Chat Masala (without the chips!) December 15, 2009

So my internet has decided to work only sporadically. I guess that’s what you get for trying to mooch off of someone else’s connection.

Ah, there it goes again.

Well, no need to whine about my internet woes on my blog. I would say something deep and insightful about the fact that I’m done with school but I really can’t think of anything to say right now. So here’s a recipe…

Eggplant Chat

Chat Masala like stuff

• Eggplant, sliced
• Chat masala (you can get this at an Indian grocers)
• Chickpeas (or hummus)
• Sweet and sour chutney (or something sweet and something sour)
• Plain yogurt

→Rub both sides of every eggplant slice with the chat masala (I just sprinkled it on top and rubbed it around with my finger). Grill.
When the slices are done being grilled (don’t burn them!), put them on a plate and top with the chickpeas (hummus?), plain yogurt and chutney.
If you’d like, top with something crunchy (unsweetened cereal? boondi? crumbled chips?)

Typically, this dish is done with chips. You can get it at pretty much any roadside stand in India, but I think the eggplant combined with the masala makes a nice change. If you don’t want to buy the chutney, just think of it this way-you need something sweet and something a tiny bit sour.

Things you learn being a journalist (and some more indian food) November 7, 2009

When I signed up for this “internship,” I probably didn’t know how hellish the next few months were going to be because of it. Either that, or I’m still suicidal subconsciously.

I always had this ideal of journalism. I’m going to be a journalist and save the trees, I would say to myself.

If this semester is any indication, I probably won’t be spending the rest of my life saving very many trees. I might, however, get first word on some of the most controversial political scandals. And, if I don’t, there’s always med school.

After only two months, I’ve probably learned more about what it means to be a reporter than 15 years of school has taught me. Granted, I wasn’t learning to be a reporter for ALL of those fifteen years…but still.

Things I’ve learned about being a journalist
1. There is no such thing as stalking. When people run for a political position, they are essentially asking for reporters to stalk them. Continuously. The only exception to this rule is if you are calling because you want a breaking story filled with deception.
Then you’re a stalker

2. Thou shalt not use serial commas. What is a serial comma, you ask? It’s the comma that goes before the last item in a list. For example, “Reps. blah, blah and blah refused to call me back despite the fact that I started calling them a week in advance.” Usually, there would be a comma before that “and”…unless you’re a journalist.

3. Get a good cell phone plan. Because you will be using it. Even if you have no friends and the whole world hates you.

4. No one will answer the phone or call you back. Especially if they are part of governmental department. Because I’m sure those media officials have better things to do THAN WHAT THEY GET PAID FOR. *cough* not *cough*

5. Don’t waste your time coming up with a brilliant and creative lead that you are intensely proud of. There is a 103.6% chance that, by the time the story is in an actual paper, that lead will not be there.

6. Do not expect people to be able to spell your name. However, you must be able to spell everyone else’s name because you, as a reporter, are supposed to be able to do everything.

7. Do not use “insert quote here” as a placeholder in your story because, if that goes to print, you probably won’t have a job anymore.

8. You are allowed to fabricate controversy. If there is nothing controversial going on CURRENTLY, write about gay people or abortion or, if you’re really committed, call every single mildly important person you know until someone disagrees with what everyone else said.

9. Going along with that is a general principle that will help you greatly: where there is money, there is controversy. Say ANYTHING about money, and it will automatically be controversial. For example, “such and such costs so much money”. That’s it. That’s all you need.
It’s like controversy in a bottle. For all your last minute controversy needs.

10. Whatever happens, make sure–MAKE VERY VERY SURE–you hang up the phone before you begin to swear at whomever you were talking to. Even if it is in another language.

Saag (spinach) with or without the paneer (cheese)

It's Popeye the sailor man!

• frozen chopped spinach (I like the Kroger variety)
• crushed/pureed/otherwise saucy tomatoes (I use about half of a 15oz can)
• garlic (this really depends on how garlicky you like it, I can never have enough)
• ginger (once again, depends on how gingery you like it)
• garam masala (a.k.a. curry powder)
• coriander powder
• salt and pepper
• lemon juice (optional, I just put it in everything)
• cubed tofu, paneer, etc (optional)

→It helps to defrost the spinach a little first. Just makes the whole process go so much faster.
Saute the ginger/garlic.
When they’re sauteed, add the spinach and tomatoes. Cover and let sit till spinach is mushy. (You might need to adjust the heat a little depending on how much you’re watching it).
Add the garam masala, coriander, salt/pepper, and lemon juice to taste and stir well.
Cover and let sit, stirring occasionally, till it looks somewhat like the picture.
Add the optional tofu/paneer/whatever at the very end.

Simple Sooji Idlis September 17, 2009

I wonder, is it wrong to go to the dining hall at lunch and stay there through dinner? In all fairness, I did eat “lunch” around 1:30 pm and dinner starts at 4:00 pm. Besides, I’m probably going to have extra meals left over out of my 70 anyway.

Now, the matter of whether or not they towed my car, which I think is parked in a reserved space (if there’s not a sign directly in front of the space or arrows on the signs next to it, is the space still reserved?), is another question. I hope they didn’t tow it because that would be really sad.

While we’re on the whole “asking questions” thing, why is it that, whenever you ask people who work in the dining hall what vegan/vegetarian foods there are, they look at you like they don’t know what you’re talking about? What? There’s food other than steak and beef in the world? Are you sure?

I remember the hours upon hours spent last year arguing with one of the dining hall managers that “raw salad vegetables (including shredded carrots, which he pointed out they DID have) and one type of veggie burger” did not count as “an adequate selection for individuals with dietary restrictions”. He kindly explained to me that, if I didn’t like it, I could move off campus (although, for a freshman this is not allowed) and cook for myself.

When I informed him that for a lot of people moving off campus is against university policy he was kind enough to tell me that it wasn’t his problem some students had chosen to eat abnormally.

Tell me again why I got a meal plan this semester?

I guess it’s easier and I want the fruit of my labor. The story of the evil dining hall manager has a happy ending because, after protesting and protesting and talking to the director of student affairs, I finally got them to make a mandatory rule that several different kinds of fake meat products will be served at every meal along with hummus and pita in the salad bar.

I deserve to at least eat all that food I fought for!

Anyway, that wasn’t the point. The point was to talk about the idlis I made. Although I’m still in a “cooking slump,” these little steamed wheat cakes are so simple to make, they’re not even worth calling a recipe. Typically, they’re made with a mixture of rice and lentils or wheat and lentils along with several other add-ons, so feel free to modify this basic canvas any way you want.

Plain Sooji Idlis (and the brown lentils/broccoli I decided to have with them)

Idlis (Steamed Wheat Cakes)

• 2 cups sooji (cream of wheat)
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 T baking SODA (not powder)
• salt, to taste
• Microwave idli cooker (I got mine for 10 bucks at the Indian store that’s right before the Trowbridge entrance to I-96, Swagath Foods)
• Nuts, seeds, flavorings…. (opt)

→Roast the cream of wheat in a pan like you would roast nuts. Or don’t, it’ll just taste a little different. Mix the salt, yogurt and sooji together adding water until it forms a thick, cake-like batter (thinner than a paste, thicker than a cake batter). Mix in optionals. Add in the baking soda and immediately cook according to the microwave idli makers directions.

Simple and much healthier than typical American style bread. Plus, with the microwave maker, there’s no excuse to eat white bread!

Rajma Chawal (plus a rework on an old recipe) July 16, 2009

Inspired by my good friend over at Shizuoka Gourmet, I thought I’d try something my stir-fry sauce. I realized, though, after thinking about it, that it’s more Chinese than Japanese. Damn it! Well, I’m moving closer.

Anyway, maybe next time. Today’s story involves the fact that I have no food left. My fridge is empty, save a bag of shredded carrots, a mushy tomato and a single yogurt cup. Not really a great meal combo. So, I went to the freezer: mostly frozen veggie meats and a bag of chopped onions. So, I went to the pantry….and that’s when I saw them (and no I don’t mean the fruit flies that seem to have accumulated all over my apartment and genetically mutated so that they can now avoid the fly paper AND the vinegar trap). Cans! Beeeeeeeeeeeeans. I love beans.

UNFORTUNATELY, the only beans left were kidney beans, which, in my mind, are the “if you must” beans (the pintos are the “never” beans, but I seem to have ended up with a can of those too). So, the little itty bitty neuron men in my head began typing and searching files and just generally making a ruckus trying to find the answer to this question: “WHAT DO WE DO WITH KIDNEY BEANS!!!!!?” Baked beans? Nah. Hey, look, tomato puree! We can make Indian stuff!

And that is how I ended up with Rajma (Kidney Bean Curry). The Chawal (rice) in the title is a bit extraneous, but this dish is ALWAYS served with rice, and just doesn’t do well with a flatbread like naan or roti (or even puri (the deep fried ones), which I suppose is a good thing). As a warning, this really tastes nothing like the rajma you’ve probably tried before as I played it by ear a little when making it and didn’t have any help from my mom this time.

Delicious in its own way! Man, those little guys up there really outdid themselves this time!

Hmmmmm....Rajma and--acorn squash? Why not!

Rajma (and Chawal, if you wish)

• 1/2t. olive oil
• Chopped onions (I cheated and used the frozen bagged stuff…about 1/3 of a small  bag. I believe it would be the equivalent of 3/4 chopped medium white onion
• 1.5t-2t minced garlic (comes in a jar or you can cheat and use powder at the end). Remember though, I like it garlicky!
• 1.5t ginger paste (fresh grated ginger is fine, but I don’t know how much the conversion is)
• 1t-2t (depending on how much flavor you want) of the following spices: turmeric,  garam masala (curry powder), dry cumin, and dry coriander. I used 2t of the garam masala, 1.5t of the cumin/coriander and a little less than 1t of the turmeric.
• 1 14-16oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed. (I got the organic ones because the other ones actually have sugar in them! Can you believe that?)
• Tomato puree (1/2-3/4 of the smaller can (same size as the 14-16oz kidneys))

→This is easy. Just heat the oil in the pan and saute the onions with the ginger and garlic until onion is browning and soft.
Add all the spices plus about 1/2t-1t of salt if you feel it’s necessary. Don’t forget to keep it moving so it doesn’t burn!
Quickly turn the heat down to medium, adding the tomato puree. Keep stirring.
Once that starts to bubble just a little, turn the heat down to med-low and simmer that for a little bit. Stir all the spices and onions and tomato-y goodness into one.
After about 1 minute or 2 minutes or even three if you’re not that tired, dump the drained kidney beans in. Stir to combine.
Cover and simmer until the curry becomes the consistency you like (the longer you simmer, the thicker the final product will be.

I’m obsessed with lemon so I threw some of that in at the end too. This really isn’t necessary (or advisable in this dish) but, hey! I’m the one who’s going to eat it!

Another thing you can add (a favorite of kids in Punjab) is a squirt of ketchup (I used sugar-free). This can go in at any time, but I would recommend doing it when you begin to eat so, if you don’t like it, the entire batch doesn’t go to waste.

Indian-style Peas and Carrots (and Lima Beans?) July 9, 2009

This post is WAY overdue. Sorry I’ve been gone so long, but I do have a really good excuse. Finals and, um, going “home”. Generally, when I go visit my family, I don’t really cook much or do much of anything except sit around and waste a lot of time (not that watching George Lopez with my 10-year-old brother is a waste of time). SO, long story short, “wasting time” ≠ posting recipes on this blog.

I made this a week or two back when I was going through my homesick “I want Indian stuff” phase. I knew the basic recipe for Gajar Matar (Peas and Carrots) is essentially 1 bag of frozen peas and carrots + lots of dry methi (fenugreek) leaves + turmeric + salt = yummy. Now, the question is, why lima beans?

Well, that’s really just a story of culinary improvisation (and the dangers of not tasting often). I made the recipe and felt there wasn’t enough….flavor, so I began adding more spice: more methi, more tumeric and a little more salt. I tasted quite often at first but became less vigilant as I SLOWLY felt it becoming more to my tastes. At some point in this process, I went overboard on the bitter spice so I had to find another “vegetable” (or substance) to add to the mix. I opened the fridge-nothing. I opened the freezer-nothing. I thought, opened the freezer again and considered the possibility of lima beans. What the hell? How much worse could this get? was the phrase that popped into my mind. So, I opened the bag, grabbed a handful or two and dumped it in the pot.

My god! It worked! Needless to say, I felt the need to add a squirt of lemon juice to the concoction, but, then again, I feel the need to add at least a squirt of lemon juice to everything.

No lima beans in this one! (And, yes, that is a Wall-E placemat in the background)

Gajar Matar + Limas

• 1 bag of frozen peas and carrots (about 5-6 servings)
• about a teaspoon or two turmeric
• enough dry methi to make it look like the picture (I put about 1/2 c. (I think))
• a sprinkle of salt
• lemon juice (if you want)
• about 3/8 of a small frozen bag of lima beans (maybe?)
• 1/2t. oil

→Heat the oil over medium heat in a pan. Add the frozen peas and carrots (and lima beans, if you decide to throw them in too). Add the other ingredients, adjusting to taste. Cover and cook, stirring (and checking) frequently. Basically, you can eat it once the vegetables are defrosted and cooked through.

The end. Simple, right?

Channa Masala (a.k.a. “The Better Garbanzo”) June 25, 2009

I guess this really isn’t a like-substance, but, for some odd reason, I was really craving Indian food the other day. I guess it’s partly because now I’m SUPPOSED to get 2tsp of oil a day (which is like telling a normal person they have to consume a gallon a day) and because I needed something new to do with the beans/peas I have become so suddenly obsessed with.

Well, like-substance or not, this was good. I wish I had some coriander to sprinkle on top or that I was allowed to stuff these into a big, deep-fried puri, but, alas, I went with parsley and a flax wrap. More importantly, I didn’t slave over the cooktop for hours to produce 3 meals worth of deliciousness, which is normally what I end up doing when I try something new. So, enjoy.

channa with parsley and a flax wrap

Channa Masala

• 1t minced garlic
• 1/2t ginger paste
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1t-2t (depending on how much flavor you want) of the following spices: garam masala (curry powder), dry cumin, and dry coriander
• 1 14-16oz can garbanzos
• 2-3 medium squirts of lemon juice (I used four but, then again, I suck on lemons whenever I get fresh ones)

→Heat some oil on medium heat (I used 1t but usually you can do it with about 1/2) and saute the garlic and ginger till fragrant. Add the onion and saute till lightly browned.
Add the tomatoes in with the spices and a little bit of water (it should be the consistency of pasta sauce). Cover and simmer on low-medium heat for about 2-3 minutes (or until it reaches the consistency of pasta sauce). Now you have a tardka (sp?), which is the base of most Indian “curries”.
Dump the DRAINED AND RINSED can of garbanzos into the mix. Stir a few times and cover. Simmer for 5-10 minutes COVERED.
When “chili” like, add the lemon juice, salt to taste and reduce heat to low. Leave it like that for a few minutes or a little longer but make sure it’s not simmering anymore.

There you have it. Tastes better after sitting for a day or two in the fridge.

Mangoes: like better bananas (and an Indian drink recipe) June 20, 2009

A recent statistic I read somewhere stated that the U.S. population eats a startlingly large amount of bananas each year (yes, I read a lot of random (and usually pointless) “statistics” and what not), which kind of bothers me because, well, I’m not really too fond of them. Although I do think one of the doctors I know makes up for the whole lot of us that aren’t particularly fond of the fruit.

It’s not really so much that I don’t like the taste, or the texture but it’s really more of a calorie/water content thing. When I think of fruit, I think of something that is a) water in chewable form (yes, I do love to eat plain crushed ice) and b) something that is sweet and filling, with hardly any calories for the amount of fullness. Bananas, because of their starchiness, are more like bread to me and, therefore, I always considered them more of a treat than a fruit.

Enter the mango: just as sweet as the banana but more refreshing, more colorful and, unfortunately, so much more messy. Equally saddening is the fact that, while bananas are available in abundance year round for a fairly cheap price, mangoes are a much rarer commodity but most definitely worth the hunt. So, in the spirit of the hunt (or, in most cases wait), I bring you my favorite mango smoothie, straight from India.

Mango Lassi Ice Cream

Mango Lassi pronounced la(like the note)-si (spanish)

• Mangoes (I used three medium ones, which gave me about 3 cups cubed)
• 1 cup plain yogurt (I used fat-free)
• 1/2 cup milk (I used 8th continent light soymilk)
• sugar to taste (about 3-4 splendas) *see note*

→Put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. I used my Vita-Mix so I didn’t need to do anything to get it going, but if you’re using a regular blender, you might want to puree the mangoes in a food processor first.
 

Note: The proportion of sugar/splenda can be varied according to taste. I wanted a more mango-y flavor to my drink (because I love those mangoes oh so much), but you could easily increase the sugar and use less mango. The typical Indian drink uses close to 6T sugar (depending on who’s making it). If you’re not to fond of mangoes (is it possible?), you can eliminate the mangoes all together and make plain LASSI, but that will require quite a bit of sugar.

ALSO, don’t even think about using sweetened yogurt. Part of the charm of this drink is the sweet goodness playing off of the tang of the yogurt. Dare I reference a certain frozen yogurt chain in California….