Soufflé Omelette (Breakfast Bible Version)

I've made soufflé omelettes before. This one takes a slightly simpler approach than the previous one that I tried. For this one, you simply separate your eggs, add a little salt and pepper to the yolks, beat the whites, and then fold them into the yolks. The omelette is topped with soft goat cheese and fresh chives and baked. It doesn't get folded or filled with anything more than that.

It was nice. I appreciate the ease of preparation. And the flavour was fine. Personally, I think it could've done with a bit more cheese. And I do think some mushrooms or other toppings would have been nice. It doesn't need them, but I do think they would have added to the experience. Still, this is nice if you just want a quick and simple fluffy omelette.

Soufflé Omelette

Slightly adapted from The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 60-70g fresh goat cheese (chère), crumbled
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease an oven-proof frying pan.
2. Combine the egg yolks, salt, and pepper and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
4. Mix ~1/4 of the egg whites into the yolks to loosen them.
5. Add the remaining egg whites and fold in until just combined.
6. Pour the eggs into the prepared pan.
7. Sprinkle with goat cheese and chives and bake until just set (10-15 minutes).

We ate all the kachoris that I made to go with the salad last night, but we still had lots of salad left, so I wanted to make a simple curry to go with it. One that wouldn't require a trip to the grocery store.

I'd always sort of glossed over this recipe because the idea of making the dhoklis (basically a spicy, wheat-based Indian gnocchi) sounded too labour-intensive to me. But the curry looked very simple otherwise, and it didn't look that difficult to make the little dumplings, so I decided to give it a go.

TF and I both really liked this. The Kidlet wasn't a fan of the dhoklis, but seemed to like the dal part of the curry well enough. That said, I do think I would make some changes next time.

The recipe as written only called for 1/2 c. of pigeon peas for 4 c. of water. This makes a very thin, soupy dal. Which is fine, but I think I would've preferred a thicker, more substantial base. So I think I'd try doubling the pigeon peas next time.

I also had some trouble with the dhokli dough. It called for 1/2 c. of roti flour, 2 Tbsp. oil, and "enough hot water to form a dough", which Iyer said should take ~1/4 c. However, 2 Tbsp. of oil was enough to completely soak and saturate the dough and then I could barely get more than 1 Tbsp. of water in before the dough started getting way too wet. It felt very greasy and was difficult to shape. To the point where I suspect there may be a typo in the recipe. Maybe it was supposed to be 2 tsp. of oil? Or 1 c. of flour, rather than 1/2 c.? I think I might try doubling the dhokli recipe next time, but halving the oil. Hopefully that would make the dumplings a bit less greasy. And it would give even more dhoklis in the finished dish which, I have to say, I wouldn't mind.

Again, not that it was bad like this. I just think it could've been even better!

Dal Dhoklis

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

Dhoklis

• 1 c. roti (atta) flour
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. bishop's weed (ajwain)
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• ~1/4 c. hot water

Dal

• 1 c. split skinned pigeon peas
• 4 c. water
• 1 tsp. dhania-jeera masala
• 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 fresh green Thai chilies, minced
• 1 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 tsp. ground asafetida
• 8 fresh or frozen curry leaves
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Rinse the pigeon peas for the dal very well.
2. Add the peas and the water to a pressure cooker/InstantPot and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural release.
3. Meanwhile, combine the flour, sea salt, sugar, chilies, turmeric, and bishop's weed and mix well.
4. Add the cilantro and oil and mix very well.
5. Drizzle in the hot water until a stiff dough forms.
6. Divide the dough into two equal portions.
7. Roll each portion into a 30cm (12") long rope/log.
8. Cut each rope into 48 equal pieces (96 pieces total).
9. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, then press it with your thumb to make a depression in the centre. Set aside.
10. Once the pigeon peas are cooked, give them a stir. If they are not breaking down on their own, use a blender (immersion blenders work well for this) to purée until smooth.
11. Stir in the dhania-jeera masala, salt, turmeric, and chilies.
12. Add the dhoklis and stir to prevent them from sticking to each other.
13. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes.
14. Meanwhile, melt the ghee over medium-high heat.
15. Add the mustard seeds to the ghee, cover, and cook until they stop popping (30-60 seconds).
16. Remove from heat; add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafetida, and curry leaves; and mix well.
17. Add the ghee mixture to the dal.
18. Stir in the tomato and cilantro and serve.

Bund Gobhi Kakadi nu Salade (Cabbage-Cucumber Salad)

I had initially been intending to do some baked cod for dinner last night, but, when dinner time rolled around... I just wasn't feeling it. So I flipped through the curry cookbook instead. I started at the back and worked my way forward until I got to this interesting salad recipe.

It's hot here right now, so the idea of a nice, cool salad for dinner was quite appealing. And it meant that I could finally use up the cabbage and cucumber out of the fridge! Granted it was napa cabbage rather than the green cabbage the recipe called for, but I had a hunch that I could get away with making that swap in this instance.

I made the recipe to spec initially and it was good. That said, I felt like it could stand to be a little punchier, so I added a couple tsp. of Maharashtrian garam masala. I think that helped, but I might be inclined to add a minced green chile next time as well. Still... it was a tasty refreshing salad for a hot day.

Bund Gobhi Kakadi nu Salade

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1 small head cabbage, shredded
• 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 c. shredded fresh coconut¹
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 fresh green Thai, finger, or serrano chile, minced (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 c. raw peanuts (without skins)
• 1-2 Tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. ground asafetida
• juice of 1 lime
• 1-2 tsp. Maharashtrian garam masala (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the cabbage, cucumber, coconut, cilantro, chile (if using), sugar, and sea salt and mix well.
2. Toast the peanuts over medium-high heat until brown and spotty.
3. Transfer to a molcajete or large mortar and pestle and coarsely grind (to the texture of coarse breadcrumbs). If using a food processor, blender, or spice grinder wait until the peanuts have cooled completely before grinding or else they will become cakey.
4. Add the peanuts to the salad.
5. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
6. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until they've stopped popping (30-60 seconds).
7. Remove from heat and stir in the asafetida.
8. Allow to cook in the residual heat for 5-10 seconds, then pour the oil mixture over the salad and stir to combine.
9. Add the lime juice and garam masala (if using) and mix well.
10. Serve cold or room temperature.

---

¹ Alternatively, use 1/4 c. of dried, unsweetened shredded coconut. Pour over 1/4 c. of boiling water, let stand for 10-15 minutes, then drain and use as directed. ^Back

Mutter Kachoris (Fried Flatbreads Stuffed with Green Peas)

Iyer notes that these flatbreads are a popular breakfast food in northern India and often served alongside potato curries. I opted to serve them as a salad accompaniment to round out our light dinner last night.

Being deep fried -- and full of butter to boot! -- these are definitely not health food. But they are delicious! We all ended up having seconds last night.

Mutter Kachoris

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds
• 1/4 c. unsalted butter
• 4-5 Tbsp. cold water

Filling

• 4-6 fresh green Thai, finger, or serrano chilies
• 3 slices fresh ginger (~6cm x 2cm x 3mm)
• 1 c. frozen green peas, thawed
• 1 Tbsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. dhania-jeera masala
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Combine the flour, salt, and nigella and mix well.
2. Cut in the butter.
3. Drizzle in the water while mixing with a fork. Use just enough water to get the dough to come together in a cohesive mass.
4. Divide into six equal portions, cover, and chill until ready to use.
5. Meanwhile, combine the chilies and ginger in a food processor (or blender) and mince.
6. Add the peas and pulse until finely minced.
7. Heat the oil over medium heat.
8. Add the pea mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is dry to the touch (~5 minutes).
9. Remove from heat and stir in the dhania-jeera masala and salt.
10. Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll into a circle on a floured surface. I found that I preferred rolling the edges slightly thinner and leaving the centre thicker.
11. Spoon ~2 Tbsp. of filling into the centre of the dough and fold up the edges to completely encase the filling and form a packet.
12. Press to flatten slightly, flip seam-side-down, and roll out to form a circle 10-12cm (4-5") across. Repeat with remaining portions of dough and filling.
13. Pour at least 2-3cm of oil into a wok (or use a deep fryer).
14. Heat oil to 190-200°C (375-400°F).
15. Cook the kachoris one or two at a time (depending on the size of your deep fryer). Slide them into the hot oil and press them down as the rise to the surface and puff up so that the cook evenly on both sides. Flip them over if necessary to achieve even browning.
16. Transfer to a rack or paper towels to drain.
17. Serve plain or with a curry of your choice.

Arbi Curry (Taro Curry)

I ended up making this curry with ube (ratalu) rather than taro root, but it still seemed to work well. It tasted nice and was still starchy enough to thicken up the sauce. And I appreciated that making it with frozen, cubed ube meant that I didn't have to deal with peeling fresh taro myself.

Arbi Curry

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 450g taro root
• 1-2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 Tbsp. skinned split black lentils (urad dal/mapte beans)
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 12 curry fresh or frozen curry leaves
• 2-4 fresh green Thai, finger, or serrano chilies, chopped

Directions

1. Peel the taro and cut into 2cm cubes.
2. Place in a pot and add enough water to cover.
3. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until tender (~8 minutes).
4. Reserve 1 c. of cooking water and drain the taro.
5. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
6. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until they've stopped popping (30-60 seconds).
7. Add the lentils and cook, stirring constantly, until golden-brown (20-30 seconds).
8. Add the turmeric and cook for ~5 seconds.
9. Add the oil mixture to the cooked taro along with the reserved cooking water, cilantro, salt, curry leaves, and chilies.
10. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened (~5 minutes).

The Breakfast Bible has a sort of mix-and-match approach to pancakes. It provides three basic pancake recipes -- buttermilk, whole wheat, and gluten free -- and then gives a selection of suggested combinations of mix-ins and a separate section with suggested combinations of toppings. This compound butter was suggested along with apples and maple syrup.

Sugar and Spice Butter

From The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp. icing (powdered/confectioners') sugar
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground

Directions

1. Sift the icing sugar into the butter.
2. Add the cinnamon, ginger, and salt and mix well.

As written this wants ricotta salata, but as usual we didn't have that and we did have feta, so feta it is.

Roasted Beets with Arugula and Feta

Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan (p. 19)

Ingredients

• large beets totaling about 500g
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ¼ tsp mustard
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 C (~60g) baby arugula
• 130-150g feta, crumbled

Directions

1. Trim roots and stems from beets.
2. Arrange beets on a baking tray and brush with 1½ tbsp oil.
3. Bake at 350° until fork-tender, turning every half hour, about 60-90 minutes depending on beet size.
4. Remove and let cool.
5. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining oil, juices, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
6. Peel beets and cut into thin wedges.
7. Add beets to dressing and turn gently until coated.
8. Add arugula and feta and toss to combine. Serve.