Steamed Couscous

Learning how to steam couscous was a revelation. I'd only ever had it prepared according to package directions. It's fine this way. I still make instant couscous a lot of the time. It's quick, easy, and convenient and the results are pretty good. That said, if you want really nice couscous, you can't beat steaming!

These instructions are written for 450g of instant couscous. If you manage to find hand-rolled/non-instant couscous somewhere, it will need slighlty different handling. The instructions for hand-rolled couscous can be found below the instant instructions. I've also given instructions for several other types of couscous.

Wolfert advises that if you're dealing with more than 450g of couscous, you can scale up the water by 50% and add 5 minutes to each round of steaming. I would be seriously inclined to say that if you're planning on cooking more than half a kilo of couscous in one go... don't. Unless you're making dinner for a group of a dozen or more and/or couscous will be the only dish on offer, you probably don't actually need that much couscous.

Steamed Instant Couscous

Slightly adapted from The Food of Morocco by Paula Wolfert

Ingredients

• 450g instant couscous
• 4 c. water or 3 1/2 c. water + 1/2 c. milk, divided
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• butter and/or ghee (varies by recipe)
• up to 1 c. broth (varies by recipe)

Directions

1. Fill a deep pot (or the bottom of a couscousier) with water and bring to a boil.
2. Place couscous in a large wide and shallow pan or very large plate, cover with 2 c. of water and allow to sit for 1 minute.
3. After 1 minute, stir and pour off any remaining water.
4. Toss the grains gently to break up any lumps. Rake the grains with your fingers (or a whisk) to allow them to swell.
5. Line a steamer (or the top of a couscousier) with cheesecloth.
6. Set the lined steamer over the pot of boiling water, being sure that no steam is leaking out the sides.
7. Transfer the couscous to the lined steamer and steam, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
8. Use the cheesecloth to transfer the couscous to the pan/plate.
9. Spread the grains with a whisk and sprinkle with 1 c. of cold water (or 1/2 c. cold water + 1/2 c. milk).
10. Toss with salt and oil.
11. Stir and rake the grains to gently break up any lumps.
12. Allow to dry for 10 minutes.
13. Place the cheesecloth back in the steamer and transfer the couscous back to the lined steamer.
14. Steam, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.
15. Transfer back into the pan/plate and repeat the whisking and raking process, sprinkling in the last 1 c. of water.
16. Toss and stir to break up any lumps.
17. If necessary, at this point the couscous can be covered with a damp cloth and held for several hours before the final steaming.
18. Whisk the grains again, breaking up any lumps with whisk and/or wet fingers.
19. Bring the water in the bottom of the steamer/couscousier to a boil.
20. Line the top of the steamer with cheesecloth and transfer the couscous back into the lined steamer.
21. Steam, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
22. Transfer the couscous to a wide serving dish and toss with butter and ghee (amounts will vary depending on the exact recipe you are making).
23. Gradually add up to 1 c. of broth to the couscous.
24. Toss one more time, again breaking up any lumps.
25. Let stand for 10 minutes, then add any desired toppings and garnishes.

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Variations

Steamed Hand-Rolled Couscous

Ingredients

• 450g hand-rolled couscous
• 3 1/2 c. water (or 3 c. water + 1/2 c. milk), divided
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• butter and/or ghee
• up to 1 1/2 c. broth

Directions

1. Place the couscous in a fine mesh strainer and quickly moisten under running water.
2. Dump into a wide and shallow pan/plate, spread/smooth out the grains, and allow to rest/swell for 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle in 1/2 c. of the water and allow to sit for 5 more minutes.
4. Meanwhile, fill a deep pot (or the bottom of a couscousier) with water and bring to a boil.
5. Line a steamer (or the top of a couscousier) with cheesecloth.
6. Set the lined steamer over the pot of boiling water, being sure that no steam is leaking out the sides.
7. Transfer the couscous to the lined steamer and steam, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
8. Use the cheesecloth to transfer the couscous to the pan/plate.
9. Spread the grains with a whisk and sprinkle with 1 c. of cold water (or 1/2 c. cold water + 1/2 c. milk).
10. Toss with salt and oil.
11. Stir and rake the grains to gently break up any lumps.
12. Allow to dry for 10 minutes.
13. Place the cheesecloth back in the steamer and transfer the couscous back to the lined steamer.
14. Steam, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.
15. Transfer back into the pan/plate and repeat the whisking and raking process, sprinkling in the last 1 c. of water.
16. Toss and stir to break up any lumps.
17. Repeat the steaming process once more: steaming for 20 minutes, tossing with 1 c. of water, and then resting for 10 minutes.
18. If necessary, at this point the couscous can be covered with a damp cloth and held for several hours before the final steaming.
19. Whisk the grains again, breaking up any lumps with whisk and/or wet fingers.
20. Bring the water in the bottom of the steamer/couscousier to a boil.
21. Line the top of the steamer with cheesecloth and transfer the couscous back into the lined steamer.
22. Steam, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
23. Transfer the couscous to a wide serving dish and toss with butter and ghee (amounts will vary depending on the exact recipe you are making).
24. Gradually add up to 1 1/2 c. of broth to the couscous.
25. Toss one more time, again breaking up any lumps.
26. Let stand for 10 minutes, then add any desired toppings and garnishes.

Steamed Cracked Barley

These instructions are for coarse cracked barley or scotch barley.

Ingredients

• 4 c. (680g) cracked/scotch barley
• 8 c. water, divided
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2-3 Tbsp. ghee

Directions

1. Pour 6 c. of water over the cracked parley, stir, then drain off the excess water. Let sit for 30 minutes.
2. Fill a deep pot (or the bottom of a couscousier) with water and bring to a boil.
3. Butter the inside of a steamer (or the top of a couscousier).
4. Squeeze the barley to extract all excess water.
5. Add the barley to the top of the steamer slowly, rubbing the grains between your palms as you transfer it.
6. Steam, covered, for 20 minutes.
7. Dump the barley out into a wide pan/plate and break up any lumps with a fork or whisk.
8. Toss with the butter.
9. Very slowly add 2 c. of water. It should take 3-4 minutes to add all the water and you will need to toss and rake the grains the entire time to help keep them separate and allow them to swell.
10. Toss again, then allow to dry for 10-15 minutes.
11. Steam, covered, for 20 more minutes.
12. Dump the grains back into the pan/plate and break up any lumps with a fork or whisk.
13. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Rake and toss occasionally during this time to stop them from becoming lumpy. Do not add any water this time.
14. Transfer the barley back into the steamer and steam, covered, for 10 more minutes.
15. Dump the barley into a serving dish and toss with ghee.

Steamed Barley Grits

These instructions are for fine cracked barley, barley grits, or barley couscous.

Ingredients

• 450g barley grits¹
• 1 c. water
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter or olive oil
• 3/4 c. salted water²
• ghee (varies by recipe)

Directions

1. Dampen the barley grits with ~1 c. of water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
2. Fill a deep pot (or the bottom of a couscousier) with water and bring to a boil.
3. Line a steamer (or the top of a couscousier) with cheesecloth.
4. Transfer the barley grits to the lined steamer and steam, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
5. Dump the grains into a wide and shallow pan and break up any lumps with a fork or whisk.
6. Toss with the butter or olive oil.
7. Very slowly add the salted water. It should take 2-3 minutes to add it and you will need to rake and toss the grains constantly.
8. Allow to dry for 5-10 minutes.
9. Place the cheesecloth back in the steamer and transfer the grits back into the lined steamer. Steam, uncovered, for 10 more minutes.
10. Transfer the grits back to the pan/plate and break up any lumps.
11. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, raking and tossing occasionally to prevent lumps. Do not add any more water.
12. If necessary, the grits may be covered with a damp cloth and held for several hours before the final steaming.
13. About 30 minutes before serving, transfer the grits back into the lined steamer and steam, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
14. Dump the grits into a serving dish and toss with ghee.
15. Add any toppings or garnish and pour over sauce or broth and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Steamed Corn Grits

These instructions are for corn couscous or coarse stone-ground corn grits.

Ingredients

• 680g corn grits
• 7 1/2 c. water, divided
• 3 Tbsp. argan oil or unsalted butter or olive oil, divided
• salt
• black pepper or white pepper
• up to 2 c. broth

Directions

1. Fill a deep pot (or the bottom of a couscousier) with water and bring to a boil.
2. Lightly grease the inside of a steamer (or the top of a couscousier) with a neutral oil.
3. Moisten the grits with 1/2 c. of the water and toss until fully absorbed.
4. Add another 1/2 c. of water an allow to sit for 10 minutes.
5. Slowly add another 1/2 c. of water, spread the grits out, and allow to sit for ~5 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. of the argan oil (or melted butter or olive oil) and toss and rub the grains to coat evenly.
7. Transfer grits to steamer and steam, covered, for 45 minutes.
8. Dump the grits into a wide and shallow pan and whisk to break up any lumps.
9. While tossing with the whisk, add 1 c. of lukewarm water.
10. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
11. Toss with 1 more c. of water.
12. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
13. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
14. Toss with another 1 c. of water.
15. Transfer grits back into steamer and steam, covered, for another 45 minutes.
16. Dump grits back into the pan/plate and repeat whisking and moistening procedure³ and toss with 1 more Tbsp. of the butter or oil.
17. Grits can be covered with a damp cloth and held this way for several hours if necessary.
18. Before serving, bring the water back to a boil and transfer the grits back into the steamer. Cover and steam for 20 minutes.
19. Dump the grits into a serving dish and toss with the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil or butter.
20. Break up any lumps and toss with the broth.
21. Top and garnish as directed by recipe.

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¹ Wolfert doesn't specify how much barley this recipe is for. I'm guessing that it's written for 450g of barley based on the fact that her master couscous recipe was also written for 1 lb. of grains. But that is just a guess as I haven't actually tried any of the barley recipes yet. ^Back
2 Wolfert also doesn't specify how much salt goes into the "salt water". I'd probably start with 1 tsp. and go from there. ^Back
3 Wolfert says to "repeat step 3" which, in her version of the recipe covers all three additions of water after the first steaming. Given that, I assume that you would add another 3 c. of water here. That seems like an awful lot of water. But I guess corn is pretty absorbent (cf. polenta). ^Back

This is the cake that TF picked for her birthday this year. I came out pretty well except for the part where I got impatient and poured the caramel while it was still much too warm. Next time I should definitely wait for it to cool down more. But I was worried that if I waited too long it would get excessively stiff and difficult to pour. Other than that though, it was great!

Chocolate Turtle Cake

From The Perfect Cake by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

Icing

• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 170g dark chocolate
• 2 Tbsp. corn syrup

Caramel

• 2 c. pecans, toasted, divided
• 450g soft caramels
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground

Cake

• 3 (8") chocolate cake layers

Directions

1. While the cake layers are cooling, make the icing by combining the cream, chocolate and corn syrup and cooking over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until smooth.
2. Transfer the icing to the fridge and chill until thickened (~2 hours).
3. Set aside 1/2 c. of the pecans to use as decoration and chop the rest.
4. Combine the caramels, cream, and salt in a pot and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until smooth.
5. Separate out 3/4 c. of the caramel and set aside.
6. Mix the chopped pecans into the remaining caramel.
7. Place one of the cake layers on a serving platter or cake stand and spread half of the caramel-pecan mixture on top. Don't spread it all the way to the edge; leave a little border.
8. Stack a second cake layer on top and spread the remaining caramel-pecan mixture on top of it.
9. Add the final cake layer and press lightly to adhere.
10. Spread the icing evently over the top and sides of the cake.
11. If possible chill for 30-60 minutes to help everything set up.
12. Pour the reserved caramel over top of the cake, allowing it to drop down the sides.
13. Decorate with the reserved pecans.

Quick Ground Beef Bulgogi

I picked up some discount mushrooms the other day and figured I'd look for an Aaron & Claire recipe to use them up. I ended up settling on this quick bulgogi recipe. It uses pantry items for the marinade and is based on ground beef rather than thinly sliced beef so it worked well for my purposes.

The original recipe called for a bit under a pound and a half of beef and a few shiitake or cremini mushrooms. I ended up using one pound of beef and 4 portobello mushroom caps.

Ground Beef Bulgogi

Slightly adapted from Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. light (regular) soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 2 Tbsp. mirin
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil, divided
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 450g ground beef
• 4 portobello mushroom caps, minced
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 green onions, chopped, greens and whites separate
• 1-2 fresh green and/or red chilies, sliced (optional)
• rice, to serve
• toasted sesame seeds, to serve
• kimchi, to serve

Directions

1. Combine soy sauce, sugar, garlic paste, mirin, oyster sauce, 1 Tbsp. of the sesame oil, and the black pepper and stir to mix.
2. Add the beef and mushrooms and mix well. Set aside for 10-20 minutes.
3. Heat canola oil over medium heat.
4. Add the onions and the white parts of the green onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the beef mixture and cook for 7-8 minutes.
6. If the mixture still seems very wet, cook for another a few minutes longer.
7. Remove from heat and add the green parts of the green onions, the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. of sesame oil, and the chilies (if using).
8. Serve over rice and top with toasted sesame seeds and/or more green oinons.
9. Serve with a bowl of kimchi on the side.

This recipe was a perennial favourite growing up; every winter my dad would make a huge double batch of these cookies, and we'd gradually eat our way through them over the holidays. I've made it a few times since and it's well overdue for a writeup.

Chocolate chip cookies tend to be more miss than hit with symbol, but using chocolate chunks (instead of the PC semisweet chocolate chips my dad favoured) helps there, and the kidlet loves them regardless; she helped me make the batch pictured here.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

My dad, who I believe adapted the recipe from the back of a chocolate chip bag decades ago

Ingredients

(makes ~72 cookies)

• 2¼ C all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 C unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ C sugar
• ¾ C brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 350g semi-sweet, bittersweet, or dark chocolate (or a mix of dark and milk), coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
3. Beat together butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy; do not overbeat.
4. Beat in eggs.
5. Gradually beat in flour.
6. Mix in chocolate.
7. Drop onto ungreased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Nariyal Bhutta (Coconut Corn)

TM gave us a few ears of corn the other day. Usually we'd just boil it and serve it with a little salt and butter, but I was making a bunch of other curries anyway and figured I'd be nice to try a curry recipe with it.

Most of the other curry recipes in the book call for corn kernels. But this one, although it as instructions for substituting kernels, recommends whole cobs of corn. Iyer warns that the final sauce may not look the most appetizing, but assures readers that it is delicious despite its appearance. I can vouch for this! I really enjoyed this curry. Very tasty!

Nariyal Bhutta

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 c. water, divided
• 1 c. shredded fresh coconut or 1/2 c. unsweetened shredded dried coconut, reconstituted¹
• 1-2 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies
• 1-2 fresh green Thai, serrano, or finger chilies
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 15 fresh curry leaves
• 4 ears corn, shucked and halved crosswise (or 3 c. frozen corn kernels)

Directions

1. Add 1/2 c. of the water, coconut, dried and fresh chilies to a blender and purée.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add mustard seeds, cover, and cook until they've stopped popping (30-60 seconds).
4. Pour the coconut sauce into the pan.
5. Add the salt, curry leaves, and remaining 1/2 c. water.
6. Add the corn, arranging cobs in a single layer if possible.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, turning the cobs occasionally, for 20-25 minutes².
8. Transfer corn to a serving platter.
9. Stir the sauce, pour it over the corn, and serve.

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¹ Pour 1/2 c. boiling water over the dried coconut and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Drain and use as directed. ^Back
2 Cook for only 5-8 minutes if using corn kernels. ^Back

Rajmah Shalgum (Turnips and Kidney Beans)

I really like this curry. The tomato and spices give it a deeply satisfying savouriness. I served it up along side a few other curries, but it's hearty enough to stand on its own if you only want to worry about making a single dish for dinner. All that being said, I do question the cooking instructions. Iyer instructs to cut the turnips into 1" cubes and cook them for only 15-20 minutes. He claims that they should be "fork tender" by this point. My turnips were still rock hard. Even after an extra half hour of cooking, they still were more "al dente" than tender.

I ended up making another curry involving turnips shortly after this one. In that one he also advises cutting the turnips into 1" cubes and simmering for 15-20 minutes. Although, that recipe also calls for a few minutes of stir-frying before the simmering. After my experience with this recipe, I opted to cut the turnips for the next recipe into 1cm cubes rather than 1". Even with the smaller size and the stir-frying, 20 minutes did not seem like enough to get the turnips sufficiently tender. I think, in the future, I'd keep the smaller cube size but also plan to simmer them for at least half an hour. I don't know, maybe I was using a different kind of turnip than Iyer. But my turnips certainly weren't cooking fully in the times he was recommending!

Rajmah Shalgum

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 4 black cardamom pods
• 1/4 c. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds, ground
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 1/2-1 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies¹
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 4 c. water, divided
• 3 c. cooked kidney beans²
• 4 small turnips, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
• 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
• 6 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion, ginger paste, garlic paste, and cardamom pods and stir-fry for 15 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, fennel, cumin, coriander, chilies, and turmeric and stir to combine.
4. Add 1 c. of the water and deglaze the pan.
5. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
6. Add another 1 c. of water and simmer, covered, for a further 8 minutes.
7. Add the remaining 2 c. of water along with the kidney beans, turnips, salt, and 1/4 c. of the cilantro.
8. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer vigorously, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for ~30 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of cilantro and serve.

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¹ Or substitute 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne + 3/4 tsp. sweet paprika ^Back
2 Use tinned beans if you're in a hurry or get a few dried beans cooking in advance. If you're cooking your beans on the stovetop, it's best to give them an overnight soak first. If you're using a pressure cooker, you can get away without the soaking: Place 1 c. of dried beans in a pressure cooker/InstantPot along with 3 1/2 c. of water, stock, or a mix thereof and cook (on high pressure) for 40 minutes with a 15-minute natural release. Release any remaining pressure, drain, and your beans are ready to go! ^Back

Shalgam Gosht (Lamb with Turnip)

I don't buy lamb often because it's so expensive, but I do like to get a little bit every once in a while. Especially since we've made so few of the lamb recipes we have in our various cookbooks. Sometimes you can get away with substituting beef for the lamb, but a lot of the time the dish really does need the lamb unless you want to completely rewrite it to rebalance the flavours.

I've recently started shopping at a nice halal grocery store downtown and they have a nice selection of Ontario lamb and goat available, so I figured I'd treat myself to a little bit and try out a new recipe.

Shalgam Gosht

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp. mustard oil, divided
• 450g turnips, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 slices ginger (~5cm by 3cm by 3mm), chopped
• 1 c. water
• 600g boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2cm cubes
• 4 black cardamom pods
• 1 Tbsp. bin bhuna hua garam masala"
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 c. firmly packed fresh mint leaves¹
• 2-3 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies
• 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the mustard oil over medium heat.
2. Add the turnips and stir-fry until beginning to brown (~8 minutes).
3. Transfer the turnips to a bowl and set aside.
4. Add another 2 Tbsp. of oil to the pan.
5. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until softened an onion is light brown (~10 minutes).
6. Transfer onion mixture to a blender, add the water, and purée until smooth.
7. Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil in the pan.
8. Add the lamb and cardamom pods and cook for 15 minutes.
9. Transfer the onion paste to the pan.
10. Add the garam masala and salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, mash the mint and chilies into a paste in a molcajete or similar large mortar and pestle type device.
12. Add the tomato to the mint mixture a few pieces at a time, pounding into a paste after each addition. Remove the pieces of tomato skin if desired.
13. Add the turnips, cilantro, and tomato-mint mixture to the lamb and continue cooking, covered, stirring occasionally, for ~30 minutes longer.

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¹ I didn't have quite enough mint leaves, so I made up the difference with some dried mint. Normally I wouldn't recommed using dried mint as I don't find the flavour to be very good, but the Qitaf brand mint that I got at the halal grocery store is excellent! ^Back

Mutter Murghi (Chicken with Peas)

I picked up some chicken thighs on sale a few weeks ago and just tossed them in the freezer for future use. Freezer space is at a premium right now though, so I've been trying to find recipes to use up frozen ingredients. I had originally been thinking I might do a Moroccan dish with them, but I was low on spoons which means that I reverted to the kitchen comfort zone that is Indian cooking for me.
I selected this recipe because, unlike many others in the book, it specifically calls for bone-in chicken thighs. The recipe on the facing page also uses chicken thighs, but has a peanut-based sauce, so I opted for this one because I thought it would be school safe. It wasn't until I realized that the Maharashtrian garam masala wasn't already in our spice cupboard and checked the recipe that I saw that it was full of peanuts as well. So, not school safe after all, but still very delicious!

Mutter Murghi

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. heavy (35%) cream
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 6-7 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 fresh green Thai, finger, or serrano chilies, minced
• 680g bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
• 2 Tbsp. schmaltz¹
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. Maharashtrian garam masala

Directions

1. Combine the yogurt, cream, ginger paste, salt, turmeric, garlic, and chilies and mix well.
2. Add the chicken thighs and turn to coat.
3. Cover and chill for 1-24 hours.
4. Heat the schmaltz over medium-high heat.
5. Add the onion and stir-fry until it begins to brown (3-5 minutes).
6. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer along with the marinade and cook for 4-6 minutes.
7. Flip the chicken over and cook for another 4-6 minutes.
8. Add the water and deglaze the pan.
9. Add the peas, cilantro, and garam masala and stir to combine.
10. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, turning and stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through (15-18 minutes).
11. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter (leaving the sauce behind).
12. Increase heat to medium-high and boil the sauce for ~5 minutes.
13. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

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¹ I got my chicken thighs skin on and then just pulled the skin off before marinating. TF then fried up the skins (and chunks of fat) with a little salt and pepper to make what basically amounted to chicken craklings. This also left us with a fair amount of schmaltz. The original recipe calls for using canola oil as the fat, but I figured that the schmaltz would be even better, so I just swapped that in. If you don't feel like frying up your chicken skins (or your thighs didn't come with any) then canola oil or ghee will work just fine here. ^Back

This recipe arrived via Symbol's mom, along with a large quantity of cherry tomatoes. It's similar to the pomodoro e basilico recipe from Hazan, but with the tomato and basil levels turned up significantly — which I am entirely on board with.

This comes together extremely quickly, is very tasty, and keeps in the fridge well, making an excellent weeknight dinner with leftovers -- the only problem is sourcing the cherry tomatoes (most grocery stores in this area focus on the inferior grape tomato instead).

Hazan recommends spaghetti, spaghettini, or penne lisce. Spaghetti, I think, would be my default for this, but the Kidlet asked for shells instead, and it worked well with those, too.

Pasta with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce

Epicurious

Ingredients

• For 1 lb dry, store-bought pasta
• 120mL olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1.5-2L cherry tomatoes
• ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• ⅛ tsp sugar
• 240mL coarsely chopped fresh basil
• freshly grated parmesan for serving

Directions

1. Cook pasta al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, ~30s.
4. Add tomatoes, pepper, sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes burst and release their juices.
5. Toss pasta with sauce and basil. Top with parmesan.

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Elambuchambu Rasam (Pigeon Pea Broth with Coconut)

This recipe made me a but nervous when I was making it. It seemed like an odd preparation and I wasn't sure how tasty it was going to be. But, in the end, it turned out that the answer was "unreasonably tasty"!

It's lovely on its own (or with a little rice mixed in) and I've also found that it makes a great sauce or topping for other curries. It's warm and a bit spicy with a nice hit of acidity from the lime juice, but without becoming lip-puckering. Just a really delicious, nicely balanced dish. And (in my opinion) it enhances anything you serve it with.

Elambuchambu Rasam

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. skinned split yellow pigeon peas (toovar dal)
• 4 c. water, divided
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 2 tsp. sambhar masala
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground asafetida
• 15 fresh curry leaves
• 1 c. shredded fresh coconut or 1/2 c. shredded dried unsweetened coconut, reconstituted¹
• 2 Tbsp. ghee or canola oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• juice of 2 limes

Directions

1. Thoroughly rinse the pigeon peas, then drain and place in a pot with 1 c. of the water.
2. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat.
3. Skim off any foam, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, combine the remaining 3 c. of water with 2 Tbsp. of the cilantro, sambhar masala, salt, asafetida, and curry leaves and bring to a boil over medium heat.
5. Boil the spice water, uncovered, over medium heat for ~15 minutes.
6. Once the pigeon peas are tender, remove from heat and transfer to a blender along with their cooking water and the coconut and purée until creamy.
7. Melt the ghee over medium-high heat.
8. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until they've stopped popping (30-60 seconds).
9. Remove from heat, immediately add the cumin seeds, and sizzle for 5-10 seconds.
10. Pour the tadka into the simmering spice-water mixture and then add the pigeon pea mixture to the pot.
11. Stir in the lime juice, sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of cilantro, and serve!

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¹ The instructions for reconstituting the coconut say to soak 1/2 c. of dried coconut in 1/2 c. of boiling water for 10-15 minutes, then drain it. Since I was just going to be blending it anyway I elected to just dump the rehydrated coconut straight into the blender jar, without first draining it. This seemed to work out find in this case. ^Back

I was not expecting to see peanuts in a garam masala. Nor coconut. The mix smells delicious, but it definitely defies my expectations for an Indian spice blend.

Maharashtrian Garam Masala

From 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. raw peanuts (without skin)
• 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 8-10 dried red Thai, arbol, or cayenned chilies
• 3 blades mace
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg shavings or 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 c. unsweetened shredded dried coconut

Directions

1. Preheat a pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the peanuts, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, chilies, mace, and nutmeg if using shavings. If using ground nutmeg, omit it for now.
3. Toast until and peanuts and sesame seeds look nicely browned (3-4 minutes).
4. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a plate to cool.
5. Return the pan to the heat and add the coconut.
6. Cook until the coconut is brown but not burnt (15-30 seconds).
7. Transfer the coconut to the plate with everything else.
8. Once cool, grind (in batches) in a spice grinder.
9. If using ground nutmgeg, stir it in now.
10. Normally I don't advise storing spices in the fridge, but with all the high-fat ingredients in this one, I feel it's best kept in the fridge and used relativley quickly. (Iyer says it may be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two months, but I'm not sure I'd be willing to keep it for that long.)

Phool Gobhi Paneer (Cauliflower Paneer)

This relatively dry curry is easy to make and offers a pleasing contrast of textures. It is especially good served over rice with a bit of pigeon pea broth on the side (or just poured over top). I also cooked up a simple corn curry to accompany it which made for a very nice vegetarian dinner.

Phool Gobhi Paneer

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small or 1/2 a large cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2-4 fresh green Thai, serrano, or finger chilies, minced
• 225g paneer, cubed and fried¹
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. Punjabi garam masala

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the cauliflower and turmeric and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the water, cilantro, and chilies and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for ~10 minutes.
6. Add the paneer, tomato, salt, and garam masala, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Serve with rice, flatbread, and/or dal of your choice.

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Variations

Vegan Version

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small or 1/2 a large cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2-4 fresh green Thai, serrano, or finger chilies, minced
• 225g extra-firm tofu, cubed and fried or extra delicious tofu
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. Punjabi garam masala

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¹ The Indian grocery near me sells bags of cubed fried paneer in the frozen food section. I often like to keep a package on hand as it makes curries like this super quick and easy. ^Back

So there's a new fungus farm in town, and twice now symbol has brought home delicious mushrooms from them. The first time round I made a nice pasta dish with them (which did not, sadly, make it into photographs). This time they came home with a recipe for crab-cake-style fried patties, which I prepared as written.

They were tasty, but if I have one complaint it's that the batter, prepared to direction, was pretty dry and tended to self-destruct in the pan when flipped, so instead of four patties we got two and a half patties and a bunch of tasty mushroom chaff. If making it again I'd probably add another egg to help it cohere.

The recipe suggests serving with tartar sauce, which I think would be delicious but which, sadly, we do not have. The kidlet had one with ketchup and thought it was delicious — in fact, both this and the mushroom pasta were hits with her! Historically she's detested mushrooms, but she loves the mushrooms from Noki Farms, and said of this one that they would make an excellent meat replacement.

Bear's Head Fungus Cakes

Noki Farms

Ingredients

• 220g bear's head (or lion's mane, or both) fungus
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp mayo
• 1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
• ¾ tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tsp mustard
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
• ½ C panko
• greens, lemon wedges, and tartar sauce for serving

Directions

1. Tear mushrooms into thin flakes, then press firmly to remove liquid and set aside to dry.
2. In a large bowl, combine onion, egg, mayo, Worchestershire sauce, Old Bay, mustard, salt, and pepper.
3. Stir in mushrooms and panko.
4. Form into four round, flat patties.
5. Cook in a skillet in a bit of oil over medium-high heat.
6. Serve with greens, lemon, and tartar sauce.

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As written, this is a simple pasta dish with peas, butter, and prosciutto, meant to showcase the prosciutto with a minimum of competing flavours. We didn't have any prosciutto, but we did have a bunch of pink oyster and lion's mane from our local mushroomerie, Noki Farms. They were recommended to us as having a sort of bacon-y and chicken-y flavour, respectively, and I figured, why not use them in place of the prosciutto?

The result probably did not closely resemble the original recipe, but it was very tasty. I suspect you could significantly play with the mushroom proportions and types and still get good results, too.

Tagliolini alla Romagnola (mushroom style)

Adapted from The Classic Pasta Cookbook (p.90)

Ingredients

• For 1 pound dry, store-bought pasta
• 240mL green peas (ideally fresh and just cooked, but frozen also work fine)
• 6 tbsp butter
• 250 g lion's mane mushrooms, sliced
• 125 g pink oyster mushrooms, sliced
• parmesan for serving

Directions

1. Cook the pasta al dente.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook until they have released their liquid and cooked down.
4. Season with salt and pepper, toss with the pasta, and serve with parmesan.

I'll lead by saying, I'm not sure why these are called semolina almond cookies as there doesn't appear to be any semolina in the recipe. I can only conclude that the "semolina" must refer to the almond flour/meal. But in that case, I'd expect them to be called "almond semonlina cookies" since "almond" modifies "semolina". In the end, I suppose it doesn't really matter. I just found the name a bit peculiar.

These cookies are delicious. But with a caveat: the recipe says that you need to make them two or three days ahead... she is not kidding about that! I figured it'd be one of those things where the product might improve over time (like fruitcake), but that it'd still be tasty straight out of the oven, just not optimally so.

No.

Wrong. So, so wrong.

These cookies do not taste good straight out of the oven. They taste like floral ghee. After tasting the first one, I was not convinced that any amount of sitting in a biscuit tin could improve them. I figured that maybe it was just an acquired taste that I had not acquired. Maybe these cookies taste good to other people, but they are definitely not my jam!

Then I tried another one on day three. And it was delicious! In fact, they went from "I don't think I can eat this" to "I'm worried I won't be able to stop eating this" in just a few days. And they do make a lovely complement to the poached pears that show up elsewhere in the dessert chapter.

So, if you'd like to try an interesting variation on a whipped shortbread, these cookies are a good choice. Just don't try to eat them straight out of the oven. They really do need that three-day¹ resting period.

Semolina Almond Cookies

Slihgtly adapted from The Food of Morocco by Paula Wolfert

Ingredients

• 20 Tbsp. unsalted butter or 15 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 3/4 c. soft (standard/plain/pastry) flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 12 Tbsp. icing (powdered/confectioners') sugar, divided
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp. orange flower water
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 3/4 c. almond flour (almond meal/finely ground almonds)

Directions

1. If using butter: Melt it over low heat without stirring, discard any foam that forms on top, pour the clarified butter into a container and chill for 2-3 hours.
   If using ghee: Chill until solidified (1-3 hours depending on how solid/cool it was to begin with).
2. Sift the pastry flour and baking powder together and set aside.
3. Beat the chilled ghee until very light and fluffy (at least 5 minutes)!
4. Gradually beat in 7 Tbsp. of the icing sugar.
5. Beat for 2 minutes.
6. Add the egg yolk and beat for 2 more minutes.
7. Add the orange flower water, vanilla, and almond extract and beat for 1 more minute.
8. Fold in the flour mixture.
9. Fold in the almond meal.
10. Cover or wrap in waxed paper and/or cling film and chill for 30-60 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
12. Shape dough into balls, pressing each one flat to form a disc.
13. Place ~2cm apart on ungreased baking sheets.
14. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 12-15 minutes. (The cookies shouldn't brown at all.)
15. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and immediately sift 2 Tbsp. of the remaining sugar over the hot cookies.
16. Cool for 5 minutes.
17. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and roll in remaining 3 Tbsp. of icing sugar to coat.
18. Transfer to biscuit tin or airtight container and allow to rest/mellow for at least three days before serving.
19. Cookies may be stored like this for several weeks and should improve with age.

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¹ Wolfert says two to three days but, having tried one a day for several days, I would say three days is the minimum. ^Back

Chinnay Vengayam Thengapaal Sambhar (Shallot & Coconut Milk Sambhar)

This is an interesting dish. You chill the coconut milk and separate the thick parts from the thin and use them at different points during the cooking. The thin coconut milk goes in early on while the thick only gets added just before serving. Apparently this is a common technique in Kerala kitchens, but it's a first for me. Can't argue with the results though! This certainly produces a tasty curry.

Shallot & Coconut Milk Sambhar

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 (400mL) can coconut milk
• 1/2 c. skinned split pigeon peas (toovar dal)
• ~2 1/2 c. water, divided
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 12 shallots, sliced
• 15 fresh curry leaves
• 1-2 fresh green Thai or finger chilies, halved lengthwise
• 1-2 dried red Thai, arbol, or cayenne chilies, stems removed
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 3 slices fresh ginger (~6cm by 2.5cm by 3mm), julienned
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place the can of coconut milk in the fridge and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Rinse the pigeon pease well, then drain and add 2 c. of the water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Skim off any foam and reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for ~20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, carefully open the chilled can of coconut milk without shaking it.
6. Scoop out the upper layer of thick coconut milk and set it aside.
7. Pour the remaining thin coconut milk into a measuring cup and add enough water to make 1 1/2 c. Set aside.
8. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
9. Add the mustard seeds to the oil, cover, and cook until they've stopped popping (30-60 seconds).
10. Add the shallots, curry leaves, fresh chilies, and dried chilies and stir-fry until the shallots being to brown (~5 minutes).
11. Add the salt, turmeric, pepper, and thin coconut milk, bring to a boil, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
12. Once the pigeon peas have cooked (and cooled somewhat), transfer them to a blender with their cooking liquid (or use an immersion blender directly in the pot). Purée until smooth.
13. Pour the blended pigeon peas into the shallot mixture and add the tomato and ginger.
14. Continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for another 20 minutes.
15. Stir in the thick coconut milk and cilantro.
16. Remove from heat as soon as the curry returns to a boil and serve immediately.

Cauliflower Pattani (Cauliflower and Peas)

I'm not sure what the story behind this recipe's name is. As far as I know, Iyer normally gives his recipe titles in English and Hindi. In which case I'd expect the first word to be "ghobi". Maybe this is more of an Anglo curry and that's why it's got English in the name? He doesn't offer any explanation in the preamble, so I can only guess. Either way, it's surprisingly tasty for how simple it is. And, as he notes, is a very mild curry and thus good for serving to those who are not fond of spicy food.

Iyer suggests serving this curry with pooris and sweetened mango puree with milk (a recipe which I haven't gotten around to trying yet). I ended up serving it with vegetable-stuffed paratha and a shallot & coconut milk sambhar. I quite liked it this way. The sambhar and cauliflower were both good on their own, but I think they were even better mixted together into one delicious concoction.

Cauliflower Pattani

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 Tbsp. skinned split black lentils (mapte beans/urad dal)
• 1 small to medium head of cauliflower (or 1/2 a large head), cut into florets
• 1 c. fresh or frozen green peas
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 c. water
• 1 Tbsp. rice flour
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp. karuvapillai podi (curry leaf spice powder)

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until the seeds stop popping (30-60 seconds).
3. Add the lentils and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds.
4. Immediately add the cauliflower, peas, and salt.
5. Stir-fry for a minute or so to coat the vegetables.
6. Add the water and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
8. Sprinkle in the rice flour and stir it in. The sauce should quickly thicken.
9. Sprinkle in the cilantro and the curry leaf powder and serve.

This dish was supposed to be made with barley grits/couscous, but I didn't have any and I didn't have time to grind my own, so I just used whole wheat couscous instead. The preferred method is, of course, to cook the couscous by steaming it three times and only adding the broth at the end of cooking. This really does make a big difference to the final result and makes the couscous much nicer. But I already had a lot of other things going on in the kitchen, so I skipped the steaming and just cooked the couscous by the instant way. I will write up and link to the steaming instructions (which don't seem to be on the blog yet) in a separate post.

Couscous with Beef and Leafy Greens

Slightly adapted from The Food of Morocco by Paula Wolfert

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. dried chickpeas¹
• 450g cracked lean beef shanks or short ribs (braising ribs), cut into 2-3cm cubes²
• 1-2 bunches Russian kale, broccoli rabe, or broccolini; rinsed, trimmed, and chopped
• 225g carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 225g parsnip, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, ground
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 450g tomatoes, diced, divided
• 6 c. water
• 450g barley grits or barley couscous³
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 c. milk⁴
• 2 tsp. ghee or oudi

Directions

1. Place the chickpeas in a bowl or pot and pour in enough water to cover them by at least 5cm. Soak overnight.
2. Drain the chickpeas and transfer to a large pot or Dutch oven.
3. Add the beef, carrots, parsnips, and 1/3 of the greens, cover, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.⁵
4. Add the salt, 2 Tbsp. of the oil, onion, spices, and 1/2 of the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 15 minutes.
5. Add the water and bring to a boil.
6. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the meat is tender (2-3 hours).
7. Meanwhile, steam your barley grits/couscous.⁶
8. While the barley is cooking, brush the remaining Tbsp. of oil onto the bottom of a large skillet.
9. Spread 1/2 the remaining greens in the skillet.
10. Place the cilantro and parsley on top of the greens, then place the remaining greens on top of the herbs.
11. Cover with a paper towel and a heavy plate followed by a tightly fitting lid.
12. Cook the greens over low heat for 30 minutes.⁷
13. Uncover the greens and add the remaining tomatoes to the pan.
14. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for ~10 minutes. Set aside.
15. Check on the broth and skim any foam or fat off the surface. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
16. Strain the broth and set the meat and vegetables aside.
17. Add the milk to the broth and boil it down to reduce by about half.
18. Stir in the ghee.
19. Moisten the thrice-steamed barley with ~1 1/2 c. of the broth. Use a whisk to smoothout any lumps.
20. Arrange the meat, vegetables, and greens on top of the couscous.
21. Let stand for 10 minutes.
22. Serve with a bowl of the remaining broth on the side.⁸

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¹ I swapped in 1 c. of canned chickpeas for the dried and skipped the soaking step. ^Back
2 I completely missed the part where it said to cut up the beef. This would've made it a lot easier to serve! Oh well, it was still delicious. If you do use beef shanks and cut them up before putting them in, make sure you still include the bones. They add great flavour! ^Back
3 As noted above, I didn't end up making barley grits, so I just used 2 c. of whole wheat couscous instead. (2 c. may or may not be equivalent to 450g of barley. I didn't worry so much about having the same amount, I just cooked what seemed reasonable for the meal.) ^Back
4 Goat's milk would be preferable, but cow or sheep can be substituted if necessary. ^Back
5 The recipe calls for adding the vegetables at this stage, but I would be tempted to experiment with adding them later. They were quite soft by the time the broth was done and I feel that it might've been better to cook the meat and chickpeas alone first and add the veggies part-way through. ^Back
6 As noted above, I skipped all the steaming and just made a batch of instant couscous using the broth at the end. It would certainly be better with properly steamed starches, but sometimes convenience trumps quality. Instant couscous does make this dish more accessible. Especially when you have other things cooking at the same time. ^Back
7 This seemed like way too much cooking to me. The greens were dry and beginning to brown after the half hour. Even though I'd had the pan on the lowest possible setting. Next time I think I'd probably try cooking them for only 15 minutes. ^Back
8 Pouring a little bit of extra broth over the couscous just before you eat it really makes a big difference. I highly recommend both broth and harissa as extra "condiments" with this dish. ^Back

I made this as a vegetable side to go with the beef and nectarine tagine. I'm not a big fan of cauliflower most of the time, but this was pretty good.

Marak of Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Olives

Slightly adapted from The Food of Morocco by Paula Wolfert

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1 medium cauliflower¹, cut into florets (~4 c.)
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/2 Tbsp. cumin seeds
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 c. hot water
• 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 a preserved lemon², pulp removed, rind rinsed and julienned
• 12 pitted green, midway, or red olives

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Add the cauliflower and sugar and cover with a crumpled sheet of parchemnt paper followed by a tight-fitting lid.
3. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Increase heat to medium and continue cooking, uncovered, until the moisture has evaporated and cauliflower begins to brown.
5. Add the tomatoes and paprika and cook, uncovered, for another 5 minutes.
6. Combine the garlic, cumin, and salt and crush to a paste³.
7. Add the garlic-cumin paste to the pan along with the water.
8. Cook, uncovered, until the moisture has evaporated (~20 minutes).
9. Add the parsley and lemon juice and toss to coat.
10. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
11. Garnish with preserved lemon and olives and serve.

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¹ My cauliflower was huge so I only ended up using half of it for this recipe. ^Back
2 I didn't feel like getting out a preserved lemon for this, so I just omitted it. I'm sure the lemon would've added a nice extra element, but it was still fine without it. ^Back
3 I just used garlic paste and ground the salt with the cumin separately for this. Next time I'd like to trying mashing them all together with my molcajete though. I think the garlic flavour would be a little more concentrated that way since garlic paste normally has water added. ^Back

This was a fun recipe to do. I'd never poached pears before. They were still a little firm at the end of the poaching time. I think I probably should've cooked them for a bit longer. But they were still very tasty. And the syrup that went with them was amazing!

Poached Pears with Prunes

Slightly adapted from The Food of Morocco by Paula Wolfert

Ingredients

• 2L water
• 1 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 navel orange¹, sliced 5-6mm thick
• 1 (7-8cm) cinnamon stick
• 1 clove
• 1 bay leaf²
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 4-6 Bartlett or Bosc pears³
• 12 pitted prunes
• semolina almond cookies, to serve

Directions

1. Combine the water, sugar, orange slices, cinnamon stick, clove, bay leaf, and lemon juice and bring to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Remove the core from the bottom end of one of the pears.⁴
4. Peel the pear, but leave the stem on.
5. Add the pear to the pot with the sugar-water/syrup and repeat the process with the remaining pears.
6. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
7. Add the prunes and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
9. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pears, prunes, and orange slices to a bowl.
10. Boil the poaching liquid over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes.
11. Pour the syrup over the pears.
12. Pears may be covered and refrigerated for up to four days.
13. When ready to eat, return to room temperature and serve with semolina almond cookies on the side.

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¹ The original recipe calls for only 1/2 an orange, but I really liked the orange in it, so I've upped it to a whole orange. I ended up using a blood orange rather than a navel orange for mine, but it doesn't seem to have suffered any from the swap. ^Back
2 I opted to swap in an "Indian bay leaf" here. I believe they are actually cassia leaves, so they are a bit like a cross between bay laurel and cinnamon. I figured that, given there was already cinnamon in the recipe, the cinnamon notes of the Indian bay leaf would go nicely. I think either one works fine, so just use whichever you have/prefer. ^Back
3 I used four large Bartlett pears for my rendition of this dish. Given that they were quite large, I think I probably should've added 5 or 10 minutes to the poaching time. They were still pretty firm and a bit tricky to eat. ^Back
4 Wolfert says to do this with an apple corer or a long knife. I tried it with a knife and didn't have much luck. TF looked up instructions online and found a lot of advice saying to use a melon baller or a spoon. I had much better luck once I switched to a spoon. (I think I melon baller would've been even better, but I don't have one of those.) ^Back

Karuvapillai Podi (Curry Leaf Spice Powder)

This is one of the few spice mixes in the book that we hadn't made yet. I decided to grab a fresh bunch of curry leaves at the Indian grocery and change that. It's a very nice mix. And TF is extremely enthusiastic about it. It's basically just a lot of curry leaves with a little turmeric, asafetida, and chili mixed in, plus a couple legumes to round things out. Very straightforward in ingredients, but complex in flavour and a delicious addition to many curries and pulaos.

Karuvapillai Podi

From 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Instructions

• 2 Tbsp. skinned split pigeon peas (toovar dal)
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1/2 c. firmly packed fresh curry leaves
• 2 Tbsp. skinned split black lentils (mapte beans/urad dal)
• 6-8 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies, stems removed
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. ground asafetida

Directions

1. Combine the pigeon peas, canola oil, curry leaves, lentils, and chilies in a bowl and toss to coat. Be thorough and try to make sure everything gets a thin coating of oil.
2. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add the oil-coated mixture and stir-fry until the leaves feel dry and the legumes turn golden-brown (2-3 minutes).
4. Immediately transfer the mixture to a plate to cool.
5. Once everything is cool to the touch, transfer to a spice grinder and finely grind. (You may need to do this in several batches.)
6. Add the turmeric and asafetida and stir to combine.
7. Transfer to an air-tight container and store in a cool dry place -- but not the fridge! -- for up to 3 months.