More Indian Sweets

Indian sweet treats, whether for one of the many festivals or holy days or just for home consumption, all seem to be made with milk. Well, maybe not all, but most. Making matters worse, they are generally made using Khoya or Mawa, a milk product created by slowly cooking, stirring, simmering, stirring, stirring and stirring, for hours, until the end result is a thickened mass. This is the basis for so many of the sweets, like Gulab Jamun, Rasgullah, Peda and many others. 

When I first made Gajar Burfi, a carrot fudge, some years back, it was one of these recipes calling for the long milk cooking process. My sister, who once made an Indian meal for some friends, noted that she was going to make a recipe for Carrot 'Halwa', from one of her cookbooks. It was that long, slow, stirring process. She wrote later that it was a huge hit with her guests. However, after 4 1/2 hours of stirring to accomplish this result, she flatly stated, "NEVER AGAIN!"

Gajar Burfi or Carrot Fudge

Having read that halwa and burfi are similar, but that halwa is generally made without milk while burfi is made with milk, obviously that is a generality that doesn't always apply. When I came across a recipe for Gajar Burfi that I tweaked to come out similarly by using whole milk powder to thicken the mixture instead of stirring for hours, I was very pleased. I sent the recipe to my sister. I have no idea if she ever tried it out. She may still be too traumatized. =:o

Now, as I am preparing for an Indian dinner for another two of my sisters, I chose to make a sweets assortment as dessert rather than go to deep-frying (which I abhor, no matter how good the outcome) to make Gulab Jamun or making paneer so I could make Rasgullah (a major difficulty nowadays since pretty much all milk in the grocery is "ultra-pasteurized," and does not like to form curds for the paneer). So I looked through an Indian cookbook I created for myself, made up of mostly recipes I have created, generally by looking through 2 to 20 recipes and coming up with something that sounds good to me. I have quite a repertoire by now, as I have been making Indian food for nearly 30 years at this point. But there are things I still want to try out, so I added into this cookbook some recipes that were either straight from someone's website (to tweak later on when I tried it out), or again a compilation of what "I would do," having previously looked at many iterations for the recipe. Some of these sweets are among those. Things I had yet to try.

Rava Laddoo, Sweet Semolina Laddoo

Why did I wait so long?

Who knows. Sometimes, it just seems like it's going to be a huge bother, or a huge mess, and I procrastinate. That is something I am really, terribly good at.

In selecting the sweets to make for a treat at end of this dinner, I selected three things in my cookbook, along with the Gajar (Carrot) Burfi, made before. I love the Carrot Fudge, and as my husband, who is not at all fond of carrots, loves it as well, just proves that once you add enough sugar, he will eat most things. 😉

I wrote a couple of days ago about the Badam Katli, or Thin Almond Fudge. That recipe is one that does not use the milk as it's basis. As it turns out, the second sweet I tried out is Rava Laddoo, or Sweet Semolina Laddoo, also does not use milk as it's basis. So much for generalities! This was a welcome discovery as my whole milk powder is running low and no grocery anywhere I have shopped carries whole milk powder. Nonfat milk powder is found anywhere. But nonfat is not the best way to go for these sweets. 

The Sweet Semolina Laddoo recipe is one I chose from a website called "Chef in You." I used it mostly just as stated in the recipe on that blog, so I urge you to go there and check out all the step by step photos, if those are needed. I happened to have semolina in my pantry, as I use it occasionally when making pasta. I measured some ingredients by gram or ounce. Some, like "10 cashews," were self explanatory. 

Rava Laddoo or Sweet Semolina Laddoo

Made about 25

Heat 2 teaspoons (of the total 4 1/2 teaspoons) of ghee in a wide skillet. Toast the raw cashews until they start to turn golden, stirring constantly. Turn these out onto paper toweling and then add in the raisins to the skillet, tossing and cooking until they puff up. Turn out to another sheet of paper toweling.

Toast the grated dry coconut, not till browned, but just until it smells of coconut. Turn out to a small bowl.

Add the remaining ghee to the skillet and over low heat add in the semolina, stirring and mixing until the smell is very apparent. It does not need to brown, but to absorb the ghee and slightly cook.

Rava Laddoo, or
Sweet Semolina Balls

 Turn the semolina out into a mixing bowl and add in the toasted nuts, coconut, raisins, pinch of salt and the cardamom powder. Stir, then add in the sugar and mix well. Add the 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk and stir in. Check if at this point it is possible to squeeze a small amount into a ball. If you have ever made Rum Balls or Bourbon Balls at Christmas, it is similar. If the mixture will not hold its shape, add in more milk as needed, by one or two teaspoons at a time, mixing very well each time to distribute the liquid, before testing if it will hold a ball shape. I live in a very dry climate and needed to add over 2 tablespoons more milk to make the mixture hold together.

Once the mixture can hold shape, pour all of the mixture back onto the skillet and keep over low heat, covered, and let rest for 2 minutes. This gives the mixture time to absorb  and will form and taste better.

Pour back into the mixing bowl and scoop out 2 to 3 teaspoonful sized portions and form into balls. It is good to have little mini muffin papers to contain them but is not completely needed. Best if kept in the fridge and will last about 5 days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doodh Peda or Milk Fudge Balls

The other sweet I tried out was one called Peda. Or Doodh (milk) Peda (something spherical shaped). I am not totally positive where I found this recipe, but it is very similar to one from Hebbar's Kitchen, so please check out her recipe, again with step by step pictures if those are needed. These are little milk fudge balls, and are simple to make, if you choose to use the quick method of using condensed milk and milk powder. Sweetened condensed milk eliminates the need to add any other sugar and the milk powder thickens the mixture, giving it a great head-start. Oh, and they are so delicious!

Doodh Peda or Milk Fudge Balls

Makes about 25

Doodh Peda or Milk Fudge Balls

1 tablespoon ghee
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups whole milk powder
2 tablespoons milk, warmed
8 or 9 saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon green cardamom seeds, ground
1 teaspoon ghee, plus more for hands while rolling
-------
pistachios to decorate, whole or chopped

In a small bowl, set the saffron threads into the warm milk to steep. Set aside.

In a large, heavy pot, add in the first teaspoon ghee, spread around in the pan, then pour in the sweetened condensed milk and the dry milk powder. Stir this mixture thoroughly, breaking up lumps, until the mixture is smooth. Add in the saffron milk and stir. Set over medium to medium low heat and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Add in the cardamom powder and the second teaspoon of ghee and stir well. Remove from heat and pour onto a greased plate to cool slightly. Once it can be handled, grease hands with ghee and take small portions of the mixture and toll into balls. Technically, it is common to use a Peda Stamp to press a starburst into the top of the ball, and then pistachios, or pistachio slivers pressed in to adorn. I used the tip of a lemon reamer to make a starburst. 

Keep in a well sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a few days.

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.

Indian Food Updates and New Recipes

I am planning another Indian meal for two of my sisters next week. Some recipes are ones I have made before, like Kachche Gosht ki Biryani, and some I have made many, many times before, like Palak Paneer. I will be serving an array of chutneys, such as Dhania Poodina (Mint and Cilantro Chutney), Khajur Imli Chatni (Date Tamarind Chutney) and Am Chatni (Mango Chutney). One of my sisters in particular, really loves turning up the heat, so i returned to a recipe I had made in past, called Allam Pachadi, a Ginger Tamarind 'Pickle.'

Allam Pachadi / Ginger Tamarind Pickle

So, looking back over that recipe I used for Allam Pachadi, I thought maybe I should change some things. First off, while I like heat, sometimes it's just heat with no perceptible flavor, while your taste buds try to crawl away screaming, and hide. So I went back to look through the internet and some of my favorite Indian blogs, and others that are new to me, to see what other ingredients or methods might be used for this 'pickle.' I am putting that word in quotes, as these in no way resemble what we know here in the U.S as pickles. They fall more in the category of chutney, and some blog writers seem to use these words interchangeably for the same recipes. 

Looking through recipes then, I stopped at one that seemed to be very interesting, both for the change of ingredients as well as the method of making the pickle. In the first attempt for this pickle that I made some years ago, the main recipe I used, and made a few alterations to, called for 6 TABLESPOONS of Indian powdered chilis. Yikes! I reduced that to 2 tablespoons, substituting paprika for the remainder, but even so, it was too screaming hot for me to do anything but taste. When I encountered a recipe that sounded like it had promise, it was at the blog site called Hebbar's Kitchen. I used that recipe as a starting point, altering a few things as I went. I added more red chilies, more mustard seeds, more sugar. I added in some asafetida and turmeric. What I liked best was the method, which was simpler, IMHO.

As it turned out, while quite hot, this pickle is not as screaming hot as the last one, and it had flavors I could actually taste. I love it!

Allam Pachadi

Makes about 14 ounces

Allam Pachadi

Small ball of "seedless" tamarind
Boiling water for soaking the tamarind, about 3/4 cup
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 1/2 tablespoons channa dal
1 tablespoon urad dal
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafetida/hing
8 dried red Kashmiri chilies, broken
15 to 20 curry leaves, depending on size (mine were small)
2.5 ounces / 75 grams ginger root (about 4+ inches worth), peeled, in small chunks
4 cloves garlic, in small chunks
2 - 3 tablespoons jaggery or light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

TEMPERING:
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
4 - 6 curry leaves
2 whole dried red Kashmiri chilies

Soak the tamarind in boiling hot water for at least 20 minutes to soften.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and add in the channa and urad dal with the first half teaspoon mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Stir constantly until the dals just start to turn golden (not brown) and everything is fragrant. Add in the curry leaves, broken chilies (I did not use the seeds that fell out), the ginger and garlic. Cook this, stirring quickly until the garlic no longer smells raw, just a minute or two, then pour all the contents of the skillet into a blender container. Add in the turmeric powder and salt.

Separately, pass the softened tamarind through a sieve, pressing it through with the back of a spoon to get as much pulp as possible, using some of the soaking liquid to facilitate the process. Keep remaining soaking liquid aside. Add the tamarind pulp tot he blender, and blend the whole batch to a puree. You may need to add some of the reserved tamarind soaking liquid in order to puree the pickle. I had to use the better part of the entire 3/4 cup of liquid to blend the mixture down. 

Separately, heat the tablespoon of oil for tempering (meaning added flavors) and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and the two dried whole chilies and toast briefly. Pour this over top of the pickle when serving. Or, just stir it into the mixture. Store the pickle in a clean glass jar with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate up to 3 weeks. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another thing I am working on for this dinner is dessert. I truly despise deep frying, so I am not making Gulab Jamun, and I do not want to make more paneer, as it has become nearly impossible, what with the ultra-pasteurization that has become so rampant, so I am not making Rasgulla, which now that I went to paste in a link, I realize I never posted my recipe! 

Rasgulla, recipe soon

At one of my Indian dinners I had made Gajar Burfi, a carrot fudge. This may sound strange, carrots in fudge, but after living in Guatemala as a young wife, and finding how many veggies went into desserts, I was no longer fazed when reading about carrots in fudge; it is absolutely delicious! So I thought I would return to that. But then again, I can never leave well enough alone, so I went looking at some Indian sweets recipes I had looked at before but never made. I opted then, to make an assortment of small batches of sweets, so we can all pick and choose. My first new recipe is called Badam Katli (Thin Almond Fudge). Since I used the recipe mostly as I found it, from Swasthi's Recipes, at Indianhealthyrecipes.com, while I will post what I did here, please read her recipe, made the long way.

My one error was cooking the mixture just slightly too long, as it really dried out. Good, in a way, because it is certainly not sticky, but I could absolutely not get the nuts to stay adhered to the top. I used almonds, since it is almond fudge, instead of the pistachios used in Swasthi's recipe.

As most of these sweets are festival or holy day treats, they are often made truly special by gilding with edible silver or gold foil. I happened to have silver foil on hand, so I used it.

Badam Katli / Thin Almond Fudge

My understanding of the word 'katli' is that it means thin, as with rolling out the fudge into a thin layer. The meanings of different words gets mightily confusing at times, and I have seen this recipe, nearly identical, called Badam Burfi or Badam Halwa.

Trying to tease out the meanings and differences, Wikipedia had some things to say that made sense. I know these will not apply in every instance, but in this case, I'm just going with it. Any 'Burfi" (sometimes "Barfi" but I prefer the other spelling for obvious reasons) type fudge candy is made using milk, whether Khoya, plain milk, condensed milk or powdered milk (and sometimes all of them). My Carrot Burfi recipe in its original form, would use khoya or a cooked down milk, which can take literally hours and hours of stirring. Not gonna happen! I used powdered milk and it came together in minutes. Yum!

Halwa, on the other hand does not use milk, but generally uses a sugar syrup to create the mixture, but without milk.

Similarly with any recipe for laddoo/laddu/ladoo, whether deep fried or made quick cooked or simply ingredients mixed together (similarly to Bourbon Balls at Christmas time), are always made into round balls. Laddoo made with cooked semolina is on my list of things to try for this upcoming dinner as well.

On to the recipe. Simple and delicious. I doubled the recipe as it stood on Swasthi's site, but I did not quite double the amount of sugar. They are delightful.

Badam Katli

Badam Katli or Thin Almond Fudge

Made about 20 - 25 pieces

2 cups fine almond meal with no brown skins
1 cup + 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup water
-----
Almond slices or pistachio pieces for decoration

In a medium skillet over high heat, place the sugar and water and bring to boil. Stir, and once the sugar is all dissolved, add in all the almond meal and cardamom. Lower heat and while mixing, it is best to take the skillet off the heat. Mix well with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until all the almond meal is evenly distributed, with no lumps. Return the pan to the heat and keep it at a simmer, because the mixture, as it boils, sends up geysers akin to watching lava burst from a volcano and with similar effect. You WILL get burned! Stir, quickly and constantly, to keep this from occurring. It will take about 6 to 8 minutes of stirring before the mixture comes together as one mass. Pour out onto a greased plat until it cools slightly.

Do not cool too long or you will not be able to knead the mixture. Knead the mixture until it comes together smoothly (I used a silicone spatula to do this, lifting, turning and forming over and over until smooth - it was just too hot!)), then place the mixture onto a piece of parchment and roll with a rolling pin to flatten. Place sliced almonds or pistachio pieces on top and roll again to make the nuts set evenly with the top of the fudge, which should be no more than 1/4-inch thick. With a sharp knife, trim edges neatly, then cut into about 1-inch wide strips. Separate the strips and cut into small squares or into diamond shapes. Store in a tightly sealed container. 

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.

A Stew with Middle Eastern Flavors

I mentioned in my blog of November 14, 2017 that my husband took my chance comment that I knew little of Middle Eastern cooking and flavors completely to heart and bought me about 8 or more cookbooks on different Middle Eastern foods from varying countries. Many of these dishes are easy to make as a healthy addition to our diet, using additional vegetables and skimping on the breads.
 

Middle Eastern Beef Stew

I used some of the flavors I saw being used repeatedly in recipes, such as cinnamon and cardamom, making an excellent and light-on-calories but high-in-flavor supper meal using beef or lamb. It was so delicious in fact, that I made it twice in as many weeks. The first time I used beef stew meat, and the second I used a chuck roast, cut into large chunks. The first time I added Brussels sprouts to the stew towards the end of cooking time, and the second time I opted to steam the Brussels sprouts and serve them alongside, for prettier presentation. It made no difference to the flavors, but visual appeal is half the battle, when going for something low cal that tempts.

I used celery in the stew itself, and quite a lot of it. I figured it is a good filler vegetable; few calories but holding its own on stomach space 😀. I served this stew with a little rice, and I always use whole grain brown rice, or red rice or pink rice or other whole rice blends. Altogether, it made a most excellent meal with excellent flavors. If preferred, couscous is a great combination also, though couscous does not generally contain the whole grain.

Middle Eastern Beef Stew

Serves 4 to 6

Middle Eastern Beef Stew

1 pound beef stew meat or a chuck
    roast, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ teaspoon salt
1 large onion, chopped
⅛ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon freshly ground black 
    pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably true 
    cinnamon (usually "Ceylon")
1 teaspoon rosewater, optional
2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced 
    tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved or 
    quartered

Pat the meat dry with paper toweling. It will not brown quickly if wet. Heat a large skillet and add in the oil. Brown the pieces of meat, about half at a time. Once browned, remove them to a heavy Dutch oven or other oven-proof pot with lid. 

In a small bowl, or using a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic together with the salt. Set aside.

In the same skillet, cook the onions until they are softened and translucent. Add a little more oil, if needed. Remove the onions to the pot. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the great color in the pan. Pour this into the pot, then add in all the remaining ingredients, except the Brussels sprouts. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and lower the heat to the lowest setting and cook gently for 1½ to 2 hours. Check for tenderness. Check for flavor. Cook for another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the Brussels sprouts and (preferably) steam them for about 7 to 10 minutes. Try to keep them steamed just to "al dente" and not over cooked. They taste their very best when they are just under the point of being too soft, and still retain their vibrant color. Sprinkle with salt and serve with the stew, over a little cooked brown rice.




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.

The Cardamoms and Their Differences

Green Cardamom - Elettaria cardamomum

Green Cardamom Pods & Seeds

Cardamom is an ancient spice, existing in India more than a thousand years before the birth of Christ. It is the third most expensive spice, after saffron and vanilla. The spice eventually reached Europe along the caravan routes. Ancient Greece and Rome valued cardamom as an ingredient in perfumes, as well as breath fresheners and digestive aids. These days, outside of the Eastern and Middle-Eastern countries where it is most known, the Scandinavian countries are the biggest importers of cardamom, using it to flavor their spiced cakes, pastries and breads.

Green cardamom pods come from a perennial bush of the ginger family that can grow to up to 12 feet tall. It is native to India, and grows wild in rain forests of southern India and Sri Lanka, at relatively low altitudes. The plant will only flower and fruit in tropical climates. Guatemala is now the largest exporter of cardamom, even more so than India. The plant needs wet soil and heat to grow and bear the little fruits, harvested just before fully ripe and dried, either in the sun, similarly to coffee, or in special drying rooms. The very best dried cardamom pods are pale greenish in color. Each half-inch paper-like pod holds approximately 12 to 20 dark brown or black highly aromatic seeds. It is best to buy either whole pods or whole seeds that have been removed from the pod. The pods themselves have little flavor and commercially it is too easy to grind the whole pod together, thus lowering the price and the quality of the ground spice.

Grinding the seeds is simple in a mortar and pestle or a small spice grinder, and one is assured of the quality of the product. Many dishes in India call for whole, unbroken or only slightly crushed pods to be used. Anyone who has eaten Indian cuisine, or cooked Indian dishes, knows well how often cardamom is an ingredient. It is almost always used in a Garam Masala mixture, often seen as an ingredient in Northern Indian dishes such as rice biryani, creamed spinach and dhal. In addition to its use in savory dishes, cardamom is used extensively in breads and sweets.

Black Cardamom, top. Green Cardamom, bottom

Cardamom has a lovely flavor and aroma, quite penetrating and strongly aromatic. While it is one of the most expensive spices, very little is needed to impart flavor. An Indian dessert called Gulab Jamun uses the seeds ground in either the little balls of dough before frying, or in their syrup, or both. In northern European countries it is used in Stollen breads as well as many other cakes, pastries and cookies. In some places in the Middle East, cardamom is mixed with green coffee beans and roasted together and ground. Some of these mixtures may have as much as 40 percent cardamom. There are also white cardamom pods commercially available, and some feel these are superior. In reality, these are no more than bleached pods of the green cardamom. If cardamom is not yet known in your lexicon of spices, search for it in a good quality spice shop and try it out.

Black Cardamom - Amomum subulatum 

Black Cardamom pods and seeds

Black Cardamom or Hill Cardamom is related to green cardamom and are both from the ginger family, but there the comparison stops. The flavors of black cardamom are far different and do not lend to use in sweet dishes. The seed pods are larger and coarser and have a camphor like flavor and a smoky character from the method of drying over fires. It is commonly used in savory dhal or rice mixtures, and in some northern Indian garam masalas.





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.

Reprise of my Valentine Cake

Almond Pistachio Torte with Baklava Flavors

Ever since Valentine's Day, when I made an Almond Pistachio Torte with Baklava Flavors, I have been itching to remake the torte, with some changes. Don't get me wrong - there was absolutely nothing wrong with the flavors. There was nothing wrong with the cake at all, except that if someone with less experience tries that recipe, it will yield a lot of frustration and possibly some heartbreak along with it. 

My Reasons for Making Changes

For starters, when I get going on the creation of a recipe, I am of the "more is better" school. It is really hard for me to scale back on ingredients. I also usually look for what will be the most rich, unless I am absolutely working on a recipe for paring back in some way, due to someone's dietary restrictions. Going on that theme, I used 5 eggs, 1 2/3 cup sugar, 2 sticks of butter and a half cup of heavy cream, on top of the 3+ cups of ground nuts. As I said; rich. My goal was to have the flavors of Baklava, in a cake. That much was pretty good. The actual layers of the torte were too fragile, too wet, too sunken in the middle. 

I used possibly more glaze than needed, but oh my, was that cake moist. I think part of the sinking-in-the-middle problem was too much meringue in the batter and way too much butter mixed in. When attempting to trim the very high edges, the pieces were wet enough to pack into the middle, where the layer was sunken. All this was okay, ultimately. The cake held together, but trying to move the layers onto the cake to ice them was a real trick. The flavors were wonderful. Still, I wanted something less friable. 

"New and Improved": Nut Torte with Baklava Flavors

Creating a New Version

I got thinking it has been a while since I made a dessert. Desserts are generally my specialty. And my mind once again turned to that Almond Pistachio Torte. I got out my Grandma's recipe for a Nut Torta, alongside my recipe for the Almond Pistachio Torte. The vast differences were almost funny. Grandma's cake was mostly eggs with a little sugar and 1 cup of nuts. I wanted to keep the 3 cups of ground nuts I used originally, but felt that I needed more eggs in the mix. Less as meringue, perhaps, but more overall. I thought I needed less sugar, so I lowered that quantity. I eliminated both the 2 sticks of butter (Grandma's cake has no oil or butter at all), keeping only the 1/4 cup of olive oil, which I absolutely had intended using from the get-go. 

The flavors in the original Almond Pistachio Torte were of Baklava: cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, rose water. I kept these, but used slightly more: a teaspoon apiece of cinnamon and cardamom, and I kept the rosewater at 1 teaspoon. The glaze I used on the original cake was upwards of 8 tablespoons of liquid. The cake layers were too moist to begin with. Not knowing how this second attempt would fare, I chose to lower the liquids to 4 tablespoons. As it turned out, this cake could easily have taken the amount I used in the first one. While the torte layers were in no way dry, the extra glaze would not have hurt at all.

Nice soft crumb when fresh

In the first cake, I wanted pistachios, as my husband loves pistachios. I was going for the love, being Valentine's Day! This time I used 1 cup each of ground almonds, pecans and walnuts. Any nuts preferred will work. It can be made with all of one particular kind of nut meal, or half and half of two kinds. 

The Results

Freshly made, the torte was lovely. The layers  came out of the pans easily and were exceptionally easy to handle. Immediately sliced, the torte was nowhere near the "wet" consistency of the first torte. Obviously I could have used more of the glaze this time, rather than cutting the mixture in half. Once the cake set for a while, cut, it started to dry very quickly. Inside, it was still nice and moist as a cake should be, but the outside was not holding up. If it is meant to go quickly, this should be no problem. Another option to help it stay more moist: put less icing between the layers and stretch it to cover the sides also. I have not tasted it yet this second day, but if it was drying that quickly on the day it was made, I think I need more of something to keep it moist. More olive oil in the batter, and more glaze after baking, probably. Also this time I used all purpose flour in the batter, rather than the rice flour in the first mixture. I may go back to the rice flour concept. I have a feeling I am going to have a round 3 on this recipe before too long!

Nut Torte with Baklava Flavors

Nut Torte with Baklava Flavors

Makes one 4-layer 8-inch torte

8 eggs, divided, room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rosewater, optional
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
3 cups finely ground nuts of choice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground true cinnamon, (sometimes called Ceylon cinnamon)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon sugar
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease four 8-inch round pans. Cut parchment to fit the bottoms of the pans and set the parchment inside, then grease the parchment. Grind the nuts, measure out three cups worth and set aside. Sift or whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, baking powder and cloves and set aside. Mix together the olive oil, vanilla extract and rosewater and set aside.

In a mixer bowl, crack in 5 of the eggs. Separate the remaining 3 eggs and put the yolks with the 5 eggs and the 3 whites in another clean bowl. Set the whole egg mixture in a stand mixer with the 1¼ cups sugar and beat on medium or medium high speed until the mixture is very light and fluffy and will drop slowly, ribbon-like, dissolving back into the mixture, taking a few seconds to disappear. Mix in the olive oil mixture and the lemon zest, then stir in the nuts.

With a mixer and very clean beaters, beat the 3 egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add in the tablespoon of sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Fold this mixture into the batter until no white remains. Divide the mixture evenly between the 4 pans. Bake the layers for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the layers cool for a few minutes in the pans, then turn them out onto cooling racks. Brush on the Glaze, dividing evenly between the 4 layers.

Glaze
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 strip (about 1 x 2½-inches) lemon peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-inch true cinnamon stick, crumbled
3 whole cloves

Set all the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over very low heat and let them steep while the cake is baking. Strain the mixture and brush onto the cake layers.

Frost the layers with Honey Butter Icing (found here).

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.

A Dessert Loaf Made with Honey

Honey Pistachio Loaf

While recovering from a trip to the dentist this morning and waiting for the Novocaine to wear off, I was casting about for something new to make. Nothing was coming to mind. Sometimes when that happens, I get out my notebooks full of notes. I keep a notebook by my chair when I watch TV, so if something strikes my fancy I jot down notes on what it was, or what about it called my attention. Many times it is a certain part of a recipe that calls me. For example, Carla Hall was making little parfaits with lemon curd layered with a whipped cream with marshmallow fluff. The whipped cream with marshmallow fluff does not call me in the least, but the way she made the lemon curd called my attention. Sometimes it is a sauce, but not the entree. Or a frosting but not the cake. You may get the picture.

Some of these notes in my various notebooks are pretty old, but that doesn't mean they weren't of interest. It only means I hadn't gotten around to it just yet. So, I have no clue where or when I jotted down something about a Honey Loaf. I haven't done much with honey as one of the main sweeteners in a dessert or dessert loaf. I know that it can harden cookies. I made some cookies when I lived in Guatemala. The recipe was from my 1966 copy of The Joy of Cooking. The cookies came out so hard that the only way one could actually eat them without breaking a tooth (which was why I was at the dentist this morning) was to dip them in hot coffee long enough to soften for a bite. Maybe it was that experience that has kept me from exploring the use of honey any further.

Honey Pistachio Loaf with cardamom and orange flower water

Don't misunderstand. I love honey and I use it a lot. Just not in cakes, cookies or pies. I switched from granulated sugar in my Mom's Bread recipe and now use honey exclusively in that recipe. Honey on toast is marvelous. A little honey drizzled over pork chops while they are cooking is also wonderful. So, obviously, when I jotted down something about a Honey Loaf, I was hoping to branch out in the uses of honey. Well, today was that day. 

My Orange Flower Water

I looked at the ingredients I left when I jotted notes. I had nothing about eggs. I wondered about that. I looked online. I found some pretty complex (as in multitudes of ingredients) recipes, as well as some simpler. All of them used a lot of the warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice and such. I felt that with honey I would prefer to go in the direction of a more Greek or Middle Eastern flavor profile. Some recipes called for butter and some called for oil. I was going to opt for melted butter. As I was noting what I wanted to do with my version of a Honey Loaf, I considered. In many places now I have seen the use of olive oil even in cakes. I felt that possibly that might be the direction to go with this loaf. I had a particular "flavor" dancing around in my brain, and I was creating the recipe to hopefully reflect what I imagined.

Ultimately, my version turned out just exactly as I had "tasted" in my mind, so I am more than pleased. Not everything turns out so well on the first try, but this loaf is just excellent. I used cardamom as the only spice, plus some orange rind and orange flower water. If you do not have cardamom or orange flower water, just substitute with cinnamon and or any of the pie spices you choose. You may use cognac or other alcohol in place of the orange flower water, or just use vanilla, which always works. If you use salted pistachios to grind (I used a small Bullet Blender with the flat blade for dry ingredients), omit the salt. If you do not have pistachios, use whatever kind of ground nuts you prefer. I would like to try this with pine nuts some time. The main body of the recipe can stay the same. The loaf grew beautifully in the pan and was done in just over an hour. Here is what I did:

Honey Pistachio Loaf

Makes one 9 x 5-inch loaf

Honey Pistachio Loaf Fresh out of the Pan

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 or 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup honey
½ cup olive oil (I used extra virgin)
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon orange flower water
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1 cup ground pistachios

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (300 on Convection Bake). Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cardamom (or other spice), baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer bowl, combine the honey and olive oil and beat together. Add the eggs and beat the mixture at medium speed for at least 3 minutes. Add in the orange flower water and orange zest and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, mixing slowly to combine. Add the pistachios and mix gently until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the loaf to rest in the pan for at least 5 minutes before turning out on a rack to cool.

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.

A Conundrum with Samosas

Flank Steak with Gorgonzola Walnut Butter

Sorry, I couldn't resist the title. Continuing my work on pairing foods with the wines I will serve for the Winefest Renaissance wine tasting event for the benefit of the Boys and Girls Club, I decided on Samosas to pair with a Conundrum white wine.  I have made Samosas before, more traditionally. Samosas are a snack type food, usually fried, though mine are baked. The filling I have most often seen for these delicious pockets is potatoes and peas. Last year at this function I noted that the foods that contained no meat had very little interest generated. The ones that caused the most interest were the little Flank Steak Rolls with Gorgonzola Walnut Butter. The meat was plainly visible!

Chicken & Raisin Samosas

This year I am using some sort of meat in all the appetizers I am making, from smoked salmon, to chicken to sirloin and flank steak. It becomes more interesting to pair food with a wine that has more than one grape variety. The Conundrum white blend contains Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier, and Muscat Canelli, but not necessarily in that order. In my lists of foods to pair with the various varietals, potatoes and peas are listed in the Chardonnay column, chicken is in the columns for most white wines, and Indian or spicy foods are listed in some websites specifically for Conundrum. Fruity sauces or salsas pair well with Viognier, so I added Sultanas (white raisins) to the mix. I set about creating a samosa mixture that would cover those things and came up with Chicken & Raisin Samosas. I planned to serve them with a little dab of Mango Chutney, but am rethinking that idea. The sweet chutney may throw off the whole mix if the wine will not support that sweetness. 

Rub ghee into flour, flat flakes in the bowl

Meanwhile, I made a dough for the samosas, which requires a good 8 to 10 minutes of kneading time to build the gluten. Though it is not a yeast dough, the gluten gives the dough its stretchiness, making the forming of the little pockets much simpler, with little tearing. I read long ago that the best way to make the dough is to first "rub" the fat into the flour. In this case, using melted ghee, you just lift up two hands full of the flour/ghee and rub the two hands in one long sweeping motion. Continue this process until there are large "flakes" of dough. Then add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and knead until the dough is nice and stretchy. The dough needs to rest for a time, so if you will be busy in the next couple of hours, just cover the dough and place in the fridge until needed. 

Ajwain or Carom

Samosa Dough

Enough for about 64 small samosas

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white rice flour
1 teaspoon ajwain seeds, crushed, optional (see below)
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons melted ghee or clarified butter
½ cup water

In a large bowl mix together the flours, ajwain (also known as Carom seed, or spelled as Ajowain or Ajwan) seed and salt. Pour in the melted ghee and begin lifting and rubbing the mixture together in long motions between the palms. Continue lifting and rubbing together until the ghee is completely incorporated and there are large, flat "flakes" of dough in the bowl. Add in the water and mix to combine, then turn out onto a counter or board to knead. You will not need more flour on the surface. Knead by pressing, folding, pressing and folding over and over for about 8 or 10 minutes. The dough is very stiff. I do not believe it could be kneaded in a heavy duty mixer, as it would just spin around the dough hook. Once kneaded, set aside to rest for at least an hour. If you cannot work with the dough at that time, cover it and place in the refrigerator until needed.

About Ajwain or Carom Seeds - Trachyspermum ammi

Also known by Ajowain, Ajowan, Ajwan and many other spellings. Ajwain is a tiny seed in the Umbelliferae family (like cumin, celery, anise, etc). The seeds have a flavor similar to a mix of anise and oregano, but more aromatic and bitter. They smell much like thyme, because they contain thymol. The seeds have a tiny stalk attached, much like anise seeds and look similar and are related to celery seed. Carom is popular in Indian dhals or potatoes and is almost always used cooked in a dish as its flavor can be overwhelming when raw. It is good for digestion and is often used in lentil dishes for its anti flatulent effect.

Chicken & Raisin Samosas

When I created the recipe for the filling, I was completely unsure of the quantity I would need. I ended up with enough for double the amount of dough I made, so I had to make another batch of the dough. The filling was a sort of fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants recipe, so feel free to change quantities. If you prefer to make half the filling, just halve the quantities as needed. I added in potatoes, though it was not my original intention, as I was concerned it would not be enough. Leaving out the potatoes would work fine, or if you prefer vegetarian, leave out the chicken and keep the potatoes.

Indian recipes very often have a "whole spice masala" as part of the ingredients. I understand the concept, but it can be very difficult to fish out little whole cloves or cardamom seeds, or worse, chomping down on one when eating. I left the bay leaves whole to remove later, but crushed finely the cinnamon (use true cinnamon - not cassia), cloves and cardamom seeds. I will list these ingredients as "whole spice masala", and you can do as you choose.

Chicken and Raisin Samosa Filling

Enough for about 64 small samosas

Toast the whole spices in a dry pan, cool, grind

WHOLE SPICE MASALA:
1 tej patta leaf
2 whole cloves
1-inches true cinnamon quill
2 cardamom pods (or about ¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds)
----- 1 pound ground chicken 
1½ teaspoons salt
½ large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon oil or ghee
1 knob fresh ginger, peeled, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoons whole coriander seed, crushed
¼ teaspoon cumin seed, crushed
½ teaspoon Garam Masala powder, right
¼ cup golden raisins (or regular raisins or currants)
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely minced, use more or less as desired

½cup peas
¾ pounds potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled

In a large skillet, heat the oil or ghee. Add the whole masala spices (or grind/crush first) and cook until they are fragrant. Add the onion and saute until golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic and toss until fragrant. Add the chicken and salt; cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add the coriander, cumin and Garam Masala with the raisins, cilantro and jalapeno, if using. cook for 5 minutes more. Add in the baked, peeled potatoes and use a spatula to break them into small chunks while combining with the chicken mixture. Mix in the peas. Cool the mixture completely before using to fill the samosas.

The dough ball; 1 little piece rolled, then cut in 2

To make the samosas, once the dough has rested and the chicken mixture has cooled, cut the dough into half, then into quarters. Cut each quarter in two, and then further divide each eighth into 4 more pieces, making 32 little bits of dough. Roll one of these little bits into a ball, then roll out on a surface (no flour needed) to about a 6 inch circle. Do not worry if the circle is not completely round - it makes no difference. With a large knife, cut the circle into 2. This will be repeated with each little piece of dough.

Steps 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

Lift one half of the dough circle and moisten half of the straight edge with water (Step 1). Bring the rest of that straight edge up to form a little cone shape (Step 2). Press the pointed end closed, then firmly press the edges of the cone so they stay together. Hold the little cone in your hand and place about a rounded tablespoon or so of the cooled filling mixture into the cone (Step 3). Moisten half the cone edge with water (Step 4), then begin pressing the two sides together firmly to seal completely (Step 5). I took this one step further, just to make them cute for the presentation, and pinched that top edge together into little pleats, but this is not necessary. 

The samosas can be frozen as soon as they are done, if needed for a future date. Set them onto baking sheets and in the freezer until hard, then place them in freezer zip top bags. Keep frozen for up to 2 months. When needed, set the frozen samosas onto baking sheets, brush with oil or ghee and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the outsides are golden. (The insides are already cooked, and only need to be heated through). If desired, the samosas can be deep fried until golden. Another option is to bake them and then briefly turn them in a lesser amount of hot fat to give them the crisp, fried look and taste. Serve them with chutney of choice.

These are great to make ahead for a party. They can be baked when needed and served at room temperature.


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.