Well this is embarrassing. The busier I am, the more my short attention span kicks into play and the more my attention to detail goes away. Case in point, this Indian Rice Pudding with Cardamom and Pistachios from Madhur Jaffrey was simmering away for 30 minutes on the stove, scenting the kitchen with a delicious aroma before I realized I made an error. When I skimmed the recipe to make sure I had all of the ingredients, I had it in my head that it was one cup of rice to 5 cups of milk (or in my case coconut milk), which seems logical in the grand scheme of rice pudding making. Wrong! It was one tablespoon of rice. Apparently, this pudding is supposed to be more about the boiled down milk than the rice. Whoops! ;-) No matter... it ended up working fine and was a fun variation on a classic.
My changes to the recipe are in red below.
Jaffrey says, "This is my mother's recipe for kheer, which she set in shallow half-baked earthware bowls called shakoras. As a result it picked up the delicious fragrance of freshly moistened earth. You could serve your kheer in individual custard bowls or, if you prefer, in one shallow serving bowl."
Indian Rice Pudding with Cardamom and Pistachios (Kheer)
Madhur Jaffrey's Step-By-Step Cookbook
(Serves 4)
5 cups (I used coconut milk)
1 tablespoon long-grain rice (I used 1 cup {whoops!} basmati rice)
4 whole cardamom pods, bruised
(I added: 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp rose water)
2 Tbsp sugar (I used 1 1/2 Tbsp agave)
10 unsalted pistachio nuts, slivered
(1 added 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped)
extra pistachio nuts to garnish
Combine the milk, rice, and and cardamom pods in a heavy-based pan or cooking pot. Slowly bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer steadily until the milk is reduced to approximately 2 1/2 cups; this may take about 1 1/4 hours. Turn off the heat.
Remove and discard the cardamom pods. Add the sugar and pistachio nuts, stir well, then leave to cool.
Stir the kheer again. Pour into a serving bowl. Sprinkle a few more pistachio on top of the pudding to garnish. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes/Results: Creamy, not too sweet and colorful with the dried apricots and pistachio nuts. I liked the flavor of this rice pudding with the presence of the cardamom as well as the additions of the cinnamon, vanilla and rosewater. Texturally, I was hoping for more firmness--personally, I prefer the chewiness-factor that brown rice adds so next time I would try a brown basmati. Although with my rice miscalculation, it isn't how Jaffrey's mother made it, this is was still a tasty variation. Great for breakfast, it would also be a good ending for an Indian dinner. I would make it again.
It's Potluck week at IHCC, so stop by and check out what everyone made.
There are some books that I latch on to and savor, I am disappointed when they end and know that I will miss them so much that I will return to them again and again. Then there are books that while I like them fine, appreciate the craft of the writing and enjoy reading them, I don't have an emotional investment of any kind in them. That for me is Heartburn by the late, great Nora Ephron. A good book, well-written, humorous, but it just didn't grab me.
I have more experience with Ephron's film work than her books. Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally are two of my all-time favorite chick flicks and I thought she did an amazing job with her last film Julie & Julia. All three touched my heart. With Heartburn, I didn't relate to the characters in a deep way. The story is a fictionalized account of Ephron's own marriage (to Watergate-breaking journalist Carl Bernstein), about cookbook writer Rachel, who while pregnant with her second child, finds out her journalist husband is having an affair and is fact in love with another woman who was a mutual "friend." Ephron's wit and dark humor are out full-force. There is plenty of food which serves as both consolation to Rachel and to recount the story and the history of her relationship and marriage to Mark. The food engaged me more than the characters did and the descriptions and recipes were the most enjoyable part of the book. In the end, I am glad I was prompted to read Heartburn as our October/November Cook the Books selection. A favorite for me ... no, but still a worthwhile foodie read.
The recipes and how-to's woven in for things like four-minute eggs, key lime pie, pasta, and plenty of potatoes, make it ripe for foodie inspiration. I went back and forth with what to make and finally decided on a shrimp curry--something she makes her first night moving back in with Mark. I had in mind a sort of class-retro-Junior League-style-Americanized sort of curry as it seemed it would fit the mood of the book. A busy week not cooking dinners put off my curry plans and turned it into a Sunday soup--bisque to be exact.
I was looking for a slightly healthier bisque--not so dairy and fat laden and was intrigued by the butternut squash base of this recipe originally from Southern-living magazine. I changed it up a bit (shown below in red), replacing the butter with a smaller amount of Earth Balance, swapping the whipping cream with coconut milk-based creamer, and exchanging the canned chicken stock for homemade shrimp stock from the freezer. The result--still decadent and indulgent, is lower in saturated fat, and the marriage of shrimp and butternut with the curry, is much stronger and better than that of Mark and Rachel. ;-)
Curried Shrimp and Butternut Squash Bisque
Southern Living Magazine from MyRecipes.com
(Yields about 6 Servings)
1 lb unpeeled, medium-size fresh shrimp (I used large)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used 1.5 Tbsp Earth Balance)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 (3 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 (14.5-oz) cans chicken broth, divided (I used 1 quart of shrimp stock)
2 teaspoons curry powder (I used 2 1/2 tsp curry powder)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup whipping cream (I used 1 cup coconut milk creamer--unsweetened)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
garnishes: whipping cream, paprika (I used cooked shrimp and smoked paprika)
Peel shrimp, and de-vein, if desired. Set aside.
Melt butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; add
onion, and sauté 7 to 8 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium;
add squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until tender.
Add 1 can broth, shrimp, curry, and thyme, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Let cool slightly. (I added everything but the shrimp and cooked together for about 10 minutes, then added shrimp and cooked until pink)
Process mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
Return mixture to saucepan; add remaining broth, and bring to a boil.
Stir in 1 cup whipping cream, salt, and pepper; reduce heat to low, and
simmer 5 minutes. Garnish, if desired.
Notes/Results: I really liked this soup. I thought that the squash and curry would overpower the shrimp but the flavor comes through and it is a nice blend of sweet and lightly spicy. (I owe much of the shrimp flavor to the stock from leftover shrimp peels I had sitting in the freezer--I recommend it over chicken stock.) I did cook the onions and squash in the broth, along with the curry and thyme for about 10 minutes before adding the raw shrimp--to make sure they were soft enough and to add more flavor. This is an elegant starter soup--not too heavy on the curry but full of flavor. I would make it again.
Our host for this CTB round is Simona of briciole and the deadline is Monday, December 3rd. If you love foodie books, consider joining us for our December/January pick: The Hunger Games hosted by Heather of girlichef (we are tying it into Food 'n Flix for some foodie book and movie fun)
Now let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here.
Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog has an Indian Spiced Tomato Soup to share and says, "Do you love a flavorful, yet easy to make soup? It is slightly spicy, has protein rich lentils , and is made with
real food, yet is easy to make. The recipe boasts fresh tomatoes (although you can you canned in the winter if you must) , immune
protecting onions and garlic, metabolism raising chile peppers, and
fresh green cilantro. The addition of curry or turmeric and cumin add
the extra kick of immune building spices. This soup is gluten free, dairy free, nut free, and egg free.
It's protein comes from lentils. Great for adults and kids who are
adventurous eaters!"
Join me in welcoming Nicola of Lemon and Cheese, making her first appearance at Souper Sundays all the way from London and with this creamy Carrot Soup with Dill and Mustard. She says, "I made this soup last weekend for the friends who helped me destroy the
wardrobe. I served it with ham sandwiches and it seemed to go down well.
I loved it anyway, it was nice to have a change from the more common
Carrot and Coriander Soup." Welcome Nicola!
Finally we have a soupish curry from Janet of The Taste Space, this Red Lentil Dal with Zucchini. Janet says, "I am a sucker for creamy red lentils and while it didn’t have the zip
that dal bhat delivers, it was a great curry. I find that most curries
are a bit too watery for my liking, especially if eaten fresh. So, I
have suggested starting with less water. You can always add more to thin
it out, but it is kind of a pain to boil that extra water away. It will
thicken a bit as leftovers as well. I also ended up using less oil,
salt and chili and adding more lime. Definitely season to taste, as I
probably could have added more heat with the chile flakes."
Thanks to Janet, Judee and Nicola for joining in this week. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share--just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.
Have a happy, healthy week!
I am more of a savory rather than a sweet breakfast person. Given a choice between pancakes, French toast or waffles and poached eggs, hash, or a breakfast scramble, I will always pick the savory option (however, I will have a few bites of your pancakes and share some of my scramble just to mix it up). ;-) I found this Madhur Jaffrey recipe for Indian "French" Toast intriguing because of the hot and savory aspect.
It's Bread Week at I Heart Cooking Clubs and I am not a bread maker in the best of circumstances so rather than fuss with making my own during a crazy week, I opted for easy, and fried up a few quick slices. Served with some mango chutney and thick Greek yogurt sweetened with honey and topped with some pomegranate seeds for a little color, it made for an easy and tasty breakfast as dinner.
Jaffrey says, "Various interpretations of "French" toast are enjoyed around the world... This one is for a savory and hot Indian version. Actually there are as many versions in India as there are Indian families. A Bengali family might cook theirs in mustard oil (unique and delicious) while a Gujarati family might serve theirs with a sweet mango chutney--whatever happens to be on hand--or no chutney at all.
The best French toast is made with slightly stale, hard bread, as it holds together best. When you beat the eggs, put them in a fairly shallow, gratin-type dish or pie tin or any other shallow dish in which two slices of bread can fit side by side with ease. If necessary, cut the bread slices into halves. This can easily be doubled..."
Indian French Toast (Unday Ka Toast)
World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey
(Makes 2 Slices)
1 egg, well beaten
1 Tbsp milk
dash of salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp finely chopped scallion (use the white and some of the pale green section)
1 to 2 tsp very finely chopped fresh hot green chiles
2 slices of slightly stale bread
3 Tbsp peanut oil or canola oil
Put the beaten egg and milk in a shallow dish. Add the salt, pepper to taste, scallion, and chile and stir to mix. Lay the slices of bread in the dish and turn them over quickly a few times. Let them soak about 3 minutes, or until the bread has softened a bit and the egg mixture has been somewhat absorbed, turning the slices occasionally. With a spoon, lift up some of the solids in the egg mixture (chile and scallion) and spread them on top of the slices.
Put the oil in a large, nonstick frying pan and set over medium heat. When hot, put the slices of bread in the pan, scallion-chile side down. Cook for a minute while you spoon the remaining solids over the bread slices. Turn the slices over and cook another minute. Turn the slices over again and cook both sides for another 30 second each, or until nicely browned. Serve hot.
Notes/Results: I liked the scallion flavor and light fire of the green (jalapeno) chiles in the thick slices of country French-bread. It did remind me of the little scallion pancakes you get in Chinese restaurants but in a good way. I made a few small changes--almond milk as it was on hand and just enough Earth Balance to coat the pan and brown the toast--no way do you need 3 tablespoons of oil to cook it. Although I liked the pairing of the toast with the chutney, the mango chutney I had on hand went a bit to the vinegary side and I actually liked it best drizzled in maple syrup and topped with the yogurt for a good savory-sweet contrast. I would make this again.
You can check out Jaffrey bread recipes from the other IHCC participants by visiting the post here and following the links.
Happy Aloha Friday!
Julie & Julia is our film choice this month for Food 'n Flix and it is the ultimate foodie flick. An amazing cast of some of my favorite people--Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Amy Adams and written and directed by the late Nora Ephron (more on her later this month as her book Heartburn is our current Cook the Books selection), The film moves back and forth between the amazing Julia Child's life in 1950's France and the modern-day story of food blogger Julie Powell, who cooked her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
I saw it when it came out with my Mom (good mother-daughter bonding) and my recent re-watch on Netflix confirmed that the Julia Child parts of the film are my favorites. Streep is so dead-on as Child it is amazing, and Julia's My Life in France is a classic. I read Julie Powell's book and did ultimately like it, but found it hard to get past her often whiny-poor-me tone that carries over into the movie, and although portrayed well by Adams, grates on my nerves. ;-) Still, the movie is utterly charming, full of great food and it remains a favorite. Thanks to our host Leslie at La Cocina Leslie for choosing it.
For a movie-inspired dish, I just opened up my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Although a lot of what was featured in the film is not really in my eating plan at the moment, I as confident the right Julia Child recipe was there for me. I found it in the soup section, Aigo Bouido or Garlic Soup. I was going to make the original garlic soup recipe but the variation with saffron and potatoes caught my eye.
I wouldn't be me if I didn't make a couple of small changes--reducing the oil and pureeing part of the soup with some of the strained garlic cloves for a velvety broth. I think if she tasted it, Julia would approve!
Saffron-Flavored Garlic Soup with Potatoes (Soupe à l'Ail aux Pommes de Terre)
Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
(Serves about 4)
Ingredients for garlic soup (recipe below) omitting the egg yolks and olive oil liaison
3 cups diced "boiling" potatoes
pinch saffron
After the garlic soup has simmered for 30 minutes, strain it and return it to the saucepan. Simmer the potatoes in the soup with the saffron for about 20 minutes or until tender. Correct seasoning. Serve with French bread and grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
(Deb's variation: Take about 1 1/2 cups of the soup mixture and blend with about 1/2 of the strained garlic cloves. Stir back into soup mixture. To serve, top each bowl of soup with a slice of toasted baguette topped with grated Gruyère
Note: I have included the entire garlic soup recipe below. To make the saffron-potato variation just omit the ingredients and directions for the egg mixture.
Julia says, "Enjoying your first bowl of garlic soup, you might never suspect what it is made of. Because the garlic is boiled, its after-effects are at a minimum, and its flavor becomes exquisite, aromatic and almost undefinable. Along the Mediterranean, aigo bouido is considered to be very good indeed for the liver, blood circulation, general physical tone and spiritual health. A head of garlic is not at all too much for 2 quarts of soup. For some addicts it isn't even enough."
Garlic Soup (Aigo Bouido)
Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
(For 6 to 8 People)
1 separated head (or about 16 cloves) whole, unpeeled garlic
2 quarts water
2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
2 cloves
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 bay leaf
4 parsley sprigs
3 Tbsp olive oil (I used 1 Tablespoon)
a 3-quart saucepan
a wire whip
3 egg yolks
a soup tureen
3 to 4 Tbsp olive oil
a strainer
rounds of hard-toasted French Bread
1 cup of grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
Drop garlic cloves in boiling water and boil 30 seconds. Drain, run cold water over them and peel.
Place the garlic and the rest of the ingredients in the sauce pan and boil slowly for 30 minutes. Correct seasoning.
Beat the egg yolks in the soup tureen for a minute until they are thick and sticky. Drop by drop, beat in the olive oil as for making a mayonnaise.
Just before serving beat a ladleful of hot soup into the egg mixture by droplets. Gradually strain in the rest, beating and pressing the juice out of the garlic. Serve immediately, accompanied by the bread and cheese.
Notes/Results:
Silky, complex with the smooth garlic flavor present but not at all overpowering--this is a slightly sophisticated and elegant bowl of soup. The soup is good on its own, but the toasted crouton with the Gruyère cheese makes it even better. I definitely recommend blending just a small amount of the soup to give it the velvety texture with plenty of bites of potato left. I would make this again.
Leslie will be rounding up all of the Food 'n Flix--Julie & Julia inspired dishes on her blog after the deadline on 11/28. If you missed this round and love movies and food, join in December where we will be watching the original Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory--hosted at WellDined.com.
Now we have Heather and Janet waiting with salads in the Souper Sundays kitchen--let's take a look.
Heather of girlichef offers up this Butternut Squash, Yellow Raisin, & Pine Nut Salad with Pomegranate and says, "Who likes to see a big, beautiful salad on their holiday table? This girl does.Who always forgets until the very last minute that they didn't "plan" a big, beautiful salad as a part of their holiday menu? As in always.
Every year. MmmHmm. This girl does. One more... Who puts a big, beautiful salad bathed in TURMERIC into one of their favorite, white-washed wooden bowls and turns it neon yellow? Still. This. Girl. {Sigh} t's a good thing that it was tasty and hearty (for a salad) and yes, beautiful. Not only would this make a fantastic side salad at your holiday table, it also makes for a wonderful lunch all by itself. Maybe with a class of crisp white wine."
Janet of The Taste Space shares a Caramelized Fennel and Quinoa Salad with Cilantro and Dill and says, "My current infatuation is with fennel.
This time, I tried caramelizing it like I do with onions.
A long slow braise to express all the natural sugars while taming the
boldness of the anise. Silky and sweet, I really enjoyed fennel this
way. I sprinkled it with cumin and lemon juice for a second level of
flavour. Then, it is tossed with quinoa in a punchy salad spiked with
cilantro and dill with chunks of lemon. The Aleppo chiles added a nice
wave of heat contrasting the sweet fennel. While caramelizing the
massive amount of fennel, you may wonder how everything will fit into
the salad, but trust me. It wilts a bit and I loved that this was a
fennel heavy quinoa salad, instead of a quinoa heavy salad. Tossed
overtop baby spinach, it was delicious."
Thanks to Janet an d Heather for joining in this week. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share--just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.
Have a happy, healthy week!
OK... I confess that even with all the nutritionally superior root vegetable, my favorite remains the common potato. Not sweet potatoes, or yams, or beets, or turnips, or carrots... the potato. They are the ultimate comfort food in my book and while they are not the healthiest choice, they certainly satisfy. In this Madhur Jaffrey recipe, they get a little more exotic--stir-fried with a combination of sesame seeds, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds.
Jaffrey says, "Here is another of those easy, delicious dishes that you might enjoy both with Indian meals and with simple dinners of roast and grilled meats. I like the potatoes to have a few brown spots on them."
Potatoes with Sesame Seeds
From 100 Weeknight Curries by Madhur Jaffrey
(Serves 6)
900g (2lb) potatoes, boiled in their sins and cooled for 3-4 hours
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
about 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Peel the boiled potatoes once they have cooled and dice them into 2cm (3/4-inch) cubes. Heat he oil to very hot in a large non-stick 25-30cm (10-12-inch) frying pan over medium heat. Put in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and sesame seeds. As soon as they begin to pop--this takes just a few seconds--put in the diced potatoes. Stir-fry the potatoes for about 5 minutes.
Add the salt, cayenne and lemon juice. Stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes.
Notes/Results: The flavor of these potatoes is excellent--the sesame and cumin seeds stands out with the lemon adding a bit of brightness and the cayenne a touch of heat. I did use about half the oil on these--I find 6 tablespoons to be far more than is actually needed, and I also reduced the salt and added a little extra lemon. I cooked them more than double what the recipe directions said to get them to the right soft texture. I used Yukon gold potatoes, I could probably have boiled them another couple of minutes and I diced some of them larger than asked for (I am an inconsistent dicer) ;-) But, since I like the crispy browned bits of potatoes the best, the longer cooking allowed for more of it. These potatoes are simple and would go well with any meal--not necessarily Indian, or you can be like me with most side dishes, and just eat them by themselves and call it dinner. I will make these again.
The weekly theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs is Root, Root, Root for Root Veggies! You can check out the different root vegetable recipes by visiting the post and following the links.
I bought a package of tortellini and a one of baby spinach with the intention of making a warm pasta salad. It's been a little windier and cooler this weekend with on-and-off rain showers so my mind turned instead to soup. Recipes abound for spinach and tortellini soup, but I just threw what I wanted into the pot with some veggies from the fridge, beans and plenty of fresh herbs.
Since this soup uses the packaged fresh tortellini, baby spinach and canned beans, it goes together quickly and makes for a warming and satisfying meat-free dinner.
Tortellini, Spinach and White Bean Soup
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 4)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small-medium onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped finely
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
4 cups stock or veggie broth (I used Imagine No-Chicken Broth)
1 can small white beans
4 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 package (9 oz) tortellini (I used Butoni fresh garlic cheese tortellini)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt and black pepper to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish
Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed soup pot and add onion, celery and carrot. Cook about 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf and cook about 2 minutes more. Add stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are mostly cooked. Add white beans, spinach and tortellini and cook another 8-10 minutes until tortellini is cooked through. Stir in fresh basil and add salt and pepper to taste and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes/Results: Simple, satisfying and very full of flavor for such an easy soup. The herbs and vegetables give the broth a lot of dimension and the tortellini and white beans make the soup filling. I just tossed together what I had but you could easily adjust it for your tastes by adding your favorite veggies or greens, using a meat-filled tortellini or adding in some shredded chicken, etc. It's a good soup for when you don't have a lot of time but want it to taste like it has been simmering all day. I would make it again.
It's a bit quiet in the Souper Sunday kitchen but three good friends and regulars are here to keep me company with a soup, salad and a sandwich on this busy weekend-before-Thanksgiving. Let's see what they brought...
Joanne of Eats Well With Others made this hearty Thai Tofu and Winter Squash Stew and says, "All I have to say is...thank the heavens for this stew. Not only does
it come together in around a half hour, but it's also so full of health I
can hardly stand it!! Butternut squash, swiss chard, and tofu join
forces with some serious Thai flavor to make a dish that is both filling
and delicious. Seriously, having this in the fridge will make it that
much easier to pry yourself away from the creamed "insert vegetable
here" that you've been taste testing every hour for the past two days.
And, if you're willing to go the non-traditional route, it would also
make for an awesome vegetarian entree on Thanksgiving....which, given
how good it is for you, would leave you more room for pie. That, my
friends, is a win. Squared."
Janet of The Taste Space has our salad entry this week--this seasonally-perfect Warm Balsamic Rosemary Cabbage Salad she describes as "warm and earthy... Janet also says, "Onions and garlic are pan-fried along with cabbage that
is gently cooked to remove some of its bite. Granny Smith apples add
tartness and sweetness along with raisins. Tossed with rosemary and
balsamic vinegar, you have a simple salad that is more than the sum of
its parts. I used green cabbage which became a bit muddled from the
balsamic vinegar. My suggestion would be to use white balsamic if you
have it or use purple cabbage instead."
Finally, Foodycat brings us a delicious sandwich--her Very Superior Bacon Sandwich and says, "A very superior bacon sandwich begins with some superior bread. In this case, a home-made milk loaf made using Dan Lepard's recipe. Not too crunchy a crust, not too open a crumb, with a subtle sweetness. Then a very superior bacon sandwich needs 3 rashers of superior crisply
cooked streaky bacon. This should be dry-cured and from high-welfare,
outdoor reared pork. Finally, the choice of condiments. This is a private matter between you and your god, I cannot presume to dictate whether brown sauce, chilli
sauce, chutney or ketchup is right for you."
Thanks Joanne, Janet and Alicia for joining in this week. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share--just click on the Souper Sundays logo on my side bar for all of the details.
Have a happy, healthy (Thanksgiving for many of you) week!
This Mushroom Curry (Shorvedar Khumbi) from Madhur Jaffrey caught my eye because of the mushrooms and the spices--I am trying to get through a large container of ground coriander. I am normally a multi-spiced-heavy-on-the-cumin-curry-kind-of-girl and this sounded a bit different.
Jaffrey says, "I have used ordinary white mushrooms here, but you may make this with almost any seasonal mushroom. Whichever kind you get, cut them into large, chunky pieces so they do not get lost in the sauce."
Mushroom Curry (Shorvedar Khumbi)
Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking
(Serves 4)
1 1/2 --inch piece fresh ginger, peeled an chopped
1 small onion (about 4 oz), peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 lb large fresh mushrooms
6 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used less--about 1/2)
3 Tbsp yogurt (I used non-dairy coconut-based yogurt)
1 tsp tomato paste
2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp salt (or to taste) (I used about 1/2 tsp)
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Place the ginger, onion, and garlic into the container of an electric blender along with 3 tablespoons water and blend until smooth.
Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut them into halves or quarters depending upon size.
Put 3 tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick frying pan and set over high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the mushrooms. Stir and fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mushrooms have lost their raw look. Empty the contents of the pan into a bowl. Wipe the pan.
Put the remaining 3 tablespoons oil into the pan and set over high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the paste from the blender. Stir and fry 3 to 4 minutes until it starts turning brown. Add 1 tablespoon yogurt and fry for 30 seconds. Add another tablespoon yogurt and fry for 30 seconds. Do this a third time. Then put in the tomato paste and fry for 30 seconds. Put in the ground coriander and stir once or twice. Then put in 1 1/4 cups water, the mushrooms and their juices, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the cilantro over the top before serving.
Notes/Results: This curry is excellent in flavor with the coriander and ginger the most pronounced--a little different than my usual curry flavors but I liked it. I used a mixture of cremini mushrooms and white mushrooms--just because that is what the grocery store had, but wild mushrooms would be really nice in this. Pureeing the onion, ginger and garlic and stir-frying that mixture added a lot to the overall taste. Texture-wise, next time I would put less water in or maybe sub coconut milk for the water--I like a thick. creamy base and this was more thin. Also, I used a non-dairy coconut-based yogurt and maybe a Greek yogurt would have made it a little thicker. Still, it was good with the flaky paratha (my favorite flat bread from the frozen section of my local Indian market) dipped into it. The recipe says it serves four but, I think it is more like two generous main-dish servings or four as a side dish or part of a larger meal. I would make this again--with less liquid.
We are all about Comforting Curries this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs. Stop by and take a peek.
