Pan Asian: Vegetable Kurma (South India)

With spring upon us and summer right around the corner, I’m inspired  to get outside more, and start hitting the farmers market for fresh produce. It’s also time to start shedding that winter weight and get healthy again, and vegetables are the perfect tonic. Since the south of India is known for its primarily vegetarian diet, and also some incredibly tasty dishes, I looked in Healthy South Indian Cooking by Alamelu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt for inspiration, and pulled this amazing recipe for Vegetable Kurma. It uses carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and peas, but feel free to use whatever vegetables you like. I also substituted cashew nuts for almonds (since I didn’t have any handy), and, of course, upped the heat quotient by adding more green chilis. While the dish is simple to prepare, there are a lot of ingredients involved, but mysteriously enough, no garlic! Though it turned out great, I think next time I will add some garlic as it can only enhance an already delicious dish. Also, salt to taste as I believe the recipe called for not enough salt.

The Recipe

from Healthy South Indian Cooking (Hippocrene Books, 2008)

by Alamelu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt

Ingredients:

½ cup ground fresh coconut or unsweetened coconut powder

1 green chili pepper

12 raw almonds

1 tablespoon white poppy seeds (optional)

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 thick slices ginger root (peeled)

1 tablespoon roasted chickpeas

2 tablespoons canola oil

6 to 8 curry leaves

1 dry bay leaf

3 or 4 slivers cinnamon sticks

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped tomato

2 cups peeled and cubed Idaho potato

½ cup peeled and thinly sliced carrots

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon curry powder

½ cup green peas (fresh or frozen)

1 cup cauliflower florets

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1.)   In A blender combine coconut powder, green chili, almonds, white poppy seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, ginger root slices, chickpeas. Add 2 cups hot water and grind the ingredients to a smooth paste.

2.)   Heat oil in a wide-bottom saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot, but not smoking, add curry leaves, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, remaining cumin and fennel  seeds. Cover and fry to a golden brown.

3.)   Add onion and ½ cup of the chopped tomato to saucepan and stir-fry for a few minutes until onion is lightly translucent.

4.)   Add potato and carrots to saucepan. Add turmeric powder and stir well.

5.)   Add curry powder and stir-fry for a minute or two.

6.)   Add peas and cauliflower to mixture and stir fry for a couple of minutes.

7.)   Add ground spices from the blender to vegetable mixture in saucepan plus 2 cups of warm water. Mix thoroughly.

8.)   When mixture begins to boil, reduce heat. Add remaining ½ cup chopped tomato, salt and cilantro leaves. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Serve with rice or bread.

Serves 6

 

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Easy Asian Cooking, Part 1 ~ China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam ~ with Gastronaut Skiz Fernando

• 

  DC/MD/VA! I’m back at the Hill Center in the nation’s capital, once again, promoting something I truly love, which is Asian food. You thought I was all about rice & curry, but I’m venturing out of my comfort zone a little, and exploring some dishes from China, Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand, which I cook on a daily basis. Ever seen my cooking show, “Pan Asian?” Well, these are all dishes that I have made before, and I love to show people how quick and easy it really is to make some very complex and flavorful food that you only thought you could get in a restaurant. So please join me as we take a trip to foreign lands and fantastic flavors without even leaving the kitchen! Here are the details:

  Register Here »

  When: Sat, 05/04/2013 - 11:00am to 1:00pm

  Cost: $75
  Category: Food and Garden
  Location: Lorinda “Annie” Hooks Demo Kitchen

  Skiz Fernando returns to Hill Center to take you on a culinary tour of the Far East without ever leaving the kitchen. In this two-hour, hands-on class, Skiz seeks to demystify Asian ingredients and techniques as he instructs you in the preparation of such simple, delicious and healthy dishes as Steamed Fish with Soy Sauce (Hong Kong), Basil Chicken (Thailand), Summer Rolls (Vietnam), and Spicy Stir Fry Squid (Korea). Afterwards, you’re invited for lunch. Skiz is the author of RICE & CURRY: Sri Lankan Home Cooking, a 2011 New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He hosts his own cooking series on YouTube called Pan Asian, in which he cooks dishes from all over Asia and the world.

  Skiz is a second generation Sri Lankan-American and graduate of Harvard University and the Columbia School of Journalism. In 2009 he was featured on Travel Channel’s No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain where he led the crew to Sri Lanka’s hot spots. Check out his blog Rice & Curry and Pan Asian online cooking series.

  Cookbooks will be available for purchase for $19.95.

  

http://youtu.be/qnIRaUoAHxk

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Pan Asian: Basil Chicken (Gai Pad Krapao) – Thailand

As one of the more popular dishes on any Thai restaurant menu, basil chicken is simple, quick, delicious and healthy–thus a perfect match for Pan Asian. You can make it at home with very little effort and only a few ingredients. The star of the show is, of course, Thai basil,  which is a type of sweet basil with narrow leaves, purple stems, and a purplish-pink flower as well as one of the signature flavors of Thai cuisine. You should be able to find these fresh at any good Asian store.

In some restaurants, I have seen this dish made with ground chicken and sometimes served wrapped in a leaf of lettuce, but I prefer to prepare it as a stir-fry using small chunks of chicken (thigh meat, of course, since it has more flavor and stays moist when cooked). You may even substitute chicken in this recipe for beef, pork, or squid.

The Recipe

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 lb. (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 shallots, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 fresh red or green Thai Chilies, pounded in mortar and pestle

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

2 teaspoons palm sugar or brown sugar

1 bunch of Thai basil leaves, stems removed

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

1.)   Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok. Once hot, add chicken and stir-fry over high heat for 5 minutes, until browned all over. Transfer chicken to a colander or sieve to drain.

2.)   Reheat wok and add remaining oil. Add shallots and garlic and stir-fry for 3 minutes, until golden brown.

3.)   Return chicken to wok along with chilies, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir-fry on high heat for about 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in basil leaves and white pepper and cook until basil is wilted. Serve immediately over rice.

Makes 4 servings

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Easy Asian Cooking, Part 1 ~ China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam ~ with Gastronaut Skiz Fernando

• 

   

• When: Sat, 05/04/2013 - 11:00am to 1:00pm

  Cost: $75
  Category: Food and Garden
  Location: Lorinda “Annie” Hooks Demo Kitchen @ The Capitol Hill Center

  Skiz Fernando returns to Hill Center to take you on a culinary tour of the Far East without ever leaving the kitchen. In this two-hour, hands-on class, Skiz seeks to demystify Asian ingredients and techniques as he instructs you in the preparation of such simple, delicious and healthy dishes as Steamed Fish with Soy Sauce (Hong Kong), Basil Chicken (Thailand), Summer Rolls (Vietnam), and Spicy Stir Fry Squid (Korea). Afterwards, you’re invited for lunch. Skiz is the author of RICE & CURRY: Sri Lankan Home Cooking, a 2011 New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He hosts his own cooking series on YouTube called Pan Asian, in which he cooks dishes from all over Asia and the world.

  Skiz is a second generation Sri Lankan-American and graduate of Harvard University and the Columbia School of Journalism. In 2009 he was featured on Travel Channel’s No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain where he led the crew to Sri Lanka’s hot spots. Check out his blog Rice & Curry and Pan Asian online cooking series.

  Cook books will be available for purchase for $19.95.

  Space is limited so please reserve your spot asap!

  Register Here »

  

  

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Pan Asian: Salmon With Yogurt & Fresh Herbs (Methi Dhone Pata Diye Doi Maach) – Bangladesh

In these food-centric times there is a greater appreciation for regional cuisines than ever before in history. Forget about the fallacy of “Chinese food” or “Indian food”–people are digging deeper into the various regional cuisines that comprise these two well-established food cultures.  The internet has a lot to do with that, and travel, as well as the fact that people are more curious than ever about food, and are seeking flavors, techniques and ingredients that they’ve never tried before.

The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles (Hippocrene Books, 2012) by Rinku Bhattacharya is a book for these new times. Much more than simply a collection of recipes, the book presents a vast amount of information about the history and culture of Eastern India tempered by personal insights and anecdotes. A qualified and passionate insider, Miss Bhattacharya is just the guide to teach us about her own food and culture (and that is the only way I would want to be introduced to a new cuisine).

As Eastern India and Bangladesh is a region of rivers, fish comprises an important part of their diet. I wanted to make a dish from this book that really reflects some of the typical cuisine of the area, so I chose  Salmon with Yogurt & Fresh Herbs because in addition to looking incredibly healthy and delicious, the recipe called for an ingredient I have never cooked with before–fresh fenugreek leaves. I’ve used fenugreek seeds many times, as they are a component of Sri Lankan roasted curry powder, but the fresh leaves were new to me. After using them in this dish, I can say they have a very mild but unique flavor and a texture not unlike spinach when cooked. You should be able to procure fresh fenugreek leaves at any Indian store, but if they don’t have them, chances are they will at least have the dried variety, which would make an acceptable substitute according to the author. I must admit, however, that although I forgot to add the onions when I was making this dish, it still turned out amazing, so I’m looking forward to trying it again with onions.

The Recipe

From The Bengali Five Spice Chronicle (Hippocrene Books, 2012) by Rinku Bhattacharya

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds salmon steaks, cut into cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 to 3 cloves garlic

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

1 onion

2 to 3 green chilies

2 tomatoes

2 to 3 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 green cardamom pods

2 cloves

2-inch cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

1 teaspoon sugar

½ cup strained  or Greek yogurt

½ cup fresh fenugreek leaves

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1.)   Rub the salmon with salt and turmeric and set aside. Finely chop the garlic, ginger, onion, chilies, and tomatoes in a food processor.

2.)   Heat the oil in a wok or skillet on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, and cinnamon stick and cook for 30 seconds, until the spices darken. Add the tomato mixture and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently till the liquid evaporates and the oil shimmers through the spice mixture, about 15 minutes.

3.)   Gently add the seasoned salmon to the tomato mixture along with about ½ cup water. Simmer the salmon for 10 minutes.

4.)   In a small bowl beat the sugar with the yogurt until smooth and then stir in the fenugreek and cilantro. Gently add this to the fish curry and cook on very low heat for about 5 to 6 minutes. It is important not to let the curry boil at this point otherwise the yogurt will break.

Makes 6 servings

 

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Pan Asian: Sancocho de Cabeza de Pescado (fish head soup) – Columbia

It’s amazing the amount of pure flavor you can render from a fish head. That’s why Asians have prized them for eons, using them in curries as well as soups, where the concentrated flavor of the fish head requires no additional stock. Of course, South Americans also love their fish heads, and that’s why a hearty soup like Sancocho has many regional variations throughout the continent.

In Colombia, they have versions with chicken and oxtail as well as one in which the fish head is king. Called simply, Sancocho de Cabeza de Pescado, I was introduced to this recipe from Patricia McCausland Gallo’s fine book, The Food & Cooking of Colombia & Venezuela. It’s a pretty simply concoction, so once you get the format down, feel free to improvise. Try adding shrimp, mussels, crab or any other seafood that you prefer when you add the fish chunks. I also serve this one topped with fresh avocado slices and cilantro with a bowl of rice on the side.

 

The Recipe

From The Food And Cooking of Colombia & Venezuela by Patricia McCausland-Gallo

2 small fish heads

2lb. (900 g) white fish fillets (such as hake or haddock)

juice of 2 limes

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4-5 tomatoes, peeled and seeded

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 small red bell pepper, coarsely grated

4 Tbsp. tomato paste

½ tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

¼ tsp. achiote or turmeric

¼ cup red wine

1 lb. cockles or clams

1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

2 tsp. cilantro, chopped

1 habanero pepper (optional)

salt & black pepper to taste

3 limes, quartered, to serve

1.)   Rub the fish heads and fillets with lime juice and crushed garlic. Set aside for 10 minutes. Chop tomatoes, retaining their juice

2.)   Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red pepper and cook covered, for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, Old Bay, achiote or turmeric and salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes.

3.)   Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, then add fish heads, cockles or clams, tomatoes and their juice, sugar and 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4.)   Cut the fillets into strips or 1-inch chunks and add to soup. Cover and cook 5-7 minutes more, until the fish is just cooked.

5.)   Stir in half the chopped parsley and cilantro and cook a further 2 minutes. Serve immediately, topped with remaining herbs and wedges of lime.

Serves 4-6

 

 

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The 2012 World’s of Flavor Conference, Part 3: The Chefs

Chefs from across the Arc of Flavor–defined by the conference as the swathe of territory spanning Spain in the West and the Spice Islands of Indonesia in the East–shared their cultures and cuisines during various demo sessions and seminars, which varied in size from an audience of 20 to 500. For our small session on Sri Lankan cuisine, Chef Koluu made fish ambul thiyal (sour fish curry), hoppers, and the popular Sri Lankan condiment, pol (coconut) sambol. On the mainstage, we presented Sri Lankan biriyani, which was part of the “One-Pot Meals” seminar. This video presents a sample of some of the other chefs who cooked before the entire conference.

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The 2012 World’s of Flavor Conference, Part 2: Sri Lankan Biriyani

When Chef Koluu and I discovered that we were to take part in the One Pot Meal seminar to be held on the main stage of the conference, we were a bit puzzled about what to do since there are no one pot dishes in Sri Lanka. So we decided to make biriyani–a dish that does not originate in Sri Lanka, but is none-the-less a huge favorite there.

 

Chef Koluu and myself outside CIA Greystone

A combination of rice, meat and vegetables all cooked together, biriyani can be traced back to the Mughals, a Muslim dynasty that ruled most of the Indian subcontinent from the early 16^th to the early 18^th century. Direct descendants of Genghis Khan, they are known for their very rich cuisine, embodied by a dish like biriyani, which involves expensive spices like saffron and is often garnished with gold and silver foil. While there are many versions of the dish across the Middle East and India, biriyani was introduced to Sri Lanka by the Muslim community, who make up roughly 7% of the population, and they, too, have their own spin on this popular dish.

 

Signing books at the World’s of Flavor conference

The recipe we used for our demo, however, came from my book, Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking (Hippocrene Books, 2011), and it is actually more like a biriyani that you would find in Pakistan–with the exception of cashews, shredded coconut, and, of course, Sri Lankan roasted curry powder, which is a spice blend like no other. In Sri Lanka, the biriyani is also usually served with several side dishes including cashew curry, pineapple curry, a mint sambol, and mixed pickle. If you ever have the chance to attend a Muslim wedding there, this will be on the menu, along with a lot of other tantalizing treats such as faluda, a sweet drink made of rose water and ice cream, and, of course, the rich, decadent wattalapam or coconut flan for dessert. That is if you have enough room after putting away a dish as dangerously delicious as biriyani!

 

The Recipe

Chicken Buriyani

 

Meat:                                                    Rice:

2 lbs. (1 kg) chicken parts                      1 lb. (500 g) basmati rice

1 tsp. black pepper                                3 tbsp. ghee

1 tsp. curry powder                               1 onion, chopped

1 tsp. cayenne powder or paprika         2  cardamoms

1/4 cup (65 ml) plain yogurt                  2 cloves

1/4 cup (65 ml) tomato puree                 2 bay leaves

2 tbsp. cashews, chopped                      1 inch (2.5 cm) stick cinnamon

2 tbsp. desiccated coconut                      pinch of saffron

1 cardamom                                            1 1/2- 2 cups (375 ml) stock

1 clove                                                    1 1/2 tsp salt

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. ghee

1 onion, chopped

2 Serrano chilies, chopped

 

Meat:

1.)            Wash, cut and dry meat. Season with black pepper, curry powder, and cayenne.

2.)            In a food processor, blend yogurt, tomato puree, cashews, and coconut.

3.)            Combine blended ingredients, cardamom, clove, bay leaves, and salt with chicken and marinate for 30 minutes. (meanwhile skip to rice prep).

4.)            Heat ghee in a pan. Fry onions and chilies until onions are translucent.

5.)            Add chicken pieces and stir-fry for 5-10 minutes.

6.)            Add a little water to blended mixture and pour over chicken. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

7.)            Place chicken pieces in casserole dish.

 

Rice:

8.)            Wash and drain rice.

9.)            Heat ghee in pan. Fry onions until translucent. Add  cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon.

10.)         Add rice and fry for a few minutes until rice starts to crackle. Add pinch of saffron and mix well.

11.)         Pour over stock and cook until partially done (about 15 minutes). Add salt.

12.)         Place rice on top of chicken in casserole dish. Cover with tin foil and cook in oven until moisture evaporates, about 25-30 minutes at 300 F (150 C).

 

Makes 6 servings

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The 2012 World’s of Flavor Conference, Part 1: Inside the CIA

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the picturesque Napa Valley for the CIA’s 15^th Annual World’s of Flavor Conference. No, I’m not a spy, and I’m not talking about that CIA, but rather The Culinary Institute of America, one of the country’s most well regarded cooking schools. Each year they assemble top chefs and culinary professionals from around the world at their beautiful campus in St. Helena, CA for a summit on food without parallel. This year’s theme was “Arc of Flavor: Re-imagining culinary exchange from the Mediterranean and Middle East to Asia.”

The teaching kitchens at CIA

It was no small honor to attend the conference, and to represent Sri Lankan food for the very first time here, joined by my esteemed colleague, Chef Koluu, who traveled all the way from Colombo for the event.  Koluu was extremely helpful when I went to Sri Lanka to research my cookbook, and I made sure he was featured when I returned to shoot No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. As one of Sri Lanka’s most well-known and respected chefs, his attendance at the conference was a must.

 

Chef Koluu outside CIA Greystone, St. Helena, CA

Having just barely escaped the east coast and the wrath of Hurricane Sandy, I arrived in the Bay Area at night, so it was not until morning that I got a good look at the CIA itself. Occupying the former hilltop mansion of The Christian Brothers’ winery and overlooking acres of quaint vineyards, the school’s substantial facilities cut quite an impressive sight. The third floor teaching kitchens alone occupy a space about half the size of a football field, filled with every modern convenience you can imagine. What a joy it must be going to school in such an environment, much less cooking there for three days. This massive kitchen is where all the action was happening as chefs from across the arc of flavor prepared countless dishes for the various seminars, demo sessions, lunch, and, of course, the formidable World Marketplace, probably the best food court going on planet earth.

It was encouraging and inspiring to see so many foreign chefs interacting with CIA staff and students, and introducing so many new ingredients and techniques. Koluu made his famous pork kalupol or “black” pork curry, fish ambul thiyal, and crab curry, along with other Sri Lankan specialties like hoppers, sambol, and coconut roti. Like the other chefs, we had a whole crew of students working with us–none of whom had ever even tried Sri Lankan food before. But they picked things up very quickly as they took care of most of the prep. For everyone involved, however, the opening day proved to be an exchange of cultures, ingredients, ideas, and good vibes.

 

 

baby back ribs

 

 

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Pan Asian: Vegetable Ramen (Japan)

homemade veggie ramen

I doubt that there’s a person on the planet who has not eaten ramen. The most basic of all meals, this instant noodle soup, is both low-brow and high-brow–the sustenance of college students and starving artists as well as ravenous chow hounds sniffing out the next food trend. But somewhere between simply filling up a cup with boiling water and all those fancy schmancy offerings at new noodle houses, which are popping up all over the place, there has got to be a good version one can make at home without too much fuss. Well, congratulations! You’ve come to the right place–Pan Asian–where quick, easy, delicious, and healthy Asian food is well within your reach.

For Asians, soup is comfort food, and Ramen, a Japanese noodle dish, is probably the most well-known soup of them all. Named after the Chinese wheat noodles that one slurps up out of the savory broth, there are infinite varieties of this dish, and in my one, I substituted the ramen itself for thick, Thai rice noodles. Like many Asians, I have an aversion to wheat gluten, so the rice noodles will do just fine, and for the broth, I use a simple combination of vegetable stock, soy, sauce, mirin (a sweet Japanese rice wine), and white miso. Aside from that, feel free to use your imagination and use any vegetable (or even meats) that you want. I tailored this dish specifically to vegetarians since I was getting more requests for vegetarian recipes here on Pan Asian.

I also don’t normally eat any type of tofu product because tofu is a highly processed food and most of the soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified, but I happened to find a brand of fried soy puffs which specifically listed “non-GMO soy” as one of its ingredients. This is why California’s proposition 37, regarding the labelling of GMO foods, is so important. If given the choice, I and I assume most people, would go non-GMO.

That said, the fun part of this dish is the garnishes. I used fresh chopped scallions, green chilies, fried shallots, and Sriracha sauce to liven up my soup. A few shakes of fish sauce or soy sauce cannot hurt either. Go crazy! I didn’t break a raw egg on top because I didn’t have any, but next time!

topped with chopped scallions & green chilies, fried shallots, and Sriracha

The Recipe

13 oz. (375 g) fresh ramen noodles

1 Tbsp. oil

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, crushed

5 oz. (150 g) oyster mushrooms, halved

1 small zucchini, sliced into rounds

1 leek, white & greens parts, sliced

4 oz. (100 g) snow peas, halved diagonally

4 oz. (100 g) fried tofu puffs, cut into match sticks

1 quart vegetable stock

1 ½ Tbsp. white miso paste

2 Tbsp. light soy sauce

1 Tbsp. mirin

1 cup (90 g) bean sprouts

1 tsp. sesame oil

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

4 oz. (100 g) enoki mushrooms

1.)   Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to boil. Add noodles and cook, stirring to prevent sticking, for 4 minutes, or until tender

2.)   Heat oil is a large saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, oyster mushrooms, zucchini, leek, snow peas and tofu puffs, and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the stock and 300 ml of water and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer.

3.)   Stir in miso, soy sauce,  and mirin until heated through. Do not boil. Stir in bean sprouts and sesame oil.

4.)   Place noodles in the bottom of six serving bowls, then pour in the soup. Garnish with spring onion and enoki mushrooms.

Serves 6

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