Dinner Courses

I wrote about our dear friend’s dinner on this post last year. The 7 course Italian dinners that Janet and Phifinne make are remarkable – taste, ambiance, warmth are all to perfection. I have always wanted to try and replicate the course style entertaining but it somehow just doesn’t fit in our Indian setting. First there is drinking with heavy snacks which seem never ending. This followed, not before 10pm, by a buffet spread with heavy gravy dishes ending with the essential sweet dish. Leaving early is an insult to the host so there is no way to excuse yourself and staying for dinner is followed by, “please wait, I am serving the dessert in just two minutes.”

After a year I finally got around to hosting my sit-down dinner, the drawback of which is space. Our table holds at the most 8 people so only 3 couples could be invited. The planning and cooking were as much fun as the actual dinner.

Indians like Indian food. They have adapted their pastas, pizzas and stir-frys to their taste and in the end they prefer to have a desi flavour. When planning the menu, I found it difficult to make everything bland – not because of the guests but because of my taste as well(I am desi afterall). I made it a mix of American(Thanksgiving was around the corner) and European, but the food seemed too bland. I added a prawns rechado, a Goan dish, to give it a bit of zing.

My menu was:
1st course: spaghetti with marinara sauce
2nd course: salad
3rd course: roast chicken, maple-glazed sweet potatoes, beet and prune salad, spinach and cheese casserole, and prawns rechado.
4rth course: tiramisu, pecan pie
5th course: coffee with chocolates

No one opted for the coffee course and I omitted the fruit course, just because there was just too much food.All in all everything went well and I was happy with the outcome. If I were to do it again I would have more Indian food – perhaps an entire Goan theme. Stay tuned.

Here are a few recipes I made that day:
Beet and Prune Salad
Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Prawns Rechado
Tiramasu
Pecan Pie

Fo, Fo and More Fo

An editor asked me to write a story on the Goan custom of making poha for Diwali. She thought since I was a Konkani, I would know the custom – I didn’t. I called up my aunt, a wonderful cook who knows practically everything about food, to ask her for info. She gave me poha recipes but the dishes are made not on Diwali, but on Krishnashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna. I didn’t know there were so many poha recipes and so many special daysfor them to be prepared!

 I called a friend who grew up Goa and she told me about all the Goan Diwali customs, including the making of 5 different fau(the Konkani word for poha and pronounced fo) on Diwali day. Armed with the recipes and the history behind their being made on this particular day, I was ready to cook for my story. I made 5 different pohas. Dahi poha, milk poha and batata poha were easy to make. Even rosathle fau – poha in coconut milk and liquid gur is a simple recipe. For the kaliyale fau or mixed poha, there has to be a special masala made, but aside from this, this poha is also not difficult to make. Apparently, the morning meal of poha was not supposed to take too muh time to make because so many other preparations for Diwali needed to be done by the women on that day, so they purposely kept simple.



Rosathlefau(coconut milk poha)

 No one in my family wanted to eat the pohas that I made, so it was just me and the poha and I ate quite a bit – not wanting to waste, of course. I loved the coconut milk poha, the mixed poha and surprisingly the milk poha. It was soothing, meaty, and with just a little salt, it was a perfect filling and healthy snack. I kept thinking -- I wish my kids would eat this!

However, by the end of the day I had enough of poha and felt like I had come concrete in my stomach. I forgot the rule of moderation that day and was reminded that too much a good thing is no longer a good thing! Check out my Goan Diwali story in Pune Mirror here.

Tahini

Tahini Sauce, Baba Ghanoush, Sesame Maple Toasted Tofu
I love hummus. I am however, left alone in my tastes at home. It is difficult to make only a little hummus, so when I do make a batch of hummus I need to distribute it to other hummus lovers – or at least non-haters.

Tahini, sesame paste that is a key ingredient in hummus, is only available in large bottles and on more than one occasion I have had to throw the bottle out not fully used – only a little is needed to make a batch of hummus.

I researched some uses for tahini and found that sesame paste is quite versatile. I was kicking myself for not finding all these recipes earlier. Tahini sauce is made thinner than the paste in the jar, and can be used as a sandwich spread, dip, or marinade. It is a much healthier option than mayonnaise, and it can be even used as an instant dip which you can eat with cut veggies. Store in an airtight container and it will stay well in the fridge for a week.

Tahini Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 gloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped

Method:
In a mixer combine garlic and tahini. Add salt.
Remove from food processor and add olive oil and lemon juice. If too thick, add a teaspoon of warm water until desired consistency. Mix in parsely

Baba Ghanoush
For those who may think it that this dish is bhaingan ka bartha in disguise – it is not. My kids eat this, which actually pleasantly surprises me. The bhaigan is diluted with lots of lemon, extra virgin olive oil and the distinct taste and texture of tahini. The recipe is adapted from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1 clove garlic
1/4 - 1/2 cup lemon juice (depending on taste)
3 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons olive oil
 Garnish
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake eggplant for 30 minutes, or until outside is crisp and inside is soft.
Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Cut open eggplant and scoop out the flesh into colander and allow to drain for 10 minutes. Removing the excess liquid helps to eliminate a bitter flavor.
Place eggplant flesh in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mash together. You can also use a food processor instead of by hand. Pulse for about 2 minutes.
Place in serving bowl and top with lemon juice and olive oil. Add other garnishes according to taste.
Serve with warm or toasted pita or flatbread. Enjoy!

Baba ghanoush always has to have olive oil on top for garnish. However you can spice things up a bit by adding crushed red pepper, a dash of cumin, parsley or coriander

Sesame Maple Roasted Tofu(adapted from http://www.recipeland.com/)
Ingredients:
1 package extra firm tofu, rinsed and patted dry and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium red onion, sliced
2 tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp cider vinegar
3 cups snap peas
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss tofu, onion, canola oil, sesame oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast until the tofu is lightly golden on top and the onions are browning in spots, 15 to 20 minutes. Whisk tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup and vinegar in a small dish until combined.

Remove the tofu from the oven, add snap peas and drizzle with the maple sauce; stir to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Return to the oven and continue roasting until the peas are crisp-tender, 8 to 12 minutes more.

Layers and Layers of Bebinca

Ravish Arora

Goa was a place we visited often as kids, mainly for a pilgrimage to our family deity. It was not the typical beach holiday that Goa signifies now. We stayed at relatives’ homes, never swam on the beach, always ate vegetarian food for the many pujas we had come to perform, and we had never even heard of bebinca, My parents who both grew up a just a bit south of Goa in the coastal town of Kumta, had never heard of the famous Goan dessert either. Desserts made with eggs and that required an oven were not the norm in those days, they said.



Bebinca batter

 I first tried bebinca a few years ago on a holiday(finally a beach holiday to Goa) and was hooked. There was something about the texture of this dessert that was unusual – not as soft and creamy as custard, not as spongy as cake, the feel and delicate, not too sweet taste was entirely distinct – and this taste and texture was a perfect ending after eating a spicy prawn curry.


I always wondered how the multiple layers were formed, and once idly took a fork and broke apart all 16 layers – just for fun. 

Adding the Layers

Ravish Arora, a well known restaurateur, in Pune recently hosted a cooking demonstration for the annual Pune Unplugged week.This year the theme was Goan Food. Ravish and his team at Red Carpet Academy made quite an effort setting the mood with Goan music, costumes, refreshing coconut water and plenty of seafood.

Prawns Rechado, Fish Caldinho, Chicken Cafrael, Mushroom Xacuti and of course Bebinca were on the learning menu, and Ravish as usual, did a thorough job in teaching each dish.

The Final Product

Bebinca is not a difficult dish to make – there is only one basic batter. What is needed however, is patience. Each layer is set in the oven for 10-12 minutes. After the first layer is finished the baking dish is taken out of the oven and a heaping tablespoon of ghee is spread on top. Then one more layer of batter is added and put back in the oven to set. This process is carefully repeated a minimum of 7 times with the traditional bebincas having 16 layers. The baking dish should be taken out of the oven at the correct time, so plan to be busy cooking something else in the kitchen in the meanwhile. You would think that a couple of layers would have burnt by the end, but quite the contrary is true – the layers get properly caramelized and that is why there is a colour difference in each layer, the bottom layers being darker.

 Alas -- after 7 layers the bebinca is ready. But not so fast – the dish has to rest and set for at least 12 hours before it is ready to be cut and served. Good things come to those who wait but lucky for us, Ravish had bebinca waiting for us to eat – I don’t think I could have waited another 12 hours!

Bebinca
Ingredients
Grated Coconut -- 200 gms
Sugar -- 400 gms
Egg Yolk -- 10
Flour -- 100 gms
Salt -- 2gm
Nutmeg or Cardomom powder -- 3 gms
Melted Ghee -- 125 gms

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Extract 1 cup of thick coconut milk by grinding the coconut with one cup warm water. Grind the coconut again with 1 cup of water and extract 1 cup of thin coconut milk.
3. Dissolve the sugar in thin coconut milk in a pann over low heat. Keep aside to cool. Mix the egg yolks a littel at a time. Stir in thethin coconut milk. Add flour, salt, nutmeg/cardomom powder. Mix well until a smooth batter is formed. Strain.
4. Pour 3 tbs ghee into a round 7" deep baking tin and then pour 1 cup batter over the ghee. Bak for 10 minutes til set and top is golden. Pour 1 tbsp ghee over the baked layer and then 3/4 cup batter. Bake ti again until top is gloden. Continue process till all the batter is used up. There should be 7 layers.
5. When cool turn the bebinca onto a platter. Leave aside for 12 hours before slicing.

Beets -- Plain and Simple

Beets with Balsamic Vinegar Glaze, Beet- Orange Salad, Beet-Walnut and Prune Salad

I don’t know too many individuals who are fond of beets. If more people liked them, there would be more beet based foods -- beet koshimbir(salad) and beet pattice are the only foods that come to mind. Neither of these of which is appealing, and I can see why people don’t like them. But this deep purplish- red vegetable has not got its proper due.

Actually plain cut beets taste wonderful and should be and kept on the table more often – I just don’t understand why my family won’t even eat more than 2 measly pieces I put on their plates. Beets are high in vitamin C, potassium, iron and foliate and have no bitter taste.

In Paris beets are commonly on the menu of fine dining establishments and this summer it seems every food blogger was writing about beets and beet greens. The powerful sweet zest makes stand alone dishes of just beets too strong for our spicy Indian palate. And frankly beets do taste better as an accompanying ingredient in salads and side-dishes.

The first recipe, adapted from Simply Recipes is just roasted beets with an amazing balsamic vinegar glaze -- you can't eat too many of these and one large beet will be enough for 3-4 people and you’ll find that you don’t need so much glaze as the roasted beets taste great alone. Roasting beets give them a soft texture -- the taste is somewhat caramelized and the result is much better than boiling, but if roasting is not possible, then go ahead and boil .

Balsamic Glaze

Roasted with Balsamic Glaze
Ingredients:
• ½ kg red beets, medium sized, scrubbed clean, green tops removed (see beet greens recipe for what to do with beet greens)
• Olive oil
• Salt
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place the beets in the pan. Rub olive oil over the beets, and sprinkle with salt. Cover the beets with another sheet of aluminum foil. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the beets and how old they are. After 45 minutes, test every fifteen minutes by poking a beet with a fork. Once the fork tines go in easily, the beets are tender and cooked. Remove from the oven.

2. While the beets are cooling, prepare the balsamic glaze. In a small, shallow sauté pan, add the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Heat on high until the vinegar has reduced to a syrup consistency. Remove from heat.

3. After the beets have cooled for several minutes, peel off the outer skins and discard. Cut the beets into quarters or more, bite-sized pieces.

4. Place beets in a serving bowl. Pour balsamic glaze over the beets. Stir in grated orange zest, and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a little orange zest to serve.

Beet, Walnut and Prune Salad (Adapted from www.healthy-beets.com)

This recipe called for putting the beets through the mixer but I cut them instead.
Ingredients:
3 large beets or 4 small
10 pitted prunes
¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped
3 medium-size garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons quality mayonnaise
1/3 cup brandy
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Wrap the beet in aluminum foil and bake until tender, 40 minutes to 1 hour

2. Bring the brandy to a boil in a small saucepan, and pour over the prunes in a bowl. Let soak for 20-30 minutes. (Use hot water instead of brandy if you don't have). Remove the prunes from brandy, and reserve the brandy.

3. Chop the prunes finely, or cut into quarters, depending on taste.

4. Peel the beets when cool enough to handle, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Do not puree.

6. In a large bowl, toss the beets with walnuts, prunes, lemon juice, garlic and 2 tablespoons of reserved brandy. Add mayonnaise or olive oil, and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, if desired.
Refrigerate the salad for a few hours before serving. It can also be made a day in advance.

Beet-Orange Salad
Oranges complement beets and there are a plenty of recipes using oranges and beets as the base of the salad. Click here for an excellent recipe from the Food Network. I use olive oil instead of hazelnut oil and pistachios instead of hazenuts.

How Long Do You Take For lunch?

In most parts of the world, the midday meal has been the most important meal of the day. This is not to compete with breakfast which is more important from a nutritional standpoint -- but rather from a culinary, social, and now, a historical point of view. I write, “now historical,” because traditional lunches in most cultures are fading -- lunches where the entire family gathers around the table to eat a four or five course meal.

Recent statistics find that the French, renowned for their long leisurely lunches with bottles of wine and arrays of dishes flowing in one after the other, spend only an average of 22 minutes for lunch! This is quite a change from 20 years ago when that number was 1.5 hours -- minimum. Longer commute times and ill economic effects of the 35 hour work week are to blame, but the French are still better than their British counterparts who average only 16 minutes for their lunch break.

There are no exact statistics on how many minutes we Indians take for lunch. Unfortunately with longer work hours and commute times, and more women in the workforce, I am sure, like France, it has shrunk considerably from 20 years prior.

When I first moved to India 20 years ago and lived in a joint family, we ate lunch together. My in-laws, both physicians, would finish their surgeries and OPDs in the mornings and be ready for lunch, latest by 12:30pm. My husband’s workplace was nearby and it was my job to call him until he actually arrived home to eat. After about a week, no one waited for him and I also did not like my job of calling him and pestering him– his timing was unpredictable but he would eat lunch with the family at least 50 percent of the time. The lunch was elaborate by Maharashtrian standards – one vegetable, one usal(pulses), one salad, dal, chutney, pickles, roti(bread) and rice , curds and usually something sweet. If there was nothing sweet then a shikrand(banana in milk and sugar) was made for those who wanted it(never me).

We all have separate homes now and within the separate homes, barring Sundays, it is rare that lunch is eaten with any company at all, let alone the entire family. Maybe some joint families still do have food together, but usually kids are in school and husbands are at work, shrinking the family size considerably. The entire thali spread is also not made – one item to go with the roti usually suffices.

We do have one thing going for us – dabbawallahs. CEOs, Presidents, and other head honchos who can eat at a 5-star restaurant everyday, still prefer a home cooked meal and dubbas – whether classic tiered steel or nouveaux Tupperware, allow us to get a home cooked meal wherever we are. Either delivered or packed from home – our dabba system allows for wholesome homemade food to be eaten for lunch, even if that lunch time is short.

Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge

I have always liked Chinese food. But after returning from a trip China, I found myself missing the authentic Chinese meals so much, I had to learn how to cook them – the Chinese way. Chinese food in Pune was always Mainland China or Ahling, or an occasional hakka noodles made at home – all okay once in a while.

Growing up in the US it was pu-pu platter and any spicy schezwan curry. Pu-pu platter is an appetizer, which I think is banned now for its transfats or at least it should be – bright red spare ribs, large fried egg rolls, chicken wings and fried wontons served with sweet duck sauce on a large platter with a flame in the middle so we could reheat the meats.

In China I found myself eating Chinese every meal(barring breakfasts which are still not to my liking). I did have other choices, my husband always seemed to want some food other than Chinese such as Italian or even KFC(he can’t eat the same food more than a couple days) but I was hooked on the local Chinese preparations.

Being a bit weary of the offal and dubious meat that the Chinese are known for eating I decided that I would eat only vegetarian food for the trip but when I saw the fresh fish available at most restaurants I did add fish to my holiday menu, but more than the fish however, were the fresh vegetable preparations that got me hooked to the flavours of China. And in all three places that we visited – Beijing, Shanghai and Guilin did I find the same treatment to the vegetables. They were crunchy, no heavy sauces, but the taste, textures and were so flavourful that I found myself mopping up all the rice that came as an accompaniment.

Chinese cooking in India is heavy – fried foods with vegetables cut so thin they lose their crunch value – but everyone loves it and after our regular Desi khanna, Chinese is the preferred cuisine.

Although American, I found that Grace Young’s books allow me closely resemble the tastes that I experienced in China. The recipes are also easily doable at home and the ingredients are available locally at Fine Foods or Providore.

Her latest book, Stir-frying to the Sky’s Edge is on the expensive side but I have made enough recipes that I feel I got my money’s worth. The book is thorough and leaves no question unanswered. The author's tips and detailed explanations have allowed me to replicate a few tastes I enjoyed in China. Stir-frying, I found is actually a very healthy way to cook calling for an abundance of fresh vegetables and little meat. The recipes do contain more oil than I would like, and I found that using a little less than mentioned does not alter the recipes  -- and moreover the meals are  appreciated by my well-palated family.