Kerala: From Thalassery to Cochin

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Anupy Singla

The best part of this trip to Kerala has been the ability to watch local cooks in action. I’ve learned so much from just observing how they operate in their own kitchens and make dishes that I make regularly but with their own special twist. What has impressed me the most is their willingness to share. You just have to ask and suddenly you will be presented with a written list of recipes for your choosing.

We’ve been served such amazing dishes – simple and scrumptious at the same time. Take the funniest dish so far – ‘egg in bed’ – which we were served every morning during our stay at a residential homestay in Thalassery (Tellicherry) in North Kerala.

I found out later this was simply a South Indian Appam, or thin rice flour pancake with an egg cracked into it and cooked just before serving. There was also the complex-flavored tamarind prawns, beet chutney, and spicy rassam. Simple dishes but delicious, wholesome, and oh so memorable. Easily duplicated only once you’ve actually seen them made.

The most fun on this trip was walking into the Executive Club of the Westin on our first morning in Mumbai and finding sambhar, idlee, coconut chutney, and tomato chutney on the food bar along with oatmeal, salmon, and toast. I made a beeline for the Indian eats and immediately had to ask for the recipe for tomato chutney – it was that good. I have tried making it before, and even have a recipe in my next book which I like a lot, but this had something special added to it, and I just had to know what. 

Chef Harvinder Matta immediately came to my table upon request and gave me his personal recipe. His trick, he says, is to temper the chutney twice.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
1 pinch turmeric
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or chopped
1 – 2 green Thai chiles, chopped
1 teaspoon roasted split gram (chana dal) *
1/2 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
2 – 3 large tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
6-7 curry leaves
salt to taste

1. Heat the tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add asafoetida, turmeric, ginger, chiles, split gram, red chile, and tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes completely soften.
3. Take pan off the burner and cool.
4. Grind tomato mixture in a blender until smooth and transfer to a bowl.
5. In a shallow pan, heat teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat.
6. Add mustard seeds and cook until the seeds pop and start to become aromatic. (You might need the lid of the pan to prevent the seeds from popping out.)
7. Add curry leaves and cook until slightly browned.
8. Add salt (1 teaspoon or so) and add this tempering to the blended tomato chutney. Serve with toast, as a side to a typical South Indian meal of sambhar and idlee, or with some rice with an Indian meal.
*Typically, in India you can purchase split gram pre-roasted. In the states that’s tougher to do. Just purchase it from an Indian grocer and dry roast it for about a minute or two yourself, being careful not to burn it.

The beauty of this chutney is that it has a double tempering (infusion of hot oil with spices), which I never thought to do, but is a mainstay for Chef Matta, who used to work in Newcastle in England as a chef at the Spice Cube restaurant. He says he loves being a chef because he ‘learns something new everyday’. It’s fun to meet someone so talented yet so humble. 

 

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Posted in Chutneys, Recipes | 2 Comments

I’m a Fraud!

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Anupy Singla

There. I said it. I’m a fraud.

I always talk about eating healthy – making your own food at home – enjoying the process and not just the get – teaching your kids how to eat healthier and all I feel like is a fake. The last week as I geared up to land in Mumbai (Wed. evening) for a full-fledged food tour of Kerala, I was so packed with teaching classes and getting deadlines met that all I did was stress. And that stress made me want to eat. Not fresh salads and green smoothies like I normally espouse and consume, but pizza and Chinese take out.

Anyone that knows me knows that’s a very unusual me. But, I wanted to come clean with all of my readers. There are days and weeks when you’ll slide seemingly backwards. So maybe I’m not really a full-fledged fraud, but instead a more or less human like everyone else. Sure, my resolution is to lose 5 pounds, but maybe it will just take a few weeks longer.

For now, I’m happy to type this confession cuddled up in my King-sized bed in a room at the Mumbai Westin in hopes that my food adventure that starts tomorrow in Calicut, Kerala, will also spark some life back into my taste buds. I’m excited to explore new dishes and ways of cooking Indian foods, and meet some of the leading chefs in the area. Not sure if it will happen, but we’re also slated to go lobster fishing at night.

As you battle your own daily food demons know that you’re not alone. I’m right there with you. And realized that sometimes healthy eating is just a meal away. Snap out of the downward spiral and make a healthy salad for yourself. Spend a little time enjoying that dal with the spicy tarka (tempering) over a simple bowl of basmati rice, or a quick Rajmah in the slow cooker (page 74 of my book). Sometimes it just take one little meal to pull you out of the boring routine.

Though I’m traveling, I’m determined to cut a few pounds. Not by saying no to everything, but eating it in moderation. My team of two photogs is also trying to cut the calories and pounds. So at O’Hare, instead of getting two large paninis we ordered one portabella and split it. Instead of chips, I had a side of beans. It was perfect. So try my little idea of the self-imposed 50 percent diet. Eat half of what you would normally eat at any given meal (safe the rest for later) and you’ll see a big, big difference. Try to make a majority of your meals vegetarian – don’t fall back to meat just because that’s your safety zone. If you love meat, sure eat it, but make sure the dish is worth having meat in it. Gregg, who is traveling with me, had never had portabella mushroom (that’s a topic of another blog post), but he said he loved it. AND for someone who typically goes for the meat selection, that was a huge first step in trying to cut back a tiny bit.

I hope I’ll have some amazing recipes to share with you once I start this trip, along with some spectacular video and pictures. Stay tuned and as always Facebook me.

p.s. one thing i’m completely proud of..I went to Trader Joe’s on Monday and did NOT – after a long stare down – buy any dark chocolate-covered peanut butter cups. Though plenty of you have facebooked me to tell me you’re enjoying them on my behalf. I’m living vicariously through all of you!

 

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Posted in Losing my Last 10 Pounds!, Random Thoughts, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Vegan 101

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Anupy Singla

I grew up eating mostly Indian food.  Even our spaghetti usually had a hint of cumin.

This means my weeks were 99 percent filled with vegetarian meals of lentils, curried vegetables, and homemade rotis (not naan as everyone now mistakenly thinks). Meat made for that one percent. We did eat dairy in the form of paneer and drank milk.

In grad school back in the mid 1990′s I started to get sick. My immune system was shot, my stomach would cramp up randomly, and I just felt listless. A naturopath suggested I eliminate dairy, meat, and seafood for 6 months.

The meat and seafood was easy but the dairy – as it is for many Indians – was tough.

I have never felt better.

I just replaced cows milk with soy milk and went back to eating all those beans and lentils I grew up on. I also started eating more tofu, which was easy because I lived in Hawaii at the time and had also learned to appreciate it while living in Japan.

I am not encouraging anyone to go to extremes that seem out of your norm. I’m just encouraging everyone to start thinking a little outside the box and realize that there’s a whole world of plant-based foods out there that are delicious, wholesome, and fulfilling. AND you are what you eat – even if we’re all trying to brainwash ourselves from believing it. More veggies, fibre, and anti-oxidents can only help, not to mention all the heart-healthy spices Indian food has to offer.

Try it for a meal, a day, a month, a lifetime. The choice is yours and yours alone.

I was on WGN helping my publisher promote a new book, Vegan 101. It’s a compilation of vegan recipes from various cookbook authors at Agate Publishing and a great way to get you started. It takes you through soups, salads, main courses, and even desserts. My mustard greens recipe is in there. The tofu curry recipe below is one from my upcoming book, Vegan Indian. Thought I’d post the recipes for all of you to enjoy.

Mustard Greens with Spinach (Sarson ka Saag)
5-quart slow cooker, cook 6 hours on high, 1 hour on low (total 7)

1 pound mustard greens, trimmed and washed (8 packed cups chopped)
1 pound spinach, trimmed and washed (4 packed cups chopped)
1 large yellow or red onion, peeled and roughly chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
10 – 15 cloves garlic, peeled
6 – 8 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chiles, stems removed
1 tablespoon coriander powder
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 cups water
1 teaspoon garam masala

1. Put all ingredients except garam masala in your slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 6 hours.
3. Add garam masala and turn slow cooker to low and cook another hour.
4. Serve with roti, naan, corn rotis, rice, or over vegan cornbread.

Tofu Curry
We’ve all heard of chicken curry, but tofu? I wanted to try it, but had a very suspicious test subject – my husband. He is a carnivore and loves paneer, so I knew he’d be a tough sell. I managed to get this one past him by baking the tofu first. That’s the key to a successful dish that may just get the carnivore in your life eating tofu too.

1 small red or yellow onion, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled and trimmed
1 medium tomato, quartered
2 – 3 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chile peppers, stem removed and chopped in half
1/2 cup plain, unsweetened soy yogurt (make sure it’s not sweetened)
1 heaping teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), lightly crushed to release flavor
1 teaspoon red chile powder
2 tablespoons oil (I use grapeseed)
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing – optional)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
2 green cardamom pods (slightly crushed)
2 whole cloves
1/2 cup water
14 oz. extra firm, organic tofu, baked and cubed *
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

1. In a food processor, grind onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, and chiles until you have a smooth, slightly watery paste. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add yogurt, salt, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, and red chile. Mix well.
3. In a deep, heavy pan,  heat oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add asafoetida, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Heat for 30 seconds until the seeds sizzle.
5. Add yogurt mixture and water. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down and simmer for 3 – 5 minutes until mixture thickens slightly. This step is key. The spices need to cook and blend evenly.
6. Add tofu. Simmer for another 4 – 5 minutes. Remove whole spices, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately over a bed of brown or white basmati rice.

* For baked tofu, slice one 14 oz. package of organic, extra firm tofu into strips. Lay on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and spray lightly with oil. Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes on each side.

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Posted in Recipes, Vegan, Vegetables, Videos | 1 Comment

Stovetop Chana Masala – Slow Cooker Chickpeas & New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Anupy Singla

Chana Masla is the most requested meal in our house.

But, before we discuss that, let’s first talk process. Simply put, the method in which you do something – anything. For me, it’s the hours, sometimes days it takes to perfect a recipe. Or, the months it takes to write a book – nights of giving up socializing with the other school moms, or lost play dates for my kids. Or, the struggle to lose my last 10 pounds, which seem to be stuck to my middle and holding on with dear life.

I’ve realized that to attain any goal you have to go through a process. It can be a lengthy one. It can be a short one. But there are steps and it’s never easy.

Like when I used to surf in Hawaii. Sure, it’s fun to say you surf (and dress the part) – but paddling through the waves to get to the one you finally stand up on is the process. And, it typically takes about 90 percent of your surfing session. So to say you love surfing is one thing – but to say you love paddling through the whitewash to get that wave is likely more accurate.

In the last year as I’ve struggled to finish my second book, Vegan Indian, I’ve realized that if you don’t enjoy the entire process – you’ll never truly enjoy the get. My book will be published – it will be on Amazon, and we hope it will be the success that the first one was. But, I feel like I’ve already succeeded. I’ve become a better recipe tester. I’ve learned to be more efficient in the kitchen testing recipes. And, I’ve become an even better writer. Truth-be-told I’ve become a better dishwasher too, but that’s not part of the process I can say I’ll ever truly enjoy.

As we all head into the New Year keep this in mind as you make your New Year’s resolutions. Mine – like many of yours – is to lose weight and eat even healthier than I already do. But that’s not going to happen overnight.

Here’s what will happen:

I will stop eating when I am not hungry.

I will drink more water.

I will continue to work out with bootcamp three times a week, a swim once, and yoga in between.

I will eat more Vegan meals, and I will eat out less.

I will also stop buying Trader Joe’s dark chocolate covered peanut butter cups. Yes, they are delicious, but I’m starting to believe they might have a little conspiracy going against my gut.

Most importantly, I will eat homemade food – mostly Indian – 90 percent of my meals. Why? Because when I eat healthy, homestyle Indian, I find that I actually feel better, healthier and lose weight. It’s some of the best food on the planet – I know it because I grew up on this type of eating (99 percent vegetarian – no cream – little oil and heart healthy spices). And now, many of you know it from using my first book. (The emails I still receive daily prove it.)

So, as you set your goals for the New Year – don’t just think about the get. Think about the day-to-day struggle. Embrace it for what it is. Know that it will make you a stronger person. And know that you may fail your battle one day only to win the war later. And..remember we’re in this together!

Now onto Chana Masala.

In Hindi, Chana means chickpeas. Masala means a mixture of spices. Put it together and you have the name of the spices used to spice the dish with the same name. Confusing? Maybe. But, it all begins to make sense eventually. And, it’s all delicious so that’s all that matters anyway.

For my next book Vegan Indian (to be released June 2012) I have been determined to take a step back from boxed mixed spices and canned beans (don’t even get me started on why you should NOT be eating canned foods), showing you how to make things from scratch. So, the process for chana masala (the dish) will be a three-step approach but don’t worry, it’s worth it.

Chana Masala (the spice):Granted, you can purchase this mixed spice blend from an Indian grocer store or from this website for that matter (I launched indian as apple pie spices in 2011), but it’s fun to make your own. When purchasing pre-made blends, keep in mind that they do sometimes add salts and other additives – definite red flags in my household – and something I avoid in my blends. The key to chana masala the spice is that it uses dried wild pomegranate seeds and some black salt for its extra tang. For both  you’ll need to head to an Indian grocer.

1/4 cup cumin seeds
1/4 cup coriander seeds
1/4 cup dried pomegranate seeds (anardana)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
10 whole cloves
2 black cardamom pods
4 green cardamom pods
3 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorn
5 medium cassia leaves, broken into pieces (or bay leaves)
10 whole dried red chiles, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
2 tablespoons dried mango powder (amchur)
1 tablespoon dried, ground ginger
1 tablespoon black salt (kala namak)

1. In a shallow, heavy pan, dry roast all ingredients except the powders (mango powder, ground ginger, and black salt) over medium heat. Stay close, and keep shaking the pan to prevent the spices from burning. They will become reddish brown and aromatic when done. After about 4 minutes of roasting, transfer to a plate and cool for 15 minutes.
2. Once cool, put ingredients in a coffee grinder reserved for spices or the dry jug of a Vita Mix blender. Add mango powder, ginger, and black salt and process into a fine powder. Sift for a finer blend. Store in an airtight container for up to six months. * Cassia leaves are often mistakenly called Indian bay leaves. They come from a different tree and are actually unrelated, though the two can be used interchangeably. Cassia leaves are larger, more brittle, and have a muskier taste than European bay leaves and are found in most Indian grocer stores. 

Cooked, Plain White Chickpeas
Slow cooker: 3 1/2-quart, cooking time: 4 hours on high, Yield: 7 cups

I know it’s so easy to run out and grab a few cans of chickpeas. But, canned beans typically taste mushy and often include added salt and other additives (Not to mention the BPA issues lately). I tend to opt to cook beans and whole lentils in a slow cooker with just water, and then keep them up to a week in the refrigerator or up to three months in the freezer. They can be used on salads, added to soups, or used for quick stovetop Indian curries. The possibilities are truly endless and so much more nutritious.

3 cups whole, dried white chickpeas, cleaned and washed
5 cups water

1. Put chickpeas and water in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 4 hours.
3. Rinse beans in a colander with cold water to stop the cooking process and drain any excess liquid.

To make in a five-quart slow cooker, double the ingredients and cook for four hours. A double recipe makes 14 cups. 

Chana Masala (the dish):
I love chana masala. It’s so easy to make, amazingly delicious, and with everything above prepped minutes away!

2 tablespoons oil (grapeseed, canola, vegetable)
1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons chana masala
1 large yellow or red onion, peeled and diced (2 cups)
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or minced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and grated or minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced (2 cups)
1 – 3 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chiles, stems removed, chopped
1 teaspoon red chile or cayenne
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 cup water
4 cups cooked chickpeas

1. In a deep, heavy pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add cumin, turmeric, and chana masala and cook until the seeds sizzle, about 30 seconds.
3. Add onion and cook until softened, another minute.
4. Add ginger and garlic, cook another minute.
5. Add tomatoes, chiles, red chile, salt, and water.
6. Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until all ingredients blend.
7. Add chickpeas and cook through. Serve over brown or white basmati rice or with roti or naan.

For all of you who are interested in starting the year off right with healthy, homestyle Indian, I’m offering a New Year’s special. Head to the ‘Spice Tiffin’ link on this page, and order one of my patent-pending Tiffins for your spices and I will send you the basic set of 6 Indian spices (cumin seeds, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chile, mustard seeds, and garam masala) on me. That’s actually a $40 value. Orders must be placed before January 17th – when I head to South India to start working on my cooking show! 

Good luck with all of your resolutions. Please post how you are doing – can’t wait to hear how you do!

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Posted in Beans, Lentils, Losing my Last 10 Pounds!, Recipes, Spices, Vegan, Vegetables | 4 Comments

Brown Lentil Street Salad – Killing Your Inner Perfectionist

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Anupy Singla

Kill your inner perfectionist: Back in elementary school at Candlebrook in King of Prussia, PA, there was a boy David who everyone knew was really, really smart. He dressed smart (well, cleaner and better put together than the rest of us), walked smart, acted smart, and was expected to perform when it came to tests. He’s the one we always looked towards to be the top scorer.

Until one fateful summer day.

Our teacher handed out an unexpected math quiz. A one-page list of multiplication problems. We were instructed to go through the sheet as fast a possible and answer as many as we could. When the teacher called time, everyone put their pencils down with most of our sheets completed. I looked over to David. He was hunched over his paper, gripping his pencil tight and sweating. He was attempting to still put the final touches on his second line of sums. He only got that far because he’d spent so much time carefully crafting each numbered answer; looping his 2 carefully at the top, making sure that 5 had the perfect tail, and that his 3′s were to die for.

But none of that perfection mattered in the race to finish and in time. His inner perfectionist held him back from completing the task at hand and more than likely that day he took home his first failing grade.

As a writer and a mother and a wife and a chauffeur, line cook, nurse, and everything else I do in my day I want my time to curl my 5′s and loop my 2′s just so. It ‘aint happening. So if I’m waiting for the perfect time to sit down and write that perfect blog post – you the reader will never get it. And if I wait to find the perfect amount of 15 minutes to sit and reply to all my emails likely my in-box will be jammed with the 1,968 unanswered emails that sit there to this day. And if I wait to put those shoes at the door away because the rest of the house is a crazy mess, the crazy mess will just keep piling and piling and piling up.

For most things in your day-to-day good enough IS just that. Good enough. Not because that’s all you have to give, but because rather than doing it absolutely perfectly you just got it done. No. Better yet – you just got it started. And THAT my friends is true, realistic perfection.

To this day, I still wonder whatever happened to David – Mr. Perfect. I have one thing to say to him:

“Eat your heart out. I may not be perfect, but at least I’m getting it done!”

I love cooking Indian food because there’s never a need to be a perfectionist. Whenever I teach classes and give lectures, I emphasize that Indian food is incredibly forgiving. No worries if you add a little extra ginger…garam masala…or chilies. There’s always a way to offset it (maybe with a little more water or by adding lemon juice). Unlike other cuisines you don’t have to be precise with your chopping and cuts. The less precision, in fact, the tastier. That’s what delicious homestyle Indian is all about.

Here’s a salad that will help you get it done without jumping through hoops. It’s so incredibly simple, easy, nutritious, and incredibly kid friendly. Neha and Aria actually love this salad in their lunch boxes. You can give it to them as is or serve over a bed of rice. The nice thing is that the lentils hold up really well until lunchtime.

(Photo by Brave New Pictures for Anupy’s upcoming book on Vegan Indian Cooking)

Indian salads are so easy to make and so much fun to eat because they are delicious. Cilantro and spices provide flavor rather than oil, making these salads some of the healthiest around. You can use any cooked beans or lentils, but one of my kids’ favorites is brown whole lentils (masoor dal). Feel free to sub any veggies as well. I love grating anything and everything in from beets to carrots to chopped cooked potatoes or even celery.

4 cups cooked beans or lentils (see recipe below for slow cooked)
1 medium red onion, peeled and diced (1 cup)
1 medium tomato, diced (1 cup)
1 small cucumber, diced (1/2 cup)
1 medium daikon, peeled and grated (1 cup)
1 – 2 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chilies, stems removed, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 large lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black salt (kala namak)
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
1/2 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
1 teaspoon fresh white turmeric, peeled and grated (optional)

1. Mix all ingredients together in a deep bowl. Serve immediately as a side salad, wrapped in a lettuce leaf or do as I do and serve with a side of warm brown basmati rice as a quick meal for the kids.
Note: It’s not easy to find fresh turmeric let alone white turmeric, but if you happen to come across it (it’s mostly found at Indian grocery stores), a little grated and sprinkled over the salad will provide an extra layer of taste as well as nutrition.

Making whole beans and lentils in your slow cooker is so easy it’s almost laughable that we go out and buy more expensive and less nutritious canned or frozen options. For the above recipe I used brown, whole Masoor Dal. That’s the lentil that when split and skinned looks salmon colored (though when you cook it turns yellow – go figure). You can find it at just about any grocer, Indian or otherwise. Just put 3 cups of the whole form of the lentil (cleaned and washed) into a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker. Add 5 cups water, cook on low for 3 hours. When finished, drain in a colander and use right away, put in fridge for up to 2 weeks and up to 3 months in the freezer.

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Posted in Beans, Kids Eat Healthy, Lentils, Vegan | 1 Comment

True Celebrity Like the Diz Would Have Wanted it

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Anupy Singla

True Celebrity: When I think of the word celebrity I invariably go back to a dreary Saturday back in the early 1990′s at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. I was a young fresh-out-of-college Capitol Hill staffer working for one of the most powerful African American members of congress. And, as the staffer who handled all things Jazz, among education, alcohol advertisements to minorities, and banking I was told by my boss that I had to work on a Saturday. I balked. He told me “Singla, you’ll come to remember this as one of the best moments of your life.”

I obliged and showed up at the Smithsonian wearing a black skirt, blue wool sweater, and heels. I waited patiently for the limo to pull up and the Congressman’s friend step out. He took one look at me – up, down, up again – and let out a whistle. My guard was up. A Smithsonian staffer gently said, “Mr. Gillespie, this is John Conyers’ aid.” All the stranger said was, “Woo Hee. That cat’s got good taste.” Everyone laughed. Including me.

It’s hard to stay mad at a personality like Dizzy Gillespie.

It was a year before he was to suddenly be taken away from us. (How were we to know?) And I had just written up legislation for him to be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor (it was never passed). I was there to meet him and John Hasse, the curator of the Jazz Department for the Smithsonian was there to show everyone around the Smithsonian’s acquisitions of various jazz greats including Duke Ellington.

What followed is a much longer story for another time, but one moment still sticks even after all these years. We were standing in an open area and people were starting to whisper all around us. Slowly, people started walking up to us, asking us slowly and meekly if it was indeed THE DIZ. He nodded and obliged with autographs. After the swarm slowed down, he turned to me, put one arm around my shoulders and whispered, “How do they know who I am?”

I stared silently for a moment – incredulous – thinking he was surely joking. Then I whispered in his ear with a slight smile, “Well, maybe because you have on a very colorful African-print jumpsuit with a name tag stitched on it that says, “Dizzy”. He laughed a huge, bellied laugh and gave me an even bigger hug.

That day I met a true celebrity. Someone who gives everything of himself not to become famous but to share with the world. Not to be recognized on every street corner but to be recognized for his notes. His cheeks and his songs. His vibe. His energy. And how it makes you feel when you hear those notes dance from his famous trumpet.

As I now navigate the world of food celebrity I am always brought back to that moment. There are the true heroes and celebrities who are on stage and TV to make a connection with the audience rather than a name for themselves. Chefs who just love taking questions, look you in the eye when they talk to you, the ones who talk to all the prep chefs in the back kitchen.  The ones who are as excited to meet you as you are them.

And then there are the others. Folks who loudly complain about the lack of equipment in a demo. The ones who criticize their sponsors for providing a stove that happened not to light that day of the demo. And other chefs who walk around with so much ‘support staff’ that even getting in a word in edgewise would require security clearance. Who are these people? And what has given them the right to be so inaccessible when their careers were determined by the very people who they are trying to now avoid? This past weekend I was disappointed to listen to a chef talk on stage into a microphone about Indian cuisine and another celebrity chef disparagingly. I won’t add to the negativity by naming names, but I have to say it was a huge learning lesson for me as everyone in the audience whispered their surprise at the omission.

Focus on the message. Forget the garbage. And love, love everyone. Dizzy did…

While he played..and played…and played.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Spiced Chickpea Poppers and Other Musings

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Anupy Singla

Harness your time.

That’s my new life motto. Every day, whether I am running on the track, driving to the grocery store, or putting the kids to bed I’m mentally chanting what is fast becoming my personal mantra. Harness my time. Don’t let it slip needlessly through my fingers.

It’s easy NOT to harness. Especially with kids I have no idea where my time goes. And I find myself angry, resentful, and frustrated that my to-do list awaits me while Aria throws one more temper tantrum about not wanting to brush her teeth in the morning. Even this blog post has taken me weeks to put out when it should have been days. WTF?

What I’m realizing is that I’ve been wasting too much time looking for something that’s no long at my disposal. I don’t have hours to sit down and focus on any one project any more. My life is increments of 15 minutes. And if I don’t take charge of those 15 minute moments then I’m doomed to a life filled with unachieved to-do lists and tasks.

My first move to clearly harness was last week before my bootcamp session. I get to the gym at 8:30 a.m. after dropping off the kids, and wait around for bootcamp to start an hour later. That’s one hour of work I could be doing. What I was doing was heading to the locker room and chatting … lounging … waiting. No longer. These are the moments that I am now arresting and using for this blog and writing. In just one extra hour a day and one week I’ve managed to put this blog post together and finally get it out. Often starting a task is all you need to do to finally cross it off that list.

I know it won’t work every time, but make it your mantra too. Stick that laundry basket in the kids room and fold a little here and there while the kids work on their homework. Chop those veggies and prep dinner in the few minutes before that run on a Saturday morning. Eliminate the excuses and start focussing on what you do have. The glass is half full and waiting to be filled again, and again and again…it may never be completely full but with kids that’s what you signed up for. So, do like I am trying – and start harnessing those increments of 15 minutes and see where it gets you! You just might be surprised!

Baked, Spiced Chickpeas: Lately, chickpea poppers have been all the rage on various food blogging sites. I learned about them two years ago from a fellow mom at school. Chasity told me how she would bake spiced chickpeas for her boys – call them poppers – and they would eat them up – the perfect kiddie finger food. I was immediately fascinated.

Being Indian-American I had hundreds of ways to cook chickpeas, but we always cooked them with a curried base or masala. I’d never thought about taking them cooked and then baking them with garam masala. How cool, I thought. And apparently so did my girls. The first time I made them, Neha and Aria not only ate them up but actually insisted that I put them in their lunch boxes the next day.

I loved that idea even more – I’m always looking for high protein, vegetarian options for their lunches. Look no further. Once you make these, you’ll not only make them again and again, but likely you’ll also take my tip to heart that many other food bloggers have yet to get: don’t use canned chickpeas if you can avoid them. Start with dry beans and cook them in the slow cooker (crock pot). They’re not only more delicious, they also hold their texture much better. And, I’d argue, they’re much more nutritious for you – less salt and more nutrients.

So, your first step is to pull out your slow cooker. I use a 3 1/2 quart Cuisinart with a built-in timer. I like to make my batches of beans in a smaller slow cooker so that I’m not overwhelmed and get through them rather quickly.

Dry Chickpeas

Sookha Kabhuli Channa

LOW COOKER SIZE: 3 1/2-QUART, COOKING TIME: 4 HOURS ON HIGH                         Yield: 8 cups

3 cups dried chickpeas, cleaned and washed                                                                                   5 cups water

Put chickpeas and water in slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours. Once finished, drain in colander. Whatever you don’t use immediately, store in the freezer, where it can last up to three months. In the refrigerator cooked beans will last up to a week. Folks, try making chickpeas this way and stop using needlessly expensive canned varieties. They not only have additives, they are also mushy in texture. You just can’t beat eating a bean cooked from dried. Though, I always do keep a few canned beans on hand just in case I’m in a pinch.

Now…onto the good stuff.

Chickpea Poppers Yield: 4 cups                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   4 cups cooked chickpeas (cook in slow cooker or use 2 12 oz. cans)                                           1 tablespoon masala (garam, chaat, chana, or sambhar)                                                               2 teaspoons coarse sea salt                                                                                                                 2 tablespoons oil                                                                                                                                 1 teaspoon red chile pepper, cayenne, or paprika                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Adjust oven rack to the highest level in the oven closest to the burner and preheat oven     to 425 degrees. Place sheet of aluminum foil in baking tray for easy clean up.

Drain the chickpeas in a large colander for about 15 minutes to get rid of as much               moisture as possible. If using canned, rinse first.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together gently and then pour onto a baking sheet.

Cook for 15 minutes. Take tray out of oven carefully, mix gently so that the chickpeas cook evenly, and cook another 10           minutes.

Cool for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with red chile powder if you’re daring. Paprika works            great too!

Try This! Make an easy chaat with these poppers. With one cup of cooked chickpeas, add chopped onion, tomato, cilantro, lemon juice and a pinch of kala namak. Top it off with tamarind chutney. Serve it all on individual lettuce leaves for a fun variation on a salad.

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Posted in Appetizers, Beans, Kids Eat Healthy, Vegan | 2 Comments

Masala Tofu Scramble

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Anupy Singla

The word tofu has a lot of power.

It has the power to induce disdain. Nose-wrinkling. Repeated diatribes – especially from hard-core carnivores. Oprah is a famous one that comes to mind. I’ve never seen someone recoil physically as much as she does even at the mere mention of eating the stuff. Then the audience laughs knowingly. Everyone nods in agreement, and a sacred pact between carnivores is again silently affirmed: nothing – especially not tofu – will threaten the ability of anyone to eat and enjoy their meat. In my mind I liken the reaction to NRA members discussing gun control and Republicans discussing Democrats – a give-them-an-inch-and-they’ll-railroad-us-completely mentality.

It’s a funny thing when these same people actually take the time to stop talking and start tasting tofu that’s prepared well and cooked perfectly. Their entire demeanor changes. I’m a practicing vegetarian – mostly vegan – married to someone who eats like I do at home but has to order meat when we go out. He and his like-minded friends also have to throw in a dig or two when I’m trying my dishes out with tofu versus the ‘normal’ ingredients. But, invariably, they’ll want to try my dish or concoction and often concede that my choice in food was as good if not better than theirs.

Largely, because it was prepped well. I’ve traveled the world and lived in Japan and Hawaii, where eating tofu – essentially made from soybeans – is a way of life. It comes in so many shapes, sizes, and varieties, it’s hard not to love it. In those countries it’s not sold as a ‘hippie meat substitute’ but as part of the cuisine, as a fantastic source of plant-based protein that is just one part of a usually varied diet that does still include a little meat and lots of veggies.

The key to a delicious tofu dish is to prepare it with spices or marinate it well. To all you carnivores out there, I hate to break it to you, but this is the same for meat. When have you been satisfied with a piece of chicken raw, uncooked and marinade free?

So, give tofu a break. Try it before judging it. My Masala Tofu Scramble should be enough to convince you!

I like to start with extra firm tofu for this one. Here’s what I found works really well:

My recipe is a take on the Masala Omelette that my mom made for us growing up and that is often served on the streets in India and made in many households – served alongside a stuffed Indian bread or Parantha.

Masala Tofu Scramble, Makes 2 cups

1 14 oz. package extra firm, organic tofu, crumbled
1/2 small white or red onion minced (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 inch ginger, peeled and grated (1 Tablespoon)
1- 2 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chilies, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chile powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon kala namak (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon oil (canola/vegetable/coconut)

1. Crumble tofu with your hands, place in a colander set on a plate and allow to drain while you prep the remainder of your ingredients. With extra firm tofu there won’t be a lot of excess moisture, but every little bit helps.

2. Heat oil in heavy, flat pan over medium-high. Once hot, add cumin. After the seeds start to sizzle, add onion, ginger, green chilies, and turmeric. Continue to cook and brown for about 1 – 2 minutes, stirring to prevent mixing from sticking.

3. Add tofu and mix well to ensure the entire mixture turns yellow from the turmeric.

4. Add salt, kala namak (it will give you the egg-like smell and taste), and cilantro. Mix well. Serve with toast, a warm roti, or rolled in a wrap. The tastiest is eating this with a warm parantha.

Notes: Kala Namak can be found at any Indian grocery store. Kala means black and namak means salt. Mined from soft-stone quarries in central india, this salt is high in minerals and gives off a sulphureous smell and has a tangy tastes. Adding it to cold foods including street foods heightens flavor and give your snack foods more punch. Kala Namak is often used in Raita (savory yogurt) and on cold salads with lemon and white salt. The only mainstream store I’ve found it so far has been Treasure Island, but there it was incredibly expensive compared to the options at the Indian Grocer on Devon Ave. here in Chicago.

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Posted in Vegan, Vegetables | 19 Comments

So You Want to be a Taste Tester?

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Anupy Singla

Writing a cookbook is a huge challenge.

But, finding creative ways to get rid of all the food when you’re testing is often a bigger obstacle. Last year, writing a book on slow cooker Indian food had me swimming in dals, rajmah, and chicken curry. What to do?

After a few dishes went down the garbage disposal I turned to my community on Facebook and Twitter. Anyone that was interested could turn up on my doorstep with containers that I would fill with steaming and fragrant dishes. For free!

All they had to do was give me honest and balanced feedback on recipes. Feedback that proved invaluable. My buddy James took my mock keema and used it as a filler for his mushroom caps. That tip went into my book. My buddy Meg told me the spice levels were too low for her and her hubbie. It helped me up the spice levels on most dishes. And my friend Karen was just happy to eat anything and everything.

What came of the whole process was not only a place to send my food, but a way to develop more meaningful relationships with people that I might normally pass by with a quick nod or ‘hello’. My neighbor Karen and I are close to this day…James became a good friend to my girls…and I was offered everything from free babysitting to help with getting rid of a dead squirrel in the back of our house when my husband was traveling. The experience was priceless. Through the year I must have fed up to 300 Chicagoans.

Now that I am writing my next book, Vegan Indian, I want to resurrect the whole taste testing process. But, there are a few guidelines as my list of potential tasters grows.

1. I must know all tasters in some personal way. Whether it’s through a Facebook connection that I feel comfortable with..a phone conversation…or we’ve met in some way in the past. You’re coming to my home to pick up food so I just need to feel comfortable. If you’re testing for me, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t pass along my personal information without clearing it with me first. Sounds obvious, but you’ll have to live in Chicago to benefit!

2.  Please come prepared. You’ll need to bring your own containers. I only use glass in my home and if I start giving my containers often I don’t get them back in time and am scrambling to put food away after a day of testing.

3. Don’t feel that you need to stay. My favorite testers were those who picked up food, chatted for a few moments, and then left. Testing is a crazy, busy process!

4. If you want to come in…I don’t mind, but I hope you don’t mind taking off your shoes. We don’t wear shoes in our home. It’s cultural. We’re Indian-American and I’ve lived in Japan and Hawaii.

5. Review the food within a week on this blog – in the comment section of the most current post. Part of the testing process is to put information out on the blog. This helps with that process. If you don’t review the food in a timely manner, I just have to put you at the bottom of the tasting list. Sorry!:) You can also feel free to Tweet or Facebook about your experience.

6. Don’t feel you have to write a lengthy review. I just want some general feedback. An ideal comment would list the dish tested and some thoughts on how you liked it or ate it. Was there something you did differently with it? One friend used my mango chutney over rice as a quick, low-cal dessert.

7. If you have food allergies or a dislike of Indian Food…this is the not the project for you!:)

8. Food is Fresh: I only offer my taste testers food that’s been cooked either that day or day before. After that, I don’t offer it up to anyone except my family.

9. Have FUN. The point of this is to have fun and spread the word about good food, indian AS apple pie, and my upcoming book. I hope once you try all these recipes you’ll start to believe in the concept of the next book and share it with the people in your lives.

10. How do I sign up? Send me an email at anupysingla@indianasapplepie.com. It might take me a little time to get to you, but be patient and don’t worry. There’s a ton of food to be eaten!

OKAY…BACK TO COOKING. SEE YOU SOON!

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Posted in Random Thoughts, The Indian Slow Cooker - Questions/Background, Vegan | 2 Comments

Strawberry Chutney

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Anupy Singla

As a young girl growing up in an Indian home outside of Philadelphia, we had what every other family (or so I thought at the time) had on the block: a patch of mint growing in the backyard.

It was off to the side under the kitchen window, along the house itself and purposely planted in a barren dirt patch.

This small spot of green would swell by the minute in the spring and summer – after, mind you, surviving the onslaught of winter. Nothing can kill mint. If you’ve ever grown the stuff, you know that it’s as aggressive as a weed and impossible to control.

That is, until I was sent by my mother to tackle it.

Armed with an oversized stainless steel bowl and a pair of kitchen shears, I was always instructed to enter the ‘mint zone’ just hours before any big weekend party. In those days (the 70s and 80s and before catering became a fad) mom cooked almost everything from scratch for our some 30 guests — Indian friends in the area that were even closer at times than the blood relatives thousands of miles away in India. It was a group  that took turns at the time throwing weekend get-togethers on a regular rotation.

I would carefully clip the stems to the bottom in bunches, throw them in the bowl, and strip each stem naked with fingers that turned green by the end of it. All the leaves would then be carefully washed and primed for a quick crush in the blender. Some lemon juice, onion, ginger, garlic, a green chile pepper, salt, and red chile powder was all it took to make a deeply fragrant mint chutney.

The word chutney, derived from Sanskrit, means so many things to so many people. It can be sweet. It can be savory. It depends on which region of Indian you are from and how you’ll be using it. It’s traditionally used as a garnish for a meal or as a condiment on sandwiches and crackers.  Our leftover mint chutney was slathered on bread along with butter for a chutney sandwich which the thought of,  to this day, still makes my mouth water.

Some chutneys are made completely from fresh ingredients, relying on a simple splash of lemon juice for acid. Others have you pour a light tempering of heated oil and spices over your fresh ingredients. And still others have you cook all ingredients together with sugar and vinegar to create a jelly-like result. Mango chutney is the best example of this last one. The possibilities, frankly, are endless.

This summer, after having access to fresh, local strawberries in my Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks shipment, I decided to give Strawberry Chutney a try. The result was an amazingly easy, delicious treat. I hope you’ll try it out yourself.

All your ingredients...

Strawberry Chutney Yield: 1 cup

1 pound strawberries, hulled and chopped (about 3 cups)                                                         2 tablespoons (30 mL) distilled white vinegar                                                                         1/3 cup light brown sugar (slightly more if you like it sweeter)                                               1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and grated                                                                             2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated                                                                                                   3 whole cloves                                                                                                                           1 green cardamom pod, lightly crushed                                                                                         1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick 1 pinch garam masala                                                                           1 pinch red chile powder or cayenne                                                                                               1 pinch salt

1. Put all ingredients except salt in heavy, deep pan on medium-high heat. Stir to ensure the sugar dissolves.

put everything in but the salt...

2. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat to medium and allow it to continue to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

3. Add the salt, remove whole spices, and cool for about 20 minutes before serving. You  can refrigerate for about two weeks. Eat as a snack with crackers, use a dollop in your yogurt parfait, use as a filler for muffins and crepes, try it on pancakes and waffles…the possibilities are endless.

positively yummy!

Note: If the strawberries are the small, locally-grown variety, I like to keep them whole. But, if they are the conventionally store-bought size, I prefer to chop them up to make it easier to use the chutney as a spread.

Try This! Use the mixture as a spread with butter or Nutella on your favorite bread.

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Posted in Appetizers, Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks, Recipes | 12 Comments