Indian Cooking Unfolded & Uncomplicated By Raghavan Iyer | Recipes & Book Review

 

Hi!!

While I write this post, I must confess my heart is humming with joy. It is not always that you are sent a copy of your favourite cookbook author for a review and for that I need to thank John from Workman Publishing, New York, who are the publishers of the book.

I have been a proud owner of 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer and ever since then I’ve been an ardent fan of his cooking and teaching style. He is a pro at what he does and his new book is all about that.

Let me first begin with the appearance of the book. The appearance is quite unassuming. It does not have the customary glossy lushness but the book attracts you because of the smiling picture of the mentor, creator of the book Mr Raghavan Iyer, who is seen cooking on the cover page.

 

The book opens with an acknowledgment from the author where he has expressed gratitude by naming all the people who were involved in the making of this book and how their contribution had helped him. Next comes the contents, giving you a fair idea what the book comprises of and how the book has been split.

The book takes you through a culinary voyage of  recipes which are compartmentalized into ten chapters, of which eight are completely devoted to the recipes. The Indian Cooking Unfolded presents Raghavan’s system for learning to cook Indian food through one hundred basic recipes made using ten ingredients or less. Each chapter can be taken as a course of a meal where each recipe teaches a technique; which could be a cooking technique or a way to combine ingredients for exceptional flavours.

This book has been created keeping in mind the people living in USA, who are interested in learning about Indian food. But after trying recipes from the book I realized that it’s a book for anyone who would like to try their hands on Indian Cooking. The highlighted factor of this book is the fact that the author has tried to break the fallacy, that the Indian cooking needs a whole lot of ingredients, spices and condiments. He has created recipes in such a manner that for no ingredient in the book one needs to visit a specialised Indian grocery store and all recipes need, ten or less ingredients.

Each chapter opens with a lesson plan giving a small description of each dish in the chapter. The recipes have been arranged from easiest to complex ones. Each dish starts with an introduction from the author explaining why he likes that particular dish and where he tasted it first.

When I read the book, I realized, there are no major / complex recipes and those which are a bit tricky, the author has expounded them in great details that they appear to be easy. It also seemed that there’s simply no pruning on the illustration of recipes. There are no short cuts taken!!

Even if you do not cook, the book is informative and provides a thoughtful and insightful read. If you are fond of reading in details, this is the book to have. Meticulous research has been done on the history of spices and the extra credits added in each recipe provides a whole lot of information and knowledge; for example one of the extra credits mentions that ‘refined sugar is not vegan, as charcoal is used in the processing, which is derived from bone ash’. The extra credits also provides substitutes for ingredients where ever possible. One can find cooking tips for creating the recipe in this section. Also, in which section of the grocery store one can locate a certain ingredient, has been helpfully mentioned in the extra credits, which also indicates careful observation of the author.

There are seven step by step fold outs in the book. Other than that a few more recipes are explained step by step. Many recipes have pictures and I was happy to see them. Being a visual person, I definitely comprehend  better when a picture is associated with a recipe and if there are step by step pictures…you have won me!!

I decided to try a few recipes to resolve that my observations about the book are correct and I particularly wanted to crosscheck that the explanations are as much flawless, as they appear to be while reading... I decided to try a flatbread, a curry and a sweet.

Since, in India it’s peak festive season, I decided to try the Funnel cake or Jalebis as I’ve been wanting to try them for quite sometime and the recipe’s step by step foldout encouraged me to do so!! I also decided to try the Naan, which is an Indian flatbread. I’ve made Naan many times earlier and posted here too but I had never tried using an egg. The third recipe which intrigued me was the tamatar chana daal aloo, which is a fatless recipe and makes use of only three spices. I was curious to know how a fatless recipe would taste with minimum use of spices..

I decided to follow all the recipes verbatim. I wanted to see how well the directions were given and how precise the measurements are. If anything goes wrong with the recipe using the directions and measurements provided in the book, then I would use my experience and culinary knowledge to set it right..This would give me a fair idea how a novice in Indian cooking, would learn from the cookbook and also where one could go wrong..

Vegan | Dairy Free

The first thing I decided to try was the Jalebi or Funnel Cake in saffron Syrup, as the recipe asked for a resting time of 1-2hrs for the batter to ferment. I followed the procedure verbatim. On mixing the batter using the amount of water mentioned in the book, the batter appeared watery but I overlooked my doubt at that point of time, thinking that the batter might thicken after fermenting and it did but not as much. I was extremely doubtful of how to squeeze out a perfect shaped funnel cake using such a watery batter…

At that point, where I felt that the measurements provided in the book failed, I used presence of mind and added more APF to the mix and kept it aside for ten more minutes and then used it..I had seen the halwai’s in India piping out hot jalebis many times and had also noticed that the batter was thick, that observation helped me solve my problem but I did realize that the book needs to mention the consistency of batter and also to indicate that the water needs to be added gradually to get a thick consistency, as the absorption capacity varies from flour to flour..

 

The temperature mentioned for frying in the book is apt and yields crisp Jalebis. I made the first batch exactly following Raghavan’s instruction and in the second batch I followed how the halwai’s do, so fried the Jalebis first on a low flame till half done and then increased the flame to a medium high and fried till done. I realised the second batch tasted better than the first.

Squeezing out perfect jalebis is an art which comes out of practice, fortunately after one or two wrong shapes I managed decently later on. Another thing that one should take care while making jalebi and is not mentioned in the book, is to keep mixing the batter after every batch. On resting, the batter froths up and air pockets are formed, which needs to be removed before squeezing out the jalebi. If one squeezes out without removing the trapped air, the jalebis will have small air holes on it.

Recipe for Funnel Cake in Saffron Syrup (Jalebi)

For Funnel Cake

1/2cup APF/ maida

1tsp chickpea flour/besan

1/2tsp active dry yeast

1tsp warm water

1/2tsp sugar

1/2tsp refined oil

1/4cup– 1/2 cup water

For Saffron Syrup

1cup refined sugar

1/2cup water

1tbsp lemon juice

1/2tsp cardamom powder

1/2tsp saffron threads

Oil for deep frying

Special equipment required

a squirt bottle/ ketch up bottle

flat fry pan

Method  For Jalebi

Activate the yeast using warm water and sugar and add it to APF and chickpea flour mix. Add water gradually to make a thick, lump free batter, if required add more water. Let the batter rest for 1-2hrs and then mix again. Fill in the squirt bottle or a disposable plastic bag cone (cut it at the end).

Using all the ingredients of the syrup make a one string consistency syrup. A drop of syrup when pressed between thumb and finger should produce a string. At this stage remove it from fire. Warm the syrup just before adding fried jalebi.

Heat the oil in a flat pan (2inches of depth) to a temperature such that if a drop of batter is added it should gradually float to the top. Reduce the flame to the lowest mark and squeeze out jalebis, 3-4 at a time. Fry on low flame till half done and then fry on medium-high flame till done.( the book mentions to fry at 275F). Remove them using slotted spoon and transfer them in saffron syrup.

Completely coat them with the syrup and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Keep a plate under the rack to collect the extra syrup.

The jalebi can also be fried in clarified butter/ ghee but then it will not be dairy free or vegan.

Serve hot.

Naan –Tamatar Chana Daal

The chana daal aloo curry turned out awesome and I never missed the fat in it. The aroma of the roasted spices gives  a nice smoky flavour to the curry. My only input to the curry when I cook it the next time will be, to soak the lentils for an hour before cooking,  as it fastens the cooking procedure and reduces consumption of LPG. I was surprised that the book doesn’t ask for soaking the lentils in fact it says that does not require pre soaking..

I made the Naan in the tandoor and slightly overdid my first Naan as I was removing the jalebis that time. Anyhow, the Naan turned out flawless and was soft, the only flaw was in the procedure. The procedure asks to divide the dough into 4 parts. The pictures in the cookbook show small sized naan, whereas if the dough is divided into 4 parts, it makes 4 big naan of about 12”-15” size. Also, the book says roll naan to 3”-5” diameter but does not speak about the thickness of the flatbread. For a novice, it is very important to know the thickness of the flatbread as on cooking it can turn chewy, if it’s too thin. And if it’s too thick, it takes longer time to cook and doesn’t look like a Naan.

I would suggest to divide dough into 8-10 parts and then roll out 3-5 inch diameter naan of 3-4mm thickness.

For Smoky Yellow Split Peas/  Tamatar Chana daal aloo

1cup Yellow Split peas/ Bengal gram/ Chana daal

5 medium sized potatoes

1/4tsp turmeric powder

4dry red chillies

1tbsp coriander seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

1 medium sized tomato

salt to taste

1tbsp chopped cilantro

Method For tamatar Chana Daal

Wash the lentils 3-4 times and add 4cups of water to it. Transfer in a thick bottom pan, bring it to a boil, remove the froth. Add turmeric and potatoes and mix it thoroughly. Cook covered for 20-25mins (on a medium-low flame) or till the potatoes are done and lentils are cooked. Stir in between.

Meanwhile roast the red chillies, coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a fry pan on a low flame till it produces an aroma. Cool and grind them together. Now add tomatoes and grind to a paste.

Add the tomato melange and salt to taste, to the curry and mix. Cook for 10-12mins or till the sauce thickens. If required, one can crush a few potatoes by pressing the backside of the ladle. Mix the cilantro. Serve hot with rice or phulka. I served  it with naan.

For Naan

3cupsAPF

2tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

1 egg,  lightly beaten

oil, for brushing the dough

butter or ghee, for the finished naan

1 cup warm water

Method For NaaN

Take APF in a bowl and  add  salt and baking powder. Mix it thoroughly.

Make a well in the centre and put the egg and quickly mix it. You may feel the flour dry with a few wet spots.

Using the warm water knead a soft dough which might feel sticky but still manageable. Knead for a few minutes to make a smooth, soft ball.

If you want big Naan, then break the dough into 4parts and lightly grease them with oil. Keep covered with a damp cloth. Rest it for 30mins.

Lightly flour the work area and roll out the Naan and cook it in a tandoor or even on a griddle. Smear some butter or ghee and serve hot.

Smoky Yellow Split Peas- Vegan | Gluten Free | Dairy Free; Naan- Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian

 

After trying the recipes my opinion about the book swayed a bit, as I realized that the procedures and measurements had flaws here and there but the recipes are really good and worth trying. What matters is the flavour and that’s uncompromised.

I am still amazed at the meticulous and detailed work Mr Raghavan Iyer has put up. As a teacher he knows where the students go wrong and has explained procedures in great details to avoid complications and failures. But as the teacher would say, there’s always some scope of improvement..

After reading the book, I’ve become knowledgeable in terms of spices and their use. I can also proudly say now, that I’ve learnt the eight ways of using a spice. Yes, you heard it right, eight ways…read the book to believe it!!

I liked this book for one more reason. It is a book which has a plenty of vegetarian options to try and I’m so looking forward to try the Cardamom scented Cheese with Peppers, The Cashew-Pistachio Burfi and the Sweet scented Pilaf of the many recipes..

I loved the last section of the book as much. This section is devoted to Menus for Great Indian Meals. There are menus for various occasions for example, menu for picnic,  a winter menu, Indian soul food, Gluten Free gala or a Vegan table.

I appreciate the fact that each recipe has been categorised into Vegan/ Lacto-OvoVegetarian/ Gluten Free etc. This is a deciding factor for many to choose recipes.

All in all, I would just conclude that it is a good book to learn basic Indian cuisine. It will hold a special place in my heart for not only the recipes but also the immense knowledge that I attained by reading the book.

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Raw Banana & Tender Fenugreek Leaves Paratha | Vegan | Flatbread | Stepwise | Pregnancy Recipes

 

Hi All!!

I’m here with yet another healthy recipe which is definitely tasty too. I was very curious and apprehensive about how this combination would turn out. The raw banana has become kind of favorite with me after I made the gluten free, Banana Rings. I had been eyeing the small bunches of baby fenugreek leaves for a few weeks now, in my regular vegetable shop and this time I decided to give it a try. These small baby plants are about 2-3 inches long with tender stems, roots and tiny leaves.

Both, the raw banana and fenugreek are extremely nutritive ingredients and a combination of both definitely is an extremely nutritional preparation. During pregnancy, one needs to consume about 300 more calories daily than one normally would in their non-pregnant state. The extra calories gives added energy to support the growth and development of the unborn child. The average-size banana contains about 100-110 calories. Other than that, the banana are fat free, cholesterol-free food that contribute to heart health.

Bananas offer a load of potassium in a relatively small package. Potassium is an electrolyte nutrient that, along with calcium and magnesium, helps manage your body's balance of fluids. Eating bananas for their potassium content during pregnancy can control lower leg edema, the swelling of the ankles and calves that often strikes expectant moms; and leg cramps, another common side effect of pregnancy. Bananas are also a nonacidic mild food, less likely to upset the stomach than fatty foods or citrus fruits. Bananas are an excellent source of  Vitamin B6, which is suggested to be the key to relief from morning sickness.

When it comes to fenugreek, people have mixed opinions. A few believe it should not be eaten and others believe it a very good green for pregnancy. Personally, I ate all kinds of greens ( my doctor recommended that) in my pregnancy including the fenugreek leaves without any harmful effects. So, those who are apprehensive about eating Fenugreek leaves can replace this preparation with Spinach but before doing that, please read the contribution of this plant in pregnancy here.

All my dilemma with this combo was put to rest when I tasted the flatbread/paratha. It was yummy with the softness of banana,  flavor of methi and perfect blend of spices added to it. I did not over do with the spices, as I wanted the flatbread/paratha to retain it’s natural flavors.

RAW BANANA-FENUGREEK LEAVES FLATBREAD

Preparation Time:30mins | Cooking Time:3mins/Flatbread | Makes: 10-12 | Serves: 3-4 | Difficulty Level: Needs Skill

Ingredients

2 Raw Bananas, boiled and peeled

2cups Fenugreek leaves, chopped

1/2cup coriander leaves, chopped

2green chilies, chopped finely

2-3cups whole wheat flour + more for dusting

salt to taste

1tbsp oil + more for roasting

Dry spices

1tsp red chili powder

1tbsp coriander powder

1-1/2tsp cumin powder

Method

Mix together chopped chilies, coriander and Fenugreek leaves and sprinkle salt over it to release water.

Add grated raw banana and mix thoroughly.

To the mix add flour, oil and dry spices and knead the flour using minimum water ( I used my food processor).

Break the dough into balls.

Roll each ball using dry flour into 6-7” disc of 4-5mm thickness.

Roast the disc on a griddle using oil till done.

Serve the paratha with butter, yogurt, pickle/chutney and salad.

Sending this to my event ‘Only’ Food For Pregnancy, hosted here.

Tips:

Make a stiff dough as it becomes soft after some time as the veggies leave water.

One can change the variation of spices as per their taste.

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Dum Parwal ( Pointed Gourd) & Flax Seed Flat Bread | Lunch Combo |

Hi!!

It was about 3yrs back, I was entering a new territory, a new job with new surroundings, new colleagues, new targets and pressures. I used to feel lost at times and my best friend in that hostile situation used to be the library, where I could spend a decent time reading various books, either work related or even others too.

Apart from the personal time that I used to spend in the library, I had to compulsorily use three quarters of an hour on records in the reference section. The reference section had books of all kinds, from literature and history to modern technology. And amongst all these books were a few cookbooks too which I could not touch during my officially allotted time but on other days, I could use them.

There were books on Cooking as a science and few cookbooks in the reference section. Amongst, all these books related to cooking, my favorite book was Nita Mehta’s Vegetarian Curries. This book has very nice collection of veg curries made using day to day spices. These are regular veggies cooked with a difference but no elaborate steps to follow. I started noting down recipes from the book into my diary and thought that I would try them one by one. But my job became very hectic, the day to day cooking itself had become very difficult for me but I managed somehow..and then one fine day we got our transfer orders and I had to quit my job and move..

Till recently, the recipes and my diary took a back seat for one or the other reason, one can see that from the number of blog posts per month. But about a few weeks back when I was cleaning book shelves, I landed on my old diaries and I started flipping through the pages, that’s when I landed on the recipes I had copied from Nita Mehta’s cookbook.

I was too tempted to try them at once and this particular recipe using the Pointed Gourd (Parwal) had taken preference as it used a pressure cooker for the ‘Dum Cooking’ making it a faster cooking method. Moreover, this particular recipe didn’t ask for any grinding or any exotic methods to try. The only thing required was chopping and thanks to my decent knife skills, I manage that well.

To go with the curry, which I realized might turn out a semi thick curry, I wanted to make a healthy flatbread. Recently, during a discussion on FB, a blogger friend asked what she could do with flax seeds and I had suggested that she could add it in the regular chapatis/ phulka. After mentioning her that I castigated myself as I also had a packet of the flax seeds which I had been postponing to use. I decided to use it immediately and it so happened that I also knew exactly what to cook with it..This was a recipe which had made a mark in my brain with it’s sheer simplicity and health benefits. It’s a recipe that I had read in Madhu Gadia’s The Indian Vegan Kitchen.

I must tell my readers here that the curry is not a vegan preparation but the flatbread is. The combination of the curry and flatbread turned out simply superb. My family enjoyed the lunch and S was simply happy with the preparations and the combo. The flatbread is good with the health benefits of flax seeds. What more do I need, a smile from the family after eating a hearty meal, that’s my bonus, that’s my increment.

Preparation Time: 15mins | Cooking Time: 20mins | Serves: 3-4 | Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients For Dum Parwal ( adapted from Nita Mehta’s cookbook)

5-6 Pointed gourd ( parwal) tippped, lightly peeled and cut into halves

4-5 baby potatoes, peeled or 1 potato, cubed

2tsp freshly made ginger garlic paste

2tomatoes, chopped finely

1large or 2medium onions, sliced

1/2 cup yogurt, smoothened

2tbsp oil + 2tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

1/2tsp cumin seeds

Dry spices:

1mace leaf (javitri) powdered

1tbsp coriander powder

1-1/2tsp chili powder

1/2tsp turmeric powder

1/2tsp garam masala powder

Whole spices

2-3 cloves

1bayleaf

2-3 black cardamom

2-3 small pieces of cinnamon

Method

Heat the oil and ghee together in a pressure pan and fry the pointed gourd and potatoes lightly, to a golden color.

To the remaining oil, which would be around 3table spoons, tip in the cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle, add the whole spices. Do this process on a medium flame else the hot oil burns the spices.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté to remove the raw smell. Add the sliced onions and sauté till golden in color.

Add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook till tomatoes are done. Add the dry spices and cook for a minute.

Remove from the fire and add the beaten yogurt and mix. Put back on fire and cook on low heat till the oil separates.

Tip in the garam masala and mace powder.

Add the fried veggies and a cup of water.

Pressure cook up to a whistle.

Let the pressure drop and then check for the consistency of the curry.

Preparation Time: 5mins | Standing Time: 10mins | Cooking Time Per Roti: 1min | Makes:8-10 | Serves: 3-4 | Difficulty Level: Needs Skill

Ingredients For Flax Seed Flat Bread ( adapted from Madhu Gadia’s Cookbook)

1-1/2cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup besan (Bengal gram flour) or Soya Flour
2-3tsp flax seed meal
water to knead
1/4tsp salt
2-3 drops oil
wheat flour for rolling

Method

Make a soft dough using the ingredients, apply oil and let the dough rest for 10mins.
Divide the dough into 8-10 portions. Make balls and flatten them.
Using dry wheat flour, roll the roti into a thin disc.
Cook it like a regular roti on a griddle and puff it directly on the flame.
Apply clarified butter on the flatbread/rotis (optional) else apply oil lightly. This keeps rotis soft for a longer time.
Serve hot as these flatbread/ rotis might become dry after sometime.

Sending it to my event ‘Only’- Cooking From Cookbooks guest hosted by Gauri.

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SOS Pancakes, Stuffed Paneer N Spinach Paratha for The Review Of Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil

 
Hi All!

Last few days have been chaotic and messy, too many things happening and loads to finish with deadlines, the biggest of all the deadlines was finishing revision for the Final exams. The kid appears for his grade 7 exam and had a humongous syllabi to finish and every now and then was seeking my help. I’m taken for granted to clear his doubts and be around when he is studying as he hates being alone.

Besides this I had a carpenter and a plumber along with a mason working fulltime in my house past 4 days. My ears were deafened with all the knock knock and I was tired cleaning the house every now and then. And since all this was not enough my laptop started troubling and I was some how managing with the internet on my cell phone. I’ve a tough time when I’ve to do elaborate things using the cell phone.. Amongst all this mess the good thing that happened was that I received a 2litre can of Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil from BlogAdda with a smiley card along with it, that made my day. I am reviewing healthy heart oil as a part of the BlogAdda's Product Review Program for Indian Bloggers.

We read so much about health food and how to change our eating habits and indulge into healthy eating and lifestyle. All nutritionists and doctors recommend these days to use an oil low in cholesterol and which can prevent heart disease. My doctor always recommends to change oil and not stick to one kind of oil, he also suggests to use a mix of oils in cooking. I use the peanut oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil and alternate them. Till now I had never used rice bran oil… Preferably, I use the low absorption oil to keep the consumption of oil low.

Rice bran oil (also known as rice bran extract) is the oil extracted from the germ and inner husk of  rice. It is notable for its high smoke point of 213°C (415°F) and its mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking  methods like stir fry and frying. A medically significant component of rice bran oil is the antioxidant γ-oryzanol, at around 2% of crude oil content.

I’ve used other Fortune oils earlier, so when I received this pack of Fortune Rice bran health oil, I was elated. I had heard about the oil through advertisements and articles in paper but now was the time to taste and test the oil.

Before opening the oil I always read the can carefully. The can said 100% veg, free from Argemone oil. Argemone oil is obtained from Argemone seeds, is used as an adulterant in oil and is not good for heart, so the Adani Wilmar Limited, who are the manufacturers of the oil assures of  no adulteration, which is done by all good oil manufacturing companies as a sign of quality assurance. I then read the nutritional information and was pleased to read that as 100mg of oil had 0mg cholesterol, 0g trans fatty acids, 0g proteins and 0g carbohydrates. It has 24g saturated fatty acids, 42g mono unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), 34g poly unsaturated fatty acids(PUFA), 50mg Vitamin E, 100g fat, 1000mg Oryzanol and gives 900KCal of energy. The 2litre can costs Rs.230/- which is a price any middle class man can afford easily towards health.

For people who are not aware of the importance of MUFA, PUFA, Oryzanol, I’m going to describe that in brief here, which will help you understand the benefits of using this oil. MUFAs are considered a healthy type of fat. If your diet includes unsaturated fats such as MUFAs & PUFAs instead of saturated fats and trans fats, you may gain certain health benefits. Consuming monounsaturated fatty acids may help lower your risk of heart disease by improving risk factors. For instance, MUFAs may lower your total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels but maintain or increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. MUFAs may also help normalize blood clotting. Also, some research shows that MUFAs may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes. (courtesy www.mayoclinic.com)

Oryzanol is an anti oxidant compound and is associated with reducing plasma cholesterol, lowering serum cholesterol, decreasing absorption of cholesterol and decreasing platelets aggregation. It has also been used to reduce hyperlipidimia, disorders of menopause and to increase the muscle mass. Another study has shown gamma-Oryzanol to reduce the risk of gastric ulcers caused by stress while at the same time maintaining gastrointestinal motility.
Vitamin E present in oil is good for skin and prevents ageing. More on the 10/10 benefits of the oil  one can read here

Since, I’ve already mentioned what is present in the oil and it’s advantages, I must also inform my readers what is absent in the oil and it’s consequences or advantages too.. Both Trans fatty acids and Cholesterol are absent in the oil.

Trans fatty acids, also known as trans fat, is an artery-clogging fat that is formed when vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening.Trans fat is known to increase blood levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, while lowering levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL), known as "good" cholesterol. It can also cause major clogging of arteries, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems, and is found to increase the risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) in your blood. Your cells need cholesterol, and your body makes all it needs. But you also get it from the food you eat. If you have too much cholesterol, it starts to build up in your arteries . This is called hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis . It is usually a slow process that gets worse as you get older. Absence of cholesterol in the oil adds to it’s health benefits

Coming back to the Fortune Rice Bran Oil after I have read the can , my first observation about any oil is the clarity and the smell and this oil passed in both the physical observations, there was no smell and the oil was clear with very light yellow color, soothing to eyes and light to touch. Any oil is best checked when you start using it for your day to day cooking and that’s what I did. I used the oil every possible way, for stir fry, tempering, shallow frying and deep frying too. What I realized was that it does not contribute to the flavor of a dish and stays neutral, which is what I prefer and so that was the first advantage I noticed in terms of cooking, secondly it gets absorbed less while deep frying and hence does not cling to the food item, so less oil goes into your body. The other big advantage which I would also get on a longer run is the advantage coming from the chemical ingredients present as well as absent in it which I have mentioned above!

I have passed this oil with flying colors for it’s physical qualities and health benefits and I would recommend it highly to my readers and friends. I cooked many dishes with this oil but I’m sharing two of the recipes here, both the recipes makes use of ingredients good for health and can be cooked for breakfast or as lunch box items.

Stuffed Paneer In Spinach Paratha

Preparation Time:15mins

Cooking Time:2-3mins per Paratha

Makes:9-10parathas

Serves:3

Ingredients

For Cover:

2cups whole wheat flour

1/2tsp salt

20-25 spinach leaves

1green chili

For stuffing

200gms paneer (cottage Cheese) grated

salt to taste

1inch ginger grated

2green chilies, finely chopped

1tbsp chopped coriander

1tbsp coriander pwd

1tsp cumin pwd

also

Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil for smearing

Method

For Cover

Using minimum water grind the spinach and green chili to a paste.

Add salt to the flour and mix the spinach paste and make a medium soft dough. If required use water else avoid it.

For stuffing

Mix all the ingredients under the heading stuffing. Avoid adding extra salt as the cover also has salt added to it.

Take dough to make a ball slightly larger than a lemon. Roll it to make a 2inch disc (or spread using fingers).

Fill about 2tbsp stuffing into the rolled disc and close all ends to make a ball and flatten it. Roll the disc gently using flour to make a 6-7inch broad paratha.

Heat a griddle and roast the paratha on either side. Smear some Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil on either side and roast again till golden in colour.

Serve hot with chutney/pickle, butter, curds or butter milk.

SOS Pancakes/ Savory Oats Semolina Pancakes

Preparation Time:10mins

Standing Time:15mins

Cooking Time:2mins per pancake

Makes:about 8

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

1cup rolled oats

4-5tbsp semolina

1cup warm milk/ soya milk ( I used plain soya milk)

1/2-1cup warm water

1-2 green chilies, finely chopped

6-7 curry leaves, finely chopped

10-12 spinach leaves finely chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

salt to taste

Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil for smearing

Method

Mix all ingredients and let it stand for 15mins. This allows the semolina and oats to soak the moisture and bloom.

Adjust the consistency of the batter by adding more water if required. This batter is thinner than the regular Dosa batter.

Smear oil on a non stick pan and heat on medium flame, spread a ladle full of batter on the pan of 3-4mm thickness.

Cover with a lid and cook. Flip to the other side and cook without the lid till golden. If required apply more oil.

The pancakes have crunchy crust and soft inside.

Serve with butter, sauce/chutney/pickle.

Sending it to my event ‘Only’ Vegan Cooking hosted by PJ.

Do give me a feedback whether you found the review informative and also whether you liked the recipes.

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Mezze Platter & PitaWraps..Step By Step

Hi All!

Looks like I’m springing back to a decent blog posting. The last few days I’ve posted quite regularly and I hope to maintain this habit for some time now.

I had wanted to post a lot of International street food this month but some how one thing or the other kept me busy and away from blogging rather from cooking new.. somehow I’m trying desperately now to post some interesting street food.

To start off I’m going straight to the Middle East and indulging myself into a Mezze Platter.. It so happened, that for my birthday we all ventured into the world of Greek food and we did order a part of the mezze. I must confess here that the food was good and tasty but I missed the WOW factor there. I must tell you that this restaurant is extremely popular and has also won the Times Food Guide Award too but still I missed the X factor and found it bland for my palate. It was then only that I decided to cook the platter for my family at home, in my style and with my touch..

The ‘Mezze’ or Meze as suggested   is one of the more malleable snack trays, varying slightly depending on where it's being served. It's a popular way to start a meal in Turkey, Israel, Greece, Lebanon — spanning cultures across the Middle East and beyond. In Levantine and Caucasus regions it is served at the beginning of the meals. However, you serve it or say it, the most important thing about mezze is what it means: it's Arabic Food for sharing!!

The common dishes in a mezze are:

Baba ganoush/ Muttabal

Falafel

Hummus

Pita Bread

Fatoush

Tabbouleh

Kofte

Tahini

Kibbeh

Sarma

yoghurt

Pastirma

Cut salad and olives and more..

My Mezze platter includes Hummus, Tahini, Baba Ghanoush, Pita Bread, Falafel and cut salad. I cooked the entire platter in one day and realized later that I should have split the cooking it into two days, by the end of the day I was exhausted to the core and the only relieving factor was the smile on family’s faces after they savored the meal. Apart from discussing which ingredient goes into what, the family also discussed the cost of the entire meal cooked at home versus what we paid at the restaurant. The kids said Mom you have beaten Willi as your food is far better than his and plus we saved a lot of money!!!

Since it’s an elaborate platter, this post is going to be long, so those interested in learning and picking up recipes, will need patience..

To start off with the recipes, I ‘m picking the simplest one, the Tahini. Tahini is nothing but a paste of hulled sesame seeds and olive oil which is used as a  dip and is an important ingredient for making Baba Ghanoush and Hummus. It is very quick to make and is done in almost 15mins.

For making Tahini roast a cup of white sesame seeds, tossing continuously on low flame without browning them. Cool and grind with a quarter cup of olive oil ( I used EVOO) and salt to taste, to make a paste. Store in an air tight container in refrigerator. This can stay for as long as three months. While using add more olive oil based on the consistency you need.

Hummus, is one of the most popular cold dip/ spread from the middle east made using chickpeas. Served with fresh or toasted pita bread, hummus makes for a great snack or appetizer.Tahini is an important part of the hummus recipe and cannot be substituted. However, it can be omitted.

For making Hummus take 1cup of cooked chickpeas (soak 1/2cup chickpeas overnight and then pressure cook them) and grind it to a smooth paste along with 2-3 finely chopped garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons of tahini, salt to taste, 1tbsp lemon juice and half cup olive oil.

Hummus is always served in a wide plate so that it’s easy to lift. Garnish it with some chili powder and cumin powder and sufficient olive oil to coat the chickpeas as they dry very fast. This quantity of Hummus made using the above proportions is sufficient for 5-6 people.

 

Baba Ghanoush can be called as Arabic Baingan Ka Bharta. It is a version of baingan bharta using raw ingredients. It is sometimes called Muttabal too but let me tell you Muttaba is a much spicier version of Baba Ghanoush. It’s a cold dip used with pita triangles. In Syria and Lebanon, baba ghanoush is a starter or appetizer; in Egypt it is mostly served as a side dish or salad.In the traditional method, the eggplant is first roasted in an oven for approximately 30 to 90 minutes (depending on the size of the eggplant) until the skin appears almost burnt and the eggplant begins to collapse. The softened flesh is scooped out, squeezed or salted to remove excess water, and is then pureed with the tahini. There are many variants of the recipe, especially the seasoning. Seasonings include garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin, salt, mint, and flat parsley or cilantro. When served on a plate or bowl, it is traditional to drizzle the top with olive oil. It is often garnished with pomegranate seeds too.

I made my version of Baba Ghanoush using one roasted eggplant, roasting it directly on the flame. After peeling the skin and scooping out the flesh add 1tsp tahini, 1finely chopped onion, 1finely chopped tomato, 4cloves of garlic finely chopped, 4-5tsp hung curds, salt to taste and 2tbsp olive oil. Mix properly and while mixing keep pressing to get a smooth finish. Finally add some chopped parsley or cilantro and before serving drizzle some more olive oil.

This dip serves 5-6 people.

Pita/ Pitta is a slightly leavened wheat pocket bread which is flat, round or oval.The pita dough is a soft dough like that of the Naan. The water in the dough steams up and rises forming the ‘pocket’, hence it is called the Pita bread. This bread is very popular in the middle eastern, Mediterranean or Baklan cuisines. Pita is used to scoop sauces or dips such as Hummus and to wrap Kebabs, Gyros or Falafel in the manner of sandwiches. Most pita are baked at high temperatures (450 °For 232 °C), causing the flattened rounds of dough to puff up dramatically. When removed from the oven, the layers of baked dough remain separated inside the deflated pita, which allows the bread to be opened into pockets, creating a space for use in various dishes.

The Pita is made using refined flour but I have replaced some portion with whole wheat flour. To make about 10 Pita breads of 5-6inch diameter and 1/4inch thickness you will need about 600gms flour (I replaced 100gms with whole wheat flour), to this add proofed yeast (dissolve 1tbsp dry active yeast in 3tbsp warm water with a pinch of sugar), 1tsp sugar, salt to taste and about 300-350ml warm water to knead a soft dough. Knead the dough well till it does not stick on the palm. Apply 1tsp olive oil and let it rest for 30mins or till it doubles in volume. Divide it into 10-12 equal portions and roll using minimum flour (excess flour dries the Pita). Bake it for 4mins on 250C till the Pita puffs and then turn and bake it for a minute more. Do not brown the Pita bread it should be just about cooked.

I also make the Pita on the griddle and find that a much simpler method to make. In fact it’s easier to puff the Pita on the griddle. The pita which did not puff were cut and baked to make chips to go with baba ghanoush and hummus.

Falafel are popular Arabic fritters made either with chickpeas or fava beans or both. These normally find there place in wraps along with salad and dips. They make excellent street food and at the same time can also be served as starters for parties. I made my version with chickpeas only…

To make the Falafel take 2cups cooked chickpeas, 1/2cup flat parsley or cilantro, 4-5garlic cloves, 1tbsp tahini, salt to taste, 1tsp each of cumin, coriander and chili powder, 1onion finely chopped and 3-4tbsp corn starch or plain flour. In a food processor blend together coarsely all the ingredients except onion and cornstarch. To the coarse mix add onions and corn starch. Make small flat patty and deep fry till golden in color. Remove on kitchen towel.

Finally I used the Pita to make the wraps which was our meal. To make the wraps, cut the Pita bread into halves to show the pocket. Apply tahini on the wall. Insert the lettuce, falafel, sliced onions, tomatoes and cucumber and some hummus. The wraps are ready to eat. The Pita wraps have become a popular street food and hence sending it to my event ‘Only’ Street Foods of The World hosted by Archana of Mad Scientist’s Kitchen. I’m also reposting Ram Laddoo  and Dakor Na Methi Gota for the same event.

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