Recipe stream

American chopseuy

Shilpa — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:11:35 GMT

I remember that day in Belgaum, my friend and I had been to shopping. We got late and thought of having food in our favorite tiny restaurant. We wanted to some dish with noodles - according to us, everything with noodles was Chinese dish :). We were a little surprised to see a dish with [...]

Roasted Seitan and Winter Vegetables

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:37:36 GMT

This is a simple vegan dish that's healthy, but filling. You can also serve this over mashed potatoes, rice or your favorite grain. To make a stew like dish do not drain liquid but add an addtional 1/2 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in it after 25 minutes, recover and bake for the remaining time. -- posted by cozycook

Beauty Bonanza Juice (Cucumber, Avocado, Lemon)

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:31:35 GMT

From Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer book for use with a juicer. -- posted by JanuaryBride

Pineapple Carrot Juice

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:28:40 GMT

From Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer book for use with a juicer. -- posted by JanuaryBride

Moroccan Tomato Lentil Stew (Soup)

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:53:13 GMT

I always get great feedback from friends with this soup - tis my signature dish!!! The spice amounts are for a mildish soup. Add more if you like it spicy. To save time, use 2 cups of tomato pasta sauce with the soup stock as the base (instead of the leek, tomatoes etc) -- posted by Mellowpuff

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:47:10 GMT

Before you run screaming the other way, trust me when I say that this cake is absolutely incredible. Dont let the word vegan put you off this cake is every bit as decadent as its fat-and-calorie-filled cousins. Ive sampled my fair share of vegan cakes, and this is by far one of the best! Note: if you use water-packed tofu for the filling/frosting, the tofu needs to strain for 24 hours. If you use the aseptic tofu, the filling may need to chill for 1-6 hours before being usable, so make the filling/frosting the day before baking the cake. I personally prefer the aseptic tofu to the water-packed tofu. -- posted by Chef #977624

Smokin' Leek Hash

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:33:12 GMT

This will not top the soup that quasi-inspired it, let's get that outta the way right quick. That'd be the leek hash and pea soup with almond butter we had ladled for us tableside at Melisse in Santa Monica on a recent spat of pricey visits that we made for celebration's sake and to write up their formidable vegetarian tasting menu. But that vision of blackened leek in a creamy soup recently came back to us, as if regurgitated in a food dream. The hallucination was powerful. So when the weather dipped this week, spitting out mist and rain drops on the way to a morning farmers market, we sprung for some beautiful baby-sized leeks with soup in mind. First, leeks were roasted and some new potatoes were braised in a bath of stock and imperial stout and the two got added together and blended with a secret cream replacement (fresh chevre) and for chunkage, we sautéd carrots, leek ends, shallots and garlic. We gobbled it on a covered porch, served with a fresh crouton of whole grain farm bread slathered with more goat cheese. And whatever beer you didn't use for braising works as a liquid warmer.

Cream of Leek Hash (Serves 10-12)

2 leeks 2 cloves garlic 6 red-skinned potatoes 3 cups vegetable stock 1/2 cup stout 2 oz. fresh chevre 2 Tbs. olive oil 1 carrot 2 shallot 1/2 white onion 2 cloves garlic 1 small bulb ginger 1 tsp. cayenne 1 Tbs. sea salt fresh ground pepper 1/4 cup fresh dill 1. Cut and clean your leek. On a oiled roasting sheet, splay out the leek and press garlic over the pan trying to evenly distribute it. Roast in the oven at 375 degrees until green edges get slightly crisp and black, about 10 minutes. 2. Half or quarter your taters, depending on size, and place in a deep roasting pan. Add 1/2 cup of stock and 1/2 cup of stout. Cover with foil and place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until thoroughly tender. 3. Remove both leeks and potatoes and add to a deep soup pot. Cover with the remaining veggie stock and bring to a near boil. 4. Meanwhile, neatly dice your other veggies into cubes (think of their shape like small pieces of ham) and toss in a pan on medium heat with oil, ginger sliced into thin spheres and cayenne. Season and toss in dill for a second and then remove from heat. 5. Once large pot has near a boil, get crazy with an immersion blender. Pulse until creamy and then add fresh chevre. Continue to blend until consistent. Add 2-3 tbs. of water as needed. Consistency should be airy and easy to ladle. Combine the sautéd veggies and return to heat for a few minutes. Garnish with bread and leek ends. Beverage: Black Flag Imperial Stout Soundtrack: Godspeed You Black Emperor's "Blaise Bailey Finnegan III"

Cool & Light Juice

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:51:20 GMT

From Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer book for use with a juicer. This one uses cucumbers, carrots, an apple and a lemon! -- posted by JanuaryBride

Good Morning Delight Juice (Carrot, Berries and Apple)

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:51:09 GMT

From Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer book for use with a juicer. -- posted by JanuaryBride

Carrot Cucumber Juice

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:51:04 GMT

From Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer book for use with a juicer. -- posted by JanuaryBride

Crockpot Mexican Spagetti Squash

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:26:59 GMT

Healthy veggie combo using spagetti squash A healthy combo I put toghther with what was on hand and what I was hungry for. -- posted by VO

Janthikalu - Andhra Savory Snack

sailu — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:49:01 GMT

The queen of Andhra pindivantalu (festival foods prepared with flours) would undoubtedly be Janthikalu, a classic traditional savory snack. No auspicious occasion, picnic or a family get together is...

Read rest of the story at my blog, http://sailusfood.com.

Succotash of Fresh Corn, Lima Beans, Tomatoes and Onions

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:09:40 GMT

The recipe is from Bon Apptit Magazine (Oct. 2008) by Amelia Saltsman. Recipe can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before continuing. -- posted by blucoat

Carrots and Brussels Sprouts

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:49:07 GMT

This recipe is from Gourmet Magazine (February 2008) by Ian Knauer. It is very simple to prepare and would be great for Thanksgiving! -- posted by blucoat

Banana Muffins

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:17:43 GMT

It's from vegcooking, i just wanted to find out the nutrional info. -- posted by Chef #980319

Low-Sodium Meatless Veggie Spaghetti

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:17:30 GMT

A healthy yet tasty way to eat spaghetti without the pasta , meat or bad carbs. This is my personal favorite that I eat when the rest of the family is eating it their way. -- posted by Poohrona

Recipe: Vegie “Chicken” Schnitz

mel — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:33:18 GMT

For those vegetarians that really miss their chicken schnitzel, I reckon this recipe might just resolve that problem for you. Ive seen many varieties but this seems to take on the same consistency as well as the beautiful breaded crumb outer layer.

Now if only we get some pubs to put it on their menu as an alternative to Schnitzel and beer special!

Makes:

4 schnitzels

Ingredients:

3 tbs gluten flour

1 tbs chicken salt flavour

1 tbs nutritional yeast

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp dill seeds

20 grams oats

1 tsp mustard

2 tbs rice flour

1/2 cup water

Breadcrumb mixture

3 tbs breadcrumbs

1 tsp parmesan

cracked pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C or 360 degrees F.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a jug.

Place the wet ingredients in and stir until it starts to form a dry dough.

Leave for five minutes, so the dough settles.

Once it has settled, split the dough into four balls and flatten out to a schnitzel shape.

In a clean bowl, mix the parmesan, pepper and breadcrumbs togehter.

Pat the schnitzel in the mixture each side and sit aside.

Repeat for a double layer.

On a oiled tray, place in the oven for 5-10 minutes each side or until golden brown.

Serve straight from the oven.

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Rum Plum Clafouti

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:51:00 GMT

Clafoutis [pronounced klah-foo-TEE] are wonderful old French baked fruit desserts with pudding-like custard toppings that are traditionally made with cherries — unpitted cherries at that! But there's nothing like improving upon tradition now that the modern cook has a wealth of ingredients, appliances and preferences from which to choose.

If plums, which are in abundance right now, happen to be a perfect sweet and juicy substitute for cherries, the only thing better I can think of is to soak the plums in dark rum. The aroma as this clafouti bakes is absolutely mouth-watering, so you'll be in good shape to enjoy it when it finally arrives out of the oven.

This is my contribution to Eating with the Seasons, a monthly event hosted by Maninas.

Rum plum clafouti

9 or 10 small red plums, pitted and quartered
1/4 cup dark rum
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup whole fat yogurt
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the plums in a bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over and pour the rum over the plums. Let sit for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350° and butter a large ceramic casserole dish, at least 2 1/2 quarts in capacity.

Drain the plums and add the liquid to a bowl with the milk and yogurt. Whisk together and set aside. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder.

Beat the eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, then beat in the rest of the sugar. Beat half the sifted flour and baking powder into the eggs, then half the milk and yogurt mixture. Repeat.

Arrange the plum slices on the bottom of the buttered casserole dish and gently pour over the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out of the clafouti clean. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tofu with Lobster Mushrooms in Ginger Broth

SusanV — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:52:55 GMT

Some tourists visit places of scenic beauty, others seek out man-made wonders like cathedrals and museums, but when I travel, I look for... grocery stores! Okay, that's not strictly true. I tend to start with the scenic spots, take in a man-made wonder if it's nearby, and then, if time allows, head for a grocery store. I like to visit local natural food stores and chain stores that we don't

Word Stew

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:20:13 GMT

From Vivichick's blog at http://vivichick.livejournal.com/206791.html. -- posted by Randy Goldberg MD

Calling all wannabe super-chefs...

Shyam — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:52:35 GMT

PASSIONATE COOKS WANTED!

Are you a talented cook who is looking for that big break? Are you fiercely proud of your county and want to see it go all the way? Do you want to learn from some of the country’s finest chefs?

If the answer to these three questions is yes – then read on!

ITV Productions is looking for contestants to take part in a brand new, day-time cookery series called Taste the Nation. If you have a passion for food and want to represent your county in a national cookery knock-out, then this is the show for you.

But it gets better, you will be mentored and masterclassed by one of the Nation’s finest celebrity chefs and your cookery skills will be pushed to their max. You will also be judged by some of the country’s fiercest critics so this show is not for the faint hearted!

You can be an amateur or professional – but have one thing in common your talents in the kitchen could impress a celebrity chef.

We will be filming the series from November 2008 to February 2009. If you are not the one then perhaps you might come into contact with just the sort of people we want to find!

Please register your details on our phone line 09011 986 986 or email tastethenation@itv.com clearly stating your name, county and daytime contact number.

Terms and Conditions

You must be 16 years or older to apply. Calls cost 10p per call from BT landlines. Calls from other networks may be higher and from mobiles will be considerably more. Callers must be 16 or over. Lines close on Thursday 20th November 2008 at midday. Calls made after closing time won’t be counted, but may still be charged. We cannot guarantee that all applicants will be called back. Terms & conditions at itv.com/terms.

Recipe: Spezzatino Vegetarian Style

mel — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:09:13 GMT

Im a little late in posting the first recipe this week, after having a fairly big weekend. We had our presentation night for hockey on Saturday night and, not only did I have a couple of drinks, but won Best & Fairest for our team. It was certainly a surprise on my behalf and had not even thought about a speech! However, I think its made me reconsider my thoughts of not playing on.

Moving on to the recipe This one is something I used to love as a meat eater and wanted to come up with a vegetarian version. This came after ordering some meat subsitutes from veganperfection.com.au including the Cheatin Beef-Style Roast. The roast was cooked the day before and the next day I used it for this recipe, tearing up into beef chunks.

Spezzatino is rich in flavour and is generally eaten as a casserole, but a few restaurants combine it with pasta for a chunky beef pasta. This vegetarian / vegan version certainly is a great alternative and Ill definitely be making this a regular in my kitchen.

Makes:

3 plates

Ingredients:

1/4 onion, diced

2 tsp garlic mince

2 tbs olive oil

1/4 cup dry red wine

1 can tomatoes, peeled and mashed

salt

white pepper

0.5 package of cheatin beef-style roast, torn into bite-size pieces (cooked using instructions on pack)

1 tab porcini stock

1 tbs capsicum paste

3 serves fresh pasta, cooked and set aside

Instructions:

Brown the onion with the olive oil.

Mix in your garlic, capsicum paste and brown the beef pieces.

Add the stock, wine, tomato and seasoning. Simmer for 30 minutes on the lowest setting.

Mix in the pasta and serve.

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Baked Nizz-Salad Cups

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:41:50 GMT

We did not pull this name outta nowhere: The Frogs sometimes refer to their national salad as Insalata Nizzarda, more popularly known as the nicoise. The mother of all deconstructed salads. The Foucault of lettuce. With its cold, charred peppers, slim haricot vert, plump, briny olives. plus a starch and a protein to boot. We're huge fans of composed salads if you couldn't tell. So we pulled one of the so-so ingredients out of this nicoise (potato)and used it instead as a vessel to make it party food. A familiar scheme at this point. We piped in a Dijon mustard and filled the potato with a small-chop mix of nicoise olives, shallots, roasted red bells, capers and thyme dressed lightly with, olive oil, white balsamic and ripped tarragon. And on top, for garnish, one thin green bean. The result is a room tempish salad bite that hits all the nizz notes without being obvious.

Nicoise Salad Bites (Makes 10-12)

4 small potatoes 4 green beans 2 red bell peppers 1/4 cup Nicoise olives 2 shallots, peeled 1 Tbs. capers 4 sprigs thyme 1 Tbs. olive oil 1 tsp. white balsamic 2 sprigs tarragon 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard Salt and pepper to taste 1. Make your potatoes into cups. Cut the rounded curve off of all sides of each, so you have a potato rectangle, and lay on its side. Then slice into three equal pieces, the width of a small sushi roll. With a teaspoon, spoon out the middle. 2. Take all of your potato cups and put 'em in a saucepan, fill it with warm water and place on high heat. Toss in a tsp. of salt. When the water hits a rapid boil, the potatoes should be done. Fork one to be sure. Before removing, toss in your green beans for 1 minute just to blanche. Remove all and drain, gently. Rinse with cold water. 3. Mix your chopped salad. First char your peppers and de-skin 'em. Dice all the fixings smaller than seems necessary (it will need to be fine to fit into your petite potato cup) and dress with oil and vinegar and herbs. Let sit for at least 20 minutes to marry the flavors. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. 4. On a lightly oiled sheet pan, lay out your potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for about 12 minutes or until slightly brown. Remove and let cool. 5. Spoon, or pipe using a pastry bag, a touch of Dijon to each potato. Then cram a Tbs. of filling into the tater. Garnish with a slice of halved green bean. Beverage: Saison Dupont's Avril Soundtrack: Stereolab's Refried Ectoplasm

Chickpea Curry With Pumpkin & Baby Spinach

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:35:54 GMT

From the web ... -- posted by Gingernut

Tofu and Swiss Chard Stacks

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:25:00 GMT

Cooking Light. -- posted by dicentra

Chestnut Pate

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:18:51 GMT

Pate party! -- posted by selfmadegirl

Vegan Gravy

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:29:39 GMT

Recipe I found on allrecipes.com that I wanted to bring over here to share. VERY easy, VERY fast, and REALLY flavorful! -- posted by EmilyStrikesAgain

And the Soymilk Maker Goes to...

SusanV — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:50:43 GMT

751 comments! In my wildest dreams (or scariest nightmares, depending on how you look at it) I never imagined I'd get that many responses to my contest. I'm bleary-eyed from reading them all--yes, I read them all, though they began to run together after the first hundred, so I can't tell you who said what! It was worth it, though, to see how many of you are interested in making your own

Black Bean Soup

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:43:16 GMT

An easy to make, hearty soup that keeps you satisfied for hours. From Brenda Watson's, The Fiber35 Diet. My toddlers like it too! -- posted by DianaC in Liberty Twp, OH

South Indian Pumpkin & Cashew Curry

Catherine — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:27:21 GMT

I've been wanting to try this recipe ever since I saw the intense photo of the dish in India's Vegetarian Cooking: A Regional Guide. I've never cooked much with pumpkin, but this recipe with cashews, coconut, poppy seeds and milk really called out to me. The cashews, coconut and poppy seeds are ground together to a paste, which gave the dish a lovely texture to compliment the smooth pumpkin. It's a delicious mellow curry with lots of character.

The recipe uses fresh curry leaves, which can be difficult to find. I was thrilled to finally make it to Malabar Indian Store on 4th Street (at F) in San Rafael. A treasure trove of Indian goodies, Malabar had fresh curry leaves, tamarind concentrate, black mustard seeds and an enormous selection of legumes, rice, and spices at reasonable prices. They also carry lots of frozen meals and I picked up a 4 pack of frozen coconut chutney to try.

I added onions to the dish and used a combo of fresh chile and RCP (vs red dried). I increased the amount of cashew and decreased the amount of dried coconut. I also significantly reduced the amount of sugar. Here's my adapted recipe:

South Indian Pumpkin & Cashew Curry:
1/2 small pumpkin, seeded, peeled and cut into pieces
1/4 cup dried coconut
1/3 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup water
1/2 jalapeno, seed and very finely chopped
2 TBS sunflower oil
1/2 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup milk
water as needed
sugar to taste (I used less than a tsp)
salt to taste

Prepare the pumpkin. In a mini-prep, grind together the cashews, coconut, poppy seeds and 1/4 cup water to make a grainy paste.

Heat the sunflower oil in a skillet and saute the onions. Add the black mustard seeds and when they start to pop, add the chile. Add the curry leaves. Add the turmeric and then the paste and stir well to combine. Add the pumpkin with 1/4 cup water. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, adding the salt and sugar to taste. Add water as needed to prevent the mixture sticking and to keep the pumpkin cooking. The pumpkin should be just tender, but easily holding its shape.

Serve with rice.

Slow Cooker Zesty Lentil & Spinach Soup

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:52:47 GMT

Great tasting, good-for-you, easy to make AND inexpensive! What more could you want? Oh yeah, its low-fat too! -- posted by bakedapple42

Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 06:12:36 GMT

warming hearty soup that freezes well if vegetables are pre cooked the crock pot works excellent for this soup I made up my own recipe after eating a soup locally similar to this one -- posted by

Whole Wheat Vegan Berry Spice Pancakes for One

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 05:57:59 GMT

this is a simple basic whole wheat pancake for one, servings can be doubled. -- posted by vegfreak

Warm Beet Juice Vinaigrette

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:55:41 GMT

From the cookbook, "A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider". This unusual vinaigrette is delicious with grilled, roasted, or sauted fish or sea scallops, braised leeks, sliced warm new potatoes, roasted onions, and buckwheat noodles. The bright colour of the beets makes for a beautiful presentation. You can create a design on the plate and then place the food on top of that. -- posted by blucoat

Pineapple cake(Eggless)

Shilpa — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:23:05 GMT

Yesterday was our friends birthday. So I made this cake for her. I wanted to make an eggless cake as she is vegetarian. Though she occasionally eats cakes/pastries which has eggs, she prefers vegetarien versions and also, since it is Navaratri, I thought she wont like it. At first, I thought of making dates cake. [...]

Mint and Potato Rajma

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:58:00 GMT

There's a fat new cookbook in my kitchen, and it's not even vegetarian. But Raghavan Iyer's new 660 Curries has such an astonishing number of authentic and incredible Indian meatless recipes for bean and vegetable curries that many a vegetarian cookbook would be put to shame.

One of the most appealing features of Iyer's recipes is his assembly-line fashion of preparation and cooking using modern appliances, a restaurant-like approach that makes each of his dishes as easy to scale down for two people as it would be to scale up for a hundred. And if the picture of an assembly line seems aesthetically unappealing to the gourmand, try to picture instead the convenience for a parent who hasn't much time or who faces a lot of interruptions in the kitchen. Either way, there's no sacrifice of flavour or goodness in this book. There are more than a few interesting tips as well, such as whisking yogurt together with a little heavier cream before adding to heat to prevent curdling.

Rajma is a generic word meaning literally "red kidney bean," but which is applied more loosely as a name for the tomato-based red kidney bean curries found throughout northern India. In this version, adapted from one found in "660 Curries," fresh mint does not alter the spice of the curry but provides a pleasing added tone at the end of the palette after the tongue has savoured the spices. Potatoes are used here to provide a contrast in colour, taste and texture, but fried paneer cheese cubes could be substituted as easily and with as nice an effect — just add them during the simmer rather than before the boil.

This is my contribution to My Legume Love Affair, an event started by Susan and hosted this month by Sra of When my Soup Came Alive.

Mint and potato rajma

1 1/3 cups dried red kidney beans
1 large tomato, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 red cayenne peppers, stemmed
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3-inch piece cinnamon, broken into pieces
2 tablespoons ghee or a mixture of butter and olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup whole fat yogurt
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons fresh coriander or parsley, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste

Rinse the kidney beans under running water and soak overnight covered in several inches of cold water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Drain and discard the soaking liquid, and cover the beans in a medium saucepan with several inches of fresh cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Set aside.

Using a blender, purée the tomato, onion, cayenne peppers, mint, ginger, peppercorns, turmeric and cinnamon until a smooth sauce, flecked with green and brown. Set aside.

Heat the ghee or butter and olive oil mixture over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Toss in the cumin seeds and fry until reddish-brown, less than a minute. Pour in the puréed sauce, partially cover the pan, and lower the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the oil begins to separate from the sauce, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in the potatoes, kidney beans, and the reserved cup of the beans' cooking liquid. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, sour cream and garam masala. Once the potatoes are cooked, fold in the yogurt mixture, cilantro and salt. Simmer gently uncovered for another couple of minutes.

Serve in warm bowls with hot white rice or fresh bread on the side. Serves 6.

Milagu kuzhambu (black pepper gravy)

noreply@blogger.com (Shyam) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:30:00 GMT

Years ago, when my dad was based in Srinagar with me and my siblings studying in Madras, my mother used to shuttle between the two cities. I’m guessing she was torn between wanting to take care of us in Madras – I was in the first year of college and my sister and brother still in school – and being with my dad whose health was not good at the time.

It was a fairly odd sort of arrangement for us, because we kids lived with our maternal grandparents in their large home… except that we occupied the upstairs and they lived in the downstairs portion. My grandmother would cook for herself and my granddad, as they were very orthodox and did not believe – quite rightly, too – that I could maintain their high standards of “patthu” and “yecchal” and all the rest of the overdone Brahmin Iyer kitchen rituals. My grandparents might also have suspected that I couldn’t be bothered about observing any of it… something that they could not accept for themselves.

Also, our school and college timings and my granddad’s morning puja rituals (with my grandma cooking food only after her morning bath, and that food allowed to be eaten only after the puja was over) were totally incompatible – if we had waited for all that to take place every morning, getting to school on time would have been impossible.

Whatever the reason, therefore, I had use of the kitchen upstairs to cook basic stuff for me and my sibs, with my grandma providing things like sambar or kootu or whatever took her fancy.

So, every time before my mother left for Srinagar, she would make some fridge staples to last us a few weeks and save me having to cook anything more than the basic rice and dal – I was not particularly enthusiastic about kitchen duties at that point. One of the things she made was black pepper vattha kuzhambu– but in concentrated form, like pulikachal. Anytime I wanted a quick kuzhambu, all I had to do was boil up some tamarind water, dissolve 2-3 tbsp of the concentrate in it – and voila! The gravy was ready in a jiffy.

This recipe that I came across reminded me strongly of that long-ago milagu kuzhambu, so I decided to make it, to see if it was anything like that in my memory. And do you know what… it was actually exactly like my mom didn’t make! (sorry about the anticlimax). :o) But… it was fiery and aromatic and a little of it was plenty for one meal, so it lasted me ages in the fridge. I thoroughly recommend this milagu kuzhambu to anybody who likes the hot peppery taste generated by plenty of hot black peppercorns supplemented with some dried red chillies. That, some hot plain rice, a dollop of ghee and – yes, yes, yes, always the pan-fried potatoes for perfect nostalgia and a satisfying meal… ahhhh…

Recipe for: Milagu kuzhambu

Ingredients:

2 tbsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp tur dal
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
12-15 curry leaves
4-5 dried red chillies
1 htsp tamarind paste
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil (Nallennai for preference)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan, add the peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, tur dal, curry leaves and red chillies and fry on medium heat. Take the pan off the heat when the dal turns golden and let it cool.

2. Grind the roasted ingredients to a fine powder. Then add 1/2 cup water along with the tamarind paste and grind to a homogenous masala paste. It will thicken quite quickly, so add a little more water as required to make it thick and pourable.

3. Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the mustard seeds and urad dal, cover the pan and let the seeds pop on high heat for a 30-60 seconds. Add the asafoetida powder now along with the turmeric powder.

4. Dissolve the masala paste in 1-1/2 cups water and pour into the pan. Add salt to taste and stir.

5. Let the kuzhambu come to a boil (add water if it is too thick, but dont make the kuzhambu runny), then simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes.

Serve hot with steamed rice, a serving of cooked tur dal if you like, and a topping of ghee. Mix, eat and immediately enter pepper heaven.

This kuzhambu stays good for a couple of weeks in an airtight container kept in the fridge. Use a clean dry spoon every time.

Scentilentil Journey

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:43:35 GMT

Take a trip to India tonight! Adapted from Looneyspoons: Low-Fat Food Made Fun, this flavorful Vegan dish serves 4-6 as a one-pot meal or 6-8 as a side dish. -- posted by ~Jen~