What I Served For Lunch on Sunday

from left to right: Moghlai spinach, shahi paneer, boondi raita, moong dal, mint chutney, onion paratha

Sunday, my friends Erin, Chandra and Norman came over and I made a feast! It was so much fun and it was in honor of Erin, who is moving to Colorado....so sad. But it was a happy day for us all to stuff our faces together:)

I love nothing more than preparing a meal for dear friends. I know I am a big dork but it really warms my heart! It requires quite a bit of work but it is so worth it. Looking back, I realize how much planning and coordination was involved for all of the lunch and dinner parties my mother hosted when I was growing up. From conceptualizing a menu of dishes that go together well, to keeping all of the food warm until time for serving, she really threw a good party. And no detail was ever ignored - I remember many occasions when she would prepare two versions of the same dish - one less spicy for the children to try...details, details!

The menu for lunch was as follows (recipes below):
Moghlai spinach - spinach and carmelized onions cooked with fennel seeds, cardamom and spices
Shahi paneer - cheese cubes cooked in a sauce of cashew, milk, tomato, chili, ginger and onions
Boondi raita - fried, crunchy lentil dots in yogurt
Moong dal - curried yellow lentil (recipe from previous post)
Mint chutney (recipe from previous post)
Onion and potato parathas - pan-fried flatbreads stuffed with onion and potato (cheated and got them from the Indian store!)
Basmati rice

Moghlai Spinach, recipe from Madhur Jaffrey
serves 6

Ingredients:
3 lbs fresh spinach
fresh ginger, 2 in. x 1 in. x 1 in.
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
4 whole cardamom pods
3 medium-sized onions, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into fine half rings
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala

Method:
Wash the spinach and set aside.

Peel the ginger and cut it into very fine slices. Stack a few slices together at a time and cut into fine julienne strips.

Over medium-high flame, heat the oil and butter in a pan large enouch to hold all of the spinach. When the fat is hot, put in the fennel seeds and cardamom pods. Stir once and add the onions and ginger. Stir once and add the onions and ginger. Stir and fry until the onions turn a rich, brown color.

Now put in all the spinach, stuffing it into the pan, if necessary. Cover, and allow the spinach to wilt completely. Stir every now and then. When the spinach has wilted, turn the heat to medium, add the salt and chili powder, cover and cook for 25 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the garam masala. Stir and cook the spinach, uncovered, for another 5 minutes or until there is hardly any liquid left at the bottom of the pan.

Shahi Paneer

Ingredients:
1 14oz. package frozen fried paneer (you can also use fresh and fry it up a bit before putting it in the curry)
3/4 cup cashews
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
2 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 onion, grated or chopped fine
1 cup tomato puree or sauce
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 inch piece grated ginger
green chili, depends on taste, finely chopped
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 cup water
salt and sugar to taste
cilantro for garnishing

Method:
Soak the cashews in milk for about 30 minutes. Blend the cashews and milk until it is smooth.

Heat oil in a pan under medium high heat. Put in the cardamom pods and bay leaf and stir once and then add the onions. Fry the onions until they start to dry out.

Next add the ginger, garlic and chilis and cook for three minutes.

Add the tomato puree/sauce and mix.

When the oil starts to separate out, add coriander powder, turmeric, cumin powder and garam masala. Mix everything up well.

Next add cashew/milk mixture and stir well, making sure there are no lumps.

Add the water and salt and bring to a boil.

Add in the paneer pieces mix once. (Try not to mix the curry after you have added the paneer because the cheese breaks up easily.) Once the paneer pieces are soft, turn off the heat.

Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Boondi Raita

Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt
handful of boondi (can buy package in Indian store)
1/4 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
couple pinches of red chili powder
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish

Method:
Beat the yogurt until it is smooth. Since I use Greek yogurt, I add a little bit of water to make the consistency a little looser. Add the boondi and salt and mix. Sprinkle the top of the yogurt with the cumin powder and red chili powder. Garnish with cilantro.

Note: Another method is to soak the boondi in warm water for 10 minutes, drain and then put in the yogurt. This way takes out the excess oil from the fried boondi.

Spiced Collard Greens in Mustard Oil

picture does not do it justice as I was so hungry I ate all that in one gulp...and so ended the collard greens photo shoot.

Last time I was in India, my father's aunt was talking to me about how she likes to cook leafy greens in mustard oil. Not until recently did I try this out for myself and now I'm addicted. I have really been enjoying the combo and got more interested in learning about the oil. It kind of has a strong smell to it like cabbage (haha I know not the most appealing smell!), but when heated to its smoking point, it becomes really nutty and nice.*

The oil traditionally has been used in North Indian and Bengali cooking and is derived from the seeds of the mustard plant, same family as broccoli, cabbage, collared greens etc. (which may explain why it complements the flavor of greens so well). And for people that don't eat fish like me, this oil is one of the few sources of omega-3, which helps to reduce cholesterol and improve blood circulation.

For this recipe, I combine the collard greens with mustard oil and rasam powder, a South Indian spice mixture used in a tomato lentil soup called rasam or saru. Rasam powder is made from red chili, coriander seeds, black pepper, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and asafoetida. You can find it in most Indian stores. I have been sprinkling it on a lot of stuff lately.

*If using mustard oil, heat the oil until it smokes and then set it aside to cool. You can also heat the entire bottle of mustard oil so that you can cook with it immediately for future use. This heating removes the pungency from the oil.

Ingredients:

1 bunch collard greens, leaves chopped with stems removed

2 tablespoons mustard oil

pinch of red pepper flakes - optional

4 green onions, just white parts chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped fine

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon rasam powder

1/4 teaspoon brown sugar

squeeze of lemon

salt to taste

Method:

Heat the mustard oil in a pan to its smoking point. Turn the heat down to medium and throw in the red pepper flakes first to flavor the oil for a few seconds and then the green onions. Sautee for a few minutes and then stir in the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Put the chopped collard greens into the pan and mix up.

Once the greens are coated with the oil, make a little space in the middle of the pan for the sesame oil. Put the rasam powder in the oil for a few seconds and then mix everything up with the brown sugar and salt. Cook covered for about 8 minutes, making sure that the greens are not burning. If so add a little bit of water and continue to cook. When greens are tender, turn off the heat. Squeeze lemon on top, mix and serve.

Baingan Bharta (Roasted Eggplant Curry) Dip

Baingan bharta is a traditional North Indian curry made from roasted eggplant, tomatoes and onions. It is one of my favorites. You can tell when people have discovered the goodness of this curry because they will consistently order it at Indian restaurants (i.e. my friend Stephanie). Baingan bharta and dip are words that don't usually go together, but I'm so glad they do now! This dip is so good, I've been eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's basically baingan bharta but chilled with some tahini, lemon and yogurt - kind of like Indian baba ganoush!

I also took it to a party and it was gone fast. I came back to the empty bowl and sort of had a frown smile on because I wanted more but was happy that others had enjoyed it. I really like it with naan bread, but it tastes good with warm pita too. Also, this recipe is two in one so you can also use it as a guide if you want to make just the curry. A nice addition if you do make the curry is to add some fresh green peas.

Ingredients:
Baingan Bharta
1 medium sized eggplant (~1 pound), roasted
1 onion, pureed in blender (or chopped fine)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons oil
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon amchoor (dry mango) powder* - optional
1 small Indian green chili, chopped - optional
salt to taste

Dip
baingan bharta, pureed in blender
1 tablespoon tahini paste
juice of 1 small lemon
~3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and litte extra for garnishing

Method:
You can either roast eggplant on an open flame or in the oven. For roasting in the oven, preheat oven to 400°F. Poke holes into the eggplant with a fork and then wrap it in the foil. Place in the oven and roast for about 1 hour. It is done when you press the skin and it feels collapsed. When cooled, scoop the flesh out of the skin. Put aside.

Heat oil in a pan on medium/high heat. When the oil gets hot, add the asafoetida, turmeric and onions. Stir and cook until onions are translucent. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until the onions start turning golden. Add tomatoes and cook until the oil separates from the mixture. Stir the mixture from time to time so it does not burn. Add garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili and optional green chili and amchoor powder. Next add in the eggplant and salt. Continue to stir the mixture and mash down the eggplant. Turn the heat to medium and cook for about another 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. The curry should be brought to a boil so that the spices are absorbed. Turn off the heat.

Ladle out baingan bharta into blender and puree with tahini and lemon juice. In a bowl, mix the puree with yogurt, cilantro and salt if needed. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours and then garnish with more cilantro.

*amchoor is made from ground dried mango and used for its sour taste.

The Story Behind the Soup

There are actually a few stories about this soup, but I'll start from the beginning. My visit to Turkey just happened to fall during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. While there, I learned that many people break their fast at sunset with a traditional Turkish lentil soup called Mercimek Çorbasi. It's perfect for this purpose because it is high in protein, warming to an empty stomach and satisfies so that you don't gorge yourself after so many hours of fasting.

While traveling, I became a little obsessed with this soup. You can find it in every restaurant (and I did) even if it's not on the menu. There are many variations, but all versions include red lentils, chili pepper and lemon. In my recipe I have included sumac spice, which is made from the powder of the red sumac berry (relative to poisonous sumac but this guy is not poisonous!). It has a really nice tart and tangy flavor and is used as garnish on many Turkish soups and sometimes as a substitute for lemon. You can find the spice in Middle Eastern markets in the US. Anyway, I really wanted to find a recipe for this soup, which takes me to the next story...

During a terrible rainstorm, Marissa and I found ourselves holed up in a really magical cafe near the Galata Tower. Everyone that worked in this cafe was so sweet and nice and they literally fed us constantly for 3 hours straight. Of course we had the lentil soup, which was the best I had tasted. One snag though - the owner/chef would not give up the recipe! While his back was turned though, his waitress (my hero) rattled off all the ingredients she could remember. I quickly jotted them all down, but knew I would need more detail to complete the recipe...


Me and the cafe owner who is apparently going to take his soup recipe to the grave, laughing all the way (very evil man!). Galata Tower is in the background.

That night we ended up taking a ferry to Kadıköy and of course missed our ferry back (many ferries were missed in Istanbul) and ended up meeting Selçuk. This was very fitting as we were just discussing how we would get to the town of Selçuk the next day. Not only did Selçuk help us plan the rest of our trip, he also invited us to a dinner at his friend's pizzeria where we met a number of his sweet friends AND, most importantly, he later sent me the recipe for Mercimek Çorbasi. I have combined his recipe with what I jotted down at the cafe:


With Selçuk & buddies at the pizzeria


Thanks Selçuk for sharing your soup recipe (unlike a certain cafe owner)!

Mercimek Çorbasi (Turkish Red Lentil Soup)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup red lentil (masoor dal)
1 medium sized onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small potato, diced
1 carrot, diced small
~6 cups water or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if you can find the Turkish kind, that is best - more red and course in texture)
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
few grinds fresh black pepper
salt to taste
1 lemon
sumac spice
fresh mint leaves

Method:
Wash the red lentil until the water is clear. Then drain and set aside.

Heat oil in pot under medium flame. Fry onion until translucent and then fry garlic for a couple minutes. Next, mix in carrot and potato and fry for a couple minutes.

Add the drained lentils to the pot. Saute for few minutes and stir. Pour 6 cups water, add the mint, cumin, chili flakes, salt and pepper and boil it uncovered until vegetables and lentils get soft. This takes about 30 minutes over medium heat.

Ladle soup into a blender and puree. I blended 3/4 of the soup to keep some texture from vegetables.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and then pour it onto the soup and mix.

Serve in bowls with 1/8 lemon wedge and sprinkle chopped mint leaf and sumac spice on top.

I ate the soup with some crusty bread.

FEAST

What's been really fun about writing this blog is meeting so many other people that love to cook just as much as I do. I recently met Molly and David, a very cute couple who write One & Supp. In addition, to writing this cooking website, they also prepare the meal for a community dinner called FEAST, which stands for Funding Emerging Art with Sustainable Tactics. I attended FEAST this past Saturday and, for lack of better words, it was really cool! The event was held in a basement of a church in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with close to 250 people.

At FEAST, everyone pays a sliding scale to eat, drink, watch live performances and vote on a variety of art/community project proposals. The proposal with the most votes receives all of the money raised from entrance fees and at the next FEAST, they present how far they have come.

The food and drink served is all from local farms and businesses. For this dinner, Molly and David prepared a butternut squash soup with mushrooms and maple balsamic apples using produce from Satur Farms (yum!). There was also beer from Sixpoint Craft Ales and bread from the Grandaisy Bakery (I was very happy about this because I used to live down the street from this bakery on Sullivan Street and was certifiably crazy about it).

The winning project from this FEAST was "Green My Bodega" (which I voted for!). The idea behind this proposal is to connect local farms and CSAs with neighborhood bodegas in order to make fresh produce more accessible to the New York community. Yay to putting an end to gross yucky bodega veggies!

This really great group, Family Band, played there too: