½ Container (9 oz.) of Coconut whipped topping (defrosted for an hour)
¼ cup coconut cream
¼ cup confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or rum extract or rum
1 cup pineapple (fresh or canned (drained)), ¼ inch diced
½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
½ cup toasted sweetened coconut flakes
Directions
In a stand mixture, whip mascarpone cheese on medium speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add heavy cream, coconut cream and whipped topping. Whip them on medium speed until everything is well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Add confectioners sugar and extract or rum. Whipped mixture for 4 to 5 minutes, initially on low speed and then on high speed until light and fluffy.
Add diced pineapple and sweetened coconut and whip for 30 seconds.
Soak ½ of lady fingers one by one in pineapple juice and arrange in single layer in 8 inch sqaure glass baking dish. Adjust the size of lady fingers to fit into single layer if needed. Layer evenly ½ of cream on top of lady fingers.
Repeat step 3 on top of cream one more time. Sprinkle toasted coconut flakes on top evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate alteast 4 hours before serving.
2 tablespoons roughly chopped toasted peanuts, for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for garnish
Zest of one orange, for garnish
Directions
Combine egg, AP flour and ½ cup water to make batter for frying tofu. Season batter with salt and hot sauce. It should be thin batter.
Drain water from tofu package and then remove excess water from tofu by putting it between two baking sheets covered with paper towels and weighing it down with cans or a heavy pan. Then cut into ½ inch dice.
Heat oil for frying in a frying pan until hot enough for frying. Coat diced tofu with batter and deep fry in hot oil in 2 to 3 batches, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer tofu to paper toweled lined plate.
Combine soy sauce and corn starch, and make smooth slurry. Set aside.
In a wok, heat 3 tablespoons oil until shimmering on medium high heat. Add ginger and garlic, and sauté them until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sugar and let it caramelize until light golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with mirin and vinegar. Let everything cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add corn starch slurry and ¼ cup of water. Keep stirring and let sauce thicken, 2 to 3 minutes.. If sauce is too thick add more water. Add fried tofu and stir to coat with sauce. Let tofu cook with sauce for 3 to 4 minutes.
Garnish with peanuts, orange zest and cilantro before serving. Serve with steamed rice and broccoli.
The sun starts to move from south to north during December. It is believed that this northerly movement (uttarayana) begins on January 14 (Makar Sakranti). This day is celebrated with kite flying in Gujarat. People fly the kites from their terraces. The sky is filled with colorful kites and there is a international kite flying competition in city of Ahmedabad. Brittle called chikki, made with jaggery, sesame seeds and peanuts is eaten during this festival.
Ingredients
1 cup sesame seeds (til), unhulled to make sesame seeds brittle or
1 cup raw peanuts (shing), without skin to make peanuts brittle
¾ cup jaggery, chopped
1 tablespoon ghee or melted unsalted butter
Directions
In a dry frying pan, roast sesame seeds or peanuts on medium heat until light golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. (until sesame seeds starts popping). Remove from pan and set aside.
Brush the same pan with ghee or butter. Also brush spatula and rolling pin. If you do not have silicon mat then brush approximately 10 x 12 inch area with ghee or butter on a stone surface.
Heat jaggery on medium high heat until melted (it will be like caramel), 3-4 minutes. Keep heating jaggery until caramel is darker in color for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower heat to low.
Add sesame seeds or peanuts and stir quickly to combine with caramel. Transfer to silicon mat or brushed area. Roll out into ¼ inch thick approximatly 10 x 12 inch rectangle.
Make cuts with a knife to make 2 x 2 square pieces. Let brittle cool down and once cooled, break the square pieces. Store in air tight container. Enjoy as a snack or a sweet.
The spices used in Moroccan Tagine recipes are very similar to spices used in Indian curries. I like to cook curries/stews with warm spices during winter months. It is very satisfying and comforting during cold season. I add chickpeas or lentils for protein to dishes like this.
Ingredients
Spice Blend:
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ginger powder
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
For Tagine:
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
⅛ teaspoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup small red or yellow potatoes, cut in half
1 cup vegetable stock or water
1 zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup different color peppers, cut into strips
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 cup large green olives
2 preserved lemons, roughly chopped
½ cup roughly chopped dry apricots or golden raisins
1 cup cilantro, chopped for garnish
Directions
In a mixing bowl make spice blend by combining all spices. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (optional, See step 3).
In a large Dutch oven or oven proof sauté pan, heat olive oil on medium high heat for 1 minute. Add onions and sauté until translucent, 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, saffron and spice blend, and sauté until fragrant for 2 minutes. Next add tomato paste and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add cauliflower florets, carrots and potatoes to pot. Stir to coat vegetables with spices. Add stock or water and bring it to boil. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and stir. Cover the pot and you can either cook vegetables on stove top or transfer to oven. Let vegetables cook for 10 to 12 minutes or just tender.
Add remaining vegetables, preserved lemons, apricots or raisins and olives. Add diced tomatoes from can with juices and chickpeas. Season with remaining teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine everything and cover the pot. Transfer to oven or continue to cook on stove top for another 10 minutes or so until all vegetables are cooked through.
Before serving garnish with cilantro. Serve with couscous and/or nan.
This recipe is inspired by vegetarian episode of Guy's Grocery Games show on Food network.
Ingredients
1 large cauliflower
1 cup AP flour
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1¼ teaspoons black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste
Canola oil for frying
Directions
Cut four ½ inch thick steak from cauliflower with stem.
Season flour in a shallow baking dish with ½ teaspoon of each garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
Whisk eggs and buttermilk in another shallow baking dish. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
Season panko bread crumbs in a shallow baking dish with ½ teaspoon of each garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
Dredge each cauliflower steak one by one in flour, eggs and then panko bread crumbs, pressing bread crumbs on steak to adhere. Keep the steaks on a wired rack baking sheet.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil for frying steaks in a large frying pan or a Dutch oven until ready for frying. Fry cauliflower steaks one by one on each side until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer them to wired rack baking sheet. Bake steaks for 10 to 12 minutes until cauliflower is cooked through.
Serve over couscous with roasted red pepper sauce (recipe follows) and side of roasted asparagus or green beans.
Cook couscous according to directions. Once couscous is cooked, drain and transfer to same pot and stir in olive oil off heat.
In a blender make smooth sauce by combining peppers, cashews, tomato paste, and 2 cups water. If sauce is too thick, add more water. If sauce is too thin, add more cashews. Season with salt and pepper and blend for few seconds. Pour the sauce over couscous and stir to combine.
Let couscous cook with sauce for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm with cauliflower steak.
Follow the link below for recipe. This recipe makes a center piece for vegetarian thanksgiving. Use sauce from recipe as gravy. http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/whole-roasted-cauliflower-with-poblano-vinaigrette-and-goat-cheese-cream-clinton-Kelly. Serve with nan and/or plain rice.
Peel and cut potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Transfer them to a Dutch oven or a large soup pot. Cover the potatoes with water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover the pot and let potatoes cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile combine milk, heavy cream and 4 tablespoon of butter in a small sauce pan and warm it.
Drain potatoes once they are cooked and transfer them to same pot. On low heat, mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a ricer. Stir in half of milk mixture with mashed potatoes. If mashed potatoes are dry add more milk until potatoes have creamy consistency. Save some milk if you are not going to serve mashed potatoes immediately. Season with remaining salt and pepper.
1 bunch scallions, chopped, green, light green and white part separated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno or serrano chili, minced
2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
1 red pepper, finely diced
¾ cup mayonnaise
½ cup crumbled queso fresco or finely shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup or more vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ cup chopped cilantro, for garnish
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread out corn bread cubes in even layer into two baking pans. Bake corn bread cubes until bread is almost dry, 25 to 30 minutes. Let bread cool down.
In a medium sauté pan, heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter until butter is melted. Add white and light green parts of scallions and sauté it for a minute. Add garlic, green chili, red pepper and corn. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, pepper and paprika. Sauté vegetables for 2-3 minutes to soften them slightly. Let vegetables cool down for 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise and vegetable stock. Add corn bread, ¼ cup cheese and vegetables, and stir until bread and vegetables are well coated. Add more stock if mixture looks too dry.
Butter 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Transfer stuffing to buttered baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake stuffing for 35 to 45 minutes until top is browned.
Before serving garnish with green part of scallions and cilantro.
Wash and trim Brussels sprouts. In food processor with a slice blade, slice Brussels sprouts.
Heat large cast iron pan on high heat. Transfer Brussels sprouts to pan and sauté them until they are charred in several places, 10 to 12 minutes. Add minced ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Let Brussels sprouts cool down for 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, cut orange segments. Squeeze juice from remaining orange. Add maple syrup and season with salt and pepper. Combine juice and orange segments with olive oil.
Add cooled Brussels sprouts and stir with dressing. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle pomegranate seeds and cilantro or parsley.
Puran (filling) Poli (flat bread) is one of my husband and his family's favorite dishes. During a holiday/festival you are bound to find it during meals at his family home in Gujarat, India.
Ingredients
For filling (puran):
1 cup toover dal (split pigeon peas)
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
For dough:
2 cups chapatti or whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon neutral oil
Pinch of salt
½ cup or less all-purpose flour, for rolling and dusting
¼ cup or less ghee (clarified butter), for brushing
Directions
Wash split pigeon peas few times. For oily dal make sure all the oil is washed off. Soak in about 2 cups of water for 1 to 2 hours or until peas are soft in a medium size soup pot. (Soaking is optional).
Cover dal with a lid and cook it with water on a medium heat until peas are very soft, about one hour. Dal can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, according to manufacturer’s direction.
While dal is cooking make dough. Put chapatti or whole wheat flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add salt and 2 tablespoons oil and mix it with hands. Gradually add water and knead until it makes soft and smooth dough. Cover the dough with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest while dal is cooking and you make the filling.
Once dal is cooked, add sugar and cook until mixture thickens, stirring frequently, about 25 to 30 minutes. (You can also cook filling in microwave uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes). Let filling cool for 45 minutes to an hour or until cool to handle. Add cardamom and nutmeg and stir to combine. Divide filling into 12 to 15 equal portions and roll into balls.
Pour 1 teaspoon oil on top of the dough and knead it few times until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 to 15 equal portions and roll into balls.
Put about half a cup of all-purpose flour into a flat dish. Dip the ball of dough into flour and flatten it on a smooth cutting board (wooden or marble). Dip the flatten dough into flour again on both sides. First roll out a biscuit size (about 3 inch in diameter) small circle. Put one ball of filling in the middle. Gradually make folds around the edges to cover filling. Pinch the folds together, twist the dough on top and press the dough down so that it makes small circle. Dip the circle into flour on both sides .Roll out into a circle about 6 inches in diameter, dusting with flour if the dough starts sticking to the board. If some stuffing comes out or dough breaks, it’s fine.
Heat a griddle or a flat non-stick pan on a medium heat. Transfer puran poli on to heated pan. Let the first side cook for 30 seconds to 40 seconds or until small bubbles appear on surface and flip to the other side. Let the other side cook for one minute. Remove from the heat. Brush the first side with about 1 teaspoon of ghee. Repeat the process with all the remaining dough and filling balls. Stack cooked puran poli. Serve warm with a shaak (vegetable) like okra, tindola or bataka ni sukhi bhaji.
Pav (bread) Bhaji (mixed vegetables) is a street food available all over India. The bhaji should be soft and mashed which you can scoop up with a pav. This recipe uses small quantity of variety of vegetables which is great use of left over vegetables. You can also use left over mashed potatoes for this recipe.
Ingredients
Quarter of cabbage, shredded
3 to 4 florets cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 Japanese eggplant or ½ of large eggplant, peeled and ½ inch diced
½ dhoodhi (Indian squash), peeled, deseeded and ½ inch diced (optional)
2 medium russet potatoes, boiled and mashed
2 large red onions, finely diced (reserve ½ cup for serving)
3 large Roma tomatoes, ¼ inch diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons canola oil or butter
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste
¾ cup frozen peas, thawed
2 teaspoons pav bhaji masala
¼ cup chopped cilantro, for serving
1 lime, cut into quarters for serving
6 soft buns (pav), any kind
Butter for brushing on buns
Directions
Combine cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, eggplant and doodhi in a large microwave safe bowl or large soup pot or Dutch oven. Cook vegetables in microwave (7 to 8 minutes) or stove top (10 to 12 minutes) until soft. Vegetables will release some liquid, keep that liquid. Mashed vegetables with potato masher and set aside. (You can use same soup pot or Dutch oven to make bhaji. You can transfer cooked and mashed vegetables to a mixing bowl).
Heat oil or butter on a medium high heat in a large soup pot or a Dutch oven until oil is shimmering and butter is melted, 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add garlic and sauté it until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onions and sauté them until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Next add all dry spices except pav bhaji masala and sauté with onions and garlic for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and sauté them until softened, 2 minutes.
Add mashed potatoes and combine with sautéed vegetables. Let potatoes warm through before adding rest of mashed vegetables, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add rest of mashed vegetables, season with salt, stir and cover with a lid. Let bhaji cook for 7 to 10 minutes on low heat until flavors meld, stirring frequently. If bhaji is sticking to bottom, add some water. Uncover, add peas, pav bhaji masala and let bhaji cook for 5 to 6 minutes on low heat.
Spread butter on buns and toast them on a griddle or frying pan until light golden brown but still soft.
Serve hot bhaji with pav (buns). Garnish individual serving of bhaji with 1 tablespoons of cilantro. Serve reserved onion and lime on side.
1 teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of coriander and cumin powder)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon sugar or to taste
Directions
Soak tindola in water in a mixing bowl. Remove ⅛ inch of from both ends. Cut tindola in half and slice into two to three slices. Transfer to colander.
In a wok or a frying pan, heat oil on medium high heat, about 2 minutes. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle, 30 to 40 seconds. Lower the heat to medium. Add turmeric, chili powder and asafetida. Add tindola, season with salt and stir everything well. Cover and let tindola cook for 10-12 minutes or until tindola are tender, stirring occasionally.
Once tindola are cooked, add dhana-jeeru and sugar. Stir everything and let it cook uncovered on low heat until tindola become almost dry, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve warm with any type of Indian flat bread.
1 teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
1 golf ball size piece of jaggery or 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
Wash turiya, remove the sharp edges and cut into ½ inch dice.
In a wok or a frying pan, heat oil. Add cumin seeds and let it sizzle. Add turmeric and chili powder. Add garlic, green chili and sauté it for 30 seconds. Next sauté chickpea flour for 30 seconds. Add water, turiya and season with salt. At this point if you want to use uncooked patra rolls, add them. Cover the wok or pan and let turiya and patra cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring few times.
Uncover the wok or pan and if you are using cooked patra rolls, add at this point. Add dhana-jeeru, jaggery and lemon juice and let shaak (vegetable) cook for 4-5 minutes or until jaggery is melted. If gravy is too thick add more water.
Cut the rolls into 3-4 pieces before serving. Garnish shaak with cilantro and serve warm with rotli or paratha.
Bhel is a street food mostly available all over India. Bhel mix is mixture of puffed rice, crispy chickpea flour noodles and whole wheat flour crackers. It's party favorite food.
Ingredients
6 cups bhel mix
1 large russet potato, boiled and cut into ½ inch dice
1 cup thin sev (crispy chickpea flour noodles) (optional)
Directions
To serve, first put one cup bhel mix, top with ¼ cup each potatoes and chickpeas. Next top with 1 tablespoon each of onion, tomato, carrot and beet. Top with 1 tablespoon cilantro chutney, 1 teaspoon garlic chutney and ¼ cup date tamarind chutney. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon thin sev and then cilantro top. Everything should be mixed before eating. You can add more chutney and other ingredients according to your taste. You can also let everyone serve themselves according to their taste. You can increase amount of ingredients depending upon number of guests.
Notes
You can buy all ingredients for bhel in Indian grocery stores.
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening or softened butter
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Neutral oil for frying
Directions
Combine flour, shortening or butter and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Gradually add water and knead into hard and smooth dough. Cover with a towel or a plate and set aside.
Combine lilva, chili and ginger in a food processor bowl. Pulse until lilva, chili and ginger are minced.
Heat olive oil in a frying pan or a wok on a medium high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Lower heat to low and add sesame seeds. Add asafetida, turmeric and let spices cook for 30 seconds. Add minced lilva and stir to combine with spices. Add mashed potato, rest of the ingredients and stir to combine everything. Cover pan or wok and let filling cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Let filling cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Knead dough for few times and divide into about 20 equal parts and roll into balls.
Roll out a ball into 3 inch diameter circle. Keep rest of balls covered while you make kachori. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Fold the edges of circle on top of filling and twist folds and remove extra dough. Gently press and pinch dough over filling to completely seal filling. Gently roll kachori with palm of hands to make a ball. Transfer to a plate and cover with a towel while you make rest of kachori.
Heat oil in a frying pan until ready to fry. Fry kachori in batches of 5 to 6 until golden brown. Serve warm with cilantro chutney and date and tamarind chutney. Can be served as an appetizer.
