Cooking
Mixed Vegetable Pulao and Toor Dal
I've had weeks to get this done, but wouldn't you know I'd put it off until the last possible moment? In fact, I was very close to not participating in the June Regional Cuisine of India (RCI) event, which is hosted this month by Nupur of One Hot Stove. I am glad I did finally get my entry together. First of all, because Nupur is hosting it. I feel fortunate to call Nupur my friend and she has been an inspiration to me in many ways. Nupur has been hosting a weekly series called the A to Z of Indian Vegetables which I have been following with avid interest, but it hadn't even occurred to me that I might participate. When she announced that she would be hosting the June RCI and that it would focus on Maharashtrian cuisine and she provided links to sites with Mahatashtrian recipes, it seemed to me that the time had come to jump in and join the fun.
The second reason I'm glad I didn't let this event go by without joining in is that if I hadn't participated, I might never have tried this delicious vegetable pulao. I confess that my selection criteria for a recipe for this event were less than admirable - it pretty much came down to, "what looks easy?" Oh, there was one other criterion, given that I was hours from the deadline, "what can be done in one evening?" That ruled out any recipes calling for sprouts. So, in the end I picked this Mixed Vegetable Pulao, a tasty mix of rice and vegetables scented with whole garam masala (cloves, cinnamon, cadamom, peppercorns, and bay leaves). I used the suggested vegetables, but I expect you could vary them according to your tastes and what you have on hand. Oh no - I just realized I left out the peas! Oh well, it seems that is my modus operandi when cooking Indian - at least one ingredient is added late or left out entirely! Someday I will get the hang of this!
Anyway, back to the pulao. The only difficulty I had (aside from forgetting the peas) was that the recipe turned out to be more time-consuming than I anticipated. One step that I'd probably do ahead next time is deep-frying the cashews. In fact, if you can find unsalted roasted cashews, I would use those. Don't leave them out though - they add a pleasant contrast in texture and a sweet, nutty flavor. I was also surprised to see sugar as an ingredient. Since no amount was given in the recipe and I no experience on which to draw, I just arbitrarily added 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. I assume the idea is to balance flavors and not to make the dish taste sweet, but even so I have no idea how much is appropriate. If anyone can offer any insight it would be much appreciated!
I had some toor dal alongside the pulao, which was a wonderful combination. The recipe also suggested serving the pulao with a raita, but time was short and the two dishes were all I could manage. Perhaps I'll make a raita to have with leftovers tomorrow :)
So that's my entry... thank you for hosting Nupur!
- Meet Me In St. Louis
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My to-do list for this weekend started with "Deep-fat fry". I've been putting this off my whole life, but I decided this would be the weekend I would finally put a check-mark in that box. First, I must apologize to Bob and Chuck - they gave me a...
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A week ago Sunday I had the priviledge of meeting Nupur, her fiance V., and their beloved Dale. If you read Nupur's blog or have come to know her through her comments on other blogs, you probably already have an idea of what a nice person she is......
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Cooking
RCI: Maharashtra - Mixed Vegetable Pulao
Mixed Vegetable Pulao and Toor Dal
I've had weeks to get this done, but wouldn't you know I'd put it off until the last possible moment? In fact, I was very close to not participating in the June Regional Cuisine of India (RCI) event, which is hosted this month by Nupur of One Hot Stove. I am glad I did finally get my entry together. First of all, because Nupur is hosting it. I feel fortunate to call Nupur my friend and she has been an inspiration to me in many ways. Nupur has been hosting a weekly series called the A to Z of Indian Vegetables which I have been following with avid interest, but it hadn't even occurred to me that I might participate. When she announced that she would be hosting the June RCI and that it would focus on Maharashtrian cuisine and she provided links to sites with Mahatashtrian recipes, it seemed to me that the time had come to jump in and join the fun.
The second reason I'm glad I didn't let this event go by without joining in is that if I hadn't participated, I might never have tried this delicious vegetable pulao. I confess that my selection criteria for a recipe for this event were less than admirable - it pretty much came down to, "what looks easy?" Oh, there was one other criterion, given that I was hours from the deadline, "what can be done in one evening?" That ruled out any recipes calling for sprouts. So, in the end I picked this Mixed Vegetable Pulao, a tasty mix of rice and vegetables scented with whole garam masala (cloves, cinnamon, cadamom, peppercorns, and bay leaves). I used the suggested vegetables, but I expect you could vary them according to your tastes and what you have on hand. Oh no - I just realized I left out the peas! Oh well, it seems that is my modus operandi when cooking Indian - at least one ingredient is added late or left out entirely! Someday I will get the hang of this!
Anyway, back to the pulao. The only difficulty I had (aside from forgetting the peas) was that the recipe turned out to be more time-consuming than I anticipated. One step that I'd probably do ahead next time is deep-frying the cashews. In fact, if you can find unsalted roasted cashews, I would use those. Don't leave them out though - they add a pleasant contrast in texture and a sweet, nutty flavor. I was also surprised to see sugar as an ingredient. Since no amount was given in the recipe and I no experience on which to draw, I just arbitrarily added 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. I assume the idea is to balance flavors and not to make the dish taste sweet, but even so I have no idea how much is appropriate. If anyone can offer any insight it would be much appreciated!
I had some toor dal alongside the pulao, which was a wonderful combination. The recipe also suggested serving the pulao with a raita, but time was short and the two dishes were all I could manage. Perhaps I'll make a raita to have with leftovers tomorrow :)
So that's my entry... thank you for hosting Nupur!
- Meet Me In St. Louis
When Nupur invited me to come visit her in St. Louis, she didn't have to twist my arm. We had gotten together a couple of times while she was in New York, and each time I truly enjoyed our time together, but it was cut short because one or the other...
- I'm Frying! I'm Frying!
My to-do list for this weekend started with "Deep-fat fry". I've been putting this off my whole life, but I decided this would be the weekend I would finally put a check-mark in that box. First, I must apologize to Bob and Chuck - they gave me a...
- Meeting Nupur
A week ago Sunday I had the priviledge of meeting Nupur, her fiance V., and their beloved Dale. If you read Nupur's blog or have come to know her through her comments on other blogs, you probably already have an idea of what a nice person she is......
- Invitation To The Edible Word
"> My eternally fabulous co-host of Cook the Books, Cath of A Blithe Palate, and I are co-hosting a new edition of The Edible Word, a foodie book club on September 5 and was hoping one of you would like to join us! What's involved? Well, a little...
- An Indian Food Primer For The Interested American
Because we make and eat a lot of Indian food, and also because we get a lot of questions about it, Matt has prepared the following: This isn't a guide to Indian food, which is as diverse as the cooking of any other area with a comparable population...