NanKhatai: Indian Cookies

There were 2 desserts I made for the Rotary dinner. Nankhatai or the indian cookies with nutmeg was one of them. I was so busy arranging everything for the photos and cooking multiple items at the same time that I messed up the recipe for this cookie. This recipe normally calls for 1/2 cup of semolina for 3 cups of all purpose flour. I had planned to make half the recipe since I had only 2 cups of flour. However after I took the picture I absentmindedly added the full one cup of semolina to the all purpose flour and had to modify everything to make it work. The cookies were a big hit however at the dinner and with my friends. So, a new recipe is born :-).

Preperation time: 20 mins and 5 hrs of soak time. Can also be refrigerated for a couple of weeks after mixing but baking time will vary. check after every 7 mins if u do that.
Cooking time 15 - 20 mins


Ingredients:
1 cup Semolina
2 cups allpurpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar (can be reduced to 1 cup)
1 cup butter
1/4 cup oilve oil
1 tbsp of grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp Soda bicarbonate

Mix all the ingredients together and let it soak for 5 hrs in an airtght container. Heat oven to 300 * f . Make the dough into 1 inch balls and press it into a flattened disc between your 3 middle fingers with your thumb. This shapes the cookie but it can be done any way into a flat diac about a 1/4 inch thick. Sorry, i was so concerned baout if this would work out that i forgot to take photos before I baked them. Next time i will try them with a tbsp of butter for flavor and oilve oil and butter milk.

The grittiness of this cookie with the nutmeg is a surprising new twist.

Avial or Vegetable Stew

I had last saturday donated a dinner for 10 to Rotary International Club, the proceeds of which help fund projects around the world and cooked a lot of dishes. I will be putting them up as I get time. India has different cuisine, language and attire that differ from state to state.

This vegetable stew is from the state of kerala. Kerala has wonderful beaches and coconut trees and its cuisine uses a lot of coconut and fish. Since there are a lot of varieties of vegetables used in this dish it is advisable to cook this dish in a large batch. This can also be cooked with just 1 or as few vegetables of choice.
If you are from the upstate new york area the local store to shop at is Asian Market at Hanover square in Horseheads, 607-739-2330. Wegmans and Tops also carry a few of the dry pulses and spices but the vegetables are only available at the Asian Market.


Preparation time: 10 min (depends on how fast u can chop :-)
Cooking time: 45 mins to 1 hr
Servings: 10

INGREDIENTS:
butternut squash 2 cups chopped into 1" small squares
cauliflower florets 1 cup
broccoli florets 1 cup
bottle gourd, lauki or sorakaya 2 cups chopped into 1" small squares
Drumsticks about 10-15 pieces (this vegetable is shown in the picture. It has a tough skin with soft interior. A drumstick is usually eaten whole. It is chewed and the pulp is spit out after extracting the soft interior.
2 Mixed vegetables packets (carrot and peas)
2 yams chopped into 1" squares
1 small potato chopped into 1" square
Pour water so all the vegetables ane covered. Boil all the above vegetables for 15 mins in microwave. Store the water.



2 plantains chopped into 1" squares. Boil these seperately for 20 - 25 mins. Peel and throw away the water. This will usually be bitter and slightly sticky and brown in color.

Masala Ingredients:
1 tin of coconut milk
1 small bunch of coriander leaf, also known as chinese parsley
1/3 rd pack of frozen fresh grated coconut.
1 hot green pepper
2 tbsps cummin seeds
2" piece of ginger
Juice of 1 lime
salt to taste


Chounk or Talimpu Ingredients:
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp cummin seeds
2 large dry red peppers
Asafoetida or heeng 1 tsp This is very pungent. Omit it if u dislike the smell.
4 tbsp oil

Crush all the ingredients of Masala except coconut milk and lime in a mortar. See picture below.

Heat 4 tbsp of oil and add al the ingredients for chounk. All the seeds will splutter. This will be messy so cover with lid when seeds are spluttering.

Add the masala paste and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add all the vegetables, the drained water and coconut milk, salt and cook for 10 minutes. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime in it.

Serve with rice, puri or bread or all by itself.

Korean Barbecue Chicken

I got this recipe from a korean friend while I was working at HGS (Human Genome Sciences) in Maryland. Once a month we would have cuisine from a different part of the world and it was a great way to taste new dishes and exchange recipes.

INGREDIENTS:

sesame seeds 3 tbsp heaped. Roast these seeds on a dry skillet till brown as seen in picture on right. Mash them roughly in a mortar. Keep half aside.

ginger 1" thinly sliced
soy sauce 1/2 cup
shallots 1sliced thinly into circles
scallion 1 bunch thinly sliced

chicken 2 lbs thinly sliced against the grain as seen in picture

20 8" bamboo skewers

Mix all the ingredients with chicken and marinate for 2 hrs at room temperature or overnight in refrigerator. Skewer the chicken. Broil on high for 5 min and then turn and broil for another 5 mins. This can also be microwaved on a plate, covered with wax paper for 5 mins on high heat. Barbecue on the grill in summer.

Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds on chicken and serve with wild rice (cooked per directions on packet) and fruit salad.

Bajji or Fritters (vaamu aku, Paneer or any cheese or vegetable)

Today is a great day to start a food journal I have been thinking of doing for a while. My mom dropped in for a surprise visit driving 5 hrs. This calls for a special dish, nice hot bajjis with hot tea.
Vaamu aku is a leaf that smells like oregano(picture below). My mom managed to get a little piece of this stem from a friend and passed it on to me. Over the years it has become a big plant. Everyone in my family love these bajjis and the plant grows rapidly so we can make these atleast twice a month.




INGREDIENTS:
15 vammu aku or 15 slices of onion, potatoes or eggplant/aubergine sliced into thin circles
paneer 1/2 block sliced thin or any cheese (mozarella, cheddar, provolone )
6 jalapeno peppers slit into half and sliced into 2 pieces

1 tsp cummin seeds
5 garlic pods
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder (bottle shown in picture)
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Chick pea flour or besan 3/4 cup
Rice flour 1 cup
salt and pepper to taste
water 1 1/2 cups
METHOD: Heat oil in a vessel. Meanwhile smash the garlic and cummin in a mortar. Mix all the ingredients except water. Slowly add water and stir with fork to get a mixture of consistency shown in below picture.

Wash and pat the leaves dry with a paper towel. Check if the oil is hot by adding a little drop of batter in it. It should fry immediately into a brown color. Dip the leaves, vegetables or cheese pieces individually in the batter and fry at medium heat till brown on both sides.

Fry the bajjis or fritters till brown on both sides. Take them out and dry on paper towels. These can be served in several ways.

1) Served with chutney (recipe another day) or any dip or ketchup.

2) Thinly chop 1 onion, a small bunch of cilantro and mix with lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper. Make bean curry (recipe soon to follow). Slit the bajjis into half lengthwise. Stuff with a small spoonful of bean curry and onions. Squeeze extra lime juice on top and serve. Bajji in center is stuffed.