Eggplant With Yogurt

Here is a clever side dish that can also do double duty as a dip. Add creamy whipped yogurt to cooled roasted eggplant. Sprinkle sweet minced shallots and some chopped red chillies for some heat. Mix rest of the ingredients, let sit in the fridge overnight for all the flavours to mingle. This can be served as a side dish with a spicy curry and rice or as a dip with pita chips. Happy Holidays Everyone!



Eggplant With Yogurt
6 small eggplants
1/2 tb oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tb fresh lime juice
2 red chillies - finely chopped
2 small shallots - finely chopped
4 tb plain thick yogurt
1 tb finely chopped cilantro
salt to taste

Cut eggplants in half. Sprinkle turmeric powder and oil on cut halves and place on a baking sheet cut side down. Roast for 30 minutes ( at 400 degrees) and set aside to cool .
When the roasted eggplants are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh on place in a large bowl. Mash it well.

Add the rest of the ingredients with mashed eggplant and stir well. This side dish is best served at room temperature. Serves 4/5.

Coconut scones with homemade raspberry jam

These hearty scones flecked with sweetened coconut are wonderful treats in the morning, warm straight out of the oven and accompanied by a steaming mug of sweetened coffee ( that is how I like my coffee). It is the perfect antidote to a rainy winter morning. I made large dimples on the scones so that each wedge will have its own generous dallop of thick raspberry jam that I made using local raspberries that were abundant in the farmers' market this past summer.

I've used unbleached flour here instead of bleached flour. Unbleached flour basically means ground wheat flour that is not oxidized and treated with chemicals during processing. Oxidation can alter the gluten proteins in wheat flour and there is much debate about the safety of some of the chemicals used in this process . Unbleached flour has a nutty flavour and the golden hue is especially appealing in scones, muffins and breads.

Coconut Scones with Homemade Raspberry Jam
1 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3 tb sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cold butter cut into cubes
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
raspberry jam /jam of your choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift flour and place in a large bowl. Add coconut, salt, sugar, oats and baking powder and stir until well combined. Add cubed cold butter to flour and cut into the flour with a pastry blender or a fork until it looks like little pebbles. Alternately this process can be done in a food processor.

Using a little bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Reserve 1 tablespoon. Make a well in the middle of the bowl of the flour mixture and pour in milk-egg mixture. Mix until just combined with a fork.

Pat dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet into an 8 inch round. Cut into 8 wedges and brush the top with milk-egg mixture. Make a a depression on each wedge and fill with jam of your choice.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Recut scones and serve.

Saffron & Lemongrass Rice

I am always reminded of the importance of rice on my trips home to Asia. Rice is an important food source in most Asian countries and is enjoyed as much as three times a day - breakfast, lunch, dinner (and not to mention snacks in between).

The sheer variations of different rice cultivars is immense. My favourite is the aromatic Basmati rice. Basmati rice is a variety of delicate and aromatic long grain rice mainly grown in India and Punjab. Cooked grains of Basmati rice are characteristically not glutinous due to its low starch content ( and low glycemic index makes it suitable for diabetics). Cooked Basmati rice can be uniquely identified by its fluffy appearance, fragrance, well separated grains and nutty flavour. It is aged from 6 months to one year and is available in white and brown varieties.

It was always reserved for special occasions such as dinner parties, birthdays and Deepavali in my parents' home. The price for basmati rice in Malaysia is up four times more than regular long grain varieties (hence the special occasions). Basmati rice is to be washed until water runs clear ( usually 4 times), soaked and then drained for at least 10 minutes before cooking to ensure fluffy rice.

Saffron & Lemongrass Rice
Rice:
1 1/2 cup basmati rice
1 3/4 cup water / stock
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 tb ghee / clarified butter or butter
a pinch of saffron
1/2 tsp salt

Puree:
4 small shallots/red onions
2 cloves garlic
1 lemongrass - cleaned and 2 outer layers removed
1 tsp minced ginger


Puree ingredients in a food processor and set aside. I used a mortar and pestle instead.

Saute :
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods - lightly crushed
3 cloves
1 star anise


Garnish:
Fried onions
almonds or cashews - dry roasted

Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain rice ( Drain for at least 10 minutes by placing rice in a sieve).

Heat ghee in a medium sized pot and saute cinnamon stick, crushed cardamom pods, cloves and start anise until fragrant. Pour in pureed ingredients and saute well for at least 5 minutes - stirring constantly.

Add in drained rice and saffron - stir well. Pour in water/stock, milk and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to lowest setting and cover pot. Rice should be cooked in once the water has evaporated. If rice is uncooked ( as sometimes could be the case with old rice) add a few tablespoons and cover pot. Garnish with fried onions and roasted nuts. This dish goes well with chicken kohlapuri,
Gobi Mattar / Cauliflower & Peas
Cucumber & Shallot Raita
Mattar Panner/Indian Cheese & Peas ( for vegetarian option)

Raspberry Breakfast Muffins

I often bake these muffins and have them for a quick snack or enjoy it for breakfast spread with natural peanut butter. Once cooled, these fruit muffins keep well in the fridge for a week, making it great addition to the lunch box.

I came up with this recipe after much trial and error (often ending up with cardboard tasting muffins). This recipe is NOT on the sweet side and is a wonderful companion to peanut butter or your favourite jam. Feel free to substitute raspberry with blueberries, strawberries,frozen mangoes or sliced bananas. Chopped dates, plump raisins or roasted walnuts would be wonderful as well.

Wheat bran is the byproduct of the hard outer layer of wheat when processed. In processing wheat to make wheat flour, one gets miller’s or wheat bran. Wheat bran is packed with nutrition, and offers many dietary benefits. I buy mine in small packages and store it in the fridge as it tends to go rancid quickly. It has a mild nutty flavour to it when used in baked goods or in granola.

Breakfast muffins
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat bran
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon powder
pinch of salt
1 large egg
2 tb olive oil
3/4 fresh/ frozen raspberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in wet ingredients and mix until combined.

Fill lined muffin pan with batter and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until tops are light brown and a tester comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins. Can be frozen and keeps well in the fridge up to 5 days.

Korova Cookies

I am back from 6 weeks vacay and am still working on adjusting to NY time. So far so good, I have not messed up too much at the office. I am slowly getting back to the grove of being back in my own kitchen. Brad reminded me this morning that Christmas is in a few weeks! It is time to dust of my adorable Kitchen Aid and get baking.

These cookies are a hit every time I make them. They are intensely chocolaty with the right amount of crispiness. Kick off the baking season with a tried and true ( and addictive!) recipe :). The dough can be made ahead, shaped and frozen.

Korova Cookies - Dorie Greenspan
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
11 tb unsalted butter - room temperature
2/3 cup light brown sugar - packed
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 oz bittersweet chocolate - chopped(3/4 cup choc.chips)

Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.
Using a stand mixer,cream butter, both sugars, vanilla extract for 3 minutes.
Using low speed, pour in dry ingredients mix until just combined. Add in chopped chocolate to cookie dough - it will be crumbly.

Shape dough into 2 logs ( 1 1/2 in diameter each), wrap in plastic or wax paper and chill in fridge for for at least 3/4 hours. Dough can also be frozen.


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut chocolate logs into 1/2 inch thick and place on baking sheet, bake for 12 minutes. The dough will crumble as you cut , just gather and shape it on the baking sheet. Cool on a rack before storing.