Portuguese Cod Baked In Parchment

I come across an intriguing baked cod. Seasoned cod pieces are baked in parchment along with beans, tomato, lemon, thyme and a glug of white wine. The recipe screams ' Make me make me!" So I do.

White beans are accented with spices and balsamic vinegar. Cod is seasoned with paprika and garlic. Encased in parchment paper, the cod is sandwiched between beans, lemon and tomato slices. White wine is splashed in. The parchment is tied with twine and baked.  The lemon slices start to caramelize, tomatoes and onions swim in white wine, and the cod cooks up soft and flaky. Your reward is the aromatic, fragrant aroma that assaults you when you tear open the parchment! The cod is the bonus!

PORTUGUESE COD BAKED IN PARCHMENT

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Serves 4

DF, GF, WF, EF

4  pieces of Cod, 4-5 inches long

1 cup cooked White Beans

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Thyme leaves

4 Garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

2 teaspoons Paprika

2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

8-10 Lemon slices

8-10 vine ripened Tomato slices

8-10 Thyme Sprigs

4 tablespoons thinly sliced White Onion

4 tablespoons White Wine

Parchment Paper

Twine

Cut out 4 sheets of parchment 15x15 inches in size. 

Portion out 4 pieces of 12-inch long string. 

Massage cod pieces with paprika, garlic powder, salt and some ground pepper.  

Mix cooked white beans with 1/2 teaspoon paprika, olive oil, thyme leaves, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Cut onion in half. Slice each half thinly.

Have the beans, lemon slices, tomato, onion, thyme and cod within easy reach.

Lay one parchment square on the counter.

Put one lemon slice, tomato slice and one sprig of thyme in that order in the center of paper. 

Spoon 1/2 cup of beans over them.

Wedge the cod on top of the beans.

Cover with another lemon slice, tomato slice, a thyme sprig and 1 tablespoon of onion slices.  Go in any order. Season with salt and pepper.

Gather the ends of the parchment to form a sack. keep the neck slightly open.

Dribble 1 tablespoon of white wine into the pack. 

Scrunch the ends of the paper tightly so the juices stay in.

Tie the neck of the pack with the string. You might need help at this stage.

Place pack on a baking sheet.

Make the other three packs in the same manner.

At this point you can make the packs and keep them in the fridge for a few hours. Let the pack sit on the counter while the oven heats.

Heat oven to 450F/230C.

Bake cod for 15 minutes. 

Serve fish immediately.

Open carefully as the steam puffs out. Enjoy this unusual combo.

The cod makes meat lovers into fish lovers!  

Tendli Pullao

Ganesh Puja comes around once more. It is time to give and ask for blessings. And to make a traditional thali to honor the gods. Everything on the thali is made with love. Everything is made the day of. And so a marathon cooking session begins. 

One of the items on the thali is something I haven't attempted in a while, namely tondli bhaat or tendli pullao. A handful of ivy gourds are trimmed and cut. Use ghee to temper the spices. You will be thankful for the boost of flavor. Sauteed with dried red chiles, mustard seeds and curry leaves, the gourds are coated with turmeric, chile powder and goda masala, a distinctive Pathare Prabhu staple. Rice and tendli cook together.  Grated fresh coconut finish the pullao. Look for the mound on the right of the thali.

TENDLI PULLAO

Serves 4-6

DF, GF, VN(SEE BELOW), WF, VG, EF

1 cup Tendlis

1 heaping cup Basmati Rice

2 teaspoon Ghee or Clarified Butter ( Use Oil for a vegan option)

1-2 dried Red Chiles

1/8 teaspoon Asafoetida or Hing

1/4 teaspoon Mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon Cumin seeds

4-5 fresh Curry Leaves

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder

1/4 Chile powder

1 teaspoon Brahmni Masala or Goda Masala or Garam Masala

3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Fresh grated Coconut

Wash the rice till water is clear. Keep aside.

Wash tendli and pat dry. Cut the ends off. Slice tendlis vertically in quarters. Halve the quarters so you have batons.

Heat ghee in a deep saucepan. Make sure the saucepan has a tight-fitting lid.

When ghee shimmers, add dried chiles, asafoetida, mustard and cumin seeds. Let cumin seeds darken slightly.

Drop curry leaves into ghee. Careful, they splutter and pop. 

Slide tendli into the saucepan and saute for 30 seconds.

Turmeric, chile, brahmi masala powders and salt are added. Stir well so masalas coat tendli. 

Scrape the rice into the saucepan. Saute rice and tendli for 2 minutes. 

Then add 2 1/2 cups water to saucepan. Stir rice so it loosens from the bottom of the saucepan. Bring water to simmer. Cover saucepan and turn heat to low. Cook pullao for 14 minutes. 

Uncover and fluff rice with a fork. 

Spoon some fresh coconut over pullao and serve.

The thali is shared with family, spreading the love and blessings of Ganpati Bappa!

Tendli Subji

The fourth Monday of Shravan comes around. The thali builds slowly. Today's veggie is small  green cylinders called tendli in Hindi. These gherkin-like vegetables are called ivy gourds. I've only seen them at Indian grocery stores. Versatile and slightly crunchy, they absorb the flavor of the spices they are cooked in.  

Cut lengthwise, the tendlis are sauteed with red chiles, curry leaves, mustard and sesame seeds. Turmeric, chile powder and brahmni or goda masala give the tendlis a distinctive piquancy.  Brahmni or goda masala comes from Maharashtra, comprising of coconut, sesame seeds, coriander seeds and a host of other spices, I get mine made in Bombay. Amazon has some for sale, if you live in the US. Use garam masala if you don't have brahmni masala. The veggies steam cook. A stainless steel perforated lid allows some steam to escape, so the tendlis cook and stay moist. Love the lid! Something my Mum gave me years ago, and it has served me faithfully. 

TENDLI SUBJI

Serves 4

1 lb Tendli

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

2 dried red Chiles

1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon Sesame seeds

5-6 fresh Curry Leaves

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon Chile powder

1 teaspoon Brahmni masala or Garam Masala

3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 teaspoon Jaggery Powder or Brown Sugar

Fresh grated Coconut for garnish

Trim the ends of the tendli. Slice them vertically in quarters. Cut quarters in half. 

Heat oil in a saucepan.

When it is hot add dried chiles, mustard seeds, sesame seeds and curry leaves. Let seeds splutter for 20 seconds.

Then add tendli. Saute for a minute.

Add turmeric, chile powder and brahmni masala along with salt and jaggery. Saute tendli for 2 minutes. 

Add 3 tablespoons of water and cover with a perforated lid. The perforated lid allows some steam to escape. If you don't have one, leave the lid slightly open. Steam escapes along with moisture. You are left with very little water in the pan.

Cook for 12-15 minutes over medium heat till tendlis are tender when poked with a knife.  If you have any liquid left in the pan, cook over a high flame till the tendli are dry.

Garnish with grated coconut and serve. 

Dinner is done, Thalis are washed. Saturday is Ganpati...time for celebration.

Ripe Mango Subji

The third Monday of Shravan comes around. The requisite items are made. Today's subji or vegetable is unusual. A ripe mango concoction, that is both sweet and spicy. The concept of cooking a ripe mango in a savory fashion  is novel. A few Indian communities follow this path, each recipe unique in taste and texture. 

We can have a prolonged debate on how to cut a mango. Everyone has a way. The photo below is today's easy choice! Chunks  are added to a ground paste made with chile powder, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, lentils and coconut. Dried red chiles, curry leaves and mustard seeds add a strong accent. The mango cooks for minutes. The thali comes together fast....

RIPE MANGO SUBJI

Serves 4

2 large ripe Mangoes

1/3 cup grated fresh Coconut

1/2 teaspoon Chile Powder

1 teaspoon Coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds

1/2 teaspoon Urad Dal 

1 tablespoon Canola Oil

1-2 dried Red Chiles

4-5 Curry Leaves

1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Cut mango into small cubes. The easiest way to cut them is to slice the mango vertically leaving a 3/4 inch gap in the middle. You have two cheeks. Lightly slice each half into a grid pattern. Push the mango upwards so the pieces fan out. Cut the pieces off. 

Grind fresh coconut, chile powder, coriander seeds, fenugreek and urad dal. Use a little water to grind. The paste should be smooth.

Heat oil in a saucepan. 

Drop red chiles, curry leaves and mustard seeds into shimmering oil. Let the seeds pop for a few seconds.

Add mango cubes to oil. Saute. 

Scrape the coconut paste into the mango. Stir well.

Season with salt. 

Cover and cook over a low flame for 5 minutes. 

Uncover.

Eat. 

These Monday thalis are an ode to joy! 

Chicken Shawarma

 Street food thrills on all levels. In the US, shawarma is popular, though it's hard to replicate the rotisserie style roasting process at home. A recent article in Bon Appetit gives me some guidance. The marinade is exceptional. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are skewered in a triangle and grilled slowly. Three skewers hold the meat securely so you can slice the meat off vertically, restaurant style. Not quite my choice, though I find the meat cooks more evenly with three skewers. Grilled meat slides off easily. Stuffed into pita pockets with tomato slices, olive oil mint dressed cucumber and a tangy yogurt sauce, this chicken shawarma satisfies all those street food cravings.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 6

2 lbs boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs

Marinade

1/4 cup Olive Oil

3 tablespoons Paprika

2 teaspoons Chile Powder

1 1/2 teaspoons Roasted Cumin Powder

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

5 heaped teaspoons Garlic Paste

3 tablespoons Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Black pepper Powder

1/2 Red Onion

Pita Breads

Tomato slices

1 Cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Mint leaves

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

a drizzle of Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Yogurt Sauce

2 tablespoons Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Yogurt

1 teaspoon Dill, chopped fine

1 teaspoon Garlic powder

1/4  teaspoon  Sugar

1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Trim fat off chicken thighs. I keep some pockets of fat as it allows the chicken to remain moist when it is grilled. Place chicken in a non reactive bowl of glass or steel.

Whisk olive oil, paprika, chile powder, cumin powder, salt, garlic paste, lemon juice and black pepper. 

Pour marinade over chicken. Mix well so all pieces are coated with marinade. 

Cover and refrigerate overnight for best results. A shorter soak of 6-8 hours is good as well.

Make yogurt sauce  by whisking all the ingredients together. 

Refrigerate sauce until you are ready to assemble the shawarma.

Heat your gas grill to 600F.

Chop and separate onion into large chunks.

Divide  chicken into 2 portions.  

Push three skewers into one thigh forming a triangle shape.

Add another piece to the skewers followed by a piece of onion. 

Repeat process. You should have two sets of chicken skewers.

Oil the grates before you place chicken on them. 

Cover and cook chicken on medium heat for 20-25 minutes, turning often.

ALTERNATELY -heat your oven to 400F/220C. 

Place skewers on  a baking sheet  and roast for 30 minutes. 

If you like the charred look, finish the chicken under a broiler.

Mix cucumber slices with salt, mint leaves, lemon juice and a little olive oil.

Take chicken off the grill and slide the meat off the skewers. Break meat into smaller pieces.

Cut pitas in half.

Open one half and fill with chicken, cucumber and tomato slices. Top with sauce and enjoy.

Garden tomatoes and cukes add much more meaning to our bountiful meal...

Cabbage Fritters

The four Mondays before Ganesh puja, I serve a special thali. This vegetarian thali  is a compilation of sweet, savory, spicy, fried and sour. The panoply of food is always cooked fresh. It is made with devotion, a firm belief that it will bring happiness and good fortune to those of us who partake in the meal. The fried component is a fritter or 'bhaji' as we call it in Marathi.

Wanting to try something new, I shred some cabbage. It is topped with chickpea flour, rice flour, toasted sesame seeds, fennel and coriander powders, chiles, fresh cilantro and salt. I leave the cabbage to sit for a few hours. Just before I am to fry the fritters, I use my hands to mix the batter. Leaving the batter to sit for a while allows the cabbage to release liquid. You will not need any water to bind the batter. Small balls of batter are fried till golden brown. Tada...you have delicious cabbage fritters!

CABBAGE FRITTERS

Makes 20-25

DF, GF, VN, WF, VG, EF

2 cups shredded Cabbage

1/3 cup Chickpea Flour or Besan

2 tablespoons Rice Flour

1 tablespoon toasted Sesame Seeds

1 teaspoon Fennel Powder

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

1-2 green Chiles, finely minced

2 tablespoons Cilantro, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Fresh ground Black Pepper

Oil for frying

Place cabbage in a bowl. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Top with chickpea flour, rice flour, sesame seeds, fennel and coriander powders, chiles and cilantro. 

Let the cabbage sit undisturbed for 2-3 hours.

Just before you are ready to fry, use your hands to vigorously mix the cabbage. You should be able to form a tight nugget of cabbage. There should be enough liquid to bind the batter together.  

Heat  an inch of oil in a wok or kadhai over medium high flame.

Test the oil by dropping a small bit of cabbage into hot oil. It should sizzle and rise to the top of the oil immediately. 

Drop small balls of batter into hot oil. The amount you fry depends on the size of the utensil used. 

Fry till the edges are brown and crisp. Flip fritters to brown the other side. 

Drain well. 

Serve with green chutney or ketchup.

Anything fried is always appreciated. The mound is demolished. Including the crumbs. This is bhaji love....