Quabooli (Kabuli)--Biryani Style Rice and Dal

Just before he died, my father's diet was severely limited, consisting mainly of rice, lentils, and vegetables.  This was one dish that he loved to make and eat.  It was the last dish he made before his fall.  After making this dish he remarked to me proudly, "these are the finest crisp onions I've ever made."  And he was right.  This dish is a wonderful accompaniment to any curry or something akin to a saag paneer, which is a recipe you can also find on this blog.

I will always love this dish, but I'm afraid it will always taste of sorrow to me.

Quabooli:  Biryani Style rice and dal

3 cups Chana Dal

3 cups basmati rice

¼  t. plus ¼ t. turmeric

6 T. oil

1 ½ large onion (7 oz), thinly and evenly sliced into ½ moon rings

3T. Grated ginger

1 ½ T. garlic, made into a paste

9 T. yogurt

salt

½ t. red pepper

1 plus 3 T. ghee (see blog for recipe)

3 T. lemon juice

3 T. milk

1 ½ T. chopped coriander

1 ½ T. mint, chopped

3-6  fresh green chiles, chopped

¾ t. g of garam masala

Soak dal 1 ½ hours covered in 3 inches water. Wash and soak rice. Put dal and soaking water in pot. Bring to boil with ¼ t. turmeric.  

While dal and rice are soaking, dry the onions between layers of paper towels with a weight placed on top (this will help you to make the best crisp onions you've ever made).

Cover and simmer 30 minutes until dal is almost tender (it should have a slight bite to it).  Drain.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan such as a dutch oven, to medium high.  Fry onions until rich reddish brown and crisp.  To do this, start the heat on medium high, and stir the onions continually.  When they begin to get slightly brown, lower the heat and continue cooking until they are rich in color. Remove with slotted spoon to paper towels.  

Cook ginger and garlic in same oil until lightly browned.  Add 

¼ t. turmeric and 1 T. yogurt at a time and cook until most of the liquid evaporates.  Add rest of yogurt in same manner. Add drained dal and ½ T. salt and chile powder.  Stir.  Saute dal for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and reserve in a bowl.  Wipe out pot for use in baking.

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Bring 18 cups (7 ½ pints) of water to the boil.  Add rice and return to boil.  Boil vigorously for 4-5 minutes. (rice will be ¾ of the way cooked—slightly hard at the core). Drain rice. 

Add 1 T. melted ghee to the pan.  Use a brush to cover the pot bottom and sides with the ghee.  Put ½ of the rice into ovenproof casserole.  Cover par-cooked rice with cooked dal.  Cover dal with remaining rice. Sprinkle lemon juice, milk, coriander, mint, green chiles, and garam masala over the top.  Cover tightly with foil and place on the pot lid.  Place in oven for 30 minutes.  When done, remove from oven and let sit, covered for 5-10 minutes.  Top with browned onions and gently stir.  Enjoy!

Mirchi ka Salan

I haven't posted in a long time--too long.  In August, I left my home of 28 years in Champaign, Illinois, leaving behind my soul sisters and brothers, my dearest friends, to move to Portland, Oregon, to spend the last chapter of my father's life with him.  For the past five months, we shopped, ate, listened to classical music, went to the Portland farmers'  market, watched tv, talked, and most of all, we cooked.  On Wednesday, January 14, 2015, after a fall, my father died.  He went on his own terms, refusing treatment, with my sister and me by his side.

Just days before his death, my father set about preparing a feast.  I was not sure why he would embark on a meal that took days to make in his frail condition, but sharing this meal with my family on Thursday night after my father passed, I understood.  Making Mirchi ka Salan is a task.  A task he took on with love.  Though not a difficult dish to make, Mirchi ka Salan has many steps and takes time.  For us, it was additionally daunting, as we would have to remove each and every seed from the chilies for fear of one lodging in my father's gut and causing an attack of diverticulitis.

This is a special dish.  Much like a Mexican mole, it is complex and layered in flavor.  Depending on what chilies you use, it can be fiery hot, or quite mild.  When I first had this dish, at a wedding feast for a few thousand people in India in 2005, it was made with Hyderabadi chiles, which are akin to serrano chiles in their level of heat. I fell in love with this dish the first time I had it. I loved its rich texture, the hot chiles, and the complex aroma.

Whenever I have had this dish, it has been paired with rice. On this day, we had it with Quabooli, another Hyderabadi speciality, which is a carefully prepared biryani style dish of rice and lentils.  I have also posted this recipe.

I hope you will try this dish.  If you do, I know you will love it, and in making it, you will show your love, just as my father did for us.

Mirchi ka Saalan

(Hot Pepper Curry: Hyderabadi Style)

(Recipe adaptation of P. Karan: Hyderabadi Cuisine, Madhur Jaffrey: Taste of India, Shameem and Mohammed Rakha)

Serves 6-8

4 Medium-sized Red Peppers

6-10 long green chillies (such as Anaheim)

10 serrano chilies (or more mild chiles)

2 onions, medium (10-12 oz), cut into 4-6 pieces each (about 1 inch square)

1” piece of ginger, peeled

5-6 garlic cloves, skinned removed

1 T. coriander seeds

1 t. cumin seeds

3 T. sesame seeds

¼ cup peanuts

1½ t. poppy seeds (white, if possible)

2 T. dried unsweetened coconut

¼ t. fenugreek seeds (methi)

¼ t. turmeric powder (haldi)

1 t. red chile powder

1 t. jaggery (gur--raw sugarcane)

3 tbs of Concentrated Tamarind paste (or about 3/4 cup tamarind pulp, mixed with 1/2 cup hot water and put through a sieve)

8-10 kari leaves

oil to fill your pot 2 inches

Salt to taste

Directions

Wash and core red and green peppers, removing the stem end and the seeds. Cut into 1 inch pieces.

Wash and wipe serrano chillies, leaving the stem end intact, make a slit on one side.  If desired, you can remove the seeds from the serrano chiles.

Heat a cast iron or other heavy pan without any oil to medium.  Roast the onions on a griddle until they soften and turn a pale golden brown.  Remove the onions and set them aside. In the same pan, dry roast each of the following in separate batches until they darken slightly and become aromatic (you can combine items that are similar in size such as the coriander and cumin seeds):  coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, poppy seeds, coconut and fenugreek.  Remove each and place all together in the same bowl.

 

Using a blender or food processor, grind the roasted onions and spices along with ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, and jaggery into a fine paste. Mix with tamarind water.

  

Heat oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pot (such as a Dutch Oven). Fry all of the chiles and peppers in small batches until they are slightly softened and have a few brown spots.  Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.  

Once all of the chiles and peppers have been fried, carefully remove some of the oil, leaving behind enough to amply cover the bottom of your pot.  Reheat to medium high.  Add the curry leaves to the oil (they will sputter, so have a oil shield handy) and after they begin to brown, add the ground spice mixture. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the fried chilies and pepper pieces. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add little water while cooking, if desired. The consistency of this dish is slightly on the thick side.

Proudly enjoy.

Blueberry-Habenero Jam: The Bounty of Summer with a Mean Kick

Blueberry – Habenero Jam

Yield:  approximately 5 pint or 10 1/2 pint jars

It has been much too long since my last post.  Finishing my dissertation was first on my priority list.  I must admit, despite the protest of distractors, that I thoroughly enjoyed the privilege of writing my thesis.  Yes, there were times when I felt defeated, incapable, and terribly confused, but as a whole, having the time to concentrate on one thing, to think hard on a topic that is so important, was amazing, and the privilege of having this time is not lost on me.

It is height of summer, and I just spent two weeks in Oregon, where beautiful berries grow so plentifully, that they are easy to take for granted.  But, returning to Illinois, I found myself missing them.  Alas, they are not the same having to be shipped hundreds or even thousands of miles to my local store.  Yesterday, I stumbled upon a stash of local berries, so I decided to run with the inspiration I had at the Portland Farmer's Market.  An aside on the PDX market....it makes me cry.  It's true.  Real tears.  The organic, locally grown fruits and vegetables lovingly and artfully placed in carefully arranged baskets; the handmade pastries, preserves, and cheeses made by the clearly-passionate sellers; and the abundant, brilliantly arranged flowers put a taste in my mouth of both melancholy and sheer joy at the same time.  Melancholy because Central Illinois is so woefully incomparable to Oregon, and, joyous because of the sheer beauty of all this labor of love.

Back to jam.  At the market, I tasted a virtual cornucopia of jams.  One theme of the jams I found at the Portland market was that of peppers. I found them in combination with most everything.  Growing up, my mother made the most beautiful red pepper jelly.  I recall the many hours it would take her to hand chop beautiful red peppers. I recall the taste of the peppers and vinegar in contrast to the sweetness of the sugar.  I loved this jelly and make it each year in my mother's honor.  These jams I tasted at the market reminded me of my mother's jelly, so I decided to combine her recipe with the inspiration of the fruited jellies of the market.  What follows is a recipe for a most interesting and firey concoction.  It's sweet, like a jam.  It smells and tastes of beautiful, fresh blueberries, but it has a smoky kick to it from the chiles, that is backgrounded by a hint of sourness from the vinegar.  Though not unbearably hot, this jam is spicy.  I had it this morning on some homemade whole wheat bread with butter.  I loved it.  I can also imagine it being served with a cheese plate, or as my mother would serve her pepper jelly, spooned atop cream cheese to be eaten with water crackers.  I'd love to hear what others do with it!  

Jam may seem intimidating, but this one is easy.  It is a great starter jam.  If you are worried about the heat, you can add fewer chiles, or you can strain them out before adding the cooking liquid to the blueberries.  Whatever you do, make sure you are wearing gloves when working with the chiles, remove the seeds and chop them very finely.  Big chunks would be unpleasant in this recipe.

Ingredients:

5 cups blueberries, picked through and well washed

1 cup white wine vinegar, divided

1 ½ cup water, divided

6 habenero chiles, seeded and finely minced

5 ½ cups sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 oz. pectin

Directions:

If you are going to can this jam, you will need to sterilize 5 or 10 1/2 pint jars.  You can do this by boiling a large pot of water and submerging the jars for 10 minutes.  Also sterilize 10 new lids and screwtops in the same manner.  Combine chiles, ¾ cup vinegar and ½  cup water.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, add blueberries, sugar, ¼ cup vinegar, 1 cup water, and salt in a large, heavy bottomed pot.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Skim off any foam that rises.  Add the pepper mixture to the blueberries and carefully taste to make sure the sugar, vinegar, salt ratio is right.  It will be spicy, so be careful, this is not for the faint of heart.  If needed, add sugar, salt or vinegar to your liking.  Let this simmer another 5 minutes or so.  Add the pectin*, stirring with a whisk to make sure it is all blended in well.  Bring to a boil for one minute. Bring your large canning pot filled with enough water to cover the jars (when full—think displacement) by about one inch back up to the boil Spoon the jam into the jars leaving about ¼ inch of space between the jam and the top of the jar (this is called “head space”).  Wipe the jar lid free of any drips with a damp paper towel.  Screw on the lid (but not super tightly).  Repeat until you have no more jam.  Place the jars carefully in the boiling water and continue to boil for 5 -10 minutes (five will be fine if the jam was just off the boil).  Remove the jars. Let them sit until you see that the centers of the lids have been vacuumed to the jar (you’ll see an indent).  At this point, you can remove the screw tops part, wipe them off, label them with a scull and crossbones and the date (month and year) and put them up for a later date.  I hope you enjoy this fun process!

* This is a lot of pectin and makes a very firm jam. If you like your jams to be more runny, what I recommend is that when you add the smaller amount of pectin (start with 2 ounces), put a tablespoon in a small glass that is filled with ice and water.  After the one minute, remove the spoon and drop a few dribbles of jam on it.  It will cool quickly and you can see what the consistency will be.  If needed, you can add more pectin at this point and again, boil it for a minute, then repeat the testing process until you get the consistency you prefer.

Special Tiramisu: rich, creamy, and delicious

For a party today, Darren and I made tiramisu, as we were asked to bring a dessert.  Tiramisu is a wonderful party dessert as it is beautiful, delicious, easy to serve, and relatively easy to make.  This is no ordinary tiramisu, though, it is particularly beautiful,and delicious.  With 3 different liquors and homemade espresso, this tiramisu is a definate 'pick me up'.  If you want to make this recipe in a trifle dish, it will be particularly beautiful as you can see each of the beautiful layers through the sides of the glass. It can also be made in a baking dish.  This amount will serve 10-16 people.

Chocolate Decoration Directions:
Melt 1 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each 30 second interval until the chocolate is melted.  Let this cool for a few minutes.  Drizzle the chocolate onto a piece of waxed paper in a decorative fashion. Let this sit to harden while you make the rest of the tiramisu. (or, alternatively, just sprinkle the top of your completed tiramisu with cocoa powder).

Custard Ingredients:

2/3 cups water

2 tablespoons cup dark rum

2 tablespoons brandy

6 large egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese 

2 cups chilled whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Finishing Ingredients:

1 cup espresso

7 tablespoons Kahlúa or other coffee liqueur

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 6.15-ounce or four 3.5-ounce boxes Champagne biscuits or Boudoirs (about 60 crisp ladyfinger cookies)

Custard Directions:

Whisk 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup rum, 3 tablespoons brandy, yolks, and nutmeg in metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until mixture thickens and candy thermometer inserted into mixture registers 140°F for 3 minutes, about 5 minutes total. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk mascarpone, 1 container at a time, into warm custard until blended.

Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream, vanilla, 1 tablespoon brandy, and 1 teaspoon rum in large bowl until cream holds peaks. Fold in cream cheese mixture.

Finishing Directions:
Add 2 tablespoons sugar to the espresso while it is hot; stir to dissolve. Mix in liqueur and cream. Submerge 1 biscuit in espresso mixture, turning to coat twice; shake excess liquid back into pan. Place dipped biscuit, sugared side facing out, around bottom side of 14-cup trifle dish, pressing against side of dish (biscuit may break). Repeat with enough biscuits to go around bottom sides of dish once. Dip more biscuits and arrange over bottom of dish to cover.

Spoon 2 cups mascarpone mixture over biscuits; spread to cover. Sprinkle 1/4 cup ground chocolate over, making chocolate visible at sides of dish. Repeat with more biscuits dipped into espresso mixture, mascarpone mixture, and ground chocolate in 2 more layers each. Cover with 1 more layer of dipped biscuits and enough mascarpone mixture to reach top of trifle dish. Sprinkle remaining ground chocolate over, covering completely. Cover and chill overnight.

Decorate the top of the tiramisu with the chocolate decorations.  (Can be made 8 hours ahead; chill.)

"Cheesy" Kale Chips: Not your ordinary snack chip

While on a recent visit to Oregon, I stopped in at Whole Foods (or as I call it, Whole paycheck).  While there, I saw this small bag of vegan kale chips.  Now, I must be honest. I am not interested in vegan anything, really.  I mean, I love cheese.  Well, these "chips" claimed to be "cheesy".  I dared not spend the $7 for the 2 oz. bag, thinking I would be able to figure out how to make them myself.  Since this visit, I have been working on this recipe and think I have it nailed.  These may not sound tasty, so you'll need to trust me.  They are crunchy, and yes, cheesy, though there is no cheese anywhere.  Everyone who has tried them has fallen in love.  I hope you enjoy them.


Ingredients
1 bunch kale, cleaned well
3/4 c. cashews or almonds
1T plus 1t. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic (or one large)
1 lemon (juice and pulp--heck, use the zest too if you want!)
1/3 c. nutritional yeast
1 T. olive oil
1/2 red or yellow pepper, seeded (optional--adds a hint of sweetness)

Directions:
Blot your clean kale dry.  Strip off the woody stems and break the leaves into bite sized pieces. Soak the nuts in water for at least 1 hour.  Process all other ingredients in a food processor until pretty smooth.  Mix the nut mixture and the kale in a bowl using your hands to rub the mixture into the kale.  If you have a dehydrator, you are lucky.  Place the kale on the trays, being sure not to overlap them.  My dehydrator ran for 8 hours at 95 degrees, giving me delicious, crisp chips. But, if you don't have a dehydrator, do not fret.  Put the kale on lined sheet pans, being careful not to overlap them.  Place them in the coolest setting of your oven (maybe 170 or 175 degrees).  Check the chips every 20 minutes and remove them when they are crisp.

Eat, then repeat....

Tomato, Basil, Raviolini Soup: Not your typical Tomato Soup

Years ago, I had this soup in some cafe.  I loved it so that I did some research knowing it was not homemade, and I found that it was from a company that sold frozen, concentrated soups.  I was able to purchase the concentrate, but because it was sold to institutions, it came in a package size that was impossible to deal with.  PLUS, what a better opportunity to challenge my own culinary skills!  I have been attempting to make this brothy tomato soup for several years, and this summer, I had a breakthrough.  This soup is not like typical tomato soups. It is not pureed, nor does it contain cream. It is only slightly thick, but is absolutely one of my favorites with a spicy kick from red chili flakes and basil.  This soup is best made during the summer due to the need for roasted tomatoes.  What I do is to take my tomato seconds from the garden and roast them up with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, at 350 for about an hour until they are soft and browning. I then put them through a food mill.  This is the key to this recipe.  It gives a depth to this soup you cannot get without the roasting.

This soup can be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Ingredients for Roasted Tomatoes
3 lbs. tomatoes
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. black pepper

Directions for Roasted Tomatoes
Wash the tomatoes and remove the stem.  Place tomatoes on a cookie sheet and toss with oil, salt and pepper.  Roast in 350 degree oven for about an hour until skins have popped and turned black in spots. Put through a food mill (or processor then strainer).  Yield will vary based on tomatoes.  Extra can be used in soup or frozen for next batch.

Ingredients for soup
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. crushed red chili flakes
1 1/2 cups onions, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 c. roasted tomatoes (pureed)
1-28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes (not in puree), broken into small (about 1/2'') pieces
1 qt. homemade chicken (or vegetable) broth
2 c. water
1 T. white wine vinegar
3-4 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. basil, chiffonade
1 1/2 c. raviolini

Directions for Soup
Heat oil in heavy bottomed dutch oven.  Add chili flakes, bay leaf, and onions.  Sauté until onions are softened, about 6 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for one minute.  Add roasted tomatoes, whole can of broken up tomatoes and juice, broth, and water.  Bring to a boil, lower heat, then simmer for 1 hour. After 1/2 hour, bring large pot of water to a boil.  Add 1 T. salt and cook raviolini until thoroughly done (not al dente).  Drain pasta.  Taste soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add vinegar.  Mix 3 T. cornstarch and water.  Add to soup.  Soup should thicken slightly, but not be thick. If needed, mix the remaining tablespoon of cornstarch with a few tablespoons of water and add to make the soup a bit more thick, depending on taste.  Add the raviolini to the soup along with the basil.  Serve and enjoy!

Black Beans: Simple and delicious

My dear friend Erin is leaving Champaign for Salt Lake City.  Our community will be less without her.  Last night, we held a farewell party for her, and several attendees asked me to post the some of the recipes.  I cooked for two lovely, but hot days.  Tacos for 45.  Now that's a lot of tacos!  I made 4 salsas: de arbol, roasted tomatillo, roasted tomato, and a mango xnipek that was hot enough to blow off your head; 3 fillings: chicken with red chile sauce, sautéed vegetables in a tomatillo sauce, and a wonderfully delicious poblano and chard rajas; lime and cilantro rice; corn salad with jicama; queso fresco, and these wonderful black beans.  This recipe is vegetarian and can easily be made into a soup with the addition of vegetable broth.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my guests did.

Ingredients for cooking beans
1 lb. dried black beans, picked over and washed
2 serrano chiles
1 t. garlic powder
2 bay leaves
1 t. dried epasote
1 t. Mexican Oregano

Ingredients for finishing beans
3 T. vegetable oil
1 white onion, chopped into 1/4 inch dice
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 chipolte pepper in adobo, finely minced
1 t. adobo from chipolte can
1/2 t. cumin powder
1/2 t. dried epasote
1/2 t. dried mexican oregano
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 lime, juiced
salt
1/4 c. cilantro, finely chopped

Directions


The night before you make your beans, sort them looking for stones, wash them and soak them in a large pot with at least three times as much cold water as you have beans.  About 4-5 hours before you want to eat them, rinse your beans and throw out the now purple water.  But the beans back in a large pot (preferably a pot with a heavy bottom such as an enameled cast iron pot).  Add enough water to cover the beans by 4 inches of water.  Add serrano chiles, garlic powder, bay leaves, epasote, and oregano.  Bring the water to a boil and simmer until the beans are tender (taste 4-5--they should each be soft).
In a second heavy bottomed dutch oven, heat the oil and sauté the onions until they are browned on the edges and are quite golden.  Add the garlic, chipolte, adobo, epasote, cumin, and oregano.  Saute for 1 minute more.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans into the pot a few large spoons at a time (leave behind the bay leaves and chiles).  Mash the first cup of beans with a potato masher.  Add the rest of the beans and enough cooking liquid to make the beans rather soupy.  Add the orange and lime juice and simmer on low for at least an hour.  You can add more bean water to make the beans the consistency you want.  Season with salt to taste.  To finish, add the cilantro and serve.  Enjoy!