Vegan

Bharwan Bhindi (Stuffed Okra)

~ 1CupOfJoy ~ Leave a comment

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I inherit my love for good food and hospitality from both my parents, an apple can fall only so far away from the tree. My dad or us (my sister and me) would make a special request, dad would make a tidy shopping list with my mom and get all she needed, she then whipped up awesomeness in her kitchen. If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, my mom sure had the golden stairs leading to my dads. Someday I hope to be as good a cook as my mom.

Mom grew up in Rajasthan and thats how some of the typical Rajasthani food made its way to our dinner table. This is one of them and another family favorite. If I could give an award for lifetime favorite dish, this would be it. And I think this dish has a lot to do with how Okra became my favorite vegetable (even more than potatoes!).

If this was on the menu for dinner, I volunteered to help. Mom and I would sit, talk about our day and fill one Okra at a time with the spices. So here’s two things I learnt from that: First, the spice mix has turmeric and if your using your fingers to fill the Okra, your nails will turn yellow. So if you have just spent $$ on a Manicure use a spoon. Second, this is a time consuming process so if you are in need for a quick weeknight dinner, then this dish may not be the one.

Time for Prep: 30 mins     Time to Cook: 25 mins    Yield: 4 servings    Level: Medium

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Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Okra
  • 2-3 tbsp of oil (I prefer mustard oil).
  • 2 tbsp coriander powder
  • 2 tbsp cayenne or chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp cumin powder
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste (I use rock salt)
  • 1.5 tbsp amchur (dry mango powder)

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Process:

  1. Wash and wipe dry the Okra. Pre-heat oven to 400F.
  2. Trim both ends, slit each of them vertically. Be careful not to break or cut it into half.
  3. Combine all the spices, add oil and mix it up.
  4. Fill each Okra with the spice mix.
  5. Layer in a baking sheet and bake for 25 mins
  6. If cooking on stove top. Heat a tbsp of oil in a skillet, add the stuffed Okra and cook until tender.

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Notes:

  • The Okra needs to be dry with no trace of water. Water causes Okra to get slimy.

Jhaal Bhindi (Okra in spicy mustard sauce)

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‘Jhaal’ in Bangla means spicy. But when talking in context of a dish, it takes a whole new meaning.

Bengali cuisine has 3 main types of sauce/gravy, the everyday light and soupy ‘Jhol’, the rich and thick ‘Dalna’ and the mustard sauce based ‘Jhal’. Traditionally the primary ingredient in Jhal is fish. Since I fell in love and married a South Indian brahmin boy who cannot tolerate the smell of fish, I improvise and usually make it with eggs instead. I know! Love gets you to make all sorts of sacrifices, in this case, Fish. If your not from India, then here’s some context, the staple food of a Bengali household is fish. And for a bengali to sacrifice her daily dose of ‘Maach Bhaath’ (Fish curry and rice) is a big deal!!

This Sunday at the local farmers market I found a farmer selling Okra, fresh organically grown local Okra. This being my favorite vegetable, it almost felt like hitting a jackpot so I went ahead and bought 5 lbs. Essentially, we will be eating a lot of Okra for the next few days. I looked at the Okra and the hard boiled eggs next to it and thought, why not. So here goes.

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I really dig how shallots integrate into the gravy and give it a smooth sweet flavor and thats exactly what is needed for this recipe to work. I also recommend using Plum tomatoes because it has more meat, less seeds and its perfect for creamy sauces. See picture below.

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Time for Prep: 20 mins     Time to Cook: 30-40 mins    Yield: 6 servings    Level: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Okra, cut in 1 inch long chunks.
  • Oil, to cook the Okra (1 tbsp if baking, 4 tbsp if frying)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp cayenne or chilli powder
  • 2 tsp mustard oil
  • 2 Shallots, chopped
  • 1 plum tomato, chopped
  • 3-4 fresh green chili pepper, slit.
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup water

For the mustard paste:

  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
  • 2 tsp poppy seeds
  • 4-5 fresh green chili pepper
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • water

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Process:

For the mustard paste:

  1. Soak the mustard and poppy seeds in water for 30 mins
  2. Drain and transfer into a blender, add clove of garlic and green chili peppers. Blend with water until thick and smooth paste.
  3. Pour in a bowl and set aside

For the Okra:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400F, layer okra on a baking sheet drizzle with oil and bake for 30 mins. (or) Heat oil in a skillet, fry the Okra till it turns bright green. Sprinkle salt and chili powder when done and set aside.
  2. In a heavy bottom pan, 1 tsp of oil. Add the shallots, sauté for 3-5 mins, then add tomato and green chili and cook for an additional 4-5 mins.
  3. Add the mustard paste, mix and let cook for 2 mins. Add water and bring to a boil. Add salt, chili powder and turmeric and simmer for 3-4 mins, until it begins to become thick.
  4. Add the cooked Okra in, be gentle when folding it in. Simmer for 2-3 mins.
  5. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes:

  • Be careful not to over cook the mustard paste, it tends to become slightly bitter.
  • You can double the quality of mustard paste and store refrigerated in an airtight container for 14-15 days.
  • Feel free to replace Okra with your favorite vegetable, don’t forget to leave a comment here to let me know how it turned out.

Koraishutir Kochuri – Puri Stuffed with Green Peas

~ 1CupOfJoy ~ 2 Comments

A few years back my husband and I took wine classes at the Devine Wine Emporium in Niantic CT. Ken, the wine educator started the 6 weekend long class saying (and I am paraphrasing here) “Good wine is like a trip down memory lane. Each layer of aroma and flavor is transcending, taking you back to a memory”. Good food has the exact same effect on me.

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Koraishutir Kochuri (Puri stuffed with green peas)

This dish brings back numerous good memories. My dad coming back from his evening walks with a bag of fresh green peas, all of us helping with peeling pea pods, eating half of it in the process, chit chat, laughter and so much more fun. And the fact that my husband absolutely loves this (Even learnt to say it like a bengali) is an added bonus.

Hope that you make some wonderful memories of your own while trying out this recipe.

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Traditionally this is made in winters (because fresh green peas are available in abundance in the season) for breakfast and served with Aloor Dom (potato curry). Husband likes to eat this as is, so I usually don’t make the potato curry, unless entertaining.

Time for Prep: 30 mins     Time to Cook: 30 mins    Yield: 10 Kochuri     Level: Medium

Ingredients:

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For the puri:

  • 1.5 cups All purpose flour or whole wheat flour or a combination of both.
  • 1/2 cup warm water (Plus more if needed)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp oil or clarified butter (I prefer using Clarified butter)

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For the stuffing:

  • 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp pepper corn
  • 4-5 dry red chili
  • 1/4 tsp asafetida
  • salt to taste

Process:

Poori dough if making by hand: (I make it in the food processor)

  1. Sieve the flour. Make a well in the center and add salt and oil/Ghee. Mix it together till it looks like crumbles
  2. Once again make a well in the center and pour warm water, little at a time to make a soft dough.
  3. Cover with damp cloth and let rest for 30 mins to an hour.

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Stuffing:

  1. Wash and clean green peas in water, if using frozen peas then thaw them first.
  2. Put the peas in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 5 – 6 mins or until cooked. This can be done on stovetop by adding the peas to a heated heavy bottom pan and steam it. Set it aside to cool.
  3. Heat a non-stick sauce pan and add the cumin, fennel, pepper corn and dry red chillies to it. Dry roast them for 3-4 mins. Set it aside to cool.
  4. Corse grind the spice mix in a coffee grinder.
  5. In a food processor add the green peas and pulse them. Mix in the spice mix, salt and asafetida.
  6. If the stuffing is wet, dry it out by cooking it a little in a non-stick pan

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Assembling or putting it all together:

  1. Make small balls from the dough
  2. Take one ball at a time, press gently with your thumb to make it bigger and flatter. Be careful not to make the center to thin. Make it bigger by gently streching at the edges.
  3. Add a ball of filling to each flattened ball, bring together the edges to seal the stuffing inside.
  4. Grease your work surface and roll out the stuffed balls. Be careful not make any cracks by over stretching the dough.

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Cooking:

  1. Deep fry each stuffed puri one at a time.
  2. Gently slide the rolled puri in hot oil. It will go to the bottom first and then slowly float up.
  3. Gently press the center with a spatula. Two things will happen at this stage: The puri will puff and will turn golden brown, flip and let the other side get some color too. Remove when it gets a golden brown color and place on paper towels to rid off the excess oil.

Serve them hot!

Note:

  • The stuffing needs to be dry or it will be really difficult to roll them out.

Gulkand (Rose Petal Preserve)

~ 1CupOfJoy ~ 3 Comments

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It all started with a craving for some meetha (sweet) paan. Since I moved to US, I have searched for a place to get good paan. Not the pre-packaged, chemical laden version you get in a store, but a freshly made one. Finally I decided to attempt in making some on my own. Gulkand is the main ingredients of a meetha paan and can be easily found at any Indian stores (and Amazon), unless your really particular like me, then you just have to make your own at home.

In my last trip to India I made it a point to chat with the local Paanwala and charm my way to get his secret recipe. You will be surprised by how charming dollar bills are to them! So here is his secret recipe, ssshhh! don’t tell anyone.

Time for Prep: 20 mins     Time to get done: 6-10 days      Yield: 10 oz     Level: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rose petals – I bought a bunch of  light pink roses from the local farmers market.
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey (I used local wild flower honey)
  • Rose essence (Optional)

Process:

  1. Wash and dry the rose petals and roughly chop them.
  2. Sterilize a masons jar (or any Glass jar).
  3. Spread a layer of the rose petals, followed by a layer of sugar, drizzle a little honey.
  4. Repeat step 3 till all petals are over.
  5. Close the jar and place it in sunlight 3 weeks for only 6 hours everyday. Every couple of days turn the jar upside down so that all contents really integrate well.
  6. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes:

  • The more fragrant the roses, better flavor and aroma of Gulkand.
  • It tastes wonderful on a piece of toast as well.

Basic Yellow Dal – the best comfort food

~ 1CupOfJoy ~ 1 Comment

Some food just gives you that instant calm and satisfied feeling, takes you to a place where you feel nurtured and confident. Growing up I remember getting back home from a long day at school, frustrated with something very silly and venting to mom while she cooked dinner. I would sit on the counter and snack on whatever it is she was using, onions, cabbage, green peas.,. and talk as if it was the end of the world. She would listen, give me a hug and say ‘Tomorrow is a new and better day, don’t worry”. And at that moment everything felt good. This dish takes me back to that moment, it is the ultimate comfort food in my book.
And in case your wondering, Yes, I was a very dramatic teenager!
FullSizeRender 3India has numerous regional cuisine and every region has its own way of making this basic yellow dal. My way is a hybrid of my mom’s Bengali cooking and my mom-in-laws Havyaka style. I cook it for almost 3 hours in low heat either in a Crockpot or a Tagine, but thats not necessary. I prefer slow cooking because it really enhances the flavors and allows them to mingle with each other. You can use a pressure cooker and make this a quick meal too.

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I use Shallots and Grape tomatoes in this recipe. But you can use regular red onion and tomatoes if thats what you already have in your pantry. Grape tomatoes have extra sweetness, which enhances the flavors of the ginger, plus the red ovals look nice on a plate. As for the Shallots, they integrate better with the dal and have a milder flavor when compared to a regular onion which maintains its shape even if finely chopped.

This can be served with plain white rice, cumin rice or roti.

Time for Prep: 20 mins     Time to Cook: 3 hours      Yield: 4 Servings     Level: Easy FullSizeRender 2 Ingredients:
For the Dal:

  • 1 cup Toor Dal (Pigeon Pea)
  • 2 tbsp Moong Bean
  • 2 tbsp Chana Dal (Split Chickpea)
  • 3-4 Green Chilli Peppers, finely chopped
  • 1 inch Ginger Root, finely chopped
  • 9-10 Grape Tomatoes, cut.
  • 6-7 Shallots, Cut
  • 1/2 tsp Salt (or more depending on your personal taste)
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

For Tempering:

  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp Asafetida (Hing)
  • 4-5 Curry leaves
  • 2-3 Dried Red Chillies
  • 1 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)

For Garnish:

  • 2 tbsp fresh Cilantro, chopped

Process:

Cooking the Dal:

  1. Rinse and soak the lentils for 30-40 mins.
  2. Drain the water, transfer it to the cooking pot. To this add the chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, salt and turmeric. Add 3 cups of water. Stir Well
  3. Cook on medium heat till you get a boil, then reduce heat to low and let cook for around 3 hours (Or till the lentils are soft). If the dal is too thick, you can add more water to get desirable consistency. Check salt and add more if needed based on taste.

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Tempering:

  1. Heat Ghee in a small pan. Add the curry leaves, cumin, mustard seeds and dried red chillies. Let it crackle.
  2. Add the Asafetida. Fry for 30 seconds.
  3. Pour this entire tempering, along with the ghee in to the cooked dal and mix it in. You can also serve with the tempering on top of it.

Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

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Notes:

  • I prefer Grape Tomatoes for the sweetness they add, you can use 1 regular tomato also.
  • I use Shallots because they integrate better and have a milder flavor, you can use 1 regular onion if thats what you have in your pantry.
  • This can be cooked in a pressure cooker as well. Let the cooker whistle 6-7 minutes or more, until the lentils are soft.
  • Oil can be used instead of Ghee for the tempering.