Cauliflower Stalk Bai (Soupy bhaji)

Today I am posting a recipe from Mizoram. Every day this month I will post a recipe from a different state in India.

Mizoram is one of the northeastern states of India. I remember when I was in grade school my sister had performed a stick dance. Two people kneel facing each other holding the ends of long bamboo sticks one in each hand. They hit the sticks on the ground and against each other in a rhythm. The dancers step in and out. It is a beautiful dance. I remember all my friends and I were mesmerized by this dance and wished we could try it too.

Food from Mizoram is not known to be vegetarian and Baruk agrees with that in his blog. But he has this lovely vegetable soup recipe to show us that people in Mizoram also love their vegetables. 

A soup style vegetable side dish where the primary ingredient is something I routinely throw away - cauliflower stalk and leaves. I would never have imagined the resulting soup to be so flavorful.

Do you like clear broth soups that are full of flavor but not overloaded with ingredients and spices? Then this soup is for you. The next time you are ready to throw away the stalk and leaves of the cauliflower - don't ! Try this soup instead.

Whole foods where I got the cauliflower had already removed most of the leaves. If you have a cauliflower with leaves use them all.

You will need

Stalk and leaves from a cauliflower

1 small potato

7-8 green beans

3 tbsp. brown rice

2 red chillies

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. baking soda

salt to taste

Wash and cut the cauliflower stalk into cubes. Cut the leaves into small pieces. Wash, peel and cut the potatoes in cubes. Cut the ends of the beans and cut them into 1 in long pieces.

Bring 5-6 cups of water to a boil in a pan. Add baking soda and salt to the boiling water. Now add the rice and let it cook for medium heat uncovered. When the rice almost cooked add the beans and potato. After a couple of minutes add the cauliflower stalk. Add the red chilies and paprika.

Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer. When the vegetables are cooked turn off the heat.

Serve hot.

Note:
Cauliflower stalk can get slimy when overcooked. Make sure you add it last so it is just cooked but not slimy.

Daineiiong with Jastem (Dal in Black Sesame Paste with Flavored Rice)

Today I am posting a recipe from Meghalaya. Every day this month I will post a recipe from a different state in India.

Meghalaya which means ('Megha' or cloud and 'alaya' or home) abode in the clouds, It is one of the states in Northeastern India. It is a border state bordering Myanmar.

As with most of the states in the region there was very little exposure in mainstream India until a decade ago. That is changing as different parts of the country organize food and cultural festivals focused on the Northeast. Migration from these states to other states for better jobs has also improved contact among people. Their web presence is growing slowly.

It was hard to find a recipe for Meghalaya not because there are none on the web but because most of them are not vegetarian. I found a description of some of the well known recipes from the Khasi tribe of Maghalaya here. While it is easy to cook rice from a description it can be challenging to cook other dishes. I found references to Daineiiong which is a dal based vegetarian version of a curry cooked in black sesame seed paste. When I found the recipe for the corresponding non-vegetarian dish here I knew I had my dal recipe. Daineiiong with Jastem is a really dal rice Khasi style.

Daineiiong
You will need
1 cup tur dal
3 tbsp. black sesame seeds
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. ginger garlic paste

Pressure cook the dal. Roast the black sesame seeds and grind to a paste with water. In a pan heat the oil and add the dal, ginger garlic paste and sesame seed paste. Simmer until all the ingredients are well combined. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

I had to tweak the dal a little. As a Maharashtrian my taste buds are used to a balance of flavors. I added a little sweet, a little heat and some lime juice to balance the taste of the ginger and garlic.

Jastem
Boil a cup of rice (I used brown basmati) with 2 cups of water, a pinch of turmeric and a half teaspoon salt. Cook the rice until the water evaporates completely. Serve with Daineiiong.

Colorful Spring Bundt Cake #BundtBakers

A super colorful spring bundt cake

I have always wanted to bake a multicolored cake. I got this recipe from the King Arthur website where it is called lemon bliss cake. I decided to skip the lemon and add a teaspoon of mint extract that I happened to have on hand. I am so glad I did! It gave the cake a fresh refreshing flavor.

I wanted to substitute the all purpose flour called for in the recipe with cake flour. Just before adding the cake flour to the batter I started having second thoughts. I went to the King Arthur website and asked to chat with an agent. Mary, the agent, promptly told me not to make the substitution as this cake needed the stronger all purpose flour. Wow! I was impressed. Thanks King Arthur Flour!

I enjoyed playing with the batter; dividing it, mixing in the colors and layering them in the pan.
The only thing I would change about this cake is the glaze. I should have dusted sugar on the top instead.

You will need
8 tbsp butter, melted
scant 1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp mint extract
liquid colors green and yellow

Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a combination of oil and flour grease the bundt pan. Ensure you get all the nooks and crannies.

Combine and cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat until fluffy. Sift the baking powder and flour together. Add a little of the flour mixture and milk alternating between the two until it is all gone. Continue beating the batter. I used a hand beater. Fold in the mint extract.

Divide the batter into 3 bowls. Fold in the green color into one of the bowls and the yellow color in another.

Layer the batter one color at a time in the prepared pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. A few minutes before the cake is done bring 2 cups of water to a boil in the microwave. Place a couple of hand towels in the sink and soak them with warm water. Just before removing the cake from the oven pour the heated water from the microwave over the towels. Now place the bundt pan on the hot towels for about 20 seconds. Working quickly loosen the sides of the cake. Invert the pan on a cooling rack and watch the cake release in one piece.

Apply glaze while the cake is hot or dust lightly with powdered sugar. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Enjoy a slice of a very moist, mint flavored, colorful spring cake!

Enjoy!

Madhurjan Thongba (Sweet Besan Dumpling in Milk)

Today I am posting a recipe from Manipur. Every day this month I will post a recipe from a different state in India.

Manipur is one of the states in North Eastern India. For the longest time these states had very little exposure in the Indian mainstream. Manipur is known for Manipuri dance, the classical Indian dance style with its delicate movement and grace. But not much else is known about Manipur.

When I was searching for Manipuri recipes I reached out to a Facebook group. I received a response and offer to help. But by the time I got the response I had already found this website. I thought it would be easiest to stick to a dessert as the special ingredients in savory dishes are hard to find. I had leftover oil from frying the jalebi and decided to try Chakao Matum or black rice boondi. It tasted alright but the color of the boondi was off. So I decided to try a different dessert from the same website.

Madhurjan Thonbga is a Manipuri Athoomba or dessert. Sweet besan dumplings are dropped in thickened sweetened milk with some fresh coconut. The besan naturally adds a very unique and pleasant flavor in this sweet dish.

You will need
1 1/2 cup milk
4 tbsp. besan
2 tbsp. fresh shredded coconut (I used frozen)
2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. sugar divided
1 tsp. cardamom powder
1 bay leaf
Oil to deep fry

On a low flame bring the milk to a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent formation of cream.

In a bowl mix besan, 2 tsp. sugar and form a thick batter using a little water.

Heat oil in a small pan. Drop a teaspoon full of besan in the hot oil. Add a few more or as much as room permits. Brown both sides and drain on a paper towel. Keep aside.

When the milk boils add the bay leaf and 2 tbsp. sugar. Continue to simmer for a couple more minutes. Add the drained dumplings to the milk and continue to simmer for another few minutes.

Add the fresh coconut and cardamom powder. Turn off heat.

Serve hot or cold.

Traditional Maharashtrian Meal

Today I am posting some recipes from Maharashtra. Every day this month I will post a recipe from a different state in India.

Maharashtra, more specifically the Konkan region, is the place my family originally comes from. Three or four generations ago my family moved and eventually settled in Pune, Nashik, Mumbai and nearby cities. I did not grow up in Maharashtra but I have always considered myself a Maharashtrain. I cook Maharashtrian (Puneri) food regularly. I also dabble in Maharashtrian tribal artwork. Warli is the very well known folk art from Maharashtra. It features dancing or working people along with their tools and their cattle. The art has a flowing moving aspect to it that makes it very attractive.

Maharashtra is a large state and food varies with region and class as in the rest of India. My association with Maharashtra has been mainly confined to the north western region of the state. Last fall my father on my request brought me a book of traditional Marathi recipes first published in the 1960s. It has among other things instructions on how to use the stone grinder (pata varvanta). I wanted the book to look at age old Maharashtrian recipes. Some are these are popular today but some have been completely forgotten.

A unique chivda chutney in the book made me want to plan a meal around it. I have made a traditional Maharashtrian thali before. This time all I wanted to do was to make dishes that go well with each other as a meal. There is no onion, ginger or garlic in this meal. Except for the chutney the rest of the dishes are on my regular rotation.

A Maharashtrian meal generally starts with dal/waran/sada waran with rice. The next course is poli or chapati. The last course is yogurt or buttermilk with rice. Unlike as is done in South India the yogurt is mixed with the rice once it is on your plate. In my house rice is always optional and rarely cooked. Here is the simple Maharashtrian meal.

The menu

Chivda Chutney
Maharashtrian chutney is made with vegetables, dals, fruit etc. Green chili pepper is added for heat. If needed tamarind or lime juice is added for tartness and jaggery is added as the sweet flavor. Other variations of chutney are dangar and chatka. Chivda chutney is a crisp roasted chutney with chivda like texture. It is made of peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut. The only other ingredients are green chili pepper and salt.

Tikhat Gajar Pachadi (Savory carrot salad)
Pachadi is a salad that can be made with a variety of vegetables or fuit. Sometimes one or more vegetables are used. Here is Khamang Kakadi which is a cucumber pachadi. Similarly radish, tomatoes etc. can be used to make pachadi. Unlike a Koshimbir a pachidi does not contain yogurt. Here is an example of beetroot koshimbir made with yogurt. Pachadi contains raw vegetables seasoned with salt, paprika, sugar and lime juice. Tamarind or jaggery is never added to a pachadi.

Kothimbir wadi (cilantro cubes)
Cilantro in my opinion is a very dainty green and has a wonderful flavor. Here is it mixed with besan and sweet and tangy ingredients, steamed and then tempered. Cabbage wadi can also be prepared in exactly the same way. This dish is classified as bhaji or a side as opposed to aluwadi which is classified as a condiment. The basic Maharashtrian tempering used in sides consists of oil, mustard seeds, asafoetida (a pinch) and turmeric. Some sides call for cumin seeds instead of mustard seeds. For fasting foods only oil and cumin seeds are used.

Panchmel daliche waran (five dal waran)
Ambti and waran are the two common dal preparations. Unlike ambti the phodni (tempering) for waran is added at the end of the cooking period. Instead of adding dal to the tempered oil the oil is poured over the top of the dal. Sada waran is dal without tempering. You can see it poured over the rice in this Maharashtrian Thali. Another difference is that ambti, as the name suggests, has a sour ingredient like kokum or tamarind added to it while waran does not. Typically lime juice (always on the plate) is added to the waran by the person eating it, if and when they need it. I have made a simple waran with five different dals - tur, mung, channa, masoor and urad.

Bajri and Nachni Dhirdi
Poli (chapati) or jwari/bajri bhakari is common in Maharashtrian households. There are several other alternatives. You could make stuffed chapati, sweet chapati (puran poli or gul poli), dashmi (chapati with milk instead of water), gakar, thalipeet or dhirdi. Dhirdi is a crepe that can be made with any flour you may have on hand like this wheat flour dhirdi. Today I used Bajri (pearl millet) and Nachni (finger millet) flours.

My goal was to create a simple meal to showcase the different foods on an everyday dinner plate. I realize I left out a very wide variety of foods like rice, usal, palebhaji, golabhaji or a dessert. But that is the beauty if cooking. The variety is endless.

Chivda Chutney

Chivda Chutney is a classic chutney made with Maharashtrian favorites peanuts, sesame seeds and dry coconut flakes. It is used as a condiment and adds a special flavor to any meal.

I had never tasted this chutney before. I found it in an old cook book. The combination of the ingredients made me want to try it.

You will need
1/4 cup roasted ground peanuts
1/4 sesame seeds
1/4 cup dry coconut flakes
1 tsp. lime juice
1/2 Serrano pepper, deseeded and minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste

You will need peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut flakes in equal proportions. You can increase or decrease the amount.

Add the olive oil and lime juice to a pan and heat it. When heated add the Serrano pepper.

Now add the peanuts, then sesame seeds and lastly the coconut flakes. Season with salt. Roast on low flame until they turn crispy.

Turn off flame and transfer contents from the hot pan.

Cool completely before storing. This chutney can be stored for about a week.

Tikhat Gajar Pachadi (Savory Carrot Salad)

Pachadi is a salad that can be made with a variety of vegetables. Sometimes one or more vegetables are used. Here is Khamang Kakadi which is a cucumber pachadi. Similarly radish, tomatoes etc. can be used to make pachadi. Unlike a Koshimbir a pachidi does not contain yogurt. Here is an example of beetroot koshimbir.

Pachadi contains raw vegetables that are not mixed in yogurt. Instead salt, paprika/cayenne pepper, sweet and sour flavors are added to it.

You will need
3 carrots
1/4 cup roasted ground peanuts (should be about a 1/5 of the amount of carrots)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. paprika
salt to taste

For the tempering
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. asafoetida
1 tsp. turmeric powder

Shred the carrots with a grater and mix in the peanuts. Add sugar, lime juice and paprika. Season with salt. Keep aside.

In a small pan heat the olive oil and add the mustard seeds. When they start to crackle remove the pan from the heat. Add the cumin seeds, asafoetida and turmeric. Let it cool completely. Pour it over the shredded carrot.

Mix well and serve with poli and other sides.

Panchmel Daliche Waran (Five Dal Waran)

Ambti and Waran are two common preparations of dal. I have made ambti before. This time I thought I would made waran. When dal is cooked and tempered oil is added to it, it is called phodnicha (tempered) waran or just waran. Sada waran is cooked dal without anything added to it.

While waran can be make with just tur dal I decided to make it with a mixture of five dals.

You will need
1/2 cups of a mixture of five dals (tur, channa, mung, urad and masoor)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. asafoetida

Pressure cook the dals until completely cooked. When the pressure subsides transfer the contents to a pan and bring to a boil. Add a little water if the dal is too thick.

Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds. When they crackle turn off the heat. Add the cumin seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Pour the oil over the dal carefully.

Combine well together and turn off heat.

Serve hot.

Kothimbir Wadi (Cilantro Wadi)

Cilantro in my opinion is a very dainty green and has a wonderful flavor. Here is it mixed with besan and sweet and tangy ingredients, steamed and then tempered. Cabbage wadi can also be prepared in exactly the same way. This dish is classified as bhaji or a side as opposed to aluwadi which is classified as a condiment.

You will need
For the wadi
3 bunches cilantro
1 cup besan
1 tbsp. jaggery
1 tsp. tamarind extract
1 tsp. paprika
salt to taste

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. asafoetida

Cut off the stalks of the cilantro and wash it. Chop finely and combine with all the other ingredients for the wadi in a bowl. Roll it into one or more logs.

Pressure cook the logs in a pressure cooker. Cut the steamed and cooked logs into disc about 1/2 inch wide. In a wide pan heat the olive oil and add mustard seeds. When they crackle add the asafoetida and turmeric. Add the cooked cilantro discs combine with the tempered oil. Cover and steam for a couple minutes. Adjust seasoning. Add salt, paprika if needed.

Serve hot with poli.

Bajri and Nachni Dhirdi (Pearl Millet and Finger Millet Crepes)

Dhirdi is Maharashtrian crepe. It is an easy way to use up left over flour of any type. Today I used bhajri (pearl millet) and nachni (finger millet). I have made dhirdi with wheat flour, jwari flour, even singada flour. You could add a pinch of baking soda but if you soak it for a couple of hours you will not need it.

You will need
1 cup bhajri flour
1 cup nachni flour
2 tbsp. All purpose flour or rice flour
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. sugar
salt to taste
Oil

Sift the flours into a mixing bowl. Combine all the other ingredients except the oil in the bowl. Using a little water whisk into a thick batter. Keep aside for about 2 hours. Stir the batter and thin it out to a pouring consistency.

Heat a griddle pan with a cover. Pour a ladle full of batter in the middle of the hot griddle. Using the back of the ladle spread the batter in ever increasing circles until the batter covers the griddle in a thin layers. Add a few drops of oil and cover with the lid for a few minutes.

Uncover the pan. The crepe should be covered in a fine web of holes. Flip it over and cook the other side. When brown take it off the heat. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Enjoy!

Dhirdi taste best when hot so make them when everything else is ready.