Last month, like many other foodies, we went to see Julie & Julia. I won't bore you with a review or a rehashing of delightful moments, but we are going to subject you to our own version of Julie's undertaking.
Introducing our latest project: cooking through Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi.
Before you decide that we're insane, deluded and/or possesors of far more time and energy than everyone else, please note that we're taking more than a year (or possibly two) to cook through this book because:
2) we both work (probably too much)
3) our wonderful CSA program from Full Circle Farm (more on that in another, forthcoming, post) which provides us with an abundance of produce which doesn't necessarily fit into the parameters of this project.
We won't be posting the actual recipes from the book, since publicly reproducing all of them electronically would seem to violate copyright laws ;D. However, we will post a general overview of our experiences with the individual recipes, along with pictures of our adventures. We're about a month into the project now and have tried 11 recipes, all delicious.
Currently we have cooked:
Sada Moong Dal (Simple Mung Dal Soup)
Khara Moong Dal (Golden Mung Dal Soup)
Palak Moong Dal (Creamy Mung Dal with chopped Spinach)
Urad Tamatar Dal (Urad Dal with Totmatoes)
Chapati (Griddle-Baked Whole Wheat Bread)
Masala Barbatti Sabji (Spiced Green Beans)
Louki Hari Matar Sabji (Summer Squash and Green Peas)
Ekadasee Roagan Aloo (Creamed Potatoes with Lemon Pepper)
Sak (Buttery Spinach)
Suran Tikki (Savory Mashed Yam Patties)
Bhona Badaam (Deep-Fried Batter-Coated Mixed Nuts)
Papita Lassi (Papaya Yogurt Shake)
I also have my own recipe for pulau, which is essentially an Indian pilaf. That recipe I'll post here :D.
Cumin and Mustard Seed Pulau with Crunchy Shallots
Pulau
1 tsp. peanut oil or ghee
1 cup basmati rice
1/2 tbsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp. black mustard seeds
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1 1/3 c. water (for pressure cooker) or 2 c. water (standard stove top pan)
salt to taste
Place water in pan you will use to cook the rice and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, do not rinse rice. Instead, heat oil in non-stick pan. Add the rice and saute until rice becomes aromatic and grains begin to brown.
Then add the seeds, spices, and salt to the boiling water, along with the sauteed rice. Be aware that adding the rice will cause the water to foam briefly due to the hot oil. Stir briefly, then cover tightly with lid. Cook according to your pressure cooker's directions for rice, or over low heat on the stove top for about 20 minutes. Allow the rice to rest for 5-10 minutes after removing from the heat. Immediately before serving, open the pan and fluff the pulau. Top with the crunchy shallots, if desired, and serve.
Crunchy Shallots
1 large shallot, very finely sliced
2-3 tbsp. peanut oil
Heat the oil over high heat. Meanwhite, separate the shallot's rings so that each can fry individually. Once the oil is hot, add the shallot rings and fry for 4-6 minutes, until they are dark brown (but not black!). You will have to watch them closely, as they will be a light gold for several minutes and then within about 20 seconds they will darken and if not removed immediately, they will burn. This sounds tricky, but mostly requires attentiveness. Allow the removed rings to drain and turn crunchy on a paper towel, then place on top of the pulau.
Note: I usually prep the shallots along with the rice, and then fry them while the rice is cooking and/or cooling.