Rustic Lentil Parathas

My friend Priti has this dream of wanting to host a rustic Indian party - dishes that are authentic, simple and true to the unblemished earthy soul of Indian cooking.

Lentils parathas from Punjab is one such. Rustic Indian cooking in several ways, caters to the use of leftovers and uses very basic culinary techniques. The use of leftovers speaks to general lack of refridgeration is a rather warm country.

This morning for breakfast I used leftover lentils to make these parathas. The recipe is my creation, since I do not really have an original one. It is comforting and simple. A wholesome meal and we could not held generously slathering on the butter. I actually used 2 cups of leftover lentils of different types.

Dal Parathas - Lentil wholewheat spicy flatbreads

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Makes 10 medium breads

Ingredients

2 cups of leftover cooked dal

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups wholewheat flour (atta)

1/2 teaspoon carom seeds

1 tomato, finely chopped

1/2 onion, very finely chopped

3-4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Sesame seeds for toping

Butter or ghee for serving

Method of Preparation.

1. Place the lentils in a food process and blend to a puree.

2. Place in a bowl and stir in the red chili powder, salt and add the whole wheat flour.

3. Add the carom seeds, tomato, onion and cilantro and mix with your hands to form a moist pliable dough.

4. Roll into small 4 inch circles.

5. Press with some sesame seeds

6. Heat a gridle pan and place the bread on the pan, the non-sesame side and cook for 1-2 minutes.

7. Turn and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, and then add a little cooking oil, and cook lightly till crisp and brown, turn and repeat.

8. Remove from fire.

9. Serve hot drizzled with additional butter and mango chutney if desired.

Note: The lentils that I used were fairly most and well seasoned. To get the well seasoned effect, the spices need to adjusted according to the lentils being used.

Weekend Musings - Hito Asian Bistro

The weekend has been peaceful, much like the calm way, this year started. One of these days, I was passing through downtown White Plains, I decided to stop by and grab lunch at a spot I had often observed but never really ended up visiting.

It took some turning and and moving round the block, before I figured out the parking. Well, my sense of direction has always been bad.

A lovely cheery place, very Pan Asian, a nice characteristic menu - Sushi, bunch of Chinese options, nothing out of the ordinary. I ordered a mango chicken with a wonton soup. The soup was quite a pleasant surprise, since I really take the wonton soup in a restaurant for granted - something that is present, constant and a filler. This wonton soup was different - fresh tasting, light soft wontons, full of light gingery filling in a hot soothing broth. Well, to balance that the mango chicken was a little disapointing. The menu had a chili next to it, this dish was rather bland, the mango a little too sweet.

Overall, this place looks like a fun place to be back maybe for a couple of drinks! Well I would have given you the 411 on this place, but just discovered that it is closing down.

Soup, Glorious Soup!

Last evening ended a difficult job, and hopfully this monday will be the begining of a new positive and beautiful journey...

This will be something that time alone can tell. I am generally looking forward to being able to spend a little more time with the kids.

Last evening, I cooked a rich, comforting and rather satisfying soup. The bulk of the efforts were really done in two key steps - the first one consisted of roasting the garlic and squash and the second step was slow cooking the leeks.

If you like garlic the way we do, you will enjoying being in the kitchen during the roasting process since the kitchen warms up to a nice, rich and toasty smell.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Garlic and Leek soup.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Serves 6 people

Ingredients

1 butternut squash

1 head of garlic (6 pods are needed for this recipe)

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 cup of thinly chopped leeks

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

4 cups water

1 cup light cream

2 teaspoons salt

1 handful parsley

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut the base and top of the garlic bulb.

3. Place the garlic in a piece of foil and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Close the foil.

4. Place the garlic and the squash in the oven and cook for about 35-40 minutes.

5. In the meantime, heat the remaining oil and add the cumin seeds and the leeks.

6. Cook the leeks on very low heat until soft and lightly browned. This process takes about 15 minutes and the leeks need to be stirred frequently during this process.

7. Remove the squash from the oven, peel and remove the seeds.

8. Place the flesh into the pot with the leeks.

9. Unwrap the garlic, pop about 6-8 cloves of the roasted garlic and place into the cooking pot.

10. Add all the remaining ingredients except the parsley and simmer for 10 minutes.

11. Cool slightly, add the parsley and puree in a blender and puree until smooth.

12. Serve warm or hot.

A new year, A neighbourhood find - Abatino's

The past two weeks of the holiday break has been especially nice and relaxing for me. We tried a bunch of new eating places, I had lots of company and most importantly, I actually had a lot of quite time with the kids, this is rather rare in this fast paced world of ours. I am sorry that this phase shall end after tomorrow, so blog readers here is wishing you a lovely, peaceful and happy 2010.
I started the year with a created cocktail that we are labeling the 2010 mixture, equal parts of contreau, sherry and sparkling pomegranate juice, looked lovely and hit the spot.
On Christmas eve, I had a rare lunch date with my daughter sans dad and brother at a neighbourhood joint called Abatino's.

The place is one, I have passed by many a time while going grocery shopping, well today was our turn to try a meal there. We settled for pizza and a salad. The restaurant is a comforting place, done up in warm colors with some attempt to replicate an Italian village scene, overall a nice cozy feel.
We ordered pizza that was generously served and a field greens salad.

The service was nice and prompt, the salad while purporting to contain bacon, gorgonzola cheese and walnuts, was not very generous with the walnuts but otherwise fresh and well seasoned.

Deepta was allowed to have and entire wedge of butter so she was thrilled. She decided to discuss politics and enquired whether we would ever have a "girl" for president? She is really growing up...

LOL, did not think I would be discuss the presidency over lunch with her so soon. Back to the restaurant, I think it a great neighbourhood find, certainly fun for a casual hangout.

The details on the place,

Abatino's Pizza and Pasta

670 Broadway

North White Plains, NY

Chutney Masala - the good, the bad and then the hype...

Twas a cold rainy day in fall, my MIL was visiting and we wanted to eat out. This left us with limited choices by way of cuisine - Indian, Indian and let us try that again, Indian. It is hard to believe that my husband and his sibbling and mother are related when it comes to food. My in laws are not very adventurous. Anyhow, Chutney Masala, was on our list of places to check out and there we landed on this cold, rainy blustery fall weekend.

The first thing that catches your eye is the decor and set up, they have done a good job of preserving character, introducing a touch of old India, while adding warmth and some fairly home bistro touches - they do call themselves a bistro.

As you can see, lovely yellow and green coloring with nice stone walls, the windows do give you a view of the water if you are lucky. The wait staff were very prompt and attentive, engaged the kids well. Now down to the food, the food was a combination of north and south Indian dishes, the restaurant should really stop at the northern side of the country. The palak paneer was just amazing, fluffy not too creamy spinach enveloping well seasoned pieces of paneer cheese, the lamb was succulent and cauliflower and chaat pretty decent.

An interesting touch was a sprouted bean salad with finely shredded lettuce, crisp and flavorful.

The above was where the problem began, the masala dosa rolls were cold and not crisp. The sambhar (lentil soup was pretty mediocre as well). I will however say, it is hard for a chef to do justice to both South and North Indian cusines equally, but this being said you can do a better job.

So the bottom line, I would go back again, but this certainly does not make my top 5 dining experiences for the year.

The details on Chutney Masala

4 Main Street

Irvington, NY 10533

914 591 5500

Foodbuzz- Pepperidge Farm tastemaker challenge.

I made these little tangy, spicy bites of goodness on thanksgiving
thanks mostly to the puff pastry that I recieved from Foodbuzz for the tastemaker's challenge program. The combination of the mango salsa and bits of goat cheese were pure magic when bitten with light and flaky puff pastry.

Mango Salsa and Goat Cheese Crisps

Makes 40 appetizer sized crisps

Ingredients

For the salsa

1 mango
1 small red onion (very finely chopped)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1-2 green chillies, miced
1 tomato, cut into a dice
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chaat masala
1 lemon
3-4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 sheets puff pastry cut, into triangles
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese


Method of Preparation

1. Peel and chop the mango.
2. Mix in the onion, ginger, green chillies and tomato.
3. Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle.
4. Mix in the mango mixture and the salt, black pepper, chaat masala and lemon juice and cook for less than a minute.
5. Stir in the cilantro and let this mixture rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
7. Arrange the pastry on the baking sheet, cover with 1 teaspoon of the mango salsa and a little goat cheese.
8. Complete all the triangle in this manner.
9. Bake for 10 minutes until the pastry is cooked and the cheese is lightly melted.
10. Enjoy warm...

Mutton Mushroon Stew - Lightly Spiced Lamb Curry

In Indian parlence, mutton reffers to good quality goat meat. Actually way back when - yes I am talking two decades (almost) back, when I was still living in India, lamb was not seen on menus, this has changed.





I see students and other give me a look of horror when I tell them about goat meat, but in reality goat meat is very tasty and a lot leaner than lamb. This being said it is not very easy to find in Westchester. My substitute is using American lamb, which I feel is a little closer in taste to goat meat. No one else in my household eats lamb. Nonetheless, for various reasons including freeing myself of the toxic situation at work, I felt that I owed myself a treat. So I cooked up a quick and satisfying lamb/mutton curry. It was spicy, somewhat robust, laced with mushrooms and potatoes. Just what you would want a wintery day like today. I have spent the entire weekend running around - dance class, grocery, you name it. I deserved something comforting just for myself.


I made some rice- also nicely flavored with fennel, cumin, ginger and nicely filled with spinach leaves to add some nutrition to the meal. Well, here it is, my treat to myself. Ok, Ok, I made some other stuff to go with the rice so that others at home could eat as well, I shall tell you about it later.


There was one other highlight to weekend, we went over to Rajni's (my household helper/kid shuttler) for a small gathering. They live as a 2 family (2 brothers and their own), her mother and father-in-law live with them too. I had always pictured their household as something chaotic, just because that is how our house is on a lot of days, with half the number of inhabitants. I was simply floored by the warmth, peace and homeyness that their house radiated. They were warm open, completely ready to share all that they had to offer.


Mutton (Lamb) Stew with potatoes and mushrooms

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Serves 4 people (recipe can very easily be expanded)

Ingredients

1/3 cup oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1-2 sticks cinnamon broken
2-3 pods cardamom
4-6 cloves
2 tablespoons crushed black pepper
1 lbs lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into cubes ( plus some lamb bones)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1.5 teaspoons salt
2-3 tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1 large potato, cut into small pieces
2 cups water
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
a few dried red chillies

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and add the onions, ginger and saute for 4-5 minutes. The onions should soften, wilt and begin turning lightly golden.
2. Add in the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and lamb.
3. Mix well and add in the salt and turmeric and cook stirring well for a good 10-15 minutes, until the lamb is well browned.
4. Add in the tomatoes and potatoes and the water and bring to a simmer. Cook under pressure for 15 minutes or covered on low heat till the lamb is tender and the gravy is thick. (note, the time here is provided for cooking in a pressure cooker, if you are cooking without one it shall take longer).
5. Cool slightly and remove the cover. Add in the cilantro, mushrooms and the red chillies and cook for another 3-5 minutes and serve.

Ginger and Spinach Pulao -Fragrant Basmati rice cooked with ginger and spinach

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ghee
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes and drained)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
1.5 cups water
2 cups finely chopped baby spinach

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the ghee and oil in a pot.
2. Add the onion, cumin and fennel seeds and cook till the seeds begin to sizzle and the onion is soft and transluscent, this should take about 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in the salt, rice, turmeric and the red chili powder if you are using this.
4. Mix well and fry the rice for about 2 minutes.
5. Gently add in the water, bring to a simmer and cover and cook for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the cover, stir in the spinach and turn off the heat.
7. Leave covered for 5 minutes prior to serving.