Grains

T is for Tahchin Morgh 

By / A to Z Challenge, Entrée, Grains, Meat / 1 Comment /

Tahchins are a Persian/Iranian rice delicacy. The name comes from the words ‘tah’ meaning bottom and ‘chin’ meaning to layer, to arrange. True to the name, a Tahchin consists of multiple layers baked together. It is one of the most popular dishes and is served for celebrations and on special occasions.

Tahchins can be cooked with meat, fish, or vegetables or plain with just the rice. Usually bone-in meat is used as it adds to the flavor. 

Creating a tahchin is an art form – the art of the tahdig. It takes expertise and practice to get it right. Tahdig is the crispy, fragrant disc of rice that form at the bottom of the dish and is the focus of a tahchin. The tahdig is separated from the main dish and served on the side along with the rest of the dish.

A tahchin has four essential layers: the bottom layer of rice, eggs, and yogurt which forms the tahdig, the spiced rice above that, the meat/fish/vegetable layer, and finally, one more rice layer. 

I have used chicken thighs for this recipe. As I found the basic chicken rather bland, I’ve spiced it up a bit more than usual for this version, taking care to use the common Iranian spices to do so.

I am not very happy with the results… I know I should have left the tahchin another 10 minutes in the oven, letting it brown further. Alas, patience is not one of my qualities!

Based on the type of tahchin, the accompaniments vary. However, yogurt and green salads are usually served with all versions.

T is for Tahchin Morgh 
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T is for Tahchin Morgh 

Author: Ria Courses:Entrée
Difficulty:AdvancedServings:6 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. To make the Persian spice powder, lightly roast and powder together 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tsp cloves, 1” piece of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds, and 2 tbsp of dried rose petals. I had to do without the rose petals as I didn’t have them on hand.
  2. Wash the basmati rice and soak for 1 hour.
  3. Marinate the chicken pieces with onion powder, garlic powder, Persian spice, salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes.
  4. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cut onions. Cook on medium heat till the onion turns transparent and the edges start to brown.
  5. Add the chicken pieces and stir well.
  6. Add the tomatoes, mix and continue cooking till the chicken is done and the sauce has thickened. There should be around a cup of sauces in the pan. Allow to cool.
  7. Bring 10 cups of water to a boil in a largish pot and add the soaked rice. Bring the water back to boiling and cook on simmer for 5 minutes.
  8. Drain in a colander and cool under running water. Set aside.
  9. Place an oven rack in the lowest position and heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  10. Heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan. Pour into a baking dish.
  11. In a bowl, beat the egg with the yogurt, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, pinch of salt, and the saffron, if using. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked rice to the bowl and mix well.
  12. Add the rice mix to the baking dish and press down, using the bottom of a measuring cup or any such utensil.
  13. Add half of the remaining drained and cooled rice to the baking dish.
  14. Add the chicken evenly as the next layer, taking care to cover all the rice.
  15. Finally add the remaining rice and press the whole thing down, lightly.
  16. Add the 1 tablespoon of cold butter, cut into cubes, on top of the rice.
  17. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil (cut slits in the foil to vent the steam) and place on the bottom rack of the pre-heated oven.
  18. Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
  19. Invert the tahchin on to a platter. Cut into pieces and serve with accompaniments.
Keywords:Iranian rice, Persian rice, Rice and chicken, Tahdig

J is for Jollof Rice

By / A to Z Challenge, Entrée, Grains, Vegetarian / 2 Comments /

Jollof rice is a spicy aromatic rice preparation popular in many parts of West Africa. The dish takes its name from the Jolof empire that ruled around the Senegal region, in the 14th century. 

From West Africa, its fame has spread everywhere. Jollof food festivals have been held in cities like Washington DC and Toronto. 22 August is World Jollof Day, celebrated since 2015, evidenced by the huge number of posts on social media.

Though there are versions of Jollof rice popular in almost all countries in West Africa, they differ considerably from each other. The versions in Ghana and Nigeria, prominent Jollof rice consumers, use a different type of rice to start with. While the Ghanaian version uses the fragrant basmati rice, the Nigerians use long grain rice. Also, while eastern spices like cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon are used in Ghana, the Nigerian version relies on tomato paste, habanero and red peppers, and thyme for flavor. I personally cannot imagine using basmati rice, which has a flavor of its own, for such a flavorful dish, and prefer long grain rice for Jollof rice. Oh my, with that have I joined the Jollof Wars? I’m not kidding… there is a Jollof war going on (#jollofwars) between Ghana and Nigeria fought all over social media, which has been joined by celebrities on both sides. Seemingly, it was started in 2014 when a Twitter user used the hashtag to compare the versions prepared by his mother and girlfriend. Read all about the fun controversy here on BBC – Jollof Wars: Who does West Africa’s iconic rice dish best?

The main flavor base of the Nigerian Jollof rice is the obe ata (pepper sauce), with the signature ingredient habanero (also called scotch bonnet) pepper. I’ve discovered that this is a handy sauce to flavor many other vegetables or meat as well.

The bright orange color of the Jollof rice comes from the red palm oil, made from the fruit of the African oil palm, commonly used in West Africa. 

Traditionally, Jollof rice is cooked on the stove top; this version (adapted from NY Times Cooking) finishes the cooking in the oven for a perfectly cooked non-sticky rice. 

Jollof rice is usually served with a side of meat or fish and fried plantains. You can also serve it by itself, accompanied by a salad and potato chips.

J is for Jollof Rice
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J is for Jollof Rice

Author: Ria Cooking Method:Stove-top and in oven Cuisine:Nigerian Courses:Entrée Recipe Keys:Spicy rice, West Africa
Difficulty:IntermediateServings:6 servings

Ingredients

    For Obe Ata

    • For Jollof Rice

Instructions

  1. Grind together all the ingredients for the obe ata (if required, in batches), except the cooking oil.
  2. Heat the cooking oil in a pan and add the ground spices to the pan.
  3. Cook over medium heat till the sauce has thickened and reduced to almost half, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
  4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  5. In a large oven proof pot, heat the cooking oil.
  6. Add half of the thinly sliced onions to the pot and fry till golden. Drain and set aside.
  7. Add the remaining onions to the pot and sauté till transparent.
  8. Add the minced garlic and continue to sauté for a minute.
  9. Add the tomato paste, turmeric and paprika and continue to cook.
  10. Add the drained rice to the pot and stir to coat, for a minute or two.
  11. Add the obe ata, thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
  12. Pour in the stock and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil.
  13. Cover with a lid and place on the middle rack of the pre-heated oven. Cook for 35 minutes.
  14. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Open the pot and fluff the rice with a fork.
  15. Serve with a side dish of meat or fish and fried plantains. Or just with a salad.
Keywords:Jollof Rice, Obe Ata, Rice, Spicy

Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

By / Grains, Greens, Soups / Leave a Comment /

The main focus of this soup, the key flavour that dominates, is mushrooms. Their earthy, woody flavour stands out and if you like mushrooms, you will love this soup!

 
MWRS-closeup2
That is one thing about mushrooms… you either love them or hate them. In biological taxonomy, mushrooms are classified as a kingdom, ‘fungi’, separate from plants and animals. Actually, the mushrooms that we see are the fruiting parts of the fungus. The common name of mushrooms is toadstools, though no one uses that name these days.

 

While reading about mushrooms, I was a bit surprised to find that genetic studies have shown that fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants. No wonder many vegetarians do not eat mushrooms!

 

Humans have been known to use mushrooms as food for a long time. Also, they have been used as leavening and fermenting agents in food preparation.

 

There are so many varieties of mushrooms, both cultivated and growing wild, in different sizes and shapes and colours. The most common variety available in the markets will be the white button mushrooms which are widely cultivated commercially. Shiitake, portobello, oyster, cremini, chanterelle… these are other common varieties used in cooking.

 

One of the most expensive food items in the markets today, truffles, are a variety of mushrooms that do not sprout above ground. Highly prized by chefs the world over, they have been known since ancient Roman times. Trained pigs and dogs are used in hunting for truffles growing below the soil surface.

 

There is a branch of biology devoted to the study of fungi, known as mycology.

 
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Enough about mushrooms… let’s talk about the soup. I wanted to make it a real mushroomy soup and used two types of mushrooms in it… fresh sliced baby portobellos and dried shiitakes. The water in which the shiitake has been soaked, should be added to the soup as well.

 
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If you do not want the intense mushroom flavour, you can omit the dried shiitake, which is the stronger flavoured variety, and use just the portobellos. Or even use white button mushrooms instead.

I have used a wild rice mix for this soup. Instead, if you prefer, you can use either quinoa or barley with very tasty results. Whichever grains you are using, you have to cook it separately before adding it to the soup.

 
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The main part of the preparation is the chopping of the veggies. Once that is done, the rest is easy.

 
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I have used chicken stock as the base, as I love the chicken-mushroom combination. If you want to keep this as vegetarian, you can use vegetable stock or just plain water. However, in the light of the studies mentioned above, I don’t see much point in that! 🙂

 
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A very versatile and tasty soup, that can be enjoyed regardless of vegetarian or non-vegetarian!

~Ria

 

Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup
Print
Ingredients
  • ½ cup wild rice mix
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup baby portobello mushrooms
  • ½ cup dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 large red onion
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 2 medium sized carrots
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 4 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp dried herbs (mix of thyme, basil, and parsley)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. In a small pot, bring one cup of stock and one cup of water to boil.
  2. Add the wild rice, bay leaves and enough salt. Cover and cook on medium heat, till tender.
  3. Soak the shiitake mushrooms enough water to cover them.
  4. Slice the onion lengthwise, into thin wedges.
  5. Chop the celery.
  6. If the carrots are slim, slice them thinly; if they are fat, slit them lengthwise and then slice them.
  7. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion, celery and carrots.
  8. When the onion turns transparent, add the tomato paste and continue stirring for two minutes.
  9. Add the remaining stock, mix well and bring to a boil.
  10. Add the cooked rice along with the bay leaves.
  11. Add the soaked shiitake mushrooms along with the soaking water.
  12. Add the fresh sliced mushrooms and check that there is enough liquid in the soup.
  13. Allow the soup to simmer for 20 minutes.
  14. Check the consistency and add more water, if required.
  15. Add the dried herbs and season with salt and pepper.
  16. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
  17. Remove from heat and serve hot.

 

Moroccan Wild Rice Salad

By / Grains, Greens, Salad / Leave a Comment /

A salad that is full of flavor and a combination of healthy ingredients… at the same time filling enough that you won’t be looking for something to eat in 45 minutes! That is what this Moroccan wild rice salad is! Starting with a base of varieties wild rice, it goes on to build up the goodness with garbanzo beans, vegetables, dry fruits and nuts. A generous dressing that combines multiple flavors completes the dish to end up with a complex flavourful, and satisfying meal in itself!
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I had bought this bag of wild rice mix, consisting of red, black and brown rices. Since then, it has become a sort of go-to ingredient to me for adding heft to simple salads. This salad started the same way, but turned into something that was much more interesting than a simple salad.
MWS-done-half
A rice and beans combination is always a good base to start. And again, I went with my go-to beans variety… the garbanzo beans. For vegetables, I chose what came in handy – zucchini, peppers, tomato and red onion. Unfortunately, I only had green peppers in the refrigerator, but am sure the use of multi-hued peppers would have looked better. Dried apricots and raisins add a touch of sweetness to the mix.
MWS-ingredients
This theme of tartness and sweetness is repeated in the dressing too… with rice vinegar, lemon juice, and honey. And soy sauce to flavor the base.

However, the dry spices used in the dressing are the key to the smoky, zesty flavour of the whole dish, along with a bunch of cilantro leaves that add a tangy freshness. These spice powders are dry roasted to bring out their fragrance.
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Though the dish has a longish ingredient list, the process is quite simple.

Mix all the chopped up vegetables and dried fruits with cilantro and the beans.
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Cook the rice with the soy sauce.
MWS-rice-done
Mix together the dressing ingredients.
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Add the rice and vegetable-beans mixture to the dressing.
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Garnish with almond slices, and the salad is ready to go!
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Looks pretty when served on a bed of lettuce leaves with wedges of lemon.
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This keeps very well in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Only, remember to bring it to room temperature before serving.

 

~Ria

Moroccan Wild Rice Salad
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup mixed wild rice
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 green or yellow zucchini
  • 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans, from a can
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 tomato
  • ½ red onion
  • ½ cup dried apricots
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • 1 bunch cilantro leaves
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • ½ tsp red chili powder
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ¼ cup almond slices and1 lemon, to garnish
  • Lettuce leaves, to serve
  • Salt to taste
Directions
  1. Cut the zucchini into bite sized pieces.
  2. Cook the wild rice, according to package instructions, along with the soy sauce and salt to taste.
  3. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and place the zucchini pieces on top of the rice. Cover the pan and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Thinly slice the red onion, pepper and tomato.
  5. Slice the apricots thinly.
  6. Chop the cilantro.
  7. Mix together the vegetables, garbanzo beans, sliced apricots, raisins, and chopped cilantro.
  8. Set a frying pan on low heat and dry roast the coriander powder for 1 minute.
  9. Add the turmeric powder and continue roasting for another minute.
  10. Add the curry powder and chili powder and remove from the heat and keep stirring till cool.
  11. In a large bowl, mix the rice vinegar, lemon juice and honey.
  12. Add the roasted powders and mix well to make the dressing.
  13. Add the cooked rice to the dressing. Mix well.
  14. Add the vegetables-beans-fruits-cilantro combination and mix well.
  15. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves, garnished with almond sliced and lemon wedges.

Kerala Fish Meets Mediterranean Bulgur

By / Entrée, Grains, Seafood / 1 Comment /

We all know what we mean when we refer to the Mediterranean cuisine, though it is up to debate whether there is something called a Mediterranean cuisine at all! After all, the countries where the cuisine is supposed to be practiced – Greece, Turkey, Italy, Spain etc, all countries around the Mediterranean Sea – have such diverse foods and recipes!

KF-MP-closeup1

Still, Mediterranean food has been identified by study after study, as the healthiest way of eating in the world. And there are diet plans being marketed based on the concepts of Mediterranean food.

So what are the characteristics of the food style known commonly as Mediterranean cuisine? It is based on the traditional food items of the area and consists mostly of plant based ingredients like whole grains, tomatoes, olives, lemons and uses olive oil for cooking.

KF-MP-olives

Also, most of the protein in the diet comes from lentils and fish, with meat, specially red meat, limited to small quantities. In fact, the word Mediterranean itself brings up lovely images of lemon trees and olive orchards, bright sunrises, and silvery fish swimming in blue waters.

KF-MP-bulgur

One of the cereals that feature prominently among Mediterranean food is bulgur. Made out of wheat groats (hulled kernels that include the cereal germ and bran portion which are lost during regular milling), it is high-fibre, and has a light, nutty flavour. It is different from cracked wheat, which it resembles a lot.

KF-MP-peas-carrots-olives

A bulgur with some beautiful red and green components… perfect for a summer dinner!

KF-MP-pilaf-done

And to add some protein to the meal, a fish fry from the shores another sea, far away in the south western corner of India!

KF-MP-fish-to-marinate

Fish is one of the mainstays of the food in Kerala, located on the southern most western shores of India. With a long shoreline, fresh fish is abundant except for the few weeks at the height of the monsoon rains.

KF-MP-marinated-fish

And as olive oil is typical of the Mediterranean, coconut oil is the main cooking medium in Kerala. At least, it was so till the numerous warnings about the cholesterol in coconut oil turned people towards other oils. I’m so glad to see the tide turning these days and the health benefits of coconut oil being recognised.

KF-MP-pilaf-fish

So these two items from so far away, but from similar backgrounds, work well together in this great dinner. Try it, you won’t be disappointed!

 

~Ria

 

 

Kerala Fish Meets Mediterranean Bulgur
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
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Ingredients
  • 2 filets of white fish (such as tilapia or hake)
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 medium sized shallot (quarter of a white or red onion will also work)
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (available in Indian grocery stores)
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper powder (adjust according to tolerance for heat)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 cup bulgur
  • 1 cup chopped green olives
  • 1 cup chopped sugar snap peas
  • ½ cup chopped carrots
  • 1 ¾ cups water
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste
Directions
  1. Grind together the shallot, garlic, curry leaves, cayenne pepper and turmeric powders, with salt to taste.
  2. Marinate the fish filets in the paste for at least 1 hour. You can keep it in the refrigerator overnight, but bring to room temperature before cooking.
  3. Bring 1 ¾ cups of water to a boil. Add olive oil, lime juice and bulgur. Mix well, remove from heat and let sit covered for about 20 minutes. Once at room temperature, add the chopped ingredients and mix well.
  4. Heat the coconut oil in a non-stick frying pan. When shimmering hot, add the fish filets (keep a splatter screen handy) and cook for about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove and serve with the prepared bulgur.

Oranges and Beets on Wild Rice – a Picturesque Salad

By / Fruits, Grains, Greens, Salad / Leave a Comment /

The most versatile among the food grains, rice is the staple food of over half the world’s population. It is the largest cultivated crop and provides more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans.

Rice cultivation originated in the Pearl River Valley of Chine, close to 10,000 years ago. From there, it spread to countries in South and Southeast Asia like India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Legend has it that is was the soldiers of Alexander the Great that brought this grain to Europe. And when Europeans started the colonization of the American continent, rice reached there too.

There are many varieties of rice available today, each one suitable for particular ways of cooking. Like basmati for a pulav or arborio for a risotto. And if we start talking about the many many dishes that can be made out of rice, we will be here a long time. 🙂

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However, when I consider rice dishes, a salad was the last thing that came to my mind. That is, until recently. Ever since I came upon this fantastic salad made out of wild rice, it has become one of my favourites. Of course, over the course of preparing it many times, I have tweaked it quite a bit to get it to a state of perfection.

Wild rice, by the way, is in no way related to the rice plant. It is the seeds of a semi-aquatic grass that grows in lakes and river bays, in waters two to four feet deep. These grain like seeds used to be gathered and consumed by the native American tribes. Wild rice farming is of rather recent origin.

Interesting to note, wild rice is Minnesota’s state grain. And within the state, the non-farmed wild rice can be harvested only in the traditional way, without the use of any machinery.

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Wild rice is most appreciated for its rich nutty flavour, which works well even when combined with other rice varieties. For this particular salad, I used a mixture of wild rice, red and brown rice and some black Japonica rice.

BOWR-dressing-ingredients

The dressing is rather creamy, the main ingredient being cream cheese. Balancing the creaminess, is the spiciness of the whole grain mustard and red chilli flakes, the crushed garlic and orange zest adding to the flavours.

BOWR-dressing-mixing

A bit of light cream is used to make the dressing easier to pour. But it should not be too liquidy either.

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The best part of this salad is to build it up. Start with the endive leaves on a serving platter. They should be placed close enough, but not overlapping. The idea is to ensure that you can life each leaf individually with the stuff piled on top of it.

BOWR-endive

Now place the cooked rice, covering the lower half of the leaves.

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Pour some of the dressing over the rice. And do resist the temptation to scoop it up already! (I’m speaking from experience!)

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Next is the turn of the beets and oranges. Pile them up on top of the rice.

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They do look pretty, don’t they?

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More dressing on top; and a few chives snipped on top completes the salad.

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This salad can be eaten as a lunch on its own or can be served before a hearty meat main course.

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Light and refreshing, yet filling too!

~Ria

 

Oranges and Beets on Wild Rice – a Picturesque Salad
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup wild rice or mix of rice including wild rice
  • 2 medium beets
  • 1 can (12 oz) orange segments
  • 2 hearts of endive
  • 3 tbsp cream cheese
  • 3 tbsp light cream
  • 1 ½ tsp whole grain mustard
  • 1 ½ tsp orange zest
  • 1 garlic clove
  • A pinch red chilli flakes
  • A few sprigs of chive
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Cook the rice according to directions on the packet.
  2. Skin the beets and cut them into ½ inch cubes.
  3. In a pan of salted water, boil the beets until tender. Drain and keep aside.
  4. Drain the can of oranges and keep aside.
  5. Separate the endives into leaves.
  6. Crush the garlic clove.
  7. Mix the cream cheese with mustard, orange zest, crushed garlic, and chilli flakes.
  8. When thoroughly mixed, add the cream a little at a time till the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. In a serving platter, arrange the endive leaves in a single row, forming a border.
  10. Place the rice on the leaves, covering their lower half.
  11. Pour two table spoons of dressing over the rice.
  12. Mix the beets and oranges gently, and add to the platter, on top of the rice.
  13. Pour the remaining dressing over the top.
  14. Garnish with snipped chives and get ready for compliments!

A Tabouli Salad with a Difference

By / Grains, Greens, Salad / Leave a Comment /

Tabouli is one of the dishes that is a definite hit or miss with me. (Is that statement an oxymoron?) I know that tabouli is a parsley-intense dish. Though not a major fan of parsley, I am okay with it… up to a limit. Sometimes the parsley in the tabouli sooo overwhelms everything else that it tastes of nothing else. In such cases, yeah, that polite one spoon is all that I can deal with.

TS-tabouli

But then, this friend of mine – she is from Turkey, where tabouli is a staple – made this amazing version, with cilantro instead of parsley. And boy, did it change everything! Never have I made a tabouli again with parsley. The main difference I feel, is in the texture. Cilantro has this delicate texture whereas parsley tends to be a bit coarse. Even when you manage to avoid even the tiniest stems and use only the leaves.

 

Another standard ingredient of tabouli is bulghar wheat or cracked wheat. The variety that gets cooked with just hot water poured over it. Recently, I tried using quinoa instead of the wheat. And, found it far superior.

TS-quinoa

 

 

Of course, you can spice up a tabouli too. And you can do that in many ways to suit your perfect tastes. A pinch of allspice powder or eastern eight spice will work very well. Or to keep it simple, teaspoon of pickled jalapenos would really add some heat too.
I start by chopping cilantro.

TS-cilantro

Then some tomatoes…

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And finally chop some cucumber as well.

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Plenty of lemon juice and here I used a pinch of eastern eight spice powder.

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The quinoa is prepared the usual way (see recipe below for details).

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Then you just keep adding the chopped stuff one by one. There is no particular order; I added tomatoes first…

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Cilantro next…

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And the chopped cucumbers last.

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Generous squeeze of lemon, the spice powder and salt and pepper. And a squiggle of olive oil to top it all. Tabouli salad is ready to serve!

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I like it served with a piece of buttered crusty warm bread. The salad tastes so refreshing, especially on a hot summer day!

 

~Ria

 

A Tabouli Salad with a Difference
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 large fleshy tomato
  • 1 seedless cucumber
  • 1 large lemon
  • 1 tsp eastern eight spice powder
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Wash quinoa thoroughly, multiple times, till the water runs very clear. Drain and keep aside.
  2. Boil 2 cups of water, adding a pinch of salt.
  3. Add the drained quinoa to the boiling water.
  4. Reduce heat and let cook simmering for 12 to 15 minutes.
  5. Switch off the heat and allow to cool.
  6. Finely chop the cilantro, tomato and cucumber.
  7. When the cooked quinoa has cooled down, add the chopped ingredients one by one and gently mix together.
  8. Squeeze the juice and add it to the quinoa, along with the spice powder.
  9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Add olive oil to the prepared quinoa, going twice around the bowl.
  11. Mix together and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Quinoa and Lima Beans Salad with Walnut Dressing

By / Beans, Grains, Salad / 2 Comments /

2013 was declared the ‘International Year of Quinoa’ by the United Nations General Assembly, with the objective drawing the world’s attention to the role that quinoa can play an important role in eradicating hunger, malnutrition and poverty.
 

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So what is so special about quinoa?
 
For starters, quinoa is a complete source of protein that includes all nine essential amino acids. Imagine what a blessing it is to vegans who always have a problem about enough protein in their diets. While quinoa is low on calories and carbs, it is also gluten free and rich in fibre. Quinoa also contains minerals like magnesium, iron, tryptophan, copper, and phosphorous.
Its qualities are so much recognised that NASA includes it in the menu of its astronauts!
 
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Quinoa, pronounced ‘kinwah’ following its Spanish spelling, is the grain-like seed of a plant belonging to the spinach family. It was cultivated in the countries of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, of the Andean region, 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. A staple in the area, quinoa has become increasingly popular world over in the last few years.
 
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Quinoa seeds have a bitter coating called saponin, which makes birds avoid them. In the case of most of the quinoa that is available today in the market, this coating has been removed. Still, it is better to wash it thoroughly before cooking it.
 
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You can cook quinoa the same way as rice. You can boil it in lots of water and then drain it. Or you can combine quinoa and water in a ratio of 1:2, bring it to boil, and simmer it till done and water absorbed, in around 15 minutes. For added flavour, quinoa can be toasted dry for five minutes over low heat and then cooked.
 
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Though quinoa can be used in many ways – quinoa burgers are quite tasty! – my favourite use for it is in salads. It is very versatile and you can add a lot of varied stuff to it to come up with interesting combinations. I like it best when I add a lot of my favourite things and come up with a satisfying meal in one dish!
The addition of lima beans, broccoli, carrots and avocados make this a complete, nutritious meal. The onions add flavour to the salad.
 
broccoli-onion
carrots-lima
 
And if you grind the dressing a bit coarse, it adds a bit of crunch too! And if you like the dressing on the spicier side, you can even add some red chilli flakes to it.

~Ria

Quinoa and Lima Beans Salad with Walnut Dressing
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: International
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Ingredients
  • Half cup quinoa seeds
  • 1 cup frozen baby lima beans
  • 1 head broccoli
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 carrot
  • Half a small red onion
  • Half cup walnuts
  • Quarter cup olive oil
  • Two cloves of garlic
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Wash the quinoa thoroughly under running water and drain.
  2. Bring one and a quarter cup of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the quinoa to the boiling water. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
  3. Wash the frozen lima beans under running water to defrost it. Cook in a microwave with a pinch of salt and two tablespoons of water, for three minutes.
  4. Cut the broccoli head into florets. Cook in the microwave with a pinch of water and two tablespoons water, for two minutes.
  5. Scrape the carrot into longish strips.
  6. Slice the onion thinly.
  7. Cut the avocado into pieces.
  8. Soak the walnuts for 15 minutes. In a blender, add the walnuts and garlic and blend. With the blender running, add the olive oil in a steady stream. Transfer to a dish and season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
  9. To assemble, in a large bowl, toss together the quinoa, lima beans (drain off any excess cooking water from the lima beans and broccoli), broccoli, carrot, onion and avocado. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle the dressing over the salad. Serve the extra dressing along with the salad. Delicious!

Houmous – A guilt-free pleasure

By / Grains, Sides / 1 Comment /

P1a

Creamy houmous drizzled generously with olive oil is more or less a permanent dish featured in a Middle Eastern meal. Consisting mainly of chickpeas, houmous can be eaten as a dip with crudités, pita chips etc and as a spread with pita bread. Sometimes I do enjoy houmous on its own, and with no guilt as the chickpea is a legume that’s high in protein and fibre with a low glycemic index making it a good choice for weight control as it gives you the feeling of being full with fewer calories.

Though houmous is easy to make, neither super skill nor fancy ingredients are required, Anthony Rose, a Toronto restaurateur, is serving houmous at a $ 175 -a -ticket culinary fundraiser where 21 of Canada’s best chefs are participating.

The first time I came across houmous was when I started exploring cuisines from different corners of the world. When I heard about houmous and how it was made, I couldn’t fathom how a ‘chickpea paste’ could be so tasty. I first got to try it when one of my students, a Lebanese girl, brought it for an end of year party at school where I worked. A bowl of houmous, that too from a Lebanese kitchen, did taste heavenly and I became an ardent fan of houmous and its variations.

P2

As I tend to make most dishes from scratch whenever possible, I’ve used dry chickpeas and homemade tahini. Dry chickpeas have to be soaked in water overnight and cooked well with a little salt. It’s important to remember that dry chickpeas expand:  1 cup of dried chickpeas will give you 2 ½ cups after soaking.

P3

Tahini and tahini sauce are extensively used in Middle Eastern cooking and it is just a fine paste of dry roasted white sesame seeds. If you are like me and enjoy the flavor of sesame you can add 1-2 teaspoons of pure sesame oil at the time of grinding. Although I prefer using dry chickpeas and making my own tahini, canned chickpeas and store bought tahini will still give the same result.

P4 houmous

In my basic houmous, I add cumin powder and some chilli flakes besides chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lime juice and salt.

P6 houmous

 

Try these variations to make it more interesting.

P7

Add some chopped caper berries to the houmous. The tangy bits of capers give it an interesting  texture.

P9

Soak some sun dried tomatoes in olive oil and grind it along with the rest of ingredients.

P8 humous

Grind some kalamata olives coarsely and add to the basic houmous. Little black specks of olives change the appearance and add a very nice flavour.

My recipe for original houmous calls for 6 tablespoons of lemon juice but be a little shy of adding that much to any of these three variations as all three ingredients are sour.

P9a

Though houmous tastes best when it’s freshly made, it can be refrigerated for a week and can be frozen up to a month.

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~Min

Houmous – A guilt-free pleasure
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Ingredients
  • Chickpeas 1cup dry chickpeas soaked overnight and cooked with a little
  • salt 2 ½ cups canned or soaked chickpeas
  • Chickpea liquid as required
  • Tahini ½ cup
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Lemon juice 6 tablespoons
  • Cumin powder 2 teaspoons
  • Chilli flakes 1 teaspoon or according to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Olive Oil ¼ cup
  • To make Tahini
  • White sesame seeds1/3 cup
  • Pure sesame oil 1 teaspoon
Directions
  1. Soak dry chickpeas in enough water overnight or till it becomes soft to bite.
  2. Cook the soaked chickpeas. Do not throw away the water in which it’s cooked.
  3. To make tahini, dry roast the sesame seeds till light brown and grind to a paste with 1 -2 teaspoons of sesame oil.
  4. Make a puree of cooked chickpeas, garlic and salt with some chickpea liquid using a food processor.
  5. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse more till smooth.
  6. Test for seasoning. Transfer to a container and pour the olive oil on top.