Kitchen3N

Recipes and food fun from Apt 3N

Cranberry Relish (Achar)

IMG_1740I’m not a pickle/relish/chutney person. My husband is not a turkey-with-all-the-fixin’s kind of guy. So this is how I strive to compromise. You see, I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. It will be pretty small, just my family and his. But there are a few characters in this production who absolutely do not enjoy anything outside the rice and curry/biryani paradigm. So, my spread will look something like this: roast turkey (brined in buttermilk, stuffed with orange, garlic, thyme and sage flavorings), my mother in law’s khichuri, mashed potatoes, salad, either a green bean casserole or sweet potato dish, and this relish. I love cranberry sauce, but in order to make it more palatable for my husband, his brother, and my dad, I thought I’d prepare it according to the traditional Bengali method for achar (non vinegar based relish). It’s sweet, spicy, and tart all at the same time. Obviously cranberries aren’t available in Bangladesh, but they remind me of this other berry like fruit that they do use for achar. The result was pretty good!IMG_1725Mustard oil is not so common in American grocery stores, but if you’ve made the trip to an Asian grocery to get any of the other ingredients required in this (dried red peppers, pach forom), you’ll definitely find the mustard oil. The second it hits the heat, a wonderful aroma fills the whole house. If you can’t find it – don’t fret. Make it with vegetable or olive oil. The result will be a much more mellow relish. Then come all the other aromatics: pach forom, garlic, and red pepper. The seeds will start to pop once they get heated through…time to quickly add the other ingredients!IMG_1726When working with the red peppers, simply snap them in two with your fingers and dump all the seeds out onto the cutting board. Then, when you add them to the hot oil, stand back and prepare for a pepper onslaught on your sinuses! Make sure your vent is going and windows are open, otherwise you’ll find yourself and the rest of your family members in a coughing fit. At this point, I know what you’re thinking: this is really, really weird. And I’ll admit – it’s not for everybody. But if occasionally you find yourself longing for the sweet and spicy relishes of your childhood, this will definitely hit the spot! IMG_1738We would normally serve this with rice or luchi, but I’m sure it would be great on toast. You can make this with pach forom (which I’ve discussed before here) or with anise or fennel seed (which I actually prefer, since the black seeds in pach forom are a bit strong for me). Hope you try this if you’re looking to spice up the usual cranberry sauce! I would love to hear about your Thanksgiving traditions!

Ingredients

  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup water or orange juice
  • 1 tbsp mustard oil (or olive oil)
  • 1 pinch pach forom or anise seeds or fennel seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 dried red peppers, cut in half, de-seeded
  • 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 5 tbsp sugar or molasses (or to taste)
  • 1 pinch chili powder

Directions

  1. Place the cranberries and juice/water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as the cranberries start to pop, remove from heat.
  2. In a medium (9 or 10in) nonstick skillet, heat the msutard oil over medium high heat. Add the pach form or anise/fennel seeds. Once they start to pop, add garlic and chili. Heat through, until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add all of the cranberries, along with the juices to the skillet. Season with salt, sugar, and chili powder. Give it all a stir and lower the heat to medium. Let it cook through, until liquid reduces and mixture thickens (not completely: it will continue to thicken off the heat), about 5-7 minutes. Check for seasoning.
  3. Remove from heat. Let it cool. Store in a glass jar or other container. Refrigerate. Consume within two weeks.

Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry (Bhaji)

IMG_1625When I go to a Bengali restaurant for takeout, I usually overlook the greasy curried meat dishes or the fish floundering in murky masala waters and the bhortas that usually fall short of the homemade version. At most Bengali places, these dishes are laid out buffet style so you know exactly what you’re getting. I usually opt for one of the Biryanis (chicken or goat) and a side of some sort of mixed vegetable stir fry. These things always get me salivating. I guess it’s because they strike a fabulous balance of spice and sweetness. I’m not the type of person who goes gaga for sweet and spicy, but the sweetness in this dish is brought out by the slow caramelization of the vegetables (rather than sugar or honey) and just rounds out the flavor from the usual round up of spices, plus the extra Bengali zinger: pach phorom. IMG_1630Pach phorom is a combination of five aromatic seeds: black mustard, cumin, black cumin (also known as nigella), fenugreek (methi) and fennel. It can be found at any Indian grocery alongside all the usual spices. They have a licorice flavor, which adds an extra dimension to the dish’s flavor profile. This is important for vegetable dishes that have to compete with a follow up course of a rich meat or curried fish dish. IMG_1637This is something my mom made at the beginning of the week to just last the course of the whole week. It starts out with a base of softened onions, spices and garlic/ginger paste. You can play around with the vegetables to add your favorites, but to start, I used the two vegetables I found consistent in most Bengali mixed vegetable dishes: cauliflower and cabbage. Now, the two put together makes A LOT, so make sure your wok or pot is large enough to accommodate everything. I had to add the vegetables slowly, allowing some of the cabbage at the bottom to wilt and decrease in volume before adding more, and mixing to combine.  IMG_1641While that goes, you’ll want to work on the second batch of veggies in a separate pan. I used just 2 cups of plain old frozen mixed vegetables. You can use the equivalent amount of zucchini, pumpkin, butternut squash, peas, string beans, whatever you like as long as you have a balance of green, orange, and white veggies.  IMG_1643The cauliflower and cabbage steam in the wok for about 20 minutes. They get all tender and sweet. I ended up needing a shocking amount of salt but feel free to start out small and gradually increase to taste. Top with fresh cilantro. Serve alongside rice or naan or stuff inside a pita for a delicious wrap!IMG_1657IMG_1649

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup light olive oil or veg oil
  • half a spanish onion, diced small
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp pach phorom
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder (or more if you like it hotter)
  • 2 tsp garlic/ginger paste (or 2 tsp minced garlic and/or ginger)
  • 1 head of cabbage, cut into half inch strips
  • 1 head of cauliflower, stalks and florets cut into half inch pieces
  • about 5 green chilis (optional) with slits cut into them (also optional)
  • 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tbsp light olive oil or veg oil
  • 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 3 handfuls of cilantro

Directions

  1. Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and let soften for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, pach phorom, chili powder and garlic/ginger paste. Stir to combine. Add the cabbage in batches, allowing the bottom most wilt a bit before adding the next batch. Continue until all the cabbage is in the pot. Stir to combine. Next add the cauliflower, one batch at a time, ensuring everything gets an even coating of the oil/onion/spice mixture.
  2. Add the green chilis, salt, pepper, and water and stir to combine. Put the lid on and let it steam. It will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes for all the vegetables to cook through. Occasionally lift up the lid, and stir the vegetables, bringing the bottom vegetables to the top so everything gets an even cooking. Take care towards the end not to break apart the cauliflower florets.
  3. In a separate shallow fry pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat. Add the frozen vegetables and remaining cumin, coriander and turmeric. Season to taste. Break apart with a wooden spoon and stir to make sure everything gets seasoned and cooked evenly. When heated through, turn off the heat.
  4. When the cauliflower and cabbage are cooked through, add the mixed vegetables and cilantro and stir to combine. Add a teaspoon or two more salt, according to taste.

Spinach and Tuna Sauté

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Try to do a better job than I did with the onions.

This  recipe is based off of one that my mom learned from our first hosts in American, way back in 1989 (listen up kiddos, fireside chat time). Of course, that one included all the usual spices found in Bengali curries (cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder). It was the perfect hybrid between American pantry basics and desi cooking. Props to Majumder Aunty for coming up with it! It’s great for so many reasons. Surprisingly flavorful for a straight-out-of-the-pantry dish. Really low budget. And quick. IMG_1436Frozen spinach is just such an all around winner. Always keep some in your freezer. So much easier to prepare than to rinse, cut, and cook fresh spinach, only for it to wilt down to nothing. And as per the tuna, I like the italian tuna packed in olive oil. So much more flavorful than the watered down chicken of the sea we used to have growing up. It’s amazing how much flavor tuna can impart on a dish when it’s not drowning in mayo and hiding in between slices of bread. I like to swap out the medley of spices for some freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. “Brightens up the flavor” as Giada would say. And because I made it kid friendly, I dialed back on the amount of chili flakes. My mom tosses in whole green chilis, but I rarely have those on hand. I did keep the coriander in there because I think it complements the lemon. But if you’re truly making something from the pantry, this dish would still taste great with just the garlic, salt and pepper. IMG_1443You can serve this with rice and daal. It would also be great on some crusty bread with a little bit of grated cheese (gruyere, fontina), pressed and served as a panini. It’s super versatile. Hope you try it out soon!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 16 oz package of frozen spinach
  • 1 7oz can of tuna
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • a pinch of red pepper flakes
  • zest from 1 lemon
  • a light squeeze of lemon (I despise too much acidity in my food, but if you don’t, then by all means, go to town on that thing!)

Directions:

  1. Dice onion. Heat up oil over medium high heat in a woke or large fry pan.
  2. Add onions to oil. While onions cook, mince garlic. Add to pan.
  3. Add frozen spinach, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Add tuna, including the oil it was packed it.
  4. Season with coriander, salt, chili flakes. Stir over medium high heat until spinach and tuna are fully heated through and flavors combine (4 to 5 minutes).
  5. Off the heat, add lemon zest, juice, and extra chili flakes, if desired.

Mashed Eggplant (Begun Bhorta)

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I feel like most people, when asked what their favorite vegetable is, would say corn or butternut squash or potatoes (though I bet they actually like the salt and fat that comes with the potatoes). Or perhaps mushrooms. But not me. I. Love. Eggplant. Stewed with tomatoes (imam biyaldi). Simply fried with salt and turmeric (chaak bhaji). In a curry with the insanely boney hilsa fish. In the Sicilian sweet/savory relish known as caponata. In every way except babaghanoush (sorry, haters gon hate). Or this way: charred over an open flame, peeled then mashed with simmering onions, tomatoes, garlic and spices.

IMG_0816Now, I know traditionally a bhorta consists of some boiled or steamed vegetable (or dried fish) mashed or really well mixed with raw onion, Thai chilli, mustard oil, salt and cilantro. But one fine day my mom made this and said hey, this is begun bhorta. And even though the cooking process more closely resembles a mishti kumro ghonto (think: spiced, simmered pumpkin mush), it stuck.

IMG_0809 Charring it is a bit of a pain. The juices get all over the burner. Peeling the charred pieces of skin is a pain. But the payoff is well worth it. You could perhaps do it under the broiler. I haven’t given it a go. Right now I am sticking to tried and true methods of prep. So, here it is:

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, poked all around with a knife or fork
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced (yellow or red)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1tsp garlic paste)
1 tomato, diced
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp coriander
A pinch of chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
A handful of fresh cilantro

Directions:

Over a medium flame, start charring the eggplant by placing directly onto heat and rotating using a pair of tongs every two minutes or so (or with your fingers if you’re hardcore like my mom). It should be cooked all the way through in about 10 to 12 minutes. Prep the rest of the ingredients in the meantime.

When the eggplant is done, remove from heat and allow to cool. Then peel off the skin using your fingers or tongs, doing the best you can to get as much of it off as you can. Cut off the top and set aside.

Heat oil over medium high heat in a wok or fry pan. Add onions and tomatoes. Allow to soften a few minutes, then add garlic and the rest of the spices/seasonings (if you only have garlic/ginger paste on hand, use that). Add the eggplant and break up any chunks using a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to medium/medium low. Mix it all together and let the flavors combine while prepping the cilantro.

Off the heat, add the cilantro and check for seasoning. Serve with basmati rice or roti.

Note: as with most bengali cooking, you do not need to follow a recipe to a T to get fantastic results. Feel free to use chopped Thai chili in lieu of the chili powder. Or a dash of mustard oil for more of a kick. For example, I had some extra red pepper on hand so I added it. Made it look a ton prettier. Just don’t skimp on the charring because it really makes this dish.

Daal (Bengali Lentil Soup)

This is the quintessential Bengali side dish. The ultimate comfort food. It’s on every dinner table…from the most affluent of households to the most modest. When you invite someone near and dear to you, you always entice them with the promise of “daal bhat” (rice and lentils).

I hadn’t realized how extensive the ingredient list was for such a simple dish as daal. Mine is a bit heavy on the garlic (’cause let’s face it…the lentils themselves don’t have much flavor). The tomatoes and cilantro add freshness. To add depth of flavor, daal is traditionally made with panch phoron, added right at the end. Panch phoron is a Bengali blend of five different seeds: mustard, nigella, asafoetida, fenugreek, and cumin. It toasts up in the oil with the fried onion at the end to enhance its flavor. The combination of spicy, licoricey and earthy flavors give it a distinctly Bengali flavor.

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Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup split red lentils
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 green (thai) chili
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • half a small yellow onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 pinch pach forom (optional)
  • small handful cilantro (about 1/4 cup, optional)

Directions

Rinse the lentils 2-3 times in cold water. Then, combine with water, garlic and chilli and bring to a boil over high heat (cut a slit into the chili pepper to let some of the flavor out). When it comes to a boil, lower the heat (otherwise it boils over like milk) and bring to a simmer. Spoon off some of the foam on top.
Add the turmeric, salt and tomatoes. Let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until lentils are cooked through. Optional: at this stage you can break up the lentils with a daal ghutni or an immersion blender (taking care to remove the chili and garlic) to give it a smoother consistency.
While lentils simmer, thinly slice the onion and fry until brown over medium heat. Mince the last garlic clove and add it to the onions for the last 30-45 seconds. Finish with chopped cilantro. Taste for seasoning.
Serve over rice.

Grapefruit & Baby Spinach Salad

I did the unthinkable (for a South Asian): I made a carb free dinner that my husband and I enjoyed! Inspired by some uber fresh baby spinach I got from the farmer’s market (yess I finally made it to one this year) and some random grapefruit I picked up at Trader Joe’s. I usually segment my grapefruit, douse it in salt (and a dash of sugar) and eat it plain. I wanted a zesty and a tad more healthy way of eating it. Thus, this salad. It’s pretty simple…next time I might add some toasted walnuts or sliced avocado.

I served it alongside Ina’s Asian Grilled Salmon (though I baked it in the oven for 15 min at 450 degrees instead) and asparagus (simply dressed in salt, pepper and olive oil for 7 minutes in the same oven). Color scheme, anyone?

Ingredients:

  • 2 to 3 cups fresh baby spinach (rinsed really well)
  • 1 grapefruit, segmented
  • the juice from the remaining grapefruit
  • 3/4 of a green chili, minced
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro (though mint would work well in this)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • dash pepper
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp agave nectar (could substitute with honey)

Directions

Arrange spinach on a plate or in salad bowl. Top with grapefruit segments. For the vinaigrette, combine the remaining ingredients in separate bowl. Adjust the amount of chili used according to preference. Pour over salad and serve with a fresh sprinkling of fine sea or kosher salt on top.

Guacamole

For a long time, I hesitated on posting my take on the classic appetizer, guacamole. Mainly because it’s so far removed from a traditional guacamole, I hesitate to even call it that (avocado salsa is more like it).  In fact, a Mexican former colleague of mine completely dismissed the notion that I could even make guac for lack of a Molcajete – a Mexican mortar and pestle made from a highly porous volcanic rock. Apparently, true guac can only be achieved in a Molcajete that has been pre-seasoned with a thin layer of ground poppy seed.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have the Americanized, sour cream filled Applebees version. Not that I don’t enjoy guac in just about all its forms, but given my husband’s affinity for it, I wanted a version that would be a healthy accompaniment to weeknight meals (why adulterate a perfectly good fat with the saturated fat in sour cream? save that room for dessert!). And thanks to Trader Joe’s ridiculously affordable avocados, this has become a staple in our house.

Some final thoughts on my guac/avocado salsa:

  1. Once again, a highly South Asian tinged recipe, as is evident by the green chilis (you can sub jalapenos or serrano peppers – whatever you have on hand).
  2. With the price of avocados at most places, tomatoes are a great way to stretch a buck if you’re making it for a party (just add more salt and lemon/lime juice accordingly). The creaminess of the avocados will still shine through!
  3. I leave mine cubed to minimize browning but feel free to mash it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Haas avocado
  • 1 Roma tomato (or half a large tomato)
  • 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 green chili, finely choppedd
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice (about half of the fruit)
  • 3/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

Directions

Score the avocado and dump the pieces into a bowl (here’s a tutorial if you’re not sure how: http://whatscookingamerica.net/avacado.htm). Cube the tomato and add it to the avocado. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine. Serve with tortilla chips, toasted baguette slices or on top of your favorite tacos.