The Indian version of battered and fried veggies. This is only the recipe for the batter, but it can be used on any number of vegetables: thinly sliced sweet potato, cauliflower (YUCK!), onion rings, zucchini, spinach, or whatever else you want to try.
1.5 C gram (chickpea) flour
1/2 C rice flour
pinch asafoetida
1/4 t turmeric
Cayenne pepper to taste
salt to taste
Combine all the ingredients, adding enough water to make a moderately thin batter. Keep in mind that you want the batter to be a little salty to season the veggies. Dredge vegetables in the batter and deep fry at 350 F until golden brown.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Jackfruit Curry
An unusual curry using green jackfruit in place of meat. Green jackfruit has a great texture, but very little flavor, so it's cooked with plenty of onion, garlic, and spices. Note: I was winging it when I made this, so it's more approximate than most for amounts.
2 cans of green jackfruit (it has to be green) roughly 10 oz each when drained
3 T mustard oil
1-1.5 T black mustard seeds
1 medium onion, chopped
1.5 T garlic, chopped
1.5 T ginger, grated
2 t cumin
3 T tomato paste
1/2 C stock (vegetable stock if going vegetarian, otherwise chicken stock)
1/2 t turmeric
ground chile to taste
salt to taste
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high, and add the mustard seeds, onion, garlic, and ginger (if using whole cumin add it as well, otherwise add it with the jackfruit). Cook until well the onion and garlic is well browned.
Add in the jackfruit, chile, and turmeric and stir fry for a a couple of minutes. Add the tomato paste and the stock and stir fry for another couple of minutes to combine and cook down to desired consistency. Add salt to taste.
2 cans of green jackfruit (it has to be green) roughly 10 oz each when drained
3 T mustard oil
1-1.5 T black mustard seeds
1 medium onion, chopped
1.5 T garlic, chopped
1.5 T ginger, grated
2 t cumin
3 T tomato paste
1/2 C stock (vegetable stock if going vegetarian, otherwise chicken stock)
1/2 t turmeric
ground chile to taste
salt to taste
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high, and add the mustard seeds, onion, garlic, and ginger (if using whole cumin add it as well, otherwise add it with the jackfruit). Cook until well the onion and garlic is well browned.
Add in the jackfruit, chile, and turmeric and stir fry for a a couple of minutes. Add the tomato paste and the stock and stir fry for another couple of minutes to combine and cook down to desired consistency. Add salt to taste.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Cambodian Grilled Pork (Bai Sach Chrouk)
This street food dish of grilled pork over rice (often broken rice, which is to say cheap broken grains of rice) served with pickled vegetables (included below) is, oddly enough, a breakfast dish in Cambodia. Personally I eat it as a main dish. I intentionally make this a little salty to eat with rice. Start the pickled vegetables at least a day ahead of time.
1 lb pork loin, well trimmed, then sliced against the grain in to 1/4" slices
2/3 C coconut milk
2 T + 1 t palm or brown sugar
4 T soy sauce
1 T black soy sauce, or kecap manis
1 T fish sauce
4 cloves garlic
black pepper to taste
Thai chiles to taste (either chopped fresh, or ground dried)
Combine all the ingredients and marinate for at least an hour. Remove the pork from the marinade (reserving marinade), and grill or broil until cooked and well caramelized. Bring the marinade to a boil and reduce slightly to make a sauce. Serve the pork over rice and pour over some of the cooked marinade.
Pickled Vegetables:
1/2 C rice vinegar
1/2 C white vinegar
2 T salt
8 T sugar
1 carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced in to thin half rounds
1 small daikon, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced in to thin half rounds
1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced in to thin half rounds
4 cloves garlic,thinly sliced
6 sprigs cilantro
6 Thai chiles
Combine the vinegars, salt, and sugar and bring to a simmer just long enough to dissolve the sugar; cool slightly. Mix together the other ingredients, then pour the vinegar mixture over the top, making sure all the vegetables are covered. Refrigerate for at least a day before eating.
1 lb pork loin, well trimmed, then sliced against the grain in to 1/4" slices
2/3 C coconut milk
2 T + 1 t palm or brown sugar
4 T soy sauce
1 T black soy sauce, or kecap manis
1 T fish sauce
4 cloves garlic
black pepper to taste
Thai chiles to taste (either chopped fresh, or ground dried)
Combine all the ingredients and marinate for at least an hour. Remove the pork from the marinade (reserving marinade), and grill or broil until cooked and well caramelized. Bring the marinade to a boil and reduce slightly to make a sauce. Serve the pork over rice and pour over some of the cooked marinade.
Pickled Vegetables:
1/2 C rice vinegar
1/2 C white vinegar
2 T salt
8 T sugar
1 carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced in to thin half rounds
1 small daikon, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced in to thin half rounds
1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced in to thin half rounds
4 cloves garlic,thinly sliced
6 sprigs cilantro
6 Thai chiles
Combine the vinegars, salt, and sugar and bring to a simmer just long enough to dissolve the sugar; cool slightly. Mix together the other ingredients, then pour the vinegar mixture over the top, making sure all the vegetables are covered. Refrigerate for at least a day before eating.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Burmese Chile-Garlic Sauce
A sweet and tart sauce with lots of heat and a punch of garlic and vinegar. This sauce would be good on an old shoe, but it's excellent on eggs or used to kick up a curry. This recipe is wonderfully spicy, but you could probably substitute a milder red chile
A hefty cup of tightly packed dried red Thai chiles, ends removed (de-seeded for a smoother milder sauce)
3/4 C water
5-6 T garlic cloves, peeled but whole
1/4 C fish sauce
1/4 C sugar
3/4 C rice vinegar
Bring the water to a simmer and add the chiles. Simmer for several minutes, adding the garlic right at the end. Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until well combined. Allow to combine for a day or so before using.
A hefty cup of tightly packed dried red Thai chiles, ends removed (de-seeded for a smoother milder sauce)
3/4 C water
5-6 T garlic cloves, peeled but whole
1/4 C fish sauce
1/4 C sugar
3/4 C rice vinegar
Bring the water to a simmer and add the chiles. Simmer for several minutes, adding the garlic right at the end. Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until well combined. Allow to combine for a day or so before using.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Porchetta with Roasted Fennel
This was a revelation for me. I know I LOVE roasted pork, and things like my Cuban Roasted Pork are favorites, but with this one I found that I could love the veggies roasted with the pork even more than the meat. Slow roasted fennel might be enough to make me a vegetarian again (if it hadn't been cooked in pork drippings).
3-3.5 lb pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed and reserved
juice from one orange
Herb Rub:
2 large sprigs rosemary, stripped from stems and chopped
zest of one lemon and 1.5 oranges
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 t kosher salt
2 t toasted and ground fennel seeds
2 t ground black pepper
3-4 bulbs fennel, trimmed of tops, halved, cored, and thinly sliced (trust me, more is better, but take in to account the size of your baking dish; I can just barely fit 4 in my 5.75 qt Le Creuset)
Olive oil and ample salt to taste for the fennel
If using a bone in pork shoulder, cut three or four deep cuts in to the meat and evenly distribute the rub in them. Use butcher's twine to hold the meat together. If boneless, butterfly the entire roast out and spread the rub on the entire inner surface before rolling and trussing with twine.
Place the roast in a covered ceramic baking dish and bake at 350 F for two hours, turning every 30 minutes or so, and basting with the orange juice. If things seem to be drying out too much, use juice from the other orange or from the lemon.
After two hours, add in the fennel with olive oil and salt, and toss to combine with the drippings in the pan. Continue to roast for another hour and a half, stirring the fennel every 30 minutes and turning the meat to promote even browning. The fennel should be almost melting and the meat should be falling apart.
Serve with the pork with polenta and plenty of the roasted fennel.
3-3.5 lb pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed and reserved
juice from one orange
Herb Rub:
2 large sprigs rosemary, stripped from stems and chopped
zest of one lemon and 1.5 oranges
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 t kosher salt
2 t toasted and ground fennel seeds
2 t ground black pepper
3-4 bulbs fennel, trimmed of tops, halved, cored, and thinly sliced (trust me, more is better, but take in to account the size of your baking dish; I can just barely fit 4 in my 5.75 qt Le Creuset)
Olive oil and ample salt to taste for the fennel
If using a bone in pork shoulder, cut three or four deep cuts in to the meat and evenly distribute the rub in them. Use butcher's twine to hold the meat together. If boneless, butterfly the entire roast out and spread the rub on the entire inner surface before rolling and trussing with twine.
Place the roast in a covered ceramic baking dish and bake at 350 F for two hours, turning every 30 minutes or so, and basting with the orange juice. If things seem to be drying out too much, use juice from the other orange or from the lemon.
After two hours, add in the fennel with olive oil and salt, and toss to combine with the drippings in the pan. Continue to roast for another hour and a half, stirring the fennel every 30 minutes and turning the meat to promote even browning. The fennel should be almost melting and the meat should be falling apart.
Serve with the pork with polenta and plenty of the roasted fennel.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Polenta
For being little more than corn meal, water, and a little seasoning this is a truly wonderful accompaniment to any Italian meal. I take the basic method from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (which I highly recommend), but tweak the ingredients some to make it richer.
7 C water
1 T salt
1 2/3 C coarse cornmeal
6 T butter
1/2 C grated Parmesan
Bring the water and salt to a boil, then very slowly whisk in the cornmeal to avoid lumps. Stir continuously for several minutes before reducing the heat to a bare simmer and covering the pot. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes before removing the lid and stirring thoroughly. Repeat this 10 minute covered cooking and stirring cycle until the polenta has cooked for 40 minutes. Stir in the butter and Parmesan then serve.
7 C water
1 T salt
1 2/3 C coarse cornmeal
6 T butter
1/2 C grated Parmesan
Bring the water and salt to a boil, then very slowly whisk in the cornmeal to avoid lumps. Stir continuously for several minutes before reducing the heat to a bare simmer and covering the pot. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes before removing the lid and stirring thoroughly. Repeat this 10 minute covered cooking and stirring cycle until the polenta has cooked for 40 minutes. Stir in the butter and Parmesan then serve.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Shakshuka
A middle eastern breakfast dish of eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce. While nominally a breakfast dish, it's savory enough to eat for other meals as well as being fast and easy. This dish can be made vegan by leaving out the eggs, though it ends up lacking protein. Serve with pita.
1 28oz can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, crushed
6 T olive oil
1 t cumin
1/2 t caraway
1/2 t cayenne (or to taste)
1 t paprika
6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
Heat the oil and saute the garlic lightly in a large skillet. Crush the tomatoes by hand in to the skillet and add the seasonings. Cook for 15 minutes or so partially covered, then taste and adjust seasoning. Crack the eggs in to the skillet and cook, partially covered, until the whites have just set.
1 28oz can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, crushed
6 T olive oil
1 t cumin
1/2 t caraway
1/2 t cayenne (or to taste)
1 t paprika
6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
Heat the oil and saute the garlic lightly in a large skillet. Crush the tomatoes by hand in to the skillet and add the seasonings. Cook for 15 minutes or so partially covered, then taste and adjust seasoning. Crack the eggs in to the skillet and cook, partially covered, until the whites have just set.
Falafel
This is the Egyptian version of the well known fried bean dish. Unlike other versions of the dish the Egyptian version uses fava beans instead of chickpeas, and flattens out the balls to pan fry rather than deep frying. As a note: it is absolutely necessary that you start with dried beans; canned beans will produce mushy results. Serve with tahini sauce; you can also serve this with pita, cucumber, tomatoes, and/or pickled turnip if you want to make sandwiches out of it.
1 lb dried fava beans, split and husked, soaked in plenty of water for two days in the fridge
2/3 C flat leaf parsley, de-stemmed
2/3 C cilantro, de-stemmed
1 T cumin, ground
1.5-2 t coriander, ground
8 cloves of garlic
1 t baking powder
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 t cayenne, or to taste
2T flour
Salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil for shallow frying
Add everything except the vegetable oil in a food processor and pulse to combine. You may have to work in batches, and you're ultimately looking for it to be well combined but still have a little texture. Form patties roughly 1 cm thick and 4-5 cm across; the patties should just hold together (add a little extra flour if they don't). Form a small patty and cook it to test seasoning; adjust as necessary. Fry patties until browned and crispy, with an interior that is soft (and green!).
1 lb dried fava beans, split and husked, soaked in plenty of water for two days in the fridge
2/3 C flat leaf parsley, de-stemmed
2/3 C cilantro, de-stemmed
1 T cumin, ground
1.5-2 t coriander, ground
8 cloves of garlic
1 t baking powder
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 t cayenne, or to taste
2T flour
Salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil for shallow frying
Add everything except the vegetable oil in a food processor and pulse to combine. You may have to work in batches, and you're ultimately looking for it to be well combined but still have a little texture. Form patties roughly 1 cm thick and 4-5 cm across; the patties should just hold together (add a little extra flour if they don't). Form a small patty and cook it to test seasoning; adjust as necessary. Fry patties until browned and crispy, with an interior that is soft (and green!).
Tahini Sauce
A wonderful garlicky tangy accompaniment for many middle eastern dishes, especially falafel. Before the water is added this will be a very thick paste, but will thin out to a rich and creamy sauce.
2/3 C tahini
2/3 C freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Cold water to thin out the sauce (about a 1/4 C)
Salt to taste
Blend together the first three ingredients, then pulse in the water until you reach a creamy consistency. Add in salt to taste.
2/3 C tahini
2/3 C freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Cold water to thin out the sauce (about a 1/4 C)
Salt to taste
Blend together the first three ingredients, then pulse in the water until you reach a creamy consistency. Add in salt to taste.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Sichuan Cucumber Relish
A mildly spicy cucumber relish, perfect for snacking on or eating along side a richer Chinese dish.
2 large cucumbers, ends removed, halved and cut in to chunks
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 t Sichuan pepper, ground
1 t chile bean paste
2 T hot pepper oil
1 T salt
2 t sugar
1 T chinkiang vinegar
2 T sesame oil
Place cucumber pieces in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Let sit for a couple of hours before rinsing. Mix the cucumber with the rest of the ingredients, stirring to coat. Allow the flavors to blend for three hours or overnight before serving.
2 large cucumbers, ends removed, halved and cut in to chunks
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 t Sichuan pepper, ground
1 t chile bean paste
2 T hot pepper oil
1 T salt
2 t sugar
1 T chinkiang vinegar
2 T sesame oil
Place cucumber pieces in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Let sit for a couple of hours before rinsing. Mix the cucumber with the rest of the ingredients, stirring to coat. Allow the flavors to blend for three hours or overnight before serving.
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