Ashak with Garlic Yogurt
Afghani dumplings ("ashak") with mint-garlic yogurt sauce, filled with tofu and chives.
While the marriage of yogurt and dumplings might seem strange on first glance, keep in mind this is an Afghani dish rather and not East Asian. I was hesitant at first to try preparing this dish, but I found it to be scrumptuous.
1. In a bowl, prepare your ashak stuffing by mixing half a package of firm tofu, half a cup of green onions (or chives, or leeks), a spoonful of olive oil, a spoonful of salt, a spoonful of grounc coriander, a few dashes of black pepper, and a spoonful of chili paste. With cheesecloth, squeeze out the excess liquid. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, prepare the yogurt sauce by combining a cup of strained, plain yogurt, 1 clove of garlic (crushed or grated), 1 spoonful of dried mint, one spoonful of salt, and a little black pepper. Set aside.
3. To make the ashak, use wonton wrappers. My recipe calls for making them in triangular shapes, but I prefer using my wonton-press -- it's easier. Fill the wonton wrappers with a fingertip size amount of the ashak stuffing and seal. Set aside.
4. In a large pot, bring water to a boil together with some salt and a little olive oil. Drop in 10 ashaks at a time and let them simmer for a few minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil so they don't stick to the plate or each other.
5. Before serving, place half the yogurt sauce on a plate. Place ashaks over it and cover them with the remaining sauce.
Indian samonas filled with curried potatoes and peas. Cilantro-mint-almond chutney.
Gujarati carrot soup, prepared with yogurt. A side of naan.
The marriage of carrots, sour tastes (yogurt, salt), and pungent tastes (garlic, ginger, onion) in this dish is a beautiful thing. I'm surprised I'd never tried this dish until today -- this 100% vegetarian dish deserves recognition! Recipe:
1. Heat a spoonful of oil in a wok and cook a spoonful of black mustard seeds until they begin to pop. Then add 10 curry leaves, a chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 inch of grated ginger, 2 freshly chopped chilies, a chopped red beller pepper, 3 grated carrots, half spoonful of sugar and half spoonfil of salt. Fry for ten minutes, or until the carrots are soft. Add a cup of water and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Discard the curry leaves when done. Turn of the carrot soup burner and let cool for a minute or two.
2. In a blender, mix 6 spoonfuls of plain yogurt with a spoonful of rice flour.
3. Slowly mix in the plain yogurt/rice flour mixture into the soup, stirring while doing so. When it's mixed in, turn the burner back on very low and heat the soup while stirring until it begins to boil. Turn off heat and serve. Garnish with chives or cilantro.
So what did you eat for Labor Day Weekend?