Ratna | Cooking Sutra

Kaju Katli: Cashew fudge, GF, DF

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By Ratna,

I just read this article in Saveur “15 Indian desserts that give you a tour of the country “. Indian sweets are anything but boring. I totally agree with the editors. The sweets can be dry or dripping with syrup, milk or flour based, a vegetable or fruit can be the star ingredient, most of them are even eggless, respecting the vegetarians.

Did you know that sweets can be coated by gold or silver leaf? If you have come across some pictures of Indian movies or festivals, I bet you have noticed that we like the “Bling”. This affinity is so strong that we even like our food “Blinged”? Yup. You heard that right.

Festivals are incomplete without dessert. Coating the desserts with a silver leaf also known as “Vark”, is quite common. This is what I tried for Diwali this year. Cashew fudges covered with edible silver foil. Kept in an airtight container it will safely store for two weeks. Make ahead recipes always come handy wouldn’t you agree?

Recipe: Adapted from In house recipes.

Made about 30-35 pieces.

Ingedients;

Raw, unsalted Cashews 2 cups ground fine

Sugar 1 cup

Water 1/3 cup

Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp

Vark ( optional ) Two sheets, about 6 cms squared

Method;

Take the sugar, water and cardamom powder in a nonstick pan on high heat, till it comes to a boil. Crank the heat down to medium and let the syrup thicken, about 3 minutes. Turn the gas down to low now. Add the cashew powder. Keep stirring so that it is lump free, doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and start leaving the sides of the pan, about 3 minutes. Turn the gas off.

Pour this mixture on a greased wax paper. Take another greased wax paper and put it on top of the mixture. Put the palm of your hand on the second wax paper and flatten it. Gently use a rolling pin to spread it out, preferably to a square shape about 1/3 rd centimetre thick. Remove the top wax sheet. Take a Pizza cutter or sharp knife and cut it in diamond shape.

Carry the “Vark” on the paper it came with and drop it gently on this spread. Press the “Vark” softly on to this mixture to help stick. Take a sharp knife and gently run the cuts over the Vark again. Tease out the pieces and enjoy.

Inside scoop;

Vark or edible silver foil is available through Amazon.com.

You can cover all the pieces with the Vark, I have used for a few only.

Sabudana kheer: Tapioca pearls and coconut milk pudding with Raspberry syrup. DF

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By Ratna

We had snow twice already. It didn’t stay though. The garden is now full of yellow leaves some naked branches, an errant flower in a corner in between a bunch of dead stems. The raspberry patch is a different story altogether. These autumn raspberries are flourishing everyday like rebels. The fruit heavy branches bowed downwards, swaying sideways with gentle wind…

Navaratri or nine nights is celebrating the feminine form of the divine. Devotees partake food with no grains for each of these nine days. Sabudana which is granules made from Tapioca root is an acceptable form of nutrition.

I was looking for ways to use up my raspberries. I made a syrup from them and layered this with the Sabudana pudding. A nice garnish on top, and voilla, we had fusion dessert here.

Recipe:

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

Sabudana ( Tapioca pearls ), washed with water 1/3 cup

Coconut milk ( Can from Aroy D ) 2 cups

Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp

Raspberries washed 2 1/4 cups

Sugar 1/3 & 2/3 cup

Cornstarch 2 Tbsps

Water 1/2 cup

Coconut slivers few to garnish

Method;

Mix the cornstarch and water into a lump free slurry. Put the raspberries in a blender and make a puree. Take this puree, cornstarch mixture and 1/3 rd cup sugar in a pan over medium heat. Make it into a thick sauce, about 5 minutes. Put the gas off.

Boil the Sabudana with half cup water on a medium flame till soft, about 7 minutes. Add the coconut milk, Cardamom powder and 2/3 cup sugar. Simmer on low medium flame for about 20 minutes, stirring sometimes. The Sabudana will turn translucent, some will blend in the milk, thickening it. Turn the gas off.

You can serve it hot. I assembled it in layers. Garnish with a few whole Raspberries and Coconut slivers.

Inside Scoop;

Sabudana can be purchased from Indian grocery store.

The botanical name for Tapioca is Manihot Esculenta Crantz syn. Utilissima.

Subzi wale makki roti: Vegetables and cornflour flatbread. GF

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By Ratna

October 12th was Pitri Paksha, which translates to The fortnight of the Ancestors. This new moon day we show gratitude to our ancestors. Not only do we owe our existence to them, it is due to their contribution that we enjoy everything else in this world. We are ourselves because of the gifts that we have received from them. If we broaden the definition of the term ancestors, from our parents or grandparents to the whole humanity, then we have even more reason to be thankful. The clothes we wear, the food we enjoy, the technology we use, the way we entertain ourselves, have all come down from ‘the ancestors.’ It is only natural that we sometimes pause in our life, bow our heads in gratitude and pay our debts to them

The ritual involves offering water to their soul. The fresh harvest, a symbolic gesture for food, is also offered.

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Canada on the 12th. It is a day we thank the almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which we have been blessed. Families get together for sumptuous feasts, parades are held and pumpkin pies are baked to celebrate the day.

Two faraway countries, India and Canada, but similar traditions.

I had carrots and beets freshly harvested from the garden. Instead of pies I worked them into flatbreads. With crunchy radishes or smooth yoghurt and some fierce pickles for a side, it made an excellent brunch menu.

Recipe: From my friend Parul.

Made 4 pieces.

Ingredients;

Grated carrots 1/4 th cup

Grated beets 1/4 th cup

Grated Cauliflower 1/4 th cup

Corn flour ( see notes ) 1 cup

Cream 1/2 cup

Salt To taste

Pepper To taste

Method.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Pour the cream to make it into a soft dough. Divide them into four equal parts to form lemon size balls. Line the countertop with a piece of wax paper. Roll the ball gently in a circle, 3 inches diameter circle. Take care, for the absence of gluten makes it hard to bind.

With the help of a flat spatula transfer this on to a greased heated frying pan on medium heat. After about a minute, gently flip it over. Put a teaspoon of oil on it. Gently press the surface with the spatula and rotate the bread on the pan. Repeat the same with the other side until lightly crispy, about 8 minutes total.

Serve hot with a dollop of butter on top,

Inside Scoop;

While rolling the dough, run the pin to one side ( say north ), lift the pin, bring it to the middle, now roll it to the other side ( say south ). Rotate the wax paper and repeat the above procedure.

If you see the sides are not as smooth, tuck them in with wet finger.

Traditionally it is served with Saag ( leafy greens ). However potato or any other curry goes well too.

It could be done just plain without any veggies too.

I have used this brand of cornflour “Punjabi Makki de Atta PTI”.

I have referred to Wikipedia and Isha foundation blog for the details on Pitri paksha.

Masala Chai: Spiced tea, for a fall day

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By Ratna

‘Did you notice the leaves turning yellow?” commented J, my colleague at work. That was middle of August. “You are not saying what you are saying, are you?’ I retorted. I strengthened my argument by putting forward the other causes of leaves turning yellow, for example drought. Who was I kidding though. I knew for certain that it was the beginning of fall. It didn’t matter that people were still on summer holidays, that the snow just melted not that long ago or even the official ‘fall’ was still more than a month away. This was northern Canada. It is said if you blink long enough you may miss the summer!

Come September there was no denying that it was not drought that caused the yellow leaves, the summer was done for this year. There was a chill in the air. Vegetable gardens were harvested, apple pies were baked, fleece jackets were back and Costco proudly displayed their Halloween supplies.

Now Chai ( Tea ), doesn’t need a season to be enjoyed. There is no denying the magic of a hot cup of tea on a cold day though. N and I packed some tea and snacks before we went out for a short drive to take in the colours of fall. There was yellow and red and everything in between. It was as if the nature’s way to go on an overdrive with colours, for the next six months will be only white, and more white. The calm before the storm…

Tea is something that memory is made out of. Who can forget the the night of burning midnight oil to prepare for the exam next morning, when the cup of tea is your loyal friend. Tea is needed to start the day, at the end of a hard day’s work. What about that boring day when nothing seems to be in your favour? Tea is what we break a bad news over or break the ice with. I can’t forget how as teenagers we giggled just because our Uncle R slurped his tea or Aunty P blew her hot tea so hard that we all avoided sitting next to her to save our dresses!

Here it is friends. This is how we enjoy the cuppa!

Recipe:

Serves 2.

Ingredients;

Tea bags ( Lipton’s yellow label ) Two

Cardamom pods, crushed Two

Evaporated milk Half cup

Cinnamon sticks Two

Granulated Sugar Two tsps

Water One and half cup

Method;

Bring the water with the crushed cardamom to boil, about 4 minutes. Throw in the tea bags, continue boiling for another 2 minutes.. Add the milk. The boiling will stop temporarily. Bring it to boil again, about a minute, taking care not to let the mixture spill over. Turn the gas to medium and get another boil, if needed turn the gas lower to avoid the spill.

In a mug take a teaspoon of sugar. Pour the tea into the mug through a sieve. Garnish with a Cinnamon stick and serve piping hot.

Take away the cinnamon stick before drinking.

Inside Scoop;

White sugar can be substituted with Palm sugar, honey, Splenda, brown sugar or any other sweetener of your choice.

Grated ginger can be added with the boiling water for Adrak ( Ginger ) tea.

Every family has their favourite blend of spice. Apart from cardamom and cinnamon, mace or even a combination of spices are sometimes added.

Try and adjust to your taste.

I prefer evaporated milk or Homo milk. One can also go with cream.

Chickoo ( Manilkara Zapota ) and almond shake. GF with DF option

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By Ratna

What shake? I know your thoughts, exactly. Chickoo, Sapota. Nope, never heard that before. Well, I don’t blame you. It grows only in tropical climates like India, Thailand, Vietnam, Southern Mexico, Central America. It has been cultivated in Florida in the US.

I was in the city recently. The food blogger inside me always likes to visit ethnic supermarkets. I like trying new or revisit old favourites. This was my find this time.

This brown beauty is like a big berry. Inside the plain skin is the sweet, meaty and a bit grainy pulp. Tease the few long black seeds out and you are ready to enjoy the fruit.

It did bring back memories of long summers years back. Not only was the market flooded with Sapotas, but also tribal women street vendors were seen carrying deep wicker baskets filled with these fruits on their heads . Defying the mid day heat they would ferry their wares calling out ” Sapota paka, libi go.” Ripe Sapotas, anybody…

Next time you see these unfamiliar fruit, do not shy away. Abundant in fructose and fibre it is good for the bowels. It contains Tannins, the polyphenolic antioxidant. There is Vit C, minerals like Iron, Calcium and Magnesium. So let the boring exterior not fool you. As is said, don’t judge the book by its cover.

Recipe: Yielded two long glasses

Ingredients;

Chickoo, skinned, pitted and cut in pieces 2 cups

Homo milk 2 cups

Honey 1 Tbsp

Almond pieces 2 Tbsps

Method;

Put all the above ingredients in a blender and enjoy. I did not add any ice cubes here, but feel free to add it. Garnish with almond flakes.

Inside Scoop;

Adjust the thickness of the smoothie to your choice. Some like it runny, I like it thick, you may even need a spoon to enjoy.

Substitute with coconut milk for DF option.

Sour Cherry Jam

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By Ratna

It popped. It really did.

Canning, preserving, or making jams is something I stayed away from, for the longest time. I always thought it was a very unforgiving procedure. The faliure would manifest not right away but much later, the day when you open the jar to taste the jam.

This year my sour Cherry tree prompted me to do otherwise. We had a bumper crop. We enjoyed them with squinted eyes, took them to work, to my friends and neighbour’s place. The birds had their share. We still had leftovers.

I had no other choice but to delve into the virtual world to look for recipes for Sour cherries. As soon as I let my intention and lack of experience out, at work, I got friendly advice from all quarters. ” I just saw cherry pitter was on sale at Superstore’ said one. “Whatever you do make sure the jars are bone dry”, warned another. “Bernardin” mason jars were purchased by the dozens.

My hair pulled back in a ponytail, glasses perched on my nose, I worked like a machine. The cherry pitter was put to use. Stockpots were filled with water. The counter top of my kitchen did not have any room left. Measuring cups, funnel, metal tongs, small plates for “gel test’, mounds of cherry seeds, sugar jar, squeezed lemon skin, kitchen towels and more kitchen towels, it was a scene from a crazy laboratory. My poor husband played it safe. He crossed the periphery of the kitchen a few times without saying a word.

As the last of the jam filled jars were put on the counter top, It was way beyond supper time. We sat for supper in silence, eyes fixed on the jars. Then, just then, I heard the sweetest sound. It popped. The lids were vacuum sealed . I passed! That was exactly my feeling.

Recipe: Adapted from Martha Stewart’s recipe with minor changes.

Yield: Two and a half 250 ml Mason jars.

Ingredients;

Evan’s Sour Cherries, washed and pitted Eight Cups

Sugar Four cups

Juice from one lemon

Method;

Place a round wire rack in the bottom of a large stockpot. Stand three jars on the rack. Add the lids to the pot. Fill it up with water, completely immersing the jars. Be sure to leave about two inches space from the rim of the stockpot, so that water does not overflow. Simmer at about 180 degrees, until you are ready to fill them with the jam. Place a couple small plates in the freezer.

In another medium stockpot combine the cherries, sugar and lemon juice. Bring it to a full boil. Stir frequently to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot. It took about one and half hour for this to thicken to a jam like consistency. Do the ‘gel test’ now.

Take one plate out from the freezer and put a spoonful of jam on it. Return it to the freezer. Wait for a minute and take it out. With your finger push the edge of the jam, it will wrinkle if done. If not, continue boiling and repeat the gel test until ready.

Take the jars out from the stockpot using tongs. Empty the water back in the stockpot. Similarly take the lids and screw out of the stockpot. Put a clean funnel inside the jar and fill it with jam using a ladle. Leave about half inch space from the rim. Fill all the jars. Cover the lid, sealant side down. Put the screw in firmly. Return all the filled jars back inside the water bath with the help of a tong. Make sure the filled and closed jars have about an inch of water above their lids. Let the water boil. After about 10 minutes take these jars out with the tongs. Let it sit on the counter for 24 hours. As it cools you will hear a popping sound. The bottles are now vacuum sealed.

Store them in a cool and dry place. It can be enjoyed for a year.

Inside Scoop;

I used a cherry pitter to take the seeds out. I felt I could do without it. I did need my hand anyways.

Do not throw away the seeds. It can be made into a small bean bag. Throw it in the microwave for a couple of minutes and use it as a hot pack.

How to make natural food colours using vegetables and an eggless chocolate cupcake.

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By Ratna

Imagine a world without colour. Just close your eyes and try. It is hard, isn’t it ? We live in a world of colours. The beautiful flowers, sweet fruits, birds, attract us with their myriad and brilliant colours.

Research has shown that we prefer coloured things over white, even as a child. Taking this further we started incorporating colours in our food. Take for example ‘Smarties’ and M&M. Their dazzling variety attract young and old alike.

Adding colour to food to make it more attractive is by no means unacceptable. . What is harmful are the artificial colourings. More and more research indicates a direct link between certain food colourings and Cancer, ADHD in children etc. You can read about them here, here, and here.

Saveur had an excellent article showing how natural food colours can be made using vegetables. They made pink frosting using Beets. Taking that as an inspiration I tried using carrots and Spinach leaves to make yellow and green food colours respectively.

What is coloured frostings without cupcakes? So here you go – chocolate cupcakes with coloured frostings.

A match made in heaven.

Recipe:

Pink food colour,

Spread 1 lb peeled beets, sliced paper thin, on a Silpat lined baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees F for 2 hours. Place dried beet slices in a food processor and puree until finely ground. Made two Tbsps.

Yellow food colour,

Follow exactly the same procedure with carrots.

Green food colour

I took two cups of Spinach leaves, and followed the same procedure. I got about one and half Tbsp of colour.

Eggless Chocolate cupcake

(Adapted from Eugenie kitchen ). Made 9 cupcakes.

Ingredients;

All purpose flour 3/4 cup

Baking soda 1/4 tsp

Baking powder 1 tsp

Salt 1/4 tsp

Unsweetened cocoa powder 3 Tbsps

Unsalted butter, softened 3 Tbsps

Granulated sugar 1/2 cup

Pure vanilla extract 1/4 tsp

Milk 1/2 cup and extra

Yellow Buttercream frosting;

Unsalted butter, softened 1/3 cup

Icing sugar, sifted 1 cup

Yellow food colour 1 tsp

Milk, to adjust 1 or 2 Tbsps

Pistachio nuts, chopped 2 Tbsps

Method;

Preheat oven to 360 degrees F.

Sift the dry ingredients like flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder together and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add the softened, unsalted butter and spread with a spatula. Add the granulated sugar and whisk till light and fluffy. Throw in the pure vanilla extract next and stir till combined.

Add in only a half of the sifted dry ingredients in half of milk. Whisk till homogenous. Add the remaining dry ingredients and milk. Stir again till smooth. Adjust the thickness of the batter, if needed with one or two Tbsp of milk.

Divide the batter in cupcake molds. Fill only about two thirds full. Bake for 20 mts. Once out of the oven, let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting;

In a mixing bowl add in softened unsalted butter and spread out with a spatula. Fold in the yellow food colour that we made before. Mix till smooth. Sift in half the icing sugar and mix. Then add the remaining sugar, mix till smooth. Adjust thickness if needed with milk.

Decorate with Pastry tip. I used Wilton 22. Start piping in the middle and slowly make concentric circles until the top is covered. Garnish with chopped Pistachio nuts.

Enjoy!

Inside Scoop;

The home made food colour can be stored in plastic containers in a fridge.

Apart from colouring frostings it can also be used in other foods to accentuate the colour.

Cooking Sutra

Stories and Photos of Food and Family

Author Archives: Ratna

Kaju Katli: Cashew fudge, GF, DF

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Sabudana kheer: Tapioca pearls and coconut milk pudding with Raspberry syrup. DF

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Subzi wale makki roti: Vegetables and cornflour flatbread. GF

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Masala Chai: Spiced tea, for a fall day

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Chickoo ( Manilkara Zapota ) and almond shake. GF with DF option

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Sour Cherry Jam

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How to make natural food colours using vegetables and an eggless chocolate cupcake.

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