Intensely Flavorful Mushroom Pulao

I think that a person's reactions to things change with age, at least mine sure does. I used to be very emotional when I was much younger and then when through a more sober phase, and I seem to be back to my old ways.
I seem to gush and cry over everything again. Interestingly enough, both my children have rather different temperaments. So my daughter who is rather pragmatic like her dad, is never quite sure what to make of this, on the other hand my son actually fuels and adds to the drama. In fact, he calls me, "my beautiful mother". Well, I have been orcilating between high and emotions the past week. I have a little project on the way - a cookbook. It is much my kind of a project, being published by a very local boutique publisher, it allows me a lot of creative room to do more than share my recipes. There is some element of fear and nervousness at putting my recipes, "out there" more formally, but then again you have to try something at least once...
So, readers of this blog will be possibly listening to more stories about the book. If you really want to follow the countdown, do stop by the facebook page, The Contemporary Indian Table and become a fan.
Now down to the recipe, this simple pulao, is an ode to cumin and of course lovely lush mushrooms. It is amazing how much flavor a few small ingredients can produce.

Mushroom pulao with cashew nuts

Prep Time: 3-4 minutes
Cook Time: 27 minutes
Serves 4 people

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ghee
1 tablespoon oil
1.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, cut into a dice
1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin
3 pods cardamom
1 cup thickly sliced button mushrooms
1.5 cups of white basmati rice
2 3/4 water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry roasted cashew nuts
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the ghee and the oil and add in the cumin seeds and cook for about 30 seconds till the cumin sizzles becomes very aromatic.
2. Add in the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes, till the onion softens, wilts and begins to turn golden. If you love cumin and onions as much as I do, you will simply do this step just to savor the fragrance of these two ingredients cooking together.
3. Add in the powdered cumin, cardamoms and the mushrooms and cook for another minute.
4. Add in the basmati rice and mix gently.
5. Add in the water and the salt and bring the water to a boil, let it simmer and cover and cook on medium heat for 18 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered for another 5 minutes.
6. If you do not have roasted cashew nuts, place the raw cashew nuts on a skillet and lightly roast them till they turn very lightly golden at spots. This process enhances the flavor of the nuts.
7. Remove the cover and stir in the nuts, sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired and serve either alone or as a side.

A comforting soup

Well, time flies when you are having fun? Actually time flies, whether you want it to or not. Friday was a lovely day, although cold enough for soup. Friday and Saturday are also days, that I try to cook something respectable (read beyond my simple array of lightly spiced stir fries). Well, usually for Anshul, soup qualifies as simple food. This soup while simple,

is also quite elegant. The subtle mix of spices brings out the richness of the base. If you have some good crusty bread around, you have a good meal in a pot. (ok pot and blender).

Potato Soup with Spinach and Ginger

Prep/Cook Time: 40 minutes

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients

3-4 tablespoons oil

2 leeks (whites and tender green parts)

1 teaspoon powdered cumin

1 inch piece of peeled, sliced ginger

3-4 medium, peeled and cubed russet potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

6 cups water

1 teaspoon red chili powder

2 cups of finely chopped spinach

1 cup of half and half

Cilantro and black pepper to garnish

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and cook the leeks on very low heat for about 15 minutes, till the leeks are soft and lightly browned. Stir the leeks frequently, since they can burn easily.

2. Add the powder cumin, ginger, potatoes, salt, black pepper, red chili powder and water and cover and simmer the potatoes till soft and tender.

3. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes.

4. Cool slightly and puree the mixture in a blender with the half and half.

5. Return the soup to the fire and cook till heated through.

6. Serve in bowls, garnished with cilantro and black pepper.

Another milestone...

Deepta, the baby that I brought home weighing less that 6 pounds, turned 7. I look at her, well up to my shoulder and and so articulate in expressing herself, and cannot help wondering where the years have gone by. The anxious anxiety of those early days, struggling with the baby who did not want to nurse, to the incessant worry over her weight has given way to a comfortable and somewhat wistful realization that she is growing up faster at times than I would like her to.

This last year, working through this very difficult and recession ridden landscape has been even worse. Navigating the needs of the kids and everything else.

And then there are days like today, a really perfect day - well planned, everything worked like clockwork. I am wiped, and am ready to go to bed. Actually realized this post was an even number seems symbolic of times to come.

Creamy Leek and Acorn Squash Soup

This recipe is a simple lovely bowl of soup, the kind you want to make when you are snowbound and have the vegetables on hand. I am actually trying to move through the vegetables on hand. We are going on vacation next week - much, much, needed one at that! A special treat I get to go and visit my baby brother in Seattle.

So, most of this weekend and Monday evening is going to be spent on figuring out, how to eat down the fridge...

This soup truly is very peaceful, I made two kinds of simple sandwiches to eat with it to complete a nice comforting lunch. The leeks take a long time to carmelize, so I do the rest of the chopping while the leeks are cooking. I was a little disapointed to see how much of the green stuff was getting thrown away, actually for no particular reason, so I ended up adapting a savory tart that used this, that will come up later.

Creamy leek and acorn squash soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes (mostly for the soup to simmer)

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 leeks (thinly sliced, and very well washed white and pale green parts only)

4 stalks of celery, thinly chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

1 small acorn squash, peeled and cut into smaller pieces (about 2 cups of squash)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 cups of water

1/2 cup light cream

2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

Red pepper flakes to garnish

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the butter and the olive oil and add in the cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle.

2. Reduce the heat and add the celery and the leek and cook on low heat stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, the leeks wilt, shrink and then begin to turn very lightly golden.

3. At this point add in the ginger and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

4. Add in the squash, salt and maple syrup and mix well.

5. Add in the water and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

6. Cool slightly, puree until smooth in the blender and then stir in the cilantro and red pepper flakes.

Zitoune - trusting instincts

Today was a really nice day, the weekend had been rather long. I woke up predictably late, we had a simple yet with just enough richness to have a nice mellow comforting flavor. I shall tell you more in a recipe about the soup and you can tell me what you think.

I wanted to try out this place, since we were going to be in the neighbourhood, however I was a little disappointed by the somewhat lukewarm buzz about the place here.

I decided none the less, it had a good informative

website, so I thought I would venture over. We went for lunch. The place is spacious, very beautifully decorated, but was completely empty. The owner appeared to be busy on the Internet, trying to pass some time. We ordered a couple of dishes - a lentil tagine, a duck B'steeya (that the owner seemed very proud of)

with a lemon co fit salad. The food was very good, in fact, I now want a tagine. I hate buying kitchen toys like this and keep wanting to make my husband buy them for me. He has sounded a moratorium on them, telling me that I need to clear up some space before I get something new.
Anyhow, the salad absolutely stole the show. The simple dressing with the freshness of the lemon, seemed quite heavenly.
The B'steeya was interesting in that it was a savory pastry dusted with cinnamon sugar, the flavors blended however. The phylo dough was good too light and flaky, rather than the richness of puff pastry which would be too rich for the meat. The duck was moist even in the pastry.

They has a good wine list, that I did not have the time to try. Well, next time. The menu for people who might be interested is a good balance of flavors, lots of vegetarian entrees and most dishes would be something adventurous kids would like. By the time we were leaving the place began to start getting visitors - I guess their standard clientele preferred to eat their lunch later.

Zitoune - Morrocan Cuisine

1127 W. Boston Post Rd.Mamaroneck,

NY 10543

Phone: (914) 835-8350

Website

A book and a Idea

Like most people who enjoy cooking, I too consider reading cookbooks, equivalent to entertainment - especially the chatty talkative one. I like well written food memoirs, and just anything that meshes text with recipes.
However, ever so often you pick up a book and you are consumed with extreme delight, suprise and just feel like that it made your day!
This was just how I felt when I picked up the steamy kitchen cookbook!
What I loved about the book, is that Jaden has very effectively translated feel and character of her website very creatively, into the book. Most cookbooks and other writings that I have read, somtimes loose a little bit of character and become a little formal when converted into a book. But this one, not really! What is really neat is that the recipes while different from what I would consider everyday fare, can be made with most ingredients that I have around, or possibly with just a little variation. Like this shrimp, which I made with some contreau, since I did not have the brandy that she recommends available. Also, I added tomatoes but once again, the simplicity of the original recipe does shine through.


Contreau Coconut Shrimp

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup of sweetened flaked coconut
2-3 tablespoons oil (I used coconut oil)
1 tablespoon butter (she uses 2)
4-5 pods of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 pound of shelled wild caught shrimp
1 tomato, cut into eights
2-3 green onions, chopped as shown in the picture
1/4 cup contreau
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the cooking pan and add add the coconut and cook for 1-2 minutes toasting lightly. If you are using sweetened coconut like me, this step needs some care, since it changes from golden to brown in literally seconds.
2. Set this aside and add the oil and the butter and cook till the butter is melted, turn up the heat and add the garlic and the ginger and cook till nice and fragrant.
3. Add the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
4. Add the tomato and the ginger and cook for 3-4 minutes until the scallions are wilted.
5. Mix in the contreau and the salt and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
6. Stir in the coconut and serve hot.

Kasta Kachori - Indian Cooking Challege

Another classic from the Indian Cooking series, despite the ungodly hour, I am actually savoring one of these crispy treats as I write them.
It worked quite well to make these today, since I have been some busy I did not really have a chance to get anything in particular for my husband. Making something authentic and unusual worked well for the day.

Well, the recipe, was from the Indian cooking challenge, with an option for one of 3 fillings. I choose the moong dal and onion filling with just some tiny variations in the spicing.

Fillings Khasta Kachori - Moong Dal Kachori

Ingredients Needed:

1/2 cup yellow moong dal

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1/4 tsp Hing / Asafoetida

5-6 Curry Leaves thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon ginger paste

1-2 green chilies, chopped

1 tspSauf / Fennel seeds powder

1/2 tspRed Chilli powder

1/2 tspMango powder / Amchur

1 tablespoonOil

1 tspSalt to taste

Method of Preparation

Wask and Soak dal in water for atleast 1 hour. You can go upto 4 hours not more.

2. Drain the water well.

3. Grind the dal to a coarsely. (Will resemble Idli Rawa)

4. Heat oil in a pan.

5. Add the hing and cumin seeds.

6. Once the seeds splutter add the curry leaves.

7. Add the dal.

8. Lower the heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes till the dal stops sticking to the pan.

9. Cook for another 10 minutes on low till the dal turns slightly brown.

10. Add all the masalas

.11. Cook for few minutes till the aroma of the spices hit you

.12. Add Salt.13. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool.Special Tips / Notes for the filling:
The fillings have to be really dry if not when rolling they will ooze out when rolling.

Pyaz Ki Kachori

For the onion filling

2 cups onions, finely chopped

1 teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji)

2 teaspoons fennel seeds (saunf)

2 bay leaves

1½ teaspoons green chillies, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Bengal gram flour (besan)

2 teaspoons coriander (dhania) powder

2 teaspoons chilli powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

3 tablespoons chopped coriander

2 tablespoons oil

salt to taste

To make the onion filling

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the nigella seeds, fennel seeds, bay leaves, green chillies and onions and sauté till the onions turn light brown in colour.
Add the gram flour, coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala and salt and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the chopped coriander and mix well. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
Divide into 12 equal portions and keep aside.

To Make Kachori's

Make a small ball from the dough. Roll out into a 2 inch diameter circle. Or flatten the ball using your fingers having the center thick and sides little thin.
Place about 1.5 tsp of the filling in the center of the rolled dough.
Cover the filling with the dough by slowly stretching it over the filling. Seal the ends and remove excess dough. Repeat with all the balls and keep aside for 5 -7 mins.
Then using your palm, flatten the balls by lightly pressing it, as using the rolling pin will make the filling come out. (See notes below). Keep aside covered. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Meanwhile heat some oil for deep frying. The oil should not become smoking hot. Test to see if the temperature is right by dropping a tiny ball of dough and see if it is rising slowly to the top.
Drop the kachoris in batches of 3-4 gently into the oil. It should rise up slowly. If you don't want to use lot of oil, use just enough for two or three at a time and fry them.
After it rises up (about 2 minutes), turn it over.
Cook for about 6 to 10 minutes till the side down gets a golden brown color.
Turn and cook the other side for another 6 minutes or till its golden brown in color.
Remove when done, cool and store in airtight container.
Serve with coriander chutney and tamarind chutney

The Indian cooking challenge is co-ordinated by Srivali at Spice up your life, and is really a fun way to try out authentic Indian recipes.

The postnote on the Kachoris was that I liked the dal ones and Anshul liked the onion ones. So we both had options!