Sharing the Culture

Our home is mostly infused by our Jewish culture. But every now and again I let my other secret cultures come in through the kitchen door. Up until now it's been mostly West Indian, but recently my kitchen has turned into Joshi's Indian takeaway. We have been leaning towards a vegetarian Indian diet of late and the array of countless recipes is astounding!

This weekend sees the start of the Indian festival of Diwali. For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities in the home. Of course food also plays its part, especially sweets. If you have never had the pleasure or the ecstasy of eating Indian sweets, you have so not lived! Laddus, Gulab Jamun and Burfi - ahhhh num, num, num!


Gulab Jamuns

This is my all time favourite Indian sweet. If Gulab Jamun eating was an Olympic sport, I'd be winning Gold for Great Britain!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup nonfat milk powder
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 3 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup room temperature whole milk
• Pinch of baking soda
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 4 coarsely grounded cardamom seeds
• 4 strands saffron
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds and pistachio
• Oil for deep-frying

Method

Syrup:

1. In a large pan, add water, sugar, saffron strands and ground cardamom seeds and bring it to a boil.
2. Let the syrup boil for a minute then remove it from the heat.
3. Stir the syrup until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Set the syrup aside.

Gulab Jamun:

1. In a bowl, mix milk powder, flour and baking soda.
2. Add the butter and mix well.
3. Now add milk to make soft dough. The dough will be sticky.
4. Let the dough sit for a few minutes. Milk powder will absorb the extra milk. If the dough is dry, add more milk, as the dough should be soft.
5. Knead the dough. Grease your hands with butter before working with the dough.
6. Divide the dough into about 20 equal portions and roll them into round balls.
7. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. The frying pan should have at least 1 ½ inch of oil. To test if the oil is the right temperature, place a small piece of dough into the oil; it should take a minute to rise. If dough rises faster, oil is too hot; if dough just sits without rising, oil is not hot enough.
8. Place the gulab jamuns in the frying pan. Note: remember gulab jamuns will expand in double the volume, so give them enough space.
9. It should take about 7 minutes to fry the gulab jamuns. While frying keep rolling the gulab jamuns around so they are evenly browned. Fry until the gulab jamuns become dark brown.
10. Let the gulab jamuns cool off for a few minutes before placing in the hot syrup.
11. The gulab jamuns should sit in the hot syrup for at least 20 minutes prior to serving.

Tips:

1. If the gulab jamuns are fried on high heat, they will become hard inside and not fully cooked.
2. Too much baking soda will cause the gulab jamuns to get too soft or they will break apart when frying.
3. Don’t place the gulab jamuns in the syrup immediately after frying. This will cause the gulab jamuns to lose their shape and become chewy.

Rava Laddus

Ingredients:

340 gm (2 cups) fine grained semolina (rava)
170 gm (1 cup) fresh grated coconut (you can also use frozen)
100 gm (1/2 cup) ghee (or use 1/3 cup)*
330 gm (1 1/2 cups sugar)
250 ml (1 cup) water
1/4 tsp saffron strands
7 to 8 cardamom pods, ground
20 cashews
20 raisins

Method:

In a large bowl, mix the semolina and coconut, cover and keep aside for about 1/2 hour to 2 hours.

In a wok, heat the ghee on a medium flame. After it melts, put in the semolina-coconut mixture, reduce the flame and roast until the semolina turns golden and plump, about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure not to brown the semolina by continuously stirring it on low heat. Transfer the contents to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature.

Put in the sugar and water into the wok and stir on medium heat until the sugar melts. Lower the heat after the sugar melts, add the saffron strands and cook until the syrup reaches one string consistency. You can test this by putting a drop of the syrup on a plate and allowing it to cool by blowing air on it and then taking the syrup between your forefinger and thumb and pulling it apart. At first the syrup is sticky and when the syrup draws a single thread its done!

After the syrup reaches single thread consistency, turn off the flame add add the cardamom, cashews and raisins and the semolina mixture. Mix well, cover and keep aside for 20 minutes to half an hour.

When the mixture is warm, form into laddus or balls by pressing small amounts of the mixture with your palms. Store in an air tight container.

Makes 24 to 28 laddus

Points to be noted:

• Use 1/2 cup ghee for the ingredients listed above if you want a soft consistency melt in the mouth laddu. This won’t harden even when refrigerated.

• If you use less ghee, the mixture might turn too dry to form into laddus. This can be sorted by adding a few spoons of milk until the mixture is soft enough to make into laddus. But, remember this will shorten the shelf life and might need to be refrigerated. Also the laddus are not very soft, but some people might prefer this texture to the softer one.

• If the semolina is roasted well then it can be stored at room temperature for 8 to 10 days. Refrigerate it for a longer storing period.

Cashew Burfi

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of ground cashew nuts (kaju)
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• About 20 strings of saffron 

Method:

1. On very low heat in a heavy bottom pan roast the ground cashews for about 4 minutes or until powder just gets warm. Do not heat for any longer otherwise powder will start getting oily.
2. In a saucepan, boil the sugar and water together on medium heat until syrup is 1 thread or 225 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
3. Next add the saffron to the syrup mix it well.  Turn off the heat.
4. Add the ground cashews to the syrup and mix it well, making sure there are no lumps.
5. To check the right consistency take a little mix in a spoon, you should be able to roll this into softball.
6. Next spread the mix quick to the greased plate. Spread before the mix cools off.
7. Allow burfi to cool and then cut them into diamond shapes.

An Apple a day keeps the Trini at Bay

I've had a special request all the way from the tropical isle of Trinidad! Apparently Trinis like apple crumble. I didn't even know you could get apples in Trinidad! (they were always rotten and expensive in Barbados so we never bothered with them!). It's a great winter favourite here in Blighty, especially when teamed with custard.
So here you go JuJu - Apple Crumble just for you!

4 large baking apples
1 tbsp lemon juice
3fl oz water
2 oz caster sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
handful of raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Topping
3oz flour
1 oz porrigde oats
4 oz soft brown sugar
3 oz butter or marg

Peel, core and slice the apples into a shallow baking dish approx 6x9in. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and water, topped with the 2 oz of sugar and raisins/cranberries (if using) and the cinnamon. Combine flour, oats and brown sugar, then gently rub in the butter or marg until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle in an even layer over the apples. Bake at M5/190C/375F for 40 minutes or until crunchy and golden brown. Serve plain or with custard. Serves 6.

How to Tuna fish! And other Sweet (potato) Things

Scratching around for something healthy to make for dinner the other night, I came across a lone tin of tuna in the cupboard. Hmm I thought... must be something interesting I can do with this. Tuna burgers I thought. And as my mind went into creative overdrive I thought I'd use up the last two sweet potatoes and that poor cucumber that was sickening in the fridge. Little did I know that after I created  this simple but veritable feast, and sharing the photo on Facebook, that my Facebook friends would be falling over themselves for the burger recipe! 

I have had so many requests for the recipe that I can do nothing but comply. I have to admit that this was a recipe I made up as I went along so you will have to bear with me on this. I served the burgers with sweet potato fries and cucumber raita.

Tuna Burgers

(made about 8 burgers)

1 tin tuna, drained

1 medium courgette, grated

1 onion, grated

1 half red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/4 cup fresh coriander

1 egg

1 tspn ground cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

2-3 tbspn matzo meal (or breadcrumbs  - Panko is superb if you have them!)

1. Grate the courgette and set aside.

2. Chuck the tuna, onion, red pepper, garlic and coriander into a food processor and whizz together. Add egg and whizz till combined. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the courgette, cumin, salt and pepper and just enough matzo meal (or breadcrumbs) to bind it all together.

3. Form into patties.

4. Heat about an inch of oil in a frying pan on a medium flame. If the burger is a bit sticky you can roll it in more matzo meal (or breadcrumbs).

5 fry on each side for about 4-5 minutes and drain on kitchen roll.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 medium sweet potatoes

olive oil

1/2 tspn cumin

1/2 tspn garlic powder

salt and pepper

1. Scrub the potatoes well and then peel.

2. Trim off the ends of the sweet potato and slice a bit off the bottom so it will lay flat. Cut into discs and then slice those into fries. If you get long pieces cut these in half.

3. Soak the fries in a bowl of cold water for an hour. The soak will remove the starch from the fries which will then help the fries to crisp. 

4. Rinse the fries under water then towel dry.

5. In a clean bowl, mix olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

6. Add the fries to this mixture and toss til coated.

7. Arrange fries on a baking sheet and bake on M7/220C/425F for about 25-30 mins. Shuffle fries half way thru to ensure even baking.

Cucumber raita

A couple of dollops of plain yoghurt 

grated cucumber

Grate the cucumber and combine with the yoghurt. I like to throw in some Chaat Masala for a bit of flavour.

Thanksgivukah - and now for the vegetarians!

Please people if you have a vegetarian coming to your celebration do not wimp out and make them a stuffed pepper! Gag!! It's not brain surgery to be a bit more creative and serve up the most wonderful Thanksgivukah meal to those who eat no meat!

• Roasted acorn squash rings stuffed with quinoa, apples, walnuts, cheese, sage, and onions
• 
  
• cooking spray
• 1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
• 1 c. vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 apple, cored and diced
• 1/2 c. shredded sharp, aged or smoked cheddar cheese
• 1/4 c. dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp. chopped sage
• 2 tbsp. chopped walnuts
• salt + pepper to taste
• 1 egg, whisked
• 3 small acorn or sweet dumpling squash, cut into 1/2-inch slices (remove seeds & guts)
• 1 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray or oil and place squash rings on sheets.
2. Cook quinoa in broth according to package directions. Cool slightly.
3. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion. Cook about 10 minutes, or until onion is just beginning to brown. Add apple and cook about 5 minutes more, until apple is softened. Allow to cool slightly.
4. Combine quinoa, apple and onion mixture, cheese, cranberries, sage, and walnuts in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in egg.
5. In a small bowl, combine butter and maple syrup. Brush tops and insides of squash rings with butter mixture; season with salt and pepper.
6. Stuff quinoa filling into the center of each squash ring, pressing down to fit as much stuffing as possible without overflowing. Spray centers of squash rings with oil or cooking spray. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and squash is tender.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

4 large sweet potatoes (about 4 pounds)

3 tbsp. maple syrup

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

salt to taste

chopped candied pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until tender and starting to caramelize. The time depends on the size and shape of potato you're using, but it's usually between an hour and an hour and a half. Allow to cool slightly.

Once potatoes have cooled, remove skin. Place potatoes in bowl and whip with a hand mixer at medium speed. Add maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon and mix until combined. Stir in salt to taste. Transfer to serving bowl and top with pecans, if desired.

Green Beans & Caramelized Shallots

3 tbsp. olive oil, divided

8 shallots, halved and thinly sliced

2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed

salt + pepper to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently as shallots begin to brown. Depending on your stove, this could take between a half an hour to a little over an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss green beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until tender and just beginning to brown. Transfer to serving dish and top with shallots.

French Bread Stuffing with Swiss Chard & Caramelized Red Onions

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 large red onions, halved and thinly sliced

1 bunch Swiss chard (about 1 pound), stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces

1 (8 ounce) stale baguette, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 large egg, beaten

2 oz. shredded fontina or Italian blend cheese

salt + pepper to taste

1 1/2 c. vegetable broth

oil mister or cooking spray

Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat.  Add onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently as onions begin to brown. Depending on your stove, this could take between a half an hour to a little over an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add chard and cook 5 minutes. Remove and rinse with cold water. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

Place bread cubes in large bowl. Add egg; toss to coat. Stir in onions, chard, cheese, salt and pepper, and broth. Transfer to 3 quart baking dish that's been coated in cooking spray. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover, spray top with oil or cooking spray, and bake 15-20 minutes more until stuffing is golden brown.

ginger orange cranberry sauce

ingredients

• 8 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. ginger beer or ale
• 1/4 c. freshly-squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp. orange zest

instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often and using the back of a wooden spoon to smash cranberries against side of pan. Remove from heat; sauce will thicken as it cools.

Thanksgivukah Part 2

Another recipe for the oddball combination of Thanksgiving and Chanukah:

Potato Latkes with Cranberry Sauce

Makes 10-15 latkes

INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups grated onions, divided
1 large egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 pounds  potatoes
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Cranberry sauce

Method

1.Line a colander with a smooth kitchen towel or cheesecloth.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine half of the diced onion (1 ¼ cups), egg, flour, salt, and baking powder, and mix with a rubber spatula just to combine.

3. Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes, working quickly so that the potatoes don’t brown. Using the grater attachment of a food processor, grate potatoes and remaining 1 ¼ cup diced onion.

4. Pour the potato-onion mixture out into the towel or cheesecloth set over the colander, wrap the towel around the mixture, and wring out as much liquid as possible. The potatoes should release at least 1 cup of liquid. Discard liquid.

5. Add dry potato mixture to the egg/flour mixture. Stir until batter is combined and sticky.

6. Heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Oil should be hot but not smoking, 

7. For each latke, take about ¼ cup of batter and flatten it in your palms to about a 2-inch disk. As you do this, squeeze out excess liquid, then place the disk into the oil with a heatproof spatula. 

8. Cook latkes about 4 minutes each side, until golden brown. Cook in batches of 4-5 latkes. Between batches, use a slotted spoon to strain any leftover bits of potato mixture out of the oil. Add more oil as needed, making sure to let the oil reheat before dropping the next potato mixture in. 

9. Transfer fried latkes to the baking rack, and place in the oven for about 8 minutes, until crispy and deep brown.

Serve with Cranberry Sauce

Thanksgivukah - A do not miss double holiday bonanza! Part 1

Now here is an oddity that we will probably never see again in out lifetime! Thanksgivng bisecting Chanukah!
Jewish yummy mummys up and down the United States are shticking themselves because they are at a loss how to decorate the house - pilgrims or menorahs? turkeys or driedels? Embrace them both I say! Get creative and combine the best of both holidays! And here are the recipes:

Pumpkin Challah

Challah Ingredients

2 packages active dry yeast

1 cup lukewarm water, divided

3 tbsp white sugar

1 egg (white and yolk)

6 egg yolks

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp canola oil

2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ginger

Pinch of cloves

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)

7-9 cups all-purpose baking flour

Egg Wash Ingredients

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp water

Method

Pour ½ cup of the lukewarm water (about 110 degrees) into a large mixing bowl. Add 2 packets of Active Dry Yeast and 1 tbsp of sugar to the bowl, stir to dissolve. Wait 10 minutes. The yeast should have activated, meaning it will look expanded and foamy. If it doesn’t, your yeast may have expired, which means your bread won’t rise—go buy some fresh yeast!

Once your yeast has activated, add remaining ½ cup lukewarm water to the bowl along with the rest of the sugar, egg, egg yolks, honey, canola oil, salt and spices. Use a whisk to thoroughly blend the ingredients together. Whisk in the brown sugar and pumpkin puree to form a thick liquid.

Begin adding the flour to the bowl by half-cupfuls, stirring with a large spoon each time flour is added. When mixture becomes too thick to stir, use your hands to knead.

Place a saucepan full of water on the stove to boil. Meanwhile, remove the dough from your mixing bowl and wash out the bowl. Grease the bowl with canola oil. Push the dough back into the bottom of the bowl, then flip it over so that both sides are slightly moistened by the oil.

Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Place the bowl of dough on the middle rack of your oven. Take the saucepan full of boiling water and place it below the rack where your dough sits. Close the oven, but do not turn it on. The pan of hot water will create a warm, moist environment for your dough to rise. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Take the dough bowl out and punch it down several times to remove air pockets. Place it back inside the oven and let it rise for 1 hour longer.

Take the dough out of the oven. Flour a smooth surface like a cutting board. Punch the dough down into the bowl a few times, then turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Knead for a few minutes, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from feeling sticky.

Now your dough is ready to braid. If you plan to separate and bless the challah, do it prior to braiding. Separate the dough into two equal portions; each portion of dough will be enough for a large loaf of challah. 

After you’ve braided your challah loaves, place them on two separate cookie sheets lined with parchment paper (this will catch any spills from your egg wash and keep your challah from sticking to the cookie sheet).

Prepare your egg wash by beating the egg yolks and water till smooth. Use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of the mixture onto the visible surface of your challah.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Let the braids rise 30 to 45 minutes longer. You’ll know the dough is ready to bake when you press your finger into the dough and the indentation stays, rather than bouncing back.

The challah will need to bake for about 40 minutes total, but to get the best result the baking should be done in stages. First, set your timer to 20 minutes and put your challah in the oven.

After 20 minutes, take the challah out of the oven. Turn the tray around, so the opposite side is facing front, and put the tray back into the oven. Turning the tray helps your challah brown evenly—the back of the oven is usually hotter than the front.

The challah will need to bake for about 20 minutes longer. For this last part of the baking process, keep an eye on your challah—it may be browning faster than it’s baking. Once the challah is browned to your liking, take the tray out and tent it with foil, then place it back in the oven. Remove the foil for the last 2 minutes of baking time.

§  Take the challah out of the oven. You can test the bread for doneness by turning it over and tapping on the bottom of the loaf—if it makes a hollow sound, it’s done. Let challah cool on the baking sheet or a wire cooling rack before serving.

STOP PRESS on Beets!!

Further to my last post on Beets......

I was fortunate enough to have my in laws staying with me for 6 months this year. My mother in law took over the kitchen and produced the most mouth watering vegetarian Indian cuisine that I have ever had! Included in which was a side dish made from cooked beetroot and yoghurt! My mother in law is the only person known on earth who can now get me to eat beetroot, but only in this fashion! So if you have cooked yourself up an Indian, try this refreshing side to go with it. (if you don't know how to cook up and Indian, stay tuned for I shall bestow upon you Aayi's glorious recipes in the near future).


Aayi Alka's Beetroot and Yoghurt

Ingredients
Cooked beetroot, cubed
plain yoghurt

Ok guys this is the simplest recipe ever!

I like to cook the beetroot in a pressure cooker. I know pressure cookers are as old fashioned as eveyone's grandma, but if you don't have one you are seriously missing out!

1. Cook the unpeeled beetroot in the pressure cooker until soft. When cooled, peel off the skin and chop into cubes.

2. Mix beetroot gently with yoghurt and serve!

Told you it was easy!

Challah from Heaven part 1 (the healthy version)

...According to tradition, the three Sabbath meals (Friday night, Saturday lunch, and Saturday afternoon and two holiday meals (one at night and lunch the following day) each begin with two complete loaves of bread^. This "double loaf" commemorates the manna that fell from the heavens when the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years after the Exodus from Egypt The manna did not fall on Sabbath or holidays; instead, a double portion would fall the day before the holiday or sabbath... so says Wikipedia. This we call Challah

Every week in Jewish households around the globe, women are making their own challah. Not only is this one of the three special Mitzvot given to women, (the other two being, lighting Shabbos candles and keeping the laws of family purity), but it is a very satisfying experience to bake and eat challah from your own hands.

I have a friend who finds it hard to tolerate white bread, so when she recently joined us for Shabbos lunch I dug around for a wholewheat version so she wouldn't miss out!

Ok I admit I cheat by letting the bread machine do the hard work, but I do the rest!

 Remember to put the ingredients in the machine as per your machine's instructions.

Wholewheat Challah

1 1/2 cup warm water
1 egg
1 egg white
2 tbspn olive oil
3 tbspn honey
1 tbspn sugar
3 3/4 cup flour
2 tspn dry yeast
1/8 tspn salt

Put machine on dough setting which usually take 1 1/2 hours.

When dough is finished, remove from machine. This recipe will make 2 medium challahs or 4 small round challah rolls.

Divide and shape the challahs either by plaiting or coiling. Let rise in a warm place for 30 mins. I like to brush the tops with egg yolk before putting into oven. Bake on 180c/350f/G4 for  30-35 mins.

The Only Good Beet is a Baked Beet!

Beets. A vegetable I will absolutely not tolerate! I don't like the way it stains everything, I don't like the way it smells and I definitely don't like the way it tastes. When I was a child I was subjected to watching my father, who is of Russian extraction, eat heaving bowls of borscht (beetroot soup) with  great dollops of sour cream. I must have taken after the Polish side of my mother's family as I would never go near the stuff.

Recently, a friend brought me a caterer's sized box of cooked, cubed beetroot. I politely said thank you, closed the door and thought 'Grief!', what on earth am I going to do with this! Think out of the box here, Sam! I have to be able to bake this into something, 'cause I'm sure as hell not going to eat it any other way!

Well, lo and behold I remembered a recipe I once saw for chocolate beetroot cake. Chocolate can make anything better, right? I dragged it up from my memory banks and 'Taaa Daaa' the most delicious, moist chocolate cake I have had near my mouth for yonks! Try it out the next time you get a box of beets you'd rather not waste!

Chocolate Beet Cake

250g pureed beetroot
3 eggs
1/2 tspn vanilla
250ml vegetable oil
300g caster sugar
225g flour
1 1/2 tspn bicarb of soda (that's baking soda for you Yanks)
1/4 tspn salt
6 tbspn cocoa

1. Grease and flour a 9x13' tin and preheat the oven to 180c/350f /G4.
2. Combine beets, egg, vanilla, oil and sugar. Mix until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, bicarb of soda, salt and cocoa.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the beet mixture and mix well. Pour into tin.
4. Bake for 25-30 mins.

I like to sprinkle top with icing sugar.