1-in-3 – Buddha’s Hand Citron

From octopus to orange, squash to Star Wars, I had more fun than you all did, coming up with names for that strange-looking-thingy I posted yesterday. Isn’t Imaginaaaation fun?

As you many of you have guessed, it is indeed a citrus; Buddha’s Hand Citron, to be exact. Believed to have originated from India, this citrus got its name for its ‘fingers’. The fruit has no juice or pulp, just peel and pith.

When I first spotted it at Whole Foods, I wasn’t sure what it was. It looked weird, smelt nice and was exorbitantly prized. However, I was hesitant to buy as I had no idea of what it was. Looking at my bewilderment, the floor manager voluntarily sliced one and offered me a sample; few actually. I was intrigued and impressed by its texture right away. The peel was crisp and the pith was ‘cloud-like’, with almost no bitterness. It also had its signature lemony and floral notes. The more I had, the more I wanted take one home. And this story has a happy ending. Did I mention it was exorbitantly prized? Ah! All in the name of blogging.

So now I have an exotic fruit lying in my refrigerator and I am clueless on how to deal with it. There was not much information or recipes on the internet. Though marmalade sounded like a straight-forward option for a citrus with neither pulp nor juice, I wanted something different. When have I stuck to a standard procedure? So I decided to use them in recipes that calls for lemon zest, 3 recipes to be exact. And, so here it is 1-in-3 – Buddha’s Hand.

First stop, cupcakes. Adapted from this book, these cupcakes were dense, moist and tasty. I was surprised how a small amount of Buddha’s Hand zest made a difference. This is my entry to Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Cate of Sweetnicks.

Buddha’s Hand Low - Fat Cupcakes

Ingredients

All purpose flour – ¾ cup
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda – ¼ tsp
Salt – ¼ tsp
Butter – 2 tbsp
Sugar – 1/3 cup
Grated Buddha’s Hand zest or lemon zest – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – ¼ tsp
Egg whites – 2
Buttermilk – ½ cup

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with liners. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.

In a big bowl cream butter and sugar until well mixed. Beat in zest, lemon juice, egg whites and buttermilk and whisk thoroughly. Gently fold in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scoop batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes. The cupcakes should be well-risen and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. If desired, frost ‘em with cream cheese frosting or serve as is. Yields about 8 medium sized cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat equal portions of cream cheese and powdered sugar with Buddha’s Hand zest until fluffy. Frost cupcakes just before serving.

I am off to a good start. Lets see where these goblin fingers take me next.

What Could This Be?

Almond Pâté

Pâté is a spreadable mixture of chopped or ground meat, fat and seasonings, often served with toasts as a starter. It may be cooked in a pastry (Pâté en croûte), or in a mold (Pâté en terrine). But there is no meat in my pâté, but ground almonds. Sounds fabulous? What else do you expect from Tassajara?

We were head-over-heels in love with this spread, to say the least. G, who loves everything almond, has declared that this pâté should always be on hand for a quick fix, anytime. That says it all, I guess.

Ingredients

Onion – 1 cup, minced
Butter – 1 tbsp
Green chilli – 1, minced (optional)
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Mixed herbs (I used parsley, chives and rosemary) – 2 tbsp, minced
Raw almonds – 1 cup
Bread crumbs – heaping ½ cup
Soy sauce – 1 tsp
Garlic – 1 clove, minced
Mayonnaise – 3 to 4 tbsp
Salt
Pepper
Lemon slices
Butter paper – to roll

Method

In a skillet over medium-low heat, lightly toast the bread crumbs. Transfer to a big bowl. In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté onions along with cumin powder and garlic. When the onions are soft, transfer to the bowl with breadcrumbs.

Grind almonds to a coarse meal, like rava or cornmeal. Add to breadcrumbs and onion. Also add fresh herbs, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper, and work with your fingers to bring it all together. Add mayonnaise 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture holds together. Transfer the mixture to a butter paper and roll into a log. Cover well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve with toasts, lemon slices and tomatoes. Spread pate over a toast, squeeze lemon juice and top with a tomato.

This is my entry to Waiter, there is something in my… Dried fruits and nuts, hosted by Andrew of Spittoon Extra. Since this makes an excellent open-faced sandwich, I am also sending this to Anupama of Food-n-more, who is celebrating Sandwich Festival this month.

My latest post at The Daily Tiffin - Herbs: More Than Just A Garnish.

Simply Okra

Whenever I find small tender okra (or lady’s finger, as it is called in India), I make this dish. I first tasted this in my aunt’s house over a decade ago. Being an ardent okra lover, I fell in love at the very first bite. When we came back, I, along with my mom tried it with equally delicious results. But over the next few years it was lost from our kitchen. When I started cooking on my own, this dish was always in the back of my mind. It was the taste I could remember; not the recipe. I had to rekindle my mom’s memory and voila, there I was, relishing it once again.

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the dish. Crispy from toor dal and spicy from black pepper, this minimally spiced dish lets the okra shine through. Thats makes it one of my all-time favourites.

Since okra is used whole, use only tender pods. How to find out whether they are tender? Hold the pod in your hand and gently break the tip with your thumb. If the tip snaps instantly, the pod is young. If it is woodsy, fibrous and doesn't snap, its mature.

Though the dish is originally prepared in a kadai or skillet, I bake them in the oven. Not only does it reduce the amount of oil used, I don’t have to baby sit the okra. But the stove-top version is equally delicious too.

Ingredients

Whole okra or lady’s finger – 1 lb (about 40 pieces)
Toor dal – ¼ cup
Whole black pepper – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp + ½ tsp
Oil – to spray

Method

Grind toor dal, pepper and 1 tsp of salt to a coarse powder. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Cut the top and end of the okra. Make a slit on one side and stuff with spice powder without breaking the pod. Arrange okra on the baking sheet and spray them with oil. Sprinkle rest of the salt and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the pods gently to the other side and bake for additional 5 minutes, or until they are slightly crispy . Let rest for 2 minutes before serving.

If cooking on stove-top, heat oil in a kadai or skillet and gently cook the stuffed okra with a sprinkle of salt, until done and toasty.

Stuffed okra served with avocado rotis and tomato raita

Udon – Miso Bowl

Have you ever yearned to visit a place for months together and suddenly realized that you can actually make to it in a matter of hours? That precisely explains my sudden disappearance this past week. I am hoping to share this experience with you when time permits.

Coming to today’s recipe, this is yet another restaurant-inspired meal. I have this bad habit of recreating meals that I enjoy in any eatery, be it a local café or a fine diner. Why bad? Because I know how to make it at home, so why bother ordering it again? This practice reduced our eating out options, until I learnt to enjoy the dish even if I know how to prepare it. This is one such dish that I appreciate, no matter where it is prepared.

For this recipe, I have used frozen udon noodles, which are available at Oriental supermarkets. Frozen noodles have much shorter cooking time and are smooth and chewy. They come in blocks which are easier to store and use. Dried udon or soba noodles can be used in its place. Learn to make udon noodles at home from Lara.

Mirin is Japanese cooking wine. This light gold coloured liquid adds sweetness and flavour to the dish. There are two types of mirin – Hon Mirin, which contains 14% alcohol and Shin Mirin, that contains 1% alcohol. When cooked, the alcohol evaporates leaving behind concentrated flavours. Use mirin sparingly because the taste is strong.

Miso is a salty condiment used in Japanese cooking. It is prepared by fermenting soy beans, rice or barley with salt and koji(a mold culture), and are aged in wooden caskets. They are differentiated by factors like the type of grain used, how long they are aged etc. Red and white miso are the common varieties available. If you are not introduced to miso before, start with white miso, because it is milder and smoother than red miso. When stored properly in a refrigerator, it stays fresh for a year.

Ingredients

Frozen udon noodles – 2 blocks (about 8 oz)
Red onion – 1, sliced
Fresh spinach – 1 cup, chopped
Sambal oelek (fresh chilli paste) – 1 tsp
Grated ginger – 1 tsp
Garlic – 2 cloves, minced
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Sesame oil – 1 tbsp

Miso sauce

Miso – 2 tbsp
Mirin – ¼ cup
Rice vinegar – 2 tbsp
Water or stock – ¼ cup

Method

Cook udon noodles according to instructions. Drain, rinse and set aside. Combine all the ingredients for the miso sauce into a smooth mixture.

In a skillet or wok over medium-high heat, heat oil and sauté onion. When the onions have caramelized, reduce the heat, add ginger, garlic and spinach. Let the spinach wilt and add miso sauce. When the sauce bubbles vigorously, add cooked noodles. Toss to combine, squirt lemon juice and serve hot. No additional salt is required as miso is salty enough.

On a different note, my Baked Portabella has won last month’s challenge of No Croutons Required, hosted by Lisa and Holler. Many thanks to the hosts and to those who voted for me.

Arundathi, Miss Bellevue, Namratha, Cynthia have awarded me with ‘Yummy Blog Award’.

I thank these ladies and pass the award to all food bloggers who expend their time and energy to enrich the food blogging community.

Eggs En Cocotte

That’s a fancy name for eggs baked in a cup or ramekin. Easy as 1,2,3, the eggs are baked with cream, salt and pepper and served with buttered toasts.

After a visit to the farmer’s market, I always come home with farm-fresh eggs with bright coloured yolks and freshly baked bread. So eggs and toast is our standard weekend brunch. Some days the eggs are scrambled, other days they are baked or broiled.

In this method, the eggs are gently cooked over a water bath, until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. By the time I put away vegetables from the weekly trip, the eggs are done and breakfast is served without breaking a sweat. Easy, huh? Did I say they make a pretty presentation?

I have cooked the eggs with only half-and-half, but you can also drizzle melted butter over the eggs before sliding into the oven. Other substitutions that can be made are parmesan cheese instead of salt, and tarragon instead of chives. You can also bake the eggs with chopped tomato or sauteed mushrooms. This is my entry to Waiter, There is something in my… Breakfast, hosted by Johanna at The Passionate Cook.

Ingredients

Eggs – 4
Half-and-half or cream – 4 tbsp
Salt
Pepper
Chives
Butter for greasing

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 4 ramekins with butter and season the bottom with salt and pepper. Crack one egg per each ramekin and drizzle 1 tbsp of half-and-half or cream per ramekin. Place the ramekins in a pan and fill the pan with hot water till it reaches about half the height of the ramekins.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the whites are set and egg yolks are still wiggly. Bake for additional 2 minutes if you want the yolks to be completely set too. The eggs continue to cook a bit even after removing from the oven. Let the ramekins rest for 2 minutes and serve garnished with chopped chives and buttered toasts. This serves two.

This is my entry for this edition of CLICK – Au Naturel, created and hosted by Bee and Jai at Jugalbandi.

Purslane Kootu

A visit to the local farmer’s market is something I eagerly look forward to. Its either the motivation of laying hands on the freshest produce that I will serve my family; or the interaction with the person who devotedly grew it; or the knowledge I gain on growing/storing produce and herbs; or just the lively atmosphere and the music. The farmers are always eager to share recipes for vegetables or greens that I haven’t tried before. Sometimes they recommend their favourites, which I make sure to buy. Last fall, we feasted on a locally grown variety of apples, thanks to one such recommendations. Thin skinned, small and sweet, it was hard to believe that they were actually fruits and not candy. The farmer even complained that she had to stop her son from eating more than three a day.

Over the last few weeks, I was lucky to be introduced to new kinds of produce. Lets start with these Armenian cucumbers. Long, slender and slightly ribbed, they looked a cross between snake gourd and an English cucumber. Some were bright green, and others were lighter coloured. But they both taste sweet and crisp, and didn’t require peeling. Their taste and texture reminded me of a variety of cucumbers that are small, sweet and crisp and are usually sold at bus stands in India. I was happy to rediscover ‘em.

Giant okra compared with regular ones

Next stop, okra. Not your everyday okra, but huge ones. When I saw them, my first thought was, why would anyone want to cook such mature okras. Surprisingly, these giants were still tender. The grower, Maya, explained to me that this was another kind of okra and taste the same as the regular ones. They did, in addition to being less slimy.

Last, but not least, is Purslane or Verdolaga, known as 'Paruppu Keerai' in Tamil. An edible weed native to India, they can be cooked or eaten raw. I preferred cooking it, but there weren’t many recipes around. Cooking with dal was definitely a safe option. But noticing the delicate leaves, I want to give them an opportunity to shine on their own.

I turned to Pedatha, who has always inspired me in the past. In addition to recipes, what I look for in a cookbook are ideas and methods that I could adapt to my own liking. This book has it aplenty. A recipe that called for amaranth/spinach caught my eye, and I decided to adapt it. The kootu, as I like to call it, was divine. Once cooked, the leaves were unbelievably tasty, tender and not even slightly bitter. I am certain that we would enjoy this recipe over and over, for years to come.

I am sending this to JFI – Love, hosted by Jigyasa and Pratibha. This edition of Jihva is about honoring those individuals that inspired and enriched your culinary world. I find it only apt to pay my tribute to Pedatha, with one of her own recipes.

Purslane kootu served with rice, Armenian cucumbers and eggplants sautéed with sambar powder

Purslane Kootu

Ingredients

Purslane – 3 bunches, chopped coarsely along with stems
Roasted gram – 2 tbsp, powdered
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Garlic – 2 cloves
Green chillies – 4
Cilantro – ½ cup, packed
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt

Method

Grind ginger, garlic, green chillies and cilantro into a smooth paste with little water. In a pan heat oil, splutter mustard seeds and roast urad dal until golden brown. Add the greens, turmeric powder and cook covered until the greens are done. Add the ground paste and salt, and cook for additional two minutes. Remove from heat and add powdered gram. Serve with rice and vegetables.

This icon, courtesy of Alanna at A Veggie Venture, celebrates farm produce and encourages bloggers to seek out locally grown produce. Remember Ms. Blush, the sweet tomato from last year? This being Earth Week, I found it apt to blog about local-grown produce. If you haven't gone local yet, here are 10 reasons why you should. 'Going Local' is one of the 51 things we can do to save the environment.

On a separate note, there seems to be a problem with my TOI feeds. While Sailu is working on the issue, feel free to subscribe my feeds in your reader.