 1tbsp channa dal (or chickpeas)
• 2 fresh (and spicy green chilies)
• 1tsp whole black pepper
• 1tsp cumin
• A pinch of asafetida
• Cilantro - 2tbsp chopped (optional) I use it liberally because i LOVE the smell of it
• Salt

For Garnish

• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1tsp coconut oil
• 1tsp mustard seeds (small ones preferably)
• 1sprig of curry leaves

Method

Preparing the Pakoras

1. Cook spinach with small quantity of water if fresh or thaw out if frozen
2. Drain the water
3. Add salt, green chilies, caraway seeds and besan and mix until it is of thick and "ball-able" consistency. Add the ginger in along with the rest of the ingredients if you are using it.
4. Make the balls and keep

Prepare your Kadi

1. While your spinach is cooking, soak all ingredients except for the yogurt and salt in about 1/2 cup of warm to hot water for about 15 -30 minutes
2. Grind finely in mixera
3. Add salt
4. Place on stove in a pan and cook until it thickens.
5. Allow it to cool for a few minutes
6. Whip the yogurt into a smooth thick paste
7. Add to the pan and mix in well.
8. Add the garnish
9. Now heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the pakoras
10. Drop them hot into the kadi and serve immediately

Note: if you are not serving right away, hold off on making the pakoras until you are ready to eat.
If your spinach remains soggy, you could add more besan or powdered cashews (about 5 -10 nuts)
Enjoy this classic north Indian dish with freshly cooked white fluffy and incredibly aromatic basmati rice :)

Fabulous Focaccia my ‘Whey’

Oven ready

Today it is my pleasure to WOW you with my protein rich, colorful focaccia. Pronounced Fo-Ka-Cha

Pari of Fooddelicious had this ever so tempting post on her blog last week and I knew I simply HAD to make it – I had all the fresh home grown ingredients for it and I said, hey, let’s do it and I did. It turned out to be a phenomenal success (which is measured in how many minutes it takes to get devoured by my kids) and truth to tell, I am happy I got a minute to take the pictures before my kids went gung-ho with it.I had some when sitting around in the fridge left over from making some paneer. I used it in a couple of ways: one in the soup I made to accompany the focaccia and two, in the focaccia itself. While the taste did not change any, it felt better that with the carbs, there was also some protein. If you are a vegetarian, you know how difficult it is to avoid carbs – even if you are seeking the complex kinds. Anyway, without further natter, I present to you my fresh, really fresh, Focaccia

Baked to a nicety!

Ingredients

For the dough

• 3-4 cups of bread flour ( I used King Arthur’s unbleached bread flour)
• 1tbsp of instant yeast
• 2tbsp crushed fresh rosemary
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp sugar
• 4cloves of freshly squeezed garlic
• 2tbsp of olive oil
• 1cup of warm whey (I subbed whey for the water which is the original way to go - Curd or milk would also be a good idea should you want to try)
• 2tbsp warm water
• Some more warm water as need to get the right consistency

Home grown tomatoes, onions and Rosemary

For the Garnish

• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes (any kind)
• 2 sprigs of Rosemary
• 1-2tbsp of olive oil
• 3small onions diced
• 2tbsp fresh garlic chives, chopped

Method

1. In 2tbsp of warm water, add the sugar & yeast and allow it to froth
2. In the meantime, combine flour and salt and all the chopped herbs and spices and mix dry
3. Add the olive oil and mix
4. Add the frothing yeast to the flour and mix in well
5. Now add the warm whey and knead either in your mixer or by hand
6. Knead until it is a smooth ball that lifts off without sticking to the sides of the bowl
7. Put a plastic cover (I often use grocery bags) and let it sit for a couple of hours
8. About 15 minutes before the dough time is up, chop your onions and chives
9. Get your pan ready and sprayed and set the oven to 350 deg. F
10. Take dough out and punch down to release the air.
11. Roll or knead it out to the shape of the pan (I used a rectangular one)
12. With the knuckle of you index finger, make dots or dips in the spread dough
13. Brush with olive oil
14. Arrange your tomatoes appealingly (:
15. And you onions and chives
16. Allow this to sit for about 20 minutes (keep covered if need be) This will help the dough to rise a bit more)
17. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until you see that the crust is brown and the top is starting to brown lightly too.
18. Remove, cut and eat…

Optional: grate some fresh Parmesan Cheese

A side view of the yummy crust

Hope you enjoy the visuals and please try to make this at home and show off to you family your gourmet chef qualities :) Adios amigos until next time

Hot & Sweet Goji Berry Relish

You've heard it on Dr. Oz or through other health and wellness advocates, but here is a WebMD write up about it - It obviously has amazing qualities and is something only people on blood thinners should be cautious to use. Couple of years ago when this berry surfaced on the Oz show where I learnt of it first, I found myself getting online right away to order me some. And when it came, we started diligently using it in the wonderful daily fruit smoothie that we have in the morning - The kids got used to the new flavor that it brought to the smoothie, not without some fussing. Then my son discovered that they tasted great as is and had handfuls of them as a replacement for raisins. However, over the summer when I had not replenished the gojis, we got used to our fruit smoothie without it and we are pretty much back to square one when the kids (and the hubby) to add it once again! SO...... I thought I'd make something "innovative" with it and this is what I got - I had it on the fire a few minutes too long and it kind of caramelized - which really worked out so great- I had made it spicy so now we have it like we do Deepavali Layghyam! It at once satisfies all the taste buds ... This is a lip smacker - Do try it next time you want to make a special almost achar like relish.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Goji berries
• 1.5 cups of broken down jaggery pieces (I added more than what is seen in the picture)
• 10 of your hottest red peppers (I used the mexican variety)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• A pinch of freshly ground cardamom
• 2tbsp water +2tbsp of water

Method

1. In a sauce pan heat the oil and add the red chilies and cook it until the oil is slightly bubbly and the chilies are turning brown (not black)
2. Remove and set aside to cool
3. In the same sauce pan add the water and add the jaggery and cardamom and allow it to melt to syrup
4. Now grind the chilies with the 2 tbsp of water and add to the syrup
5. Allow this to cook for a couple of minutes longer
6. Now add the gojis, pressing down on them to make sure all of them are covered in the syrup 
7. Do not stir and this point
8. Allow this to cook and simmer in the sauce - for about 5 for starters and a few minutes longer if required.
9. The jaggery starts getting stringy and it is done.
10. Cool it completely. 

NOTES: the problem if indeed you consider it one, with overcooking is they get caramelized and when it cools becomes like a sticky candy - I LOVED this although it was not my intention to get it to this level. 
Hence, play by year if you wish for a thinner syrup-ier  texture which will cool to the consistency of a relish or jam.

Use with yogurt rice, chappatis or parathas, on bread or as is.

Take my word for it when I say this one will dance on your tongue and will be one of the best things you tasted.  Here are some pictures. AND the last word is like Panchamritham or pickle it tastes better as it gets older :)

Taro Leaf Fritters /Arbi Pathe Bajjis

Here is yet another wonderful stuffing for bajjis - Taro leaves - We have had them as patra & bakavadi - but since I started growing these, we have made bajjis and wonderful kootu or curry, used them as dolmades wrapping. All of these are fantastic because taro leaves lend themselves beautifully to any kind of preparation

WARNING - Do not try to eat taro leaves raw unless you are prepared to feel its acidic sting burn through your mouth and throat - the calcium oxalate burns down your throat, esophagus all the way to your stomach - COxalate also causes kidney stones - so please DO NOT EAT THEM RAW!!! My poor and rather unsuspecting husband ended up dashing to the fridge to gargle and send cold water chasing behind it to calm his throat which was visible red and inflamed - I guess this is the plant's defense mechanism. But they become docile tasty thingees when cooked - So please be warned about their raw "bite"  ;p

Bajii mavu is the simplest - if you have this recipe down then you can make bajjis with any veggie/leaf/blossom you fancy - 1:1 of besan (sifted) & rice flour; 1tbsp chili powder of choice; a pinch of asafetida; salt; and 1 cup + 1/4 cup or as much to get the consistency shown in the picture below.  Dip and Drop in hot oil - fry until golden brown; strain with paper towels in colander; serve hot.
You can cut the veggies any how you fancy - that too is the fun part. Enjoy these  - I have 2 other interesting bajjis to blog soon - adios

Batter Consistency

My Son who cut them for me posing for my sake :)