ABCD's of Cooking - AMERICAN-BORN CONFUSED DESI RECIPES

Tamarind Rice with Black Beans & Cotija Cheese

July 3, 2010 Chitra Agrawal

Tamarind rice, also called puliogare (pully-oh-ga-ray), is a South Indian dish usually prepared with fried peanuts. Sabra and I came up with our own version of this rice by adding black beans, roasted pablano peppers, red onion and cotija cheese. So good!

Share on Tumblr

Posted in Autumn, Dinner, Events & Classes, Gluten-Free, Recipes Index, Rice, Sides, South Indian, Special Events, Spring, Summer, Vegetarian, Winter | Tagged greenpoint food market, puliogre, rice, tamarind | 5 Comments

How To Make Yogurt Two Ways

June 25, 2010 Chitra Agrawal

I grew up eating homemade yogurt – sounds spoiled, but it’s actually quite common in Indian households. My father makes the yogurt in our family most of the time. His mother, my beloved grandmother and Dadi as I call her, is #1 yogurt maker if I do say so myself. When our family visits her in India, she makes individual portions of yogurt for us all each day in little stainless steel containers – how cute is that?!

Share on Tumblr

Posted in Autumn, Gluten-Free, How-Tos, Popular, Recipes Index, Sides, Snacks, Spring, Summer, Vegetarian, Winter, Yogurts | Tagged crockpot, dahi, homemade yogurt, how to make yogurt, masaru, slow-cooker yogurt | 18 Comments

Tandoori Tofu Curry for Ediomi

June 18, 2010 Chitra Agrawal

A couple weekends ago, my friend Ediomi asked me to prepare a dish for her birthday/fundraising event to benefit her non-profit, Converse 4 A Cure. She founded this organization to raise awareness and educate people about Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) through art, fashion and entertainment. The overall mission is to capture the attention of those uninformed about the disease and to create innovative forums for discussion while raising funds for research.

I was thrilled to contribute to this event not only because Ediomi is a good friend but also because she lives with SCD. Sickle cell is an extremely painful disease and despite all she has experienced, Ediomi remains positive and continues to work tirelessly for the cause. She is an inspiration. And the lady is only 25!

For the event, I made a tandoori tofu curry and mint chutney. Since Ediomi is vegan, I prepared a non-dairy tandoori marinade with soy yogurt and also threw in some agave nectar because I know how much she loves the stuff:) The curry and chutney were served over jallof rice prepared by Ediomi’s mom. Jallof rice is eaten in Nigeria and a few other West African countries on special occasions. It’s made with bouillon, tomato paste, fresh onions, peppers and West African spices. Indian and Nigerian food make a good combo. In a later post I will share her mom’s recipe:

The event was a lot of fun and

Ediomi had three really great acts perform:

Black Circle Symphony

TaLONTED

Asha

Thanks for inviting Ediomi! Can’t wait for the next one:)

Lauren, Asha and me with Ediomi

To learn more about SCD, go here.

Vegan Tandoori Marinade
makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, chopped rough

2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh ginger
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

1 teaspoon roasted coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Kashmiri mirch or paprika
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon agave
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 1/2 cup plain flavored soy yogurt

Method:
Puree all ingredients except for yogurt in a blender. Mix in soy yogurt.

Tandoori Tofu Curry

Ingredients:

4 bell peppers – any color, chopped into medium size pieces:

3 14 oz packages of firm tofu, cubed evenly

1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
Vegan Tandoori Marinade
oil for frying
lemon
cilantro
salt

Method:
In one bowl coat the tofu with the marinade. Mixing by hand is good so that the tofu does not break.

In another bowl coat the bell peppers with marinade.

Refrigerate both for 3-4 hours or overnight.

After tofu and peppers are done marinating, fry onion and garlic and set aside.

In a non-stick pan, fry up the tofu. Place tofu cubes in the pan and cook until one side is brown and then carefully turn the tofu over until it is firm and browned. Try not to turn it too often or the tofu will break. Also just put one layer at a time and make sure at least one side of a piece of tofu is touching the bottom of the pan – no overlapping. This Is A Comprehensive List Of Survival Gear To Help You Start, Track And Grow Your Survival Tools And Equipment. Shop best camping plates https://rotorm.com/best-camping-plates/ at Rotorm.com – #1 selection of TOP camping & survival gear on the market! Depending on how much tofu, you may have to do a few batches. It gets kind of messy too so wear an apron:)

In another pan, fry up the peppers until cooked through.

Toss all of the ingredients together in a dish. Mix in some cilantro and a few squeezes of lemon. Add salt to taste.

*I’m sure baking also would work. Just use parchment paper when you do this so it does not stick.

Share on Tumblr

Posted in Appetizers, Autumn, Curry, Dinner, Gluten-Free, North Indian, Recipes Index, Sides, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter | Tagged Converse 4 A Cure, jallof rice, tandoori, tofu | 3 Comments

Indian Tea Sandwiches

June 11, 2010 Chitra Agrawal

The idea of tea time came to India from the British, but the tradition is still very much alive. I’ve always loved this time of day when visiting my grandmother. She makes it a point to serve tea and also some savory and sweet snacks every afternoon.

This past Sunday was my birthday and I wanted to make something for my friends to enjoy at the party so I decided to make tea sandwiches! Tea sandwiches made in Indian homes and in India usually have some spicey pickle or chutney inside, along with some sort of vegetable, cucumber or boiled potato and softened butter or cream cheese as a spread.

This is my recipe for tea sandwiches with mint chutney cream cheese and cucumber slices. Enjoy!

The mint chutney I made for these sandwiches is really simple and makes about 1 cup. It’s the kind that usually goes with samosas or fried foods and I first had it homemade when visiting my relatives in Delhi. This is my version:

Mint Chutney

Ingredients:

2 cups cilantro leaves and tender stems

1 cup mint leaves

2-3 green Indian green chilies or to taste

1 teaspoon cumin powder

pinch of hing or asafoetida

juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1/4 medium red onion

1/2 teaspoon agave or sugar or to taste

~1/3 cup water

Method:

Puree all ingredients in blender. Add water little by little as you blend and use less water for a chunkier chutney. As you blend the chutney, take breaks to scrapes the sides of the blender jar down and continue blending until you get to the consistency you want.

<br.

Indian green chilis (if you don’t have can use jalapeno):

Indian Tea Sandwiches

makes about 40 little sandwiches

Ingredients:

Loaf of bread (I like any grain or whole wheat variety)

8 ounces softened cream cheese

~4 ounces mint chutney

cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

salt

Method:

Mix softened cream cheese and mint chutney. You can add more or less mint chutney depending on taste and have some reserve to spoon a little more on top of the cucumber for extra spice. Add a little salt before closing the sandwich. This is how you make it:

Cut the bread into triangles or rectangles. For a variation, you can toast the bread.

Share on Tumblr

Posted in Appetizers, Breads, Chutneys & Pickles, Favorites, Lunch, North Indian, Recipes Index, Snacks, Spring, Summer, Vegetarian | Tagged mint chutney, tea sandwich | 2 Comments

Masala Loca in the New York Times!

June 4, 2010 Chitra Agrawal

The New York Times did an article on local food markets and they mentioned Masala Loca as one of the vendors at the Greenpoint Food Market “Worth Tasting.” It was already such a great experience for me and Sabra to sell at the market, but it’s definitely nice to hear that people enjoyed our food and recommend us:) The next GFM is June 26th and we will be there. Come out!

Noon – 5PM
Church of Messiah
129 Russell Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222

Share on Tumblr

Posted in Press & Features | Tagged greenpoint food market, masala loca, New York Times | Comments Off

Indian Tamales

June 3, 2010 Chitra Agrawal

I first made tamales with my friends Jo and Alana. We had maybe 10 different fillings which was really great because every tamale was different – seitan, greens, cheese, avocado, plaintains, beans, etc. It’s a fun activity to do with friends because you can sit and talk while you fill and wrap the tamale pouches. I found also that everyone has their own style – making them big or small, shaping them into little rectangles or rounder shapes, and either folding them over or tying the ends.

I had such a great time making those that I wanted to serve them at one of Sabra and my supper clubs, but add an Indian twist to them. Also, we both liked the idea of serving tamales to our guests because each one is like a personally wrapped gift. We had a practice session where we tried baking them (not my favorite) and steaming them (with a too small steamer, which I don’t recommend!).

By the time our dinner came around, we had figured out a good system. We ended up making the tamale dough with ghee instead of vegetable shortening. The ghee is a really good binder and of course tastes great! Also since we knew we would be making them the night before the dinner, we figured steaming (this time in a big steamer) would be the best option for reheating them. My friend Ben also had given the idea of frying them in their husks, which would also be a cool idea to try, but we had so many that steaming worked perfectly for us.

Me and Sabra’s tamale operation:

This was a baby tamale that we used as a tester. Very cute guy:

We filled one with tamarind chutney (recipe below) and a white melty cheese (mozzerella is good) and one with mustard greens, spinach and ramps curry (omit tofu) and jack cheese. We served them with a mint chutney and a makhani sauce or butter masala sauce (recipe below).

Indian Tamales (for 16 small tamales)

(this is basically the same directions on the masa bag, but with some tweaks.)

Ingredients:

2 cups masa flour (I used Maseca brand)

2 cups lukewarm broth or water

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup ghee

16 corn husks soaked in warm water for 2 hours or until soft.

Method:

Combine masa, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add in water and mix with your hands until you have a moist dough. Mix in ghee into the dough. You want the texture to be like a thick peanut butter so add flour or water to reach the correct consistency.

Take a corn husk and wipe it dry. Tear a thin piece from the side that you can use to tie the tamale when rolled up. Spread out the masa on to the corn husk with your hand to about 1/8 inch thickness. I spread mine to kind of like a square shape. Then put about 2 spoons of filling down the middle.

For the tamarind chutney tamales, 1/4 of the filling should be tamarind and the rest cheese as the tamarind has a strong and sweet flavor. For the mustard greens you can put half curry, half cheese.

Bring the two sides of the corn husk together. This is where the ghee came in handy because the two sides of the masa dough would bind together easily. You can help the binding a bit with your fingers and also close up the ends on each side also with your fingers.

Wrap the husk completely around and tie one end with the corn husk strip and fold the other side underneath the tamale.

Once you have tied all of your tamales, place them in a large steamer with the folded side on the bottom and pack them in tight so that they don’t fall over. Place water in a pot with the steamer basket on top, making sure no water is touching the tamales. Bring to a boil and then steam them under a medium/low heat for about an hour or until cooked and soft (you can play with the stove settings too, just check from time to time to see that there is enough water in the pot.) The tamales are done when they easily come off the husk and are one unit – should not be pastey or mushy.

Serve with mint chutney and makhani sauce.

To reheat, steam them for about 15 minutes or until soft again.

Tamarind Chutney, recipe courtesy of Chef Richard La Marita

This is an awesome recipe for tamarind chutney that I wanted to share, but for the tamales, we followed this recipe loosely and made the consistency more solid with a chunky texture, omitting the dissolving of tamarind paste in water and blending at the end.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup tamarind paste

1 1/2 cups hot water

1 tablespoon ghee or canola oil

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons grated ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

jaggery or brown sugar to taste

Method:

To make tamarind paste, take a block of tamarind and submerge in boiling water for 1 hour. Then crush it through a fine strainer with a wood spoon so you get only pulp with no seeds and fibers. You can store leftover pulp in your freezer. Tamarind block looks like this and you can buy it in an Indian or Mexican grocery store:

Mix the tamarind paste and hot water together to dissolve.

Heat the ghee or oil in small saute pan and saute the raisins and ginger until tender and raisins begin to brown. Add the spices and cook until fragrant, just a few seconds. Add the tamarind liquid, bring to a boil and remove from heat to cool.

Pour the tamarind spice-mixture into a blender. Blend until smooth. This should be quite liquidy, add more water if necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings to sweet-sour with jaggery or maple syrup as necessary.

Jaggery is concentrated cane juice that you can get at the Indian store.

Makhani Sauce (you can add 14 oz cubed paneer or tofu to make this a curry)

This sauce uses Kashmiri mirch which is a really bright red color chili powder from Northern India. It is similar to paprika in that it has a sweet kind of flavor to it.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter or ghee
1 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 inch piece ginger, grated

1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato puree

1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri mirch
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala

2 large pinches of dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi)
1/4-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (depending on your preference)
1 cup water
salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
cilantro for garnish

Method:

Heat butter or ghee under medium heat. Add onions and fry until golden brown. Add turmeric and mix well. Throw in garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds.

Add in crushed tomato or tomato puree and spices – Kashmiri mirch, chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Cook until oil starts to separate and then mix in the dried fenugreek leaves.

Add the water and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cream and bring to a boil under low heat. Mix in sugar optionally and top with cilantro.

Share on Tumblr

Posted in Autumn, Chutneys & Pickles, Dinner, Gluten-Free, How-Tos, Lunch, Mains, Vegetarian, Winter | Tagged indian, makhani, mint chutney, mustard greens, tamales, tamarind | 5 Comments

Greenpoint Food Market

May 26, 2010 Chitra Agrawal

This past Saturday, Sabra and I sold Indian tacos at the Greenpoint Food Market under our new name – Masala Loca. It was my first time selling at a market and it was really exciting. We made 200 tacos and sold out!

The market happens every month with about 50 vendors selling all sorts of foods – baked goods, empanadas, spreads, homemade soda, kimchi, etc. This is what it looked like:

We made two tacos in corn tortillas:

shahi paneer
gaucamole
crema made from yogurt and sour cream

black bean masala curry
mint chutney
cotija cheese

Sabra made this cutest Masala Loca sign:

I was really happy to see people enjoying our tacos. It was a lot of work to get everything cooked and set up, but we had so much fun. We will definitely be at the next one in June. Look for us!