Well, I've eaten koftas before... lots and lots and lots of them. But I've never made them before. Until yesterday. Hence, "My First Koftas."
Some of you Indian food lovers out there will already know that the word "kofta" is a term used for a patty of some kind. Koftas are very much like we think of meatballs here. They can be made of a variety of different ingredients, such as meats, cheeses, or veggies, are often grilled or sauteed and then can be served a variety of ways, sometimes in a sauce, sometimes on a skewer, but the possibilities are endless. Kofta really just means that it's a ball of something.
One of my favorite Indian dishes for a long time has been Malai Kofta. I have had mulitple versions of this dish, but generally it is koftas made of potatoes, paneer, and veggies with lots of seasonings, in a creamy, tomatoey sauce. The word 'malai' refers to the cream used in the dish.
I finally tried my hand at making this dish myself. I am a crazy person who should be committed to a mental institution, so I decided not to consult any recipes - just to go for it. What the heck?! I know. I'm so weird. I probably could have had an easier time of it if I looked at a recipe, but I was just sortof going for it in the kitchen. Luckily it was not a disaster. I know I didn't do everything super authentic, however. For starters, I didn't use actual ghee, which is clarified butter. I used regular butter. I also didn't use cream, especially Malai cream - I instead used a combination of milk, flour, and yogurt. And my final atrocity was that I used a little flour and egg to get my koftas to stick together, because they weren't doing so otherwise. I think my potato wasn't starchy enough.
At any rate, the day before, I had made a batch of homemade paneer cheese. The main bulk of the koftas was a combination of smashed russet potato, paneer, and minced cauliflower. I also added minced green onion, carrot, and ginger, as well as a blend of spices such as cardamom, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, etc. Once I got the mixture to hold together I sauteed dollops in a shallow amount of oil til golden brown on all sides. I made a simple creamy sauce with tomato sauce, garlic, ginger, onions, the same seasonings as in the koftas, and the milk, flour, and yogurt. I then smothered the koftas in the sauce, and we dug in.
Luckily, they were yummy despite my silly decision to go commando. They were a little soft. Even after adding the flour and egg, they still needed some firmness and structure. Perhaps I should have cooked the potatoes a little less or perhaps I should mix in a little chickpea flour. I will consult some kofta recipes (heh) and see what they do for theirs so perhsps next time mine won't need the egg. I got the flavor right on, though, so I will stick to the seasonings I used and the amount of ginger, garlic, etc.
I'm glad I finally tried to make koftas at home because it was much easier than I thought and I can use the basic idea to make all sorts of different kinds of koftas. I have been thinking of these as Malai Koftas but I'm not sure if they qualify. Technically I could call them Aloo Gobi Paneer Koftas if I wanted, which means Potato Cauliflower and Cheese Koftas, but that's a mouthful. The Spice Goddess made some out of just cauliflower and paneer - gobi paneer koftas - and they sounded like something to try; also I was thinking about adding tofu to some. We'll see.
Happy eating!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Time For Tapas
Tonite I decided to throw together a tray of tapas as a surprise instead of a regular dinner. While Dan worked on his computer I got several things together, and then we had a bit of a feast, right there on the bed while we watched tv. We do dinners like that once in a while and it's always great.
Today I put together several different items. First, I put out a couple different types of olives. I then stuffed peppadew peppers with a mixture of cream cheese, ricotta, and fresh basil. I made patatas bravas (crispy seasoned potatoes) and made a quick seasoned aioli to go with them. Dan loves deviled eggs so I made a few of those, with a simple mix of Spanish seasonings.
When we do this type of tapas meal we always have a selection of cheeses. Tonite we had havarti, a cheddar seasoned with habanero, some aged pecorino romano, and cubes of feta that I marinated in a mixture of red wine vinegar, olive oil, and seasonings. I seasoned honey with crushed red pepper because I had heard that it goes well with the pecorino. Very true - the spicy honey was delicious with the pecorino romano. I know those cheeses aren't Spanish - but it's the idea of the style of the meal that's Spanish, not all the food has to be. It's all good!
I also threw together a pitcher of sangria with the miscellaneous fruits and fruit juices we had in the house. I used orange, pineapple, and lime juice, a touch of sugar, a few splashes of spiced rum, and plenty of Rose wine, along with sliced peaches, limes, and apples, and a bit of tonic water for fizz. Despite being put together on a whim with makeshift ingredients, it accidentally turned out to be the best sangria I ever made. It was a pleasant surprise.
So, I piled everything on a tray and told Dan to step away from the computer. He was surprised and pleased with the feast. His favorite thing was the marinated feta; mine happened to be the pecorino with the spiced honey.
If you want to do a tapas meal like this, there are plenty of great tapas recipes, but you don't have to do an ounce of cooking if you don't want to. You can pick up olives, cheeses, nuts, even seasoned potatoes and sauces, all at the store. Throw in a little bread and a glass of wine and you are all set. You can never go wrong with tapas!
Happy eating!
Today I put together several different items. First, I put out a couple different types of olives. I then stuffed peppadew peppers with a mixture of cream cheese, ricotta, and fresh basil. I made patatas bravas (crispy seasoned potatoes) and made a quick seasoned aioli to go with them. Dan loves deviled eggs so I made a few of those, with a simple mix of Spanish seasonings.
When we do this type of tapas meal we always have a selection of cheeses. Tonite we had havarti, a cheddar seasoned with habanero, some aged pecorino romano, and cubes of feta that I marinated in a mixture of red wine vinegar, olive oil, and seasonings. I seasoned honey with crushed red pepper because I had heard that it goes well with the pecorino. Very true - the spicy honey was delicious with the pecorino romano. I know those cheeses aren't Spanish - but it's the idea of the style of the meal that's Spanish, not all the food has to be. It's all good!
I also threw together a pitcher of sangria with the miscellaneous fruits and fruit juices we had in the house. I used orange, pineapple, and lime juice, a touch of sugar, a few splashes of spiced rum, and plenty of Rose wine, along with sliced peaches, limes, and apples, and a bit of tonic water for fizz. Despite being put together on a whim with makeshift ingredients, it accidentally turned out to be the best sangria I ever made. It was a pleasant surprise.
So, I piled everything on a tray and told Dan to step away from the computer. He was surprised and pleased with the feast. His favorite thing was the marinated feta; mine happened to be the pecorino with the spiced honey.
If you want to do a tapas meal like this, there are plenty of great tapas recipes, but you don't have to do an ounce of cooking if you don't want to. You can pick up olives, cheeses, nuts, even seasoned potatoes and sauces, all at the store. Throw in a little bread and a glass of wine and you are all set. You can never go wrong with tapas!
Happy eating!
Monday, June 20, 2011
That's A New One
I needed a load of fresh paprika today for a pot of paprikash I was making, so I headed over to my favorite spice store in the whole world, Savory Spice Shop. I never get out of there with just the item I went in for, and today was no exception. Most of my purchases were things I am familiar with. But one new item caught my eye: mango powder.
I have heard of mango powder before, having seen it used on "Spice Goddess" and other shows. But, I've never used it myself or even tasted it before. It is technically not a spice, though it is used like one. It's the ground-up powder of dried, unripe mangoes. I have learned that it is used in Northern Indian cooking but not in many other cuisines. Mango powder is tart and tangy and not sweet like you might expect. It can be used to add a tang to foods, not unlike the way we use lemon or lime in some dishes, but without adding extra liquid.
Bal Arneson, the Spice Goddess, uses mango powder in chutneys and in her vegetarian burger recipe. Elsewhere I saw a recipe that used it in a seasoning blend for battered and fried eggplant. So far I have only tried it in a chutney. It was a nice tangy flavor but I can see that it would be easy to overdo it; the flavor is strong. I am planning on making a curry with the mango powder in a couple of days to see what sortof interesting flavors I can create. I'll report on that when that happens.
Anybody out there ever cook with mango powder? What did you do with it?
Happy eating!
I have heard of mango powder before, having seen it used on "Spice Goddess" and other shows. But, I've never used it myself or even tasted it before. It is technically not a spice, though it is used like one. It's the ground-up powder of dried, unripe mangoes. I have learned that it is used in Northern Indian cooking but not in many other cuisines. Mango powder is tart and tangy and not sweet like you might expect. It can be used to add a tang to foods, not unlike the way we use lemon or lime in some dishes, but without adding extra liquid.
Bal Arneson, the Spice Goddess, uses mango powder in chutneys and in her vegetarian burger recipe. Elsewhere I saw a recipe that used it in a seasoning blend for battered and fried eggplant. So far I have only tried it in a chutney. It was a nice tangy flavor but I can see that it would be easy to overdo it; the flavor is strong. I am planning on making a curry with the mango powder in a couple of days to see what sortof interesting flavors I can create. I'll report on that when that happens.
Anybody out there ever cook with mango powder? What did you do with it?
Happy eating!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Soy-Ginger Baked Beans
I woke up craving some sort of hearty bean dish today, but I had just bought tofu at the store with plans on sauteeing it and serving it with an Asian-style dipping sauce. How could I fit beans and the tofu dish together? Insipiration hit when I thought I would do Asian-style baked beans. I figured that ginger and soy would make nice flavor additions to a more traditional baked bean sauce.
The problem is, I'd never even made regular baked beans, much less Asian-style. But, I compiled a list of ingredients I thought sounded right and gave it a shot. What the heck, right? What I ended up with is the dish below. It actually turned out great! I'm thrilled. It's a little sweeter than I normally would like baked beans, but I think that the extra sweetness helps counter the sharpness of the ginger.
I used dried Eye of the Goat beans (my precious Rancho Gordo), and prepared them myself by boiling them as described below, but it would be fine to use canned beans instead to make the preparation time shorter -- just substitute water for the pot liquor, but be aware you may be losing some flavor there.
Soy-Ginger Baked Beans
1.5 c dried beans (*see below) (about 3c prepared beans)
2 Tbsp each: veggie oil and sesame oil
1/2 med sweet onion, diced
1 thumb ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 c ketchup
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
dash chipotle powder (or other chile powder to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1 c reserved bean pot liquor, plus extra
In bean pot, casserole dish, or large cast iron pan, heat oils over a medium burner. Cook onions until translucent; add ginger and garlic and cook one minute. Stir in tomato paste. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Stir in beans. Add enough pot liquor to make a thin sauce. Go easy on the salt as there is plenty in the soy sauce and the sauce will be condensed.
Cover pot with lid or foil and transfer to oven; bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes. (Add a little more pot liquor if needed to thin out the sauce if it gets too thick as it cooks.) Uncover beans and cook another 10-20 minutes or until desired doneness. Enjoy!
*Prepare dry beans by soaking them for a few hours, and then boiling them with enough water to cover by a few inches, and some aromatics, such as carrot, onion, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorn, etc., in a cheesecloth. Simmer beans gently until al dente. Discard aromatics and drain beans, reserving pot liquor.
The problem is, I'd never even made regular baked beans, much less Asian-style. But, I compiled a list of ingredients I thought sounded right and gave it a shot. What the heck, right? What I ended up with is the dish below. It actually turned out great! I'm thrilled. It's a little sweeter than I normally would like baked beans, but I think that the extra sweetness helps counter the sharpness of the ginger.
I used dried Eye of the Goat beans (my precious Rancho Gordo), and prepared them myself by boiling them as described below, but it would be fine to use canned beans instead to make the preparation time shorter -- just substitute water for the pot liquor, but be aware you may be losing some flavor there.
Soy-Ginger Baked Beans
1.5 c dried beans (*see below) (about 3c prepared beans)
2 Tbsp each: veggie oil and sesame oil
1/2 med sweet onion, diced
1 thumb ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 c ketchup
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
dash chipotle powder (or other chile powder to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1 c reserved bean pot liquor, plus extra
In bean pot, casserole dish, or large cast iron pan, heat oils over a medium burner. Cook onions until translucent; add ginger and garlic and cook one minute. Stir in tomato paste. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Stir in beans. Add enough pot liquor to make a thin sauce. Go easy on the salt as there is plenty in the soy sauce and the sauce will be condensed.
Cover pot with lid or foil and transfer to oven; bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes. (Add a little more pot liquor if needed to thin out the sauce if it gets too thick as it cooks.) Uncover beans and cook another 10-20 minutes or until desired doneness. Enjoy!
*Prepare dry beans by soaking them for a few hours, and then boiling them with enough water to cover by a few inches, and some aromatics, such as carrot, onion, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorn, etc., in a cheesecloth. Simmer beans gently until al dente. Discard aromatics and drain beans, reserving pot liquor.
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