A nostalgic potful...

I recently was chatting over email with fellow westchester blogger - Phyllis and was quite amazed and impressed by all the culinary greats that she has learnt cooking from. She has actually learnt Indian cooking from Madhur Jaffrey, she describes this beautifully with some recipes in this post.
Well, possibly one of my first Indian cookbooks were by this grand dame of Indian cooking Ms. Jaffrey. I could not actually find it today. I made these kidney beans - Punjabi Rajma, inspired by memory. I do know that here recipe called for two things that I did not do, the first was to add cream and the second was to simmer the beans for 3-4 hours, hey, that is why I have a pressure cooker....

Punjabi Rajma - Spicy creamy red kidney beans

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked red kidney beans
2.5 cups of water
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated garlic
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 large tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon powdered cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
Salt to taste (please take care to balance this with the amount of salt that the beans have been cooked in)
1 lemon
1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Take about 1/2 the beans and grind to a puree with about 1/2 cup water and set this aside.
2. Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds and cook till fragrant and aromatic.
3. Add in the onion and cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until the onion in soft and begining to turn golden (about 3-4 minutes).
4. Add in the ginger and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Mix in the tomatoe and cook for 5-7 minutes.
6. Add in the whole beans, chili powder, powdered cumin the bean puree with about 1 and a 1/2 cups of water.
7. Simmer on low heat till for about 25-30 minutes till thick, creamy and smooth.
8. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
9. Remove from the heat and garnish with garam masala and cilantro prior to serving.

This recipe is being sent to MLLA no #23, being hosted by Susan at the Well Seasoned Cook.

Creamy Punjabi Style Turnips Greens

On Thursday, just in time for the long weekend my husband brought in two full bags of turnip greens. I really was not sure what to do with this unexpected bounty. These greens have rougher taste than spinach and therefore need some coaxing to be mellowed. I also read that there greens taste and mimic mustard greens aka sarson ka saag in Hindi. Now it is difficult if not impossible (if you love Indian regional cuisine like me) not to think of the classic punjabi mustard greens recipe, where these lovely greens are slow cooked till they are nice and creamy. So, I wanted to do this with the turnip greens, with just one problem - the mustard green recipe that I speak of is a winter classic in Indian, when you do not mind cooking something till it is nice and soft and cooked to a puree, unlike the hot summer day that we had today.

Well, here is where perusing the blogosphere comes in handy. I came across this recipe, where the pressure cooker comes in handy. It cuts through both the energy needed as well as the cooktime.  I added in a handful of whole cooked dried peas, these are the whole version of split peas, which enhanced the creamy texture of the greens.

Salgam ki Saag - Creamy Turnip Greens

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

4-6 cups of chopped turnip greens (tough stems, discarded)

1 cup of chopped spinach (I actually had some frozen spinach on hand)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cooked whole dried peas

1 cup water

3 tablespoons maize flour (this is Indian style cornflour, not cornstarch)

2-3 tablespoons oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger

3 cloves grated garlic

1 tomato, finely chopped

1 green chili, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1 -2 teaspoons of butter

Method of Preparation

1. Place the greens, salt and half the water in a pressure cooker and cook for about 12 minutes. Cool and mash with the spoon.

2. Add in the cornflour and the split peas with remaining water and cook on low heat until the mixture is thick and creamy about 5-7 minutes.

3. While this is cooking heat the oil and add in the onion, ginger and garlic and cook till the onions are soft and begining to turn golden.

4. Add in the tomate, green chili and red chili powder and cook until the tomato is nice and soft and the mixture is well cooked, you should see the oil on the edges of the spice mixture.

5. Mix into the greens and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

6. Add in the garam masala and top with the butter.

These greens are typically served with handmade cornbreads much like tortillas, I actually did make a version of these, I shall post recipe later.

Zippy Egg Salad Sandwiches

It was a group party event - one of the several that dominated her life as the mother of 2 elementary school children - birthdays, school pot lucks, general gatherings and of course just lunch at home with friends. This recipe worked really well - it seemed to still retain a touch of novelty, got done in a hurry, did not bother the little palates too much and actually met all the alergy restriction and got done in somewhat small order - the recipe being her tested and tried egg salad with zip! Usually she toned up or down ingredients, like the onions, green chilies depending on her crowd, but overall stuck to the same formula.

Today was no different, she boiled her dozen eggs, cooled and shelled them, carefully reserving the shells for the compost when her daughter Maya rushed in and hugged her. With her hands on her hips, she demanded -, :"Lana told me your egg salad is different, is that true?"

She looked at the child and smiled and said, "Well, anything I make for you is different, since you are special..." Mentally, she thought, "Please, dont create troubles with this one..."

Maya happily informed her, "Lana told me they all love it, but its different, did your mother teach you how to make it?"

This question caught her by surprise and threw her back to a time almost a decade and a half ago, a time she had forgotten, a time when life was different.

She remember the little graduate apartment, in Cambridge, the one unknown to anyone she knew today, the one she shared with Nick - her first love, the one who got away.  It was her first year away from home, away from that sheltered quite life in Cal, where everything seemed so secure, predictable and without trouble. She came to college for graduate studies and in the two years also grew up and learnt more about life that she had ever expected.

Two months, into college, she was paired with Nick for a class assignment with Nick - for reasons she could not explain, they fell in love. Theirs was a deep and passionate love, and yet full of laughter, intense and heady. It stayed that away for 2 years until it was time for them to make serious decisions. Then somehow, she just could not just follow her heart, she left amidst tears, without too many words carrying the image of his shocked pained expression with her in the deep recesses of her secret self. 
She allowed herself few regrets - life just did not allow that. That time in life, with its unfulfilled promise left her, taking some of herself with it.

Over time, she went to work in NYC, in time through appropriate connections and introductions met Anil - an amiable and suitable boy. Life was not unhappy, Anil travelled and worked hard as did she. In time, their life had settled into a busy predictable pace, particularly after Maya. It was very rarely, on late nights when the house settled down after everyone went to sleep, she could not help wondering about what might have been had she been braver - would life have been different?

Maya's question reminded her of the origins of this infamous salad - a summer picnic at Nick's sisters house, when they wanted something Indian. Her sparse pantry had very few "Indian" ingredients but nonetheless this salad emerged as an "Indian" egg salad and stayed that way even when "they" were done.

"Ma, you look sad?" the girl asked quietly... She looked at her daughter and quietly hugged her and proceeded to chop the eggs.

Zippy Egg Salad

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Makes 1.5 cups of egg salad

Ingredients

1 dozen hard boiled eggs, shelled
1/3 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup mild mustard
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1 red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Method of Preparation

1. Place the eggs in a mixing bowl and mash coarsely.
2. Mix in the mayonaise, mustard and tomatoe ketchup.
3. Mix in the onion, cilantro, pepper, salt and sugar.
4. Use for sandwiches.

I release this post from its shadows from my drafts, with some trepidation, for an interest event called Chalks and chopstickes, started by Aqua, making a second edition appearance at Sandeepa's blog.

Well, the story might not be good, the salad is actually pretty tasty...

Spicy Scrambled Eggs - Cooking for one

It is strange when one gets out of the habit of something, the basic can seem complex. It has been a while since I began putting meals for just myself. The past week and I guess the next ones to come, I shall be eating lunch at home, by myself.  Sure there are sometimes leftovers but not always, so here is what I made on Tuesday.
This classic Indian style scrambled eggs have several variations, mine has to have freshly grated Parmesan cheese and I have to have it on crusty buttered crisp toast.

So there you have it,

Spicy Scrambled Eggs

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
            1 tomato, chopped
            1 teaspoon powdered cumin
            1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
            2 eggs, lightly beaten
            2 green chilies, finely chopped
            1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
            Salt to taste
            2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

            Method of Preparation

            1. Heat the oil and add the onions and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until the onions are soft and they begin to sweat.
            2. Add in the tomato and cook lightly, mix in the cumin and black pepper and gently add in the eggs and cheese with the salt (a note here, the cheese is pretty salty so use additional salt with care.
            3. Gently stir in the eggs till most and just set, add in the cilantro and serve.

Craving and Nostalgia - So Dam Hot

The last time I stopped by So Dam Hot, our little downtown in Valhalla was at least 4 years ago at about 11:45pm. It was the only place open and we were hungry...
Well, today I was walking downtown as you can see well after 2pm and I had not yet eaten lunch. I suddenly got the spicy wings craving...
A strange one, since I hardly eat this kind of stuff every day, but today, this was calling my name.
Maybe after I recently saw this post.
The place has actually gotten a little more formal since my last stop there, also added some interesting touches like the hot sauce rack, which makes for an interesting brouse while you are waiting.
They have also added a whole bunch of stuff to their menu, beyond the

wings and chili that I remembered.
Actually, I debated between the pulled pork sandwiches and finally settled for the wings and fries with chili. The wings medium hot were plenty. I wanted these to go, so while I waited I actually had fun checking out their clothes line displayed on the wall.
These wings were great, spicy and crisp with a rich blue cheese sauce. Actually the chili on the fries seemed a little too tame, when paired with these fiery wings.
So, if you have a quick spice craving and want to stop by a spot with some punch and character do check out this place in our little downtown.

The 411 on the joint (as liz would say)
So Dam Hot
10 Broadway

Valhalla, NY 10595
(914) 328-6051
http://www.sodamhot.com/

Spicy Crisp Coconut Salmon

This recipe is another one that was a pleasant surprise. Very simple and flavorful served on a green bed of  beans and spinach garnished with thinly slivered green chilies and scallions. The magic ingredient here - coconut oil.

 

Spicy Crisp Coconut Salmon

 

Prep Time: 20 minutes (includes time for marinating).

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Serves 4 people

 

Ingredients

 

2 tablespoons coconut oil, plus 1 additional tablespoon

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic-green chili paste

1 teaspoon salt

4 salmon steaks (one serving size each)

3 finger green chilies - thinly chopped

1/3 cup green scallions - thinly sliced

 

Method of Preparation

 

1. Mix the 2 tablespoons of oil, red chili pepper, ginger-garlic-green chili paste and salt together and rub over the fish and set aside for about 15 minutes. (I prepare the greens and bean medley while this is happening).

2. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet well and place the extra tablespoon of oil on the skillet and coat the skillet well.

3. Add the salmon in a single layer and cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side until well browned.

4. To serve place a little of the greens and beans medley, top with a piece of salmon and garnish with the chillies and green scallions.

 

Greens and Beans Medley

 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves 4 people

 

Ingredients

 

1-2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1-2 dried red chilies

1 onion, cut into a dice

1 tomato

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2-3 cups of chopped fresh greens (I usually use spinach)

Juice of 1 fresh lemon

3/4 cups cooked black-eyed beans

 

Method of Preparation

 

1. Heat the oil and add the fennel seeds, mustard seeds and the dried red chilies and cook till the mustard seeds begin to crackle and pop.

2. Add in the onion and tomato, salt and sugar and mix well.

3. Mix in the greens, lemon juice and the beans and cook covered on low for about 10 minutes.

4. The mixture should be soft and have some liquid.

5. Stir well and cook till the liquid is fairly dry and serve with the fish as directed.

 

 

Masala Kala Chana - Black pepper crusted spicy chicpeas

The previous post and the next couple of posts pretty much, keep building on each other. This is very much the way I cook on an everyday basis. I have over the months tried to get to a point where I can put together a good meal most evenings without a huge to-do. I would love to spend hours in the kitchen but I have learnt that doing this actually takes away from the little time that I have on weekdays to spend with the kids. I have to also confess I am quite addicted to the night-time reading habbit that Aadi and I have together, it shall be harder for me to break out of than for him to grow out of, such are the ironies of life.

Masala Kala Chana - Black pepper crusted spicy chickpeas

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients
2-3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 onion, cut into a dice
4 tablespoons cumin-coriander ginger garlic paste
1.5 cups of cooked dark chickpeas (these chickpeas have a dark brown skin and are sold in Indian stores with the label - Kala chana)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon blackpeppercorns ground to a powder

To garnish

1-2 limes
1 small onion cut into slices
Lots of freshly chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon chaat masala

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle (takes a few seconds).
2. Add in the onions and saute for 5-7 minutes, until the onions soften and begin to turn light golden. The mixture is very aromatic at this time.
3. Add in the cumin-coriander ginger garlic paste and saute for about 2-3 minutes, the paste should dry up slightly get well mixed into the onion mixture and smell fragrant.
4. Add in the salt and the chickpeas and mix well for 1-2 minutes.
5. Mix in the blackpepper and gently stir the mixture for another 2-3 minutes, the chickpeas should be fairly dry and evenly coated with the spice mixture.
6. Squeeze in the lime juice and place the chickpeas in a serving bowl.
7. Add in the onions, cilantro and the chat masala and serve.

Ps. I like to reserve about 3/4 cup of these chickpeas for my spicy chick pea salad, that I shall post next.

Two Basic spice mixes

Most weekends I like to make a little of two variations of basic spices, I often find it easier to use up my fresh ginger this way, rather than than storing it again. I tend to use some variation of these to pastes in several weeknight recipes and felt I really should jot them down.











Ginger-Garlic and Green Chili Paste

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Makes about 1/2 cup

Ingredients

1/2 pound piece of ginger root
20-30 pods of garlic
15 green finger chilies

Method of Preparation

1. Peel the ginger carefully and cut into large slices and place in the blender.
2. Add in the garlic and the chillies.
3. Pulse the mixture several times to mix up the ginger and then process till a smooth paste is formed.

Cumin-Coriander Ginger Garlic Paste

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Makes 2/3 cup of spice paste

Ingredients


1/2 pound piece of ginger root
20-30 pods of garlic
15 green finger chilies
1/3 cup coriander seeds
1/3 cup coriander seeds


Method of Preparation

1. Peel the ginger carefully and cut into large slices and place in the blender.
2. Add in the garlic and the chillies.
3. Pulse the mixture several times to mix up the ginger and then process till a smooth paste is formed.
4. Add in the cumin and coriander with a little water if needed and blend into a paste.

These mixtures can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week and used as needed.

CPR - Chili Peanut Relish

What an accronym - CPR - does that get you into action mode or what? But this is what is funny, this really tasty, full-flavored creation took me all of 15 minutes to make. I made a later variation of chicken with this, much like an Indian chimichurri chicken, believe me when I tell you, this was good. Anyhow, down to the relish.

CPR - Chili Peanut Relish

Prep/Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes 3/4 cup

Ingredients

3/4 cup raw peanuts (shelled)
4 green finger chillies
1 small tomato
3-4 tablespoons cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 lime

Method of Preparation

1. Dry roast the peanuts on a skillet for 2-4  minutes, until fragrant and beginning to turn gently aromatic and gently golden brown at edges.
2. Place in the bowl of a food processor.
3. Remove the tops of the chilies and place in the same container.
4. Chop the tomato and place in the food processor with the salt and blend until the mixture is coarsely blended.
5. Remove and place in a mixing bowl.
6. Stir in the salt, cut the lime and mix in the juice and stir well.

Almost bengali tomato chutney...

Well, if people feel that they are getting deluged with recipes and blog posts, there is actually a reason. I am actually grounded from several things, including work all because of my bum shoulder... This is a crazy problem that I have been dealing with for the past over 2 years and now it has come to a head - I have 101 restrictions, including having to leave work. Is cooking and bloggin allowed, dunno about blogging -part of the don't ask don't tell policy... Well until the dr finds out, shall catch up on all those post that I wanted too...

Today as a part of class, I made this really lovely tomato chutney, well, what I really love about was,//with /really low effort, it tasted much like my mom's...

I offered it with papads, bengali wedding style and what is rare is later, I feasted on the chutney with roasted (er microwaved papads)...

So, how did I make this,

Bengali Tomato Chutney

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Makes 1 cup chutney

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1.5 teaspoons panch phoron
1 tablespoon diced ginger
1-2 dried red chili
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 small can diced tomato
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Papads or pappadums for serving

Method of Preparations

1. Heat the oil and add the panch phoron and wait till the mixture crackles.
2. Add in the ginger and the red chili and saute lightly.
3. Add in the salt and the canned tomato mixture.
4. Add in the raisins and the sugar and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, till the mixture is thick and fairly sticky.
5. While the chutney is cooking, cook the papads by microwaving on  for 1.5 minutes.
6. Cool the chutney slightly and serve with the papads.

Creamy Lemon Chicken Curry

A rotisserie chicken can be a pretty useful thing to bring home on a weeknight. The kids like the chicken as is, for us I need to do a little more, but nonetheless gets dinner done real quick. There are several things that I have done to dress the chicken up. This recipe is one example and I shall in time talk about others. The sauce for this chicken is simple and rich. It can be used to cook shrimp or tofu if you wish.

Creamy Lemon Chicken Curry

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, cut into a dice
1 tablespoon of finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon grated fresh garlic
1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1 teaspoon powdered cumin
1 teaspoon powdered coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1 cup water
1 lemon
1-2 pods cardamom
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of frozen green peas
1.5 cup cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture is very fragrant, and the onions soften start turning golden on the edges.
2. Add in the red chili pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, salt and tomato and cook stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes, until the tomato is soft and mushy.
3. Place the mixtur in a blender with the water and blend until nice and smooth.
4. Return the sauce into the cooking pot. Cut the lemon and squeeze in the juice.
5. Add in the cardamoms, cream, bell peppers, peas and the chicken and simmer the mixture on low for 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro and place in a serving bowl.
7. Add freshly ground black pepper and serve with rice.

All Indian Salad dressing

A meal salad for me is usually a fussy creation, especially if you are making the dressing by yourself. However the garden is now filled with all varieties of beautiful multicolored greens - mostly mesclun and romaine. Our first year trying out lettuce growing and I quite like the results! The highlight of this whole effort was the salad dressing that I created. It captures a lot of the base flavors for an essential curry. To add some meal-like substance I mixed cauliflower, nuts and fish to the salad and we ended up with quite a hearty meal.

All Indian Salad dressing

Cauliflower and fish salad with an all indian salad dressing

Prep Time: 7-8 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients

For the dressing

5 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons grated ginger

4 pods of garlic

1 cup chopped scallions

1-2 minced green chilies

1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin

1/2 teaspoon powdered coriander

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon honey

4 tablespoons thick lowfat yogurt (like greek)

1 teaspoon salt

For the salad

1/2 pound fresh white fish fillets (such as mahi-mahi)

1 cup of cauliflower flowerettes

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1-2 tablespoon oil

1/2 cup mixed nuts (I used walnuts and cashews)

2 cups of mixed fresh chopped greens

Method of Preparation

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and add the ginger, garlic and scallion and cook for 3-4 minutes.

2. Remove and place these in a blender bowl. Add in the remaining oil, green chilies, cumin, coriander, cilantro, honey and yogurt and the salt.

3. Blend till smooth, set aside in the refridgerator.

4. Mix the fish with half the coriander, turmeric, and salt.

5. Mix the cauliflower with the remaining coriander, turmeric and salt.

6. Heat the oil in a large flat skillet place both the cauliflower and the fish in separate sections and cook till the fish is flakey (about 4 minutes on each side). The cauliflower needs to be stirred lightly and cooked till lightly brown and soft.

7. Place the cauliflower in a large mixing bowl. Add in the nuts and the greens and mix lightly.

8. Mix in the salad dressing generously.

9. Flake the fish and stir in.

10. The salad can either be served at once or kept in the refridgerator and served when needed (it can stay for 1 hour).

My kind of fish dish

Ok, so I did post the lamb post earlier this week, I am still scared and troubled but a lot more resolved about my job decision. I had the lovely cilantro chutney, that I had made a few days back and some fresh scrod from the market.

In case, people have not realized by now, Saturdays are my day of sleeping in followed by a mad dash to get groceries and then getting a meal on the table for me and the husband, yes the kids too..

So, here is where the quick and brisk splashing it all together comes in handy.

Cilantro Chili Fish

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound of fresh white fish
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin-coriader powder
1 lemon cut into half
1/3 cup oil
1 cup chili cilantro chutney

Method of Preparation

1. Place the fish on a plate and rub with the chili powder, salt, turmeric, cumin-coriander powder and squeeze the lemon juice and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oil and place the fish in a single layer and cook for 8-9 minutes and turn and cook for another 9 minutes.
3. Pour the chutney over the fish and cook through.
4. Serve immediately with rice.

Decisions and pan roasted lamb

So can one survive a professional mis-step in the recession? I do not know the answer to this question yet, time and time alone will tell? I can only hope that the answer is yes...

This week, after some consideration I have decided to quit my job and focus on wrapping up the book, now called the CIT (contemporary Indian table), you knew that one.. and look for a more locationally compatible job. I have never actually taken on bet on letting go of something without another posibility on hand, but this time I am doing this, how practical is this time alone will tell.

For dinner this week, was this amazing lamb that I put together, if you like lamb like me, you should definitely give it a try...

Pan Roasted Spicy Lamb

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Serve 2-3 people

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 pound lamb on the bone cut into pieces (I used shoulder lamb chops)

1/3 cup yogurt

2-3 tablepoons oil

2-3 pods cardamom

2-3 cloves

2 bay leaves

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Mix the ginger-garlic paste with salt, chili powder and rub on the lamb.

2. Apply the yogurt on the lamb.

3. Heat the lamb and add the cardamom, cloves and bay leaves and cook for a few seconds.

4. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring lightly until the onions soften and begin to curl and turn gently brown on the edges.

5. Add the lamb and cook on low, stirring and turning occasionally from time to time. The onions gradually turn brown and melt and cling to the lamb, the yogurt evaporates and the lamb turn a beautiful brown and is fork tender. The process takes about 25 minutes.

6. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Chili Cilantro Chutney

There are many variations of your basic chutney, a spicy fresh condiment that we use as a dipping sauce for savory snacks such as samosas, pakoras and even crackers.

I like this zippy variation, among others and its uses range way beyond the condiment stage. I like to use it as a no cook sauce for fish or even chicken. I shall tell you about this soon.

Here is how I made it in class this evening.

Chili Cilantro Chutney

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Makes 1 cup chutney

Ingredients

1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
3 green chilies
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 inch peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup buttermilk

Method of preparation

1. Place the cilantro, chilies, salt, ginger in the food processor and add the buttermilk in small amounts to process the mixture into a gently textured sauce.

2. The results described is accomplished by a food process as opposed to a blender.

3. Use as desired.

Hunan Ritz at Thornwood

There are a few basics that you should be able to count on in your neighbourhood chinese restaurant - such as the colorful fish tank and the flashy bar and maybe staples like chicken with brocolli and mu shu pork. Now, if the restaurant is Hunan Ritz in Thornwood, you can count on some respectable sushi as well.

The restaurant was suprisingly empty this Saturday, when I made a quick stop to pick up food for all of us. They were very prompt and worked on my order of assorted Sushi while I watched the fish. I have tried a bunch of items on their menu and the food is predictably interesting, good but not great. However, they are very convienient and I have stopped their often.

Yes, I know, I know Sushi is not Chinese, but a lot of Chinese restaurant now have a Sushi chef around to cater to customers like me who are not terribly fussy when they are running late and need a quick pick up. They actually have a really interesting role (we love it in our household!) called the Thornwood roll a nice assortment of asparagus, avacado, crab and shrimp. Their orders came with salad and wonton soup. Now the wontons were a little dissapointing, in that they were rather doughy.

Sweet and Crunchy Eggplant

There is something interesting about playing around with everyday food, adding an ingredient or two. That is kind of what I did with this eggplant recipe that I made over the week. In essence, it is a nice and simple recipe full of the sweetness of plump raisins and addictive crunch of walnuts. I also added in some Feta cheese for good measure, and folded in some crisp garlic. All in all, it was a nice satisfying meatless dinner. I must be going through another degree of change. I am actually not missing meat when I do not cook it. I am not giving up meat or anything, I just think this is another step in appreciating the natural flavors of nature's bounty.

Anyhow, back to the eggplant.

Sweet and crunchy eggplant

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients

1 medium sized eggplant
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil
6-7 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 coarsely crushed walnuts
1 teaspoon powdered coriander
1 teaspoon red chili pepper
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup large raisins
1 tablespoon thinly sliced black olives (optional)
1-2 teaspoons roughly torn mint leaves

Method of Preparation

1. Place the eggplant on the open flame of a gas-stove and cook turning occasionally until the eggplant is soft and the outer skin is nicely charred. Now, if you do not have a gas stove, the eggplant can be first baked and then broiled for a few minutes till the outer skin is burnt. The second method is less fussy, but it does take longer and produces a less intense smoky flavor. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

2. While the eggplant is cooking, in a cooking pan, place the oil and butter and cook till the butter is melted. Gently add in the sliced garlic and cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until the garlic gently turns golden.

3. Stir in the walnuts and cook for 1-2 minutes until they turn toasty. Gently remove the crisp garlic and walnuts from the oil and set aside and turn of the heat.

4. Carefully peel the outer skin of the eggplant and place the soft flesh in a bowl.

5. Turn the heat on, and in the remaining oil add in the powdered coriander and sizzle for 20-30 seconds. Add in the chili pepper and the eggplant and mash the eggplant coarsely with the spoon.

6. Stir in the feta cheese and the raisins and cook for 2-3 minutes, mixing well.

7. Stir in the olives (if using), and the reserved garlic and walnuts. Place in a serving dish and serve garnished with the mint leaves.