Sunday, November 18, 2007

Chole Pindi (Fragrant Chick Peas Stew With Salad)

Chole Pindi with Salad, Broccoli, and Roti
This chole reminds me of the ugly duckling; it looks brown and not as robust as choles with the ripe red tomatoes. But one taste will convince you that it is a glorious swan! Another reminder that one should not judge anything just by its appearance alone!

This dish can be prepared with the white chick peas also known as 'Kabuli Chana' or Garbanzo Beans or the Indian brown ones known as Bengal Gram or Kala Chana. The freshly roasted spices transport the simple chick peas to another dimension altogether, mmm!! Do include the ghee if at all possible because it adds its incredible inimitable flavor. Since it is made without garlic or onions, it is a no-tears recipe fit for special occasions and festivals which call for Satvic dishes too. Now that I have perfected this chole, it has become one of our favorites!

Chole Pindi is gluten free and dairy free if the ghee is omitted. Chole canbe oil free also if the ghee and the oil are omitted. 

Notes: The brown chick peas are wonderfully flavorful, retain their shape and/but do not get soft like the regular chick peas. Small cubes of lightly browned paneer (Indian cheese) or potatoes may be stirred in before serving. Paneer and all the other ingredients are readily available in Indian markets.

Serves 6 as a main dish

Ingredients:

Chick Peas
2 cups Chick Peas, soak in plenty of water and 2 tsp Salt overnight 
1 Bay leaf
1 Brown Cardamom
1 Cinnamon Stick
4 Cloves

Roasted Spice Mix 
1 Tablespoon dried Pomegranate Seeds (anar dana) (Optional)
1 Tablespoon Cumin Seeds
1 teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns

Chole Pindi
1 tsp Salt
2 Tablespoons ground Coriander Seeds
1 to 2 Tablespoons Dried Mango powder (Aamchoor)
1 teaspoon Garam Masala (any Brand)
2 hot Green chilies, deseeded and minced
1 to 2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger, grated
1 Tablespoon Ghee (or unsalted butter) (optional)
1 Tablespoon Oil

Salad:
2 large, ripe Tomatoes
1 medium Red Onion
1 medium Cucumber
2 Green Jalapeno Chiliesdeseeded (optional)
1 small bunch Fresh Cilantro
1 or 2 Limes or Lemons

Method:

Drain, rinse and cook the chick peas in a large pot with the spices and water to cover until they are very soft. Alternately cook them in a pressure cooker according to manufacturer's directions. Set aside.

Prepare the roasted spices: lightly roast the pomegranate seeds, cumin, and the black pepper in a dry skillet. Cool and grind to a powder using in a small grinder or mortar and pestle.

Prepare Chole Pindi: Remove the bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves from the cooked chick peas and discard. Drain and reserve the cooking fluid from the chickpeas and place them in a large saucepan. Sprinkle the salt, roasted spices, ground coriander seeds, garam masala, and mango powder over the chick peas and stir well to combine. Place the ginger and green chilies on top. In a small pan, heat the ghee and oil until hot and pour over the ginger and green chilies. Pour in the desired quantity of the reserved cooking fluid and simmer stirring occasionally until thickened slightly (about 10 minutes). Let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Prepare the Salad. Peel and thinly slice the red onion and mix with juice from half a lime and a pinch or two of salt. Set aside. Thinly slice the tomatoes, cucumber, and chilies and arrange them on a plate with the marinated onions. Wash the cilantro well and chop coarsely. Sprinkle the cilantro on top of the veggies. Squeeze the other half of the lime over all. Cut the one remaining lime into wedges and arrange on the platter for the individual diners to squeeze over the food as desired.

Serve hot along with the salad. Chole Pindi is great served with rice or any wholegrain roti (Indian flat breads such as Chapati, Nan, Paratha, Pooris, etc) or even on its own. Chole is even better the next day and also freezes well.

Enjoy!!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Pav Bhaji With Paneer Cheese (Indian Style Ratatouille or Caponata or Sloppy Joe Over Toast)

Pav Bhaji with pan grilled Ciabatta rolls

Here is a delicious dish that can do double duty as appetizer or snack (or even a meal)! Pav Bhaji means Bread and Veggies. It is based on popular snacks sold by vendors in big cities all over India. Although there are many versions of this dish, this one includes paneer (Indian fresh cheese) along with a lot of veggies. For a vegan dish, omit the paneer; tofu maybe substituted for it.

The last, but not least is the choice of bread; only good crusty bread like Ciabatta, or sourdough French rolls will do for my family. The rolls are split, toasted and buttered or roasted on a griddle only on the buttered cut sides until golden brown. I have also used toasted whole wheat sourdough or whole wheat pita bread in a pinch. One favorite way the children like it is to spread the Bhaji on a Pita bread, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and Cheddar cheeses, and heat in a toaster oven until the cheese melts; seriously YummY!!

I usually make Pav Bhaji for a weekend brunch or snack or as an appetizer for company. The children like it even for a breakfast! I use the food processor to grate all the veggies first. The grated veggies cook quickly and give a nice texture to the dish. I don't use a food processor for chopping the onions, slicing the green beans or chopping the paneer; these I hand chop. I save the pureeing of the tomatoes with garlic (if using) for the last in the processor and pour it directly into the pot.

A few days ago I was getting started to make a festive meal but much to my dismay everyone wanted a snack and not a big meal :(. Since the zucchinis and carrots were already grated, I decided to make Pav Bhaji instead. I did not have any potatoes on hand but had a block of paneer and decided to add it to the Pav Bhaji to make it more substantial. Well, what do you know, everyone absolutely loved it! I had forgotten to stir in the customary butter; but the paneer had added so much buttery flavor, that we did not miss the butter at all! We had the Bhaji with freshly pan toasted Ciabata Rolls; the soft veggies with little nuggets of paneer and the buttery, chewy, crunchy rolls made a fantastic combination :). All anyone wanted with this meal was plenty of hot Masala Chai.

PaneerPav Bhaji Masala and Garam Masala are readily available in Indian Grocery stores. I have used a few brands of Pav Bhaji Masala such as MTRMDH, and Roopak's from India; they were all good.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Oil
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, finely grated
1 medium Red Onion, finely chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Red pepper (cayenne)
1 teaspoon ground Turmeric (Haldi)
Salt to taste
2 Tablespoons Pav Bhaji Masala (Your favorite brand)
1 block (14 0z.) Paneer, cut into small cubes (about the size of peas)
4 large, ripe Tomatoes, quartered and pureed
1 clove Garlic (Optional)
1 large Japanese Eggplant, finely chopped or grated
1/2 a small Cauliflower, coarsely chopped or grated
1 large Carrot, grated
1 large Zucchini, grated
1 small bunch Green Beans, finely sliced crosswise
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1 cup tiny Green Peas (fresh or frozen) (sometimes called petite peas)
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 or 2 Tablespoons Butter (Optional)
1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped

Garnish:

Red Onion, chopped
Cilantro, chopped
Lemon or Lime wedges

Method:

Heat the oil in a large Stainless Steel Dutch Oven or an Indian Wok. Add cumin seeds and when they start popping and browning a little, add ginger, onions and bell pepper. Stir and add pinch or two of salt, a pinch of turmeric, and half the spices and cook until the onions soften. Stir in the paneer cubes and cook until lightly browned. Remove the paneer and veggies with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the tomato puree to the pot with one tsp salt, turmeric, and the rest of the spices and allow it to come to a boil. Stir in the eggplant and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in the cauliflower, carrots and zucchini and cook on medium heat stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep the pot covered between stirrings to keep the heat in and steam the veggies. Add the green beans along with the corn kernels and cook for 10 minutes. Mix in the green peas and cook until heated thoroughly, about 5 to 10 minutes. Taste for seasonings and adjust the salt and Pav Bhaji masala to your taste. Sprinkle the Garam Masala and add the butter and the cilantro and mix well. Let sit covered for 5 minutes or so while you are toasting the rolls. If you are using an Indian cast iron wok, the veggies should be transferred immediately after cooking to a non reactive container like a ceramic or glass dish.

To serve Pav Bhaji traditionally, split rolls and butter the cut sides. Roast them only on the cut sides on a griddle or skillet and press down on them to brown evenly. Cook until golden and hot. Arrange the rolls on a plate with a scoop of the hot Bhaji on the side with a pat of butter on top and sprinkled with chopped red onions and cilantro and Lime/Lemon wedges to squeeze according to the individual diner's taste.

Variations: Mild vegetables like Opo squash, chayote squash, green bell peppers etc. or frozen mixed veggies can be used instead of or along with the above mentioned veggies. One or two cooked potatoes can also be added towards the end of cooking. Aromatic fresh methi leaves or spinach can also be used in small quantities (about one cup). Or one can sprinkle one Tablespoon of dried methi leaves called Kasoori Methi (available in Indian Markets) at the end of cooking for a great result.

Note: A large wok (Indian or not) is the perfect vessel for preparing Pav Bhaji. It heats quickly and conducts the heat throughout the veggies so the dish is prepared very fast. The only caveat is that even a seasoned wok can have scratches and the exposed iron surface will react especially with the acidic and moist contents and hence has to be transferred to a non-reactive container at the end of cooking.