Sambar Finally on My Menu

I love Indian food and flavors. I've been making Indian food for a long time now, but mostly northern Indian style, which is all I knew from restaurants. It has been years and years since I found out about idli, a south Indian breakfast / snack food, and more recently, Sambar and other lentil dishes.

Sambar

First, I need to elaborate on Idli, since this is where all this discovery started. When it comes to south Indian cuisine, lentils are on the menu most of the time. The lentil dishes are invariably very soupy, though they are not called "soup." Many places term these thinned soups as "gravy," which probably sums up how they are used. For me, it still seems like soup! These lentil soups are served often with something called Idli, and often at breakfast.

I discovered idli some many years ago, when searching for something to do with Urad Dal, which I bought at an Indian grocery, then never used. It so happens that one of the uses for Urad dal (also Urid dal) is in making idli. So what is Idli?

Sambar with Idli

Idli are little puffy, pillow shaped, steamed dumpling-like creations. They are generally made with rice and urad dal, but sometimes other types of rice are used and sometimes millet is also used, millet being a common Indian staple. Idli are served alongside one of these lentil dishes, which are generally made very hot-spicy, particularly in Tamil Nadu. Idli, being very bland, would pair very nicely with such a spicy dish. Once the idli batter is used, if there is any left, it is advised to make Dosas with the leftovers, but that is yet another story.

I learned about idli at least 8 years ago, and while I wanted to make them, just never got around to it. I also had a little anxiety over making them, since it is said they can be tricky. I had no idli mold, so I would have to improvise. And on and on went my excuses why I couldn't make them. Then last September when I visited my son and his significant other in Seattle, I bought an idli mold. I also ate in an Indian restaurant out there that had Dosas on the menu, and so I tried that - and Sambar was served alongside! It is one of the common accompaniments to idli or dosa. I figured that I had to make Sambar, so I could have something to eat with the idli I wanted to make.

Finally we get to the Sambar

I knew about red lentils (masoor), but more recently found out about many others, such as black gram (skinned and split and called urad dal), pigeon peas  (skinned and split and called toor dal; also tuvar dal or archar dal), brown chickpeas (split and skinned and called Bengal gram, Desi chickpeas or kala channa), and many others. Of all of these, Toor dal is one of my favorites. And, it happens to be one of the most common lentils used in making Sambar, also spelled Sambhar. Yippee!
 

Sambar Powder

Sambar is easy enough to make, and is absolutely amazingly good. I have to say, I was not highly impressed with the little bowls of sambar served with my mammoth dosa in Redmond, WA, but making it myself, I had opportunity to study many recipes and see what similarities and differences they contained. One of the first things I noted was that most called for Sambar Powder, so that was the first thing to make. Sambar Powder is made using a couple of types of lentils, browned first in a dry skillet, then ground with other toasted spices. I put together the amounts that sounded good to me, and here is my recipe:

Sambar Powder Spices

Sambar Powder

Makes about ½ cup 

2 tablespoons dried coconut shreds
2 tablespoons channa dal (split, peeled Bengal gram/Desi chickpeas)
1 tablespoon urad dal (black gram, split, peeled)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seed
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
10 - 12 fresh curry leaves
3 dried red chilies, or more, to taste
½ teaspoon asafoetida powder (unless pure, then use just a pinch)

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the coconut until nicely golden, then turn out to a plate to cool. Repeat with the channa dal until golden and fragrant, then the urad dal until golden. Turn these out to the plate with the coconut, to cool. Repeat this process separately for the coriander, peppercorns, cumin and fenugreek, turning each out to the plate to cool before proceeding with the next. Toast the curry leaves until dried and crisp, then add to the plate. Toast the dried chilies (I first broke them into pieces and removed most of the seeds - your choice), then turn them out to the plate. Toast the asafoetida powder (which usually comes diluted with rice flour or other starches) until fragrant, then add to the plate.

Once all the spices are cooled, grind them to a fine powder in a spice grinder or coffee grinder used only for spices. Store in a glass jar with tight fitting lid in a cool, dry, dark place.

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Once the Sambar Powder is made, the Sambar can be made. Making the Sambar is a 3-part recipe, not counting the making of the Sambar Powder. The lentils will need to be cooked until mushy, then pureed. The vegetables will cook in a tamarind based liquid, and an addition of spices and onion are fried towards the end, called "tempering," which simply means "adding flavor." The tamarind used for the recipe can be pre-packaged and diluted or made up from scratch. I have tamarind pods (available at our local grocery, miracle of miracles!) and so peeled the outer shells off and soaked the pulp and seeds, then pressed out the seeds and strained the fruit through a strainer, pressing out as much of the solids as will pass through the strainer while pressing with a spoon. Doing this will amount to a fourth step.

Three-Part Recipe: Lentils - Vegetables - Tempering

Making Sambar calls for vegetables, and there is a list of possible vegetables to use, such as carrot, bell pepper, eggplant, tomato, squash, okra (also called "ladyfingers"), potatoes, green beans, onions, zucchini,  and others; whatever you have on hand. Indian recipes also generally mention "drumsticks" and something called "bottle gourd (lauki)," not available in my part of the world. Any of these can be used, or just one if preferred. They can be changed out to use what is on hand. This recipe is just a guideline for the general flavors. I have small eggplants growing and was hoping there would be some ripe for use, but sadly no. While onion is generally mentioned as part of the vegetables, I chose to use shallot, and used it in the "tempering" step instead of cooking with the other vegetables.

Sambar

Serves about 6 or 8, depending on portion size

Sambar

LENTILS:
¾ cup toor dal (tuvar/ardhar)
4 cups water
1 teaspoon turmeric

VEGETABLES:
1 cup tamarind puree (from 2 tamarind pods)
½ cup carrot, in matchsticks
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup squash, peeled, cubed
½ green bell pepper, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons Sambar Powder, or to taste

TEMPERING:
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon Panch Phoron
8 - 10 fresh curry leaves
½ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
1 medium shallot (or small onion), sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced

If making your own tamarind puree, peel 2 - 3 tamarind pods, pull off long veins and set to soak in 1 cup hot water for at least ½ hour. Once soft, squeeze out the seeds and discard, breaking up the fibrous fruit. Pass this softened fruit through a strainer, pressing through with the back of a spoon. Pour the puree into a saucepan.

Place the lentils into a bowl and wash repeatedly until the water comes out almost clear. Drain and place into a saucepan with the water and turmeric and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until softened and mushy. Puree the lentils until smooth.

Add the vegetables to the saucepan with the tamarind puree and cook until softened. Add in the Sambar Powder at the end of cooking time. Add the vegetables to the pureed lentils with about 1 teaspoon salt.

For the "tempering," heat the coconut oil in a skillet and once hot, add the Panch Phoron until it pops and crackles. Add in the curry leaves and stir while they crackle and release their aroma. Add the asafoetida until it releases a lovely oniony aroma and then add in the shallot and garlic. Stir, sauteeing until the shallot and garlic are golden, then pour this mixture into the lentils and vegetables. Garnish the Sambar with cilantro leaves or fresh curry leaves and serve with idli or dosas (though it is an excellent soup all on its own, or with 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.

Dessert Bars Made With Yuca Root

Once again, I have a recipe to share that is made with an unusual ingredient. Most stores these days carry some of the more unusual vegetables, and I have been able to find Yuca in most of the places I have lived. Yuca is a tuber root vegetable, Manihot esculenta. Called by many names in different countries, it is also known as cassava or manioc root. I first learned of and tasted this root in Guatemala long ago. It is a highly starchy root, far starchier than a potato, though it is potato-like in its usage. It has little strong flavor of its own, but lends flavor and filler to soups and stews. It is great in soups, and I have used it this way often over the years. 

All that aside, when in Guatemala I also learned that they make desserts out of the most unlikely vegetables (to a mid-westerner born and raised). So it was that I learned that the Yuca root is also made into a dessert. They call it "Torta de Yuca" down there. A Torta is often a nut based cake of many tiers, or any cake made into many layers. This particular "torta" is just a bar-type dessert. It has no crust, and is not like a cake in texture or consistency. The texture of this dessert comes out more along the lines of pumpkin bars or lemon bars. It is easy to pick up and eat with the hand, as opposed to a cake where a fork is usually necessary. 

Torta de Yuca: a "Bar" type dessert

Just as an FYI, if you decide to try out this recipe, be warned: this root is starchy. Starchy to the point where it is difficult to mash or puree because of the stickiness of it. Typically, in Guatemala, the root is peeled and cut in chunks and cooked through, then passed through a food mill before combining the puree with some sugar, eggs, and cinnamon. Getting this to pass through the food mill is a tedious process, to say the least. Still, once in a while it is just a delicious dessert and well worth making. My children all love it, so when they were younger and living at home, it was something I took the time to make. I feel it is important to keep their half-Guatemalan heritage alive. 
 

Torta de Yuca

When buying the root where it grows fresh, peeling is a very easy thing. Make a slit along and through the skin, then just loosen it and it comes off. No "peeling" necessary. If it has been shipped somewhere and is older, the consequence is that it will need to be peeled with some kind of very sturdy vegetable peeler. Another problem with age is that the root can become more fibrous and stringy. I bought one locally and was surprised to find that though I did need to use a vegetable peeler, there were relatively few fibrous strings. Hurray!

Batter is gloppy and "sheets" from spoon     |                  batter in pan, ready to bake    

Trying to mix the batter for these bars is a little daunting at first, but just persist in the mixing and it will come together. The batter is gloppy and will sort of "sheet" from the mixing spoon once mixed. It is best to use true cinnamon, a soft-stick variety (sometimes called Ceylon cinnamon), rather than the cassia cinnamon so common in the US. True cinnamon will give the most authentic flavor to this dessert. Another thing to be aware of is that while baking, the dessert will rise prettily, but once out of the oven, it will fall. The edges will remain slightly higher. This is no way affects flavor, but it is not a flaw in the recipe, but something that always happens, in my experience. At least, if made the way I was taught! Here is the "recipe" I use, though it is certainly alterable, to taste. In past I had added some flour to the mixture, but as starchy as the root is, the flour just made the bars heavy and even more dense. These days I omit the flour. This makes the recipe completely gluten free, if that is an issue.

Torta de Yuca or Cassava Bars

Makes one 8 x 8-inch pan, or 9 to 12 servings

1 medium to large yuca/cassava/manioc root
¾ cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Torta de Yuca

2 eggs
¼ to ½ cup milk, if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla

Peel the yuca root and cut into small chunks. Place them into a saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to a boil, add in a teaspoon of salt and cook until completely tender. Drain the water and puree the root, either with a food mill or mashing. I would not advise a food processor, for fear of burning out the motor. (If you have used a food processor and it works well, I would love to know!) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.

Once pureed, add the butter and stir until it is combined. Add in the sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir well. Add in the eggs, one at a time, stirring until it is completely incorporated before adding the next. Add n the vanilla and milk if needed to make the batter thin enough to resemble a thick cake batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the torta for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the cake tests done (when a toothpick is inserted it is moist but not wet). Allow to cool completely before slicing. 



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.

Curry Leaf is Great in Indian Cuisine

Ah, Curry Leaves. I do miss them. In Florida I had a plant that grew beautifully, giving me the ability to run out and pick them as needed. I just love the flavors and aromas imparted when using them in a dish. The first time I saw this plant I had no idea what it was. When living in Louisiana, we had Indian acquaintances, and Priti had a plant in her yard. It was not until much later that I found out what it was and got a plant of my own. I was so glad I did, as I used it very often. Once I learned the flavor, I added it to many of my Indian meals.

Curry Leaves - Murraya koenigii

The plant easily self-sows, and I soon had a second plant growing alongside the first. I figured it could be my backup, in case something happened to one. At the time I owned the plant, I had no idea that the seeds were also edible, and never even took photos of them, though they were abundant.

Not to be confused with the European Curry Plant, Helichrysum italicum, Curry Leaves come from the Curry plant, Murraya koenigii. It is a tender, evergreen shrub reaching up to 20 feet tall in its native southwest Asian habitat. It grows in the foothills of the Himalayas, southern India and Sri Lanka, and is cultivated in many Indian gardens. The leaves are a mid green in color and grow about 16 to 20 on each small stalk. The small, star shaped white flowers grow in clusters in summer, followed by edible, peppery tasting black berries. It is best to use the leaves fresh as they have little flavor once dried. A handful of dried leaves are needed to take the place of just a few, if fresh.

Closeup of Flower of the Curry Leaf Plant

The leaves have the flavor of a curry dish, and lend this flavor where used, along with a slight citrus-like scent. The whole leaf stalk may be added to a dish and removed later. The leaves may be fried quickly at the beginning of cooking to release flavor into the oil being used. Curry leaves are an ingredient in Madras curry powder, and are often used in dishes with brown mustard seeds and dried red chiles. This Indian dish using curry leaves is one of my favorites, though the photo is not my own:

Fragrant Lemon Rice

Serves 6 - 8

Fragrant Lemon Rice

6 cups cooked basmati rice (2 cups raw makes
6 cups cooked)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
½ cup raw peanuts or cashews
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
20 - 30 curry leaves (2 - 3 sprigs)
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup water, if needed

If rice has just been made, cool completely first, stirring often. Put in refrigerator and stir occasionally until cool.

Mix together the ginger, garlic, sugar, turmeric, curry leaves, salt and lemon juice. Set aside.

In large frying pan, over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the mustard seeds, saute until they turn grey and start sputtering, about 30 seconds. Make sure not to burn. WARNING: Mustard seeds can sputter out of the pan very easily!

Add the peanuts or cashews and saute until light brown, about two minutes. Add the spice mixture and saute for an additional two minutes. Add the rice and mix well with the spices, mustard seeds and peanuts. Continue stirring until everything has been mixed together and the rice is heated through. This dish is best served hot or at room temperature.

Closeup of Curry Leaves

This Fragrant Lemon Rice recipe is easily made with leftover white rice, and also makes a good Indian breakfast meal. While the Curry leaves really add wonderful flavor to this dish, the dish can easily be made without them. The leaves, with their slightly resinous and citrus-like flavors enhance the lemon flavors, but are by no means completely necessary to make this lovely and fragrant dish. If you have access to curry leaves though, you must give them a try.

Growing this plant is very rewarding

Curry Leaves

Grow this plant as a small shrub outdoors in temperate climates, or in a container to bring indoors. This is a great way to keep curry leaves available for all your Indian and Asian cooking. The small tree has elegant foliage and a unique aroma. Botanically it is so closely related to citrus that it can serve as a rootstock for grafting lemon trees. The plant needs moist, rich soil and full sun to part shade and a temperate climate. It can be grown from seed or cuttings in summer. Plants grown in cool areas or under too much cover tend to attract aphids, scale and red spider mites, so keep the plant in sun. The curry tree will be far smaller, if grown in a container. If you are so fortunate as to find this plant, do try growing it. The rewards of having this marvelous flavor at hand are great.

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.

Hilachas - a Delicious Guatemalan Stew

Continuing on with my revision of a cookbook / memoir of Guatemala, which I made for one daughter and am now revising for another one, today I made two Guatemalan dishes. Finally, after so many years I have eaten some these things again, and now have photos. I am truly happy on both counts. The first dish is a Guatemalan Stew, called "Hilachas." The second is a dessert, called Chancletas ("Slippers"), which I will describe in my next blog.

Hilachas?

Hilachas

The word Hilachas, translates to "rags." The dish is common all around Central America, and apparently Cuba and Puerto Rico as well. In the southern US it is more often seen on menus as "Ropa Vieja", which means "old clothes". It is not a far difference from old clothes to rags. Easy to see the similarity. In essence, the dish is the same. It is made with a meat that shreds easily, such as flank steak, and shredded into a sauce that is mildly tomato based. In Guatemala, some places made Hilachas adding in potatoes, some add in Chayote squash (Guisquil, in Guatemala) and some add carrots. Some places add all three. In the Castillo household, made by the wonderful maid named Carmen, it was only potatoes. And, despite the potatoes being a starch, the dish was served with rice. Despite the fact that Hilachas was served very often, being very economical to make, somehow I never made it myself. I had no idea of what went into the dish, beyond the vague notion of something tomato-y as the base, with meat and potatoes. I wasn't even sure what kind of meat they used. I attempted something with no research one time long ago, was completely unhappy with it, and never tried again.

Guisquil or Chayote Squash

Writing about the dish yesterday while working on the cookbook / memoir, I thought I would do some research. Even a few years ago there was very little online about Guatemalan foods. So little that it was almost impossible to find out anything. Following on that, even if one could find a "recipe," it was (and still is, in many places) so badly written, with little or no amounts, it was not an easy task to decipher what should really be done. I set myself the task of thinking about every aspect of Hilachas I could recall. And then I went online once again.

Of course, with a recipe that varies from household to household, it is not easy to pin down how a recipe should be done, but from all the places I read about Hilachas, there was a common thread. They all seemed to use a "sofrito" and the thickening agent is either bread or tortillas.

What is Sofrito?

Tomatillos

While I was familiar with the word "sofrito" I am not sure how or where I first heard it. I know that Puerto Ricans use the term. In essence, a sofrito is the base for many sauces, and it is the base of Hilachas. In this recipe, raw onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomatillos, and a guajillo chile (or two) are the sofrito ingredients. These are blended relatively smooth, or can be done in a food processor. Once pulverized, they are cooked with some oil to remove the raw flavors. In the case of the tomatoes in this recipe: as we are now reduced to flavorless supermarket tomatoes, I used a can of whole San Marzano tomatoes. If anyone is unfamiliar with tomatillos, they add a particular flavor of their own, and are used extensively in Guatemalan cuisine. They are found in far larger sizes here in the US. In Guatemala, they were most often quite small. Maximum, 1 1/2-inches diameter. They are from the ground cherry family and the fruit is encased in a papery husk. The husk is removed before using, and the fruit inside has a sticky residue that needs rinsing.

Creating the Recipe

Once getting the basic ideas together, I set about creating the recipe in a general sense. Flank steak would shred easily, so I would use that for the meat. The sofrito had to have some tomato, but tomato is not remotely the main flavor. This is where I went wrong all those years ago. I would guesstimate that there are about nearly equal parts tomato, tomatillo and onion in the sofrito. Then garlic (just because we must have garlic!) and chilies. Some recipes called for guajillo chilies. In Guatemala, the choice would have been chile guaque, but that is not available here. I had neither! I do, however, have some dried Hatch chilies, so I used that instead. A dried ancho or pasilla chili could be used, or even, in a pinch, a combination of paprika and cayenne. 

Guatemalan Pan Frances or French Bread

Once the sofrito is blended together and fried, the main bulk of the recipe is done. The meat is cooked and shredded. The stock leftover from cooking the meat is added into the cooked sofrito. Potatoes are added and cooked. And then it is thickened with bread crumbs. In Guatemala, most often this was accomplished by soaking one of the "Pan Frances" or French bread, in some of the broth, until very soft, then stirred into the soup/broth until it dissolves, accomplishing a thickened mixture. And there it is, the basic recipe idea. Here it is, in its final state:

Guatemalan Hilachas

Serves 6 or more

Hilachas with Guatemalan Style Rice

COOK THE MEAT:
1½ to 1¾ pounds flank steak
1 quart beef stock, preferably unsalted (or water)
2 teaspoons salt (if using unsalted stock)
1 bay leaf½ onion, skin on for good color in the stock

SOFRITO:
1 can (14.5 ounces) peeled, whole tomatoes
6 medium small tomatillos,husks removed
1 whole onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 - 4 guajillo chiles, or 1 dried ancho or paasilla
3 - 4 cloves fresh garlic

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
more salt, as needed½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Spanish paprika
3 ounces fresh bread crumbs (about 1 cup)
1½ to 1¾ pounds potatoes, peeled, cubed ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

Earlier in the day, set the flank steak in a large pot with the stock, salt, bay leaf and onion half. Bring to boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until tender. Remove the meat to a dish to cool, remove the onion and bay leaf, and reserve the stock. Once the meat has cooled, slice it across the grain into 2-inch sections, then shred the meat into thin strips or "rags". Set aside.

While the meat is cooking, place the sofrito ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until relatively smooth. Heat a large saucepan and add in the oil. Being careful, as it will spatter, add the sofrito. Stir and cook, covered, for 15 minutes to cook out the raw taste. Stir occasionally, but be careful of hot liquid splattering. Once the sofrito has cooked, add in the remaining meat cooking liquid to the sofrito, along with the black pepper, paprika and potatoes. Cook this mixture for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.

Add in the fresh bread crumbs and stir well. Taste for salt, and adjust. Return the meat to the pot and stir in the cilantro. Heat through and serve with rice, Guatemalan Style:

Guatemalan Style Rice

Guatemalan Style Rice

Serves 4 to 6

1 cup long grain rice
2 tablespoons oil or butter
½ cup shredded carrot
2 tablespoons thinly sliced onion
¼ small green pepper, sliced thinly
½ cup frozen peas
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

Place all the ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook the rice for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes more.

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.

Grilled Cauliflower Should Not be Missed

I like cauliflower quite a lot. Still, I rarely buy it. My husband will not eat it, so it's all up to me. Today I decided that I wanted to try grilled cauliflower. I had never made it this way before. To date, my most favorite way to eat cauliflower has been egg battered and fried in the Guatemalan way. 

Coliflor Envuelto en Huevo

Cauliflower in Egg Batter

Makes about 4 servings


1 pound cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons salt
3 eggs, separated
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour (or rice flour in Gluten Free)
oil, as needed for frying

Set cauliflower florets in a pot with enough water to just barely cover. Bring to a boil and add the 2 tablespoons to the pot. Cook until just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain into a colander and allow the florets to cool to just warm.

Make the egg batter: With a mixer, beat the egg whites in a glass or metal bowl until stiff. Separately, beat the egg yolks until very pale and lemon colored and when dropped from the beaters, form a ribbon that does not immediately disappear. Add the ½ teaspoon salt and the flour/rice flour and mix well. Fold the yolk mixture into the egg whites gently so as not to deflate.

Heat a large skillet with oil. Nonstick comes in very handy here. Dip each cauliflower floret into the egg batter so it is completely covered and fry in the pan until golden brown, turning so all of the egg is cooked. When starting out, the florets look like puffy white clouds. Once fried, they become angular golden chunks of goodness. Place the finished cauliflower on a plate to serve and pour the tomato sauce over all.

SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE:
1 tablespoon olive oil or other cooking oil of choice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 2 tomatoes, or 4 - 6 Roma tomatoes, chopped

While cauliflower is cooking and cooling, make the Simple Tomato Sauce.

Heat a skillet with oil of choice and saute the onion for about 15 minutes, stirring often until nicely golden. Add the garlic and salt and saute another 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and lower heat. Cook over a low simmer until the tomatoes and onions are very soft. If it gets too dry while cooking, add in some water. Keep warm. 

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But grilling season is here and I have seen it grilled or baked in various places, both in magazines and online. I wanted to try the grill rather than the oven, despite cooler temps today. My only problem was deciding on what flavors to use.

As I had never done this before, and since I am going to be eating the whole cauliflower by myself ultimately, I thought I would use two different spice mixtures and get two dishes from one. The first thing is prepping the cauliflower by cutting off all the thick leaves at the bottom. Next, slicing the cauliflower into ¾ to 1-inch "steaks". And finally, seasoning.

Grilled Cauliflower with Blackening Spices left and with Green Masala, right

One of the seasonings I chose is Blackening Spice, usually used to blacken any meat from fish to steak. I have a blackening mixture I have used for many years, and it is perfect for fish. I have not really used it on anything else, but I can vouch for how good the mixture is. The other seasoning I decided on is a Green Masala, which is a wet mix instead of dry spices like the blackening spices or a garam masala. I particularly love this Green Masala because it is fantastic for so many different things. It can be used as a marinade, or a condiment for meats, fish or vegetables, or just spread on a sandwich. Here are the two recipes:

Blackening Spices

Makes about ½ cup

1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cayenne, more or less, to taste

If using whole spices, place them in a spice grinder or coffee grinder used for spices and grind to powder. If using powdered spices, simply blend them thoroughly. Store in a glass jar in a cool, dark, cabinet.

Green Masala

Green Masala

Makes about 2¼ cups

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, soaked for at least 3 hours or overnight, drained
5 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1 cup packed cilantro with stems
½ cup white vinegar
2½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1½ teaspoons Garam Masala
¾ cup oil

Place all ingredients except the oil into a blender container and blend until fine. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add in the blended mixture; bring to boil and then remove from heat. Allow to cool before storing in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Oil should pool on top of the mixture. This is fine, as it acts as a seal, keeping the green masala fresh and usable for longer. If there is no oil pooling on top, add a little more oil before closing and refrigerating the jar of masala.

Prepping cauliflower: leaves trimmed, sliced in half, then in "steaks" and coated with the spice mixtures

 

Grilled Cauliflower

 

My Cauliflower Two Ways

Serves about 4

1 head cauliflower, trimmed of all leaves
Blackening Spices or Green Masala
oil for brushing

Once the leaves are trimmed from the cauliflower, slice carefully into 3/4 to 1-inch thick steaks. Set the steaks on a rimmed baking sheet.

Light the grill and allow to get very hot before reducing temperature to about a medium or medium-low heat. If using the blackening spice, first brush the cauliflower steaks with cooking oil and then sprinkle with the spice mixture. Repeat on opposite side.

If using the green masala, brush the cauliflower steaks liberally with the green masala on both sides. Carefully set the steaks onto the hot grill. For smaller ends and pieces, use a grill pan. Close the lid and allow the cauliflower to grill slowly until nicely blackened (it will blacken no matter which spice mix is used), about 7 to 10 minutes. Carefully flip the cauliflower and grill the opposite sides for about the same amount of time, or until it is done to your taste. It is best if it does not get too done.
Both of these flavors were absolutely stupendous. I had a hard time controlling myself once I tasted them. I am terribly partial to Indian spices and flavors, so the Green Masala Cauliflower was, by a very small margin, the winner in my book. Try them both and see for yourself. This is now my most favorite way to eat cauliflower.



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.

Happy Easter Tradtions

I know that Easter is not celebrated by everyone. At this time in my life, I wouldn't really say that I "celebrate" Easter except for being with family who do celebrate. Still, some foods are associated with a holiday since earliest childhood and those foods continue to bring happiness. Beets with horseradish was my paternal Grandma's accompaniment for the Easter Ham and Kielbasa. Other accompaniments to Easter meals are Pascha Bread (a rich bread similar to the Jewish Challah), and something she called "Sirets" (or Cirets or Hrudka - the spelling varies). 

Sirets, sliced

This last, Sirets, is a sort of "egg cheese". It was never one of my favorite foods, but my Dad just loved it, and the last time I recall seeing my Grandma, and knowing how Dad love it, I asked Grandma how she made Sirets. My Grandma had a very strong accent and spoke broken English all her life. Grandma really had no written recipes, so when she gave a recipe, she may or not have left things out. My Mom swore she did. I feel that a large part of the true difficulty was that Grandma assumed that you would somehow just "know". True to Grandma's way, when I asked her to tell me how she made Sirets, she replied, "Oh, you know; just take a quart of milk in a pan and add in a dozen eggs and a little salt and sugar and cook until it separates and then pour into a cheesecloth. Hang the cheesecloth from a faucet until it stops dripping." 

Grandma's directions were okay. She used her hands to help explain what she was describing. She gave no amounts for the salt and sugar. I know for sure that I made this at least twice for my Dad, long after Grandma was gone from our lives. The first time, Dad felt it needed to have just a little bit more salt and sugar than what I had used, though it was perfect otherwise. After consulting together on what I had used and what we felt the sugar and salt measurements should be, the second time I made Sirets Dad pronounced it perfect. I have a hard time distinguishing what is perfect in this case, as after all these many years I still do not care for this particular food. I do trust my Dad's word, so my  measurements are based on what he liked best.

Making Sirets: Milk, eggs, salt & sugar in pan; whisk. Cook, stirring until the mass separates into large curds.

I have had the recipe for Sirets on my website for a long time, but had no photos of my own, so I really wanted to make this again, despite not caring for it. Ever since Grandma gave me her "recipe" I have made only half the given recipe since Dad was the only one who ate it. I would use 1 pint of milk and 6 eggs and add in 1 teaspoon each of salt and sugar. This Easter, as it would be only me to eat this Easter food, I further cut the recipe in half, using only 1 cup of milk, three eggs and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and sugar. I will place the whole recipe here, in case there be any of Yugoslav / Serbian descent (or anyone) who want to try their hand. I will place the amounts for ½ and then ¼ the recipe in parentheses. The method does not change. If this sounds interesting, make the tiny amount as I did this time and you can at least see what it's like.

Making Sirets: Pour hot mixture into cheesecloth lined colander, let drain, gather and hang to finish dripping.

Sirets or Cirets ("Egg Cheese")

1 quart milk (or 2 cups or 1 cup)
12 eggs (or 6 eggs or 3 eggs)
2 teaspoons salt (or 1 teaspoon, or ½ teaspoon)
2 teaspoons sugar (or 1 teaspoon or ½ teaspoon)

In a saucepan large enough to accommodate the amount you are making, place all the ingredients and whisk the eggs into the milk. Set the pan on medium heat and switch to a silicone spatula or wooden spoon and stir constantly until the mixture has separated into large scrambled egg-like curds, leaving a pale liquid. For the smallest amount, this process took 7 minutes. It will take longer if you are using the full amount. 

Set a large piece of cheesecloth or a kitchen towel (not terrycloth) over a colander and pour in all the mixture in the pan. Allow it to drain. Begin gathering the cheesecloth with the intent to squeeze any extra liquid from the mass. Tie the cheesecloth with kitchen twine, and then hang the cheesecloth bundle from the faucet over the sink or anything that will allow drainage. Once the mass stops dripping, squeeze tightly, twisting the top of the cheesecloth to compact the mass into a nice firm ball. Set the ball into the refrigerator to chill completely. To serve, slice the unwrapped ball as desired.

On plate, clockwise from left: Croissant, ham, Beets with Horseradish, fried eggs, Sirets

I still celebrate these food traditions as often as possible. I automatically make the Beets with Horseradish whenever ham is in the house. I have been making Mom and maternal Grandma's bread (traditionally made for Easter, Christmas or Thanksgiving) as a matter of course for so long now; it is just always in the house. While I do have some of the bread made, I found out some years back that using large croissants to sandwich the ham and beets with horseradish is magnificent for Easter breakfast. I have not made hard boiled eggs for Easter for many years, and did not this year, so I made fried eggs. My breakfast yesterday was most excellent, whether completely traditional or not.

I hope everyone had a most wonderful Sunday, whether celebrated as Easter or not. We spent the day with family in a small town here and it was very convivial as always, the food was excellent and plentiful, and the children were happy. What better day could one desire?


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.

Making Thai Green Curry Paste; a Midwest Adventure

To start, I must first admit to knowing very little of Thai cuisine. Along with that, while I haven't made it a quest to find good Thai restaurants, I have been unimpressed with those I have tried. To date, the one time I ate at a Thai restaurant and enjoyed a soup (one of the Tom Yum, with chicken), it was at some little hole-in-the-wall place in the middle of nowhere, California, while on a trip. Admittedly, if it wasn't for my daughter in law, Julia, who is a true Thai food fan, I would never have eaten at that Thai place, or any other!

Ever since, I have been curious. Though, as I said, I have been unimpressed with any places I have tried since. When I read recipes, they do not inspire me. They just do not jump out as interesting. I know Thai food is supposed to be quite healthy; generally simple ingredients. Maybe that is part of the problem. I tend to love anything that has a multitude of ingredients going on. Indian cuisine just so completely engulfs my imagination and my palate. A list of 20 ingredients, with 15 of them spices - that is something I love.

Thai Green Curry Paste

Somewhere I saw a recipe for Thai Green Curry Paste and thought the ingredients sounded good together. I sat down to create what I thought would be good ingredients for a recipe of my own. In general, some things seem to be ubiquitous in any TGCP  recipe: cilantro, green chiles, lemongrass, fresh galangal (preferred) or ginger, garlic, Keffir Lime (preferred) or regular lime, coriander, cumin, pepper and some kind of oil and a fish sauce. Other possible additions are things like shallot, Thai Basil, shrimp paste, coriander roots, turmeric, soy sauce. 

I read one person's blog, very obviously a Thai person, who emphatically stated that Keffir limes are not to be substituted with Keffir lime leaves. They stated that this would be like saying if you didn't have an orange, you could use orange leaves instead. There is no resemblance. This makes sense. I have dried Keffir lime leaves in my spice cabinet, but no way to get the actual Keffir limes. I realize that Keffir and Persian limes also have no resemblance, but the regular Persian limes were all I had. Likewise, I had fresh ginger, but no way to get fresh galangal (a cousin to ginger, but with much stronger, more pungent flavor, said to help reduce fishy flavors). Where I live, I cannot get fresh lemongrass, though there are those tubes (Gourmet Garden brand, Lemongrass) in the grocery, stating Lemongrass Paste on the front, though the ingredient list contains other things to "stabilize" the ingredients or whatever. Still, it was the best I could do. Such times as I have been able to acquire fresh lemongrass, I have never been able to make the inner white parts smooth. Unless I slice exceptionally thinly across the lower stem, there are just fibrous bits in there.

Thai Green Chilies are also not available everywhere here. Generally Serrano and Jalapeno are the most accessible. Since my husband would not tolerate too much heat anyway, and if I want him to taste-test my experiments, I used seeded jalapenos, definitely at the lower end of the heat spectrum. If you want more heat, keep the seeds, of whichever chili is preferred. Fish sauce or shrimp paste? Nope. I could probably get one of those items, but if it tasted fishy, again my husband would not touch it. I have been able to sneak a little anchovy paste into a Caesar's Salad occasionally, but I would never use a fish sauce for anything else, so it would be a waste to keep. 

Okay, with all this in mind, it is obvious that my "Thai" Green Curry Paste is a very Americanized, upper-midwest-grainbelt sort of interpretation. Still, the flavors turned out an interesting mix; bright, clean, not-too-hot, a little bitter and very green. One recipe I saw said to use whole limes, skin and all. This captured my taste-imagination, so I did that. I am sure that is where the bitter notes came in. Had I used Keffir Lime peel and galangal, I would likely have some pungent bitter notes as well. Most authentic recipes call for pounding all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle. I have many mortars and pestles; none large enough to accommodate this many ingredients. Instead I used my Vita-Mix Blender, which comes with a plunger that allows one to push down the ingredients and keep blending. Using a regular blender might require stopping and starting numerous times, including starting out with some ingredients cut very small, or pre-ground. So, this is what I did:

Thai Green Curry Paste

This makes about 2 cups.

1 large bunch fresh coriander, stems and all
6 green jalapeno chilies, stemmed and seeded
2 shallots
5 Tablespoons Gourmet Garden Lemongrass Paste
4 large cloves garlic
1 chunk fresh ginger, about golf ball size, skin left on, cut in smaller chunks
2 whole limes, washed and cut in chunks
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon peppercorns (white, if available)
3 - 4 tablespoons oil (I used olive; all I had on hand - not very "Thai", I know)
1 tablespoon soy sauce

In a dry skillet over high heat, toast the coriander, cumin and pepper for a few minutes until fragrant. Place into the blender, along with all the rest of the ingredients. Blend, stopping as necessary to stir down ingredients, until the paste is as smooth as possible.

A good measure is 1½ to 2 tablespoons per person for a Thai Curry. Freeze it in portions to have on hand. I made 4 tablespoon (¼ cup) portions, since there are two of us in the house. I use the little old-fashioned sandwich baggies with a flap, put the paste into one corner, tie a little knot in top and freeze these little portions of anything (Red Curry Paste, leftover tomato paste, etc.) 

For use, in general, heat some oil in a pan and add in the Curry Paste to release flavors, add in coconut milk, vegetables (peppers, zucchini, carrots, peas and/or chicken or shrimp) and cook to desired doneness. Additions might be chicken stock, Thai basil, a pinch of sugar. I will be trying this out in the very near future. The paste also tasted wonderful raw, so it could also make something in a RAW food diet taste marvelous.



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.