Category: Big bites

Recently Aunty invited me to a pesarattu party: the making was as delightful as the eating. Aunty with her accumulated knowledge, attention to details and warm personality is a force to reckon with- I felt privileged just to be alongside her. Her pairing of the pesarattu with equally delectable upama and an array of chutneys build up to a crescendo in every bite! You may be familiar with the iconic dosa, a fermented rice crepe. Pesarattu is similar, but with moong lentils (sans fermentation).

The languages, the scripts, the schools of music & dance: each is a testimony to the depth and diversity of Indian history. So say even the scientists studying the collective DNA of its denizens. And, the spectacular array of food– ingredients, combinations, techniques– is yet another axis, in my mind.

I present the pesarattu here with a twist. As outrageous as it may seem to you, serving this dish taco-style brings out its resplendence as it was meant to be– every morsel bursting with a bit of pesarattu, a dollop of upama, a dash of chutneys– enabled by just your tactile fingers! And, tilt your head, not the taco, as my Mexican friends advise. Enjoy!

Special tools:

Taco stands for serving; non-stick pan & spatula for making the crepe; processor for making the batter and chutney.

Ingredients

• Pesarattu batter: In processor: 1 cup green moong (with skin) + 1/2 cup yellow moong soaked in plenty of water for 6-8 hrs & drained + salt to taste + 1 tsp whole cumin seeds + 1 tsp grated ginger + 1 red chilli + little water (enough to get the processor going)
• oil to make the pesarattu
• Upama (recipe below)
• Ginger-tamarind Chutney (recipe below)

Method

Make the chutney and upama as below. Make about a dozen pesarattu/crepes following the instructions therein.

To serve: place the pesarattu on the taco stand. Brush lightly with the chutney. Add a generous dollop of upama as filling. Serve hot.

Notes, hints, tips:

1. Actually, the pesarattu, all by itself, is quite delicious and complete. I have been carrying this on long roadtrips to avoid highway food.
2. Using split moong lentils (both with skin on and without) drastically reduces the soaking time to just 1-2 hrs. You could use the bite-test, to gauge its readiness for the grinder.
3. Crepe making: It is easier to use a non-stick pan. However you could use the cast iron griddle (remember the dosa-stations at some restaurants or food trucks?). Also, feel free to use a timer, once you get the timings of your griddle & stove so that you are not left nursing a hot griddle by an even hotter stove. Follow these steps closely.
   (a) Thoroughly heat the bare iron-griddle –2 to 3 mins– till splashes of water on the grid surface immediately sizzle away.
   (b) Brush oil on the surface and remove excess by wiping lightly with kitchen paper towel; continue to heat for another 30 secs.
   (c) Use a heat-proof ladle. Make the crepe by placing a ladle of batter and spreading it with circular movements of the ladle till a thin layer is formed. The diameter of the circle will depend on the amount of the batter. For a taco-size-serving, use about 1/4 cup of batter.
   (d) Cook on low-medium heat till the edge releases (few minutes). Gently ease a sturdy spatula under the crepe and lift off the griddle.
   
   Avoid the temptation to add excess oil to the crepe: it is not required and also less oily on the hands when using your fingers. I can make about a dozen without adding any extra oil; just drawing upon the hot griddle and the very first step ((b) above) of oiling the surface.
   
   [I use this technique also for the Punjabi Waffles– when I don’t use the waffle maker.]
4. Upama: I give a slight tweak to Aunty’s recipe- just to make up for my lack of talent:
   (a) In a wok, dry roast 1/2 tbsp of urad dal + 1/2 tbsp chana dal for about 2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp oil and 1/4 tsp whole mustard seeds and few curry leaves. When the seed sputter, add 1 crushed red chilli + 1/2 tsp grated ginger. Saute for 2 mins. Add about 1/8 cup of water and cover. Cook till the water evaporates and the lentils are soft.
   (b) Add 1 cup coarse semolina + salt to taste. Mix thoroughly. Meanwhile heat 4 cups of water (I usually do this in a microwave for 4 minutes).
   (c) Add the hot water to the wok, mix, cover. When thoroughly heated (and it may begin to bubble like lava) turn off the heat.
   (d) Add 1 tbsp of ghee on top. Leave it covered. Mix just before serving. Indeed, this is the magical touch. Believe me, 1 tbsp goes a long way.
5. This chutney is a fascinating recipe using fenugreek (methi) seeds and ginger. A perfect balance comes from tamarind and a dash of sweetner. I use the Thai tamarind paste.
   Chutney making: Again, I give a slight tweak to Aunty’s recipe:
   Toast 1 tbsp methi seeds. Add 1 tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds + 1/2 red chilli and let the mustard sputter. Remove from heat and add 2 inch long ginger root very thinly sliced + 1/2 tbsp tamarind paste + a pinch sugar + salt to taste.
   
   The processor really struggles to make the chutney, unless you have the Indian/Southeast Asian special-purpose ones. I would suggest using a pestle and mortar lightly on the seeds only and then a processor with the rest of the softer ingredients. Yes, it seems like a bit of trouble; but worth the results!
6. Aunty also served a heavenly coconut chutney. Since this requires fresh coconut, which is rather hard to come by, I omit it here. Feel free to use store-bought one and use it alongside the other chutney.
7. Below, a non-taco-style served pesarattu with upama and chutney on the side.

All my Italian friends may be outraged. But I plod on.

On my recent trip to stunning Como, I had this delectable olive-colored, nutty polenta. I learned from my host that it contained buckwheat, a speciality (Polenta taragna) of the upper Lombardy region.

On the same trip, I also learned the cause of the fall of a successful and beloved international Chef: he made the unforgivable mistake of adding chorizo to paella, explained an enraged Spaniard to me. This charming “outside the box thinking” actually inspires me. Moreover, what I could swear were disks of yellow polenta turned out to be gnocchi (Gnocchi di semolino), and, the absolutely fantastic gnocchi turned out to be spätzle! In the spirit of creative continuum, here I offer my Foca-enta (rhyming with Pocahontas): utterly simple and quick, with incomparable deliciousness. Enjoy!

Special tools:

Wire whisk, Cast iron pan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup polenta taragna (or 1 cup buckwheat flour + 1/2 cup corn meal)
  + 1 1/8 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp ground black pepper + 3/4 tbsp baking powder + 1 tbsp sugar + 2 tbsp fresh rosemary needles
• 1 cup buttermilk/yogurt + 1/4 cup EVOO
• Iron skillet version:
  • 1/2 cup white flour + 2 eggs
  • Filling/fortification:
    1/2 cup prepared Cremini mushrooms: stemmed with black gill removed and cut into coarse pieces. Prepare by roasting (dry) in a frying pan for 3 to 4 minutes, in medium heat, until softened.
• Sheet pan version:
  • 1/2 cup garbanzo flour/besan + 1/4 cup milk
  • Filling/fortification: 2 tbsp flax seeds

Method

[Note that if you use white flour, then you use 2 eggs and bake in an iron skillet. If you use garbanzo flour, then use additional milk and bake in a sheet pan (lined with silicon silpat).]

Mix the dry ingredients with a wire whisk. Mix all the wet ingredients with the same whisk and fold into the dry ingredients. Mix in the filling ingredients. The batter should be thick. Pour onto an oiled cast iron pan or the sheet pan lined with silicone silpat (or parchment). Even out the surface and make little dimples with your knuckle or a rounded dowel (I used the back end of a wooden honey dipper).

Bake at 400 F for 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Cut into large chunks to serve focaccia style.

Notes, hints, tips:

1. The combination of EVOO, rosemary and black pepper lends that Italian-umami (yes, even without the Reggiano) to the dish. Keep these at the core of your recipe, and, you could play around with the other addendum.
2. I adapt the Southern (US) cornbread-like treatment while using flour and eggs. And, I borrow a page from Gujarati (India) cuisine while using besan. Do not forget to use the silicone base or parchment; else you will have a hell of a cleaning job to do (like I did!).
3. You can skip the sugar if you choose, but the effect here is to balance the flavors and the overall effect is not sweet as you may fear — but surprisingly umami-savory.
4. You can replace mushrooms with any other ingredient of your choice like cooked cube of beets or meat, or morsels of cooked artichokes.
5. In my trip, the chunks of focaccia, tortilla española and polenta were served together and even looked indistinguishable in the serving basket, suggesting increasing the eggs in this recipe and/or addition of cubed cooked potatoes are all fair game.

This Chinese cabbage with a small sized head and crunchy stems is conducive to a gentle steaming, a quick stir-fry or simply serving raw. All classical applications. I dare to deviate here.

What started out as a lazy, innocuous side-dish turned into an attention grabber! You won’t have the crunchy texture of this petite cabbage, but that is compensated by the umami-rich, savory broth. Enjoy!

Special tools:

Pressure cooker or Instant pot [electric pressure cooker].

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of heads of Bok Choy
• 5 oz green spinach
• 1/4 cup chicken or any other savory stock of your choice
• 2 tbsps of soy sauce
• few thin slices of ginger
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• topping: white sesame seeds and sliced red chillies

Method

Put all the ingredients, except toppings, in a pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 2 mins.

Serve, while still hot, with the toppings.

Notes, hints, tips:

1. You can use a regular pot; you may have to cook for 15 minutes or so on low-medium heat.
2. If using a pressure cooker, stove-top or electric, follow the manufacturer’s instructions: make sure that you release the steam before opening cover.
3. For a vegan version, you can use vegetable stock or simply water. Note that the recipe calls for very little liquid; yet in the end you have enough broth from the greens.