A Warming Trend--Short Rib Stew

The day after a hectic one is when I plan to do nothing. But as it happens on most occasions, life comes in the way. And when all the chores are done I get itchy feet. The warmth of the sun blazes through the windows. Makes me don on walking shoes and take a spin around the park along with a reluctant husband. The bracing air does both of us a world of good, dissipating mental cobwebs and other home bound ties. 

Energized, I weave my way back to ground zero. Defrosted short ribs are the meat of choice. Lenten observations make for cranky souls so I do oblige them. Short ribs take a long time to braise. I usually finish them in the oven. Today I try a fast alternative. I forgo the oven for the pressure cooker. A shortcut version and time saving too! And I get to indulge in more leisure pastimes. 

SHORT RIB STEW

Serves 3-4

8 pieces of Short Ribs

6 cloves Garlic

3 slices Ginger

1 Cinnamon stick

2 Star Anise

2 tablespoons Olive oil

2 tablespoons Soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted Sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon ground Black pepper

Water 

3 tablespoons Flour

2 -4 tablespoons Water

2 Carrots

Peel and trim garlic.

Heat olive oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat.

Add the short ribs to hot oil and sear ribs on all sides till dark brown. This should take about 10 minutes.

Drop cinnamon, star anise, garlic, ginger and black pepper to ribs.

Add soy sauce, sesame oil and enough water to cover the ribs.

Bring the liquid to boil and put the lid on the pressure cooker.

After the first whistle, lower the flame to lowest point and let ribs cook for 30 minutes.

Let ribs cool before you open the cooker lid.

Bring the ribs and gravy to a vigorous simmer.

Alternatively you could use the oven too. Once the liquid is boiling cover tightly with aluminium foil and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 2 hours. Remove from oven.

Mix the flour and water to make a slurry.

Peel and slice the carrots into thick coins.

Add carrots to ribs. 

Add the flour slurry to the ribs and let the gravy thicken and carrots cook. 

Check the carrots after 5 minutes. 

 Serve short ribs with mashed potatoes.

I make a quick stir fry of peas, pea shoots and tomatoes. Potatoes, butter and milk come together in creamy perfection. Of course there's wine. The ribs are fork tender, melt-n-your-mouth goodness. That umami taste packs a punch. Long on flavor, short on time. Dinner goes by in an easy flash. The easy comfort of gravy and mash pleases immensely.

A Fryer's Remorse--Channa Batura

It must be the cold that makes me want to eat something fried. And I am not the only one who craves samosas, fritters, bhajias and papad. All requests made in that order. All these crisp brown tidbits do wonders for the mind but sadly not much else. This weekend I make fried fish, pork spring rolls and ardently start on Korean fried chicken wings. But a vestige of sense slithers into my brain and I decide to bake the wings instead. A much better option.. Healthier too!! And the wings taste just like the fried version according to Rehan!  And as Saturday winds down I put away the frying pan that has too much activity this week. 

Sunday morning brings ominous clouds, portentous signs of that dreaded white nemesis that has plagued us this winter. Shauna is loathe to leave a day earlier than she planned to. Safety versus snow isn't much of choice. So she sadly packs her bags. We are all disappointed, cheated out of twenty four hours with her. I quickly plan lunch. I know she wants channa bhatura, especially after seeing Nikita tucking into a plateful. It's not like she can walk into an Indian restaurant and order some, with her strong nut allergies and the inevitable cross contamination she has experienced on several occasions.  So like a good mother I aim to please.

I comb cupboards for a can of garbanzo beans with no luck. I have to settle for dried chickpeas that take an inordinately long time in spite of the efficient pressure cooker. Though that too-long interval allows me to put the bhatura dough together. The kitchen sings with spice. Chilies, cumin and dried mango flavor the chickpeas, along with one not-so-common ingredient. Bhaturas demand the frying pan, so out it comes from it's hiding place. I roll and Shauna fries big puffy pooris. Lunch pleases her!

CHANNA BHATURA

Serves 4

Channa

4 cups cooked Chickpeas or Garbanzo beans

3 tablespoons Canola oil

2 small Onions

1 teaspoon Garlic paste

1 teaspoon Ginger paste

2 tablespoon Tomato paste

1 Teabag

1/2 teaspoon Chile powder

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon Garam masala 

1/2 teaspoon Amchoor (dried Mango powder)

1/2 teaspoon roasted Cumin powder

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup Water or more if needed

1/2 Onion, sliced thin

Cilantro to garnish

Bhatura

3 1/2 cups all purpose Flour

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 tablespoons Yogurt

1 cup Water

2 tablespoons Sugar

2 teaspoons melted Ghee

3 cups Canola oil for frying 

Flour for rolling pooris

To make the channa, start by chopping the onions into fine dice.

Heat canola oil in a saucepan.

Add onions to hot oil and stir till they are golden brown.

Add ginger and garlic pastes and sauté well.

Drop tomato paste into onion mixture and sauté to incorporate. Fry well for 3 to 4 minutes.

Open chickpea cans and rinse under cold water. 

Add chickpeas and teabag to onions.

Sprinkle chili powder, turmeric, Garam masala, amchoor, roasted cumin powder and salt. Stir well so the chickpeas get coated with masala.

Add water and let the beans come to a boil. Lower flame and let the beans simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Remove the teabag before you serve the channa.

Bhatura dough can be made in a food processor. Put flour, baking soda and powder and salt in the bowl of the processor. 

Whisk yogurt, water and sugar in a bowl.

Start the processor and add the liquid to flour, pulsing often till the dough comes together. 

Take dough out of bowl onto a floured surface. Knead till dough is smooth.

Alternately if you do not have a processor, place the dry ingredients in a bowl. Slowly add the liquid and gently gather the flour together into a cohesive dough. Knead till smooth.

Cover dough with a damp cloth.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Knead melted ghee into dough one teaspoon at a time.

The dough is ready to roll into pooris

Take a knob of dough the size of a walnut. 

Flatten the dough and roll into a 4 inch size poori. Use flour as needed.

Roll out pooris in batches of 10 if you are a solo performer.

Set the frying pan with canola oil on a medium high flame.

Drop a tiny piece of dough into hot oil. The dough should sizzle immediately. If it takes a while then give the oil a few more minutes to heat up.

Add bhatura to oil and carefully bathe with hot oil. The bhatura should puff up like a poori. Fry on one side for 2 minutes. Flip and fry on the other side for a minute more. It will not be brown like a poori but take on a light amber shade.

You should have 25 to 30 bhaturas.

Serve bhaturas, warm channa and the sliced onions together.

NOTES

I did not have any chickpea cans so I used dried ones. Cooking dry ones means soaking them overnight before cooking them. Since I didn't have that luxury, I used a pressure cooker. A pinch of baking soda along with dried beans, water and a long 30 minute cooking time was adequate.

Chickpeas soak up water so if the channa dries up just go ahead and add more water and adjust seasonings.

Amchoor is a dried mango powder available at most ethnic grocery stores. A large squirt of lime juice could suffice instead.

After all my recriminations, the return of the fryer causes much happiness. The bland, chewy bhatura is a perfect foil for the spicy channa. Cilantro and onion makes the perfect garnish, herbal and crispy. The heap of bhaturas is quickly demolished. Shauna loads her car. And the most important part of her baggage are two big freezer bags of leftovers!!!! I have happily emptied the contents of the fridge into those bags!! Before sheets of white coat the road, she is far away again. And the fryer goes into seclusion again.

A Happy Place--Meatballs and Spaghetti

This weekend I am inundated with readers photographs of recipes from the blog! In that moment I feel joy, elation, gratitude and an overwhelming sense of validation. I see a wish fulfilled. I read notes from friends who follow my instructions diligently. I envisage far-flung kitchens, aromatic with spice-laden biriyani and crumbly chocolate chip cookies. And I feel good. It's a question of fulfilling my dream and giving back a slice of my pie. 

These pictures put me in happy frame of mind. And when I'm happy I cook. I have a hankering for a large plate of meatballs and spaghetti. Something mundane and satisfying. My mum made this for me and I in turn for my kids, family and friends. My nephew Cole claims my version is the best he's has eaten as he slurps noodles messily. 

There's something about mixing chopped meat, freshly chopped parsley and gooey eggs with your hands that brings a sense of well being. Unlike kababs where the meat is mixed to death, this meat is gently coaxed into small balls. I'm not a big fan of the tennis ball version you get at a lot of Italian restaurants. I prefer a smaller delicate ping-pong sized ball as it allows the meat to be infused with the garlicky tomato sauce. Most of the time I use breadcrumbs as a binder but occasionally it's bread soaked in buttermilk. This variation gives the meatballs a tangy taste I love. Everything is  gently combined with a fork and lovingly coddled into diminutive balls. These small nuggets do not have the perfect round shape. In fact they don't quite retain their rotund shape as they brown. They are almost flattish on top as they brown. A quick fry in olive oil and then a long dunk in tomato gravy and voila! I have a tender, juicy meatball redolent with Italian flavors ready to be forked. 

MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI 

Serves 4

Meatballs

1 pound ground Beef

1 Egg

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup chopped Parsley

2 cloves Garlic

A pinch of Pepperocini or Chile flakes

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground Black pepper

2 slices White Bread

1/2 cup Buttermilk

2 tablespoons Olive oil

Sauce

1 28 oz can crushed Tomatoes

2 tablespoons Olive oil

3 cloves Garlic

1 cup Water

1 teaspoon Oregano

1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Ground Black Pepper as desired

1/2 packet Spaghetti

Kosher salt

Grated Parmesan cheese

Start with the meatballs. 

Break the slices of bread into small pieces and keep in a shallow bowl. 

Pour buttermilk over bread and let soak for 5 minutes.

Place ground beef, egg, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, Pepperocini, salt and pepper in a bowl. 

Grate garlic cloves into the beef.

Using a fork mash the bread and buttermilk till you get a semi smooth paste. Add the paste to the meat.

With the same fork, gently turn beef till well mixed. 

Form the beef into golf ball (for want of a better comparison). You should have 20-24 meatballs. These balls are kind of floppy. Since the meat isn't handled too much they firm up once they go into the sauce.

Heat olive oil in a big nonstick saucepan.

Add meatballs to oil and cook on a medium flame till brown and crusty. Flip the meat and cook the other side. This should take 5 to 7 minutes. The meatballs don't need to be cooked all the way through, just nicely browned.

While the meat balls are browning,  begin the sauce.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep saucepan. 

Add garlic and let it brown lightly.

Carefully pour in crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil. 

Once the meatballs have brown they go right into the bubbling sauce. Let them cook in the sauce for 20 minutes. Watch out for tomato splatters!!!

Bring 6 to 8 cups of water to a vigorous boil. 

Salt the water generously and add pasta. 

Cook for 8 minutes. Drain and add pasta to sauce. 

Give the sauce an enthusiastic stir.

Serve meatballs and spaghetti on a platter family style, sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.

There is nothing that warms my heart more than a heaping plate of pasta and beef,smothered in Parmesan and some garlic bread. The latter got more than its share of sear! Sliced radish and cucumber round out my plate. And I would love to see this squiggly mess in some else's kitchen too!! Thanks Jen. Thanks Madeleine. Thanks Christine Thanks Geets

Bean or Not to Bean--Fava Bean Burgers

There's nothing like sitting on a comfy couch, flicking through food channels on TV. But on Saturday mornings I am hard-pressed to find a channel I like. And then lo and behold I see Jamie Oliver on CBS.  And he makes a bean burger that looks scrumptious. A bean burger? Well it's his take on a meatless aka veggie burger. He certainly makes it look easy and quite appetizing. It is meatless Tuesday in my house so I will inflict these burgers on the family... Meatless meals are tolerated with some equanimity. Let's see how this plays out.

The recipe calls for broad beans. Since I do not care for Lima beans I will use favas instead. Frozen ones. We are nowhere near fresh fava season. The frozen ones are not too bad. Quite easy to peel and retain that vivid green color. Once I start I change my mind.. fast..peeling favas takes a while. After that it's 1..2..3 in the processor. I make small dollops of beans into round patties, crisp them brown and the burgers like the emperor's new clothes are ready for their buns.

FAVA BEAN BURGERS

Makes 10 small burgers

1 1/2 cup cooked Red Beans

2 cups peeled Fava beans

1 cup Cilantro

1/2 teaspoon roasted Cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon Chile powder

1/2 teaspoon Coriander powder

1 Lemon, zested

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

2 teaspoons Flour

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

Additional flour

2 tablespoons Canola oil

Place red beans, fava beans, spice powders, cilantro, lemon zest and juice, flour, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 10-15 times till beans are pulpy.

Empty the contents into a floured surface. 

Divide bean purée into 10 balls. 

Flatten each ball slightly and dust with flour.

Heat canola oil in a nonstick pan.

Fry patties 3 to 4 minutes on each side till golden brown. 

Serve fava patties as burgers or by themselves with a side salad.

NOTES

I did not defrost the fava beans. I zapped them in the microwave for 20 seconds to make it easier to peel them. The outer skin is leathery and shouldn't be used.

You could easily substitute Lima beans or peas.

The boys look at the veggie dinner with their usual trepidation. Though I don't know why because they almost always enjoy their vegetarian repast. I serve the burgers/patties along with pasta and a beet and burrata salad. No bread encasing. Just plain and unadorned. It has a falafel-like taste and appearance. I like it's unusual mushy spicy taste. But it turns out to be not such a big hit, just an also-ran. Can't win them all. 

Love On A Plate--Lamb Chops With a Pomegranate Glaze

 I can see myself some thirty odd years in the past, sitting at my desk, tracing hearts. Cutting several thick sheets of construction paper to make a Valentine card for Glenn. He is in a distant land, away from me, waiting for my paper declaration of love. Seventeen, a magazine I giddily follow, gives me detailed instructions which I faithfully transcribe. Surrounded by hearts of many dimensions, I put together a layered card. It is a paper version of nesting Russian dolls. Within each heart lies another and another until he opens the inner most one with its romantic message. I make a sturdy envelope to carry the card overseas. At eighteen your sensibilities are blatantly different. Then it is food for the heart and soul. V Day gifts are still hand-crafted as I have move from the realm of paper to perishables!!. Today I make hearts though they are toasted..French toasted.

Today is love day. A day I never take for granted! A day granted by the grace of God for those we love. And to me the day is a food fest. A paean to our love for all things edible. Breakfast is heartfelt affair. Lunch is fire-roasted tomato and tortilla soup paired with caramelized onion and goat cheese tarts. The tarts are surprisingly scrumptious, two bite delights. I will definitely post this one !!

A year ago we clink glasses in a small apartment. Under what seem insurmountable odds. The spirit triumphs over both mind and a ridiculously tiny stove. Together we dine in dimunitive splendor. A year later the day dawns inordinately bright. The florescent white reflected glare of the sun bathes the kitchen in a happy aura. What is it about abundant sunshine that put you in a happy frame of mind and makes the heart sing??

Dinner prep beckons as I trim racks of lamb into single chops. Zucchini gets grated into goat cheese. And the ubiquitous potato makes a requisite appearance. Dessert is an old favorite..trifle with custard..assembled and hidden away from fridge predators. Chocolate melts over simmering water. Strawberries patiently await their dunk. Sunshine gives way to a dusky sky. Lights twinkle. The wind whooshes through spectral branches. Music sets the mood. 

LAMB CHOPS WITH A POMEGRANATE GLAZE

Serves 4

2 racks of Lamb or 16 single Lamb Chops

6 tablespoons Pomegranate Molasses

1 teaspoon Chile powder

2 teaspoons dried Oregano

1 tablespoon Garlic Paste

1 tablespoon roasted Cumin powder

1 tablespoon Olive oil

1 heaping teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground Black pepper

If you have a rack of lamb, start by carving single chops. Trim the fat near the bone.

Combine pomegranate molasses, chile powder, oregano, garlic paste,cumin powder, olive oil,salt and pepper in a non-reactive bowl. 

Add chops to bowl. Mix well. Keep aside for a few hours.

Heat an indoor grill pan over a high flame. Alternatively light up the grill. 

Lightly oil the pan and place chops on hot pan. They should sizzle as you place them.

Cook for 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare chops. 3 minutes on each side for a medium-well chop. 

Plate chops with vegetables of your choice. Mine are herbed potatoes and zucchini pancakes.

NOTES

If you do use an outdoor grill, cook lamb a minute on each side for medium rare chops.

Pomegranate molasses is available at Middle Eastern grocery stores or on Amazom. I dont know of any adequate substitute.

A year ago it was lamb chops of a different kind.  Appropriately this year my lamb chop gets another spin on one of his favorite dinners. Rehan has chocolate strawberries and Shauna has turned into Liz Lemmon!

Some Red Some Green--Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings with Green Sauce

Lunch is mostly a revamped version of last night's dinner. Sometimes it is just that.......
leftovers. The previous day's lunch comes in a riot of red. Red because dinner was noodles drenched in gochujang sauce. Sitting in a heap besides the noodles were strands of store-bought radish kimchi, nestled next to nuggets of Korean fried chicken. It is a panorama of firecracker red, coral and crimson, neatly portioned on a plate. Two out of three come off the shelf from an enthusiastic shopping expedition. 

Why this palate of red? Reason being I finally made my way to HMart again. I am literally the kid in this Korean store. Eyes dart from exotic but reasonably priced perilla leaves to mounds of maitake mushrooms. The fish counter blows me out of the water! I have to contain myself as I am the only avid seafood eater in my house. I move away reluctantly towards the sizzling tofu counter. Going to HMart on weekends is like walking into Korean tapas demo. Food stations, dotted all over the store, entice you with Asian pear, sautéed mushrooms, kimchi, tofu, mung bean pancakes, and bulgogi. My fingers spear and savor. I am used to the solitary nibble at Trader Joe's, mostly prepackaged food I wouldn't normally buy! So this array of Korean delights makes me salivate. It gets me in the mood for something Asian. And since the plate of red leaves my mouth smarting from fiery spices, I take a break from the mouth-numbing chile. How about dumplings? They cook fast, usually boiled in hot water and sprinkled with soy sauce. Then I remember having pan-fried dumplings with a vinegary green sauce in Bombay at the now-defunct Chopsticks restaurant. I remember Rehan inhaling them. This should bring back pleasant memories for both of us. 

Trader Joe's carries frozen pork dumplings along with chicken and shrimp fillings too. The pork ones are the most popular in this kitchen. I lay the dumplings in a large pan with water and let them steam. Cilantro, mint and little minced green chili lifts my spirits as I take in their fresh aroma. I can hear the sizzle of the crusty bottoms. Lunch is served!

PAN-FRIED PORK DUMPLINGS WITH GREEN SAUCE

Serves 4

1 package Pork Dumplings (Trader Joe's or any frozen brand of dumpling)

1/4 cup Water

2 teaspoons (or more)Canola oil

Green Sauce

1/2 cup Cilantro 

10 Mint leaves

1/2 teaspoon minced Green Chile (more if you like it spicy)

1 teaspoon Sugar

3 teaspoons White Vinegar

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Arrange the dumplings flat side down in a nonstick saucepan. 

Pour the water around dumplings and set the pan over a medium flame. Once the water begins to bubble, cover with a lid and let dumplings steam for 5 minutes.

 





Start the green sauce by chopping cilantro, mint and green chiles very fine.

 Put them into a bowl along with sugar, vinegar and salt. Mix well and keep aside.

Dribble canola oil into pan, letting it run between dumplings.

Using a spatula, gently move dumplings so they do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add more oil if necessary.

Increase the flame and let the bottoms of dumplings crisp up. This should take a few minutes.

Plate the dumplings in a concentric fashion.

Drizzle green sauce over dumplings. 

Lunch opens a waterfall of memories. And I let them wash over me as I fork a dumpling. I can see green sauce in white ramekins on glass topped tables. Narrow white plates of brown dumplings are served by white-coat waitstaff. Dad encourages the waiter to give Rehan the entire portion. Rehan gleefully polishes the plate and asks for more. Mum looks on approvingly. A simple lunch of dumplings reminds me of home. Makes my eyes brim. Fills my heart with sadness but soothes the soul. 

Radish Kimchi

I make a bowl full of  soba noodles. Spicy, mouth-tingling, laced with spinach and edamame. Delicately fried fish sits by the noodles. And I think spoonfuls of radish kimchi would be a perfect side. We relish kimchi. It's briny, fishy flavor along with the crunch of Napa cabbage sits well in the mouth. It usually is the first of the banchan dishes to be eaten. Korean restaurants have this smorgasbord of tiny dishes that appear when you order bulgogi or table-grilled beef. Sautéed spinach, anchovies, a Korean version of Waldorf salad, bamboo shoots and other unidentifiable delicacies clatter onto your table along with the requisite kimchi. It's usually the tradional kind...napa cabbage, long fermented, spicy, limpid and crunchy at the same time!  

And then we eat at Hanjan. A modernist take on traditional Korean food. Delicious and quite out of the ordinary! We start with radish kimchi. The plate is consumed within seconds. We ask for another. Bite size cubes of radish vanish again. I am enchanted with this conceptual version! I love it. And I am determined to replicate it.

Mooli or white radish has languished in the veggie bin for a while. It is one of those veggies I am compelled to buy though I'm not sure why? I usually make mooli pickles to stuff bahn mi sandwiches. You can't make too much or else it's bahn mi's forever. So mooli sits while I ruminate. White radishes are ginormous. These baseball bat-like tubers have a clean, crisp, tart taste, not unlike their smaller red cousins. The leaves taste mustardy when stir fried. North Indians use both mooli and leaves liberally in salads as well as stuffing for parathas. But today I an converting the mild tasting mooli into chili drenched cubes.

RADISH KIMCHI

Serves 4

1 large White Radish or Mooli

1 teaspoon Korean Chili Powder

2 teaspoons Sweet Chile sauce

1/2 teaspoon Fish sauce

1 teaspoon toasted Sesame seeds

Pare outer skin of radish. Cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick circles. Cut circles and then into 1/2 inch cubes. Place in a bowl.

Sprinkle chili powder, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce and sesame seeds on to radish cubes. Stir to mix.

Let cubes sit for 1/2 hour. Stir occasionally.

Give it a enthusiastic stir before you eat.

Its wonderful!!! Crisp with a hint of sweet and an underlying promise of spice. Dinner is a dichotomy on my plate and I love it!

Purple Brainwave--Baghara Baingan or Masala Stuffed Eggplant

Super Bowl hoopla is over and with that all the detritus of game day food! No more buffalo wings. No more guacamole. No more burgers. No more pizza.. Although the latter was good....pizza, rolled grandma style, slathered with pesto, mozzarella, goat cheese and marinated cherry tomatoes. Now my taste buds yearn for a spicier meal. A mouthful filled with masala. And I think the perfect side with my dal and rice would be baghara baingan.

Baghar translates into stir frying. And baingan is the Hindi equivalent of eggplant. Not the big, shiny pear-shaped lobes I use for Eggplant Parmesan,  but the small purple kind. These miniatures are perfect to stuff and stir fry. They cook fast, hold their shape and don't have too many seeds. Eggplants, or as the English call them, aubergines, come in so many shapes and sizes. The large glossy ones, the small 2 inch long ones, the elongated, pale purple-hued Chinese ones and then there are tiny, kumquat-sized, zebra-striped green Thai ones. Prep time varies with each type. They aren't 'substitutable' or interchangeable in recipes. You couldn't make Baba Ghanoush with the long Chinese kind as they don't hold up well over an open flame. But use them in a stir fry and they turn golden brown and mushy in a matter of minutes. Thai eggplants are full of seeds, making them a little bitter in curries or stir fries. They are quite exceptional in Indian vegetarian sides. 

I have preserved this faded typewritten version for decades. The origin is lost, but I must've found it in the mid 70's as the typewriter ribbon died in 1977. Those days I practiced my stenography skills by writing recipes. Gosh! I use these words and sound like a relic of the past! But those days were an adventure. This huge machine sat atop my desk made me feel all grown-up. It made a clackety-clacking clicking sound as I enthusiastically punched keys. The inner iron-stemmed semicircle visible to the naked eye, dancing across white, marking out sentences. Most of mine had mistakes being the tyro that I was. Those ancient practice sheets fill my binder and the eggplant recipe is one of the few that still retains its magic. Lets get back to the matter at hand. I should be grinding two types of masala. But I demur. Time is of the essence. I amend, alter and adjust.

BAGHARA BAINGAN OR MASALA STUFFED EGGPLANT

Serves 2

6 small Eggplants

1 tablespoon Garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon Black Sesame seeds

1 teaspoon Chili Powder

1 heaping teaspoon Paprika

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup Water

2 tablespoons Canola oil

2 tablespoons prepared or bottled Green Chili Chutney 

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 tablespoons plain Yogurt

Cilantro to garnish

Wash eggplants. Dry and trim the stems. Make  two cuts in an + shape going down about 3/4 quarters, taking care to leave the eggplant whole. You should be able to pry open the eggplant easily. Look at the picture below.

Stir the garlic paste, sesame seeds, chili powder, paprika and salt into a thick paste. 

Stuff the eggplants with this paste. You could use a scant teaspoon for each eggplant. 

Add 1/4 cup water to leftover paste. 

Heat canola oil in a non stick saucepan over a high flame.

Carefully place eggplants in oil and sauté on each side for 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add green chili paste and salt and stir to mix in.

Pour water into saucepan.

Lower flame  and cover saucepan with a lid.

Let eggplants cook on low for 10 minutes. Stir them occasionally.

Whisk yogurt till smooth. 

Just before you serve dribble yogurt over hot eggplants. 

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

NOTES

I used a prepared bottle of Green Chili Chutney. The other alternative is making chutney by grinding 1/2 cup Cilantro, 2 green chilies, and salt with a little water.

Adjust your spice ratio to your taste.

Eggplants are soft and tender. They swim in a little sauce. Cool yogurt over hot veggies tastes much better than it sounds. A little daal, a spoonful of rice and a forkful of baingan equates a marriage made in heaven. Purple is my favorite color today.

A Grain of Truth--Farro Salad with Artichokes and Parsley

Farro salad!  My new favorite. A mouthful of chewy grains, tart artichokes hearts and the fresh taste of parsley makes me consume the entire bowl in one sitting. Well.. It's not a very big bowl so I don't think I look like a glutton. 

As January comes to an end, most of my food resolutions stay in place. Moderate portions during the week with one day to splurge on bad carbs, namely bread. If I could stay away from this particular food group then I could see my pounds melting away. In all honesty I'm trying. No bread for breakfast, just a big bowl of oatmeal. That makes my hunger stay the course for the next few hours. A small salad or a modest plate of leftovers constitutes lunch. A cup of tea to last until dinner. The latter being the one wholesome meal accompanied by a large glass of water. Almost every food-loss program advocates the merits of water. I like water so I indulge in the requisite 6-8 glasses a day. And you know what that results in??? Well ...It's a water-closeted situation!!! 

I search for a salad to go with lamb shanks. A salad with grains? I'm not so sure whether it will fly.  But I hear grains are good for you. I love barley, especially in soup. I lean hesitantly towards couscous. And I adore lentils. Farro has been sitting in the pantry for a bit. Trader Joe's have packages, big enough to give you a generous sampling or small enough not feel guilty if you plan on deep-sixing the end result. I cook the farro as though it is rice, a quick boil and then simmered on a low flame, with a lid. I am amazed at the fluffy grains. Inspiration strikes when I find a half-used bottle of marinated artichoke hearts. The Trader Joe's brand are bite-size, delicate, briny and not oily. I set them to drain in a colander. The salad is begging for some green and a handful of flat-leaf parsley does just that. I separate leaves from stems. As I do, I question the task. Why can't I add crunchy stems to the salad? A herbal bite will give the salad an interesting texture. An unbelievable aroma floods the kitchen as I chop parsley. It is the color green come to life. The only way to describe the aroma is to imagine sitting in a basket of freshly-mown grass. The mouth-refreshing flavor of parsley overtakes tart artichokes and olive oil. A hearty toss and it's ready.

FARRO SALAD WITH ARTICHOKES AND PARSLEY

Serves 2

1/2 cup Farro

1 cup Water

1/2 cup marinated Artichoke hearts

1/2 cup Parsley leaves and stems

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin Olive oil

A squirt of Lemon juice

Mix the farro and water in a small saucepan.

Place pan on high heat and bring to a boil.

Cover, turn heat to very low and cook for 10 minutes.

Take artichokes out of the marinating liquid and put in a strainer to drain.

Separate parsley into leaves and stems.

Roughly chop parsley leaves.

Cut parsley stems into small bits.
 

Take the pan off the flame and let the farro sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. Then fluff with fork.
 

Transfer farro to a bowl.

Add drained artichokes and parsley leaves and stems to farro.

Season with salt and pepper.
 

 
 

 

Drizzle olive oil and mix well.


Add the squirt of lemon juice.

 

You can eat it as soon as it's mixed or let it sit for a 1/2 hour for the flavors to develop.

I did promise to post my new favorite. A small bowl full of chewy goodness tides me over till tea time. I love the nutty texture of farro. Funnily though, inspite of being a wheat product, it's reddish tint reminds me of the unhusked rice grown in the water-filled paddies of Goa. And I am a confirmed rice lover as my ma-in-law says. From the mouths of wise ones into the spoons of the not-so-young!!!!!!!

Praise for a Braise--Lamb Shanks in Pomegranate Juice

Sometimes My cookbook shelf is a receptacle for my scribbles. Almost always those scraps of paper contain hastily written recipes, scrawled while talking to my sister. Inevitaby our conversations involve lengthy descriptions of what we are about to eat or the same in past tense! She has a Facebook page What's On The Menu Today? where friends post their concoctions. For some of us, the page is an inspiration for dinner, for others the opposite end of the spectrum.  But I digress.... Prassy and me share everyday conversations of a plethora of subjects almost always ending with a recipe which I hastily write on a scrap of paper! And these scraps sit on the shelf until I remember where they are or until they are shoved into a folder. 

So I decide to rearrange my scribbles as well as those 'cut outs' from magazines and newspapers. Hmm.. Are you smiling in companionship or rue as I know many of you do the latter. Maybe not so much in the Internet world, but my recipe clipping goes back 30-40 years. As a teenager I combed Mums Good Housekeeping to find what I thought were gems. Some truly turned out to be keepers and others got tossed!! I do this periodically. Weed out yellowed snips and add new cut outs. As I go through the pile my eyes fall on a Mediterranean lamb shank recipe. I put it aside knowing I have some in the freezer. Soon I have neat heaps of appetizers to desserts. My rule of thumb is 'try it out and then add to ✔️ section.' The lamb shanks look like they are going thataway! 

It's time I cook something completely out of my ballpark. I marinate shanks overnight in pomegranate juice. They are getting a long braise in the oven, but before that they are browned. Liquids are added along with spices and in goes the lamb. Hours to go before I eat...

Lamb Shanks in Pomergranate Juice

Serves 4

2 large Lamb Shanks

1 tablespoon Garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground Black pepper

2 cups Pomergranate juice

2 tablespoons Olive oil

1 large Onion

10 cloves Garlic

2 tablespoons fresh Thyme leaves

1 cup Red Wine 

1/2 cup Brown sugar

1 tablespoon Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Cinammon 

1/2 teaspoon Allspice

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground Black pepper

2 tablespoon Flour

2-3 tablespoons Water

Rub lamb shanks with garlic paste, salt and pepper.

Place shanks in a ziploc bag and pour pomergranate juice into bag. Give it a shake and refridgerate for 6 hours or overnight. you could place the shanks in a container too. Make sure the shanks are covered in juice.

Allow shanks to come to room temperature before you start braising.

Heat olive oil in an ovenproof saucepan. 

Remove lamb shanks from the marinade. Save the marinade.

Drop shanks into hot oil and leave undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip shanks and brown the other sides.

Peel and slice onions into 1/4 inch half moons.

Peel garlic cloves.

Roughly chop thyme leaves.

Remove browned shanks and place in a bowl.

Heat oven to 350F.

Add onion and garlic to the saucepan and sauté till light brown.

Drop in thyme leaves for stir for a few seconds.

Add the red wine and let the sauce come to a slow boil.

Return lamb shanks to saucepan.

Add saved marinade.

Sprinkle in brown sugar, oregano, allspice, salt and pepper. 

The sauce should be gently simmering at this point. 

Cover the saucepan with a perforated lid. Or cover with foil and make a few slit in the foil with a knife. This allows some steam to escape, not making the sauce too watery.

Braise in the oven for 2 hours. Poke with a knife to see if meat is cooked. It should come apart at this stage. If the meat still has some give, go ahead and braise for another 15-20 minutes.

Whisk flour and water to form a thick slurry. 

Take the saucepan out of the oven and scoop out lamb shanks on to a serving platter.

Place saucepan on a medium flame and let it bubble.

Add flour slurry gently to saucepan, stirring all the time so no lumps form. 

Let the sauce gently simmer for 5 minutes. 

Pour sauce over lamb shanks  and serve.

NOTES

Lamb shanks are great but you could easily use shoulder or chunks.  The braising time will be much less for those... Half the above cooking time.

I marinated the shanks overnight. A few hours should suffice for lack of time.

This validation for years of recipe clipping. Most times I try a dish and it lives up to its promise. This one is a keeper.

Meat falls off the bone. Lamb shanks swim in a tart sweet sauce. roasted cauliflower in goat cheese, farro with artichokes and parsley finish the plate. I can shred the lamb with my fork.  Shanks go right into the ✔️ section!! I transfer the clipping into that file, amended, definitely assured of another turn in my kitchen. I take a bite of cauliflower...another revelation. And then a spoonful of farro...oh my....that is a flavor explosion!!!!! Be prepared!!! It's coming!!!