Tempeh Malaikari

I am surprised I have blogged only one recipe with tempeh so far, considering that it is a staple at my house. I particularly like its meatiness in hearty curries instead of tofu. Having enjoyed tempeh rendang (loosely adapted from this recipe) often, I was looking to make an Indian curry with similar notes. And, malaikari, the Bengali classic made with prawns in a rich and spicy coconut sauce, was just what I was looking for.

I adapted Sandeepa’s recipe which was easy and fairly simple. I’ve never had prawn malaikari, and probably never will. But we loved this creamy and luscious vegan version. Thanks for the recipe, Sandeepa.

Tempeh Malaikari
(serves 2)

Ingredients

Tempeh – 1 8 oz package (I use Lightlife)
Potatoes – 2, big, cubed
Onion – 1 big, minced
Garlic – 1 clove, slightly crushed
Ginger – 1 tbsp, minced
Green chillies – 2, slit
Tumeric powder – 1 tsp, divided
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp or more
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt
Oil – 1 tbsp
Coconut milk – 1 14oz can, cream on top separated gently (explained below)

Dry roast and coarsely grind – I used a mortar and pestle

Bay leaves – 2
Cardamom – 4
Cloves – 4
Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Method

Cube tempeh into small pieces. In a sauce pan take tempeh along with 1 cup of water, ½ tsp of turmeric, sugar and a pinch of salt and let it come to a rolling boil. Now reduce the flame to a simmer, cover and let tempeh steam for 15-20 minutes. This is necessary as it not only makes the tempeh softer to better absorb the flavours, but also reduces its bitterness. Drain and discard the water.

Meanwhile, without shaking the can of coconut milk, open the can and remove the cream that floats on top to a bowl. Use the lighter milk at the bottome to cook the curry.

In the same sauce pan, gently heat oil and add the crushed garlic. Infuse the oil with garlic flavour taking care not to burn the clove. Discard when done. To the same oil, add onion and ginger, and cook until soft. To this, add the freshly ground spice mixture and stir until fragrant.

Now add the rest of the ingredients, viz., tempeh, potatoes, slit green chillies, red chilli powder, ½ tsp of turmeric powder and salt. Combine everything and add the light coconut milk in the can. Rinse the can with another ½ cup of water and add to the curry. Stir, cover and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. If the curry gets dry, add some water.

When everything looks done add the reserved coconut cream and let it heat through. Don’t let it boil. Remove from flame and enjoy with plain rice or pulao. I served mine with cooked brown basmati rice.

I am sending this to Nupur’s Blog Bites – Potluck edition. You can participate too if you have tried a recipe inspired by another blog.

Poblano Cilantro Hummus

Being vegetarians and on-and-off vegans, hummus has its permanent place in our diet. Its healthy, creamy and downright tasty. Hummus can be as versatile as a dal. The flavours are limited only by one’s imaginations. Check this article for ideas.

Instead of the usual jalapeno, I swapped a poblano that was lying in the fridge. Next time around I added a banana pepper too. Both versions were super-duper hits. I usually use my blender for making an airy, smooth hummus. I also skip adding olive oil for a low-fat version. My next trial would be to use different nut butters. Although peanut butter sounds great, I am thinking cashew butter. Lets see how that turns out.

Poblano Cilantro Hummus
(makes 2 cups)

Ingredients

Dried chickpeas – ¾ cup (about 2½ cups when cooked. Canned is ok)
Poblano pepper – 1
Banana pepper/yellow pepper – 1 (optional)
Garlic – 1 clove, smashed
Tahini – 1 tbsp
Cilantro – 1 packed cup, stems included
Juice of a lemon
Salt

Method

Soak the chickpeas overnight and cook until soft. If using canned, drain the liquid and rinse the beans. Roast the poblano pepper and the banana pepper (if using) over a flame. Alternatively, broil the peppers, rotating to get an even char. Keep the pepper in a tight container. The trapped steam will make peeling the peppers easier. Let cool, peel and remove the seeds. In a blender add all the ingredients and blend until smooth, adding water as needed. Serve as a dip, spread or dollop over soup or salad.

Generously spread hummus for a guilt free burger

This goes to the 26th edition Susan's super successful event My Legume Love Affair, hosted by Simona of Briciole.

Granola, Versatility By The Spoonfuls

This post has been lying as a draft for about 3 weeks now. Hesitancy of where to start and what to write has taken upon me. Its been a while since I have been here; quite evident as Addie is already 7 months old. Its only the blog end that has been quiet; all other facets of our lives are anything but. Needless to say, our lives are revolving around Addie. Our house is filled with her squeaks and babbles, and most of all her generous, toothless smiles. I am enjoying every single moment of my motherhood. They say time flies faster with kids. That makes me greedy and want to savor every minute of it.

Nothing fancy is dished out from my kitchen these days. I only get little time to prepare a meal, let alone plate and photograph it. I thought I would be upset for not blogging as regularly as I would like to. Well, I even thought I couldn’t stand a messy house for a day. But this new me is quite different. My days are dedicated to our little one. The messy house can wait; and so can the piles of laundry and the sink full of dishes.

Slowly, I am learning to make time for myself. Now, I still don’t get to read a book with a hot cuppa chai; or get to take a long shower without eyeing at the baby monitor. But it’s a start. And it is here, in my virtual kitchen, that I want to begin. So bear with me while I adjust to this new life of mine. I will be back with old rigor in no time.

For now, I am going to leave you with my favourite granola recipe. It is adapted from Alton Brown’s recipe. It’s been a favourite even though I have been making this for over 3 years now. The key is to add something different each time. About a cup of variant that I have listed below (or one of your favourites), and different selections of dried fruit keeps this recipe anew. A good way to start a day and take-on the adventures that it holds.

Granola

Ingredients

Rolled oats – 4 cups

1 cup of one or more of the following variants

• Rolled triticale
• Hemp seeds
• Wheat germ
• Pumpkin seeds
• Flax seeds
• or use another cup of rolled oats

Brown sugar – 1/3 cup
Or
Sugar – ¼ cup and molasses – 2 tbsp

Sliced almonds – 2 cups (or use your favourite nut)
Maple syrup/ agave nectar/ honey – 1/3 cup
Canola oil – ¼ cup
Salt – 1 tsp
Dried fruit – 2 cups (cranberries, raisins, berries, apples, figs etc)

Clockwise from top: Dried fruits (figs, blackberries, cranberries, gojiberries), sliced almonds, rolled triticale, rolled oats

Method

Preheat oven to 300F. Mix oats, the variant, almonds, sugar and salt thoroughly in a large bowl. In another bowl mix maple syrup, oil and molasses, if using. Combine wet and dry mixtures and spread on a sheet pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Oats and the nuts should be golden and toasted. Mix the dried fruits evenly and store in an airtight container when cooled.

Serve with warm milk or milk alternative, or with yogurt and fresh fruits.

Look Who’s Here…

This is Addie, our newest family member. Its been 8 weeks since we welcomed her into our family. And what an eventful few weeks they have been. When they say you don’t get any sleep with a new baby, they are not kidding. You don’t get any sleep at all. But her blank-newborn-stares and sleep-grins make those sleepless nights well worth it.

And, now that she recognizes her mama, I know its only going to get better from here. I am so looking forward to this new beginning.

Changing Times…

These past few months have been quite an escapade for me. Exciting, tiresome, anticipative and even nervous. With the arrival of fall, I am not only looking forward to cooler temperatures and a pleasanter weather; but memories that are going to last a lifetime. Recently, this blog is experiencing a slow down, and this may continue for some more time. Because, in a few weeks time, my hands are going to be full. Quite literally :)

This Thanksgiving I will have another reason to be thankful for.

Mixed Sprouts Burger

Just as there are endless possibilities for making parathas (Indian stuffed flatbread), there are infinite ways one could make vegetarian burgers, while still keeping them unique, nutritious and tasty. I never get tired of trying new kinds of burgers. With simple ingredients on hand, its easy to put together one. Like I did with leftover sprouts.

Packed with a mighty nutritious punch, these burgers were very filling, but still moist and tasty. They are mildly spiced with Indian flavours; hence were served with fresh cucumbers, instead of pickles. I made a double batch and froze some for later use. They were god sent during our house move.

Mixed Sprouts Burger
(yields about 9 medium sized patties)

Ingredients

Mixed sprouts – 2 cups, cooked until soft (I have used chickpeas, moong and peas)
Grated onion – ¼ cup
Grated carrots – ½ cup
Baby spinach – 20 leaves, finely chopped
Cilantro – ¼ cup, finely chopped
Ground almonds – ¼ cup
Ground flax seeds/flax meal – 2 tbsp
Grated ginger – 1 tbsp
Garlic – 2 cloves, minced
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Red pepper flakes – 1 tsp
Salt

Bread crumbs – ½ cup or as needed
Corn flour – 1 tbsp or as needed (1 egg can be substituted)
Oil

Method

Mash the cooked sprouts while they are warm, and add all the ingredients except bread crumbs, corn flour and oil. Mix gently until well combined. Depending on the moisture in the mix, start with ¼ cup of breadcrumbs and add more as needed. Finally add 1 tbsp (or more) of corn flour, to help the patties hold their shape. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 20 minutes.

When ready, shape them into equal sized patties. At this point, you can freeze them individually on a plate for 30 minutes, then double wrap in foil and store in the freezer for six weeks. When its time to serve, sear the patties on a hot griddle with a drizzle of oil. Serve on a burger bun with lettuce and tomato. Or, serve the patties by themselves with a side salad. They are quite filling.

Its been long since I participated in any of the ongoing blogging events. But I can very well send this in to My Legume Love Affair. This month’s edition is hosted by Sia of Monsoon Spice.

Dark Chocolate Cups With Raspberries

House shifting is a mammoth task. I speak from experience here. There is so much to be done before, during and after a move. If you are an organizing junkie like me, you will have more things on your plate. Its been a couple of weeks, and there are still boxes and stuff lying around the house. We both were exhausted thoroughly. Adding to our misery is the triple digit temperature and excessive heat warnings. I am so looking forward to fall.

As you can see, I have umpteen number of things to take care of. But before I get engrossed into that, I want to share with you a quick and easy dessert that I made last week. I am not saying that this is first of its kind, but I woke up with this image one morning. The image of chocolate cups, some berries and whipped cream. It was stuck to my head, and there was no other way but to try it. As I sat thinking on how to go about it, G couldn’t help but notice. He asked and I explained, hesitantly. ‘So, what do you think?’. ‘Dark chocolate and raspberries – That sounds delicious’, he said. And delicious it was. I loved the ease with which it came together, and he loved how delectable it was. So there we were, sitting on the floor amidst boxes, enjoying this lovely homemade dessert. A memorable moment and a much needed slowdown amidst this frenzy!

Dark Chocolate Cups With Raspberries
(makes 4)

Ingredients

Dark chocolate – 4 oz
Whipping cream – ¼ cup
White chocolate – 1 oz
Raspberries – 1 cup

Dark chocolate curls for garnish
Muffin liners – 4

Method

Line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Take the glass bowl that you are going to use for whipping the cream, and put in the freezer for 15 minutes. The cream whips and holds better.

Melt the dark chocolate in microwave for a minute, stirring once in between. The chocolate should be uniformly melted with a sheen. With a pastry brush, brush the insides of the muffin liners, coating thoroughly. It may be tricky at first, but you will get the hang of it. Freeze for 30 minutes. Take cups out, and give a second coat with the remaining chocolate. Return back to the freezer and freeze for 2 hours.

In a separate bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 30-40 seconds, stirring every 10 seconds. Take the frozen glass bowl from the freezer, and whip the cream until it forms hard peaks. To the melted white chocolate, add 1/3rd of the whipped cream. Gently fold the cream into the chocolate. The cream will deflate now, but will hold its shape during subsequent additions. Add the rest of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture. Gently fold and do not mix vigorously. When it is combined, scoop the chocolate-cream mixture onto a pastry bag fitted with a nozzle of your choice, or onto a zip-top bag with a corner cut. Refrigerate this mixture for at least an hour.

The chocolate cups and the whipped cream-chocolate mixture can be made up to this point and stored in freezer and refrigerator respectively, for up to 5 days. When you are ready to serve, set the chocolate cups on the countertop for 5 minutes. This makes the peeling of the muffin liner easy. Once the liner is peeled, set on the serving plate. Fill the bottom with whipped cream-chocolate, top with raspberries, and finish off with another swirl of whipped cream-chocolate. Garnish with dark chocolate curls, if desired.

Variations

• Swap the white and dark chocolates. Make white chocolate cups with dark chocolate-cream, with a hint of orange zest.
• Use plain ole’ whipped cream from a can.
• Use mixed berries instead of just raspberries.

Its summer and berries are abundant. Do you folks have any suggestions for enjoying this dessert over fall and winter? Otherwise I just have to make this with just chocolate whipped cream. Not that I am complaining ;).