Indian-Spiced Grilled Fish, Onion Bhajis & Rose Water Pudding

The week ended too quickly, with too many Indian recipes left to try, so tonight I made three! I told you this country's cuisine was one of my favorites...  Two recipes came from my cookbook, and the other I found online.

The fish recipe, from the Food Network website, was delicious despite falling apart on the grill - we forgot to buy skin-on filets. Oh well! We boiled the leftover marinade for drizzling and we'll probably mix the rest with some cooked rice for a nice side dish. It's just too good to toss out!

As for the onion bhajis, I can't believe it's taken me so long to try them. They're these amazing fritters, both savory and sweet. Bonus: The weather's so mild, I was able to fry them outdoors on the grill's side burner so the house doesn't smell!

The rose water pudding is still a mystery. It hasn't set yet! Rose water such a unique ingredient. (I had some rose water lemonade at a Greek deli in Seattle that was stunningly good.) I've never prepared anything with it personally, so I'm excited to try this treat. I licked the spoon when I finished making it, and I thought it was lovely. Hopefully, after tasting it cold and gelatinized, I'll feel the same! I'll add a comment to this post with the verdict, but it might have to wait till tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I've got a fantastic destination for the coming week and I'll announce it then. But, once again, I've gotten ahead of myself. Here's how I made tonight's three dishes:

FISH:
½ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp lemongrass, minced
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, grated
1 jalapeño, minced
1 onion, minced
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
¼ cup coconut milk
¼ cup oil
salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 white fish filets (mackerel, perch, flounder, etc.), skin on


Combine all the ingredients except the fish in a bowl and mix well. Then, add the fish and marinate for 15 minutes. Grill the fish for about 4-5 minutes per side, starting skin-side up. Baste often with the marinade.

BHAJIS:
¾ cup garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp ground coriander
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 jalapeño, minced
½ cup warm water
Salt, to taste
2 onions, finely sliced
Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)


Heat a few inches of oil in a deep pan or fryer to 375°.

Add all ingredients except the onions into a food processor and blend till smooth. Pour batter into a bowl and let sit in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Add the onions and deep fry them like fritters, about 2 Tbsp each, about 5 minutes till golden. Try not to make them too thick or the centers won't cook. Drain well on paper towels, and serve them hot sprinkled with the fresh herbs.

I bet this pudding will be delicious!

PUDDING:

2½ cups milk

1 envelope (¼ oz.) powdered unflavored gelatin
3 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp rose water

Bring the milk almost to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and allow it soften for 2-3 minutes. When the milk is hot, add the gelatin and sugar and stir till completely dissolved. Then mix in the rose water. Remove from the heat and whisk till cooled slightly and frothy. Pour the pudding into either single-serving bowls or a larger one, if desired. Refrigerate till completely set.

Cook's Note: The original recipe for the rose water pudding uses a few drops of red food-coloring to make half the mixture pink. That is poured into the dishes and chilled for about a half hour till partially set. Then the white layer is added, after being kept warm till the pink layer is ready. Then the pudding goes back in the fridge till completely set.

Moghul Duck

Wow, this dish was definitely worth the wait!

I love duck but I've never cooked it, so I've been eager to find a recipe for this blog that uses it. When I read this one, it sounded perfect. Not only because I already had most of the ingredients in my fridge and pantry, but because of the flavors I love so much. Coconut, ginger, garlic, cumin - these are a few of my all-time favorites, and they meld beautifully in this recipe, which is named for the Moghul empire that ruled India for more than 300 years.

Once again, my trusty specialty meat market, Roma Imports in Latham, had several boneless duck breasts in stock. They were about a pound each, so I only needed to purchase one for this dish. If you're concerned that's not a lot of meat, it's plenty and you can easily serve 2-4 people, especially if you're serving it with bread or rice. Be sure to completely remove the fat cap and as much silver skin as you can to help keep the duck tender.

For tomorrow, I'm planning an Indian feast complete with dessert! Some of those recipes, and tonight's, are from my cookbook. For tomorrow's main dish, though, I've found a fish recipe on the Food Network's website.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. This delectable duck deserves its due! So, here's how I made it:

Nut Masala:
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
¾ cup cashew nuts
¼ cup boiling water

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the four spices and sauté till golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a couple minutes more. Put the spice mixture in a food processor with the nuts and water. Carefully blend into a smooth paste (if you're concerned the hot mixture will splash, then allow it to cool slightly). Set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Duck:
1 lb. boneless duck breast, cut into thin strips
4 Tbsp oil, divided
1 onion, minced
Prepared Nut Masala
1 tsp ground turmeric

⅔ cup plain low-fat yogurt

¼ fat-free half-and-half

⅔ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
½ cup golden raisins
⅓ cup cashew nuts
1 green jalapeño, seeded and minced
Fresh cilantro or parsley, minced (optional)

Heat 3 Tbsp of oil over high heat and sauté the duck till browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Turn down the heat to medium-high and sauté the onion in the same pan till golden and soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in the prepared Nut Masala and turmeric and sauté another couple minutes.

Next, add in the yogurt, half-and-half, coconut and raisins and mix well. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes till the duck is cooked and tender. Just before you're ready to serve it, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp oil in a small pan and sauté the cashews till golden, just 2-3 minutes. Add the jalapeño and sauté for a couple minutes more. Spoon some of this mixture on top of each serving and sprinkle with the herbs.

Cook's Note: There are many Indian breads and rice dishes that would pair wonderfully with this dish. I actually had some of the Mauritian bread I made in the freezer that needed eating, so I used that (as promised, it kept beautifully and thawed perfectly). But, feel free to experiment on your own. The recipes are easy to find, and none look too difficult. Happy cooking!

My bad...

Sorry, folks! I'd planned to prepare my second recipe tonight, but discovered too late that I'd run out of a couple key ingredients. That means I'll be posting recipes for the next two nights, before I pick our next destination on Sunday. Cheers!

EkoBrew

OK, I know I'm supposed to be blogging about India this week, but my wife made the most incredible discovery at the grocery store!

EkoBrew, have you seen it? Like many of my friends, I'm addicted to my Keurig® single cup coffee brewer, but I hate how expensive the K-cups are and throwing away all those little plastic cups. They aren't recyclable.

When I tweeted Keurig about that, probably a year ago now (using a different account than this one), they responded that they were working on downstream solutions. I'm glad that's the case but, thankfully, I don't have to wait any longer.

There are other reusable filters available, but we couldn't get them to work consistently. Even with Keurig's unit, More often than not, the water would overflow and we'd end up with a bunch of grounds in a cup of weakly brewed coffee. (First world pains, I know.)

Not so with EkoBrew. Perhaps the secret to EkoBrew's success is that you don't have to remove the part of the brewer that holds the K-cup, like you do with other reusable filters. With those, you have to snap out the usual holder and replace it with a temporary one.

Honestly? I don't know why EkoBrew works so much better, but it does. So now, we can enjoy our (current) favorite coffee, Starbuck's new Blonde roasts, and save some cash.

Kashmir Meatball Curry & Fragrant Fried Rice

I've decided to tackle India from north to south. So, my first dish is from the northern, temperate region described in yesterday's post.

Cardamom Pods (en.wikipedia.org)

Kashmir, a hotly disputed territory between India, Pakistan and the People's Republic of China ever since British rule of the subcontinent ended in 1947, is credited as "home" for these curried lamb meatballs. They're easy to make - and absolutely delicious - but they did require a somewhat heavy lift by my spice cabinet.

I tried to substitute certain spices, like whole cloves and cardamom pods, with ground versions rather than buy "duplicative" items. Honestly, I probably should invest in some whole cloves. The cardamom substituted with no problems, but cloves are a uniquely pungent spice that is tricky to moderate. Just a pinch of ground cloves overpowered even the garam masala. Live and learn...

If that wasn't enough, my rice dish also gave me problems! I cooked the rice for twice the amount of time as instructed and it still came out crunchy. That's never happened to me before! Frankly, I was starving, thanks to the delectable aromas from these dishes, so I couldn't wait. I scooped some of the cauliflower and onions off the top and left the rice to finish. Even without the rice, it was amazingly good.

Whole Cloves (en.wikipedia.org)

These dishes are well paired, using many of the same seasonings, and I highly recommend them both - even with all tonight's minor snafus. So, here's how I made them:

LAMB:
1½ lbs. ground lamb
¼ cup garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
3 Tbsp. Garam Masala
¼ tsp ground cayenne
Salt, to taste
6 Tbsp plain fat-free yogurt, divided
2 Tbsp oil
3-inch cinnamon stick
½ tsp ground cardamom (or 6 green pods, bruised)
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves (I used probably ⅛ tsp of ground, and it was too much.)
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 cup water
Fresh cilantro or parsley, minced, for garnish (optional)

RICE:
1¼ cups basmati rice, rinsed
2½ cups water
3 Tbsp oil
8 whole cloves (I used the tiniest pinch of ground, and it was actually OK.)
¼ tsp ground cardamom (or 4 black pods, bruised)
1 bay leaf
3-inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
Salt, to taste
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
1 small onion, sliced into rings

Rinse the rice in a sieve till the water runs clear, then soak it in a bowl with 2½ cups of water for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs by combining the lamb, flour, Garam Masala, cayenne, salt and 3 Tbsp of the yogurt in a bowl. Mix well and shape into 16 oblong meatballs.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, bay and cloves and sauté for about 30 seconds before adding the meatballs to the seasoned oil. Brown them well on all sides, about 5 minutes. Then, add the ginger and cook for a couple minutes more. If the meatballs have released a lot of grease, try to skim off as much as possible before proceeding. 

Mix the remaining 3 Tbsp of yogurt with the water and add it to the pan. Bring to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer till the meatballs are cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. (Cook's Note: If your sauce doesn't come out creamy, try it in reverse. Add some of the cooking liquid to a ½ cup of yogurt and blend well. Be sure you skim the oil from the cooking liquid, or you might end up with the same problem.)

While the meatballs cook, finish preparing the rice. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cloves, cardamom, bay, cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin and coriander. Sauté for about 30 seconds, then add the onion and cook them till soft, for about 5 minutes.

Drain the rice, reserving the soaking water. Fry the rice with the onions and seasoned oil for a few minutes till lightly golden. Add the reserved water, salt and cauliflower. Bring to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer till the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked, about 12 to 15 minutes (in theory).

When everything is ready, add the fresh herbs to the meatballs, serve and enjoy!

India's Diverse Cuisines

As I'd hoped, my Book of Curries & Indian Foods by Linda Fraser, which I've had for ages, contains a succinct explanation of the various influences upon India's cuisine.

In a country with scores of religions, both original and imported, each sect has its own traditions. For example, Muslims and Jews don't eat pork, and Sikhs don't eat beef. Hindus also don't eat beef and, while many are strict vegetarians, others regularly eat fish and shellfish. Plus, "the imaginative use of spices see Indian cooking apart from other cuisines," an assertion by Fraser with which I wholeheartedly agree! But, covering more than a million square miles, topography plays perhaps the biggest role in shaping India's cooking styles.

Even though the book was originally published in 1989, based on what I could find online (here mostly), I think it's still generally accurate and I've inserted extra comments [in square brackets] into the quotations below.

According to the author, "In the north [near Kashmir (populated mainly by Hindus and Buddhists)], where the climate is temperate, sheep are reared - and the dishes are generally cooked slowly in the oven. Traveling south through Delhi and the Punjab [where the Anglo influence is stronger], the diet becomes richer - here they cook mainly with ghee (a clarified butter) and eat both goat and chicken. In these regions, instead of rice, the preference is for breads such as chapatis and parathas."

As you continue to venture further south, the cuisine changes yet again. Fraser continues, "To the east around the Bay of Bengal, there is an abundance of fish from the many rivers and, of course, from the bay itself. Coconut palms grow in the hot and humid climate, so coconut also features strongly in many of their recipes. On the west coast, in Gujarat, the people mainly are vegetarian, eating lots of beans and peas as well as vegetables and in Tamil Nadu in the far southeast, the people are also vegetarian [and change eating habits seasonally, using local produce, like mangoes, when they're freshest. The word "curry" is derived from a Tamil word kari, meaning an additive or side dish to the main course]."

The author concludes her regional assessment of India with, "The humid tropical conditions of the southwest, in Goa and Malabar, mean that date and coconut palms, and banana plants flourish. Here there is also plenty of fish and shellfish [and the food has more international flair, due to the many tourists that visit here]."

Starting tomorrow, I'll begin preparing my dishes, hopefully highlighting the limitless variety of Indian cooking. Stay tuned!

Week #9: India

I'm SO excited for this week's destination!

Indian food is among my most favorite, and I'm eager to explore and learn more about the variety of regional, cultural and religious influences to this country's cuisine.

I've reached out to a few friends who either live(d) or travel there frequently, so hopefully they'll provide some invaluable guidance.

Also, I'll carefully review the Indian cookbook I own to see what that says and what looks appealing.

Stay tuned for what should be a delicious week!

Frozen Key Lime Pie

I mentioned at the start of my Floridian week that I'd recently enjoyed a vegan key lime pie at a dinner party. Unfortunately, our friends can't find the recipe they used so I can't share it here. But, I've developed a craving for key lime pie during the week, so I've found a suitable alternative. It's not vegan, but it's a Ina Garten's recipe (with a very slight deviation), so you know it'll be good, right?! Wonderfully tart. It could have used longer in the freezer (I only managed about 4 hours, and you can see from the picture that it began melting quickly), but it was still delish!

As for that vegan dessert, I do remember how they made the non-dairy whipped cream. They placed an unshaken can of coconut milk in the fridge for at least 24 hours. By the time they were ready to whip it and removed it from the can, the white solids had separated completely from the syrupy liquid. That liquid can be set aside for another use. They placed the solids in a bowl with some icing sugar (to taste) and whipped them with a handmixer till they were fluffy and the sugar was blended throughout. Brilliant! I doubt it's a low-fat alternative, but it was mighty tasty! And, now you know how they did it.

Full disclosure: I cheated and used a pre-made graham cracker crust for today's recipe, since I'm also preparing our St. Patrick's Day dinner and wanted to save some time, so you'll have to refer to Ina's recipe at the link above to see how she makes her homemade version. Also, this is a no-bake pie, but the prolonged beating with the sugar "cooks" the egg yolks, so no worries.

Anyhoo, here's how I made it:

6 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp lime zest
The juice from 1 lb bag of key limes + 1 regular lime (about ¾ cup)
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Beat the egg yolks, sugar and lime zest with an electric mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes until thick and creamy. Lower the speed to medium and add the condensed milk and lime juice till blended. Pour into the prepared crust and freeze for several hours (or overnight if you can). Serve with whipped cream, and enjoy!

Alligator Scallopini Dijon

Well, I promised you a Floridian dish with real bite, and here it is!

Do not be afraid of alligator meat if you haven't tried it before. It's similar in texture and appearance to pork and has a very mild flavor that's not at all gamey!

If you locals want to give it a try, there are a few more packages of it at Roma Imports in Latham, where I bought mine. They ordered 5 lbs., but I only needed 1 lb. for this recipe. It comes frozen and pre-packaged in 1-lb. bags.

Nutritionally, it's lean meat. My package contained four roughly 4-oz. cutlets and each one has only 177 calories, with no trans fat and just 74 mg of cholesterol. (The daily recommended intake for cholesterol is 200 mg for people at risk of heart disease; for healthier hearts, 300 mg per day is OK.) Pounding those cutlets into paillards helped keep them nice and tender.

Unfortunately, this particular supplier does add some salt and a preservative to their gator meat, and they don't provide sodium stats. It didn't taste overly salty but, if you're tracking sodium intake, you can't really know for sure how much is in there.

It took no time at all to prepare this recipe, and it came out amazingly good. The sauce is divine! Honestly, I'd make a batch of just sauce to eat over rice or pasta, it's that's good. The original recipe calls for brandy and shallots, but I used sherry and onion since we had those on hand. (Really, any fortified wine will taste just fine.)

Here's how I made it:

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4-6 Tbsp flour
1 lb. alligator cutlets (about 4), pounded thin (I used a freezer bag and my rolling pin.)
1 small onion, minced

¼ cup sherry
1 can (10 oz) low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
¾ cup fat-free half-and-half
3 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp mustard seed (optional)
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, minced, for garnish

Lightly coat the alligator paillards with flour on each side. In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat till bubbly. Sauté the meat for about a minute on each side, just till they're golden brown. Set the meat aside on a plate and keep it warm. Next, sauté the onion in the same skillet for a couple minutes, also till golden, then deglaze the pan using the sherry. Make sure you scrape up the browned bits from the pan!

Reduce the heat slightly, and add the soup, half-and-half, mustard(s) and pepper till well blended. Return the meat and any juices to the pan. Simmer for a few minutes longer to ensure the meat is cooked (it won't need long, since it's so thin). Add the parsley, and serve!

Orange Muffins

What's breakfast in this country without orange juice? So, I decided to make a breakfast that includes my juice. These orange muffins taste bright and tangy, and I read somewhere recently that the ideal breakfast totals around 250 calories. Without doing the math, I'd venture a guess that these beauties come pretty close to that mark. (Granted, I probably should swap the sugar in these for protein or whole grains, but I definitely could do worse.)

The original recipe came from one of my favorite cookbooks - "750 Best Muffin Recipes" - which I bought when a local bookstore went out of business. I guess I'm the old fashioned sort, with a preference for hand-me-down cookbooks with smudges, dog-eared pages and notes in the margins. But, also being frugally minded, I rarely indulge in printed cookbooks these days. I'm glad, however, that I made an exception and bought this one.

I discovered at baking time that I was missing an ingredient, whole-milk plain yogurt. I did have, however, a tub of light sour cream that needed using, so I swapped it in. Honestly, I doubt you could tell the difference. My muffins are missing a few probiotics, I suppose, but they're tasty nonetheless! Also, I skipped the glaze, since I didn't see the need for the added calories.

Here's how I made them:

Zest of 2 oranges (about ¼ cup)
2-3 Tbsp orange juice, freshly squeezed
½ cup sugar, divided in half
2 cups flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
⅓ cup extra-virgin or light tasting olive oil
1½ cups low-fat sour cream

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Combine the orange zest, juice and ¼ cup of the sugar in a small saucepan and  simmer over medium heat till the sugar dissolves. Let cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, blend together the orange syrup, eggs, remaining ¼ cup of sugar, oil and sour cream. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just till combined.

Divide the batter between 12-16 regular sized muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes till golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cook's Note: If you decide to glaze them, whisk together 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tsp orange zest and 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice. Drizzle the glaze over the warm muffins and let cool.