New South Indian Dish

Recently, I have been putting together a cookbook on bread. I love creating my own cookbooks, though none are commercial. I just love getting things together in one place. My first cookbooks were of "Favorite Recipes." Another was of Guatemalan Recipes and a Memoir for my oldest daughter who remembered her life in Guatemala. Another of Vegetarian Recipes for a friend. One is of sweets of all kinds. And on and on and on goes my story. This latest is all on breads.  I love the challenge of all the organizing, making it look great, detail work is just my thing.

As I am at the stage of proofreading, and while looking more closely at the recipes, words, descriptions, I came to the chapter on Indian breads, and there are many. Many I have made, and there are so many more I have not made but want to. So in reading a few of the recipes I had written out for myself but not actually put to the test, I came across one for Neer Dosa. For those who are not into Indian food as I am, apparently "neer" means water. Dosa is a very flat, crepe-like bread, often made from leftover Idli batter, but Neer Dosa are purely soaked, then ground, rice and water. They are bland, taste like rice, and as such are meant to accompany well-spiced foods, for breakfast, lunch or snack. One of the suggestions I'd seen on websites was to serve these with a Mangalorean Egg Curry.

Mangalorean Egg Curry or Ande Ambat

I have seen recipes for egg curries, from the earliest times of my interest in all things Indian. To date, I had never made one. Made with hard boiled eggs, essentially the eggs are placed into a well-spiced "gravy" of some kind. Depending on region the type of flavors in that gravy or curry mixture will vary. I was intrigued by the use of the word Mangalorean. I'd heard it used, and even looked it up, but couldn't quite place it. According to Wikipedia, Mangalore (also "Mangaluru") is a major port city on the western coast in the Indian state of Karnataka, in southern India. Being a coastal city, coconut based foods are common.

I found very few recipes while searching "Mangalorean Egg Curry." In general, what I found is that this curry is common in the Konkan region of Mangalore, and is called Ande Ambat, so far as I can tell. Information is sketchy, but "ambat" appears to be a curry mixture, since it is used for other things like prawns, fish, etc. Only when "ande" (or "anda") is added does it refer to an egg curry. Essentially, no matter which recipe you look at, most of the ingredients are the same, with varying amounts. After looking through more recipes under that title, I realized that there was really not much new. The ingredients are the same and methods and amounts differ. 

After making my version of this dish for dinner last evening, my husband and I both truly loved the flavors, and the Neer Dosa paired exceptionally well with the dish, though I felt my dosa weren't yet made with any proficiency. Sadly, there are quite a few steps to this recipe, though some of them can be made ahead. The spice mixture ("masala") can be made and stored. The sauce (curry) can also be made ahead. Assembling in a hurry is then a snap. Making it all in one go, I had 2 skillets and 3 different saucepans dirtied, along with the blender, before I finished. 

Mangalorean Egg Curry and Neer Dosa

Still, it is so very tasty, I would truly suggest trying it out. Some ingredients may not be available, unless you are really dedicated to Indian cuisine, as I am. Ajwain or Carom seed is used in just a tiny pinch and can be optional or substituted with a small bit of thyme (thymol is the smell one associates with thyme herb, and ajwain or carom seed also contains thymol). Curry leaves, while they are available fresh by mail (when they arrive, I put them into a zip-top freezer bag and straight into the freezer), aren't on everyone's list of staple items. I love the flavor of them and use them often, but they can be omitted. Tamarind isn't in everyone's pantry either, but can easily be substituted with a squeeze of lime juice, or simply omitted. Dried red chilies aren't on everyone's shelf, and are also a matter of taste. Some cannot tolerate the heat, and others can't get enough. I used two dried red chilies, breaking them open and discarding the seeds before using. If preferred, use dried red chili flakes to your own personal preference, or in a pinch, simply use a tiny bit of cayenne, to taste. Not everyone keeps a fresh coconut lying around, either, though I found that I can buy a whole, ripe coconut, open it and remove all the coconut "meat," and then grate it on a small-holed grater and freeze it, well wrapped. Easy to grab a little when needed.

Mangalorean Egg Curry or Ande Ambat

Based on 1 egg per serving: 6 servings. Based on 2 eggs per serving: 3 servings.

Mangalorean Egg Curry or Ande Ambat

DRY MASALA MIX:
2 (or up to 8) dried red chilies, with or without seeds
1-inch soft cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/8 teaspoon carom/ajwain seeds

CURRY or GRAVY:
2 - 3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium shallots, chopped
12 - 15 curry leaves
3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 large red bell pepper
1 - 2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon-sized piece of seedless tamarind
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or use water)
1 1/2 to 2 cups water
6 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled
1 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled, cubed

TEMPERING:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small shallot, halved, sliced
8 to 10 curry leaves

MAKE THE DRY MASALA MIX: Heat a dry skillet over medium to medium high heat, then toast the spices, one spice at a time (different sizes will toast for different times), just until fragrant, removing each to a single plate to cool. Once cooled, grind the spices in a spice grinder and set aside, or cover tightly and store in a cool, dark place until needed.

MAKE THE CURRY: In a medium skillet, over medium heat, add in the coconut oil and then the shallots with the curry leaves and saute, stirring often, until the shallots soften and start turning a golden color. Add in the garlic and ginger  and cook 3 minutes, then add in the red bell pepper and tomatoes with the turmeric powder and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and the tomatoes broken down. Stir in the grated coconut and cook one minute. Pour the ingredients of the skillet into a blender container, along with the cilantro, the spice Masala mixture, and with either the coconut milk or water (from "other ingredients") and blend smooth. The curry can be refrigerated, tightly covered, until later if needed. 

When ready to make the dish, cook the cubed potatoes until easily pierced with a knife. Drain the water from the potatoes. Have the curry in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add in the potatoes and 1 1/2 cups of water, stirring well. Make shallow cuts in the hard-boiled eggs, then add to the curry. If the mixture is still thick, add more water as needed. Let the mixture simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes to meld flavors.

TEMPERING: In a small skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon coconut oil and saute the sliced shallot with the curry leaves. When the curry is ready to serve, pour into a bowl, then pour the tempering ingredients from the skillet over top. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

NOTES:  If desired, 3 eggs may be whisked together and stirred into the simmering curry sauce before adding the potatoes and tomatoes.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Cauliflower Cabbage and Potatoes Oh My

Unlike some, my husband being one, I love cauliflower and cabbage. Potatoes are really good too, though I try not to eat plain white potatoes too often. I ran across some recipes while researching Indian recipes from different parts of India, and one of them jumped out at me. Whenever I take a recipe, I invariably change it. Either because some Indian recipes call for sometimes up to a half cup of hot  powdered chilies - sorry, no can do - or just that some parts appeal, but I prefer a different amount. I prefer a larger amount of cabbage to potato in a dish, but that is just me and my own preferences.
 

Kobi Bateta nu Shaak or Cabbage & Potato Dry Curry

One recipe I found intriguing is called Kobi Bateta nu Shaak, and I did look at many different iterations of this recipe for comparison. The recipe is from Gujarat, and all I can say is that I made a version of it yesterday for my lunch, and it is just delicious. If I had thought up this idea on my own, I would have titled it Patta Gobi Aloo Sabzi, as I am more familiar with Hindi words, having cooked a whole lot of Indian so far. And I made it again today, but this time with sweet potato instead of white potato. I think I liked it even more this way.

Cabbage & Sweet Potato Sabzi

Okay, enough with my rambling on over Indian terms. I guess I was just writing to straighten it all out in my mind. But this dish is amazingly delicious. The best of all is that unlike most Indian dishes that take a whole lot of steps and various and sundry pots and pans and other utensils, this is a one-skillet meal (or side dish, if preferred). 

Kobi Bateta nu Shaak

(Cabbage & Potato Dry Curry)

Kobi Bateta nu Shaak

Serves 2 (as a meal) or 3 (as a side)

1 - 2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, whole
½ teaspoon asafetida
1 medium onion or 1 large shallot, chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green chili, minced (remove seeds for less heat)
2 medium potatoes, peeled, cubed about ½-inch diameter (for quick cooking)
½ - 1 teaspoon salt
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
2 medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
½ teaspoon ground black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 - 4 tablespoons cilantro, minced

Heat a large skillet with the oil. Once hot, add in the mustard seeds until they begin to crackle, then quickly add in the cumin and asafetida and stir. Add in the onion, garlic, ginger and green chili and cook until partially softened. Add in the potatoes and salt; toss well, then lower heat and cover to cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes. The potatoes should be mostly tender before adding the cabbage. Add in the cabbage and tomatoes with the crushed coriander seeds, ground peppercorns and turmeric powder. Stir well, cook, tossing often, until the cabbage is tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add in the potatoes and cilantro and stir well. Serve this meal with bread of choice, and with rice, kichdi and yogurt.
 
NOTES: To make with sweet potatoes, simple substitute them for the white potato. Sweet potatoes cook a little more quickly than white potatoes, so the initial cooking will likely be less.

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I have in past made Cauliflower with Indian Spices, which I would then term Gobi Masala Sabzi (Gobi = Cauliflower / Masala = Spices / Sabzi = Dry Mixture).

Gobi Masala Sabzi

Gobi Masala Sabzi

(Dry Spiced Cauliflower)
 
Serves 3 to 4, as a side dish

1 pound cauliflower, grated / shredded on a larger holed grater
2 tablespoons ghee
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 - 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon coriander seed, crushed
½ teaspoon cumin seed, crushed
2 teaspoons chaat masala + ¼ teaspoon salt, OR 1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon garam masala

Heat the ghee in a large nonstick skillet. Add in the mustard seeds and stir until they begin to pop and sputter. Add in the cauliflower and toss occasionally, about 7 to 10 minutes on medium high. Add in the ginger and garlic, coriander and cumin and toss for another 2 minutes. The cauliflower should have started to brown in spots. Add in the chaat masala and salt (or the garam masala and salt) and toss to combine.

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Another dish with potatoes was one I created within the last year or so, and it was exceptionally good. Totally my own creation, I put in spices I felt would be good with potatoes and cauliflower. Potatoes and cauliflower, whether separately or together, are a part of a lot of Indian meals, added to wet and dry curries alike. This is just an idea that came out so very good. 

If you like cauliflower, leave the florets a bit larger and visible (in case you look at my photo here and say, "But I don't see any cauliflower!" For this dish, I grated the cauliflower, as I was hiding it in a potato dish so my husband would eat it without knowing 😁

Aloo Gobi Masala

(Indian Spiced Potatoes & Cauliflower)
 
Serves about 4

Aloo Gobi Masala

 

1 - 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
1 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
½ teaspoons cumin seeds
½ teaspoon asafetida / hing
1 medium shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 smallish potatoes, peeled, in ½-inch cubes
1 cup cauliflower florets, cut small½ - 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Sambar Powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon Kalonji/onion seed/nigella
½ teaspoon amchur powder, optional

Heat a skillet and add in the oil or ghee. When hot, add in the mustard and cumin seeds. When they begin to pop, add the asafetida and stir, then add in the potatoes and cauliflower with the salt. Toss to coat in oil and spices and cover, cooking over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to cook evenly. 

Add in the Sambar powder, turmeric, nigella seed and amchur powder (dried sour mango powder) and stir well. Cook for a few minutes longer to allow the spices to permeate the vegetables.

NOTE: Other options in this dish are the addition of tomatoes (add after the potatoes and cauliflower are mostly cooked through), the addition of minced ginger (about a teaspoon) along with the garlic, and the option of a squeeze of lemon juice over the whole, instead of the amchur powder, once the dish is done.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

How to Make Your Own Ghee

As I began learning about Indian food and flavors many years ago, one of the things I realized was that ghee is called for in a LOT of recipes. In the interest of keeping to my idea of making everything (as far as possible) from scratch, I read about making ghee, finding it was really quite simple. 

Ghee

What is Ghee?

Ghee is nothing more than clarified butter taken a step further, and allowing the browning of milk solid bits that fall to the bottom of the pan. This last step imparts a lovely, nutty flavor to the ghee, and in turn to any food cooked with it. 

When making ghee, I would first suggest that one invest in some decent quality butter. I have mostly used Land o Lakes® brand unsalted butter. I have on occasion tried using a lesser quality brand, only to find that the water content of the butter was so high, it caused huge molten bubbles to spew out of the pan. Thankfully I was not burnt, though this could certainly be an expected outcome. For your peace of mind, stick to a butter with lower water content. Most European butters have far lower water content, but are more expensive. 

What to Expect

There are a few steps that will mark the 15 minute progress through this process of making ghee, and skimming off the foam that continually forms is ongoing throughout. Use a pan large enough to accommodate a pound of butter. If your pan does not have a light colored interior, you may not be able to distinguish when the milk solids are browned, though you may be able to smell the nutty aroma once this occurs. Keep the heat at medium to medium low throughout, or a temperature that maintains an active simmer. There are also some visual and audio cues that will help define the approximate 5-minute stages:

1. The butter will melt, figure 1, and as it comes to a low boil, immediately begins foaming, figure 2 (the beginning of the skimming process). At this time, the liquid is totally opaque and bubbles are of all sizes: large, medium and small, figure 3. The sound of the bubbles is rather loud and crackling, as water is being boiled out.
2. As the skimming of foam continues, the bubbles will start to come to a more consistent size and the foam changes its look. At the same time the bubbling sound becomes quieter, figure 4.



Steps to watch for in Making Ghee

3. Toward the last five minutes, as skimming off foam continues, the liquid will begin to come clear, and the bottom of the pan becomes visible, figures 5 & 6. At the point where the pan bottom becomes visible (between foaming), milk solids will be seen accumulating on the bottom. They may not be browned yet, but will be visible. Once these milk solids brown, figure 7, your ghee will be ready. The photo makes the ghee appear to be deep brown, but the color is simply the solids in the pan bottom. The bubbles will be exceedingly tiny, fine and of a consistent size. The sound will have become very quiet, like a low buzz.

Once the ghee is done, if it seems that the browned solids are loose instead of firmly stuck on the pan bottom, use a coffee filter to strain out the solids. I have never had this problem, so once done, I place a metal spoon into a 12 to 14-ounce glass container and pour in the hot ghee. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the spoon and cap your jar. 

The ghee can be kept in the cabinet to use whenever needed, and will keep well for months, as all the milk solids (the part that could go rancid) have all been strained or cooked out. If the process was not completed well and the ghee spoiled, the culprits would be either not skimming off all the foam or some milk solids left in the liquid. If you will not be using the ghee in any reasonable period of time, keep it in the fridge until needed. Remove and bring to room temperature when needed for cooking (otherwise you nearly have to chip it out with a knife, it becomes so hardened in the fridge!).

There are many ways to use ghee. Obviously, if you love Indian cuisines as I do, you will have many opportunities to use it. But if not? Firstly, think about the nutty aroma and flavor and imagine what that flavor would enhance, then use it. It can be used in any application for cooking in butter, although ghee will not burn  as will butter. (What burns when adding butter to a hot pan is the milk solids, which have already been removed from the ghee.) 

When my children were teens, I concocted a noodle dish for a meatless supper once, and long after they pleaded that I make it again and again. Cook some curly egg noodles and drain. Add in some ghee to the hot noodles and stir, then add freshly-ground coarse black pepper to taste (we like a lot!), a drained can of mushrooms and a large handful of basil, cut in chiffonade: stack a goodly pile of basil leaves, roll them into a tight roll, then slice across the roll very thinly. If desired, sprinkle on some shredded Parmesan cheese.

Another dish I created, this one in the style of Kashmir, I called Kashmiri Style Chicken. Original, huh? But it is delicious, so here is that recipe also:

Kashmiri Style Chicken

Kashmiri Style Chicken

Serves 4 to 6

Kashmiri Style Chicken

WHOLE SPICES
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
½ teaspoon black "onion" or nigella seed (Kalonji/Calonji)
½ teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon green cardamom seeds
2 inches true cinnamon

1 tablespoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
¼ - 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (not the mixture used for Chili con Carne) 

2 tablespoons ghee or oil
1 onion, thinly sliced, lightly chopped
1 walnut sized piece fresh ginger, minced
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tej patta leaf 
1 can coconut milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 - 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breast or thighs)
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt

In a dry skillet over high heat, toss the first seven whole spices for 2 to 4 minutes, or until very fragrant. Turn out onto a plate to cool, then grind in a spice grinder. Add the next 3 pre-ground spices to this mixture and set aside.

Heat ghee in a large skillet and saute the onions, ginger and garlic for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add all the spices, including the tej patta leaf and saute for 2 - 3 minutes more. Add the coconut milk and lemon juice and allow the mixture to reduce for a few minutes.

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and add to the skillet along with the tomatoes and salt and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with rice or naan bread.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.