Cook with Manali: Gulab Jamun (Rose Berries)

Every time I go to an Indian food buffet, I'm always scoping out the gulab jamun dish.  Even before I get my first plate of food.  If there is none, you're pretty much guaranteed that I won't be returning.  Luckily, this seems to be a standard dessert these days.  Because who doesn't like fried dough soaked in sugar syrup?  Answer: no one.  At least no one honest.

Note: The recipe below calls for 1½ teaspoons rose water in the syrup, and according to a good friend at work, this amount of flavoring is more of a Bengali thing.  If you're aiming for more of a northern Indian take, I'd probably back it down to just ½ teaspoon.

Gulab Jamun (Rose Berries)
Adapted from Cook with Manali blog

4 ounces milk solids (khoya/mawa), finely grated
¼ cup cake flour (maida)
Pinch ground cardamom
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ tablespoons melted ghee, plus additional for forming dough
1 to 2 tablespoons warm whole milk, as needed to knead the dough
Oil, for frying

Chopped pistachios, for garnish

For the sugar syrup:
1½ cups granulated sugar

2 cups water
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ teaspoons rose water

¼ teaspoon pandanus essence (kewda/kewra) (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together grated milk solids, cake flour, ground cardamom, and baking powder. Mix until well combined.  Add melted ghee to the bowl.  Use your fingers to mix the ghee with the milk solids mixture.  Start adding warm milk, little by little, until it all comes together as a dough. Don’t knead the dough too much; just bring it all together to a smooth dough. Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, to a wide pan, add the sugar, water, ground cardamom, and lemon juice.  Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let the syrup simmer for 6 minutes.  Stir in the rose water and pandanus essence (if using), remove pan from heat, and set aside. Keep the syrup warm.

Now give a quick knead to the dough.  Coat your hands with ghee, and make small balls, about 15 grams each, working with soft hands and squeezing the ball between your palms to shape it.  Form a smooth round ball with no cracks.  Repeat with the remaining dough until you have formed 14 balls.

Heat oil in wide kadai or pan on medium heat.  Heat the oil for 5 minutes on medium heat and then lower the heat to medium-low.  The oil should be 300°F.  Add the dough balls to the oil, and fry until golden-brown, approximately 7 minutes.  Keep rotating the dough balls regularly with a spoon so that they get cooked evenly.  Once they are dark brown in color, remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels for 1 minute.

Drop the fried balls in the warm sugar syrup.  Let the balls soak in the syrup for at least 30 minutes.  Garnish with pistachios and serve warm or cold. You may also decorate them with edible silver leaf (chandi ka vark).

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Let's Dish: Irish Soda Bread

I had some grand plans for St. Patrick's Day, but it snuck up on me.  I was going to do a from-scratch corned brisket and all, but that takes about 10 days of advanced planning that wasn't meant to be.  And normally bread isn't exactly a short-term notice kind of thing, but this bread scores in two ways: it's quick and it's amazingly delicious.  No yeast, just buttermilk and baking soda for lift.  It smells scrumptious and tastes even better slathered with melting butter.

Note: I added 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter since I could only find low-fat buttermilk.

Irish Soda Bread
From Let's Dish blog

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons sea salt
1¾ cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir in the buttermilk until the dough comes together in a slightly sticky ball.  Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead gently a few times. Form the dough into a ball and then press into the prepared pan so that the dough resembles a large disk. The dough should reach the edges of the pan, but may spring back slightly.  Cut an X into the dough with a sharp knife, about ¼ of an inch deep. Cover the pan of dough with another round cake pan turned upside down.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, covered, then remove the top pan and bake uncovered for about 10 minutes more or until the crust is dark golden brown.

Sanjeev Kapoor: Kelphulachi Bhaji (Banana Flower Stir Fry)

When I walked into my local fabulous grocery and saw these big red flowers for sale, I was immediately interested.  Turns out they were banana flowers, and I bought some without already having a plan for what to make with them.  I figured maybe a curry of some sort.  Turns out banana flowers are used in mock fish curries (I assume because of their texture?), but then I looked further and saw multiple references to a banana flower stir fry.  This dish is actually a pretty delicious use of banana flower, which to me tastes a little like a green banana (because it basically is?).  While not something I'll make every day, this was definitely a fun experiment with a new ingredient.

Note: I used Kashmiri chili powder instead of the hotter red chili powder called for (which is similar to cayenne in heat), but I'm also a hot pepper baby.  I also only used half of a serrano pepper instead of the 2 or 3 called for below.

Kelphulachi Bhaji (Banana Flower Stir Fry)
Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor

1 large banana flower
½ cup dried split mung beans (moong dal)
3 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5 to 6 curry leaves
Pinch asafoetida (hing)
2 to 3 green chilies, finely chopped (such as serrano)
1½ teaspoons red chili powder (lal mirch)
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
Sea salt, to taste

1 teaspoon grated jaggery
¼ cup shredded fresh coconut
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Remove the outer redish leaves of the banana flower, separate the inner white stalks/flowers and use these flowers for this stir fry. Wash the thin white flowers, drain, and chop.  Keep the flowers soaked in water overnight.  Soak the mung beans in one cup of water for at least thirty minutes. Drain.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.  As they begin to change color, add the curry leaves, asafoetida, and green chilies.  Stir well.  Add the split green gram and sauté for a minute.  Add the banana flowers, mix well, and then add the chili powder, turmeric, salt, and jaggery.  Cover and cook until the banana flower is done.  Add the coconut and mix well.  Serve hot garnished with the cilantro.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Home and Plate: Boursin Creamed Corn with Pancetta

Let me just admit right now that this is basically just a continuation of my fascination with Boursin cheese.  Much like bacon, I'm starting to believe it makes everything taste better.  So I've been finding all sorts of dishes to stick it in, and I have yet to be disappointed.  This is a cheesy version of creamed corn, and it works beautifully.

Boursin Creamed Corn with Pancetta
Adapted from Home and Plate blog

4 ounces cubed pancetta
8 cobs fresh corn, husked and cut from the cob
1 bunch sliced green onions
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 cups heavy cream

½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (5.2-ounce) package Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin cheese 

Over medium-high heat in a large pan, fry the pancetta until it begins to crisp. Add the corn, green onions, and butter and stir until corn is cooked through, about 7 minutes.  Add the heavy cream and season with the salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat to medium and stir the creamed corn until it has thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes.  Add the Boursin cheese and melt into the cream sauce.  Reduce further, if desired, until corn is as thick as desired.

Makes 8 servings

Molly Yeh: Praline King Cake

Every year around this time, I tell myself that I should make a king cake.  I even had the recipe all picked out.  But something about this time of year tends to make the days seem short and unpleasant (maybe it's the weather?), so it had never materialized.  I finally got my butt in gear this year, though, and now I'm sorry I waited.  Not a big fan of cinnamon, I decided a praline cake was the way to go.  This thing is fantastic - a not-too-sweet bread with a caramelized pecan filling.  And the ridiculous amount of sugar on top didn't even seem out of place.  Baby not included.

Praline King Cake
Adapted from Molly Yeh

Cake:
¾ cup warm whole milk (100°F-110°F)
2¼ teaspoons or one packet dry yeast
6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt

Filling and topping:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons praline liquor (optional)
1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1 plastic baby
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
Sanding sugar in yellow, green, and purple

Combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar and let proof. While yeast is proofing, whisk together the butter, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, flour, nutmeg, and salt.

When the yeast mixture is foamy, add that and the butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix to combine. Using a dough hook, or kneading by hand on a floured surface, work the dough (adding flour as needed) for 5 to 7 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for two hours, until doubled in size. Begin making the filling as soon as the dough begins rising.

In a large sauce pan, melt together the butter and cream cheese. Stir in the brown sugar and praline liquor, if using, and continue stirring until the mixture starts to bubble. Remove it from heat, stir in the pecans, and then set it aside to cool while the dough finishes rising.

When the dough is finished rising, transfer it to a large piece of parchment paper and roll it out to a 9- x 13-inch rectangle. Spread the filling on evenly, leaving an inch along one of the long sides so that the filling doesn't ooze out. Starting opposite of that end, roll up the dough like a jelly roll, sticking the baby in somewhere in the middle.

Grease an empty 28-ounce can and place it in the center of a large baking sheet that's been lined with parchment. Gently wrap the dough roll around the can, seam side down, and pinch the ends well. Let rise for another half an hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Once the cake has gone through its second rising, bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cake is a nice brown color. Remove the can as soon as the cake comes out of the oven. Let the cake cool completely before decorating.

To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk. If the consistency is too thick for your taste, add more milk a little bit at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Once the cake is out of the oven and cooled, pour on the the glaze and then sprinkle with colored sanding sugar.

Bakerita: Paleo Banana Upside Down Cake

My boyfriend's mom has been making this amazing cake for our Sunday night dessert, and while not usually a big fan of the whole Paleo thing, this cake was fantastic.  I greedily asked for the recipe and knew I had to make it myself.  While it doesn't rise up high like a regular flour cake, this thing tastes like a beautiful piece of banana bread, which is never a bad thing.  Served hot, with whipped cream on top, it's pretty spectacular.

Note: I used Justin's vanilla almond butter because it's amazing.

Paleo Banana Upside Down Cake
Adapted from Bakerita blog

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup coconut sugar
2 bananas, sliced

For the batter:
1½ cups mashed banana (3 to 4 bananas)
3 large eggs
⅓ cup almond butter or other nut butter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon banana extract (optional)
⅓ cup Paleo baking mix or coconut flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or foil.

Combine the melted butter and coconut sugar. Spread in the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange the banana slices over the coconut sugar. Set aside while you prepare the batter.

In a large bowl or mixer, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, banana extract, and nut butter until fully combined.  Add the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt to the wet ingredients and mix well.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, and then carefully flip out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Spicy Southern Kitchen: Smoked Ham Salad

I'm not sure how I got on this kick of wanting ham salad.  I know my dad would make deviled ham occasionally when I was a child, but that came out of a can.  I decided to taste test that option first, and oh boy, was that terrible.  It tasted the way I imagine dog food tastes.  I decided to go with a fresher option and use a smoked ham slice from the refrigerated deli section of the grocery.  While probably not everyone's memory of ham salad, this make a pretty fantastic filling for a summer sandwich.

Smoked Ham Salad
Adapted from Spicy Southern Kitchen blog

2 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise
1 pound smoked ham, cubed
4 green onions, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 handful flat-leaf Italian parsley
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¾ to 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

Place cream cheese and mayonnaise in a food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times, or until well-combined.  Add remaining ingredients, except for pickle relish, and pulse until ham is finely chopped.  Fold in relish.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Skillet: Ultimate Cheese Omelet

How lucky am I?  Instead of going to a restaurant and waiting for a table, I decided I would much rather have my lovely SO make me some dinner.  While his repertoire is not extensive, he makes a pretty mean omelet, so that's what I requested.  He took it to another level entirely by finding this recipe, which uses three different types of cheese.  The Cheddar crust on the outside of the omelet takes this thing over the top.  I don't think I could have gotten anything better at the fanciest restaurant in town.  Plus, the cook is super cute.

Note: You can definitely use a little more Cheddar than is called for.  Just make sure the bottom of the pan has good coverage.

Ultimate Cheese Omelet

From Skillet

2 large eggs
Pinch kosher salt
1½ ounces brie cheese
1 ounce shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 ounce Gruyere, thinly sliced
Chopped chives, for garnish

Add the eggs, brie, and salt to a large cup and combine with an immersion blender to create a homogeneous, fluffy mixture. (If you leave the rind on your brie, you may see tiny little flecks of rind in your eggs. This is fine; you will not notice them in the final product.)

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, and sprinkle the Cheddar on the pan in an even layer. Once you see the oil start to separate from the cheese, and it begins to look lacy, slowly pour your egg mixture on top of the Cheddar, and let it cook undisturbed until the omelette looks dry on the sides and somewhat firm in the middle, then add the Gruyere in an even layer.

Give the edge of your omelette a little test nudge with a silicone spatula, to see if it’s foldable. Once it is completely set, gently fold it into a half-moon shape. Let cook for another 30 seconds or so to let the cheese melt, slide the whole thing onto a plate, and garnish with chopped chives if you so desire.

Food to Love: Mock Mounds Bars with Almonds (Paleo)

After my somewhat unimpressive attempt last year at making a Paleo version of Almond Joy, I decided to try again this year with a different recipe.  My main gripe was that the ones last year were missing that sticky chewiness that I've come to associate with the recipe, but that particular trait is normally the result of some sort of syrup.  Enter rice malt syrup, a Paleo alternative sweetener that gives just the right stickiness.  Surprisingly, it's not very sweet, so I also added a touch of honey.  These were absolute winners, and I didn't miss the sugar one bit.

Mock Mounds Bars with Almonds (Paleo)
Adapted from Food to Love - Sugar Free bookazine, December 2018

6½ ounces shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
½ cup coconut cream
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup rice malt syrup
1 tablespoon honey
16 roasted unsalted almonds
10 ounces 72% dark chocolate

Stir together shredded coconut, coconut oil, coconut cream, salt, rice malt syrup, and honey until just combined.  Firmly press into 16 small "mini" candy bars, approximately 2 inches long and 1 inch wide.  Lightly press an almond into the top of each bar.  Place bars on a waxed paper-lined tray and freeze for 30 minutes, or until firm.

Melt chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water, stirring until smooth.  Remove coconut bars from the freezer.  Using two forks, dip coconut bars into melted chocolate until coated.  Place on wax paper-lined tray.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.  Trim off any excess chocolate.

Makes 16 mini candy bars

Eat Bake Love: Schneewittchentorte (Snow White Cake)

If you remember your fairy tales from your childhood, you'll remember that Snow White had skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, hair black as coal.  This cake follows that color scheme in a delicious way.  And while lovely in its coloration, the cake is actually delicious and rather light, all considered.  This makes a pretty big cake, so be prepared with hungry people.  And the cookies on top are totally optional, but they soften nicely after a brief period in the refrigerator.

Note: The original recipe used raspberry drink powder to flavor the raspberry layer.  Since I couldn't find any raspberry-flavored Fraix online (and raspberry Kool Aid only comes in blue), I improvised with some freeze-dried raspberries and extra sugar.  Feel free to use 1 (100-gram) envelope of raspberry Fraix if you can find it, but you will need to reduce the sugar in the filling to 2 tablespoons.

Schneewittchentorte (Snow White Cake)
Adapted from Eat Bake Love blog

Sponge cake:
4 large eggs
160 grams granulated sugar
75 grams all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
65 grams cornstarch
1 pinch baking powder

Raspberry layer:
1 (1.3-ounce) package freeze-dried raspberries, ground into powder and seeds sifted out (about 2 tablespoons powdered raspberries)
2 cups water
½ cup granulated sugar
2 (1½-ounce) envelopes Dr. Oetker vanilla pudding powder
18 ounces fresh raspberries

Whipped cream layer:
3 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoon powdered sugar
3 (0.35-ounce) envelopes Dr. Oetker Whip It! whipped cream stabilizer
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 (7-ounce) package butter biscuit cookies (such as Leibniz)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter a deep jelly roll pan (about 10x15 inches).

For the sponge cake, separate the egg whites and yolks and beat the egg whites until stiff. Slowly sprinkle in the sugar, then stir in the egg yolks. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and baking powder together, then fold into the egg mixture. Pour in prepared pan and bake for about 12 minutes.

For the raspberry layer, mix the raspberry powder in a saucepan with the water. First add the sugar, then whisk in the pudding powder. Let boil until the mixture thickens. Stir in the raspberries, let the mixture cool, and then spread on the cooled sponge cake base.

For the cream layer, whip the cream with powdered sugar stabilizer, and vanilla bean paste until stiff, spoon on top of the raspberry filling, and chill the cake. Wait several hours before serving with butter biscuits and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if necessary.