Falafel recipe

Clockwise - Pita Bread, Tahini, Yogurt Dip, Falafel with Hummus, Veggies.

Falafel is one of my favorite dishes. It is wholesome and a complete meal when stuffed in Pita with veggies. On our trip to Egypt, I insisted that all our fellow travelers (friends) try out this Mediterranean dish. Everyone loved it so much that we had to order more ...

Here's the recipe that I have tried .....

Pita Bread: (or buy them )

• 1 package of yeast ( I used half packet of a 25 gm packet of dry yeast)
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup lukewarm water

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy. Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Make a small depression in the middle of flour and pour yeast water in depression. Slowly add 1 cup of warm water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until elastic. Place dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic, it has been successfully kneaded. Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated.

Allow to sit in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 deg F. and make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven. Be sure to also preheat your baking sheet.

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick. Bake each circle for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for 2 minutes. Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking. Take spatula and gently push down puff. Immediately place in storage bags

Tahini Sauce:

• 5 cups sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350. Toast sesame seeds for 5-10 minutes, tossing the seeds frequently with a spatula. Do not allow to brown. Cool for 20 minutes. You can also dry roast in a pan. Pour sesame seeds into food processor and add oil. Blend for 2 minutes. Check for consistency. The goal is a thick, yet pourable texture. Add more oil and blend until desired consistency. 

Tip:  Blend the sesame seeds without oil in a dry blender first to get a powder before adding the oil, else it will be difficult to grind. This method will be good especially when you do not want to make so much Tahini sauce. 

Hummus:

• 1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight, cooked and cooled to room temperature.
• 1/4 cup liquid from cooked chickpeas
• 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus. Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional). Fors a spicier Hummus, add a slice of red chilli in the blender.

Falafel:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons flour

Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin and salt. Add flour to bring the ingredients together and bind them. Mash chickpeas well. Use blender if needed so you get a thick batter. Make small balls, flatten and deep fry or shallow fry in a pan.

Yogurt Dip:

• 2 cloves garlic grated 
• 4 spring onions finely chopped
• 1/2 cucumber grated 
• 1 cup thick curd
• Salt to taste

Mix all together and refrigerate.

To assemble:

Slit open pita bread. Stuff with lettuce, slices of cucumber, tomato, falafel. Top with hummus, drizzle with yogurt sauce and tahini sauce to taste.  Enjoy ! 

Mexican Spicy Chilli

On Mother's day, 12th May, we decided to go to Habernero, a mexican restaurant. We were trying it for the first time. Between us, we had Nachos, Spicy Chilli, Bean Burrito and Fajitas. We grossly under estimated the amount of food and we ere struggling to do justice. The food was very good and spicy!!

I came back home inspired to make my own chilli - here's a simple recipe that my family loved.

Ingredients:
1 cup of red kidney beans and black beans (total), soaked overnight and pressure cooked well
1 medium onion, chopped
4 medium red tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 red chilli pepper chopped finely
2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
1/2 cup tomato sauce/paste
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
pinch of sugar
2 tbsp protein flakes (I used taco seasoning)

To Garnish:
Grated cheese
Chopped Coriander
Tortilla Chips

In a pan, add oil and saute garlic, red chilli pepper and onion till onion becomes translucent. Add the chopped green pepper. Saute till cooked. Now add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, cumin and chilli powder, sugar, salt to taste and let this cook for few minutes. Mash the cooked beans bit more and add. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the taco seasoning and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve hot garnished with cheese and coriander and tortilla chips on the side.

Trying Thai soup

Trying Thai Soup

17th December 2012

13th December, my company introduced a new cuisine in the cafeteria - Thai ! I tried their soup, raw papaya salad, pad thai, fried rice balls, a mango-coconut-sabudana pudding. My family is crazy about soups. I wanted to make them this soup - vegetarian of course. I checked out recipes for Tom Yam soup on the web. Found several versions with mushroom, etc. Here is my "cooked" up version of the Tom Yum Soup that was an instant hit with my family. I do not like mushrooms , so I have avoided that. I also avoided coconut milk .

Here goes the recipe - try it and leave your comments...

Ingredients - (makes 4 servings approx)

All are approximate. Pls adjust according to your taste.
Lemon grass stalks - 4
Kaffir lime leaves - 4
Ginger - small piece
Spring onions - a handful
Garlic cloves - 4 (sliced thin)
Red chillies (Use green if red not available) - 2 medium size
Carrots - 2 medium - sliced in circles
Tofu -  1/2 pack, cubed
Bok Choy/Chinese Cabbage - 3 - greens sliced ans washed
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Brown Sugar - to taste
Tamarind juice - 1 tbsp concentrate
Lemon juice -  from 1 lemon
Red chilli sauce - 1 tsp or to taste
Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
Chopped basil and coriander leaves for garnish

Method - 

Cut stalks of lemongrass, ginger, Kaffir Lime leaves into water and let this simmer to soak up all the flavors. I have lemon grass growing in my garden so I pulled out a few stalks of this. I have a lime tree in my garden. I do not think these are kaffir lime but I still used these. Let the stock simmer and flavors start to fill the room. Remove from stove, cover with lid and store.

Meantime, in a pan, add oil, saute finely chopped spring onion whites, and garlic. Add finely sliced red chilli pepper, sliced carrots, cubed tofu and chopped Bok Choy//Chinese Cabbage. Broccoli florets can also be used in place of bok choy. Add a little more oil if needed and saute for a while. Strain the stock and add the liquid to the pan. Add salt, brown sugar, tamarind juice, lemon juice, red chilli sauce. Simmer for some time.

Serve sprinkled with chopped spring onion greens, coriander and basil leaves.