Dubu Buchim Yangnyeom Jang (Spiced Pan Fried Tofu)

Tofu has gotten a lot of attention in the last decade, some good and some bad. In the countries where tofu is part of the traditional cuisine it is generally eaten in small quantities as part of a meal. I try to keep it that way in my house too. Spiced pan fried tofu is a delightful side dish. If you like tofu then you should try it. I made it as part of a Korean meal but you can make it as a side to noodles.

This dish tastes best when hot.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
7 oz. extra firm tofu
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. honey
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. pepper flakes
2 tbsp. chopped scallion

Cut the tofu into 2 inch cubes. Heat oil in a pan and place the tofu slices in the it. When browned turn over and brown the other side. Drain on a paper towel and keep aside.

Combine all the other ingredients. When you are ready to plate arrange the tofu on the plate and sprinkle the topping all over.

Qatari Meal

As the only country with the letter Q I was a little worried about finding recipes from this country to make a full meal. But as with Oman, Qatari recipes use a lot of ingredients in their dishes so it is possible to use substitutes to make a non vegetarian dish vegetarian.

A lot of the dishes from Qatar are Arabic in origin and are eaten with regional variations all over the middle east. Machboos is a one dish meal which I have made vegetarian with the use of paneer. For a side I made Fatayer Sabanek, a spinach filled pastry. Fatayer is also made with a cheese filling. The cheese is usually salty in taste. I had a little leftover cotija cheese that I mixed into the spinach filling to give it added taste. For dessert I made Basbousa, a simple dessert similar to sheera or halwa. Baking the semolina mixture gives it a lovely cake like consistency and taste. This was a very tasty meal and we loved all three dishes very much.

No new ingredients were used in this meal but I enjoyed making the Machboos. Now even though the Machboos is filling I wanted to try Fatayer Sabanek. I just knew it would be delicious by reading the recipe and I was right.

Here are the recipe for the dishes on the menu

• Vegetarian Machboos 
• Fatayer Sabanek 

And for dessert

• Basbousa

Fatayer Sabanek (Spinach Pastry)

Spinach stuffed pastry or Fatayer Sabanek can be eaten as a snack by itself or as a side in a meal. I have made Greek spinach pie spanakopita and we all loved it. When I found this recipe here I knew my family would love it.

The origins of fatayer is disputed as a lot of countries lay claim to it. It means pastry in Arabic and you will find it in a lot of the countries in the Middle East.

Fatayer is made using leavened dough. I had a little sourdough starter handy and decided to use it. Before commercial yeast became available all leavened dough was made using wild yeast starter. The resultant pastry was crunchy but soft on the inside.

When I made this as part of the meal I did not have the time to let the dough rise overnight so I used a scant half teaspoon of commercial instant yeast to help speed up the process on one batch of the dough. This batch I stuffed with spinach and flavored it with onion and a little salty cheese. The second batch of dough I left overnight in the refrigerator and made fatayer as a snack the next day. I did not add commercial yeast to this batch and I stuffed it with cheese and a sprinkle of cilantro.

You will need
For the dough
1/2 cup sourdough starter 78% hydration (increase flour by 1/2 cup if you want to skip this)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur whole white wheat)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. instant dry yeast (if you skip the sourdough use 1 tsp. yeast)
1/2 tsp. sugar
Up to 1/2 cup warm water

For the spinach filling
1 bunch spinach
2 tbsp. onion
3 tbsp. cotija cheese, shredded
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste

For the cheese filling
1/4 cup cotija cheese, shredded
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4-5 sprigs of cilantro, minced

Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl. Add the oil and yogurt and combine with the flour. If you are not using sourdough starter you will need a half cup of water. If you are using sourdough starter use half the water and if needed add more, a little at a time, until you have a soft dough. Knead well and keep aside covered until it doubles in volume. If using sourdough you can keep it overnight in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to develop.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare the cheese filling by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl. Keep aside. Blanch the spinach and drain. Heat the blanched spinach in a pan until all the water evaporates. Cool. Combine with the other ingredients and keep aside until needed.

Transfer the risen dough to a working surface and cut into lime sized portions. Roll one portion to form a disc. Place the filling in the center.

Bring up two sides as shown in the picture below.

Pull up the bottom to form a triangle.

Pinch the seams to seal them. If the dough is dry use a little water to seal the seam shut. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Continue with the remaining portions. I made some with spinach filling and others with cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. Broil for one minute.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Paneer Machboos

A one dish meal made with rice that is now a family favorite. Machboos is a classic Arabic dish. I used paneer to make it vegetarian. Though machboos is usually cooked on the stove top I found this baked version that tastes just like the original. This spicy rice filled my kitchen with a lovely aroma. One word to describe its taste - delicious. The leftovers the next day were just as good.

My daughter loves anything with paneer. So when I was wondering whether to use potato or paneer to make this dish vegetarian she made the choice easy. The amount of spice used is a little too much by my usual standards, I usually use spices sparingly while cooking. In fact when I was making machboos I was sure it was not going to be edible. But then I realized rice and paneer are bland. No other vegetable is used. The flavor of the spices absorbed by the rice and paneer makes the dish. Don't skimp on the spices.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need for three servings
8 oz. paneer
2 cups of vegetable stock
3-4 strands saffron
1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)
1 onion
2 tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. cinnamon powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. bezar powder (recipe below)
1 cup basmati rice (I used brown basmati)
salt to taste

To make bezar powder roast separately equal portions of whole cumin, fennel, coriander and pepper corn, a half inch stick of cinnamon and one red chilli pepper. When cool grind to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container in your pantry.

Mix all the spices, cinnamon powder, turmeric powder, paprika and bezar powder together. Reserve half for later, use half to spice up the paneer.

Preheat oven 400 F. Wash the rice and drain. Keep aside. Make paneer or use store bought. Cut it into large rectangles and sprinkle one side with half of the remaining spice powders. Heat oil in a pan. Place the paneer in the oil spiced side down. Sprinkle remaining spices on the other side. When brown flip and brown other side. Remove and place on paper towel.

Add saffron to the stock in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 2 minutes or until heated through. Keep warm. Chop the onion and saute the onion in the same pan as the paneer was cooked. Meanwhile mince the garlic and chop the tomato separately. When the onions are tender add the garlic and saute until fragrant.

Add the reserved spices. Combine well and add tomato. When heated through turn off the heat. Add the rice and mix together to coat the rice with onion tomato mixture.

Transfer to a casserole. Cut the paneer into cubes and place over the rice.

Pour the stock over the rice.

Cover with aluminium foil. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour. Take a peek. If the water is not all absorbed keep for another 10-15 minutes until all the water is absorbed.

Take it out of the oven and keep covered for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Basbousa

This is a really simple baked dessert. It is very similar to sheera or halwa in taste as it is basically sweetened semolina. However, baking the dish gives it a lovely moist cake like texture.

I used almonds but you can use cashews or pistachios to decorate the top.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
3/4 cup semolina
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. yogurt
1/2 cup milk

Almonds for garnish

For the syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
a squeeze of lemon juice

In a mixing bowl combine the semolina, all purpose flour, baking powder and sugar. Add the vanilla extract, melted butter and oil. Mix until crumbly. Add the yogurt and milk and whisk into a thick batter. Pour batter into a round 7" pan greased with a little oil. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 300 F.

In the meantime boil the syrup ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and let the syrup cool. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and score the top in the shape of diamonds.

Press an almond in the center of each diamond. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Pour the syrup over the top and bake for another 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and cut along scored lines to form diamonds. Tastes great hot or chilled.

Enjoy!

Pakistani Meal

I chose to cook a Pakistani meal so I could make rumali roti. I have always been fascinated by the see-through roti but did not have the special equipment needed to make it. Recently a friend told me about a stove top method and I have wanted to try it. This menu was planned around rumali roti.

Alu bhujia was a new way of cooking potatoes and very tasty too. Potatoes being very popular in my house this was my choice for main vegetable side. Maste khiar or cucumber salad is a variation of one of the most popular salads in this part of the world. The Lahori dal added the needed protein to the meal. I debated on whether to make rice to go with the dal and finally decided not to make any. Shir khurma or sevinya is a simple dessert made with vermicelli.

I did not try any new ingredients for this meal but used well known ingredients in a different way. I have made roti or chapati almost every day for years but this roti was something different. I am glad I tried it. I also made a new friend in the process. She has a blog and lives in Pakistan. I checked with her before finalizing the recipes.

Here are the recipes for the dishes on the menu

• Rumali Roti 
• Alu Bhujia
• Lahori Dal 
• Maste Khiar 

And for dessert

• Shir Khurma

Lahori Dal (Pakistani Red Lentil Dal)

Dal is a staple in Southeast Asia. Whether it is eaten with rice or chapati it is usually a part of the meal. The lentils available are cooked in a whole lot of different ways. This is one such preparation.

This dal preparation is very interesting. Usually dal along with onion and other spices is cooked in a pan. The tempering oil and spices are added to the simmering dal. In this recipe the dal is simmered in a pan with spices. The onion is added to the tempering oil and poured over the top. The addition of cream (I used cashew cream) give the dal a delicious rich flavor.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
1 cup lal masoor dal (red lentils)
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. oil
3 tbsp. cashew cream (soak 5 cashews in water for 30 minutes and grind to paste)
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 cup onion, diced
salt to taste
lemon juice to garnish

Soak dal for an hour. Drain and discard the water. Add 2 cups water and pressure cook the dal until it is tender. In my pressure cooker that is 5 -7 minutes on high heat with whistle. In pressure cookers that whistle that would be 2 whistles. Let the pressure subside. Mash the cooked dal with the back of a spoon.

Pour the dal in a pan and bring it to a boil stirring frequently to ensure it does not stick to the bottom. Lower heat and let it simmer. Add the turmeric power, paprika, garlic, half the oil and cashew cream. Continue to let it simmer and thicken on low heat.

Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a separate pan and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the onion and saute until tender and begins to turn color. Add the onion mixture to the simmering dal. Season with salt and turn off heat.

Add the juice of half a lemon when you are ready to eat. Tastes best hot.

Maste Khair (Pakistani Cucumber Salad)

Cucumber salad in made in every country of this region. They are called by a whole lot of different names but the base is usually cucumber and yogurt with a variety of flavoring agents. This version is flavored with mint leaves.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
1 cucumber
4-5 mint leaves
1/2 cup yogurt
salt and black pepper to taste

Peel the cucumber and shred it. Mince the mint leaves and add them to the shredded cucumber. Combine with the yogurt, salt and pepper.

Maste Khair is ready.

Alu Bhujia

I found this recipe while looking for vegetable sides to go with the rumali roti. My daughter loves potato in any form and this dish seemed so appetizing I decided to try it. I was not disappointed. We all enjoyed it very much. It is a very simple dry vegetable side that will enhance any menu.

Recipe adapted from here.
You will need
3 medium russet potatoes
1 onion
1 red chili pepper
1 tbsp. oil
handful cilantro
salt and black pepper to taste

Slice the onion. Heat oil in a pan and add the onion along with the red chili pepper. Saute until onion is tender and deep golden brown. Take the onion out of the pan and keep aside.

Meanwhile wash and brush the potatoes to get rid of the dirt. You can peel the potatoes if you wish but this recipe calls for potatoes to be used with this skin. Slice the potatoes into thin slices. Add them to the pan in which the onions were cooked.

Saute the potatoes until they are cooked. Turn up the heat and brown them. Add the onions and minced cilantro. Season with salt and black pepper. Let the mixture heat through and turn off heat.

Tastes best when hot with chapati or poli.

Rumali Roti

Rumali roti is one of the many paper thin rotis made in this region. It is usually made with specialized equipment. I adapted this recipe to make it on the stove top. The result was a read-through-it-thin roti that was super soft too.

I had heard of rumali roti and always thought it was an exotic roti as it is made with specialized equipment. When I found out it can be done on the stove top I had to try it. As long as you can roll the roti really thin you cannot go wrong with this recipe. You should give it a try.

You will need
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1-2 tbsp. rice flour
1 tbsp. oil

Sift the wheat flour and all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and using water form a soft dough. Knead it well and keep aside covered for 20-25 minutes. Divide the rested dough into lime sized portions. Make sure you have an even number as you will use two at a time.

Heat a griddle pan. Roll out one portion of dough on a working surface using a little flour if needed to prevent it from sticking. Keep aside. Repeat for the second portion of dough. Add a couple drops of oil on the second portion of rolled dough and spread it around lightly with a brush or your fingers. Sprinkle some flour over the top.

Place the first rolled out dough over the top of the second.

Now continue to roll out this disc until it is really thin. You are rolling out the two disc placed one over the other.

Place the rolled out roti on the hot griddle pan. Keep the heat high.

Flip it over when the underside is cooked and develops brown spots. Repeat for the second side.

Quickly take it off the heat and separate the two rotis.

For each roti place the uncooked side back on the hot griddle pan for a few seconds.

Fold each roti separately into quarters and store in a airtight container lined with a tea towel or kitchen towel.

Repeat for all the rotis.

Rumali rotis taste best when hot. Eat with any vegetable side.

Shir Khurma (Sevaiya)

I made this very simple dessert as part of my Pakistani meal. However, sevaiya or what we call kheer is prepared using a similar recipe in a lot of the neighboring states. In Maharashtra we call this sevaiyachi kheer.

I picked this dessert for a reason. It takes me back to my college dorm. I shared a room with two other girls and one of them celebrated Eid at home. Her sister-in-law made the most delicious pot of shir khurma and my roommate brought us pretty good size portions. Unfortunately we had to share it with our rather large circle of friends. As roommates we thought we were entitled to a larger share. We were crazy back then. So we would save a good big portion for us and pretend as if the shir khurma came in a much smaller container than it really did. We would have a light dinner and then share the contents of the smaller container. It would be gone within minutes. When all our friends would leave we opened up the saved portion and ate to our hearts content. Putting this down in words makes it sound so weird but back then it seemed perfectly right. I savored the taste of this dessert recalling all those old memories.

You will need
3 cups milk (whole milk or 50% whole milk and 50% lower fat milk)
1/2 cup cream
2 handfuls vermicelli
2 tbsp. slivered almonds
2 tbsp. pistachios
2 tbsp. raisins
1 tbsp. dried dates, chopped (I left these out)
2 pods cardamom, shelled and seeds pounded to a powder
1 tbsp. ghee

Soak the nuts in a little milk for 3-4 hours. Drain and keep aside.

Roast the vermicelli in the ghee with the cardamom powder. Cool and keep aside with the nuts and raisins.

Bring the milk and cream to a boil. Lower heat and add the vermicelli and nuts. Let it simmer until the vermicelli softened and the sevaiya thicken to the desired consistency.

Turn off heat.

Shir khurma can be served hot or cold.