holy cow!

Zen in a Bowl: Coconut Miso Soup

2008-06-28T13:34:00.005-04:00

Miso and coconut are two of my most favorite ingredients. One I was introduced to only in recent years, and the other is something I grew up eating almost every day in my Konkani home where coconut was part of just about any recipe.

Both have transcendental health qualities - miso, a fermented bean paste, is believed to prevent some kinds of cancer and is rich in wonderful enzymes that aid digestion. Coconut, while high in saturated fat, is still one of the healthiest foods you can eat, not to mention one of the tastiest. To a vegan, coconut milk- which is loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals- is particularly valuable because it works wonderfully as a cream substitute in most recipes. Plus, it tastes way better than calorie-loaded cow fat,

For those new to cooking with miso, there are a variety of miso pastes available in Asian stores and supermarkets, but a beginner might want to go with a mild-tasting one when you first try this soup. Miso is very salty, so remember that when you plan to add it to a recipe, you will want to hold back on the salt. Also, in a cooked dish, add miso at the very end, because boiling it can kill the healthful enzymes.

I am sending this recipe as my entry to AFAM-Coconut, hosted this month by Suganya.
As anyone who has been to my blog before would know, I cook a lot with coconut, but this one, Suganya, is very special to me. It gets ready in no time and always leaves me feeling like I've done something good for myself.

Coconut Miso Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups water (even better, use light, vegetable stock if you have some on hand. Make sure it has no salt, though.)

1 14-oz can light coconut milk

4 tbsp barley miso

8 large button mushrooms, sliced very thin

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup of seaweed, cut in pieces (optional- I use any seaweed I have on hand, but my hubby is not a big fan of seaweed so I do leave it out often enough. It doesn't really hurt the dish)

1 cup brown rice, cooked

1 tbsp ginger

1 tsp canola oil

7-8 fresh basil leaves

Heat canola oil in a soup pot. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until they begin to caramelize just slightly.

Add the ginger and stir in

Add the water and then the seaweed, if using. Let it come to a boil. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the cooked brown rice and stir in.

Meanwhile, mix the miso paste in the coconut milk, adding some of the warm soup stock if necessary, until no lumps remain.

Take the soup off the heat, and then add the miso-coconut mixture to it.

Tear in some fresh basil leaves and serve hot.

Gajar-Mooli Paratha

2008-06-25T15:15:00.006-04:00

One of my constant pursuits in the kitchen is to find as many ways as possible to add vegetables to our diet without allowing things to get too in-your-face. After all, even die-hard vegetable-lovers like Desi and I could get a little fed up on too many greens (not that it's happened yet!).

I try to get around this by putting veggies into almost anything I make- if it's rice, I try and throw in some peas or carrots or cauliflower, or a combination. With lentils you can get a lot more adventurous, because these little beauties will go with anything from leafies to cabbage, beans, zucchini or even mushrooms. But the most fun I have is stuffing rotis with veggies of all sorts to make richly satisfying parathas.

I have blogged before about my Sweet-Aloo Paratha, Mooli Paratha and Tofu Paratha. But today's recipe is for a variation: Gajar-Mooli Paratha, or Carrot- and Radish-Stuffed Flatbreads. Why? Because these were the two veggies I had lying around in my fridge during the weekday, begging to be used before they drooped. And because the end result was quite spectacular.

I usually play around a lot with the seasonings for the stuffing, simply because it is almost impossible to go wrong here. Chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala- they all work wonderfully. I often use aamchur powder, or mango powder, or even chaat masala, which gives the veggies a spicy-sour punch.

To this paratha I also added some kasoori methi, again another favorite ingredient that I often throw into stuffings because it's always in my pantry and because it's mild bitterness works perfectly with the sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors.

Gajar-Mooli Paratha:

Ingredients:

2 cups durum wheat flour (can use whole-wheat instead). Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp canola oil and knead with just enough water to form a stiff but pliable dough.

1 cup carrots, grated fine

1 cup radish (I used the little ones, but daikon would work perfectly too), also grated fine

Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp salt on the carrots and radish, put into a colander, and leave for around an hour for the water to express from the vegetables. This step is very important, otherwise your parathas will become a gooey mess when you try to roll them out.

Squeeze out all the water you possible can from the vegetables before adding the other ingredients.

Now add:

1 tsp chaat masala (available in Indian groceries)

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp kasoori methi, crumbled (also available in Indian stores)

Salt to taste

Mix well and set aside.

Divide the dough into balls, each about 1 inch in diameter.

On a floured surface, roll out each ball into a circle around 3 inches in diameter. Place 2 tbsp of stuffing in the center. Roll out another circle of the same size, moisten the edges with water, and place over the circle with the stuffing. Press down on the edges to seal.

Flour the surface and roll out the paratha, turning often and adding more flour if necessary, to prevent sticking. When it's around 7 inches in diameter, you can transfer it to a hot cast-iron griddle on medium heat.

Roast each side for about 2-3 minutes, coating with a few scant drops of oil, until brown spots appear evenly on the surface of the paratha.

Serve hot with chutney or pickle or any spicy curry of your choice.

Luscious Banana-Nut Muffins

2008-06-22T17:24:00.005-04:00

This recipe is perhaps going to forever brand me as an incorrigible slave to banana breads-- after all, I've blogged before about my banana nut bread and banana corn bread.

But hear me out: banana breads are, after all, the easiest quick bread to throw together. There always is an overripe banana or two sitting in our kitchen by the end of the week, and my hubby Desi is so in love with this versatile fruit, he almost went into a panic the other day when he read this article in the New York Times.

This banana nut muffin is in some ways similar to my nut bread, but this time its goodness comes in cuter, smaller versions. The batter is also much easier to put together and takes just a few minutes.

So here's the wholesome, moist and luscious goodness of these dairy-free, egg-free banana-nut muffins. Hope you enjoy them!

Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

6 tbsp canola oil

3/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp molasses (optional)

2 tbsp powdered flax seeds mixed well with 6 tbsp water

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup pecans (can use walnuts), lightly toasted, then chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and oil a standard-size muffin tin (mine bakes 12 muffins at a time).

Mix the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and chopped nuts.

In a larger bowl, mix the oil, sugar, molasses, flax seed-water mixture, bananas and vanilla extract.

Mix in the flour mixture until all the wet ingredients are just moist. Do not overmix. The batter should be lumpy, like pancake batter, rather than smooth.

With a standard-sized ice cream scoop, or with a tablespoon, divide the batter equally among the 12 muffin tins.

Bake for about 18 minutes in a 375-degree oven or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out almost dry, with a few crumbs sticking to it.

Let cool for a couple of minutes before unmolding. They taste great warm or at room temperature.

Spinach Amti with Peanuts

2008-06-20T10:50:00.006-04:00

I try all the time to incorporate leafies into our diet as effortlessly as possible. One of my preferred ways to eat spinach- one of my absolutely favorite veggies- is to add it to a spicy, tangy lentil curry.
The slight bitterness of the spinach is nicely balanced out by sourness of the tamarind, the spiciness of the chilies and the sweet nuttiness of the peanuts. A nice balance of flavors, by Ayurvedic standards.

This is one of those quick, weeknight dishes written on a busy weeknight, so I will keep the introduction brief. Hope you guys enjoy this nutritious, delicious dish.

Ingredients:

1 large bunch spinach, washed thoroughly and chopped into thin strips.

3/4 cup pink lentils, or masoor dal, cooked until tender (I pressure cook it or, when I'm short on time, cover it with water and throw it into a microwave oven. It takes 10-15 minutes to cook, depending on your microwave.)

1 small lemon-size ball of tamarind, soaked in water for about 30 minutes. Express the juices into the water by crushing with your fingers and throw away the remaining solids.

3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin.

1 medium onion, sliced

2 green chilies, like serrano, thinly sliced

1/2 cup peanuts, soaked in water for about 30 minutes

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp coriander seeds, powdered

1 tsp mustard

1 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup light coconut milk

Salt to taste

Heat the oil and add mustard. When it sputters, add the onions and fry on a medium frame until translucent.

Add the chilies and garlic and stir for a minute.

Add the coriander and turmeric powders. Stir again until spices are coated with oil.

Add the tamarind extract and let it boil about 2-3 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir in until it wilts. Then add the lentils and drained peanuts.

Stir in some salt.

Bring the lentils to a boil.

Turn the heat to low and let the lentils simmer about 10 minutes for all the flavors to come together.

Stir in coconut milk and immediately turn off the heat. Check the salt and add more if needed.

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

A Vegan Twist on an Indian Classic: Sheera

2008-06-18T10:28:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite childhood memories is of the days when we would have a pooja at home. The long rituals were quite tedious, especially for a kid, but the fun part was getting together with all my cousins and the amazing vegetarian food one we got to eat at the end of it all.

The prasad, or offering to the deity, would usually be a sweet and simple but incredibly delicious dish called Sheera. Friends, family and neighbors would visit to pay their respects to the deity, and each visitor would get a dollop of the sheera in a cute little paper cup.

Now while sheera, made with rava (farina or cream of wheat), is a common breakfast food and snack in Indian homes, the sheera made for poojas is just a little more special.

For one, it incorporates bananas which elevates it from just delicious to simply sublime.

Sheera also uses tons of ghee and milk which, as is obvious by now, is not part of my pantry.

To make Sheera, which was as authentic-tasting as it was tasty, I used almond milk. Almond milk is a great substitute for dairy in sweets and it is quite easily available at health food stores. Believe me, you will never be able to tell the difference. Besides, in a dish that uses a generous amount of sugar, it is also a healthier alternative.

My vegan version of Sheera tasted exactly like the original, and no animals were hurt in its making. Now that's something even a god has to love.

Prasadacha Sheera

Ingredients:

1 cup rava or cream of wheat

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cardamom powder

2 cups almond milk (I used the regular version but feel free to go with low-fat)

A few strands of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp almond milk

1 large, ripe banana, cut into a very small dice

1/4- 1/2 cup cashew pieces

3-4 tbsp golden raisins

1 tsp oil

In a small skillet, heat the oil and toast the cashew pieces and raisins until the cashew turns golden and the raisins plump up. Set aside.

In a skillet, over medium heat, toast the rava until it turns just a couple of shades darker and tastes nutty

Remove to a dish and set aside.

In the same skillet, combine the almond milk, sugar, saffron and cardamom powder and bring to a gentle boil. Stir gently a couple of times to help the sugar dissolve.

Add the bananas

Add the reserved rava, stirring constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. It will take just a minute or two before the rava absorbs most of the milk and becomes quite thick.

Before taking the sheera off the heat, add the cashews and raisins and stir in.

Serve hot or at room temperature. It's delicious either way.

***

I want to apologize here for my rather erratic schedule, but these weeks have been tremendously busy both at home and work. I also want to thank two bloggers who gave me these really amazing awards recently: the lovely and talented Uma for the Rockin' Girl Blogger award, and the incredibly gifted Priya who gave me the Yummy Blog award. I will need some time to figure out who to pass these on to, but meanwhile thanks so very much, ladies-- coming from you, these gifts are really special!

The Strays of India

2008-06-11T13:53:00.008-04:00

I'm back from a lovely trip to India where I had a chance to visit with my family after more than two long years, get together with some good old friends to catch up on the good old times, and eat some really great food, a lot of it homecooked.

Desi and I covered a lot of ground, touching India's east, west, north and south in 17 short days. But as tiring as it was, it was also exhilarating. I had tons of work waiting for me when I got back, which is why I have been slow to return to blogging, but I hope to catch up. For starters, I have a non-food visual post for you that's very, very close to my heart: I'm calling it the Strays of India. The pictures, as always, were taken by Desi.

As many of you who have lived in India or visited it would know, India is home not only to the world's second-largest human population, but also- unfortunately- to a very large number of neglected, abandoned and homeless animals of every kind. Cows, dogs, cats, sheep, goats...you name it, you'll find them scavenging out of trash piles or hanging around food vendors in the usually vain hope of finding their next meal.
In a country long known for its vegetarian traditions, the sight of neglected and abused animals is always a shocking paradox. The dogs, particularly, are everywhere. I must say here that I do strongly believe that, no matter how tough their lives, it is better to let them live instead of euthanizing them as a public health threat. Most strays usually pretty much keep to themselves and don't bother you unless you bother them- if you do, I'd say they're fully justified in defending themselves. Feel free to argue with me, but in all the years I lived in India, I never once met anyone who contracted rabies from a stray dog.
The stray animals themselves, however, face many, many threats from the burgeoning human population and development. The growing numbers of cars on roads that honk incessantly at pedestrians make it difficult for people to walk, and you can imagine how difficult it is for the poor animals who are often hit and maimed or left to die by vehicles.
Public behavior toward strays is also often cruel, with children and even adults throwing stones at dogs and even cats for no apparent reason other than to send them as far away from themselves as possible. Some stray dogs do end up getting "adopted" by communities who feed them, but they are few in number.
What is also heartbreaking is the pernicious newfound love of the middle and upper classes for purebred pets bought from breeders and often imported into the country. In cities like Bombay and Calcutta I often saw people walking Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds. There appears to be no interest among these "dog lovers" in giving homes to the lovely strays although some animal rights activists in the country have spoken out for this. I know from personal experience that strays make excellent pets: Desi and I adopted a number of stray puppies when we lived in Bombay and and they grew up into beautiful and smart dogs.
I also wanted to share some other pictures of experiences that were shocking or heartbreaking. At the Kalighat temple, one of Calcutta's most historic landmarks and the place which gave the city it's name, I saw freshly beheaded lambs being dragged out of the temple, their legs still trembling. Killing animals is in itself a lowly act, but sacrificing animals in the name of religion has got to be the most shameful act imaginable.

In the desert landscape of beautiful Leh, Ladakh, I saw abandoned and starving cows scavenging off trash, munching on paper. One of the cows ate a cigarette butt as I watched. But when I offered it a banana it didn't look quite sure what to do with it.

One of my favorite people, Mahatma Gandhi, once said that a nation's progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals. In Gandhi's land, is anyone listening anymore?

I-Can't-Believe-It's-Healthy Three-Soy Hummus

2008-05-03T14:25:00.002-04:00

I am in India for the next three weeks, but before saying goodbye I wanted to leave you with one of my most favorite and versatile dishes: my three-soy hummus.

I must admit I jumped the gun on this one when I posted my edamame pesto recipe. That recipe was actually inspired by this three-soy hummus which is a very easy, very delicious and very, very nutritious dish. It acts great as a spread for wraps or as an appetizer with whole-wheat pita or crackers, but I usually pick up a spoon and eat it like ice-cream. Yes, it's that good.

I usually use soft tofu for the hummus, but I happened to only have some silken firm tofu in my refrigerator which has been depleted quite a bit because of the upcoming travel. But the firm tofu worked very well and gave the hummus an interesting texture while not really taking away from that creamy mouth-feel.

I call this a three-soy hummus because of the three different soy products I use in it: edamame or soybeans, tofu, and mild miso. Miso is a paste made with fermented soybeans and is rich in enzymes that aid digestion. It is salty, so go slow on the salt in the hummus. I usually don't add any at all. Also, vegans and vegetarians might want to get a good look at the label when you buy miso, because some brands do use non-vegetarian ingredients.

I hope you enjoy this very special recipe.

Three-Soy Hummus

Ingredients:

2 cups shelled edamame beans, thawed if frozen then steamed with a couple of tablespoons of water in a microwave for a couple of minutes

2 cups soft or firm tofu, depending on how creamy you want the texture to be

1 tbsp mild miso paste

2 tsp cumin seeds, powdered

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp red chili flakes (use more or less per your taste)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt, if needed

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Could it be any easier?

Enjoy!

Goodbye, everyone, and I'll look forward to catching up with you when I return.

Rotini With Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

2008-05-02T14:39:00.003-04:00

Pasta is a lifesaver on busy weeknights, and when I want to make it just a little more special without any extra effort, I mix up a pesto sauce.

I like playing around with pesto, a lot. I make it with all kinds of herbs and leafies, including spinach, cilantro, and mint, and sometimes even with edamame, or soybeans.

My sun-dried tomato pesto is a fresh twist on a classic favorite. It's a pretty straightforward recipe with minimum prep time, so I won't ramble on for too long either. Enjoy, everyone!

Rotini With Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

Ingredients:

1 lb whole-wheat rotini pasta, cooked according to package instructions until al dente.

2 ripe avocados, diced

1 cup artichoke hearts, steamed until tender

For pesto sauce:

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes with about 2 tbsp or more of the oil they were packed in. (If not using tomatoes packed in oil, you can just add about 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil)

1 habanero pepper, deseeded (this is a screaming-hot pepper, so use less if you are not into too-spicy food)

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced

Juice of 1 lime

Salt to taste

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and give them a spin until they break down into a paste. Drizzle in some more oil if too dry.

Toss the cooked rotini with the pesto sauce and the vegetables. I had avocados and artichoke hearts on hand but roasted red peppers, zuccini squash or asparagus spears would all work great in this.

Enjoy!

---

I also wanted to share news of the Yummyblog award that four fellow bloggers, Uma, Sunshinemom, Shubha and Pearlsofeast, have chosen to share with me. The fact that each of these lovely ladies is a wonderful cook really sweetens the pot.

The award is meant for blogs with some of the most delicious recipes and photos, and I am also required to pass it on to four bloggers.

That decision was easy. I am going to return the compliment:

Uma, Sunshinemom, Shubha and Pearlsofeast: congratulations, ladies, and I cannot think of anyone who deserves this award better than the four of you! And I do mean it, because I cannot wait each day to see what tasty creation each of you will come up with. And although we've so far only communicated in the nebulousness of the blogosphere, I feel like each one of you is a good, good friend!

The award also requires me to list my four most favorite desserts. Although I would describe my sweet tooth as only middling, I won't deny that anything remotely delicious-- salty, spicy or sweet-- doesn't usually last long around me. Before I went vegan, I loved gulab jamoons, but I haven't found a way to veganize those yet. Until then, here goes:

Aamras (with almond milk, of course)

Jalebis

Kaju Katli

Apple Pie

Happy eating, everyone!

When the flowers bloom...

2008-04-26T17:00:00.004-04:00

..Desi goes just a little crazy with the camera. Here are some beauties he found in our otherwise still-messy yard.

Who says Dandelions are weeds? Look at this lovely lady:
On a balmy afternoon, a lazy lion and his sidekick sniff for trouble in their backyard kingdom:

Have a colorful Spring, everyone!

Banana "Cornbread"

2008-04-23T23:00:00.004-04:00

One of the cakes that is most popular in my home is also one of the easiest to make-- banana nut bread.

While I love making this delicious bread which my hubby craves more often than he'll admit, I also like to make little changes to the recipe to make the experience of both cooking and eating it even more fun.

Now I love cornbread, and when I picked up two overripe bananas from my pantry last week to get ready to bake, I thought- why not?

For this bread (which really isn't a cornbread as we know cornbread to be) I mixed a small amount of stone-ground corn, which is very nutritious and fiber-rich, mixed with whole-wheat pastry flour, my preferred flour for almost any kind of baking.

The result was gorgeous to look at- the corn meal flecked the bread with tiny golden dots, and gave the crust a hearty crunch.

I used about 1/3 cup of applesauce in this nut bread which gave it an intense sweetness and dense moistness that I loved, but if you'd prefer to have a cakier nut bread, you could scale the applesauce back to just 2 tbsp or even skip it altogether.

One problem with the applesauce was it caused the bread to sink slightly in the center once it had come out of the oven- too much moisture, perhaps? One way to fight this might be to leave it in the oven for an extra five minutes.

So here it is, my banana "cornbread." Enjoy!

Banana "Cornbread"

Ingredients:

Dry:

Mix together-
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup stone-ground yellow corn meal

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cardamom

Wet:

5 tbsp canola oil

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp molasses (can reduce to 1 tbsp or leave out altogether for a less sweet bread. I love the richness and also the beautiful color that the molasses contributes.)

Place the wet ingredients in a bowl and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until well incorporated.

Add to it:

2 tbsp flax seed powder mixed with 4 tbsp water.

1/3 cup applesauce

2 small ripe bananas, mashed well

Beat until incorporated

Add the flour mixture gradually, stirring until it is well mixed in.

Add 1/2 cup pecans, toasted lightly

Pour into an oiled loaf pan and bake about 55 minutes at 250 degrees until the top is a rich brown.

Remove to a rack and cool.

I have made a change - or rather addition- to this recipe that I forgot to put in when I posted it yesterday. Cardamom. I love this wonderful spice that's a feature in many Indian sweets, and I must say it really punched up the taste factor.

Silky Soup: Butternut-Lima Bean

2008-04-19T13:08:00.004-04:00

Desi and I are late sleepers. For a long time we both worked the late shift in newsrooms and it is hard, to this day many years after, for us to fall asleep before midnight. As a result, we have gotten into a late cycle with almost all of what we do, including dinner, which rarely makes it to the table before 9 pm and sometimes close to 10.

Now it's a well-known fact that eating your dinner pretty close to bedtime is just not a good idea, because your metabolism slows down during sleep. We try to combat this by making the meal a fairly light one, usually a chapati or two with some dal and subzi.

Sometimes, it is just a bowl of steaming soup with chunky, crusty bread.

When I make soup for dinner I like it to be as nutritious and hearty as possible without being too heavy. I love adding beans, because they offer you loads of protein and fiber for a handful of calories.

For the soup I am about to share with you, I went with lima beans which, for some reason, don't get their share of the spotlight in my legume-loving kitchen as often as they should. These amazing beans are not only super-healthy, but they are gorgeously creamy and delicious to boot. What more can you ask for?

I combined the lima beans with a butternut squash which made a wonderfully healthy addition to the soup.

For the garnish I used finely diced avocado- the creamy blandness of the avocado paired perfectly with the dish, as did its pale green color with the soup's elegant orange.

The soup was delicious-- silky and complex with the flavors of garlic and red chili powder. And it looked gorgeous to boot!

I am sending this soup as my entry to the Well-Seasoned Cook Susan, who is this week hosting the Weekend Herb Blogging event, started by Kalyn. Thanks, Susan, for hosting it!

Vegan Silk: Butternut-Lima Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup large Lima beans, soaked for about 8 hours and cooked until tender

1 medium red onion

1 medium butternut squash, cut into big chunks and then roasted in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until tender. Peel the squash, cut into a smaller dice, and reserve

4 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp red chili powder

Salt to taste

1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled and finely diced

1 tbsp canola oil

Heat the canola oil in a saucepan.

Add the onions and saute on medium heat until translucent.

Add the garlic and stir about a minute.

Add the butternut squash and chili powder. Cook for about a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, so the squash breaks down further.

Add half the cooked beans and salt to taste.

Bring to a boil.

Turn off the heat and, with an immersion blender or in a regular blender, puree the soup until it acquires a rich, creamy texture. (Pureeing half the beans gives the soup its creamy texture while the remaining limas go into the soup whole to contribute a hearty heft)

Return the saucepan to heat, add the remaining lima beans and season with salt if required.

Warm to a simmer, then turn off the heat and ladle the hot soup into bowls.

Garnish with the diced avocado and enjoy with some bread!

Crunchy Bliss: Masala Vadai with Avocado-Tofu Chutney

2008-04-16T13:45:00.004-04:00

Last week was the Tamil New Year, and that always warrants something special. And what can be more special than crunchy, utterly satisfying deep-fried food?

I won't lie: although I like to watch what I eat, it is never easy for me to resist the golden deliciousness of foods dunked in bubbling oil. Given my sub-zero willpower around fried foods of any sort, I usually resist temptation simply by not keeping store-bought fried foods around the house.

But festivals are a great excuse to pull out that cast-iron pan and get some oil on the boil.

For the new year, Desi suggested masala vadai, one of his favorites.

Masala Vadai is pretty easy to put together and very versatile. It can be a snack, an appetizer at parties, a light meal, even, with some sambar and chutney.

You can add some veggies like cabbage or spinach to your vadais to make them more nutritious. But one ingredient is an absolute must if you want the true flavor of a traditional masala vadai: cinnamon.

I added some saunf and garlic and onion as well-- all traditional ingredients that together bring an exquisite complexity to the flavor of the vadai.

For a slightly untraditional twist, I served it with an avocado-tofu chutney that was really quite delicious and healthy to boot.

So here it is, my own chunk of deep-fried bliss, Masala Vadai with Avocado-Tofu Chutney. Hope you enjoy it!

Masala Vadai

Ingredients:

1 cup chana dal, soaked at least 2 hours

3-4 1-inch sticks of cinnamon

1 tsp saunf

10-15 curry leaves

3 red chilies or 1 tsp chili powder

1 red onion, diced

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt to taste

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Oil for deep frying.

Put all the ingredients other than the cilantro and the oil into a food processor or blender and process until it comes together in a coarse paste. I ground up my vadai batter quite fine, but you could leave a few visible bits of the dal in there for a more traditional look.

Try not to add any water, because you want a stiff batter that you can shape into vadais. If your blender refuses to budge, however, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until it relents. If the batter gets too loose, sprinkle in just enough chickpea flour so the dough holds together.

Add the cilantro to the batter and mix in. Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.

Heat oil in a cast-iron or other pan.

Make a ball about one inch in diameter with the vadai batter and then flatten between the palms of your hands into a disc.

Fry in hot oil until golden brown, about a minute on each side.

Serve hot with chutney.

Avocado-Tofu Chutney

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocadoes, peeled, pitted and diced

1 tbsp ginger, grated

1 green chili, jalapeno or serrano would work.

1 cup silken soft tofu

A few drops of lemon juice

Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until nice and smooth.

Garnish with coriander, if desired.

A Healthful Medley: Ezhukari Kuzhambu

2008-04-11T18:53:00.010-04:00

When I told my hubby Desi, who is Tamil, that I was planning to cook Ezhukari Kuzhambu, he first corrected my pronunciation: something he loves to do.

The next thing he told me was that he had never heard of this dish. When I explained that it was a sambar made with seven vegetables, or ezhu kari in Tamil, his face cleared and he said, not a little smugly: "Oh, that's just kadamba sambar."

Now kadamba sambar (which translates to mixed-vegetable sambar, so, well, I guess it is like Ezhukari kuzhambu) is absolutely delicious, and Desi's little revelation didn't quite put me off making this dish. I found the recipe in one of Tamil cuisine's classic cookbooks, Samaithu Paar (Cook and See) by Meenakshi Ammal. The first edition of this book was printed way back in 1968, according to my copy.

I did tweak it quite a bit, though, not least because among the ingredients were 15-18 red chilies (gasp!) and more oil than I like to use. I also used canned coconut milk although feel free to substitute with fresh coconut if you have it.

If you happen to have fewer than seven veggies, don't worry - this dish will still taste wonderful because of the rich flavor of the ground spices. Also, you could use other vegetables like snake gourd or colocasia.

Remember to cut the veggies into similar-sized pieces, which always makes for even cooking and better presentation.

One way in which Ezukari seemed to differ from the sambar I make for kadamba sadam was the over-generous use of coriander seeds (1/4 cup) in the ground masala, which I didn't mind at all because I happen to love these flavorful seeds. I also added some sambar powder to the dish because I right now have a stash of absolutely delicious homemade sambar powder that my sis-in-law, Paddu, gave me when she visited recently. It's so good, I've been adding it to everything it can possibly go into.

So here's my version of Ezukari Kuzhambu, or Kadamba Sambar. Regardless of what we called it, Desi and I were unanimous about this: it tasted great.

Ezukari Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

4-5 small eggplants, diced, or 1/2 large one, diced

1 cup of red pumpkin, diced

1 medium potato, diced

1 sweet potato, diced

1 plantain, diced

3/4 cup okra, cut into 1-cm rings (I used frozen)

3/4 cup green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup of water for a few minutes. Extract the juice by crushing the tamarind between your fingers, and discard the solids.

1 tbsp sambar powder

1 cup masoor dal or pink lentils, cooked until tender (you can substitute with tuvar dal)

For the ground masala:

1 tsp canola oil (or any other vegetable oil except olive)

1/4 cup coriander seeds

1/8 cup chana dal or bengal gram

3 red chilies (use more if you like more heat in your kuzhambu)

1 cup coconut milk (I used canned)

Fry the coriander seds, chana dal and red chilies in the oil until lightly golden and then grind into a fairly smooth paste with the coconut milk, adding a little water if necessary.

Cook all the vegetables until they are almost tender (I zapped them in the microwave with about a cupful of water for about 8 minutes)

Put the vegetables into a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the tamarind water and cook another 2-3 minutes

Now add the cooked dal, sambar powder, and the ground masala paste. Give it all a good stir and allow it to come to a boil.

Add salt to taste. If the kuzhambu is too thick, add some water.

Let the kuzhambu cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, turn off heat, and add the tempering (below)

For the tempering:

Heat 1 tsp canola or other vegetable oil

Add to it:

1 generous pinch of asafetida

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

10-15 curry leaves

When the mustard seeds crackle, take off the heat and add to the kuzhambu.

Garnish the kuzhambu with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice and poppadum.

Classic Comfort Food: Usal

2008-04-09T18:59:00.008-04:00

My mom died when I was seven, but many of the few memories I have of her have to do with food.

You see, she loved to cook. She was a Maharashtrian, and the food she prepared reflected the ingredients and influences of her corner of the world.

Although I never had a chance to learn how to cook from my mom, she left me with an everlasting love for Marathi food. My own style of cooking reflects the many cultures that have influenced my life and the places I've lived in or visited, but to this day it is Marathi food that appeals the most to my tastebuds: in other words, it is my comfort food.

Growing up in Bombay, it wasn't hard to find Maharashtrian food. The ubiquitous but delicious vada-pav, the lip-smacking misal and the earthy zunka-bhakar are all part of the diverse smorgasbord that is Bombay street food. At my Marathi relatives' homes I'd eat everyday homecooked delicacies like whisper-soft polis (chapatis), the ethereal varan (a simple tuvar dal preparation) and the mouthwatering bharli vangi (stuffed eggplants).

When I started cooking on my own, I gravitated, quite naturally, to Marathi cuisine, learning largely through cookbooks and from memory. In recent years, I was lucky to find precious resources on Marathi food on the Web, like Nupur's One Hot Stove which, as many of you already know, is a treasure-trove of Maharashtrian (and other) recipes.

My recipe for today, Usal, is one of my favorites because it was one of the first Marathi dishes I learned to cook well-- yes, that's how simple it is.

I have eaten drier versions of this dish, but I like my usal with plenty of gravy that I can soak up with chapatis. I also made some modifications necessitated by the lack of ingredients in my temperamental pantry. For instance, usal uses goda (sweet) masala, which has a lot of the same ingredients as garam masala but also coconut and sesame seeds. I didn't have any prepared goda masala on hand, nor any grated coconut, so I made the goda masala minus the coconut and just added some extra coconut milk to the recipe.

One quick note for those not completely familiar with Indian cuisine on the matki or moth beans that are used traditionally for usal: these look like cute little brown capsules and cook up in a relatively short time, making this dish a heaven-sent for busy cooks.

So here it is, my version of usal: classic Marathi comfort food. Enjoy!

Usal

Ingredients:

1 cup matki or moth beans, soaked and sprouted

1 cup light coconut milk

1 tbsp canola oil

1 medium red onion, diced

1 tsp sugar

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large tomato, diced

1 large potato, diced into tiny bits

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)

2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

Salt to taste

For the masala:

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp sesame seeds

4 cloves

4 cardamom pods

2 1-inch pieces of cinnamon bark

2 dry bay leaves

10 peppercorns

Roast the masala ingredients in a dry skillet until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool, powder in a spice grinder, and reserve.

Heat the oil in a saucepan.

Add the onions and sugar and saute until browned at the edges, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and stir for a minute.

Add the tomato, the powdered masala, and chili and turmeric powders.

Let this cook, stirring a few times, until the tomatoes start to express the oil.

Add the potatoes and stir in.

Add the matki beans, about 3 cups of water, and half the coconut milk.

Cover and simmer on a medium heat about 20-30 minutes, until the matki beans have cooked and are tender but not mushy.

Add the remaining coconut milk, garnish with coriander and some raw onions and lemon, if desired.

Serve piping hot.

---

Meera pointed me to the wonderful Jihva for Love event being hosted by Prathibha and Jigyasa at A Tribute To Pedatha, and I am sending in this tribute to my mom. Jihva for Ingredients is a monthly event started by Indira at Mahanandi.

Paws Off The Plate! Chocolate-"Cheesecake" Bars with Pine Nuts

2008-04-05T14:03:00.005-04:00

This spring, as you start cleaning out your homes, please think of your local animal shelter to donate items they can use.

Shelters are always in need of food, towels, blankets and toys, among other things, because of the tremendous number of animals that pass through their doors each day. I often stop by yard sales in my neighborhood to pick up stuff I can bring to the shelter, and the staff is always grateful.

One nifty trick is to clip newspaper coupons for sale items on cat and dog treats and food. Using these, I get products really cheap or even free (especially during store sales). The shelter distributes the food and treats to pet parents who might be facing hard times and cannot afford to feed their animals. It is a great way to keep animals in homes with loving parents and out of shelters.

Here's a list of some common items animal shelters are always in need of. Used items are perfectly fine, unless otherwise indicated.

* Blankets, towels, heating pads and animal beds
* Grooming items (brushes and combs)
* Tennis balls and hard rubber dog toys such as kongs
* NylaBones (new)
* Canned dog food, dog treats
* Esbilac for puppies
* Litter boxes (new only) and liners
* Cardboard scratching post
* Cat grass/nip
* Clay cat litter; Care Fresh Litter; Nonclumping
* Plastic or rubber cat toys (nothing furry)

Now for this week's paws:

As some of you already know, I highlight regularly one dog and one cat up for adoption at the Washington Humane Society in my hometown of Washington DC. My hope is to raise awareness about the wonderful pets available at animal shelters. You can also check Petfinder for other wonderful animals up for adoption in your area.

This week's dog is Dougie, a handsome 5 month old Lab mix who was surrendered by his owners because they were moving to a home that doesn't allow dogs. The shelter says Dougie is a very playful, goofy pup who loves to give licks! He adores squeaky toys, gets along well with other dogs and responds well to handling and touch. Dougie is so smart, he is a member of a training program run by the humane society called SIT!

Our featured kitty for the week is Cannoli (what is it about cats with food names?). Cannoli is a gorgeous 2 year old black and white beauty who is a fan of face rubs and nose kisses. The shelter says that once she warms up to you, she can be a real purr machine!

How gorgeous are those two?

Finally, here's today's recipe for quick and easy chocolate-cheesecake bars that will have you licking your fingers.

I know the word "cheese" sounds weird on a vegan blog, but we are talking vegan cream cheese here which tastes very much like regular cream cheese, and is great in baked goods like cheesecakes.

The bars are very much like brownies, but cakier and moister, and I used pine nuts to give them a buttery punch.

I also experimented here a little bit, and I am pleased to say it worked beautifully: I used silken tofu as a binder instead of the cornflour that I normally would use in such a recipe to substitute for eggs. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a tad nervous, but once the bars were baked and ready, no one would ever have guessed that part of their decadent richness came from this healthful ingredient. And that, to me, constitutes a winner!

Chocolate-"Cheesecake" Bars with Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 cup sugar

4 ounces of vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti brand from Whole Foods)

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

2/3 cup soft silken tofu

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening

2 tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted slightly

2 tbsp chopped bitter chocolate (Ghirardelli's has a great vegan version)

A pinch of salt

In a bowl, beat together the shortening, oil and sugar until fluffy with a hand-mixer or in a stand-mixer set to a low setting.

Add the cream cheese and beat in until smooth and well-blended.

Add the tofu in three batches, beating in well after each addition.

Add the two extracts and cocoa powder and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Now add the flour to the cream-cheese-cocoa mixture, stirring it in gently.

Add the pine nuts and the bitter chocolate. (The bitter chocolate is optional, but gives the brownies a nice chocolatey boost without being cloyingly sweet).

Scrape the batter into a 9-inch square, greased baking pan, and smooth down the top with a spatula.

Bake in a 350-degree preheated oven about 25 minutes until the top feels firm.

Remove and cool on a rack at least 15-20 minutes before cutting in.

Enjoy!

Peppered Mushroom-Potato Stir Fry

2008-04-02T23:45:00.002-04:00

This is a quick, weeknight post about one of my favorite quick, weeknight recipes. I created it on the fly one evening while craving something healthy but comforting.

Although really easy to put together with just a handful of ingredients, my Peppered Mushroom-Potato Stir Fry packs a huge flavor wallop, thanks mainly to the ground black pepper.

It's also quite versatile- as most potato dishes are. So here it is: hope you'll try it!

Peppered Mushroom-Potato Stir Fry

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes, cut into chunky cubes and then zapped in the microwave for about 5 minutes with a few tablespoons of water so they are tender but just short of well-cooked.

1 cup crimini or button mushrooms, halved or quartered (if very big)

1 red onion, sliced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 sprig curry leaves

1 tbsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp canola oil

Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a cast-iron or non-stick skillet.

Stir-fry the onions until they start to brown.

Add the garlic, curry leaves and black pepper and stir for a minute.

Add the mushrooms and stir to coat with the oil and pepper.

Add the drained potatoes. Stir occasionally until the potatoes are golden-brown.

Salt to taste. Serve hot!

***

I want to take a moment here to thank the lovely Madhuram who gave me the Nice Matters award- my fourth! Thanks, Madhuram, for the thoughtful gesture.

A kick in the tastebuds: Broccoli Paruppu Usili

2008-03-31T23:35:00.002-04:00

I love all vegetables, but broccoli is really special to me. Now I know there are people out there who run away from this healthful veggie, but think about it for a moment: prepared well, broccoli can be absolutely delicious. Most of us like it doused in garlic sauce in Chinese dishes, don't we?

One very simple broccoli recipe I sometimes make for quick weeknight dinners is to toss around some chopped garlic in olive oil, and then add broccoli florets to it. A few stirs to tenderize the broccoli to the point where it still has a slight crunch, some salt, and you've got a delicious plate of goodness that's heaven for the tastebuds and the soul, not to mention your health.

Now for the paruppu usili. Although I've been married to a Tamil guy for years, I had not cooked this fabulous side dish until only recently. When I did, I couldn't stop making it. It is easy, quick, and tremendously nutritious, and can be made with numerous veggies, although the most traditional version appears to be made with broad beans or green beans.

Last week, with some broccoli florets sitting around in my refrigerator crying out to be used, I had a devilish idea: why not? Marrying this bland vegetable with the delicious lentil-masala mix that is the basis of paruppu usili sounded like a match made in heaven. So out I set to do just that, and the results were so good, I couldn't wait to share them with you.

So here's my Broccoli Paruppu Usili- delicious, healthy and deeply satisfying. Unlike some cooks, I don't steam the lentil paste first- I find that stirring it for a few minutes in the 1 tbsp of oil one would anyway use for this dish is more than enough to cook the ground lentils.

I added some garlic to the lentil paste, because I love garlic and can eat it in almost anything, and also because I find it always really enhances broccoli which tends to be a blank slate, tastewise.

Broccoli Paruppu Usili

Ingredients:

For the paste:

2 tbsp tuvar dal

2 tbsp chana dal

2 dry red chilies

2 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1 pinch hing, or asafetida

Salt to taste

Other ingredients:

1 head broccoli, separated into florets

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp udad dal

1 tbsp canola oil

Salt to taste

Soak the tuvar dal and the chana dal in water for about two hours. Drain, and using as little water as possible, grind to a paste along with the other ingredients.

Steam or microwave 1 head of broccoli, separated into small florets, until it is quite tender but not falling apart or mushy.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and when they sputter, add 1 tbsp udad dal.

Add the lentil paste to it and stir fry around 10 minutes until the lentils darken in hue and no longer taste raw.

Add the broccoli and mix it in with a few stirs.

Check the salt and remove from the heat. Serve hot.

---

I've had some bad luck with my babies lately that has kept me from blogging more frequently. Lucy and Opie were both really sick last week from an intestinal infection. Also, my sister-in-law, Padmavathy, or Paddu, was visiting with us over the weekend. I picked up some nifty traditional Tamil recipes from her that I will share over the coming weeks.

I'll leave you with a picture of my kitty, Pubm, who loves to find new places to make herself comfortable in. Last week, after Paddu had left, guess who decided to take over her comforter?

Also, I am experimenting a bit with the look of my blog. Any comments/suggestions would be welcome!

A Childhood Memory: Moogache Molay

2008-03-26T19:00:00.005-04:00

My dad hails from Karwar, a beautiful town along India's Konkan coast. Although his family moved to Bombay when he was little more than a child, they kept in touch, as all immigrant Indians do, with the culture and cuisine of their native land.

Konkani cuisine is quite rich and varied, but the common denominator in most recipes is fresh, milky coconut, which is not surprising given the lush abundance of coconut trees in the Konkan region. In our home, the ritual of preparing morning meals would usually begin with the women sitting down on an adoli, or a small wooden seat with a curved metal blade attached to it, and skillfully scraping the fresh coconut into heaping mounds of sweet, moist shreds. The coconut would be added-- either by itself or ground into a pulp or its milk extracted-- to all sorts of mouthwatering preparations, from ghasis (thick curries) to upakaris (vegetable dishes) and hummans (gravies).

One of the vegetarian tastes from my childhood that has always stayed with me is that of a moong bean preparation called Moogache Molay. The moong is usually soaked and sprouted before use, and I remember that in my house each bean would always be peeled before it was added to the curry to ensure a pristine presentation. As you can imagine, it was a long, laborious process.

In my kitchen, I just use the whole moong bean whose skin cooks up quite tender. Plus, I figure it is more nutritious to eat the whole bean, skin and all.

I love sprouting beans which always multiplies their nutritive value, but because I was short on time I used them straight from the pantry. Do take the extra step of soaking and sprouting if you have the time. It is completely worth it.

As I always do, I played around with the recipe to suit my own (spicier!) taste. I added garlic which gave it a kick and complexity I loved, and at the very end I used some tomato to add a subtly tangy note. It all worked perfectly together and the curry stood up nicely to the brown rice I served it with.

So here it is, my Moogache Molay, a simple treat that is as nutritious as it is delicious. Hope you enjoy it!

Moogache Molay

Ingredients:

1 cup whole moong beans, soaked and sprouted overnight (you can skip this step if you're short on time) and cooked until tender

3/4 cup coconut milk (I used canned)

3 sprigs curry leaves

1 tbsp ginger, grated

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp coriander, powdered

1 tsp cumin, powdered

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 tbsp canola oil

1 large tomato, diced

About 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

Grind the ginger, garlic and curry leaves from 1 sprig into a paste.

Heat the oil in a saucepan.

Add the onions and remaining curry leaves and saute until the onions start browning at the edges.

Add the ginger-garlic paste, cumin, coriander, and chili powders, and turmeric, and cook for a couple of minutes, until the paste no longer smells raw.

Add the cooked moong beans and salt and stir thoroughly.

Let it cook about 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary, until the flavors merge.

Add the coconut milk and mix, then turn off the heat before the mixture returns to a boil.

Garnish with the chopped tomatoes and coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice.