This is what I had with a friend last night and it went down well, I´d say.
For the dal:
1 cup mung dal
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 minced green chillies (or to taste)
1 tsp minced ginger root
3 medium sized courgettes
1 tsp brown sugar or jaggery
salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
If using a pressure cooker, throw in the dal, turmeric, chillies, ginger and courgettes with 4 cups of water, bring to pressure, cook for 5-10 mins then release pressure. Add salt, sugar and lemon juice.
If cooking conventionally, cook the dal with turmeric, chillies and ginger in 5 cups of water (topping up as necessary) until dal starts to soften. Add courgettes. When dal is completely soft, add salt, sugar and lemon juice.
Heat the oil in a small pan and fry the cumin seeds till browned. Pour into the dal.
For the rice:
2 tbsp oil
1 onion (nice if young with some green, or use half a bunch of spring onions)
4 cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick or a few pieces of cinnamon bark
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
2 tbsp flaked almonds
2 small cups rice
Heat the oil. Fry the onion until it starts to soften. add the spices, almonds and coconut. Allow to slightly brown, then briefly fry the rice until coated in oil. Add 4 cups of water and cook till rice is soft. I don't normally put salt in my rice, but you could if you wanted to. Should also be nice with a handful of raisins and a spoonful of sugar to give it an even sweeter touch.
This went well and looked fantastic on a plate with a simple tomato salad (tomatoes, lemon juice, maldon salt, freshly ground black pepper and some chopped coriander leaves).
Freitag, 15. Juli 2011
Samstag, 2. Juli 2011
easy middle eastern chard and chickpeas
I kind of just threw this together and was delighted by the result.
Ingredients:
olive oil
chopped onion
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander powder
roughly chopped chard with stems
1/2 to 1 can chickpeas, drained
some chopped dried apricots, raisins or barberies (not chopped, obviously)
chopped (dry-roasted) pistachios (these really add a special dimension)
some half-fat creme fraiche or plain yoghurt
salt, pepper
Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the onion along with the cumin until the cumin browns and the onion softens. Add the coriander powder, then throw in the chard. Stir, cover and allow to cook in its own juice until done. You can add a little water or stock if necessary. When almost done, Stir in chickpeas and dried fruit. Allow to heat through, then stir in creme fraiche or yoghurt and salt and pepper. Heat gently but do not boil. Serve with couscous or bulghur and garnished with the pistachios.
Last night, we had Spaghetti with Pesto with some broad beans thrown in. Very easy, very good.
Ingredients:
olive oil
chopped onion
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander powder
roughly chopped chard with stems
1/2 to 1 can chickpeas, drained
some chopped dried apricots, raisins or barberies (not chopped, obviously)
chopped (dry-roasted) pistachios (these really add a special dimension)
some half-fat creme fraiche or plain yoghurt
salt, pepper
Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the onion along with the cumin until the cumin browns and the onion softens. Add the coriander powder, then throw in the chard. Stir, cover and allow to cook in its own juice until done. You can add a little water or stock if necessary. When almost done, Stir in chickpeas and dried fruit. Allow to heat through, then stir in creme fraiche or yoghurt and salt and pepper. Heat gently but do not boil. Serve with couscous or bulghur and garnished with the pistachios.
Last night, we had Spaghetti with Pesto with some broad beans thrown in. Very easy, very good.
Freitag, 4. März 2011
Chard Soup, Poppy Seed Cake
Maybe my new laptop will introduce a new era in posting...
two offerings today.
Chard Soup
one onion, chopped
2 tsp chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
some tofu, cubed (optional)
some swiss chard, chopped
mushrooms, sliced, if you have
2-4 dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced - reserve the liquid from soaking and use in the broth
1/2 cup brown rice or basmati
1 l veg stock
3 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce (optional)
lemon juice (optional)
Saute onion, ginger and garlic in a little oil. Add the tofu and brown a little. Add the sliced mushrooms and swiss chard. Fry for a bit. Add the rice. Then pour in stock, wine and soy sauce. Cook till rice is done. Season with chili sauce and lemon juice if you like.
Now the cake recipe has a history. One thing is the left bit of poppy seed cake filling I had left in the fridge from earlier baking. So I was looking for some recipe to use it up. And in my late grandmother's Doktor Oetker Schulkochbuch fuer den Elektroherd I found a sheet with the following recipe, lovingly typed by my grandfather. Brought back memories of having afternoon coffee and cake with them, and granddad on his typewriter...
It seems to originate from a mysterious "Baking with Tina" column...
Poppyseed Streusel (crumble) cake
For the crumble base and top:
150g butter or margarine
150g flour
125g sugar
1 yolk
grated rind of one organic lemon
Soften the butter and rub into rest of ingredients. Press about half of this mix into the base of a 26 cm Springform cake tin.
Make the filling:
750 ml milk
1 pack vanilla pudding powder (I don't know if custard powder will work, but probably. It should be fairly stiff when cooked)
2 tins mandarin segments (I left those out though)
1 egg white
250g poppy seed filling (polish shops!)
Bring 500ml of the milk to the boil. Mix the pudding powder with the remainder. Take milk off the hob, stir in mix, bring back to the boil while stirring. Allow to cool slightly while whisking the egg white. Mix the pudding with the poppy seed filling, then fold in the egg white. Put this mix on the dough base then crumble the rest of the dough over. Bake at 175 degrees for up to an hour until crumbles are golden brown and pudding mix set. If it browns too quickly, cover with a piece of parchment.
You can then mix 100g powdered sugar with 2-3 tbsp lemon juice to cover the cake with this.
Have a nice weekend!
two offerings today.
Chard Soup
one onion, chopped
2 tsp chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
some tofu, cubed (optional)
some swiss chard, chopped
mushrooms, sliced, if you have
2-4 dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced - reserve the liquid from soaking and use in the broth
1/2 cup brown rice or basmati
1 l veg stock
3 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce (optional)
lemon juice (optional)
Saute onion, ginger and garlic in a little oil. Add the tofu and brown a little. Add the sliced mushrooms and swiss chard. Fry for a bit. Add the rice. Then pour in stock, wine and soy sauce. Cook till rice is done. Season with chili sauce and lemon juice if you like.
Now the cake recipe has a history. One thing is the left bit of poppy seed cake filling I had left in the fridge from earlier baking. So I was looking for some recipe to use it up. And in my late grandmother's Doktor Oetker Schulkochbuch fuer den Elektroherd I found a sheet with the following recipe, lovingly typed by my grandfather. Brought back memories of having afternoon coffee and cake with them, and granddad on his typewriter...
It seems to originate from a mysterious "Baking with Tina" column...
Poppyseed Streusel (crumble) cake
For the crumble base and top:
150g butter or margarine
150g flour
125g sugar
1 yolk
grated rind of one organic lemon
Soften the butter and rub into rest of ingredients. Press about half of this mix into the base of a 26 cm Springform cake tin.
Make the filling:
750 ml milk
1 pack vanilla pudding powder (I don't know if custard powder will work, but probably. It should be fairly stiff when cooked)
2 tins mandarin segments (I left those out though)
1 egg white
250g poppy seed filling (polish shops!)
Bring 500ml of the milk to the boil. Mix the pudding powder with the remainder. Take milk off the hob, stir in mix, bring back to the boil while stirring. Allow to cool slightly while whisking the egg white. Mix the pudding with the poppy seed filling, then fold in the egg white. Put this mix on the dough base then crumble the rest of the dough over. Bake at 175 degrees for up to an hour until crumbles are golden brown and pudding mix set. If it browns too quickly, cover with a piece of parchment.
You can then mix 100g powdered sugar with 2-3 tbsp lemon juice to cover the cake with this.
Have a nice weekend!
Montag, 14. Juni 2010
curried potatoes and vegetables; "middle-eastern" tofu and cabbage
Amazing, how well Thai curry paste and potatoes go together! The veg are variable, peppers and mushrooms really go well.
app. 750g potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch spring/salad onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green and 1 red pepper, chopped
1 courgette
3 large portobello mushrooms or 8 normal mushrooms
1 heaped tbsp (green) Thai curry paste
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt
chopped parsley and coriander to taste
Heat the oil. Briefly fry onions and garlic. Add the vegetables and fry until they are as crisp or done as you prefer. Stir in the potatoes and add the seasoning. Garnish with the chopped greens.
For the tofu-cabbage dish:
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
200g tofu, cubed
1/8 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp allspice, ground
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 cups chopped raw cabbage (like spring cabbage at the moment)
1 can chopped tomatoes
salt, brown sugar and pepper to taste
Heat the oil. Fry the onion till it starts to soften. Add the tofu and spices. Slightly brown the tofu pieces, then add the cabbage. When it starts to soften, add tomatoes and some water (about a cup). Season and allow to simmer till done. Serve with couscous. May be garnished with fresh mint or coriander leaves.
app. 750g potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch spring/salad onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green and 1 red pepper, chopped
1 courgette
3 large portobello mushrooms or 8 normal mushrooms
1 heaped tbsp (green) Thai curry paste
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt
chopped parsley and coriander to taste
Heat the oil. Briefly fry onions and garlic. Add the vegetables and fry until they are as crisp or done as you prefer. Stir in the potatoes and add the seasoning. Garnish with the chopped greens.
For the tofu-cabbage dish:
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
200g tofu, cubed
1/8 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp allspice, ground
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 cups chopped raw cabbage (like spring cabbage at the moment)
1 can chopped tomatoes
salt, brown sugar and pepper to taste
Heat the oil. Fry the onion till it starts to soften. Add the tofu and spices. Slightly brown the tofu pieces, then add the cabbage. When it starts to soften, add tomatoes and some water (about a cup). Season and allow to simmer till done. Serve with couscous. May be garnished with fresh mint or coriander leaves.
Dienstag, 8. Juni 2010
Courgette Dhal with Dill
Yesterday I made this easy dhal which turned out lovely. For once, I didn't rely on a recipe book for inspiration but remembered a dhal I had eaten at a friend's house in Bangalore some years ago. I think his cook was from Andhra, and I'm still very partial to Andhra cuisine. I didn't ask her how she made it at the time, but my result comes close to the taste I remember. The amounts make a nice big pot for lots (around 6) of people or 2 days worth of eating!
1 1/2 cups chana dhal
1,5 l water
2 tbsp ghee or oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp chopped ginger
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp asafetida
2-4 dried red chilies
4 medium courgettes, sliced thickly
salt
1 tbsp jaggery or brown sugar
juice of half a lemon
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
half of a large bunch of dill, chopped
Heat the ghee or oil and fry the cumin till it starts to brown, then add onion, ginger and chilies. When the onion starts to soften, add the asafetida and fry briefly. Add the courgettes and dhal and the water. Cover and (pressure) cook till the dhal softens (10 min under pressure are enough with most types of dhal and cookers I reckon). Add salt, lemon juice, jaggery and tomatoes. Continue to simmer as long as you like, really. Turn off the heat and stir in the dill. Serve with plain white rice and Gongura pickle.
1 1/2 cups chana dhal
1,5 l water
2 tbsp ghee or oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp chopped ginger
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp asafetida
2-4 dried red chilies
4 medium courgettes, sliced thickly
salt
1 tbsp jaggery or brown sugar
juice of half a lemon
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
half of a large bunch of dill, chopped
Heat the ghee or oil and fry the cumin till it starts to brown, then add onion, ginger and chilies. When the onion starts to soften, add the asafetida and fry briefly. Add the courgettes and dhal and the water. Cover and (pressure) cook till the dhal softens (10 min under pressure are enough with most types of dhal and cookers I reckon). Add salt, lemon juice, jaggery and tomatoes. Continue to simmer as long as you like, really. Turn off the heat and stir in the dill. Serve with plain white rice and Gongura pickle.
Dienstag, 1. Juni 2010
more inspired: millet pulao, oriental aubergines and stuffed peppers
Towards the end of national vegetarian week and over this BH weekend, our cooking has been much more inspired. I've liked this millet pulao ever since I first made it, and dh did a great job at cooking it the other night. Do try it, it is as easy as it is tasty and goes well with a salad.
Millet pulao
300g millet
2 tbsp ghee
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, cut in pieces
3 potatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 walnut-sized piece ginger, minced
1 piece cinnamon stick or bark (5 cm)
salt and pepper
50g raisins
50g flaked almonds
Dry roast the millet in a large pan over moderate heat until fragrant and some grains start to jump. Transfer to another container (otherwise it may burn quickly!).
Heat the ghee and fry the onion in it. Add vegetables, ginger, garlic and cinnamon. Roast for a bit. Add millet and 750ml of (boiling) water, salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to the boil and simmer covered until all the water is absorbed and the millet soft.
Mix in raisins and almonds before serving. It is also nice to dry roast the almonds before adding them.
The oriental aubergines here are adapted from Bettina Matthei's "Würzen". They are so lovely and succulent and rich that you really wouldn't miss meat. This time, I substituted some of the aubergines with mushrooms, with great success. I've also added paneer cubes (fried briefly before adding the aubergines) for extra protein, texture and taste balance. Otherwise, I'd recommend serving with Couscous, Bulghur, rice or wholegrain pasta and some greek yoghurt or creme fraiche.
500g aubergines (and/or mushrooms)
a large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp oil
4 tbsp water or stock
2 tbsp unsweetened pomegranate concentrate (or balsamic vinegar)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
a dash of chilli powder
50g raisins (optional)
50g roughly chopped pistachios (other nuts would also work, but do give pistachios a try!)
Heat the oil. Fry the onion till soft, add garlic, aubergines and ground spices. Fry, stirring well, until aubergines are nicely browned and quite soft. Add water/stock, pomegranate concentrate and brown sugar and chilli powder if using. Cover and simmer. Add salt to taste and stir in raisins and pistachios just before serving.
Last night, I made these stuffed peppers. They were nice and kept warm until all the children had decided to go off to sleep... I'd recommend serving with roasted tomatoes or a tomato sauce, and possibly a green salad.
4 peppers (colours to taste)
110g pudding rice (or other)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
1 medium tomato, chopped
some mild to medium cheese, grated (a large handful)
a little bit of grated parmesan (optional)
4 tbsp ricotta (or soured cream/creme fraiche)
generous amounts of chopped basil and parsley or other herbs to taste
Halve the peppers lengthwise and put on a baking sheet covered with baking parchment - or in a large oven-proof dish so that you can arrange tomatoes around it to bake!
Preheat oven to 180° C.
Boil the rice in water for 12 min. Drain.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry till golden. Add the garlic and fry briefly.
Mix all the ingredients well, season with salt and generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper.
Stuff into the peppers and bake for about 30 mins until peppers are soft.
Millet pulao
300g millet
2 tbsp ghee
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, cut in pieces
3 potatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 walnut-sized piece ginger, minced
1 piece cinnamon stick or bark (5 cm)
salt and pepper
50g raisins
50g flaked almonds
Dry roast the millet in a large pan over moderate heat until fragrant and some grains start to jump. Transfer to another container (otherwise it may burn quickly!).
Heat the ghee and fry the onion in it. Add vegetables, ginger, garlic and cinnamon. Roast for a bit. Add millet and 750ml of (boiling) water, salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to the boil and simmer covered until all the water is absorbed and the millet soft.
Mix in raisins and almonds before serving. It is also nice to dry roast the almonds before adding them.
The oriental aubergines here are adapted from Bettina Matthei's "Würzen". They are so lovely and succulent and rich that you really wouldn't miss meat. This time, I substituted some of the aubergines with mushrooms, with great success. I've also added paneer cubes (fried briefly before adding the aubergines) for extra protein, texture and taste balance. Otherwise, I'd recommend serving with Couscous, Bulghur, rice or wholegrain pasta and some greek yoghurt or creme fraiche.
500g aubergines (and/or mushrooms)
a large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp oil
4 tbsp water or stock
2 tbsp unsweetened pomegranate concentrate (or balsamic vinegar)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
a dash of chilli powder
50g raisins (optional)
50g roughly chopped pistachios (other nuts would also work, but do give pistachios a try!)
Heat the oil. Fry the onion till soft, add garlic, aubergines and ground spices. Fry, stirring well, until aubergines are nicely browned and quite soft. Add water/stock, pomegranate concentrate and brown sugar and chilli powder if using. Cover and simmer. Add salt to taste and stir in raisins and pistachios just before serving.
Last night, I made these stuffed peppers. They were nice and kept warm until all the children had decided to go off to sleep... I'd recommend serving with roasted tomatoes or a tomato sauce, and possibly a green salad.
4 peppers (colours to taste)
110g pudding rice (or other)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
1 medium tomato, chopped
some mild to medium cheese, grated (a large handful)
a little bit of grated parmesan (optional)
4 tbsp ricotta (or soured cream/creme fraiche)
generous amounts of chopped basil and parsley or other herbs to taste
Halve the peppers lengthwise and put on a baking sheet covered with baking parchment - or in a large oven-proof dish so that you can arrange tomatoes around it to bake!
Preheat oven to 180° C.
Boil the rice in water for 12 min. Drain.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry till golden. Add the garlic and fry briefly.
Mix all the ingredients well, season with salt and generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper.
Stuff into the peppers and bake for about 30 mins until peppers are soft.
Samstag, 29. Mai 2010
Rhubarb and cinnamon cake
I had also made this cake with my dd helping with the mixing. It basically follows by a recipe that came with our Riverford veg box, so thanks, Jane!
60g soft butter
350g brown sugar
3 large eggs
vanilla essence or ground vanilla
a pinch of salt
300g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
200 ml creme fraiche
zest and juice of 1 orange
600g-800g rhubarb, cut in pieces
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Prepare a springform cake tin (24-28cm) by lining with baking parchment or greasing well and dusting with flour.
Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla.
Mix flour, salt, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon, then add to the egg mix, beating well.
Add orange zest, juice and creme fraiche.
Transfer about half the mix into the tin, then stir the rhubarb into the remainder.
Mix 4 tbsp brown sugar with 1 tsp ground cinnamon and sprinkle over cake.
Bake for 60 - 75 min.
I used a half-fat organic creme fraiche, which yielded a lighter cake which benefitted from being eaten with whipped cream. If you want a more continental cake, I would suggest using either a full-fat creme fraiche or more butter and less creme fraiche in proportion. Lovely cake for this rainy day!
60g soft butter
350g brown sugar
3 large eggs
vanilla essence or ground vanilla
a pinch of salt
300g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
200 ml creme fraiche
zest and juice of 1 orange
600g-800g rhubarb, cut in pieces
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Prepare a springform cake tin (24-28cm) by lining with baking parchment or greasing well and dusting with flour.
Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla.
Mix flour, salt, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon, then add to the egg mix, beating well.
Add orange zest, juice and creme fraiche.
Transfer about half the mix into the tin, then stir the rhubarb into the remainder.
Mix 4 tbsp brown sugar with 1 tsp ground cinnamon and sprinkle over cake.
Bake for 60 - 75 min.
I used a half-fat organic creme fraiche, which yielded a lighter cake which benefitted from being eaten with whipped cream. If you want a more continental cake, I would suggest using either a full-fat creme fraiche or more butter and less creme fraiche in proportion. Lovely cake for this rainy day!
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