Toor Dal

Dal, or lentils, is an Indian staple that is made into a thin soup eaten with rice. There are different types of dal for different soups, and the flavor changes depending on the region. This recipe, made from split yellow pigeon peas, called toor dal, is from Gujarat, in northwestern India. Gujarat known for the sweet, salty, and sour flavors of its cuisine, hence the use of tamarind chutney and lime juice.

For  3-4 people as a side with rice and other vegetable dishes, you will need:

1/3 cup toor dal, soaked in 2 cups of water, overnight. This sharply reduces cooking time. (Toor dal is available in Indian grocery stores. Try to find one that is dry and hasn't been coated in oil.)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 cup finely diced onion, optional (Since Indian meals usually include more than one dish, and dal is usually served with rice, try to keep your ingredients in balance. For example, if your rice dish contain onions or garlic, leave them out of the dal. You will be surprised at how much flavor you will achieve without them.)
1 tablespoon diced fresh ginger
1/2 to 3/4 cup diced plum tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Lal mirchi, to taste (Indian red chili powder. Since it is so spicy, taste it first to gauge your heat tolerance and add it 1/8 teaspoon at a time. If you can't find Indian chili powder, try cayenne or hot paprika.)

1 1/2 teaspoons tamarind chutney (This sweet and tangy brown sauce generally contains dates, tamarind concentrate, spices, and chili. I prefer the Swad brand, which you can find at an Indian grocery store, though others will do. If you can't find it in your market, you can use tamarind concentrate - a liquid, as opposed to tamarind paste - which you can find in an East Asian grocery store. Tamarind concentrate is stronger than the chutney, so want to cut the quantity by half, and add an equal amount of sugar.

2 teaspoons coriander powder
Water
1 teaspoon lime juice
Chopped cilantro, to garnish

Directions: 

Rinse your soaked lentils well. They will have tripled in volume overnight, so you'll now have about 1 cup of uncooked lentils. Add to a large saucepan with 2 cups cold water (a 1:2 lentil to water ratio). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a steady simmer, and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Skim off foam that develops - this will reduce gas for your dinner guests. Remove from heat.

VAGAR: The Vagar is the process of toasting the spices in oil before adding them to the dish. This brings out their flavor and sweetness and tempers any bitterness.

In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and the cumin seeds over medium high heat, allowing the seeds to brown for about 30 seconds once the oil is hot. (The cumin seeds will burn very quickly, so err on the side of caution.) Next, add the mustard seeds, frying them until they begin to pop. Reduce the heat to medium, add the ginger, cook for a few seconds, then add the onion, if using, and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.

Now add the tomatoes, salt, turmeric, lal mirchi, tamarind chutney, and coriander powder. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, until your mixture has reduced down to a paste. Pour into the cooked lentils and mix well. Add water until your toor dal is the consistency of buttermilk, and you have about 4 cups of soup.  Adjust the salt and lal mirchi to taste.

Using a blender, or an immersion blender, if you have one, puree the soup until the lentils are broken apart and smooth, but you still have some light texture and flecks of color from the tomatoes. Add the lime juice and chopped cilantro right before serving.

Vegetable Pulao

I recently had the great pleasure of meeting a young mom of northwestern Indian extraction. Seema is teaching me to cook traditional vegetarian Indian food, which she learned from her mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law. She's demystifying the spices and cooking techniques that have made Indian food seem complicated to me in the past, and I can't tell you how excited I am to share what I learn!

Indian food is one of my all-time favorite cuisines, not only for its flavors but also its inherent healthiness. It's vegetable-based. Rice and lentils and beans create complete proteins when eaten together. And when you make it at home, you can control the fat and spiciness to your preferences. I'm learning that cooking Indian food is like any other cuisine: If you build an edited pantry of spices and learn some basic techniques, it quickly becomes part of your repertoire.

The first dish we cooked together is called vegetable pulao, an Indian fried rice. It's a perfect use of leftover rice - just like Chinese fried rice, pulao is particularly good when made with cold, cooked rice. It's also great for using up any vegetables that need to be eaten, so feel free to improvise.

 For about 2 people as an entree, or 3 as a side, you will need:

1 cup white basmati rice, rinsed well
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Lal mirchi, to taste (Lal mirchi is Indian red chili powder, and it is very spicy. Taste it first to gauge your heat tolerance and add it 1/8 teaspoon at a time. If you can't find Indian chili powder, try cayenne or hot paprika.)
3 fresh curry leaves, available at Indian grocery stores.
2/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2/3 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/3 cup green peas (frozen are fine, defrosted)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 cup diced plum tomatoes (plum tomatoes are nice, because they hold their shape when cut.)
Plain yogurt, called dahi (optional)
Cilantro, to garnish

Directions:

COOKING THE RICE: Really good pulao begins with making a rice where each grain is separate. This means boiling, rather than steaming the rice, and removing any excess starch. Rinse the rice well in cold water, then add to a pot with at least 5 cups of cold water and a pinch of salt. Place over high heat and cook 10-15 minutes, until just tender, but not mushy. (If you like your rice a little al dente, go for the shorter cooking time; more soft, the longer cooking time. Immediately drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.

VAGAR: Vagar is the process of toasting the spices in oil before adding them to the dish. This brings out their flavor and sweetness and tempers any bitterness.

In a non-stick saute pan, wok, or large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of oil and the cumin seeds over medium high heat, allowing the seeds to brown for about 30 seconds once the oil is hot. (The cumin seeds will burn very quickly, so err on the side of caution.) Next, add the mustard seeds, frying them until they begin to pop. Then add the onion, ginger, green pepper, and the curry leaves, and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the peas and any other vegetables you choose to add. Finely diced potatoes are a nice addition, as are thinly sliced green beans and diced carrots.  Cut all your veggies very small and add them in the order of cooking time - the vegetables that take the longest to cook should go in first.

When the vegetables are about 75% cooked, add the rice, and lower the heat to medium to prevent sticking. Stir until well mixed. Add the turmeric powder (this is more for color than flavor - too much will make your rice bitter) and the lal mirchi and salt to taste. Finally, stir in the diced tomatoes for freshness, and garnish with chopped cilantro and plain yogurt.

Peruvian Green Dipping Sauce with Fried Potatoes

I'm no expert in Peruvian food. I haven't yet traveled there, so what little experience I have comes courtesy of the super of a building in which I used to work. Roberto is a prolific home cook and brought his own lunch every day. Often he would make baked chicken, rice, and a mysterious green sauce that he would drizzle over his food. I assumed, by it's color, that it was wasabi mayonnaise, until he invited me to try it. It was a creamy, garlicky, mildly spicy, cilantro-infused explosion of flavor that added depth and brightness to what would have otherwise been a tasty but very basic baked chicken dish.

I was recently reminded of Roberto's green sauce by my friend Julie, who came home from a Peruvian restaurant raving about a green dipping sauce for homemade potato chips. I haven't had Roberto's sauce in months, and I haven't tried the sauce Julie loved, so in creating this recipe, I went on memory, intuition, and a fair bit of internet research.

I discovered that Peruvian food traditionally has many sauces, but Americans are most familiar with this green sauce that is often served at grilled chicken restaurants. You can find many variations for this recipe online.  By trying different methods and ingredients, I created a version that produced the brightest, most interesting flavor and the best texture and consistency. It's really nice on chicken, steak, pork, seafood, and eggs, but also is wonderful as a dipping sauce for fried potatoes, since it's essentially a jazzed up aioli. If you have leftovers, try using it as a base for deviled eggs, a binder in a spicy potato salad, and as a delicious sandwich spread.

For about a pint (2 cups) of sauce, you will need:

2 cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves, stems removed. Make sure to wash well, cilantro can be muddy.
1 tablespoon chopped mint (spearmint) leaves
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1-2 tablespoons aji amarillo paste, a Peruvian yellow chili paste available in Latin American supermarkets. I like aji amarillo because the heat is gentle and builds with each bite, allowing you to taste the flavor of the sauce accompanied by a pleasant kick of heat, without your mouth becoming engulfed in flames. If you can't find aji amarillo, use jalapeño peppers, finely diced. For a very mild sauce, use 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed. If you like a spicier flavor, leave the seeds and ribs in.
1 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon water, plus more if you want a more fluid consistency. Traditionally, this sauce is quite thin.
1/2 cup finely grated hard cheese (Tradition dictates a Latin American cheese like cojito, though I tend to prefer the flavor of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese. For this recipe, it doesn't matter too much, because the aji, garlic, mint, and cilantro are all very strong flavors. The cheese provides salt, texture, and a pleasant tang more than anything else. I used pre-grated, powdered cheese, rather than shredded cheese, because I feel that it blends up better.

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, chop the cilantro, mint, garlic, and aji amarillo paste until well combined. (A blender with a strong motor will give you a smoother consistency, though I used a food processor and found it easier to chop the cilantro into tiny, uniform pieces. Either way is fine.) Add the mayonnaise, lime juice, vinegar, and water, and blend until smooth. Add the cheese, blend until smooth, and taste. Adjust for consistency (add water a tablespoon at a time if you deem it too thick) and flavor (add more aji amarillo or vinegar a teaspoon at a time for heat and tang.)

MY DAD'S FAMOUS FRIED POTATOES:

My dad makes the best home fried potatoes. The secret is leftover baked russet potatoes, skin on, cold from the fridge. Because they're already cooked, you can brown and crisp them up quickly and still get a fluffy, soft interior. Because they're cold, you can cut them into any shape you like and they won't fall apart. (Dad always did cubes or thin slices, but I like cutting them into steak fries for dipping.)

Plan on 1 medium potato per person. If you don't have leftover baked potatoes, scrub russet potatoes well, poke them several times with a fork, and microwave them for about 10 minutes on high, until they're cooked through. A knife should go through easily when they're done. Chill them in the freezer for an hour, and you're ready to go.

Directions:

In a large cast iron or nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add the sliced potatoes, making sure they're not crowded, and brown well on all sides. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle liberally with kosher or flake salt.

Steamed White Fish with Ginger, Garlic, Miso, and Leafy Greens

I've been struggling with my weight this year... stressful former job, lots of takeout, lots of extra calories from my nemesis, carbs, late night eating and drinking, and not enough gym time have all combined to create a closet full of clothes that no longer fit. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I feel like it's time to take back control and eat with fitness, health, and weight loss in mind.

I'm lucky to have a boyfriend, Dan, who is not only an excellent cook, but who prefers light, healthy meals. He also loves Asian flavors, and he created this dish, which has become my all-time favorite "Dan Dinner."

I love this dish because it's so simple and quick, but the flavors are big and satisfying. The ginger, garlic, and miso perfumes the flesh of the fish, making it taste decadent with very little fat. I know that I need protein and fiber to feel satisfied; savory, lean fish and leafy greens help me fill up without guilt.
It's also delicious and elegant enough for dinner guests. It's nice to be able to stay on track with a healthy eating plan, and still serve food fit for company.

To serve 3-4, you will need:

1 pound white fish filets, cut into portions (You can use any white fish for this recipe that is at least an inch thick: Cod, catfish or basa, monkfish, pollack, haddock, etc. all work well. Wild salmon is another good choice because the seasonings will stand up to its strong flavor. Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch website for sustainable fish recommendations.)
1 tablespoon white miso paste (Some miso pastes are made with wheat, so look for gluten-free varieties if that's a concern.)
2 tablespoons Shaoxing Chinese rice wine (You can use the Asian supermarket variety, though most will have salt and wheat added. If you are watching your sodium and/or wheat intake, use a pale, dry sherry or dry white wine instead. You can also use sake, though the flavor will be much sweeter.)
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
3 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and julienned into 1-inch long sticks
1 whole jalapeno, finely sliced (optional)
Sriracha or other hot sauce to taste (optional)
Dark, leafy greens, enough for 4, cleaned and trimmed to fit in your pan. (1 pound of spinach, 1 large head of kale, chard, or mustard greens, and kai-lan - sweet Chinese broccoli - are all good choices. Snow peas and regular broccoli are also nice.)
Olive oil

Directions:

Whisk together the miso, wine, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and optional jalapeno and hot sauce. Pour over the fish, making sure to coat it completely, and allow to marinate up to 1 hour in the refrigerator. (If you don't have time to marinate, you can cook it right away.)

In a nonstick skillet or saute pan with a lid, heat a teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. (You want good caramelization on your fish, but you don't want to burn the garlic or the natural sugars in the fish and miso.) When the oil sizzles when hit with a drop of water, add the fish, including the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno from the marinade. Allow at least an inch of space between pieces. If your pan is small, you will need to cook in batches. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip.

Spread the greens on top of the fish and cover with a lid - I pile as many greens on as will fit in the pan. Steam for an additional 5-7 minutes, until the greens are still bright but tender, and the fish is opaque all the way through, but still moist. Garnish with the slivers of sauteed garlic, ginger, and jalapeno, and serve with brown rice, quinoa, or your favorite whole grain.

This week at the market....

Beautiful and inexpensive spring blooms for your Easter and Passover table at James Durr, the wholesale florist that sets up shop at the Union Square Greenmarket on Saturdays.

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Acme Smoked Fish Adventure

This Friday was my birthday. I could have done anything. I chose to go to warehouse on a light industrial block of Greenpoint, Brooklyn in search of smoked fish.

Acme Smoked Fish is a 4th generation, family-owned fish smokehouse that produces smoked salmon, whitefish, trout, and sable, pickled herring, and fish salads, amongst other specialties. They are exclusively wholesale, and they distribute widely to local New York institutions like Russ & Daughters and national grocery chains like Whole Foods. (They also make the Blue Hill Bay brand.)

Once a week on "Fish Fridays," they open their warehouse at 30 Gem St. to the public from 8am to 1pm, offering their amazing fish at equally amazing wholesale prices.

We lined up at the (fragrant, in a good way) entrance with an eclectic mix of fish fans, including elderly Eastern European immigrants, families, and foodies...

As we moved further into the warehouse, we picked up packages of smoked salmon and jars of pickled herring in various sauces...

Then came whole whitefish....

and our favorite, smoked trout....

When we got to the front of the line, were were greeted by a friendly Acme employee in a white coat, gloves, and a hair net. We were led to a table full of fresh smoked fishes sold by the pound, of many types and flavors...

They let you sample everything...

We learned the difference between hot smoked fishes, like whitefish, salmon, and sable, which is baked at 145°F, and is flaky and succulent...

...and lox, which is brined, then "cold smoked" at 72°F for up to a day, which preserves the silky texture of the raw fish. 

We left Acme and walked to Williamsburg, got warm bagels from The Bagelsmith at 189 Bedford Ave., and settled into a booth at the Greenpoint Tavern at 188 Bedford Ave to drink beer and eat salmon  sandwiches. 

Best. Birthday. Ever.