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A New Project (by the Project Junkies)

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:

1) we have favorite dishes we can't bear to live without for a year
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.

Glossary

boule - a round loaf of bread

baton - an enlongated football-shaped loaf of bread

dal - "the generic name for all members of the dried pea and bean family, and the dishes made from them" (from Lord Krishna's Cuisine, page 40)

ghee - clarified unsalted butter (Indian ghee is further clarified than French clarified butter, lending it a distinct flavor and a higher smoking point, 170 Farenheit)

levain - sourdough starter

shallot - a small member of the onion family, sweeter and milder than a standard yellow onion, shallots have a delicate purple tint throughout and (to my knowledge) are used frequently in French and Thai cooking; good fresh or cooked

umami - a Japanese term for a fifth flavor component (in addition to sweet, salty, sour, and bitter) often translated as "savory"

A Better Boule

I love bread. A meal feels incomplete to me without some form of bread, be it leavened or unleavened, sweet or sour, or at the very least some grain. I can wax poetic about the centrality of bread within Christian life, but for the moment, I simply want to delight in a very basic loaf of bread. An incredible union of flour, water, salt, and naturally occuring yeast. Breadmaking is an ancient art, yet one that all too few people today have the chance to enjoy. With nothing more than flour and water (or a more foolproof method of OJ and flour for the first few days), you too can have a sourdough starter, also known as levain, with which to produce amazingly tasty bread.

This weekend I produced my first passable boule from my new sourdough starter. (For those not obsessed with artisan bread, as I am, a boule simply means a round loaf of bread.) Unlike my first abysmally collapsed loaf, this one actually has a decent crumb, a toothsome, chewy texture, and a mildly sour flavor.

Things I think helped improve loaf 2 over loaf 1: cooler weather (70's rather than 80's), and therefore condo, for a slower rise; not using water on the crust which reduced the loaf's adhesion to my ad hoc baker's peel (the back of a cookie sheet); a hotter oven, 475 rather than 425.

There's still LOTS of room to grow and improve, but this is still a yummy loaf which we've been enjoying along the Pacific Northwest coast.