Naughty Curry

Of GARAM MASALA and BELL PEPPERS

      We at the NC catch recipes like butterflies in our net --they are random and isolated, fluttering past and capturing our wonderings. In this case, however.....          

          "Go on to the Route 79 blog," I told Trobee one foggy day. "It's cool. By a British dude named Jag. He has lots of good stuff on there I wanna try, and I can't decide what. You choose."

          "Oh-kayyy...." Trobee took her position at the computer and entered the Route 79 site (-- "Reflections on a bus journey home"). She skimmed through the recipe roster, muttering comments and reactions that I really didn't pay much attention to. Why bother? There would eventually be one that she would seize upon, and other ideas would fall away from her memory like fallen autumn leaves. Give it a moment.

          "Oooh! Check this one out, Court. This looks really good: Chicken Rice. I think we have everything, too."

          Chicken Rice. Didn't sound earth-shatttering. But names of Indian dishes are often deceptively simple. Defiantly simple, in a most devious way. Oh yes. Pictures of Indian food, on the other hand...

          I checked it out. Hm. Possibilities there. "All right, go for it."

          I liked how the recipe had the attitude of working with humble ingredients that were on hand. Two 'decaying' bell peppers versus Jag's imagination; no need to toss them just yet. In their last gasp, this Chicken Rice dish could redeem them, meanwhile satisfying the day's supper space. (Says Jag in the post:"Well - it’s not bad given that it was scraped together from stuff in the fridge that would have been thrown out today. The chicken was leftover from a Route79 toasted club sandwich with avocado we had a few days ago...")

          Mastery of the moment into something tasty. Cool.

          Trobee liked the play-by-play of photography that demonstrated the recipe step-by-step. "I like this guy's style," she commented. "Where did you say he was from?"

           "He writes from London. He does his thinking while taking the bus home. You know, those cool red double-decker buses? I rode one at Disney World once. Anyway, he's different in the blogging world. Unique. Maybe because he's been at it since before blogging became the 'in thing'."

          I didn't think she was listening anymore at this point. Her mind was in foodie la-la-land. She was imagining. Taking mental notes. Fine by me.

RECIPE B-R-E-A-K-D-O-W-N

Trobee murmurs to the food as it cooks -- a sort of spice-seductress Scherezade. With tattoos.

"Boil, boil up there, my pot of gold."

It works, so I pretend not to notice. Maybe it's like when gardeners talk to their plants....

*      *     *

"What does he mean by 'decaying'?" Trina wanted to know when it was her turn.

"Huh?" I looked at the recipe. Sure enough, it called for 2 'decaying' bell peppers.

"Oh. Oh, yeah. I think he just means that it's what he had, and what he was determined to work with. As in, use whatever you got, y'know?"

Which was the charm of Jag's recipe in the first place. Could Trina happily handle its 'whatever' vibe? Its un-recipe-like instructions? We would see. I was curious.

*     *     *

At any rate, we did not have bell peppers that were 'decaying'. Not today. As it happened, ours at the NC were juicy and ripe. Perky, even. Brother Chase had just selected them earlier that day in anticipation of his own thing. Which wouldn't be nearly as cool as our creation. I decided I would borrow the beautiful 'bells'.

"Chase is going to kill me," I acknowledged,"but whatever."

*     *     *

Garam masala, garam masala. It is in so many traditional and non- traditional Indian recipes. Yet despite our fascinated attraction for Indian spicing styles, you may have noticed that we include the popular spice blend in very few of our recipes. A few people have questioned us about this in e-mails.

Confession: We have created this recipe several times with great affection, but we on posting on it. The reason? It relies on garam masala. We at the NC harbor a scandalous (perhaps) attitude towards garam masala.

The truth is, we're prejudiced when it comes to involving garam masala in an NC recipe (We like Our People to share our eating experiences as closely as posible). It is, after all, a spice mixture that doesn't own up to any set formula -- an 'X-factor'. Sure, there are a few spices that are commonly featured, such as cloves, coriander, bayleaf, and pepper; it retains a mostly North Indian identity. But not even that is certain.

I frequently read that each household makes their own garam masala from scratch, turning up their noses at storebought varieties. However, Trina's buddy from South India claims that she has never heard of someone making their own. Buying a favorite garam masala, for her family anyway, is the way to go.

"Really?" from us at the NC. Okay then. We decided to try out a pre-mixed variety, since we couldn't settle on one homemade version. What better way to test the stuff with Jag's Chicken Rice Recipe?

Well, we also had a few pretty pictures to show off. So here goes.

photos by Trina and Trobee

top graphic by Mo Digital

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Route 79 Bell Pepper n'  Chicken Pilaf

An evolution that began via Route 79.

1 cup rice
2 chicken breasts or 8 oz. seitan, chopped and cooked
1 1/2 tsp oil
2 dried red chillies
1 tsp garlic paste or minced garlic
1 red onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 cup diced tomatoes
Splash of lemon juice
1 tsp salt


Masala:

• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder

1. In a medium skillet, heat the oil until it is sizzle-hot. Add the dried chillies ans saute until they are a bit darker.  Add the garlic paste, followed by the masala. Cook 1-2  minutes.
2. Add the carrots and onions. Sauté until the onions are clear in color. Add the bell peppers and the diced tomatoes . Cook until the tomatoes are cooked through.
3. Add the rice and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add a splash of lemon juice, salt, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the cooked chicken cubes. Cover the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the rice is done.

Click here to see Jag's original recipe

BARLEY Becomes A Better Kisser

    Serendipity -- it's a wildly-wonderful happening. It fuels us at the NC.

        "Accidental discovery," I told brother Chase not long ago. "That's about the best way I can think to explain it." (I wanted him to know it was more than the title of a John Cusack movie.)

          One is most likely to experience 'accidental discovery' through experimentation. Exploring. Trying new things. That sort of thing.

          Which is the best way to explain today's baby-dish at the NC -- a simple spicing of healthy, humble barley. It was experimental... and has become an NC darling. See, during our photo shoot of Zesty Eggplant Curry-Slurry, I had wanted to demonstrate how the dish could, if so desired, be eaten like a typical curry n' rice. Except we were out of rice. So I had reached for the barley and spiced it up, including it in the photo. ('Twas a marvelous combo with the eggplant, I must say).

          Requests for the 'barley recipe' have since issued forth. We've hung on to it until now -- it makes for an excellent post-holiday post, when people want to become something a little better, beginning with healthy eats. At least, lessen the damage from the holidays...

          Barley. Are you familiar with it? It's a grain. (You'll find it floating around in a lot of soups, which I do NOT like, but...) It's really good for you. If you're sketchy about it, no problem. This spicing-method works equally well with brown rice.

          Soft-yet-firm kisses. That is what cooked barley grains are like. But kisses should not be bland.

         We at the NC, at least, won't have that. Nope. Not ever.

RECIPE B-R-E-A-K-D-O-W-N

First had come the skepticism. About using barley. But whatever. It was what we had. And besides, we had just needed an accompaniment side dish for the photo...and my dinner. I ate it all, relishing the healthy-good-happy things absorbing into my body. And it tasted yummy, too.

Upon the recipe's resurrection for this post, Trobee declared:"This is a damn good recipe."

Uh, what?, I thought. "Uh, what?" I said. I remembered her, ah, hesitation.

"Frick yeah, I love this recipe. It's very Northern Indian..." (referring to it's mildly-spiced non-hotness), "but it's still good to me. (Trobee is shamelessly South-y in her spicing preferences.) When we made this last time, I wanted to frickin' demolish it!"

"Hm. Cool."

"Yeah! It really is. Plus it's so simple to make...."

*     *     *

"Cinnamon and cloves smell SO damn good together! I can't even handle it."

Hm. Ok.

She went on. "You know what I absolutely love?" I couldn't imagine. But I bit. "What?" "Roasted... cinnamon."

I nodded. It is indeed a truly marvelous thing. How many people actually experience it?

*     *     *

"So...do you think this will be as good?" I asked Trobee when we tried this recipe on brown rice. "You're the fan of Texmati."

"Damn right I do."

Texmati is a hybrid of brown rice and Basmati rice, actually available in our local supermarket. The 'Tex' part refers to Texas, just as Calmati rice is from California. Essentially, they are varieties of 'brown' basmati rice.  Trobee loves it. Loves it.

"Does brown rice take the same amount of time to cook as the barley?" she wanted to know.
"Yeah, 45 minutes. We'll see how it all turns out."

Wanna know more about how barley boosts your precious bod? Check out the info on The World's Healthiest Foods (non-profit) website. Trina, anyway, wants to know why it's 'good'. Eat up, Trina.

photos by Trina

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Besame Barley

'Besame' (pronounced BEH-sah-may) means 'Kiss Me' in Spanish. I think.

• 3/4 cup barley or 1 cup brown rice
• 2 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic paste or minced garlic
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• salt and pepper

Masala:

• 3 whole cloves
• 2 cardamom pods, bonked slightly open
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-inch cinnamon stick

1) In a medium pot, heat the oil until it is sizzle-hot. Add the masala and fry for about 30 seconds. Then add the garlic and cook until it turns light brown.

2) Add the barley and fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the broth. Bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer about 45-55 minutes, or until the grains are soft.

JALAPENO Poppers That Will Have You Holler 'Hell YEAH!'

 

    "Well, I am now officially an old bitch," was the first thing Trobee said when she arrived at the NC kitchen. It was her 26th birthday.
          I smirked. Wicked little wisecracks bubbled in my brain...but I stifled them from escaping my lips. Come summertime, after all, I would be turning the big 3-0. Best to play nicely. So instead, I asked her about the weather. ("Yeah, the sun is shining so ever brightly -- but it's cold as a muther out there!" )
           So it was her birthday on this ordinary winter day. (Just another day...." she said with a sigh.) Birthdays, in my opinion, should not be 'just another day'. At least, it is a friend's duty to stoke things up, don't you think? Flavor-food is a great way to begin. Something, something to break on through...

       "Today we are at last going to finalize... THE Jalapeno Poppers." Yes. Time to clinch the spice-formula-recipe and hurl it out into the world. (Well really I was just craving the mouthfeel. More on that later.) "How does that sound to you, Tro?"
          "Oooh! HELL yeah!"
           Ha. I figured that would do the job. Our 'Masala-peno Poppers', you understand, are like doing shots of crunchy-creamy-cheesy crazy spiced flavor capsules. Yes. Yes. Each popper is a missile blast, a funked-out jolt of experience. Yes. Yes. These perfect peppy jalapeno jolts would do nicely. It would tide the birthday girl over, at any rate, until the night's celebrations. Which were sure to be far from humdrum, knowing her.

          Our Baked Jalapeno Poppers, at any rate, have been a Pet Project of ours for quite some time. Each manifestation has been glorious, but we figure: Why post the formula until it is perfect in every way? Until we can relay to you, Our People, the specfics? The origin of the 'Poppers Project' happened 'some time ago'... when an addiction for the standard deep-fried appetizers had me over-the-rainbow...  It is Trina who baited me in the first place. "Damn you to hell!" I would grumble as I lustily gobbled down the greasy things.

          "You know, we should try making these with our spices," Trina had suggested. "Baked, of course."

          Hm. Spice for thought. "Sure, we could try it," I told her. But I added that if they weren't an improvement on the regular fried version, we'd scrap it.

         Hence, a yellow-brick spice road began to unravel for the NC...  And when we begin any spice route, we never know where it will take us. As if the roads we follow are in the shape of question marks. That is our way.


R-E-C-I-P-E  B-R-E-A-K-D-O-W-N

         "Here's the thing," I told Trobee. "The last time Trina and I made these, they didn't have enough color. They needed to be tricked out with a bit more spice. Also, we want to try putting more of the spice mixture in the bread crumb coating. So we'll try that and see how it plays out. You up for it?"

"Damn right I am. Lets get going on this beeyatch!"

*     *     *

Turmeric.

Historically at the NC, it has been a spice that Trobee has been slow to warm up to. Not going so far as to dislike it, mind you, but not having it high on her spicing-priority list either.

But as we all know, you often don't know what you got til it's... not the 'right' brand.

See, on a previous Poppers cooking session, we had experimented with a faded (Thai) variety of turmeric. Trobee ended up getting disgruntled (i.e. pissy) at not getting the brilliant Indian-orange she had come to know (and love?)

"See how much better these bad boys turned out? I guarantee it's cause we have 'our' turmeric back."

I said nothing. Let the Voice of Realization shout loud and sink deep -- turmeric rocks. "Beautiful little bastards...." she murmured as she lovingly arrranged them on a plate.

*     *     *

The first time Trina and I tried spicing these up, we were confronted with a dilemma. We had to figure out a 'starter set' of spices, but we weren’t sure where exactly to throw them in. The cream cheese filling? The flour mixture? The egg batter? The breadcrumb coating? All of the above? Dizzying to be sure. So many question marks to address.

We began by just stirring the spices into the filling. It seemed like it would be OK – biting into a flavor burst. It turned out pretty good. But we knew it could be better. Plus, we wanted them to be prettier. You know... perk up the pale Poppers with a loving spoonful of "pap".

The Popper-spicing process was an evolution. We finally settled on roasting our masala and dividing it between the flour coating and the cream cheese filling. We then spruced up the breadcrumbs with extra paprika, mango powder (for that tang thang) and salt. Cha-ching.

*     *     *

If you are familiar with asafetida, the one full teaspoon involved in the recipe may raise your eyebrows. You will seldom see this much called for in a recipe. You might even think that it is a typo. It is not. It works in this context. Must be a chemical thing.

*     *     *

Every time we make these, it is like a celebration.

"Do you catch a whiff of this?" Trobee said to Chase as she was grinding up the masala. "MMMMM! I can't WAIT to eat these!"

By now, we had the method down to perfection. "Courty! These are spec-tac! Full of flavor!" And without the grease!, my mind chimed in.

"Yeah yeah. But how do they go with the sauce?" We had grabbed a couple of things from the fridge...in true NC style. Nothing fancy, yet oh-so-satisfying. Ideally.

"The sauce? I could drink it."

"OK then. It's a post."

*     *     *

Exploring the anatomy of a Masala-peno Popper:

1) Insert into open mouth.

2) Slowly and gently sink your teeth into the crispy coating (perhaps allow your tongue to lash snake-like at the salt.)

3) Sink your teeth still deeper into the oozing, luscious, creeeamy filling. Joy Joy Joy.

4) Finally, as your senses are in full swing with the bloom of flavors, bite into the green inner flesh. Tear into it like the primal beast that you truly are.

photos by Trina and Trobee

Shout out to 'Bratan' from Paris, France for letting us use his magnificent 'Closed World' pic as a background for our top-of-the-post graphic. Check out his other amazing pics here.

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Baked Masala-peno Poppers

• 6 fresh jalapeno peppers
• 4 oz cream cheese (we use whipped because it stirs the best and is half the fat)
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 Tb milk or soy milk or even water
• 3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs or Panko crumbs
• 1/4 cup flour (We use chickpea flour, but other flours will work. Cornmeal rocks too, though it doesn't stick AS well.)
• 1 Tb paprika
• 1 tsp mango powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• salt

Masala 1:

• 2 ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 ½ tsp coriander seeds
• ¼ tsp ajwain seeds
• 1 tsp asafetida

Masala 2 for the breadcrumbs:

• 1 Tb paprika
• 1 tsp mango powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Get out four small bowls.

1. Dry roast the Masala until the cumin seeds have darkened a few shades. Whizz into a powder with your coffee grinder and then empty it in a bowl and mix with the paprika and mango powder. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, beat the egg and the milk together until mixed well. Set aside.
3. In another small bowl, combine the flour and half of the Masala (about 5 tsp). Mix well and set aside. Add the remaining Masala to a bowl with the cream cheese and shredded cheese. Mix well and set aside.
4. In another bowl combine the breadcrumbs with Masala 2 and set aside.
5. Now put on a pair of gloves and slice each jalapeno pepper in half lengthwise. With a small spoon, de-seed each half and remove the membrane (all the inner junk). Slice off the stem. With the cream cheese mixture, spread about 1 Tb into each jalapeno half, filling it so that it overflows just a little bit.
6. One at a time, place the jalapeno side-down in a small bowl of water, just to get the bottom wet. Follow this by dredging it in the flour bowl, coating it completely. Now dunk it in the egg-milk mixture. Coat it with the breadcrumbs. Place it on a cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining jalapenos.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until they are golden. Done.

NOTE: The salt, paprika/cayenne, mango powder and turmeric are listed twice because they are added twice -- to the cream cheese filling and the breadcrumb coating.

Spicy Ranch-Salsa Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup ranch dressing (we use 'low fat')
1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate
1 tsp honey
2 tsp paprika or cayenne

Mix n' chill in the fridge until chow time. Done.