.: evil jungle prince :.

I was so happy with this preparation of aloo gobi that it was a must that I make a blog entry about it straight away, both for my own future reference (I often use my own blog as personal cookbook for favorite recipes) but also in the spirit of sharing. Note however that, as usual, I'm not shooting for authenticity here but rather a type of cooking catered to my personal tastes.

In this case, I've altered the traditional aloo gobi recipe -- a "dry" Indian potato and cauliflower curry, dispensing with methods which either boil the cauliflower until it is nothing more than mush or methods that steam all the nutrients out of the cauliflower before it actually becomes part of the curry. In this method (see below), the vegetables are not overcooked and retain just a hint of crispness. (I also enjoy my version with a little bit more liquid so that chapatis can be dunked into the thick, gorgeous curry.)

1. I began by peeling a dozen or so small red potatoes, and then cutting them into halves or quarters depending on their size. I also chopped about 1/4 of a cauliflower into bite sized pieces.

2. In a pot I heated a little peanut oil and 1 tsp cumin seed until they began to sputter. I then added 3/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 tsp ground coriander, and 1/2 tsp ground cumin. I allowed this to fry briefly.

3. I then added in the potatoes pieces, covering them in the flavored oil. Next added was 1 tsp salt, 1 cup purified water, and 1/2 can of tomato concentrate, or about 4-5 spoonfuls. The potatoes were allowed to simmer on a low flame in this mixture until about 3/4 of the way cooked through. (Keep tasting to see where they are.)

4. By the time the potatoes are nearly cooked, it was time to add in the cauliflower. Rather than steam them, I placed them into the potatoes and curry mixture, covering everything with a lid, allowing the cauliflower to steam inside the pot with the curry mixture. (It's important not to stir because the cauliflower is tender and will fall apart.) If the mixture has gone too dry, add just a little bit of water so the cauliflower can properly cook through.

5. The aloo gobi is finished when the potatoes and cauliflower pieces are cooked through in tandem. Now add 1/2 to 1 whole bunch of cilantro, chopped (feel free to include stems), into the mixture. Remove from heat and serve.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

My second experiment with the new ice cream maker was this: mango lassi frozen yogurt. Mango lassi happens to be one of my favorite dairy treats, so the combination of "frozen" and "lassi" seemed like an obvious one. I also adore mangoes and can never eat them fast enough, so all the more reason to give this frozen version a go.

1. First I began by pureeing two fresh mangoes in a blender with just enough water as was necessary to grind them to a smooth mixture.

2. Then I combined 16 oz of Greek yogurt (rBGH free) together with the mango mixture and 1/2 cup sugar in the ice cream maker.

3. While the mixture was churning, I also added 1/2 tsp cardamom and 3 drops yellow food coloring for a vibrant yellow color. I additionally added 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

3. After 30 mins of churning, the frozen mango lassi was ready to be frozen for about four hours before being served.

Result: awesome!! This is my new favorite frozen treat; I'm kind of surprised you don't hear about "frozen lassi" more often. The combination of the sweet-sour mangoes, the tartness of the yogurt, and the sweetness of the sugar, vanilla bean, and cardamom was a winning combo which I will surely be preparing again and again.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

For a long time I never bothered to make samosas because I figured the pastry portion would not be worth the effort. But then one day an Indian co-worker told me a secret: she used regular grocery store tortillas to make hers. I was at first dismissive, until I tried it myself.

Crazily enough, the texture of the "pastry" (shhhhhh, our secret) tastes just the same as pastry made from scratch after it's fried. Crunchy, slightly chewy, and the perfect encasement for the mild but subtly complex interior of potato, peas, and cauliflower.

1. Start by cubing 1-2 potatoes and boiling them in salt water for 5 mins or until they begin to soften. For the last minute, add 1/2 cup of chopped cauliflower. Drain.

2. In a wok, saute peanut oil, 1/2 onion (diced), chopped ginger, and 1 tsp cumin seeds. Saute until soft. Add potato/cauliflower mixture and sweet peas. Season with 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander, salt to taste. Mix and set aside.

3. Now warm your flower tortillas in a dry pan so they'll be flexible. Stack in a pile and cut off ends so as to make a square shape. Cut into two strips.

4. Fold one strip end up into a triangular shape. Place a spoonful of potato mixture and fold again at an opposite angle. Continue folding at a diagonal angle until you have a finished triangular shaped, stuffed samosa. Fry in peanut oil until golden on each side, drain on paper towels.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Last night I experimented with some new recipes. Since it's chili pepper season and I'm crazy about anything Capsicum, I tried out Mahanandi's recipe for fried peppers in peanut sauce:

As you can see, I used Korean peppers instead, and they turned out just wonderfully. The firey, crunchy, zesty taste of the smokey peppers worked so deliciously with the peanut sauce. See Mahanandi's recipe for details.

I ended my firey dish with some sweet mango and coconut halva which I made the night before. I happened to have some fresh strawberries, so I sliced them and cut the halva around the shape of the strawberry slices. I loved how the slightly sour but sweet taste of the strawberry played off the sweet mango and cardamom. Yum! This is another Mahanandi recipe that you can look into here.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 05:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When people say "I don't like okra," I can hardly believe my ears. I love okra, and okra with a bit of chili pepper and garlic seems like a marriage made in heaven, to my tastebuds at least. So you can imagine how much I enjoyed this easy and quick recipe for okra masala, or Indian spiced okra.

1. Place a pinch of fenugreek seeds, pinch of fennel seeds, 2-3 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 3 garlic cloves (chopped), 1 onion (chopped) and saute in peanut oil until the onions are golden.

2. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground coriander, and 1 tsp tomato paste. Mix with onion mixture and then add 2 finely diced tomatoes and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce thickens.

3. Add fresh or thawed frozen okra (whole). Stir into the masala sauce and simmer for 5 mins until the okra is tender.

If you don't like okra because it breaks down when it cooks, have no fears. In this recipe the okra is cooked whole and so the okra never becomes mushy. Serve with rice or an Indian bread. Enjoy!

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 05:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

One of my home renovation fantasies, perhaps only half-serious (and half for comedy value), is the thought of having a tandoori oven in my backyard, adjacent to my tiny kitchen. "Half fire pit, half tandoori oven," I tell people as they grin at me curiously. Perhaps if I manage to get on H&G TV or win a contest, that will come to pass, but in the meantime I'll be making Indian naan bread with my pizza stone.

My recipe is modeled after Mahanandi's recipe, which works really well with a pizza stone. While the pizza stone offers few of its authentic counterpart's characteristics, it does provide for a hot surface which quickly bakes the naan from below and creates a crispy surface with soft, chewy interior. Who doesn't like naan?

1. Mix 2 tsp warm water and 1/2 tsp sugar with 2 tsp active dry yeast. Allow to become bubbly.

2. Place 4 cups flour, 1-2 cups yogurt (BGH-free), 2 tsp melted ghee or butter, 1 tsp sugar, yeast mixture, and 1 tsp salt in a mixer and combine until the mixture pulls away from the sides of bowl.

3. Oil a bowl and place mixture in, covering bowl with a damp towel until the mixture rises to twice its size (about 2 hours).

4. Preheat oven to 425F with pizza stone.

5. Roll into tennis ball size portions. Flatten a little and pull the top and bottom portion into a naan shape. Baste naan tops with butter and whatever topping suits your fancy -- I like garlic on mine.

6. Bake for 5-10 mins or until golden. Add a little dollup of butter and serve.

Thanks to Mahanandi for this great recipe.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 06:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Sometimes the best tasting foods are the simplest to make. Tarka dal falls into this category.

Made with a simple combination of two different types of lentils, this dish takes all of about half an hour to prepare and then have ready on the table. In fact, any cooked rice you serve will take longer to prep than this simply but robustly spiced, hearty soup.

1. Start by placing 1 1/3 cups red lentils, 1/3 cup chana dal or yellow split peas, 2 finely sliced onions, 2 diced tomatoes*, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2-3 sliced hot green chillies, 1 tsp hot chili powder, 1 tsp turmeric, and 6 cups water in a pot. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 mins.

2. At the 20 min mark, uncover and allow to simmer for 5 mins more.

3. Saute 4-5 garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds in 2 tsp oil. Add garlic mixture to the dal, together with a handful of fresh cilantro. Add salt to taste.

* I supplemented my tomatoes with a spoonful of tomato paste, to give some kick to mediocre supermarket tomatoes.

Don't let the simplicity of this dish fool you. It gets it full bodied flavor only at the end of the preparation when the garlicy oil, cumin seeds, and cilantro liven up the party.

Some inspiration... In the introduction to Das Sreedharan's wonderful Indian Shortcuts to Success cookbook, he quotes his mother as saying that "Nobody can teach you to cook. You must learn yourself how to prepare food your own way." This couldn't sum up my own approach to life, and cooking, any better.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This recipe is such an obvious match flavor and consistency-wise, I could almost kick myself for not thinking of it before spotting it in Das Sreedharan's Indian cookbook: chickpea curry with fresh spinach. So easy and satisfying!

1. Use a mortar and pestle to combine 1-2 hot green chilies and knob of fresh ginger. Add a spoonful of water and grind. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a wok and fry 2-3 garlic cloves. Now add 1 peeled and minced onion. Next add 1 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, chili-ginger paste, and 2 tsp tomato paste. Fry for 2 mins.

3. Pour in 1 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in chickpeas along with a pinch of salt. Simmer for 5 mins, then add fresh spinach just before serving so that the spinach retains its bright green color.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 03:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This recipe intrigued me because I haven't much experience with plantains. Fortunately there exists a large Mexican/Latin community locally and plantains are never far away. (Though seemingly a world away, I am after all only a short drive from Mexico.)

1. This dish begins by scraping 1/2 cup of fresh coconut from the real McCoy -- a real live coconut. If you haven't done this before, whack the coconut with a hammer along the scored section and watch it crack rewardingly into two halves. Scrape the coconut meat out with a coconut scraping tool (which can be purchased at any Filipino market near you).

2. Next I dry-roasted the fresh coconut with 2 tsps coriander seeds, 3 dried chili peppers, 1 clove garlic, and 1 cinnamon stick in a pan until the coconut turned brown. After cooling for 5 mins, I placed the mixture into a blender (minus the cinnamon stick which is discarded) with 2 cups water and processed until the liquid was blended and milky.

3. I then cut 2 plantains into 1-inch pieces and placed them into a bowl with 4-5 shallots, 2 green chili peppers slit lengthwise. The mixture was then placed into a heated wok with 2 tsp oil and fried until the shallots turned soft.

4. After the shallots became soft, I then added 1 tsp turmeric, the coconut mixture liquid, and about 2 tsp salt. This mixture was cooked for 5 mins.

5. Now 3 tomatoes (quartered) were added and the mixture allowed to cook for 10 mins, adding salt to taste.

6. Finally I heated 1 tsp oil and added 1/2 tsp mustard seeds. After they began to sputter, I also added 10 curry leaves to the oil. This oil was then placed into the curry.

7. The process was completed by adding the juice of 1 lime and cooking the mixture for an additional 3 mins.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

During my trip up to Portland I popped into Powell's Books and of course headed right for the cookbook section, where I proceeded to spent the next day and a half pouring through each title in the hunt for the perfect cookbook. I have owned a few Indian cookbooks in the past, but I've been happy with none of them and subsequently sold them, but this time I may have found one that I really like: Indian Shortcuts to Success by Das Sreedharan. The photography is gorgeous and the recipes are simple and healthy, using a bare minimum of fats and oils. (As a side note the book itself is well constructed and lays open easily, so necessary for practical purposes in the kitchen.)

A well-known fact is that the coconut is my best friend, but my second love is the mango, which is why I was drawn to this recipe. I've titled this entry as "Indian Spinach-Mango Salad," but in reality this is a curry, or specifically a South Indian moru kachiathu. Here warm spinach and fresh mango are sexily dressed up in a vibrant yellow yogurt sauce and rendered savory with the use of chili peppers and ginger. One word: DROOL.

1. Start by heating 1 tsp oil. Fry 1 tsp mustard seeds until they begin to sputter.

2. Add 1 finely sliced onion, 20 curry leaves, 2 dried chili peppers, and 1 tsp salt. Fry until onions begin to wilt.

3. Add 1 tsp grated ginger and 2-3 fresh chili peppers, cut lengthwise in two. Fry for 1 minute.

4. Mix in 1 tsp turmeric.

5. Remove the fried mixture from the stove. Add 1/4 cup fresh spinach leaves and 1 thinly sliced mango.

6. When the mixture is cool enough, add plain yogurt until the mixture is coated.

By the way, don't worry about the use of whole chili peppers. They are significantly tempered by the use of yogurt sauce. Enjoy!

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

I've had a lot of fun this past week making Indian lime pickle for the first time, thanks to Mahanandi's easy recipe and helpful guidance. I've always been a big fan of Indian pickles but never tried making them myself.

A little experimentation was in order as my garden produces two types of limes -- Mexican (key) limes and, more recently, Kalamansi limes (seen above -- the ones with an orange tint). I wondered which would be best pickled in the Indian style, so I used both.

Following Mahanandi's recipe (Courtesy of Mahanandi):

Day #1: First I cut 12 limes into pieces. I used 1/3 of the limes for juicing only, reserving the liquid. I then mixed the remaining lime pieces with 6 tsp iodine free salt and the lime juice. This mixture was then allowed to pickle for four days in the refrigerator.

Day #5: After five days I dry roasted 1 tsp each of cumin, mustard, and fenugreek seeds, next grinding them to fine powder. I then added this spice mix into the jar along with pinch of turmeric and 5 tsp of red chili powder.

Day #8: Lastly I fried 4 tsp of oil and 1 tsp mustard seeds, bringing back to room temperature and then adding it to the pickle.

I decided to try my pickle with upma, another Mahanandi recipe!

Lessons learned:

On the one hand, the Mexican lime portion of my pickle was a disaster. The rinds were terribly thick, chewy, and bitter. I will definitely not use these limes for this purpose again. On the other hand, my kalamansi limes proved to be absolutely scrumptuous. Unlike the Mexican (key) limes, their outer skins were thin, delicate, and sweet, lending themselves perfectly to the tastes of an Indian pickle. The kalamansis proved to be a real success for use in this recipe.

For presentation purposes, I can see from my photos that the spice mixture should have been ground finer. I will make sure to do that next time.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 06:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

When I showed up to work this morning, I had a big surprise sitting on my office chair: fresh figs! Yesterday my boss and I had been discussing his neighbor's fig tree, and not one to hide my jealousy I told him how much I wished I had fresh figs within arm's length. Apparently he snuck in over the weekend and left me a bag of them. Although Asian in origin, figs happen to thrive in our dry, hot desert climate.

Another reason I was excited was the fact I've never cooked with fresh figs before. This presented a number possibilities, but ultimately I decided to try making a fig chutney.

1.I first combined 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 onion (diced), 1 large knob of grated ginger, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1/2 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp salt, a dash of allspice, and a dash of powdered cloves. This was brought to a simmer until 2/3 reduced.

2. I then de-stemmed the figs (4-5 large ones), cut into pieces, and added to the chutney mixture. This was in turn allowed to reduce until a chutney-like consistency was reached. Finally, I allowed the mixture to cool in the refrigerator before dabbing a spoonful next to a heaping portion of rice.

Yum! My first attempt at making chutney turned out pretty well and I think I made good use of the figs, especially considering I'll now be able to enjoy them with a number of meals rather than just one.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I decided to try another of Mahanandi's recipe this week after spotting some very rare bitter gourds for sale at Aj Liquor & Oriental Mart, my local Filipino 7-11 corner store. Their name and location may command giggles, but they remain the only place in town where I can pick up fantastic Asian vegetables like this. And I love them for it.

Bitter gourds look like cucumbers covered in warts -- you can see a picture of them in Mahanandi's recipe for bitter gourd curry. Many people describe them as an 'acquired taste' due to their bitter flavor. Admittedly the first time I tried them I felt they were intolerably bitter, but after reading Mahanandi's description of this dish I felt it might be worth giving these misunderstood vegetables a second chance.

I'm glad I did. The combination of sweet and slightly bitter was strangely appealing and even addictive. After a few bites, I grew progressively accustomed to the combination of Indian flavors which Mahanandi so appropriately calls "sweetly bitter."

By the way, now that I have your attention, I have two announcements to make:

#1: I'm sorry for the lack of postings, recently. What's happened is that the digital camera which I have owned since 1998 has finally given up the ghost. After years of being fiesty and problematic (the camera, not me), I've decided it's time to upgrade. Unfortunately, this may mean some more delays while I wait for it to arrive here in the desert. It has shipped, however, so hopefully I will be up and running again in no time. In the meantime, please use your imagination by contemplating me stuffing myself full of delicious Asian foods during the interim. This vision will surely not be too far removed from reality.

#2: I'll be leaving for San Francisco at the end of next week, where I'll be hanging out for a good two weeks. I'll do my best to keep you updated on my food exploits during that time, the exception being the few days I'll be spending in Sacramento; I've learned from past trips that the food there just isn't worth capturing. If you are a San Francisco food blogger or if you'd like to pass on some "must-eat" recommendations, by all means please get in touch!

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 06:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Indian people will likely get a giggle out of this experimental entry, as its my attempt to produce ponganalu (savory Indian cakes) without the proper type of skillet -- namely a ponganala pennam (ponganala skillet). Instead, I used a Swedish pancake pan which produces a flat-bottomed cake as opposed to a properly rounded cake, which you can see in Mahanandi's beautifully photographed, detailed ponganalu entry.

Here they are! Not half as elegant as the original, but monster tasty, particularly when paired with a chili-infused peanut chutney. Oh wow was this a delicious combination of tastes. Following are the recipes I used, courtesy of Mahanandi who I cannot thank enough for sharing her beautiful food culture with us. They are repeated here only for my own purposes -- that is, to assist myself and possibly others prepare dishes such as this without the proper accoutrements/ingredients and using terms more familiar to North American cooks.

Ponganalu (Recipe Courtesy of Mahanandi)

1. To prepare the ponganalu batter, soak 1 cup rice and 1/2 cup urad dal in water for about six hours. Drain the water, reserving it to the side. Place the soaked rice/dal in a blender and add back just a little of the reserved water. Blend, adding a little water as needed until you get a batter which is the consistency of standard pancake batter. Allow to sit overnight to ferment.

2. The following day, you will find that the batter has increased in size after fermentation. Into this batter, add the following: 1 red onion or 6 shallots, 4 green chillies (can be left out if you wish), fine chopped cilantro, a few spoonfuls of garbanzo beans (canned, not dry), 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp salt.

3. Add some peanut oil to a ponganala skillet or Swedish pancake (blini) pan and heat to medium heat. Add the batter to each section and cover, so that the oil does not go everywhere. Allow to fry for five minutes. After five minutes, flip the ponganala and fry for five minutes on the other side until golden.

Peanut Chutney (Recipe Courtesy of Mahanandi)

1. Dry roast 1 cup of peanuts until fragrant. Set aside.

2. In the same pan, add a little peanut oil and fry 4 dried chillies, 1 small onion (diced), and 1 clove garlic (sliced).

3. Place roasted peanuts and fried chillies/onion/garlic into a blender together with 2 tsp tamarind juice, 1/2 tsp salt, and a little water. Blend, adding water as necessary until you achieve a hummus-like consistency (or thinner if you desire).

4. Remove paste from blender and set aside. Finally, fry 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp mustard seeds, and fresh curry leaves in a little oil. Stir this into the paste. Add more salt if necessary.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 06:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Thanks once again to Mahanandi for this wonderful recipe. Her blog is such an inspiration to me. I'm repeating it here in my casual "1, 2, 3" style as it's easier for me to refer back to when I'm ready to prepare this fragrant and easy-to-prepare Indian dish again.

When making this dish, be prepared for a marvelous surprise when you begin dry roasting the sambar spices -- your house will be filled with the most amazing smells. Even people who profess to not be Indian food aficionados in my household came to the kitchen with their proverbial tails wagging. "Something smells absolutely delicious!"

1. Prepare a sambar powder by dry roasting equal parts cumin, coriander, fenugreek seeds, chana dal, urad dal, and dry coconut. Place in a coffee grinder and blend until you have a powder. Set aside.

2. Pressure cook toor dal and water in a 1:2 ratio, mash into smooth paste. (Alternatively if you don't have a pressure cooker you can do what I do and boil the dal until soft, drain, and then mash.)

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine 1 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp cumin, mustard seeds, minced garlic, and curry leaves. Sautee. Remove curry leaves. Add one diced onion until soft and lightly browned. Then add diced tomatoes and fresh okra.

4. Stir in 1 tsp sambar powder (or more to taste), 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp tamarind, and addition water. Add salt and chili powder to taste. Add mashed dal. Bring to a boil and then simmer until okra is tender.

Tips:

I appreciated Mahanandi's advice here to allow the cooked sambar to stand for 15-30 minutes before serving so that the flavors will completely mingle with one another. Have you noticed that some dishes taste better the next day after being reheated? The same circumstances/logic applies here.

My own tip is in regards to the use of fresh curry leaves. If you are lucky enough to have access to them, here's an excellent tip I picked up recently. Rather than pluck leaves and then later attempt to remove them individually, place a whole 'branch' to fry. This renders the process of removing the fried curry leaves much, mush easier.

When preparing your sambar spice mix, make as much as you'll need for the next week or so. In other words, if you'll be making another sambar during this period, make enough for this next batch. You will save yourself some time by setting a little aside.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Every time I've made palak (curried Spinach) in the past, it's never met the full spectrum of my taste expectations. I've tried numerous (to say the least) recipes but they've all missed a certain component or flavor which I just couldn't put my finger on. But fortunately just as I recently had a eureka-moment when I discovered that the use of amchur (mango powder) was the spice I had been lacking in samosa filling, so I had a sort of culinary satori when I began preparing Maganandi's brilliant and perfect palak paneer recipe.

I had a hint I'd found what I was looking for when I began dry roasting cashews -- that familiar smell wafted up to my nose and filled me with hope that the use of roasted, ground cashew powder might be my ticket to the perfect palak. I was also fascinated by the technique of parboiling tomatoes to remove their skins prior to pureeing them. Were these the missing links? I felt hopeful... and likewise very hungry after smelling this delicious, savory, spicy dish starting to come together.

Result: this must indeed be the perfect palak paneer recipe. Rather than being heavily spiced, it is rendered heartier, smoother, and creamier with the use of powdered, roasted cashews. The cashews are likewise the key taste here that turns normal palak into super-amazing palak. I savored every bite and managed to make a number of meals from only one batch. And unlike so many foods, day old palak somehow tastes better than the fresh sort, the spices having had a chance to mingle and socialize with one another. Thank you, Mahanandi!

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 09:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

With hundreds of newly ripe lemons available on the two trees in my backyard, I began to contemplate how I might make imaginative use of at least one or two of them. This is how I decided on today's lunch, which was potato and pea samosas with fresh cilantro relish. Both dishes use fresh lemon juice.

After grabbing a samosa pastry recipe from Hooked on Heat blog, I prepared the samosa stuffing with another recipe I had on hand. It varied a little from Hooked's recipe in that it used fresh green chillies and amchur (dried mango powder). I opted for this recipe because yesterday saw the arrival of a shipment of spices from iShopIndian.com and I was subsequently anxious to try using amchur for the first time. After taste-testing the filling, I was so glad I did. In times past when I have tried making samosas, there has always been something missing. This was it -- joy! It tasted just like an Indian restaurant samosa. This could be dangerous.

I ate my samosas with a fresh cilantro relish, which totally made the dish complete with its zesty, tangy taste-spike of fresh herbs and lemon juice.

1. To make it, I first fried a dried red chili, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, 4 curry leaves, a bit of dried coconut flakes (in place of fresh shredded coconut which I lacked), 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, 2 tsp sugar, and a little salt to taste in a few drops of oil until the coconut turned brown. This was removed and then placed in the food processor.

2. I next added a bowl of fresh cilantro leaves and a handful of fresh mint leaves. To this I added the juice of two fresh lemons and pureed. This mixture was then chilled.

These were wonderful to eat. Samosas are one of those classic memory foods for me; biting into one brings back a flood of past sensations. My mind always associates the subtly-spiced taste of samosas with England in particular, where they can be purchased at every corner store. Sure, they may be deep fried and terribly unhealthy, but we have allow ourselves an indulgence from time to time, don't we?

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I had a health scare last Friday when, after taking a blood test the week prior, my doctor's nurse called and told me I had "exceptionally high cholesterol" and "very high blood sugar." Well, taken together with the fact I already have a notable streak of hypochondria, you can imagine that this startling news managed to completely spoil my weekend. After eating a largely vegetarian diet for most of my life, this announcement was also perplexing. How could it possibly be? All weekend I questioned whether I had simply be deluding myself into thinking all these years that I eat a healthy diet.

On Monday I went into the doctor's office to discuss these alarming findings. He told me my cholesterol was normal, as was my blood sugar. I immediately surmised that the nurse had been reading somebody else's lab test results to me when she called. Of course, I couldn't feel anything but happiness and relief.

I know -- I made this dish only a few weeks ago, but I craved it so much that I've decided to try preparing it a second time. It's funny: normally the way things work in my kitchen is that I will get something wrong the first time and then right the second time around. In this case, the opposite is true. Yes, it was tasty but not quite as delicious as the first time around. Here's what happened.

Back in the halcyon days of the dotcom boom, I used to order groceries online and have them delivered to my doorstep. This was a great luxury for somebody whowas working exceptionally long days, commuting four hours a day by train, and was also living an eco-friendly lifestyle by not owning a car. But when the dotcoms went bust, the private companies which offered these services shriveled up and died. It was a sad day for convenience.

However, recently I discovered that one of the local grocery chains in town had started this up again. Great, I thought. I quickly got an order together, scheduled my time, and just as planned my groceries arrived during their scheduled window. The driver was even nice. There was only one downside.

As I opened my grocery bags, I discovered that my order for "daikon" resulted in the little red variety of radish which I find so terribly yucky. Granted this is a minor complaint in the grand scheme of things -- after all I get my beloved online grocery shopping back now -- but sad to say that my mooli paratha suffered greatly by this mistake. My paratha, rather than being savory and subdued, was instead infused with that distinctly bitter taste of American radishes. Sigh. But you know, I am not really complaining. In the course of one week I've been granted both my online grocery shopping and my overall health back. That is a blessing.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Let me just come out and say it: it was nice being able to miss that flight and getting to stay home an extra day. There, I said it. Yes, I am full of guilt that I am missing the first day of the conference I'm supposed to be attending (in a suit) right now. No, I'm not feeling that I'm missing being in Washington DC right now in a suit surrounded by people I don't know and don't-. Well, there it is.

Anyway, I had a nice day today. As usual, I was full of anxiety and nervous energy about flying -- a feeling that continues even now, many hours after I discovered that I wouldn't be flying today. In a Mommie Dearest moment, I ended up trimming plants in the yard in spastic movements and spending the day bonding with the garden, drinking wine all the while to calm myself down.

If you'll remember, I prepared an Indian meal last night to eat on the plane today. For lunch I decided to expand on that meal. So, in addition to my Moghlai-style chickpea curry, I prepared a pot of uppma and ate that as well. Quite the spread.

Here is the uppma, which is essentially a semolina risotto prepared with hot chilli peppers (a good way to start trimming back all the jalapenos I've got going in the garden), cashews, curry leaves, ginger, onion, and mustard seeds. I am so not worthy when it comes to Indian food, but I must admit this batch turned out pretty tasty.

And here we have yesterday's re-heated dish, Moghlai-style chickpea curry. This dish is prepared by sauteing a bit of cinnamon, cardamom, onion, ginger, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garam masala, fresh tomatoes, and then combining this spice mixture with fresh tomatoes, yogurt, and chickpeas. This mixture is boiled down until most of the moisture is gone and only a curry-like consistency remains.

These dishes worked particularly well in tandem. Both recipes, by the way, were obtained from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian cookbook -- a source from which I occasionally pull material.

Now where's that glass of wine?

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 08:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I totally suck when it comes to preparing Indian food, but I crave it so badly at times that I reconcile myself to mediocrity and just push ahead with it. After running across some extra potatoes last night and then spotting a picture of a masala dosa with sambar, I knew that's what I had to have.

This dosa pancake was made from a pre-prepared mix, so don't be overly impressed. It is stuffed with a spicy mixture of potatoes and spices.

This sambar soup was a big mix of leftovers -- canned tomatoes, carrots, jalapeno peppers from the garden, tamarind juice, curry leaves and a zillion other spices. The soup came out pretty well despite the fact I did not use fresh tomatoes.

The mango chutney was a good counterpoint, although I definitely prefer that smooth, coconut mixture that is normally served with this dish. (I have tried making it myself but not with good results.)

I love Indian food so much but it is such an impossibly difficult cuisine to prepare, requiring hours of preparation that most people in simply don't have available in their personal lives. I was first introduced to Indian food while living in London, but I did not try masala dosas until I was in college. It was then that a group of friends and I randomly walked into an Indian grocer and discovered an Indian family eating some delicious smelling food. We asked the proprietor where they had obtained it, and he mentioned with a smile that it had been cooked in the back of the store. Would we like some? And so began our weekly ritual of scarfing down $2.00 masala dosas and other treats cooked fresh in the back of a grocery store, sitting on a cafeteria bench and eating off paper plates. Those are magical memories for me.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 08:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I usually begin thinking about what I'm going to make for dinner while working out at the gym. This is a time when my brain isn't being particularly challenged and when my stomach begins its rumblings -- a marriage of circumstances really. And so it came to be that during a set of bicep curls, I knew I had to have chana masala (Indian curried garbanzo beans) when I got home.

I've made this a number of times, each with a different recipe. I think this one was the most successful, although the recipe calls for far too much tamarind. (Or perhaps it's because I used concentrate rather than extract -- oops.) Fortunately, I used only 1/4 of the prescribed amount and although I would use less next time, the dish still came out rather well.

Of course, one of the best things about cooking at home is the ability to crank up the heat. When eating out, I'm always complaining about two things: 1) lack of salt and 2) lack of spiciness. Being a lover of savory, salty, spicy foods, this causes me to be a great minority in this country of bland-loving diabetics. So what a pleasure it is to cook food just the way one likes it; in this case: so spicy that fire comes out one's ears.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 08:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I both look forward and dread the holiday season, because it means that once again relatives will be descending from points afar and creating the stage for arguments over what to eat and when. At the same time, I look forward to seeing them and having time off of work to concentrate on my own hobbies.

There is little remaining in my refrigerator, but miraculously I made due tonight with the three remaining carrots, a little yogurt, and some frozen bread by preparing Gujarati-style carrot soup with roti parathas and a side of salad drizzled with a bumbu pecel (spicy peanut) sauce.

I've prepared this particular soup once or twice before and I simply love it. There is something very special about the marriage of yogurt and carrot, made pungent and savory by a liberal use of garlic and ginger. Drool. I made mine by:

1. Sauteing mustard seeds (drop these in the oil first until they begin to sputter), half an onion, a jalapeno pepper (sliced), two cloves garlic, 1/2 inch of grated ginger, a few curry leaves, a little salt, and half a teaspoon of sugar. Once the garlic and onion have softened, add the carrots and saute the mixture for ten minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mix a cup of yogurt with a tablespoon of rice flour and mix in a blender. This will be used to thicken the soup; the mixing prevents lumps.

3. Add 1-3 cups of vegetable broth to the carrot mixture, bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer for 1/2 hour.

4. Turn off heat and allow to cool. Slowly pour in yogurt mixture while stirring. Turn flame back on and heat until slightly boiling. Add additional salt to taste. Simmer for a few minutes while stirring and then serve hot.

I ate my soup with these yummy roti paratha. Don't be too impressed because they were simply pan-fried from the freezer -- I didn't make them from scratch, but I'd love to be able to in the future. I had never tried this type of Indian bread until today and loved-loved-loved it! I especially like the way they start out flat like tortillas and puff up full ofair on the griddle. Likewise, their flaky texture was divine and a great accompaniment to the soup.

Although my workplace has nothing to do with Scandinavia, it is a strange thing that nearly everybody who works there has some kind of Scandinavian connection. My manager is an ethnic Norwegian and every year she prepares these homemade krumkake, which are sort of similar to a waffle-cone in texture and taste. I ate mine with some pomegranate ice cream with chocolate flakes... gah, such a unique and delectable combination.

Speaking of curry leaves, I brought my curry leaf tree inside for the winter and it seems to have suddenly sprung to life. Notice the new growth at the very top of the plant. I'm thrilled! Although I used dried curry leaves in my Gujarati soup, one day I hope to use fresh curry leaves in my cooking once this plant matures sufficiently.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

While Mom has been staying here for the holidays, the weather has turned deliciously warm... nearly summer weather! And for somebody who is not particularly interested in cold weather, this has truly been a gift from Santa.

In the spirit of warm and wonderful weather, today I dreamt up a cool solution with a few ingredients I happened to have on hand: fresh mango, yogurt, mango juice, and a little lime.

Yes, I created the mango lassi popsicle!

California Fusion or Frankenstein? You make the call. In any case, these mango lassi rocket pops were very yummy to eat during our middle-of-the-winter summer heat, especially after working up a sweat in the garden.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hanging around in my kitchen with nothing to do were a little yogurt, spinach, and half an onion. This must have been some sort of kismet because what I really craved tonight was palak paneer, or Indian spiced spinach with yogurt. With excited salivary glands, I set about my task...

1. First I cut the spinach into threads and boiled/steamed them in a little water until tender.

2. I then sauteed my onion and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cardamom, and 1 tsp ginger in a little oil. (You're supposed to use ghee but I tried to cut the calories a little and used peanut oil.)

3. I then added 1/2 tsp garlic and 1/2 cup of fresh tomatoes... thank god my neighbor just happened to give me some fresh tomatoes over the weekend. Drool, the smells of the palak are already forming!

4. This mixture was cooked briefly until the tomatoes began to break down. I then turned off the heat for a few minutes and later folded in the yogurt. I then turned the heat back on on a low flame.

5. Next I added 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 tsp salt, mixing all the while.

6. After simmering the mixture for about ten minutes, I removed half of it and placed into the mixer to puree. I then returned the smooth mixture to the rough mixture and re-heated.

7. Finally, I added some cashews, a little salt to taste, and paneer cubes.

Oh sweet heaven was this delicious. But before I help myself to one of the last mango lassi rocket pops, may I first admit to you Dear Reader how difficult it is to take an appetizing picture of palak paneer? Despite its general deliciousness, this is not a particularly photogenic dish!

(Fortunately though, it didn't look this bad. You know what really cracks me up about this link is the last line of the recipe... bahaha!)

Currently listening to:

Title: 미워요
Play:
Artist: 심수봉

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)