Monday, August 28, 2006
Chickpea Curry
Chickpea Curry
1 ½ onions, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin seeds, ground
½ tsp red chili powder
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp tumeric
1 tsp. whole cloves
2 brown cardamom
2 bay leaves
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Pepper
Salt
2 cans chickpeas
or
2 cups chickpeas, boiled
Cilantro
2-3 green chili peppers
Heat oil in large pan. Brown onion, adding garlic just as onion is turning brown on the edges. Once brown add tomato and salt, cover and let cook until mushy. Add spices then chickpeas. Cook until chickpeas are soft. Serve with rice or bread.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Jalebi
First, before the recipe, I wanted to add in some things I decided would help when making these. I wouldn't call them easy, maybe medium difficulty at least the first time. First you need a plastic squeeze bottle or a pastry bag with the piping attachment---this will save frustration when pouring the batter into the oil. I used a plastic bag with a small corner cut off but it also popped and batter went everywhere. Part of this needs to be made and to sit out overnight at room temperature. Okay, here we go.
2 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
1 cup buttermilk
water
1 ½ cups sugar
a pinch of saffron or orange food coloring (I used yellow and red)
2 Tbsp. ghee or melted butter
cardamom powder
powdered sugar
Mix together 1 cup of flour and one cup buttermilk. Stir to make a smooth batter, add a little water if necessary. Keep overnight at room temperature.
Next day mix remaining cup of flour and butter with the batter. Stir until smooth, you may need to add a little water again, you want a smooth, pourable batter. Add your saffron or food coloring, set aside.
In a saucepan mix 1 ½ cups sugar, and 2 cups water, bring to boil and keep it at a med-low heat. I used a candy thermometer and cooked it to the thread stage to make a syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.
Heat a large amount of oil in a heavy saucepan to the smoking point. Put batter into squeeze bottle or pasty bag and pipe it into the oil in concentric circles, overlapping batter (you will need to move pretty fast as it sinks then comes to the surface). Fry until crisp and golden. Remove from oil, drain then put in syrup for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Place on waxed paper and sprinkle with a mixture of powdered sugar and cardamom.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Peshawari Chana
This is a newer version of chickpeas I came across....have two other ways of making them that I will post in the future. First time I made this my hubby thought it was fabulous.
400 grams Chickpeas (Kabuli Chana)
1-2 Onions, chopped (I used 1 large and 1 small)
2 bay leaves (Tezz Patay)
1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
2 Tomatoes, chopped
1 ½ tsp. cumin seeds, crushed (Zeera)
2 Tbsp. Coriander seeds, ground (Dhania)
1 tsp. Red Chili Powder (Pisi Lal Mirch)
Green Thai peppers, to taste
2 tsp. Pomegranate Seed Powder (Anardana Powder)
Salt, to taste
1 Tbsp. Ginger Paste
2 tsp. Garam Masala
Cooking oil
Cilantro, chopped
I put the dried Kabuli Chana in a pan with about 12 cups of water, a dash of baking soda and some salt. I brought them to a boil, reduced heat to simmer and let them cook about 3 hours until tender. Drain the Kabuli Chana but reserve the water.
In another large pan heat oil. Add bay leaves and onion, cook until onion is beginning to brown. Add garlic. Continue cooking until onion and garlic browned. Add tomatoes, chili powder, coriander, and cumin. Cook until pasty. Add Kabuli Chana and about 1 cup of the reserved water, more if necessary. Add pomegranate seed powder and green peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes, add garam masala. Cook for about 20 minutes, add cilantro before serving.
Serve with rice or bread.
Rhubarb Crunch
This is a yummy summer dessert. We always had a rhubarb patch to have fresh rhubarb pies and bars in the summer.
1 cup flour, sifted
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ cup oatmeal
4-5 cups rhubarb, diced
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup water
Mix together flour, brown sugar, butter, oatmeal and cinnamon. Press half the crumbs into well greased 9 x 9 baking pan. Cover with rhubarb. Combine sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla. Cook in saucepan until thick. Pour over rhubarb and top with remaining crumbs. Bake in 350۠۫ F oven for one hour.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Sheer Kurma
Sheer Kurma
2 cups broken vermicelli*
2 Tbsp. butter
5 cups (32 oz) whole milk
½ cup sugar
Rose water
1 tsp. crushed cardamom--open green pods and remove black seeds, crush
Slivered almonds
Melt butter in large pan over med.-high heat and lightly brown vermicelli. Pour in milk and add sugar and cardamom. Boil until thickened. Add rose water and nuts. You can also add raisins if wanted.
I'll try to post a pic the next time I make this dish.
This is the kind of vermicelli I use, it can be found in halal markets and in Indian grocery stores. This is much thinner than the vermicelli found in supermarkets in the US.
Cardomom Buns
Cardamom Buns
These are yummy! I found the recipe on the Sons of Norway website and made them for a family reunion recently. The first recipe I have a picture to show you the final product!
Cardamom Buns (Kardemommeboller)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup water, warm
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 cardamom pods, remove seeds and crush
7 cup flour
Scald milk. Add butter and let stand until melted and milk is slightly cooled. Soften yeast in warm water with 1 Tbsp. sugar added. In a large bowl add remaining sugar, salt, and cardamom. Pour in lukewarm milk mixture. Add yeast and enough flour to make a stiff dough. Work thoroughly. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down and shape into balls--the size of ping pong balls. Place 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise until double in bulk. Bake in 450 degree oven for 5 minutes (yes, only 5 min!) until lightly browned, and brush with butter while still hot.