i am, indeed, indian.

indian from india.  dots not feathers.  aloo gobi not acorn mush.

i have failed in terms of this blog to bring my heritage into the mix.  so here it is, the first of many (inshallah) recipes for indian food, the many cuisines of my multi-ethnic people.  i know indian food can seem intimidating because it involves so many different spices, and a innate ability to time the adding of ingredients...but its more just a question of practice than talent.

some basics:

1) you need to stock some staples in your pantry before you can start attempting to cook indian.  the first is garam masala, which i've mentioned here before.  cumin seeds, as well as ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, indian chili powder (packs a bigger punch than its other ethnic counterparts), whole cloves, whole cardamom, whole mustard seeds.  having ground ginger around helps too, if you are too lazy to pick up fresh.

2) most north indian - specifically punjabi dry curries like the recipes that follow are made with the same set of spices, so learning how to make them is very much like learning how to make stir fry - and therefore easy.

3) have PLAIN yogurt around, it tempers the spices if you get carried away.  i also keep frozen layery indian flatbread - parathas they are called - in my freezer at all times, you can get these at any indian grocery store - but store-bought tortillas are an adequate substitute. oh and trader joes tandoori masala naan ain't so bad.

4) necessary fresh ingredients: serrano chilies (or fresh jalapeño if your a wuss), cilantro, ginger.

5) relax. its not scary, i promise.

and now...taNA NA NA! the easy guide to making an entire vegetarian indian meal!!

clockwise from the top: benghan bhartha, methi paratha, jeera chaval, saag aloo

benghan bhartha

oven-roasted eggplant curry - serves 3

ingredients

1 large italian eggplant

1 medium sized onion, quartered

1 roma tomatoes, small diced, seeds removed

1/2 inch knob of ginger, diced finely

2 whole cloves

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tbsp ground cumin 

1/2 tbsp ground coriander 

1/2 tbsp indian chili powder

2 tsp lemon/lime juice

handful of chopped cilantro

salt and sugar to taste

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees.  wash eggplant and cut into quarters.  place on lightly greased cookie sheet and add 2 tbsp of water to the pan.  roast eggplant in oven for 20-30 minutes until very tender.  after eggplant is cooled, chop into small dice and put aside.

2. add the onion, ginger, turmeric and cloves to a blender or small food processor and grind to a paste.

3. heat 1 tbsp of oil (vegetable or olive will do here) in a large skillet pan.  add the paste and fry or 5 minutes until it sizzles.  add the ground cumin, ground coriander, and chili powder and fry for another 5 minutes.

4. add the tomatoes, and simmer until mushy - about 8 minutes.

5. add eggplant with 2 tbsp of water and simmer until eggplant is mushy.  add salt, sugar, lemon juice, and more chili powder in necessary.  garnish with cilantro.

saag aloo

spinach and potato curry - serves 3

ingredients

4 small boiling potatoes, cleaned and peeled

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 roma tomatoes, pureed in a food processor/blender

1/2 lb fresh and frozen spinach - if fresh roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 inch piece ginger, minced

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp garam masala

salt and sugar to taste

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 handful chopped cilantro

1. add the potatoes to boiling water and let then cook for 5 minutes.  remove and cut in quarters. set aside.

2. fry the onion in a large sautee pan with the garlic and ginger for 2-4 minutes.  add the garam masala and cumin.

3. add the tomato puree and cook for another 5-6 minutes.  then add the spinach and potatoes, the chili powder, salt, sugar and lemon juice.  cook until potatoes are tender.  garnish with cilantro.

jeera chaval

cumin spiced rice - serves 3

ingredients

1 cup uncooked basmati rice

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp butter

1. melt butter in a small sauce pan and add the cumin.  toast cumin until fragrant and add the rice.

2. add turmeric and toast rice in butter and cumin mixture until grains are white but not translucent.

3. add 1.5 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil.  reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water to the pan if the rice dries out.  the rice should be cooked through without the grains sticking to each other.

relax! relax! it's easy.  try it and let me know how you fare.  it's worth the price!

get it? fare; price. oh i'm a comic genius.

rabe, rapé, raapini, what's in a name?

i was in my favorite neighborhood market in la habra heights on my weekly grocery excursions with my father.  "food gathering" he calls it.  i was minding my own business, picking out my fresh herbs from their exquisite selection (huge bunches of basil, dill, rosemary, thyme, mint!) when i saw something that cause me to exclaim in glee.  was it really there or was it my imagination?  before me, in generous la habra ranch market sized bunches was broccoli rabe...a vegetable i had been hunting for the greater part of three years.  

alias raapini, or rapé, broccoli rabe is a thin stalked leafy green with miniature broccoli trees up top.  taste wise its a bit like collard greens, a little bitter but hearty and full flavored.  it's used in both italian and asian cooking - in the former its usually sauteed and used either as a pizza topping or as a vegetable side - in the latter it is cooked up alongside chicken or pork.

needless to say, i love rabe, and rabe loves me.  cleaning the vegetable and slicing it up is a bit tricky, its a bit like asparagus, a good chunk of the bottom part of the stalk is fibrous and virtually inedible, and therefore must be cut off.  the stems must be picked clean of any yellowing leaves, then they can be cut in about 2 inch long pieces. 

 

i like to divide my rabe among its two cultural affinities.  giada has a great recipe for sauteed broccoli rabe which i love.  the following is its chinese(ish) counterpart.

spicy chicken and broccoli rabe stir fry

serves 2

ingredients

1/2 inch knob of peeled ginger, diced finely

3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin

half a bunch of broccoli rabe cleaned and cut in the aforementioned way

half a carton of mushrooms thinly slivered

one uncooked chicken breast, cut into thin 1 inch slices and seasoned lightly with salt and white pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp chinese chili paste

1 tsp garlic sriracha

1 tsp sesame oil

salt and white pepper to taste

toasted sesame seeds as garnish

1.  add the broccoli rabe to a pot of boiling water and allow to cook for 2 minutes until the color brightens.  strain and rinse with cold water.

2.  heat the vegetable oil in a large sautee pan over high heat until the oil is very hot.  reduce the heat to medium and add the mushrooms.  allow them to become slightly tender and then add the chicken.

3.  toss the ingredients in the pan until the chicken is almost done.  add the blanched broccoli rabe, soy sauce, chili paste, and brown sugar.  cook for a few minutes.

4. add the sriracha and sesame oil and coat the chicken evenly.  add salt and white pepper to taste.  

5.  turn off the heat and plate.  garnish with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and serve with steamed long grain white rice.

chip-a-tople = chipotle - otle + a + tople

one day, in the land of west los angeles, there was a young girl who craved chilaquiles. seeing as west los angeles is certainly not the place to discover such delicacies of the latin world,  she consulted with mexican foodie and chef rick bayless, who pointed her in the direction of an beautiful recipe from his book mexico: one plate at a time. she made some delicious black bean chilaquiles for herself and some friends and they had a merry time.

but thats not why i am writing. i am writing because the story's moral is that chipotle en adobo is great and everyone should stockpile it in their pantries.  how did i get that moral out of that story? its not important - what is important is the delightfully hot and smoky flavor of chipotle, and its accessibility in the canned form. 

so what did this girl do upon discovering the delights of chipotle? PUT IT IN ERRRRYTHING.

this soup is inspired by my friend who used to frequent the heights bar and grill on broadway near columbia university during his undergrad - where he always ordered the lentil soup and doused it with chipotle sauce.  i stepped up the concept a notch and made it sooooo much better.

kicking your tongue from beirut to mexico city

chipotle lentil soup - serves 4

ingredients

1/2 pound lentils

1 large chopped red onion (small dice)

2 chopped leeks (white part only)

5 cloves of garlic, minced or garlic pressed

1/2 tbsp oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

4 stalks diced celery

2 diced red or orange bell pepper

half a carton of diced mushrooms 

5 cups water

2 tbsp tomato paste

4 chipotle chilies en adobo, coarsely diced

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1.  in  large bowl, cover the lentils with bowling water and soak for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside.

2.  in a large stockpot over medium heat, add oil, and the onions, garlic, and leeks.  sautee until translucent, then add the bell pepper, mushrooms, cumin, and oregano and keep sauteeing until the vegetables are very tender.  add the celery, chipotle and tomato paste and combine until the tomato paste has throughly melted through.  season the mixture with salt, sugar and pepper.

3. add the lentils and the water and cover and bring to a boil.  reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about an hour until the lentils are tender.  check the seasonings.  add the red wine vinegar and combine.

this is great with pita bread or warm flour tortillas.  be careful, it will be spicy - but in a good way, i promise!