Category: Small bites

Make pitha mainstream: Chunchi patra

Last week, I was invited as the Chief Guest at the Pitha Contest of the Odisha Society of the Americas’ (OSA) 50th anniversary. The 3-day event was amazing where upwards of 2000 Odias (demonym for people of Odisha) had gathered for the annual OSA convention.

Pitha is the collective name of the regional “cakes”. For other details, see my Purba book (I also did a book signing where I was impressed to see more men than women!).

Many lament that millennials are forgetting the tradition of wholesome pitha. In my little speech I exhorted the audience to Make Pitha Mainstream! The charming chaos of the bustling volunteers and the energetic audience is priceless (video) .

At the contest, I was also assigned the task of identifying the best two pitha entries after the number of candidates were whittled down to a dozen. One of the winning pitha I picked was the chunchi patra.

In the spirit of making pitha mainstream, I give here my version of chunchi patra: a very simple, yet irresistible lacy crepe version. The challenge is to avoid gloopiness: I suggest using a squeeze bottle. I recommend the fragrant Pandan leaves, for the aroma & a delicate green hue, and, coconut for softness & a subtle sweetness. Enjoy!

Special tools:

Blender, squeeze bottle, non-stick pan, big-head spatula.

Ingredients

  • Batter
    • Soak for 2 hrs: 1 cup long grain white or brown rice (basmati), with 12″ long pandan leaf
    • 50 gm shredded coconut + 1/4 tsp salt + 1 cup water
  • (optional) Filling: sweetened cottage cheese

Method

With scissors chop up the pandan into tiny pieces and add all the batter ingredients in the blender for a smooth, thin batter. In fact, if you rest the batter for a few hours in the refrigerator, it works even better. Fill the squeeze bottle with the batter.

Heat the non-stick pan. Add 1 tsp oil and wipe with a kitchen towel to oil the entire surface and removing any excessive oil from the pan. This is required only before the very first crepe.

Holding the squeeze bottle at 45 degree (not vertically straight up), rapidly make a zig-zag patterns forming a disk. Cover and cook for 2 minutes on slow-medium heat. Remove with a big-head spatula to a platter, since the lacy pancake is very delicate. This makes about 24.

Notes, hints, tips:
  1. The batter is of easy-pouring consistency; the squeeze bottle helps in letting out a thin stream.
  2. The shredded coconut can be found in the freezer section of most Indian grocery stores. Alternative is to freshly grate a coconut. I don’t recommend using desiccated coconut found in most supermarkets.
  3. Pandan leaves can be found at the freezer section of Southeast Asian grocery stores. Note that this plant grows in Ganjam, Odisha. Using more pandan leaf than the suggested amount can give a somewhat grassy flavor (reminiscent of excessive matcha, say).
  4. Here, I used basmati rice. Even brown works very well. The blender works perfect here, since the batter has to be on the thin side (and the blender takes more liquid than the usual food processor).
    Bite-test: To check whether the rice is soaked enough or not- check if you can actually break it easily with your finger or grind it conveniently with just your humble teeth! If yes, then it is soaked enough and ready for the whirring blades of a motorized mixer.
  5. You may wonder if the rice papers from Southeast Asia may bear a resemblance to this. Yes, the Vietnamese freshly made gossamer thin rice crepes may. Here I add coconut to lend a little body as well as a subtle sweetness to the crepe.
  6. Oil and rice crepe don’t go together– it leaves an oily mess on the crepe. Invest in a good non-stick pan.
  7. Chitau pitha, the pancake version: The same batter –just a wee thicker in consistency– can be used for the chitau pitha. See bottom panel in picture below. I used the Kerala appam non-stick pan. Just pour the batter (no squeeze bottle) and no need to move the pan to get the batter to climb the sides of the little appam wok (then you have appam and not chitau!). Bubbles appear just like in a pancake (but without any leavening agent like baking powder); cover and cook (2-3 mins) on low heat till done. This does not need turning either- it is cooked only one side, unlike the pancake. Chitau is on the thicker side, yet soft and delicious!

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Father’s Day: Avocado Pepper Cup

I have been celebrating my father long-distance, on Father’s Day, for quite a few years now. Ironically, when I was growing up at my father’s, so to say, we did not know about this celebratory day.

My father is a foodie with an adventurous, discerning palate and is quick to teach a lesson or two to even our seasoned family cook -who has years of experience in a professional kitchen- at the speck of an opportunity. He has always encouraged me to experiment and continues to be my loudest cheer-leader! I combine his favorite ingredients here to create this especially for him and hopefully it will meet his exacting standards. [My tasters did wolf it down enthusiastically, I must say.]

Special tools:

Toaster oven.

Ingredients

  • 1 Hass avocado
  • 1 long California green pepper, deseeded and finely diced
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten, with a pinch of salt and black pepper
  • Topping: a few halved cherry tomatoes; sea salt

Method

Prepare the avocado by halving it and removing the seed. Gently run your knife in criss-cross parallel lines while cupping the half with the other hand. Using a spoon gently separate the flesh from the skin, without tearing it, and leave the flesh in. Sprinkle with sea salt and place on an oven proof platter.

Mix the egg and the pepper and pour into the two halves of the prepared avocado. Bake at 450-500 F in the toaster oven for 3-5 minutes or until the eggs are done to your liking. Top with the tomatoes, sprinkle sea salt and serve hot.

Notes, hints, tips:
  1. Another option is to toast it with the toppings on; so the tomatoes get lightly roasted. I would recommend this if your tomatoes are not at the peakest of season.
  2. If you don’t have a convenient table-top toaster oven, broil in a regular oven. Keep a very keen eye on it though.
  3. Deseeding the pepper is optional- provided you are comfortable with some pepper-heat. Also, important to finely dice the pepper; if you are not on the top of your knife skills, fee free to use a “chop-o-matic” (or some such doodad) or a processor (not a blender!).
  4. You can use herbs instead of the pepper. Remember that there is little space in the avocado; so it has to be chopped very fine to reduce the overall volume.

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Foca-enta: Focaccia o Polenta?

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.

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Bok Choy Soup

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!

Bok Choy Soup
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.

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Norwegian Inspired Cracker Bread

Just the other day, I was looking for a vehicle for some exclusive (yeah, expensive) cheese and I ran into Norwegian knekkebrød-  it was coup de foudre!  So good that I tossed the cheese: the pedestrian cardboard-looking vehicle became the center piece!

Here is my version of the cracker: tastes awesome, incredibly healthy, and laughably simple to make. If you are like me and order a smattering of grains and flour with the click of a button (from Shiloh Farms, say), here is a fantastic way to put them to use. And, if you don’t, maybe it is time you started since all these quaint whole grains and flour will keep your body’s biology on its toes (I am told).

Special tools:

Sheet pan with a silicone mat (Silpat) or parchment paper.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour (1/4 cup whole wheat  flour + 1/4 cup buckwheat flour + 1/4 cup dark rye flour + 1/4 cup millet flour) + 1/2 tsp baking powder + sea salt +  1 tbsp EVOO
  • 1/3 cup seeds (pumpkin seeds + sunflower seeds + black and white sesame seeds + flax seeds)
  • 2/3 cup whole grain (canahua/quinoa+ kamut flakes -not berries- + barley grits -not whole grain-)

Method

Mix all ingredients with a whisk. Add just enough cold water so that it holds together. Then spread it thin (about 3-5 mm thick)  on a silpat or parchment paper.  This makes approximately an 8 X 12 inch rectangle. Score the surface to make a dozen squares (see picture).

Bake in the top rack at 300 F for 45 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Store.

Notes, hints, tips:
  1. You can mix and match any grains you like- just keep the proportion of flour:seeds:grains as in the recipe.
  2. Be careful about the whole grains– I have used grits and flakes but not berries as they may not cook. I use the baking powder to soften a wee bit.
  3. When I use uncooked quinoa or canahua, I find the texture a little gritty. If that bothers you, then use cooked quinoa.
  4. You can also place the silpat directly on a wire rack and bake for a crispier (but not browner) version.
  5. For an even lighter taste bake at 275 F for 1 hour.

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Superbowl SuperDip

A dip that lets you ditch the chips! Single servings can be handed out to each in beer mugs, so no worries about careless superbowlers double and triple dipping.

I don’t use cheese in the layers, instead I use two layers of yogurt- one for the usual sour cream and the other for cheese. Believe me, you will not miss the usual suspects. Enjoy!

SuperDip

Special tools:.

Tall transparent beer mug to layer the dips.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup refried pinto beans
  • 2/3 cup drained yogurt
  • 1/3 cup (garbanzo) hummus
  • 1/3 cup guacamole
  • 1/4 cup salsa (1/2 cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved + 2 scallions chopped fine + 1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced + 2 tbsp minced cilantro + 1 tbsp lemon juice + dash of salt)

Method

Carefully make the following layers of 1/3 cup each: beans, yogurt, hummus, yogurt, guacamole. Top with salsa.

Serve with chips or vegetable crudités.

Notes, hints, tips:
  1. To make the layers; carefully spoon the dip in the center of the glass and then push it out with the spoon. This will avoid trailing strands of dip in the sides.
  2. You can always use smaller portions with disposable transparent glass. A transparent container lets one see all that awaits the excited palate.
  3. Homemade refried pinto beans: soak beans overnight and cook the beans until soft and drain. Saute diced onions in a little oil; add a little of cumin powder + cayenne pepper + all-spice powder + cinnamon. Add 1 cup of cooked beans and 1 cup water. Cover and cook for 15 mins. Then cool and mash with a potato masher.
  4. Homemade hummus: You can use canned garbanzo beans or cook them from scratch (soak beans overnight and then cook till tender). Run through a processor with seasonings of your choice: garlic, sesame paste, cayenne etc.
  5. Homemade guacamole: For this dip you can uses just avocado and a little salt for seasoning and lime juice to avoid premature oxidation.
  6. You can substitute one of the layers of yogurt with cheese if you want- I would use goat cheese to surprise your palate.

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